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Chapter Text

Through the darkness of the night, a bizarrely shaped silhouette could be seen jumping from treetop to treetop. The speed of said silhouette was nothing to scoff at, a real "blink-and-you'll-miss-it"  type phemomenon.

The identity of the silhouette was beyond imagination, with the context only understood by the silhouette itself. In reality, a young girl had been carrying four other people within her arms while jumping at high speeds and precision, despite hardly being able to see. This was thanks to her natural abilities as a vampire, and the one telling her where to jump to and from was a magician that had temporarily been acting as the vampires' eyes.

Immediately after the conclusion of a battle that nearly cost their lives, two of the people that the vampire had carried had fallen unconscious, the other two hanging on for dear life. At last, the quintet landed in front a western-style house surrounded by trees in the dead of night.

Flandre: "Here we are."

She kneeled down and gently opened her arms, to ensure that the unconscious allies in her arms wouldn't fall to further harm after her descent. The two that were awake slid off the awkward formation that was forced to be made thanks to her size limitations.

Alice: "Thank you."

She crawled on her knees, her legs still injured from the previous fight. A girl of similar height to Flandre, with blonde hair and a torn red skirt, came to her aid, putting Alice's arm around her.

Medicine: "Where should we put Keine and Mystia?"

Alice: "My bed is only big enough for one of them, the other needs to go on my couch. I don't exactly plan on sleeping tonight, but for you two..."

Flandre: "I'm tired, but not sleepy. I more or less remember your house's layout, so I'll bring them in."

Alice nodded, and Flandre picked up the two girls off the grass and walked towards Alice's door. When she attempted to open it, however, the door was locked. She was a little annoyed at herself for forgetting something so obvious, but she heard the sound of scooting behind her and looked behind herself.

With her arm around Medicine's shoulder, Alice held a key in her other hand stretched out to Flandre.

Alice: "You forgot to wait for me to give you this..."

Flandre scowled as she took the key from Alice's hand and used it to unlock the door.

The house of Alice Margatroid was not exactly what one would call neat or well-organized. 

Dolls were strewn throughout her home, being able to be found just about anywhere. They moved about through the air, connected on nearly invisible thin strings. Their movements independent of Alice’s own contributed to the feeling that they had sentience.

Several bookshelves could be found throughout her home. However, within nearly each row there were one or two books that were missing, making them look like rows of teeth that had a few knocked out. These books were open at various other places throughout Alice’s home, such as desks or nightstands. 

The actual floors and dusting were properly managed, at least. It appeared as though she had a consciousness for that type of cleanliness. Thus, the house was eerie in its contents moreso than its dirtiness. 

Flandre: "..."

When she had woken up here, she saw these things, but had next to no time to fully process them. Now that she had a greater understanding for Alice’s character, however, a different feeling washed over her upon seeing them. 

Flandre carried Keine to Alice’s bed where she had awoken just a few days ago and laid her to rest there, pulling the covers over her. She laid Mystia to rest on the aforementioned couch nearby the entrance of the house, close to a fireplace. 

At the same time, Alice had crawled her way into the room aided by Medicine and sat down against the wall, holding her legs. The western, hardwood floor was unpleasant against her knees, but it simply had to be dealt with. 

Alice: "Thank you, Medicine. You can rest now, I’ll be fine."

Medicine: "...Alright."

She released her arm from around her and moved away while stifling a yawn.

Medicine: "I’m exhausted..."

Alice: "I can’t really offer you much for comfort, though..."

Medicine: "I slept in the dirt for months, so it’s alright."

Alice raised her eyebrows in worry for the young doll youkai who had never had a comfortable place to sleep, but sighed in acceptance.

Alice: "Do you want to take a bath first? It’s behind the kitchen."

Medicine: "...Yeah."

She had never taken a proper bath before either, relying on the nearby river or the rain for cleanliness. Medicine had always been one to care deeply for her cleanliness, so her face turned more pink with blush at the opportunity. This was something she did not want to admit, starting to fidget with herself before leaving.

Medicine: "Thanks."

She left the room, leaving Alice by her lonesome. At least, she would be if Flandre had not been sitting in the corner of the room, observing the conversation.

Alice: "..?"

Alice looked to the corner where Flandre was, who was glaring at her with a difficult-to-read expression.

Flandre: "I need to ask you something."

Worry swept over Alice oncemore. Their conversation from earlier that evening which had turned sour had never properly concluded, being interrupted by the assassin Seiga Kaku.

Flandre had developed a distrust to Alice which she swore to gain a conclusion on.

And so she braced for the worst, internally cursing out Flandre for being so persistent on attempting to continue it even now.

Flandre: "A bath... what is that?"

Subconsciously, Alice widened her eyes and mouth in response to this. 

Alice: "...Huh?"

...

Medicine’s bath was a short one. Despite wanting to savor it, she was exhausted and wanted to avoid falling asleep in the bath. So after merely a few moments of bathing, she felt satisfied, dried herself off, washed her clothes, hung them up to dry and left.

She confirmed with Alice that she could borrow one of her, albiet oversized nightgowns to sleep with, made herself cozy in a corner of the house, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Alice had admired Medicine for her resilience and lack of pickiness.

Alice: "And here I thought she’d be the picky type, but she just fit herself in the corner between the bookshelf and the wall and passed out."

She stifled a slight giggle to herself, before hearing a loud noise. She identified the source of the sound being the bathroom, and she crawled her way over to it with a worried look on her face. 

Knocking twice, she asked through the door "Flandre? Is everything okay?"

Previously, when Flandre had asked her to explain what a bath was, this was the response Alice gave.

Alice: "It’s a relaxing activity to wash away all your dirt and prepare you for bed. You sink yourself in water and wash with soap. Ah, but the water is important. Will that be ok?"

Flandre: "It should be fine as long as it’s decently still. I’ll go take a bath now."

Alice: "Ah, but you have to wait for Medicine to finish! It’s not nice to intrude on someone while they’re bathing!"

After that, Flandre rather impatiently waited for Medicine to finish, and after that it was her turn. However, it seemed as though she had already encountered some trouble.

Flandre: "Well..! The water’s all hot!!"

Alice: "But it’s supposed to be warm. Is that an issue?"

Flandre: "No, but... you should have told me!"

Alice wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to this, opting to stay silent and let her figure it out. But this also immediately was interrupted by yet another loud sound from the bathroom. 

Alice: "What now?!"

Flandre: "I slipped!"

Alice’s bath was a not-deep, not-large rectangle carved into the ground lined with smooth stone. It was not unlikely for one to lose their balance in such conditions.

Alice grumbled to herself slightly due to Flandre’s antics.

Flandre: "Alice?"

Alice: "What?"

Flandre: "How exactly are you supposed to wash the dirt like this?"

Alice ruffled her eyebrows and narrowed her eyss in confusion, replying back with "Like what?"

Flandre: "With my clothes still on."

Upon hearing those words, Alice drew out a long sigh and slumped her head over. It was now that the realization had hit her that Flandre had completely lacked common sense.

She had been a fool to attempt to gain answers out of her. 

Alice: "...Permission to enter the bathroom?"

Flandre: "..? But it’s your own bathroom."

Interpreting that as a ‘yes’, Alice quickly started to change. A few moments later, she opened the door and crawled her way inside.

Flandre: "What are you doing?! Why are you naked?!"

Alice: "Are you stupid? You’re supposed to take off your clothes before you bathe! I’m not even naked, I have a towel!"

Flandre grumbled to herself as she was trying to find a way to reply. 

Flandre: "Well..! Well..!!"

Alice sighed to herself, wondering why she was stooping down to her level.

Alice: "If you don’t know how to bathe, how did you stay clean all this time? Did you just wipe down, or something?"

This comment caused Flandre to cease her fruitless attempts at keeping her pride.

Flandre: "Wipe down..?"

Alice: "Ah, nevermind. Grab a towel and hang your clothes to dry. I won’t look."

Flandre: "...Fine."

She narrowed her eyes but reluctantly complied, joining Alice in the bath afterwards. The two sat on opposite sides, not quite looking at each other. An awkward atmosphere started to fill the room. 

Flandre: "...Hey."

Alice: "?"

After a good amount of tension, Flandre spoke once more. Her voice more feminine and soft compared to earlier when she was squabbling with Alice.

Flandre: "Didn’t you say baths are a solo activity? Why did you join me here?"

Alice: "Well, because I clearly couldn't even trust you to take a bath on your own!"

Flandre: "I see."

She stared down into the water, looking somewhat sullen. Alice raised her eyebrows in worry when she noticed this, frowning slightly. She began to wonder to herself if she had gone too far with scolding Flandre. Or perhaps she still felt uneasy over what had happened earlier that night. Given the cause it would be natural for Flandre to be feeling uncomfortable around her right now.

Or perhaps, she simply wanted to be alone.

Alice: "...Should I leave you be?"

Flandre nibbled at her lip a little as she narrowed her eyes, still looking down into the water. She fidgeted a little with her hair.

Flandre: "N-No, I think... You don't have to."

Alice: "Are you sure?"

Flandre: "..."

As Flandre hadn't said anything, Alice began to prepare to leave the bath. However, she was prevented from leaving as Flandre had suddenly grabbed onto her arm as she was about to pull herself out, still refusing to look at Alice.

Alice, at this moment, had no idea what to make of this situation. Why was Flandre suddenly acting bashful? She frowned slightly in worry, slowly moving back down to where she was.

Flandre's lips quivered for a brief moment, but that ended immediately. Her eyebrows came together to form a look of determination, and she looked directly at Alice.

Flandre: "Just because we lost one person we could rely on doesn't mean I'll let another be lost!"

Alice, having no idea what to make of what she just heard, raised an eyebrow slightly in confusion, letting out a small "Eh?"

Flandre: "From now on, you're my hostage! Got it? I definitely haven't forgiven you yet, but I won't let you out of my sight!"

She reached out and pointed her finger at Alice's face, her own filled with determination. But in response, Alice could only let out a "Pfft" and giggle to herself. Flandre did not like this response.

Flandre: "What?! What's so funny?!"

Alice revealed a smile as she took her hand off of her mouth.

Alice: "No, nothing. I just think you're cute when you're like this."

Flandre: "!!!! What's that even supposed to mean?!"

Her face grew more pink at this unexpected comment, and she continued shoving her face at Alice's face and yelling at her as punishment. In truth however, had Alice not diffused the mood, it was likely that Flandre would have taken out her frustration onto her. While this had likely been the best solution, for now, all that had been done was kick the can down the road.

As they were exiting the bath after a few minutes, deciding they were clean, Alice caught a glimpse of a knife attached to a band that Flandre had set aside by her clothes. It was something that Medicine had not mentioned when informing her about the events that had happened in the Scarlet Devil Mansion while at Yuuka's house, and she didn't pay much attention to it in the short time it was in her sight.

Alice's intentions were to probe into her curiosity, however, she was unable to accomplish this. She felt a force of pure malice take grasp of her heart, invisible to all but herself. It was an all-too-familiar sensation, and she struggled to keep balance on her arms and legs as its presence grew closer.

'Alice': "That knife, doesn't it make you uneasy?"

An apparition of her younger form, during her time spent in the Demon Realm, Makai, took form behind Alice. She tried to ignore it, looking forward and keeping a stern face. But the apparition was too persistent.

'Alice': "You don't want to think about it, huh? Want to just let that part of your past be forgotten?"

She taunted her older self, looking down at her from behind with her arms crossed. An open grimoire floated in the air by her chest.

Alice: "Please, be quiet..."

She said this under her breath so only the apparition could hear, but Flandre, who had been drying off and changing into a nightgown, had picked up on a sound and turned to face Alice.

'Alice': "Just how long do you think your secrets will stay safe? You couldn't hide it from yourself, you couldn't hide it from the Yama, and you couldn't even hide it from that girl who barely remembered her name. Just watching you makes me sad."

Alice: "Please be quiet, please be quiet, PLEASE BE QUIET!"

Her eyes hidden by her hair, Alice had screamed that out to Flandre's utter confusion. She quickly grabbed hold of her grimoire, which was nearby, and crawled out of the room. Flandre, who had been watching her, didn't know how to react. But she decided to stay silent.

When Flandre had exited the room, Alice was already back in her usual clothes, sat against the unlit fireplace. A doll had bought her a cup of tea which she held in one hand, the other resting on her grimoire situated on her lap.

She looked up at Flandre with a slight forced smile, which Flandre did not respond to.

Flandre: "You're really not planning to sleep?"

Alice: "I've spent many sleepless nights on low energy, so it's not much of a big deal. Besides, it helps to have someone keep watch, isn't it? You never know when the next attack will come around."

Flandre narrowed her eyes at this, but shrugged her shoulders and sighed with a "Suit yourself."

She looked over at where Medicine was sleeping, in the corner of a bookshelf and the wall. Alice, who seemed to have read Flandre's thoughts, issued an apology.

Alice: "...I don't really have much elsewhere to sleep, so you'll have to make do with anywhere you find comfortable if you plan to sleep."

Flandre: "You didn't even give her a blanket?"

Alice: "Well... she already seemed plenty comfortable like that and fell asleep immediately. If this kind of thing happens more often, though, I can make everyone some. Though, I'd rather we don't turn my house into a base of operations..."

It was unknown if Flandre had even heard this, as she walked to a small table by the couch Mystia was sleeping on and crawled under it without responding to Alice.

Flandre: "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."

Alice: "A-Ah. Goodnight..."

Flandre had put herself in a cat like position and closed her eyes to sleep. The house became deathly quiet, only the sounds of breathing and string moving could be heard. Alice cast her eyes downward as her thumbs played with the edges of the paper in her grimoire, focusing in on her mind.

She stared a hole through the front of her sealed grimoire, its title covered by the ribbon that encapsuled it. 

Alice: "Just how long will I keep my secrets before they unravel, huh..."

When she set her teacup down, she noticed it had a slight crack running down the middle. Hot liquid gently streamed out of it onto the floor and her dress.

Chapter Text

Morning came, yet no sunlight came through the windows that Alice had taken care to cover with curtains. Regardless, Medicine naturally awoke and sleepily rubbed her eyes, looking around. Alice, as she observed, was calmly looking down while knitting something. A great deal of dolls had surrounded her person as she sat, but the room was silent save for the faint sound of breathing from the still-sleeping Mystia and Flandre.

Medicine: "Good morning..."

She yawned as she sat up, Alice not replying back to her. Or even noticing her at all. Medicine ruffled her eyebrows and repeated her declaration of awakening, again to no response.

It was then she noticed what Alice was knitting, what seemed to be large quilts or blankets. She also saw a sturdy wooden stick next to her with a bend on top, most likely to be used as a cane.

Medicine: "A cane and blankets? Is she planning to have us stay here..?"

She put her hand to her chin and spoke up as she tried to stand, but she stumbled. Despite her rest, her body was still significantly fatigued due to the earlier fighting she had endured. This was something that Alice actually had noticed, putting down her work and turning to look at Medicine.

Alice: "Ah, Medicine, good morning. Did you just wake up?"

Medicine: "...Yeah."

She picked herself back up and noticed Alice's slight smile. To her, it seemed somewhat forced.

Medicine: "So you really didn't sleep all night?"

Alice: "Well, someone had to keep guard, didn't they? I was able to be productive as well."

Medicine didn't reply, instead turning her eyes to the still-sleeping Mystia. Considerable worry overtook her face.

Medicine: "She'll... wake up soon, right?"

Alice: "...Most likely. Would you like to eat some breakfast?"

Seeing nothing better to do while they waited, Medicine nodded and accepted the offer. Using her cane that she got from somewhere, along with the assistance of her dolls, Alice was able to pick herself up and walk over to the kitchen without as much strain on her injured legs.

When she got to the kitchen, Alice suddenly paused and turned back to ask Medicine a question.

Alice: "Medicine, what do you usually eat for breakfast?"

Medicine: "My body constantly absorbs poison from the flower field, so I don't have to eat much."

She said that as she looked up casually, after changing back into her regular clothes. Alice chuckled awkwardly to herself in response.

Alice: "A-Ah..."

Medicine: "But I can still eat normal food. I'm not picky."

Alice replied with a "That's good, then." and began to make breakfast for the two of them. In the end, she made rice balls with some vegetables on the side for the two of them to eat.

Medicine quietly stared down as she ate her food. Her skill with chopsticks was quite poor, so she had to struggle with that. Seeing this sad display of dexterity made Alice break the silence that had been kept between the two.

Alice: "Do you... need help?"

Medicine: "No, it's okay. I don't need any help."

She frustratedly continued to try and fail at picking up the rice, eventually culminating in her dropping one of said chopsticks.

Medicine: "Ah-"

Some sadness overtook Medicine's face as she watched the results of her clumsiness. She tried to reach down to pick it up, but was too short and couldn't reach. Alice had one of her dolls bring her another pair of chopsticks.

Medicine bashfully looked up at Alice as she accepted the offer, replying with a hesitated "Th-Thanks..."

The two did not speak much over their breakfast aside from that. Medicine was able to secure enough control over her chopsticks to messily finish the rest of her food, which took her an extra 5 minutes compared to Alice who had gone to wash the dirty dishes. Afterwards, Flandre woke up as well.

Sleepily stifling a yawn, Flandre didn't say "good morning", only looking around as she rubbed her eyes. Still, the other two noticed her awakening.

Medicine: "Good morning, Flan."

Alice: "Ah, Flandre. Good morning."

Flandre: "Aah. Hi."

She picked herself up and looked behind herself at the still sleeping Mystia.

Flandre: "So she's still asleep..."

Despite having slept the longest out of the five, Mystia was still soundly asleep on the couch. Not only that, but she had not moved at all from where Flandre had put her last night. Though she was still alive, it is most certainly a cause for greater concern. It could be inferred that Keine was in a similar state.

When Flandre looked down at Mystia, everyone felt the same concern. The expressions on everyones faces hardened as a similar thought coursed through all of them.

Medicine: "Yesterday's fight was extra hard on them, I suppose..."

A face of worry washed over Medicine. Though she had little interaction with Mystia, she felt some tinges of sadness upon seeing the colossal wounds that were inflicted on her, along with Keine.

Alice: "But we can't simply let them stay like that."

Due to the excessive injuries and loss of blood that both had suffered, it was not unlikely they would fall into a coma. It would be a major blow, not just to their fighting capabilities, but also to their friendships. And at the same time, it would actively threaten the safety of themselves and Gensokyo.

Danger would surely be waiting around the corner at any opportunity - that was what the fight against the dark Flandre and Seiga, as well as against the cat trio, had taught them.

And so, partially out of those interests, and also a desire to ease their suffering, while it would be preferable if they were allowed to rest without needing to fight anymore, the only option was to get them fixed up.

Flandre: "But what do we do about it?"

The biggest issue was, putting aside Medicine's rudimentary skill, there was only one known proper medic within Gensokyo. And a shiver ran down each of the girls' spines as they realized who it was that they had to pay a visit to.

Flandre: "Ugh..."

Given her history with her, it was unsurprising why she had groaned. But Medicine had no idea what happened between Flandre and Alice, and Eirin. But she had her own reason for frowning at the idea.

Medicine: "She gives me the creeps..."

Alice: "Medicine, you know the doctor?"

The two turned to look at each other in mild confusion.

Medicine: "...Yes, we're something of business partners, I suppose. She comes by every month to buy poison off of me."

Alice mouthed the word "Buys?" to herself in slight confusion, as Medicine would have no real need for money, but let her continue talking anyway.

Medicine: "Anyways, it's a bit of a long story, but if you two had a problem with her I don't imagine she would cause problems for you if I'm there."

Flandre: "We beat her once before, so she'll hopefully have gotten the message. But I won't hesitate if she tries anything funny."

With that, Flandre cracked her knuckles and prepared to pick up Mystia, but was interrupted before she could.

Alice: "Hold on. We can't just go to the human village just like that."

Flandre turned back to face Alice, who had still been sitting on the floor, in confusion.

Alice: "If we just enter as so, the villagers would immediately be suspicious. The destruction from the fight against the doctor, followed by the disappearance of Keine, probably has the entire village paranoid. If a bunch of unknown youkai show up, they'll probably give all of us a hard time. I imagine any youkai in the village who are publicly known are already facing difficulties, in fact."

A couple of things struck Flandre as odd, but she decided to focus on one specific thing.

Flandre: "Keine? Why would they be paranoid over Keine in particular?"

Alice: "I suppose I haven't told you before, but Keine isn't just some self-righteous woman who joined us after picking a fight. She's a beloved teacher and principal of the only human school in Gensokyo, and the foremost defender of the village. Needless to say, she's very popular."

Flandre flattened her eyebrows at this, responding with "So why can't we just show up saying we've got her and need her repaired?"

Alice sighed in response, calling Flandre a dummy and shaking her head while crossing her arms.

Alice: "That would just draw more unwanted attention to us and raise their paranoid even more. We'd have to be covert about it."

Flandre: "Covert? How?"

Alice narrowed her eyes and made a smug smile.

Alice: "With disguises."

...

As it so happened, Alice's room had a wide variety of junk and miscellanious objects stored away. When she revealed her 'stash' to the two girls with her, she added the side comment "I knew they would come in useful one day." This was only met with confused reactions.

Nevertheless, setting out in the middle of the day, Flandre equipped one of Alice's elaborate dresses, though re-fitted for her size, over her regular clothing that covered up her wings. She had her umbrella quickly fixed by Alice. And lastly, a hooded addon was put on her head to protect her from the sunlight and to avoid exposure. This combination of clothing that made Flandre look like a victorian-era lady made her grumble and complain, though Alice insisted it was merely a temporary measure.

Alice, meanwhile, changed her clothing to be pink, and found herself a wheelchair to travel in. Her grimoire lay in her lap as she moved around in it, though it prompted Flandre to ask why she had not taken it out earlier. Alice simply dismissed it as "I don't need it."

Medicine hardly needed any changes aside from clothing repairs, already being someone who didn't obviously look like a youkai at first glance and being someone whos appearance wasn't known. However, before they left, Alice had told her to "keep the ominous aura around her in check," to which Medicine had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

Alice, in addition, found a wheelbarrow in her storage in which Mystia and Keine were put into. A layer of miscellanious goods covered them, in addition to a tarp for security. Each of these preparations took under half an hour to prepare with Alice and her dolls' handiwork.

Though, needless to say, these preparations were deeply uncomfortable amongst the other two.

Flandre: "Didn't you say this was a 'covert operation' or something? We look completely out of place!"

Flandre, who was both holding the wheelbarrow and the umbrella, complained loudly to Alice who was being driven by her dolls, Medicine walking beside her.

Alice: "Are you still hung up over those clothes? I told you, it's just a temporary measure. Perhaps I should have given you the yukata instead..?"

She looked up, feigning innocence as she put her finger on her lip.

Flandre: "Did you even hear me?! We stick out like sore thumbs!!"

Alice: "It'll be fine. Have some trust in me for on-"

Suddenly having realized what she was saying, she cut herself off and changed her expression.

Alice: "A-Anyways, it shouldn't be an issue. Enigmatic people aren't unusual there, as long as we don't out ourselves as youkai."

Flandre continued grumbling and complaining to herself, however Medicine didn't get involved, instead becoming lost in her own thoughts as she stared down at the road while walking.

Medicine: "The human village, is it..."

A certain nervousness bubbled up within Medicine's stomach. Since the day she had been abandoned, she had not once voluntarily sought out to see a human, let alone a dense multitude of them like a village. She had no idea what to expect, but feared only the worst.

She grimaced to herself as various possibilities flooded her mind. What if they had been outed as youkai? What if the turbulence in the village was worse than Alice had imagined? What if Eirin decided to go against Flandre and Alice once again? In such a scenario, Medicine would be forced to reveal the 'true' Medicine within her - the one that she had attempted to repress.

She shook her head to try to rid herself of the thoughts, though that, of course, proved unsuccessful. How could they go away, after all? Humans to her were simply too much of an unknown factor, too quick to change their minds on something. They were all essentially a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode onto her. When that happens, what else could she do but reveal the true Medicine Melancholy to them? It would be the only choice.

That was what she told herself. That it would be the only thing that could be done.

Oblivious to Medicine's internal troubles, Flandre quietly looked around the area. The immediate surroundings of the dirt path they were taking were quite flat and barren, only holding grass and a few flower batches until interrupted by a significant landmark. However, it seemed that no matter what, two colossal objects stood out no matter where one was within Gensokyo.

First, to the east, was a large mountain that soared into the heavens. And to the west, directly opposite of Alice's group and the human village, was a tree that, though not quite as tall, was extremely impressive in its own right. It was multiple orders taller and thicker than everything that had surrounded it, spreading its foliage out an impressive distance.

Now being able to take a proper look at these two and being able to ponder them, Flandre decided it would be worth asking about them.

Flandre: "So, uh..."

She pointed out at the two landmarks.

Flandre: "About those two large things, can you tell me about them?"

Alice made a slight smile to herself before replying, in response to the innocuous question.

Alice: "The one on the right is the Youkai Mountain. It's mostly dominated by tengu and kappa, though various gods live there as well. A few years ago, an entire shrine was moved up there. There are a couple other facts, but I'll spare you all that right now. All you have to know is it's an important site for humans and youkai alike."

Flandre nodded along to Alice as she continued explaining.

Alice: "And the big tree right there is called 'The Moon Tree,' because it seems to stretch out to the moon. It's the only oak tree despite being surrounded by 'The Bamboo Forest of the Lost.' Rumor has it that if you try to approach it, spirits will guide you away. Nobody has ever been able to get to it."

Flandre: "..? Can't you just fly to it?"

Flandre looked over at Alice, puzzled. But Alice flattened her eyebrows as she answered.

Alice: "Mm... Apparently if you try to fly close to it, you get hotter and hotter, and you won't be able to take it anymore. But I don't really understand. It's just something that served as a symbol for Gensokyo."

Flandre: "I- I see..."

She wasn't completely satisfied with this answer, but decided to leave it for now. She made a mental note to herself to try to listen in on anything that might mention it, and ceased her questions for the time being.

...

A short few minutes later, the group had arrived at an entrance to the human village. Contrary to Medicine and Alice's expectations, however, it was far from being in a state of panic that would threaten any suspicious youkai-looking person out. Instead, it was merely that the average villager seemed to look more worried than usual. A frown adorned more people than one would expect, and there was not quite the usual bustle and noise one would expect from midday. Still, life continued on.

Flandre nudged Alice's arm, taunting her.

Flandre: "Hey, genius. Nothing's wrong."

Alice: "It still makes sense to come prepared. Let's just move forward."

Flandre sighed and continued walking on, with Medicine remaining silent as she looked around.

She had never seen so many humans in one place. Almost all her memories pre-youkaihood were quite foggy and episodic, so she had little experience seeing this many. Though it was hardly more than 30, it seemed as though there were hundreds outside. Though almost nobody noticed the trio, it felt as though they were all staring at her. Thousands of eyes, staring through her. Judging her. Looking down on her.

She couldn't stand it. Her hands balled up into fists, trembling. She couldn't stand them. Those humans, acting so high and mighty when all they do is trample on others. Why did she have to care about them? For what purpose did she have to keep herself restrained? How would those disgusting people see when Medicine's poison ruptured their organs from the inside? How about she just showed them no-

A great force hit Medicine's head, causing her to stumble forward and hold her head as she turned around, her train of thought completely disrupted. When she turned around, Alice was looking at her with disappointment.

Alice: "You smell."

Medicine: "...? Huh?"

Confusion took over her feelings of malice, and she mellowed out and stayed quiet.

Completely ignoring her, Alice continued talking about something completely unrelated.

Alice: "I can't drive myself with dolls anymore. Would you please take me from here?"

Something about the polite tone in which Alice had said that annoyed Medicine a little, but she shrugged it off and went behind Alice to push her wheelchair forward, deciding it was for the best to be as hidden as possible from everyone.

As it so happened, Medicine as the shortest one in the group found it quite uncomfortable to push Alice forward, but she persisted onwards. Looking around as they went on, it became clear that the overall mood of the village had grown more solemn than usual, even to someone who had no experiences of being here before. Moody faces could be seen on nearly everyone walking along.

Flandre: "Just how influential was Keine..."

At last, they had arrived where the fight against Eirin had been held. Distinctly fewer people than usual were seen, despite having been one of the main streets of the village. Large amounts of damage across the ground and houses were still visible, however the office Eirin had used was mostly patched up. The group stopped for a short moment to observe the damage.

Alice: "Come on, let's keep going. It's right there."

Moving again, the three went along, finally entering Eirin's clinic. A large sign labeled "Eintei - Dr. Yagokoro's Pharmacy & Health Clinic" hung over it.

Inside, they were greeted by a familiar face.

Reisen: "Gooooooo~od morning!! Welcome to Dr. Yagokoro's office! She'll be right with you in a moment, but I'll first need you to tell me what exactly is the matter. Who is it? The girl with the pretty dress, with the suspicious wheelbarrow? The one hiding behind the wheelchair? Ooh, it's probably the lovely lady right here in the wheelchair, isn't it? Not to worry, Dr. Yagokoro will have you walking again in no time!"

The over-enthusiastic rabbit immediately got out of the receptionist's chair and headed over to grab and hold Alice's hand, looking at her with a smile to the discomfort of the trio. Still, it seemed that she had not recognized them from the previous fight and shown malice, which was an undeniable victory.

Eirin: "Now, now, Udonge. It's all right. Take it easy on the poor girl."

A tall woman in a blue-and-red dress with a lab coat over it entered the room, her hand on the wall. She looked through her glasses at the visitors and made a slight smile to herself.

Eirin: "Oh dear, Udonge. It seems as though you haven't learned yet to find repeat customers. I'll have to discipline you for that."

As the four quietly looked up at Eirin, Reisen's smile faded into a look of shock.

Reisen: "Ehh? Repeat customers? But I've never seen these people in my life!"

Taking a look at the wheelbarrow, and then at the familiar young girl beside Alice, Eirin felt a sense of confidence in knowing what was going on. She looked up at them and turned herself around, into where she came from.

Eirin: "Follow me."

She walked away, leaving behind an ominous air. The three looked at each other, looking for someone to say something while leaving Reisen in the dark.

Surprisingly enough, Medicine was the first to speak up.

Medicine: "I think I understand how you're feeling, but I don't think she'll do anything. Let's just follow her."

Flandre: "...Okay."

Alice didn't say anything, but she didn't disapprove either. The three moved along into the office Eirin was waiting in, the operating room that Flandre had been in a few days prior. Eirin herself had been sitting on a chair, looking at them expectingly. Her long grey braid touhed the floor.

Eirin: "That wheelbarrow. Can you show me what is inside of it?"

Flandre: "We were planning to do that anyways, but here."

She leaned over and took off the blanket, brushing away some of the various fruits and vegetables and revealing the sleeping Mystia and Keine inside.

Flandre: "Fix them."

She looked into Eirin's eyes with an upset-looking face. Eirin, however, sipped from her cup of coffee and set it down before standing up.

Eirin: "Of course. However, I'd like to ask a few questions before I do so."

Flandre: "..."

Nobody said anything, as Eirin casually prepared the materials she needed to operate; medical tools, anesthetics, lighting. Tension started to fill the room, as each of them observed Eirin in the event she would lash out at them. Without even looking back at them, however, Eirin started talking on her own.

Eirin: "If you want to take off that dress, nobody will be visiting for the next few hours while I work. You'll be fine."

Flandre: "Aah..?"

She flicked up an eyebrow at the sudden unprompted comment.

Flandre: "What are you implying?"

Eirin: "...Medicine, my dearie. How have you been? I'm surprised you came all the way out here, but it isn't that time of the month yet."

Suddenly stiffening when noticed, Medicine, who had been staying silent, nervously darted her eyes around.

Medicine: "Well, I ended up getting involved with these people, so here I am... Even I leave the flower field, you know?"

Eirin: "Is that so? It looks to me as though you're trying to make yourself look smaller. Not fond of humans?"

She said such things casually while working on reperations for Keine immediately, conducting surgical precision and repairing wounds in the same way one would casually prepare themselves a snack. Despite paying very little attention, her performance as a doctor was at its peak. -No, she had paid an incredible amount of attention, but was able to divert it to making small talk as well.

Eirin: "You didn't do bad for an amateur, you know. I believe you have far greater capability as a medic than you might think."

Medicine: "Huh?"

Eirin: "Didn't you know a good sum of medicines are made from the attacking chemical itself? For example, a vaccine using a tiny, dead form of the virus to build resistance. Have you considered using your ability in such a way? If you apply it right, you could even succeed me."

Medicine's eyes widened as she put her finger on her lip in response.

Medicine: "I didn't even consider that!"

Eirin smiled to herself in response, and she continued talking.

Eirin: "And now, Alice... Don't worry, I shall get to your legs shortly. But you also seem quite tired. Even for a youkai, it's important to get adequate sleep, you know?"

Alice: "..."

Alice had stayed silent, mostly due to wanting to limit her direct interaction with Eirin as much as possible. She simply kept her mouth shut and looked away.

Noticing this, Flandre furrowed her brows with a "Tch" and walked over to Eirin. While Eirin was working on repairing Keine's body, she pulled her closer to her from behind and forced her to look into her eyes.

Flandre: "Listen, we get that you're very observational, but how about shutting up and doing your work? Nothing more, and nothing less."

Staring her dead in the eyes, Flandre's bright red eyes would be capable of striking fear into anyone - anyone except Eirin, who smiled in the face of the short-tempered vampire.

Eirin: "Ah, but to criticize the only one you can rely on is quite the risk, isn't it?"

Flandre grit her teeth as she grew angerier, grabbing Eirin by the collar and pulling her to her face.

Flandre: "I hate that arrogant, all-knowing attitude of yours. What's your deal? Do you feel an itch when you're not flaunting yourself? Is that it?"

Eirin's smile fell, and her tone became much more serious.

Eirin: "That tree..."

Flandre: "?"

Eirin: "Do you know the history of the tree that looms over this village?"

Flandre: "...What of it?"

Eirin: "One day, I think it would be nice to simply burn it to the ground, you know?"

Flandre grew more upset with this response, pushing Eirin backwards who stumbled and caught herself, and turned to walk away.

Flandre: "What is it with everyone!!"

And with that, she stormed out of the room, with Eirin nonchalantly returning to work as though nothing had happened.

Chapter Text

A hazy mist blanketed her consciousness - fading in and out ever so slightly. The bloodflow in an artery tightening and loosening, the heartrate increasing and decreasing - the bloodflow to the brain was of upmost importance when one's life was in question. Even if the body was saved, there was a possibility that the mind may not.

'Death' is commonly described, at its most peaceful, as being a sleep one never wakes from. Anything beyond the realm of death is up to ones imagination and beliefs - the afterlife, reincarnation, or simple eternal rest. However, one thing can be certain about death: it is the absence of any consciousness at all; when you die, that's that.

Thus, the condition she was in could not be described as death. However, she was unable to be described as merely having a dream either. Her consciousness lingered in the delicate balance between void and light, a limbo.

Her soul floated in a sea of transquility, oblivious to the world outside. She couldn't form thoughts, nor could she move a muscle. She simply laid in the misty, serene, tranquil ocean of nothingness. Not a worry in the world, though she wouldn't be able to percieve it anyway.

And then, a flash of light. It was only for a brief microsecond, but a foreign flash of light had invaded this inpenetrable, tranquil, safe land. Its brief existence had caused a disruption within her consciousness, peeling it ever-so-slightly from its embrace with the peaceful still.

It is said that objects who are still will remain still until interrupted, and objects who are in motion will remain in motion until interrupted. Such laws, too, apply to the stream of consciousness in ones mind. The slightest action or word could set off a string of overthinking, paranoia, flashbacks. On the contrary, something deeply meaningful or important could be glossed over, ignored, reduced to mere rubble. It is this duality of consciousness that has given rise to many a conflict, missed opportunities, or general grievance.

And as such, following this impossibly short flash of light which disrupted her pristinely still consciousness, a chain event occured. It started with muffled, silent noises that could barely be discerned beginning to echo throughout the sea of tranquility. If given a great deal of thought, one may be able to identify them as voices, though the identities of them were impossible to determine; let alone the contents of their words.

The noises grew louder, their sharpness increased. Her consciousness grew displeased with all the sudden disturbences, though she was unable to do anything about it. Try as she might, she laid motionless within the sea of her own mind, being forced to accept the noises and voices around her as they continued to progress.

The voices bled into each other. If anything had been remotely coherent before, they reverted to being a mud-puddle of words and sounds, completely unintelligible to even the greatest interpreter. If lucky, perhaps one or two words at a time could be understood, and this continued on furthermore.

Slowly, even the subconscious mind would be able to pick up on the emotions of the 'speakers.' Happy, sad, upset, pleading, nauseous, vitriol, wavering. Her consciousness frowned at the unpleasantness surrounding her - yet she remained just as helpless to it as ever.

Progressing steadily, the noises overwhelmed what was once a space of total silence. Their sharpness had progressed to where they could not be referred to as 'noises' anymore, becoming almost completely intelligible. They became recognizable, lines could be drawn to those she knew. Those important to her. And there were those which she had absolutely no recognition of, either.

???: "What do you mean you don't know how to sing?"

???: "There's the witch!! Get her!!"

???: "Now, take my hand and come with me!"

???: "You don't realize how important you are..."

???: "We're so close to achieving our goal."

???: "I will... never forgive you."

???: "Bear witness, for I am none other than the strongest existence!"

???: "Oh? Is that your answer? How very interesting.

???: "This--!! This isn't what I had wished for!!"

???: "I never stopped worrying about you. Not for a moment."

???: "xxxxxxx, are you aware of why we have come here?"

???: "Witness an unthinkable present."

Each thought that could be comprehended, she saw mere glimpses of what could be. Undiscernable micro-instants of a reality that were gone as soon as they had come. Sadness and grief, meetings and farewells. They all had only existed for mere microseconds. Each one was a light that lit up what was once a space of nothingness into a bright gallery of vivid colors.

She had wanted to close her ears, and close her eyes to everything. Yet, she was unable to. Forced to bear witness to this unexplainable phenomenon assaulting her consciousness, there was little she could do but hope it would be all over soon.

However, one thing bothered her, that she had not yet realized. She would be unable to determine if these words were things that she had heard, or mere fiction crafted by her subconscious mind. If they were the voices on the outside of her mind, or those that had never existed.

And then-- laughter. A wild, manic, joyous laughter filled her consciousness, reverberated off the walls. She couldn't comprehend the voices, the laughter. What they meant, why they were here, nothing. A panic swelled in her chest. She had had enough of this, the laughter, the esoteric voices. It seemed as though they had intruded for the sole purpose of mocking her.

And so, she tried to break free. Calling as much power as she could, she tried to jolt herself out of this trance. Though struggle as she might, it was hopeless. The laughter only grew louder and louder, banging on her brain with the force of a wild bull. She began to worry if she had been trapped - trapped by her own consciousness. Like an insect stuck in a spiders' web.

The more she struggled, the more helpless it seemed. Nothing would work. She began to wonder if she had been mistaken - if this was her reality this whole time. A loose sense of grief and sadness formed within her, a sense of resignation and fear.

Perhaps that's all there was, to the existence of--

Mystia: "Gah!"

By some miracle, Mystia Lorelei had jerked herself awake. Her body was trembling, covered from head to toe in sweat as she panted rapidly. Furthermore, she had absolutely no idea where she was.

She blinked twice, coming to her senses, and looking around the room with her widened eyes as she took in all the new information around her.

Mystia: "What... was that..?"

It was bright - too bright. Her eyes had a tough time adapting, and strained as her vision slowly came to. Around her was white, and she was laying down somewhere not quite soft or hard, with a simple baby blue blanket over her. She could hear voices. Real, tangible voices, of people she knew and could identify, though not around her at present.

Medicine: "...So you're saying that if I trained my ability better, I could use my poison to heal?"

Eirin: "Wasn't that essentially how you gained sentience? From absorbing the poison in the flower field? It would be more complicated than that, but it is the same principle."

Mystia touched her head, which felt dizzy and groggy as she flattened her eyebrows after hearing the voice of an unpleasant person.

Mystia: "The doctor..?"

She tried to move out from where she was, but the instant she tried, a sharp pain assaulted her side where she had been assaulted. It forced her to clench up and remain where she was as she shut her eyes from the recoiling pain.

Mystia: "Ow ow... What was that..?"

Looking down at herself, under the covers, she saw she had been changed out of her regular clothes into a gown more fitting for a hospital patient. Seeing this, she attempted to answer some of her own questions.

Mystia: "What happened..? I rushed outside, and then... Ah!"

After a gasp, she called out "Keine!" and attempted to bear through the pain and stand up out of her bed to look for her. However, this proved unsuccessful, as her dizziness caused her to trip over herself and fall before even taking two steps.

When she landed, she opened her eyes to see a large brown scar across her inner elbow, dizzying her thoughts further.

Mystia: "My left arm..?"

A few set of footsteps were heard rushing into the room where Mystia was, and she looked up to see Flandre, Medicine, Eirin and Alice. However...

Mystia: "Keine..."

She quietly called her name out in a faint, wavering voice.

Eirin: "Ahh, Mystia. Your wounds haven't completely healed yet. You shouldn't have moved like that."

Mystia: "Ah-"

She looked up at their faces. Each of them had varying levels of concern, in order of most to least: Eirin, Medicine, Alice and Flandre. Yet, one person was still missing. The status of that person was of upmost importance.

Mystia: "Where's Keine?! What happened to her?!"

The sudden, loud outburst momentarily stunned the four of them. Within that short timeframe, she had interpreted it as being a hundred minutes, and she let emotion took over. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she shouted.

Mystia: "What about me!! That's not important right now! Where is.. where is she! Keine! After what happened against th-that woman!! Why are none of you saying anything!!"

Flandre: "Ah, but-"

???: "Good grief."

Before Flandre could finish her thought, a sudden voice had interjected. From behind the door, entered a woman with a distinct set of horns on her head and a fluffy tail on her bottom, as well as with an arm cast for her left and a walking stick for her right. With the same blue gown on, she made a faint, wry smile when she met eyes with Mystia.

Keine: "I couldn't get here quick enough, and look what happened."

Mystia squeezed her eyes shut and began to cry out.

Mystia: "Keeineeee!!"

Afterwards, the six of them transported themselves back into another room. Keine and Mystia, along with Alice, who had her shattered legs treated, had sat. Flandre leaned against the wall, crossing her arms, while Eirin and Medicine stood nearby. After being situated, Keine had begun to explain what had happened to Mystia.

Keine: "I held my ground against Seiga Kaku until Flandre arrived and took care of her, but she wasn't able to extract much out of her. Medicine had tried to do surgery on us, but it only prolonged the time we had left. By the time we got here, Eirin had said if Alice and the rest had arrived only an hour or two later, even she couldn't treat us."

Keine forced a cheerful face as she had been explaining, but in truth, being so close to the border with death was something that had been haunting her since she had awoken.

Eirin: "Even I can't fully heal such brutal wounds immediately. You'll have to restrain yourselves for the next few days or so, but please feel free to pin the blame on any extra pain onto your friend here, who oh-so-generously disrupted me during my work."

Flandre: "...Tch."

She moved her head away and scowled, knowing she was wrong but refusing to admit it. In addition, she took herself out of the ridiculous excuse of a disguise Alice had provided her with, given how nobody had visited Eirin's clinic in the time they had been there.

Eirin: "Keine had woken up only thirty minutes ago, but I had expected you to wake up about two hours from now. Did something happen, Mystia?"

In fact, something had happened to Mystia, but she decided to keep that in her heart for now until she could comprehend what exactly had happened. And so, she shook her head with a pathetic expression on her face.

Alice: "Well, we've only been here for about three hours. The doctor says my legs will be up and running the next day, but right now the entire village is in a trance over Keine's absence. We should probably address that. And then, there's the issue of housing."

She sighed before continuing.

Alice: "There's also the issue of housing, and where to go from here. Ah, and the payment. I'll give it to you now, Doctor Yagokoro."

Flandre: "Something about your willingness to comply with her so easily makes me annoyed."

This comment by Flandre went overlooked by everyone.

Eirin: "Don't concern yourself with the payment. I would rather you pay me back in something more useful than money."

Alice: "Eh?"

And that was when Eirin made an evil-looking smile to herself.

Eirin: "Perhaps I could solve your housing and coordination issue while you solve my payment issue. What do you say?"

Flandre couldn't hold herself back anymore and snapped, rushing up to Eirin and grabbing her by the collar, lifting her up against the wall.

Flandre: "You just can't hold yourself back, can't you? You broke even from attacking us last time, so you shouldn't expect any payment in the first place. As if we'd ever live with you..."

Rage filled Flandre's eyes as she scowled up at Eirin, who didn't look concerned in the least.

Eirin: "It was merely a suggestion, you can do what you like."

Alice: "Put her down."

Flandre: "Shut up! Did you forget I'm not through with you either?!"

Keine: "Flandre!"

Shooting Flandre a sharp glare, she raised her voice in the way she would as a teacher in her normal job. Flandre squinted back in annoyance and let go of Eirin, walking out of the room with a sour face as Medicine looked on in worry.

While all this was unfolding though, Mystia had withdrawn from the conversation. Up until Flandre's rash act, she had sat staring down pensively lost in her own thoughts. Unpleasant feelings began to swell and churn within her.

In the end, Mystia had not been able to accomplish much while fighting the assassin Seiga Kaku. She had forced her allies to risk their lives and cover for her while she had been essentially a deadweight.

She recalled something that she was told by Keine a few hours before those events, while they were searching for Medicine and Flandre in what remained of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

At this time, Mystia had become frustrated with the lack of progress while investigating. While happy that no corpses had turned up, the lack of progress had caused her to grow irritable and paranoid. Keine, noticing this however, responded in kind:

Keine: "Without thoroughness, you would simply glide past life. If you spend your entire life never going beyond dipping your toes in, what kind of life would that be?"

Within context, it was advice for Mystia not to be reckless in her search for the two girls, which she took a minute to realize.

In addition, she thought back to Keine's and Eiki's advice, namely telling her 'you mustn't run away.'

She had struggled with herself about whether or not she was truly cut out for these dangerous missions in the first place. In the first place, her joining of the group had been completely against her will and against her usual schedule. It completely took her from her daily routine before she was able to tell those around her about it. And that fact had been gnawing at her heart.

Were she to abandon the group she was in now, she would live in guilt for leaving them to their likely deaths. However, she had people she cared for, people who cared for her. A shop she owned, with customers who frequented and she chatted with. Even a small home she was proud to call her own. In essence, her life was made.

Keine and Eiki, the yama, seemed to have noticed this. It was painfully obvious, between her idle facial expressions and lack of cheeriness - which had lost since the situation had taken up more seriousness.

