And so, we meet here for the final installment of this book, the epilogue of I-Negative Bullet.

I'm a little late, I know... Originally, I thought I would be able to write this chapter in two days or so, but everything kept getting in my way, school, friends, family, work... Yeah. And that's why we are here now. Thanks for bearing with me...

That's all I have to say... So let's move on to what you have to say! That's right... For the last time in this book, I'm doing review time~ Weeeh~ *fireworks, music and confetti!*

Anon... Thanks for pointing out those two mistakes... I fixed them right after reading your review. I agree with you... I sometimes prefer dark endings as well. It's not always necessary to have a "happy ending"... I, for my part, love happy endings with a hidden, dark message... *whistles innocently*

StupidityNowOffersWisdom... Here's the epilogue, hope you'll enjoy~ And soon, very soon, we'll be diving into the sequel. I planned it out, and from tomorrow on, I'll be writing on it! But before the sequel, there is another story I want to write, so... bear with me, alright? Shouldn't take too long.

Nicolas Crossworth... A huge, gigantic review... I expected no less from you. It always fills my heart with glee to see your long reviews, even though half of it is always you pointing out my stupid mistakes xD

I keep it short from my side this time, though. While I wrote the final fight and the "return to sender" strategy, I was reminded of his very first spellcard in this story, but I didn't want to use it. I think Chôzen has left that spellcard behind, since he has many more powerful spellcards now. I'm not going to abandon that spellcard, though... There is a long way to go until the end of the Negative Bullet Project, and I am sure he'll need it again. Just not now.

Of course I meant "respective weapons"... Geez, how the hell did I turn that into "responsible weapons"?!

I hope that Nanatsu and Rumia seemed to be of more use during the final fights... Not only against Yuuka. My goal was to implement them, to show Chôzen that he wasn't alone and to protect him... I hope I managed to let it appear that way.

Goddamn it, it happened again?! And I was so sure that I had managed to get rid of that "-ed" mistake... Geez, they appear where they shouldn't, grah!

...Sorry for that "Legend of Zelda" boss weakness. I just had to do it xD.

And there is that time mistake again... Gah, will have to look out for those. Happens to me sometimes. And about that part with Chôzen being able to fly... I think I mentioned somewhere that Mima's dark magic prevented flight. *goes back to find that part*

I know the part with everyone teaming up was cliche, but it's an awesome cliche. And yes, Final Fantasy Advent Children *chuckles*

What really touched me about your review was how well you described the final fight between Chôzen and Mima... I almost teared up. And that in school!

How did ya like Yuuka's letter, hm? I've been dying to reveal that secret ever since I came up with it!

And then, there's that final misunderstand and the final fight, Mima and Chôzen against the group that Chôzen had been part of before. But of course, Nanatsu, Rumia and Yuuka were there to back their loved ones up.

White? YES!

And yes, Good End No. 1!

...So much about keeping my reply short.

puuur... Thanks for putting this into your favorites~ Hope you'll wait for the sequel~

Tez7... Epic misunderstandings are epic! Well... most of them... *is almost hit by a rocket*

Alright! And so... After the last review time of this book... We go straight for the epilogue! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well... It is the last one of this book.

Let's start the end, shall we~?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Touhou/Project Shrine Maiden, as it belongs to ZUN. However, Chôzen Gekido (and his responsible personalities), Nanatsu no Taizai, Ryoko Jigoku, Shiho Kumo, Kayako Saeki Henge, Minoue and Sly do belong to me, as for I have created them.

Epilogue: Green Sunset ~ Green Sorrow

I awoke finally as the rays of sunlight tickled my nose and disturbed my sleep. It was hard to open my eyes; for a moment, they felt like they were glued close. But eventually, they did open as I forced them to, only to close immediately again as bright sunlight invaded my light-sensitive eyes.

Growling in discomfort, I pushed myself up into a sitting position. The bed creaked under me as I moved, the soft blanket fell off me as I shook my body. It felt numb and I still felt exhausted... What had happened? Where was I? The last thing I remember is...

Oh, right. Mima... And then...

I opened my eyes again, and even though they still burned as they were exposed to light, I could finally make out my surroundings. The bed I had awoken and still laid in had white sheets, a white blanket and a fluffy, soft, white pillow that had an imprint of my head in it. The bed I laid in was western-styled and resembled those beds you find in what humans call a 'hospital'.

And that was where I was in. Eirin's clinic in Eientei. I recognized the light wooden planks the ground was made of, the distinct smell of disinfectants and medicine in the air, and most of all, I remembered the bamboo just outside the open window before me.

I rose from the bed, only to almost fall flat onto my face, my legs still weak and wobbly. My hands found the window sill and held onto it, stopped my fall, and allowed me to pull myself to the window. As I finally stood in front of it, I leaned a bit out of it, took a deep breath. The air was fresh and clean, had a soft and sweet smell to it...

The nightmare was over. Mima was defeated. Gensokyo was safe.

"Look at that! Sleeping beauty finally awoke..." I wasn't surprised or shocked as I heard the voice mocking me, merely turned back to face the room. The owner of the voice sat on a desk chair made of dark wood and turned into my direction as she spoke. I watched as she rubbed her eyes, dark circles underneath them testament of the countless sleep-deprived nights of work she went through. "Eirin.", I greeted curtly.

The lunar pharmacist let out a deep sigh as she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, placed one arm over her stomach while the other one still rested on the desk aside her. "So, doctor... What's the result?", I asked mockingly.

Eirin just shook her head in disapproval, but then took a deep breath. "Several broken bones, including those of arms, shoulder, fingers and legs. It was a miracle that you could fight against the others, let alone Mima. Aside that, damage of internal organs, including a completely destroyed spleen, a damaged lung and a squashed gut... You could be considered lucky to be alive. If it weren't for you being an exalted Youkai, the combination of those things would've killed you. Mima got you good.", sneered Eirin, leaning onto her right arm.

"Indeed she did.", I muttered and turned back to look outside the window. "Interestingly, none of these things were responsible for your unconsciousness... The only reason why you collapsed was your exhaustion.", huffed the pharmacist and rose out of her seat, stretched her limbs and rolled her neck, only to sit down again.

"Really?", I growled, sent her an annoyed glance, "How's my condition now?" Eirin rose an eyebrow at me, then shrugged and picked up a small notebook. "Your gut healed on it's own over the course of the days, it wasn't in a too bad condition. Your lung recovered as well. However, about your spleen...", the pharmacist looked up and sighed.

"It took me few different drugs and a whole lot of the moon's technology to rebuild it. You don't even want to know where I found parts of it... Can you believe that a part of it had wandered all the way down into your...!" "I don't want to know, you're right.", I quickly intervened, shook my hands in an attempt to stop her. She shrugged. "Suit yourself. I thought it was pretty interesting." I shuddered at the thought of where that thing went, glared out of the window again and huffed.

"Your bones are all fine. They repaired themselves during the last few days.", continued the pharmacist and put the notebook down onto the desk again. As she did, I finally noticed something. "Last few days?", I repeated cautiously. "Ah. You don't even known... I can relate, but oh well...", she chuckled and shrugged, "It's been four and a half days since your fight with Mima. A lot has happened, you know?"

"All in all, I can say that you're one of my luckier patients. But that seems to run in the family."

"Family?", I asked and glanced over my shoulder. At this, Eirin gave me a flabbergasted stare and nodded slowly. "Of course... Don't tell me you didn't know?", asked the pharmacist. "Didn't know what?", I asked. "That your wife, Nanatsu, was pregnant?"

Silence. Absolute, extreme, uncomfortable, damn silence. Before it clicked in my head.

"WHAT?!", I bellowed and turned to the lunar pharmacist, who stared at me with a surprised expression. "You didn't know? Oh my, then I am quite happy to tell you that it's a girl. Quite a cutie.", smiled Eirin.

I found no words as I continued to stare at Eirin. Each time I made an attempt to comment this, the words just vanished inside my head, blurred before I had the chance to utter them, and so all that left my mouth was a mess of incomprehensible words.

At least until something finally made sense. "Where is Nana?!", I shouted, pushed myself away from the window and began to wobble towards Eirin and the door, only for the lunar pharmacist to run towards me. She caught me as I almost fell over, groaned and let out an annoyed huff.

"Calm down! I was joking! Your wife has been here during the past days along with your other wife,as well as Yuuka Kazami and Mima Kazami... They left this morning. Neither of them is truly hurt...And none of them was pregnant!", snarled Eirin as she pushed me onto the nearest bed, "Keep calm! It isn't good for your health if you're going crazy now!"

I stared at her with something that was neither shock nor anger... Confusion, I guess. "But then what did you mean with 'in the family'...?!", I asked. Eirin took a deep breath and let herself fall back into her chair, rubbed her temples. "Didn't think you'd get this worked up just because of a small joke...", she muttered under her breath, before she pointed past her shoulder towards the door behind me.

"If you promise to keep it low, I can allow you to leave now. Promise me to not exhaust yourself again... Next time, I may not be able to pull that piece of spleen out of your...!" "Don't say it!", I growled and pushed myself off the bed. "Look, keep it low, rest as much as possible.", sighed Eirin again, waved it off.

I nodded, then began to make my way over to the door, only to be interrupted by Eirin again as she grabbed my wrist all of sudden and stopped me. "Also, there is someone who wants to see you... She's in the room down the corridor. Just promise me to not get her riled up... She's in a bad state, but alive and will survive it.", smiled the pharmacist, and then let go of my wrist, only to turn back to her desk.

"Oh, and... I hope you can pay the treatment. It wasn't exactly cheap... And someone has to pay for the damages that this attack of the undead caused...", muttered Eirin, swinging her pen a bit as she scanned through the notes on her notebook. "Damages?", I asked. "Yeah. See for yourself... That door.", murmured the pharmacist, not even really paying attention to me.

I stared into the direction she had pointed, frowned at the door that I found there. It looked perfectly fine, so whatever Eirin had referred to was behind that door. I shrugged, made my way over to the door and opened it just enough for my head to fit through. My gaze turned left and right... And I found that the corridor was in a bad condition, large holes in the collapsed corridor, and dead bodies scattered all throughout it.

With a huge sweatdrop, I pulled my head back and closed the door. "The bodies are still in there?", I chuckled uneasily. "Ah, you probably don't know, but... The Hakurei Maiden, Yakumo and Enma-sama herself decided that it would be Mima's punishment to put those bodies back into their respective graves... All on her own, and without the use of magic.", chuckled Eirin with a sadistic undertone.

I rolled my eyes, even though I noted to myself that Mima's punishment could've been worse. It was a surprise for me that Mima's punishment was that simple... Considering what she had done, her punishment could've been worse. Then again, Gensokyo was full of these corpses...

"Serves her right, I guess.", I chuckled uneasily, before I turned to the door, ready to leave the lab of Eirin. But Eirin stopped me once more, had one hand around my wrist as she frowned at the picture that laid in front of her. "You might consider putting on some clothes before you leave...", suggested the pharmacist without even looking up, yet she let go of my hand again.

