~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library

In the Brilliant Light of Day [Complete] - DDC Novel Length Fanfic (+pics!)

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hungrybookworm:

(Are the subject/title input boxes broken? I can't change the chapter numbers. Ah well I'll do it later.)

Chapter 12
(AO3 Mirror)

Reimu sank to the ground. The wound was just below her wrist, and her bare skin glistened with blood and drool. A thin red line ran down her forearm, and dripped onto the ground.

The werewolf was borderline hysterical. ?Oh my god, I?ve bitten the Hakurei shrine maiden! I?ve bitten the Hakurei shrine maiden! I?m sorry. I?m so, so sorry!?

?Stay calm.? Sakuya reached into her pocket. ?Don?t panic.?

Reimu blinked, and found herself indoors. The three of them were now in a familiar room, with chairs lined up against the wall, and posters on keeping healthy hanging from the ceiling. The werewolf shrieked with surprise, and someone cried out from the corridor.

?Don?t scare me like that!? Reisen Udongein Inaba walked over, a hand on her chest. ?What are you doing in here? How did you get in??

They were in Eientei. Sakuya had paused time and transported them. This was the surgery waiting room, thankfully empty. Reimu looked up at the clock on the wall, and saw the hands point to quarter-past-midnight.

Reimu wasn?t scared. She felt detached from her surroundings, as though she was watching herself act out a peculiar dream. Her mouth was dry. A sharp, steady pain ached in time with her heartbeat.

?I bit the Hakurei shrine maiden!? The werewolf sobbed. ?She?s going to turn into a werewolf!?

?Reimu?s been bitten. We need immediate medical assistance.? Sakuya took control. ?Find that doctor right now.?

?What?s all that noise, Udonge?? Eirin Yagokoro entered the room, frowning. ?Is it an emergency??

Sakuya placed a hand on Reimu?s shoulder. It felt cold against her bare skin, and Reimu twitched, confused, hoping to shake it off. But everything around her was moving so much faster all of a sudden. The other people in the room sped around it like spooked insects, and spoke in a high-pitched whine. Eientei itself was spinning, its contents a blur of colour. Reimu closed her eyes, and fought the urge to be sick. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears. Pain oozed up her arm, driving away her lethargy. She?d been bitten by a werewolf. Bitten on a full moon night. Reimu wasn?t going to get away with just a scar.

She was going to turn into a werewolf too. She was going to lose her humanity.

The terror washed over her, like ice cold water on a winter night. It snatched her breath away. Reimu began to panic. She tried to grope for her purification rod, only to realise it was still in her left hand. Both of her arms were going numb.

She was going to lose her humanity.

Reimu sought comfort. She stared at her purification rod, and tried to reach out to it emotionally. And to her surprise, it responded. A soft, friendly warmth seeped into her. Everything will be all right. There?s nothing to be afraid of. It?ll work out, just like always. I know, because I?ve been there. I?ve been by your side all this time, so you have nothing to fear.

Sakuya?s hand left her shoulder, and everything ground to a halt. Eirin was holding a small bottle of cloudy liquid in front of her face. ?Reimu, can you hear me? I?m going to make you drink this, okay? Stay still.?

Reimu felt Sakuya grip her head with both hands, to hold it in place, and Eirin gently pushed the bottle against her lips. ?You need to drink it all, or the antidote won?t work. Ready? One, two, three.?

She tipped the bottle back, and the liquid entered Reimu?s mouth. It was thick, and tasted vile. Reimu?s first reaction was to retch. ?Stay calm, you can keep it down. Keep swallowing.? Eirin finally pulled the bottle away, only to cover Reimu?s mouth with a lukewarm hand. ?A bit more. A bit more.?

Tears ran down Reimu?s cheeks. She tried to squeeze her purification rod as tight as she could. Everything will be okay. Everything will be okay. And the rod responded. It will be okay. It will be okay.

Then finally, the last of the liquid passed down her throat, and Eirin stepped away. Reimu gasped, and tried to squirm free of Sakuya?s grip. ?Let me go! Urgh?!? Nausea overwhelmed her.

?Udonge, water. Now.? Eirin gripped Reimu?s shoulders. ?You need to keep it down, Reimu.?

?Here.? And Reisen had a cup. ?Drink this.?

Reimu tried to take it from her. But her right hand had gone completely numb, and she knocked the cup out of Reisen?s hands. It fell to the floor, and cracked, spilling water everywhere. Reimu tried to apologise, but nothing resembling words came out of her mouth. She thought she could see black fur on her right arm. The antidote or whatever they?d given her hadn?t worked. Any minute the transformation would reach her heart, and become irreversible. Then what? She couldn?t be the Hakurei shrine maiden anymore. Would they get rid of her? Cut her down? Or maybe she?d live in the village and be feared by all, like the rokurokubi. She?d have to watch her human friends age, and die long before her. Generation, after generation, after generation.

Marisa.

Where was Marisa? Reimu became convinced she was in the room somewhere. Of course Marisa was there. Marisa was never far behind her in an incident. She probably saw the whole thing, and chased after them to Eientei. She tried to say her name. Marisa! Marisa! But only a long moan escaped her mouth.

Marisa would die before her. Reimu would have to watch her hair turn grey, and the wrinkles spread across her face. She could see it right now. Marisa was in the room with her, already aging. She was staring at Reimu through half-blind eyes, her thin lips shut, her trembling hands trying to open and reach out to her. If Reimu reached out, she was convinced she?d be able to touch Marisa, and feel her delicate, sagging skin under her fingertips.

She?d failed Marisa. She got caught up chasing the rebels and keeping an eye on Sakuya. What an idiot she was! Every second she wasted took Marisa further away from her. Reimu threw herself forwards. She had to grab Marisa now, before it was too late. Before Reimu was forced to live the rest of her life without her.

And then, everything went dark. Reimu felt herself fall. Her consciousness clouded over, and she sank deeper, and deeper.

Only the purification?s rod warmth remained, reassuring her. It will be okay. It will be okay. It will be okay.

*****
They carried the tranquilised Reimu into the sick room, and tucked her into the futon closest to the door. The werewolf was still sobbing, and the lunarians? faces were solemn as they lay Reimu on her side, in case she threw up as she slept. The scene felt more like a funeral than a celebration of Reimu?s safety.

?Will she be all right?? asked Sakuya. She felt foolish for not slowing down Reimu?s time earlier, and was concerned she?d missed precious seconds. It had taken about half an hour for Eirin to create an antidote, and Sakuya had seen Reimu?s complexion change in slow motion.

?She should be.? But Eirin was solemn. ?We need to keep an eye on her over the next twenty-four hours. I?ll take a blood sample later to make sure the medicine?s taking effect. Reisen, I need you to stay with her and monitor her condition.?

?Understood.?

?Now then.? Eirin turned to the werewolf, and placed a hand on her shoulder. ?Why don?t you tell me what happened??


?It was an accident?? The werewolf wiped her eyes. She?d calmed down. ?I?m sorry??

?What?s your name??

?Kagerou Imaizumi. Is she going to be okay??

?I made an antidote.? Eirin smiled slightly. ?Werewolf transformations can be reversed if caught early enough, as you?re probably aware. We?ll see how she is once she wakes up.?

?I?m not normally so violent, I swear. I don?t know what came over me.? Kagerou moaned, and covered her face with both hands. ?I woke up this morning feeling really bitter and resentful, so I left the village to visit the bamboo forest, to get some fresh air, even though I look all hairy and horrible, and then-?

?Tell the truth,? grumbled Sakuya. She reached into her garter belt, meaning to pull out a silver knife. But instead, her hand touched her favourite, and the urge to slice everything returned. No, not now. Not just yet. ?We can tell you?re lying.?

?I?m not- oh fine! Yes I am lying. It was that mallet!? Kagerou blurted it out. ?I?ve been feeling weird ever since it hit me! That?s why I went mad tonight!?

?A mallet?? Eirin frowned. ?What do you mean??

?The Miracle Mallet. I don?t go out on full moon nights, but my whole body felt itchy. I needed to move. I needed to make something happen! I was fed up with normality and needed change!?

?That again.? Reimu had told Sakuya about the rokurokubi and her motives on the way to the bamboo forest. ?I need to find whoever?s using that mallet and get rid of them.? She pulled the knife out and held it out in front of her. It felt good to hold it again. She couldn?t hang around for too long. Milady was probably starting to miss her, and now was the perfect opportunity to shake off Reimu. ?I have little time to waste. Unless there?s anything else that needs my assistance, I?ll take my leave. Thank you for your work, doctor.?

Kagerou grabbed Sakuya?s arm. ?No, don?t leave me with them, please! I don?t want to be exterminated!?

?It?s your fault for biting her in the first place.? Sakuya felt no sympathy. She resisted the urge to swipe at her with the knife. ?Let me go.?

?Are you sure you don?t want to stay?? Eirin asked. ?Reimu should wake up in a few hours.?

Good, that gave Sakuya several hours to get away from her. ?I need to find the source of these riots. You wouldn?t happen to know anything, would you?? She felt her knife tremble. How nice it would be to stick her knife into Dr Yagokoro... But no, that would cause trouble.

?Unfortunately I don?t, no.? Eirin sighed. Maybe she could tell things weren?t quite right with Sakuya, because she didn?t push the subject. ?Do you need to be escorted, or can you make your way out of the bamboo forest alone??

?I can do fine by myself.? Sakuya prised her arm away from Kagerou, and walked out of the room. ?Goodbye. Thank you for treating Reimu.?

?I?m not going to exterminate you, don?t worry,? whispered Eirin, once Sakuya was gone. Kagerou?s tail was still drooped between her legs, and she was trembling. ?We?re going to go into my office, drink some tea and have a chat. I want to hear all about this strange mallet.?

?I?ve never lost control like that before, honestly,? said Kagerou. ?Ask any of my friends and they?ll tell you I always stay calm, even on full moon nights. I don?t even-?

?I can tell you?re shaken. Come on.? Eirin lead her into the corridor. ?Our rabbits make some delicious mochi. You have to try it.?

Reisen untied Reimu?s sleeve, and wiped the blood from her wound.

*****
Sakuya floated through the night air, the knife still clutched in her hand as Eientei faded away behind her. She couldn?t stop smiling. Finally, finally, she?d shaken off Reimu! She could get back to business, solve the incident, and return to the mansion before the sun rose. What a relief.

