Reposted from >>/border/21958

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Two Kingdoms, One Purpose: Gain power and might.
Adjoining together and then without spite,
They strike without mercy and hurt without cause,
Forgetting their past and ignoring their laws.

Who knew when it started. The blood shed between the Hakurei clan and the Kochiya clan was already second-nature to the residents of Gensokyo. Hundreds of years had passed since Reimu Hakurei and Sanae Kochiya had passed on, but their bitter separation had caused this nearly millenium-old war.

Along the bright pathways they run not asunder
The methods align to their anger and thunder.
Lightning and fire formed from human emotion
Were naught but a cause for the swirling commotion.

The people of Gensokyo weren't sure when the fighting started. Heck, even most of the youkai alive at this time weren't sure when it started. A certain violet mistress, however, had seen the entire thing unfold, and had left Gensokyo before it escalated to what it was now.

The brighter maroon that belittles the blue
Is something, while horrid, that is nothing new.
A crimson reminder of days best forgot?
Adept are the critics who say it is not.

Reports say that this woman, a dimensional youkai called Yakumo, decided to leave because of the brewing controversy. Some of these reports even go so far as to point the finger at Yakumo herself as the cause for the strife in Gensokyo. I, however, know differently. Yukari Yakumo left because Gensokyo was dead to her.

The shore was a rest place for beacons and sights
Where seas reassembled and made dim the lights.
True battles, once fought here, no longer the norm,
The old saying false: not the calm before storm.

I know it seems hard to fathom, but the decision of both shrine maidens to find a husband struck a nerve with this youkai. As preparations toward both events transpired, she had become increasingly bothered and annoyed. One day, she disappeared, never to return.

No longer the red and the green will collide,
In soil and the earth their strife will subside.

That's because she had returned to her former home; the outside world. And I'm glad. Despite the fact Reimu and Sanae had made up their differences before they died, their descendants hadn't, so I was glad to see Yukari at my doorstep. I had been waiting to say these words for the longest time, and now I could. "Welcome home, Maribel".

===

"Are you done playing with your dolls, Renko?" Maribel's voice cut through my imagination. "We're going to be late for school, you know."

I sulked. I was almost done. "They're not dolls! They're figurines; works of art!"

"Right, and you're a boy. Come on, Renko!"

There was really no pushing her buttons when she became like this. "Alright, I'm coming."

Maribel was the first outside, while I meticulously closed and locked the door to the house. Our house.

"I can't believe we're almost done university!" Maribel twirled around in front of our gate, turning back to face me. "I'm so happy!"

I took her hand in mine as I walked up to her, my smile matching the intensity of her own. "So am I, Mary."

We left our house, walking to school, with her right and my left intertwined together.



And back at home, I knew that the Red and White Figurine and the Green and Blue Figurine, both covered in dirt, were doing the same.

Reposted from >>/th/118235

---

"I'd like to thank everyone that helped me to get where I am."

The amulet microphone produces some static, but it fades quickly. Again, the woman speaks.

"First of all, I'd like to thank Yukari Yakumo. She was the main organizer to most everything I did, and because of her, I was able to obtain this award. Thank you very much."

Yukari looked back at the speaker with a bewildering look that turned from shock to a small smile. It was difficult to understand what she thought about the compliment she was given, but it was obvious that initially it wasn't something she expected. After all, that usually mischevious glint in her eyes was gone completely.

"Next, I'd like to thank Minoriko Aki."

A gasp emerges from the watching audience.

"Minoriko is a friend and associate of mine, and because of her, order was able to come to my life. She helped me to organize my time and to put it in motion. And she did it without pay. Thank you, Minoriko."

Minoriko isn't watching, instead hiding her own sniffles and tears as her head is bowed downwards, further protected from sight by a hug from her sister, Shizuha. Shizuha is hugging Minoriko tightly, smiling to everyone around her every chance she can, which isn't often.

"I'd also like to thank Marisa Kirisame. Your tutelage and legacy that you left behind gave me the inspiration necessary to obtain this award. I know you're no longer alive to see this, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You were a great comrade and friend."

Reimu, who had been angrily crossing her arms at the back of the room and refusing to look at the speaker, finally looked up at the mention of Marisa. Her scowl had turned into a relatively opaque look, which most everyone that knew her knew was her variation of a smile. Reimu's headed bobbed up and down, as if to approve of the speaker's words.

There was a slight pause as the speaker thought about what to say next. It was important to say the right words, because there wasn't much time to say much else.

"I guess, the next on my list to thank is Lily White."

Lily White still had a speech impediment. The only way for her to talk was still danmaku bullets, but the speaker raised a spellcard to communicate with her while translating for the rest of the audience.

"Lily, the difficulty with the life you've had has been a point of reference for me. I didn't want anyone to live a life as bad as yours any more, and I willed that wish into reality. This award is living proof of that, and I want to thank you."

All Lily could do was nod her head up and down in response, to which the speaker did the same and smiled at her. Lily's tears began to flow, and her crying and subsequent danmaku storm was absorbed by her danmaku cage, which allowed her to be in public without causing too much damage. It was an invention of the late Marisa Kirisame.

"And that leaves two more people. Remilia Scarlet and Reimu Hakurei. I want to address the one here first."

Reimu's look turned back into a scowl, preparing for another thrashing of words about getting in the speaker's way, but was pleasantly surprised to hear the words 'I love you' emanate from the speaker's mouth.

"There's not much else to say, Reimu. I love you, and thank you for the opportunity to love."

The fire in Yukari's eyes caught aflame again, and her outer mask of taking interest came alive as if it had been there the entire time. Ran, to her left, knew however, that Yukari had been vulnerable throughout this entire ceremony until now, and that Yukari was feeling somewhat jealous of the speaker, who had done something she could have achieved, but didn't. Hopefully, Ran thought, this event would cause Yukari to actually start doing things.

"And Remilia Scarlet, my hate for you was one of rivalry. Sure, I hated your guts and wanted to kill you, but in the nicest way possible. It's that hate that kept me living and in search of this award. It's you that I have to thank for keeping me together mentally, and I say begrudgingly, you're welcome."

Sakuya's notepad was filled out with the exact words the speaker had been saying, but this last paragraph wasn't recorded at all. Her tears had come first. Flandre, who was in the audience, attempted to finish the paragraph for Sakuya, but the silver-haired maid shook her head no.

"Last, but not least, I want to thank Go- I mean, Shikieiki, for presenting this award. It's exactly what I imagined when I started on this path to attain it, and you presenting it is something I'll treasure for the rest of my life. Thanks."

As the speaker moved away from the mic, applause erupted from the audience, but Shikieiki rose to the mic and raised her hands to calm them.

"Members of the audience, this woman is an example for the rest of you. If you want to be like her, do the exact thing she did, and you'll be here too, to claim your own award. Thank you."

Shikieiki curtsied, then walked towards Komachi, whispered some words to her, while all the while the applause threatened to break the windows in this building. Komachi nodded, and she went off to prepare. Shikieiki headed back to the speaker, and handed her a blue amulet.

"Here's your award."

The speaker took it, a genuine smile on her face staring at Shikieiki's own neutral look. It was the last thing the speaker saw. At that moment, Shikieiki secretly signaled to Komachi, and Komachi swung her scythe downward, taking the head clean off.

"Goodbye."

Reposted from >>/forest/21222

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"It's been a while, hasn't it."

I know that footstep. It's you. The time I have spent all alone has trained me to identify people by the way they walk. And it's you. You're back. This is, what, your eighth visit now? Aren't you sick of me yet?

"I'm glad to see you again."

Every year, without fail. And each year, you have come without any visible protection. I don't know if the poison I used on you when we first met had any effect, but you seem to foolishly come each and every year. Like clockwork.

"How have you been?"

What do you plan to do this time? Are you trying to win me over? You know I don't like humans; they're the ones that did this to me. You're just one person. You can't atone for the sins of many.

"There's something I have to tell you."

Ah! What are you doing, idiot! Don't hold me like that, you'll die! You've been safe because you never touched me or held me, but...

"I've wanted you for some time now."

You idiot...you didn't have to listen to my selfish request. You didn't have to hold me, kiss me...

"Touch me."

The words I cannot say. The pleasures I cannot feel. The jealousy I cannot relieve. The companionship I cannot achieve. The people I cannot touch. You...would do this for me?

"Hug me."

Are you here to cause me more grief? Are you going to be another person that haunts me? How can you honestly and knowingly hold me like this? This good and satisfying touch; what motive lies behind it? You must have a plan; what human would give their life for a doll?

"Make me feel loved."

No, there's something different about you. You don't back away, even when I tell you to stop. I think...I think you honestly want to care for my needs. You touch me, you hold me in your arms, you hug me. You want me to feel the embrace I miss. You want me to feel. You want me...no, you wish me to be normal. You can't do anything about it, and yet you still try...

"Make love to me."

But...no matter how many times I scream in pleasure, no matter how many times I feel my insides fill with your thrusting, I know that in a matter of minutes, you'll wither away to nothing, leaving me alone again. Did you think that this pleasure would fill my loneliness?

"Come inside me."

How could I have not seen it? You honestly cared for me. You're doing it all for me, and yet I can't do anything for you. My body is all I can give, and all it can give you is death. Yet you give me all you have to make me feel happy, even if only a moment.

"Tell me you'll take responsibility."

We've been in contact for about thirty minutes now, and it's only now that you're beginning to slow down. And I sadly realize why: you are beginning to fade into my flowerbed. You can only smile, and I can only smile back. I can do nothing for you. Do I exist only to cause pain and misery? What is my worth?

"We'll meet again, won't we?"

I am a doll, a puppet to my circumstances. That's all I am. And yet, for half an hour, I was worth something. I was a person.

"I'll see you later."

I want to live. I want to be...

Reposted from >>/shrine/31706

---

"Reimu, you know she's right," Yukari's ho-hum echoed inside Reimu's head, and it annoyed the shrine maiden.
"Get out of my head, Sukima."