I froze, then looked down. To my shock, I found that Eirin was right... My chest wasn't covered at all, save for some bandages. The shoulder armor had been removed, and so had the belt around my right leg been. I wasn't wearing my jeans, only some kind of skirt. Who the hell thought it was funny to put a skirt on me?!

At least I still wore the necklace Shinki had given me, as well as the bracelets from Byakuren.

"Your pants are over there...", murmured Eirin, pointing towards another window, and I quickly stumbled towards it. I grabbed my jeans, got rid of that pink, frilly skirt, and put my pants on again. Still, I couldn't relax, considering that I was still lacking my shirt. "Where's my shirt, Eirin?", I huffed. "Your wife took it with her... Said she'll fix it.", grumbled the lunar pharmacist. Whatever she saw on that picture, it seemed to bother her.

"Besides, I highly suggest you not to put on a shirt... Your wounds could open up any time again, and I'm sure you don't want to ruin your shirt again. You should continue wearing these bandages I put on you... At least for today...", continued Eirin.

I growled and bit down on my tip, a little uncomfortable with the fact that my torso wasn't covered by anything but some bandages, but decided to ignore it eventually. It was time to leave, anyways. A visit to the Hakurei Shrine seemed to be reasonable.

But the moment that I was about to open the door to leave the room, Eirin's hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and stopped me for another time.

"I need a second opinion here...", muttered the lunar pharmacist, then picked the picture up and turned to me, upon which I finally could make it out to be an x-ray image.

"Do you see this little thing here?", she asked as she pointed to a certain point on the x-ray image with an overly serious face, "Can you believe that this is a part of your spleen?"

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!"

"That nerve of that woman...!", I growled as I shut the door to Eirin's lab behind me with just a little bit too power. "Good morning.", greeted my Flame-Soul, though with a lot of sarcasm. "Not exactly morning, is it?", I sighed and rolled my neck. "You've been out for four and a half days... Why can't I greet you like you've been asleep? Besides, I'm kind of relieved that Gensokyo still exists, and that I am still alive as well."

"True.", I chuckled and looked down the corridor. I was in a side corridor of Eientei, a corridor that connected Kaguya's room with Eirin's lab and the guest rooms. Since I didn't think that Eirin had been referring to Kaguya's room, I immediately turned left and began to walk towards the guest rooms. But as the door to Kaguya's room sled open, I stopped and turned into that direction instead.

Kaguya left her room in her always graceful way, her black hair flowing behind her. She wasn't the only one to leave the room, however. Fujiwara no Mokou, taking a deep pull on a cigarette, followed her, and was the first one to notice me.

She examined me with a deep frown, especially my bandaged torso, and then finally exhaled the smoke in her lungs. "If that isn't sleeping beauty.", mocked Mokou with a frown. Kaguya finally seemed to notice me as well, as she turned into my direction and tilted her head a little. "Yeah, love ya too, Mokou.", I growled and waved it off, "Why does everyone keep on calling me that? First Eirin and now you..."

The fire-wielding immortal snickered, then closed her eyes and took a pull on her cigarette. Her last one, as a pale hand suddenly appeared from out of Kaguya's room, grabbed the cigarette and pulled it out of Mokou's mouth. "Hey!", gasped Mokou and turned to stare into the room.

With eyes as big as saucers, I observed how Keine Kamishirasawa left the room... Her body only covered by a white blanket that she held in place with her left hand. And her hat was missing as well... "She's hot! I wouldn't mind her being my teacher...!"

"You know that I dislike it when you smoke, Mokou! And even worse, because of you, Kaguya has started as well!", scolded Keine as she held the cigarette in her other hand and stared at it with disgust. Kaguya let out a chuckle, snatched the cigarette out of Keine's hands, and took a pull on it. "I don't smoke. This is the third time in five days.", giggled Kaguya, before she returned the cigarette to Mokou, "Besides, when I smoked after..."

Kaguya didn't get to finish, even though I had a slight idea of how she would have ended her sentence, seeing the lack of clothes on Keine. Keine saw me too, finally, and screamed aloud. She pulled her blanket higher, shrieked and took a step back, swinging her free hand around like a madwoman. "Pervert!"

Not looking where she was swinging her hand, the thing that was bound to happen eventually happened: She hit Mokou over the head, and the fire-wielding immortal fell forwards. She stumbled into me, knocked us both to the ground, and landed on my chest.

We both frowned at each other. "Hey Mokou. Fancy to see you here.", I chuckled with a hint of sarcasm. In response, Mokou merely huffed the smoke into my face and rose from my chest. I waited until she was standing on her two feet before I stood up myself and dusted me off.

Looking up at the three before me, I found that Keine had a bright red face and had retreated into the room a little in an attempt to hide herself. Kaguya, on the other hand, was failing horribly to hold back her laughter, and Mokou just shrugged.

"Calm down, Keine. Like he has interest in any other women than the Shinigami, the angel of death or the evil spirit.", huffed the fire-wielding immortal. "Evil spirit?", I frowned, "Hey, I don't have the hots for Mima!" Mokou chuckled a little, shrugged and turned to grin at Keine. "The way you two hugged each other after that fight and with all the proximity you two had, it sure looked different.", smiled Kaguya, as if to strengthen Mokou's point.

I was fuming at that point, growled and gnashed my teeth on one another, and then decided to change the topic. "Anyways...", I huffed, "Why were you two standing around as the others attacked me and Mima?" "We trusted you, so there was no reason to attack you.", explained Kaguya, and playfully cuddled into Mokou's side.

"At least someone... I mean, sure, Alice and Ryoko fought on my side, but it's good to know that there was somebody who was on my side without starting a battle.", I replied with a small chuckle, even though I didn't feel like chuckling or anything.

The exhaustion wasn't completely gone yet, and I felt that I would need a few days of rest to fully recover. But from then on, I'd be okay... I had even come to terms with the fact that the Negative Soul was still free. I somehow knew I could control it.

"Anyways, I go and get some water. I have a dry throat.", smiled Kaguya. Together with Mokou and Keine, I watched as she left into Eirin's lab. "Ah, princess!", I heard Eirin exclaim, "Could you please have a look at this? I need a second opinion on this one... Can you really believe that this thing here is a part of an exploded spleen?"

I felt how one of my eyelids began to twitch, anger rising within me. I knocked against the wall to Eirin's lab. "Eirin, what did I just tell you?", I shouted and leaned against the door to the lab. Only for that door to swing open, almost making me fall to the ground. "Still here? Didn't I tell you to visit someone? She's in there... I think you should say goodbye before you leave.", smiled Eirin as her head appeared in the open door, followed by her pointing towards a door on the end of the corridor.

"Yeah yeah, whatever...", I growled after I had caught my balance again. "You should really go there. It's going to cheer you up.", chuckled the lunar pharmacist, before she vanished in her lab again. "Oh? So you think it's weird as well, princess?"

I clenched my hands to fists and bit down on my tongue. "That nerve of that woman...", I hissed, but turned to the door in question. "Good luck, Chô. I see ya later.", snorted Mokou in laughter, before she turned to Keine and pushed the barely clothed woman into Kaguya's room. "Let's play a game, Keine.", was the last thing I heard from Mokou.

With a groan, I rolled my eyes and approached the door Eirin had been so eager for me to go in. I placed a hand on it, softly sled the door open and looked into the door... And froze. Froze when I spotted her. Her body, lying on the bed, motionless and her skin pale.

Shinki.

As I saw her body, all of my former anger at Eirin vanished and was replaced by sadness... I remembered Yukari's gaze after I had asked her about Shinki's condition... It had told me everything back then. Shinki had died. My 'mother' was no more.

But why would Eirin want me to see this...? To... Say goodbye, after all? To let go?

"Ah... Chôzen.", greeted a voice and I cringed madly. It was that moment that I noticed several more people in the room...

Alice was sitting on the edge of Shinki's bed together with Marisa and stroke through Shinki's hair, Yumeko stood aside her, Sariel leaned against a wall of the room and stared at me in silence, Yuki and Mai were sitting by a wooden table, Sara and Louise behind them, Elis was resting aside a bookshelf with a brown book on her lap, and finally, there was Kikuri's human form right aside the window, one of YuugenMagan's eyes just outside it.

"We are finally all together now...", sighed Yumeko as she closed her eyes. I exchanged a short glance with each of them and nodded, then entered the room and closed the door behind me, all in full silence. So this was the reason that Eirin had sent me in here... To say farewell to Shinki, the woman that had always been something like a mother to me, even more than Byakuren, even though I had known her longer.

As I turned back into the crowded room and returned my gaze to the silver haired, motionless woman on the bed, I felt that most eyes in the room were upon me. But I seriously didn't care... My thoughts were far away.

"It is good to know that you woke just in time, Chôzen... I'm sure mom is happy that you are here. I'm sure she is happy that we are all together now, just for her...", smiled Sara softly at me. I nodded weakly, even though I silently admitted to myself that I would've rather been elsewhere... I don't know where, just far away from this horrible picture before me.

"I bet! Shinki is pretty fond of ya, after all, da ze!", agreed the ordinary black magician.

"I'm sure she is.", I agreed eventually, took a deep breath, tried to calm my raging heart down. The chains of guilt had just become a little heavier. "You know that this isn't your fault, right?", asked Kikuri and began to approach me, but stopped as I rose my hand. "It is. I should've been more careful...", I growled as I watched Shinki.

At this, Alice rose from her place and sent me a dirty glare. "Are you being foolish again? Do I have to beat some sense into you again?", snarled the puppeteer and sneered, "Gekilldo?" I rolled my eyes and sighed aloud. "Look, Alice, we really shouldn't start a fight on Shinki's mourning ceremony...", I muttered and closed my eyes.

Several shocked gasps followed my words, before Alice snorted aloud. And all of sudden, slapped me across the face. "You idiot! Mourning ceremony?!", roared Alice, before she grabbed my collar and pulled me closer to her, pulled me so close that our noses were almost touching.

I felt the need to kiss her again with those lips in reach, but the shock was greater. Especially as Alice pushed me away. "You serious, aren't you?!", gasped the puppeteer. "Oh my. He really is.", chuckled Louise sheepishly and waved a hand. "What a dumbass!", huffed Elis and shook her head, a smirk that showed off one of her fangs on her lips. "We should tell him!", complained Mai and jumped up, "Yeah, He was unconscious, remember? He can't know!", agreed Yuki with a smug grin.

"What? Know what?", I asked, giving each of them confused looks. "This isn't a mourning ceremony, you know, Gekilldo?", huffed Alice as she stepped back to Shinki's bed. And that was when I noticed that light blue eyes were focused on me.

Shinki's eyes.

So that was what Eirin meant when she said that the luck seemed to run in the family! But how did she know that I viewed Shinki as my 'mother'?!

"Shinki!", I gasped, "You're alive!" "Hey!", shouted Louise as I pushed her out of the way and dashed for the bed Shinki laid on. I fell onto my knees aside her, reached for her hand and gently took it into mine. "Thank god...!", I whispered as I held her hand.

