My Little Illusion

Nocturne

Reimu Hakurei could not sleep.

The red-white priestess seldom found her slumber disturbed. Little phased her on the surface, and what did manage to rattle her could be managed easily enough in day to day life that coping was no great trial. As the lone priestess of the shrine, she had fought youkai since she was a child, from super-powered evil spirits, to humans with technology far beyond anything Gensokyo had prior seen. There had even been tangles with the residents and keepers of supernatural realms connected to Gensokyo. Thanks to the spell card battle system since those days, combat at large became more merciful, and 'extermination' was simply a term that had carried over from the old traditions. Even so, she still faced powerful foes, be they foreign youkai such as the vampires who settled on the edge of the Misty Lake, or the Celestials in the heavens above, even a few deities that had settled in the illusory world from the real one without. In her short life Reimu had been charged with, and successfully maintained, the balance of an entire world without fail.

Yet it was this night she could not sleep that disturbed her more than any in recent history. Something was particularly wrong, for no reason other than that her intuition told her so. Surrendering to the fact she could not achieve her peaceful slumber, Reimu dressed and took to the sky, gohei clutched in hand in preparation of a midnight patrol.

As she sought the source of her sudden insomnia, she found her mind wandering back to Yukari's home, and the note left in its wake when she departed with it. It had been a month since she had received it, and nothing had happened just yet. The Great Hakurei Barrier had not weakened again in that time, and for that she was grateful. Still, she never learned why it had in the first place. Yukari's existence was as pivotal to Gensokyo's as the priestesses of the Hakurei lineage. Unless she had grown exceedingly weak, or gone a great distance from their world with no contact, it should have been fine. The latter brought Aya's pictures of Yukari's gap to mind, and the strange figure within before it closed. What had the gap youkai been up to?

The moon had crossed from one end of the night sky to the other in the time it took Reimu to search Gensokyo, poring restlessly over every nook and cranny that merited exploration. She had crossed paths with a handful of nocturnal youkai who had nothing to offer in the way of assistance, merely looks of confusion. She had checked the entrances to the Underground, the base of Youkai Mountain, the gates of Hakugyokuro, and found nothing. To go further was pointless, as anything trespassing beyond those points would have roused the guardians of their respective realms.

If I ever get any cracks about being a lazy shrine maiden after tonight, I'll exterminate them on the spot. Reimu couldn't think of anyone in particular as she flew, worn down and done. In a few hours the sun would be up, and the priestess would have a new day ahead of her; one she would meet wearily and with a distinct hate for that fiery orb in the sky. She could already see the bright light, burning into her eyes, its brilliant array of colors...

Oh, crap.

Suddenly alert, Reimu accelerated and veered up, a danmaku array blasting past her. Twisting, she faced its source, her eyes narrowing on the figure of a familiar child frowning defiantly up at her. Chen hovered there before splaying her hands out and unleashing another, wider blast out, the bullets of energy twisting and weaving about in familiar patterns coming at her in a wall.

Reimu drew her spell cards from her sleeve. Two yin-tang orbs, her tools of choice, materialized at her side and focused ahead as she began to spray her own spell fire in retaliation, all the while weaving expertly through the demon cat's assault. The danmaku system was Reimu's invention, and a game she had mastered over the years since she began to play it. Having battled with the cat child on several occasions past, there was no great mystery to her in how she operated. Dipping, bobbing and weaving between the shots, she kept her fire focused on the girl and drew closer in.

"Chen," Reimu shouted over the din of bullet fire, "where's Yukari?!" There was no response, and she expected as much. She'd simply get in close and blow the child's game away there, then interrogate her. She was prepared for the inevitable showing of Chen's first spell card; even flagging from a sleepless night, Reimu would not be denied her answers.

The child paused, however, as Reimu came in close, before turning tail and flying away. The priestess would not allow her quarry to flee so easily. Narrowing her eyes, she weaved through the remaining danmaku and took off as fast as her own magic would carry her in pursuit. As Chen ducked into a tree line below, she followed, her eyes locked on the twin-tailed target. The wordless assault said enough; Yukari had likely hoped to remove her from play without being noticed. She was certain of it, and though she had no inclination as to why, she was going to change that as soon as she got her hands on that cat. Reimu followed her into the thick of the woods, dodging and flying around trees as if they were another wave of danmaku. It was her sole mission to pry the answers from the girl and figure out exactly what Yukari's game was, and stop it if it came to that.

In an instant, the world changed for Reimu. Although forewarned only by an unmistakable tearing sound recognized by experienced ears, there was no time to change course from the sudden dive into the Misty Lake. Before being able to so much as slow the rapid descent, something slammed into her back and sent the priestess crashing at top speed into the depths of the great lake. Dazed and confused, the red-white shrine maiden twisted and broke the surface, gasping and coughing out the water she had inhaled on impact.

"It really was only a matter of time before you got involved."

Reimu spun in the water, gazing up at the nine-tailed fox of the gap youkai. Ran floated overhead, arms tucked away into her sleeves as she gazed down at Reimu coldly. Scowling, the Hakurei shrine maiden rose from the water, soaked to the bone, her gohei snapped from the impact. Tossing the broken tool away, she pulled out several soggy sealing talismans, steam billowing from the papers as she poured spiritual energy into them. Her orbs reformed around her, and her clothes began to dry as she drew upon more power.

"Since when did your mistress start letting you play with her gaps, fox?" Reimu addressed her frigidly, speaking not only for her sudden appearance, but also the six, eye-ridden portals that loomed over her shoulders.

"Since she is too busy to be bothered by the trivial chores her shikigami could otherwise handle with only a few."

The priestess gave a derisive sniff. Yukari had created them, and likely bestowed the power through the link of master and servant for Ran to finish her duties. What they were for was what left her confused. Obviously, there was something that Ran couldn't handle herself without them.

It was only then Reimu's attention turned to a small islet, one of a few in the middle of the lake. Chen was there, tending to four bodies laid out on the beach. Crouched over one with great yellow wings folded against her back, she seemed to be casting a spell; something cat youkai like she were known to do. She gazed strangely upon them, trying to discern if they were human or youkai, before an orb of blue flame burned to life out the corner of her eyes and fired off at her. Reimu ducked back, throwing the talismans and Ran and forcing her to soar to evade them. The gaps followed, no doubt bound to her, and creating a greater target. Swinging a hand in the direction of the fox, she began to spray her own danmaku out in force, watching her take action to avoid the barrage all together rather than simply weave in and out of it. The gaps were undoubtedly important to the nine tails. However, just like its creator and handler, the eye-ridden holes were most certainly vulnerable to the sacred rites of purification that shrine maidens were so well versed in.

In favor of danmaku, however, Ran banked hard and lunged at her, claws out as she skimmed the outside of the attack. The fox was quick, upon her in what seemed an instant before slashing at her face. Reimu's eyes widened and she reeled back, dodging the strike and pulling away from each subsequent blow that followed. She responded quickly, swinging her orbs around in an attempt to beat back the assailant. Ran backed off long enough to summon several orbs of blue fire that raced by her one after the other, each one with exploding against the lake surface below on impact.

"You stupid fox!" Reimu narrowed her eyes, throwing up a protective barrier. As many did, it appeared as one massive, translucent wall painted with Sanskrit text, absorbing several of the opponent's shots before it was dismissed, leaving the priestess to press on the assault again with paper talismans. "Do you really want to be exterminated?!"

"Playing your little game is not a luxury I have tonight, Hakurei shrine maiden!" Ran lunged in again, clutching a fireball in one hand before thrusting it out at Reimu. A wave of blue flame roared forth, swallowing her. Reimu erected a barrier with haste, but this was no mere danmaku now; Ran was an old youkai with great power of her own. In a straight fight, a nine-tailed fox had all the capability to run toe-to-toe with a well-trained priestess, where the inherent weakness to items and articles of spiritual power was more akin to a blow than immediate death or incapacitation. "I won't wait for you to ruin everything when it's most important, I'm putting you out of the picture now!"

The shrine maiden gathered her spiritual energy, and split the onslaught with a burst of power that seemed to stun Ran. Taking advantage of the pause, she drew upon several more talismans and threw them out. The fox composed herself enough to ignite much of the paper before it reached her, save one that blew past her shoulder and flew into one of the gaps. The portal swallowed the paper, wavering and shaking, before it finally collapsed on itself.

The look on Ran's face couldn't have described the depths of horror that were in her eyes, horror that quickly turned to fury. Without a second's hesitation, Ran twisted and blew another wave of fire out at the shrine maiden. Reimu smirked, raising her hands and forming another barrier. It was clear she'd upset Ran, and weakened her stance a bit. With just a little more, she could...

Something squeezed Reimu's throat, cutting off her breath just as the flames burned out. Ran stood with her arm shoved inside of the priestess' barrier, the limb scorched from penetrating the potent spiritual energies, flesh smoking as the fox's own aura strained to complete incineration of the limb. She was jerked suddenly as Ran squeezed her tighter around the throat. The barrier collapsed before her, giving full view of the feral glare in the elder youkai's eyes.

"Do you have any notion of what you've just done?"

Reimu couldn't answer. Unable to draw breath, let alone focus enough to let off a spell, she simply stared at Ran through her single-minded fury. The fox slowly recomposed herself, still incensed, but in control. With her other hand she dismissed three of the gaps, watching them fly off toward three of the women laid out on the islet. Chen had seemed to have just completed whatever spell she was casting, and the first three in a row were swallowed by the gaps. The strange women were gone entirely, leaving only one, sporting a head of rainbow hair and two wings mismatched by severe injury. The priestess recognized the stranger from somewhere, but more pressing concerns with the nine-tails hands wrapped around her gullet reigned chief over any other concerns.

"W... what did..." Reimu struggled to speak, fighting against Ran's grip. The fox spared a glance at the beach, before looking back to Reimu and narrowing her eyes.

"They've been dispatched elsewhere," Ran said, her eyes beginning to glow with power as her tails splayed out behind her. "Chen will tend to the last one while I deal with you."

Reimu wasn't entirely certain what was going to happen. Would she die there? It seemed a distinct possibility; Ran was acting strangely, at best, and for a shikigami she was exceptionally clever. What was more was the use of Yukari's gaps. She could see her granting use of several of them, but why not utilize them herself? They had been used over great distances in the past, so nothing should have stopped her from taking charge. None of it made any sense, no matter how Reimu tried to piece it together.

The gaps, however, remained at the forefront of her mind as she was held out before one of the remaining two. It swelled to accommodate her size, and the fox gazed hard upon her as she began to see spots in her vision. She was starting to black out.

Ran's head turned, gazing past Reimu, past the gap, to someone, presumably, as she spoke. "So you're here then. Let me deal with this and I'll handle our business."

"This seems a bit different than what I expected." Reimu recognized the voice, but could not place it as her world began to grow dark and the voices gradually grew more distant.

"It would have come to this at some point later anyways." Ran's head turned, and she looked Reimu hard in the eyes. Was that... regret? "Things are going to be hard for you, Hakurei... but maybe you'll still make a difference in all of this."