Once before she had ran away, but she bought herself back in the end. She couldn't shake her feelings of restlessness after having abandoned Alice and Flandre following the fight against Keine and Eirin, and decided to go against her better judgement and aid them once again. Having fought a battle against herself while under the temporary care of Eiki, she steeled her resolve in determination to protect Keine and the rest against the assassin.

But that had not worked out as well as she would have hoped.

She had been mercilessly cut down - and her resolve along with it. If she had been any less fortunate, if Keine or Flandre any weaker, it would have all been over. They would all have died, and Mystia's life would have come to an end. Her peaceful life, her shop, her friends. Kyouko Kasodani would live in grief and anxiousness for the rest of her life. It could have happened in Hell, it could have happened in Mayohiga. What's to say the next encounter they faced wouldn't be even more deadly? She had heard that Flandre and Medicine had a run in with not one, but two masterminds, as well.

A small voice within herself attempted to convince her that she was not a deadweight. As it had been, she was the only reason that Alice and Keine had lived against the shinigami Komachi, and convinced her to take them across the Sanzu river. Yet at the same time, a larger voice within her had told her that that wasn't unique to her. It could have been anyone smarter that would have prevented them from falling prey to Komachi's deception.

It told her that she was undeniably the weakest link. Keine and Medicine both had devastatingly powerful abilities, proving themselves against the very competent assassins last night, while Alice and Flandre were both tactical geniuses. In comparison, Mystia was more or less the average youkai. Her debuffing skill was nice to have, but that was about all. In fact, at its worse, it had even been a nuisance for her own allies.

Mystia grit her teeth, tightening her face as such thoughts churned through her mind. There had also been the matter of the mysterious visions she had within her sleep. Were they a simple fever dream? Or something more? She wanted to ask, but she refused to. What would be the point? So her allies would question her more? So she could burden them further?

Keine sighed as she got up, saying "I'll go get her." However, Alice motioned her hand in front of her.

Alice: "No, you should stay here."

Medicine: "I'll talk to Flan. Wait here."

With a worried face on, she quickly slipped away from the room. A momentary silence filled them, until Mystia had piped up.

Mystia: "Umm... Dr. Yagokoro, where did you put my old clothes?"

Eirin: "I handed them over to Alice, as she had claimed she would repair them. Ah, but if you are concerned about having been stripped during your surgery, don't worry. I don't need vision to understand what I was doing, it was merely for convenience and safety sake."

A thought that hadn't even occured to Mystia made her blush slightly, but she nodded it off.

Mystia: "A-Aahh, it's okay. Thanks. Alice?"

Alice: "Ah, here. But I didn't finish yet."

As she had been working on its repairs while Mystia was asleep, she hadn't had much time to work on it, though it was mostly repaired already.

Alice: "But, you don't have to put it on for the time being. Your wounds have barely had time to heal."

Mystia: "My wounds..."

She looked down solemnly, and gulped. Then, she looked up at Alice, Keine and Eirin. She had made her decision.

Mystia: "You don't have to worry about my wounds anymore."

A stunned silence filled the room momentarily as the three took in what Mystia could have meant. Eirin, who had no intention of joining this conversation, narrowed her eyes. Keine and Alice, however, furrowed their brows.

Alice: "Come again?"

Mystia: "What I mean is, I'm leaving. You don't have to worry about me anymore."

Immediately, Alice and Keine felt their hearts drop. Mystia knew this, recoiling her mouth slightly, but continued on anyway. She was resolved to make a decision regarding this source of frustration for her, rather than letting it air in limbo like it had been.

Mystia: "I had a lot of fun adventuring with you guys, but... I have my own life to attend to as well. I'm a grown woman. I'm scared of dying... and I don't want to hold you guys back. I really do want the best for you all, but I'll have to take my leave here."

Keine stood, supporting herself by her walking stick, and glared angrily at Mystia. It was unpleasant, but she had expected it.

Keine: "You're deciding to leave, after everything we've been through..?"

Within her voice, there was anger, sadness and fear. Each word made Mystia's heart sting, and her face reflected that.

Keine: "There are certain things in my life I've had to leave behind for the sake of the safety of Gensokyo as well. Each of us have."

Mystia: "Keine, I don't know if I told you, but I had no intention to join along in the first place. I have my own life that needs to be tended to - it can't be put off indefinitely."

She put her hand over her heart, mustering all her courage to speak up to Keine. Likewise, Keine had been mustering up her strength to stand to look down at Mystia.

Keine: "I thought you understood. The fate of Gensokyo is at stake. The fate of the multiverse. Hadn't you realized that?"

Mystia: "I know! But-- But what can I do? In that fight against that monster, I told myself that. That I could be useful. And I almost got both of us killed for it!"

Keine: "Hk- That was my miscalculation! And, have you forgotten what you had done for us in Mayohiga? In Hell? Even while fighting me here in this village? Where did you get these ideas from?"

As their back-and-forth grew louder, so too did the pain in their voices. Eirin and Alice could only watch, as attempting to intervene from either side would be a mistake.

Mystia: "It doesn't mean anything! It could have been any one of you in my place and you would have been fine! Hell, you probably didn't need me in the first place! All of you are just-- leagues above me! It was a mistake for me to join along, okay? I over-estimated myself!"

Keine balled her hands into fists, pouting.

Keine: "It truly hurts to see you underestimating yourself like this, you know? You need to give yourself more credit. One mistake or misaction doesn't make you a failure. It is something to learn from and make right. It was my mistake to command you to fly into the air, and that is why I protected you with my life."

Mystia: "But I don't want you to protect me with your life!!"

Keine: "!!"

Taken aback by this, Keine gasped as Mystia winced. But there was no backing out now.

Mystia: "I don't really understand all of it myself, but I think your capability for virtue and willingness to protect others are really honourable. But I think there are things they would be better spent on."

Keine couldn't think up something to respond to this with, and Mystia continued.

Mystia: "I really appreciate everything you all have done for me, but this is my decision. I've been thinking about it really hard for a long time, and I think this is what's best for all of us. I really do hope the best for all of you. Please pass it on to Flandre and Medicine."

She forced a wry smile out of herself and bowed. And just as she turned to begin to leave-

Keine: "Was that... Was that genuinely your choice..?"

Mystia paused in her tracks, hesitating to turn around. After a brief moment of deliberation, she closed her eyes and turned back to Keine.

Mystia: "Yes, it was."

Keine bit her bottom lip with such force that the skin was pierced and bled, her eyebrows locked into a state of anger. And with that anger present in her voice with a sleeper agent, she spoke as calmly as she possibly could.

Keine: "Then I understand. It is your decision as a grown woman. You may do as you like."

Mystia once again bowed and went off on her way. While leaving, she could not help but burn the expressions of everyone into her mind.

For Eirin, a vague look of disappointment, though ultimately uninvolved. Though not someone she held warm feelings for, she understood Eirin to be abnormally smart, and worried if she had made the right decision.

For Alice, yet another look of disappointment mixed with worry. Alice had been the one to have first attacked and dragged Mystia into this saga, but she had never been outright mean or unfair to her. She found her suspicious, but couldn't ground any proper feelings of disliking her. She wondered if Alice would feel betrayed.

Upon going towards the exit, she saw Flandre and Medicine, who had heard almost everything.

Medicine's face looked sorrowful. Though Mystia had not yet had much direct involvement with Medicine, the two felt their sense of mutual comraradery strain and a mutual sadness blanketed them. She had tried to affirm herself that this was her decision, and that what she was doing was the right thing.

As for Flandre, Flandre had seemed to be in a bad mood more often than not, understandably so. Yet this time was undeniably different. Betrayal, distrust, and even hatred were immediately identifyable on Flandre's face, who had bit down on her lip once more. Mystia had tried to close her eyes to avoid seeing it, trying not to think of what the Flandre with hardly any sense of self or memories would be feeling. But within her, she already knew the great pain that Flandre must be feeling - for the second ever ally made in an unfamiliar, dangerous place to abandon you out of the blue. She tried to calm herself down by whispering "it's for the best, it's for the best, it's for the best" to herself.

Yet no face stood out to her more than Keine's. That frustrated, angry, disappointed face that would haunt her whenever she closed her eyes. That desperate face, desperate voice, and desperate words that was in pain. So much pain. She knew how much pain she was in, but she couldn't back out anymore. She could not continue her farce. It was for the best, she told herself.

Her relationship with Keine, though often characterized by bickering and childish, frivolous debates, was something truly special for the both of them. They had grown to be accustomed to it, and though they wouldn't admit it, they had found it enjoyable. But now, it would be no more.

Keine, though devastated, tried to find any silver linings she could grasp onto. "It had been her strongest display of assertiveness.", "It showed maturity." But it didn't matter. Mystia was gone, and that was that.

Opening the door to the outside world, Mystia looked up at the bright blue sky. She turned around and closed the door, her heart sagging within her chest.

Mystia: "This is for all of us - because I love you all."

She grit her teeth and stiffened her face as she turned around and flied off into the sky, not looking back. She flew out of sight to all, away from everything. She had left behind the saga of pain, trauma, and hurt to return back to 'how things were.'

That was what she had told herself.

Chapter Text

Mystia's departure.

The sudden, selfish decision to leave had left Flandre's grouo of allies at a loss. Each member found it hard to believe, found it painful. It just happened so quickly.

Medicine: "She's just gone, huh..?"

Flandre angrily scowled while biting her lip, sitting down and crossing her arms. Though she regenerated when she bit into it, a bruise could still be seem on her lower left lip where she most commonly bit down at.

Alice and Keine both sat as well, staring down with flattened eyes and folding their hands.

Eirin, not wanting to intervene, quietly departed from the scene and went to attend to her usual business.

So, Medicine was left anxiously looking over the three, not quite sure what to do.

Alice: "I had expected her to be more or less ingrained into this group by this point, but I guess I was wrong..."

She lifted her head up. Though she was quite upset over it, she had been trying to maintain a facade of not being as affected as the others. However, she could not hide the subtle, tiny twitching of her eyebrows.

Keine: "There is nothing more than can be done about it now. She has already left."

Flandre: "And why is that? Why didn't you get her to stay?"

Keine: "She had already made up her mind. Realistically, there was nothing more I could say."

Flandre: "Why didn't you do it anyways?! We need anyone we can get!!"

Keine: "You do not have the right to intrude on how other people decide to live their lives! It was her choice, nothing more, nothing less!"

The two of them had escalated their voices to the quiet shock of those around them, with Keine's sudden outburst surprising even Flandre.

Keine: "Do you think I am not hurt too? All of us are! Mystia was an important friend, but the fact is that she was seperated from her life. I am disappointed and upset, but I will not say that her feelings are invalid!"

Flandre: "That's..."

Medicine: "Flan."

Flandre scowled and stayed quiet after Medicine's commanding tone, with Keine drooping her head as her hands trembled. When she gripped them, they were hot and sweaty, and she too made a scowl.

Alice retreated into her thoughts after this, crossing her fingers over her mouth and shutting her eyes. Within it, she pondered the situation at hand, attempting to analyze it and decide what to do next.

Alice: "This has... certainly put a wrench in my plans."

Within her mind, the following course of action to take was as follows:

First, they would head to Eirin's clinic and recover. Hopefully, without any issues from the doctor.

Then, Keine would announce her presence to the villagers. She would bring some calm to the state of the human village, and the group would have the chance to hopefully calm down and reorganize.

The path forward after that was not immediately clear. Having now lost one ally and with the other being difficult to contact, it would likely be in their best interests to seek out more sages or those heavily involved with the processes of Gensokyo. Visiting Hakurei Shrine was far too dangerous, and most other realms were similarly dangerous and difficult-to-reach.

However, there had been one thing that gave her a ray of hope. Though they had been out of contact for quite some time now, her friend and neighbor Marisa Kirisame had discussed with her about how she and Reimu Hakurei had worked with one of the legendary sages of Gensokyo a number of times before.

A greater youkai with a terrifying reputation: Yukari Yakumo. Her place of residence was shrouded in mystery, however Marisa claimed it to have been 'at the edges of Gensokyo.' That clue, in addition to almost certainly being under house arrest, gave Alice a greater sense of optimism that finding Yukari Yakumo would be the way forward.

If she were able to get Marisa to help out in this task, she would feel even more enlightened, but she decided that it would probably be unlikely. Though she would still have made an effort.

However, before any of this could commence, Mystia's departure had disrupted any of these plans from going forward. Each member of the group had become significantly more on edge to say the least, and this was a scenario Alice had not planned for.

Alice: "What should I say..."

Comforting people had never been Alice's strong suit. She had been unable to open Koakuma's heart to her back in Makai, and she had been unable to help Flandre mentally when she needed it most, only able to make a show of injuring herself to inspire Flandre.

Yet she also believed that nobody else would be able to. Flandre was absolutely out of the question, and Eirin made a show of declaring her neutrality for once. Medicine, she believed, wouldn't be a bad option. However she believed that she was still too tense around Keine to properly offer any support. And so she believed that she would be the one who would have to cheer Keine up.

However...

Alice: "..."

She curled her lips in frustration as she flattened her eyebrows. When she attempted to think of something to say, absolutely nothing came to mind. She was capable of storing a wide catalogue of magical information, studies from her dolls, spyware and much more, but she was unable to come up with any ideas to comfort Keine.

She did not take this well. Alice began to scorn herself for this.

Alice: "Just what is with me..?" 

However, she refused to let this show on her face. On the outside, it would have simply appeared as though she was merely just mourning Mystia's departure.

But there was one person who could see through this facade.

Medicine: "..."

Medicine stood silently, watching the three. Flandre had gotten up to pace around in another room, while Keine remained perfectly silent and still. She noticed, however, the tiniest motions.

When she saw Keine, she saw her trembling hands. And in Alice, how parts of her skin curled under the shadows of her hair and arms.

During Medicine's time as a novice youkai, when she had done her 'live experimentation', she caught a glimpse into the lives of those she would experiment on. Their reactions when they were in pain, the tiny movements they had tried to make. The looks on their faces whenever Medicine had done anything. She had carefully observed all of it, because she wanted to see just what humans were.

As luck would have it, the habits of youkai when they were in distress were much the same.

Medicine: "Alice."

She walked close to Alice and tugged on her sleeve, calling to her in a quiet, gentle voice.

Alice had immediately snapped out of her inner thoughts and raised her head to look at Medicine.

Alice: "What's wrong?"

Acting as though nothing was wrong, she asked that nonchalantly.

Medicine: "Can you stand?"

Alice: "..? Ah, yes, but I need to use the cane the doctor gave me. But she said it's preferable to use that wheelchair for the next day or so. Why?"

Medicine: "Just come."

She left the room, and Alice cocked her head in confusion. Still, not wanting to be rude, she obliged, taking up her cane and walking out of the room, leaving Keine by her lonesome.

Flandre had been by herself in some unknown space, and Medicine in a far corner of the hall, leaving the two of Medicine and Alice to chat by themselves. Of course, this was something Alice had gotten curious about.

Alice: "So? What did you call me all the way out here for?"

She noted the similarity of this situation to that which had happened with Flandre only a day ago. A slight part of her was tinged with worry about repeating the events of yesterday, but she decided that it was unlikely Medicine would discover anything about her old self out of the blue like that. Especially as Flandre had next to no time to talk to Medicine about anything like that.

Medicine: "What are you thinking of?"

She stared up at Alice with determined eyes, and asked that in the most assertive yet polite voice she could think of.

Alice: "...Pardon?"

Medicine: "I can tell something is troubling you, beyond just Mystia. I know something happened between you and Flan. Was that it?"

Alice stood stunned momentarily from Medicine's keen insight. Though she had not been quite right, Alice had far underestimated Medicine's ability to read people, for someone who had essentially no contact with others for most of her life.

Alice: "...No, that wasn't it. And I can't tell you about it, so please don't ask."

In her opinion, she delivered that line quite smoothly, and it had not been a lie either. However, Medicine possessed a different opinion.

Medicine: "Why is that? We already lost someone, so if there's anything happening between the two of you it would be in our best interests to get it resolved, wouldn't it?"

Alice: "I'm being honest, that isn't what was on my mind right now. We'll resolve that on our own later. I seriously can't tell you right now. I'm sorry."

Medicine: "..."

She stared with squinted eyes at Alice, trying to read her. Alice's eyebrows curved upwards in slight worry, and so she decided to sigh and reluctantly drop that for the time being.

Medicine: "Fine. But if that wasn't it, then what was?"

Alice: "Well, I don't think it will make you happy."

Medicine: "Just say it."

For a moment, Alice considered lying and coming up with an excuse, but she decided against it.

Alice: "Well, I was worried that this disrupted my plans for where we can go from here. And now I don't know what I can do."

Medicine: "..."

Alice wasn't sure whether her silence implied disappointment or imploring her to continue, so she decided to reluctantly continue.

Alice: "My thoughts were that, after we healed, Keine would announce her safety and declare her leave to put the villagers at ease. Afterwards, we would set out to try to contact another sage. But now... I don't quite think we're in the condition to move out. Nor do I think Keine can do much as she is right now. I was trying to deliberate with myself about what to do, but..."

Medicine: "You don't know what to do about Keine?"

Upon hearing that, Alice felt some air exit her lungs.

Alice: "I really thought I had concealed my inner thoughts better than that, but, yes. I'm not good with that kind of thing."

Medicine sighed and closed her eyes before continuing on.

Medicine: "Well, I can't blame you for that. I don't really know what to do about her myself."

Alice widened her eyes somewhat, and a question creeped up in her mind she couldn't help but ask.

Alice: "Why are you so good at reading people, actually?"

In response to this Medicine blushed a small bit and looked away, dropping her serious expression slightly.

Medicine: "W-Well, I've had some introspection recently. I don't know. But anyways..."

She regained her composure.

Medicine: "What about you? Why do you think you can't do anything for Keine?"

Alice: "Don't make me answer a question you haven't answered yourself yet. You tell me yours."

From Alice's sudden table-turning, Medicine once again took on a more bashful look. After a pause, she gave her answer.

Medicine: "Well... I'm not very happy about it either, but... I can't get over her human-ness. I just can't stomach myself helping her because of that."

She held her head low after saying that in shame, and Alice sighed.

Alice: "That's a really poor excuse."

Medicine: "I know! But still, I was trying to think of what I could do before I noticed your trembling."

Alice: "So? Did you come up with anything?"

In response, Medicine made an irritated "tch" with her mouth and scratched her head for a short moment.

Medicine: "Hold on, you tell your side first. It can't be worse than mine."

After giving a brief pout and sigh, Alice conceded with an "Alright."

Alice: "To be honest, I'm not very good at comforting anyone, or anything of the sort. The one time I did, ended poorly. When I tried to think of what to say, absolutely nothing came to mind. For someone like me, that's exceedingly rare, so..."

Medicine: "So you got upset from it?"

Alice: "More or less..."

Medicine pouted and reached behind her head, looking to the side.

Alice: "Well? Is that it?"

Medicine: "Well... no. We have to do something about it."

Alice: "Keine is an adult, Medicine. If there's nothing we can do right now, we shouldn't force ourselves to. Right now, giving her some time is the best course of action right now."

Medicine: "But that's not right! She's in a time of need right now, so we should do our best to help!"

Alice: "And if you just tried to force yourself to say some vague, nice sounding words all that'll do will make her feel worse."

Medicine: "But wouldn't it be better to at least show we care?"

Alice: "We can show we care by leaving her be. I'll admit you can be scarily perceptive, but if you really can't think of anything it's better to just not do anything right now."

Medicine: "That's--!!"

Before they escalated too far, Alice had turned away from Medicine to lean against the wall, looking down. Medicine followed suit, not really sure how to respond either. While both had an upset expression on their face, they both remained silent.

And then, once again at a poor moment, Alice and Alice alone felt the presence of a new existence come into be.

'Alice': "That's two people you disappointed today, isn't it?"

At her voice, Alice widened her eyes and quickly looked around to Medicine's silent confusion. However, the presence of her younger self was not somewhere she would be able to see.

'Alice': "Aren't you just trying to make excuses for yourself so you don't embarass yourself?"

Alice: "...I'm not wrong."

'Alice': "Fool. You're still hung up over 'Koakuma', aren't you? You're worried you'll embarass yourself and make them hate you, just like last time. Is that it?"

Alice: "...No. I really can't think of anything."

While she still did not see where the apparition of her younger self was, she felt her presence walking around her. As though teasing her.

Medicine: "What? What is it? Who are you talking to?"

This, of course, went completely unnoticed.

'Alice': "Oh, is that so? My apologies, then. It seems with time your brain has dulled as well."

Alice: "I am not in the mood for this right now."

Medicine: "...?"

'Alice': "What else are you not in the mood for? Apologizing to your friends? Coming clean? Doing something about that book? You can't ignore it forever."

Alice: "Shut up..."

'Alice': "The clock is ticking."

Alice: "SHUT UP!"

In a fit of rage, Alice turned to the wall and slammed her first into it as hard as possible. She didn't even see a glimpse of her younger self, but decided that she must be there. Regardless, she made a small hole in the wall, and caused her hand to start bleeding. This was something she ignored as well, only panting from the sudden mental strain on her.

This reaction was not responded to in the same way by the one next to her.

Medicine: "What are you doing?!"

Alice: "...Can you just do me a favor and pretend you didn't see that?"

She turned to look at Medicine while trying to force a wry smile, holding her bleeding hand in her other hand.

Medicine: "Are you stupid? Let me see!"

She grabbed hold of Alice's hand and took a look at it. As it had been, the bleeding wasn't that bad, but Medicine felt an intense need to do something about it. She had been told earlier that there was a possibility her poison could be used to heal allies as well, but she was completely at a loss at how to achieve that. And so, she tried something else instead.

Medicine: "Really, just what is with you lately?"

Alice: "...That's nothing for you to know. Why don't you just leave me be for now? My hand is fine."

Medicine: "Oh really? This broken finger here is fine?"

She touched Alice's ring finger, which had indeed fractured from the force of Alice's punch. Alice pulled her hand back out of Medicine's grasp.

Alice: "Yes, it's fine. So please leave me be."

Medicine: "Honestly, this attitude of yours... It makes me so annoyed."

She shot a look of disgust and annoyance at Alice, who attempted to brush it off.

Medicine: "See! You did it again!"

Alice: "Well, I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about."

She tried to turn around and walk away, but was stopped by Medicine, who had grabbed onto the hem of her skirt.

Alice: "What do you think you're doing?"

Medicine: "The book."

Alice: "What?"

Medicine: "Let me see what's inside your book."

Now taking on a much more visible display of anger, Alice grabbed her skirt and yanked it out of Medicine's hands, causing her to stumble.

Alice: "You should know by now that's the one thing you're not allowed to ask me!"

Medicine: "So then why carry it around? Just to prove to people you have things you want to hide?"

Alice: "That is none of your business to pry into."

Medicine: "But it is! Haven't you realized it by now? That now that you're in a group, your concerns are the groups' concerns?!"

Alice: "It is not! My concerns are my own to deal with! You have no reason to try to help me or feel concerned over my own personal problems. I would appreciate if you would please excuse me, thank you very much, Medicine."

Once again she turned again to try to walk away, but Medicine ran up ahead and tried to grab Alice from the side and make her look at her. Alice, however, turned too quickly for Medicine and made her short body stumble once again. In her attempted defense, she tried to balance herself by straightening her legs. However, choosing the wrong angle, they caught Alices', and the two of them fell on each other.

Alice: "What are you doing?! I told you to get off!"

Medicine: "N-No! Listen to me! I'm tired of your attitude! Ever since I first saw you in that flower field and under that tree, you've been acting so weird! Everyone knows it! Tell us, why!"

Upset, Alice tried to push Medicine's face off in response, trying to kick her off in the process, but Medicine would not budge. Her grip tightened, and she strengthened her resolve to get her point across to Alice.

Alice: "I don't owe you or anyone anything! Get off!"

Medicine: "Never!"

Finally getting a good angle, Alice pushed her knee into Medicine's face, and from there kicked her off into a nearby cabinet. She attempted to pick herself up, but with her legs still being weak and injured, she stumbled and gave enough time for Medicine to catch up to her and jump on her back. She wrapped her arms around Alice's neck in a chokehold and, with a surprising amount of force, flipped Alice onto her back, alongside her.

Alice: "What are you doing?! This is your last warning!"

Medicine: "Listen-- to-- mee!!"

Stuck in her chokehold, Alice grabbed onto Medicine's wrists and tried to pick herself up off the floor. She hurled the small doll youkai over her shoulder and slammed her down onto the floor. At the same time, having quickly tied a string around her wrist, she forced Medicine backwards onto a wall, slamming her head back against it.

Alice: "What is your thought process here? Do you think that if you pry into everyone's thinking patterns, you'll be able to solve all their problems? That's naive!"

Medicine: "No! I just want to know!"

Alice: "Why? Isn't there already enough problems for you and the rest of us as is?"

Medicine poured poison energy into the palm of her hand and put it against the string holding her against the wall, melting it instantly, and stood.

Alice: "My problems are not your problems. Stop being selfish!"

Medicine: "You're the selfish one! That attitude of yours - trying to pretend like your problems don't exist, it irritates the hell out of me!"

Alice: "Shut the hell up! You don't know anything about me! You don't need to know anything about me!"

She made herself stand, staring down at Medicine, who attempted to run at her once again. But this time, Alice managed to punch Medicine right in the face, knocking her down to her feet instantly. 

Alice: "Stay down! Stay down if you value your life!"

Medicine: "Shut up!"

She grabbed her arms around Alice's weak legs and pushed her full weight into her, causing her to lose her balance. Alice was unable to stop herself and fell backwards right onto another cabinet. Her body broke the glass and shelves, causing glass and various liquids to pour down onto Alice and Medicine, cutting open their skin and poking into their bodies.

From this, Alice became enveloped with anger and rage. She put her hands onto Medicine's shoulders and pushed her down, then pushing herself onto her, mounting her. She proceeded to once again punch Medicine in the face one, twice, three times while shouting "Just how rash can you possibly get?!"

However Medicine, with her unexpected physical strength, caught onto Alice's fist the fourth time she was about to punch her. Using a move straight from martial arts, which she herself had no knowledge of, she flipped Alice onto her back and mounted her, turning the tide. From this, she quickly moved her head down and bit Alice's nose as hard as she could.

Alice, as quickly as she could in response, threw Medicine off onto the wall, and stood to grab onto her and throw her once again into the other side of the wall. When Medicine struggled to get up, she pulled a knife out from behind her and held it in her hand while panting.

Alice: "Don't think I'm afraid to use this, Medicine. Don't you think you're getting just a little too involved with things outside your hands?"

As it had been, Alice had a severe nosebleed that stained her dress, along with several cuts and tears from the glass and tussling. Medicine, likewise, had a nosebleed and a busted lip, along with some of the more detailed parts of her clothing being torn. Still, she attempted to stand. An ominous aura could be felt protuding from her, as she began to prepare her poisonous miasma.

Medicine: "As it is, I think you're underestimating the power of my poison. I wonder if that knife can reach my heart before my poison reaches yours, hmm?"

She wiped some of the blood from her nose and mouth, staring Alice dead in the eyes.

Medicine: "You know, all this could have been avoided had you just listened to what I said."

Alice: "Earlier I had been wondering what was with me, unable to help Keine in her time of need, but seriously, what is with you? You keep trying to pry into me, not willing to listen to what I want, while saying you're trying to help me while fighting me. Just what is with you?"

Medicine: "Your stubbornness is going to drag us down, so I need to do something about it. Nothing more, and nothing less."

Alice: "So what? Do you think that telling you about my troubles will help us at all? Will help you sleep easier at night?"

Medicine: "That's exactly my point! Just tell me already!"

Alice: "No! Respect that!"

Medicine: "So you want to continually run away from Flandre, who's been looking at you with fear in her eyes since last night? Or Keine, who you didn't do anything for? Or Mystia and I, who worry for your well-being? You just want to leave us in the dark, pretend like everything is okay, and never address it? How stupid can you be?"

Alice: "Why?! Why do you want to know! Wouldn't you love to know - what it feels like to never know peace for a single moment in your life, to have any sembelence of hope be robbed for what is entirely your fault, and have that keep you up every night! Do you just want to be another one of those -- those things! That string me up naked, exposing all my faults to the world? Wouldn't that just fill you with pride and joy, to have humiliated and defiled me once again?!"

Medicine: "That's-- No!"

Alice: "Liar!"

With her other hand, Alice made a subtle motion with one of her fingers. A string that Medicine had not known had wrapped around her had yanked her by the waist close to Alice.

Medicine: "AAH!"

With shock, Medicine fell on her face in front of Alice, who stepped on her head and poured her weight onto it, crushing Medicine's nose.

Alice: "How dare you try to do that to me--!! Here I thought you had been my ally, someone I could rely on, and just as Mystia had left too. Now what is there for me? What trust is there left for me to give? ANSWER ME!"

Using two more strings that she had secretly tied around Medicine, she lifted her by the armpits and slammed her into the ceiling, before letting her fall down onto the ground with an "Oof", and then kicked her. As she rolled, blood came out of her mouth as Alice stared her down with pure anger in her eyes.

Alice: "It's disgusting! What makes you think you have the right, to think you can bear any sembelence of the weight I carry."

As she struggled to pick herself up, Medicine groaned out the following words.

Medicine: "B--Becau..se y-you're my fr..end.."

Alice: "Huh?"

Suddenly from under her, something long and slender tightened around both of her legs and caused her to fall to the ground, unable to move. Medicine picked herself up and dropped herself on Alice, with vines protruding from her feet. She punched Alice once, twice before she was once again thrown off, standing back up.

Medicine: "Stop being so selfish!"

Alice, who had now summoned a few of her dolls, had severed the vines that held her legs in place, and had stood to look down at Medicine.

Alice: "You... What is your objective!"

Medicine: "My objective is to hit you! My desire is to hit you! My goal is to hit you!"

Alice: "Tch..."

Medicine: "Because... Because I hope that by hitting you, I can see another side of you. The side you try oh-so-hard to hide from us. And I have."

Alice: "..."

Medicine: "I saw that brash, sadistic yet determined side of you. Was that the side of you that you were talking to earlier?"

Alice: "That isn't for you to know."

Medicine: "Just tell me. After all, even despite all your efforts, I got something out of my goal. It's my win, Alice."

After that, Alice stayed quiet for a good period of time. The two panted, with blood dripping down them. It was a mystery how the others didn't seem to hear them, yet there the two of them stood uninterrupted and alone. After some thinking, Alice collapsed to her knees and looked down with some solemnity.

Alice: "Makai."

Medicine: "..?"

Alice: "If you don't know what it is, that's okay. It wasn't the start of everything, of course. But I spent a lot of my life there. I was one of the only humans there, and life was pretty bad for me. Eventually, I got into a fight much like this one with its god, and won, but destroyed everything. Right before that, I spoke to a girl like you. She was upset and shy, and I tried to reach out to her, but in the end she hated me. And... I think that the masterminds might be involved with it. But I don't understand why."

Medicine: "..."

Holding her head down in silence, she listened intently to Alice.

Alice: "I've tried to move on since then, but I just couldn't. How many times have I woken up in cold sweats from it? How many times have I tried to have fun - only for it to return to me like a scourge as a sudden memory? How many times will I see the faces of all those - those that I had killed? Even if they had offended me and annoyed me, was it right for me to have killed them for that? For my own selfish desires, my starting a fight over nothing?! How much blood is on my hands, in this stupid book that I can't even bring myself to destroy?! Just how much more will it show up again and again every time I try something new and ruin my life!!"

She threw her grimoire down onto the ground, tumbling until it hit the wall and fell in a puddle of blood.

Alice: "That's all you will get for now. Are you happy, with that..?"

With a sigh, she put her hand on her chest and looked down, closing her eyes.

Medicine: "Yes. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you."

Opening her eyes and looking up at Medicine in confusion, she asked 'Our..?'

From behind one door, Keine revealed herself. From another, Flandre. And finally, Eirin had kept herself hidden, secretly and quietly observing everything that had happened from a corner that she had hid herself in.

Medicine stuck her tongue out at Alice, and made a cheerful smile.

Medicine: "Now, let's all stand up, together."

Chapter Text

Flying back from the Human Village, Mystia collapsed to the ground when she finally landed. Having spent the last twenty minutes flying, she clutched her side and panted heavily as she tried to stabilize herself on the ground. In between pants, she voiced regrets to herself regarding her injuries and method of transport.

Mystia: "Crap, I shouldn't have flied so much with an injured wing. Owwwwww~, just what happened back there?"

After wincing to herself, she looked up and saw a familiar wooden house: her own. A handful of small houses were spread out throughout a canopy of trees, within the forest. While none were particularly well constructed or visually appealing, they were spacious enough and did their jobs well.

Here was where Mystia made her residency, in addition to a few other less-powerful youkai. As they were all friends, she had worried that they would be worried in turn for her, though as it had been at present, nobody aside from herself was outside at the moment.

Mystia: "I'll have to tell 'em later... For now, I need to rest."

She breathed a sigh as she stepped forward and reached towards the door handle. Turning the handle, she heard a click, and pulled the door open onto herself.

Before she could react, something had suddenly knocked her to the ground, with a warm feeling embracing her. Through her shock and grit teeth, she tried to push her head up and see what exactly had pushed her down.

A girl of about Mystia's height, with wavy green hair, droopy brown dog-like ears with a matching, wagging short tail, wearing a brown dress had tackled Mystia to the ground and had enveloped herself in Mystia's chest, while giggling with enough force to shake the trees around them.

Mystia: "Kyouko?!"

Kyouko: "MYYYSTYYYYY!! YOU FINALLY CAME HOME!! I WAS WAITING SO LONG FOR YOU AND YOU FINALLY FINALLY CAME BACK!!"

With the loudness that made Mystia recoil, and seemed to penetrate directly through the earth, Kyouko made her glee abundantly present as she continued rubbing her face against Mystia, hugging her tightly. She climbed up Mystia and gave her cheek a warm kiss.

Smiling and giggling despite herself, Mystia could not deny Kyouko's affection and, in turn, hugged her back before motioning her to get off, as her injuries had been creaking from the fall. Afterwards, both sat up looking at each other, Kyouko with a big grin on her face.

Mystia: "Kyouko... How've you been? What were you doing in my house?"

Kyouko: "Ah! You see! A million days ago, I came by hang out, but you weren't home! So, I waited and waited, and even made food! But you didn't come home! Now I've been waiting here all this time without eating for you to come home, and you finally came home!"

Shouting out every word, she proudly proclaimed what she said as though there had been nothing amiss with it.

Mystia: "So you didn't eat for four days?! A-Are you okay?!

Kyouko: "You gave me an imperial feast the day before, so I have had nothing but calories to spare since then! Though, I had been quite worried, and I asked Kagerou and Waggy and Banki and Rumia to help look for you while I sat here and waited for you, but they couldn't find you at all! I was so scared I was about to cry, but then you showed up! I love you, Mysty!"

Somehow managing to turn it positive, Kyouko jumped to hug Mystia again. Mystia sighed as she returned the hug.

Mystia: "I love you too, but, good grief... I was right to worry. Come inside, I'll tell you what happened."

Kyouko: "Got iiiit!"

Walking inside, a putrid smell assaulted Mystia's nose. Waiting on the table was the four-day-old meal, made by the Kyouko who had no culinary ability to speak of. While the rest of Mystia's home was squeaky clean, the rotten meal had been a sore blight on the environment that caused Mystia to stiffen.

Mystia: "Kyouko... I'll cook us a new meal... In the meantime, er, would you mind moving your meal somewhere else?"

Kyouko: "Ehh, but aren't you injured? You shouldn't cook if you're injured!"

As it had been, Mystia hadn't told her that she had been injured. Before she truly took off, she had changed into her regular clothes, which had a few holes within them.

Mystia: "It's ok, it's ok. You know me, cooking helps me unwind. I'll rest afterwards."

Kyouko: "Hmm.. Well, alright then!"

Obediently taking out the two plates she set aside with a foul aroma surrounding them, Kyouko exited the house and dumped the food out by some bushes while Mystia watched. Afterwards, Mystia took some vegetables from the 'fridge', along with a knife, and began creating a salad for the two of them. When Kyouko returned, she sat and looked at Mystia cooking with her undivided attention. After taking a deep breath, Mystia began to talk.

Mystia: "So... in the evening four days ago, I had been out on one of my usual routes because I wanted to try to find some spices. And, I saw what I thought were humans, and I wanted to mess with them and defeat them. But it was actually two youkai, and I ended up getting defeated and was dragged along before I can say anything. One of them was a vampire without memories, and the other seemed to know me. They went to the new doctors' office and ended up fighting her and her assistant too, and I joined in."

She hesitated before continuing. Why had it been that, even back then, she felt compelled to help Flandre and Alice in that fight, when she could have so easily fled? Was it because she had wanted to prove herself after her previous loss? Or was it deeper than that? She did not know.

Mystia flattened her eyebrows as she continued cooking, a faint nervousness boiling within her. Memories of the last four days with Flandre, Alice, Keine and Medicine began to flash through her mind, along with what had happened to her before she had woken up. It had undeniably been the most dangerous and eventful days of her life, yet also more introspective.

She had always considered herself to be someone who didn't think deeply about things, and more or less just did things based on her whims and emotions. Perhaps that had been why she had stayed with them, even when she could have easily left while they were fighting Eirin and Keine. Or why, even when she was upset with the results of fighting alongside Flandre and Alice, she ran to get Keine instead of retreating. She had wanted to prove herself as someone who could be useful and competent beyond cooking, as someone who could fight despite being a weak youkai. As someone who could be useful despite being annoying and waved off.

But had that really been it?

Disregarding that to herself for the time being, she gave a second thought about telling Kyouko everything. Kyouko was someone who, as she knew, didn't handle heavy things the best. What good would it come for her to tell Kyouko that she had gone on a journey to hell? Or that she had been nearly sliced into two? Or that she had risked her and her friends' lives on a total gamble? Or, most importantly, that she was now someone who knew about the impending doom this Gensokyo and the multiverse itself?

Kyouko: "Um... And what else?"

Noticing her own silence from Kyouko, Mystia let out an "Ah" and was bought back to reality from her own thoughts.

Mystia: "And anyways... we won, but got too tired and passed out. When we woke up, we got one of the people we fought against on our side, and had to go find one of Gensokyo's sages. At one point we ended up getting a new member, and it was really busy after that. That's kind of how it was. I didn't really have an opportunity to come back, I'm sorry."

Kyouko: "What happened with the sage? Was that why you got hurt?"

Mystia: "Y-Yeah. We got ambushed, and I ended up getting hurt. But I got fixed up, and it's not that bad now. I just need to take it easy for a while, so my work was done and I could finally come back."

Kyouko: "Mm, is that so?"

Mystia looked back at Kyouko after she muttered that to herself, being uncharacteristically quiet. A bizarre feeling went through her, but she doubled down on herself.

Mystia: "Yeah, but it's all over now. Don't worry, I'll be with you now. It's okay."

Kyouko: "Well, if you say so!"

With a happy reply, most of the haze that had surrounded Mystia had dissipated. Once that was finished, Mystia looked down at her finished meal. It was a simple salad meant to be shared for the two of them, with lucious vegetables and tasty greens. They complimented Mystia's culinary excellency quite well.

Sitting down, the two of them ate in silent happiness as they enjoyed each others presence, until Kyouko perked up with more questions.

Kyouko: "Soooo, what were the names of your friends? Did they know about how you had to go home?"

Even in casual conversations, Kyouko's volume was still considerable. Combined with her talkativeness, most would likely push her away or find her annoying. However, this was one of the traits that Mystia loved about her.

Mystia: "Ummm, there was Flandre. That was the vampire, and Alice who was a puppeteer. There was Medicine, who I think had a scary past... Then there was Keine... You've heard of her, right?"

Kyouko: "Ohh, Keine!! Yeah, I know her. She scolded me once when I visited the village! So you know her now?! Has she forgiven me?!"

Mystia: "Well, it's probably fine now, but yeah. I got to know all of them a bit, but I didn't speak much about myself."

Giving a bashful smile, she played with her food and the chopsticks in her hand.

Kyouko: "Ehh? That's rare for you, Mysty!"

Mystia: "Yeah, it ended up being kind of turbulent, besides..."

Again, the four of them flashed through her mind. She thought of each of their disappointed faces, but she shook it off and decided to continue talking.

Mystia: "...The sage we were helping was Yuuka Kazami. For some reason she couldn't leave her domain. She ended up being kind of a creep though, especially with Flandre."

Kyouko: "A creep? Did she try to look at you while you slept?!"

Mystia: "N-Not like that! I didn't really see it myself, but I heard she was just really invasive or something. That's the thing though, all of them were kind of creepy in their own way. Like they had skeletons in their closet or something."

Kyouko: "That's a surprise, even someone like Keine?!"

Mystia: "I don't know. She kept acting like she was my mom or something. I heard she was a teacher, but, I'm a grown woman too you know! It got on my nerves a little."

Kyouko: "Ehhh, how bizarre~!"

Taking a final bite, Kyouko savoured the last of Mystia's salid and gave a resounding "Mmmmm."

Kyouko: “Welllll, I’m finished! It was a perfect ten-out-of-ten, as per usual! Thanks, Mysty!”

Going over to her side, she gave her a kiss on the cheek, and went to lay down on the makeshift futon-laden floor. Mystia, on the other hand, hadn’t even halfway finished with her food. Staring down at it with eyes that felt transfixed and absent, she decided to push herself away from the table.

Mystia: “I don’t have an appetite anymore. Weird…”

Kyouko: “That’s a new one! Usually you finish right after me!”

Nodding her head along, Mystia put away what remained of the salad for later consumption, and went to lay down in a position most comfortable for her by Kyouko. Staring up at the ceiling, she spoke aloud.

Mystia: “I think I’ll open the izayaka today.”

Kyouko: “Ehh?! Are you sure you shouldn’t just take the day off and relax with me?! I mean, you’re injured, so I’m sure everyone would understand!”

Sitting up to look at Mystia, Kyouko shouted this out in surprise. Mystia, having re-accustomed herself to the abnormal loudness that bounced off the walls, treated it equally to any other ordinary sound and did not recoil.

Mystia: “It’s like– I just feel the calling to cook today. I mean, I did open my izakaya because I love to cook. I mean, it doesn’t really hurt that much either. And it would be a good opportunity to apologize to everyone for being away, I think.”

Turning her eyes to Kyouko, she replied casually without moving. She noticed in herself, however, that it was not the calling to cook that burned within her, but rather to do something.

Mystia was not a lazy person, but she was not exceptionally diligent. Such a craving feeling to do something had only regularly occurred to her in regards to singing, which was tied for first as her favourite hobby.

Kyouko: “But, I mean, if you want to tell everyone then I can do it for you! You should rest!”

Mystia: “Tell everyone that I’ll halve my prices for today. I’ll go open in the evening, after I nap.”

Giving a concerned pout, Kyouko gave a sigh and stood.

Kyouko: “Well, if you say so. But please don’t push yourself!”

Mystia: “You don’t have to worry, I’m just fine.”
With that reassurance, Kyouko turned her pouting into a smile which Mystia smiled back at. The two stared into each other's' eyes for a good few seconds, before Kyouko closed her eyes and bowed.

Kyouko: “Well then, have a good rest, Mysty! Enjoy your nap! I love you!”

Mystia: “I love you too, and thanks!”

Turning and closing the door, the yamabiko Kyouko Kasodani walked out in a good mood and left Mystia alone with her thoughts.

Initially she turned herself around and attempted to close her eyes. However, no matter how much she persisted, she would not fall asleep. Originally it had been because of an aching in her side, that made her yelp as it gave a sharp pain. Then her wings felt uncomfortable. No matter what position she turned in, she was unable to rest well. Eventually she gave up on her attempt to nap and simply stood.

Mystia: “Jeez… Might as well get some air...”

Rubbing her eyes, she went to get a sip of water by the kitchen, and as she drank she took a look out the window.

Thus, she had decided, she might as well go for a walk. After putting on her shoes, she closed the door behind her and took a breath as she looked out.

Had she continued to walk forward, following the dirt path between each of the houses, there would be a small pond that she had often visited.

Deciding to pay it another visit, she started walking down the road while taking in the fresh air as a cool breeze blowed around her. 

Mystia: "..."

While walking, she remembered the times she would sing or hum to herself. As it had been, aside from being a cook, the second most well known fact about Mystia had been her singing. She would sing day and night, when doing tasks, when cooking, and in between talking to people. Yet, for the last four days with the exception of the trick against Komachi, she had hardly sung at all. And for the first time ever, Mystia walked down the path to the pond in silence and solitude.

Upon this realization, she gave a sigh and blushed slightly.

Mystia: "I hope nobody sees me like this..."

Looking side to side to confirm nobody was around her, she continued on down.

Mystia: "Still, I wonder where everyone is?"

A slight hint of worry propped up within her, and a certain quote from earlier had repeated itself within her mind.

Keine: "Mystia. I know the last few days have been a lot for the you who is usually happy-go-lucky, but this is not something you can just run away from now. You have a responsibility with all of us to defend Gensokyo now. You are aware of that, right?"

At the time, it had been a phrase that had caused Mystia some annoyance when she had already been feeling down, but it was not something that would easily leave her mind. She had seen what lay behind the surface of Gensokyo, a calamitous overwhelming force that threatened anyone. Her stomach churned recalling it.

Mystia: "..."

Her eyebrows flattened as she looked down, her mind continued to wander. She had seen before that the masterminds were capable of remote surveillance, as when they had tampered with the last name "Scarlet." Following that, within the same day, two of them would pay a visit to Flandre and Medicine as well. Thus, would it really be a stretch to imagine that they would keep tabs on, and exact revenge on anyone who dared to oppose them?

Just what had Mystia gotten herself into?

Mystia: "-Hk! Kyouko! Everyone!"

Suddenly having been overcome with terror, she widened her eyes and turned her back to where she came. With as much as she could manage, she began to sprint and try to lift her wings to go back to the small youkai village as fast as possible.

Had anyone been hurt, she would not be able to forgive herself. Such a grave mistake, an obvious error should have been realized from the very beginning. She was an idiot for having thought this would be the best decision, and if she had been unlucky, it would be possible that the entire village had died - that Kyouko had died. If that happened, just how would she atone for her sins?

She flew, pushing her wings to their limits to try to get back to the village. Ignoring the pain, her vision began to tunnel as worry flooded her mind.

Mystia: "Please. Oh please, tell me you're alive! Kagerou! Rumia! Kyouko! Please be alive! PLE-"

???: "Oof!"

Completely against her expectations, Mystia had crashed into something - someone and had fallen.