Shinki gently pulled her hand out of mine and let it glide over my face, gently stroke my cheek as I nearly broke out in tears. "I'm fine, don't worry...", smiled Shinki softly, though her voice sounded weak and exhausted. "I'm happy to inform you that there have been no casualties over Gensokyo... Everyone is fine.", echoed YuugenMagan's voice through the room.

I let out a relieved sigh and closed my eyes, let Shinki's hand trail over my face."Chôzen... Please stop making yourself responsible for what has happened to me, alright? I made that decision on my own and... I am sorry that I used you like that. Can you forgive me?", asked the goddess of Makai with a soft smile. "Of course!", I gasped as I threw my eyes open. Shinki softly stroke over my head and chuckled. "Thank you..."

"How touching...", whispered Sariel quietly, melodically, but then went back to her silent self. "I am certainly touched that you are all here, just for me, my children...", spoke Shinki, before she pulled her hand back and smiled softly at all of us, "Please stand, Chôzen. I have to announce something."

I slowly rose to my full height and took a few steps away from the goddess, never averting my eyes from her, fearing that she would be dead the second I looked back. This all felt like a dream, my "mother" was still alive, was okay and safe... It was hard for me to hold back my tears of relief and happiness.

When Shinki gently pushed herself up, I almost darted back to her, if it hadn't been for Eirin, who suddenly appeared in my line of vision. The lunar pharmacist walked past me, carried two large pillows, which she then placed behind Shinki and allowed her to lean onto them. She smiled the whole time, but waited until Eirin had left the room before she finally spoke up again.

"Mima visited me last night.", began Shinki, and almost everyone in the room cringed, "It is alright, don't worry. Nanatsu no Taizai was with her, and threatened to kill her in case she would try anything funny. She didn't." Shinki exchanged a knowing glance with me.

"Mima came to apologize... And I knew that she meant everything she said. She even broke down in tears and told me how wrong she was... She was honest, her tears sincere... I think you awoke something in her that she lost long ago, Chôzen. I think you reached her heart.", continued the goddess, before she turned to look the other way, out of a window that was aside her bed.

It truly was a magnificent day, the soft fragrance of flowers in the air as they shook gently in the wind, the singing of birds echoing all around, the warm sunlight on the skin... Shinki seemed to enjoy it as well. "I believe that is part of it..."; I commented eventually, "But I think who truly reached her heart is Yuuka. I merely made way for that."

Shinki sighed loudly. "Perhaps so, but Mima has found something in you as well... A reflection of herself. And as you reached out and offered her a hand, she was gladly accepting it... And for that, I have to thank you. Mima is a dear friend of mine, no matter what she has done. And I only want her to be happy, you know?", continued Shinki, before she turned to look at us again.

"I was acting on instinct... After I realized that Mima was just like me, I just did what I felt was right.", I explained. "And I am happy for exactly that.", sighed Shinki, "But the topic is not Mima. I have forgiven her, as have you, Chôzen." "Then please continue...", muttered Yumeko with a small frown. "I will."

Shinki stretched herself a bit before she closed her eyes. "We've all been through a lot... And because of that, I have made an important decision last night... After Mima revealed one of your greatest desires to me, Chôzen." I frowned at these words. Mima had revealed one of my greatest desires to Shinki? What desire?

"Last night, Mima told me about all that has happened since I've fallen unconscious. She mentioned your fight with Meira, Chôzen, and then how you finally reached and confronted her... And how enraged you were at my apparent death. And Mima told me that you had called me... Mother."

As Shinki spoke that word, I cringed madly, just like the other girls in the room did. I was just about to deny this, but then I saw Shinki smile... And let out a deep sigh. "I am sorry, Shinki, I... I don't know what came over me.", I grumbled and averted my gaze. "You don't have to be sorry. I just needed this confirmation... I have come to a conclusion now.", replied the goddess and rose a little from her position.

"Come over here.", she spoke and motioned me to come closer. With a loud sigh, I slowly turned back to her and reluctantly made my way over to her bed again. But before I stopped in my steps, Shinki suddenly laid her arms around my waist and pulled me close to her. "Welcome to the family, Chôzen.", she whispered into my chest.

I let out a gasp and accidentally bit down on my tongue, was too surprised to shape words that made sense. "Ha! Now that's something! So ya're going to be my brother-in-law once I marry Alice, eh? Fine with me, ze! I'm cool with that, da ze!", snickered Marisa and grinned widely. "W-wait... I don't think I can follow!", I finally brought forth.

"Geez, being slow again, are we?", chuckled Marisa and ruffled my hair, "Shinki just announced that you are now part of the family, ze!" "Yeah yeah, I think I got that part but... No, I don't think I did! What?!", I shouted. Shinki let go of me eventually and smiled at me in her usual, motherly way.

"Girls... How about you show your new brother that he is part of the family?", giggled the goddess of the demon world. "GROUP HUG!", announced Yuki as she jumped onto her chair and pointed at me. And before I knew, I was in the middle of a massive group hug. Even Sariel and Marisa were hugging me! What the?

As weird as it was, I felt unusually comfortable in that situation. It felt weird with Sariel's arms around my neck, Yuki and Mai hugging my waist, and the rest of the girls hugging me as well... Weird, but right.

"Wait... Are you telling me that you... adopt me or something?", I called over everyone's head to the goddess that still lay on the bed. The reply was a simple, but meaningful smile... It confirmed it. Shinki had just announced that she would adopt me... What?!

"Welcome to the family... Son...", mouthed Shinki and closed her eyes, smiled at me as the girls around me hugged me even tighter and began to cheer and giggle. "Ha! Gekido finally has a family! Now his wives have to be careful about what they do or Mama Gekido will get all mad, ze!", announced Marisa loudly, grinning over Alice's head at me.

Alice... Even though she was smiling as well, and that genuinely, she too saw the problem: This whole thing with us being "brother" and "sister" would make everything so much weirder... Not that there was anything going on between us. We both had moved on, after all.

But old feelings never completely vanish.

Over all the cheery laughter and the loud cries of approval echoed another voice, a voice that made me scowl a bit. Especially at the words that it shouted.

"What's going on in there? Is there another exploded spleen? Geez, I had enough work finding that missing part of...!"

"STOP RUINING THE MOMENT, EIRIN!"

It was about one and an half hour later that my feet touched the ground of the Hakurei Shrine after several minutes of flying over the bamboo forest of the lost. I was still humming a little melody, too lost in my own happy thoughts to notice how a certain miko put her broom down and walked towards me.

I had become part of Shinki's family. Shinki had really adopted me. It was weird, felt weird, sounded weird... But I couldn't be more happy. I couldn't. Because it meant that I wasn't alone anymore. I wasn't just a being without a place where it belonged, without a family to protect and to love, without a family to back me up. And the best part about it was that everyone had accepted me. Yumeko, Alice, Sariel, even Mai! All of the girls had accepted me, liked the idea of me being part of their family...

"Looks like you're back.", huffed Reimu in her casual way with soft shrug. I snapped out of my happy thoughts and turned to her. "Oh, hey Reimu. Didn't see you there.", I chuckled sheepishly. The Hakurei Miko sent me a frown at that. "But I've been right in front of you...!", she protested, only to groan and slap her face into her face, "How much medicine did Eirin give you?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Not much. In fact, she stopped giving me sedatives a day ago... And all that I have to take is this.", I replied and pulled some weird pills out of my pocket to show them to Reimu. The Hakurei Maiden didn't even glance at them and just shook her head. "Whatever. Come in. Not like I want more guests, but I have to talk to you... About what happened four days ago.", grumbled Reimu as she turned towards the shrine and gestured me to follow.

Without such a thing as a nod, I followed Reimu towards it. It was that moment that I noticed who Reimu had referred to as guests: That celestial girl whose name keeps on slipping my mind, and that oarfish Youkai; Iku Nagae.

The two of them sat on the porch of the shrine, Iku holding a tea while the snobby celestial had hers standing on the porch aside her, both of them watching me. Iku had a knowing smile on her lips as she watched me approach, but the other girl just stared at me with a bored expression that just pleaded for some entertainment.

"Ah. Chôshinsei.", greeted the blue haired celestial. "Momoko.", I greeted back. In perfect unison, we shrugged at each other. "So she doesn't remember my name as well... Huh. What's it with that? I can't remember her name if my life depended on it, and it's the same with her! She can't remember my name as well... Huh." (1)

"Good day, Chôzen.", greeted Iku over the brim of her cup of tea, before she glanced towards her companion, "You should start to remember his name, Tenshi. He prevented a terrible fate for Gensokyo and it's adjacent worlds, including heaven." "Ah. Tenshi. That's her name! I should really remember it..." Tenshi, however, just shrugged at Iku's words. "Whatever. Perhaps it would've been less boring up there then."

"And that's the reason you come to my shrine and annoy me? Get lost.", growled Reimu as she left the shrine, carrying two cups of tea. I accepted the one she gave to me, then leaned against the wall of the shrine, just for her to mimic me. "You've been home yet?", asked Reimu to my left with a small frown into my direction, before she took a long sip of her hot tea, ignoring it's heat entirely.

"Not yet. Nanatsu and Rumia are unaware about me being conscious... I don't feel like going home just now.", I replied. "I see. Huh... Can't say I'm blaming you for that. I think I actually can understand you.", huffed Reimu as she lowered her tea. "Yeah. Figured you would say that.", I murmured, just staring ahead into the clear, blue sky.

"It sure is a wonder how everything became so bright again after that darkness four days ago...", I whispered. "Certainly is, huh? It sure is scary what a grudge and some loneliness can do...", agreed Reimu, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall. "Yeah... Yeah...", I agreed as I kept staring into the blue sky and took a long sip on my own tea.

"Can't believe we entirely missed it, Iku.", growled Tenshi. "Please, eldest daughter, do not speak of such a terrible event like that.", advised Iku, only for Tenshi to shrug again. "What's it like to face an evil spirit, Chôshinsei? Is it entertaining?", she asked as she turned into my direction. "Shut up, Momoko. I had broken bones, destroyed inner organs and I still have a headache...", I growled. "Sounds fun. I should try it sometime...", mused Tenshi as she turned away and fell into a state of thought.

I ignored that completely and glanced towards Reimu again. "Have you forgiven Mima, Reimu? Or rather... Has Gensokyo forgiven Mima?", I asked her. At that, the Hakurei Miko groaned and shook her head. "I am not sure about me, but Gensokyo has yet to forgive her.", sighed the miko.

I nodded slowly and glanced back towards the sky. "I understand that... Nanatsu and Rumia have yet to forgive Mima as well... Shinki has forgiven her, and I guess that her 'daughters' followed her example... But aside that, I think I am the only one who has truly forgiven her.", I murmured.

"Not that surprising... Your wives have told me everything that has happened, and I can only say what I think about this all, but... I think that your heart touched Mima's as you fought. You invaded the very thing that keeps her 'alive', you shared your grudge with her, and in return she shared her grudge with you. It may sound wrong and weird but... I think that there was a moment when your very beings became one for only a few seconds."

