Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I’m tellin’ ya, Alice, this is gonna work great!”  Marisa said as she chucked another strange-colored mushroom into the cauldron.

Alice didn't respond, simply raising a skeptical eyebrow as she took a few steps back.  Marisa didn’t notice, too focused on running around her cluttered house, pulling ingredients from boxes and jars.  Each new item added to the bubbling concoction caused another colorful puff of smoke to twirl into the air.  Every window was thrown open, but there was still a lingering scent of acrid chemicals and sweet flowers.  Occasionally, Marisa ran back to a large dark-brown tome propped up on a table, eyes fluttering across the pages quickly before returning to her work.

“And you found this…where, again?”  Alice asked, only a few steps from the door.

“Some sorta dump site in the woods!  It was destiny, I tell ya!”

“I see…”  Alice was in the doorframe now.

Marisa laughed maniacly as she grabbed a few more mushrooms.  Seeing an opportunity, Alice finally stepped out of the house, watching with slight amusement at what was about to happen.  Another puff of smoke escaped, this one a bright cyan.  The house suddenly shuddered, bent inward, then violently outward as the roof exploded upwards, then fell back into place.  

The door, which had remained somehow attached to the wall, swung open.  Marisa staggered out, covered head-to-toe in a cyan substance.  It dripped off her hat and body like slime, making soft splatting sounds as it hit the ground.  Alice couldn’t stifle the giggle that escaped her lips as the human magician stumbled over, a glare on her face.

“You knew that would happen.”  She pouted, wiping the cyan from her face.

“Possibly.”  Alice said, stepping closer and pushing a strand of hair from the other’s face.  “You did change the recipe from the book, but that was intentional.”

“You knew what was in that?!”  Marisa cried, “I could’ve died!”

“No, you wouldn’t.”  Alice removed Marisa’s hat, giving it a hard shake and splattering the ground with the substance.  “I had a good idea of how you’d react when you found my ‘dumped book’.  Nothing you could’ve made would have been dangerous, unless you actually used some of the ingredients in there.”

Alice wiped a finger across Marisa’s cheek, taking the substance and licking it.  “Hm.  A bit much, but this’ll do.  One last ingredient now…”

Before Marisa could respond, Alice leaned in closer and planted a kiss on her lips.  The magician immediately went red in the face, but returned the kiss with equal passion.  When they eventually parted, Marisa noticed that the cyan substance was beginning to glow.  She stumbled back, confusion dancing on her face.  A few seconds later, the substance began to float, slowly separating from Marisa’s outfit and up into the air.  The blobs twirled in the air, combining, separating, merging and breaking apart.  They hovered high in the air over the trees, and despite being day, stood out against the clear blue sky.

They all pulsed at once, and a wave of yellow color took over the cyan blobs.  With a crack of thunder the blobs sharpened into points, forming stars.  They continued to spin and dance in the air, forming constellations.  Marisa watched silently, completely awestruck.  

“W…what even is it?”  She finally asked as Alice stepped closer.

“A fun little concoction my mother taught me back in Makai.  A good party trick, no?”

“It’s beautiful.”  Marisa whispered, leaning against the other.  “I couldn’t even begin to understand how it works, but I'd love to learn.”

“Neither could I, but my mother always told me the most important ingredient…”

Alice leaned in closer, kissing Marisa again on the cheek.  “...was love.”

“Heh.  What a cheesy line.”

“And yet, it’s true.”

Chapter Text

Sanae paced back and forth anxiously, wracking her brain for an idea.  Kanako and Suwako watched from the other side of the room, casually sipping tea as their daughter-in-all-but-blood struggled to come up with something.

“Why not get her something from the village?”  Kanako asked, shrugging.  “Surely she saw something she wanted during your last date?  Don’t tell me ya don’t pay attention to stuff like that!”

“I did!”  Sanae complained.  “But Reimu usually gets whatever she wants while there!  It’s all cheap stuff, too.”

“Hah.  Broke-ass.”  Suwako chuckled, earning a glare from the shrine maiden.  

“I thought I could maybe get her a…I dunno, a more fancier version of something she already has?  But I think she genuinely likes the cheaper stuff!”  Sanae walked over and sat with the goddesses.

“Maybe you could get her some high-quality ingredients?”  Kanako suggested, pouring sanae a cup.  “She likes to eat, right?  Everyone does.”

“I could…but that doesn’t exactly feel…special, Y’know?  We eat together all the time.”

“Change the presentation!”  Suwako jumped up, pointing skyward.  “Food’s great, but if you deliver it in a fun way, it’ll be great!  Sushi is good, but it’s even better when I eat it off of–”

Kanako shot across the room like a bullet, grabbing Suwako and chucking her out the open shrine door.  Sanae choked on her tea as the meaning of Suwako’s words sunk in.  She shook her head, face turning red.

“You two are the worst!”  She whined, standing.