"Oh, what a mean, mean, shrine maiden. And here I was, thinking of actually bringing you to her myself!" Not really. Anyone who knew Yukari well, and there weren't many people who could claim this, would know that teasing Reimu was for her like breakfast was to most humans. Necessary.

"Look, Marisa's always alive and kicking; I can see her any time I want. Besides, I don't feel like going anywhere." The red-white's hand clasped the gohei strongly. "And you're not making me."

Quiet. Yukari didn't bother to retort, and Reimu preferred it that way. Peace. Suika was out, presumably gathering herself after last night's drinking. It was a bothersome affair, and even thinking about it was too tiring.

The early hours of the morning came to an end. Reimu was now asleep.

---

Marisa and Reimu had talked on their way back from their latest adventure about many things. However, the conversation turned sour quickly when Reimu reached her home shrine. Marisa had asked Reimu why the shrine maiden never visited the witch's home. Reimu's usual retort hadn't lightened the mood, and before Marisa flew off, she left a cryptic message: "It's just that I feel lonely sometimes. When you've used the power of love as much as I have, you sometimes wonder what it'd be like to feel it someday, you know?" Reimu caught on instantly to what Marisa meant, and it had been bothering her for the past two weeks.

---

Reimu awoke with a start. It was evening now, but she had heard her shrine's silent alarm in her head. It meant something bad had just happened. Mima had fashioned a special spell card of her own to the shrine. Phantom Sign ?Evil Spirit Field?, it was called. Its main function was to keep a part of Mima around in case that the shrine decided to reject her, while its secondary function was to find major youkai atrocities and locate where the incident took place. It was this latter function that roused the shrine maiden into action. Reimu took off instantly towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Something had happened, and she had this horrible sinking feeling in her stomach.

Reimu had no way of knowing this early, but her worst fear had already happened: she wasn't ever going to see Marisa again.

As Patchouli would a few hours later put it, "Reimu, I can't comfort you. I may know a lot, but all of it is just knowledge. I can't help you. Your pain is indeed immense, but it is one you have to experience. It's your calling. You're going to be the saviour of Gensokyo. So, for now, learn what it means to be human. To draw strength from your misery. To pick yourself up and continue." How ironic it was. Those same words, learned by Patchouli from a certain blonde witch, were now being used to comfort the originator's best friend.

Reposted from >>/border/22582

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"This is my judgment. You are black." Shikieiki Yamaxanadu sighed at the recording of her very first real trial in Gensokyo. Since then, she had gone on to judge many other cases, but this was the first where she was not the judge, jury, and executioner. In the defendant's chair, she had been squirming nervously while her fellow Yamas in the jury tried to make eye contact with her. They weren't successful. Currently called to witness was Reimu, being asked questions by the prosecution and then by the defense. The western-styled trial was mainly due in part to the influence of the reigning Yama, who happened to be raised in North America. Shikieiki, along with many other non-western Yama, were very unfamiliar with the process, so it took a little while before the trial actually started. This only served to heighten the formerly stoic Shikieiki's nervousness, as if she already knew what the verdict would be.

"May I call Eiki Shiki to the stand."

Shikieiki cringed at the sound of her almost-forgotten name. It was her turn, her time to speak her mind. It was her chance to show everyone her side of the story.


---
Excerpt from the Official Transcript of the High Enma's Court, XXXX, Apr XX

Pr (Prosecutor): Please state your name and your occupation.
Sh (Shikieiki): My name is Eiki Shiki, and my job is to weigh the souls that come before me and pronounce judgment on them.

Pr: So, in other words, you are a faithful Yama, correct?
De (Defense Lawyer): Eiki, don't answer that.
Sh: My lawyer has advised me to abstain from answering that question.

Pr: So you will refuse to answer the questions your lawyer doesn't want you to answer?
Sh: That is correct, yes.

Pr: Alright then. How long have you been in your occupation?
Sh: Since I was fourteen years of age.

Pr: I would like to hear the amount of years, Eiki.
De: Objection! She doesn't have to answer that!
Ju (Judge): Prosecution, why is this information necessary?
Pr: This is important; it's a lead-off question.
Ju: Alright. Objection overruled. But there better not be any more of these personal questions.
Pr: Understood, your honor. Eiki, your answer?
Sh: For exactly 1,322 years and 7 months.

Pr: Good. So you were in your occupation for that long. I have to ask, are you familiar with the Yama code of conduct, being in service for as long as you have been?
Sh: In what particular manner do you mean?
Pr: Well, I mean to ask you about the changes to the code. You are, for instance, familiar with the change 450 years ago, otherwise known as the Puril Schodt?
Sh: Yes.
Pr: May I please hear what this change entailed?
Sh: This change to the Yama code of conduct entailed a rule formerly known as the conscientious choice. In it, Yamas were allowed to pardon the soul if one had committed a great atrocity but had a good reason for it. The change essentially reversed this law and made it clear that the act carries as much guilt as one's motive.

Pr: Yes, that's right. You have a good memory, Eiki.
(Court backdoor opens with a bang)
Ko (Komachi Onozuka): Compliments will get you nowhere with her.
Sh: You made it!
Pr: Objection! Disru-
Ju: Order in the court, order in the court. Miss Onozuka, please sit down, you're making a mess of my courthouse.
Ko: Oh, uh, sorry.
Ju: Please continue.

Pr: As I was saying, Eiki, you have a good memory. If you can remember that far back, surely a rule change closer to now would be easier to remember, wouldn't it?
De: Objection! He's trying to bait my client!
Pr: Well, I'm sorry if I need to say it slowly for the benefit of the jury.
Ju: ...
De: ...

Pr: I'm sorry for the interruption, Eiki.
Sh: Not at all. Please continue.
Pr: With pleasure. Now, please tell the court what exactly the change afterwards, the Puril Zun, entails.
De: Do not answer that, Eiki.
Sh: No. I have a right to tell the truth and my story.
Pr: Aha. So you do have a will of your own.
Sh: Would you like me to answer the question or not, Mr. Prosecutor?
Pr: Be my guest.
Sh: The Puril Zun makes an addendum to the previous rule, Puril Schodt, by stating that any knowledge that a Yama might have about an individual's motives is to be thrown out if that soul refuses to state it clearly.

Pr: So, I would like to call into question the very last soul you judged. Someone by the name of-
Sh: I would like her identity to remain anonymous.
Pr: Um, alright then. Well.

Pr: The last piece of evidence I would like to show you are these letters, written to the High Enma herself, by the defendant here. You may take a look for yourselves; these are replicas of the letters, produced by neither the prosecution or the defense but by the judge herself.
Jury: -Murmur-
Pr: Eiki, do you deny that you wrote those letters?
Sh: I do not.
Pr: And is my previous statement about you having a will, however sarcastic it was, true?
Sh: Yes.
Pr: And one last question. Are you a faithful Yama?
Sh: Yes.
Pr: Then here is the point I wish to make. A Yama's code of conduct, spelled out beautifully by the defendant, captures the problem oh so clearly. Members of the jury, based on the testimony of Eiki Shiki, and the two witnesses before her, Reimu and Yukari, I have reached this conclusion. Eiki Shiki has violated the code of the Yama, and as declaring herself as one, has also terminated her right to continue being a Yama. And this is how. Yamas aren't meant to intercede on the behalf of an able-bodied soul who refuses to speak on his or her behalf. Eiki, based on the testimonies, has done that. This, according to the law of the Yamas, is punishable by termination. And let's say I'm wrong about all of this, and Eiki didn't really do that. Then what would be the point of those letters you have in your hand, in which she offers a sincere apology for the act which she is about to do? All of this alone points to her guilt even if you discredit the other three pieces of evidence here today. The prosecution rests.

Ju: Does the defense have anything to say?
De: Nothing, your honor.
Ju: Thank you, Eiki, you may return.

Ju: You'll be permitted to give a short speech before we break for recess and the jury adjourns to find their verdict.
Sh: Thank you, Great Enma.
Ju: For the time being, please call me Your Honor. You may call me that if you are reinstated.
Sh: Alright, Your Honor. I'm sure the members of the jury know of me, or have heard of me. My ability to remove vagueness from my judgment was a highly honored ability within our community. So then, you may ask of me, 'Why?'. 'Why did she break the code of the Yama?' My answer is perfectly simple. Because I feel that the code is stupid.
De: Eiki, that's enough.
Sh: Quiet! If you know the will of a person, and it is the mere pretense of one's being, such as pride, that carries on with them as a soul, then why should I treat that as anything but a handicap? Souls are meant to have pride but not to the point where it clouds one's mind and carries them into oblivion. Yes, I am guilty of breaking the Yama code. But your job, jury, isn't to figure out whether or not I broke the Yama code. Let me ask you one simple question. What determines the worth of our occupation? The people that pass by it, correct? Is it an easy thing to take responsibility for each individual decision you make? No. It's why there are so few of us; the standards are that high. I would like to ask the jury not to reconsider the code, but to reconsider themselves. What if you were the soul that passed by, and were judged by someone lower than you. Would you not hold yourself back, refuse to submit to a weaker authority? That is what I have had to face, and you know of my actions. I pray you will find me guilty of making the right decision in this case, and pronounce my sentence to be community service, as I have done for the folk in Gensokyo.

Sh: I have nothing more to say, your honor.
Ju: Thank you. We will have a 10 minute recess.
---

Shikieiki sat down onto her chair, mentally exhausted. Her lawyer wasn't even looking at her, mumbling something about a paycheck. To her right, the members of the prosecution packed up their belongings with their heads held high, as if they were assured of their victory. It was at that moment that Shikieiki felt two arms come over her shoulders and start fondling her breasts. She turned around quickly, half-annoyed and half-happy.

"Komachi!"

The former employee of Shikieiki withdrew her hands, then gave a hearty laugh while putting her right hand on Shikieiki's head. "I made it."

"So you did!" Shikieiki's voice was one of genuine surprise, much different than the official-sounding tone she had used not too long ago. "How did you do it?" The defendant's eyebrows furrowed. "You didn't skip out on actually doing your job, did you?"