I frowned at Reimu, but then couldn't hold back the chuckle. As I turned away from her, Reimu snorted and shook her head. "You know what, Reimu? I think you're right. That is the only way I can explain all of this... It must have been the moment that I absorbed all of Gensokyo's negative emotions, gathered them inside me and then discharged them into Mima... Everything that she felt that moment, I felt as well... I was the medium between Gensokyo and Mima...", I whispered, rather to myself than to Reimu.

"Sounds like it.", she replied, then narrowed her eyes at me, "...You unlocked it again, didn't you? Yukari said she felt it beating inside you like a second heart... And she said that it had changed." "Yeah. I unlocked it... I allowed Insanity to unseal the Negative Soul again... But what do you mean it changed?"

"What I mean?", asked to my surprise the voice of Yukari Yakumo, right before she stepped out of a gap to my right and leaned against the wall there like Reimu and I did. "What I mean is that it doesn't feel like before... And if I think about your small conversation just now, I think I know why.", continued the Sukima no Youkai.

"I'm all ears. What could've changed the way that the Negative Soul is? Cruel, possessive, demanding power... Why do I not feel that anymore?", I asked. "Because... Do you remember the true nature of the Negative Soul? Do you remember what it is?", shot Yukari back. And I sighed. "I remember... I remember that it is all that remains of... Of who I have once been. Remains of Chôzen..."

"That is true... The Negative Soul is what has been left of the original Chôzen inside you; the original ability to manipulate negative emotions and what little has carried on after you became mortal. So, in a sense, the Negative Soul is actually nothing more but the remains of the higher being Chôzen Gekido, that so desperately wanted to be mortal.", smiled Yukari softly.

"That is the reason that it has been so hostile towards me, right? It rejects me because I replaced it. I am the 'new' Chôzen... I am what the nihilism has made me into.", I agreed and closed my eyes, groaned. "True... It is true, that is without a doubt the reason why it has been hostile towards you. But do you know why it calmed down? Why it changed?", asked Yukari and frowned at me. "No. But I'm listening."

Yukari nodded a little. "It has changed because it came in touch with another soul. The soul of another being that was just like it.", explained the Sukima no Youkai, "The soul of Chôzen Gekido came in touch with the soul that Mima is. And began to change."

"I see...", I whispered and opened my eyes again. "It makes sense, ya know?"

Yukari nodded and sighed. "It's kind of creepy how you talk about things only you understand.", commented Reimu with a slight frown. "I have to agree with blondie. Just what the hell have you been talking about? Sounded corny as hell...", grumbled Tenshi as she rose from where she sat. She ignored it straight away as she knocked her cup of tea over, as well as Reimu's loud scream. ("WHAT A WASTE!")

"What was that about that party again, Hakurei?" Reimu barely managed to control her anger, closed her eyes and gnashed her teeth, but then finally brought some words forth between her clenched teeth. "I told you already. Stop forgetting things!" At this, Tenshi scoffed, and with the single motion of a hand, summoned one of her keystones. And together with Iku, she left.

"Party?", I asked and rose an eyebrow. Reimu huffed and nodded. "Yes... A party. I was actually just about to tell you... It's a party to your, Nanatsu and Rumia's honor. You deserve it. You saved Gensokyo, after all.", explained Reimu, "Almost everyone in Gensokyo is invited." "Almost everyone?", I asked. "Yeah. Save for Mima and Yuuka."

Hearing this made me sigh inside. So Reimu hadn't forgiven Mima as much as she had said. "When?", I asked, though. "This evening, as the sun sets.", replied Suika as she appeared out of nowhere. Quite literally, considering that she could turn her body into mist.

"Ah. Then I guess I'll be there.", I commented and closed my eyes again. "I hope so. What would a party be without it's special guest?", smirked Suika, before she took a deep gulp of her endless Sake, "Better be there or I'll drink your share of Sake as well!" I rolled my eyes at that and chuckled shortly. "Ah yes. Though you wouldn't mind, huh?", I huffed. "But Sake tastes better if you drink it with someone. The more, the better the taste.", insisted the Oni.

As Suika began to inhale her Sake, or that's what I swear, I turned my attention back to the Sukima no Youkai and the Hakurei Miko. "Look, I'll be here in time, alright? By the way, what would've been if I had stayed unconscious for another while?", I muttered. "Then the party would've been moved to the day that you awake. Simple, isn't it? Stop thinking. Just relax.", giggled Yukari.

"Yeah... Whatever.", I groaned and pushed myself off the wall. I had to go somewhere else. I had to see more of Gensokyo. YuugenMagan had said that everyone was alright, but I just had to see that with my own eyes to believe it.

"I suggest you have a look around Gensokyo, Chôzen. Everyone will wait to thank you, or at least to see you to know that you are alright.", commented Yukari, as if she had just listened to my thoughts. Which reminded me of when she had crossed the border between my words and my thoughts and had made all my thoughts audible to everyone... Had been quite a mess, but looking back, it had been one of the easier times in the last four years...

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that. Thank you, Yukari... Thank you for everything.", I murmured and began to gnaw on my lower lip. "I'll see you later."

And without another word, and without looking back just once, I left.

There where places I had to be.

As my feet touched down on the ground this time, I stood in front of a familiar mansion in the middle of a misty lake... Only that this mansion had seen better times. A part of the roof had collapsed entirely, several windows were broken in, and a part of the front wall was open, revealing guest rooms, foyer and part of a smaller dining room.

Hong Meiling wasn't at the gate as usual, which caused me to frown, but the moment that I left the gate behind me, I found her. Meiling was carrying several large beams on her right shoulder and was headed for the broken part of the front wall. "Oi, Meiling.", I called out, and the gatekeeper turned into my direction, as well as several fairy maids that had been flying around.

"Ah. Finally awake, huh?", huffed Meiling as she turned back to the broken wall and gestured me to follow her. I did without any complaint and followed her until we stood aside the broken wall. There, Meiling leaned the beams against the wall and let out a sigh of relief. "You've been asleep for quite a while. People have been worried, you know?", chuckled Meiling and stretched herself a little.

"I know. I've been at the Hakurei Shrine already.", I replied and leaned against the wall. My body felt heavy and I was exhausted. Eirin had been right about the thing with resting a lot... I really would have to do that, considering how exhausted I was.

"That the case? Then you probably know about the party already...", assumed Meiling, and I confirmed this with a nod. "What happened here, anyways?", I asked and nodded towards the large hole aside us. "Flan went a little too far when she attacked those undead. Everyone went a little too far. Ojou-sama broke the roof with one of her Gungnir, Flandre broke the wall here... Patchouli-sama and Koakuma-san grilled the entire garden."

Meiling grumbled the last words with scorn, and I understood it. She had loved those flowers...

"By the way... Where did your shirt go? Aren't a little cold with nothing more than those bandages covering your chest?", asked Meiling as she observed my body and traced each of my scars with her eyes, "I have to admit, you're more muscular than I thought. And nice scars you got there." "Thanks.", I chuckled uneasily.

"And to answer your first question... Eirin told me to not wear my shirt for the day.", I replied. "Ah. Can't say that it looks bad, you know? You've got some muscles to show, after all... And some scars.", chuckled Meiling, before she leaned a little to the left and glanced at the backside of my right shoulder. "That's the scar that Mima made with that knife, huh?" I nodded, but never got the chance to comment it.

"Ah. Sleeping beauty." Upon hearing someone else speak up, I turned to look towards the entrance of the large mansion. Sakuya stood there, carrying a tray of food. She walked past me and handed the tray to Meiling with the words "Your lunch. Sorry it is a little late.", before she finally turned to me again. "I'm awake, as you can see. Thanks for caring.", I huffed, probably a little bit more harsh than intended.

"I believe I am not the first one to ask you this, hm?", chuckled Sakuya softly, before she shook her head gently and pulled out her pocketwatch. "Oh my. This late already?", she commented, before she just shrugged and put the pocketwatch away again. "Always busy, aren't we?", I asked. "More than usual. I've got so much to do now that everything needs to be cleaned up...", huffed Sakuya and shook her head.

"Guess so. I have yet to clean up some things as well... If you catch my drift.", I commented, and Sakuya nodded. "I believe you mean 'clear up', right?", she smiled and closed one of her eyes, just to stare at the other with me in a very mischievous way. "Where's the difference?", I commented and shrugged. "True. I wish you good luck then, Chô.", she replied and closed her other eye as well.

"Oh and... The mistresses are informed about your presence. Have fun." And just like that, Sakuya vanished. I let out a small gasp and was about to make my leave, but the door flew open and two very enthusiastic vampires shot out of the mansion. The both of them threw themselves at me, the second and younger one actually catching me off balance. "Remi! Flan!", I gasped and tried to free myself.

"You did it!", squealed Remilia as she hugged me even tighter. Suddenly, she froze and her smile turned into a deadpan. "Don't tell anyone that I do this. I have a reputation to keep." Flandre, on the other hand, just continued to laugh. "Big brother is back~. And he made it~. He played a whole lot with that evil ghost and broke her~. Hahaha~" "I didn't break her, Flan...", I corrected, but Flandre ignored me.

"You're a bit too late, dear brother. I fear that Dio Brando and the Jiang Shi left yesterday. They told me to give you their best regards, but they couldn't stay any longer... Said something about looking for new fights.", Remilia informed me with a small smile on her lips. "I see... Brando has left then?" "Indeed. He said he wasn't sure if he'd ever come back... And that Jiang-Shi was almost sure about it. She said she had other places to see."

I let out a small sigh. "Damn it. Would've loved to spend some time with Brando...", I huffed in annoyance. Really, he left just like that! I wouldn't have minded to drink with him for a last time... But oh well.

"The mansion is back to it's usual self. Pretty weird.", huffed Remilia as she finally let go of me and took a few steps back. Flandre kept hugging me for a few more seconds, but then let go of me as well and stepped aside her older sister. As if to make this moment even weirder, Patchouli and Koakuma stepped out of the mansion's still open doors, the latter one holding a parasol for the first one.

"Good day, Chôzen. The news of your return has just reached me.", greeted Patchouli curtly as she approached us. "So?", I asked. Koakuma smiled sheepishly. "I saw you through that hole there.", she explained and nodded to the wall to my side, referring to the large hole that Meiling was supposed to fix. "Ah.", I replied, and turned to Meiling, "Need some help?" "Thanks for the offer, but no. You've done enough... You should rest."

"You sure? I could help...", I offered. But in return, Meiling just put a hand on my right shoulder... And almost immediately, my whole body tensed as pain shot through me. "You would be no real help... Look, you're still too exhausted.", smiled Meiling and shook her head. "Fine...", I grumbled and took a few steps back. Meiling smiled in triumph and turned back to the beams she had leaned against the wall.

She picked them up and turned to work again. I shrugged and turned to my 'sisters' again, only for them to launch themselves at me again. I gasped as their arms laid around me and began to squeeze me again. "Play with us!", exclaimed Flandre. "I guess I owe you...", I sighed and smiled softly. Only to realize something as my eyes laid on Patchouli again, who still stood under her parasol.