“She started it!”  Kanako said, pointing at the goddess who had flown back into the shrine.

“Come on, you know you–”

Kanako tackled Suwako again, tumbling out of the shrine, bouncing across the courtyard, and disappearing off the mountainside.  Sanae groaned in annoyance, flopping onto her back dramatically.  She stared up at the ceiling, continuing to try and figure out what to get her girlfriend.  Reimu would probably be happy with anything, she knew, but the decision was still daunting.  She rubbed her face, annoyed with herself more than anything.

“My my, quite the conundrum.”

Sanae bolted upright, coming face-to-face with someone she probably should’ve expected.  Lazily hanging upside-down out of a gap was Yukari, a mischievous smile on her face.  Sanae folded her arms and looked away, hoping her annoyance was conveyed properly.

“I don’t need your help.”  She said quickly, knowing where this was going.  “I can figure it out myself.”

“Oho, don’t be like that!”  Yukari coo’d as she floated closer, flipping upright.  “I have a great plan!  You’ll love it!”

“No!”  Sanae said while giving her best glare.  “The last time you tried to help, me and Reimu couldn’t look each other in the eyes for weeks!”

Yukari actually retreated slightly at this, voice turning to a mumble.  “In my defense, I thought it’d be cute.”

“We weren’t even dating yet!  Did you get that out of a romance manga?!”

“Listen!”  Yukari said suddenly, pulling a fan from her sleeve and lightly tapping the shrine maiden on the head.  “Just hear what I have to say…”

Reluctantly, Sanae leaned closer.  Yukari whispered her plan, a smile forcing itself across Sanae’s face.

“...alright, I like it.  Seems like you reading manga isn’t always a bad thing.  But!  If we’re gonna do this…”

Now Sanae leaned closer, whispering in Yukari’s ear.  “...can you lend me some of whatever you’re reading?  For, research purposes, of course.”

Yukari smiled.  “Of course, my dear.  Of course.”

—-----

Reimu stared at the large gift-wrapped box sitting in the middle of her room.  Already pretty strange.  It was large, taller than wider, and wrapped in a bright green ribbon.  She had a good guess who could’ve put it there, considering it hadn’t been there five minutes ago, and she was the only one who had entered or left the shrine in that time.  The second strange thing was that occasionally, she thought she heard soft breathing from within the box.  This second fact was more concerning than the first.  

She approached slowly, unsure what to expect.  Yukari wouldn’t have dropped something dangerous directly into her shrine, would she?  Things had gone pretty poorly the last time the shrine was destroyed, and if she herself got it destroyed, there was no escaping Reimu’s wrath.  So whatever it was, it was probably harmless.  She cautiously reached forward, reaching for the bow.

The shrine’s door suddenly slid open, Aunn stepping in with a serious look on her face.  “Reimu!  I smell Yukari!”

“Yeah, I think she left this.”  She gestured toward the box.  “Don;t suppose you could sniff out what’s inside?”

Aunn saluted, then bounded over.  She circled it slowly, nose twitching as she did.  After a few rounds she stood upright, a look of surprise taking over before turning to one of understanding.  She bowed politely, and began to leave the shrine quickly.

“It’s safe!”  She said as her face began to turn red.  “I–I’ll leave you two alone!”

The door slid shut, leaving Reimu alone with the box.  She eyed it, even more concerned than before.  ‘You two’?  So there was someone inside it.  Quietly, she retrieved her gohei, just in case.  Returning to the box, she gripped the ribbon, and pulled it free.  There was no reaction for a second, then the top of the box flew off, a figure popping up.

“SURPRISE!  It’s me!”  Sanae shouted as she emerged, a wide smile plastered on her face.

They stared at each other, the air in the room still.  Sanae was wearing her usual shrine maiden outfit, but was loosely wrapped in a bright green ribbon.  A small bow sat on her head, adding to the absurdity of it all.  

Reimu remained silent, but could feel her face heating up with embarrassment.  Sanae’s was doing the same, turning a deep crimson.  Reimu leaned forward, hooking a finger under the ribbon and tracing it up Sanae’s body,  this made the other girls face flush even more.

“Quite the surprise indeed…” Reimu mumbled, a smile appearing on her face.  “Am I okay to unwrap it now?”

The green and white shrine maiden eventually dropped back into the box, letting out an embarrassed whine.

“I…shouldn’t have let her do this…” she complained, “now I feel silly…”

Reimu shook her head, and used her gohei to poke Sanae.  “Come on out, can’t exactly hide while in my shrine.”

Sanae stepped out slowly, then quickly retrieved a bag of vegetables from within the box.  “I, uh, also brought food.  To make you dinner.”

“Us dinner, you mean.”  Reimu said, taking the bag.  “If you’re here, you might as well stay.  I think there’s still some of your clothes from the last time you were here.”