Mystia: "Owwwwww..."

Laying on the floor, she slowly sat up and rubbed her head with an eye closed, wondering what happened. Looking out, she saw another laying on the floor. With a poofy white and red dress, coupled with a red hood that had hung down it, a tall woman with thick brown hair - including on her arms - as well as with a set of two wolf ears had similarly fallen to the floor.

Mystia: "Kagerou..?"

Kagerou: "Ahhh, ya took all the air outta my lungs! What the heck..? Ah-"

Opening her eyes and her mouth, with a set of fangs that reminded Mystia of Flandre, the werewolf woman with red eyes gazed upon Mystia.

Kagerou: "Mystia!! I hadn't seen ya in a hot minute! Where've ya been?! I've been lookin' all over for ya."

Giving a wide smile, Kagerou completely forgot about her pain and stood herself up, her tail wagging behind her.

Mystia: "Kagerou... Ah, sorry. I got caught up in a lot of things, but I'm back now."

Delaying her response in her shock, Mystia failed to return the smile and stared up stupidly at the friendly werewolf before picking herself up.

Mystia: "I guess I was worried for nothing..."

Mumbling that to herself, she sighed and closed her eyes."

Kagerou: "Hmm? Ya said somethin'?"

Mystia: "No, it's nothing. Um, have you seen Kyouko?"

Kagerou: "Ahh, well, alright. I hadn't seen her, just came back from visiting Wakasagihime. You lookin' for your lil' wifey? Heh."

Blushing at the teasing, she responded in her usual fashion.

Mystia: "She's n-not my wife. And I just saw her, she went out to tell you and the others that I came back and was gonna open the izayaka in the evening."

Kagerou: "Ahh, is that so? That's good news then."

Nodding her head in agreement, Mystia sighed once more and wiped off her dress from the dirt.

Kagerou: "By the way, if she had just left, what were you doin' comin' back from the lake yellin' mine and her names like that?"

Mystia, who had wishfully assumed that Kagerou hadn't heard that, jolted in place and froze from that.

Mystia: "N-nothing. It was nothing. Don't worry about it."

Kagerou: "Oh? I'm sure it was quite a lot of something to make you knock the air out of my lungs like that."

Giving a mischevious grin, Kagerou snickered to herself as she similarly wiped dirt from her dress.

Mystia: "Sorry. I didn't see you."

Kagerou: "Ahh?"

Her ears had perked up from this as Mystia bashfully apologized while looking at the ground. She made a face that Kagerou had never seen before, causing intrigue to stir within her.

Kagerou: "Hey, you never apologize over silly things like this. Is everythin' alright?"

Mystia: "Huh? Really?"

Kagerou raised an eyebrow and gave a confused smile.

Kagerou: "Sure? You always go on about how you should respect your elders and try to blame it on whatever else. The songs' path or whatever, usually."

Though this would not be able to have been easily guessed, Mystia was older than Kagerou by a few months. Though Kagerou had the advantage in height over Mystia, being a full head taller, as well as in maturity and body development. Thus Mystia often compensated with this fact to prove her surperiority, or more likely to win a petty argument."

In any case, having been reminded of this from Kagerou's words, Mystia had remembered everything now.

Mystia: "Right, right. I did."

Kagerou: "Mmm?"

Looking up into Kagerou's eyes, Mystia once again felt a tinge of worry.

Kagerou: "Hey, Mystia. I don' mean to sound rude with this, but, you're actin' different than usual. Really, what happened while you were out? Ya lost your pride or somethin'?"

She hadn't been able to respond immediately, again being stunned by the sudden question. At last she managed to come up with a way to divert the conversation.

Mystia: "I'm telling you, it was nothing. Maybe if you come by the izayaka tonight I'll explain more, but, how have the rest been? I've been worried about you all."

Kagerou: "Ah."

Scratching her head, she luckily went along with Mystia's diversion of conversation.

Kagerou: "Well, we've all been worried for ya. Banki and Kogg are searchin' the village. Waggy's been searchin' wherever she could. Rumi and the fairies as well. Even got that tengu Aya to look."

Mystia: "Oh... Everyone's really been worried, huh?"

A strange mix of pride and guilt made her cast her eyes down, while Kagerou gave her a meaningful small smile.

Kagerou: "Yeah. Lil' Kyouko over there's lost some weight from the worry. But we're all happy to see you back. I'll tell the others you'll reopen the izayaka tonight, right?"

Mystia: "Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you."

With a bow, Mystia thanked and sent off Kagerou who went off on her way, seeming happy as she hummed. Mystia could not help but look at Kagerou as she walked off.

Mystia: "It's good that everyone seems to be okay, but... I'm not acting myself, hmm..?"

Just as she was about to lose herself in her thoughts, a sharp pain attacked her side. Looking at it, she had fallen hard on her side that had been weak, and hurt her wing. This was especially so after having suddenly pushed herself to fly.

Mystia: "Owww, what the heck..?"

Clicking her tongue, she tried to grasp at her wings to try to tend to them. but noticed she was having difficulty controlling them.

Mystia: "I guess I should just try to rest... Well, if everyone is safe then it should be fine to go to the lake, I guess? Maybe everyone is just out...?"

She gave a sigh and shook her head with her eyes closed, and turned to slowly walk again to the pond.

...

At the pond, Mystia sat alone on a rock, looking out as she hugged her legs. She sat in solitude, only looking at the clouds in the sky and the murky blue water. She had never swam in this pond out of fear for what was in the water, but she enjoyed coming here to relax regardless.

As she sat, her mind again began to wander. Not with as much worry as before, but merely going through what had happened. The first encounter with Alice and Flandre, fighting Eirin, Reisen and Keine, taking Keine to aid Alice and Flandre, and then departing on a journey to hell. The string of fights that followed thereafter, and her departure thereafter.

With the brief exception of resting in Eiki's mansion, there really had not been much time at all for her to rest. She had either been doing something or was passed out from exhaustion - it was the most she had ever worked in her life. Now, between the pain in her side and her wings, she had also started to feel her muscles groaning from the overwork as well. Small cuts and bruises from earlier wounds also tingled around her body. In response, she gave a groan.

Mystia: "Ahh, my skin I worked so hard to maintain. All gone to the dogs now. But, at least now I should be able to recover."

Though she had recognized the undeniable pain in her heart having left her allies, she was determined to return to her every day life.

Mystia: "That's why I gotta open my izayaka again today."

By reopening her izayaka and serving her friends and customers as she always had, she would prove to herself that she was absolutely determined to return to how things were. If she could convince herself that her allies had been better off without her, that she would be able to keep those she loved safe and without worry, then it would almost be like it had never happened.

Feeling herself calming down, she also felt the pain in her body seem to subside a little. She began to get engrossed within the atmosphere, feeling the cool wind around her body. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she felt herself fall into sleep.

...

...

...

???: "Isn't that just a convenient lie for yourself?"

???: "xxxxxx xxxxxx? xxx is afraid xxx doesn't know who you speak of."

???: "xxxxxxx..? What is this..?"

???: "Please, don't forgive me."

???: "Ehh? There's no way you're that same person."

A repeat of what had happened just a few hours ago, albiet much shorter, Mystia had re-experienced that same entrancing yet terrifying phenomenon as earlier.

Mystia: "Gah!"

She woke up in a cold sweat and panting, having trouble calming herself down.

Mystia: "It-It happened again... Why..?"

Trying to get a sense of herself, she noticed the sun in the sky had moved a significant amount. Soon it would start to set.

Mystia: "Ahhhhh, crap. I'll think about it on the way there."

Getting herself off the rock she had taken her nap on, she unsteadily began to walk on the route to her izayaka.

As she had tried to limit use of her wings for the time being, it had taken her a good while to walk there by herself. Still, it had not been a great distance from her home in the forest, and she had arrived there before anyone else within half an hour.

Mystia had not been able to get much in the way of thinking done on her journey there, however.

For starters, she had not been one to contemplate things deeply to begin with.

Whenever she had tried to think about what the meaning of the voices in her head were, her thoughts would quickly turn to mush that she could not build anything off of. It seemed as though she had a mental barrier that disallowed her from gaining any sort of concrete ideas on what the phenomenon might be, aside from perhaps a bizarre coincidence.

This repeated failure had caused her to eventually give up on it halfway through, and had soured her mood. By the time she had arrived, a few minutes before the sun had started to dip below the horizon, and had silently began to set up shop - bringing out stored supplies, turning on lamps, and setting the tables as she always had.

She silently began to prepare and cut food, bring out drinks, and prepare meals in an expert fashion. She would frequently engross herself within her cooking and work - but never in silence.

???: "Ummm..."

Pausing to look up, in front of Mystia stood a girl with a red cloak covering her mouth and neck. Red, similarly, was the color of her eyes, hair and miniskirt. A blue bow tied it back, with a black shirt covering her top half.

Mystia: "Ah, Banki!"

Finally having something to snap her out of her soured mood, Mystia smiled up at Sekibanki - the dullahan in red.

Sekibanki: "Yo, Mystia. It's been a while."

Sitting herself down on a stool right in front of where Mystia cooked, Sekibanki made herself at home.

Sekibanki: "Nice to see your face again."

Mystia: "You too. Well, most of your face."

Sekibanki let out a chuckle in response, and Mystia could see the corners of her mouth perk up as she did.

Sekibanki: "Kagerou and Waggysaggy'll be here in just a minute. When Kagerou told me you returned, I was shocked. But it's good to have the girl who makes the best fried shrimp and sake in Gensokyo back. Might as well get the usuals for those two as well."

Mystia: "Aha, you flatter me too much, but thank you. I'll get it right away."

She nodded and started the process of preparing food after pouring three cups of sake - fried shrimp with green beans for Sekibanki, bamboo with meat for Kagerou, and noodles with greens for Wakasagihime. As she worked thus, Sekibanki propped up with another comment.

Sekibanki: "But, good grief, I thought you were an imposter for a sec when I saw you. I mean, I don't think I've ever heard you work without singing or talkin' to someone."

Mystia: "That's strange. I don't remember you being this chatty either."

According to her memory, she had always thought of Sekibanki as being more reserved and cynical than others, with the exception of when she got drunk. This level of chattiness was unusual for her - but what was also unusual was this snappy, passive aggressive response from Mystia.

Sekibanki: "Hmm? That's a new one. Didja come up with it while you were gone?"

Relieved that she didn't take offense to it, Mystia relaxed her shoulders and blew yet another sigh, though she still didn't know how to respond.

Mystia: "Well, that's-"

Sekibanki: "Ah, here come Kagerou and Wakasagihime. Heeeyyy!"

She turned to wave back at the two of them, who were coming up on the hill. Kagerou had been pushing a blue mermaid in a green kimino - Wakasagihime, in a wheelchair. Upon seeing it, she had a slight recollection of Alice from right before she had departed from her.

Sitting down besides Sekibanki, the two of them joined in on the conversation.

Wakasagihime: "I am so glad to see you again, miss Lorelei. I and my fish had searched across the lake for you, but we couldn't find you at all! We almost cried..."

Speaking from her heart, Wakasagihime put her hand to her chest and bowed down to Mystia as she almost apologized for her percieved impotence.

Mystia: "Thanks for your concern, but if I had been at the bottom of the lake, I'd have drowned by now anyways. And, you don't need to be formal like that with me..."

Wakasagihime was the only person Mystia knew that she would admit had a nicer voice than her. It had genuinely been that of a princess - one that would allure anyone and everyone, even the prideful Mystia who boasted about her singing capability. This would be in comparison to Sekibanki's slightly monotonous voice, and Kagerou's perfectly average voice. In addition, Wakasagihime had the soul of a pure maiden, who would cry over any small being or object being harmed.

Wakasagihime: "But it is important to search for each and every corner when trying to help a friend, isn't that right? That's why I have to be diligent and search no matter how poor my odds - but I was restricted to only searching in and around the Misty Lake."

Mystia: "Well, I guess so. Thanks."

Forgiving Wakasagihime for a transgression that had not really occured, Mystia continued to work on her meal. Throughout the next hour or so, more familiar faces came to join, each giving their hellos and appreciation for Mystia and her safety.

Mystia: "Let's see - Kyouko, Kagerou, Wakasagihime, Banki, Rumia, Sunny, Luna, Star, Cirno, Dai, Larva, Piece, Tewi and Wriggle."

Counting up those that had been in attendance, she made a mental note and went back to work after observing the outside for a few short seconds.

Outside, each of the groups had been chatting amongst each other. The fairies and Rumia, who had been allowed a little sake, were causing a ruckus and playing amongst themselves in the corner. Tewi, an earth rabbit in a light pink dress, had been enjoying the atmosphere with the rabbits beside her as the moon began to rise. The grassroots youkai trio had been chatting and laughing amongst themselves, while Kyouko and Wriggle, a boyish firefly youkai, had chatted together as well.

Upon Kyouko's arrival, she gave Mystia a kiss on the cheek which Kagerou had teased her for, and each of the fairies had hardly seemed to notice Mystia's absence at all. Perhaps their immortality and lack of proper intelligence had collided with their sense of time.

Regardless, the atmosphere under the moonlight had been as it always had been. Everyone had been enjoying themselves and drank to celebrate Mystia's health. In the background, though some of them didn't fully understand it, the fairies too cheered for Mystia.

Cirno: "WoOoOO, MystIA, thANK youu~uuuu ahahahahah!!"

Clownpiece: "Ahahahah, Master and her wife should be here to celebrate too!!"

Luna: "No, you dummy! If any adults come it'll ruin everything!"

Mystia: "But there's already adults here!"

Clownpiece: "Nahhh, Master isn't sore like that. She looves to party!"

Letting out a sigh, she admitted defeat against the fairies and returned to preparing more of their meals. Noting again the customers that had been in attendence today, she noticed an absence.

Mystia: "Hey Banki, where's Kogasa? Is she not coming?"

Sekibanki: "She said she had an urgent commission today that had to be completed ASAP, but she wanted me to pass on her good will."

Mystia: "Oh, is that so? Well, tell her I said thanks."

Returning to her work, she had finally regained the mood to begin to hum quietly to herself as she cut some veggies. From behind, a voice had called out to her.

Kagerou: "Heeey, Mystia, why don'tcha drink some too? We're all drinkin' for you, ya know."

Mystia: "Iiiidiot, what kind of bartender drinks their own alcohol? Besides, don't all of you want seconds?"

Kagerou: "But ya've been actin' all tense this whole time. Relax a little, or how about give us a song or battle us. Ya haven't done that in a while, haven'tcha?"

"Tense..." Mystia mumbled under her breath. Battle was absolutely not something she had wanted to consider right now, but she decided she might as well give singing a try.

Mystia: "Well, it couldn't hurt, I guess."

Shrugging her shoulders, she exited the bar she had been cooking in and jumped atop a table that had not been in use. Seeing everyones' eyes and attention on her, she felt herself regain some of her confidence, and gave a smile. She cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and opened her mouth.

And yet, not even ten seconds into her song, when she had opened her eyes, she saw everyone staring at her in worry.

Kyouko: "Mysty... your nose..!"

Pausing her song and dropping her smile, Mystia replied with an "Eh?"

Kyouko: "Your nose... it's bleeding! It's gushing out blood!!"

Mystia: "Eh? Eh?"

Looking down at herself, down her dress had been stained in fresh red blood that pooled under her. Upon this sight, she felt her head grow dangerously light, and she collapsed to her knees and fell down to the ground.

Upon having fallen to the ground, everyone around her gasped in shock, and Kyouko ran over with a "MYYSTYYY!!"

She picked up the fallen Mystia and held her head, crying but not knowing what to do in the event of a sudden nosebleed as others came to Mystia's aid.

Mystia: "W-hy..?"

And thus ended Mystia's first day in her failed attempt to re-attain her average, everyday, normal life.

Chapter Text

Alice: "'Stand up?' What... What the hell are you talking about..?"

Standing in the middle of a hallway, with blood covering large amounts of her body, Alice grit her molars in anger at what had just unfolded in front of her.

Just moments before, after a scuffle with Medicine, she decided to drop her refusal to speak about her past for just a moment. Yet as it had seemed, she had been tricked. Her short monologue which had been meant only for Medicine, appeaed to have been heard by Flandre, Keine, and unbeknownst to her, Eirin as well.

'Alice': "Well done. If you keep it up, you'll have no more secrets left to keep."

Alice: "Quiet! Just quiet! You're so extremely annoying!!"

Letting the tension boil over, she screamed out loud at seemingly nothing and swung her arms behind her, turning to where Flandre was.

Flandre: "...?"

Reacting with quiet confusion, she cocked her head with an eyebrow raised.

Alice: "I wasn't talking to... No, nevermind. How much... How much did you hear?"

Flandre: "I heard bumping and smashing, but I assumed it was just the doctor messing around. I only just walked in to see what was happening."

Alice: "S-So, you didn't hear anything you said..?"

Flandre: "You were talking to Medicine? It looked like you two were fighting, though."

Alice: "Hah..."

Once again, Flandre's exceptional lack of common sense exasperated Alice, creating a complicated feeling within her. Part of her wondered what exactly gave her such a foolish idea, but there were much more pressing matters on hand.

Assuming Flandre wasn't lying to her, she then turned towards Keine. While Flandre's eyes looked exactly normal, not knowing what exactly was going on, Keine's had a certain sadness and guilt to them.

Alice: "...What about you?"

Keine: "I... did not hear anything. I'm sorry. I was caught up in my thoughts and only realized when it was too late. Had I acted sooner, I could have prevented this brawl from happening. No apology can forgive that."

She bowed her head with a sorry look in her eyes, and yet those eyes hid something deeper within her. Something that she would, despite what she felt, keep within her heart for the time being. At once, however, her tone shifted. From apologizing, she now took on a voice and stance that was much more familiar to those who had spent time under her supervision, putting her hand on her chest and stiffening her face.

In between this, Alice felt a strange mixture of unease and relaxation. Had it been by a twist of fate that her secret wouldn't be completely leaked out for another day? Or had there been something more sinister at play?

Regardless...

Keine: "I am highly disappointed in the two of you. Really, just what do you think fighting amongst each other will accomplish? Especially in a time like this?"

Stiffening both of their faces, the duo of Alice and Medicine stayed silent from the sudden tonal shift of Keine's teacher voice, scolding the both of them.

Keine: "Alice."

Alice: "..."

Keine: "Good grief, what exactly were you thinking here? I know not who started this fight, but it was your responsibility to ensure exactly this would not have come to pass as the adult in the room. I understand there may be some issues from your past that you feel strongly about, but that was no excuse to engage in a brawl to the death with this child, one of our own."

Alice scowled to herself, knowing that it wasn't her who started it, but knowing how poorly it would reflect on her had she said that it was merely self defense.

Alice: "I apologize. I understand what I had done was wrong. Medicine, please forgive me for what I had done."

Though it pained her do it, she decided that this would be the best course of events, wanting to relieve the tension in the room. She would leave off the issue of dealing with Medicine's behavioral problems for another time. Were she to follow this option, she would be able to save what was left of the others' perception of her maturity.

Medicine: "...It was my fault I suppose. I shouldn't have gotten so confrontational. I'm sorry."

Curling her lips as she looked down at her, Alice decided she would not yet forgive her. She had been wronged, and though the outcome wasn't as bad as it could have been, she remained unhappy.

Medicine: "In the first place, this was supposed to be about helping Keine. But it ended up turning into this."

Letting out a sigh, she sat to her knees and closed her eyes.

Keine: "To help me?"

Her previous tone shifted again to one more reserved and casual than she had been.

Alice: "Originally we had wanted to brainstorm ideas to help you feel better, but it ended up like this."

After pausing to think for a moment, Keine took a breath and spoke again.

Keine: "I... I will admit, I took Mystia's departure too deeply for myself. Perhaps I should not have attempted to view her as one of my students-- and that is entirely my problem. I consider all of you, including her, not just allies, but also important friends; even having only known you all for a short few days. While I respect and understand her decision, I admit it has caused me much grief. And I am sure that is the case for the rest of you."

Around the room, there were those who undoubtably developed care for Mystia in spite of the short amount of time that was spent together.

For Flandre, Mystia had been the second friendly face she had ever seen within this new world. She had proved herself to be an unexpectedly reliable ally. Her loss would undoubtably be a great loss to her, that would contribute to her already recently soured mood due to the last few days worth of events.

For Alice, too, Mystia had proven to be an unexpectedly reliable ally that had saved her on multiple times. Though she was loud and noisy, the two had undeniably formed a bond that Alice would not want to admit.

And for Medicine, though the two had barely interacted, she would most certainly have felt a bond with Mystia as one of her first and only allies, and possibly a friend.

Keine: "..."

Reflecting on this, her expression grew more solemn. For herself, she had truly wanted to help and guide her, though knowing full well she had already grown to an adult. She knew it was her own fault to have felt so needlessly torn up over it, but it was not something she could help. After all, all she had wanted was to help and guide people. It had been why she had taken the role of Gensokyo's defender upon herself.

Keine: "I truly appreciate your wanting to help me regarding my dealing with Mystia's departure, however, it would be better should you instead use that effort to deal with your own grief. I will be able to manage."

Closing her eyes and curling her lips into a slight smile, she spoke truly from her heart this time. 

Medicine: "...Is that so?"

An honest, concerned face adorned Medicine, who held her hand to her chest. To that, Keine gave a smile and nodded.

Keine: "I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, thank you."

Seeing the scene seemingly lose its tension and come to something of a resolution, Alice breathed something of a sigh mixed with relief and confusion. Not knowing exactly how to feel about what she just saw, she was just relieved that it seemed as though the worst case scenario had been avoided. Still, it felt as though something were off.

Obviously, she would not so easily forgive Medicine for having recklessly attempted to decieve her and for fighting her, whatever her reasons may have been, and she would definitely scold her later. And she herself questioned why she would speak about her past to her in the heat of the moment. Yet she also felt odd that it seemed as though the issue of her past would be delayed for yet another day. But still...

Alice: "Well, it's not like it was as bad as it could have been, and they're not exactly taking initiative to prove themselves either, so I suppose it's fine..."

Letting out a sigh, she decided to simply drop the subject for the time being and start thinking of her options on what to do the next time something like this would come around. Plans A, B, and C at minimum on what to do, say, or even lie if necessary. That she had not prepared one for this already was something she regretted as a blunder and vowed not to do again.

In addition, the pain of the wounds Medicine had inflicted on her had begun to call attention to themselves as well, and Alice looked her head around to search for Eirin.

In doing so, she had locked eyes with Flandre, who hadn't said much throughout this ordeal. And yet Flandre, who had been the only one to have directly seen into Alice's past through the lens of Koakuma, still knew precious little regarding its actual context. She swore to make Alice tell her eventually, yet kept her around as she had been in a Catch-22 as both a suspicious figure and a close ally.

She could tell that Flandre held a complicated feeling in her chest. Though she entered the room not knowing the context, she had likely figured it out by now, and likely had some of her suspicions hightened again. Alice felt a little sorry for Flandre having to deal with irritation after irritation, but there was nothing that could be done.

Looking again at Keine, however, she noticed something peculiar. Her mouth, her smile at Medicine, had been trembling.

Flandre: "Keine?"

Alice turned to look at Flandre, who surprisingly had also noticed Keine's trembling. Medicine, too, paused her expression out of concern.

Keine: "Damnit... I really am terrible at lying..."

Alice: "..."

Keeping her mouth closed, Alice narrowed her eyes to observe what Keine would say. Perhaps she had something to say about her, or her past.

Keine: "...The reason I became a teacher, was not something I chose. It chose me."

Continuing to stay silent, Alice watched her carefully, anticipating every word and guessing what she would say. She felt her body tensing up, a natural reaction in preparation for hearing something she didn't want to hear. Nevertheless--

Keine: "It would not surprise me if this was unknown to you all, but for a very long time, this village would reject all youkai outright. But, it was not just youkai. It was commonplace for them to exile anyone who went against the village customs. Even those who only held the crime of being born different would be considered below the residents. It is rather backwards, is it not? Those who needed protection casting away their bretheren for even thinking differently."

While Keine made a slight smile as she looked down, Alice's face took on a more bitter tone. After all, she knew all-too-well what that was like.

Keine: "The old couple who raised me knew this, and attempted to keep me away from it. As you may know, I am not quite like the other humans."

Reaching up to touch her huge horns, combined with a bushy tail, you could be forgiven for doing a double take upon seeing her had you not known who she was.

Keine: "But as any child would be, I was curious. I oh-so-desperately wanted to visit others. One day, I snuck out against my better judgement. On that day... I was screamed at, pelted with stones, called all sorts of names. Of course, I took off shortly after. A little girl is not supposed to be dealing with those kinds of societal troubles."

Alice, again, narrowed her eyes, lowering her head and balling her fists.

Keine: "However, when I went home that day, and I went to sleep, that was when the unthinkable happened. You see, within the human village, there exists a small group of extremists, who advocate for the complete eradication of all youkai. On that day, a few of the members from that group tracked me down to my house. Because, you see, on that day, it was not just the teacher that chose me, but also the defender."

Alice: "..."

Keine: "On that day, I was forced to use my ability, Plain Asia to hurt others for the very first time. They threatened to kill me, and destroy the reputation of the old couple who took me in."

Alice: "..."

Keine: "On that day, an eight-year-old girl committed murder. She had not even allowed a trace of the bodies to remain. However, she did not allow that to stain her heart. On that day, I mourned the losses of those I was forced to kill."

Lifting her head up, Alice dropped her jaw slightly at those words. For what reason would she say something as absurd as that? Alice would not have imagined Keine of all people saying such things.

Keine: "Because, I decided, that it was not the fault of the villagers for attempting to take my life. Fearing youkai and being told to defend against them were all they had ever known."

Alice: "--Hk"

She sucked in her teeth as Keine said that, yet remained quiet.

Keine: "That was why I would take it upon myself to guide others the path to peace - not merely convincing humans to tolerate youkai, but to expand their horizons as well. Likewise, I would take it upon myself to broaden the horizons of other youkai as well. Even from a young age, I would venture out and meet with other youkai. I had even visited and attempted to challenge the tengu heirarchy system upon learning of it. Though - some changes take longer than others."

Keine: "Regardless, despite the dismay of my godparents, and my physical health, I am very proud of the progress I have helped to accomplish. I wish to teach the importance of understanding and patience to everyone - from the young and old. I would protect those who could not protect themselves, and defend against the aggressors who wished to inflict their harm and hate unto others."

Keine: "For Mystia, and for all of you, I wished to go further. Upon gaining the understanding that Gensokyo was at risk, of course, I was extremely concerned about everyone and everything within it. However, I also wished to display the fruits of my labor, and to prove myself as a leader. I projected that unto Mystia and the rest of you. When Mystia rejected that, it felt like a rejection of everything that makes me up. I had faced utter defeat in the past, and yet that was the first time that it had happened to someone so close to me. She might not share those feelings, and yet she, and the rest of you, are already some of my closest friends."

Concluding her monologue and feeling far better, she exhaled and put her hand on her chest as she closed her eyes, giving a soft smile yet again. Eirin, hidden behind the wall, muttered "Excellent" to herself under her breath. Flandre and Medicine bated their breaths as they processed their information, while Alice's mind yet again began racing.

Alice: "She and I are completely different."

Alice would never forgive those who had wronged her. Whether it be a human or the god of Makai, she had no regrets about exacting her revenge upon them. However, this was not something she would so easily admit and be straightforward with, as Keine had. To her, those had been signs of weakness at best, or terrible memories she couldn't let go of at worst. Likewise, despite her time spent battling and risking her life amongst Flandre, Medicine, Mystia and Keine...

Though it pained her to admit it, she had not quite grown as close to the rest of the group as the others have. Gradually, she felt a rift forming between her and the rest of the group. Each event - Flandre discovering her past, Mystia's departure, the fight with Medicine, and Keine's speech - had only served to drive a wedge in that rift further and further.

After all, she had always been seperate from the others. And yet, this stung her the most of all.

'Alice': "Honestly, what a disgrace..."

Alice: "..."

She couldn't even bear herself to answer her apparition, the very being which haunted her from her past.

Narrowing her eyes, she made a pained expression as she looked at the ground. How had she and Keine ended up so vastly different, despite the similarity of experiences? Where Keine's primary concern was disappointing those around her, while Alice had been percieved as a ticking time bomb. She wished to curse the world who gave her such a bad hand, and exact her fury upon it. Just as she had at that time.

Her train of thought was disturbed as she felt a tug at her sleeve. She looked down to see, of all people, Flandre looking up at her. Flandre, with her usual scary yet cute looking face, seemed as though she had something she wanted to say to Alice.

Alice: "What is it?"

Flandre: "You looked like you had a lot on your mind, so I wanted to disturb it."

Alice: "That's not very nice."

Kneading her eyebrows, she sighed down at Flandre, and put her hand on her head to push her away.

Flandre: "But you looked like you were in pain."

Alice: "Wha-"

Widening her eyes as she looked down at her, once again it seemed as though she was seen through. She scowled at herself for once again being unable to control how others percieved her.

'Alice': "Honestly, what a disgrace..."

Repeating herself with an evil smirk on her face, the apparition hugged Alice's shoulders and whispered behind her ear.

'Alice': "After all, it was through that misplaced trust in others that the bridge crossing the rift between you and everyone else collapsed, was it not, Witch of Death?"

Alice's eyes shot open, and she collapsed to her knees, bringing everyone's attention to her as Flandre caught her.

Flandre: "H-Hey! What's with you!"

Keine: "Alice!"

Medicine: "Hk--!!"

Once again, Eirin narrowed her eyes, and yet as the only qualified medical professional, she refrained from acting. Waiting to see what would happen next. 

Alice grit her teeth, as she heard the voice that could only be heard by her, felt the touch of the one who could only be felt by her, who sapped energy from her legs and forced a splitting headache upon her.

'Alice': "Are you starting to remember? Or are you still held up about why you can't help but be behated while Keine over there is beloved? I suppose that's fated to be..."

A deceptively sweet voice that ravaged and mutilated Alice's mind, that tortured her with the sudden hazy events of the past. She was right, why had she been unable to turn her past into her strength, to lead and guide others, to be beloved instead of a recluse?

Flandre: "Alice!!"

Why -- had the world hated Alice so? Why -- had she continuously been forced to face hardship after hardship, not knowing a moment of peace in her life? Why was she in the wrong when she decided to do something, anything, even if she thought it would only affect her or help others?

Why, why not just burn the world down? For wronging her so, pushing her into a corner without allies or friends she could truly call her own?

Voices, voices flooded her mind. Memories of the past blended into each other, violating her brain. Her neurons fired off like an exploding firework factory, thoughts running amok within her. Fear, love, anger, hatred, happiness, satisfaction, fear, deception. 'Alice' had wrapped the strings around her, and was about to use her as a doll, smiling in victory, until--

Alice: "Gah!!"

Her vision went dark for a split second, and she looked up to see Flandre staring down at her with a large red mark on her forehead. She had collapsed to the floor with a ringing feeling in her ears and a headache that would not stop making her feel like she was being banged into the wall. However, she pushed all that aside to re-gain her understanding of the situation. Each of the people around her had been looking at her with worry, and Flandre a mix of that and anger. Her nosebleed had been restarted, and it felt as though she were about to lose control of herself.

Lose control of herself -- what a disappointment.

Alice: "You... What happened?"

Flandre: "You really are a weirdo."

Alice: "Huh?"

Flandre: "But, I understand. You have things you don't want to tell us. I think that's fine. But, making a face like you wanted to kill someone, and then collapsing to the floor without saying anything, just what is going through your mind?"

Alice: "...You don't need to know."

Turning her cheek and scowling, Alice looked out at Keine, who had recounted her life story without a hint of dishonesty, and Medicine, who attempted to say something similar with the execution of someone high on drugs performing surgery.

Flandre: "But we want to help you."

Widening her eyes and turning again to face Flandre, the two looked each other in the eyes with a genuineness that she had not felt before.

Alice: "What do you know about me? What do any of you know about me? Aren't I the suspicious one, that you only keep around because you need strength? None of you - none of you know anything about me. Why? Why would you try to do anything for me when all I've done is force you from me? I don't need your sympathy."

Turning to speak to the others, Alice's voice cracked as she spoke with emotion that she had not let herself feel in a long time.

Alice: "I hate it, I hate it all. The world that did this to me, it could never mend me! So just -- stay away, for your own good! I'm suspicious, and vengeful, and have ulterior motives. I admit that! So don't bother trying to look into me! Because - because I am not your friend!"

It was not as though she hated herself.

Alice: "None of you, none of you will ever see what I see, hear what I hear, think what I think. That's why it's for the best that you don't try your luck to get close to me! Who knows what could happen! Maybe I'll kill you!"

Medicine: "Is that what you honestly think?"

Alice turned to look at Medicine, who had an angry expression on her face with her hand on her chest.

Medicine: "I was wrong to do what I did earlier, I'm willing to apologize for that. But, that doesn't change that I still want to help you. You, Flandre, Keine, even Mystia helped me to step out of the Nameless Hill, to even come here and not immediately start killing people! If you don't think change is possible, you're mistaken!"

Alice: "It's too late for me! I - I have already been molded by those kinds of things. Don't be so naive as to think just this can move my heart."

Keine: "Do not be so naive as to think whatever you are planning here will succeed, Alice."

Alice: "Huh?"

Now turning to look at Keine, she again felt her headache flare up.

Keine: "I shall not pretend to know what you have been through or what you have felt. Nor will I pretend as though you are being unreasonable. However, deluding yourself into thinking that you are beyond help, is as I have said, childish."

Alice: "..."

Keine: "Even if you don't believe us to be your friends, that is acceptable. Even if you think you can't be fixed, and just want to burn the earth, that, too, is acceptable. However, recklessly pushing us away, is not. I apologize on behalf of Medicine for hurting you, and I understand if you feel as though your trust in us has been hurt. However, I speak for everyone when I say we only wish to help you."

Medicine: "...I agree. I can't have said it better."

Alice: "Hk---"

She dejectedly scowled down at the ground, not having expected such a reaction. Why had they been so willing to help her, after everything she had done? Why would they attempt to forgive her after forcing Medicine to bleed and being such a force for suspicion and conflict within the group? She did not wish to be understood, nor did she wish to be forgiven, as if saying "Please, oh please, don't forgive me."

Flandre: "That's right, Alice, you aren't my friend."

Again, widening her eyes, she opened her mouth with a mixture of exasperation and disgusted validation, but Flandre continued.

Flandre: "You're my hostage - no, my dog. And as your master, I'm gonna tell you right now, I have no intention of giving up on you."

Alice: "You..."

Flandre: "Here."

She casually threw something from her hand, which Alice caught and examined in her hands.

Alice: "An apple? Where did you get this from?"

Flandre: "This apple is us. Let's call it-- The 'Genso Crusaders.'"

At once, the apple was divided into five slices to the surprise of everyone in the room but Flandre, who had imbued it with qi from her Scarlet Destiny.

Flandre leaned down and picked out one of the slices, leaving only four. Holding it in her hand as she looked at it, she began to speak.

Flandre: "This slice is Mystia, seperate, but still a part of us. And then - this one is you."

She pointed down at an apple slice with a hole in it. As it had been, a worm had been living within that apple, and made that section of it its home.

Alice: "Wha-"

Flandre: "You think you're rotten, and that you should be thrown away, but that isn't really the case, right? If you get the worm out and wash it, it should be fine. You think you're rotten, and that we want to throw you away, but you're wrong."

Alice: "..I am not an apple."

Flandre: "That's right, you're my dog."

Flandre leaned down and picked up the apple slice with a hole in it, put it to her mouth, and bit down.

Alice looked up in a form of dejected shock, and sighed.

Alice: "But... how can you understand? Anything about me? Even if you want to help me, don't pretend like that's what I secretly want deep inside."

Flandre: "But, I do know."

Alice: "HOW?"

Flandre: "Because... when I look at you like this, I can see the pain in your eyes."

Alice: "Ah-"

Dropping the scowl and opening her eyes wide, she was dumbfounded at that inference. Even the apparition named 'Alice', which had been watching carefully what might unfold, became shocked for the first time in its existence.

Flandre: "You put on mask after mask, pretending like you're fine. You claim you're a lone wolf, yet blow away your legs and slit your wrist to protect me. You can't make up your mind, and just seeing that pisses me off! If you're stubbornly insisting you don't want to be helped, then why didn't you leave us when you could?! You're going to lose yourself, maybe it already has! I can't tolerate that!"

Alice: "You don't know that..!!"

Flandre: "Then why do your eyes look like they're always so sad?!"

Alice could not respond to that, she had been yet again seen through. Forced to take in this realization, she remained stunned, unable to speak. Flandre took another bite of the apple slice, finishing it. With that hand, she offered her hand down to Alice.

Flandre: "I, no, we're gonna get you and Medi fixed up, get out of here, and get Mystia back. I can't forgive anyone who won't help us fight back. We can't do it without you. Now, will you stand up, or die a dog's death?"

Flandre used her other hand, which had the apple slice that represented Mystia, to put it to her mouth and take another bite. And yet, Alice could not reach her hand up to Flandre's. She kept her head down as she tried to think, think, think.

Alice: "Marisa..."

All this time, she had been betrayed or sent away. Seldom anyone would hear her out, especially as a reclusive, and she was fine with that. What would change now if she was doomed to repeat that same process of grief and loss every time?

'Alice': "Do you really think you'll be able to get rid of me if you go with that girl? What's to say you won't explode again, with worse results?"

Alice: "...That's right. There's no guarantee that I won't do something worse to you. This - this book. It's fated."

Putting her hand on the book which she always kept locked up on her, she scowled. Yet Flandre did not retract her hand.

Flandre: "Fate... Fate can be fought."

Lifting her head, Alice attempted to hear out Flandre's outlandish statement.

Flandre: "I, who came here from another world, and have been slowly regaining my memories, and won twice against one of the masterminds. Ordinarily, that kinda thing would be unthinkable. Medi, who was fated to stay in that flower garden for eternity, broke out her shell and came here around humans. I think fate can be fought. Lend me your strength, and I'll lend you mine. Even if it's for whatever your ulterior motives are, I, no, all of us will help you out.

Alice: "Flandre..."

Flandre: "What?"

Alice: "I think, you're quite the weirdo too."

Flandre let out a sigh, and began to drop her hand almost in defeat. And that's when she felt a warm touch on her hand. She opened her eyes to see Alice had accepted her offer, with a slight smile on her face. Not only that, but within her other hand where she held the remaining three apple slices, she took one in her fingers and bit into it.

Alice: "It won't be easy."

Flandre: "I know."

The two smiled at each other, and Alice stood up. Likewise, Medicine and Keine smiled on their own seeing this as well.

Keine: "Now, let's get you and Medicine fixed up now."

Biting into the crunchy apple slice, a sweet and sour sensation filled Alice's and Flandre's mouths. Whether or not they liked it or disliked it, made no difference. As fellow living beings, there was no difference in the flavor of the apple they shared.

Seeing this, Eirin smiled and turned away, walking back to her lab, satisfied by what she saw.

Chapter Text

Following the fight and the subsequent heart-to-heart, Alice and Medicine had went to see Eirin to repair the wounds they had inflicted on themselves. Eirin had been bizarrely calm about seeing the two of them re-enter her office looking even worse than they came in, and about the property damage they had caused. She had wrapped the two of them in bandages, gave them some pills, and sent them on their way with a brief "Please try to avoid fighting in my office again."

As of current, the three of Flandre, Medicine, and Alice were sitting in the reception area along with Eirin, who stood crossing her arms, Keine who had bowed deeply in front of Eirin, and Reisen who was sitting quietly at the reception desk, fiddling with something.

Keine: "I would like to extend our deepest apologies as a group for the damage and trouble we have caused. I have not my wallet on my person right now, but I will be more than willing to compensate for this."

Eirin: "You may spare the apologies. I have no need for money with the exception of rent and paying Reisen. Should you wish to compensate me, have that doll youkai bring me another dose of her poison."

Medicine: "I'm being nominated?"

She looked up with mild surprise at Eirin, while Keine remained worried. Eirin had been perfectly calm, with an eerily neutral face even after having a large amount of her supplies destroyed. Flandre and Alice, too, had been sitting and quietly watching.

Keine: "Surely that cannot be enough!"

Eirin: "You have already taken it upon yourself to repair and clean all that had been done by your two associates. I see no reason to ask for more."

Following Alice's 'standing up', Keine had used her Plain Asia to essentially rewrite history and repair everything in Eirin's hallways as if nothing had happened. Even so, immense guilt on behalf of her team clouded her heart.

Eirin: "If anything, I am grateful for your help. Help ought to be repaid with help, should it not? I am very interested in learning more of our dear Medicine's poison ability."

Medicine: "I'm not anyone's, and I don't want to be called 'dear.'"

Eirin: "My apologies."

The doctor gave a smile that looked nearly malicious, which creeped out the two of Flandre and Medicine. Still, it could not be denied that she had been overly patient and kind to the Genso Crusaders, and that had been recognized by all of them. She locked eyes with Flandre, and decided to speak once again.

Eirin: "On a related topic, as a vampire, you are overly limited by what time of day you may be outside, is that right? Flandre."

Flandre, who was on poor terms with Eirin, didn't appreciate having to act friendly with her. She pushed those feelings to the side, however, and forced herself to place nice. Her face, however, made it clear as day what her actual thoughts were.

Flandre: "What about it?"

Eirin: "You see, I believe I am able to make a medicine that grants your body resistance to the sun. Of course, I have not actually attempted this yet, but I believe it would be in your best interests to take me up on this offer. It would also likely be in the best interests of your friend here, too."

She gestured to Medicine, who remained confused, with a calm look on her face. This went unappreciated by Flandre.

Flandre: "And why should I trust you on that? I'm grateful and whatever that you helped us out, but I don't need you to mess with my body. I remember what happened the first time like it was yesterday!"

Alice: "Flandre, please calm yourself a little, I don't think she wants to do anything to you."

Flandre: "You were there the first time, weren't you?! She's simply too suspicious!"

Keine: "Now, now, Flandre. I don't think the doctor wants to cause any trouble for us. This seems like a good opportunity."

Medicine: "I think it might be worth trying out, and if she does anything weird we can all just beat her."

Flandre: "You all... that woman is not our friend. She's someone who is convenient, sure, but you're all getting too chummy with her!"

Medicine: "Who even says chummy nowadays?"

While the others tried to take a more reasoned approach, Flandre would not budge on the topic of wanting nothing to do with Eirin. As someone who had next to no memories of her own, of course, the prevalence of the fight against Eirin stood out like a sore thumb as one of the first heartracing experiences she had in this new world, second only to her encounters with the alternate version of herself.

The others, however, seemed much more willing to give her a chance despite her past trespasses. And for the life of her Flandre could not understand why.

Flandre: "Apparently I was able to survive 500 years like this, so I'll survive 500 more. Besides, how do you even know what to do with my body? It's not like you know a vampire besides me, right?"

She shrugged and made a smirk as she attempted to gain one over Eirin, who remained stoic and enigmatic as always.

Eirin: "Incidentally, I do. I happen to have met your sister on numerous occasions."

Flandre: "Wha-"

She immediately dropped her attempted smug attitude and widened her eyes in shock at the bombshell Eirin had dropped. Each of the others reacted similarly as well.

Let us turn the clock back to when Eirin had been operating on Alice and Medicine's injuries, leaving Flandre and Keine to sit next to each other for half an hour.

Since their journey had started, Keine and Flandre had only really had the occasion to speak to each other in the time that Keine had awoken until Mystia had awoken, and in that time after the fight with Medicine and Alice. The first time around, Flandre had not had much to say to Keine, mostly staring intently at her newfound scars and remaining on edge nearby to Eirin. The second time around, Keine attempted to break the ice with Flandre, but as with Medicine she found her difficult to speak with.

Keine: "Flandre, is anything bothering you right now? I understand that you have been through quite a lot lately, and that you dislike the doctor, so please let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

Flandre: "Nothing's wrong right now."

Keine: "If you are confident, then that is good to hear."

While Flandre did not respond, Keine maintained her smile and good attitude, albiet thinking to herself "Kids these days can hardly hold a conversation..."

Though it was not as though Flandre wanted to dismiss Keine, rather, her head had been lost in thought and feelings that she didn't know how to respond to. For she had been thinking of her sister, Remilia.

Since her time coming into the new world, there had been only a select few times where she had indirect interaction with Remilia. She had a hazy memory of seeing the mastermind version of herself shortly after killing someone whos name she did not remember. Next was the story Yuuka had told her, followed by the vision from Hong Meiling's point of view with the sister. Most importantly, she had been inside Remilia's room, where she put Sakuya Izayoi to rest, and stole her personal diary.

During her time when she had locked herself in Yuuka's room, she took out the diary and began to read it. However, it seemed to have been one of a collection, to Flandre's mixed disappointment. She started at the beginning, but the entries had mostly been weather related, or with menial activities. Sometimes her sister would go into details about wine she would taste, what she saw outside, various books she would read, and things of the like. But what stood out most to Flandre was how little she had been mentioned.

She had ended up going through half the diary, where she had learned a good deal about each major player in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Meiling had worked as their gatekeeper and seemed to have mellowed out after a while of having joined Remilia. Koakuma worked for the library, but seldom interacted with Remilia. The library was primarily run by a woman named Patchouli, who Flandre had only heard of from Sakuya's passing comment. She showed up within the diary a drastically high amount of times, appearing to have often spoken with Remilia. They would discuss various matters - magic, Gensokyo, events from the outside world, love, and more. They would play games, occasionally go outside together, and the like.

There had also been Sakuya Izayoi, the enignmatic maid she met and witnessed the passing of firsthand. She had been a devoted maid and trusted confidant of Remilia, who often went out to solve problems or helped her conduct business. Or even simply play with her.

That was what stuck out in particular to Flandre, however. There had been a stunningly few amount of entries where she was mentioned. Even when she had been, it was mostly in passing.

Diary: "...Patchy mentioned Flandre came to visit and take out some books."

Diary: "...Sakuya said Flandre wanted some new toys. I obliged."

Diary: "Flandre came to my room and asked to try some wine of mine, however she wanted some of the exquisite stock I had kept in reserve for the grandest of parties, and as such I was forced to decline."

Based on what she could tell, the half of the diary she had read lasted around half a year, taking place around fifteen or sixteen years ago.

Flandre: "Even if we're old, isn't that quite a lot of distance between us?"

For sisters who lived in the same location together, having a number of interactions that could be counted on one hand had been simply absurd. Based on the few entries she read as well, she didn't feel as though they had necessarily been on bad terms either.

Flandre: "So why do I barely show up..?"