"Remi... Flan... How can you be in sunlight without getting weak?", I asked and looked down at the two vampires. Only for them to sweatdrop at me. The next moment, they both laid on their back on the ground and groaned as the sunlight burnt their skin.

I facepalmed at the same time as Patchouli did.

"Koakuma... Please get the younger sister inside. I'll be fine.", instructed Patchouli, and the succubus nodded. She turned to Flandre and picked her up, keeping her in the shade of the parasol she had originally brought for her own mistress. "Was nice to meet you, Chôzen. Please visit once in a while, okay?", smiled Koakuma sheepishly, before she vanished inside the mansion with Flan in her arms.

That very moment, Sakuya appeared next to me for merely a second, before she vanished again and Remilia along her. And that left me alone with the working Meiling and the irritated Patchouli. "Good job there, Chôzen. I must say that I am impressed... It isn't easy to defeat someone as skilled in the ways of magic as Mima is. I have only heard from Marisa how terribly strong she is... She surpasses even me.", congratulated the one-week sorceress as she moved into the shade of a tree.

"Guess so. Thank you for the compliment.", I smiled back. Patchouli just shook her head and pulled out a book. "What are you doing outside, anyways? A rare sight.", I commented then. "I want to try some spells, but they require oxygen. And sunlight. Natural, not artificial.", huffed the sorceress in reply.

I shrugged that off. "I see you later, Patchy. Guess I have a few more places to visit.", I chuckled. There really was no sense in staying at the mansion anymore if there was no one to talk to...

"Helloooo? Somebody home?", I called out as I walked through the beautiful gardens of the netherworld's shrine, Hakugyokuro. I let my gaze trail through the garden and watched as the spirits flew around, gently moved in the soft breeze.

"Weird. It's quiet as hell in here... Dead silent. Haha.", laughed my Flame-Soul, "You get it? Dead. Hehehe!" I rolled my eyes at my Flame-Soul and shook my head. "Stuff it. I want to know what the hell this silence is about this time. You know that it never means anything good if it's this quiet in the netherworld.", I huffed. "Too bad it's always a dead silence in here." "Exactly."

My steps carried me over to the doors of Hakugyokuro. Two spirits opened the doors to Hakugyokuro's interior, and I stepped in, my Flame-Soul orbiting my head as usual. "Thank you.", I addressed the two spirits kindly, before I stepped deeper into Hakugyokuro. Only for a hand to lay onto my mouth.

Reflexes kicked in and I grabbed the head, swung the person that it belonged to into the wall aside me. "So the rumors are true. You have grown quite strong.", commented Youki Konpaku with a small smirk. "Youki. Don't always do that.", I huffed and took a few steps back, gave the half-phantom some space.

...Was he even a half-phantom anymore?

"I have to apologize.", spoke Youki as he began to hover over the ground again, "What brings you here, if I may ask? Is the great battle for Gensokyo about to begin? My granddaughter has been preparing over the last days and still is awaiting the sign to move into Gensokyo! Oh, I am so proud!"

Silence. You could have heard a pin drop.

And then, I sweatdropped along with my Flame-Soul. "He's serious, isn't he?" "He really thinks Mima is about to make her move to destroy Gensokyo..." "Uhm... Youki... About that...", I chuckled uneasily and scratched the back of my head. "Yeah?", he asked.

"Mima has been defeated four days ago. The grand battle for Gensokyo has already taken place."

The silence returned as Youki froze and stared deep into my eyes. And then, he flipped.

"WHAAAA...?!" "Whoa, keep it down, will you?!", I gasped. "What do you mean that the battle is already over? Are you seriously telling me that the battle has been fought already, lad?!", roared the half-phantom. "I guess so. You didn't notice the battle?", I asked.

Youki didn't even pay attention to me and continued his rage. He swung his hands around and gnashed his teeth loudly. "A warrior that misses a battle for his own country is a disgrace!", he shouted and pulled his katana. I watched with a frown as he positioned it beneath his chin. "Youki... You're already dead."

The half-phantom froze and glanced at me. "Oh. You've got a point there.", he muttered and put his blade away. "So, about that battle...", I began again, only for him to pull his katana again. "I SHALL DIE!" "Youki, you're dead, get over it!", I shouted. The half-phantom froze again. "Damn it, I keep forgetting that!", he grumbled. And then shivered. "Ah! My granddaughter is headed this way! I shall leave! Good luck, Chôzen! Keep protecting what you believe in! You are a true warrior!"

And just like that, the man that was a warrior just like me, vanished backwards in a wall. At the same time, a door to my right flew open and Youmu Konpaku stormed into the corridor, both hands already placed on the hilts of her swords.

As she spotted me, though, she relaxed and frowned at me. "Why were you screaming like that, Chôzen?", huffed the half-phantom, before she suddenly gasped and placed her hands on her swords again. "So it's finally going to start?! You've found Mima? We have to stop her now!"

I facepalmed the moment that Yuyuko appeared from behind Youmu and hovered past her, eying us with a curious expression. "Youmu, about that...!", I began and closed my eyes, hoping that the younger Konpaku would take it better than the elder one. "What? Mima has already acted?", asked Youmu hastily, before she froze and gasped aloud.

"Oh my god, we already lost, is that it? Gensokyo is already...!" "Mima is defeated, Youmu! I defeated Mima four days ago! She has calmed down and is regretting everything she did! She's currently cleaning up the mess she made... And I just awoke a few hours ago after being knocked out cold for four days...!", I interrupted her and let out a heavy sigh.

Yuyuko smiled sheepishly. "Oh my, looks like we completely missed the attack... What a shame! And I was looking forward to some amusement...", sighed Yuyuko and waved a little with her folding fan. Youmu let out a deep sigh. "And I trained so hard...", she complained and slumped her shoulders.

I shook my head and chuckled. "Sorry. If I would have had the chance, I would have come and told you, but... You'll understand once somebody told you what I've been through.", I apologized. Youmu and Yuyuko nodded, the latter one still smiling widely. Especially as Yukari dropped out of a gap beside me.

"What? Come to put me into a maid outfit again, or what?", I snarled, still remembering the last time that I had met Yukari in this world. "Oh my, don't get ideas in my head.", giggled Yukari softly and hid her lower face behind her fan. I rolled my eyes at that, frowned and huffed. "Please don't make my ideas audible again.", I countered. "Oh yes, that had been fun! We should repeat that on occasion.", she shot back.

I let out a loud groan and placed a hand over my eyes. "Damn you, Yukari." "I keep hearing that. I wonder what everybody has against me?", chuckled Yukari behind her folding fan. "Nothing effective, I fear... Otherwise you'd not be here, going on my nerves...", I grumbled under my breath. "What was that, Chô?", asked Yukari, but I just faked a sweet smile. "Just sneezed."

Yukari shot me an glance that just screamed: "I don't believe you.", but our little dispute was stopped before it even began. "Oh my, look at this~", sung Yuyuko, catching our attention. And as we both stared at Youmu, who had her blade at her own throat, we sweatdropped. "Youmu you're already dead...", I sighed in perfect unison with Yukari.

At this, the swordswoman blinked at us, glanced over to her ghost side, and then looked back at us again with a sheepish smile. "Oh. I forgot."

Yukari and I facepalmed.

And then, all of sudden, Yuyuko bit down on my left shoulder.

"DELICIOUS!" "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Just what was going on in Gensokyo today?!

"I know I am going to regret this...!", I thought as I landed, closed my eyes and put a hand against the... My hand found no door.

I frowned and opened my eyes. Stared at Sly, who was still behind his bar. "Ah, hey there mate!", exclaimed Sly and waved sheepishly, his right hand still holding the cloth he had used to clean the glass in his other hand.

With a huge frown, I stepped into the pub. "What happened to your door? Isn't it a little too close to autumn to decide that... No seriously, where the hell is your door?", I blurted out, motioning to the empty doorframe that I had just stepped through. "Don't ask, mate...", groaned Sly and shook his head, "You don't even want to know."

He placed the glass down on the bar before him and gestured me to come over. I let out a deep sigh and sat myself down at the bar, right aside Cirno, Daiyousei, Wriggle Nightbug and another familiar face... "Good day, Chô~ How're you doing so~?", sung Mystia. "Exhausted...", I grumbled and rested my forehead on the bar. "Huh. Last time I saw ya like that, mate, ya were thinkin' about'cha wedding with Shisô.", chuckled Sly as he returned and held up a bottle.

"Care for some Sherry?" "No thanks, Sly... I need something stronger.", I growled and rose my gaze a little. "Ah. Bacardi it is then.", he snickered and vanished in a smaller room. I knew that this room was his storage, so I didn't question it and turned to Mystia.

Still... I couldn't help but wonder what the secret behind Sly was. He had to have a secret... Something about him seemed so off...

"Hey, Mystia.", I greeted, "And Cirno, Daiyousei and Wriggle as well." The quartet greeted back with curt nods. "Is it true that you were the one that has beaten Mima? Rumors that go around Gensokyo say that you were it...", asked Wriggle. I chuckled shortly and gestured to my bandaged chest. "Isn' t this answer enough?", I questioned. Wriggle confirmed this with a small huff and a smile.

"So it's true, mate! Congratulations!", laughed Sly, scaring the hell out of me, as he suddenly stood before me. I glared at him, but just let it slip and turned back to Mystia and Wriggle. "So, mate... How'd ya do it?", asked Sly as he poured me a glass of Bacardi. "This one is on the house, of course!", he added quickly and filled the glass to the brim.

"I don't know how I did it...", I grumbled and heaved the glass... Only to stop in my motions. "You know... There are a few things I don't understand at all...", I muttered and put the glass down again, yet didn't let go of it. "Ah? Like what? Ya know that I love rumors.", smirked the barkeeper and sat down in his chair behind the bar. With curiosity, I watched as he pulled a brown flask from his belt and swayed it a bit.

"Well, I guess the first thing...", I muttered and watched as Sly grabbed a glass and put itself in front of him, then poured a green liquid from the flask into his glass. I frowned at the strong and weird smell, but didn't ask. "I guess the first thing that makes no sense is the sunset.", I finished. "What about it?", asked Sly and raised the glass to his lips.

"It was way too long. From the very moment that I fought Mima until the moment that I defeated her... It just didn't stop. The sunset was there even after the dark clouds that Mima had summoned perished. I don't know after that, but I am sure that I saw the moon at it's highest point as I fainted... But that can't be if the sunset did just pass.", I explained.

Sly smirked for some reason. "Ah... Perhaps some magic? Wouldn't be the first time that a certain time lasts too long, hm? I'm thinking of tha' imperishable night, ya know?" "I don't think so, Sly. I think there was some magic involved, but not the same... And I get the feeling that it wasn't Mima.", I replied.