Sanae squeaked a bit, but nodded.  “I-I’ll try to remember to bring them back.”

“Hm…don’t bother.”  Reimu leaned in, giving Sanae a kiss  “Gives you a reason to come over.  Then just ‘forget’ to grab them.  Or maybe…”

She stepped away, giving a sly smile.  “Maybe that’s what you’ve been doing already?”

She slipped out of the room before Sanae could respond, taking great joy in the sputtering she heard the other girl made.  She didn’t have any plans for the night anyway, so having her over would be a nice change of pace.  

Chapter Text

Flandre was used to chaos.  Hectic danmaku fights, out-of-control parties, even just screaming across the night sky whenever she managed to sneak out.  She loved the noise, the excitement that came when your blood pumped and adrenaline filled your veins.  The last few incidents had given her a good excuse to stretch her wings, and meet some new, durable friends.  Not everyone could take what she could dish out, so she valued those that could.

But right now, it was quiet.  Flandre lounged on her bed, a bed far too big for her small frame.  She could stretch out her entire body and not touch any side.  She always wondered why both her and her sister had such big beds, but at times it was nice.  She could pile as many stuffed animals as she wanted onto it, and just rolling around was fun itself.

At the moment, though, it was a little boring.  No one had come to the mansion to visit her.  Her sister was too busy preparing for some tea party with a bunch of snobs, and Flan wasn’t invited.  Both Meiling and Sakuya were assisting, so they were out.  Patchy didn’t like to be bothered, and Koa rarely left the old magician’s side, so they were a bust too.  That left her to her own devices, which was never a good thing.  Things tended to explode when that happened.

As she tried to decide on what to do, the air in the room suddenly changed.  While there wasn’t a visible difference, Flan could feel it.  The nothing in the room had increased, something that didn’t make sense but somehow she understood.  

“Welcome back!”  Flandre said to the nothing, a wide smile crossing her face.

“I’m back!”  Said the nothing, flapping their arms excitedly.  “Or was I ever really gone?”

Nah, I’d know.”  Flandre said, scooting over a bit and patting the bed beside her.  “I’d like to believe I know you well enough to notice you.”

The nothing giggled, prancing through the air and climbing into bed.  It sat next to Flan, leaning against the vampire and sighing contently.  A comfortable silence passed over the two, one that Flan realized she had been missing.  This was quiet, calm, nice to have someone so close.  She ran a hand through the nothing’s hair, causing it to hum softly.

“Where have you been?”  Flandre whispered, like talking too loud would make them vanish.

The nothing hummed again, tilting their head in thought.  “I don’t know!  The temple, I think?  Kokoro was there!”

“Aw, did you two have a fight without me?”  Flan joked, pinching the nothing’s cheeks.  “You know I like seeing your danmaku.”

“Ehehehe!  I knoooow!  But it was so sudden!”

More silence.  Flandre shuffled closer, pulling the nothing into a tighter hug.  After a pause, the nothing returned the hug, squeezing even tighter.  Flan felt a wave of emotions welling inside her, but she tried not to let it out.  She felt like it would ruin the moment.  It’d been a while since the two had been together like this.  Who knew when it’d happen again.  She loved them, but sometimes she wished she would stay longer.

“...Koi–”

Flandre hadn’t felt the nothing shift, but suddenly she was being lifted up, the nothing suddenly fully popping into existence.  Her wide green eyes sparkled like gems, an almost crazed smile illuminating her face as she held the vampire aloft.

“Flandre!  I just had a great idea!”  She said excitedly.  “I passed!  A boring meeting upstairs!  Lets–”

Koishi began to spin flandre around, laughing loudly.  “Lets–lets crash it!  I wanna cause some chaos!”

Flandre smiled, baring her fangs.  “Hell yeah!  Lets get the hell out of here, they can’t stop both of us!”

“Yay!”  Koishi shouted, pumping her fists.  “Vi-o-lence!  Vi-o-lence!”

That’s what I like to hear!”

They started for the door, but before they could Koishi suddenly grabbed the vampire and pulled her close.

“Wait!  Before I forget!  This!”

She dipped Flan back, nearly to the floor, and kissed her.  Before Flandre could even register that, they were bounding down the hallway, Koishi dragging the other and laughing maniacly as fairy maids dove for cover.  Flandre joined her, laughing raucously as Levientein materialized in her hands.

“Make way, bitches!”  Flan shouted as they burst into the foyer of the mansion.  “Nothing can stop us now!”

“Nothing!  Nothing!”  Koishi shouted, danmaku hearts exploding outward from her hands.  “Make way!  Make way!”

Falndre only recognized a few of the faces in the meeting, but from what she did, it sent that familiar bolt of adrenaline through her.  Her sister, Sakuya, the doctor lady from the bamboo forest, the gap hag, Okina…strong people.  Durable people.  She grinned wickedly, three copies of herself phasing in behind her.