There was a clearing directly below her. A few seconds ago it?d been a thick bamboo grove, but now the plants had been sliced into thick, two-centimetre strips, and piled up around the edge. Sakuya wiped the flat of her knife with a handkerchief. She?d become so caught up in the riots and duals and urges to cut that she?d forgotten about her time-stopping abilities. Her, forgetting her own ability! What an embarrassment. She glanced down at the grove. From now on, she?d indulge the knife during paused time. No more wastage.

She could see tiny flashes of light up ahead, barely visible behind the mountain range. It hadn?t rained in several days, so Sakuya assumed it was a thunderstorm, caused by the humidity. She kept an eye on it. The castle was probably somewhere nearby, she just had to find it.

Once she solved the incident, she could return home and begin preparing a celebratory meal. What would Milady be in the mood for? Maybe something themed after the night?s events? Sakuya imagined the knife sinking through a large, fat steak. Yes, something thick and meaty. The knife excelled at cutting flesh. She thought of the blood oozing out of the steak, and running along the edge of the knife. Delicious. Absolutely delicious.

She wanted to cut something again. Her thoughts agitated her knife, and it was keen to slice. Sakuya considered going back into the forest, but instinct told her there were better things to cut up ahead. Something more succulent than bamboo.

She heard a deep rumble. The first thing she thought of was a drum at a Shinto festival. The drum skin would be thin and tight, and perfect for piercing with the tip of her knife. But then the sound came again, and Sakuya realised it was thunder. The flashes were lightning after all, but there was no rain. The cloud was tinged orange and purple, and a sharp, burning smell floated around it. Sakuya felt relieved. It was a magic storm. If she got struck by lightning, it would feel no different to being hit by a danmaku bullet. She had nothing to fear. Sakuya pressed on, feeling her hair stand on end as she approached the storm clouds.

Colourful vapour twisted around her, and blocked her vision. Sakuya couldn?t see further than a metre ahead, but that didn?t bother her. Nothing truly scared Sakuya. If things ever got frightening, she could stop time, and walk away, as simple as that.

An old phrase drifted into her mind. Something Remilia said back when they caused their own incident. ?I want the mist so thick it blocks out the sun! Thick enough you could cut out a chunk of it, Sakuya, and serve it up like a giant block of tofu!? How long ago was that? It was hard to remember. Sakuya lifted her knife, and swished it through the cloud. The blade passed through it harmlessly.

?Hey, watch what you?re doing with that thing!? yelled a voice up ahead. There was a flash of light, and Sakuya glimpsed a figure. Another flash revealed several wide magical circles below them, spinning on top of each other like plates in a magic act.

?You might cut someone if you?re not careful!? It was a young woman, with dark hair and a purple hair band, wearing a strange blue and white outfit. A rifle was slung over her back, and a small brown bag attached to the strap. Long, gleaming red strings floated above her thighs, and her hands rested over them, as though awaiting instructions to start playing. A golden, diamond-shaped badge flickered in her lap.

?The cloud was quite thick, so I wanted to see if I could cut through it.? Sakuya glanced at the knife?s edge, and smiled. ?This knife never dulls.?

?Oh, are you one of us?? The woman looked delighted. She flew closer. ?Have you come to join our new paradise??

Sakuya?s smile widened. ?New paradise??


?Yes, a paradise for tsukumogami! It?s all change in Gensokyo right now. Did you just come to life? A lot of new tsukumogami are born around here, so it?s my job to greet them.?

She?d walked straight into the lion?s den. Sakuya resisted the urge to clap her hands with delight. ?You?re a tsukumogami, are you??

?Of course! Aren?t you??

?No.?

?Oh.? The woman looked disappointed. ?That?s odd, I mean? I get the tsukumogami aura from you, if you know what I mean. You feel like one. Are you a tsukumogami user instead? You seem pretty close to that knife.?

?A tsukumogami user? Hmm?? Sakuya peered at the blade again. Her knife did have a will of its own, there was no denying that. ?I suppose this knife does act like a tsukumogami.?

?You?ve gotta join us! We?re gonna make a paradise where tools can rule the world. Oh right, my name?s Yatsuhashi Tsukumo, pleased to meet you!? She bowed quickly, then held out a hand. ?I?m a commander in the Shining Needle Tsukumogami Brigade. We?re still recruiting new members, so if you want a slice of the pie, you?d better come with me! We?ll fit you out with a uniform just like mine.?

Sakuya grabbed Yatsuhashi?s wrist, and yanked her closer. ?A tsukumogami brigade? Why would you need something like that??

?We serve the princess of the Shining Needle Castle. We?re her personal army.? Yatsuhashi?s smile twitched. ?Um, can you let go? It hurts.?

Sakuya tightened her grip. ?I?m sorry, but I?m in a bit of a hurry.? She lifted the knife. ?Perhaps you can tell me all about it right now??

The colour disappeared from Yatsuhashi?s face. ?Um, yes, sure. I guess. My sister?s got all the recruitment documents on her though, so you?ll need to talk to her.? She glanced around, and tried to pull her arm free. ?Um, she should be around here somewhere. I can go find her if you let me go!?

Sakuya placed the cold, flat edge of the knife against Yatsuhashi?s cheek. Yatsuhashi squeaked, and fell still. ?There we go.? Sakuya resisted the urge to laugh. ?This knife is very, very sharp, you know. I?d quite like to try it out on a tsukumogami. Cut a few strings. Slice through the wooden body. Or are you made of flesh??

Yatsuhashi groped for her rifle with her free hand. But the sling was designed to be removed from her back before the rifle could be pulled out, so all she could do was pull on the cloth. ?D-Don?t??

Sakuya really wanted to cut her now. She could feel the drool welling up in her mouth, as though someone had placed an aromatic dish in front of her. It was hard to hold back. Maybe just slicing Yatsuhashi?s uniform a bit would be enough? Yes, that would satisfy her knife. Sakuya moved the knife to Yatsuhashi?s front, and pressed the tip against the cloth.

?Help me, help me!? Yatsuhashi struggled. ?Nee-san, help me!?

?Yatsuhashi!?

There was a gunshot, and Sakuya felt something hot skim past her cheek. Someone was shooting at her. Sakuya turned. There was a blue blur, and the sound of something hard and heavy swinging through the air. Pain crashed through Sakuya?s head. She let go of Yatsuhashi, and lost her balance. Her hand clung to her knife, afraid she might drop it and lose it forever. That would be the worst thing. Far worse than death.

?Nee-san!?

?Yatsuhashi, are you okay!??

She had to stop time. But Sakuya lost consciousness before she remembered how to do it. And when she next opened her eyes, she was lying on her back somewhere dark. A sharp headache pounded through her head, and for a moment Sakuya thought her skull had split open. But the feeling passed, and she groaned, and rolled over.

?She?s a human. You could?ve killed her, Nee-san! They?ve got rules against that here!?

?It was in self-defence. She was going to hurt you, Yatsuhashi, and I wasn?t going to just stand there and let her.?

There was something heavy covering Sakuya?s body. A blanket, most likely. The smell of mould was overwhelming, and she noticed shadows flickering over the dark, uneven ceiling. She closed her eyes again, and when Sakuya woke up a second time, the dull pain in her head had mostly faded. She turned, and realised for the first time she was in a cave. There was light pouring in from an entrance to her left, and she could hear laughter and chatter, as though they were hosting a party in another room.

?Oh, you?re awake!?

Sakuya recognised the voice, but couldn?t see who it belonged to. She heard the clack of wooden clogs, and saw a silhouette approach the light. ?Guys, guys she?s awake!? Murmurs, noise, and then the sound of footsteps as people began pouring into the room. Sakuya noticed something in her right hand, and was relieved to find the knife still there. She wasn?t sure if she had the stamina to stop time right now, so a weapon made her feel safer.

Someone brought a lamp into the room, and the cave filled with light. Sakuya saw that she was lying in a futon. Around forty tsukumogami surrounded her, all wearing the same uniform as Yatsuhashi, and all staring at her.

?Is that really her??

?Isn?t she the maid at that big red mansion??

?She?s one of us, isn?t she??

A woman with long, flowing hair stepped forward, with Yatsuhashi following behind her. Part of what looked like a biwa was chained to the woman?s wrist, floating close to her ankles. There was a rifle in her hands, and Sakuya noticed a small blood stain on the gun?s hilt. The source of her headache, perhaps.

?I?m sorry I had to hit you,? said the woman. She wasn?t pointing the rifle at Sakuya, just holding it against her chest. The message was clear: I?m not threatening you, but I?m ready if you try anything. ?My name is Benben Tsukumo. I?m Yatsuhashi?s older sister. How are you feeling??

Sakuya took great pride in her appearance, and it bothered her that so many people were staring at her when she looked unladylike. She sat up with great effort, and reached up to check her hair. She found a bandage wrapped around her head. ?I?m surprised, to say the least,? she said. ?How long was I asleep??

?Um.? Benben looked at Yatsuhashi, and started counting on her fingers. The crowd muttered, and someone shouted: ?Four hours!?

Sakuya winced. Four hours wasn?t terrible, but if things had gone to plan she would?ve solved the incident and flown home by now. Sharp pain shot through her head, and she pressed her fingertips against her forehead.

?Are you hungry?? Benben nodded to the crowd, and someone walked over with a bowl of rice. ?You?re still human, aren?t you? So you probably need some food. Here. A peace offering.?

The bowl was placed in Sakuya?s lap, and she stared at it. It was hard to imagine how they would benefit from poisoning her food straight after nursing her back to health. ?I?ll eat it later,? she said, moving the bowl to one side. She still felt terrible, and doubted putting food in her stomach would end well. ?But thank you anyway.?

?We should press on, now that you?re awake.? Benben looked at Yatsuhashi again. She nodded, and Benben continued. ?You?re the maid at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, aren?t you??

Sakuya nodded. ?That?s correct.?

?I thought so!? A voice spoke up from the back of the crowd. It was the familiar voice from earlier, and the sound of clogs slapping against the cave floor as she pushed her way forward confirmed it. Sakuya saw a purple umbrella emerge through the crowd, and came face-to-face with Kogasa Tatara. She was dressed in the same uniform as everyone else, and grinning from ear-to-ear. ?Remember me?? she asked.

?Vaguely.? Sakuya recalled her from Reimu?s parties, and the Myouren Temple graveyard. ?What are you doing here??

?Joining the cause!? Kogasa giggled, and twirled her umbrella around. The other tsukumogami moved back, to avoid the big floppy tongue. ?Were you surprised? I bet you were!?