The sensation of falling was the last thing she felt before she blacked out, surrounded by eyes in an eldritch space.

Reimu awoke with a start, not for the first time, as she scrambled to her feet... hooves. She stood upright on a futon, mane disheveled and chest heaving. She had just dreamt again of the events that had ultimately brought her to Eientei, where she sought Eirin and her medical expertise for a cure.

Seating herself slowly, she looked around the room, slowly regaining her composure. That night only a day or two ago had been burned into her memory. Physical form aside, there were so many things wrong with the situation, it was impossible to shake the nagging thoughts. After waking up on one of the far shores of the Misty Lake, she began to face all of the challenges her situation truly posed. Eating was one, as old tastes faded in favor of fare such as grass, flowers and the sort that repulsed her human mind. Getting any kind of help had been another problem. In a world where objects as simple as ancient and abandoned personal effects could gain spirits and speak, a talking animal had a very real chance of being branded a youkai by the average person. She had considered Marisa as an alternative, long-time friend and part-time troublemaker... but she didn't think she could stand hearing about it from the witch for what would undoubtedly be a very long time, even if she were able to cure her condition.

Encountering Keine was purely accidental. The teacher had entered the great bamboo forest searching for Fujiwara no Mokou, the immortal human who had harnessed the power of fire. Those who knew her were aware of her endless conflicts with Kaguya Houraisan, the princess whose home Reimu took shelter in currently, and another missing denizen of Gensokyo. The Brain of the Moon, the Phoenix, and the Moon Princess; all disappeared. At the same time, she had not seen Suika since the new incident began. Counting the appearance of these new girls from her dream, she had no doubt it was all related to the same incident.

In fact, the dream reminded her of one of the figures she saw at the lake, with the same peculiar hair color as the one from Aya's photograph. Yukari had been meddling with something that night beyond the reach of Gensokyo, and Reimu was willing to bet it had to do with whoever that girl was or where ever she came from. Even without a clear motive, several pieces of the puzzle slowly clicked themselves into place.

However, Reimu reminded herself that the gap youkai was not her only suspect. Staring at the shoji door, as the moon light from without bled through the rice-paper covered slots, she focused on the exceedingly strange actions of her pet. Ran was particularly out of her normal step, the obedient, unquestioning shikigami to one of the most powerful beings in Gensokyo acting out and seeming on edge. Use of Yukari's gaps was not impossible if her mistress was channeling her own power through her; it was a standard feat for shikigami to become vessels for their master's power. It was not, however, something she had seen demonstrated by that pair before.

Reimu's head began to ache with exhaustion and frustration as she lay back down on her futon. Fussing with her hooves, she managed to hook the blanket and pull it up over most of her body beneath her forelegs. Yukari was acting strange, Ran was acting stranger still, several powerful youkai had gone missing, and she was a bright red pony. The priestess heaved a sigh and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would reclaim her, and quietly prayed to any of the gods for a dreamless slumber.

Rarity was familiar with the concept of creatures that lived beneath the earth, no thanks to a past experience with a trio of ruffians who had tried to enslave her and use her talents for selfish gain. Beyond the bridge they had crossed along the way, she imagined the civilization below as a network of caverns lightly furnished with personal effects belonging to whatever beings took up residence there. To say that she was surprised at seeing the span of the great subterranean world she had entered upon reaching the outskirts of their city would have been a grand understatement. She recalled the vastness of the place, an area that must have stretched for several miles out, filled with homes and buildings of all kinds. At the furthest end of it, nestled into the crook of the great cavernous walls, a large manor stood erect, marked by the warm glow visible behind it on the surrounding walls.

It was that manor she sat in, legs tucked beneath her seat, her web slippers traded out for house slippers. She was alone save for a cat that had found its way into her lap a moment or two after Yamame went to seek out the owner of the home. Rarity stroked affectionately between its ears, scratching her nails through the black and red fur and at times playing with the two strange tails that waved back and forth. She might otherwise have found herself bored, but the time to think was welcome. She needed to absorb everything that had occurred again.

"What'cha up to?"

The seamstress jumped a bit in her seat, holding the cat to keep it from being knocked off by mistake. Turning her head, she found her eyes on a white-haired young lady, dressed in yellow blouse, green skirt and black sun hat. A line of thick cord was wrapped about her, seemingly linked to a blue orb that sat over one side of her chest. She gazed curiously, a smile on her lips, and Rarity allowed herself to relax.

"Well... I was told to wait here for someone." She gave the girl another look, blindly continuing to stroke the back of the feline in her lap. "Do you live here?"

"Yep!" The girl turned, taking the seat next to her and reaching over, grinning as she scratched between the cat's ears. "Orin does, too! She's our pet!"

"I see," Rarity said with a smile, looking down to the cat that gazed up at her. "Orin's a little sweetheart. She's very well behaved."

"Yeah, I think you'd really like to get to know her." The girl looked up to her. "My name's Koishi Komeiji, it's nice to meet you."

"Rarity. It's a pleasure, Koishi. I have to ask, do you by chance know who else is here that I might be waiting on?"

"Mmm..." Koishi looked ahead, swinging her legs forward and back in her chair. Her eyes tracked toward the ceiling, fingers tapping thoughtfully at the seat of her chair. "Probably my big sister. She manages things down here, so I suppose that makes her pretty important to all the other youkai."

"I... see," the tailor intoned again, turning her own eyes ahead and gazing at the checkered floor. "And, this place... Where are we exactly?"

"Hell."

"... What?" Rarity was certain that she was about to have a small panic attack. She pondered the location of her favorite lounging chair.

"Well, the old one anyways." Koishi smiled, looking at the floor. "Part of it got split off so we could all live here a long time ago. It's pretty nice, we even get snow sometimes in the winter!"

Rarity smiled uncomfortably. Hell was the last place she ever imagined that she would wind up; in fact, she thought that she had lived a fairly good life. Had that been what had happened? Had the unicorn simply passed on from the mortal plane and to the next? It didn't seem impossible as far as all things had gone. The last thing she remembered prior to her arrival in the Underground, dark, dank and deep as it was, had been tending to Rainbow Dash and Gilda. Perhaps whatever had caused their injuries caught all of them blind.

"You okay?" Koishi inquired, leaning over by Rarity's face and staring at her oddly. "You look kinda pale."

"I'll be fine... thank you, Koishi." She looked to the cat in her lap, hand paused on the feline's back. The situation wouldn't matter much at that point if she were truly beyond the grave. Her mind seemed to stall, engrossed with all of the implications, all the consequences. Turning her head back, she opened her mouth to speak, but found only an empty chair. Staring absent-mindedly at it for a moment, the fashionista found herself puzzled.

Was... was I just speaking with someone? For the life of her, she could remember a conversation, but it seemed abstract. Key details stood out, and a concern for her life loomed in her heart, but she had no inkling as to why. Gazing back to her lap again, she stared at the ebon and crimson colored cat, blinking as if she were lost. "... Orin, was it?" The cat's head turned, as if to acknowledge her, and Rarity gave a faint smile. "What a strange feeling..."

"Good evening."

Head turning to a nearby corner, she watched a violet-haired girl approach. Wearing a lethargic smile on her face, she dressed in a blue blouse, pink skirt and house slippers. A heart-shaped clip settled on her headband, matching the buttons about her blouse, and what appeared to be an eye was settled over her chest, suspended by cords coiling about her body. Rarity started a bit as the eye actually blinked in time with her.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting," she said, stopping at the end of the row of seats. "Yamame and I were discussing your situation. I can see what she..." The girl paused, before shaking her head. "Rather, I'd like to hear your side of things, if you don't mind. My name is Satori Komeiji, it's a pleasure to meet you, Rarity."

"O, oh, um, yes, the pleasure's all mine." Rarity gently set Orin aside on the neighboring chair as she rose, smiling down to the seemingly mature young lady. She opened her mouth, preparing an introduction, before pausing. Aside from a particularly odd sense of déjà vu, had Satori just addressed her by name? A second's pause led her to conclude Yamame must have informed her. "Thank you for seeing me. Yamame said that some things had been happening around here as well, and..." The seamstress paused, feeling a lump in her throat as she stood there. She had to ask the question that had burned her mind since that strange sensation had hit her. "Miss Komeiji, am I... er, that is to say... Oh, how do I put this?"

"Alive?"

"Ah, that would be what I was getting a-" She stopped mid-sentence, staring at Satori. Now it was becoming strange. "How did you do that?"

Satori's smile grew, and she looked to Orin. "Could you prepare some tea and snacks for our guest? I believe she's had quite a long day, and could use refreshment." The feline mewled in acknowledgement and leapt from the seat, darting off around the corner. The house's mistress turned and began to walk, and Rarity strode after her. "I assure you, you're quite alive. This is indeed a branch of the Old Hell, but the denizens are taken care of, and live in relative comfort." The two's footsteps echoed through the halls as Satori guided her guest down a long corridor. "I'm certain you have other questions."

"Several," the once-unicorn confirmed, staring at her host's back with a healthy curiosity. "I... suppose that you knew because of what Yamame mentioned?"

The youkai sighed, walking in silence for a short time. She paused at a great door, gripping the handle. "It's something of a habit." With a twist and a push the door opened, and they stepped into a massive study. A fire burned in the hearth at the far end of the room, with several plush armchairs arranged around it and a large rug. Books, baubles and possessions lined the walls on shelves. Rarity felt all the more that she was in some noble's household. "Youkai such as myself are as naturally capable of peering into hearts as easily as any human is capable of breathing. The ability has its uses. I can communicate with animals and creatures whose hearts would otherwise be silent to anyone else." She stopped, facing the hearth settled center in the room's far wall, though her gaze seemed to stretch beyond that. "It can, however, be a little disconcerting to some who aren't accustomed to it."

"Well... I can understand, at least. To have your mind peered into at any given moment can be a little unnerving."

Satori smiled solemnly, taking a seat in a great armchair by the fire. "You handle the concept with much more grace than many humans do. Though, most humans don't come to Gensokyo under your circumstances." The violet-haired youkai gestured to the one parallel of her. "Make yourself at home."

"Thank you," she said as she eased herself back into the seat, sighing pleasantly. This was more her speed. The warmth of the fire, cozy furniture; if the refreshments would be arriving soon then all would be near perfect. The seamstress let her thoughts swim for a moment before looking back to her host. Satori's evaluating gaze was settled on her. Perhaps it was best to get to the matter at hand. Straightening herself up in the seat, Rarity composed herself as a proper businesswoman. "The truth of the matter is, at this moment my concerns are less for myself than they are for several friends of mine. Miss Komeiji, I must ask, have any others like myself come here recently?"

"I'm afraid not," the satori youkai said solemnly. "However, with the rash of disappearances that have been about in our world, your arrival here is quite timely. As I've been told, you're from a place called Equestria?"

"I am." Rarity closed her eyes. "The last thing I recall before waking up in this place was assisting a few friends of mine who had been hurt by... something or other, I'm afraid I don't know what. I blacked out, and then... well, I imagine that you've already been told the story from there."