“Don’t hold back, Koishi!”  She shouted as their opponents rose into the air.  “This is gonna be a bloodbath .”

Koishi cheered in response, and together, the two dived into the fray.  Silence was nice, but this?  This was so much better.

Chapter Text

“Lets go for a walk.”

Koakuma’s head snapped up from pouring her tea, eyes wide.  “...What was that, my lady?”

“Lets go for a walk.”  Patchouli said, standing from her seat.  “The weather is supposed to be good tonight.”

Koa wondered if her master was alright.  Was she sick, and this was some strange fever-induced thought?  No, if she was, Koa would have noticed immediately.  She was an expert at things that revolved around her lady.  Still, this was so far out of the ordinary it made her head spin.  Patchouli was never one for exercise, or even movement in general.  So this was like seeing bigfoot, the flatwoods monster, and the jersey devil playing poker in your basement.

Still, she was her master’s servant.  Koa nodded in understanding, and moved by her lady’s side.  Just in case something happened.  Patchouli gave the table of books she had been seated at a look-over, then plucked one from a pile.  She held it close to her chest, and together the two stepped out of the library.  The halls were surprisingly quiet, no fairy maid in sight.  Moonlight filtered through the large curtains that fluttered softly.  It gave the mansion an ethereal feeling, one that Koakuma found not entirely unpleasant.  Her spade tail flicked side-to-side as they walked.

Before she realized, Koa and Patchouli were out on one of the mansion’s balconies.  A small table had been set up, covered with a cloth.  Two chairs were set around it as well.  The magician approached, putting the book down and pulling one of the chairs back.  She looked back at the little devil, then gestured toward the seat.  Koa could only stare, confused.

“Sit, Koa.”  Patchouli said, moving to the other chair.  

“W-what!?  My lady, I co–”  Koa started, but patchouli shook her head.

“Please, I insist.”

Koa hesitated a moment longer, then nodded.  She sat, and as she did Patchouli reached under the cloth and pulled out a kettle, a small dark bag, and a stone slab with some magic circle drawn on it.  Koa moved to intercept, but the librarian stopped her with a raised hand.  She didn’t speak, but Koa understood the message and sat back down.

Slowly, and with the same care as crafting a spell or a potion, Patchouli used the items to make what she assumed was tea.  Patchy poured magic into the stone slab, causing a small flame to appear in the middle of the circle.  She set the kettle down, then pulled two mugs from under the cloth as well.  Koa watched in fascination.  Had her master ever made tea before?  Surely she must have.  She didn’t come into the picture until several years after patchy had already taken up residence in the mansion.  Maybe Sakuya did it for her?  She suddenly felt worried.

“Do you doubt my capabilities?”  Patchouli asked, seeming to read the other girls mind.

“No!”  Koa answered quickly, tail stiffening and wings flapping anxiously.  “I’m just…surprised, I guess.  It’s nice, though.”

Patchouli hummed in response, pouring the cups.  She passed one to koa, then grabbed the book that had been set aside.  She adjusted herself, opened the book, and began to read.  Koakuma watched the other woman intently, feeling the heat radiating from the cup in her hand.  Slowly, she brought the cup to her lips and sipped.

It wasn’t…awful.  The heat might’ve been a bit too high, but that didn’t ruin the mellow flavor.  It smelled floral, but Koa couldn’t place it.  That annoyed her a bit, and always brewed tea for patchy and thought she knew all types!  She tried to suppress an annoyed huff.

“What do you think?”  Patchouli asked, closing the book.  “Don’t hold back.”

“Well…I think you may have scalded the leaves a bit.  The taste is good, mellow and calming.  Reminds me of jasmine tea.  I can’t place the smell perfectly, though.”  Koa said truthfully, setting the cup down.  “Tastes like…home, in a way.”

Patchy smiled, nodding.  “Good.  Seems I still need to tweak the heat sigils.  The taste seems to be accurate, at least.  I’d say this has been a success.”

Koa couldn’t help herself.  “And what is ‘this’, might I ask?”

Patchouli’s smile widened.  “Just a little experiment I wanted to run with magical plants and their uses.”

She reached under the table again, and pulled out a large cylindrical object covered in a dark cloth.  “Botany has never been a specialty of mine, but I was curious if magic plants would be the same.  Of course, I wanted to keep it a surprise, so I had Meiling care for it in the greenhouse.”

She pulled the sheet back, revealing a potted plant in a glass case.  It was small, only a few inches tall, but it’s coloration was spectacular.  The stem and leaves were a bright white color, and the bulb was black.  Koa thought it looked pretty already, but noticed quickly that the flower itself wasn’t in bloom.  She gave Patchouli a curious look.

“It blooms under a very strict condition.”  She said, looking up.  “Should be able to see it…now.”