"Oh? Why not, hm?", asked Sly and finally raised the glass to his lips. "Mima mentioned that she had found some exalted Youkai said to be a bloodthirsty killer... Rumia said that this Youkai was known to be almost as dangerous as her... Mima called him 'Abendsonne' or something...", I replied and shrugged.

To my shock, Sly suddenly choked on his drink. He slammed the glass down, broke it in the process. That green liquid spilled everywhere and dripped down behind the bar, sizzled suspiciously, but I had no eyes for that and tried my best to calm Sly down somehow. "Woah, what the hell?!", I shouted as I tried to help him. The barkeeper rose a hand to stop me, then ran out of the room.

"What was that about?", muttered Wriggle. "I don't know... That stuff must be too strong, even for him.", I suggested, nodding towards the green liquid. "Guess so.", agreed Mystia. "Eye'm sure it was too hot! Eye could've cooled it down for him!", shouted Cirno. "I don't know, Cirno... I don't think it is hot...", muttered Daiyousei quietly. I shrugged and turned around in my seat, looked towards the door. "I guess I should leave soon and..."

I froze.

My gaze rested on a person that sat in the darkest corner of the room.

She was leaned against the wall behind her seat, held a half-empty bottle in her left hand. Her sword was leaned against the wall aside her, an empty bottle laying on the ground aside it. Her hair wasn't bound up like the last time that I had seen her, and her black kimono was ruffled and ripped, torn in several places. Only that this kimono wasn't hers to begin with, but that of Nanatsu.

Meira.

For a short moment, I glanced over my left shoulder towards the door that Sly had left through, then towards Mystia and Wriggle. As neither of them moved or did anything, I let out a deep sigh and rose from my seat.

Nanatsu's words echoed in my head. And I finally understood why she had glared at me like that.

It was time to clean things up... Just like I had said.

I picked up my glass of Bacardi, and turned back to her. As I approached the swordswoman, I noticed several more, empty bottles in front of the swordswoman, scattered across the table, the chairs and the ground aside her... It wasn't that hard to see that the bottle in her hand wasn't her first one. She was drunk as hell.

She didn't notice me until stood directly in front of her, and even as she did, she just snorted and turned back to stare at the table in front of her. "Get lost... Can't ya see that... That I've already lost? Ya took... Nothing left...", grumbled the swordswoman in her depressive, drunken state.

It was hard to find the right words, especially as I saw how distraught she really was. But I had to... I had sworn myself to set things right before I'd tell everyone this decision...

"Decision?! What decision now again?!" "You'll see soon. I tell everyone on the party.", I replied, then took a deep breath and turned back to Meira. "Look, Meira... I'm here to apologize.", I began. "APOLOGIZE?!", she roared and slammed her bottle down on the table.

I found myself shocked as she rose from her seat and swung her hand over the table, knocking all the bottles off it. Shards flew everywhere and alcohol spread across the floor. "You took everything from me! You defeated me, and then you didn't even have enough honor to kill me! Broken as I was, you left me there on the ground to die!", she screamed and hammered her fists onto the table.

"Is that it? You think I dishonored you?", I asked and kept my calm. But Meira, being in the drunken state she was, was far from keeping calm. She stumbled towards her sword and picked it up, only to hurl it into my direction. I caught her sword and glanced down at the worn out blade. "Finish what you couldn't! Kill me! I have nothing left!"

I looked up at her. "Really? You saying that all you had was the thrill of battle?", I asked. "Pathetic, huh? I had nothing but the thrill of battle! Nothing but that!", shouted Meira. "Indeed.", I confirmed with a sigh, "It is pathetic that you had no reason to fight for. And that you keep blaming me for that. It is no wonder that you lost, Meira... I had a reason to fight for, even though it was selfish."

The drunken swordswoman frowned at these words. "What do you mean...?", she asked. "I am saying that it isn't even my fault that your life is like this. I blamed myself as well, but after hearing this from you, I don't even feel guilty anymore. You destroyed your own life.", I replied with a shrug. "What a lie... I still blame myself, but oh well..."

I turned away from her, back to the bar. "As such, I can't help you. My apology is of no worth if there is nothing to apologize for. Since you destroyed your own life, you'll also have to rebuild it. I can only give you one advice...", I spoke, then glanced over my shoulder towards her, "...Find something to fight for. A reason to go on. Only then can you, a warrior, find the peace you seek for... Only that reason can give you the power you want so desperately."

I resumed walking towards the bar. "If you have come to a conclusion... Meet me at the Hakurei Shrine's party this evening.", I added, then closed my eyes shortly.

Mystia and Wriggle had listened as well, while Cirno and Daiyousei were still arguing about Sly's green liquid, and watched as I approached the bar anew. I downed my glass of Bacardi in one swig, then placed the empty glass on the bar. Reaching into the hidden pocket of my shirt, I pulled out some money, looked through it, glanced towards the mess to Meira's feet, and then pulled out some more money.

I placed it underneath the empty glass and let out a sigh. And just that moment, Sly returned into the room. "Yo... I'm taking my leave. This should be enough to pay for my drink and that mess there...", I spoke and nodded towards the shards and the alcohol all around Meira, "And to buy the lady some more. My treat."

The barkeeper frowned as I turned around and left the pub with one last movement of my hand.

There were more places I had to be, more things I had to see and more things I had to clear up.

Inside, I hoped that Meira would really find something to fight for... It would help her.

My next goal wasn't too far away... Okay, it was, but I didn't feel like flying. It was like something told me to walk all the way from the human village over to the Garden of the Sun and Mugenkan... I wanted to know if Kurumi was alright, and if Mima had fixed her and Elly's problem already. Knowing the guilt she had felt in the end, the moment that all of Gensokyo's emotions had flooded her, she had probably done this first.

But still, I needed to see Elly and Kurumi. I needed to see if they were alright with my own eyes.

"Ah. The man of the hour.", greeted another voice. A voice that made me freeze in my steps immediately.

I twirled on the spot, didn't even look into the Forest of Magic around me, just stared at the path behind me, where she stood right in between two Shinigami. "S-Shikieiki!", I gasped and took a step back. "Good day, Chôzen.", greeted the Yama.

"Pah. He doesn't even look at us!", scoffed Komachi and crossed her arms beneath her chest. "We are not here to talk to him, Shikieiki-sama is.", replied Minoue with a simple shrug. "Komachi and Minoue...", I added, to which Komachi smiled in a pleased way. "What are you three doing here?", I asked.

"Congratulating you, of course. You managed to do what no one thought... You defeated Mima.", explained Shikieiki, her rod of remorse held tightly in her hands. "I can't say that I approve of what you have done, but I will make an exception and turn a blind eye this time... The outcome is better than what we had been afraid of, after all. And, I can not judge you, as you know."

The Yama shook her head in disapproval, even though the smile did not vanish once. "I can't say that I liked them either...", I commented and closed my eyes for a second. "You managed to make mom pretty angry. She wasn't very pleased of your actions.", huffed Minoue, smiling a lot like Shikieiki did that moment.

"Your mother?", I asked, "You know, that has been bothering me for a while now... Who is your mother? Komachi knows her, and that is all I know..." Immediately, the red haired Shinigami began to sweat furiously. "There it is again. Each time that I try to find out something about this Minoue girl, Komachi becomes incredibly nervous..."

"So you don't know then?", asked Shikieiki with a small smirk. "No. Is it someone I know?", I asked, not taking my eyes of Minoue, who kept on smiling at me. "I see. And yes, it is someone you know...", replied Shikieiki and closed her eyes, "Someone you know pretty well." "Someone I know pretty well...?", I repeated, frowned at Shikieiki.

"You keep talking in riddles. What is so special about Minoue? Is that even her real name?", I asked and turned back to Shikieiki. "It is her real name. And Minoue is the child of a Shinigami, but destined to be a Yama.", explained Shikieiki, giving me a knowing smile. "It's a shame that the father of this child cannot see her all the time. He can't, as he can't change his view on things. He is a lot like you, you know, Chôzen?"

"A lot like me, huh?", I asked and frowned. "That smile is unsettling me. What is about this girl?" "Anyways!", smiled Shikieiki and closed her eyes, not once stopping her smile, "The other Yama have told me to congratulate you as well, Chôzen. They, too, do not approve of your ways, but you have not broken the only rule you are bound to."

"You mean that I am not allowed to interfere with fate, right?", I huffed. "Exactly that rule.", confirmed the Yama. "How have I not broken it? I turned Mima into what she never was supposed to be, and then I used the powers of an entire land to turn her back...", I grumbled. "Great. I sound like I want to be punished... Do I want to be punished?"

"You sound like you plead for punishment.", chuckled Minoue, voicing my thoughts. "Perhaps. I don't know.", I admitted with a groan. "You just answered your own question... You fixed the mistake you made. You didn't run from it. And in the process, you made the future of this land better.", explained Shikieiki.

"So I unknowingly used a loophole in the rule?", I asked in disbelief. "Something like that. But be assured that this only worked once.", sighed the Yama. "Komachi, Minoue...", she began as she turned to her subordinates, "We will leave. Have you said everything you needed to?"

Komachi and Minoue shared a small glance. "Guess so. I see you on the party this evening, Chôzen.", smirked the red haired Shinigami. "I have nothing else to say as well. See you this evening, Chôzen. Have fun figuring out the riddle that I am, walking enigma.", chuckled Minoue as she turned around.

I observed her as she did. Looked at her teal hair, her blue eyes and her well endowed body... And couldn't help but wonder why she indeed looked familiar. Shikieiki say I knew her mother pretty well... Who? And what was that about her father? Did I know him as well?

What was the secret of the Shinigami Minoue?

No matter how hard I tried... I couldn't figure it out. Not that time.

As I watched them leave, I began gnawing on my lower lip. I wanted to know who this Minoue girl really was. I wanted to know badly.

The doors to Mugenkan were still wide open as I approached them... They were exactly like we had left them. But at least the mess inside the entrance hall was cleared... So Yuuka had already been in there. No one else but her could have possibly lifted those debris.

"Anybody home?", I shouted. "I hope Yuuka isn't mad at me for destroying her mansion...", shot through my head as I entered the mansion's entrance hall. I looked around, looked left and right... Nobody was in sight. "Seems nobody is home... Huh.", I thought.

Suddenly, a gigantic debris flew past my head, missed my nose by inches. I froze, the gasp remained stuck in my throat and my eyes widened. Almost mechanically, I turned to glance into the direction that the rock had come from.

In the first story stood Yuuka Kazami. "Oh my. I almost hit you. I am sorry.", shouted Yuuka in an overly sweet tone. "Oh damn... She really isn't mad at me for destroying her mansion. She's pissed!" "You came just in time... I'm cleaning up, as you can see.", continued Yuuka and threw another part of the debris into my direction. I followed it with my gaze, only to find a pile of debris.

Yuuka was indeed cleaning up.

As I turned back into her direction, I found her standing right in front of me, much to my shock. But instead of hitting me or anything, she just walked past me towards that pile of debris. "The pillars in the entrance hall, part of the basement, the basement stairs, even the magical locks... Really, did you party with Oni in here?", huffed Yuuka as she placed her hands on the debris and began to push.