?Kogasa filled us in,? explained Benben. ?Most of us were only born a few weeks ago, so there?s still a lot we don?t know about Gensokyo. She?s an irreplaceable member of the team.?

Kogasa tried to look modest. ?I?m not that great. This is just basic stuff.?

The knife warmed up in the palm of her hand. The sensation felt comforting, and made Sakuya want to smile too. How odd. She?d felt nothing but bloodlust from the knife up until now. Maybe it was happy.

?Why did you attack Yatsuhashi?? asked Benben suddenly.

?Nee-san, don?t. You might provoke her.?

?I need to know.?

Sakuya lifted the knife out of the futon. Yes, it was radiating heat. The blade had an orange tint. She saw Yatsuhashi flinch at the sight of it. ?I had the urge,? Sakuya explained. ?This knife enjoys cutting, and I wanted to indulge it. Rest assured I had no intention of actually hurting your sister. I was planning to run the blade over her uniform.?

The crowd whispered nervously.

?But that?s something we can all relate to here,? said Benben, unfazed. ?There is nothing a tsukumogami enjoys more than fulfilling its purpose. A few of us were originally knives as well. You are among friends.?

?Friends?? Sakuya wasn?t sure about that. She gazed down at the blanket. It had a faded criss-cross pattern, and a few rips and tears. It was already spoilt. Sakuya wondered if there?d be any harm in tracing the pattern with her knife.

?Benben, don?t!? Yatsuhashi yanked her sister?s sleeve. ?I don?t think we should recruit her after all. She?s dangerous!?

?We?ve had this discussion already,? said Benben firmly. ?And we all agreed we would accept her if she wanted to join.?

?She didn?t want to slice my clothes; she was going to slice me up! She was going to kill me!?
 
Sakuya ignored them, and began sliding the knife over the blanket. She could feel the material give way beneath the blade, like she was slowly unzipping a dress. It felt calming. It gave her complete piece of mind, faster than meditation. Sakuya hadn?t felt so relaxed since she?d started working for Remilia. How long ago was that? She couldn?t remember the exact number of years.

?That was an accident. We sometimes play our instruments without realising, don?t we? It?s similar to that. Look.? Benben pointed at her. ?She just wants to cut some cloth.?

?Maybe we should ask Her Royal Highness,? suggested Kogasa. ?I mean, if we can?t decide ourselves.?

The crowd liked that. They began to murmur again.

?Yes, Her Royal Highness would know what to do.?

?She?d know best!?

Benben grimaced. ?We shouldn?t trouble Her Royal Highness too much. She?s very busy right now.?

?I think we should ask her,? said Yatsuhashi, relieved. ?It?d only take a moment, and we?ll be seeing her tomorrow anyway, for the lesson.?

?But-?

?We shouldn?t do anything without Her Royal Highness? word anyway.? Yatsuhashi crossed her arms, and nodded. ?We need the blessing of the Miracle Mallet.?

The crowd yelled in agreement. Sakuya was sure there were words she was meant to be paying attention to in the conversation, but her focus was on the blanket. Her knife made beautiful patterns in the fabric, slicing it into identical strips. It was going to look splendid once she was done, like a large, elegant tassel.

?I suppose you?re right.? Benben sighed. ?Her Royal Highness won?t object if there?s nothing wrong with her joining, so there?s no harm in asking.?

Yatsuhashi turned to the crowd. ?Right, you all heard that. We?re going to-?

?Stop!?

Benben froze. Yatsuhashi spun around. Sakuya frowned, and looked up. A tall woman in an off-white suit pushed her way into view. She was visibly limping, and her suit was specked with dirt and mud. Her clothes hadn?t been washed in a long time. ?Stop, everyone stay where you are!? She looked frantic. ?No one move.?

?Raiko?? Benben looked at her, amazed.

?About time you showed up!? Yatsuhashi glared at her. ?Where?ve you been!??

The woman named Raiko jabbed a finger at the cave entrance. ?Get everyone in here. Even the soldiers on duty. I?ve got something really important to tell you.?

?I thought you?d gone for good!? Benben reached out, and grabbed her arm. ?Why didn?t you send me a message? I was so worried!?

?I?m sorry, Benben, but this is urgent. I?ll explain where I?ve been afterwards. It?s about the Miracle Mallet.?

A ripple of terror ran through the crowd. The Miracle Mallet! The tsukumogami looked at each other. Kogasa bit her lip, and held her umbrella close.

?We can?t round up the soldiers on duty!? cried Yatsuhashi. ?They?re guarding the castle! What if an intruder gets in??

?Be quiet, everyone!? Benben took command. ?It won?t hurt if they?re away from their posts for a few minutes. We?ve yet to be attacked anyway. Yatsuhashi, go round them up. Kogasa, get Raiko a chair. Everyone else, stay put and await further instructions.?

Within a few minutes, the room was packed full of tsukumogami. A few of the new faces looked tired, and Yatsuhashi paced around the outskirts of the crowd, impatient. Benben had put her rifle back in its sling, and was fussing over Raiko, giving her a cup of water to drink, and trying to brush the dirt off her suit.

Raiko stood up as soon as the last group of tsukumogami arrived. ?I won?t waste your time mincing words,? she announced. ?The Miracle Mallet?s power is finite!? She looked around the crowd, and tried to make eye contact with every member of the brigade in turn. ?It?s only a matter of time before it runs out, and we return to how we were before.?

The crowd reacted with shocked silence.

?That?s? a really big thing to say,? said Benben cautiously. ?What do you mean, it?ll run out??

?I knew there was something not right about that mallet! Nothing comes for free in this world, especially not miracles!? Raiko looked back at Benben, and held her gaze. ?I knew you guys turning into an army was a bad idea. Listen to me, I?ve been travelling. I looked for information about the Miracle Mallet, and how we all came into being, and here?s what I found out: the mallet?s power is too good to be true! So I searched for an alternative, and I found one. If you all follow my instructions now, it won?t be too late. We can stay as we are without the mallet?s power, and live life without following anyone?s orders!?

??And what happens if we don?t follow your instructions?? asked Yatsuhashi.

?We?ll return to mere objects.? Raiko was solemn. ?You?ll go back to being a koto instrument, Yatsuhashi, with little will of your own.?

?How do you know the mallet?s power is finite?? yelled someone from the crowd. ?How can you find something like that out when the mallet?s right here in the castle??

Raiko paused. The crowd murmured amongst itself. They were sceptical.

?Saying the mallet?s finite. I don?t believe it.?

?It goes against the words of Her Royal Highness.?

?Isn?t this blasphemy??

?Blasphemy? What are you talking about?? Raiko looked alarmed.

?The mallet gave us life,? explained Yatsuhashi. ?We wouldn?t be here without it. You know that! What you?re saying is really serious, Raiko. It?s hard to believe.?

?Are you worshipping that mallet?? Raiko turned to Benben. ?What?s happened while I?ve been gone? First you all start wearing the same clothes, now you?re all idolising a mallet! What?s wrong with you all??

?I?m proud to wear this uniform!? yelled another tsukumogami. There was a roar of agreement, and the crowd started closing in on Raiko.

?Everyone, calm down! Stay put!? Benben held her arms out, and the crowd moved back. ?Raiko, you too. Tell us where you heard this information. Give us more detail.?

?I went to the World of Oni during my travels.? But Raiko had lost her confidence. Her voice sounded weaker. ?I met an inchling there who?d met the princess and Seija Kijin. He told me all kinds of things, and-?

?You?re a traitor!? The crowd wasn?t listening anymore. ?Her Royal Highness told us the mallet can grant any wish we want, for as long as we want!?

?Her Royal Highness would never lie to us!?

?Why should we believe you? You don?t believe in us! You don?t believe in what we?re trying to achieve!?

?She?s not one of us anymore!?

?Woah, woah, wait a minute.? Raiko was shouting. ?Slow down a bit! Let me finish what I have to say!?

?Nee-san, I?m concerned about leaving the castle unguarded,? whispered Yatsuhashi. ?I think we should send the soldiers back before continuing with this.?

?No, you can?t! Everyone needs to hear this! Don?t you all want to stay the way you are? You have to do as I say before it?s too late!?

?Raiko?? Benben looked at the floor. ?I know you?re desperate to explain everything, but I can?t deny that what you?re saying sounds really strange. You disappeared all of a sudden, without saying a word to anyone, and now you?ve come back, claiming all this stuff you?ve learnt from somewhere? it?s worrying.?

?Benben, no! You need to believe me, above everyone else.? It was dawning on Raiko that she was fighting a losing battle. She reached out. ?Please, believe me! You have to!?

The crowd was losing interest. A few tsukumogami were wandering out of the room. ?No, no, stop!? Raiko tried to run over, but Benben grasped her hand.

?Raiko,? she snapped. ?Calm down. Please. We should discuss this later, when you?ve got a cool head.?

?No, we need to talk about this now! The mallet could run out of power any minute! Please!?

?I said calm down.? Benben glared at her. ?You?re making this hard for everyone.?

?No, I won?t calm down. You?ve all decided to ignore me without hearing the full story. Listen to me!?

Sakuya continued cutting, unconcerned.

hungrybookworm:

Chapter 13
(AO3 Mirror)

Reimu was woken up by the pain in her arm. The pillow felt cold and clammy against the side of her face, and strands of hair were stuck to her cheeks. There was a dry, bitter taste in her mouth, and her teeth ached from dehydration. She?d had a dream, but the pain had driven it from her memory, and now there was a hollow feeling in her stomach that told her she shouldn?t have forgotten it.

The pain ebbed, and Reimu rolled over. She was lying alone in the sick room, surrounded by empty futons lit up by a single lamp. There was a glass of water next to her elbow, and Reimu picked it up carefully. She could feel the cold glass against her palm. She drank the liquid down in one gulp, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Fabric rubbed against her lips, and she noticed a crisp white bandage near her wrist.

Her purification rod was lying on the floor, alongside her freshly washed and neatly folded shrine maiden uniform. The contents of her pockets were piled next to it.

The air was perfectly still. Reimu couldn?t hear anything outside, not even crickets, or the bamboo shaking in the wind. It was almost as if time had stopped.

Time had stopped?

Sakuya.

That knife.

The riots around Gensokyo.

Sharp teeth sinking into her arm.

The rokurokubi.

The mermaid.

Marisa.