Komachi just smiled. "No, it was all done. I know you thought it'd take me all day, but I found someone willing to help. Together, we finished in less than half the time, and from there it was a simple task to arrive here."

The green-haired girl just smiled, relaxed. "Thanks."

Being near Komachi reminded Shikieiki of the relaxing jingle of the coins Komachi always carried with her. It was this pleasant sound that caused her to turn back towards the front and tilt her chair backwards, enough to see her friend, while resting on the guard rail. Komachi, seeing that Shikieiki's face was relaxed, started to gently stroke the former Yama's ears.

The sound of the judge returning brought everyone back to reality.

---
Excerpt from the Official Transcript of the High Enma's Court, XXXX, Apr XX

Ju: Jury, have you reached a verdict?
Jury: We have.
Ju: Then please write your verdict down and give it to me. Before I reveal what conclusion you have come to, please allow me to share my thoughts on the whole escapade.

Ju: Eiki, I was very confused with your letters. From what little I knew about you, I initially believed that they could not have been written by you. It was only when I met you in person that I concluded they were, in fact, not forgeries. You knew what you were doing. It pains me because I don't know the circumstances of the situation, and worse yet no one knows except you and this person.
Ko: And-
Sh: Shush, you.
Ju: Did you have something to say, miss Onozuka?
Sh: I'm sorry, my associate's always like this. Please carry on, Your Honor.
Ju: Oh. That's surprising. I had no idea Komachi was your associate. Well, that's alright either way. In any case, my role here is to pass judgment, and I have chosen this method of doing so because I do not want to be the one responsible for your innocence or guilt. This is what you would prefer, right Eiki?
Sh: You bet.
Ju: And now, the verdict. 'We the Jury, find Eiki Shiki, guilty-'
Ko: Okay, I've heard enough. Eiki, we're out of here.
Sh: Wha-!"
Ju: Bailiff, stop them!

De: Well, that was quite a commotion.
Pr: Yes. But they gave us the slip, and quite easily, too.
Ju: It's too bad, really. If only that girl wasn't impatient, I could have read the entire verdict. She's not guilty, don't chase after them. Court Adjourned.
---

Komachi brought Shikieiki to a secluded garden over by the mouth of the Sanzu River. It was Komachi's secret place, and for the ferrywoman, it was a breath of fresh air. Seriously. The courthouse was stuffy.

Shikieiki, however, was furious. "Komachi! You know that was the wrong thing to do! I'm a wanted criminal, I'm guilty! By doing that, you'll be guilty too, and they'll kill you! I-I just...!"

Komachi's kiss shut Shikieiki up. It was one sided at first, but as Shiki relaxed, she returned it with a sense of calm. After breaking away, Komachi picked up Shikieiki and laid her on her own lap. Looking down, Komachi whispered in a soft tone, "I know. I know. But hey, do you regret what you did for her?" The former Yama shook her head. "No."

"Then neither do I. I saw what you did for her, and I think that's when I truly fell for you. You weren't the straight, stiff judge I had always seen, you were a kind, compassionate soul. And if it takes fleeing from authority to make you realize the same towards me, then I'm all for it."

Eiki looked up, in amazement. "Really?" In response, the shinigami nodded. "Really."

Shikieiki and Komachi smiled at each other, knowingly, as they opened their mouths in unison. "I regret nothing."

End of the 1st Half of the Short Stories.

Reposted from >>/border/24550

---

What is something if it isn't yours? As the number of people in Gensokyo, so too are the number of responses.

"Something to be treasured."
"Another worthless piece of trash."
"Control."
"Retaliatory grounds!"
"I...don't think about things like that."
"For me, it'd be something only those groundlings enjoy."
"Inconceivable, I own everything anyways!"
"Crystals...and I wouldn't have much need of those."
"Everything I want is right here beside me."

But for me, if something isn't mine, that something is one word: "Mine."

======

Alice Margatroid, having bid farewell to Reimu and company, started on the path towards her house. It had been a long day. While she hadn't been in the know about what had happened recently, Yuuka Kazami being put to death in a public demonstration in front of many of the power players of Gensokyo for the death of Marisa Kirisame (her best and closest friend) was almost too much for her cold and calculating mind to take in one setting.

As proof, when she entered her home, nobody welcomed her back home. An Hourai doll lay listfully on the counter next to the door instead of happily greeting her master. Two Shanghai dolls and one London doll sat on the table in their respective positions, none of them writing about how much fun they were having. Another Hourai doll sat close to the light button, unable to turn on the lights. And Alice knew about the other ninety-five dolls in her house, all having a unique function in welcoming her home. She didn't bother with any of them.

---

Upstairs, in her bedroom, she changed her clothes in an almost mindless manner and then set herself down on her bed. So much had changed in the past seventy-two hours. Everything she had been working for was gone. She had set herself on making an autonomous doll, not for her own sake but just to help Marisa with cleaning her house. The few times Alice had visited the mess seemed to take control of her mind, almost beckoning the puppetmaster to clean them up. She had restrained herself each and every time, though it was never easier the next time.

But just like that, Marisa was gone. What was she supposed to do?

---

Alice awoke with a start. She had sensed something was wrong in her sleep, and her instinctive self-awareness trumped her depression - at least for the time being. She got up, and immediately started activating the dolls using her power to see through the dolls' eyes what was going on. However, she was in for the shock of her life.

Her grimoire was gone.

Quickly, she rummaged through her clothing to find something more respectable than her sleepwear, then rushed downstairs to find the dolls picking up papers scattered all over the floor. More specifically, pages of her missing grimoire. Most disturbing of all, however, was that when she followed the trail with her eyes from the place where the Grimoire rested, it was clear that it was the only thing the thief wanted: the door was open, and the trail led outside.

Her first reaction was to fall to the ground, crying. Not for her mother, Shinki, who would be forever lost to the world, but for Marisa. She had inscribed on some of the pages the things that Marisa had done that she felt were inexcusable, and admittedly she had mentioned a wish there too: a wish that either Marisa stop doing those things or that Marisa herself would disappear. The memory of writing that flooded back into Alice, and for a while she and her dolls, who had been busying themselves with tidying the place up, stopped. Alice cried her heart out, and slipped back into depression.

"Here."

Alice looked up. The very first Shanghai doll she had ever made, unwisely named Shanghai I, looked back at her, a sad smile seeming to resonate with her former master. But it wasn't the fact that she had finally an independent doll in front of her that made her stop crying.

It was a card of the public event. Something like this would normally have been even more depressing for Alice, but, as depressed as she was, she noticed the large indents on the card signifying a signature and writing on the other side. She took a look, and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth for the first time since she had gotten up, and muttered the words she wanted to say out loud to herself. "Silly Marisa." The tears started flowing again, but this time, they were tears of joy. "You're still alive."

Reposted from >>/blue/4830

---

"Someone, help me. Who am I? What am I doing here? Save me!"

---

As everyone flooded out of the auditorium, Komachi gave a sigh. "Why did we have to go through all this trouble?"

Her superior, Eiki, shrugged. "Protocol, for one. The other reason is that there's no reason for her to exist in everyone else's minds. As long as everyone else in Gensokyo knows that Marisa is exhumed and splintered, and Yuuka is dead, we'll be fine."

Komachi still had a question. "But why? Why do all this instead of just stating it outright?"

Eiki pointed to the seal Komachi held in her hand. The blue color was turning purple. "You can ask her yourself."

As if on cue, Yuuka reappeared.

Eiki smiled. "I was going to go all preachy and banter about what you were doing was going to cause the utmost risk to my status as Yama, but, you know..."

Eiki trailed off, unable to face the smiling and knowledgeable face of Yuuka. Komachi, for her part, had never seen Eiki like this before in her life, and stared in amazement at the display before her.

"...you are more nobler than any other youkai I've seen on Gensokyo. I can't say anything bad to you." Yuuka nodded silently, her summer voice still rusty from the moments in exile.

Eiki continued. "You have a purpose, a belief, and an unselfish heart, somehow. Gensokyo will never see you again, Yuuka, but let your flower bloom wherever you decide to stay. May the gods bless you." Before Komachi could get a word in edgewise, Eiki left, her proud voice barely holding in her tears.

Yuuka quietly responded back. "I'll never forget you too, savior." Yuuka turned toward the back entrance and began to leave. She had one goal in mind, and less than 12 hours to accomplish it.

---

"Hey, Lyrica, do something about our guest this time!"

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Because Merlin and I did it the previous two times. It's not that hard, really, just make some raucous sounds."

"Fine."

Lyrica Prismriver left the room she and her sisters shared, and continued onward toward the attic. The poltergeist sisters knew they weren't alone, but as long as they made a lot of noise, their guest wouldn't bother them.

Lyrica thought back to the days with Layla, her departed sister. They were brats then, sure, but they were connected. Even in passing, when Merlin found Layla's secret gem, they were able to conduct a concert, using Layla's voice hidden inside that aquamarine gem. And now, as Lyrica headed toward their visitor, a tear began to fall as the building where the sisters now lived reminded her of home. As she reached the attic, she stopped in amazement. The visitor was gone. She looked around, and couldn't find a trace of her anywhere. Nothing really seemed to be different, so after a short while she headed down to tell her sisters the good news.

---

"It's interesting, isn't it." Yukari stared down at the youkai who at one point had the power to beat her in a non-spellcard duel. "That you of all people would be like this."

Yuuka smiled back at her former enemy. "That's quite enough. I've done what I've came for. Please send me over. After all, you do owe me one."

Yukari looked over at Yuuka, and then the bundle in the sunlady's arms. "As you wish. Although, I have a request for you too."

Yukari passed a rather familiar hat to Yuuka. "Please take my place. I have no use for existing in that world any longer."

"I really don't care either way, Yukari. I just want a safe place for her to be free." Yuuka motioned to the bundle.

Yukari nodded, and opened up the portal to the real world. "Good bye, Yuuka."

Yuuka said nothing.