While confused, she did not feel upset or wronged. Moreso, she just had more questions on her mind. Aside from the aforementioned lack of her being mentioned, she also longed to know what else had been contained within her sisters' diaries. While she did not particularly have the opportunity to look through Remilia's room, she would have guessed the rest would have been stored somewhere within there and had now likely been reduced to ash, with the one in her position likely being the latest one that may or may not have been finished. She once again felt extreme scorn for the mastermind version of herself.

Even so, she had heard that the deaths of her and her sister had been abrupt and unforseen. Even so, they had died together. That had bought her a strange mix of sadness and comfort, that she and her sister had not died alone.

Going forward, she felt a force pushing her to continue looking for information about her and her sister. A force that went beyond simply wanting to find out more about her past.

Flandre: "Maybe my body remembers her..."

Though she did not know where from, she recalled a phrase she had heard that family bonds had been the supreme bond that could persist across time and dimensions. While on her own, she thought she might scoff at that, she wondered now if that phrase had been going into action now.

And now, going back to the present, someone who had known Remilia personally had been right in front of her.

Flandre: "What do you mean, 'you have met my sister?!'"

Her red eyes glaring with anger, she shouted out at Eirin who stood remaining stoically. Within her mind she asked herself "Why did it have to be her?"

Eirin: "It is as I have said. I have come into contact with your sister on multiple occasions. Furthermore, she is the one who had granted my 'greatest wish.'"

Closing one eye, she kept up a slight smile as she intently watched Flandre.

Medicine: "Hold on, you can't just drop a bombshell like that out of nowhere!"

Keine: "You had concealed this from us this entire time?"

Alice: "...What a headache."

Between Medicine and Keine's protests, Alice simply rubbed her temples in frustration, while Flandre scowled. And then--

Flandre: "...Tell me more."

Medicine: "Flan?"

She turned to look at Flandre in confusion, who had begrudgingly complied with Eirin.

Eirin: "Unfortunately that is out of my capability."

From this, she dropped her smile and closed both eyes, still retaining her crossed arms and calm demeanor.

Flandre: "Don't screw with me! If you know something spit it out!"

Eirin: "Should you accept my offer, I shall lead you in the direction you seek. You shall recieve two boons for the cost of merely overcoming your grudge against me. Equivalent exchange, is it not?"

Alice: "Honestly, the two of you just have the worst attitudes..."

While Eirin continued to dangle a carrot in front of Flandre, the feeling that these two had the most disagreeable personalities in Gensokyo began to take shape within her.

Flandre: "I'm not listening to a single thing you have to say, doctor. I'm leaving."

She got out of her seat and promptly began to walk towards the door, when Eirin narrowed her eyes and made a slight smile upon noticing something.

Eirin: "Your body has still yet to recover from the sunlight, has it not?"

Flandre: "Ahh?"

She abruptly stopped and turned just before she had reached the door, eyebrows flattened.

Eirin: "I recommend you take a look at your fingertips. It appears within the time we had parted, your fingers had come into contact with the unfiltered rays of the sun."

While Eirin said that in a confident tone, Flandre yet again begrudgingly took a look at her hands. Her eyes widened as Eirin had been proven right; tiny pink dots had been scattered across Flandre's hands from the time she had been in Alice's back. They felt a little numb.

Flandre: "So what? I can barely even feel or see it. It'll go away in no time."

Eirin: "Would I be correct, then, in understanding you have found a constant source of sustenance in which to fulfill your regenerative abilities? I am sure you would not so brazenly hunt humans in front of the protector of Gensokyo, therefore, have you taken up rabbit hunting in such a short amount of time?"

Flandre: "...Sure! Whatever! I don't need your help."

Keine: "Wait! Flandre!"

While Flandre tried to keep her pride, Eirin continued to tease her. As a result, the vampire became flustered, put her hand on the door, and opened.

Eirin: "By the way, you forgot the clothes you came in with. Doll."

Flandre: "GAHHHHHHH!!!"

And so, Flandre ended up back in Doctor Eirin Yagokoro's examination room.

...

Eirin: "What a shame. You have essentially third degree burns throughout your face and left arm. Vampires truly are fragile to the sun."

Flandre sat in the examination chair where every member of the group before her had been seated just before. She had burn marks across her face, and her eyes swelled up with tears which she was attempting to prevent from falling. Medicine held her right hand by her side, while Keine stood looking down at Flandre. Alice, who sat next to her, felt a tiny bit of satisfaction after seeing her get hurt, but still looked worried.

Keine: "Honestly, what were you thinking?! Tricking her like that! And you! Going out like that just because you were upset!"

Flandre: "I didn't ask!"

Alice: "It was your mistake, so own up to it, idiot."

Medicine: "I didn't like that doll comment from you, doctor..."

Each of the group aired out their respective complaints, as Eirin calmly prepared some medicine and ointment as if nothing was happening. She unwrapped a special wipe and put some special cream of hers on it, and then sensually rubbed Flandre's face.

To Flandre's discomfort, Eirin rubbed her cheeks, nose, forehead, face, lips, chin, neck, and moved down to her left arm and palm. She ended up coated in a thin white layer of cream, which soothed her burns.

She blushed slightly from this, and felt a mixture of burning from her skin being stimulated, and the strange numb pleasantness of Eirin's fast working ointment attempting to heal Flandre's skin which could not heal itself.

Eirin: "Are you ready to have my sun-resistant formula administered to you now?"

Flandre: "I didn't agree to that."

Eirin: "Are you so confidnt to say that after feeling this?"

She reached her fingers out to Flandre's cheek and gently poked her fingernail into Flandre's cheek. Even from such a small touch, the pressure inspired a far greater pain than the mild discomfort of being rubbed by a soft specialized blanket. It felt as though a miniature sun was being held up to her face, searing her face off and directly shocking her brain and every body part around her face. She gave off a violent scream and kicked her legs frantically from the power of such a small touch.

Keine: "--Hey!!"

She moved to push Eirin out of the way, causing her to stumble but ultimately keep her balance and continue watching expectantly.

Keine: "What do you think you are doing?!"

Eirin: "I am simply giving her the option. Should it be that she lacks the memory her body sustains upon exposure to the sun, I have now implanted that fear within her again."

Medicine: "Do you want to die?!"

At her anger, Medicine began to summon traces of Typhoid Mary, ready to take on the doctor who remained unphased. Alice, however, continued to watch Flandre as she calmed down from the pain while panting.

Flandre: "Ahh.. ahh... damn... crazy bastard... ah..."

Alice: "Um.. Are you alright?"

Flandre: "I'll take it..! I'll take the medicine... if you tell me about Remi..."

While Keine and Medicine turned with a "Wha-" and Alice widened her eyes, Eirin narrowed her eyes and smiled to herself.

...

Eirin stood in front of Flandre, who had an eye closed, and faced the three of Alice, Keine and Medicine, who stood in front of her.

Eirin: "First, bring out any abilities or weapons you may have."

Upon that request, the room became filled with an aura of tension. Keine unleashed all five of her hakutaku, Alice became surrounded by a cloud of armed dolls, and an extremely dangerous aura surrounded Medicine as vines stretched out from her feet.

Eirin: "I shall now begin the procedure. If at any moment you feel as though Flandre is being threatened, you have full permission to immediately erase me, decapitate me, poison me, or kill me however you like without hesitation or warning. Should my body begin to recover, feel free to bludgeon me as many times as you wish. My body will feel every minute bit of pain. Every action I take shall be available for you to see with my narration. Are these terms agreeable?"

Flandre: "Ah?"

Eirin: "That goes for you too, Flandre."

The four of them, shocked, nevertheless held their words and cautiously watched all of Eirin's movements. She smiled as she walked around the room, collecting various items she needed; two beakers, wrapped stirring tools, an empty syringe along with several filled ones, wrapped disinfectant wipes, a machine created by kappa to heat and cool things, and then some not-so-scientific equipment. A pinch of silver powder, roasted beans, garlic, and a knife.

Eirin: "As it stands, I have yet to procure the medicine as of yet. However, I believe it would bring you all more comfort should I make it in front of your eyes. Within my possession is all-but-one of the materials."

Keine: "You mean to say that you wish to administer medicine that you have never even made before?"

Eirin: "Worry not. Blessed am I to be able to create any kind of medicine or treatment I desire, should I simply concoctenate the materials property. The last object I need must be supplied by a vampire, should miss Flandre find the kindness to give a small part of her. A drop of spit, a strand of hair, part of a fingernail, a drop of urine or blood, or an eye..."

Hearing this, Medicine immediately stiffened her face and quickly moved to wrap her vines around and up Eirin's legs, ready to poison her. However, the eerie doctor remained utterly unphased, only smiling as she looked back at her.

Eirin: "Fear not, I merely jest."

Flandre: "...There is absolutely no way you're getting any of my spit."

Narrowing her eyes at Eirin, Flandre plucked one of the split ends on her side ponytail and cautiously handed it to Eirin, who accepted it casually.

Flandre: "Some of the things on the table there freak me out..."

Eirin: "Trace amounts of some of the classic weaknesses of vampires shall be injected for your body to build tolerance. Fear not, it shall not hurt."

Flandre: "Can I really trust you on that?"

Eirin: "You are free to sever my head and crush it like a grape should you feel the slightest discomfort."

While Eirin moved to the counter and dropped Flandre's hair strand into a beaker, preparing to add several liquids to it, an intense feeling of disgust welled up within Alice and Flandre both. For Flandre, it had simply been because she hated Eirin and everything she did, but for Alice it had been more complex.

Alice: "The way she treats her life like it's nothing... it's blood curdling."

She whispered such to Keine, who kept her eyes glues to everything the doctor was doing.

Keine: "I feel similarly, however for the moment it is convenient for us. I have yet to fully trust her, so do not hesitate to attack at the first signs of danger."

Alice: "I know."

Ignoring the whispers around her, Eirin added various fluids into the beaker and put them on top of the kappa machine, pressing some buttons and beginning to stir.

Eirin: "This mixture of fluids, combined with the heat, are designed to rip the DNA of Flandre from her hair and bring it out for the purpose of easier manipulation, while also serving to cleanse it from bacteria or the like. Usually, this is preferable with large chunks, however even a single skin cell would be enough."

For the next few minutes, the room was filled with nothing but the sounds of Eirin's stirring as everyone kept quiet, watching her intensely. Finally, at the base of her stirring tool, a gross looking white membrane became wrapped around it. She held it up in satisfaction next to her face.

Eirin: "This, is Flandre's raw DNA."

Flandre: "...Gross."

While Flandre recoiled from the stringy white mass, Eirin calmly placed Flandre's DNA within the second beaker. Before doing so, however, she placed it within the palm of her hand, grasped it, and transformed her hand such to completely envelop it, before putting it back in dry.

Eirin: "I have dried the DNA, removing it of any potential impurities. Now comes the actual process of concoctenating the formula."

While seeing this made Keine gag slightly, to the shock of others, Eirin continued to calmly work on her medicine. Through a carefully controlled process of heating and adding various different chemicals, along with trace amounts of the vampire weaknesses before eating the rest of the garlic whole, Eirin manipulated her hands to carefully temper with the DNA before allowing it to solute. She had Medicine contribute some of her poison as well, with Eirin telling her how much to give in what doses under strict supervision. With no further issues and her continuing to explain what she did, she poured the finished result into a syringe and held it proudly in her hand.

Eirin: "Not so bad, is it?"

Flandre: "...Are you sure this will actually work?"

Eirin: "It is certain."

Giving a sigh and closing her eyes, she gave in.

Flandre: "Alright, do it."

Eirin: "When I inject the syringe, it may sting for a moment."

Flandre: "I know, I'm not stupid."

Eirin walked over and bent down to Flandre's arm, gently grabbing it, wiping the area with disinfectant cloth, and readying the syringe above her arm. She extended her pinky finger to wrap around her bicep to steady it, and while Flandre winced at this she accepted it. At last, she pricked the syringe into Flandre's veins, injecting the formula in. When it concluded, Eirin removed the syringe and put another of her disinfectant cloths on it to halt the bleeding.

Medicine: "...How does it feel, Flan?"

Flandre: "I feel nothing. It's weird."

Keine: "Are you sure? Nothing feels even a slight bit off?"

Flandre: "Nothing at all."

Alice: "..."

While each of them worried about Flandre in their own unique ways, Flandre opened and closed her hands and looked at them.

Flandre: "They feel the same. I can't feel the burning anymore."

Eirin: "While the burn marks shall continue to demarcate your skin for the next few hours, you shall be able to heal them far easier once it has spread through your bloodstream. While you shall now be resistant to the sun, you remain not immune. Limit your time spent in the naked sun for fifteen minutes at the most, with at minimum five minutes in the shade in between. Now, would you like to give it a try?"

Flandre: "...Yeah."

With that, she slowly got out of her seat and began to walk towards the door yet again. This time, not in frustration after having been teased, but with a cautious optimism that perhaps her decision should be right. With everyone's eyes and the nervousness of their stomachs on her, she slowly opened the door, and...

Light.

For the first time in her life, and perhaps her entire existence, natural light from the sun flooded her eyes, without her having to hide from it somewhere. For the first time, she felt the warmth of the sun impacting her skin, giving it a pleasant sensation, and letting her eyes glimmer.

Flandre: "This is what I had been missing out on..?"

Her eyes widened, she felt her hands tremble. A whole new world had been opened up to her, and she was taking it all in.

Flandre: "Look at me, Remilia..."

Medicine: "Flan..."

Seeing not only that the operation had been successful, but also at Flandre's genuine happy smile, each of the Genso Crusaders breathed a smile. Eirin, too, smiled from the bottom of her heart as she saw this. And while Flandre had gone out into the public without bothering to conceal herself at all, they decided not to interrupt her. For they knew that what it had meant to face a brand new world with pride for the very first time.

...

Ten minutes had passed, and Flandre re-entered the room with a smile on her face, her burns already beginning to heal. Each person there, too, shared a smile.

Flandre: "Doctor Yagokoro."

Eirin: "Yes?"

Flandre: "I'm not fond of you."

Eirin: "I know."

Flandre: "But... Thank you. I mean it."

From that, Eirin smiled at Flandre and nodded her head.

Eirin: "It is my pleasure."

Flandre: "By the way, about what you were going to tell me about my sister?"

Pausing for a moment as tension built up, Eirin simply looked at Flandre and spoke.

Eirin: "I apologize, however I cannot tell you at this moment."

And as a result of this, Flandre immediately punched Eirin straight in the chest, sending her back into the wall at a speed high enough that she nearly broke through.

Chapter Text

Knocked back to the wall, Eirin Yagokoro vomited blood out of her as she fell to the floor, with several parts of the wall behind her falling on her.

Flandre: "Don't try to pull a fast one on me, bitch!"

The trio of Alice, Keine and Medicine came running over after this as well, ready to attack Eirin as well. Eirin, however, had no particularly strong feelings regarding the hit. Her body immediately regenerated the gaping hole in her stomach, her internal bleeding ceased, and she stood as if nothing had happened.

Alice: "Are you seriously going to do this? Don't you remember how that went over last time?"

Eirin: "I implore you to cease your worry. You see, I had not the opportunity to speak of Remilia Scarlet, for I had been in the process of explaining my medicinal process while working. Shortly I will be dealing with another patient who had scheduled for this time, and afterwards I would be more than happy to tell all that you seek."

Flandre: "Nobody asked you to talk about what you were doing!"

Eirin: "It seemed as though each of your nerves had been heightened by me, and as such I had taken the liberty of describing each step as to calm you. Had you had more trust in me, and I would have happily told you what you had wanted to know."

Enraged at this, Flandre again delivered a strong impact to the doctor, kicking her in the side of her ribs and forcing her to fall to the floor with such strength that it broke the ground.

Keine: "Flandre! That is quite enough!"

She put her arm in front of Flandre, forcing her to step back from Eirin's body.

Flandre: "This slimy asshole... I can't trust a single thing about you."

Again coughing up blood, the doctor quickly recovered and began to pick herself up, looking down on the ground as she spoke.

Eirin: "Seeking only the words that charm your ears, continuing to walk that path shall resign yourself to crushing defeat. Not that that is of any concern to me."

Flandre: "Again, nobody asked! We had an agreement!"

Still continuing to look down at the ground, Eirin smiled as the bleeding again ceased. While Flandre, who had been unable to see her eyes, was forced to stay back by Keine.

Eirin: "Very well, I am not one to dishonour an agreement. Two hours from now, come meet me in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Should you arrive there, it would be a great deal easier to explain certain pecularities that may be outside your realm of understanding."

Flandre: "Huh?"

While Eirin spoke in a way that could not be called serious, Flandre didn't know how much to trust or distrust what she was saying. Thus she simply raised her eyebrows in confusion, almost seeing bored.

Alice: "Nobody spoke of agreeing to meet anywhere. The deal was Flandre would take your vaccine, and you would tell us information. That in and of itself is dishonouring our original agreement. Have you no shame, doctor?"

Eirin: "There may come time where you are forced to bend the rules of an agreement. I assure you that I shall observe upmost hospitality for my rudeness. As an aside, I believe your group has certain tasks that require your attention at the moment, do they not? I believe this is an amicable agreement for all of us in the long term prospect."

Medicine: "I can't believe this. You truly are shameless."

Pinching between her eyes, Medicine sighed and shook her head at Eirin's callousness.

Eirin: "What is shame if not an abstract bind of ambition? To find shame in regret, sex, embarassment; is to conceal yourself from others, is it not?"

Flandre: "--Hk!"

Something about what Eirin had said, combined with the pathetic way she had been on the ground, covered in blood, with her eyes averted from the rest of them facing the ground, inspired extreme disgust in Flandre. As if she had been lying through her teeth, simply saying things just to inspire a reaction.

Flandre: "Damn hypocrite. I hate your guts."

Feeling too disgusted to even attack her, Flandre simply gave her a mortacious look, and turned her back and began to walk out.

Medicine: "Ah- Wait up, where are you going?"

Flandre: "Outside. I don't want to breathe the same air as this degenerate."

Medicine: "Wai~it!"

Even though she had already proven herself capable of now being resistant to the sun, Medicine still worried whenever Flandre became like this, and followed her out. Alice, seeing the pathetic sight of the doctor on the ground, gave a sigh and slowly walked out as well. Lastly, Keine stood behind for a moment as she contemplated what to do, before giving a concerned bow and quickly leaving as well. With everyone gone now, only Eirin and Reisen, who had stayed quiet the whole time, remained. Picking herself up, Reisen finally looked up from what she had been fidgeting with and gave her attention to Eirin.

Reisen: "Are you gonna actually tell them what you said you would?"

Eirin: "I shall not disrespect their wishes. However, they should know of the icarus who had flown too close to the sun."

Narrowing her eyes, she looked at the door and turned her back.

Eirin: "Clean the floor, and brainwash our next patients to ignore the damage done."

Reisen: "Yes ma'am!"

Giving a salute, she eagerly got up from her desk and went to fetch the cleaning supplies with a smile.

...

Pinching between her eyes, Flandre stood outside with the rest of her allies as she aired out her grievances about the doctor.

Flandre: "Honestly that doctor... what is it with the older women in Gensokyo all being weirdos?"

Medicine: "Well, it could have been worse... Do you actually plan to visit the forest later and talk to her?"

Stiffening her face and her body, Flandre's face changed to be more resolute and determined compared to when she had just been whining.

Flandre: "...Yeah. If she turns out to still be a slimy bastard about it, I'll never come to see her again. Not that I did in the first place..."

Keine: "If that is so, then it would be wise to make a plan."

Looking down at her, Keine spoke to everyone around her.

Flandre: "For what?"

Keine: "As we presently have some time, I have some matters to attend to as an official of the village. When I had been taken three days ago, I had hardly the time to prepare for anything. This shall serve as my final opportunity to prepare plans and assure the safety of the village for the forseeable future."

Flandre: "Oh..."

She blinked twice upon that realization, but understood quite quickly.

Keine: "I shall go alone, however I believe the three of you would be better off remaining together. Shall we rendezvous at the dragon statue within two hours?"

Medicine: "Dragon..?"

Alice: "I know where it is. It's next to one of the village entrances."

Medicine: "Ah."

Alice: "I have certain matters to attend to as well, as it stands, so this works out well for me as well."

Flandre: "You do?"

While she had been staring out looking almost absentminded, she turned to look up at Alice following her comment.

Alice: "Some of the spears my dolls use have gotten dull, so I want to get them re-sharpened. There's a popular blacksmith around this area, so I had been wanting to pay them a visit."

Medicine: "You mean you made all those tools yourself?"

Alice blushed slightly at this, but affirmed it with a nod.

Alice: "I mean, I was the one who had everything planned out in my mind, so it only made sense to make them myself."

Medicine: "Fuaa~ I didn't know you could do that."

Keine: "Would it be correct to assume then that we all agree to the plan?"

Interjecting in their side conversation, Keine felt a slight tinge of frustration as the conversation had gotten sidelined.

All three: "Sure."

Keine turned her back, and waved the three of them off, who responded in turn. Before doing so, however, she had to explain something.

Keine: "Even though the Human Village is the safest place in Gensokyo, I advise you all to remain vigilant. I advise you not to seperate, especially Flandre."

Flandre: "Why am I being singled out?"

Keine: "Because your wings are visible."

Unsure of how to respond to that, Flandre simply stiffened her face and said nothing.

After Keine left, it had been Alice's turn to tease Flandre as the three of them started walking.

Alice: "By the way, you forgot the clothes I had so generously handed you. Do you really want to stand out at this time?"

Flandre: "It'll be fine. You can take it back."

Alice: "That was already the plan. More importantly, do you really want to risk attracting attention to us with those wings? I mean, what even are these anyways?"

She motioned to Flandre's wings, which were being displayed proudly by their owner. They had most certainly been the most unorthodox wings Alice had ever seen, being more like a christmas display than anything that looked remotely practical.

Flandre: "They're beautiful, aren't they? What's the harm in letting others see them? See how they sparkle in the sunlight? Ehehe~"

She went out in front of them while they were walking, and, as they paused, did a twirl. Her face held a genuine, sweet smile as she basked in the light, the crystals on her wings glimmering in a display akin to shimmering jewels. Indeed, for perhaps the first time, Alice observed her being genuinely happy, looking innocent. As if, for a brief moment, she did not hold threats concerning the multiverse on her shoulders. That she had simply been happy to be alive.

And while Medicine smiled along to Flandre's display of sweet childishness, Alice could not. As she laughed and spun around, inspiring the attention of passerbies to look at her exotic wings, frustration welled up within Alice, her heart feeling as though it was being constricted.

As she was about to swallow her feelings and ask them to keep moving forward, she heard the voice of a young girl to her side.

Girl: "Fuaa~ How pretty!"

She looked down and to her side, at the girl who had sparkles in her eyes as she smiled at Flandre's dazzling wings - without regard to who she was, the situation at hand, or whether or not she even knew Flandre. That display of childlike innocence from the girl who could not have been older than seven or eight caused Alice to eat her words, simply joining the crowd. She gave a look around, and everyone from Medicine to even the older folks all gave their attention to Flandre's wings. The crystals which had dazzled in the sunlight like a trove of diamonds being discovered by miners deep underground, preserved for hundreds of centuries.

Alice: "...Keine..."

It was a scene she could not have imagined, the villagers coming together to applaud those that were different and took pride in it, rather than scorning those who had not resembled them. And while she was grateful to Keine's efforts for blowing away her expectations, she yet again felt the rift between the two of them widen.

'Alice': "Jealous?"

Narrowing her eyes, Alice's face stiffened.

Alice: "No. I'm happy for her. Honestly."

Giving a few more twirls, Flandre basked in the joy of others, her smile radiating out as she thoroughly enjoyed her time in the warmth of the sun. Laughing for the first time since she had found herself in this world of violence and cruelty, where she found joy in the simple things.

...

Flandre: "I'm dizzy~y..."

Sitting to the side in the shade with Medicine as Alice stood, she held her head in her hand and complained.

Following her twirling, she lost her balance and nearly fell before being caught by Medicine. The villagers had laughed at the display, gave some claps, and moved on while Medicine and Alice helped Flandre recover herself.

Alice gave a sigh, but couldn't get herself to say anything, simply looking out.

Flandre: "But, you know, the villagers don't seem all that concerned at all."

Referring to what Alice had spoken of before they left the house, the villagers hardly seemed to care about the youkai roaming around.

Alice: "I believed it would be better to stay cautious, but, credit where credit is due, Keine did good work. Still, I wonder if they may simply be hiding their worry..."

Medicine: "Actually, I don't think you're wrong."

While Alice had been looking out, rather than down, her attention was drawn to Medicine who perked up with a serious expression on her adorable face.

Medicine: "At least for the adults, they're probably on edge. They don't know what's wrong, but they can feel it in them, and want to latch onto anything to take their minds off of that feeling, even if it's for a moment. At least, that's what I think."

Alice: "I think so too. I can only hope Keine's doing her thing about now."

Giving an exhale, Alice looked down as she noticed someone approaching.

Alice: "The girl from earlier..?"

Running up from behind, the three turned to look at the young girl who had been observing Flandre starry eyed just a few moments ago. She paused to catch her breath as she rested her hands on her knees.

Flandre: "Ummm.."

Having had only two direct confrontations with full-blooded humans, both of which ended in bloodshed, she had been at a loss at what to say. That, combined with being surrounded by two hikikomoris, led to the feeling that this might be a difficult interaction. Luckily for her, the girl perked her head up and began speaking with haste.

Girl: "That was super pretty! How did you get those wings!"

Still starry eyed, she had a passionate look on her as she asked such directly.

Flandre: "Uh... I was born with them, I guess?"

Girl: "That's so cool!"

Flandre: "Yeah..."

Girl: "What's your name? I'm Luna."

Flandre: "Ah, uh, Flandre."

Luna: "Nice to meet you, Flandre! My mom's probably gonna be mad if I wait here any longer, so I'm gonna have to go now. Bye! Let's be friends!"

Flandre: "Ah... Sure...?"

Running away while waving, Flandre awkwardly waved back with a look of confusion on her face.

Medicine: "Aren't you popular?"

Flandre: "What was that all about?"

Watching as Medicine teased the still confused Flandre, Alice again found it hard to smile, closing an eye and turning her head.

Alice: "I suppose it's time for us to go now, if you're feeling better."

Flandre: "Ah, sure."

Seeing as she felt better, the two of Medicine and Flandre got up and resumed walking by Alice, who still seemed a little off.

Medicine: "Alice, you don't come here often, right?"

Alice: "Yeah, I only go if it's necessary."

Medicine: "So does that mean you aren't familiar with the residents of the village?"

Alice: "...More or less. From what I heard, though, the blacksmith here was rather... eccentric. You two can sit to the side if you want, I will be the one talking. We should be there in just a few short moments."

Not exactly with the happiest face, Alice was still internally happy she could communicate normally with Flandre and Medicine again. To her right, she saw an open smithing building with the sign "Tatara Forge."

Alice: "There it is."

Upon walking closer to it, her eyes widened and she raised an eyebrow, as there had been nobody at the station. It most certainly had been just being used, with tools being freshly laid out, the casting furnace still being active, and even a red-hot sword on an anvil with a hammer by it, yet there had been nobody in sight.

Alice: "Mmmm? Where's the blacksmith?"

Scanning the area with her eyes, it became more than clear that, despite the signs, there was nobody here. However, just as she had been about to finish looking around, she saw something out of the bottom corner of her eye. Narrowing her eyes as she refocused her gaze on it, she saw a gently moving black stump, accompanied by a hint of purple that had been hiding right under the stand. Trying to get a look at it, she attempted to lean over and get a better look, but before she could--

???: "BOO!!"

While a "Fua!!" could be heard, Alice remained unphased at the sudden loud sound and fast noise. In front of her, a girl with wavy blue hair, an adorable face adorned with a blue eye with the other hidden behind a red eyepatch, carrying a large purple umbrella complete with a huge singular eye and tongue jumped up from below. She stuck her tongue out and smiled, beginning to laugh to herself to Alice's confusion.

Girl with Umbrella: "Ohh, I got you good, didn't I? I'm so happy~ Thank you for being scared!"

With a bright smile, she bowed and thanked the three of them whom she had just scared, behavior that Alice found bizarre.

Alice: "That was meant to be scary?"

Kogasa: "Mm? You weren't scared? Well, you can ask your friends over here."

She made a dog-like frown, that returned to a smile as she continued to boast to herself. From this, Alice closed her eyes and gave a smug looking smirk.

Alice: "Come now, that wasn't scary, right Flandre? ...Flandre?"

Though she nudged Flandre's shoulder with her elbow, Flandre remained silent. When she looked down out of confusion, she saw that Flandre had stood motionless, staring out into the abyss, petrified by fear. When she looked to her other side, Medicine was also sitting with her butt to the ground as she jittered from the jumpscare.

And while Alice blew a sigh, the blue-haired girl smiled.

As the two youkai recalibrated themselves, Alice took to speaking with the eccentric looking girl.

Alice: "Well, I'm here to request some new tools. Can you tell the blacksmith here I need to place some specifications?"

Girl with Umbrella: "...You can just tell me what it is now."

While Alice casually asked as though the girl was merely an assistant, the girl seemed rather confused.

Alice: "No, it would probably be a pain. I need the owner of the blacksmith for this, as they need to be custom-made."

Girl with Umbrella: "...But I am the owner of the blacksmith."

Responding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Alice stood quiet as her eyes widened and she connected the dots. Upon that information having been processed, Alice blushed, and immediately proceeded to bow and apologize.

Alice: "I am so sorry for my rudeness!"

Seeing this, however, the girl stuck out her tongue and smiled, exhaling air in satisfaction.

Girl with Umbrella: "It's no biggie! After all, nobody expects a weak looking girl like me to run this place, right? So having them realize it is most certainly a surprise~ But yes, that's me! Kogasa Tatara! Pleased to be your acquaintance!~"

Proudly introducing herself, Kogasa did a twirl and put her hand on her chest. Interestingly, even the umbrella seemed as though it was happy, closing its one eye and lifting up its tongue. All this, however, made Alice a bit stunned.

Alice: "I... see... I am Alice Margatroid, and the two by my side are Medicine Melancholy and Flandre Scarlet. Pleased to be your acquaintance."

Though she had heard that the blacksmith had been quite eccentric, this was not what she had in mind. While she had imagined a muscular, half naked man that would have been overly particular about each of the details to the point where Alice felt she would have to prepare everything she had in mind in advance, here she had a girl who looked to be a few years younger than her, and who looked more harmless than a butterfly.

Kogasa: "Ah, you just thought I looked weak, didn't you?"

Alice: "Eh?"

Kogasa: "Well, behold!"

Catching Alice's look of mild exasperation, Kogasa seemed to have known this song and dance as if she had repeated it a hundred times. She grabbed the bottom of her vest and shirt, and lifted them up to reveal her abdomen, the contents of which immediately invited shock in Alice upon bearing witness.

Alice: "Uwah, you're ripped!"

Her well-defined abs came as an extreme shock compared to the rest of her appearance, which gave off the feeling of a steamed dumpling. Never again would Alice think she understood what lay underneath a person's clothes.

Kogasa: "Well? What do you think? That's my three-step knockout. No first-time customer has ever managed to avoid getting surprised with it!"

Smiling proudly as she let go of her clothes, she beamed up at Alice and now Flandre and Medicine, who had regained their composure.

Flandre: "Hey, Kogasa, was it? I have a question."

Speaking as if she had not just recovered from being scared stiff, she put her hand on the counter and lifted herself in order to appear slightly taller.

Kogasa: "Unyu? What is it?"

Making a dog-like face again, she shifted her attention to Flandre, who she had been grateful for for being surprised immediately.

Flandre: "Um.. did something happen with your eye?"

Medicine: "Flan, that's rude."

Flandre: "No, it's just, I had an eye injury recently too, but if your eye is injured then, there's an, um..."

She began fidgeting and shifting uncomfortably at herself. While she had been concerned about Kogasa's eye, she did not want to promote Eirin's business. Regardless, though, she still felt concern and that it was better to ignore her personal feelings in exchange for helping Kogasa. But in the first place, she saw Kogasa as a human, and so why would she have been worried about what she saw as a human? She did not know.

Kogasa: "Heh heh... you see, my eye is permanently sealed, for if it were to be unsealed, a calamitous dragon would roar upon the land and bring ruin to Gensokyo!"

She struck a dramatic pose, complemented by her goofy looking umbrella, perhaps thinking she looked cool. Such a pose went unappreciated by Alice, who flattened her eyebrows with a sweat and sighed.

Alice: "What's with this chunnibyou development..?"

Flandre: "Is that true?"

Kogasa: "Of course it's true! The true purpose of my work as a blacksmith is, after all, to hone my body to control my power over this seal, to control the one-eyed dragon god of wind and rain! Thus, it is highly dangerous, and I can't let anyone touch it!"

Again, preforming a complicated and overdramatic series of motions, Alice noticed the umbrella following along with it. At last, her brain connected the dots, and she shouted out.

Alice: "Oh, I understand! You're a karakasa-obake, isn't that so?"

Kogasa: "Eh?"

Medicine: "Kara... You're a tsukumogami? No way! I'm something similar myself! I'm a living doll!"

Kogasa: "Eh?"

While Alice and Medicine lit up, Kogasa seemed to have dropped her confident and dramatic demeanor, growing flustered and blushing.

Flandre: "Ehh, so you're a youkai? That makes another one of us then."

Though she looked slightly bored, plopping her head down onto the wood of the counter, she nonetheless curled her mouth into a lazy smile.

Kogasa: "Shhhhhhhh!! What if someone hears?"

After she shushed the three of them, she looked around to ensure nobody heard her. Upon that confirmation, she gave a sigh of relief.

Kogasa: "So my cover's been blown, huh..? But I guess you three are all youkai, too. I guess that gives us some kinship..?"

Alice: "...Yeah. Well, I don't really mind what you are as long as you're as good as I've heard you are."

From this, Kogasa perked up and flexed one of her arms with a confident smile.

Kogasa: "No need to worry about that~ I'm the most talented blacksmith in Gensokyo. Whatever your needs are, I'll provide only first rate service!"

Alice seemed relieved at this and exhaled. She wasn't necessarily in a rush, however, and looked to her side to see Medicine's eyes sparkling as she had been more than eager to talk.

Medicine: "So, you're a tsukumogami, right? So co~ol, how long ago did you become a youkai?"

Kogasa: "Um, around fifteen years ago, I think?"

Medicine: "Wow, I don't even think I'm a year old!"

Kogasa: "Ha?"

While Medicine continued to be enamored with this new information regarding Kogasa, the latter had been more at a loss at how to respond to the extreme young age of Medicine, the validity of which had been dubious. As a result, Kogasa wore a face mixed with confusion and dumbfoundedness compared to Medicine's bright smile.

Flandre: "So your eye isn't actually hurt, or anything, huh..?"

Kogasa: "It's a seal! I mean, I'm not actually hurt or anything, but if the seal came off, it'd be bad news for everyone!"

Flandre: "Is that so~?"

As Kogasa had been relatively close to Flandre, the latter leaned over the counter and reached her hand out. Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed the red eyepatch that covered one of Kogasa's eyes and began to pull it back.

Kogasa: "Wahh, what are you doing?!"

Flailing around her arms in her flusteredness, Alice and Medicine gave their attention to Flandre and shared in Kogasa's shock.

Medicine: "What are you doing Flan?! Stop!"

Alice: "Oi, cut that out, idiot!"

Flandre: "Ahaha! She has a red eye, just like me!"

Caring not for the commotion she caused, she laughed upon seeing Kogasa's heterochromic eyes; one blue and one red. Red like hers'.

Kogasa: "Stooooop!!!"

Complaining with the sweetest voice on the planet, she tried to pull her head back, snapping the eyepatch's band and falling backwards to her butt.

Flandre: "Ah-"

Following this, Kogasa's cheeks flushed red, tears welled up in her eyes, and her mouth frowned.

Kogasa: "Uu~"

Medicine: "N-Now a dragon's gonna destroy all of us!! What do we do?!"

In contrast to Medicine's panick-strucken, similarly teary eyes, Alice simply sighed and pinched the area between her eyes.

Alice: "Look what you've done now, idiot. Go apologize."

Flandre: "Ah... Sorry. I'm sorry. Doesn't look like it's gonna rain though..."

Alice: "Honestly, this girl..."

Sighing again, she put her hand on Medicine's head to calm her down, and then turned to console the sniffling Kogasa.

Alice: "Ah- I'm so sorry about this dummy here. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make this up to you!"

Now directing her worry to Kogasa, she apologized and bowed her head, looking down at her. In response, Kogasa bashfully looked up with her reddened cheeks, covering her red eye with her hand.

Kogasa: "I-Its ok... It's just... you don't think my red eye is weird?"

This comment struck Alice and the rest by surprise. As Kogasa picked herself up, her fingers trembling as she put them on her knees, she revealed her red eye through her hair.

Kogasa: "Being scared of it would be one thing... but I've only ever seen people get weirded out at me for having differently colored eyes. That's why I decided to cover it up. I'm sorry for lying."

She closed her eyes and sighed dejectedly. At this, Alice stiffened her face, preparing to talk. However, before she could open her mouth, Flandre went before her.

Flandre: "What are you talking about?"

Kogasa: "Huh?"

Picking her head up to see Flandre's more confident face as she smiled down at her with kneaded eyebrows, she listened in.

Flandre: "As for me, I think your eyes are beautiful. After all, it's not every day you see someone with eyes like mine."

She smiled and pointed to her own red eyes, the color reflected in Kogasa's.

Flandre: "Besides. There's plenty of things anyone can find weird about you, but that doesn't stop them from being pretty, does it?"

At this, she flapped her wings, which dazzled in the light reflecting off each of the mysterious multicolored crystals that adorned them. And from this, Kogasa's eyes began to dazzle just a little as well. Her cheeks blushed, and she opened her mouth.

Medicine: "Your umbrella is super cute, too! I love the color! And the tongue!"

Kogasa: "Even the color..?"

Medicine: "Yep!"

As Alice saw Medicine's beaming and Flandre's smile begin already reflecting in Kogasa, she smiled to herself as well, closing her eyes and exhaling.

Alice: "That's right, Kogasa. There's no need to cover it up. Go and face the world with pride. Because, we all have something strange about us, don't we?"

Kogasa: "..."

Assaulted by the sudden barrage of complements, she took a moment as she blushed and faced down. A complex face adorned her, but it was clear that tears had begun accumulating within her eyes. Even her umbrella had something of a sad look to it somehow.

Kogasa: "You don't... have to complement me like that."

Flandre: "But we want to."

Kogasa: "That's--"

She looked up at Flandre's face, wanting to protest, not being used to complements. However, she had been met with Flandre's gentle smile, her head slightly cocked sideways, with a somewhat silly expression with her eyebrows. She looked at each of the girls present, whom she had barely just met, yet that had already showed her such kindness. Overwhelmed by everything, she began to cry.

Kogasa: "I'm sorry, I'm such a crybaby."

Medicine: "It's ok. You've worked so hard."

Something about that struck a positive nerve in crying tsukumogami, and she began to sob even harder, collapsing to the floor. As the three gave her a moment to let out the tears, Alice looked to the sky behind her.

Alice: "An eccentric crybaby youkai for a blacksmith, huh..? Gensokyo truly is something... You've got quite a bit on your hands, Keine."

After Kogasa let out her emotions, she wiped her face off and got back to business.

Alice: "This is my Shanghai doll... and this is my Hourai doll... and I have some based on some countries from the outside world."

Kogasa: "I used to like hearing about those..."

While Alice spoke to Kogasa about her dolls and the kinds of weapons she needed, Medicine and Flandre were allowed to look around the area so long as they didn't touch anything.

Medicine: "Standing next to this thing makes me feel like I'm gonna catch on fire..."

Flandre: "It's so nice~"

At Flandre's insistence and Medicine's reluctance, the first place they visited was the arc furnace. In the end, Kogasa was able to make a quick set of replacements for Alice but said that making any more, including parts for Alice's more complicated future projects, would take some time. Upon being told the urgence of the situation, however, she agreed to work extra, and the two settled on pay. Additionally, Medicine kept Flandre from getting into any major trouble, and nothing ended up going wrong. However, the agreed-upon time with Keine loomed about them, and it was time to meet up at the dragon statue.

Kogasa: "Bye bye!! Come again soon!"

Smiling as she waved them goodbye and the three of them returned, she hoped to see them again soon. Hearing bits and pieces of what had been happening, she pieced together that they had been drawn together by some unique circumstances. Despite not being one for combat, she still sympathized with their struggles and wished them the best.

Kogasa: "How nice~"

Sekibanki: "Are you gonna stand there lookin' at people's backs forever?"

Kogasa: "Uwah!!"

Jumping to look behind her, the red-haired girl with a slightly monotone voice with whom she was quite familiar with had somehow shown up behind her.

Kogasa: "Banki, where did you..."

Sekibanki: "Mystia returned, and she's hosting a party. You in?"

Kogasa: "Mystia returned..? But, I have some pretty urgent work..."

She felt a tinge of regret from taking on Alice's task, but decided to hold herself accountable to it. Still, she wished she could have seen her. Though not particularly close, Mystia and the rest of the people who hung out at her izayaka, Sekibanki included, were quite friendly to her. When she heard that she had gone missing, she was quite distressed and asked her customers if they had heard anything, but they didn't want anything to do with a youkai in the first place.

Kogasa: "I'm sorry... but please tell her I'm overjoyed she returned, and that I will definitely show up next time."

Sekibanki sighed and scratched her head at this.

Sekibanki: "Yes, yes, I understand. Well, it's no biggie. I'll catch you later."

Responding casually, she waved as she turned and left, which Kogasa returned with a sad sounding "Yeah..." However, Kogasa's mind began thinking again. For, for some strange reason, she felt a strange connection between Mystia's departure and return, and the trio of blondes that she had just met.

Kogasa: "It can't be..."

Turning around to go back to her shop, she decided to lodge it in the back of her mind for the time being and return to working hard.

...

Walking down the road, the three of them quickly saw Keine already waiting by the dragon statue. Rushing over thinking they might be late, they looked up to see Keine with a hard to reach expression.

Medicine: "Hah... Sorry, are we late?"

Keine: "Not at all, however as things proceeded smoother than expected for me, I decided to come ten minutes early. I had only been waiting for five, so the three of you had earned my praise."

Smiling as she crossed her arms, Flandre flattened her eyebrows and sighed.

Flandre: "Well, whatever. Let's go."

Keine: "By the way, I bought the four of us food as well."

Flandre: "Uwahhh, thanks!"

Walking along, Alice didn't have much to say. She looked to her side at Keine, interacting with the two younger youkai.

Alice: "You really are something else..."

Muttering that under her breath, she felt a slight unease mixed with relief. That despite being so far seperated from Keine, she had been able to make allies with her.

Chapter Text

At the same time, in a land not so far, a cool breeze blew through the grass. Where, despite having today be a warm, sunny day, the sky remained ever covered and the air forever humid. An isolated field at the border of Gensokyo that had seldom ever been spoken of, let alone visited. Here was where a certain individual, accompanied by a small flower field in front of a humble shack, stood alone as she gazed up at the sky. Her white robes and red skirt fluttered alongside her golden hair, yet she remained still as a scarecrow.

Her yellow eyes narrowed as her body felt a sudden jolt. A shock ran over her body, she knew that something had happened, and yet she knew not the specifics, thus she remained still.

Gazing into the sky, this forgotten existence, with hardly even a name attached to her had been the first to know of the forecoming great disaster that had been about to impact Gensokyo. Stiffening her face, she turned and walked back towards the shack behind her, the wind continuing to blow against her.

Rin Satsuki: "The Hakurei Barrier has been tempered with..."

Entrusting her knowledge to the flowers at her feet, and allowing the wind to take charge from there, she silently retreated into her isolation.

. . . . .

In a similar flower field, a woman dressed in orange, sporting an umbrella fashioned to resemble a sunflower, stood atop a hill, silently overlooking her own field of flowers. The charred remains of what was once a mansion laid in the center, though she did not mind that. The one who did mind was the bat on her shoulder, who wore a white bow on its head and looked bored.

Yuuka: "Calamity."

Kurumi: "Mm?"

The eerie silence was broken by just one word. A word she would not elaborate on, but one she would surely understand the meaning of.

Yuuka: "The time has come for your final mission, Kurumi."

Speaking in a low voice as her eyes sharpened, the bat on her shoulder jumped off to the ground. Upon landing, its form was no longer that of a bat, but that of a petite young woman, wearing a white blouse and a black skirt. This girl, Kurumi, looked up at Yuuka who would not look down, looking with determination.

Yuuka: "Flandre Scarlet. Find the girl and inform her. From thereon, you are to do as you please."

Kurumi: "Are you sure, Miss Yuuka?"

Questioning her with concern in her voice, she inquired to the Yuuka who stood steadfast, looking out at her beloved flowers.

Yuuka: "The culimnations of the last fifteen years are about to impact. Time is of essence. You may take my parasol. Go."

Kurumi: "..."

The two remaining as they are for a moment, Kurumi narrowed her eyes and turned away. With a scowl, she took hold of Yuuka's sunflower parasol and looked out in the same direcyion as her.

Kurumi: "Thank you, Miss Yuuka."

Wings sprouting out her back, she faced the parasol to the sun and took off, flying away to leave Yuuka behind, who remained unmoving and unphased. She remained silent, closing her eyes and taking a breath.

Yuuka: "It shall be upon us."

. . . . .

Hell.

Where the land of sinners condemned to eternal punishment made its reputation known, at the same time it was a land rife with competing factions, mob groups, and manipulators. It was a land of wolves which would show no mercy to the weak, crushing ambitions and scorching them in eternal fire.

And yet, even good would exist in such a harsh landscape. For the balance of good and evil is one of the core concepts of the yin-yang. For the good to fight against the evil, the good must be overwhelmingly capable. And yet, while good would exist in evil, as did evil exist in good.

Such were the binds that confined Eiki Shiki, the Yama of Gensokyo, to her abode in hell.

The supreme judge of paradise, who was responsible for sending those who passed either to heaven, hell, or to be scheduled for reincarnation, had been unable to do her work for fifteen years as she had been trapped. The sheer quantity of souls who had been left to wander, become vengeful, or be destroyed because of her inability to take action, pierced her heart and plunged it into darkness. And yet, she did not falter.

Eiki was not the type of individual who would simply wave a white flag and surrender upon being handicapped. So long as life persisted within her, with the authority given to her by the Yama King, she would attempt to overcome any evil that faced her, and that faced Gensokyo.

As such, within her room, she held the Cleansed Crystal Mirror within her hands. Staring at it intently, she would not move or be distracted until her work has finished.