Reimu flung the covers aside. She had to move. Sakuya was out there by herself, with her knife, and Marisa was god knows where in the thick of chaos. She didn?t have time to lie in bed. Reimu?s limbs ached as she scrambled out of the futon, and for a moment she felt faint. Her wrist hurt. In fact, it hurt enough to make her wince, and she felt relieved her left hand, her dominant hand, had been unaffected. Then the adrenaline kicked in, and the pain and exhaustion didn?t matter anymore. She reached for her uniform, and her purification rod came to life, bouncing around the room like a rubber ball.

?Shh!? She was worried someone would hear it. ?Behave.? Reimu had no idea how long she?d slept for, but it was long enough. She needed to leave before Eirin or Reisen came to check on her.

A shout rang down the corridor. ?Tewi, get back here!?

It was Reisen?s voice. Reimu tore at her bed clothes, and used them to scrub the sweat off her body. She grabbed her sarashi, and wrapped it around her chest as quickly as she could.

?You?re gonna be in for it once Master hears about this, Tewi!?

Reimu tugged on her skirt, threw her top over her head, and began tying her sleeves. The ribbons were as fiddly as always, and she felt the dizziness return as she tried to focus. No, not now. Not here.

?Tewi!?

She arranged her hair the best she could, and was tugging her socks on when she heard footsteps.

?Stupid earth rabbits, think they?re all that??

Reisen was heading over to the sick room. Reimu stuffed her things back into her pockets, shoved her feet into her shoes, and sprinted over to the window. The purification rod was already bouncing up and down next to it. The window was unlocked, and big enough for Reimu to slip through.

The footsteps came to a stop outside her door.

Reimu flung the window open, and leapt.

The door rolled aside. Reisen walked in, and found the room empty. A breeze blew in through the open window.

There was no one outside. Reimu had seemingly disappeared.

*****
?The tsukumogami are taking a while,? commented Shinmyoumaru. The sun was beginning to rise, and the last few stars were fading from view. Daylight was returning to Gensokyo. ?They?ll be late for their lesson if they don?t hurry up.?

Marisa nodded. She was sitting cross-legged on the stone block, adjusting her ponytail and gazing at the scenery far below. Shinmyoumaru spent every free morning she had instructing the tsukumogami on the basics of life. This week?s theme was fencing, and Marisa had spent most of yesterday morning watching the recruits wave their (unloaded) rifles around in mock sword fights. But right now it was just her and Shinmyoumaru, waiting for company.

?Do you think they got bored of it?? asked Shinmyoumaru, worried. ?I?m not used to teaching.?

?Nah, they hang off your every word,? Marisa reassured her. They adored Shinmyoumaru. ?Maybe Seija?s using them for something.?

Marisa liked watching the lessons. They helped wake her up after an early start, and being around Shinmyoumaru and the tsukumogami motivated her for the day ahead. Their enthusiasm was infectious. She?d even felt tempted to grab a gun and join in yesterday.

Six weeks had passed since Marisa joined the revolution, and things were getting hectic. Marisa liked it that way. She preferred to be kept busy. Some of the jobs she had to do were pretty gross, or boring, or involved arguing with Seija for an hour before starting, but Marisa wasn?t afraid of hard work. She?d go to bed exhausted, and still wake up before sunrise so she could squeeze in an extra hour or two of studying. The castle had a surprising number of books on tsukumogami-related magic, and Marisa would take notes and test theories out on her mini-Hakkero. She even had a few new spell cards themed around it.

It felt great to be making progress again. Marisa had missed the satisfaction researching magic gave her. Not a day went by when she didn?t feel glad for joining Seija and Shinmyoumaru?s crazy revolution. It even made emptying the chamber pots worth it.

Shinmyoumaru frowned at the mention of Seija. ?She rarely talks to them, so I?d be surprised if she is.?

They said nothing after that, so Marisa looked back at the scenery again. The mountains were covered in lush green forest, as far as the eye could see, and heavy white mist lurked within the valleys.

Shinmyoumaru turned to face Marisa. ?Actually Marisa?? She fidgeted. ?Can I ask you something? About Seija.?

?Sure, what?? Marisa wasn?t sure whether Seija and Shinmyoumaru were an item or not, but it was obvious Shinmyoumaru held romantic feelings for the amanojaku. For some reason. Marisa would rather date a tree, given the choice.

?I think? I think I did something really bad to Seija last night.? Shinmyoumaru cringed. ?I was really angry with her about? something, and I woke up with a headache so I must?ve been drunk. She wasn?t in her futon this morning, and there were nail clippings around her bed.?

?She?s always up and about early. I doubt it means anything.?

?But I?ve never seen her clip her nails before! She always chews them. I?m worried it?s a sign she?s angry with me.?

Marisa tried not to laugh. ?You?re over thinking things.? She smiled. ?Seija?s an amanojaku. They?re not very subtle when they?re angry about something. Just ask her if she?s mad at you later.? Though Marisa had no idea whether Seija would answer truthfully or not. ?Did you have a fight or something??

Shinmyoumaru blushed. ?M-Maybe.?

?Okay, then just say sorry when you see her. She?ll act annoyed and stuff, but if it really bothered her, then she?ll be relieved you apologised. Or she might yell at you, but you can handle that. It?s not too hard, don?t worry.?

?Thanks, Marisa.? Shinmyoumaru grinned. ?You?re always so sensible!?

Marisa was flattered. ?Naturally. I?m the most sensible woman in Gensokyo. Don?t know why they didn?t make me Village Leader as soon as I turned eighteen.?

?They should?ve! You?d make a great leader.?

?Aw, you?re too kind.? Marisa reached out, and rapped a knuckle on Shinmyoumaru?s helmet.

Shinmyoumaru giggled. ?I?m glad you joined, Marisa.? But her voice lowered, and she suddenly looked unsure.

Marisa decided to ignore that. ?Thanks. You know what? I?m gonna head back to the kitchen, have a drink, then go see where your pupils ran off to. Maybe they?re all still asleep.? One slow morning, Marisa travelled down to the brigade?s cave, grabbed one of the rifles and shot at the ceiling to wake them up. That?s how she learnt real bullets ricocheted off things. ?Back soon.?

?Okay.? Shinmyoumaru waved. ?See you.?

Marisa waved back, sat on her broom, and floated down to the first floor.

The tsukumogami brigade had been her idea, so she felt responsible for them, in a way. A few days into the start of Marisa?s new life in the castle, she and Seija had noticed a magical storm brewing behind one of the mountains, and tsukumogami coming out of it. It made perfect sense to organise them into a private army, and use them to guard the castle. A few were stationed near the storm to bring in new recruits. The castle wasn?t big enough to house them all, and Shinmyoumaru was worried about them being too noisy, so they found a cave in the forest below to act as the brigade base. Marisa even recruited a few tsukumogami in Gensokyo, to help guide the newer ones. The thought of Reimu having to battle her way through a whole army ? with one or two familiar faces hidden within ? put a big grin on Marisa?s face.

She reached the first floor window, and stepped inside. Marisa expected Reimu to show up any day now, so she made every day count. From dawn to dusk, and beyond that, Marisa worked hard to make Reimu?s job as difficult as possible. That?s why she was there, after all: to watch Reimu sweat, and shiver, and regret ignoring Marisa all year.

She tossed her broom on the floor, and sat down at the table. The pot of tea in the centre was still warm, so Marisa helped herself. Then she pulled out her mini-Hakkero, and gazed at it.

She?d started to really enjoy holding it. Resting the mini-Hakkero in her palm felt soothing, and calmed her if she felt overwhelmed. But Marisa couldn?t hold it for too long, or she started getting all kinds of strange urges. She?d want to run around and burn things. She?d want to boil a pot of water with it and feel the steam against her cheek. She?d want to dangle a piece of paper over the flame and watch it curl into ash.

And the longer she felt those urges, the harder they became to resist. The books she?d read on tsukumogami magic had an answer of sorts: sometimes a tool would start influencing its user if it wasn?t strong enough to become a full tsukumogami. But Marisa wanted to bond with her tool, to enjoy the full benefits of owning it. Marisa was a risk taker, and letting the mini-Hakkero creep into her subconscious was yet another gamble.

She wanted its flame to be bigger and brighter. She wanted it to incinerate everything in its path. Her mini-Hakkero needed to be the ultimate weapon: a menace no one but her could stand up against. She longed to tower above Gensokyo, and watch her old enemies quake with fear.

Especially Reimu. She wanted Reimu to look at her and go pale. To acknowledge that Marisa was a threat, and one she might not win against. She wanted Reimu to cry.

Marisa let go of the mini-Hakkero. No, she wasn?t here to become the ultimate ruler of Gensokyo; she was here to get out of her rut, and scare Reimu silly. If she wanted power, she?d listen to Seija?s eternal suggestions about power ups and miracles, and throw away her humanity. She?d known from the beginning that true power meant big sacrifices, and there were some she wasn?t willing to make.

Reimu was never going to lose to their revolution. Marisa was under no illusions about that. And yet, she was having so much fun. Whenever she watched Shinmyoumaru and the tsukumogami practising together, or glimpsed the look of excitement on their new recruits? faces, Marisa wished they could continue for a little longer. Even Seija?s grins when things went well tickled her heart a little. What if they made it? What if they went all the way and created a Gensokyo where everyone could be happy?

Marisa smiled to herself. She adjusted her hat, and took another sip of tea. There was a soft thump behind her. Someone had come in through the window. Probably Seija, or a tsukumogami explaining their absence. ?Hey,? said Marisa, not bothering to turn around. ?Where?ve you been??

?That?s what I want to know,? said Reimu Hakurei. ?I?ve been looking everywhere for you, Marisa.?

The table crashed to the floor. Marisa had stood up too fast, and overturned it. The tea pot cracked in two, and brown water ran along the floor beams. Marisa clenched her mini-Hakkero in her left hand. Her first instinct was to run. But her feet were frozen in place. She couldn?t move.

Marisa turned, and looked at Reimu for the first time in six weeks.

She looked terrible. Reimu?s face was pale, her hair was a mess, a thick layer of sweat clung to her forehead and her hands trembled as she held out her purification rod. Her clothes were surprisingly clean, but there was a bright white bandage wrapped around her lower right arm. She also didn?t have her yin-yang orbs with her, with Marisa interpreted as an insult. Reimu didn?t bother bringing them for routine jobs.

?Oh, it?s you.? Marisa tried to sound casual. ?Long time no see. Having fun down in Gensokyo??

?Fun?? Reimu shook. Her voice was barely higher than a whisper, and it sent a chill down Marisa?s spine. Reimu was angry. Absolutely furious. ?If you call that ?fun?, then you?re further gone than I thought. What?s going on up here??