The clouds above parted, the full moon shining down on them.  The flower shuddered, and slowly the flower bulb began to open.  The petals unfurled slowly, revealing a crimson-colored center.  It shook slightly, its bat-like petals flapping like they were about to take off.  Koakuma was enraptured, leaning closer to get a better look.

“You…made this?”  She breathed, reaching to touch it before stopping herself.  

“I did.”  Patchouli said, standing.  “I used the leaves for our tea, but I think you should see what they look like while still attached to the plant.”

She lifted the glass, and carefully picked up the small plant.  She came around the table, and Koa stood as well.  The magician handed the plant over, and Koa took it like a fragile, prized gem.  She sniffed it, and immediately committed it to memory.  It reminded her of the library, the smell of old books, chemicals, and crackling magic.  A scent that some might not enjoy, but one that reminded her of home.  She could practically hear how fast her tail was swishing side-to-side behind her.

Patchouli stepped next to her, a smirk on her face.  She placed her hands over Koa’s, and began lifting the pot upwards.  Koa followed suit, and they lifted the flower to have the moon backlight it.  Koakuma let out a small gasp as the flower bloomed wider in reaction to the moonlight, small puffs of red dust twirling beautifully into the air.  The scent grew even stronger, almost overwhelming.

Slowly, Koa put the flower down on the table, and turned toward the librarian.  Without a second thought, she wrapped the other woman in a hug, arms and wings alike.  

“Thank you.”  She whispered, trying to hold back happy tears.  “I love it.”

“I’m glad.”  Patchouli said, returning the hug.

They stayed embraced for a bit, enjoying the sounds of the night and the glow of the moon.  When they parted, Koa realized that the plant was still producing the red dust, which had now covered both of them.  Before she could ask if that would agitate Patchouli’s allergies, the magician sneezed loudly, eyes beginning to water.  Koakuma shook her head, putting the glass and cloth back over the flower.

“Come on,” she said with a chuckle.  “Let me get you some medicine.”

Chapter Text

Cirno couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  Letty, her not-exactly-but-basically-mom, was sitting with that horrible flower yokai!  Talking!   She had rounded up her friends as soon as she saw it, and now the whole squad was peering through a bush on the edge of the flower field.

“Why is this so bad again?”  Daiyousei asked, shaking her head slightly.  “They’re adults, they can do what they want.”

Cirno shook her head.  “You’ve seen how Yuuka looks at anyone in her field!  They’re bound to start fighting at any moment!”

Daiyousei looked past her friend, watching the two.  They were seated at the table and chairs Yuuka always had out in the field, a large umbrella providing shade.  Yuuka was showing Letty something from a book she had, and the winter yokai seemed to be fully invested in what was being said.  She couldn’t make out what was in the book, or the words being spoken, but they seemed happy.  She gave Cirno a look.

“...I think they’re just hanging out.”  Wriggle said, squinting at the duo.  “I keep telling you guys, Yuuka isn’t as scary as you think she is.”

“Is that so?”  Rumia said, twirling in a circle behind them.  

“It is!”  The bug yokai insisted, antenna twitching.  “She’s really nice…”

“Ha!  Not to me!”  Cirno said, almost sounding proud.

“Maybe if you stop freezing her flowers…” Mystia whispered, earning a glare from the ice fairy.

“Let’s just keep watching!  You’ll see!”

They returned to silently watching the duo, who continued to chat.  Cirno was sure they were going to do something else, but the only thing that happened was them drinking from a thermos Letty had brought with her.  Most of team 9 quickly became bored, with Mystia leaving entirely to work her stall.  Rumia was laying flat on her back and watching the clouds pass, while Wriggle occupied herself with watching a trail of ants march across the dirt.  Daiyousei was the only one who stayed by Cirno’s side, but she was starting to get tired of this too.

“Why aren’t they doing anything?!”  Cirno hissed.  “They’re just…hanging out!”

“That’s what I said!”  Wriggle whined, looking over at the fairy.  “If you really wanna know what’s happening, just go ask!”

Cirno blinked blankly at her friend.  “Why didn’t I think of that!?”  She said, facepalming.

The fairy went to vault over the bush and confront the flower yokai, when both women stood from their seats.  Cirno sank back down, curiosity overtaking her.  Yuuka and Letty approached, and the remaining Team 9 braced for danmaku to start flying.   Cirno was ready to fly in, defend Letty with her life (not like she could die though, she was a fairy).  Her jaw hit the floor as the two, instead of fighting, embraced .  In a hug .  To make matters worse, they suddenly kissed.  On the lips.

“WHAT!?”  Cirno shouted, startling all parties involved.

Letty and Yuuka sprang away from each other, faces flushing bright red.  The ice fairy darted over, flitting around the two like a mosquito.  With nothing better to do, the remaining team 9 members walked over to watch the show.

“What are you doing!?  What was that!?  Do you two like each other?!  How long has this been happening?!  When–”

Letty plucked the fairy from the air, placing a hand over her mouth.  “Cirno, please!  Not so loud!”