The mirror which would reveal all about a person's life, their past, and present. Their thoughts, rationale, and mistakes would be laid clean as though printed in text. In order for it to function, it was intrinsically linked to the Great Hakurei Barrier, thus being connected to anyone who has ever interacted with Gensokyo.

And that was why, upon seeing that it had gained a new crack, she had been forced to steel her heart and begin to think.

Eiki: "Trouble comes in threes, is that so..?"

Within the last week, the mirror had been cracked thrice. Around the edges, numerous cracks had been borne into the mirror, and while the mirror would not break, the hearts of those responsible for the safety of Gensokyo would.

Eiki: "The time to wait around has concluded."

Narrowing her eyes, she put her mirror away and stood.

Eiki: "The time for me to take the stage has come... And, I trust that you know how to prepare a curtain call. Isn't that right, Alice Margatroid?"

Eyeing the doll that Alice had placed in secret to monitor Eiki, which had remained unmoved, she walked away and began to prepare for the next course of action.

. . . . .

Darkness.

An eternal darkness that encroached into each corner, each nook, each possibility, would inevitably encroach upon the heart. Such darkness held the potential to drive even the most virtuous citizens of society to do unthinkable atrocities.

The darkness would lead to isolatiom, the loss of ones' sense of self, and most pressingly: desperation. Desperation for food, for warmth. For connection.

Such was the situation that the two cats isolated within the cave would experience.

Orin: "Get it together, Chen!"

The Kasha with blazing red, braided hair that stood out from the darkness, herself had been plunged into it.

Desperately looking down at her, with tears and anger in her eyes, she looked down at the unconscious young bakeneko, who had bandages stained with blood wrapped around her head.

Following a failed ambush in Mayohiga, Orin had been overpowered, while Chen had been unfairly taken out by Rin Satsuki before she even had a chance to properly attack. As such, she remained on the verge of death. The damage done to her brain would likely have been enough to keep her in a vegetative state for the rest of her life; a fact that Orin had not allowed to even entertain. As such, she dragged her away, preforming what limited medical assistance she knew until backup would come.

And backup had just arrived.

From the darkness emerged three women - women that Orin would entrust with her life.

Mike: "Ya better have got a good reason, fur' callin' us out to this dump."

Chiyari: "So, you decided to finally give a call, eh? You better be givin' me some fun for this."

Urumi: "And here I thought that you'd finally gotten the heart to give me a break. How else is a working mother gonna spend time with her baby?"

Orin looked up to see the women who would aid her against all challenges in this world. Mike, a Maneki-Neko with a faint scar across her cheek, with gold circled around her waist. Chiyari, a Tenkajin with a dirtied look to her, carrying syringes around her waste with unkempt purple hair and a huge, slimy tail which seemed to be more powerful than her entire body. And Urumi, an Ushi-Oni glad in a black yakuza-style dress with a spiderweb design, holding a stone baby by her chest.

Each of these women had eyes as sharpened as Orins', and hearts that plunged into darkness as hers' did.

Standing up, as their leader, she gave instructions to the three who had bantered with her.

Orin: "Chen's t' be taken to our base for healin'. Mike, get it done. If ya slow, ya'll get shot."

Mike: "Sure, sure."

Shrugging at her command, she walked over to Chen, who laid breathing silently on the floor. From her purse, she took out a single coin and dropped it on her. In an instant, Chen had been absorbed, her body disappearing from the cold, hard ground of the cave, and taken into Mike's hand, her face engraved on the coin.

Mike: "Not a problem in the world, boss."

Orin nodded as she looked at Mike, her hands on her hips and her eyebrows flattened. Then, turning to Urumi and Chiyari, she continued to give orders.

Orin: "Th' two of you need'a help me get revenge 'gainst the dickholes who did this t' us."

Urumi: "Oh, what a pain~ And here I thought you'd give us somethin' easy for once."

Chiyari: "Good grief, you got yourself into trouble 'gain and take it out on us, eh?"

The three smiling as their actions spoke louder than their words, they agreed to join together as one.

Orin: "Yeah, my nose's can get 'em till their last period. Th' three of 'em and that white bitch. We'll make 'em pay. Let's go, Nine Tails."

The four nodded at each other, smiling, and began to walk out of the cave side by side. Such was the group composed of those with darkened hearts, who vowed for revenge about the fight that they had provoked.

. . . . .

It was a bright day in the human village.

Keine Kamishirasawa had been out on her own, seperated from Flandre, Alice and Medicine, along with Mystia, to fulfill her own duties before finally heading out for good.

Her first order of business had been to head home, where with extreme efficiency and skill in multitasking, had bathed, changed clothes, prepared backup materials in a bag, issued an official letter with instructions to her school, and headed out. The whole process, from entering her house to delivering the letter to the school mailbox, had only taken thirty minutes. That alone had gotten a huge weight off her back, however there was one more thing she had to do before finally departing.

The school, along with her house, had been on the eastern side of the village. The Misty Lake and the Scarlet Devil Mansion had been southeast of that, Alice's house in the Magic Forest had been south, Eirin's clinic had been nearly in the center, and the place she had now been headed was in the west of the village.

The western district of the village had a few notable residences of wealthy families. While Keine was by no means desperate for money, she had never been one to desire a large residence. Still, she always frowned at the long distance needed to walk to get from her home to the individual she had to meet.

But, taking that in, she attempted to hurry. Taking a route she often did not take, as she wanted to avoid talking to citizens given the time constraint, it took her fifteen minutes to rush over and approach the front gates of the Hieda residence.

After knocking and waiting a moment, the door had been personally answered by none other than the lady of the house, Hieda no Akyuu. A woman of short stature but with a distinguished, scholarly aura around her. Her purple hair and green robes made for a look of royalty to her. However, smiling up at the were-hakutaku beside her, at the moment she had simply been a trusted friend of Keine.

Akyuu: "Come on in."

Keine: "Please excuse my intrusion."

Entering with a bow and taking off her shoes, she sat at a kotatsu with Akyuu standing.

Akyuu: "Shall I get you some tea?"

Keine: "There is no need, I shall only stay for a few moments."

Akyuu: "Is that so?"

Keine: "Indeed."

Akyuu left the room briefly and returned with a cup of black tea in hand, taking a sip and sitting opposite of Keine.

Akyuu: "I had several people confide themselves in me over the last few days.

Keine: "..."

Looking down, she had a solemn expression on her face.

Akyuu: "Wish you to tell me what has been occupying you so?"

Keine: "Gensokyo is facing a crisis. I had not even the opportunity to tell anyone. I shall be gone for a while, or perhaps may not even return. This shall be my final visit to the village in the forseeable future."

Akyuu: "I see..."

Keine: "Upon my departure, I shall use my secret technique and hide the village. When that time comes, I shall entrust my duties to you. Akyuu, do not fight with your body. I know how much physical turmoil you are under. That is why I must ask you, if you wish to fight, use your words."

Keine spoke with determination in her eyes, imploring Akyuu not to risk her health. However, at the same time, she also wished for her to contribute in her own way. Akyuu closed her eyes and took a sip.

Akyuu: "You need not tell me twice. For I do not forget. However..."

Keine: "..."

Akyuu: "I have but mere months to live. Years at most. Know that during your duties, Keine."

Akyuu bore a curse that didn't allow her to age past her early thirties, a fact that she had told Keine upon their first meeting. Still, it was one that Keine simply could not wrap her head around. Upon hearing it, her eyes were strained, and she was forced to look down. And knowing this, Akyuu smiled.

Akyuu: "You are aware we all place our hope in you, however you are unreplaceable. Don't go and die out there, Keine. While I shall be reborn in a century, you shall not."

She winked at Keine, taking another sip of her black tea.

Keine: "Thank you, Akyuu."

Still straining her eyes, she stomached her words and rose.

Hieda no Akyuu, who was cursed to continuously die early and be reborn, with her full memory intact. It was an existence that Keine could not comprehend, and that she would not wish upon anyone. Still, the possibility of her own death also frightened her. Many a time she had put her life on the line, and while she had feared her own death, the possibility of being reborn against her will had frightened her more.

She figured it would have been better to allow those who had passed to rest in piece and to simply face the judgement of the Yama, rather than having their souls toyed with at someone else's whim.

Akyuu: "You have my deepest thanks for coming to see me, Keine Kamishirasawa."

As Keine got up, and Akyuu followed, the latter gave a bow and smiled. Keine returned it, relaxing her face and smiling back.

Keine: "Thank you too."

Akyuu: "Before you go, I would like to gift you a present."

Keine: "Hmm?"

Akyuu reached into her pocket and pulled out an embroidened purple handkerchief with her name on it. She took Keine's left arm and wrapped it around her wrist.

Keine: "This is to wish for my good luck?"

Akyuu: "Correct. For your upcoming journey."

Keine smiled at this, blushing slightly, and giving another "Thank you." Afterwards, she opened the door, and Akyuu saw her off, each saying their goodbyes. It was from there Keine made her way to the dragon statue to wait for the others.

. . . . .

Kutaka Niwatari, a chicken goddess who worked as a gatekeeper to hell for the Yama, sat by the same gate as always, still looking tired. However, accompanying her at her side had been Komachi Onozuka, a shinigami who worked under the same Yama. Their blonde and red hairs contrasted like their personalities, but right now they were sitting together as comrades in a similar situation.

Komachi: "Y'know, it's rare to see ya drinking, Kutaka."

Kutaka: "So it is."

Komachi: "So... d'those three end up makin' it past you?"

Scratching her head, she took another swig of her alcohol, wiping her mouth.

Kutaka: "Those three..."

Komachi: "From the other day. Or whenever. Could've been a year for all I care."

Kutaka pondered her mind on who had recently been around her. There had been Komachi, whom she had known for over twenty years, but aside from that...

Kutaka: "Ohh, I remember now. The ones who insisted on visiting the Yama?"

Komachi: "Right, right. D'ya think they actually made it?"

Kutaka: "Um... they passed my trial, but they never left from where they came."

Komachi: "So they're either stuck there, got themselves killed, or left some other way."

While discussing Alice, Keine and Mystia from their recent journey, Kutaka again took a shot of the bottle of alcohol that she had been given. Resting her head in her hand as she took it in, she concurred.

Kutaka: "That seems likely... If they left, I hope it wasn't through lady Zanmu.."

Komachi: "Aint that so."

She took another swig of her alcohol as the two shared a moment of silence, looking out into the endless foggy nothingness of Higan.

Komachi: "Say... y'ever think the Yama's gonna get out?"

Kutaka: "I'm more surprised she hasn't been replaced."

Komachi: "Prolly means the guys upstairs know she's got somethin' up her sleeve."

Kutaka: "You think so?"

Komachi: "Dunno, just a thought."

The two again paused in their discussion, both drinking from their bottles. Komachi in particular downed the rest, putting it to the side.

Komachi: "Shoot, this one's done."

Kutaka: "You didn't bring any others?"

Komachi: "I did, but that one was my favourite. Maybe if the Yama breaks out, she'll get us some drinks to celebrate."

Complaining about her alcohol shortage with a breath that stinked like an oni's, she tossed her arm about while Kutaka continued to drink.

Kutaka: "She would never do anything like that."

Komachi: "Yeah, she'd probably beat us over the head for just the thought."

Kutaka: "You know, it is quite the miracle you were even hired..."

Taking another bottle in hand, Komachi unscrewed the cork of another alcohol bottle and took a sniff. Were it up to her, she would rate it a 6.5/10.

Kutaka: "Though - if she were freed, that would indeed call for celebration."

Komachi: "Aint that so. Let's give an ode to the Yama."

She held up her bottle to Kutaka while the two looked at each other, the former giving a smile. Kutaka returned the smile, clanking her bottle against Komachi's.

Kutaka: "Cheers."

And with that being done, the two took another hit of their drinks.

. . . . .

The human village, as with most towns and cities, had residential and commercial centers. However, it was not uncommon to have a single building be both a home and a shop. Included among these had been Suzunaan, a cozy bookshop located within the commercial district.

Suzunaan was primarily run by Kosuzu Motoori, a girl who liked to play with fire. Running out of the bookshop with the ringing of the small bells in her hair, she looked around quickly.

Kosuzu: "I know I saw her around here somewhere..!"

Turning back the clock just a few moments prior, Kosuzu had been simply reading at the reception desk as per usual. She typically didn't get many customers, with a few notable exceptions, so she had quite the amount of free time to spend on her hobbies. However, something had caught the corner of her eye from the window.

Kosuzu: "Mm?"

She closed her book, marking where she had left off with a red bookmark, and adjusted her reading glasses to look out the window.

Kosuzu: "Kei..ne?"

Just the previous day, Hieda no Akyuu had come by to express her concerns over Keine's disappearance. Now, she had just seen her walking around suspiciously, as if she had not wanted to be seen.

First, she wondered what Keine might be doing acting so suspicious after returning. Had she secretly been doing some immoral things and wanted to keep herself from the public? Did she have an evil dopperganger that would cause mischief in the village?

Kosuzu was someone who lacked typical fighting ability. Even putting aside that she had been a young girl, no, young lady, she hadn't the ability to even shoot danmaku. The idea of getting in a potential confrontation with Keine, or someone who had been on par with Keine, had frightened her. However, she put her trust in the idea that it was the real Keine, who was not doing anything wrong, and that she could merely speak peacefully with her.

That is, if she could find her.

Kosuzu turned to where she last saw Keine looking and began to run - en route to the Hieda residence. She panted as she pushed her limits to run, but she had desperately wanted to catch up with her.

Keine was not somebody that she had interacted much with. She briefly studied under her, but she had mostly been homeschooled or self taught otherwise. Still, she was someone she recognized as an important figure for the stability of the village, and a close friend of Akyuu. Thus, finding her and confirming her safety had been her immediate goal.

Kosuzu: "Where?"

Despite how much she pushed herself, her legs were still short. That aside, she couldn't even see a glimpse of her. Stopping to catch her breath in the middle of the road, she bent down to put her hands on her knees.

Kosuzu: "Did I just imagine it?"

Questioning herself, she picked her head up and scratched it, before turning her head to notice that she had arrived at the Hieda residence. Pouting her mouth and deciding she might as well inform Akyuu of what she had seen, she decided to knock on the door.

Akyuu: "Greetings."

Once again personally answering the door, Akyuu greeted her friend of similar size and stature.

Kosuzu: "Akyuu..."

While Akyuu smiled with narrowed eyes, Kosuzu had hers widened with a slight frown, her own face dripping with sweat.

Kosuzu: "Listen, do you remember how yesterday you were worried about Keine's absence, and that you were worried about what the village would do without one of its leaders? Well, a few minutes ago I just saw her outside while reading, but while chasing her Icouldn'tfindherandthemoreIranthemoreIbeganquestioningmyselfso-"

Speaking with such high speed that her words began to bleed into each other, she was again forced to pause to catch her breath. Akyuu, who by now had surely seen this ordeal happen a thousand times now, simply resumed her smile.

Akyuu: "She had just departed from my home. We had a short, pleasant chat."

Kosuzu: "...Is that so?"

Akyuu: "Yes. Be at ease, Kosuzu. All will be well. She is simply facing a situation at the moment."

Kosuzu: "...Huh."

Dropping her head slightly, she felt a mix of relief and unease.

Akyuu: "Be at ease."

Kosuzu: "Understood. Thanks for telling me."

She tried to ignore the unease and let things that did not involve her be, but she still felt a sense of worry. Whenever adults around her acted like this, it always meant that some trouble was about to happen. She was worried about herself and those around her, and wanted to do what she could to protect them. But for the time being, what could she do?"

Akyuu: "Nervousness blankets you. Wish you to join me for a few moments to calm yourself?"

Hearing this, Kosuzu shrugged her shoulders and smiled at Akyuu.

Kosuzu: "I'll take you up on that."

Accepting Akyuu's offer, she decided to leave it be for now and hang out for a while.

. . . . .

A swirling aurora that overtook the sky. The mixing green-red and blue contrasted against the black sky which seemed nearly organic. The result was an ominous sensation of being in the belly a beast. and yet, here had been a castle atop a hill. A castle which seemed ordinarily built, but which exuded an overwhelming aura of oppression. The area around it which reeked of mud and death provided a QED that there had only been malice and harm present here.

Turning back the clock a few days, here had been where the Sin Apostle of Wrath retreated to following her second consecutive defeat against Flandre Scarlet joined by Medicine Melancholy. Here, she had been kicked into the ground and restrained for her incompetence. From there, she had been taken to the Reimu Hakurei who headed each of the Sin Apostles.

Reimu: "...She may be the one we need."

Smiling as she spoke of the original Flandre Scarlet, she turned back to face the trembling Sin Apostle whom she had been toying with.

Reimu: "Listen, I'm changing your task. This is important. Your 'final task.'"

"Flandre": "..."

Reimu: "We are about to initiate the last stage of completing the 'Stomach.' You have permission to use your 'Authority.' I suppose you know what that means?"

"Flandre": "...I will not fail."

Reimu: "Even if it costs you your life, you meant to add..?"

"Flandre": "--Hk."

Sucking in her teeth from worry as Reimu casually taunted her, she swallowed and nodded.

"Flandre": "The final Gensokyo we need will end... and then we can begin to live."

Reimu: "I like that attitude. Go get what you need to prepare. Free to go."

When the Apostle of Wrath looked down at herself after she said that, she discovered that she had no longer been bounded. The special rope created by Marisa, the Sin Apostle of Greed, had disappeared as though it had never existed. Likewise, when she looked up, Reimu had also been absent. As though she had never been there in the first place.

"Flandre": "You damn... crazy... bitch... I'm not killing myself for you. But, adding this Flandre to my 'Authority' and freeing myself of duty... Now that's a nice thought."

Standing up and stumbling as she gave a wry smile, she took her crystalline wings to the sky and flew away. Away to complete her final task, once and for all.

Chapter Text

Sounds, voices, actions. Things she could feel but not understand. Actions she felt but didn't feel. Not like those before, that unknown force that permeated her mind; rather the real actions her body was experiencing. Life force being sucked out, a messy string of actions intended to help. Just barely had her conscious hung on, transmitting information from the outside world into her brain.

--A hazy feeling washed over her.

A sudden interruption, one that nobody had seen coming, had disrupted her perfect evening. Having fallen in front of everyone, she could remember nothing, hear nothing, and see nothing. Her consciousness nearly gone, she awoke with a severe headache and blurred vision.

Mystia: "....Ah-"

Regaining her full consciousness, as she opened her eyes to a familiar ceiling, she recollected what had happened just before. Before she could speak, she heard a loud voice that banged on her brain.

Kyouko: "Uwaah!! Mysty woke up!!"

Kyouko, upon seeing Mystia open her eyes, immediately hugged her, wagging her tail wantonly. Letting out a confused "Wha," Mystia had no choice but to accept the hug as she heard the voice of a second person in the room.

Kagerou: "Oi, Kyouko, lay off of her for one min, she just woke up."

Letting out a sigh, she pushed Kyouko off of Mystia by the shoulder, who responded with a pout.

Kyouko: "But--!"

Kagerou: "Listen here, she's prolly in no condition to bear with your clinginess right now. Let 'er rest for a while first."

At this, Kyouko pouted even harder, but understood and laid off the poor night sparrow, getting up to go fetch something. Mystia, understanding that she had suddenly fallen almost completely unconscious and had been carried back to her home by Kyouko and Kagerou, now tried to slowly gain power over her body.

It was exceedingly difficult - she lacked the energy to even move her hand. Her head rattled as though an axe was splitting it into two, and she felt herself low on breath. Yet still, she managed to slowly start to understand the current situation.

First of all, she felt her nosebleed had been blocked by paper, forcing her to breathe through her mouth. She had also felt some dried blood along the side of her face that hadn't been wiped off. Lifting her head just a little, she could also see her bloodstained top had been partially unbuttoned, revealing her camisole.

As it had been, Kyouko had wanted to take off her dress top and leave it to the side to be cleaned later, and for Mystia's comfort, yet Kagerou had stopped her from doing so.

And it was that action that she had not known of that she was grateful for. Upon seeing her half-unbuttoned top, a memory made itself immediately present, calling her attention to it.

Had Kyouko successfully undressed her top, she would bear witness to the massive scars across Mystia's body. Most prominently the huge, brown unhealed gashes that had been inflicted upon Mystia's right side and elbow from Seiga Kaku, as well as the various unhealed wounds and bruises she had attained from other fights.

Kyouko, as she knew, was a worrywart. And above all, she did not want her to see those wounds.

Within her mind, had Kyouko seen those wounds and scars, she would immediately freak out and take it upon herself to do anything to try to avenge or heal Mystia. And yet, while Mystia certainly loved Kyouko, Kyouko simply did not have the ability to enact vengeance on the masterminds, nor could she heal Mystia beyond what anybody else could.

In the first place, having knowledge of the existence of such beings like the "masterminds" and their plots would be simply too much for Kyouko, who already had too much on her plate. Such a heavy topic would undoubtably weigh heavily on the mind of weak youkai. Those who were weak, and were made aware of something that they could never overcome, what good would come of making them even more worried and painfully aware of their weakness?

That was what Mystia believed, and why she would decide to keep the truth of what happened in her heart. And though she would not admit it to herself, while she hoped that Flandre and the rest would find a way to defeat the masterminds, she held very little actual confidence about their success. Thus, she wanted to at least keep her and her friends happy before what was likely inevitable.

Now, Mystia didn't necessarily have to tell Kyouko about the existence of masterminds and how she and her allies had been ambushed multiple times by then. The option to lie was possible - but not something she had wanted to do. She had spoken a half hearted truth to Kyouko earlier in the day, but it was through sharp reluctance that she would rather avoid whenever possible.

Thus, in her view, the only option would be to conceal those scars for as long as possible. A plan she undoubtably knew would fail, yet she could think of nothing else.

Doubling down on this idea, Mystia quickly gathered as much of her energy reserves as possible to attempt to pick herself up and sit up. Struggling with all her might, she finally got the energy to get herself onto her elbow, prompting the reaction of Kagerou who took notice.

Kagerou: "Ahh, Mystia! You shouldn't be movin' right now! You took a pretty bad fall earlier, and you're prolly lightheaded now!"

Mystia: "I'm-- fine. Please don't worry about me."

In truth, she was not fine, but she forced herself to rise through the ringing in her head and her body's signals telling her she was exceedingly low on energy.

Mystia: "I already slept through half the day, damn it. I should be doing better than this..!!"

Uttering out something she had never thought before, she pushed herself up to sit up cross-legged. Panting heavily as she re-buttoned her shirt, Kagerou observed with curiosity.

Kagerou: "Err, are you really sure you're fine?"

Mystia's bones had ached, and a sharp pain rung in the spot where she hit herself as she fell. However, for the sake of her goal, she would bear through it.

Mystia: "I'm alright, I'm alright, see?"

Having finished rebuttoning her dress top, which had stiffened as her blood dried, she turned to Kagerou and flexed her bicep in an attempt to show vitality.

Kyouko: "Uwaah!! She's awake!!"

Kyouko, who had returned with towels and bedtime clothes, immediately proceeded to drop them as she widened her grin upon seeing Mystia sitting up. Kagerou winced and covered her ears, while Mystia forced out a wry smile.

Running over to immediately hug her, Kyouko let out a wide smile and laughed from the bottom of her heart as Mystia returned the embrace, enjoying the warmth. And yet something within her heart ached with guilt regardless.

Kagerou handed Mystia a cup of water and the three sat next to each other on the floor of Mystia's house, with Kyouko's tail wagging rapidly as she stared at Mystia with a smile on her face. After she finished, Mystia, who now had noticeably tired eyes, began to speak again.

Mystia: "So the two of you helped me out after that? I can't begin to thank you enough."

Kagerou: "No need'a sweat it. Friends help friends in need, right? 'Sides, you're a cornerstone of our community."

Flashing her a toothy smile, Mystia again forced a wry smile and hung her head low, looking down.

Mystia: "Friends, huh..?"

Picking her head up, she dropped her smile and looked at Kagerou in the eyes, taking on a more worried tone.

Mystia: "But I worried everyone here, didn't I? How embarassing... I feel kind of bad for ruining the night. Maybe tomorrow I'll give discounts again."

Kyouko: "You didn't ruin anyone's night Mysty! Everyone was just worried about you, even the fairies! And if anyone did get upset I'll personally give them an earful! You've been working yourself too hard, that's why you got that nosebleed! You need rest!"

Turning her head to look at Kyouko, she again smiled from her attempt to comfort her. In fact, it did help to hear the robust camaraderie of the village had her back. And yet, once again, something had stood out to her about the concept that she had been working herself too hard.

Her mind yet again began to wander at what Flandre and the rest had been doing, but she was quickly bought back to reality as Kagerou stood.

Kagerou: "Well, in any case it's relievin' to see you're doin' better. But honestly, take the day off. No pressure. I'll leave ya two lovebirds to it now-- no, lovebird and loveyamabiko."

Chuckling to herself from her exceedingly unfunny joke, she watched in satisfaction as Kyouko beamed and Mystia's cheeks reddened. And as she left and closed the door, Kyouko immediately made a proposal to Mystia.

Kyouko: "He~ey Mysty~y, now that Kagerou's gone why don't you say we go bathe now?! You're still all dirty from earlier, isn't that right!"

While normally Mystia would have no problems accepting this, and would be more than happy to do so, right now that was one of the last things she wanted. It would be immediately obvious that something had happened to her, and she would spoil Kyouko's whole week.

Thus, narrowing her eyes as she sucked in her teeth, she was forced to deny.

Mystia: "Ah, thank you, Kyouko. But today I would rather just do it by myself. You go to your home for now."

It was a response that didn't satisfy her, but she would need to think of how else she would be able to avoid the issue of her scars later. Perhaps tomorrow she would pay another visit to the doctor Eirin Yagokoro, but today she simply hadn't the energy anymore.

Kyouko: "Ehh, but you finally came home, so of course I have to bathe and sleep with you! Besides! You're too tired to wash yourself properly, so I'll do it for you!"

It was a response she couldn't deny, yet one she was forced to. Deciding she would try a compromise, she again pleaded.

Mystia: "...Alright, you can sleep with me, but I really want to bathe by myself today. It's nothing that you did wrong. I won't be long. Will you please let me?"

Looking at Kyouko right in the eyes, letting out a gentle smile, and using the softest voice she could, Kyouko was reminded of what charmed her to Mystia in the first place. That gentle attitude that shined out to her, only aided by her usual temperement. She fell in love with Mystia again, and nodded her head with a smile.

--It was not as though Mystia had decieved Kyouko. At least, she didn't think so. It was simply something necessary she had to do to prevent anything from happening, and yet it made her feel off anyways. That was what she had been contemplating as she looked through her wardrobe for what she would wear following her bath.

Kyouko had picked out one of Mystia's standard nightgowns, which she usually wore in the warmer season as it had been now. But it would not be sufficient, as it left her arms and part of her chest exposed, both of which held heavy remnants of her battle scars which stained her skin. Deeming it unacceptable, she instead looked for the wool-laden winter pajamas that she had stored away.

Though far from perfect, given sleeping in them would be very uncomfortable given the unnecessary added warmth, alongside them having a hole in the back to fit Mystia's wings which would expose a little of her wounds, it was her best option.

Having finally found it, she sighed and grabbed the towel Kyouko had thrown on the ground, and put on her shoes. Waving Kyouko goodbye, she spoke out that she would be out for only 15 minutes, and left.

The village, which had been called the Forest Youkai Village coined by an exceedingly creative resident, held a communal bath in the confines of the forest which all its residents used. Looking up at the moon, Mystia surmised it would be around an hour past midnight - not an uncommon time for her or the other residents up, but she would hope for the best. Regardless, it was important to stay vigilant. It was not just Kyouko she did not want to see her scars, but also everyone.

Should word break out, the consequences would be even worse.

She let out a sigh as she repeated this to herself and arrived, stripping and hanging up her clothes, and preparing the towel.

The bath itself wasn't anything special, but it was quite cozy. A medium sized, shallow pool made of stone with warm water surrounded by bushes and a cobblestone wall. Here was where many a storytime and bonding experiences would happen, that Mystia herself had particularly been active in.

Lowering herself into the pool, she looked up and closed her eyes, exhaling to try to make herself feel comforted.

Though she had indeed spent much of the day unconscious, there was quite a lot that had happened, especially for what was supposed to be her first day back.

Mystia: "Well, it's not like there won't be another day... But still, what a headache..."

Sekibanki: "Hmm? What's a headache?"

Mystia: "Gahh!!"

Startled by the sudden question, she immediately moved to cover herself with her arm and looked around to see who had been there.

Standing on the other side of the pool had been Sekibanki, holding up a hand as her smile was concealed by her red cape.

Sekibanki: "Yo. Didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Mystia: "Banki..? What are you doing here?"

Sekibanki: "Asking what someone's doing at a communal place is a pretty fishy question, don't you think? Obviously I'm here to wash off before I go sleep."

Mystia: "O-Oh, right."

Calming down from being startled, she looked down in a tinge of shame for asking a silly question.

Sekibanki: "More importantly, I'm glad to see you're alright. That was quite the bad fall you had there. I mean, Waggysaggy almost cried. No, she did cry..."

Mystia: "Saying I'm alright wouldn't be exactly right, but I'm not bleeding anymore, so..."

Sekibanki chuckled at the wry joke as she hung up her towel and moved behind the wall to strip. Even as she averted her eyes from Mystia, the night sparrow did not cease her self-covering, and she had a determined face on her as she looked away. As Sekibanki let herself into the water, she resumed the conversation once more.

Sekibanki: "That's a face I don't see you make often. I don't remember you bein' that shy about your body either."

Mystia: "What I do with my face or body isn't your business."

Pouting from that, Banki closed her eyes and raised a hand in surrender.

Sekibanki: "Sorry, sorry. Just a bad joke. There’s a saying that goes “If you don’t see a man for three days,” so I suppose four days is even more so.

There existed a saying that goes 男子、三日会わざれば刮目して見よ or “If you don’t see a man for three days, look at them carefully”, essentially meaning that people can change a lot in short times.

Mystia: "..."

Not knowing how to respond to that, Mystia let her eyes wander as she kept her eyebrows kneaded. In particular, they wandered over to the scar on Sekibanki's neck.

As a dullahan, Sekibanki could freely let her head float, duplicate it, and even use it to shoot danmaku. However, as someone who secretly hid in the human village as a human, she could not freely keep her head attached to her neck. As a result, she would continuously sow and unsow her neck to her head that she kept concealed under a large cloak that contributed to her chunnibyou aura.

Mystia had never particularly paid attention to it. While she wouldn't say it out loud, she didn't prefer to look at it and felt a little happy that Sekibanki often chose to cover it. But now as she looked at it again, she felt herself unable to take her eyes off of it. Because now, the scar across Sekibanki's neck was beautiful.

While her own scars, which stained her once smooth and silky skin with dark, ragged cuts that had ruptured her organs and forced her allies to prioritize her life in her moment of weakness, Sekibanki's scar had been the opposite. It was so alluring, a shade of white that complemented Sekibanki's fair skin, and symbolised who she was. The dots along the line seperating her head and neck were like a lattice that formed a crystalline pattern. It had a sense of intrigue and exotic beauty that she had not seen before.

Sekibanki blushed as she put her hand to her neck and narrowed her eyes at Mystia.

Sekibanki: "...I would like if you didn't stare at it!"

Mystia: "Sorry, I was just, drawn into it. I think you should be more proud of it, around us."

Sekibanki: "Ah?"

Mystia: "..."

Sekibanki: "..."

Sekibanki: "I'm leaving."

With a face of fluster and anger, she turned to climb out of the water, but Mystia stretched her arm out and called out.

Mystia: "W-Wait! I didn't mean it like that!"

Turning her head around, Sekibanki gave another look at Mystia.

Mystia: "I just meant... I think that scar on your neck is beautiful. You shouldn't try to hide it while you're here."

Sekibanki: "..."

Giving a sigh, she sat back down within the water and rubbed it as she closed her eyes."

Mystia: "...Sorry. That came out weird, didn't it?"

Sekibanki: "Sure did. Though, I guess that makes us even now. Didn't expect that from you, though."

Mystia's cheeks dyed pink at the situation, but she was happy she was able to convey herself properly the second time in a way such that Sekibanki would not take offense.

Sekibanki: "Though, I don't dislike it. I don't hear that kinda thing often, but it's not so bad I suppose."

A faint memory of a time that Sekibanki had complained about being called called the "Dashing Dullahan" instead of her preferred "Dreadful Dullahan" by Wakasagihime flashed into Mystia's mind, and she gave a slight smile. But at the same time, Sekibanki was right.

While it wasn't unlike Mystia to complement others, it was unusual for her to call even a scar beautiful, or even to bring attention to it. She had always been one to think that scars, acne, or any kind of assymetry only served to worsen ones looks. That had not been something she thought would ever change. And yet, here she was.

How was it possible for her to change such a deeply rooted belief in such a short amount of time?

Mystia considered herself to have a rather diverse set of acquaintances. Each of the minor youkai and fairies that she had known had their own different personalities, tales, and experiences. And for 18 years, she had never contemplated she would once get bored of her life here. She had a fun job she enjoyed, partied with everyone in the village, and had a lovely girlfriend with whom she would often perform with. Even when she occasionally lost to a few certain humans in her time, she had fun battling.

But, today was different.

Today at her izayaka, she did not pay attention to the stories and gossip as much as she used to. She did not feel as compelled to join into the fun, and when she did it failed spectacularly. Even now, she was continuing to hide and avoid speaking the truth to those closest to her.

Those four days she had spent with Flandre, Alice, Keine and Medicine were the most eventful days of her life - that she had known for sure. But had they really been enough to alter her that much?

Betrayal, mysterious 'dreams', the Great Hakurei Barrier, near death, meetings with the most important people in Gensokyo's history, those from another world, threats to the universe. All that had been thrust upon Mystia. It would be expected that she would be rattled for a while, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it would not leave her. That this was her fate.

Mystia was an ordinary girl. But she was one of the select few people in the entirety of Gensokyo to be thrusted with the fate of the multiverse upon her. She had been told time and time again that she could not run, and yet she did. She told herself that this was necessary, and yet even through all that had happened, all the fear and terror and disappointment and bloodshed that happened within those few short days, nothing terrified her more than that lingering sensation.

That she was having fun. And that she wanted to see her allies - those who crusaded against fate itself, and help them. Be of use to them. Fight alongside them.

She looked down at her reflection in the water, which rippled and distorted her face, as if mocking her. As if saying "what do you want to do?"

Sekibanki: "Err, you look like you're really deep in thought. Did I say something odd?"

Jolting Mystia back to reality, she raised her head and played it cool.

Mystia: "Ahh, don't worry about me. I was just getting sleepy. I think it's time for me to hit the hay now, aha~"

Sekibanki: "Ah. Alright then, if you say so."

Scratching her head and feigning a smile, Mystia decided those lingering thoughts at the back of her head were merely rattled from all the action still. She was still on the good route, and would stick to it."

Mystia: "By the way, can you turn around while I get out?"

Sekibanki: "Ah, sure."

As Sekibanki complied and turned her head around without moving her body, Mystia climbed out of the pool, once again scorning those disgusting scars across her body. She dried off behind the wall and put on her winter pajamas, and the two of them wished each other a good night.

Entering the house again, she announced that she had returned home, and was promptly met with a welcome hug from Kyouko, which she gave back.

Kyouko: "You were quick!"

Mystia: "I was getting sleepy, so I had to hurry myself up."

She smiled down at Kyouko, who was just barely shorter than her.

Kyouko: "Ohh, isn't this your winter pajamas?! I thought I picked out your usual nightgown!"

Pinching the fabric around Mystia's arm, she asked such.

Mystia: "You did, but I felt kind of cold today. Don't worry."

Kyouko: "I'll just have to warm you up then~"

With that bit of flirting, the two smiled at each other.

Kyouko: "I'll be quick too, so you can just lie down in bed and wait for me!"

Giving Mystia a kiss on the cheek, Kyouko set out to the bath as well, and Mystia again sighed. Laying down in her futon, with another one next to it, she rubbed her eyes as her body once again ached and trailed off.

Mystia: "Pwaa~ah. I'm so tired... But not sleepy..."

Her eyes wanted to close shut, but her mind had been too active recently to consider properly falling asleep. She turned to her side in an attempt to get cozy, but it was useless.

Mystia: "I knew it. These really are too uncomfortable."

Again pinching her pajamas, she let out a sigh. Afterwards, her mind again began to wander.

Mystia: "Those voices... I wonder if I'll hear them again tonight. I heard of an illness that makes you hear the voices of people in your head, but that can't be it, right?"

When trying to think about them again, she noticed they were unusually difficult to reproduce. In the first place, she had always been one to struggle in remembering dreams, but she could always remember the voices of those she knew. She recognized almost all of the voices that she heard in those two instances, but no matter how she racked her head, she could barely remember more than a few words.

Mystia: "Ahh, whatever. Maybe it's just a coincidence..."

Giving up, she laid her arms out flat and stared at the ceiling.

Mystia: "I wonder what they're doing right now..."

Given the speed at which things seemed to happen around Flandre's group, she imagined they would probably in another fight by now, or dealing with some kind of issue. Though she hoped that they got the opportunity to rest, at least this night.

Mystia: "At least they don't have to worry about me anymore... So what am I doing worrying about them...?"

She heard the door opening and perked her eyes up to look. Kyouko had entered in her nightgowl, stifling a loud yawn as she rubbed an eye.

Mystia: "Welcome home. I'm in the futon."

Kyouko: "I'll be right there!"

Blowing off the candles that were lit, Kyouko made it over into the futon and began snuggling with Mystia. The two wrapped their arms around each other, kissed each other goodnight, and closed their eyes to lay off to bed.

Mystia decided that, though it wasn't perfect, it was a good enough first day back. Letting tiredness take over, she let her consciousness drift away and--

She felt a peculiar sensation.

Kyouko: "Hmm..?"

Kyouko's fingers, wrapped around Mystia, pressed down on where Mystia's scar was on her belly. Immediately, Mystia's heart dropped, accompanied by the sharp pain of the still unhealed wound. She opened her eyes and became flooded with dread.

Kyouko: "What's this?"

Mystia: "--Hk"

Continuing to press down on the scar, tracing it around, both Kyouko and Mystia kneaded their brows further and further.

Mystia: "Kyouko... please... take your hand off that..."

Cracking her voice, Mystia pleaded such.

Kyouko: "But, what is that?!"

Before the day had even ended, Mystia very well understood her attempt at deception had already crashed and burned - miserably.

Chapter Text

Walking along the path to the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, Keine, Flandre, Medicine and Alice looked on to their left as the sun had started setting. Flandre had been instructed to stay in Keine's shade, in accordance with the 15-minute limit to staying in the sun that Eirin had advised. Alice had been tinkering with some of her dolls as she walked, and Medicine simply looked around at the flowers and grass that they had been passing.

Keine, however, kept a stiffened face as she walked. Her eyebrows kneaded, she faced forwards and kept quiet.

Keine: "Now."

Muttering under her breath, she did not even take an action. Yet, after uttering that, she immediately collapsed to the ground with a cold sweat.

Flandre: "?! Keine! What happened!"

Panting heavily as she kept one knee on the ground, looking down, she tried to swallow her saliva and speak as the others immediately crowded around her in worry.

Keine: "My apologies--for not informing you prior. Just now, I activated a great spell to protect the village. I had not expected it to sap me of this much energy, however.."

Attempting to ease the worries of those around her, she attempted to pick herself up. Seeing as she had been struggling to do so, however, Alice lent her hand out to Keine, who gave a slight smile after some initial mild surprise and accepted it.

Medicine: "Um.. A spell to protect the village? Like a barrier or something?"

Asking this as she looked up at Keine wiping her sweat, she caught a glimpse of the handkerchief wrapped around her wrist. She decided not to ask about it, however.

Keine: "Not quite. My Plain Asia allows me to erase the physical history of anything for a time."

She paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing as the others listened in.

Keine: "A few years ago, however, I discovered if I concentrated its power I could use it to selectively control who can or cannot interact with it. I collaborated with friends of mine to help me cast this across the entire village, but it had a stronger physical effect on me than I had expected."

Medicine: "U..huh.."

Only loosely following along, she allowed Keine to continue.

Keine: "In summary, at present the Human Village will appear as though nothing had changed. However, to those outside of its confines, it will be an empty field. This would persist to the extent that if they attempted to touch, for example, a house, they would not feel it."

Alice: "What an incredible skill..."

The ability to eat and create history - an ability that had been fitting for a hakutaku, had monsterous potential to rewrite the ways of the world. Thankfully, it had been bestowed upon one who had a heart of gold, but the idea of someone malicious using it - especially to the extent that Keine had, made Alice shudder.

Flandre: "But, you're fine, right?"

Keine: "All is well. I simply had the air knocked out of me."

Nodding and smiling, her affirmation allowed the group to continue walking after that abnormal disruption.

While walking along, Flandre could not help but look up at the huge tree that seemed as though it would stretch into the heavens.

Medicine: "You're wondering about it too, right?"

Looking beside her, she could see Medicine looking up at the tree as she walked as well.

Medicine: "Even while I was living in the flower garden and that hill, that tree always stood out. Always visible, I mean."

Flandre: "And, now after telling me she wants to burn it down, she requests a meeting in the forest where it sits. That's just too much of a coincidence, isn't it?"

Remaining silent while walking along, Medicine glanced at Flandre and then back up at the tree.

Medicine: "You're right. That's too much of a coincidence..."

Alice: "I'm sure I don't have to say this, but stay vigilant as soon as you enter the forest."

She turned to the three of them and unbuttoned part of her dress top, opening it to reveal a series of strings what were wrapped around her chest.

Alice: "Just in case, I wrapped special coils around myself to shock anyone who touches me. Ah, but that also means you should avoid touching anything that isn't my fingertips or cheeks as well."

Aside from simply being an expert in controlling dolls, she also had a variety of strings that could be manipulated at the whims of the rings on her ten fingers.

Keine: "That is not a bad idea."

Nodding along, she concurred and began concoting plans of her own in case they would once again be betrayed. Flandre sighed as Medicine looked over at her.

Flandre: "Really.. this doctor is just too much."

. . . . .

As the sun began to set, the three and a half youkai entered the confines of the forest. True to its name, it was a sequence of amazingly dense, generic bamboo. The sounds of insects and blowing wind had filled the area with an eerie ambiance. It was to the point where there was so little space between the chutes of bamboo that half the timy only Medicine or Flandre could easily fit between the gaps. Alice or Keine, who had been considerably more developed, would not be able to pass without erasing or otherwise cutting the chutes.

Keine: "It has been less than ten minutes since we entered and I had already lost count of how many times my horns had gotten stuck in the bamboo chutes."

Complaining as she again put her hand on her head and pulled her horn out, Keine sighed as she looked around. Alice had remained relatively quiet, only attempting to navigate to the best of her ability while Flandre and Medicine were in front of them together.

Flandre: "Hey, did she actually specify *where* exactly to meet within the forest? Maybe we shouldn't have went in?"

Alice: "I had assumed she meant that we would naturally find our way, but, worst case scenario, I hear that rumor about the 'guide of the bamboo forest' holds a lot of weight to it."

Medicine: "Good grief, maybe we shouldn't have went in."

Sighing and making a worried face, she crossed her arms as Keine finally succeeded in pulling her horn out, leaving a hole in the bamboo chute.

Flandre: "Actually, Medi, can't you use your poison to just melt all the bamboo around us?"

Keine: "I would like to avoid mass destruction of the forest if possible."

Behind her, she used her Plain Asia to restore as much of the damage as she had caused, filling in the holes of the bamboo with tiny bits of history taken from the ground.

Keine: "Of course, I left a little bit of damage for us to have a way to trace us back in case we got lost."

Alice: "Likewise, I've been threading a string along the floor for us to follow since we entered."

As they were boasting about their precautiousness for entering such a notorious place, Medicine put her finger on her lip and Flandre gave a slight smile.

Flandre: "Well, let's try to keep going. I'm sure something will come up. If it's nothing five minutes from now, let's turn around. Because... it feels almost like I'm being watched."

When she appended that last part on, the rest of the team stiffened their faces slightly. Still, they nodded and continued along venturing through the forest.

Flandre had been in the front for two reasons. Firstly, she insisted on it strongly upon entering the bamboo forest. Secondly, she had the best night vision among the group as a vampire where hardly any light permeated through the dense forest, and she would have utility in informing the others in case she saw anything. Now as Flandre peeled back one of the bamboo chutes, her eyes widened with surprise.

Flandre: "Everyone, stop for a moment."

Alice: "What happened?"

The others immediately halted at Flandre's sign, giving their attention to her and prepared to fight.

Flandre: "It's bizarre. There's no bamboo at all here."

Peeling back the bamboo slightly more, she looked around the newly found area. An oval that remained dark with little to no light, but that had been completely clear of bamboo as though it had been impossible to grow. It had been a considerable half dozen meters across, with half its length as its width.

Medicine: "What should we do?"

Keine: "...Is there anything within?"

Flandre: "Completely naked."

Alice: "Come aside for a moment, Flandre."

She forced her way through the bamboo to where Flandre was, who moved aside while holding open the bamboo for her. Alice peered inside, to see almost complete darkness. She summoned out a doll that she had hidden away and held it in her hands, speaking aloud as she looked at it.

Alice: "This is one of my sacrifice dolls. If anything besides me touches it, it will immediately explode. I'll throw it and keep it for a minute, while using some of my other dolls to sense for movement in the area. Medicine, prepare your Typhoid Mary."

Medicine: "Ah-Understood!"

A half dozen of dolls sprung out from Alice's back, puppeteered by her fingers, and hid themselves within the darkness of the forest. Keine, too, had remained on guard, ready to attack at any moment. And likewise, Medicine activated her ability and had poison vines spread out across the ground from her feet.

The doll reached the floor, where it remained undisturbed. Alice and Medicine took focus into their abilities, attempting to feel for even the most minute movement. Flandre, too, had activated Scarlet Destiny to try to watch for the movement of Qi - though she didn't really know what exactly she was looking for still.

Flandre: "Come to think of it, even after I saw that vision from Koakuma, I didn't get anything new from my Scarlet Destiny like from that Hong Meiling girl..."

Muttering quietly to herself, she decided to push the thought away for the time being to focus on more pressing matters.

A minute had passed, however, and nothing had happened. The quartet relaxed their shoulders and eased up slightly with a collective sigh.

Alice: "It seems to be safe..."

Medicine: "Should we step in?"

Flandre: "I'm stepping in."

Keine: "Just a moment, there is no need to step in in the first place-"

Yet she had been too late, and Flandre entered the mysterious bald oval, looking up and around. Keine sighed and the others followed suit, entering in.