"Not exactly...", I replied and scratched the back of my head, "Let's just say I had some monstrous fun in here." Yuuka frowned at me, but kept on pushing the debris towards the door I had just entered through. "Sounds like Mima didn't lie when she said you had a nice encounter with Kurumi and Elly.", replied the Flower Youkai in a bored and emotionless voice. "Heheh. Yeah. We met head on.", I grumbled.

I watched as Yuuka finally pushed the debris down the stairs to Mugenkan and stretched herself. "Speaking of them, how are they?", I asked, my gaze wandering through the pretty destroyed entrance hall. "See for yourself. Elly! Kurumi! There are more debris!", shouted Yuuka.

Turning back and walking up to her, I looked outside the mansion as well. My gaze fell onto the familiar shape of Elly, who was walking towards us, pulling a wooden sled behind her. Kurumi sat on that sled and observed us as they they came closer and closer. She was holding a simple, black lace parasol to protect herself from the sun. After all, she too was a vampire.

Eventually, Elly stopped next to the pile of debris. She let go of the sled, stretched herself and groaned. "Man, this is really exhausting...", grumbled the woman in red as she did so. "Hey, Chôzen~", exclaimed Kurumi and waved. I waved back, smiled as she climbed off the sled and ran towards us. She stopped in front of us, crossed her arms behind her back and grinned, revealed her fang.

Elly stepped up to us as well and let out a sigh. "Good day, Chôzen.", she greeted me. "I see you two are alright?", I asked, even though it was obvious. Kurumi was smiling widely, proof enough that she was happy. She was happy that Yuuka was back. She adored Yuuka...

The gatekeeper of Mugenkan, Elly, was not as enthusiastic about this reunion with me, possibly because the only thing that she can remember was that she almost ripped me apart. If it hadn't been for Rumia and Nanatsu back then, Elly would've killed me right there...

"Mima has destroyed all of the twilight energy inside their bodies. There is no trace left...", explained Yuuka with a wry smile, "And I apologized a thousand times already for allowing Mima to do such things to them." I chuckled at that, and just couldn't hold back a comment. And damn me for that. "The eyes of love are blind, aren't they?"

When no one laughed or reacted at all, I slowly glanced towards Yuuka. And found her smiling again. Smiling that deadly sweet smile. "I'm dead."

"How nice of you to remind me!", giggled Yuuka and patted me on the back... A little too hard. My back made a cracking noise that it certainly wasn't supposed to do. "I just remembered that you were so kind to read my letter out loud to Mima~"

"Scratch that. I'm not dead, I'm about to be obliterated." "Poor you. Good luck."

"Ha... ha. I am really nice, aren't I?", I chuckled uneasily, "I... Just wanted you and Mima together, and completely ignored everything else just for that. You like the outcome... Don't you?"

I relaxed as Yuuka's smile turned into a normal smile. "Indeed I do. Thank you, Chôzy-boy.", smiled Yuuka and nodded. "Ah, I think I have to be somewhere. There are more places I have to visit, you know?", I began, sweat running down my forehead. The danger was not completely avoided yet, I was still within Yuuka's range.

"Like where?", asked Yuuka, the deadly sweet smile returning in it's full power. I gulped. "M-Moriya Shrine, for example. Have to thank Kanako and Suwako.", I gasped quickly. "Really? What a coincidence! I know a shortcut to the Moriya Shrine!", exclaimed Yuuka and put her arm around my shoulders again. "Y-You do?", I asked. "Hm-mh."

Before I knew, Yuuka suddenly lifted me off the ground with just her left hand. "Hope you have a pleasant flight, Chôzy-boy.", she exclaimed as she reached back. "WHAAAA-?!", I screamed. "I hope next time, you know when to blab out someone's secret and when not!", roared the Flower Master of Four Seasons, before she took a step forward and threw me.

"Bye bye~!", I heard Elly and Kurumi sing together... It was the last thing I heard before I broke through the sonic barrier and the wind began to roar in my ears.

"I hate my mouth."

Moriya Shrine!

WHAM!

"Was that Aya?", I heard Sanae ask somewhere below me. "I don't think so. And even if she was, she's going to fix that hole in the roof.", replied Suwako's voice. "And she will have to tell me why she just broke through one of my onabashira!", roared Kanako. "...It has to be Shameimaru. Unless Chôzen has finally awoken."

I groaned as I pulled my head out of the roof of the Moriya Shrine. This action was immediately followed by a groan of all three women. "Chôzen IS awake again!", they shouted in unison. "You really got some fans here." Rolling my neck and my shoulders, I glared left and right, only to find myself sitting on the roof right above the entrance to the shrine.

"I don't even want to ask about it... And please, don't even try to explain why any of that just happened.", sighed Kanako, facepalming. "But...!", I began, only for Kanako to throw an onabashira at me. I gasped, avoided it, but the huge pillar impaled the roof of the Moriya Shrine.

"You're going to fix that, Chôzen!", shouted Kanako from below. I sweatdropped at the sight of the destroyed roof, then sighed and slumped my shoulders. Déjà vu here... "Fine...", I growled, well knowing that there was no sense in talking about that.

"I'll go and get you a hammer and some nails.", commented Sanae and rushed inside the shrine. Kanako and Suwako, on the other hand, hovered up to me and shook their heads. "Always in trouble, aren't you? How long have you been awake? A day?", asked Suwako. " A few hours...", I corrected with a slight chuckle.

The two goddesses facepalmed.

"Gah! Where is that thing?!", shouted an enraged voice. Looking past Kanako and Suwako, who turned around as well, I found Aya Shameimaru flying towards us, followed by Lord Tenma, Hatate and Momiji. "It almost killed me!", shouted Aya as she dove towards me.

Only to stop in midair.

"Oh my, it's Chôzen! Finally awake then, are we?!", chuckled Aya, pulling out a notebook and a pen, "I believe you won't mind to answer some questions theeeeeeee...!" I watched with wide eyes as Hatate's foot slammed down on Aya's head and sent the tengu reporter spiraling towards the earth. "Mayday! Mayday!", screamed Aya as she continued to fall.

In exactly that moment, Sanae burst out of the shrine with a hammer and some nails. "I've got the tools, Kanako-sama!", she shouted... Right before Aya landed on top of her, knocking them both out.

"And here I was going to ask her if she had any better luck since she's been hit by lightning. Guess not.", snickered Insanity inside my head. The only comment from me was a loud groan. "What can I say? I think Gensokyo is slowly returning to it's old, chaotic nature..."

"I'm, like, listening! Give me all the information you have!", exclaimed Hatate sheepishly, a cat-like grin spreading across her face. "Hatate, Aya, please not now. You can ask him on the party this evening if he is alright with it... But let that man rest until at least then.", sighed Lord Tenma, "Momiji has informed me that he has just said that he has awoken just a few hours ago..."

I was about to ask how Momiji had heard me, but it was that moment that I remembered that Momiji could see and hear things over great distances. I remembered the moment that I saw her ears twitch a bit. And let me tell you, it looked adorable.

"How are you faring, Chôzen?", asked Lord Tenma as she landed on the roof aside me. "I'm alive.", I replied with a shrug, "It could be worse." Lord Tenma nodded slowly. "Right...", she agreed deep in thought and looked down to where Aya and Sanae lay.

Suwako and Kanako shared a short glance and shrugged. "Are you going to fix that or do I have to make you do it?", huffed Kanako, nodding into the direction of the hole I had unwillingly created. "Give me a moment, please...", I groaned and rolled my eyes at her.

"You know, Chôzen... Earlier this day, I left the village to fly over Gensokyo once, just to see how everyone is doing...", began Tenma and glanced towards me, "I have to say... I think Gensokyo is about to have a long period of peace. Well done, Chôzen."

"Are you sure? I don't think so... Gensokyo is pretty chaotic, you know?", I replied. "I think she is right, Chôzen. And so are you... Gensokyo is chaotic, but that's just how it is. And that is why it will be peaceful over the next years.", agreed Suwako. I frowned at her, then turned to Kanako. "What do you think, Orochi?", I asked, on purpose using that nickname for her. She rose an eyebrow at me, then shrugged and closed her eyes.

"I can't say for sure. Either way, don't think you're a hero now or something, Chôzen Gekido, Insei no Youkai!", huffed Kanako and crossed her arms beneath her chest. I groaned and rolled my eyes at her again. "Really, stop using my name and title... It's annoying. And not only for me.", I growled. But Kanako didn't even listen. She continued to stare at me.

"There you go. I believe you need this." I turned to my right and took the hammer and the nails from the girl that stood next to me. "Thanks, Nitori.", I smiled as I turned away. And then, I froze. Turning back to the direction of the bluehaired Kappa again, I found her already gone. "Huh?", I gasped and frowned. "What?", asked Kanako in a sharp tone. "But... Didn't you... Nitori?", I stammered. But both goddesses shook their head.

"I think I'm losing it. Mima must've hit my head harder than I thought.", I thought and turned towards the hole to fix it. Only to find Nitori standing in front of Lord Tenma, talking with her. "...What? Is everybody messing with my head?" "Pretty much." Shaking my head, I picked up the wooden planks that Momiji had brought to me during my conversation with Lord Tenma, and then began to fix the hole with a deep sigh.

"Oh my, so much misfortune!", chuckled a voice behind me. And before I could do anything, two arms laid around me. "Hina...", I moaned in annoyance and relief. "Hey there~", sung the curse goddess as she rested her head on my shoulder. "You're here to gather more of my misfortune, aren't you? Go ahead...", I sighed. "Maybe that will prevent you from hitting your fingers with that hammer..."

Rolling my eyes at Insanity's comment and Hina, who was still clinging onto me, I swung the hammer for the first time to hit the first nail.

And hit my own hand.

I bit down on my lower lip to prevent any cries of pain, clenched my eyes shut and froze. "Or maybe not, clumsy fool." "Oh my...? Did I just feel a spike in the power of your misfortune?", asked Hina in surprise. I glared over my shoulder at her... Only to freeze again as I saw her face. It was distorted in... Pleasure? "My, such strong smell... Your misfortune is so intoxicating...", moaned Hina. MOANED?!

"Get away!", I shrieked and pushed her off me. "Pahahaha! Now that's a situation I would've liked Sanae to see! Wonder what she would have referenced this time?", roared my Flame-Soul in laughter. I didn't reply, still too shocked at what I just had witnessed.

Hina fell backwards, reeled to the side, only to knock into Lord Tenma. Lord Tenma stumbled forwards and hit Nitori. The bluehaired Kappa gasped, tried to hold onto something, but only found the hem of Hina's dress. Together with the curse goddess, the kappa fell off the roof.

Hina fell on top of Sanae and Aya, who were just about to regain consciousness, and knocked them both out again. Nitori, on the other hand, landed in Momiji's arms, as the white wolf had quickly moved to catch her. The curse goddess rose from the ground, only to begin her usual spin dance. But like a drunkard, she swayed left and right, danced across the whole yard of the shrine towards it's stairs.

