Chapter Text

In the days after Reimu's recovery, she began actively keeping tabs on Shiko, using every resource at her disposal. The crows reported that she had a confrontation with somebody who was probably Reisen on the village's outskirts. A grudgingly-purchased copy of the Bunbunmaru had a front page photo of her glaring face as she tried to chase Aya down. (That part, at least, Reimu couldn't blame her for.) A visit to Mystia's newly-reopened lamprey stand got her a gossipy story about the Fairies of Light tricking a visitor to the shrine into eating a hallucinatory mushroom, and Shiko subsequently trying to chase them out of their house near the shrine.

And still, Shiko's odds of dying didn't budge. The new shrine maiden was causing problems for everybody, and there was a 31.1% chance that she was going to die for it.

With Ran's assistance, Reimu had performed ever-finer divinations, all centered around one question: when and how is Shiko going to die?

It was the kind of answer that fate didn't like to let slip easily. With the dining room table piled high with charts, reference books, yarrow sticks, inscribed bones, and dishes of water, they'd spent days working their way through all of the what-ifs.

If Marisa went to Alice's for breakfast on the day of the 18th (71% chance) and the Three Fairies of Light went to bed before 10 PM on the previous night (12% chance) and it rained on the 16th (38% chance) and the village flower shop's runner was dodging work (72% chance) and...

The end result had been a massive list of days and probabilities. Most of them were small. Fractions of fractions of a percent.

Today was different. Today, there was a 44% chance that Shiko would confront Yuuka, an 84% chance that they would fight if so, and a 21% chance that she would die if they fought. There was a 7.7% chance that Shiko would die today.

It still didn't sound like much, but in a string of point-zero-zero-zero-zero-zeroes, it was hard to miss.

So, here Reimu was, sitting in her bedroom and peeking into Gensokyo through a miniscule gap. Through it, she could see a mostly-featureless patch of road, and on the other side, a Jizo statue. It was the path that came closest to the Garden of the Sun, and the only walking route between it and the human village. And if there was one thing that everybody knew about Yuuka Kazami, it was that she walked everywhere.

Yuuka walked everywhere, unless she had a good reason to fly. Yuuka was polite, unless insulted. Yuuka was peaceful, unless provoked.

In a lesser youkai, such responses would be called timidity. With Yuuka, it was more complicated: She gave the impression that she simply didn't bother to exert herself against the world, because the world no longer provided worthy challenges. It would be like a lion bothering to swat every flea that bit it. Some things just didn't merit the effort. For Yuuka, that was practically everything.

On the other side of the gap, Yuuka stepped into view, walking at a leisurely pace, with her parasol tilted back against a shoulder. She continued down the road without noticing the tiny gap hovering meters away. When she passed out of view, Reimu closed the gap and opened a new one, following her from afar.

It was the best way to handle things, she'd decided. She could have just walked with Yuuka, but apart from being awkward, she wasn't sure if that would get the results that she needed. Waiting until Shiko was prepared to attack and then intervening... it seemed like the better approach. She'd be more likely to realize the magnitude of the mistake that she was making.

Reimu trailed along behind Yuuka. The trees around her thinned out into the tamer forests around the village, then houses. As Yuuka started passing human pedestrians, Reimu grew more cautious. She shifted her gaps to the rooftop level, looking down on the street below. The view from above was an interesting lesson in human/youkai relations. Yuuka's red outfit and brilliantly white parasol stood out like a beacon in a sea of yukata. In front of her, the humans parted, subtly moving out of her way. Once she was past, they turned to watch her from behind, whispering between themselves.

Yuuka stopped at the flower shop, and looked over the wares while the owner fussed nervously. She visited the more expensive of the village's two tea shops and made small talk with one of the employees while he packaged a custom blend in a small wooden box. She stopped into a tailor's and browsed without buying anything. Reimu was just starting to grow bored when Yuuka stepped back outside, and she spotted the unmistakable red-white of a shrine maiden uniform storming through the crowd toward her.

Reimu leaned closer and pulled her gap wider. Warm noontime air drifted out against her face. She pushed the gap closer, easing it into the air over the street. It was a risky spot—it would be pretty impossible to miss if anybody looked up—but she was going to want a good vantage point for this. Besides, Shiko was providing ample distraction.