Flandre: "There's really nothing..."

???: "That kinda reaction is only natural to such a weird shape, huh?"

Hearing a voice that they did not recognize, the quartet immediately became alarmed and prepared for battle. Flandre in particular had immediately identified the source of the voice, that being the opposite end of the oval they had entered from, and fired her finger gun into the area. The bullet flew at impossible to percieve speeds, and exploded violently upon hitting the bamboo tree as she had shouted "Right there!!"

The smoke had begun to clear, and each of the group paid attention to who or what might behind the smoke, hidden within the forest.

Alice: "Impossible... I felt nothing."

Her eyes twitching as she grit her teeth, she was frustrated that her tactic had not worked. Her string had been specifically designed to sense even the most minute shift in wind, and yet it had failed. Though, the others had not felt or seen anything at all either.

As the smoke cleared, a tomboyish looking girl's form revealed itself. Extremely long white hair with blue tips and bows, a white shirt, but with red pants with special ofuda on them that matched her red eyes, she whistled as she looked to her side at the damage from the attack with her hands on her pockets.

???: "As much as I can appreciate 'shoot first, ask later', ain't this quite the dangerous first welcome?"

She gave a wink as she said that, and as she did, an even smaller girl, wearing a simple pink dress with large white rabbit ears over short brown hair, hopped in beside her. That girl had been Tewi Inaba.

???: "Fujiwara no Mokou, at your service."

Smiling as she held up her finger in the air beside her face, she made a flame appear and gave light to the area around them.

Keine: "Wait, don't attack yet!"

Stretching her arm out to the side as she turned to instruct the rest of the quartet, she was met with confusion from both those on her side and on the opposite side.

Flandre: "Wha-"

Keine: "Just wait. I must ask an important question."

Turning to Mokou, who had a slightly raised eyebrow, she raised her voice and asked:

Keine: "Fujiwara no Mokou, are you human?"

. . . . .

Widening her eyes, Mokou stuttered for a moment at the unexpected question.

Mokou: "Well, there's an interesting question, huh. If you asked me to turn it around and ask whether a bunch of humans in the forest out here when it's about to be night are sane, what would you answer? --Though, I guess y'all aren't human."

Feeling tension rising in the air, she tried to make a face as though she was joking and continued speaking.

Mokou: "Well, if you really want to fight I don't exactly mind, but really, what are y'all doing here? Hunting for humans? There's better places for that than here, you know."

Keine: "Please answer. Are you human or not? There will be no third time."

Saying that in a voice that had not often been heard, a mix of commandment and hostility in a gentle tone, she demanded with force that her question be answered. And hearing that, Mokou gave a sweat and an awkward smile, putting up her hands.

Mokou: "Well, the topic of my humanity is kind of complicated, but long story short I think I'm still mostly human, at least. Not exactly a satisfying answer?"

Medicine: "You make no sense whatsoever... Are you human or not? Make up your mind."

Still prepared to attack, her eyes exuded a particular visciousness that Mokou did not like. Something in Mokou had told her that this girl would be the most dangerous one of the group.

Though, if it really came down to it, she felt she would probably win.

Keine gave a sigh and let down her guard, going so far as to close her eyes and unsummon the hakutaku she had summoned, and putting her hand behind to scratch her head.

Keine: "Good grief, you should have said that from the start."

Flandre: "Keine?"

Turning her head in confusion, she wondered what exactly had made her drop her guard so.

Tewi: "Well, this girl can't be direct about anything in her life, so ya better get used'to that~"

Mokou: "Tewi--!!"

Seeing as Mokou had been blushing slightly at Tewi's stray jab, the remaining Flandre, Alice and Medicine felt themselves losing the will to fight as well, and the tension in the air dissipated away.

Mokou gave a smile as she felt this, and stepped forward with her chest puffed out.

Mokou: "Anywho, as I said before, I am Fujiwara no Mokou, and I know this forest like the back of my hand. Shall I give y'all the way out?"

Stretching her hand out, she did her best to give a smile and relax her tomboyish tone. The Guide of the Forest had surely been through this song and dance hundreds of times, and it had become a practiced routine to her.

Alice: "That won't be necessary. We're here to meet someone in the forest, not leave."

Mokou dropped her smile and hand at Alice's response, raising an eyebrow and scratching her cheek in response.

Mokou: "There's precious few people who live in this part of the forest besides me and earth rabbits, and the fairies. There's a small youkai village in the wooded forest east of here, but I think you're lost on this one."

Keine: "Doctor Eirin Yagokoro. She is the one who requested to meet us within this forest. Do you know her?"

Hearing this, Mokou clicked her tongue with an annoyed "Tsk" and turned around.

Flandre: "Oi, what's with that reaction? You know her, don't you?"

Mokou: "Here's a word of advice for y'all: Leave."

Flandre: "Huh?"

Mokou: "I'm telling you, y'all don't want to get involved with her. She's the bitch type. What kind of circumstances would make you four agree to meet with her in the first place?"

Turning around to face them again with a look of annoyance, the others felt their confusion levels rise.

Medicine: "Well, we know she's not trustworthy already, but she's supposed to give us something very important right about now, so we just want to get to her and leave."

Mokou: "Whatever she wants to give you sure ain't worth whatever shit she's about to drag you guys into. I'm telling you this for your own sake: get out of here!"

Shouting that out, she took a moment to catch her breath. However, she looked over from the slightly stunned Medicine over to Flandre, who had been walking towards her, looking furious.

Alice: "Flandre, wait!"

Ignoring her, Flandre put her finger right in the middle of Mokou's chest and stared at her eye to eye.

Flandre: "Who are you to decide what is and isn't worth taking a risk for, as if you knew everything? And, who are you to say that we won't just get what we need and go away immediately? Her problems are her own, we won't get involved!"

Also irritated by this attitude, Mokou leaned her forehead into Flandre's and gave her retort.

Mokou: "And who are you to assume you'll know how that woman will act? You've seen her before, haven't you? She raises every red flag in the book! Or are you just beggin' for trouble?!"

Seeing as though a fight was about to break out, the three on Flandre's side rushed over to attempt to break them up, while Tewi did an excellent job of leaning back and enjoying the show as though she had not been there.

Yet just as it seemed that the tension was about to reach its peak--

Flandre: "Hey, tell me something. Why are you the same height as me?"

Mokou: "Ah?"

The anger fueling the two of them had immediately subsided, and Mokou came to the realization that, her forehead pressed against Flandre, the two had been the exact same height.

Mokou: "That's--"

Eirin: "--A long story, is how you wished to respond?"

Flandre: "Uwah?!"

To the surprise of everyone except Tewi, Eirin showed up from within a dark corner.

Flandre: "You-"

Mokou: "When did you get here?!"

In response to the sudden confusion, Eirin gave a smile as she shrugged and closed her eyes.

Eirin: "As was true to my word, I arrived to fulfill my end of the agreement. I am a woman of my word, after all."

Mokou: "You're a woman of fat shit."

While Eirin was as cool and collected as ever, Mokou did not hide her disdain for her. Seeing this exchange, Alice flattened her eyebrows in caution.

Alice: "How did you find us here?"

Eirin: "Even if you try to conceal your steps, the route taken was simple to follow. That aside, my abode is within this forest as well. Though, your steps taken would be nearly impossible to notice for anyone who was not me or you, so feel not impotent."

Again with the same calm demeanor as always, she smiled as she explained herself. An explanation that inspired an annoyed clicking of the tongue from Mokou yet again.

Mokou: "There you go again with that 'better than everyone' attitude..."

Putting that aside, it brings me relief that you four accepted my agreement. I am ready to fulfill my end of the deal, however as previously mentioned I believe it would be easier to represent my information visually. It shall not be a long walk. Are these terms acceptable?"

Flandre looked at Medicine, who looked at Alice, who looked at Keine, and who looked back at Flandre. Each of them were in unease, but seemed to be holding up well enough to agree.

Keine: "We shall do it."

Curling her smile further, Eirin nodded.

Eirin: "Please take care to follow right behind me."

And with that, she turned around and began walking back into the darkness. Seeing her going without warning or waiting for the others, Flandre immediately ran behind with a "Hey, wait!" and left Mokou behind. Alice sighed and Keine paced herself to follow suit, while Medicine stuck around for a brief moment with Mokou.

Medicine: "Um... You aren't coming?"

She looked at Mokou with disgust, and the latter turned around and also winced in disgust.

Mokou: "I have no interest in tagging along, but I'll be here."

Medicine: "Okay..."

She didn't stick around as to ask why, only quickly moving on to catch up to the rest so as not to be left behind. Not that she had any interest in Mokou. This had been something Mokou was grateful for.

Tewi: "Not interested in seeing their reactions?"

Mokou: "The kind of pain from hearing that kind of story doesn't go away, even if it's been a thousand or a million years. I don't need to hear it more than I have to."

Tewi: "If ya say so."

Sighing as she sat down, Mokou put her face in her hand and looked out to where everyone had exited. She had already accepted that she had burnt out, and that the flame within her would never light again. Why, then, should she try to beat it further into the ground?

. . . . .

Walking behind Eirin, who navigated the dense bamboo forest with expertise, Flandre and the others felt a sense of looming unease the further they approached. The forest remained dark and unwelcoming as always, and the droning of nightbugs filled the silence with unpleasant sounds, but that was not what was particularly unnerving about the situation.

Alice: "I've been trying to keep a mental map of where we've been walking this entire time, and I believe we are heading directly towards The Moon Tree..."

Keine: "I believe you are right. However, based on what I have heard, we should not be able to be this close to it, so I thought perhaps my intuition had been wrong. Why, then..?"

Alice and Keine exchanged concerns, and Alice put her hand on her chin and looked down to think. Within her mind, she began to connect the dots.

Alice: "Let's see... you're supposed to be guided away by spirits no matter how hard you try is how the rumors go... would that mean that Eirin or Mokou, or that rabbit girl are the 'spirits?' I also recall hearing something about a rabbit of good luck living here... And then that Mokou girl seemed to have some kind of ability relating to fire, and even she questioned her own humanity..."

Connecting Mokou and Eirin to the mythos behind the tree and the forest, she gave a sigh.

Alice: "Looks like we have some interesting characters on our hands."

She had heard several rumors before regarding the origin of this tree, but they tended to be somewhat contradictory and confusing to follow, and as such dismissed them. However, now that she seemed to have an answer for one mystery, who knew what she might uncover.

Alice: "Whatever the case, it seems that Flandre's sister and this tree have some kind of connection."

Hearing her speak aloud, Flandre turned around to look at Alice as she walked. Though she didn't say anything, she had something of an inquisitive face on her which Alice waved off.

Alice: "Nothing, nothing. I'm just thinking aloud."

Flandre: "If you say so."

Medicine, absent from the conversation, looked to the side as she walked along and went through the branches. Though it was very dark for her, she noticed a change in the color of the bamboo surrounding her.

A dark, almost black red that coated parts of the bamboo chutes. They ranged in height from being at her ankle to being well above her. Looking at it made her stomach churn, and she couldn't help but let her mind wander.

Medicine: "Is this... dried blood..?"

Just a few short minutes later, Eirin broke the silence amongst them.

Eirin: "Just behind this wall of bamboo is our destination. Please exercise caution upon entering the area."

Flandre: "Caution?"

Questioning her word choice, the quartet watched intently as Eirin pulled back the bamboo and stepped forth. One by one, the four of them entered, and one by one the four of them were utterly dumbfounded by what they saw.

The Moon Tree - its base had been far wider than anybody could have ever imagined. A huge, meaty looking trunk that seemed to stretch up as though it really had touched the moon, with each branch looking as though it could easily support a small village on it. The diameter of the trunk, which had to have been at least 100 meters long, seemed to stick to the earth as though it were an ancient mountain that had overseen a billion years of history.

Furthermore, the tree had not been within level ground compared to the rest of the forest. Instead, its base had been found in the depths of an abyss so deep that even Flandre could not see its bottom. Merely two meters from where the quintet stood, the dirt would immediately open up to a steep, almost impossible to climb seeming cliff that easily gave the impression that it had no end. And yet, The Moon Tree made its inevitable bottom its home.

Eirin nonchalantly closed her eyes and crossed her arms, in stark contrast to the other four pouring over the sheer power of the tree here with their eyes, staring in disbelief.

Keine: "So, this is the truth behind the legendary tree of Gensokyo..."

Saying that with a confident sounding, but truly a shaken voice, she had been dumbfounded.

Alice: "To think something like this had been hidden from everyone..."

Not hiding her surprise, she exhaled as she spoke.

Medicine: "....."

Completely and utterly stupified, she simply stared with eyes the size of dinner plates.

Flandre: "Did my sister do this..?"

With flattened eyebrows, her thoughts wandered not to the sheer power of the tree, but to Remilia.

Eirin: "That is so."

Flandre: "What's at the bottom?"

Turning her head towards Eirin as the others marveled at the scale of the tree, Eirin opened her eyes and frowned.

Eirin: "You shall see at the bottom."

Medicine: "Huh? We're going down this thing?"

Also turning her head in shock, Eirin nodded.

Eirin: "I shall carry two of you. And, Flandre, as you have the ability to fly, I would appreciate your assistance in this matter."

Flandre: "Eh?"

Keine & Alice: "Huh..?"

Eirin: "As we descend, I shall explain everything. I shall delay no longer."

Narrowing her eyes as she balled her fists, Eirin said such. Flandre took Medicine's hands and motioned to her that she'll help carry her. Meanwhile, Eirin used her Drachenblut to turn her hands into gondolas to stand on, a sight which freaked Alice out. Keine reluctantly stepped onto the makeshift gondolas, while Alice pleaded with her eyes to Flandre to help carry her, a response that was met with Flandre sticking out her tongue. As a result, Alice gave a sigh and, too, reluctantly stepped on the makeshift gondola.

Flandre had put Medicine onto her back and took flight, flapping her wings over the abyss while instructing Medicine with "Just trust me, and don't look down." Meanwhile, Eirin transformed her legs into large picks that bore into the earth, and began to scale down the hole while balancing Alice and Keine in an impressive feat of strength and skill as Flandre followed along.

While nervousness overtook Alice and she immediately began to prepare for the worst with her strings as she sat in Eirin's "palm", Keine attempted to clear her mind and remain tranquil. At last, while climbing down, Eirin opened her mouth with narrowed eyes.

Eirin: "And at last, I shall tell the four of you the story of mineself, Remilia Scarlet, and my sister: Houraisan Kaguya."

Chapter Text

Our story begins 1,200 years ago, in a small fishing village near the modern day Momonoura.

The village was nothing particularly special. It could sustain itself fine, but had a decent trading business with a few other nearby villages. Wooden houses formed the community, and on this particular day a girl of about ten years of age, with a blue dress and white hair, had been sitting on the coast of the sea with a fishing line in hand.

Reeling in her fishing line with nothing on the hook, she sighed and stood, walking back to the village behind her. Just then, a man with a long beard and mustache, with a wrinkled face put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her, looking down at her with a jolly smile.

Man: "Going back already, Eirin?"

The young Eirin looked up at the man with a frown.

Eirin: "I am afraid I have not had much success today, Uncle Tsukuyomi."

Tsukuyomi: "All good, all good. After all, all hardship brings us closer to purity."

Eirin: "Right..."

She looked away from her Uncle, who laughed and went on his jolly way. With her eyebrows flattened, she continued to walk back while thinking to herself.

Eirin: "Uncle Tsukuyomi constantly insists that he is the only one who can have kids with our moms, even if they are already married. But he is also the father of all of our moms, all in the name of 'achieving Purity.'. Why does nobody see anything wrong with this...?"

With narrowed and disgusted eyes, she looked down and paced herself home.

Eirin: "I swear, I shall never have kids even if it meant getting killed."

Opening the door, she was greeted to see two younger girls with black hair on the floor. One in a pink dress, and the other in white. They were dirty from rolling around, knocking things and food onto the floor and making a mess of things.

Eirin: "Were you two fighting each other again?"

Girl in white dress: "...No, Kaguya started it!"

Girl in pink dress: "No, it's all Mokou's fault."

Eirin: "Alright, alright, you two dunderheads. Get off of each other before you hurt each other more."

Sighing as she put the fishing rod to the side, she had the two girls get off each other and began to help put things back.

Eirin: "Were you hurt anywhere, Mokou?"

Sitting down with Mokou, the girl in white, on the floor, she held a bandage in her hand.

Mokou: "Well... a little, on my hand."

The girl, who was slightly younger than Eirin, bashfully held her hand out where she had gotten cut on the back of her hand. Thankfully it had not been deep, and only a little blood dribbled out of it. Still, Eirin frowned and began wrapping it around.

Eirin: "That's not good, Mokou. You should be more careful when you play with Kaguya."

Mokou: "But she's the one always starting fights with me!"

Hearing this for what must have been the thousandth time now, Eirin smiled and gently giggled to herself.

Eirin: "By the way, how has your father been getting adjusted to the village?"

Mokou: "Ah, oh, he's fine I suppose..."

Mokou's emotional face quickly turned dull at the mention of her dad, something that Eirin picked up on as she finished treating Mokou's wound. Mokou and her family had been the only ones who had not been of Tsukuyomi's descent. Her father, who had been of an artistocratic lingeage, had grown tired of his business ventures and moved his family here. Having been here for about two months, there was initially some worry about the arrival of outsiders, but it had ended up being fine. Still, Mokou disliked the move and disliked her father as a result.

Eirin: "I see.. I suppose that's good to hear."

Because of that, she inferred that was why she had spent a lot of time away from home. One of the girls closest in age to her had been Kaguya, Eirin's half-sister who lived with her, but the two were both rather hotheaded when they were together. Because of that, Eirin had been forced to be the big sister more often than not and split them apart.

But she did not particularly mind that.

Mokou: "What about you, Eirin?"

Eirin: "Me?"

Pointing to herself, she widened her eyes.

Mokou: "Yeah, I know you like to dote on Kaguya, so don't you get mad at me?"

Eirin: "Ah..."

She paused for a moment to think of a response, looking away uncomfortably for a moment, and then looking back at Mokou to respond.

Eirin: "Because you're part of the family, I suppose..?"

Mokou: "What a weird response."

Getting up from the floor, Mokou cocked her head, and then gave a half-smile.

Mokou: "Thanks for treating me again."

Eirin: "Yeah..."

After that, Mokou ran off somewhere, and Eirin picked herself up off the floor.

Eirin: "Weird response, hm..."

The response that she gave had only been half true, though. Because, there was another reason that she could not tell Mokou. That was--

Eirin: "Kaguya is sick."

. . . . .

Outside of the village, Kaguya sat on a tree log, kicking her legs and smiling while watching Eirin. Her long black hair and red skirt fluttering in the wind, with the sun shining down on her, made her look like what an ideal girl enjoying her youth might be.

Counter to that, however, Eirin with her unnatural white hair, still in her blue dress held an oversized bow with a quiver over her shoulder. She had strung back an arrow, focusing in on her target, and fired. The arrow she released split an already existing arrow that she had previously shot into a tree, which, like the other trees around it, bore many wounds from the arrowheads.

While Eirin clicked her tongue in annoyance at having destroyed one of her hand-made arrows, Kaguya giggled softly.

Kaguya: "You're so good at this, Eirin-nee!"

Eirin: "Not good enough to show restraint, I suppose."

Sighing as she smiled slightly, she began to draw another arrow from her quiver and loaded it into her bow.

Kaguya: "But, you know, it's interesting that you decided to pick a bow to practice with instead of a katana."

Putting her finger to her mouth, she looked up at the sky.

Eirin: "I told you before, didn't I? They don't let us girls touch swords."

She fired off the other arrow, which landed barely above the arrow she had previously fired. Seeing her success, she smiled and wiped some sweat from her brow.

Eirin: "Especially me, I bet."

Kaguya: "I don't think that's true, though."

Eirin: "Hmm?"

Turning around to look at her, Kaguya stopped her kicking and looked straight at Eirin as she smiled.

Kaguya: "I think you could probably get your hands on any weapon if you wanted. But you picked the bow because it's interesting, right?"

From this, Eirin widened her eyes and mouth for a moment, before giving a half smile.

Eirin: "Well... I don't really know about that."

Eirin Yagokoro was used to praise. Though it had not always been like this.

When she had beeen born, even as an infant, the sword hung over her from none other than Tsukuyomi himself.

Tsukuyomi: "That sickly, pale skin, and that white hair, are these not the biggest threats to our purity of all?!"

Cursing the infantile Eirin as a child, he had been restrained by those around him. To kill a baby had been simply too much to tolerate. That was why Eirin's mother and father, and those around Tsukuyomi sobbed.

Mother: "Please, o please, give her a chance! She is just a baby!"

Father: "That's right! Is the death of your very own child at your own hands not impure as well?!"

Tsukuyomi: "Silence! I shall tolerate no insolence!"

And yet, even as they sobbed, Eirin did not. She sat up, quietly observing and gathering information with the tip of the sword pressed right to her neck. Even so, she felt no fear. By calmly analyzing the situation, she would decide the best course of action.

That was how she saved her life.

Man: "Hey, what happened to Lord Tsukuyomi?!"

Tsukuyomi: "Ah?"

Mother: "Your hand!"

When Tsukuyomi looked down at his hand, it had been restored.

Father: "Tsukuyomi's missing fingers grew back!"

Before today, Tsukuyomi had his ring and pinky fingers missing from his right hand. Yet, as he held his sword up to Eirin's neck, just barely piercing the skin, they had been restored. Thus, Tsukuyomi's eyes widened, and for the first time in his life, he changed his mind.

Tsukuyomi: "This girl is a miracle worker..."

From that day on, Eirin was treated as a bona-fide member of the community as though nothing had ever happened. She was one of the few girls Tsukuyomi allowed to recieve an education within the village, which she immediately excelled at. Likewise, she had a knack for helping others with their injuries and sicknesses. At the age of ten, she had become a tutor and a doctor for the village, and it had all come without any challenges.

However, this did not make her happy.

Kaguya: "But I think so. After all, you can do anything I can't, right?"

Eirin frowned at that, looking down and curling the tips of her mouth.

Kaguya Houraisan had been born when Eirin was two and a half years old. And, to Tsukuyomi's delight, she had been a splitting image of the purity which he had constantly pushed for. Docile, feminine, with an adorable face and beautiful black hair.

Tsukuyomi: "She will turn into a fine young woman some day, thus I shall crown her princess of Lunaria!"

Tsukuyomi, and the rest of the villagers, loved Kaguya more than Eirin. This, in and of itself, did not bother her in the slightest. What bothered her was the reason for why.

Kaguya had been denied a normal childhood. By merely existing within Lunaria, the 'village of purity' that Tsukuyomi proclaimed, she had already been denied a normal childhood. But as princess of Lunaria, she had been denied even the ability to grow as a young girl.

She had been a trophy to be put on a pedestal, to be praised at and compared to as the pinnacle of beauty and purity. That had been Kaguya's proclaimed reason for being. And everyone accepted that with glee - everyone but Eirin.

One day, late in the night when Eirin was eight and Kaguya was six, Eirin met with Tsukuyomi in the private.

Tsukuyomi: "And? You'd better have a good reason for calling me out here this late."

Speaking with that gruff voice Eirin hated, she stomached her disgust and laid forth her plan.

Eirin: "Please let me play with Princess Kaguya for a day."

With a straight face and straight voice, she directly gave her request; a request that infuriated Tsukuyomi.

Tsukuyomi: "Ahh?! Know your place, young girl! I will not allow any impurity to risk staining the Princess."

Eirin: "Be that as it may, uncle, but have you considered the possibility that giving others the chance to interact with her could let them get more of a taste of purity firsthand? For instance, maybe if I spend time with the Princess, my hair will turn black."

Tsukuyomi: "That's..."

He widened his eyes, and after deliberating on it, the next day he approached Eirin and reluctantly approved. That day, Eirin had taken her to a nearby cliffside.

While Eirin had no problem climbing the small hill, Kaguya had quickly grown out of breath and nearly collapsed upon reaching the top. Still, when she looked out and saw the sunset on the horizon of the ocean, her eyes dazzled with joy and wonder.

Kaguya: "Uwahhh!!"

Seeing something new for the first time - something that had not been her confined life as a princess where she lived solely within the safety of her home and the luxury of piggying off Tsukuyomi's wealth, she felt her perspectives broaden, and her appreciation for Eirin grow.

Eirin: "There's a whole world out there. One day, the two of us will leave this trash dump."

She despised everyone within the village. Even her parents, and most importantly Lord Tsukuyomi. Narrowing her eyes, she cursed them out.

Eirin: "Those worthless vermin don't know anything... just purity and impurity."

The concept of purity and impurity was the concept that shaped the lifeblood of Lunaria.

Tsukuyomi: "Purity: The absence of Life or Death. By achieving purity, we may avoid death and sickness, and transcend to the moon!"

That kind of rhetoric was what Eirin had heard constantly repeated to her her whole life. Even from those she thought would be intelligent enough to see through it.

Eirin: "That guy's just too much..."

Even so, she would commit vengeance on her own. More and more, she had been allowed to spend her time with Kaguya. Though Kaguya had been fragile and unathletic due to the nature of her life, she nonetheless became a rebellious tomboy in time while hanging out with Eirin. Frequently she would refuse the high-class luxuries that would be offered to her, attempts at a future marriage, or the pamperment of Tsukuyomi.

Kaguya: "Eirin-nee said that spending time learning the ways of royalty would be better off spent learning something more practical."

Hearing this, Tsukuyomi grit his teeth in frustration. As such, he personally would go over to Eirin's home where she would never be anywhere in the vicinity, always hiding outside somewhere. Afterwards, his anger would cool off, and he would go back to normal the next day.

Eirin: "Not like he can do anything to me anyways, as the village's only medic."

Kaguya: "But still, doesn't it get scary to have him yell at you?"

This had been when Eirin and Kaguya had aged a year, and Eirin began putting together her beloved bow and her arrows. Eirin seemed rather bored answering Kaguya, contrary to the latters' surprise.

Eirin: "Not really. After all, adults like him are just children in big bodies."

Finishing the final touches on her all-too-large bow, she picked herself up and mocked aiming and shooting an arrow with her tongue stuck out and one eye closed.

Kaguya: "How interesting!"

She smiled, hearing that, and Eirin smiled too. In time, Eirin went from pitying Kaguya, to being genuinely fond of her as a sister. Likewise, Kaguya quickly went from being cautious of Eirin at the advice of Tsukuyomi and his retainers, to warming up to her and trusting her judgement above all.

Kaguya would frequently sneak out at night to meet with Eirin, who would proceed to scold her as well.

Kaguya: "But it's much more fun to be with Eirin-nee, so I don't mind if I get punished!"

Yet she would respond like that every time, and Eirin could not help but keep her. In due time, she spent almost her entire day every day with Eirin, venturing out with her to catch bugs or look for materials to make weapons, or embracing their childhood to play pretend.

Today had been one of those days.

Eirin breathed a sigh and mounted her bow on her back after putting away all her arrows, as Kaguya looked at Eirin's work.

Eirin: "That's enough for today. Let's head on home."

Kaguya: "Sure, let's go."

The two young girls smiled at each other as Kaguya kicked herself off the tree stump and began walking alongside her half-sister.

Kaguya: "Next time, will you teach me how to use the bow?"

Looking up at her in admiration, she asked that with purity in her eyes. Not the revolting form that had been praised in the village, but the honest and joyous kind. Feeling this, Eirin smiled.

Eirin: "Of course. Though, I'll have to make you a smaller one to start with. After all, I'm strong for a girl."

Kaguya giggled in response, and then turned her head in surprise to the side as they walked along the dirt path.

Kaguya: "Uwaa~ahhh, look at all those Inabas!"

Eirin, too, turned her head to look out. She widened her mouth in surpise as a large number of rabbits had been grazing in the field, hopping about peacefully.

Eirin: "That's new..."

Laughing as she ran over to them, Kaguya squat down and pet the rabbits, who congregated around her, with a wide smile on her face. Eirin herself did not pet the rabbits, but stood behind Kaguya, watching her with a smile on her face as well.

Eirin: "How un-princesslike. But, isn't this one of the good parts of being free?"

Muttering that to herself, she felt joy as the wind ran through her hair and skirt, and Kaguya played around with the rabbits.

And that happiness, had been immediately ended as Kaguya keeled forward and collapsed on the ground, rabbits gathering around her.

Eirin: "Kaguya..?"

Fear and panic overtook her eyes, and she ran over and leaned down to pick up Kaguya. When she examined her, she had been knocked unconscious, with blood dripping from her mouth, eyes, and nose.

Eirin: "KAGUYA!?!"

Looking around in a panic, she picked up the unconscious girl within her arms and quickly began to run back. She ran without concern for her stamina, forcing herself to hold back her tears and panic as she ran. She had to act immediately, for who knows the consequences of even a moment of delay.

She burst into her home and put Kaguya down on the floor. Overturning everything she could within her house, she got as much medical material as she could and tried to do anything she could to help her.

Eirin: "Not again..!! That's the third time this month! Kaguya, oh Kaguya, please be ok!!"

Tears nearly streaming down her face, she tried to do anything she could to help. Wiping the blood, administering her medicine, checking for a pulse which had still been there, she did everything she normally did in this situation.

Tsukuyomi: "What is this?"

With anger in his voice and crossed arms, he stood behind Eirin in the doorway she had entered from. Eirin jolted in fear, not responding immediately.

Tsukuyomi: "What did you do to my beloved princess?!"

Eirin: "Hk- She's sick! It just happened randomly! I bought her here as quickly as possible to treat her..."

Tsukuyomi: "She's sick, eh? You expect me to buy that?"

Eirin: "I'm telling the truth!"

Yelling up at him, he saw the emotional face she had made, and snorted in disgust.

Tsukuyomi: "Cure her."

As he walked away, anger and frustration filled Eirin's existence.

Eirin: "Believe me, I tried..!"

Eirin had been able to heal every disease or injury that had ever been bought before her. Whether someone had shattered their leg, or had been on the verge of death, she would always be able to concoct something or work her magic to repair them as if nothing had ever happened. She had been doing so since she was born.

However, Kaguya was different.

This series of fainting and blood-letting had started three months ago. The first time, she had not panicked and did not risk crying. She had merely been confused, and took the steps needed to cure her as always.

In all honesty, Eirin did not know the fundementals of chemistry and medicinal practice. Simply put, whatever she did worked. Once, she even experimented by concocting a medicine of mud and snot and using it to treat a wound she had gotten on her knee, and it healed almost immediately after without much issue. Much the same had been done whenever anyone came to her, with any kind of ailement.

Yet, even so, her miracle work did not work for Kaguya. The next month, the same thing happened, and this caused even more confusion in Eirin.

When this happened, she tried to actually think back to what medicines worked for the treatments she used to treat sicknesses such as this one. Often, she had been donated herbs and medicines that had been associated with good health. When she tried to make a medicine out of that, Kaguya fainted two and a half weeks later. Now, panic had begun to really overtake her.

Eirin: "Can I not fix people anymore..?"

But that was not true. The day later, she had easily repaired five people who had gotten injured following a storm, curing their illnesses and mending their wounds with haste.

Tsukuyomi: "You truly are a miracle worker, Eirin."

Putting his hand on her shoulder, she began to scowl.

Eirin: "I can't be until I've cured Kaguya..."

Another collapse came, and this time Eirin had nearly broken down. More blood than ever had been lost, and the fall had been particularly dangerous. No matter what she did, nothing would truly help long-term. She began to fear for Kaguya's safety with a seriousness that she had not for anyone else before, and tried to rack her brains for what could possibly be the cause.

It was without question that Eirin was freakishly intelligent. Even at the age of ten, she had the most potential for knowledge within Lunaria, and possibly within all of Japan or even the world. Still, no matter what textbooks she got her hands on, no matter what ideas got into her head, she could not figure out what had happened with Kaguya.

With each faint, she grew more desperate. Her heart broke more and more, and she began to wonder if Kaguya's life would end soon. Luckily, she had been able to keep these faints from the eyes of anyone else. In fact, they seemed to only happen when Kaguya was with her. However, by now, she had been caught.

Eirin: "What do I do..?!"

Desperation filled her eyes as she grit her teeth, and she tried again in futility to concoct a medicine in the vain hope that this time, this time would work.

One week later, Eirin kicked down the door to her home again with a bloodied Kaguya in her arms, and panicked to do everything she could to help.

Tsukuyomi: "I've seen quite enough."

Standing behind Eirin, with sheer anger in his voice, he frowned and pushed Eirin away from Kaguya.

Tsukuyomi: "This is unlike you, Eirin. What have you been doing?!"

Eirin: "I-"

Stuttering, not knowing how to respond, Tsukuyomi slapped her in the face with force, knocking her to the ground. As she tried to pick herself up while trembling, Tsukuyomi spoke again.

Tsukuyomi: "You are no longer to speak with the Princess. Find a cure for her within three months or this time, I shall lop off your head as I was supposed to at your birth."

And with that, he left with Kaguya in her arms, and Eirin had been stunned on her fours on the floor.

Eirin: "What... just happened..?"

Her life, which until just three months ago had seemed to start gaining meaning and purpose, had now been snatched from her. Furthermore, she was hopeless to do anything about it.

Eirin: "What am I supposed to do..?"

Her blue eyes swelled with tears, and yet she did not cry.

Eirin Yagokoro had never shed a tear in her life.

. . . . .

Three months later, Eirin had been tutoring three girls of around two years younger than her. These girls had been anomalies like herself - one with white hair just like her own, one green-yellow hair, and one with purple hair. These girls had never been under the risk that faced her as a child.

Tsukuyomi: "Two of them bring me luck, and the others' bound to be the best female warrior in Japan. What's more, they're as devoted to attaining purity as I am."

That was how he would always boast about them - Sagume, Toyohime and Yorihime respectively, to Eirin. But she did not care much for that. These girls had hardly needed tutoring, as they had been quite intelligent and mature in their own right. Thus, for the moment, they did not matter and Eirin used her time to think quietly to herself.

Today had been the final day she had to cure Kaguya before her life would end, and yet she had failed.

She had devoted almost all of her time to trying to come up with some kind of medicine to help deal with the mysterious illness, which she called "Sleeping Beauty Syndrome." She had studied as many books as she could, racked her brains as hard as she could, and experimented as much as possible. In the end, she created 200 different types of liquid medicines and pills - and even resorted to the spiritual route to create charms and talismans to ward off evil spirits or anything of the like from her. She even tried praying to the gods, something she had never done, and yet nothing had worked.

But what disturbed her most of all was the timing of when Kaguya would pass out.

Whenever Kaguya had been outside, whether sneaking out or being with Tsukuyomi outside, she would collapse and pass out. Whenever she had been speaking of Eirin with Tsukuyomi or one of her retainers, she would pass out. Eventually, it came to where she would become affected by Sleeping Beauty Syndrome at random times in the day. Eirin's gut instinct told her that it had been because she was thinking of her.

At home, things had not been so well either. Mokou worried for Kaguya's health just as much as Eirin, though she was more hesitant to show it. Whenever Eirin tried to comfort her or talk to her about it, Mokou would simply push her away in frustration.

Mokou: "Just go away.. Don't talk to me until you fix Kaguya!"

That had been the general sentiment of the village. People began to question why Eirin hadn't been able to heal Kaguya despite her closeness and skill.

"Did she hate us?"

"I knew she was always impure..."

"She's plotting against the princess and the lord!"

Such things would be whispered about her behind her back, all of which she had been keenly aware of. And yet, she had been powerless to do anything.

Eirin: "If only they knew what I've been trying..."

Results of her failures were not reported. In time, people began to attempt to treat their own illnesses instead of going to Eirin. Even her parents grew cold to her.

Such treatment of a ten-year old girl had been inflicted to her without consideration, for she had built herself up to be a sage in her own right. And that legacy, built on her mysterious competence, would lead to her downfall at the hands of a mysterious illness.

Eirin: "Such a 'family' that is..."

That was why, in the dead of night, Eirin found herself in the field where just a few months ago, she had practiced shooting arrows with Kaguya. On that day, she promised to Kaguya to practice shooting arrows - a promise that had never come.

As it stood, she had been told that Kaguya hung on the verge of death. Whenever she had woken up for even a moment, she would immediately bleed out and fall back into her Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. As a result, she had critically low blood, and thus oxygen, and had been critically emanciated. It had been a miracle she hadn't died yet, and Tsukuyomi had refused to see her out of disgust.

But there was nothing more Eirin could do. She held her bow in her hand and fired.

Eirin: "I hope that when I kick the bucket, she won't be too sad..."

Drawing her bow again, she fired and split her arrow again. And at that moment, her mind flashed back to when she had been out with Kaguya when this happened.

Kaguya: "But I think so. After all, you can do anything I can't, right?"

Remembering this, this rhetoric that had been given to her all her life, she grit her teeth with such force that her gums bled.

Eirin: "Just what exactly have I been able to do..? Where I can help everyone but the person... the person that I love the most! Where I can't even fulfill my 'greatest wish!'"

For the first time in her life, a tear fell down her cheek. She dropped her bow, and likewise dropped to her knees. Eirin began to sob - sob with frustration in regret.

She had not been able to save Kaguya Houraisan.

Eirin: "I failed. I failed! I failed! I failed! I failed! I failed! I failed! Oh please, if anyone can hear me, what am I supposed to do?!"

Her throat clogged with mucus that similarly came out of her nose, she thought back to everything.

Tsukuyomi's abusiveness and manipulation, the hatred of those around her, yet nothing stung as much as her inability to save Kaguya.

At her hands, Kaguya would be unable to be saved, and they would both die. She even considered ending her own life now just so she would not die at the hands of Tsukuyomi. She picked up the arrow and aimed it for her neck.

And in that instant--

???: "You wish to have your 'greatest wish' be granted, is that so?"

A voice she had never recognized before had been behind her. Though Eirin felt fear, it had been strangely charming and even seductive. With tears still streaming down her eyes and the arrow about to pierce her neck, she turned to her back.

Eirin: "W-Who's there?!"

???: "It is a melancholy object to cry such tears in such an imperishable night. In just a few hours, that girl will die. That would be a great pity."

Eirin: "--Hk."

Her throat clogging up as the unidentifiable voice seemed to speak directly to her brain, she tried to look around for answers.

???: "You have something I desire very much. I am willing to save that girl if you are willing to give it to me. Is this acceptable?"

Speaking with a mysterious charming aura, she spoke the words that Eirin had wanted to hear the most right now. Thus, without contemplating it, she accepted.

Eirin: "Fine! Take anything you want from me! Just... please, save Kaguya!"

???: "Oh? Is that your answer? How very interesting. Your decision was a wise one, Eirin Yagokoro."

In front of her, a great shadow formed. It began to take a humanoid shape, materializing more and more, shifting and doing things Eirin had never seen before, until it was complete. The darkness had formed into a devil of red horns and a dark tail and wings. Blue hair with inhuman red eyes and a devious smile, with complex clothes that had been completely outside the realm that Eirin had ever seen. And in the demons' hand, she held a small ornate vial with a tiny amount of red liquid within it.

She held it by its small golden cork, and dropped it in Eirin's palms as she looked up at her in cowarding.

Demon: "Be careful with it - it is my own blood. Though, you have permission to say it is your own work."

Eirin: "...Who are you?"

Hearing this, the demon smiled. She stretched her arms to the side, and looked up at the full moon. A great dark aura swirled around her, and Eirin felt as though gravity had increased a thousandfold. Bats flew around her, and crimson red spears danced like birds in droved around her. She gave a deathly smile and looked down at Eirin with her eyes.

Demon: "Sin Apostle of Pride: Remilia Scarlet."

Eirin's breath had been taken away, and her bright blue eyes twitched. She had no idea how to respond.

'Remilia': "In any case, the trade offer has been completed."

Eirin: "But... I didn't give you anything."

More confused, Eirin patted herself as she looked down. Remilia's smile widened.

'Remilia': "As soon as that vial of my blood fell into your hands, the trade was completed. As for what I took... it was your love."

Eirin: "My... love..?"

Raising her eyebrow in confusion and worry, but mostly confusion, she asked such.

'Remilia': "That is right. In any case, I have to go bye-bye now. Do go and deliver that vial to your sister. After all, losing a sister, is something I know all too well."

Eirin: "What? What?"

Remilia disappearing into the darkness, she faded away as she looked at Eirin dead in the eyes.

'Remilia': "Hurry along now. The clock is ticking. After all, what you have done, waiting until the last moment to try to change... that certainly is prideful..."

And with that, she vanished, as though she was never there. And yet, when Eirin looked down, the vial was still in her hand. She stood dumbstruck for a moment, before quickly gripping it in her hand, rising, and running off with haste.

At last, she ran all the way to Tsukuyomi's temple, where Kaguya had been kept, and remained out of breath. Tsukuyomi had personally been outside with his guards. When he saw the out of breath Eirin, he raised his eyebrows.

Tsukuyomi: "So you came to make our job easy, huh? If you think I'll praise you for that, you are mistaken, impure wretch."

Eirin: "Waitwait, this time I really have it! I have the medicine that will finally cure the Princess!"

Holding her vial up in one hand as she kept the other on her knee, Tsukuyomi inspected it with disinterest.

Tsukuyomi: "That sure is a fancy looking vial, but why would this one work and not all the other junk you gave us?!"

Eirin: "Just trust me, please! If it doesn't work, then you can kill me tomorrow!"

Tsukuyomi narrowed his eyes in disgust and snatched it from her, looking at it with intent.

Tsukuyomi: "There will be no second chance. If she does not recover by tomorrow morning, your execution will be slow and public."

Eirin: "That's fine! Just give it to her quickly!"

And with that, she ran away, and Tsukuyomi spit on the floor in disgust.

Tsukuyomi: "This junk better work..."

After that, Eirin cried herself to sleep. Sobbing quietly, her thoughts were filled with Kaguya until she lost consciousness. She had no dreams or nightmares, and simply slept as hard as she had felt in her entire life.

. . . . .

The sun inevitably rose on the next morning, and Eirin awoke in a trance. She had a mild headache, and her pillow was still wet from last night.

Eirin: "It wasn't a dream..."

Opening her eyes sleepily, she recounted everything that had happened last night. Her attempted suicide, the mysterious demon who took her 'love', and the vial she gave to save Kaguya.

Kaguya: "Of course it wasn't."

Eirin: "Huh?"

That voice that should not have been there shocked Eirin awake. She widened her eyes, and to her side, had been the girl with the sweetest voice in the world, with the most beautiful face in the world. And the girl Eirin loved most in the world.

Eirin: "Ka-"

Kaguya: "Good morning, Eirin-nee."

Giving a sweet smile and cocking her head slightly, she simply sat by her as if she had never been sick. Eirin picked herself out of her futon, where she had not even changed from her standard blue dress, and jumped to hug Kaguya.

Eirin: "Kaguya!!!!"

Screaming out in shock, she had been in utter disbelief. And as she felt her face swell with emotion, Kaguya returned the hug.

Kaguya: "There, there. Everything's alright."

From the doorway, Mokou had watched in similar astonishment as the two young girls remained hugging each other for what seemed like an eternity. And yet, in reality, it had hardly been an instant.

At last, the two let go of each other and sat back to face each other. Kaguya retained her smile, something Eirin could not.

Eirin: "How did you recover so quickly?"

Kaguya: "It was a miracle. I don't really remember it well, but when I woke up I felt better for the first time in months!"

Eirin: "So that medicine really worked, huh..?"

Mokou: "Y-You finally made a medicine that worked?"

Breaking her silence from behind the corner, the black haired Mokou gently asked Eirin so. However, Eirin didn't exactly know how to respond, as it had not been her medicine.

But as long as something like that didn't happen again, it should have been fine.

Eirin: "Ehh, sure."

Giving a wry smile, she nodded, and the other two girls beamed.

For the rest of the day after that, it seemed as though all had gone back to normal. When Eirin walked in the village, no longer was she met with scorn and concealed hatred, but with praises and kindness. When Mokou and Kaguya played, the worry of having Kaguya collapse again dissipated from Eirin. In fact, when they had gone out to shoot arrows again together, Kaguya seemed more perked up than ever.

Eirin: "First, we need to fetch bamboo to actually make your stick."

Kaguya: "Aye-aye ma'am!"

She saluted playfully as she was instructed on what to do, and Eirin gave a relieved sigh. Going into the forest and collecting some bamboo thanks to a pocket knife and some string she had bought along, Eirin made a small bow designed for Kaguya.

Kaguya, in response, absolutely adored it. She hugged it to her chest and squealed, which Eirin blushed slightly at as she watched.

Kaguya: "This is the most precious gift I've ever gotten!"

Eirin: "Is that so?"

Holding it up proudly, she continued to beam with joy. Moreso than Eirin had expected, which surprised her.

Kaguya: "You know, I've had people from far away from Japan come because they heard of me, and give me all sorts of stuff. Apparently even some mythical items like buddha's bowl, or a hourai tree branch. But I don't really care about any of that. Because this means more to me than any kind of mythical or gorgeous item."

From hearing this, Eirin's eyes widened and she blushed, stuttering for a moment before composing herself.

Eirin: "W-Well, why don't we give it a name, then?"

Kaguya: "Like what?"

Eirin: "Let's see... what about Subaru?"

Kaguya: "Like the Pleiades?"

Eirin: "Yeah, since we're sisters."

Subaru, another name for the Pleiades, had been a star system of "seven sisters." And, as sisters, the connection had been obvious.

Kaguya: "Subaru it is then!"

Laughing with joy as she held it up, Eirin couldn't help but smile.

Eirin: "And there that demon said yesterday that she took my love. What the heck does that even mean..?"

Muttering to herself, she decided to not dwell on it and decided to move things along.

Eirin: "Well now, shall I teach you how to draw and shoot an arrow?"

Clapping her hands in the middle of her chest, Kaguya closed her eyes and jumped with her hands up and shouting "Yeah!!" Eirin smiled again and moved to collect her arrows.

Eirin moved behind Kaguya, helping her to hold the bow and showing her where to place the arrow.

Eirin: "Now try to draw it back."

Kaguya: "Mmmmm, ei!"

She did her best to draw back and fire the arrow, but it had been too hard. She let go early, and the arrow only ended up flying a meter before crashing into the ground.

Kaguya: "Ah-"

Eirin: "It's ok, it's ok. I'll help you with the next one."

She drew another arrow from her quiver and had Kaguya place it in the bow. Then, she took her hand and put it onto Kaguya's, helping her to draw back. And yet, while doing so, she noticed something so minor, so overseeable, be ever so slightly amiss.

Eirin: "Hmm.. Is her hand slightly harder than normal?"