---

Now outside the defunct Hakurei shrine, Yuuka stood in amazement. Her power was gone. It felt completely empty to be absent from the flowers she loved so much. But, she reasoned, I did this for Elly. It was the dying wish of my best friend. How could I not? She opened the bundle to reveal a little poltergeist girl. Well, not really a poltergeist anymore. Komachi's charm and Yukari's portal had made her human once again.

Yuuka looked down. "Elly called you Kana, hm? I think you need a new name, though. You can't have all these memories of sadness with a new name, right?

After a few moments, Yuuka remembered the hat Yukari gave her, and gave it to the girl in her arms. She toyed with it, and then put it on. It fit perfectly.

Yuuka smiled. "Then your name will be Maribel."

Reposted from >>/underground/8358

---

"So, sort this out for me, Suika," Yuugi half-yelled over the transmitter. "You're saying that Marisa's dead, Yuuka's dead, and the Enma is missing?"

"A-yup!" It was easy to tell which of the two had been imbibing recently. "Yuuuugi, the boring ghost is missing too."

This was news to Yuugi. "Marisa was killed by Yuuka, Yuuka was executed by the Enma, and now she's missing because she probably did something she wasn't supposed to do." Yuugi cupped her chin in her free hand, her sake sloshing around in her almost-full saucer. "So why is she missing?"

"I dun know," came back the reply. "Even Yukari can't find her."

---

Yukari had been busy for the past few weeks. She had allowed Shiki access to her gaps for the public "execution", had bid farewell to her previous life with her blessing of Kana and Yuuka, and then had spent a lot of time looking for Yuyuko. Youmu had let Yukari know that Yuyuko said she was leaving for a while, and that had been around the same time as the execution. She was so busy, she forgot to take back the contact orbs Reimu had used on her trip down, and Suika, having found them in the storage shed just outside the house, decided to use her power to bring one of them to Yuugi.

Yuyuko was always a whimsical being. She would be the person that would run a marathon just to enjoy all of the refreshments along the way. To someone like Yukari, while it would be child's play to track her movements, it would much rather be spent sleeping.

While Yukari slept a lot, it was only to conserve her own energy. Youkai were creatures born from emotional responses and/or fears and likes, but eventually even youkai as powerful as the Lady of Borders knew her own strengths and limits. Her own power took very little effort, but if she was to fulfill her end of the bargain to Reimu, she'd have to stay alive. One generation later, and everything seemed to be the same. Old youkai faded away, and new ones came in to take their place. Gone was Elly, Yuuka's gatekeeper, and the former youkai of death, and in came Komachi to take her place. To a human like Akyuu, something like that would go unnoticed. Youkai transitions do not invoke the mind. The mind will always remember Komachi as being the shinigami of death, not remembering that there was no Komachi when there was Elly.

It was this exact thought that brought Yukari from her sleep to a waterfall, just minutes from the Human Village. Because of her power and her notoriety, no human or youkai dared approach her as she walked out of the human village she had gapped into and headed toward the waterfall she now stood at.

Sure enough, at the bottom was Yuyuko, carefully scooping the fish that swam nearby from her fishing nets into a container beside her, filled to the brim with water.

Taking a chance, Yukari took out her parasol, and jumped off the top of the cliff where she stood, gliding down until she reached the small island of sand Yuyuko stood on. It was moist, as if it had been newly built, and the smell of the atmosphere told Yukari that the master of the Netherworld had been here for a while.

Before Yukari could question Yuyuko, however, the ghost princess looked at her best friend with a smile, putting a single finger to her lips. Using that finger, she then pointed to the container of water in-between them, which contained, as confirmed when Yukari looked inside, a few hundred fish.

Yukari smiled at the fish and said nothing. As her best friend continued to catch the fish with her nets, Yukari stood there and waited. Anyone that knew Yukari knew that if she waited for you, you were important.

And so, for the next nineteen hours, Yukari happily watched her friend continue to catch the fish, only stopping every so often to throw food into the container for the fish to eat.

It took every single hour of those nineteen hours until Yuyuko realized Yukari got it. Silently, she let go of her net, releasing all of the fish she had caught in it, then dumped the container out into the rushing river, releasing all of the alive fish back into the water from where they had come from. The only things remaining in the container were three mid-sized trout and two small anchovies, all five of them dead. Nodding her head to Yukari, the missing princess faded out of existence, only to reappear on top of the waterfall, holding the five fish in the container. Again, as was Yuyuko's style, she beckoned the sukima to follow wordlessly.

Yukari laughed, then flew up towards Yuyuko. She now understood why Yuyuko needed some time away from Youmu. Youmu had to learn that what she had done was set off a chain reaction of events. It was that rashness that probably was keeping Youki away, and until Youmu learned to control herself, inside and out, Yuyuko would be the mentor, guiding with her own brand of teaching.

Yukari and Yuyuko, now no longer bidden quiet by the environment, struck up a conversation, all the way to the Netherworld, where they would have trout for supper.

---

While Suika and Yuugi continued to talk over the events and the possible locations of Marisa, Yuuka, and Yuyuko, other notable persons around Gensokyo started to take notice. Byakuren had caught wind of the event, and had asked Nue and Murasa to investigate. Lord Tenma had obtained the information, and his always-frowning face darkened even further. Even the hermit Kasen Ibara heard the news, and her face started to tear.

It had only been two weeks since the public demonstration, but everyone in Gensokyo knew the news. The beacon was gone.

>>220
This seems to be an odd way of bridging the gap between PC-98 and Windows era.

Reposted from >>/underground/8438

---

Silent night,

"You idiot, Okuu!"

Holy night,

"Immoral cat!"

All is calm,

"You big-breasted clumsy three-eyed oaf!"

All is bright,

"And you're an unlucky cat always in heat!"

Round yon virgin mother and child,

"It's your fault! You knocked over the energy sensor with your boobs and now hell's too hot for me to enter!"

Holy infant so tender and mild,

"Hey! It wouldn't have happened if you were there instead of just relieving yourself with that guy!"

Sleep in heavenly peace,

"You caused the last two problems here! What's to say you didn't cause this one too?"

Sleep in heavenly peace.

"The fact that you were sabotaging me! You got off scot-free so you could go have sex, slut!"


"Utsuho Reiuji. Rin Kaenbyou." Satori's voice instantly chilled the hot air. The bird and the cat both stopped in mid-sentence, closed their mouths, and slowly turned toward Satori with an apologetic look in their eyes at the same time. Satori was a kind master, giving them free reign of their respective domains, but when she got mad, they knew it. And she was mad. Really mad.

"Come with me. It's time for story time." The two looked at each other, then back at Satori. Story time was a regular thing Satori did for them and for the other 'pets' when they were behaving well. This was definitely going to be a different experience. Apprehensively, both girls slowly walked into the Palace, closing the door gently behind them.

---

"Today's story," stated Satori matter-of-factly, "is one of those substitution stories you both like." Rin and Utsuho nodded, finally managing to crack a smile. Substitution stories were stories where the names of the characters in the story were replaced by other names. It was usually used when the story was interesting, and sometimes, the names were names that they knew. Satori continued. "I call it, Reconciliation.

"The story starts about two years ago, about a girl. I'll call her Marisa." At this point, Utusho couldn't resist letting out a giggle, but Satori ignored her and continued to talk. "She was a jovial girl. She liked to do a lot of things, and do those things her own way. She loved being the center of attention, and carried out acts of mischief because she wanted her name to be on everyone's mind.

"But," Satori continued, "she held two secrets. One she knew about at first, and one she didn't learn until much later." As Satori paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, Rin raised her hand. "What was the first one, Satori?"

"The first one, Rin, was that she was insecure." Satori glared at Rin for forcing her to speed up her thoughts, but she quickly gave a smile to the shorter but classy feline. "And the second one was that she was a beacon.

"Marisa was the beacon of love. It was hard for people who noticed her to have a flame awaken, kindle, or rekindle in their heart. And as much as people hated her antics, they appreciated the fire she provided in their lives," Satori explained.

Utsuho, this time, was the one to raise her hand. "Why didn't she know, Satori?" Satori turned her smile toward the fully-grown bird in front of her. "That's because she was a human. Humans are blessed with the ingenuity of the kappa, the population of the faeries, and the community of the tengu, but they're not blessed with the wisdom of the ancients. It's because of that that she never realized her role until it was almost too late."

After pausing again to collect some more of her thoughts, Satori continued. "One day, Marisa decided to pay a visit to the local shrine to see one of her best friends. It was a nice, sunny day, and a day great for flying, so Marisa thought, 'Hmm, I wonder how she's doing,' and went to visit her.

"Around that same time, another girl was training in the Netherworld. I'll call her Youmu. She wielded two swords, and was very proficient in the art of swordmanship. After finishing her training, she was sent on an errand by her master, with the warning she was not to carry the bottle she was meant to deliver close to the shrine."

At this point, Rin took the opportunity to whisper to Utusho, "I think I know what happens. Youmu's gonna get in trouble." Before Utsuho could reply, Satori did instead. "If you know what happens, Rin, why don't you continue the story? Rin's twin tails began to curl up and hide behind their owner, and Rin shrunk under Satori's gaze, despite her smiling face never changing. Utsuho hugged her former argue-mate, and Rin looked up with a pleading look, requesting wordlessly for her master's forgiveness. Satori nodded at Rin, and the cat-girl relaxed, knowing she was forgiven for her slight.

"Marisa was the girl Youmu was meant to deliver to, and the bottle contained a spirit's essence. The bottled spirit was a rare ingredient, and Marisa had requested it specifically from Youmu's master. After a long time, and days of hard work, the master managed to bottle it, and had Youmu deliver it to Marisa.

"Now, when Youmu learned that Marisa was at the shrine, she decided to go to Marisa's house and wait for her there. Unlike what Rin was thinking," said Satori, quickly responding to Rin's frown with a pat to the cat's head, emitting a purr from the recipient, "Youmu did not disobey her master, and when Marisa came back, she gave the bottle to her, and took off immediately, as her duties back home weren't complete yet.