Most Gensokyo natives had the good sense to stay out of the way when they saw the Hakurei shrine maiden going somewhere in a rush. The sharper-eyed bystanders had already sensed trouble coming and slipped away. Those who were still left on the street were rapidly clearing the space in front of her.

Sensing the minor disturbance around her, Yuuka paused and turned around. Still smiling serenely, she met Shiko's eyes across the rapidly-clearing street. Shiko froze mid-step, her anger momentarily overridden by surprise at being noticed.

When a few seconds had passed without Shiko saying anything, Yuuka took the initiative. "Do you have business with me?"

"I..." Shiko seemed to realize that something here wasn't right, but held her ground. Reimu had to give her that much: There weren't many fifteen-year-olds who could push forward in the face of Yuuka's smiling indifference. "You're a youkai, right? What are you doing in the village?"

Yuuka hadn't budged since the start of the conversation. Now, she raised her shopping bags. "I'm shopping. Is there a problem?"

"Ms. Okuda. At the flower shop." Shiko uncertainly drew herself up to her full height. "She said that you threatened her." She was already spreading a stack of ofuda in her free hand.

Yuuka's eyes drifted to the ofuda, in a manner that made it clear that she saw them, but was not concerned. "Ah. I only said that her arrangement of corpses was artless, and offered to give her a demonstration."

Shiko's cheeks flushed, and her annoyance overpowered her fear for the moment. "You don't call that a threat?!"

"Oh, is it?" Yuuka said, with feigned innocence so perfect that even Reimu almost bought it.

"O-of course it is!" Shiko's anger seemed to be overriding whatever fear she had of Yuuka. Her hand crept upward, still clutching a fistful of ofuda. Reimu could see it now. It was an attack that would wreck most youkai, but for Yuuka, it would barely be an annoyance. Her parasol could deflect them harmlessly. Even if not, it took a lot more than that to slow her down. That single slap in the face would be all it took...

“Flowers! She was talking about flowers.” Pulling the gap wider, Reimu stepped out into midair above the confrontation. She plummeted toward the ground, and with the slightest push of her flight abilities, landed smoothly between the pair of them. They both went silent at the sudden interruption, with Shiko left staring in confusion. “Shiko, meet Yuuka Kazami. Yuuka, Shiko Hakurei.”

"Oh, a new shrine maiden?" Yuuka mimed a curtsey, without putting down her bags or her parasol. "It's a pleasure to meet you, of course."

"Yuuka," Reimu said, without taking her eyes off of Shiko. "You should know better than to tease the villagers."

"Hm, maybe it was in poor taste. My apologies," Yuuka said, in a sing-song voice. "But Reimu, you're interrupting our conversation. Ms. Hakurei, you were saying?"

Shiko was still tensed up, but she no longer looked seconds away from throwing a punch. The interruption had been just long enough for her to lose her momentum. Or realize the depth of her mistake, perhaps. “I... rrgh. If you threaten a villager again, I'll...!” Shiko started to raise the ofuda again, and hesitated. After a defeated sigh, she grumbled, “... just get out of here and don't cause any more trouble.”

There was a pause before Yuuka responded, just long enough to make it clear that the threat had very little to do with her decision. “I didn't plan on it. I hope that you have a good day,” she said, in a tone so sincere that it was almost more sarcastic for it. “Reimu. Nice to see you, as always.”

“Goodbye, Yuuka,” Reimu said, without turning around.

Yuuka proceeded on her merry way, and Reimu breathed a sigh of relief. She was still left with Shiko glaring at her, but the worst of the immediate threats was past.

As soon as Yuuka was out of earshot, Shiko's temper erupted again. “W-what the hell was that?! You think you can just jump in here and... and interfere?!”

“That,” Reimu said, “was Yuuka Kazami. She's not like those fairies and beasts you've been beating up, do you understand? If you pick a serious fight with her, you'll be lucky if they find enough of you to bury.”

"I had it under control," Shiko said tersely. "Just because she's a youkai doesn't mean she can walk around threatening villagers."

“Is that really worth fighting over? Look, I was the shrine maiden, I know—“

“You aren't the shrine maiden anymore! I am! I'm trying to do my job!”