It was a rather bizarre and random observation to focus on. And that obstruction had caused her to miscalculate and make the arrow she shot with Kaguya end up missing.

Eirin: "Ah-"

Opening her mouth in slight astonishment at her airheadedness, Kaguya giggled slightly.

Kaguya: "I've never seen you mess up like that before. Was it me?"

Eirin: "No, no. It was my error. Let's try again."

For the rest of the day, Eirin did not think of the hardness of Kaguya's hand, and the two enjoyed their time together, alongside Mokou, until it had been time to sleep. In which they wished each other their goodnights and went to bed.

For the first time in a long time, Eirin went to sleep at ease. Smiling slightly as she slept, she was truly, truly relieved at Kaguya's safety from the bottom of her heart.

The next day came and Eirin awoke feeling refreshed, even looking forward to today. Kaguya had been in the room next to hers', folding some clothes. She turned to Eirin and smiled when she walked in.

Kaguya: "Good morning, Eirin-nee."

Eirin: "Ah, Good morning."

She returned with a slight nod and smile, after that, she aided Kaguya in folding the clothes, made breakfast for the two of them and Mokou, and the three went out together to enjoy themselves.

Kaguya: "Hey Mokou, do you wanna watch me practice with the Subaru Eirin-nee made for me?"

Eirin: "Kaguya, you shouldn't swing it around like that."

While Kaguya gigled as she swung the shortbow Eirin made for her, Mokou scoffed dramatically, crossed her arms, and looked away.

Mokou: "I don't really care about your bow."

Kaguya: "What if Eirin-nee made one for you?"

Mokou: "Th-that's!!"

Hearing Mokou stammering and blushing from this, Eirin couldn't help but giggle.

Eirin: "It's fine, it's fine. I can make you one if you want."

Mokou: "Nah, no need. If I want something dead, why not just cook it?"

Kaguya: "That sounds a little reckless and impractical..."

Laughing a bit from that, she smiled and looked off. They had arrived at the location for practice.

Mokou had sat on the tree stump, where Kaguya had sat watching before, as Kaguya watched Eirin practicing shooting her longbow. This time, to show off, Eirin had tried to fire off three arrows at once. As expected, she succeeded easily, shooting them perfectly symmetrically into the trees not just horizontally but vertically as well.

Of course, this amazed both the two young girls watching her, who had their breaths taken away and their eyes dazzle.

Kaguya: "Eirin-nee is so cool! The coolest!"

Mokou: "That was so awesome!"

In response to the praise, Eirin chuckled to herself and smirked while scratching her white hair. It was not as though she disliked it, but it felt undeserving given that she had never been challenged.

Eirin: "How about you give it a try now, Kaguya?"

Kaguya: "Rii~ight!"

She was handed an arrow, and tried to draw it back in her own bow. Yet, when it released, it had barely even hit the tree, being unable to penetrate the bark and falling clumsily to the ground.

Kaguya: "Aww."

Mokou: "Teehee, where were you aiming at, Kaguya?!"

Eirin always appreciated how, besides herself, Mokou had been the only one to hold Kaguya to the same level as her. It seemed as though everyone else in the village were mere slaves by comparison. Still-

Eirin: "Quiet, Mokou. Here, Kaguya, let me help you out like yesterday."

Kaguya: "Right, right."

As with the day before, she went behind Kaguya and put her hand on the others' to help her draw back the arrow.

Eirin: "Look, you have to hold the arrow stable so when you pull it back it's firm, and--"

As she was explaining, she felt something odd on Kaguya's hand. She paused to look at it, and rubbed her thumb against it.

Eirin: "Wood..?"

Kaguya: "What happened?"

Oblivious to what had been happening, Kaguya dropped her smile as Eirin's eyes went from curiosity to fear. Her smile faded until she begun to grit her teeth and sweat began to form at her head.

Mokou: "What's up, you guys?"

She who had also been oblivious, and unable to see what was happening in front of Kaguya and Eirin's back, called out casually as though nothing was wrong.

But something - something horrible had been wrong.

Eirin: "Kaguya... what is this..?"

She dropped the bow that she had been holding with Kaguya and put her hands onto Kaguya's, who had been struct with confusion.

Eirin: "Kaguya, why has your thumb turned into wood?!"

Emotion filled Eirin's face as she shouted out, alarming Mokou. Yet, Kaguya did not seem distressed. In fact, she had retained her happy face quite well.

Kaguya: "It doesn't hurt, Eirin-nee!"

Her right thumb had turned into wood. It had grown a few lumps here and there, but it did not appear to cause her any pain, something which she reinforced.

Kaguya: "It doesn't hurt or feel weird. It's just numb."

Eirin: "Hk-- Is it anywhere else on your body?! When did this happen?!"

While Eirin had still been filled with fear and worry, Kaguya simply nonchalantly put her hand on her lip and looked up.

Kaguya: "Mmmm... no, it's just that. And it happened this morning when I woke up."

Mokou: "Wait, waitwait, what do you mean her thumb turned to wood?!"

Mokou, who came running over was also filled with worry, but Kaguya worriedly tried to dismiss the tension.

Kaguya: "There's really nothing to worry about, it doesn't hurt at all! Doesn't it look cool?"

She lifted up her thumb and tried to wiggle it around, something that made Mokou wince and Eirin grit her teeth and narrow her eyes harder.

Eirin: "I swear, I will definitely save you."

Immediately afterwards, Eirin cancelled the outine and had the two of them rushed back to her home. There, in a practiced routine, she had Kaguya lay down and attempted to concoct something to treat the new mysterious illness that had been affecting her. Yet still, on the next day when she saw Kaguya at her doorstep, she felt her heart drop in her chest.

While Kaguya looked up without worry in her eyes, Eirin had been the opposite.

Eirin: "Now it's spread to the rest of your fingernails..."

Once again, she racked her brains to try to think of anything she could create to aid her. On that day, she created three different concoctions, and yet nothing.

Eirin: "What if I cut off one of her fingers and have it regrown... No, but that's far too grizzly and risky..."

Pacing around the room as she tried to think, she felt her eyes narrow and sweat drip from her forehead, as memories of the six months of worry and fear she thought she had left behind began to flash in her eyes again.

Even though it did not cause immediate pain, in time she would surely be consumed by this new tree disease, and then what could she do?

Should she attempt to summon that mysterious devil Remilia again? Would that even work? Or perhaps she had been the one responsible for this new disease in the first place--

Stopping as she realized this, her eyes widened and she quickly began to pace around the room, biting her fingernails rampantly as Kaguya watched with worry while sitting on the floor.

Kaguya: "Hey Eirin-nee, do you think I should just go home?"

Because of this, Eirin paused her pacing and looked at Kaguya with silent confusion. Kaguya herself had been quite worried, watching her act like this.

Kaguya: "I mean, it seems like this kind of thing only happens after I'm with you."

Eirin: "Kaguya..."

Hearing this, Eirin dropped to her knees and began to scorn. She scorned the world for allowing this to happen to Kaguya, and scorned herself for being too foolish to help her.

Kaguya: "I don't like watching Eirin-nee tear herself apart to help me, so I think maybe we shouldn't play together anymore. That way, I'll probably get better."

Hearing this, Eirin's heart sunk into the abyss, and she grit her teeth with sorrowed eyes.

Eirin: "It won't work, Kaguya..."

Speaking with a weak, broken, trembling voice, she had lost sight of what she was even doing.

Eirin: "It's already too late... the more you think of me, the more you'll get worse... it's too late..."

That was when an idea had popped itself into her mind: She had to make Kaguya Houraisan forget about Eirin Yagokoro. From then on, she must escape and never be spoken of again. She would undoubtably be spoken of, so that meant she had to make everyone in Lunaria forget about her.

She must be forgotten by the world to save Kaguya Houraisan.

It was a monsterous idea she was not sure if she could even do. By creating a drug and poisoning the water supply, it might work for the rest of the villagers, but she had been unable to treat Kaguya and solely Kaguya. Who knew if that would even work?

She felt herself hitting a dead end, and her eyes widened even more. She began to look down and chew on her fingernails more and more, trying to think of any other possible ideas. It was to the point where they began to bleed, but she didn't care. The more injured she got, the more of a punishment it would serve as for her incompetence.

Eirin: "Because I can't save the only one..."

Kaguya: "Hey, Eirin-nee..."

Eirin looked up at Kaguya's face, who remained eternally tranquil and calm, as though nothing had been wrong.

Whenever she had been afflicted by a disease or hurt, she had never been worried in the slightest.

Coming to that realization, Eirin again widened her blue eyes.

Kaguya: "I love you."

Eirin: "What..?"

Kaguya: "I love being with you. You and Mokou both showed me that there's more to the world than Tsukuyomi's purity and protection. Every moment I spent with you, every instant, felt like an eternity. That's why... please don't be afraid."

Eirin: "What? What?"

Kaguya, remaining ever tranquil, confessed her sisterly love to Eirin, who had been completely unable to comprehend what had been happening.

Kaguya: "Please don't be afraid, because, we will be connected together, for eternity. Because, I love you, Eirin-nee. No, Eirin Yagokoro."

And with that, Kaguya embraced Eirin. It had been the warmest embrace of her life. For just this instant, she felt as though she had been forever at ease. It had been the warmest feeling in the world, as though heaven and all its virtues had been bestowed upon her.

And between the eternal and instantaneous, Eirin came to an understanding. That was why, for the second time in her life, she let tears fall from her face as she returned Kaguya's embrace.

Whenever Eirin would cry, it would symbolize a turning point in her life.

And that was why she wanted to be, forever like this.

Eirin: "My... Kaguya... my... most precious..."

Sobbing loudly as tears and snot ran down her face, Kaguya smiled calmly and pet her on the back as she laid her chin on her shoulder.

Kaguya: "There, there.. you've worked so hard."

The most gentle voice in the world from the most beautiful girl in the world - that had been exclusively Eirin's right.

Eirin: "Kaguyaaaaaaa!!"

The two sat and comforted each other for a long time, as Mokou silently looked on. Jealousy did not overtake her, nor did sadness. And yet, she still felt unsatisfied.

Mokou: "Because... I wanted to be forever like this too..."

Even though her and Kaguya would constantly be bickering and fighting about something, she and Eirin had been the only ones to unquestionably welcome her in their own way. And they had been the only ones to have been with her this entire time, when even her family and the rest of the village could not.

That was why--

Mokou: "Eirin, you definitely have to save Kaguya, no matter what."

With that, she walked away in annoyance, going away somewhere unknown even for her.

. . . . .

The next day, Kaguya did not come to visit Eirin. It went without saying that this worried her, but she did not have the time for that. Yesterday she had been an emotional wreck and had been unable to think of anything the entire day. Today was the day that she had to use to rectify that.

Medicine and spirituality had been out of the question at this point. Attempting to force everyone to forget about her would also not work. Additionally, this time she would not be so eager to attempt to take her own life. But now, there had been very few options left.

Cutting off Kaguya's infected body parts and then restoring them had still been a possibility, but she quickly shook that idea away. It had been far too inhumane and she felt it wouldn't work anyways, but she would keep it in the back of her mind regardless.

Additionally, by touching it, she had felt the wood on her fingers was real, bona-fide wood. Not some recreation, and it was spreading.

Eirin: "It's like a parasite that takes over its host..."

But she had already attempted to use materials used against parasites in her previous medicines, and those didn't work. Just then, an idea came into her mind again.

Eirin: "That blood..."

The blood that had been given to her by Remilia Scarlet, that had granted her 'greatest wish.' She doubted she would be able to summon her again like last time, and thus the only option now had been to recreate it from scratch.

But this would not be so simple.

It had already been a few days since that had passed. She had been clouded by her emotions and time constraints to attempt to study the blood, so she would have to recreate it from scratch. Even for her, that was a task that proved next to impossible.

Eirin: "In the first place, I know precious little about demons or monsters of any kind..."

Monsters and demons were, as were par for the course, considered impure, and Tsukuyomi had claimed the natural purity of the village location, the reason they had established themselves here in the first place, and the efforts of himself and the citizens to retain purity, had warded them off. Thus, Eirin had not seen any of the mythological youkai a single time, with the exception of Remilia. She had never even been scared of anything going bump in the night.

Thus, she concluded, the best way to get a lead would be to visit Kaguya. Perhaps the vial had been kept with barely a drop of blood left, or maybe she would be able to harvest some from a prick of Kaguya's finger. Thus, she left the house and hurried over to the temple.

The first problem came when she was barred from entering the temple of Tsukuyomi where Kaguya had been kept. The two guards, tall strong men that easily dwarfed the young girl, pointed their spears at her neck.

Eirin: "Hk--!! What are you doing?!"

Guard 1: "It is your fault that once again the princess is sick!"

Guard 2: "Step away, impure dog!!"

Barking at her as though she were a cockroach, they put the tips of their spears up to her neck.

Eirin: "But I need to see her to treat her!"

Tsukuyomi: "That will not be necessary."

Stepping in from behind, the lord of the village entered seeming upset.

Eirin: "Do you want her to die?!"

Tsukuyomi: "No. That is why you are not allowed to visit her. You have proven yourself to be an impure soul. You should be thankful your head has not been lopped off yet."

Eirin: "I'm telling you, I can fix her if you give me a chance!"

Tsukuyomi: "How many chances have you been given, already? Every time, you have proven yourself to be impure and a poor influence. Leave my vicinity at once."

Eirin gasped, and filled her face with anger. From there, she ran away. Back to the training ground. Back to where she met Remilia.

Arriving there after sprinting all the way, she had been sweaty and out of breath, but regardless gathered as much of her energy as she could.

Eirin: "DO YOU HEAR ME, REMILIA SCARLET?! I DEMAND ANSWERS!"

She shouted up at the sky, as loudly as she possible could. And yet, silence.

Eirin: "This-- this isn't my 'greatest wish!' Do you hear me?!"

More silence. At that point, Eirin sighed and cursed herself. The rest would be up to her now.

Her reputation in the village immediately tanked, but she didn't care. At least this time, Mokou had been more cooperative. Over the next few weeks, Eirin tried to recreate Remilia's blood from scratch by force. She harvested the blood of a bat and mixed it with some herbs to splash on a tree - which succeeded in precious little. She tried many, many other combinations as well. Bat blood plus lizard blood, fish and rabbits. Tree sap and bat blood. Nothing seemed to give promise.

Of course, it also did not help that she had been forbidden from seeing Kaguya, or even sending anything to her.

A week of this had passed, and Eirin and Mokou grew desperate.

Eirin: "As of now, I would imagine that the wood would have spreaded to her chest now, or worse."

Mokou: "..."

The two of them sat desperately on the usual tree stump they had always sat on, looking down in glumness. Bloodstains from the various animal experiments had been commonplace around the area, yet it didn't really matter to them.

Eirin: "Mokou... I don't know what to do."

Mokou: "Hk-- But you can't give up now!"

Pleading to her with some disgust and desperation with her eyes, as Eirin turned, she didn't know how to respond.

Eirin: "I know... but I'm truly at a loss."

Mokou lacked the skill, talent, or intelligence that Eirin had. And yet still, she wanted to help in any way she could. Because she, too, loved Kaguya.

Eirin: "Let's go to the forest. I'll think of something."

Mokou: "Right."

The two hopped off, and wandered into a nearby bamboo forest. Truthfully, Eirin didn't know what to collect, but she figured she should do something there anyways. It was better than sitting around and feeling sorry for herself.

After all, at this rate, who knew how close to death Kaguya was.

Within the forest, Eirin and Mokou gathered bamboo chutes, nuts, anything that looked potentially useful. It was not particularly material they thought would help, but they had been out of options.

Eirin looked down at her hand at a bamboo chute. Inexplicably, her mind began to wander.

Eirin: "What if I just ate this now..."

Just then, she heard a rustling in the bushes. Mokou and Tewi turned around, and out came a rabbit.

But it had not been any ordinary rabbit. It had been a girl of about their size, wearing a simple pink dress. White rabbit ears lay on her short brown hair.

Tewi: "I suppose you two are the ones that have been hunting down my bretheren, huh?"

Mokou: "--Hk?! What are you?!"

Eirin: "...A youkai?"

While Mokou had been shocked by the casual entrance, Eirin only studied it.

Tewi: "Why don't you two little girls go back to where you came from? It's not nice for you two to be out here in our territory."

She cocked her head with a slight smile, and Mokou felt the immediate need to defend herself.

Mokou: "W-Who are you?! Monster! Who are you to be calling us and talking to us as though you're older than us?"

Eirin, on the other hand, sighed and took a different approach. First, she gave a bow.

Eirin: "I apologize for harming your kind, miss rabbit youkai. However, we need materials to save a precious person to us. We won't bother you anymore."

Tewi: "Hmm..."

Eirin: "..."

Mokou: "..."

Quietness and awkwardness filled the air, and yet Tewi grinned and chuckled.

Tewi: "Well, if it's for something like that, I can lend you a hand."

Eirin: "Seriously?"

She looked up with surprise in her eyes, along with Mokou who opened her mouth.

Tewi: "Sure, just give me your hand."

It was a rather vague command, and Eirin knew not the purpose of it. Still, she decided to swallow and accept the request, slowly stretching out her hand to Tewi at Mokou's fear. Tewi smiled as she reached her hands out to cup Eirin's own, and at once, a warm sensation took over Eirin's arm. After a few seconds, Tewi let go and Eirin looked at her hand in wonder.

Eirin: "What, exactly, did you do?"

Tewi: "I can't really help much with saving people, but I can give good luck to humans like you. Believe me, you'll need it tonight."

Eirin: "Eh, tonight?"

While Tewi looked proud, with her hands on her hips, Eirin remained confused.

Tewi: "Better not spoil ya. Well, later."

Going as quickly as she came, she hopped away into the bushed and left somewhere behind all the bamboo, not replying to Eirin's call to wait up. Afterwards, Eirin and Mokou both looked at each other with a confused frown.

Mokou: "...What was that all about?"

Eirin, in response, shrugged and gave a frown.

The two girls then went back to Eirin's home, where they tried to think of what to do. Eirin attempted to use her newfound good luck to concoct a medicine - but it failed as per usual. As she sighed from the failure, Mokou looked up at her and asked.

Mokou: "Hey Eirin, doesn't it feel like something bad's gonna happen tonight?"

Eirin: "What do you mean?"

Cocking her head in confusion, she tried to go back to trying a new combination of blood replicant.

Mokou: "I mean, today's supposed to be a full moon, right? Aren't people usually strange on full moons?"

Eirin: "I mean, the village may hate my guts, but I don't think anything special would happen just because of a full moon."

The last time there had been a full moon was when Eirin had met Remilia. That gave her a faint hope that she might get the opportunity to save Kaguya this time, but she tried not to let herself rely on that vain hope.

Mokou: "I don't know. After what that rabbit girl said, I'm worried."

Eirin: "Mm.. Stay vigilant then. I'll protect you if anything - or maybe you would be better off keeping your distance from me."

Mokou: "Why's that?"

Eirin: "Well, if the village were to go crazy, it would be me they want, not you."

Mokou: "Even though I'm an outsider?"

Eirin: "Well, who knows. But you've done well to keep your head out of trouble. That's also thanks to me helping cover for you and hide you whenever you and Kaguya would scuffle, though, so you owe me."

Bantering gently while smiling slightly, Eirin continued to do her work. From that responde, Mokou held a complicated emotion on her face, and then relaxed it.

Mokou: "...Right. I hope it can go back to being that simple soon..."

Eirin: "...Yeah."

After that, a few hours had passed. Eirin had been mulling over thoughts while ceaselessly trying to create a blood replicant. In particular, her mind began to wander to the events of a month ago.

Kaguya: "Every moment I spent with you, every instant, felt like an eternity. That's why... please don't be afraid."

That line had cemented itself within Eirin, and she dwelled on it as she mixed. But now, she had attempted to think about it more and more.

Eirin: "Instant... eternity... instant... eternity..."

Fumbling over those words in her mouth, she immediately paused, eyes widened, and stopped whatever she was doing.

Eirin: "That's it..."

She stood and looked at Mokou, who had been caught by surprise.

Mokou: "What? What?"

Eirin: "I realized something! I can't cure Kaguya on my own!"

Mokou: "...Hah?"

Her eyes also widened, she didn't know how to react to Eirin's proposition.

Eirin: "We cannot reach 'eternity' without the 'instants!' I need Kaguya to help me make the perfect medicine! We can cure Kaguya!"

Mokou: "Wait, wait! But you can't even enter the temple! How will you get to her?"

Eirin: "Don't underestimate me!"

She quickly ran over to where her beloved longbow and quiver was, gathered some medicinal materials into a small napsack, and took Mokou's hands to run out without explaining any kind of plan.

. . . . .

The sun had started to set, bathing the world in orange. As had been expected, tonight's night held a full moon - a moon that seemed larger and brighter than usual.

The temple in which Tsukuyomi and Kaguya made their abode had been at the edge of the village. That meant that they could easily sneak around behind it and intrude into Kaguya's room - otherwise called the Princess's chamber.

Eirin: "I know exactly what I'm doing, so just let me know if anyone shows up, alright?"

At the edge of a backdoor, Eirin instructed the nervous Mokou so.

Mokou: "But what will I do?:

Eirin: "Just do anything and I'll understand."

And with those vague directions, Eirin quietly opened the door and began sneaking around. Interestingly, as she looked through the hallways, the courtyard, and every room, nobody had been home. In fact, the village in general seemed to be rather quiet today, but that was none of her business. Instead, she concentrated solely on finding Kaguya.

Eirin: "Kaguya, please be here..."

Whispering quietly to herself as she looked around, she found a door with ornate decorations on it. In her mind, this had to have been Kaguya's room. She made sure the coast was clear, and slowly opened the door. . .

Kaguya Houraisan had not been inside the room. What lay inside was a large dark mass, obscured by the lack of light. It spread out in a vaguely cone-like shape, but with muscly, bulbuous appendages lining it and strange thin things sticking out of it. And yet, the shortbow hung on the wall proved undeniably what it had been.

Eirin: "Kaguya..?"

Weakness in her voice as worry filled her eyes, she slowly walked in. For the first time in her life, Eirin felt fear and worry for what hid in the darkness.

Slowly circling around to where she could observe it better, it became clear what she had been looking at.

Eirin: "It's a tree..."

Any hope or confidence she had immediately left her body, as her voice cracked and her hands began trembling and filling with sweat. Yet, she could not stop her twitching eyes from staying open, nor her legs from moving.

At last, circling to the "front," she saw a face that she had so longed for, yet did not want to see so much.

Eirin: "Kaguya..."

Collapsing to her knees, she looked up at the abomination. It had only been Kaguya's face within the tree, with nothing else visible. She had just been asleep, now opening her eyes and looking down at Eirin with a gentle smile.

Kaguya: "Ei-- i--"

It was a voice unrecognizable to Kaguya. It was a body unrecognizable to Kaguya. To say the damage had been worse than she imagined would be the worst understatement in history. She had nearly broken through the roof.

Eirin: "Hk-- I can still save you, Kaguya! Don't speak! I realized what you meant! B-By combining your 'instantaneous' with my 'eternity,' we can be together, forever! I have everything ready! Just... tell me what to do!"

Gritting her teeth as she contradicted herself and stood, she quickly tried to reach for her ingredients. A bottle and a few miscellanious things.

Kaguya: "--- ---ea--"

Eirin: "Kaguya..?"

While she began to make some sounds which Eirin could not understand, a voice called from the hallway.

Mokou: "--coming!!"

Eirin: "Damnit."

She quickly ran to close the door she came in from and hid away in the corner, beside Kaguya. Cursing under her breath, she tried to think of what to do when she looked up at her face.

Eirin: "Tears..."

Eirin had never seen Kaguya cry before. She remembered how even Tsukuyomi would brag about she had never cried, even as a baby, just like Eirin. Yet now, here she had been, with tears streaming down the rest of her face.

It was a sight that made Eirin want to act her age, to cry and shout and scream and complain. That her most precious sister had shed tears for the first time in her life. But now, she was unable to do that. Because Kaguya had been crying quietly.

As soon as she realized this, a glimmer of hope shone within Eirin. Because it proved that Kaguya still had a conscious, and still cared for Eirin's safety, even in her current state.

Eirin: "Kaguya..."

But she could not stay happy for long. Because it was clear that Kaguya would not simply be crying for the sake of crying, or because she was sad, or even because she was relieved to see Eirin. She would simply not do such a thing. Thus, it had to be a message.

That was why Eirin quickly stood and ran up to Kaguya's face. Within the bottle she bought along, she collected as many of the tears as possible. Yet just in the middle of it, the door to the princess's chamber opened, and in ran a man that Eirin had been all too familiar with.

Tsukuyomi: "Get away from the princess."

Holding out his beloved spear, he similarly had many of his personal guards behind him. In addition, the trio of the young Sagume, Toyohime and Yorihime had been at his side, the latter with a sword in hand. Even still, Eirin did not cower. She simply scrunched up her face and closed her jar full of tears.

Eirin: "I will ask you again: Do you want Kaguya to die? Or do you want me to save her?"

Tsukuyomi: "You impure scum. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Within the past month, Tsukuyomi hatched a plan. Once he noticed Kaguya's gradual turning into a tree, and Eirin's inability to save her, she decided that it had been Eirin who had been the root of all his problems. It was Eirin that had been corrupting Kaguya, implanting impurities in what was supposed to be the purest person in the world. Thus, he would kill her.

And yet, it would not be that simple. He could not simply kill Eirin if he tried, even if he had been over five times her age and twice her height. That was because Eirin was the most dangerous person in the village, and perhaps even Japan.

Tsukuyomi: "You see... I've been paying attention to you for a long time. No matter what I thought of, I'm dead sure you'd live somehow. But, no matter how cunning you might be, you can't win against all of us. The collective of Pure Lunaria shall stamp out any impurities that threaten our way of being."

Eirin: "...Are you serious?"

Tsukuyomi: "You destroyed our princess, and if left unchecked you'll destroy the rest of us too. That's the kind of monster you are."

Eirin's blue eyes twitched in surprise, and yet she had to think.

Eirin: "Uncle... I don't think you're thinking straight."

Tsukuyomi: "Quiet!"

He threw the spear with a speed Eirin had never seen before, just barely missing as she dodged and lodging itself into the wall behind her. At once, all the residents of the village, the Lunarians, began to charge for Eirin at once. Yet, she had expected this. Her speaking had been a trap, and she used it to immediately plan an escape route.

With the jar in her hands, she jumped out of one of the closed windows and began to run for it. While she could only hope Mokou was alright, she had no time to check on her. The priority had been saving herself and saving Kaguya.

With Kaguya's tears in the jar in her hands, all she needed was a few moments. A few moments to concoct an elixir, and reunite with Kaguya. After that, she could deal with the rest.

Even so, her short legs could only get her so far. She ran like hell, and yet the rest of the citizens had been on her tail. Her blue dress fluttering in the wind, she ducked, weaved, and motioned around each village corridor as she could. She used her meager strength to climb on top of houses and under balconies. All the while, she had dodged projectiles, sword attacks, and grabbing hands.

Though she had been doing impressively well, running for a few moments as the sun finally set and darkness began to overtake the night, she quickly grew tired. After all, she had just been a little girl.

She found a brief moment of respite behind a house, as she heard the villagers discuss amongst themselves where she might be.

Villager 1: "Where's the impure one?"

Villager 2: "Let's split up and find her?"

She had even heard her mother and father amongst those voices, but she didn't care. All that mattered right now was the elixir.

Panting with bated breath, she set down the jar and began working.

Kaguya's tears had not been the only thing Eirin had taken. On her walls had been five of the mythical items she had told Eirin about in the past. A jeweled branch of Hourai, the stone begging bowl of India's Buddha, the robe of the fire-rat of China, and the cowry treasure of Swallows. She had taken a piece of each of them, alongside the shortbow Subaru that had been at Kaguya's side, and added them into the jar. Next, she used one of her arrows to prick her finger open, allowing her blood to spill into the jar.

Truthfully, it did not matter what Eirin had added into her medicines. As long as it were made by her, it would work. Yet for Kaguya, it had been different. It likely mattered not whether the content of the medicine had been actually medicinal, or whether it would be random nonsense. Yet, Eirin was certain of one fact that she had just recognized.

Accepting the blood from a demon, had been a mistake. It had been the easy way out, and not what Kaguya would have wanted. That was why Eirin had been punished.

She added Kaguya's sorrow - a sorrow that had meant all her care for Eirin. Next, she added all the legendary items that Kaguya had refused. That she had refused riches and purity, and instead wanted to pursue her own wishes. Next, a symbol of her and Eirin's love, an eternal symbol of their kinship. And finally, a sign of Eirin's devotion to Kaguya. That she would risk such harm in the instant to be with her for eternity.

Eirin closed the lid, and shook it with force. Each hard item she had added had permeated into the liquid and become one.

Eirin: "The Hourai Elixir, is complete...!"

At last, the medicine she had tried to desperately to make, had been complete. This was not like the others, which had been half-assed attempts to try to abuse her freakish ability to make her inconveniences go away.

It had been a shining testament of her love and devotion to Kaguya Houraisan. And she would deliver it flawlessly.

Tsukuyomi: "The Moon is watching."

And with that, he struck down with his spear and shattered the jar containing the Hourai Elixir.

. . . . .

Tsukuyomi had always spoken of the moon as its own entity. He valued it above his mother, and frequently proclaimed that Princess Kaguya had been sent from the moon. After all, his final dream for Lunaria had been to ascend to the moon. Hence the namesake.

The remains of the elixir seeped into the dirt at Eirin's knees, and she had stared dumbfoundedly into the ground as Tsukuyomi watched.

Once again, she had failed. She had been caught off guard by her emotions, and now her masterpiece - her final creation, was being fed to the worms in the earth below. All the while, Tsukuyomi scratched his eye as he held his spear to the petrified Eirin's head.

Tsukuyomi: "You know, I would have liked to given you the title 'Brain of the Moon' some day."

Eirin: "..."

Tsukuyomi: "You're the freakiest ten-year old girl I've ever seen for sure. Though, I guess in the quest for purity, not everything can work out."

Eirin: "..."

Tsukuyomi: "If you didn't want to get hunted down like this, why did you sully the princess?"

Eirin: "..."

Tsukuyomi: "Speak!"

However, Eirin did not speak. Instead, she did something far more unexpected. She lowered her face into the ground, and began to eat the dirt where the Hourai Elixir had spilled. A response that had revolted Tsukuyomi.

Tsukuyomi: "What the hell are you doing, animal?!"

With a face of pure disgust, he stabbed his spear directly into Eirin's back as she fed on the dirt. It pierced through her, blood spilling out and staining the floor, and she collapsed without a sound or movement.

Tsukuyomi: "Really... what a headache."

He eerily stared at her corpse for a few moments, before sighing and removing his spear from her back. It had been an anticlimactic end for sure, but he was just happy it was done and over with. Now it had just been time to report back to the rest. He turned his back and began walking off.

Eirin: "Logically speaking, wouldn't it be wiser to make sure I have died?"

Tsukuyomi: "Ah?"

Before he could even process this information and turn around, he had been felled. He lost control in his legs, and his face met the dirt where he had just knocked Eirin into.

Pain.

Pain filled his legs, his body. A pain he never knew before, a different kind of pain. It was scary. It made him cry out. It made him feel like warmth and purity was being taken from him.

He rolled and looked up to his side to see Eirin, the ten year old girl with white hair and a blue dress, staring down at him with her longbow in hand.

Tsukuyomi: "H-How..?"

Eirin: "If you haven't even thought of a way to cheat death in your pursuit for your so-called 'purity,' were you even really devoted in the first place?"

With that, she reached her arm behind and plucked out another arrow from her quiver, closing one of her grey eyes, and aiming it at Tsukuyomi's forehead.

Tsukuyomi: "W-Wait! Wait, wait! What are you doing?!"

Eirin: "Isn't that obvious? You killed me, so I have to return the favor. Aren't the basics of fairness one of the fundamental concepts of purity, 'uncle?'"

Tsukuyomi: "Wait! But you're impure! S-So, how?!"

Eirin: "'How,' you ask? It's simple: I failed. So, I gave up on trying to save anyone. That includes you."

Tsukuyomi: "B-But you c-can't kill me! I am pure! I am the one who will save all of us!"

Eirin: "It's getting really annoying to hear a forty-something year old man beg for forgiveness to a little girl."

And with that, she released her arrow. At what was essentially point-blank distance, the arrow pierced into Tsukuyomi's right eye, penetrating his brain, therefore killing him instantly. His blood splashed across Eirin's blue dress, staining the left part of her chest red and it spread to the right part of her skirt.

She had taken a human life for the very first time, and yet she felt nothing. Her once bright blue eyes turned grey, her blue dress turned half red, she felt her last bits of humanity leave herself.

She had failed, therefore this had no longer been solely about saving Kaguya.

Everyone threatened her and Kaguya's peace, thus she would end them all.

Everyone ruined the opportunity to save Kaguya, and because of that, she would end them all.

As she walked over and retrieved the bloodied arrow from Tsukuyomi's corpse, she noted that her back no longer felt any pain. Immediately, she understood why that was.

Eirin: "The first sip, made me an alien to old age. The second, made me a stranger to disease. The third, married my soul to my body."

As she loaded the arrow with eyes filled with complex emotions, she began to recognized the fact that she had now become immortal. The elixir had changed itself in that moment, to suit what she most truly desired.

No matter what calamity struck her, no matter how sharp a sword or powerful an explosion, no matter how devastating a tsunami or storm, she would not die. So long as there existed even a morsel of a skin cell or a hair strand that would be associated with Eirin left in existence, she would not die. Therefore, she would no longer be human.

Eirin: "Therefore, why bother caring for the preservation of human lives. Isn't that right, Aldebaran?"

Looking down at her bow, which had been nicknamed after the following star of the Pleiades, she revealed herself to the rest of the Lunarians.

Villager 1: "Oi, there's the impure one! She's covered in blood!"

Villager 2: "But she looks fine! Isn't that where Lord Tsukuyomi was?!"

Villager 3: "Ahh, who cares. Just get her!!"

The Lunarians would charge at Eirin, who stayed put. Only, without hesitation, she readied her bow and arrow and aimed.

Eirin: "You know, I'm really tired of you all dragging me down."

Every time they had judged her as though they had been above her, as though they knew what she had gone through, she would burn it all away. One, by one, by one.

. . . . .

Eirin calmly plucked a bloodied arrow out of a corpse, and looked around. It had been just ten minutes, and yet the village had gone quiet. In that time, she had killed every single member of the village with her Aldebaran. Whether it be by shooting them in the heart, neck, or eye, she had done it in one shot without fail. Furthermore, she had not been grazed even once during what should have been an obvious, one-sided fight, though even if it did, it would not last.

She had been coated in red. Red that coated her bow. Red that coated the ground. Red that coated the sea of corpses at her feet. She felt not one bit of remorse for causing all this red, only satisfaction that it had now been over, thus giving a sigh and putting away her bow.

Standing in the middle of the street, amongst all the corpses, with blood on her cheek and pain in her eyes, had been one of the only two people that Eirin had left alive.

Mokou: "...Who are you?"

Eirin: "..."

While Mokou attempted to shout it out, it came out weak. Eirin looked down at the ground in response, at all the dead bodies around her. She wiped some blood from her face, and looked at it.

Mokou: "You... You aren't Eirin!!"

With tears in her eyes, she found the strength in her voice, screaming out. Yet Eirin's expression did not change.

Eirin: "Nobody will hurt us anymore. Nobody will hurt Kaguya anymore."

Mokou: "You were supposed to save Kaguya! What... What is this! What is this, you monster?!"

While Eirin remained calm, Mokou began to cry as tears escaped her eyes.

Eirin: "I suppose... we wouldn't be on the same wavelength any more either."

Muttering quietly to herself, she turned around and began to walk back. She wondered if Kaguya would hate her too.

Mokou: "Wh-Where are you going?!"

Eirin: "I'm going to see if I can still save Kaguya."

She turned around and responded casually. A response that enraged Mokou.

As a result, Mokou sprinted. She screamed and stepped over everyone's corpses, just to run towards Eirin. She attempted to punch her in the face, and missed, falling to the ground in the pool of blood.

Eirin: "What are you doing?"

Mokou: "Hk--! Don't! Don't even look at Kaguya! Don't touch her! Don't look at her! Don't think of her!"

Eirin: "What?"

Mokou picked herself up from the pool of blood, her face now covered with it, along with tears and snot and dirt, and she screamed up at Eirin, much to her confusement.

Mokou: "Y-You don't deserve it! You're a monster! I'll protect Kaguya even if it meant killing you!"

She stumbled as she attempted to stand, trying to tackle Eirin to the ground. Yet it was pointless, and Eirin punched her to the back, making her fall to the ground.

Mokou: "I-I- I am.. the only- one... who can s-s-save her n~now..!"

Eirin: "Stay quiet. You don't even make sense anymore."

While Mokou increasingly became emotional, full of tears, sniffling and sobbing, Eirin simply looked down worriedly at her. Then, at once, the ground began shaking. It was a motion that confused both Eirin and Mokou, who looked around in confusion.

One by one, chutes of bamboo began to rise from the ground. However, it had not been the ground they were rising from; it had been the corpses. A field of bamboo chutes that destroyed the corpses and sucked them dry, rose high into the air as Mokou and Eirin moved out of the way in confusion.

Mokou: "What is this?!"

A new rumbling had been heard, and the two looked to their right, where the temple had been. The walls of the temple had been destroyed, with massive tree roots growing out of them. The top met a similar fate, with a collossal oak tree now rising up high into the sky, growing at rapid pace, just as the bamboo chutes.

Eirin & Mokou: "Kaguya?!"

The two tried to rush over, but it had been too late. They were pushed back by the debris that were launched at them at a high force, knocking them to the ground. While Eirin had been fine, Mokou was knocked unconscious, her face bleeding.

Eirin: "--Hk!!"

Mokou was one of the few people Eirin would still care for. Having her take damage would not be ideal. However, right now, what had occupied her had been the tree.

'Kaguya' had grown far, far too large. The land around them began to bulge downwards to form a depression, and the top of the tree had grown so tall she was now unable to see the top. Anything and everything that had been in the temple was irreperably lost. That had been when Eirin finally realized, once and for all:

Eirin, had been unable to save Kaguya.

Eirin, had been unable to save Mokou.

Eirin, had been unable to save even Eirin.

Eirin: "This--!! This isn't what I had asked for!!"

Screaming out as this realization hit her, with an unconscious Mokou in her arms, she stared at the huge tree with tears in her eyes. What more, could she do?

She had been immortal, unable to die, unable to age. It had been too late for her to kill herself now. The only option left... what would it be.

'Remilia': "Are you thinking of trying to save her, even now?"

Eirin: "--Hk!"

She turned around to see the impossibly overwhelming demon standing beside her, scaling the huge tree with her eyes and a smile.

'Remilia': "You should know that's impossible. There's nothing more you can do."

Eirin: "Why?!"

'Remilia': "That girl was cursed to always die whenever she found love, from the beginning of her birth. We needed that one, but if I simply took it from her out of the goodness of my heart, that would disrupt our future plans. Thus, I preformed 'equivalent exchange.'"

Eirin: "Curse...? Equivalent exchange...?"

'Remilia': "Within your life, you will always encounter certain events that you cannot avoid no matter what you try. In this girls' case, she was destined to always face tragedy after finding her happiness. That happiness is you, Eirin Yagokoro."

Eirin: "Me..?"

'Remilia': "That is, what is known as 'fate.' It is unavoidable even by the strongest ability or the smartest mind. Only I and I alone have the authority to overturn it."

Eirin: "Then--!!"

'Remilia': "I shall not help you."

While Eirin attempted to plead with Remilia, she was immediately shot down, forcing her to widen her eyes.

'Remilia': "You see, I am fated to always be at odds with you. And now, my work is done. I simply came by to see its fruits."

Eirin: "Your 'work'..?"

'Remilia': "I would argue that creating such a powerful object is better than simply having that girl bleed out to death. After all, it is a testament to your devotion. And your failure."

Eirin: "Hk--!"

Provoked, she grabbed her bow and quickly attempted to fire off a shot at Remilia, who caught the arrow in her fingers and snapped it without batting an eye.

'Remilia': "That Earth Rabbit's luck certainly did its work. As I am in a good mood, I shall spare you some excess pain."

Eirin: "...I hate you."

'Remilia': "I am quite fond of you too."

Eirin: "...Huh?"

This, again Eirin did not expect. Her angered eyes not dropped to confusion.

'Remilia': "In the end, you were the same as the others. You put that girl on a pedestal, not allowing her a natural death. When you failed to save her anyway, you took the blame out on everyone else, as they were the ones in the wrong and not you."

Eirin: "..."

She had no response. Absolutely nothing to say to that.

'Remilia': "And that is... quite prideful, is it not?"

Eirin grit her teeth, looking away from Remilia, as she could not bare to look at her.

'Remilia': "Furthermore, you had believed your skill and intelligence to be infallible. Because everyone had been below you, you had been the only one that could be correct. I believe the Apostle of Vaingloria would be quite happy."

Eirin: "...I don't want to hear any more."

She picked up Mokou's unconscious body, and began to walk away. Away from the one who exposed her for who she really is. Away from her sins.

'Remilia': "I shall take my leave now, however I must inform you that your plan indeed succeeded. You saved yourself, that girl in the tree, and that girl in your hands."

Eirin: "What?"

'Remilia': "The root network of this bamboo and that girl are connected. So that girl has already absorbed all the elixir she needed to be the same as you."

Eirin: "..."

'Remilia': "As for the girl in your arms, during your scuffle in the shadows, she fell in the same spot where your elixir was spilt, and ate a faceful of dirt. That, too, put her on the same level as you."

Eirin: "...You're lying."

'Remilia': "It is fated for the three of you to attain immortality, no matter what. There was a fourth woman, but... hmm..."

It was at this point, that Eirin lost her will to continue. Her knees fell to the ground, and it was at this point she had no idea what to do. When she looked down at Mokou, she saw her wounds had already recovered. There was no lie in what Remilia had said.

'Remilia': "In any case, I shall now take my leave. Though, our paths will not end here. In who knows how long, we shall meet again."

Eirin: "...Hk"

'Remilia': "Take care of yourself, Eirin Yagokoro."

After that, she disappeared, and Eirin was left alone in the world. She had nowhere to go, and nobody to talk to. She sat, staring down, sobbing quietly, mourning, her sins beginning to weigh on her.

. . . . .

As for what happened afterwards, the corpses of the villagers were eaten by local animals and the bamboo spread throughout the general area. The bedrock below where Kaguya's tree was had been unsuited to support such a heavy structure, and therefore the tree sunk hundreds of meters before finding stability over the course of a millenia. The area would become a local cursed spot where travelers would get lost, though the tree would become a local legend. In time, it was transferred in its entirety to Gensokyo for the vast amount of youkai that lived there.

Tewi would stay in contact with the two of Eirin and Mokou. She had been friendly each time, but the two weren't especially fond of her. Even now, she remains as though nothing had ever happened, occasionally granting good luck to the occasional passerby, but mostly enjoying her life.

Mokou would awake the next day. She and Eirin would never be on friendly terms again. Though she would never leave Japan, decades would pass where she and Eirin would not so much as even make eye contact. Mokou would have her own regrets about attaining immortality, but would eventually somewhat come to terms with it.

Likewise, she eventually gave up on her dream of ever seeing Kaguya, as a human, again. She accepted that it would be impossible no matter what, yet remained in the area regardless. She tried many aspects of life and became proficient in fire magic like she had always wanted to, and yet held no aspirations for life; something that had been represented by her hair having gone white.

It had been difficult to make friends when you out-lived everyone else. Impossible to connect to anyone as a human, and yet unable to talk to humans as they died so soon after meeting her, she became a recluse.

As for Eirin, she would become the biggest recluse of all. Unable to accept the events of that night, she had been mentally broken beyond repair. She would never leave Kaguya's side, residing with her in that abyss where she would constantly be trying different things in vain attempts to save her. When she failed, she punished herself by impaling herself on the bamboo, the bamboo which had been those she had once killed in cold blood.

And yet, nothing would ever work. Though she grew to understand the nature of her Drachenblut, eventually using it to reform her body to more accurately represent her age. Still, she would not do anything else except ceaselessly fail again and again to do anything for Kaguya. The tree would continue to grow, and her heart would stray further and further for her humanity. That was how it would be, and how it always would have been.

Until one day, a certain vampire came into Gensokyo, buried underneath the remains of a car, after fighting one of those who had put her into this mess.

From that day onwards, Eirin Yagokoro decided to try once more, to save Kaguya Houraisan. Because, that had been the purpose of her existence. And because, she could not live without Kaguya.

Eirin: "Kaguya Houraisan... I will definitely save you."

Chapter Text

Eirin, without a single break, and without skipping any details, explained everything from start to finish. As she finished, her 'legs' finally touched the earth at the bottom of the collossal hole. Flandre, who was carrying Medicine, likewise finally landed.

Throughout the entire process, nobody had said a word. Each of them listened intently to the story, and took their time to process and compose themselves upon being let down.

Upon being let down to the ground, Medicine simply stared at the dirt with eyes widened with horror. The horrors that Eirin described served to only fuel her already strong prejudice of humans.

Medicine: "Humans seriously.. are the worst..."

There had been no happy ending. Eirin had taken no steps to hide her own missteps. As such, more questions were raised within Medicine's head.

Medicine: "Is she even... human any more..?"

Quietly muttering to herself, she would try to regain her bearings by looking at her allies.

When she behind looked at Flandre, she appeared to be deep in thought. Her eyes had been flattened, with some sweat on the side of her serious-looking face that was complemented by a frown that made her fangs visible. She had her eyes closed and arms crossed as she took her time to try to sort out her head.

Flandre: "What the heck..?"

She had known all along that Eirin had been someone to be wary of, but this had certainly been outside her expectations to say the least.

Flandre: "No wonder she's all messed up in the head... And, besides, kind of similar to that Meiling girl, huh..?"

She scratched her head slightly and opened her eyes, glancing at Eirin, whos face she could not see. Still pouting, she scratched her head and sighed.

Flandre: "Can't help but feel a little disappointed that she hadn't been talking about my sister of this world, but... I guess it's still something."

Noting to herself that she hadn't been as upset as she could have been, she gave it a moment of thought. While normally, she figured that she would probably call Eirin something mean, kick her, and then reluctantly carry on, she did none of these things. Sure, she had been far from happy, but something about her felt a strange sense of satisfaction - a satisfaction that she could not identify. And that made her flatten her eyebrows more in pout.