"However, Youmu didn't tell Marisa the same warning. Marisa had only come back to grab one of her Magic Mushrooms before walking back to the shrine to retrieve her broom. Her friend had borrowed the broom for the purposes of cleaning, and between the two Marisa had the broom. So as Marisa approached the shrine, the bottle reacted with the seal above the shrine, and the essence in the bottle could no longer be held back." Satori looked again toward Rin. "Rin, tell us all what happens when a spirit's essence and a spirit are drawn together."

Rin's voice was shaky, but she responded anyways. "They get attracted to each other before reforming directly in-between where the essence was and the spirit was." Satori nodded and smiled. "Right." She then turned to Utsuho. "And how do you dispose of an essence, and what shouldn't you ever do?" Utsuho quickly brightened and responded with, "You destroy an essence with fire! You shouldn't ever use charms on a spirit's essence, because they make the reaction stronger!" Despite Utsuho's over-enthusiasm, something Satori had warned her about before, the master let her pet's behavior slide this time. "Correct."

"Marisa's friend was a trained shrine maiden, and she immediately cast a spell to seal the essence before it could reunite. As you both know, the spirit reunited with such force that it knocked Marisa's friend unconscious. Marisa wasn't much better, but she got a glimpse of the spirit before it left, headed straight for the nearby mountain."

Satori narrowed her eyebrows, creating a bit of tension, before allowing her third eye to float upward and cover both of her eyes, causing Rin and Utsuho to laugh. But the tension resumed when the third eye moved down and Satori's eyebrows hadn't left their place. The normally fearless Utsuho began to quake in place in anticipation of the upcoming dread that was certain to happen, while Rin's cat-ears started to fold downward, their owner wishing not to hear the upcoming tragedy that was sure to happen.

"The spirit, who I'll name Mima, wasn't a bad spirit, thankfully, and while Mima was mischievous, she wasn't malicious. Her first thought, however, was that she needed some form of power to stay alive. Spirits don't last long since they don't regenerate like fairies, and since they expend their life when they move, it's hard for them to stay alive outside of a specialized environment. This story is about Marisa, not Mima, so I'll just say that she found a willing benefactor named Kanako and leave it at that." Rin nodded to show that she understood, and so did Utsuho.

"Since Marisa noticed what happened, she reported it back to Youmu. Youmu said she would report it to her master, and Marisa left. But Youmu didn't report it. She knew she was the one at fault, and that she would be punished if she didn't rectify the situation. So Youmu set out again, this time to kill the spirit on first sight. Marisa, for her part, paid the incident no mind, and went back to her business."

Satori stood up, and the disappointed looks of both Rin and Utsuho told her everything she needed to know, mindreading or not. "Okay, you two. I know you're both wanting to hear more, but it's Christmas tomorrow, and you know how much I love this holiday. I want to celebrate it when it comes, so I'm going to go to sleep now. Promise me you'll be nice to each other at least until you hear the rest of the story tomorrow, okay?" Rin and Utsuho nodded, shaking each other's hands in the process.

Satori began to walk off into the deep corners of the mansion toward her room, leaving all three girls waiting in anticipation of tomorrow.

---

To be continued in Part 2.

Silent night,

"You idiot, Okuu!"

Holy night,

"Immoral cat!"

All is calm,

"You big-breasted clumsy three-eyed oaf!"

All is bright,

"And you're an unlucky cat always in heat!"

Round yon virgin mother and child,

"It's your fault! You knocked over the energy sensor with your boobs and now hell's too hot for me to enter!"

Holy infant so tender and mild,

"Hey! It wouldn't have happened if you were there instead of just relieving yourself with that guy!"

Sleep in heavenly peace,

"You caused the last two problems here! What's to say you didn't cause this one too?"

Sleep in heavenly peace.

"The fact that you were sabotaging me! You got off scot-free so you could go have sex, slut!"


"Utsuho Reiuji. Rin Kaenbyou." Satori's voice instantly chilled the hot air. The bird and the cat both stopped in mid-sentence, closed their mouths, and slowly turned toward Satori with an apologetic look in their eyes at the same time. Satori was a kind master, giving them free reign of their respective domains, but when she got mad, they knew it. And she was mad. Really mad.

"Come with me. It's time for story time." The two looked at each other, then back at Satori. Story time was a regular thing Satori did for them and for the other 'pets' when they were behaving well. This was definitely going to be a different experience. Apprehensively, both girls slowly walked into the Palace, closing the door gently behind them.

---

"Today's story," stated Satori matter-of-factly, "is one of those substitution stories you both like." Rin and Utsuho nodded, finally managing to crack a smile. Substitution stories were stories where the names of the characters in the story were replaced by other names. It was usually used when the story was interesting, and sometimes, the names were names that they knew. Satori continued. "I call it, Reconciliation.

"The story starts about two years ago, about a girl. I'll call her Marisa." At this point, Utusho couldn't resist letting out a giggle, but Satori ignored her and continued to talk. "She was a jovial girl. She liked to do a lot of things, and do those things her own way. She loved being the center of attention, and carried out acts of mischief because she wanted her name to be on everyone's mind.

"But," Satori continued, "she held two secrets. One she knew about at first, and one she didn't learn until much later." As Satori paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, Rin raised her hand. "What was the first one, Satori?"

"The first one, Rin, was that she was insecure." Satori glared at Rin for forcing her to speed up her thoughts, but she quickly gave a smile to the shorter but classy feline. "And the second one was that she was a beacon.

"Marisa was the beacon of love. It was hard for people who noticed her to have a flame awaken, kindle, or rekindle in their heart. And as much as people hated her antics, they appreciated the fire she provided in their lives," Satori explained.

Utsuho, this time, was the one to raise her hand. "Why didn't she know, Satori?" Satori turned her smile toward the fully-grown bird in front of her. "That's because she was a human. Humans are blessed with the ingenuity of the kappa, the population of the faeries, and the community of the tengu, but they're not blessed with the wisdom of the ancients. It's because of that that she never realized her role until it was almost too late."

After pausing again to collect some more of her thoughts, Satori continued. "One day, Marisa decided to pay a visit to the local shrine to see one of her best friends. It was a nice, sunny day, and a day great for flying, so Marisa thought, 'Hmm, I wonder how she's doing,' and went to visit her.

"Around that same time, another girl was training in the Netherworld. I'll call her Youmu. She wielded two swords, and was very proficient in the art of swordmanship. After finishing her training, she was sent on an errand by her master, with the warning she was not to carry the bottle she was meant to deliver close to the shrine."

At this point, Rin took the opportunity to whisper to Utusho, "I think I know what happens. Youmu's gonna get in trouble." Before Utsuho could reply, Satori did instead. "If you know what happens, Rin, why don't you continue the story? Rin's twin tails began to curl up and hide behind their owner, and Rin shrunk under Satori's gaze, despite her smiling face never changing. Utsuho hugged her former argue-mate, and Rin looked up with a pleading look, requesting wordlessly for her master's forgiveness. Satori nodded at Rin, and the cat-girl relaxed, knowing she was forgiven for her slight.

"Marisa was the girl Youmu was meant to deliver to, and the bottle contained a spirit's essence. The bottled spirit was a rare ingredient, and Marisa had requested it specifically from Youmu's master. After a long time, and days of hard work, the master managed to bottle it, and had Youmu deliver it to Marisa.

"Now, when Youmu learned that Marisa was at the shrine, she decided to go to Marisa's house and wait for her there. Unlike what Rin was thinking," said Satori, quickly responding to Rin's frown with a pat to the cat's head, emitting a purr from the recipient, "Youmu did not disobey her master, and when Marisa came back, she gave the bottle to her, and took off immediately, as her duties back home weren't complete yet.

"However, Youmu didn't tell Marisa the same warning. Marisa had only come back to grab one of her Magic Mushrooms before walking back to the shrine to retrieve her broom. Her friend had borrowed the broom for the purposes of cleaning, and between the two Marisa had the broom. So as Marisa approached the shrine, the bottle reacted with the seal above the shrine, and the essence in the bottle could no longer be held back." Satori looked again toward Rin. "Rin, tell us all what happens when a spirit's essence and a spirit are drawn together."

Rin's voice was shaky, but she responded anyways. "They get attracted to each other before reforming directly in-between where the essence was and the spirit was." Satori nodded and smiled. "Right." She then turned to Utsuho. "And how do you dispose of an essence, and what shouldn't you ever do?" Utsuho quickly brightened and responded with, "You destroy an essence with fire! You shouldn't ever use charms on a spirit's essence, because they make the reaction stronger!" Despite Utsuho's over-enthusiasm, something Satori had warned her about before, the master let her pet's behavior slide this time. "Correct."

"Marisa's friend was a trained shrine maiden, and she immediately cast a spell to seal the essence before it could reunite. As you both know, the spirit reunited with such force that it knocked Marisa's friend unconscious. Marisa wasn't much better, but she got a glimpse of the spirit before it left, headed straight for the nearby mountain."

Satori narrowed her eyebrows, creating a bit of tension, before allowing her third eye to float upward and cover both of her eyes, causing Rin and Utsuho to laugh. But the tension resumed when the third eye moved down and Satori's eyebrows hadn't left their place. The normally fearless Utsuho began to quake in place in anticipation of the upcoming dread that was certain to happen, while Rin's cat-ears started to fold downward, their owner wishing not to hear the upcoming tragedy that was sure to happen.

"The spirit, who I'll name Mima, wasn't a bad spirit, thankfully, and while Mima was mischievous, she wasn't malicious. Her first thought, however, was that she needed some form of power to stay alive. Spirits don't last long since they don't regenerate like fairies, and since they expend their life when they move, it's hard for them to stay alive outside of a specialized environment. This story is about Marisa, not Mima, so I'll just say that she found a willing benefactor named Kanako and leave it at that." Rin nodded to show that she understood, and so did Utsuho.