Call what fun? Marisa wasn?t sure what she meant, and wasn?t in the mood to ask. ?This is my new pad. My place in the forest was getting a bit small, so I decided to expand.?

?I?m not in the mood for jokes.? Reimu winced, and rubbed the bandage. ?God... not now.?

?How did you get in anyway?? It was rare for Reimu to get seriously hurt. Marisa wanted a closer look at her wrist. ?We?ve got guards and stuff outside.?

?I didn?t see any.?

?What, none at all?? And now that she thought about it, Marisa hadn?t seen any guards when she went up to the stone block earlier. ?Where?ve they gone?? She needed to go straight to the tsukumogami cave afterwards. Then remembered there wouldn?t be an afterwards. Reimu was here. It was all over. Their revolution was finished. ?We?ve got a whole army of tsukumogami guarding the place.?

?What would you need a whole army for?? Reimu glared. ?Tell me what you?re doing here, Marisa. Or do I need to fight you??

They were going to fight regardless, that much was clear. Marisa felt her mini-Hakkero warm up in anticipation.


?Sure, I?ll tell you all about it.? She cleared her throat, and made a show of swishing her cloak. ?I decided to take over the world. I?m gonna be the big boss of Gensokyo, and you?ll be my personal assistant. You?ll be filing paperwork and dealing with assassins while I lounge around drinking sake and yelling at everyone. Sounds good, huh? You?ll need to give me a shoulder massage once a day, so get practising.?

?Tell me the truth, Marisa. What?re you doing??

?Oh, don?t believe me??

?You can?t take over Gensokyo by yourself. You?re not stupid enough to try that.?

??Stupid?? Marisa paused. The word got to her. ?I guess it is a bit stupid, isn?t it??

?Anyone who tries is doomed to fail. You know that, come on. Give up now and I won?t have to fight you.?

?Maybe we are doomed to fail.? Of course Reimu would think that. Marisa didn?t know why she?d expected otherwise. ?Or maybe the previous lot didn?t try hard enough.?

Reimu looked confused. ??You are Marisa, right??

?Of course I?m Marisa! Marisa Kirisame, an ordinary human magician and third in charge of this revolution!? She laughed. ?Wanna join too? You can be fourth in line if you say yes now.?

??I see.? Reimu didn?t react. Marisa had hoped she might sound shocked, or even a little upset. ?I?ll deal with you the usual way then. Five cards.?

?Five, you?re going to regret this.?

?Dream Sign: Evil-Sealing Circle!?

?Light Blast: Shoot the Moon.?

She wasn?t going to win, but Marisa wanted to have some fun before the end. One last push against the inevitable. Spell card duels were a form of self expression, and she was going to make her annoyance and frustration loud and clear.

But danmaku indoors meant less room to dodge, and they?d both chosen cards that forced their opponents to follow a set path. Marisa moved violently, making sharp, sudden turns and ducking under Reimu?s bullets. Evil-Sealing Circle was claustrophobic, but she didn?t let that get to her. Marisa had fought it over a hundred times in the past, and captured it a good fifteen-percent of the time.

But Marisa couldn?t afford to dodge on autopilot. Reimu knew Marisa?s cards too, and avoided her bullets in the same, effortless way she always did. She slowly edged along the room, narrowly missing the lasers zapping up from the floor. Marisa wanted to throw something heavier at her. She wanted to see perfect, flawless Reimu stumble for once. ?Hey Reimu, I dunno about you, but I?ve been pretty busy these last few weeks,? yelled Marisa over the noise. ?I?ve been messing about with all kinds of interesting things. Wanna see??

There, a reaction. Reimu glanced up at her, and looked uneasy. Finally, Reimu looked bothered by something! But Marisa looked at Reimu for a second too long. An ofuda smacked into her shoulder with the weight of a brick, and Marisa yelled as her spell card broke. She didn?t have time to feel angry at herself. She whipped out her next card. ?Watch this! Bewitched Weapon: Dark Spark!?

?What?? Reimu moved back to the centre of the room, to avoid being cornered. Marisa?s old bullets crumbled to dust. ?Bewitched??

Marisa pointed her mini-Hakkero straight at her. Reimu recognised what was going to happen next, and threw herself to the left. Black flame engulfed everything around them. Heat swamped the room. Marisa laughed, delighted. ?What?s the problem, Reimu? It?s just a regular Master Spark!? The flame faded, and Marisa got ready for another blast. ?Getting rusty??

?What have you done to your mini-Hakkero?? Reimu shouted.

?Improved it.? And she shot another flame into the room. Reimu yelped, and narrowly dodged it. Marisa laughed again. The Dark Spark?s range was wider than her usual blasts, so Reimu couldn?t rely on muscle memory. ?What?s wrong, don?t like it??

?Shut up!? Reimu own card was close to timing out. Marisa saw her pull out a blank card. It wasn?t against the rules to make a spell card up on the spot, but using untested patterns in a serious duel was a big risk. ?First Sakuya and her stupid knife, now you and your furnace. This is ridiculous!?

Sakuya and her knife? What did she mean by that? ?Feeling left out? Don?t worry, you can get your own self aware tool if you join our revolution. One of the many benefits.?

?Who said I felt left out?? Reimu lifted the card up in the air. ?Bewitched Weapon: Merciless Purification Rod!?

Marisa saw Reimu lift her purification rod, aim, and comically fling it. ?You?re throwing a stick at me?? Marisa laughed, and dodged it. ?There?s no way it can stand up against my-?

Only to see the rod home in on her.

?Shit!? She held up her hand instinctively, to protect her face, and the rod wacked against the side of her palm. Marisa yelled, and heard her spell card crack. ?Wait, no! No way does that count!? But it did, and Marisa needed to declare a new card before the rod came back. ?Crap!?

It didn?t matter what Marisa used for the next three cards. Reimu?s purification rod kept batting the bullets aside, and flying straight towards her. It wasn?t very fast by itself, but Reimu kept diving in to grab it, then chucking it across the room. Marisa wanted to burn it. She wanted to reduce it to ash, and grind it into the tatami with her foot. By the time Marisa?s last card broke, she was kneeling on the floor covering her head. Her hat was on the other side of the room, battered. It wasn?t fair. Marisa had spent weeks reading up on tsukumogami magic, weeks casting spells on her mini-Hakkero to make it stronger, and just like always, Reimu had strolled in and swept all her effort aside without even trying.

What was the point? Marisa wanted to cry. She couldn?t beat Reimu, even now. Their revolution was going to be put down. All her hard work and effort ? no, all their hard work and effort was totally worthless. They?d done nothing but waste time these last six weeks.

This is how it felt to be weak. The strong were always one step ahead, always looming over with a patronising sneer on their faces, always kicking you down without a speck of fear. This was how it was, and how it would always be.

?Are you done?? asked Reimu, standing over her. ?Shown me everything??

I hate you. Marisa rubbed her face with her sleeve, afraid she was crying. No, not in front of Reimu. Not now. I hate you so much. She took a long breath, and looked up again.

??Are you crying?? Reimu tilted her head. ?Come on, it was just danmaku. Don?t get upset just because you lost. What did you do to your mini-Hakkero? It wasn?t that strong before.?

Marisa could feel the mini-Hakkero heat up. It was furious, and its anger merged with her own. She wanted to stand up and aim it at Reimu again. Blast her with it until her clothes burnt off and her skin blistered. But the urge went as quickly as it came, and Marisa was left with frustration and self-disgust.

?Same goes for you,? she snarled. ?What?s going on with your purification rod??

?That?s what I?m here to find out.? Reimu crouched down, and gazed at Marisa. She was worried. ?I?m taking you home once this is over, okay? We?re going to have a long talk, and you?re going to tell me everything. Now who?s in charge here? Who talked you into doing this??

Someone giggled to the right. Reimu spun around, purification rod raised. Marisa saw Seija step in through the window. She was wearing a pair of white silk gloves, for some reason. ?Having fun, are we?? asked Seija. ?What?s a human like you doing here so early in the morning? Did you come to play with Marisa??

Reimu flinched at the mention of Marisa?s name. Seija wasn?t using an honorific. ?I?m here to beat up whoever?s behind those riots in Gensokyo! Do you have any idea how much chaos you?ve caused??

?Oh, are we causing chaos? Excellent.? Seija looked down at Marisa. ?Get up already, you?re a disgrace.?

?Yeah, yeah.? Marisa dragged herself upright, and touched her hair. She needed to retie her ponytail. ?Where?s the princess??

?Still on the block, waiting for the tsukumogami. They?re faffing around in the cave with an old friend of theirs.?

?Are you serious?? Marisa wanted to groan. ?Well, whatever. Reimu?s here now. Not like it matters anymore.?

?What princess?? Reimu glanced between them. ?Marisa, who is this??

Seija chuckled, and placed a hand on Marisa?s head. ?I?m Marisa?s owner.?

?I?m not your pet,? grumbled Marisa.

Seija made a show of stroking her hair. Marisa swiped at her, but Seija just caught her arm, and laughed. ?What, embarrassed??

Reimu?s face whitened.

?Oh, someone?s angry.? Seija took full advantage of it. ?Don?t like me touching her? Well sorry, she?s my property now. You?ll have to fight me if you want her back.?

?Give it a rest, Seija,? Marisa finally got to her feet. ?Reimu?s pretty scary when she?s angry. Should I go warn the princess??

?Warn her about what? I?m not gonna lose to some lame shrine maiden.? Seija licked her lips. ?I?ve waited a long, long time for this.?

?Stay where you are, Marisa,? demanded Reimu. She was clearly shaken. ?So I just have to beat you with the horns, then your princess, and that?s it??

?Stay here, Marisa. That?s an order.? Seija pulled out her spell card deck, and began flicking through it. There were only five or six cards inside, so she didn?t have to look for long. ?How does three sound??

?Fine by me!?

?Nah, I think I?ll go with four instead.?

?Suit yourself. I?m going to beat you either way.?

Marisa didn?t want to sit in the corner and watch Seija get beaten to a pulp. She needed to go warn Shinmyoumaru, and maybe get the tsukumogami to surround her before Reimu got to the stone block. Their revolution wasn?t truly over until Shinmyoumaru fell, and Marisa wanted to give her the best chance of success possible.

But instead she retrieved her hat, sat down, retied her ponytail, and held her mini-Hakkero with both hands. Seija was smirking confidently, while Reimu had a look of deep concentration on her face. She glanced at Marisa, then back at Seija.

Marisa prepared herself for the end.