Satori nodded, staring at Rarity. "If you would excuse the intrusion, I'd like to read your heart on the situation in its entirety."

"Uh... you can do that? I mean, going back so far?" Rarity shifted uncomfortably. It was not as if there were anything to hide, but the notion of someone peeking into her thoughts did leave her to wonder what potentially embarrassing things may have been dredged up from the past.

"Do you have a problem with it?"

"Well, I suppose not, it's just... Well, do you even need to ask?"

The girl smiled warmly, clasping her hands together in her lap. "Not necessarily, no. However, you're not an enemy, or an intruder. I've lately been trying to extend such courtesies to my guests, if possible. We can discuss it if you'd prefer, but I feel we would both benefit more if I could see it as you did, rather than risk any misconceptions that could come about from speaking."

It was a point that Rarity couldn't debunk. If it would hasten things along, and give Satori a clearer picture of the situation, then it was all for the better. Fairly certain she didn't have any particularly humiliating debacles in recent history for the youkai to stumble over, the seamstress took a slow breath and closed her eyes. "Very well, please do as you must."

"Thank you. Please, picture as clearly as you can everything that led up to this."

It wasn't long before the violet-haired woman felt a strange intrusion, as if someone had opened a door into her mind. Focusing on the day she awoke in Carousel Boutique, nude and in her strange new form, she allowed her mind to drift through the events that followed. By the time she and her friends' first encounter with youkai had come to mind, Rarity hardly even noticed the sensation of eyes on her thoughts anymore. The story simply played itself out in her mind without fear of judgment or reprimand. She had no idea how long it took to cover every event of the last month relevant to her current ordeal. The tailor was quite certain she had gotten lost in one daydream past about designing an entire new royal wardrobe for the two princesses thanks to their situation. However, as she came to the great waiting area she had sat in after arriving in the manor, she stalled, unsure for some reason, and her eyes eased open. Gazing across the room to Satori, she bit her lip.

"I see you met my sister," the heart-reading youkai said.

"I, I did?"

"Koishi. You'll recall the next time you see her." Turning her head, she smiled to a third person who had entered the room in the midst of their activity, waiting patiently with a cart. "Orin, I apologize for making you wait."

"Not a problem, Lady Satori." Rarity's head turned, watching a red-headed girl with braided pigtails approach, pushing the cart along. A black dress with green embroidery and black shoes made up her attire. The seamstress had to appreciate the touch of ribbon wrapped around one of her legs, and the girl herself was not unattractive. However, she strayed from her manner of dress to the two tails flicking behind her: cat tails, paired off with the ears sitting atop her head, strangely over a set of human ears as well. Was it a costume? No, it was moving far too organically, and she'd seen enough youkai in passing to be sure there were those with such features. It was then that something clicked in her mind.

"Orin... as in, the cat?"

Orin grinned a bit, serving her mistress tea and a small plate with cake upon it. "The one and only. I'm Rin Kaenbyou, Orin's just kind of my pet name. You can use it all you like though, especially with those magic fingers." She purred for effect after, approaching and handing Rarity her tea and cake. "You must have a cat back home. They're very lucky."

"Your heart was filled with distress when you entered the palace, so I sent Orin to keep you company." Satori took a sip of her tea. "I'm pleased to see you two are getting along so well."

Rarity couldn't help but smile for some reason. Upon accepting her snacks, Orin walked over to her mistress' chair and sat on the floor before it, tucking her feet in at her side.

"Orin, you can take a chair, you know."

"Mm, but I like being at your side, Lady Satori."

Satori sighed, reaching down and patting her between the ears. "Of course." The youkai mistress turned her attention back to Rarity, teacup resting on the arm of her chair. "Still, it seems as though your world has been through a great deal. I'm sorry to say that there's not much we can do to help, though, let alone in getting you home."

"Oh..." The fashionista was unable to hide her discouragement in time, and instead put on the best smile she could after. "Well, I mean, it's not as if I should have been expecting anything. This is quite a particular situation for all of us, isn't it?"

"I can only offer my apologies," the house's mistress said with a solemn voice. "I would love to reunite you with your friends, but I doubt anyone here would have even the faintest idea of where to look. As for your forms, that kind of power is well beyond my own capabilities. You would have to be a god even to hope to reverse the shift without special abilities such as Miss Yakumo's."

"No, I understand." She did her best to assure her host of that, though she could not mask her disappointment. "I'm truly sorry for being an inconvenience on your house like this. Yamame went to great lengths to get me here, and the only thing I've to offer in return are stories and farfetched wishes."

"It's hardly selfish to want to see those you care about again." Satori took a sip from her cup, and lowered it back onto its saucer. "Your sister in particular must miss you quite badly."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Rarity gazed down at her own cup. A smile was on her lips. "Sweetie Bell is so focused on growing up quickly... I mean, we do spend time together, but she's rather fond of her two little friends."

"And yet she seemed to badger you for attention quite a bit."

Another thing that remained a constant over the last month. Rarity should have expected so much as she gave a wry smile. "Well, you have a sibling of your own, I'm certain you're familiar with the concept."

"I am," Satori said. Her hand again found Orin's head, though she scratched between the feline's ears more slowly, watching her fingers work methodically through the fiery head of hair. "Siblings are a funny thing, aren't they? You know you love them, but you also know they can be some of the most troublesome people in the world. You take turns making one another worry as many times as you do making the other laugh, and happiness and sadness are just the turn of a corner from you at any given moment. But then the day comes when you don't have your shadow, when the two of you part for whatever reason... Suddenly, it's so funny when you realize how much you miss them."

"You... you do know a good bit about it yourself, I take it," Rarity responded. However, while her tone was solemn, the smile on her lips grew. "Would it be too much to ask your experience, Miss Komeiji?"

"Satori is fine, Rarity," she said, closing her eyes and leaning back into her seat. Taking cup and saucer both in hand, she began to reminisce. "As for my experience... Well, Koishi had always been the more adventurous of the two of us, even before things changed. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and was always thrilled to know about everything that went on, even before we came to the Underground.

"I remember one instance when we were younger that got us in a particular lot of trouble. Koishi had gotten ahead of me as we were out on a walk, for what, I can't remember. I found her by following her heart, and wouldn't you know it, we had come upon a shrine. Koishi had never been around one before, I'd taken special care to keep her away because of her curious nature. In spite of my best efforts to draw her away, she had the run of the place in only a few moments. When I had to explain to her what a donation box was, halfway through it she had gotten into it and grabbed a fist full of coins. She thought it meant they were for anyone who wanted them. The priest in charge of the shrine returned at about that time and started to chase us off. I'm certain the only reason he didn't attack was because he'd just returned from an extermination and had used all of his talismans and tools. He chased us quite a ways, however, before he finally gave up. And do you know what Koishi did?

"She turned around and set the money down for him, and said 'Mister, I think your daughter's gonna need it more than me. I think you'll be a good grandpa.'" Satori paused there, opening her eyes and staring at Rarity. There was pride in her expression now. "For as long as I've known her, Koishi has always been impulsive and hard to keep track of. But her heart has always been in the right place. I wish I saw her more often, though... The Palace of the Earth Spirits can grow quite large and hollow without the company of the people you love." A light mewling noise caught her ear, and she looked down to Orin, who cast her a gaze of playful contempt. With a giggle, she resumed stroking her pet's hair. "Though I am fortunate enough to have good company at all.

"While I can't offer you a way home, I can at least offer you safety for the evening. A human, regardless of whatever power you may have, would not be safe in the city by herself. It's late anyways, and I'm certain you've had a long day." Turning her attention from her pet, she looked to Rarity with a smile, filled with warmth. "How would you like to stay the night, and in the morning, we can discuss your options?"

Rarity was somewhat taken aback by the offer. "Oh... I would hate to impose. I mean, I..." As much as the good manners she championed tried to rear their head, her position made it hard to argue. Satori smiled knowingly, though whether it was for actual knowing or just perception, the tailor could not say. Shock dissolving, a coy smile came across her lips. "Would... it be a problem, I mean?"

"The Palace of the Earth Spirits is quite large, as I said. There's plenty of room to accommodate guests. I'd certainly feel better about it as opposed to turning you out in the dark to a world you know nothing about. Come the morning, we'll see what we can do for you."

"That sounds perfect, Satori. Thank you very much for your generosity." Taking a small cake from the other plate she'd earlier been handed, she held it ponderously before her face. "If you don't mind, however... Might we chat some more? Perhaps it's inappropriate to say so soon, but I could use the company of a friend right now."

This time Satori seemed a little taken aback. Staring back at Rarity, whose own eyes rose to meet hers, she gave a content sigh.

"I think I would like that very much, Rarity."

Flandre felt more alone than she did in the basement beneath the Scarlet Devil Manor. For all the accommodations that had been granted to her, she was not permitted to leave her room. She had been instructed that a few times a day, servants of the castle would come in to clean, leave her food and changes of clothes. That was the original plan that Celestia had left with her at any rate. Food, after the first meal had been sampled, went untouched. It seemed bland, and did nothing to satisfy the cravings for fresher fare her body demanded, prey she had never successfully gotten herself, no thanks to the child's habit of completely obliterating her quarry every single time. In the end, she was a vampire, and Sakuya's cooking addressed that. These cooks, however, had no notion of how to feed one like her, not that there had been much opportunity or desire to speak about it. She couldn't believe that there wasn't even meat, that she couldn't even find a few measly drops of animal blood. Anything brought after that first fateful meal was left completely untouched.

Cleaning was another issue. Not for her of course, but the castle staff. She had learned almost immediately how trapped she was at her first attempt to tried to slip out. The door, naturally, had been magically warded to prevent even the handle from turning. While she could have blown it away in an instant, she felt that would put a damper on her odds of getting assistance toward returning to Gensokyo. Likewise, in spite of the balcony that gave her a view of the entire capital and many of the lands beyond, a magical barrier erected around the room did well to seal her the rest of the way in. A touch only offered a matched stopping force. Anything greater than that...

Well, she didn't need that table she'd been rebounded through anyways.

Already hungry at that point and of foul temperament to boot, the tower quickly came to resemble her old basement room on the worst of days. A dresser had been reduced to splinters. Closet doors were caved in and any contents within scattered. All but one pillow had been dissected furiously, two even reduced to so much ash. The only furniture that remained intact was her bed by the time she had been done. The cleaning staff had attempted to enter in the midst of her tantrum. She at least found humor in the speed at which they turned on their toes and slammed the door when she cast eyes on them. In the end, Flandre was alone, left to dwell on her thoughts in the ruined room.

The little draculina sat with her back to the door, scowling at the floor as she wrung Laevateinn in her hands. There was no fun to be had in this world, she had decided. No one visited her, no one tried to speak to her. At least Sakuya would occasionally scold her, even if it was in Remilia's stead, or talk her down when she was truly wound up. There were times even she would run, of course. The time-stopping human was far from a match for her ability to destroy anything, never mind the raw power at her fingertips. The chief maid might have been viewed in one perspective as the closest thing they'd had to a mother in centuries, but was too subservient to be called such. Still, Flandre never questioned that she was loved. Little gestures made it through to her; an extra cookie at tea time, stitching together those stuffed animals that could be saved, even bedtime stories and the effort she put forward into becoming the characters, though she could be a little stiff at times.