"Since Marisa noticed what happened, she reported it back to Youmu. Youmu said she would report it to her master, and Marisa left. But Youmu didn't report it. She knew she was the one at fault, and that she would be punished if she didn't rectify the situation. So Youmu set out again, this time to kill the spirit on first sight. Marisa, for her part, paid the incident no mind, and went back to her business."

Satori stood up, and the disappointed looks of both Rin and Utsuho told her everything she needed to know, mindreading or not. "Okay, you two. I know you're both wanting to hear more, but it's Christmas tomorrow, and you know how much I love this holiday. I want to celebrate it when it comes, so I'm going to go to sleep now. Promise me you'll be nice to each other at least until you hear the rest of the story tomorrow, okay?" Rin and Utsuho nodded, shaking each other's hands in the process.

Satori began to walk off into the deep corners of the mansion toward her room, leaving all three girls waiting in anticipation of tomorrow.

======

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Silence.

It was now midnight, Christmas day. Satori arose from her bed with a tired look on her face. Satori liked to sleep with only her undergarments on, as the sweat her third eye expended throughout the day, while miniscule, was enough to cause her usual garments to smell less than pleasant. Her clothes, Satori reasoned, should always carry that air of mystery around her, like the scent of lavender blossoms mixed with cherry vanilla she liked to use, but not be strong enough to detract other people to her by themselves. She already was disliked by so many people that she didn't need to give them another reason.

But her state of dress was the sole reason she banned all of her pets from entering the hallway that led to her room. She couldn't be so close to bare, revealing her body and heart to everyone around her, like everyone else did to her. Satori sighed as she remembered the story she had been telling, and she brought both of her hands over her heart as it touched a string within her. The only way for unity to reign in the Palace of the Earth Spirits was to create an atmosphere of solidarity. Kindness, care, and patience must be thrown into every little thing that she does.

But above all else, Satori wanted her sister home.

---

After bathing and dressing, both of which could be done in her massive room, she left the hallway, and headed down the two hallways she traversed every day to the main room, where she had set up a Christmas tree. Before she could see what was underneath the tree, Utsuho and Rin appeared in their animal form, floating in front of Satori. After a few moments, which was used up transforming back into their humanoid forms, Rin bowed her head, followed by Utsuho, who did the same. "Satori," Rin began, "we're sorry about yesterday." Utsuho continued Rin's statement. "We discussed things over last night, and we get that you want us to learn a lesson from the story you were telling us. We're ready to listen to the rest of the story."

Utsuho Reiuji. She wasn't as used to her humanoid body as some of her other pets, and thus was rather clumsy sometimes. Despite that flaw, her superior management skills led Satori to name her the master of the Hell of Blazing Fires.

Rin Kaenbyou. Even though she was in control of her humanoid body, she had a tendency to act on the cat's...shall we say, baser side. When she wasn't, though, she was a hard worker, and loyal to boot, allowing Satori to leave her to cart off the evil spirits off to hell.

It was fitting that these two pets of hers, the highest ranking of them all, would soon be listening to a story about a spirit, a human, and a half-breed.

---

Satori sat down on her favorite rocking chair. Close to the stocking-adorned fireplace, and in front of Satori, the pets sat down as well. "I was going to open some presents underneath the tree with you both, but I think you've waited long enough. So, we're going to finish the story, first, alright?" Rin and Utsuho's fervent nods were rather easy to read. Satori nodded in acknowledgement and after a brief summary of the story she had started yesterday, she continued.

"Over the next few days, Marisa went about her business. It involved 'borrowing' books from a nearby mansion, spending time in the forest hunting for phantasmal mushrooms, visiting her friend at the shrine, and more or less living life how she wanted. In comparison, Youmu was intensely bothered by her mistake, refusing to return or to eat until she had used her swords to finish off her mistake.

"About a week later, Mima came across Marisa. The two had known each other from another time, and Marisa reluctantly greeted Mima, her former master. While things had not been pleasant between the two when they had parted, they greeted each other amicably. What was different about this meeting was that Mima had called her by a different name. Before Marisa was pulled away from Mima in the dream world, shortly after helping her friend defeat the creator of Makai, Mima had called out to Marisa.

"'I hope to see you again, magician.'

"On this meeting, however, Mima had a different tone. 'Nice to see you again, beacon of love.' Mima had only recently found out that Marisa had been the beacon of love in her time of exile, and did not expect that her former pupil had no idea what she was talking about. After a brief explanation, Marisa understood the basics of what it meant. But still, she wanted to know more, and so she begged her teacher to explain it fully to her."

Satori smiled at the two in front of her, then frankly stated, "Marisa became scarred. She had lived life whimsically, not befitting a beacon. After looking at her spellcards, she began to realize that Gensokyo had known, and she hadn't. At that moment, she decided to help others to let love flow.

"The first thing she did was to visit her family. She lived apart from them after a verbal argument escalated, and she hadn't been back in over six years. However, her parents weren't home, only her adopted brother. After catching up with him, Marisa learned he had been wondering about what to do with Medicine, a doll he had been meeting in secret. After a few helpful tips, more than a few sly reminders about what women are like, Marisa flew away, leaving her adopted brother in awe.

"In the clearing near the village her family lived, humans gathered to watch performances by three sisters. One played the violin, another, the piano, and the third, the trumpet. After chatting with them for a while, Marisa snuck off to their place of residence, where she found her next target of encouragement. There was another girl living in the attic, having snuck in there after being lost for a long time. The sisters brought the girl food and water one night after being spooked by her, and ever since then, have been giving her food and water so she wouldn't spook them anymore. But, what that girl longed for was much more than lodging and nourishment. She wanted someone to hold. Someone that would hug her, and never leave her alone, like everyone else had. Marisa sighed as the beacon recognized she too would be one that left this little girl, and she promised her that the next new person she'd see would be her rescuer.

"The next day, Marisa set off again, this time to the mountain she saw Mima fly to that night. What had happened to the mountain, she had wondered. To her surprise, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. There was another shrine near the top of the mountain, but that was an incident that had been taken care of smoothly. But as she was leaving, one of the gods of that shrine tapped her shoulder. Upon turning around, she saw a little girl with a sad face. The girl explained to Marisa that the other god of the shrine was dying because she made a contract with Mima, and there was nothing she could do to help."

Rin and Utsuho noticed a tear fall from Satori's third eye at this point, but if Satori knew anything about it, she didn't show it. "Marisa had been waiting for a chance to break free from the contract she had made to Mima when she first started learning magic, and had been preparing ingredients to do so. However, Marisa knew that her selfish want was this girl's need, and after rushing back home and back, Marisa gave the little girl what ingredients she had, a list of what ingredients were missing, and the directions on how to make it. This would break whatever contract the other god had. This meant that Marisa would be bound to Mima forever, as one ingredient in particular she had raised, a purple rose embedded with magic, was a once-in-a-human-lifetime chance. She could no longer make any of those, and while saddened at her lost opportunity, this girl needed it more. Marisa flew away before the little girl could notice the beacon's tears flowing freely and dissolving harmlessly into the air.

"This act caused the beacon some distress, and for a few days she refused to leave her house, haunted by the implications of that selfless act. The battle raged on in her mind." Rin quizzically watched her master pause for a while until Utsuho had the courage to ask, "Are you okay, Satori? You don't look too good." Satori shook her head, then resumed smiling at her two companions. "It's nothing to worry about."

Satori cleared her throat, then continued. "Every week, Marisa would make it a point to barge into the mansion I spoke of earlier, 'borrow' a book, then leave before anything happened to her. This Friday, though, instead of going straight to the library like she always did, she boldly marched down the corridor, straight to the master's bedroom. The master was a whimsical and generally orderly maiden, but crossing her was the last thing one should do with her. So, when Marisa boldly entered the master's chamber, the master woke up in a grumpy mood. Marisa had failed to notice that the master was sleeping until that point in time, so she turned around and decided to flee, knowing that even if she was hit, a protection ward Mima had set up on her would keep her safe temporarily.

"Meanwhile, Youmu had finally found Mima herself, and after a brief exchange of words, a fight ensued. It was the unleashed spirit versus the half-breed, and needless to say, being separated from your essence for a long while makes one's skills rusty. Using a specialized sword she carried, Youmu severed Mima from herself, ending the supposed tyranny Mima had caused." Rin gasped as she realized the implications of that simple kill.

"That's right, Rin," Satori acknowledged, "Marisa's barrier was gone. So too was the work she had done for that little god up on the other shrine. But Marisa had no way of knowing that, and luckily she fled the bedroom and reached the grand hallway, moments away from reaching the front doors and escape.

"It was at this point that a local and powerful youkai, named Yuuka, heard Marisa's magic distress call and went to investigate. Along with Mima and Marisa's friend, Yuuka had been a companion of Marisa a few years ago. While this wasn't her domain, Yuuka felt obligated to help her friend, and readied a spell, targeting the master of the mansion with a spell that would be non-lethal to her.

"As the spell was fired, the master noticed the incoming energy, and used her power to change the fate of that spell to hit Marisa instead. That burst of magical energy was more than enough to kill Marisa, and had it not been for a miracle, she would have died.

"From that point forward, Marisa hid. It was not to implicate Yuuka for her supposed death, but to hide from the master, who now roamed the land freely, looking to destroy what should have been destroyed."

---

"I tell this story, Rin," Satori said, gesturing at Rin, "and Utsuho," likewise doing the same to Utsuho, "because one small action of hate can bring about a world of change. While the argument you had yesterday may be small by comparison, by allowing it to fester, you can make this place somewhere where no one wants to live. I love you two, and I want you to live with me for as long as you can. But that means you have to work through your faults and my faults, and see each of us for the good each of us brings. Alright?"

Utsuho was the first to nod. "I'm sorry, Satori, Rin. Can you forgive me?" Rin cracked a smile. "Only if you forgive me first." Satori laughed, and following her example, Rin and Utsuho did likewise, with the only other sound in the mostly-abandoned palace being the crackling of the fireplace.