*****
Shinmyoumaru watched the sun rise as she waited for the tsukumogami. She saw the mountain peaks turn gold, and the mist fade between the trees. She thought of Seija last night, panting and twitching underneath her, refusing to look her in the eye. Shinmyoumaru had woken up with a slight headache, and knew she?d done something terrible.

Seija had clearly not wanted to do it. Shinmyoumaru had known she didn?t want to do it. And yet Seija had talked Shinmyoumaru into fucking her, and they?d spent well over two hours in each other?s arms. Why!? What for!? Shinmyoumaru couldn?t understand it. What would Seija get out of something like this? Was it part of her amanojaku nature?

Was she scared Shinmyoumaru would leave her if she didn?t agree to it?

The thought made her sick. Shinmyoumaru didn?t want Seija to think like that. She didn?t want that kind of relationship.

Then what was going on?

The doubt was back. Seija had lied to her. She had definitely, one-hundred percent lied to her, and Shinmyoumaru had believed her, and made a decision based on that lie. What else was Seija lying about? What other decisions had Shinmyoumaru made based on false information?

Her aunt would?ve been ashamed. Shinmyoumaru had lost all the servants in their house, abandoned it to start a revolution with a stranger, in a land she knew nothing about. She?d fallen in love with an amanojaku, and did filthy things with her at night. She?d stood in front of weeks-old tsukumogami and acted like their mentor, despite being neck deep in ignorance. Shinmyoumaru still hadn?t made any big decisions herself. She was still just sitting around, sewing clothes and making speeches while Seija and a human they adopted did all the legwork. She still hadn?t left the castle. Nothing had changed at all.

Shinmyoumaru was the leader. She was a princess. She had to be better than this.

?My sincere apologies, Your Royal Highness!?

Yatsuhashi had arrived on the stone block, out of breath. Shinmyoumaru returned to the present, and smiled, pleased to see her.

?We?ve got a small problem in the cave right now,? explained Yatsuhashi. ?We?ll be done within the hour. I?m truly sorry for making you wait.? She bowed as low as she could.

Shinmyoumaru shook her head. ?It?s fine, don?t apologise. Is everything okay? Should I go down and help?? The suggestion sent a ripple of excitement through her. Down to the cave! What could be inside?
 
?Oh no, there is no need to trouble yourself, Your Royal Highness. My sister is dealing with it.? Yatsuhashi didn?t raise her head, so she didn?t see Shinmyoumaru?s disappointment. ?The tsukumogami on duty will return to their posts as well. My apologies for the disruption.?

Shinmyoumaru nodded. ?Understood. You may leave.? But then she thought of something. ?Actually, Yatsuhashi, tell me. Have you ever lived in Gensokyo??

Yatsuhashi looked up at her. ?Not in the form I am now, but when I was a koto I was played by musicians all over Gensokyo.?

?What was it like??

?It was quite fun, I thought. I was used in several big performances, and for a lot of unusual songs.? Yatsuhashi?s face lit up. ?I mean, it was dull when I was in storage and no one was using me, but otherwise it was great. Well, um, actually some of my owners didn?t look after me properly, and I got broken a few times. That hurt a lot. I?m glad I?m self aware now. I?m really grateful you gave me this power.?

Shinmyoumaru had thought it odd, that there were so many objects walking around with the mallet?s power that she definitely hadn?t struck. Seija explained something about a magical storm nearby attracting tsukumogami, but didn?t go into detail about it. Maybe she should go look at it. She thought about asking Yatsuhashi to direct her, but changed her mind. Not right now. She wanted to deliver her lesson first. ?Thank you, Yatsuhashi. You may leave now.?

?Thank you.? Yatsuhashi bowed again, and flew away. Shinmyoumaru watched her go.

And made a decision.

She would leave the castle tomorrow morning, as early as possible. She would go see the magical storm, or? actually no, she?d go further than that. She?d go down into Gensokyo, and see the land she was going to liberate with her own eyes. She wouldn?t tell anyone about it ? not Marisa, not the tsukumogami, and especially not Seija ? and try to return before anyone noticed she was missing.

She needed her own view on things. She wanted the absolute, guaranteed truth.

Shinmyoumaru placed both hands in her lap, and wondered if her mother would?ve been proud of her, for being such a brave girl.

hungrybookworm:

Chapter 14
(AO3 Mirror)

Marisa watched, eyes wide open, unable to blink. Reimu was on her knees in the centre of the room, breathing painfully loud, and holding her head in her hands to try and steady herself. Seija stood over her, trembling with excitement. ?Unbelievable!? she yelled. ?You couldn?t even beat my second spell card! This is hilarious!?

Seija?s spell cards were a gimmicky mess. The patterns were simple, and once you got over the shock of being upside down, or having your sense of direction flipped, she wasn?t much of a threat. But Reimu couldn?t handle her. Marisa had never seen Reimu fight so badly before. She?d practically thrown herself at Seija?s bullets, over and over, until she dropped to the ground like a dead insect.

?Hate being upside down or something?? Seija kicked her. Reimu flopped onto her back, not even crying out in pain. The purification rod fell out of her hand, rolled across the floor beams, then dropped into a gap between two of them, out of reach. ?You?re too used to winning right side up, aren?t you? You?re an idiot! A weak, pathetic idiot! Gensokyo?s in big trouble if it?s relying on you to keep things in check. Good thing we?re going to change that!?

Things weren?t meant to go like this. Reimu was supposed to wipe the floor clean with Seija, go on to beat Shinmyoumaru, then shut their revolution down for good. Marisa?s hands trembled. It?d never occurred to her, in all her time in the castle, that they might actually win.

?Come on, say something.? Seija grabbed a clump of Reimu?s hair, and yanked on it. Reimu looked up in deep disgust, and Marisa realised there was something really, really wrong with her. She was drenched from head-to-toe in sweat, and her face was deathly white. Was she ill?

?Let me try again.? Reimu sounded as weak as she looked. ?I was caught off guard.?

Reimu had to be ill. There was no other explanation. She?d used up a lot of stamina flying to the castle, and fighting people along the way. And now she was too tired to stand up. Marisa felt sick. She?d lost to Reimu like this. She couldn?t even beat Reimu at her weakest. She was pathetic.

Seija laughed. ?No second chances!? She tugged on Reimu?s hair again, and this time Reimu yelped. ?I won, you lost. Deal with it.?

Marisa had enough. ?Give it a rest, Seija,? she said, and stood up. ?Do a rematch. It?s only fair.?

?Yeah right! I?m an amanojaku, I don?t play fair.?

?She?s the Hakurei shrine maiden. They?ve got rules against hurting her.?

?Like I care about those.?

Marisa looked at Reimu again. Reimu met her gaze, and held it. Marisa could turn on Seija right now, if she wanted to. She could team up with Reimu, help her dismantle the revolution, and go back to the shrine with her, friends again maybe. Her reputation would be restored, and Gensokyo would remain the peaceful youkai paradise it?d always been. It was clearly the ?right? thing to do, and as the second best incident resolver in Gensokyo, it would be strange if Marisa chose otherwise.

But Marisa hesitated. Maybe a year ago she would?ve laughed in Seija?s face as she wrapped an arm around Reimu?s shoulder, and pulled her up, but not anymore.

Instead she walked over to the purification rod, picked it up, and held it at arm?s length. The rod didn?t try to hit her. The only hint that there was something wrong with it came from the tingling sensation against her fingertips. It was filled with the mallet?s magic, just like the mini-Hakkero.

Maybe it would do Reimu some good to lose for a bit.

?And the last time I checked, I was your boss, not the other way round. So if I say she?s not getting a rematch, then she?s not getting a rematch.? Seija was still talking. She turned away from Marisa, and jerked Reimu to her feet. ?Where are those damn tsukumogami when I need them? Well whatever, I?ll take her to the dungeon myself.?

Reimu?s expression flickered. ?Dungeon? You?ve got a dungeon??

?Yep, brand new. I finished fixing it up last night. You?re gonna be our first ever prisoner. Isn?t that great?? Seija looked at Marisa again. ?Go tell the princess what happened, and chuck that rod off the side of the castle. Our shrine maiden won?t be needing it anymore.?

?Wait, no, you can?t!? Reimu snapped out of her reverie, and finally started struggling. ?Give me my rod back!?

?Got any last words?? Seija grinned from ear-to-ear, enjoying herself. ?Come on, we?re going upstairs to have a nice talk, just me and you.?

?Let me go!? Reimu stared at Marisa, now pleading for help. Marisa felt a perverse wave of satisfaction run through her. Reimu opened her mouth. ?Ma?? But her voice failed her, and Seija began dragging her towards the right side of the room. ?D-Don?t chuck my?? And Marisa realised Reimu wasn?t looking at her, but at the rod in her hand. ?Please don?t throw it away!?

Seija wrapped an arm around Reimu, flew up, unlocked the trapdoor covering the store room (now dungeon) entrance with one hand, and disappeared inside. The trapdoor closed behind them with a loud thunk, and Marisa was left alone with the purification rod.

And as soon as Reimu was gone, the rod went berserk. It thrashed around in Marisa?s hand like a terrified animal, distraught at being separated from its owner.

?What the hell?? Marisa grasped it with both hands, knelt down and managed to press it against the floor. She trod on it, and held it in place with her foot. There was no question now that Reimu?s rod was alive. It felt odd, knowing her mini-Hakkero wasn?t the only one with a mind of its own. Reimu had mentioned something about Sakuya and ?her knife? too. Was the same thing happening to her? How many people were walking around Gensokyo with a bewitched weapon?

She?d mentioned riots as well. Marisa felt uneasy, but not as concerned as she ought to be. Gensokyo felt like a whole other world to her now. What happened down there didn?t matter all that much.

The rod continued wiggling beneath her boot. Marisa glared at it. ?You don?t scare me,? she snarled. ?You?re just made of wood and paper. I could destroy something as weak as you in about two minutes.? Her mini-Hakkero warmed up in her pocket in response, keen to burn something. She was tempted. Reimu carried that rod everywhere; it was a symbol of her power over youkai, and burning it would be a great way of letting her know who was boss now. But the urge faded as quickly as it came. There wouldn?t be any point behind it, just needless sadism. Marisa wasn?t a monster.

Seija had told her to chuck the rod out the window, but Marisa wouldn?t do that. If the rod was alive, then it?d just fly straight back, and make its would-be murderer suffer. Instead Marisa stood there, and waited for the rod to calm down. Assuming it would calm down. She still needed to find Shinmyoumaru and tell her the big news, so she hoped it wouldn?t take too long.