Meiling, too, she missed sorely. Where Sakuya provided the tenderness, Meiling was where all the fun was. The youkai guardian was strong and resilient. Flandre had played with her on several occasions, and yes, there had been times which she had been hurt; but it never scared her away, and Meiling even covered for her, claiming that she had repelled a great intruder at the gate on a few occasions. The foreign woman from the other eastern country always came back with that foolish grin and new ideas. She recalled the brief study she had been given in martial arts, only a few weeks after the Scarlet Mist Incident her sister began, and her own attempted breakout after that.

"You see, you've got amazing power, Lady Flandre," Meiling said at that time, walking her step by step through basic motions. "But you lack control. You need a focus for all that energy you've got bottled up."

"I don't have any control problems," she had retorted. "I can beat anyone. No one's good enough to keep up with me except Marisa."

Flandre's scowl had vanished completely while she was lost in her memories, and she turned a listless gaze over the ruins of her room, sinking back against the door.

"There's a difference between destroying something and defeating it, little mistress." Meiling had a wide grin on her face as she spoke, moving methodically through stances and strikes. Flandre remembered how frustrated she was, how slow things moved, but she had stayed with the youkai for every step. "My sifu taught me everything I know about self-restraint. In battle, and in life, there's a time to let go, and a time for control. I'll teach you about all that as we go along."

"What's a 'sifu'?"

"Mm... you would know it as a 'teacher'."

"So, then you're my 'sifu'?"

Flandre felt the smile from back then creep onto her lips. Meiling had stared at her for a moment as if something amazing had occurred. The youkai then grinned ear to ear.

"So it would seem, Little Mistress."

Flandre was jolted from her memories at the sound of a knock. Twisting, she faced the door, staring hard at it.

"Flandre, can I come in?"

It was the princess. The woman commanded a significant amount of authority, naturally. She had also shown a level of kindness to her that she had not experience outside of Gensokyo, outside of her family. However, she thumped back against the door, remaining silent.

"I understand you've been having a rough time. I just want to talk, nothing else."

"Go away."

"Flandre, you've scared off the cleaning staff, and I've heard about what's happened in there. I'm asking you to let me in, please. I just want to speak with you."

Silence again. The centuries-old little girl would not simply waiver because someone wanted to talk. She pressed her back against the door more firmly, adamant in her silence.

"I'm worried about you, Flandre."

The words made her grow rigid. It wasn't as if she wasn't aware people did. Her big sister certainly worried about the kinds of trouble she could get into, how dangerous her powers could be. She was no fool, after all, they were hers, and hers to do with as she liked. But something about the way Celestia said it...

Biting her lip, she lowered her head against her knees. "I wanna go home," she mumbled through her teeth. She remained like that for some time, before she heard footsteps, each one further away from the last. Without thinking, she stood up and grabbed the door handle, pressing down the latch and yanking on it. The first time she had tried it, she had received a sharp spark for her trouble, as if a great jolt of static electricity ran through her arm. Now, however, the door swung open. Standing in the hall at the top of the stairs, looking back over her shoulder, was Princess Celestia, smiling warmly.

"It's dark. Shall we take a walk?"

The moonlit courtyard of the Equestrian royal palace was a welcome change from Flandre's ruined bedchambers. A few hours passed in their walk, culminating with the end of their tour of the castle grounds. Their little adventure ended in the royal gardens, where the child dropped back and took a seat beneath a tree with a smile. A handful of bats leapt from their branches and soared away to a neighboring tree, and the little vampire watched with wonder.

"Do you like bats, Flandre?" Princess Celestia took a seat as well, resting her back against the trunk of the tree.

"We have some back at the manor," she said, legs sprawled out and leaning forward on her hands. "Big Sister says they're not pets, though. They just hide around parts of the roof. I guess they came with us when we moved to Gensokyo."

Princess Celestia's head turned, gazing upon the blonde curiously. "How long ago did you move there?"

"Mmm... I don't know." She leaned back, thumping gracelessly against the tree. Her bejeweled wings jingled a little from the jostling. "Remilia moved us in from the outside world. I don't really understand why, she said something about our 'existence being threatened'."

"What do you mean by that?" Celestia was further intrigued, setting her hand down and twisting to get a better look at her.

"Dunno," Flandre said, rocking her feet side to side, bumping the tips of her shoes together. "I heard Patchy talking about it, but no one ever really told me how it worked. Gensokyo is home now, though. She moved the entire house there, even the gardens and basement."

"That's quite impressive. There must have been magic involved, right?"

"Mm-hmm." Flandre smiled, spreading her arms wide. "Patchy made a big circle around the manor, I could see parts of it from my window. Big sister didn't let me out to see all of it, though. Meiling was the only one outside the whole time until we left. Then everything flashed in the middle of the night, and it was like... like falling, really, really far. But we made it! Now we live in front of the lake and have a bunch of fairy maids who help Sakuya do all the cleaning. Oh, and hobgoblins, too! Though they're kinda new. And gross."

"My goodness," Celestia said, a genuine look of interest on her face. "It sounds as though that was quite a journey. Your friend, 'Patchy'? She did all of this by herself?"

"She did!" Flandre clapped her hands together, lacing her fingers and twisting to face Celestia wholly. "I remember hearing her by my bedroom door. Remilia said something to her, something about 'proving she was as great a magician as she claimed'. She didn't seem to like it, but she proved it! After all, she's the one who..." Flandre's voice trailed off as she thought back to the manor, to the countless days she would spend in her room, minutes dragging on into lonely hours. The little vampire's shoulders sagged, and her head drooped. There was a pause between the two, until Celestia rolled over and to her knees, moving closer to the girl.

"What happened, Flandre?"

"Patchouli... cause she's so good, she's the one who always locks my door. Big sister doesn't let me go outside much. Not even in the house. The door mostly opens when Sakuya brings me food, or Meiling sneaks in sometimes to play with me when she's not guarding the gate."

There was another uncomfortable pause, however short, as the princess spoke up again. "Flandre... how long have you been kept in your room at home?"

"A really long time," she said, hugging her knees up. "Before we came to Gensokyo, there was a town near us. Remilia'd go there at night sometimes. I got to go once. After I got told to stay in my room, the next time I came outside, everyone was gone. She didn't let me leave the garden, but I could see it from the sky. Everything was broken, and trees had grown in the roads in some places. After we moved, when the shrine maiden and Marisa came a few years ago..." Flandre raised one hand before her face, thinking for a moment. "Four hundred and ninety-five years, then." She glanced out the corner of her eye, seeing what appeared like alarm in Celestia's face. Raising her head, she looked curiously upon her host, who composed herself - though it looked a little forced.

"Am I bad?"

The night air suddenly hung heavy around them. The façade the princess put up so quickly had broken, as she looked truly lost, gazing upon the child in her company. Flandre, equally, was unable to move from what she had set into motion. The child sat still, like a doll, simply watching expectantly as the princess stared at her.

Then, for whatever reason, Celestia's hand moved and tenderly brushed back her bangs.

"I believe..." she said softly, looking thoughtful, speaking slowly and with meaning. "I believe that you have done bad things, Flandre," she said. The vampire child felt the sting of the words, and warmth built behind her eyes. A light trembling ran through her, until the solar princess removed her hat and began to gently stroke her head. "But I believe those actions are only one aspect of you. I believe you have a lot in your heart that you have no positive outlet for." Celestia moved to sit closer to Flandre. Tucking her legs in at her side, she leaned back against the tree, gazing up nostalgically at the moon overhead. "You know that I have a little sister as well, Flandre?"

Flandre nodded, looking in silence up to the moon as she thought of the woman with midnight blue hair. That princess was particularly cold towards her, and had said nothing to her the entire time they were there.

"I... have been forced to make difficult decisions with her in the past." Celestia's gaze grew sadder, and she closed her eyes. "She and I have always ruled side-by-side, but there have been times when we had... disagreements. At one time, I chose to send her far away, from all the things that she loved. I thought that I had no other choice, because I was afraid of what she would do if I did not... I was afraid of something happening to her because she had seemed to lose herself."

"How long?"

"... A thousand years." Celestia's fingers laced together, and she brought her knees up toward her chest. "When she finally returned, she was furious..."

Everything had gone according to plan that day. The preparations for the Summer Sun Festival were nearly complete all over Equestria, particularly in the little town of Ponyville, where she would be holding the Ceremony of the Rising Sun that year. Twilight Sparkle, her most faithful student, had done well in her duties of ensuring that the citizens of Ponyville were on schedule with their preparations. The quaint little town had looked gorgeous as she flew in from Canterlot, with the scent of baked goods strong in the air, and, if her ears did not deceive her, the choir of birds warming up as she had waited behind the curtain in town hall was pitch perfect. With not even a cloud in the evening sky, Celestia was pleased with her subjects.

It was especially the clear sky that had her attention, as she watched the moon. A thousand years had come and gone, and it was the night that would truly test the mettle of her student - who only earlier that day had contacted her about her concerns for what most who knew of it considered an old pony's tale. It was at that moment that the monarch, planning for the worst, had devised a new strategy. If it failed, she stood to lose everything, and the fate of Equestria hung in the balance. As the stars themselves closed in on the great celestial body overhead, on the image of the Mare in the Moon that pockmarked its surface, the alicorn princess braced her hooves and took a breath to calm herself.

There was a flash in the sky, and the image disappeared. Celestia closed her eyes, and felt a mystic presence heavy in the air about her. Darkness itself rose all around and enveloped her, faster than she could hope to react, engulfing the princess of the sun entirely. All rested on Twilight's shoulders now, and as the world fell to black, she set all her faith in her pupil.

Celestia came around to a heavy weight along the length of her back. Try as she might, for all the great magical force contained within her body, she could not budge or lift it. There was a silence, so great that it inspired terror at her core. In spite of this, she kept a calm face. To falter at this stage would cost her everything.

"So good to see you, dear sister."

Light pierced the darkness as another alicorn approached. Nearly identical in stature and build, her coat was as black as the world had been around her before. She garbed herself with a helmet, collar and horseshoes cast in blue steel, the same color of the catlike eyes glaring down at her captive. The mare's mane and tail looked as if the cosmos itself had been bound to her. The cutie mark at her flank of the crescent moon over the darkness of space was the only true sign of who she once was.

"Luna," she said, her voice straining like her body under the great weight upon her.

"I am your "Luna" no longer, Celestia," the alicorn snapped. "I believe we have been over this once before. My name is Nightmare Moon, and I expect you should be grateful to even be having this conversation."