After a few moments, Satori stood up. "Do you want to help me open presents," she asked. Rin nodded fervently. "Of course!" Satori turned to Utsuho, but had no need to ask, as Utsuho's hand took Satori's outstretched one, and as Rin bounded off toward the Christmas tree with glee, Utsuho and Satori slowly walked behind the energetic cat.

---

Almost all of the presents had been unwrapped in particular, but there was one rather large box still to be opened. Satori hadn't opened any of them, allowing her pets to revel in the celebration even if some of the presents weren't for them. But the last box both pets refused to touch. "Satori, it's your turn. Open this one!"

The master of the Palace of the Earth Spirits timidly approached the box, but before she could undo the bright red ribbon on the otherwise plain-looking box, it sprung open, revealing...

"Hey sis! It's been a while!"

Satori couldn't believe her eyes. Her sister, Koishi, really had come home! Rin and Utsuho looked at Koishi, who nodded back at them, and it was only then that Satori realized those two had some form of help in getting the ever-fleeting Koishi to come home for Christmas in a few short hours.

The day passed by without incident, and because it was a special day, Satori asked the three to share one big bed together. With the help of Koishi, Satori's bed was set up in the living room, and all four tucked themselves into bed, helping themselves to each other's warmth. While Rin and Koishi fell asleep rather quickly, Utsuho had one last question on her mind.

"Satori, you know that story you told us?" Satori nodded. "Didn't that happen two weeks ago?" And Satori nodded. Utsuho realized that Gensokyo was never going to be the same again.


Happy Holidays from their house to yours.

Silent night,

"You idiot, Okuu!"

Holy night,

"Immoral cat!"

All is calm,

"You big-breasted clumsy three-eyed oaf!"

All is bright,

"And you're an unlucky cat always in heat!"

Round yon virgin mother and child,

"It's your fault! You knocked over the energy sensor with your boobs and now hell's too hot for me to enter!"

Holy infant so tender and mild,

"Hey! It wouldn't have happened if you were there instead of just relieving yourself with that guy!"

Sleep in heavenly peace,

"You caused the last two problems here! What's to say you didn't cause this one too?"

Sleep in heavenly peace.

"The fact that you were sabotaging me! You got off scot-free so you could go have sex, slut!"


"Utsuho Reiuji. Rin Kaenbyou." Satori's voice instantly chilled the hot air. The bird and the cat both stopped in mid-sentence, closed their mouths, and slowly turned toward Satori with an apologetic look in their eyes at the same time. Satori was a kind master, giving them free reign of their respective domains, but when she got mad, they knew it. And she was mad. Really mad.

"Come with me. It's time for story time." The two looked at each other, then back at Satori. Story time was a regular thing Satori did for them and for the other 'pets' when they were behaving well. This was definitely going to be a different experience. Apprehensively, both girls slowly walked into the Palace, closing the door gently behind them.

---

"Today's story," stated Satori matter-of-factly, "is one of those substitution stories you both like." Rin and Utsuho nodded, finally managing to crack a smile. Substitution stories were stories where the names of the characters in the story were replaced by other names. It was usually used when the story was interesting, and sometimes, the names were names that they knew. Satori continued. "I call it, Reconciliation.

"The story starts about two years ago, about a girl. I'll call her Marisa." At this point, Utusho couldn't resist letting out a giggle, but Satori ignored her and continued to talk. "She was a jovial girl. She liked to do a lot of things, and do those things her own way. She loved being the center of attention, and carried out acts of mischief because she wanted her name to be on everyone's mind.

"But," Satori continued, "she held two secrets. One she knew about at first, and one she didn't learn until much later." As Satori paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, Rin raised her hand. "What was the first one, Satori?"

"The first one, Rin, was that she was insecure." Satori glared at Rin for forcing her to speed up her thoughts, but she quickly gave a smile to the shorter but classy feline. "And the second one was that she was a beacon.

"Marisa was the beacon of love. It was hard for people who noticed her to have a flame awaken, kindle, or rekindle in their heart. And as much as people hated her antics, they appreciated the fire she provided in their lives," Satori explained.

Utsuho, this time, was the one to raise her hand. "Why didn't she know, Satori?" Satori turned her smile toward the fully-grown bird in front of her. "That's because she was a human. Humans are blessed with the ingenuity of the kappa, the population of the faeries, and the community of the tengu, but they're not blessed with the wisdom of the ancients. It's because of that that she never realized her role until it was almost too late."

After pausing again to collect some more of her thoughts, Satori continued. "One day, Marisa decided to pay a visit to the local shrine to see one of her best friends. It was a nice, sunny day, and a day great for flying, so Marisa thought, 'Hmm, I wonder how she's doing,' and went to visit her.

"Around that same time, another girl was training in the Netherworld. I'll call her Youmu. She wielded two swords, and was very proficient in the art of swordmanship. After finishing her training, she was sent on an errand by her master, with the warning she was not to carry the bottle she was meant to deliver close to the shrine."

At this point, Rin took the opportunity to whisper to Utusho, "I think I know what happens. Youmu's gonna get in trouble." Before Utsuho could reply, Satori did instead. "If you know what happens, Rin, why don't you continue the story? Rin's twin tails began to curl up and hide behind their owner, and Rin shrunk under Satori's gaze, despite her smiling face never changing. Utsuho hugged her former argue-mate, and Rin looked up with a pleading look, requesting wordlessly for her master's forgiveness. Satori nodded at Rin, and the cat-girl relaxed, knowing she was forgiven for her slight.

"Marisa was the girl Youmu was meant to deliver to, and the bottle contained a spirit's essence. The bottled spirit was a rare ingredient, and Marisa had requested it specifically from Youmu's master. After a long time, and days of hard work, the master managed to bottle it, and had Youmu deliver it to Marisa.

"Now, when Youmu learned that Marisa was at the shrine, she decided to go to Marisa's house and wait for her there. Unlike what Rin was thinking," said Satori, quickly responding to Rin's frown with a pat to the cat's head, emitting a purr from the recipient, "Youmu did not disobey her master, and when Marisa came back, she gave the bottle to her, and took off immediately, as her duties back home weren't complete yet.

"However, Youmu didn't tell Marisa the same warning. Marisa had only come back to grab one of her Magic Mushrooms before walking back to the shrine to retrieve her broom. Her friend had borrowed the broom for the purposes of cleaning, and between the two Marisa had the broom. So as Marisa approached the shrine, the bottle reacted with the seal above the shrine, and the essence in the bottle could no longer be held back." Satori looked again toward Rin. "Rin, tell us all what happens when a spirit's essence and a spirit are drawn together."

Rin's voice was shaky, but she responded anyways. "They get attracted to each other before reforming directly in-between where the essence was and the spirit was." Satori nodded and smiled. "Right." She then turned to Utsuho. "And how do you dispose of an essence, and what shouldn't you ever do?" Utsuho quickly brightened and responded with, "You destroy an essence with fire! You shouldn't ever use charms on a spirit's essence, because they make the reaction stronger!" Despite Utsuho's over-enthusiasm, something Satori had warned her about before, the master let her pet's behavior slide this time. "Correct."

"Marisa's friend was a trained shrine maiden, and she immediately cast a spell to seal the essence before it could reunite. As you both know, the spirit reunited with such force that it knocked Marisa's friend unconscious. Marisa wasn't much better, but she got a glimpse of the spirit before it left, headed straight for the nearby mountain."

Satori narrowed her eyebrows, creating a bit of tension, before allowing her third eye to float upward and cover both of her eyes, causing Rin and Utsuho to laugh. But the tension resumed when the third eye moved down and Satori's eyebrows hadn't left their place. The normally fearless Utsuho began to quake in place in anticipation of the upcoming dread that was certain to happen, while Rin's cat-ears started to fold downward, their owner wishing not to hear the upcoming tragedy that was sure to happen.

"The spirit, who I'll name Mima, wasn't a bad spirit, thankfully, and while Mima was mischievous, she wasn't malicious. Her first thought, however, was that she needed some form of power to stay alive. Spirits don't last long since they don't regenerate like fairies, and since they expend their life when they move, it's hard for them to stay alive outside of a specialized environment. This story is about Marisa, not Mima, so I'll just say that she found a willing benefactor named Kanako and leave it at that." Rin nodded to show that she understood, and so did Utsuho.

"Since Marisa noticed what happened, she reported it back to Youmu. Youmu said she would report it to her master, and Marisa left. But Youmu didn't report it. She knew she was the one at fault, and that she would be punished if she didn't rectify the situation. So Youmu set out again, this time to kill the spirit on first sight. Marisa, for her part, paid the incident no mind, and went back to her business."

Satori stood up, and the disappointed looks of both Rin and Utsuho told her everything she needed to know, mindreading or not. "Okay, you two. I know you're both wanting to hear more, but it's Christmas tomorrow, and you know how much I love this holiday. I want to celebrate it when it comes, so I'm going to go to sleep now. Promise me you'll be nice to each other at least until you hear the rest of the story tomorrow, okay?" Rin and Utsuho nodded, shaking each other's hands in the process.

Satori began to walk off into the deep corners of the mansion toward her room, leaving all three girls waiting in anticipation of tomorrow.

======

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Ding.

Dong.

Silence.

It was now midnight, Christmas day. Satori arose from her bed with a tired look on her face. Satori liked to sleep with only her undergarments on, as the sweat her third eye expended throughout the day, while miniscule, was enough to cause her usual garments to smell less than pleasant. Her clothes, Satori reasoned, should always carry that air of mystery around her, like the scent of lavender blossoms mixed with cherry vanilla she liked to use, but not be strong enough to detract other people to her by themselves. She already was disliked by so many people that she didn't need to give them another reason.

But her state of dress was the sole reason she banned all of her pets from entering the hallway that led to her room. She couldn't be so close to bare, revealing her body and heart to everyone around her, like everyone else did to her. Satori sighed as she remembered the story she had been telling, and she brought both of her hands over her heart as it touched a string within her. The only way for unity to reign in the Palace of the Earth Spirits was to create an atmosphere of solidarity. Kindness, care, and patience must be thrown into every little thing that she does.