“But I wanna knooooow!”  Cirno whined.  “I thought you two were gonna fight!  Not make out!”

Yuuka, whose face was buried in her hands, audibly squeaked.  She mumbled something, shuffling in place awkwardly.  Letty shook her head, letting Cirno go and moving to stand next to Yuuka, gently taking her hands and pulling them away from her face.  Yuuka was as red as a tomato as Letty stood next to her, facing the group.

“Well, we can’t keep it a secret forever.”  She said with a smile.  “Me and Yuuka have started dating!  It hasn’t been long, but we’ve connected well so far, I’d say!  Right, dear?”

Yuuka nodded, leaning against the other girl.  “Yes…that’s…right…”

Wriggle snapped her fingers suddenly.  “That’s why you’ve been so spacey, isn’t it?”  She exclaimed.  “You’ve been daydreaming!”

The other team 9 members oo’d and ah’d, except for Cirno, who looked contemplative.  

“How would this even work, though?”  Daiyousei asked.  “Your seasons are pretty opposite.”

“We make it work!  Some plants even thrive in winter, and there will always be somewhere cold in Gensokyo.”  Letty slung an arm around the flower yokai now, pulling her closer.

“...does that mean I have 2 moms?”  Cirno finally asked.  “You two are pretty strong, not as strong as me obviously, but if you did we’d be an unstoppable family!”

The two other yokai stared at Cirno, then at each other.  “...I wouldn’t mind…”  Yuuka said quietly, but in the silence they were in, it sounded like a bell.

“Then it’s settled!”  Crino celebrated, a complete 180 from when the whole situation started.  “Does this mean I can have some of your flowers?”

“You can’t, dear.”  Letty said, giving Yuuka a sly smile.  “They’re your siblings now, right?”

“...that’s right.”  Yuuka said, regaining the usual calm composure she had.  “It’d be awfully rude to take them, wouldn’t you agree?”

Cirno scoffed.  “I dunno, maybe they wanna see the world!  I’d be perfect for that!  I go all over the place!”

A thought passed Yuuka’s mind, and she removed a handful of seeds from her pocket.  She beckoned the fairy closer, and put the seeds in her hand.

“Take these, and plant them where you travel.  I’m sure they’ll be thankful for the scenery, wherever you choose.”

Cirno’s eyes lit up.  “Can do!  Come on, guys!”

The group ran off, leaving Yuuka and Letty alone in the field.  A gentle breeze went by, flowers swaying as it did.  The two yokai shared a look, and kissed again.  It was the start of summer, so they might not see each other as much as they’d like.  Despite that, they were both determined to make it work, now more than ever.

Chapter Text

Fury was all she had.  Fury toward Chang’e.  Fury toward the lunarians.  Fury toward the world for letting this happen.  Even fury toward herself for not being able to stop it.  When her attack on the moon was foiled by that shrine maiden, she was more furious than she thought possible.  That’s all she was.  Nothing but pure fury.

At least, that’s how she was.  Now, she wasn’t sure.  She wasn’t sure when it started, and when she did realize, she almost didn’t believe it.  Junko was feeling something else.  Funny, she was sure she’d never feel anything ever again.  Now, she was feeling things she struggled to place.  Not fury.  Something else.  Many else’s.

Happiness came first.  It came easily, with many things to cause it.  Clownpiece was one, usually having something to show that the fairy found interesting.  Sometimes a drawing, sometimes a new game she found, sometimes she just wanted to be around the spirit.  Hecatia was another, for similar reasons.  Each one of her three bodies brought their own form of happiness.  Everything seemed to become brighter when she was around.  The yellow Hecatia specifically had taken up cooking, and even though Junko struggled to taste what was made, the goddess’ joy at seeing her eat brought joy of its own.

Sadness was second, and came just as often as happiness.  Anything that reminded her of her son could set her off, sometimes even things that she knew didn’t make sense.  A smell.  A familiar tune.  Occasionally, nothing at all.  Sometimes the sadness boiled over into fury, causing her to lash out.  The walls of the house she stayed in with the underworld goddess and her fairy had several scars from these incidents.  Sometimes her sadness caused her to retreat within herself, tears staining her face.  Worse, sometimes the emptiness she felt would turn to overwhelming, painful sadness.  Hecatia was usually there when it happened, an anchor in the storm that became Junko’s emotions.  Sometimes, though, her being there was a cause in itself.  She didn’t want to be seen like this.

Annoyance was a strange one.  It wasn’t as fiery as fury, but a small flicker in her mind that drew her ire.  A clicking sound she couldn’t place.  One of Hecatia’s subordinates attempting to talk to her.  Surprisingly, both Hecatia and Clownpiece sometimes annoyed her.  Clownpiece would sing off-key, seeming to take great pleasure in Junko’s annoyance.  The blue Hecatia liked to latch onto her at inopportune moments, causing her to trip.  She asked Red Hecatia why she felt like this.  She said it was normal for any relationship.  Junko realized then that she had stopped seeing herself as just pure fury.  She was a person again.  She still couldn’t describe how she felt about that.