"You are not," Celestia insisted, pushing back against her mystical bindings as she tried to reach the mare before her. "You are my sister, Luna. We are meant to rule Equestria together, just as the night and day share the sky. It is for the good of our citizens-"

"Our citizens?" Nightmare Moon's glare grew sharper still, approaching with heavy hoof steps. "The same citizens who reveled in your disgusting daytime, who cast me aside and feared me? The citizens who looked upon my beautiful night with disdain and loathing, wishing only for the morning to come? I remember it well, dear sister, your sweet lies from a thousand years past. That every star in the sky I placed with meaning, the foalish masses would one day come to appreciate. I remember, in spite of our mutual defeat of Discord, that all glory came to you. Did you ever correct them? Had the true story been enforced on the citizens that you placed above your flesh and blood?

"Even now, do you take the time to warn them of the impending dangers? Clearly not, it seems. I have put out little birds, shall we say, throughout your precious kingdom and beyond in the short time I've been back, and a select few even within our borders recognize this night for what it is. One. Thousand. Years. Exactly. The scholars in our day document it, and it has been reduced to a foal's story. You have even gone so far as to move your hallowed celebration to this insignificant little hamlet on the edge of the Everfree Forest instead of your new capital on the eve of my return? How ignorant are your subjects? No, I suppose the appropriate question is, how far are you willing to go, who are you willing to lose, who will you allow to suffer, so you can try and pretend that I don't exist?"

"Is that what you really think of me, Luna?" Celestia's heart ached as she stared up at her sister, into her cold, unsympathetic eyes. Gritting her teeth, she strained further against her bonds. The elder sister actually succeeded in arching her back a bit, looking the Mare in the Moon dead in the face."Are you so convinced that I am ashamed of you? Do you truly hate me so?"

The answer came as her chin slammed into the floor. The cold touch of steel was atop her head, and Celestia's jaw was in pain. She rolled her eyes forward, gazing into Nightmare Moon's eyes, only to behold them filled with loathing and sorrow.

"A peasant does not raise her head in the presence of her queen." The black-coated mare pressed down harder, leaning down on her forelegs and speaking softly. "I would kill you now, but that hardly seems fair after the millennium of solitude I was left to on the moon. What do you think, Celestia? Do you think if I banish you to the sun, we will be able to see your face from here? Will it burn more brightly as you understand what you have put me through? A thousand years, and I may check up on you. Perhaps, once you understand, I can allow you to govern my stars."

The conversation went no further. Celestia's gaze broke from Luna's, watching a shadow shoot through the air and bond with her mane. She pondered what had just happened before her counterpart's eyes widened, only for a moment. A dark sneer then curled over her snout, showing off her wicked fangs.

"I suppose I'll have time to consider what to do with you later, Celestia. For now, I must be off. It seems there are a hoofful of upstarts who believe they have found the means to defeat me. I shall make an example of them, so that all of Equestria understands what happens should they trifle with their new queen."

"Luna! Luna, come back!" Celestia's shouts at her sister's back went unheeded as darkness closed around her once more. By the sounds of things, her plans were in motion; but it all hinged on the choices made by her student, and whatever company she found for herself. Luna was half right: she had planned her sister's imminent return, but to keep Equestria from falling into a state of panic. She had chosen Ponyville not simply for its size, but for its proximity to their old castle and the Elements of Harmony contained within. If Luna were ever to return to herself, it would take their power, which she had long since lost the ability to wield. It was a tremendous gamble, however, and the alicorn was confident that if Twilight knew, it would tax the trust that their relationship had been built upon. All Celestia could do now was wait, and hope.

Hours passed in that darkness, no sound, light or sensation reaching her. It was a prison that would have driven the average pony mad. The princess instead preoccupied herself with the possible worst case scenarios. From tactics on how to battle the twisted little sister to what would happen if she had to be vanquished once and for all, Celestia mulled gravely over the choices that may have been laid out before her. She thought back to the past, when she co-ruled with Luna. At times, those who were hurt in the manner Luna was could seldom see past their own nose. Celestia had tried to make the citizens of Equestria in the olden days understand, tried to give Luna the spotlight, but it never caught on. The sun, the life giver, was more favored; and Luna, except for her own company and that of the guards, was alone, finding solace in tomes and scrolls or exploring the world of the night. If only she had known what to do back then, how to help her sister the way she deserved to be helped. If only mother and father were still...

In a sudden instant, the darkness around her vanished. The princess could feel the plush carpet beneath her body, see the dresser and mirror before her, parallel to her bed. She had been captive in her bedchambers the entire time. It seemed there was wisdom heeded in the old saying, "hide a tree in the woods". Staggering to her hooves, she knew immediately where she needed to be. Galloping out the balcony doors, she leapt over the guardrail, her horn aglow as magic enveloped her. Then - as if light itself - Celestia sped off over the horizon, covering miles in seconds. As her magic propelled her through the air the moon began to wane in the sky, and the true sun, the great star in the sky, began to rise just as the old castle in the Everfree Forest came into view.

"We did not expect such a... fabulous party," Princess Luna said as she ascended the stairs to their wing of the castle beside her sister. The Summer Sun Festival had resumed, not only in the spirit of the season, but also to mark the final end of Nightmare Moon and return of the true form of the princess of the night. She had been publically pardoned for her actions, as there had, thankfully, been no casualties, and while she remained quiet and at her sister's side for most of the proceedings, had gained general acceptance among the citizens of Ponyville. Staying as long as the rise of the moon, which Luna beheld for the first time in a millennium as opposed to being a literal part of it, they departed shortly after with warm wishes and weary eyes.

"It seems that Twilight has picked her friends well. Pinkie Pie certainly knew how to host the affair." Celestia wore her smile calmly, but remained in step with her smaller sister. "How are you feeling after today?"

"We... feel a great many things, Celestia," Luna said. "Relief, catharsis, joy... and Our belly is filled with confections of several varieties."

Celestia only chuckled quietly.

"But... there is regret, and sorrow the same."

The two paused in the midst of the hallway, exchanging looks. Luna peeked through her cornflower blue bangs at her taller sister, scratching a hoof idly against the carpet. "What We... what I did then... I tried to kill you, and you still tried to save me. You did save me, and... and all I can think about is-"

"That's enough of that, Luna," Celestia said. She lowered her head, nuzzling her sister. "I was not... the pinnacle of success back then, as a princess or as a sister. While you were on the moon, I had a great many years to reflect, to think about what I had done, and what I would have done differently."

"Tia..."

"Never again," Celestia said, her foreleg wrapping around her sister and drawing her close. "I will never allow you to feel the way you did again as back then. You will be given the respect and dignity you deserve." She drew back, feeling Luna's own hoof fall from her side as she came back to all fours. "But you will have to work with me. I cannot make our citizens love you. You must reach out and communicate with them."

Luna gave a dry smile. "Not at one of your galas, I hope."

Celestia smiled, turning and continuing to walk.

"Actually, there's an event you might like in autumn..."

"Big sisters are not perfect, Flandre," Celestia said, with the vampire child sitting in rapt attention. "But we do love our little sisters. Perhaps..." Celestia's head turned, and Flandre stared into her eyes, seeming to understand her before the words actually left her lips. "Perhaps she is simply scared of losing you, the way I nearly lost my own for my negligence and ignorance."

Flandre stared in awe and wonder. At the same time, the burning behind her eyes had returned, and proceeded to spread down her cheeks. She looked down, surprised to see she had a hold on the golden chain belt around the princess' waist. She didn't have it in her head what to do next, it simply happened. She leaned forward, pressing her face against Celestia's chest, and grabbed onto her gown with her other hand. Celestia's own hands came around, resting on her back and head, and the blonde just sat there, silently allowing the tears to flow.

"She doesn't hate me, then..." she asked, a light tremor in her voice. "Remilia isn't ashamed of me?"

"I could not imagine why," Celestia soothed, stroking her back. "I don't think there is any sane girl in any world who hates her little sister."

The two just remained like that for some time, Flandre taking comfort in Celestia's embrace. There was a warmth there, a kind she had not experienced in many long years. Perhaps Meiling had ever been the closest at granting her that, but there was always a cautious element to it. With Celestia it was simple, unconditional and sincere, and after some time, Flandre smiled.

"Princess Celestia?"

The third voice drew the two's attention. Flandre glanced over her shoulder, still holding onto the woman. The little girl beheld another who had wings like the princess', albeit pink and violet tipped. Her hair, violet and pink and yellow, curled at the ends. A sleeveless, magenta gown flowing from a golden collar was her garb, snug at the top and falling into an open and flowing skirt below the waist. Like Celestia, she wore gauntlets and boots plated in gold; each sported a crystal heart cast into the metal at the feet and backs of the hands. A small crown was nestled in her hair with yet another one of those hearts set atop it. To wear such flashy clothes, the vampire child assumed quickly that she must have been important.

"Princess Cadance," Celestia said with a smile. The named princess bowed, and Flandre's company dismissed the gesture with a wave of her hand. "None of that now, we have no one around to impress with the show. I believe I am the one troubling you, at any rate."

"It's never any trouble to come and see my aunt," Cadance said warmly. She looked to Flandre, her smile increasing as she bent over to level with the girl. "Hello there. My name's Cadance. I'm the princess of the Crystal Empire, or, I will be soon. What's your name?"

Flandre studied her quietly, as if on the defensive. A moment ago, she had been engaged in a very vulnerable moment. Had this girl seen that? Did she know about her, and what she'd done? Most people who had encountered her did so during one of her games, where she cared more about having fun than anything else. Suddenly, in the middle of a heart to heart with another person, and no games to put between them, she felt incredibly vulnerable. Instinct made her seek out Cadance's Eye.

"It's alright," Celestia soothed. She shifted, taking one of the girl's hands and rising slowly with her. "You can introduce yourself, Cadance will not judge you."

Flandre turned, staring up to the towering woman. Taking a breath, she looked to their new guest.

"I'm Flandre," she said, her tone flat and wary.

"That's a very pretty name," she said, reaching a hand out to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Flandre reached out, carefully taking Cadance's into her own. There was a very light shake as the other girl giggled, and then gently parted hands with her. Standing upright, she looked to Celestia. "Is it okay to talk about this here, or do you want to go somewhere more private?"

"This isn't a conversation I'd prefer to have a child suffer through. If you don't mind, would you follow me as I escort her back to her room? We can discuss the situation afterwards."

"Awwww," Flandre groaned, looking up to Celestia with a pout. "I like it out here though."

"I know, Flandre, but I'm afraid I have to take care of this." Flandre's pout did not fade, and Celestia crouched beside her. "I'll tell you what. I have to have some people come in and fix up your room tomorrow. If you can promise me you'll behave, then every night, I'll come see you, and we can come out here. How does that sound?"

"Do you mean it?" Flandre found it within herself to grow excited. Celestia's smile grew.

"I do, and I'll teach you new games to play, ones that won't get you in such trouble."

"Alright!" Flandre could not stop herself from the little cheer. She giggled as her hat was placed back on her head, reaching up and adjusting it. For the first time in quite some time, she felt a sense of levity in her that did not come from danmaku. There was a strange peace she was not familiar with, and she liked it. Celestia's hand rose before her, and the vampire child took it without hesitation, walking astride the two princesses.