They had defeated the Hakurei shrine maiden. The tide was turning. Soon nothing would stand in their way.

*****
She?d been tranquilised in Eientei. Reimu hadn?t realised it until the first wave of exhaustion hit her outside the castle. She?d been tranquilised, her body was still fighting the werewolf infection, and she hadn?t slept long enough. She was fine when she faced Marisa, still able to fake it, but against that amanojaku?s weird spell cards? the dizziness and disorientation got to her.

 She should have stayed in Eientei and recovered. She should have spent the whole day sleeping.

Now she was being dragged inside a dark room by an amanojaku, one of the least pleasant youkai you could find in Gensokyo. Reimu had met a few before, and knew them as particularly obnoxious pests. This one seemed cleverer than the others, and a clever amanojaku rarely meant anything good.

It was pitch black inside the dungeon, and stank of wood. Reimu couldn?t make anything out, and felt herself be shoved against a hard wooden wall. The amanojaku?s breath brushed against her cheek as she forced Reimu?s hands over her head. Something cold and metallic wrapped around her wrists. There was a click, the sound of a screw being turned, and Reimu realised she?d been shackled to the wall.

?Let me go!? she shouted into the amanojaku?s face, and struggled weakly. ?Give me my purification rod back!?

?You?re hilarious.? Seija didn?t move away. Her breath reeked of tobacco smoke. ?I?ve got your best friend downstairs, but you?re more interested in your stupid stick.?

Reimu needed it. She needed its comfort. ?Please give it back, please.?

?Good, beg more. I like it when humans beg.? Seija giggled. ?I feel sorry for my dear Marisa. Coming second to a piece of wood? Pitiful.?

Reimu thought of Marisa. She thought of the dark look in her eyes, and the way the amanojaku had stroked her hair. She thought of the horrid black flame that spewed out of her mini-Hakkero, and the spell cards built around it. Marisa reminded her of Sakuya. Her mini-Hakkero was alive, and influencing her.

Reimu felt panic bubble in her stomach.

?Listen, okay.? A gloved hand clasped her neck. ?Let me tell you a story. It?s not very long, don?t worry, it?ll be over before you know it.


?Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there were fifteen amanojaku. All of them shared the same mother, and the other fourteen were really mean to their youngest sibling. Because, you see, the youngest was also the weakest, and amanojaku take great delight in mocking their prey. They made life really unpleasant for her, and no matter how terrible things got, the youngest was never strong enough to fight back. When their mother finally left them all to fend for themselves, the others threw the youngest into a ditch, and left her to starve. She was just an extra mouth to feed, so what was the point in keeping her around?

?But guess what? The youngest is the only one still alive today! In the end, the weakest amanojaku became the strongest. Do you wanna know why? I bet you do, huh? It?s because she was cleverer than all the others.?

Reimu didn?t say anything.

?The other fourteen amanojaku were all exterminated by humans. The youngest tagged along and made sure of it. The Hakurei shrine maiden of that era would come and get rid of them. And those idiots cried and screamed and begged so much, right until the end! It was hilarious. So you see, all my dumbass brothers and sisters got turned to dust, but not me! Not me! I?m the first one to beat the Hakurei shrine maiden! I defeated you fair and square in a spell card duel, using rules designed for your benefit, and now you?re all chained up.? Her fingers squeezed Reimu?s neck. ?You?re my prey. I could kill you and wouldn?t be able to stop me.?

?...Your name?s Seija, isn?t it?? Reimu looked ahead, hoping to make eye contact with her. She couldn?t see Seija?s face in the dark. ?Tell me everything. What?s this revolution about? Why did you get Marisa involved??

Seija laughed. ?You don?t know anything, do you?? Her hand left Reimu?s neck, and caressed her hair. Reimu twitched, hating it. ?We?re going to change the world. The weak will rule over the strong, and Gensokyo will become a better place for everyone. That?s what we?re here to do. Your dear friend Marisa agreed to join us through her own free will. She listened to our goals, and agreed with them. She?s my subordinate now, you know. She has to obey my every command.?

Reimu laughed at the thought. ?I can?t imagine Marisa listening to anyone, least of all you.?

?Oh, but she does. She has to. It?s a lot of fun to watch. Why don?t I bring her in here and demonstrate??

The thought appalled her. ?No thank you.?

?You don?t like that, do you? Interesting.? Seija giggled again. ?You can?t hide your emotions from me. I can taste them. Your hate and disgust is absolutely delicious.? She lowered her voice to a whisper. ?It makes me wanna gobble you up.?

?You don?t scare me,? hissed Reimu. ?I know amanojaku. They?re all talk.?

?I wouldn?t be too sure about that.? And Seija reached up, and touched Reimu?s mouth with her hand. Reimu felt silk slide over her lips. She flinched, and turned her head away. ?Don?t worry, I plan to keep you around for a while longer. You?re going to be a great addition to our revolution, and I want to enjoy you to the fullest. Oh, I can?t wait to play with you. The Hakurei shrine maiden, my new favourite toy.?

?People will notice I?m missing,? snarled Reimu. ?They?ll come looking for me.?

?I really should bring Marisa up here.? Seija ignored her. ?You need to see her. She?s so funny. Totally into her little furnace.? She poked Reimu?s cheek. ?I should have her play with you. Do all the hard work for me. Would you like that? She really does have to do everything I say, so she won?t refuse. Though... wait, actually I have an even better idea.?

Reimu could hear the smile in Seija?s voice.

?Instead of making Marisa hurt you, maybe I should hurt Marisa in front of you. Not permanently, of course, she still has her uses. But I want to see how long you last before you start begging and crying. Oh, the possibilities are endless!? Seija clapped her hands together. ?This is going to be so fun!?

Reimu snapped. ?Touch her and I?ll exterminate you.?

?She?s mine, I?ll touch her however I want.?

?You?re disgusting.?

?Thank you. Now I?m a busy woman. I need to start preparing our next move.? Seija finally moved away. She had what she wanted out of Reimu. ?I?ll get Marisa to come feed you later. Maybe. Depends if I remember or not.?

?Wait!? Reimu didn?t want to be left alone. ?Give me my purification rod back, please!?

Seija laughed. ?You?re still going on about your stick? You?re hysterical.? She opened the trap door, and Reimu saw a large wooden pillar opposite her, with another pair of shackles attached. ?See you later.? Then Seija was gone, and the trapdoor fell shut. Reimu was left in total darkness.

*****
Time passed. There were no windows in the dungeon, nor light coming in from the outside, so Reimu couldn?t track the sun?s position. The only hint of the minutes and hours passing by was the pain, deep and persistent, throbbing in waves that left sweat all over her body. Her bite wound itched below its bandage, but she couldn?t scratch it. Her mouth was dry, but she had nothing to drink.

The shock of the last few hours began to fade, and terror took its place. She?d lost a spell card duel, was refused a rematch, and now she was chained up, at the mercy of her captures. The amanojaku hadn?t been joking; they could do anything they wanted to her now, and Reimu had no way of resisting. They could kill her, or worse.

And Marisa had done nothing to stop them.

She had so much to worry about. It wasn?t just the shackles around her wrists; Reimu had no idea if the antidote at Eientei had worked. Sakuya was out there somewhere, with her knife. Someone could be getting hurt. Someone could be dying, and Reimu was up in the sky, sweating like a pig and barely able to hold herself upright.

But worst of all, worse than the regret and fear and dread of the unknown, was not knowing if her purification rod was safe. She missed it more than she?d ever imagined. It?d been a huge pain when it came to life, of course, but her rod had always been by her side. It?d aided her in every incident, every extermination job she?d ever faced, and in her daily rituals at the shrine too. It was a loyal friend, one that was always there for her. One that would never leave her. A better friend than Marisa ever was.

No, that was ridiculous. What was she thinking? It was a wooden stick! Something she occasionally used to scratch her back, and jab things she couldn?t reach with her hands. And now she was pining for it like a puppy with separation anxiety. It was ridiculous. Embarrassing.

She wondered what Sakuya was doing.

She wondered if Marisa would visit her. Marisa, who had watched Seija yank Reimu?s hair without a flicker of emotion. Everything would?ve been fine if Marisa had jumped to her side and helped her! Why hadn?t she done that? Reimu had thought everything would sort itself out once she found Marisa. She could lift her up and take her home, and everything would return back to normal.

She?d been na?ve.

More time passed. Reimu found herself falling asleep. Her head drooped, and seconds later she would wake up. Her neck ached. At one point she thought the trapdoor opened again, but when she opened her eyes, it was still dark, and she couldn?t make anything out. She?d dreamt it.

Then, the trapdoor did open again. Light poured into the room, then disappeared as quickly as it came. The room flickered suddenly, and a faint glow spread through the dungeon. Marisa was standing in front of her, holding a paper lamp. There was a tray at her feet, containing a simple meal of rice, pickled vegetables and miso soup.

Reimu and Marisa looked at each other, neither smiling, neither speaking. Then Marisa placed the lamp on the floor, and stepped towards her. At first Reimu thought Marisa had come to her senses, and was going to free her. But Marisa wasn?t looking above Reimu?s head. She was looking at her skirt.

?Marisa, what?? And Reimu felt hands slide into her pockets. ?Wait, stop it!? She squirmed, shocked by Marisa?s proximity. ?What are you doing??

?Disarming you,? said Marisa nonchalantly. She pulled out Reimu?s stack of ofuda, then her needles. ?Orders and stuff. You can keep your spell cards, don?t worry.?

?Give it back!? Reimu kicked out. ?I need those!?

Marisa had already stepped away, out of reach. She tossed the paper and needles aside, then reached behind her cloak. ?God, this thing won?t stop struggling.? And to Reimu?s surprise, she produced the purification rod. ?Here, you can have it back. Feels unfair to totally disarm you.?

Reimu almost cried out with relief. The rod leapt out of Marisa?s hand, and bounced around Reimu?s feet. Then, as though suddenly exhausted from the ordeal, it flopped against Reimu?s leg, and fell still. A smile stretched across Reimu?s face. The rod felt comforting against her skin. Her mind cleared. She could focus now.

?I figured throwing it away would be a waste of time. It?d just come straight back. Don?t let Seija see it, okay? She?ll order me to snap it in two.?

Seija?s name brought Reimu back to reality. The touch of silk still lingered on her lips. ?Marisa, what are you doing here?? she asked. ?What happened to you??

?Nothing happened to me.? Marisa picked the rice bowl up from the tray. ?Hungry??