Now, though, she was feeling a new emotion.  Junko and Hecatia (the red one this time) were sitting on the couch in their living room, watching Clownpiece work on her latest project.  It was some sort of painting, but the fairy seemed to have no real goal in mind, merely splattering the canvas with various colors.  Half the paint was ending up on the floor, a fact that when brought up only made Hecatia chuckle.

“We can get that cleaned up easily.”  the goddess said with a shrug.  “Besides, it gets her energy out.  I’d rather have her do this than run around in the middle of the night.”

Junko hummed in response, leaning back into the couch.  Just sitting here, existing in the same space as these two…it was a new feeling.  It was similar to when the three Heca’s would surround her in a group hug, or lay with her in their bed and comfort her.  Not the same, almost…cooler.  Calmer.  She leaned against the goddess, trying to place it.

“What’s on your mind?”  Hecatia asked, slinging an arm around her.

“I feel…calm.  But it is not calm.  It is something else.  I can’t find the name for it.”

Hecatia nodded, tilting her head in thought.  “I think…you’re feeling content.  It’s like calm, but…you feel it when you’re somewhere safe, or with people you like.”

Content.  Knowing the word now, it made sense.  Thinking about it, she had felt this before.  Maybe she just didn’t want to acknowledge it.  Realize that she had changed.  She never thought she could feel content again.  Wasn’t sure she could even exist without her fury.  What emotion should such a revelation bring?  Was more content the answer?  That’s what she felt.

“Hm.  I like it.”  Junko said, leaning further and falling into Hecatia’s lap.  “Content.  It’s nice.”

“I’m glad.”  Hecatia purred, running a hand through the spirit’s hair.  “We’re all happy you can feel content while here.”

“Yeah!”  Clownpiece said, stomping over.  “You’re home!  Gotta feel safe while home, right?”

Junko chuckled, reaching out and patting the fairy on the head.  “I suppose I am.”

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off.  Content.  Home.  She liked that.  She liked that a lot.

Chapter Text

“Fuck you, you hag!”  Mokou shouted as more dirt hit the top of the coffin.

“Oh, such harsh words!”  Kaguya shouted back, shoveling another mound of dirt into the hole.  “You can’t blame me for your loss!”

Mokou wiggled in place, trying to free herself from her bindings.  Whatever rope Kaguya had used, it seemed to be imbued with magic to make it fire-proof.  The coffin seemed to be fire-proof as well, as no matter how much she tried, her phoenix fire couldn’t burn through them.  The dagger that had been tossed into her coffin with her had begun to glow from the heat she exhausted, the only proof she’d actually accomplished something.

“Couldn’t you just, like, stab me or something?”  Mokou tried, wiggling in place.  “This seems excessive, even for you.”

“Oh, it's more than enough!”  Kaguya replied joyfully.  “If I lost, you said you’d bury me!  That’s where I got my punishment idea~”

Mokou could only grumble in response.  As much as she hated it, this is what they agreed upon.  Still, she only had to escape, and they could get right back to beating each other bloody.  She already had a few fun shapes to twist Kaguya’s spine into in mind when she was out.  Didn’t mean she had to be happy with it, though.

“Aaaand, done!”  Kaguya said, finishing burying the shallow grave.  “Maybe I’ll come tomorrow.  Maybe I won’t.  Goodbye, my dearly loathed!”

“Go fuck yourself!”  Mokou shouted, kicking at the lid.

The lunarian princess only chuckled, then walked away.

~~~~~~

Kaguya lounged by the entrance to Eientei, staring down the trail into the bamboo forest.  She’d barely moved from there the past few days, waiting to see Mokou blaze toward her, hate on her face.  That hadn’t happened yet.  Reisen passed by, carrying a basket full of laundry.  She didn’t speak, instead silently raising a concerned eyebrow that went unnoticed by the princess.  

Kaguya rolled over onto her back, sighing loudly.  Where was she?  Surely, she hadn’t tied the ropes too tight.  The coffin was decently spacious for a wooden box, so Mokou could still move around a bit when she freed herself.  She even gave her a dagger to make it easier!  Mokou wouldn’t have done the same to her, so Kaguya was being generous!  She deserved praise for that.  Or a thank you.  Maybe that could be the next punishment, have the phoenix girl thank her for all the nice things she did for her…

But she would have to be here to do that.  And she wasn’t.

“Princess,” Eirin’s voice came from inside, “you can’t lie there, people won’t be able to come or go.”

Kaguya groaned in reply, rolling to the left several times until she fell off the porch.  Standing and dusting herself off, she set out to go bother the rabbits.  That was a good way to pass the time.  Plus if Mokou did show up now, she’d get the chance to gloat and make fun of her before they went back to fighting.  The phoenix had a soft spot for the Eientei rabbits.