"Hey," Flandre said, looking up at the two with intrigue, "being a princess means there's a king or a queen already, right?"

"Well, that's the general idea, yes," Cadance said. "Why do you ask?"

"If you're in charge, shouldn't you be queens?"

Celestia and Cadance both exchanged looks, taken off guard by the statement. The two passed awkward smiles to one another, and Celestia gripped Flandre's hand a little more firmly.

"Tomorrow night, I'll tell you all about it."

Remilia Scarlet sat in the great hall of the Scarlet Devil Manor, reclining into what she deemed her throne, as grandiose as the house and its mistress were. In the massive room, filled with columns and laid with floors of marble, her great seat was the sole piece of furniture, nestled in its center. Stained glass windows, decades old and dyed in the color of her name, existed as if to mock the church that scorned her kind. The manor's mistress traced her finger over the black-stained mahogany of the arm, carved into the shape of a devil's claw wrapped around an onyx sphere. Red velvet cushions braced her as she leaned against the towering back of the seat, the mantle well over her head bearing wings, with a large crystal set into the hardwood from front to back. It was a masterpiece, suited only for the greatest of men, alive or dead.

For that exact reason, in a rare case of happenstance, Remilia felt dwarfed by the great seat. She rested with a teacup in her other hand, staring into the liquid circling around in the china, untouched by her lips. The circumstances of Flandre's appearance in this other world, this "Equestria", had been made known to her by the house magician and her friend, Patchouli Knowledge. As opposed to easing her nerves, she grew tenser than ever. The involvement of Yukari Yakumo had left her both irate and contemplative. This was no mere accident, it was a slap in the face from a woman as crafty as she was dangerous. Furthermore, her sister was involved, and she was willing to bet the news of other missing youkai were her doing as well. Perhaps the only boon to their situation had been the appearance of the winged girl known as Rainbow Dash. An audience was to be held with her within the hour, not that there was anything left to learn from the magician's scrying. No, it was now about how to use this foreigner to get what she wanted.

Remilia closed her eyes, setting the teacup aside on a small table beside her chair. She had no appetite or thirst, and thought only of her sister. It was true, Flandre had caused her great trouble in the past. The child's powers were beyond her own, although she would never admit it out loud. Remilia had only ever gotten the upper hand in controlling her because she did not succumb to the nature of a wild animal, because Flandre respected her as the eldest of the two sisters. Without anyone from the household who understood her, who knew just what her problems were, with no one there to intervene, she feared for the worst. True, the child was wiser about dealings with the outside world than she was nine years ago, after Remilia's own Scarlet Mist had been laid to rest; but she was so terribly naïve, and still lacked understanding on the full extent of what her powers could do - and why her games were anything but to those around her. It wasn't the potential for carnage being painted through Gensokyo that scared, but the repercussions of Flandre's actions and the punishment that could befall her little sister. With a month past, it was no about cost, no longer about concern of what the absent Hakurei shrine maiden would do when, or if, she ever reared her head again. Remilia, in the deepest part of her heart, simply wanted her little sister back safe and sound.

A knock came at the entryway, and the vampire's eyes snapped up. Taking a breath, she shifted to sit upright in her seat and display the posture of a lady. She still had her position to consider after all, it would not do to have anyone see her sulking. "You may enter," she called across the hall. The great twin doors opened with a groan of protest as the chief maid, Sakuya, approached, wheeling a small cart in front of her.

"It will not do Milady well to skip tea time," Sakuya said, the ghost of a smile on her lips. She was the only one of her servants, and a human at that, that Remilia would allow to address her in a manner that even hinted familiarity. Indeed, for her youth, she was clever. A perfect maid for the devil in scarlet.

"I'm certain your tea is exquisite as ever," she said, closing her eyes and lowering her head a little. "I've simply no taste for such pleasantries at the moment."

"Your concern for the little mistress is admirable, Milady. There are many who could learn from your example."

"Spare me the false flattery," Remilia said, looking to the great wooden doors across the room, cracked open now only ever so slightly. "My little sister has gone missing, and the only answer we have is the same stock one that keeps cropping up at every corner. I should find that witch and bleed her out."

"If your appetite is that great, then perhaps I should have brought you more for your morning meal." Sakuya approached the chair, a silver platter balanced atop her fingertips on one hand as she took the cold tea with the other. Once set, she pulled the lid and turned back to the cart. "I thought you might like something a bit heavier this today, so I took the liberty of preparing a steak, specially seasoned to your tastes, with a side of grilled vegetables. I'll have your wine in a moment."

Remilia sighed, staring at the meal. It looked exquisite, as she expected of her head maid. "I have a particular flavor of choice tonight, that's all." She turned forward, holding her hands out before her, gazing at her red painted nails as she balled them into fists. "Fate is mine to control. If I truly desired, I could have this entire world bow before the might of the Scarlet house. Instead, I can't even take proper care of the one blood relative I have in the entire world. When she's not drunk off of her own power, she's enraged. When the child's rage ebbs, only deep sadness remains... and I have no notion on how to console her, after five centuries. Now I may never get that chance."

"And yet you do not manipulate her fate to have a better life, Milady?"

Remilia's lips parted, prepared to scold the maid, but she held fast. Sakuya, her right hand in the house, knew exactly the restrictions that came with her capabilities, the two edges of the blade. To send an entire world reeling in merely one general direction took tremendous power, which she indeed boasted. Her flash was not without substance. However, as she had learned from experiments, aside from extensive use of her power driving her to exhaustion, fate was fickle and cruel all on its own. If left to its own devices, even something as noble as giving her sister a better life could have carried consequences the child did not deserve and that Remilia did not want. What if Flandre's 'better life' meant that Remilia would never see her again? True, another twist of fate would see it corrected, but she could return to her sister's side worse than ever before. A better life was a matter subject to anyone's interpretation, after all.

It was why she did not utilize such power during her very own Scarlet Mist Incident. Remilia could have very well steered Gensokyo under her rule, but it could have led down several paths. To become a ruin, to cost her the lives of those in her house... Perhaps she would have, if things were particularly bad, dominated the illusory world for a few minutes unchallenged, the Hakurei shrine maiden's blood on her lips and that gap youkai annihilated at her feet – just long enough for the barrier enclosing their world to shatter from its caretakers' demise.

No, to manipulate fate on her child sister would be far too cruel. She had resolved only to make use of that power in either situations where results could be seen quickly, or in the direst of circumstances. That option off the table, she leaned back in her seat and entertained her maid with a smile.

"A mere human, and yet you somehow know how to constantly stoke the flames in my mind. Are you certain we shouldn't go back and get you that immortal's liver?"

Sakuya approached again, setting a wine glass on the table, filled with a rich, rosy liquid with a rich bouqet.

"To serve you is the greatest honor I could ask, Lady Remilia. I fear a never ending life would only damper my enthusiasm on the experience." The silver-haired maid gave a flawless smile, folding her hands together in front of her apron. "So I will live this finite life to the fullest in your service."

Remilia, satisfied with her discussion with the chief maid, proceeded to eat. After all, her guest would be along soon enough, and she already had some expectations of what this foreigner's impression of her would be like. Nothing she had not encountered before, at any rate. The meal, as she assumed from that first glance, was delectable to the last morsel. The maid was as skilled in the kitchen as any other area of her job. With the meal behind her, Sakuya took her plate and left Remilia clutching the tall glass cradling her drink.

The liquid in the glass rippled.

"It seems our guest has arrived," Remilia remarked impassively, lifting the glass to her lips and taking a sip. The massive doors to the master room flew open and slammed back into the walls an instant later, and two familiar figures wrestled on the floor. Their guest, Rainbow Dash, was wrapped up in the hold of their gate guard, a foreign youkai the queen of the night had acquired during one of her trips in the outside world. Hong Meiling did not look to strain too greatly against the physical power of the winged woman, but she seemed to be having trouble keeping her grip. The 'pegasus', which Remilia could only scoff at the notion of, was continually wriggling out of her hands and being re-grabbed.

"Meiling, can't you keep her under control?" Sakuya chided the guard, who only looked to her with frustration at the situation.

"It's not quite as easy as all that, Miss Sakuya! Lady Remilia, sorry for the intrusion, just-WHOA!" She slammed her palms flat on the ground as Rainbow broke away and leapt into the air, spreading both wings and taking to the air unsteadily. Most of the feathers had grown back, no doubt thanks to Patchouli's masterful spell work, but the rainbow-headed girl clearly was having balance issues. Meiling capitalized, lunging at her prey like a tiger. She seized her, wrapping her legs around her waist and catching her in a headlock. The new weight and shift in balance sent the two crashing down to the floor, bouncing along the ground, finally coming to rest at the vampire's feet.

"You're making a fuss," Remilia remarked dryly, swirling the drink in its glass. "Could you perhaps stop embarrassing my guard long enough to speak with me like adults?"

"How about this?"Rainbow whipped her head up, clearly straining as she was held in place, but managing regardless. "Let me outta this creepy house! My friends are out there somewhere and your lackeys are just slowing me down!"

"Incredible," she said with a complete lack of emotion to back up the word. "You're as single-minded as Patchy said." Setting her wine glass aside on the table, Remilia rose to her feet. "Let her go, Meiling."

"Huh? My lady, you-"

"Now."

Rainbow Dash was released that second, Meiling rising and straightening out the green china dress that had been twisted around her frame in the struggle. Her red hair was all over her face, and the white pants had a tear in the knee. She reached up and patted at her head, blinking and looking around quickly as if she had lost something.

"Here," Sakuya said aside, already holding the object she sought. Meiling smiled broadly, taking her green hat from the maid and dusting off the gold star pin on its front before donning it again.

"As for you," Remilia said, her attention on Rainbow Dash as she approached her guest, "I'd say you owe us a little gratitude for saving your life. I could have left you to the creatures around the lake if I felt like it."

Rainbow looked down at her, taken aback. She leaned over, getting a good look at her. "Kid, not that I don't appreciate and all, but I don't think you understand just how important what I gotta do is."

"If it involves that fox and her mistress, then we have a common dilemma." Remilia reached up, placing a finger on her nose and, with ease, pushing her back. The vampire watched the ex-pegasus stagger a couple of feet before righting herself. "And don't call me 'kid', brat."

"You rotten little-"

"Stow your temper," she ordered, her hands set firm on her hips. The Scarlet Devil's wings spread and she lifted off the ground, beating them gently in the air to hover at eye level with the alien girl. "I know all about what you've been through at the hands of my little sister, and for that, the Scarlet household extends its sincerest regrets and apologies. However, allow me to remind you that she is my little sister, and not the only one who has the means to use considerable force." Her eyes widened as she cocked her head back, pupils narrowed to slits. "I come seeking your cooperation in setting things right, but I will feed well if you push me. I suggest you weigh your words carefully in my presence, Rainbow Dash."

It was a moment of tense silence. Meiling watched alongside Sakuya, the former fretting more than the latter, as they waited out the result. With her teeth grit and fists clenched, Rainbow seemed apt to go the hard route. However, she sniffed and stood upright - rigid, but not prepared to lunge as she had been just seconds ago.