Reimu was, but she didn?t want to change the subject. ?I take my eye off you for one second and the next thing I know, you?ve joined some crackpot revolution and you?re taking orders from an amanojaku. Are you working undercover? Are you trying to destroy it from the inside??

Marisa ignored her, and pinched a clump of rice with a pair of chopsticks. She held it out in front of Reimu?s face, hovering the bowl below the chopsticks in case the food fell away. ?Come on, eat up.?

Reimu looked at the food, and didn?t open her mouth.

?It?s not poisoned or anything. Look.? Marisa took a bite. ?It?s fine. Tastes pretty good. I mean, I cooked it, so of course it tastes good.?

?Will you be honest with me if I eat it all??

?Sure, I?ve no reason to lie now.? Marisa scooped up more rice. ?You messed up big time, you know.?

Reimu opened her mouth, and let Marisa feed her. The rice was slightly overcooked, but otherwise not bad. She chewed, and swallowed. ?Don?t just feed me the rice, give me the sides too.?

?Yeah yeah.? Marisa grabbed some pickles. ?What?s that bandage on your arm about? Did you get hurt??

?A werewolf bit me.?

?Oh.? Marisa wasn?t concerned. ?How did that happen??

?One attacked me. Her name was Kagerou Imaizumi. You recruited her at some point.?

?Was she with the rokurokubi?? Marisa frowned. ?Yeah, I remember her. I sat out in the sun for four hours waiting for them to walk over. Nearly got heatstroke.?

?Your stupid mallet made her irrational!? Reimu snapped. There was callousness in Marisa?s expression that frightened her. ?There was a riot in the village caused by the rokurokubi, you know! The villagers were terrified. You might be having fun playing revolutionaries up here, but you?re putting people in danger down in Gensokyo.?

?People aren?t supposed to riot until we give them the signal.? Marisa didn?t rise to it. She lifted the chopsticks to Reimu?s mouth again. ?I?ll go down and check it out later. Make sure no one?s giving out fake orders. It?s a big pain, you know, running a revolution. I thought it?d be easier than this.?

?Marisa!?

?What?? Marisa frowned. ?Oh, sorry. Did you become a werewolf??

?I?m human!? At least, Reimu thought she was still human. ?Why aren?t you bothered by this? Don?t you have family in the village??

?Yeah, I guess it?d stink if they got hurt. Want some miso soup??

?Don?t spill it down my top.?

Marisa lifted it to Reimu?s lips, and Reimu drank it.

?This is embarrassing,? said Reimu afterwards. ?Just free me and let me eat it myself.?

?Sorry, can?t do that.? Marisa put the soup bowl down. There was a hint of a smile in her voice. ?You might try and escape.?

Reimu said nothing. They didn?t speak for a few minutes, Marisa feeding Reimu, and Reimu chewing and swallowing. Once Reimu finished the meal, Marisa sighed, and put the chopsticks back on the tray. ?Seija?s really easy, you know,? she said. She reached for the ofuda, and put that on the tray too. ?I beat her on my first try, when I came here.?

Reimu raised her eyebrows. ?You beat her??

?Yeah.? The needles went on there as well, ready to be carried away. ?It was the princess I couldn?t win against. Surprised?? Marisa smiled. ?I came pretty close to solving this incident myself, way before you even thought about it. Once I joined, I woke up every day expecting you to show up. I made things really hard for you.? Reimu didn?t like the look in Marisa?s eyes. ?I wanted to give you a work out. Make you regret overlooking me. I didn?t expect you to actually lose, though.?

?Marisa??

?What??

?You?ve? changed.?

She laughed at that. ?Maybe. What?s different about me??

?You sound like that amanojaku. You?re bitter.?

??Bitter??

?The Marisa I remember never let things get to her.? Reimu stared at her, worried. ?Come on, stop this silly game and free me. We can solve the incident together, then go home and celebrate. Chat just like we used to.?

?A game, you say? Well... I did say I?d be honest with you once you finished eating. So I will.? Marisa?s smile twisted. ?Has being human ever frustrated you, Reimu Hakurei??

??No?? Reimu frowned, unsure where this was leading. ?Not at all.?

?Of course it wouldn?t. You?re talented. You?re powerful. You always have been, and always will be.? Marisa?s hands trembled as she rearranged the bowls on the tray. ?I know what it?s like to be afraid of the dark, you see. A long time ago, before you knew me, I wasn?t anything special. Just an ordinary village human, who ran home when the sun set, and shook if I heard something move around outside after dark. You can?t go on the offensive when you?re weak. You have to save all your energy for hiding, and getting ready to defend yourself. I got fed up with that, so I became a magician and moved to the forest.? Marisa looked at her. ?And it?s the same now. I got fed up with everything, so I moved, and here I am in a castle, getting ready to rule over Gensokyo.?

?But we have spell card rules!? Reimu hated this. ?You don?t need to be strong to use danmaku, you know that! Even kids can use it! And if we meet any youkai lurking around the village at night, we sort them out together, don?t we? I sort them out! There?s no reason for humans to feel inferior anymore. We can stand against youkai as equals.?

Marisa laughed, and shook her head. ?You don?t get it at all, do you?? And then, she glared at Reimu, and lowered her voice. ?I?m fed up with it,? she spat. ?I?m fed up with you.? She returned her attention to the tray. ?It doesn?t matter. I?m done here anyway. I need to get going.?

?Let me go, Marisa,? Reimu commanded.

?You?re our prisoner now. I?m not letting you go.?

?What happens when I need the toilet??

Marisa thought about that as she lifted the tray. ?I guess I can put a bowl beneath you and remove your drawers.?

?That?s horrible!?

?Yeah I wouldn?t enjoy cleaning that up either. I guess I can talk to Seija and the princess about it.?

?No, let me go!? Reimu looked down at her purification rod, hoping it would help her out somehow. But it just rested against her leg, too tired to move. ?Please! I need water too, and exercise. You can?t keep me locked up here!?

?I?ll talk to them about it.?

?Marisa!?

?See you later, Reimu.? Marisa reached for the trap door. ?I?ll leave the lamp in here, okay? So you?ve got some light.?

?Marisa, don?t!?

The trapdoor swung open, and Marisa jumped through it. She was gone, and the doors banged shut behind her. The room fell into silence.

At least her rod was here now. But it wasn?t itself. It seemed tired, and unwilling to move from Reimu?s leg. Maybe it was depressed. Reimu couldn?t blame it. She wanted to lie down in a warm, soft futon, and sleep until daylight came again. She wanted all her problems to melt away with the night.

Until then, she dozed the best she could, and hoped she would wake up to something better.

*****
?Can I see her?? asked Shinmyoumaru when they were finally alone. ?Can I see the Hakurei shrine maiden??

?No,? snapped Seija as she climbed into her futon. It?d been a long day, and she was exhausted. ?She?ll try and guilt trip you into freeing her. You can see her with me in a few days, once she knows her place.?

?Aw, okay.? Shinmyoumaru wasn?t as disappointed as Seija hoped. ?I can?t believe you beat her though. Marisa?s been telling me about her for weeks and she sounded really scary...?

?Oh she was a pushover. Nothing I couldn?t handle. Now stop talking and go to bed.? Seija pulled the futon covers over her head. She was still wearing the gloves, and had no intention of taking them off. ?I?m tired.?

?Seija.?

?Yeah??

??Are you angry with me??

Not this. Not now. ?...Why would I be angry with you, Princess?? Seija didn?t have the energy to pretend tonight. She tensed up below her futon. ?You?ve done nothing wrong.?

It was the truth. Seija wasn?t angry at Shinmyoumaru, she was angry at herself. Shinmyoumaru had seen her flirt with Marisa, and reacted exactly as Seija knew she would. And Seija had tried so, so hard to hide how much she loved it. How refreshing it was for Shinmyoumaru to feel genuine anger at her! And it nearly ruined everything. Shinmyoumaru couldn?t doubt her. Shinmyoumaru had to love her. Otherwise all of Seija?s lies would come to light, and their revolution would be ruined.

Everything was spinning out of control, and it terrified Seija. One slip up, and that would be it.

Sacrifices needed to be made. Seija wanted her revolution to work more than anything, and if that meant being on the receiving end of Shinmyoumaru?s affection all night, then so be it. She needed to play the part of the misunderstood amanojaku lover for a while longer, and that required more endurance.

?I?m sorry about last night,? whispered Shinmyoumaru. ?I shouldn?t have done it.?

And yet, Shinmyoumaru knew Seija hadn?t enjoyed it. The room reeked of her guilt. It sent a chill down Seija?s spine. Maybe she wasn?t as great at acting as she?d thought. Or maybe Shinmyoumaru wasn?t as deeply in love with her as she used to be.

She needed her pipe. She needed something to detach her from the world, to stop her going insane. The gloves were helping. Seija had woken up with the mad urge to cover her hands. She?d clipped her nails short, and gone down to Gensokyo to steal a pair. She looked ridiculous wearing them. It was still hot outside, and they didn?t go with her outfit. That made her feel better. She wanted to keep them on until she calmed down, or until winter came and the gloves became too practical.

?It?s fine,? lied Seija. ?I would?ve said no if I?d hated it. Stop worrying.?

Shinmyoumaru?s guilt didn?t go away. Shinmyoumaru knew. She knew, and Seija could do nothing to change that.

?All right.? Shinmyoumaru gave in first. ?I?m going to turn the light off, okay??

The subject would probably come up again later. Seija made a mental note to think up a better excuse. ?Yeah yeah.?

Shinmyoumaru turned the lamp off, and settled down between the sheets. Seija lay there, waiting for her own heartbeat to slow down, and for the sweat to roll off her face.

hungrybookworm:

While this chapter is technically sfw, I dunno what the stance on 'pics of reimu's nekkid, soapy body' is on this forum so juuuuust to be safe...!

Chapter 15

[nsfw]http://archiveofourown.org/works/6641776/chapters/18647546[/nsfw]

The next 3 chapters are all 100% nsfw so... lol... I'll post those tomorrow.

hungrybookworm:

All three of these are nsfw so might as well chuck them all in the same post!

Chapter 16
[nsfw]http://archiveofourown.org/works/6641776/chapters/18841967[/nsfw]

Chapter 17
[nsfw]http://archiveofourown.org/works/6641776/chapters/18943555[/nsfw]
(also lots of blood in the pic)

Chapter 18
[nsfw]http://archiveofourown.org/works/6641776/chapters/20223916[/nsfw]

Reminder that the nsfw scenes all contain important plot details, so you can't skip them!

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