~~~~~~

A week had passed now.  Kaguya trudged back to where she’d buried Mokou, standing silently in front of the makeshift grave.  The dirt seemed undisturbed from when she was here last, but it was hard to tell.  She didn’t speak, simply stood and stared.  No noise came from it.  A part of her wondered if this was some trick, Mokou turning the tables on her by staying here.  What would be the point, though?  What was there to gain?

“Are you just going to stay there?”  She asked, folding her arms despite no one around to see it.  “Not even going to try and escape?  Never thought you were one to accept your fate so easily.”

No response.  Kaguya shuffled in place a bit, straining to listen for any sound from the dirt.  Nothing. That could mean nothing.  You did have to speak loudly to be heard from underground.  Soft breathing wouldn’t be heard.  Was she already free?  Did she dig herself out, then re-bury the coffin to mess with her?  That didn’t seem plausible.  Mokou wasn’t one for subtlety.  Or plans.  Bursting through the front door, screaming with rage, that was the Mokou she knew.  

“Well…fine then!  Stay quiet.  It’s already been a week, you know?  But, take as long as you like!  The silence back home is nice!”

She stomped off, doing her best not to look back.  If Mokou wanted to be like that, then she had no reason to give her any more thought.  Kaguya could occupy herself with other things.  Hell, a break might be good for her.

~~~~~~

Another week had passed.  Kaguya was back at the grave, glaring at the spot.  Rain poured down around her, mud having caked her dress during the trek.  Anger boiled in her chest, along with another emotion she couldn’t quite place.

“Why!?”  She shouted.  “Why are you still down there!?  Do you…do you enjoy being buried alive?!  You freak!”

Nothing.  Kaguya growled incomprehensibly, stomping around and splashing more mud on herself.  This had to be intentional.  There was no other way.  She wanted to dig the coffin back up and smack Mokou around, but she stopped herself.  Maybe that’s what she wanted.  Wanted to see Kaguya break like this.  Besides, even if she wanted to, she didn’t have her shovel.  Eirin was already going to be mad with her when she got home, getting any dirtier would just make it worse.

“...Keine is gonna be worried, you know.”  She tried, hoping for any sort of reaction.

Silence.

“...are you even still alive?”

Of course, the question was pointless.  Both of them were immortal, death wasn’t anything they had to worry about.  That didn’t stop a bolt of ice shooting through her veins as soon as those words left her mouth.  She collapsed to the ground, fingers tearing at the earth.  

“You can’t be, can you!?”  She shouted as the storm picked up around her.  “Did you know?!  Did you know this would happen?!”

She kept digging, flinging mud aside.  It splattered her face, cold sinking into her bones.  A part of her tried to rationalize this, this had to be a prank!  But some other part of her urged her on.  She needed to be sure.

“You can’t be dead!  Say something, goddamnit!”  She punched the earth, couching as mud flew into her mouth.

“I swear if you’re messing with me, I’m gonna tear your head off and–and make you eat your own heart!  Yeah, you like that!?”

Her nails bent back, and tore free from her hands.  “Who do you think you are, going somewhere I can’t follow!?”

Finally the coffin came into view.  She punched it, fist cracking through the wood and tearing gashes in her wrist.  She tried to pull it free, but the wood dug even deeper, locking it in place.  Kaguya fell against the lid, gasping for air.

“Don’t…leave me…behind…”

The lid shifted, and Kaguya felt heat as her hand was suddenly freed.  She gripped the sides of the lid and yanked upward, sending it flying away.  Kaguya stared down into the stunned face of Mokou, completely freed and looking no worse for wear.  She wanted to scream, kick the phoenix so hard her own foot broke.  Instead, she collapsed on top of her, hugging her tightly.  Mokou was frozen for a second, then slowly returned it.

“...sorry.”  Was all she could manage.  

Did she understand why Kaguya was so upset?  Not really.  Mokou had broken out of her restraints within the first few hours when a thought struck her.   It’d be quite the turn-around, if she just stayed put.  She didn’t intend for anything more, just to stay buried and see what Kaguya did.  Hell, if Kaguya had done the same, Mokou wouldn’t have even noticed.

…oh, that thought hurt.  

Uh oh.

“...come on.”  Mokou said, still clutching the princess tight as she stood.  “Let’s get you home, you’ll catch a cold.”

“Idiot…”  Kaguya mumbled.  “We can’t get sick.”

Still, she managed to get her feet under her, and together the two immortals began the slow walk back to Eientei.  Neither was sure where their relationship was going to go after tonight, but for the moment, it didn’t matter.  They had all the time in the world to figure it out, but for now, they just had to put one foot in front of the other.