"So what do I call you?"

"Remilia Scarlet," she said, easing the intimidating visage from her face to one of nonchalance. Folding her wings against her back, she touched down gracefully on the floor, turning her back to her guest and returning to her seat. "I have a proposition for you, one that may yet work to our mutual benefit."

"I'm listening," Rainbow responded curtly.

"Patchouli has told me that you have impressive speed. Would you say so yourself?"

"Are you kiddin' me?" Rainbow tossed her head to one side, closing her eyes. "No one's faster than me in all of Equestria. You want quick, you're looking at the right girl."

"We'll need quick for this to work." The vampire sat down, crossing one leg over the other and touching her fingertips together. "Flandre is swift and powerful in her own right, but it's clear that you are faster still, even bearing dead weight. At the moment, I have Patchouli researching a way to bridge the gap between worlds. My goal is simple, I want my little sister back. I don't give a damn about your fanciful little world full of happy endings, you can keep that. However, she may not be led so easily. For that, we'll need an... engaging playmate for her."

Rainbow stared at Remilia, allowing the words to sink in, before her eyes widened, alarm and offense painted on her face.

"You want me to be bait?"

"If you want to call yourself that."

"Are you serious? She carved a new gorge into the plains under Cloudsdale! My friend and I nearly got ourselves killed just trying to get away from her! She's your little monster, why don't you go after her?!"

"I will warn you only once," Remilia said, her tone suddenly becoming grave. A hellish glow came to her scarlet eyes, and she saw Rainbow Dash flinch beneath her gaze. "Be mindful of the words you choose about my sister." There was a dead silence between them, hanging for a time until the mistress of the house closed her eyes. "Flandre has a unique ability that poses a threat even to me in certain ways. By finding the Eye of an object, she can annihilate it, consequentially destroying her target completely in turn. I'm certain she must have demonstrated it for you. However, like any power, there are limitations and stipulations. In Flandre's case, she must be able to perceive the Eye.

"There are two key ways in which that perception can be blocked. In the first, and the rarest, case, it must be clouded from her sight. Aside from smoke or debris, this would require someone of exceptional spiritual power to be able to interfere with her ability to find their Eye. However, even that may only delay matters, if she can weaken them enough. I doubt even those princesses in your world could completely block out her ability, so it falls to our second option.

"The second way to prevent being reduced to a fine pulp by my little sister's skill is for her simply not to be able to focus. When Flandre takes interest in something, it's locked, and she targets it specifically. However, if she can be frustrated or thrown off - perhaps, in this case, unable to keep an eye on her target long enough to find that point - then their greatest threat comes from her raw power itself."

"And you want me to do that," Rainbow stated, her tone flat. "You're not making a real good argument on why I should care. That little sister of yours almost killed me and someone I know. What do you think's gonna happen when our princesses get hold of her? She may be tough, but between the two of them, there's no chance."

"I'm afraid I don't know enough about your princesses' powers from what was gleaned from your memories." Remilia's eyes narrowed further. "But if they are all that stands between my sister and annihilating everything you love for her personal enjoyment, then I can only imagine how high the bodies will stack before they leap into action, let alone track her down." Rainbow Dash seemed alarmed by that, and Remilia leaned forward in her seat. "Is that foolish pride out of your eyes now, Rainbow Dash? I don't give a damn about how much greater I am than you right now, or what happens to your paltry little world. I want my little sister back, and you want to return to a home not painted with the innards of your friends and family alike. Whether you are on board or not matters little to me, but it would make things easier for us both in the long run."

The vampire stared at the winged girl before her, one hard gaze colliding with the other across the way. Except for the breath of the living, there was utter silence.

"I want to find my friends, first," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm not leaving Gensokyo without them."

Remilia gave her a fanged grin, leaning back and resting in her great seat. "I will grant you that. However, you will require an escort." The vampire's eyes flicked to her servants, studying them both in silence for a moment. "Meiling, in the morning, I want you to take her to the human village. Keep an eye on her, and ensure that nothing unfortunate happens to our guest."

Sakuya looked somewhat taken aback, but remained still and silent. The Chinese guardian merely bowed at the waist.

"You can count on me, Lady Remilia," she said.

"I expect I can," she said. "Do you have any further concerns, Rainbow Dash?"

"No," she said, jamming her hands into her pants pockets. "Though feels like I just made a deal with the devil."

"Don't worry, I don't have a taste for souls." Remilia flashed her fangs in a grin. "I suggest you be off. Daybreak a few hours out, and I expect you'll have a little trouble flying on those fragile wings as it is. It would serve us all poorly if you had to crash into a tree or something like that."

Without a word, Rainbow Dash turned and walked to the door, somewhat angrily it appeared. Remilia couldn't say she was surprised, she had been warned of the girl's ego. However, in a battle of charisma and personal glory, not only was she a guest in the household, but Remilia would simply not accept a defeat. Meiling bowed one more time before following their alien guest. As the doors shut with a heavy thud, the nightwalker looked upon the remains of her drink in the half-empty glass. "Sakuya, more wine."

"Of course, Milady." Sakuya moved with purpose, approaching Remilia's seat with a decanter filled with her drink of choice in hand. As Remilia held the glass out, her human servant poured.

"You shouldn't take offense to being kept here, Sakuya."

She made no immediate move, though her brows knit together. As she finished pouring the drink the maid set the glass vessel aside, taking a submissive knee before her mistress and lowering her head. "Milady..."

"You will have your time to take the front again, but I need you here now."

"I simply do not understand. Meiling is the guardian of the manor's gate. I am more accustomed to work in the human village, and if this situation escalates-"

"Then that is exactly why I will need you here." Remilia asserted her position. Leaning forward, she slid her free hand down and cupped Sakuya's chin, turning her maid's eyes upon her own visage. "It has been some time since I've let you spread your wings, I am entirely aware of that, but now is not the time. When things escalate, I need my right hand at my side. Let any insignificant youkai dare trespass on these grounds, I am in the mood to... play, as my sister would put it. What will come later, however, our best foot will have to go forward. When the time comes, I need you and Patchouli well prepared."

"Lady Remilia," Sakuya said, gazing with wonder at her mistress, "have you deduced the cause of this?"

"No," Remilia said, her hand withdrawing from the human's face. She sat back in her chair with her fingers laced together, gazing contemplatively over the great hall. "I have no inkling of how this will all play out in the end, but in the years we have resided here, there has been no incident like this one. Indeed, I believe that what we are about to face will be one of the greatest trials the Scarlet household has ever been presented with. We'll have our work cut out for us."

"And the little mistress?"

"I don't know," Remilia said firmly. "But if she's being utilized as a pawn in this game, then I will make that old woman suffer a thousandfold." Remilia took a deep breath, before her head turned to Sakuya. "I will only ask you this once. Knowing all this, can I count on your support?"

Sakuya gazed at her in disbelief, no doubt caused by the question her mistress had posed her. Finally, a smile grew upon her lips, and she bowed her head.

"Even if I could turn the clock back so far, Milady, I would still choose to remain in your service. You have all of my skills at your disposal, now and always."

Remilia chuckled, closing her eyes and reclining against the seat. "Good. Now, go. I would like some time to myself before dawn." Remilia listened to the sound of her chief maid's skirt ruffling as she stood; the clicking of her heels across the marble floor and the creak of the cart as it was wheeled away. The hinges of the great doors sang out in protest as they opened for, and banged closed as they were shut, leaving the mistress of the manor to herself and her thoughts.

The smile on her lips faded, and her eyes opened. Remilia, her face solemn, stood and took to the air. The vampire soared over the floor of the cavernous room and up to the windows toward the tops of the walls where there was ample view of Gensokyo through the colored glass. Looking out upon the landscape, her eyes fell upon the reflection of the half-moon on the Misty Lake.

No, she thought to herself, eyes narrowed. I suppose if a little pep talk were all that could alleviate these feelings, I would be an even more miserable excuse for a sister. Fate is such an insignificant tool when you get down to it. Even when it's manipulated, there are so many variables. She reached out, setting her palm flat against the chilled glass. However, I will decree this much. Crimson energy crackled to life around her opposite hand, as she envisioned so very vividly the sight of plunging Gungnir through the face of this incident's culprit. For using my sister like this, however you your final moments play out, they will be the most painful, humiliating ones of your life.

Rarity awoke from perhaps the deepest slumber of her life. Gazing straight up at the canopy draped over the bed, she inhaled deeply and smiled. She had been up late speaking with Satori, an act that did her heart a great lot of good. The youkai... no, the young lady, had been more than a proper host to her, and a shoulder of support in her current trial. They compared tales of their experiences, familial and otherwise, and the fashionista had learned an extensive amount about the workings of the Underground. Why, the lady of the house had even been kind enough to explain danmaku to her and demonstrate a bit of it with a brilliant lightshow that did well to lift her spirits. It was only when she began to doze in her seat that the heart-reader had Orin escort her to her room, and what a room it was. A hearth burned in waiting for her, filling the room with comforting warmth. Night clothes had been laid out, and a luxurious bed had been prepared that made even her own back home seem like some dusty old cot. Rarity allowed herself to sink into the plush material with a little wiggle, almost lamenting that she would have to get up.

She thought so, at any rate. There were no clocks in the room. In fact, she had not seen proper daylight since before she had arrived in Gensokyo. She hadn't exactly asked how they told time so far Underground, though she didn't doubt a timepiece existed somewhere in the place. That would have simply been too strange. Rallying her strength, and what she considered a great amount of personal discipline to sacrifice such a fabulous position, she sat up and gave herself a moment to stretch. Whatever time it was, she was most certainly well rested. Any aches and pains from the previous day would simply be dealt with, she had to get back on the search. Sliding from the bed and to her feet, she strode across the room to an armchair where bathing supplies had been left for her the night before in a wicker basket.

She should really think about opening a hotel, Rarity mused to herself, gathering the basket in her arms as she made for the hallway. Service like this would get her five stars, easily. Though, I do suppose creating a subterranean tourist industry would have some challenges. She carried on in this line of thought as she walked the grandiose halls of the home, following the directions she had been given the night before. It was somewhat embarrassing to think about, that she had gone to bed without a bath. How unladylike of her, how rude it must have seemed to Satori. Well, that would be no issue in a moment, as she drew back the door and gasped.

Laid out before her was perhaps the most fantastic bathing area she had seen outside of Canterlot. Resembling the style of the ponies from Japon she had read up on for a Far East Fashion Fling, there were separate areas for actual washing of the body, and a tub to soak in after one was finished with the actual preening. Of course there were accommodations made for their different body types, but it was large and in part the same. The floor was not merely laid in marble, but an entire marble slab - no doubt a benefit of the home's location - and gold laid decorations decorated the walls and tub, depicting what appeared to be several different creatures in a very stylized manner.