Trying to not think about her mixed feelings too much, she tried to look around and absorb the new area. The first place her eyes landed, though, had been on Keine, who looked distinctly sad.

Keine had her arms flat on her sides, and stared into the ground such that her eyes were hard to see. Her mouth remained fixed, as if blank. Anyone could tell, however, she must be feeling torn up inside.

The worst of humanity in full display. Though it had long since passed, undeniably such evil still remains in the world. The grasp of manipulators and their vulnerable followers that corrupts the hearts and souls of the young - that she could not go and put an end to it herself, made her feel weak. Though she understood well the cycle of good and evil, and though she did her best to fight against evil, there would always be something dark in the corner that would rear its ugly head for every good deed.

Keine: "Irredeemable..."

The behavior of Tsukumogami had enraged Keine. That manipulation of others, stripping others of their freedom and will for his own selfish ideologies - there had been many stories of these kinds of people. As it had been, Keine had a morbid curiosity with these kinds of stories, and had read up about such cases in the outside world in her free time. They never failed to enrage her from the bottom of her heart, however. But such feelings would be exponentiated here and now from the firsthand account of someone whom she had personally known and spoken with, someone whom she knew and touched.

But what had also been ireedeemable, was Eirin herself.

Keine: "Do you understand what you have done?!"

Circling around to Eirin's front, she lifted her eyes and hands and put them on Eirin's shoulders, shaking her. Her angered face which displayed emotion that she had not shown before betrayed her ordinarily composed and mature attitude.

Keine: "All those people could have been saved. And yet you decided to kill them all indiscriminately?!"

Eirin did not respond at all to this, only giving a cold, hollow smile as she spaced out at the ground. This only serving to infuriate Keine more, grit her teeth and pushed Eirin away, who continued to act coldly. Keine shut her eyes and balled her fists as she shooked her head, an action that did not go unnoticed by her allies, including Alice.

Alice had been rather quiet this whole time, still attempting to hide her emotions and remain calm. However, anybody could tell from the way her eyes looked that she had been horrified. But it was not because of Eirin or her story that she had been horrified.

She would not allow even herself to understand her feelings.

'Alice': "Because that kind of story just tugs at the heart, doesn't it?"

The apparition which embraced Alice from behind, reared its head to scan the area.

'Alice': "I'll give credit where it's due, not bad holding yourself together."

Alice: "..."

Remaining silent, she ignored the words of her apparition and looked around, scanning the area. From there, she noticed that Medicine had been looking at her with some worry. She forced a smile and waved at her, as if to say she was fine, but Medicine didn't buy it, instead looking away uncomfortably.

Medicine: "Hey, Flan, can you actually see anything down here? I can't even see in front of me."

Flandre: "...Sure can. It looks about the same here as it did outside the forest."

While Alice cringed internally from overhearing Medicine pretending she didn't exist, Medicine was rather surprised and raised her eyebrows as she looked at Flandre, whos back was turned to the rest of the group.

Flandre: "Just a few meters in front of us is the bark of the tree... Kaguya, I guess. But it looks like there's a path that gets big and small around the whole thing. And also..."

Narrowing her eyes as she looked, she hesitated for a moment to continue.

Flandre: "There's 'marks' all around the tree."

Medicine: "Hah?"

Eirin: "The main section is up ahead."

Interjecting and breaking the silence, Eirin walked ahead and drew the spotlight onto herself. Before she went on too far ahead, however, Keine gave her own interjection.

Keine: "Please hold for just a moment. Just where do you think you are you going?"

Eirin paused while walking, and turned to look back at Keine.

Eirin: "As I have already said, the main section is further down the tunnel."

Keine: "Do you mean to say you expect us to go along with you after all of that?!"

Eirin: "..."

The two large women stared each other down as darkness enveloped them, with the other three standing by in silence. Medicine leaned over to Flandre's ear and whispered "I'd never seen Keine like this before," to which Flandre responded with a nod.

Keine: "In the first place, I figured it had been strange that you had lead us this far out of the confines of the village down here, but I had believed in you and persisted in giving you the benefit of the doubt. What a foolish mistake that had been. We have no reason to stay with this murderer any further. Now, let us go."

With a stern and powerful voice, Keine declared her stance with a huff and turned to the others. Eirin, however, gave a shrug and a slight sigh as though she didn't care.

Eirin: "I had more or less expected a response of this caliber. In this instance, you are missing the point of my words. Here you have a lead for your group's goal, and I am in the position to guide you to it. It will be only your choice to do what you will after that fact. To my understanding, I have not requested your guidance or assistance. Surely I would not be wrong in my conjecture that you are not that naive to throw out such a useful lead over your emotions?"

Keine: "..."

Eirin had stared through Keine's soul, the latter scowling - and being ashamed of said scowl. She had been right - this was a solid lead into the masterminds. Putting it to waste would be counterintuitive at best, and destructive and reckless at worst. Thus, Keine had been at a crossroads: Swallow her feelings and carry on, or stick to her principals and leave.

She began to weigh her options, but before she could get far, Flandre perked up from the side.

Flandre: "You think we can really do something with this tree to find the Masterminds?"

Asking such, Eirin pondered for a moment before giving a response.

Eirin: "I would presume it to be a better use of time than continuing to loiter around that burnt mansion."

Flandre: "..."

While Eirin remained silent, she looked over at Medicine, Alice and Keine. Each of them looked back at her, as though waiting to see what she would say.

Medicine: "...As much as this place creeps me out, I don't think it would hurt to try. I mean, we don't really have any other leads outside, right?"

Alice pouted internally upon hearing this, as in fact, she had indeed a seperate idea in mind. The kinks had yet to be finalized, however. That aside, she felt a strange force within her compelling her to stay here. It had not been a pleasant force, but it had not been unpleasant either. It had simply felt right.

Alice: "Normally I don't decide things based on my gut instinct, but if we put it logically, we're already here and, if Eirin's story holds any credibility, I'm sure we can get something from it. I'm not against the idea."

Keine: "You two..."

She looked over to see the two of them begin to nod in agreement, with Alice finally walking forward to join the rest of them. Seeing this as well, Flandre blinked and smiled slightly at Keine."

Flandre: "Don't worry, Keine. She never let up on her rules from earlier. At the first sign, we can still kick her ass, can't we?"

The three of them giving their rough approval, Keine sighed and resigned herself to acceptance. Though, not without the distinct feeling of the pit in her stomach growing.

Keine: "...I understand. I shall lend my full cooperation to the three of you."

Putting her hand over her chest, she rejoined the four of them into 4/5 of a cohesive unit. And, seeing this, Eirin gave the slightest of smiles in satisfaction.

Eirin: "It is pleasant to see the four of you have come to the right decision. I will assure all of you it is perfectly safe here, and I shall give my full assistance in returning you to the surface. Now, while following me, take care to watch your step, for the occasional branch may serve as an obstacle for your feet. Within the 'main section', is one more object of imperative importance. I shall bring you to it."

Going on ahead before waiting for the others, Eirin seemingly disappeared into the darkness for all except Flandre, who sighed and scratched her head.

Medicine: "I think you should go first, Flan, so you can tell us about any bumps."

Flandre: "Right. There she goes, immediately breaking her promises."

With a sigh, she took to the front as Medicine, Alice and Keine formed a line behind her.

Flandre: "Let's go."

Alice: "--I don't believe she will launch any sneak attacks on us, but I will keep my dolls deployed around us just in case."

The three of them nodded, and Flandre began walking, with the others following ahead. While they remained close together, Medicine once again leaned herself and whispered into Flandre's ear.

Medicine: "That was new, huh?"

Flandre: "Keine?"

Medicine: "Yeah. I didn't know she had it in her to act like that."

The truth had been that they would likely have reacted the same way had they cared for humans. However, this was not something that crossed their minds.

Flandre: "Pretty interesting, huh?"

Medicine: "...I guess so."

Not quite the response she had been looking for, she pulled her head back and looked on behind Flandre's head. A short few minutes of walking later, Flandre widened her eyes as she looked up and around.

Alice: "...What is it?"

Flandre: "It opens up a lot here. I guess this is the 'main section' or whatever. Ah, I see her."

Seeing this, she ran up ahead without waiting for the others, causing the three of them to have to catch up with Medicine shouting "wait!" to no avail.

A large, cave-like chunk had been carved out deep into the Earth. A bulbuous, rigid hole in the stone and soil that would measure the size of several houses placed side-by-side. Here was where Eirin made her abode, complemented by a series of makeshift desks and shelves made of bamboo and stone. Each had several sets of materials, medicines, and other various things on them. Eirin, at this moment, had put one down as she looked up at Flandre and the rest who had arrived. She did not have to give a wave as Flandre came running over on her own behalf, and she exhaled and closed her eyes.

Eirin: "You arrived at last."

As Flandre came up to her, she looked down at her and stated the obvious.

Flandre: "Well, don't keep us waiting. What else did you want to show?"

Eirin: "Before that, I shall first advise you to wait for your friends whom you left behind."

Hearing this, Flandre turned around to see Alice, Medicine and Keine running up to her and catching their breath. Keine, having the worst night vision of anyone in the group, felt her hip bump into a table, which made her suck her teeth in pain. Upon arriving, Alice held her shoulders and shuddered.

Alice: "Is nobody else cold right now?"

Flandre: "Ah, you finally got here!"

Medicine: "You just ran up in front of us."

While the two of them completely ignored Alice, Medicine sighed and crossed her arms.

Medicine: "So? Where is this thing you wanted to show us, Eirin?"

Eirin: "...It is just up ahead, where the tree is. I shall come with you."

While Eirin went around the desk and lead the quartet, Keine nervously swallowed her saliva and turned to speak.

Keine: "Just in case anything happens... Do not push yourself to risk your life for anything this woman requests."

Flandre: "No complaints about that."

. . . . .

Just up ahead, Eirin had stood nearto the base of the tree, with its tremendous roots sprawling into the earth surrounding it. As Flandre and the rest approached, Flandre narrowed her eyes as something caught her eye. Before she could open her mouth, however, Eirin took notice and spoke before her.

Eirin: "The faint orange glow you see here leads to Kaguya's core. Here, you shall be able to see her."

Medicine: "Eh? You mean you got deep into the tree?"

Eirin: "Of course. In my time, I have tried everything, of course."

Flandre: "..."

Alice had wanted to sneak a better look, but refrained from doing so out of a fear of looking childish. Medicine, on the other hand, actively indulged in trying to get a better view inside, which proved difficult.

Keine: "I suppose I have yet to hear a proper plan of action for what you intend for us to do here, unless you simply wished to show us around your abode?"

Eirin: "During mine and Keine's fight against Flandre, I happened to notice something. When she was pushed to her limits, she passed out and awoke with a desire to fight, and a new ability. Following that, I wondered if it perhaps had a deeper meaning to it. Something that could be triggered, to say. Thus, my plan is to have Flandre touch Kaguya, and see what happens."

Medicine: "What?! We just went through this with Yuuka! There's no way you're doing something like that, right, Flan?!"

Medicine, offended, yelled out at Eirin, who remained with a slight smile. She nudged Flandre while talking, expecting her to react similarly. Contrary to her expectations, however, Flandre remained as she had for the last few moments - quiet and distant.

Flandre: "Huh?"

Medicine: "...What do you mean huh?"

While she was turning her head to look at Flandre in confusion, Alice also felt her attention being drawn to her. Hearing a reaction that seemed unnatural to her, she immediately began observing something anew. At the same time, Keine seemed as though she had something she wanted to say, but had been unable to make up her mind in time.

Flandre: "What? Did I miss something?"

Medicine: "..Uhh, it looks like you were really spaced out. Eirin here wants you to, um-"

Flandre: "...Relive the past?"

As she predicted what she was going to say, her eyebrow raised. It had been hardly a day since she had already been forced into such a situation. Then, a contradictory idea came to mind. It may have seemed as though she had more of a choice in the matter. However, she was far from being able to fully trust her, and it didn't quite feel like she really had a choice in the matter. As though even if she declined, she would let everyone down.

But she did not care about letting down those around her. Because she had already told them that she was on this journey for herself.

Eirin: "It is regrettable that you had a similar negative experience in the past. However, as I stated before, I shall do nothing to force your hand, thus I urge you to consider this. This is your only realistic path forward, is it not? The chance to discover more of your sister and your past - that is an opportunity I would accept no matter the circumstance."

Letting her personal feelings go through, she spoke as she looked down into Flandre's eyes. For a brief moment, Flandre contemplated the idea that she and Eirin were perhaps not as incompatible as she had imagined.

After all, both of them were chasing after their sisters.

Eirin: "Should nothing come of it, we will regroup, and find an alternative plan. However, I would like to extend my full encouragement to you. I will assure you that you will not face harm or peril."

Carefully choosing her words, she spoke with calmness and precision. As though conducting open heart surgery, she had identified this weakness in Flandre's soul and attempted to take advantage of it.

But she had not been the only one to do so.

Alice: "Please wait a moment, doctor."

Drawing the attention towards herself while Flandre'e eyes flattened and she looked to the ground, Alice took a step towards Eirin while clutching her grimoire.

Alice: "I don't quite agree with your opinion that this is the only way forward."

Eirin: "..."

Turning to her, she narrowed her eyes slightly and held her words.

Alice: "Don't you think it could be worth investigating the other sages of Gensokyo as well?"

In response to this, Eirin shut one eye and crossed her arms as she responded.

Eirin: "I do agree, that idea indeed holds its own potential."

Alice: "Well, why don't we do that then instead of making Flandre do something?"

Flandre: "Alice..?"

Turning her head to look up at Alice, who took another step forward with her hand on her chest, Flandre felt something strange within her.

Alice: "I don't know if you know this, but as Medicine over here said, we already had some issues with that recently and would rather not have something like that happen again. Even if it takes us the long route, how about we try that instead?"

Keine: "...I agree. You speak as though we only wish for the most convenient choice, but we do not mind taking the long route if the alternative is forcing one of us into such a situation."

Flandre: "Keine..."

They knew not what Flandre had seen or been through in her visions. They didn't even get to directly see her reactions to them. And yet, they were willing to stand up for her just because of what they heard from Medicine's secondhand account.

It had been said that fighting together on the battlefield forged the strongest bonds the fastest. Even across these short few days, where they had not even spent much time together or fighting alongside each other, such a strong band of comradery had already taken root and grown - and thus changed the direction of Flandre's heart.

Medicine: "Even if you would do it in Flan's place, that doesn't mean she has to. Alice, what's your plan B?"

While Keine and Medicine took their own steps forward, Flandre and Eirin remained in place, the latter seemingly somewhat unhappy.

Eirin: "The situation is not as if I do not understand the feeling, so it would be in our best interests if we were to move forward with that understanding in mind. With that being said, should she not agree to my suggestion, then as I have stated, I have no problem cooperating. I would like to raise one point, however."

She looked around as everyone remained silent, looking at her with slight disapproval. She did not care for their disapproval, however, and spoke once again.

Eirin: "Each and every decision you make has its own consequences. Whether it is as minute as choosing what side of the bed you sleep on, or it is the most important decision of your life, the effects of said action can ripple through time far beyond your passing. Every choice you make shall affect the rest of your life - whether in an easily quantifiable manner or not. The point I mean to make is, think carefully about the consequences of your actions."

Flandre: "..."

Eirin: "By taking the path of least resistance, you may find yourself in a roundabout journey that ends up being far greater of a headache than you may anticipate. By taking a risk, on the other hand, you may find yourself in what may be an even more arduous journey - but one that may save those around you, and make you a hero. What do you say?"

Flandre took a moment to close her eyes and think.

Were she to do as Eirin wished, there would be the opportunity to see Remilia again.

Thoughts of her sister had crossed her mind yet again as she was idle. Her counterpart, of the same flesh and blood, who had no longer been by her side. The memory of how she influenced Meiling played again in her head, and she wanted to see more.

That possibility had undeniably been the biggest factor in her wanting to accept the offer. She had gotten a taste of her past, and wanted more. But she stopped herself before leaning into it.

Each time she had relived the past, there had been a penalty. Whether it be physical or mental, she experienced pain, discomfort, and nausea at the end of each of her 'episodes.' Furthermore, it seemed as though each time, the 'penalty' for revisiting these memories increased. Though she knew not the reason, she felt it might be better were she not to force it.

But that was not the real reason that she began to lean against Eirin's offer.

Eirin's final words played again through her mind.

"...but one that may save those around you, and make you a hero."

It had been obvious what Eirin was implying - to save Kaguya.

For what reason, would it have to be her?

For what reason, would she sacrifice herself to save someone she never met?

Therefore, opening her eyes again, she looked Eirin in the eyes and gave a slight smile.

Flandre: "Sorry, doctor. I already have someone I need to chase after. I won't play the hero for you."

Medicine smiled, Alice exhaled, and, while Keine wanted to smile, she found that she could not. Eirin did not react particularly, closing her eyes and nodding.

Eirin: "I shall respect your decision. Very well. Does anyone have any alternative ideas?"

Alice stepped forward, already with an idea in her mind, and everyone but Flandre began to listen in.

Flandre: "After all... I can never be a hero."

Smiling wistfully to herself, she whispered that to herself before stepping forward and listening in.

Chapter Text

Alice: "As a matter of fact, I had been thinking of an alternative plan before we even got to Eirin's."

Following the discussion where the matter regarding Flandre's decision was concluded by her denying to risk reliving the past, Alice put her foot forward to propose an alternate solution. While the absence of Mystia continued to weigh heavy on them, the addition of Eirin as an uneasy ally would help somewhat to quell their worries should the need to fight arise.

With that, however, the spotlight fell on Alice to direct the next steps forward.

Alice: "Thus far, the two significant figures for Gensokyo that we have visited, while sealed in their homes, have given us at least some useful words. So, my idea is that if we can visit all of them, we can have enough relevant clues to put together a proper plan of our own rather than rushing headfirst into something dangerous. How does that sound to you all?"

Keine: "I concur. Though it is regrettable they are unable to take direct action, and Yuuka Kazami has proven herself to be unreliable, our visit to the Yama has given us some important information not to be taken lightly. Though I agree with continuing down the path of visiting other Sages, we must pace ourselves. I expect we are running short on time already."

While the two were nodding along as they looked seriously at each other, Medicine raised her eyebrow - partially in mild confusion and worry. While it seemed that the other group's interaction with Eiki had gone well, a part of her still worried that any other Sages would be as creepy as Yuuka had been. And what had been unfortunate was that Yuuka had been the person she had known the most since before everything had happened. While any other sages, she would have absolutely no information on. And she couldn't decide which scared her more.

Eirin: "So, who do you have in mind?"

In response, Alice closed an eye and gave a brief preamble.

Alice: "Based on my research, it seems just about everyone important to the creation of Gensokyo is pretty difficult to reach, with the exception of Yuuka. Basically all of them are virtually impossible to locate or reach, but, I happen to know a way that I think will let us get to one of them with pretty good reliability."

Flandre: "Okay... so who is it?"

Alice: "Heh heh... a good while back, my good friend Marisa encountered the greater sage youkai, hiding in the shadows of Gensokyo by the outer edge of the realm. Apparently, she used to be the big puppet master behind the scenes, responsible for feeding the youkai of Gensokyo. Her name is... Yukari Yakumo."

Closing her eyes and smiling as she tried to act cool, she was met with silence and confusion from all around her, creating an awkward scene.

Flandre: "...Who?"

In response to this, Alice clicked her tongue and sighed as she slumped slightly, her dramatic reveal ruined.

Alice: "Ahhh, I understand that knowledge of Sages are pretty limited in Gensokyo, but could you all at least pretend to act interested...?"

Eirin: "I apologize, but I have no knowledge of this Yukari Yakumo person, except that they are perhaps responsible for moving this forest and I into this new realm."

Alice: "Well... for you, Medicine and Flandre I guess that makes sense, but, what about you, Keine? Do you know her?"

Her eyebrow raised, she looked around the room as it seemed like no progress was being made.

But, in response to her continued questioning, Keine could only sadly shake her head.

Keine: "No... I do not know who Yukari Yakumo is. However, I trust that you are not simply making this up in such a dire time. Perhaps my archives had been lacking..."

Alice: "...That sure is a surprise, but yes, I can assure you I'm telling the truth. We might have to pay a visit to Marisa first before we set off, though... but she's near my house. Only, it would mean backtracking a significant amount."

She gave a slight, forced smile, but she knew it would be an inconvenience to everyone, even if they didn't show it.

Keine: "I do not particularly mind, however, the nightfall may be somewhat of an issue."

Flandre: "Why?"

Keine: "Because... some of us are quite tired."

. . . . .

Medicine: "Well, I don't really mind taking the time to sleep, but where would we do that?"

Alice: "We can set up a small little tent in the forest up above. Heck, give me and my dolls ten minutes and can make a whole makeshift house."

Shrugging confidently, she closed her eyes and smiled, waving around her fingers. In response to this, however, Flandre simply looked at her in confusion.

Flandre: "But... we just got here, and there's plenty of shelter here. Why not just sleep down here?"

Alice: "Because it's cold!"

Flandre: "..? Just light the tree on fire, then."

Alice gave her a look of extreme confusion, while Keine and Medicine sighed. What they did not expect was what Eirin perked up with:

Eirin: "I had already tried that, but it was not something that could be lit on fire."

Keine: "..? Why?"

While Keine turned to look at Eirin, Eirin simply looked out at the tree, her face obscured by darkness.

Eirin: "Because... this wood, is not mere ordinary wood. It symbolizes eternal cage that Kaguya is trapped within.

Medicine: "Then... what do you think would happen if Keine used her ability on it?"

In response to this, Eirin winced slightly, narrowing her eyes as she looked out, before turning to face Keine and Medicine and smiling slightly with a wink.

Eirin: "Who knows..? How about we try it out and see?"

The way she said it - in such a soft and gentle seeming voice, as if caressing her heart, repulsed Keine.

Keine: ".....We can worry about that another time. For the time being, if you want to go to the surface, how exactly do you plan to return? Unless you wish to rely on the doctor to help transport us again?"

Attempting to conceal her frustration, she tried to change the topic to something more pressing. Alice, however, had already been prepared.

Alice: "Actually, I've been lining my string down this hole since we started to descend. It's some of the strongest type I have - so it won't break. Basically, my dolls can do all the work, carrying us up and down without any effort. It should be easier and faster, too. All I have to do is not look down."

She gave off a confident look and shrugged with a smile and closed eyes, making a few small dolls around her fly about. This inspired Medicine to be surprised at her creative use of the dolls, but also feeling mixed about having them work for her in such a way.

Flandre: "Suit yourselves. I'll just fly back."

Medicine: "...Can I come with you?"

Timidly asking that, Alice gave a sigh and looked behind her for support.

Eirin: "I do not particularly mind this plan. I shall be in your care."

Keine: "...I can accept it, if you say that it is safe."

While Alice and Keine were happy that progress was being made, they were unhappy about having to share a space with Eirin. But she offered to help them, so it couldn't be helped.

Alice: "Oh well... Let's go then."

Giving a slight sigh, she resolved herself to commit and began to walk off to where they had arrived. A few minutes later, Flandre had Medicine hoisted on her back, and Alice used her dolls to attach a series of strings onto herself, Keine, and Eirin.

Keine: "...Is there not a better way you could attach these strings?"

Alice: "Why, are you uncomfortable?"

Keine: "N-No, it is just... I do not like it very much."

Blushing slightly and fidgeting as Alice created a makeshift harness, Keine pleaded as such to Alice who made a slight nervous smile.

Alice: "It will be much faster than doing it Eirin's way, so just try to hang on for now, okay?"

Keine: "Understood..."

While Alice turned away to make the final preparations, Keine turned to see Eirin simply standing there, with that same slight smile. It continued to disgust Keine, so she turned away quickly.

Flandre: "All good, Medi?"

Medicine: "No problems here."

Flandre: "Alright, we're good to go then."

As she was talking to Alice, who had just finished setting up everything and turned to her, the two nodded at each other and started the process of going up. While Flandre simply jumped off and took flight with her wings which seemed completely unsuited for flying, Alice and the two with her began to rise on the rope that she created like an elevator. She had essentially created a conveyer belt to take herself up to the surface, with her dolls carrying her and her passengers up the rope as she hardly lifted her fingers.

She had genuinely been a genius magician in the world of dolls, something Medicine took note of.

Medicine: "Wow.."

Keine: "Are you handling yourself well, Alice?"

Alice: "I'm hardly doing anything... all I have to do is not look down..."

Keine, who had been at Alice's side slightly below her, looked up at her as she had been ascending at a considerable pace which Flandre matched. Alice refused to do anything but look up, though, up at her dolls which had been working so hard, and up at the sky which still seemed to be covered by the darkness of the abyss below them.

Alice: "Just don't look down..."

Flandre: "You okay?"

As it had been, Alice had a vague look of fear to her face which Flandre picked up on, being essentially the only person who could properly see it.

Alice: "Y-Yeah. It probably doesn't take a genius to figure out that I don't like heights... So anything that can distract me would help... But I'm not especially low on energy... What about you?"

Forcing herself to speak loudly as she ascended put a bit of a strain of her, but nonetheless she was able to do so without moving her head.

Flandre: "Perfectly fine. But don't worry, if you fall, I'll catch you."

Alice: "Thank you. That's a relie-"

Flandre: "I'll make sure to only do it right before you hit the ground, though."

Alice: "..."

Medicine: "..."

Keine: "..."

Alice: "That's not helpful!!"

While Alice let out her frustrations and Flandre giggled, Keine and Medicine both sighed. But seeing the four of them interact, Eirin's smile crept up slightly more.

Eirin: "It is good that such noble souls still exist all this time later..."

Muttering such under her breath, she was quiet for the remainder of the journey up. Silently watching everything unfold from her position in the rear.

. . . . .

Fifteen minutes had passed, and the quintet had at least reached the surface. Flandre and Medicine had been the first, with Flandre dropping down onto the ground and letting Medicine off as she sighed in relief.

Medicine: "Well done, Flan."

She smiled gently at Flandre, who stood proud from the successful journey. At the same time, Alice had finally pulled herself, Keine and Eirin up to the surface. Upon reaching the surface, Alice crawled out and laid on the soft grass and sighed in relief.

Alice: "Finally... Finally out of that damn hole..."

Keine: "Is your fear of heights that much of a concern to you?"

Alice: "As much as it embarasses me -- indeed it is."

Hearing this, Keine closed an eye and took pity on her.

Keine: "I am aware that you tend to be rather particular regarding the details, however, would you prefer I use my Plain Asia to create a temporary residence for us to spend the night?"

Alice: "No, no, it's fine. I can do it."

Medicine: "You look worn out, though. You didn't sleep last night, right?"

While Keine and Medicine pitied Alice to her begrudgence, Keine gasped at this realization.

Keine: "Is this true? Your rest is imperative then. I must order you to rest, then."

Alice: "...Since when did you take charge of the group?"

Keine: "I never claimed to be. I am advising you as a friend."

As Keine got up from the ground and said that, Alice looked into her eye and felt a strange sense of warmth. Even in Keine's position of authority, she had not used it to talk down to Alice, but rather to advise her as an equal. That had been enough to convince her to take the advice.

Alice: "...Fine, then, but I'm still gathering firewood to burn..."

She pouted and got up, taking the harness off of herself while Keine and Eirin followed suit. Afterwards, she walked into the darkness of the forest, letting a string trail behind her to follow back on.

Keine: "Doctor, my ability lets me temporarily change the nature of objects, and some of the bamboo trees may be temporarily destroyed in the process. When we awake, I shall reconstruct them as though nothing had ever happened. I presume these terms are acceptable for you."

Eirin: "Go right ahead. You have my explicit permission to drop the 'doctor', too, while you're at it."

Keine: "You have my explicit thanks..."

While Keine gave Eirin a stink eye and summoned out her hakutaku to begin constructing a small shack of bamboo, Medicine pulled Flandre to the side for a moment.

Medicine: "Looks like the adults are acting like kids too, huh?"

Whispering that to Flandre with a grin, she chuckled slightly to herself, while Flandre hardly gave a reaction in turn.

Flandre: "I think Alice and Keine are going to sleep, but I'm not really tired. How about you?"

Hearing this, Medicine dropped her smile and tried to move her arm around slightly as she looked at it to test her fatigue.

Medicine: "I'm still okay."

Flandre: "Why don't we keep night watch, then?"

After Flandre said this with a blank face, Medicine gave a smile and nodded enthusiastically.

Medicine: "I'd love to!"

Eirin: "Are the two of you sure? When was the last time you consumed sustenance?"

Perking into the conversation, something nobody had asked her to do, Eirin inquired such while looking with her eyes slightly narrowed, the same as always, hiding everything.

Flandre: "We're perfectly fine, thanks. How about you go make yourself useful for once?"

Alice had gone to gather sticky, Keine was in the midst of creating a small bamboo shack, and Medicine and Flandre were discussing night watch plans. Eirin, however, had simply been standing in place.

Eirin: "I am, by volunteering to take over night watch duty for you."

Medicine: "Hah?"

Eirin: "Is it not the most effective distribution of roles? I require no sustenance or rest, and keenly know this forest as though it were the back of my hand. Or could it be that you lack the trust in me to not betray you in your sleep?"

Flandre scratched her head in frustration as Eirin spoke, looking up at her unhappily.

Flandre: "Fine, you can do it if you want, but I'll be up too."

Eirin: "Are you sure? I am quite sure it has been a long time since you last ate blood. You have done well until now to restrain your urges, though I still retain my recommendation of resting."

Flandre: "Wasn't that pretty rude? I've gotten fed through... other means. And I haven't had any 'urges.'"

Now with slightly more irritation in her voice, she felt her eyebrow twitch slightly as she responded. In the meantime, Medicine sighed and went off on her own.

Eirin: "Oh, how very interesting. Incidentally, my body retains its human qualification. Thus, should you want me to 'make myself useful,' I can be your permanent source of food. I would have no complaints if you chose to take advantage of this opportunity at whatever time proves most convenient."

Winking at Flandre as she spoke with a playful tone, Eirin made a comment that Flandre was unsure whether or not to take seriously.

Flandre: "Gross. Like I'd ever drink your blood. It probably tastes like mud."

She looked away from Eirin and turned as she retorted, pouting slightly. Something Eirin found rather amusing.

Eirin: "Incidentally, due to the nature of my Hourai Elixir, should a human consume the liver of I or Mokou, they would likely join our ranks as someone permanently married to life. I wonder how it would go for youkai..?"

Alice: "Oh? That's very interesting to hear."

As Alice exited from the shadows of the bamboo forest, several sticks in her and her dolls' hands, she became the second person to intrude on Flandre's conversation.

Alice: "If you're not careful, I might try to steal your guts when you aren't paying attention."

Keine: "Huh?!"

Stopping her process and turning to face Alice in shock, Keine gasped and felt her mind go blank for a moment. It had been the last thing she expected to come from Alice's mouth. Medicine, too, raised her eyebrows in confusion. Flandre flattened her eyebrows, and Eirin smiled.

Keine: "Who are you!? There is no possibility you can be Alice!"

Stepping out in front of Alice, prepared to shoot with the hakutaku behind her, Keine grit her teeth and tried to prepare herself.

Alice: "Are you saying you never found an interest in that kind of thing, Keine?"

Keine: "Huhh?"

While Keine continued to be surprised, stepping back slightly, Alice gave a nervous smile and continued to act casual.

Alice: "I mean, think about it this way: Immortality is like casting away the physical body. Your soul alone is what you actually are, and it's able to produce a new body. Souls don't have a particular size, so they can create a new body wherever they like. Conversely, a body without a soul would perish rather quickly, right?"

While Alice explained away, Eirin smirked slightly.

Eirin: "You sure seem to be knowledgeable. Could it be that you yearned for immortality?"

Alice: "I thought that if I could find a way to control souls, I could use them to create independent dolls, so something like your liver would be quite useful for me. That aside, the Hourai Elixir probably wouldn't work on youkai like us anyways, right?"

Medicine: "Y-You want to make more of me..?"

Alice: "Ahhh, I suppose so..? But... You don't really seem happy about that..?"

Medicine pouted as Alice tried to maintain her nervous smile, and Flandre sighed.

Eirin: "Hmmm, perhaps we may find something to work out, in that case."

Not caring in the slightest, Eirin turned her back and walked away, while Keine was left somewhat exasperated and Medicine somewhat annoyed. As Flandre watched Eirin's back, she looked down at her hand and squeezed it.

Flandre: "It was my sister that pushed her to make her be like this, but it was the last one of my sister I'd ever want to see. Does that mean I would never want something like this to happen..?"

. . . . .

Several minutes had passed, and Keine and Alice had finished their work. A fire had been lit by the open shack, where the two of them also made makeshift sleeping bags.

Keine: "You sure work fast, Alice."

Alice: "I have to keep up with your cheat-like ability somehow, right?"

While Alice winked and attempted to banter with Keine, Keine wasn't exactly sure how to respond and tried to ignore it.

Medicine: "Listen up, I have something important to announce!"

As she shouted that out suddenly, everyones' attention was drawn to her.

Medicine: "In just a minute, I will activate my Typhoid Mary to create a hidden poison barrier that I laid across the ground around us. If you step on it, you'll die! If you need to pee at night, you'll have to call me over in a way that doesn't attract anyone at night! I, Flandre, and... uh.. Eirin here will keep night watch! Do I make myself clear!"

While she shouted out proudly as she stuck her finger in the air, Flandre remained with a blank look on her face, and Eirin with that slight, ominous smile as always. Alice dropped her look slightly excited look, mentally facepalming, while Keine closed her eyes and gave a sigh.

Keine: "Medicine, dear, you will attract the forest-dwellers with your shouting. However, thank you for your warning."

Alice: "I already installed nearly invisible wires around this whole place regardless... Ones that don't risk killing us."

Medicine: "Jeez, stop trying to take all my jobs! Our traps can just work together, then."

Alice: "Yes, yes, if you say so."

She again caused Medicine to pout, and recognizing this, decided it would be better to find a compromise immediately. After that, however, she gave a yawn.

Alice: "Well, I'm warm and relaxed, so it looks like a good time for me to rest. I will have the rest in your hands. Goodnight, everyone."

Everyone: "Goodnight."

While everyone wished her goodnight in their own various tones, Keine and Eirin respectfully and Medicine and Flandre somewhat begrudgingly, Alice gave a slight smile to herself as she slipped into her self-made sleeping bad and succumbed to her tiredness.

Keine: "I shall also rest tonight. Do let us know if there are any problems."

Flandre: "I'll kill anything that comes close to us before that's necessary."

Keine: "Well... please try to use reason first. Medicine, dear, please keep an eye on her during the night?"

After Flandre spoke such malice with such casualness, Keine gave a nervous laugh. Medicine didn't exactly seem pleased, but also didn't seem displeased.

Medicine: "...You don't have to call me that, but, sure."

Keine: "Keep an eye on HER too, please. I shall leave the rest to you. Goodnight."

Flandre, Medicine, and Eirin: "Goodnight."

And with that, Keine joined Alice in her rest, and the area became quiet. Only the sounds of the crackling fire and the various insects and birds of the night could be heard now.

Eirin: "I shall circle the area, just to check in case anything may be awry."

Flandre: "...Do that."

Eirin gave a bow with a smile and closed eyes as she obliged, and she turned to walk away. After that, Flandre sighed and walked over to sit down at the edge of the abyss, letting her legs dangle over as she looked down into it.

Medicine: "I heard there's a saying that when you look at some big, deep hole like that, the hole looks back at you. Can you feel that?"

While she walked over to where Flandre was, she stood a meter away from where Flandre was sitting. As she could not fly, were she to fall, she would be unable to save herself and crumble into a million pieces. However, she was perfectly content like this, with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling slightly as she looked down at Flandre, who did not turn to look at her.

Flandre: "...I don't know. Even I can't see the bottom."

Medicine: "You were thinking about your sister earlier, right?"

Flandre: "..."

Medicine: "Back then, by that tree."

Flandre: "I know. I just... It feels weird."

Medicine: "..."

Today already, she had made a nuisance of herself by prodding too deeply where she did not belong. She still wanted to know what had bothered Flandre's heart, but she was weary of intruding and making a nuisance of herself yet again.

After all, all she had wanted was to be useful.

Medicine: "I'm sorry."

Flandre: "What are you apologizing for? I was just annoyed that Eirin tricked me into talking about the worst version of my sister."

Medicine: "...Are you sure?"

Flandre: "Well, it did make me think... based on what I've seen, my sister and I rarely interacted much."

While she was explaining, Medicine perked up slightly about hearing that she had not soured Flandre's mood. However, as the conversation began to get sadder, she held her breath and listened while Flandre continued to speak without looking back.

Flandre: "From what I've seen, it seems that we don't really interact much no matter where we're from. We do things independently. I want to know why. I want to know what the other mes did. What I did."

Medicine: "...I see."

Flandre's voice had been irritated, and somewhat grief-stricken. That despite having directly seen and heard from her sister act, she had not been involved. Not only did it disappoint in her expectations of finding out more of herself, but it also set a worrying precedent for what their fates spelled out.

When Remilia acted, she won. When Flandre acted, she lost. Would this mean that Flandre would be destined to be in her sisters' shadow..?

The possibility worried her.

Flandre: "Maybe it's just a fluke. But it's still bothering me."

Hearing this, Medicine walked over and sat down next to Flandre, letting her legs dangle off the side. Flandre took notice of this and looked over at her with slightly widened eyes.

Flandre: "If you fall, you'll die."

Medicine: "But you won't let me fall, won't you?"

Flandre: "...I guess I wouldn't."

She looked down again, down at the abyss which even she could not see.

Medicine: "Then that means you won against your sister."

She looked over to Flandre and smiled, and Flandre looked back with her eyes widened even more.

Flandre: "What do you mean?"

Medicine: "Your sister never could have saved me from falling, right?"

Flandre: "...I guess you're right."

When she heard that, she looked down and smiled a little.

It had not been much, but even that had been enough to make Flandre just a little happy.

Flandre: "I guess my sister never got the opportunity to meet any of you, either."

Medicine: "So, isn't that three more wins for you?"

Flandre: "...Yeah."

While things were starting to look more optimistic, when Flandre replied, Medicine noticed her tone had dropped again. A momentary silence was born, with only the crackling of the fire being heard, and Medicine was unsure of what to say.

Flandre: "You know... I kinda miss Mystia."

Medicine: "..?"

Perking her head up as Flandre broke the silence, she listened in.

Flandre: "I didn't really talk to her much... and she was kinda dumb... but she was fun. I kinda... kinda wish I talked to her more before she left."

Medicine: "..."

Flandre: "I mean... we'll definitely get her back... it's just... yknow... I didn't really get to talk to her much."

Medicine: "I see."

When she said that, Flandre looked over at Medicine with a docile look on her face while Medicine closed her eyes and smiled.

Medicine: "I don't really think I'm in a position to talk about this, but... I've noticed you've been kinda quiet ever since we left Yuuka's."

Flandre: "..."

Medicine: "So, I think it would do you well to try to talk more. Don't just replay things in your head. At least, that's what I think. But I'm not good at following my own advice, so..."

As Medicine finished, Flandre did not respond, still looking down into the earth, into the void of darkness.

If she had no encouragement, and was alone, perhaps she would already be down in the void.

Flandre: "I got it. Thanks."

After that, she gave a slight smile and turned to Medicine who stifled a yawn.

Medicine: "Do you think anyone's gonna come soon..?"

Flandre: "Probably not."

Medicine: "Then... I might close my eyes for a bit..."

Flandre watched as Medicine yawned again and she seemed to be getting exponentially more drowsy by the minute.

Medicine: "Just for a minute... I'll close my eyes..."

Flandre: "Don't fall down."

Medicine: "But you'll catch me..."

With her heavy eyes closing, and her head bobbing around, she eventually found her spot on Flandre's shoulder, which seemed like the most comfortable pillow she had ever slept on. From there, she immediately fell asleep less than ten minutes after she had started her night watch duty.

Flandre: "Medi..."

A determined and serious look overtook Flandre's face. While Medicine was resting on her, she took her into her arms and pushed herself off the cliffside, taking flight with her wings. From there, she flew on over to the shack where Alice and Keine had been asleep, avoiding touching the ground where Medicine laid her poison, and laid Medicine to rest in the most comfortable looking part of the grass she could find. After that, she watched her sleep peacefully for a moment, also enjoying the warmth of the fire crackling behind her, slowly growing weaker.

She turned and used her Scarlet Destiny to smolder the flames, putting out the fire, and went back to sit by the edge of the cliffside as she looked up at the stars and the moon.

Flandre: "It really does look like it's reaching for the moon..."

Here was a realm nobody but Eirin and Mokou had seen. Where the Moon Tree got its name, passed down by word of mouth. She alone had been the only outsider in who knows how long to gaze up at it like this.

Suddenly, behind her, she heard rustling and got to her knees to look at the source. Looking around, she didn't see Eirin anywhere.

Flandre: "Hmm..."

Getting up onto her feet to investigate, she slowly walked over and looked inside the bamboo forest, and saw nothing.

Flandre: "..."

Then, her pointed ears twitched slightly as she heard a faint sound. It was the sound of someone panting intensely. Hearing this, Flandre narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth as she moved forwards, trying to find the source of the sound. Hurrying further along, pushing aside any bamboo in her way, and at last, she found it.

A girl had been hunched over, her hand holding onto bamboo as she struggled to stand. She had been nearly the same height as Flandre, with long platinum blonde hair, with a distressed look on her face as sweat and drool poured down it. She held her other arm around her stomach, with a large umbrella that had been closed in her grasp. And upon seeing this, Flandre felt a sharp sense of revulsion.

Flandre: "You're that..."

She looked up at her, and attempted to relax her face, but her strained tone betrayed any attempt at that.

Kurumi: "...Hello..."

. . . . .

Flandre: "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Gritting her teeth in anger, this had been one of the last people she expected to show up, especially so soon. She had hardly even remembered her face, but she couldn't forget having seen another vampire besides her and her sister.

It had been unfortunate that she hated this vampire, however.

Kurumi: "...gh-"

The target of her anger could hardly respond, crouching down lower in pain as more sweat continued to drip down her forehead.

Flandre: "Did that bitch you're with tell you to try to come finish us off?! There's no chance in hell that's happening!"

Kurumi: "gh-- ...Listen..."

While Flandre tried to assert dominance, Kurumi hadn't displayed any signs of malice in the slightest. In fact, it seemed as though she was submitting to Flandre.

Kurumi: "Please... let me g-go back a little."

Flandre: "..."

Recognizing this, Flandre ceased some of her anger and calmed down for a moment. She nodded cautiously and observed as Kurumi sighed in relief, turning and slowly walking backwards.

Ten meters later, Kurumi was still panting and catching her breath, her hands on her knees, but now feeling significantly better. Flandre, however, had a look as though she were ticked off, with her hand on her hip and her other hand holding her weapon.

Flandre: "So, two questions."

Kurumi: "..."

Flandre: "First, when did you put on clothes. Second, what are you doing here."

With her best attempt at an intimidating voice, she confused the order of her questions, but acted as though nothing were wrong. Kurumi continued panting, wiping her forehead before looking up and responding.

Kurumi: "Are you... not hot?"

Flandre: "Hey!"

At once, Kurumi experienced the sharp sensation of her ankles crying out in pain as though they were shattered. In a burst of anger, she used her left hand and the Clock Corpse in her hand to sweep Kurumi's feet, knocking her down to her side and making her yelp in pain and shock. While Kurumi was reeling from the pain, wincing and opening her teary eyes, Flandre quickly reached down and grabbed open Kurumi's jaw, holding it open and examining it with fierceness in her eyes.

Flandre: "So you really are a vampire... I only broke your ankles, so you should be relieved. You'll be fine."

While Kurumi attempted to let out some souds as she was on the verge of crying, Flandre just looked at her sharp fangs, still holding her mouth open with the tip of her Clock Corpse pressed against her throat.

Flandre: "You should know it's rude to answer a questiom with a question. Just go ahead and try that again, and you'll be spewing more than just bullshit. I'm the one in control now."

When Flandre finished talking down to her, Kurumi desperately nodded, her eyes wide with shock as a tear ran down her cheek. After that, Flandre let go of her mouth and backed off. Just as Kurumi closed her eyes to take a breath, she quickly felt herself leaving the ground and being knocked against some bamboo with her throat being restricted. When she opened her eyes, Flandre had pinned her up against the wall, her hands ready to asfyxiate her at any time.

Flandre: "You know, I really hate you. I'm only being this nice 'cause Keine told me to. So don't make me repeat my questions."

Kurumi: "Hk-- I got it, I got it..! F-For your first question... I always had these c-clothes. I just prefer to be naked at home.. but any maiden would put on clothes when they go outside, right?"

Flandre: "And the other question?"

Kurumi: "...I was asked to deliver a message... from Miss Yuuka... It's important."

Flandre: "I don't want to hear it."

Kurumi: "--Hk!"

While Kurumi had been struggling to answer the entire time, after saying that, Flandre let her go, letting her drop down to the dirt and breathe. The injury on her feet had already begun the healing process, but she had still been in shock at the sudden pain. There had also been the matter of the evil-looking face that stared down at her with a weapon in her hand that would not hesitate to harm her if she misspoke.

Kurumi: "...I understand how you might feel... but it's not like that!"

Flandre: "If you understand, why did you do it in the first place?!"

Kurumi: "Listen. Very soon, something very bad's going to happen. You and your friends need to prepare..!"

Flandre: "Something bad already happened: Meeting you and your mistress. Now fuck off before I change my mind on sparing you."

While Kurumi pleaded with Flandre to listen, Flandre only responded with frustrated quips as she kept her back turned on her.

Kurumi: "...Fine! You want to be that damn stubborn?! Then go ahead, see if I care when you die!!"

Flandre: "Huh..?"

After hearing that, she turned to see Kurumi now standing, shouting at her in rage as her eyes became teary and she held her hand on her chest.

Kurumi: "When you get killed by yourself after you refuse my mistress's help, see how much I care, how about that!"

Flandre, momentarily stunned, wasn't able to speak or react as Kurumi stretched out her vampire wings and took off with a look of anger on her face. After that, she said nothing, flying away beyond the bamboo into the night where Flandre could only stay still.

Flandre: "What..?"

After that, not knowing what to do, Flandre simply made her way back while trying to mull over what happened as she held her head. When she found her way back, she saw Eirin looking right at her.

Eirin: "I presume you had to answer nature's call?"

Flandre: "...None of your business."

She pouted as she answered Eirin, who stood casually with her arms by her side.

Eirin: "Well, something is about to require our attention."

Flandre: "...What?"

Eirin: "Something - no, someone has invaded the Bamboo Forest of the Lost."

--So she said with a wink.