But above all else, Satori wanted her sister home.

---

After bathing and dressing, both of which could be done in her massive room, she left the hallway, and headed down the two hallways she traversed every day to the main room, where she had set up a Christmas tree. Before she could see what was underneath the tree, Utsuho and Rin appeared in their animal form, floating in front of Satori. After a few moments, which was used up transforming back into their humanoid forms, Rin bowed her head, followed by Utsuho, who did the same. "Satori," Rin began, "we're sorry about yesterday." Utsuho continued Rin's statement. "We discussed things over last night, and we get that you want us to learn a lesson from the story you were telling us. We're ready to listen to the rest of the story."

Utsuho Reiuji. She wasn't as used to her humanoid body as some of her other pets, and thus was rather clumsy sometimes. Despite that flaw, her superior management skills led Satori to name her the master of the Hell of Blazing Fires.

Rin Kaenbyou. Even though she was in control of her humanoid body, she had a tendency to act on the cat's...shall we say, baser side. When she wasn't, though, she was a hard worker, and loyal to boot, allowing Satori to leave her to cart off the evil spirits off to hell.

It was fitting that these two pets of hers, the highest ranking of them all, would soon be listening to a story about a spirit, a human, and a half-breed.

---

Satori sat down on her favorite rocking chair. Close to the stocking-adorned fireplace, and in front of Satori, the pets sat down as well. "I was going to open some presents underneath the tree with you both, but I think you've waited long enough. So, we're going to finish the story, first, alright?" Rin and Utsuho's fervent nods were rather easy to read. Satori nodded in acknowledgement and after a brief summary of the story she had started yesterday, she continued.

"Over the next few days, Marisa went about her business. It involved 'borrowing' books from a nearby mansion, spending time in the forest hunting for phantasmal mushrooms, visiting her friend at the shrine, and more or less living life how she wanted. In comparison, Youmu was intensely bothered by her mistake, refusing to return or to eat until she had used her swords to finish off her mistake.

"About a week later, Mima came across Marisa. The two had known each other from another time, and Marisa reluctantly greeted Mima, her former master. While things had not been pleasant between the two when they had parted, they greeted each other amicably. What was different about this meeting was that Mima had called her by a different name. Before Marisa was pulled away from Mima in the dream world, shortly after helping her friend defeat the creator of Makai, Mima had called out to Marisa.

"'I hope to see you again, magician.'

"On this meeting, however, Mima had a different tone. 'Nice to see you again, beacon of love.' Mima had only recently found out that Marisa had been the beacon of love in her time of exile, and did not expect that her former pupil had no idea what she was talking about. After a brief explanation, Marisa understood the basics of what it meant. But still, she wanted to know more, and so she begged her teacher to explain it fully to her."

Satori smiled at the two in front of her, then frankly stated, "Marisa became scarred. She had lived life whimsically, not befitting a beacon. After looking at her spellcards, she began to realize that Gensokyo had known, and she hadn't. At that moment, she decided to help others to let love flow.

"The first thing she did was to visit her family. She lived apart from them after a verbal argument escalated, and she hadn't been back in over six years. However, her parents weren't home, only her adopted brother. After catching up with him, Marisa learned he had been wondering about what to do with Medicine, a doll he had been meeting in secret. After a few helpful tips, more than a few sly reminders about what women are like, Marisa flew away, leaving her adopted brother in awe.

"In the clearing near the village her family lived, humans gathered to watch performances by three sisters. One played the violin, another, the piano, and the third, the trumpet. After chatting with them for a while, Marisa snuck off to their place of residence, where she found her next target of encouragement. There was another girl living in the attic, having snuck in there after being lost for a long time. The sisters brought the girl food and water one night after being spooked by her, and ever since then, have been giving her food and water so she wouldn't spook them anymore. But, what that girl longed for was much more than lodging and nourishment. She wanted someone to hold. Someone that would hug her, and never leave her alone, like everyone else had. Marisa sighed as the beacon recognized she too would be one that left this little girl, and she promised her that the next new person she'd see would be her rescuer.

"The next day, Marisa set off again, this time to the mountain she saw Mima fly to that night. What had happened to the mountain, she had wondered. To her surprise, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. There was another shrine near the top of the mountain, but that was an incident that had been taken care of smoothly. But as she was leaving, one of the gods of that shrine tapped her shoulder. Upon turning around, she saw a little girl with a sad face. The girl explained to Marisa that the other god of the shrine was dying because she made a contract with Mima, and there was nothing she could do to help."

Rin and Utsuho noticed a tear fall from Satori's third eye at this point, but if Satori knew anything about it, she didn't show it. "Marisa had been waiting for a chance to break free from the contract she had made to Mima when she first started learning magic, and had been preparing ingredients to do so. However, Marisa knew that her selfish want was this girl's need, and after rushing back home and back, Marisa gave the little girl what ingredients she had, a list of what ingredients were missing, and the directions on how to make it. This would break whatever contract the other god had. This meant that Marisa would be bound to Mima forever, as one ingredient in particular she had raised, a purple rose embedded with magic, was a once-in-a-human-lifetime chance. She could no longer make any of those, and while saddened at her lost opportunity, this girl needed it more. Marisa flew away before the little girl could notice the beacon's tears flowing freely and dissolving harmlessly into the air.

"This act caused the beacon some distress, and for a few days she refused to leave her house, haunted by the implications of that selfless act. The battle raged on in her mind." Rin quizzically watched her master pause for a while until Utsuho had the courage to ask, "Are you okay, Satori? You don't look too good." Satori shook her head, then resumed smiling at her two companions. "It's nothing to worry about."

Satori cleared her throat, then continued. "Every week, Marisa would make it a point to barge into the mansion I spoke of earlier, 'borrow' a book, then leave before anything happened to her. This Friday, though, instead of going straight to the library like she always did, she boldly marched down the corridor, straight to the master's bedroom. The master was a whimsical and generally orderly maiden, but crossing her was the last thing one should do with her. So, when Marisa boldly entered the master's chamber, the master woke up in a grumpy mood. Marisa had failed to notice that the master was sleeping until that point in time, so she turned around and decided to flee, knowing that even if she was hit, a protection ward Mima had set up on her would keep her safe temporarily.

"Meanwhile, Youmu had finally found Mima herself, and after a brief exchange of words, a fight ensued. It was the unleashed spirit versus the half-breed, and needless to say, being separated from your essence for a long while makes one's skills rusty. Using a specialized sword she carried, Youmu severed Mima from herself, ending the supposed tyranny Mima had caused." Rin gasped as she realized the implications of that simple kill.

"That's right, Rin," Satori acknowledged, "Marisa's barrier was gone. So too was the work she had done for that little god up on the other shrine. But Marisa had no way of knowing that, and luckily she fled the bedroom and reached the grand hallway, moments away from reaching the front doors and escape.

"It was at this point that a local and powerful youkai, named Yuuka, heard Marisa's magic distress call and went to investigate. Along with Mima and Marisa's friend, Yuuka had been a companion of Marisa a few years ago. While this wasn't her domain, Yuuka felt obligated to help her friend, and readied a spell, targeting the master of the mansion with a spell that would be non-lethal to her.

"As the spell was fired, the master noticed the incoming energy, and used her power to change the fate of that spell to hit Marisa instead. That burst of magical energy was more than enough to kill Marisa, and had it not been for a miracle, she would have died.

"From that point forward, Marisa hid. It was not to implicate Yuuka for her supposed death, but to hide from the master, who now roamed the land freely, looking to destroy what should have been destroyed."

---

"I tell this story, Rin," Satori said, gesturing at Rin, "and Utsuho," likewise doing the same to Utsuho, "because one small action of hate can bring about a world of change. While the argument you had yesterday may be small by comparison, by allowing it to fester, you can make this place somewhere where no one wants to live. I love you two, and I want you to live with me for as long as you can. But that means you have to work through your faults and my faults, and see each of us for the good each of us brings. Alright?"

Utsuho was the first to nod. "I'm sorry, Satori, Rin. Can you forgive me?" Rin cracked a smile. "Only if you forgive me first." Satori laughed, and following her example, Rin and Utsuho did likewise, with the only other sound in the mostly-abandoned palace being the crackling of the fireplace.

After a few moments, Satori stood up. "Do you want to help me open presents," she asked. Rin nodded fervently. "Of course!" Satori turned to Utsuho, but had no need to ask, as Utsuho's hand took Satori's outstretched one, and as Rin bounded off toward the Christmas tree with glee, Utsuho and Satori slowly walked behind the energetic cat.

---

Almost all of the presents had been unwrapped in particular, but there was one rather large box still to be opened. Satori hadn't opened any of them, allowing her pets to revel in the celebration even if some of the presents weren't for them. But the last box both pets refused to touch. "Satori, it's your turn. Open this one!"

The master of the Palace of the Earth Spirits timidly approached the box, but before she could undo the bright red ribbon on the otherwise plain-looking box, it sprung open, revealing...

"Hey sis! It's been a while!"

Satori couldn't believe her eyes. Her sister, Koishi, really had come home! Rin and Utsuho looked at Koishi, who nodded back at them, and it was only then that Satori realized those two had some form of help in getting the ever-fleeting Koishi to come home for Christmas in a few short hours.

The day passed by without incident, and because it was a special day, Satori asked the three to share one big bed together. With the help of Koishi, Satori's bed was set up in the living room, and all four tucked themselves into bed, helping themselves to each other's warmth. While Rin and Koishi fell asleep rather quickly, Utsuho had one last question on her mind.

"Satori, you know that story you told us?" Satori nodded. "Didn't that happen two weeks ago?" And Satori nodded. Utsuho realized that Gensokyo was never going to be the same again.


Happy Holidays from their house to yours.

Before I post Short #11 (titled Kismet), I will be spending some time redoing at least three of the shorts I feel are the worst in the series and bringing it up to par with the rest. The changes won't be reflected on the website, just on the text file.