In fact, as she thought about it, many of the buildings and youkai she had passed in the Underground had clothes and architecture nearly identical to Japon's. She pondered for a moment, before shrugging and stepping inside. It would merit study later, but she was dying to soak her tired muscles and aching bones.

Rarity stripped down and folded her clothes, setting them in a wicker basket by the entryway in preparation for a cleansing ritual. As she took part in its rites, she pondered over all that had occurred thus far in her experience in Gensokyo. It was a fantastic world in several ways. The problem lay in the assault on her own world. Yukari had made little absolutely clear to them in her announcement that month ago, but of particular note was motive. As far as her sudden relocation to Gensokyo, no one else knew why everything was happening.

It was all rather bizarre in the grand scheme of things, really.

As she finished lathering and rinsing, with particular care around her side where she had been grazed by Yamame's danmaku, she moved to the tub itself. It was mammoth, if she were being modest. No surprise, considering there had been several wash stations where she had cleaned a moment ago. She set foot into the steaming waters and waded in, moving to a wall and lowering herself gingerly into the bath. It stung initially where it touched her side but the pain melted away as she leaned back, sighing in content and smiling.

"A lady could get used to this," she muttered, looking to a carving of some kind of devil's head, watching water flow from its fanged maw. Returning to her thoughts, the fashionista tried to gather up the events in her mind and piece them all together. Really, it was all very absurd and poorly put together in the grand scheme of things. Rarity had planned parties of her own and held events, been part of fashion shows and the like, and she knew that loose ends could unravel the entire ensemble. She may not have been able to act in her current position, but it was all so awkwardly spaced. Why had Rainbow Dash alone been involved with whatever had injured Gilda and herself? It would have made more sense for other assailants to be sent to their homes in the dark of night, when their defenses were at their lowest, where they were the most separated from one another. A month's wait, too, was an awfully long time. Was it cockiness, or was something else going on? Furthermore, her own situation considered, Rarity was extremely fortunate. Off the top of her head alone she could think of a dozen places worse she could have wound up. Overlooking a rocky start, she had instead been given more help than she ever expected. What of her friends, then? She backpedaled immediately, wondering if they had been taken at all, but that would have made even less sense than everything else. Fluttershy fell before she did, and the other two were in poor condition. Better to assume the worst that they were all in Gensokyo, somewhere. So the next logical step in questioning was if her friends, too, been so fortunate, or was it a simple game of chance?

No, however that woman moved, her actions were deliberate. Each of those strange holes had a purpose that day they met in the Everfree Forest, not unlike the spells the unicorns could cast. Was it really all the entire fiasco was? Some game to kill time for someone utterly bored? Why go to all the trouble, then, of transforming them, equipping them with the means and mindsets to survive?

Rarity groaned in frustration, reaching up and pinching her the bridge of her nose. Perhaps she was not cut out for this detective work. Twilight had more of the mind for it, and Pinkie most certainly had the interest. She wondered how her friends in Equestria were doing. Certainly by that point, there must have been a ruckus raised about her disappearance, and the others' as well. She resolved that she would save the rest of the heavy thought for after a morning meal. Rarity hoped Satori had something of a more vegetarian alignment.

It was only as she began to relax that she felt a distant rumble through the floor, causing the bath waters to rock back and forth. Shaken from her own little world, she wondered briefly what had caused that before taking notice of the sound of footsteps coming right up behind her. Rarity turned just in time to feel hands come down on her head and shoulder. All at once she was went down, smacking her head on the side of the tub before she was submerged. Rarity's ears rang from the impact, and for all that should have been obvious, up and down were directions of question. Her head above her right ear stung and throbbed all at once, and she made the mistake of trying to breathe, which sent her immediately into a coughing fit that rapidly worsened her situation. She began to kick and splash, trying to wrench free, but the effort was futile. The grip of her assailant was far too strong, and she feared the worst.

My wand... it's with my clothes! Damn it all, if I could just get my hands on it... The thought pattern repeated in her mind as things took a turn for the worst. Her chest burned and her senses dulled. The tailor had no idea how much longer she had, but she would be done for with certainty if she simply quit. She wished desperately for her horn as she tried to pry the fingers off her head; her hand was knocked away for her trouble, however, and her assailant pushed harder than before to keep her under. No matter how she struggled, she simply lacked the raw physical power to free herself.

If I could just use my magic...!

It happened faster than she could explain it. There was a bright flash that shone through the water, and all at once she felt a familiar, slender shape in her left hand. She recognized its aura, felt its connection to her, and knew she had her wand - and with it, an opportunity. She envisioned the nearest things that would be available to her - the bathing supplies scattered about the room – and as her light blue aura engulfed her horn, she felt the weight of the objects as if they were in her hand. Rarity's struggles ceased just long enough to focus and fling the objects with her best guesses, relying on the sensation of the pull in her wand to guide her shots. It was disheartening to only barely hear several dull thunks and thuds above the surface. Only after several seconds of gambled shots, the grip on her body slackened and she was released. Twisting away, the once-unicorn pressed her feet against the flat of the bath wall and pushed off as hard as her legs were able. Rarity launched herself through the water and finally surfaced in the center of the tub, gasping frantically for air. She heaved as the air filled her lungs as the water was expelled from her body. Resting her weight on her arms, she took time to compose herself. She needed to gather her bearings. She'd have to act fast, as she heard something soaring at her from behind.

Rarity ducked back into the water, narrowly avoiding a strike of some kind, moving as far as she could beneath its surface. As soon as she was certain it was clear, the fashionista broke the water's surface and slogged her way to the edge, barely keeping her footing as she reached the steps and exited the bath. Twisting to face her opponent, she covered herself with her hands.

She stared down twins, it seemed, identical to the last hair on their heads. One stood by where she had been soaking before, and the other hovered over the water, holding her hand out as if ready to strike. Blonde, with pointed ears, glowing green eyes, and the two were dressed-

There would be time for that later, it seemed, as spheres of energy suddenly shot from the two's hands, forcing the sopping wet girl to duck to the floor. This didn't seem like the danmaku before, if the explosive force that rocked the wall behind her was any indicator. No, these were straight magical energy attacks, and the second one was launched squarely at her torso. Rarity lunged out of the way, rolling on the ground as it soared by where she had been, before scrambling on hands and feet toward the doorway. She could already see one of the two flying in the corner of her eye, attempting to outrace her to the door. The only sounds she could make out were guttural growls, with no remote indication of any intent other than spilling her blood. She turned her eyes to the basket by the door and grimaced. To live for fashion was one thing, but she would hardly die for it. Focusing her energy into her wand, her blouse shot from the basket, slamming into the blonde's face and wrapping around it. Her foe continued to fly as she tore at the fabric, successfully shredding it to ribbons. Vision returned too late however, and the girl collided violently with the wall, exploding into green light before vanishing entirely.

Rarity would not wait for the other to make her move, making only a small concession in spellbinding her remaining clothes so that they would hover in place before the door. She literally ran into her skirt and bra, waiting exactly as she needed them to be in mid-air, her bra securing itself around her chest and skirt zipping shut at her hip while she tore out of the room and around the corner.

The world shook again, and this time, Rarity could hear a hellish scream of agony and fury. From the window in the grand hallway she could see a fiery ray shoot up from the ground, erasing all it touched. It pierced the cavernous roof above the Underground, boring through it as if it were nothing. When the ray faded, the smoke was sucked out of the hole as if to fill a vacuum in the space, and Rarity could clearly see the faintest touches of blue sky. Whatever was happening, things were wildly out of control.

She had made a mistake, however, one she realized too late; she had stopped to gawk instead of continuing to run. The feral shriek behind her saved her as she turned to face her green-eyed assailant. The woman slammed slamming into her and gripping her arms, the sharpened nails at the ends of her fingers puncturing Rarity's flesh. The force had them both soaring now, but it gave Rarity a chance to get a look at her attacker. She gazed at her rage-written face and shuddered, feeling the same oppressive sensation as she did the moment she had touched down on the bridge the night before. Was this magic? She thought she saw something else. However, before she could identify it, the ex-unicorn was slammed into a wall, gasping for air as it rushed from her lungs and she felt something crack within. The grip tightened on her arms, and beneath the raging woman's palms, a green glow came to life. It felt as if her arms were being set ablaze under the attacker's touch.

Rarity responded in kind, twisting her arm and thrusting her horn at her foe's face. Her head merely cocked to the side, ignoring the stick. Fine enough, as the tailor poured her own power into the tool, focusing on the foe's intricate trappings, quickly analyzing every stitch and fold in the eccentric clothes. The Equestrian girl loosened the red threads at the base of her attacker's skirt, weaving them skillfully together. They were wrapped and tightened around the youkai's thighs until her legs were drawn and bound together. Raising a foot, she kicked the animalistic girl square in the chest and sent her stumbling away, barely able to keep herself upright. Ignoring the searing pain in her arms, she continued her work. Next would be the sash and overcoat. The former of the two was pulled completely free of the blonde's body as her coat flew open until the fabric was taut. Rarity willed the overcoat closed, utilizing every inch of slack in the sleeves and torso until the beastly girl's arms were pressed tight at her sides. The sash itself had to be torn in half, each segment splitting to immobilize her arms and upper body. Finally, the scarf, relocated to her ankles to ensure that was the end of her pursuit.

With pain renewed in her side and back, to match new wounds and the sweat pouring down her frame, Rarity's legs crumpled beneath her. She dropped to sit against the wall, chest heaving with heavy breaths. It was all she could do to push the pain back as she listened to the bestial shrieks of the blonde. What was wrong with her? She was the first youkai who Rarity encountered in such animalistic form. Even the looks she received from others walking through the town beyond the palace were, at worst, condescending. It was as if she were possessed, a novel idea in and of itself for a creature considered a monster by their outside world.

Rarity's rest would be short-lived, however, as she saw the glow again. The clothes around the attacker's hands began to burn as she lifted her head, locking that hateful glare onto her target. The fashionista's own eyes widened in alarm, and a sense of urgency swelled with. The house guest was on her feet in a second, sprinting down the hall in spite of the pain from the new injury. She was going to destroy her own clothes to get to her. Rarity had only bought herself a fleeting moment or two; she had to get Satori's help.

As she ran along the checkered floor, she counted herself fortunate in forgoing her hosiery, ruined as they were at any rate. She broke hard the second she turned the corner, coming to a complete stop. Panting heavily, she gazed at a molten chasm she would have thrown herself into had she failed to halt. A great hole had burnt through the lower floors of the palace, from the earth below and out the building entirely. No doubt it had been put there there after that last powerful blast. Past the sound of fire and roar of scorching air, a faint, agonized shriek was caught on the wind. Rarity staggered back, turning around only to see her attacker with her forearms free, clawing at the rest of her binding clothes. As the earth began to shake again, Rarity took a slow, deliberate breath and readied her wand, her aura spreading up her arm.

"No options any longer I suppose," she said to no one, watching the green-eyed woman tear away the scarf around her legs and crawl to her feet. Her foe leapt from the floor, taking to the air and shooting at Rarity with single-minded fury. "But you won't have me without a fight! Come at me, you beast!"