“And you're going to get yourself killed at this rate! I'm trying to help you!”

"Help me," Shiko said, with an incredulous laugh under her breath. "… let me tell you a story. The other day, this family came to visit the shrine. A woman and her two sons. Apparently, she didn't know I was inside, because she kept yelling at them. 'Don't run off! If you get lost around here, a youkai will eat you.'"

Shiko paused for a moment, letting that sink in and glaring at Reimu as if challenging her to interrupt. "That's you, Reimu," she continued, and stepped forward, giving the gohei a demonstrative little jab toward her. "That's your... your, um, your legacy. People don't even feel safe around the shrine that's supposed to protect them. So don't talk like you have everything all figured out! I'm trying to clean up your mess."

Outrage burnt in Reimu's chest. Her hand balled into a fist, and without thinking, she stepped forward. She and Shiko glared at each other, both tensed up, moments away from a fight. Reimu let out a slow breath and forced herself to relax. "Whatever," she said. "Do what you want."

The entire village seemed to have gone silent. Slowly, Shiko's furious blush drained away. “Get out of here,” she said, raising the ofuda. “Go. If I see you again, I'm treating you like any other youkai.”

Reimu hesitated, but while Shiko's hand was trembling, she seemed like she might just be committed enough to do it. Reimu could probably dodge the attack... and then what? She'd still be in a fight with the shrine maiden in the middle of the village. It wasn't going to accomplish anything, and there were about a thousand ways it could backfire.

Reimu raised her hands to show that she wasn't attacking. “You have a 31% chance of dying within the next three months,” she said. “I thought you should know.”

Shiko faltered, and her ofuda-filled hand slumped downward in internal conflict. Before she could put together a response, Reimu turned and walked away. She tried not to notice the way that the villagers parted in front of her and whispered behind her.

“What in the heck is that girl's problem?!”

“New shrine maidens usually are a little... headstrong,” Yukari said, and took a sip of her tea. “I seem to remember that I had to weaken a spot in the Hakurei barrier just to get the last shrine maiden's attention, and she still insisted on beating me up before she'd hear me out...”

Reimu scowled. She should have known that Yukari would bring that up. “I'm sure you think this is hilarious, but at this rate, even if she doesn't die, she's going to exterminate somebody.”

“And is this your plan? To personally break up every fight she tries to pick?”

“Well, no, but...”

When Reimu had gotten back to the homestead, Yukari had been waiting outside, with a fresh pot of tea steaming next to her. Almost like she had anticipated Reimu coming home angry and wanting to rant. Reimu suspected that she'd been spying on her emotions throughout the evening. It would be annoying if it hadn't been exactly what she'd needed. Damn thoughtful Yukari.

Yukari patted a spot on the steps next to herself. “Relax and have some tea.”

Reimu hesitated, wanting nothing more than to keep ranting. “You're not going to talk me out of this, so don't even try,” she said, as she scooted closer.

“Hmm, aren't you the one who was just complaining about somebody being headstrong?” Yukari said. She silently filled a cup and pushed it toward Reimu. “I don't plan to talk you out of it, but I do think it would be good for you to remember that you're not the shrine maiden anymore. You're no longer in charge of single-handedly enforcing the peace. It's okay to ask for help.”

“Eh.” Reimu took a sip of the tea. “... so if I asked, what would you say?”

“I might say that you're coming at it from the wrong direction.”

“And what's that supposed to mean?”

“Hmm. It seems to me that you're still thinking about the problem like a shrine maiden, not a youkai.”

“That's the vaguest thing I've ever heard.”

“Is it? Well, give it a few days and see if you come up with anything. Ran predicts that it will be a week or two before she's in any serious danger again. You have time to come up with something.”

“I guess,” Reimu said. Sighing, she sat her tea aside and leaned back. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it left her looking up at the sky. She'd been slightly obsessed with the stars since her recovery. Not only had she missed them while she was stuck indoors, but now that she could read them, she found them comforting. Sometimes it was nice to be reminded that the world would keep turning no matter how badly she messed up.

Tonight, though, the sight did remind her of something else: The conversation she'd had with Ran at the flower-viewing party. In her preparations to confront Shiko, it had almost slipped her mind. “... hey, Yukari?”

“Hmm?”

“When I agreed to be your shikigami, and you said that I was... somebody that you would be comfortable spending centuries with. What did you mean?”

“It's just like I said. I've met plenty of shrine maidens, but you're the only one that I think I could get along with for that long.” Yukari glanced at Reimu. “Having second thoughts?”

“Nothing like that. I guess what I meant was... why do you feel like that?”

“Fishing for compliments, are we?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Hmm, well. Any new shikigami of mine would need to get along with Ran and Chen, and you seem to be doing that well. You're hard-working when it matters, but you know how to relax. You can almost keep up with me while drinking. You think of others, but you're self-centered at heart. … really, you always were fairly youkai-like, even as a human...”

“That isn't as much of a compliment as you probably think it is.”

“Hmm, is it not? Ah well. In any case, it's not something that I can express as a list of qualities. You are Reimu, and that's enough. I like to think that we get along, don't we?”

“You aren't that bad when you're not going out of your way to be annoying,” Reimu admitted, and sat back up. She knew where she intended to take this conversation, but working up the resolve was the hard part. She sipped at her tea as the two looked out over the strange panoramic landscape of Gensokyo below. She had almost gotten to the point where she could look at it without getting disoriented as soon as she turned her head. By the time that she felt ready to speak, her drink was getting cold. She hurried to drink the last of it and set her cup aside. “So what does that make us?”

“... what do you mean?”

“I mean... I don't know what I mean, actually. You liked me enough to give me part of your soul to save my life. Let's start with that.”

For once, Reimu got to see Yukari taken by surprise. “Well, I can't deny that,” she said carefully.

“So... what are we?”

“What do you think we are?” Yukari asked, looking over with a coy expression that suggested that she knew exactly how annoying it was to redirect that particular question.

Reimu could see that she wasn't getting out of this without being more direct. Which had probably been Yukari's plan all along. Why do I even put up with her, let alone like her...? Drawing herself up to her full height, she tried to force herself to get to the point. “What I'm saying is. When we aren't doing... official shikigami things, we're pretty close, right?"

Yukari shot her a suspicious glance “Ran put you up to this, didn't she?”

Now it was Reimu's turn to be surprised. “Ah...? Well, um. She dropped some hints, but... look, this was my idea!”

“Mmh. I should have expected this. One thing that you should know if you're going to be around Ran for long: She is a very enthusiastic matchmaker.” Yukari let out a soft sigh of amusement. “So, let's say that we're 'pretty close.' What does that mean to you?"

"... I don't know," Reimu admitted. If she was honest with herself, she'd been hoping that Yukari might say something that would help her make sense of her own emotions. "I've had too much other stuff to think about. But... I guess what I'm saying is. Um. I think I might have a crush on you," she finally mumbled.

Yukari sat in mild shock for a moment before she recovered. “I'm flattered,” she said, with a sincere smile. "But you don't need to decide anything yet. This is one reason I wasn't going to say anything. You could spend two hundred years coming to terms with your emotions, and still have a dozen human lifetimes left over. And you know about the situation with me and Ran? And with Yuyuko?"

"I... think so. Ran explained it to me."

“And I assume that, since you're bringing this up, you're interested in taking things further.”

“Um.” Reimu rubbed at the back of her neck bashfully. “Yeah.”

“Hmm. I'd be lying if I didn't say that the feeling was mutual,” Yukari said. She watched Reimu for just long enough to savor her flustered expression afterward, then thoughtfully gazed out over the landscape in silence for a few moments. "... how about this, then? Every few months, I make a trip into the outside world. It's technically a business trip, but I don't have much to take care of this time. If you want to come along, we could make a day out of it." She looked over to Reimu with a playful smile. "If it ends in a passionate kiss, we'll call it a date. If it doesn't... you'll still get to learn a little more about the world."

A... date. And the outside world. They were two very dangerous concepts, and combined, were almost daunting enough to make her back down. She found herself smiling, though, and brushed her hair back with an anxious laugh. "Sure, that... sounds nice."

"Wonderful. There are just a few things that you'll need to do first..."