Just as two people reached the top.

"We reached the top, sis!", shouted Minoriko, "Now autumn is the strongest of all seasons, standing higher than any other one!" "Take that, Kazami! Take that, Lily! Take that, Letty! You all thought we were weak, but we...!", added Shizuka.

I sweatdropped along with Kanako and Suwako as the two harvest goddesses struck a pose. "WE MADE IT!", they shouted. Right before Hina slammed into them.

Our sweatdrops increased as the three of them screamed; the Aki sisters in terror and Hina in amusement. The three of them fell down the stairs and their screams slowly faded out until they were completely gone. It was silent again.

And then, at the foot of the mountain, a large tree shook violently as something slammed into it.

"What was that about?", I asked in disbelief. "Don't know. It never happened before...", muttered Kanako as she tilted her head a little. "I say that they should do it again!", huffed Suwako as she rose to her full height from her frog position, "It looked fun!"

With a groan of disbelief, I turned back to the hole in the shrine's roof. "Need some help?", offered Momiji as she appeared at my side. "Nah. I'll be fine.", I sighed, "But how's it been going for you, Momiji?" The white wolf tengu nodded. "I can't complain. The fight against the Undead army has not been easy, but I had some help from a former general of the tengu.", replied Momiji and crossed her arms, never turning her gaze away from the hole I was fixing.

"That so?", I asked, before putting the nails into my mouth so that my left hand was free and able to pick up another wooden plank, "Have you listened to my advice? The one regarding Aya?" Momiji let out a growl of discomfort at that and averted her gaze.

And that, of course, attracted my attention.

"What's that supposed to mean?", I asked and stopped fixing the roof of the Moriya Shrine (Which looked pretty amateurish by the way). Momiji growled a little more and glanced over the edge of the roof down towards Aya and Sanae, who were just getting up.

"I fear you were right... I have to change my view on her completely.", sighed Momiji. "Why the sudden change?", I asked, raising an eyebrow at the white wolf tengu. "T-the former general... Was Aya.", admitted Momiji under a growl. "Aya is a former general of the tengu forces?", I asked in surprise. "Caught me off guard as well... Especially how she commanded the troops and how she fought...", commented the white wolf tengu.

"Now that is something I didn't see coming...", I admitted, looking down at the tengu reporter next to Sanae. "Me neither. Imagine my surprise as I fought back to back with her... I can't believe you were right. Aya isn't the person I always thought her to be... And what's even worse...", Momiji trailed off and blushed all of sudden, "I can't deny that I find this secret of Aya's pretty attractive."

I began to laugh as I heard Momiji's 'proposal'. "Are you saying that you honestly are attracted to Aya all of sudden? Come on, I told you that appearance can be deceiving! Don't judge a book by it's cover, Momiji.", I snickered. "S-shut up!", hissed the white wolf tengu and drew her blade. Not that it bothered me. I knew she wouldn't attack me.

"Momiji got a crush~ Momiji fell for Aya! And that despite the fact that she always hated her! This is just too rich!", I laughed, made sure to keep quiet enough for Aya not to hear us, though. The white wolf tengu at my side blushed even worse and was all flustered all of sudden. Can't blame her. Admitting such a thing to yourself must be hard.

"Stop talking, Chôzen Gekido, Ins...!" "Shut up Kanako!", I laughed over my shoulder at my first rival ever, "I'm working, don't worry. I'll fix that hole. J-just give me time to regain my composure!" "Shut up, Chôzen!", snarled Momiji, but I just waved at her, and broke into a new fit of laughter.

This was just too rich!

"Yamame?!", I shouted as I entered the large cave. My voice echoed throughout the narrow, wet entrance of the underground to the old hell. "Kisume!", I added, silently chuckling to myself at the thought of the cute tsurube-otoshi. I can't believe that there actually is a rumor that the little bucket-youkai was an insane, man-eating murderer... But then again, that's what her species was, pretty much.

"Geez, don't scream that much and just keep going!", huffed Insanity. I rolled my eyes at him, but did as he told and kept walking deeper into the old hell. But not for long, as a very certain duo of a tsuchigumo and a tsurube-otoshi appeared in the darkness before me, hanging from the ceiling.

"Yo!", greeted Yamame and waved, "We heard everything! Or at least, heard you calling!" Kisume waved a little over the brim of her bucket... She was sooo cute~!

...But sometimes, I wonder what she keeps inside that bucket. And I really hope it's not the remains of a human, like the rumors say. And even if, did it matter?

...Yes. It would make her less cute. A lot less.

"What's leading you down here?", asked Yamame as she dropped from the ceiling and landed on her spider legs. "Just checking up on everybody. After all that has happened...", I replied with a shrug. "Hm? In that outfit? Aren't you a little cold?", chuckled Yamame and tilted her head. I growled as I remembered that I still wore no shirt, but bandages.

"I don't know, Yamame... I think he is cute like that...", commented Shiho Kumo and ran a finger over my chest, tracing a large scar. "Tch. I don't know.", I replied and shrugged. "And if he is cold, I can warm him up!", declared Shiho. "Yeah, sure, you ca... SHIHO?!", I roared as soon as I realized that the spider queen was standing next to me, "How long have you been there?!"

Shiho frowned at this, rose her right hand and counted with the help of her fingers, even though her gaze rested on the ceiling above. Suddenly, she let out a gasp and smiled brightly. "I've been following you since you entered!", she exclaimed cheerily. "She's stalking you~", hummed my Flame-Soul, only to be swatted aside by me. Man, it was annoying to hear him comment everything every once in a while...

"Well, if she is here, then...", I turned to look into the other direction as I thought, only to find my suspicions confirmed. "Yo.", greeted the bold woman that sat on a rock as she rose a hand. "Hey Ryoko.", I greeted back, even though uncomfortable. "Geeez, you just can't separate them anymore... Wherever one of them is, the other one isn't too far away..."

"Anyways, Chô, when did'cha stop calling me Sensei, eh? Ain't I ya teacher anymore, hm?", sniggered the bold woman as she rose and stepped over to me in three huge steps, patting me on the back with such strength that I almost fell over. "I don't know...", I muttered in all honesty. "It's fine! I think ya very well surpass'd me already...! And do ya know how proud I am? My student has surpassed me already! He's beaten stupid ol' Mima!"

I chuckled uneasily and rolled my eyes. "Same old Ryoko..."

"You're going underground, right? Chireiden?", asked Shiho, and I confirmed that with a nod. "Ah! Then let us tag along, alright? We were headed there as well.", smiled the arachnoid queen and clapped her hands once. "Fine. Come on, we still have a long way to go...", I sighed. "We're going as well, Kisume!", smiled Yamame. The tsurube-otoshi nodded gently, then vanished inside her bucket, which Yamame then picked up and placed on her exposed spider body.

I rolled my eyes. This could be fun...

Our journey remained uneventful and quiet. Yamame was humming a gentle song, Kisume remained in her bucket, and the queens were just casually talking about complicated stuff I really didn't care about. I, for my part, just remained quiet and kept walking down into the former capital. I was a little surprised to not find Parsee on the bridge that people no longer cross, but decided to ignore it. Parsee was probably somewhere in the lower levels of the old hell, like the ancient city or Chireiden.

As our small group reached ancient city, also called former capital, I laid my eyes once more onto the crowded streets, the beautiful lights and the smell of alcohol invaded my nose once more. The city that Oni resided was, as usual, crowded with Oni, but also with all kinds of creatures that had retreated into the safety of darkness that the underground offered.

I was quite relieved to see that the streets were just as they always had been. It was refreshing to see that Gensokyo was back to it's old ways... It was as if the whole Mima incident had never happened to begin with. But then again, this was old hell, and Mima had never reached down here. Still... Even the surface of Gensokyo was slowly but surely returning to how it was before the whole thing with Mima.

While it was very relieving, it was also a little sad... It felt like all of Mima's efforts had been for nothing. Gensokyo was just as always, despite everything she had done. While sad, it couldn't be helped... And probably was for the better.

"My my, certainly crowded, isn't it? No order at all...", giggled the queen of arachnoids. "Completely different from your kingdom, isn't it?", I asked, earning a nod from the queen. "Can't say I dislike this, ya know? Ya know that I love to mingle with da crowd.", snickered Ryoko and stepped past us into the crowded streets.

Shrugging towards my companions, I followed Ryoko.

For the first time since I met her, it wasn't easy to not lose the tall woman... The Oni were just as tall as her. Somehow, however, I managed to keep her in sight until I had reached her. I slowed down to her pace the moment that I was aside her. Yamame and Shiho along with Kisume were no longer behind us, but they would find us again, I was sure of that.

"What are you doing down here anyways, Ryoko?", I asked my former teacher. I still had great respect for her, though. If she wouldn't have been, I would've never been able to get lasers back under control, and with that, would have never managed to defeat most of my enemies over the last four years.

"Ah... Just lookin' around a bit, shoppin'.", replied Ryoko with a shrug, "I'm here cause Shiho is here. That's all." I chuckled a bit at that. "You two have become inseparable, huh?", I asked jokingly. "Guess so... It's fun around her, she's strong, can hold her liquor... Just what I like.", replied the ex-queen with a shrug. "That's true...", I concluded and turned my gaze a little and looked over the items an Oni offered.

"Besides... I've been told they have the greatest booze in all Gensokyo down here. And ya know how I love booze.", snickered Ryoko, before she turned to look through the items that I had just looked at.

"I heard someone mentioning booze?", asked as a loud voice from somewhere to my right, only to be followed by a loud gasp. "Chôzen Gekido!", roared a loud, familiar voice that very moment, "Just who I've been searching for!" I froze, rose an eyebrow and then turned to look down a street, only to find a familiar face walking towards me, waving enthusiastically.

"Yuugi?", I asked as the woman reached me. She patted on my back with the same strength that Ryoko had used earlier, almost dislocating my shoulder in the process. But this also allowed to see me who was walking behind her. "Parsee. Good to see you.", I smiled at the overly jealous woman. "Whatever...", growled Parsee and turned to look away. "Serious as always, I see?", I chuckled.

Parsee rolled her eyes, sighed, and eventually began to smile as well. "Guess I have to thank you. We all have.", she sighed with a shrug. "Not really.", I replied and sighed as well. "No time to be modest, ya know? It's time to party! We've got to celebrate your victory over Mima!", exclaimed the tall Oni with the single horn, even though I was well aware that she was, like most Oni, only looking for an excuse to drink.

Despite the fact that Oni couldn't lie, they could come up with good excuses to drink.

"Ol' me heard something about drinking?", smirked Ryoko as she turned around and faced us. She and Yuugi shared a short glance, then smirked even wider... And then, each grabbed one of my arms and began to pull me along. "W-what?!", I gasped. "We're going to drink now, if you like it or not!", exclaimed Yuugi. "B-but... The party at the Hakurei Shrine is this evening!", I countered.

"Doesn't matter. We're drinking now, Chôzen!", snickered Ryoko as she and Yuugi dragged me along. I looked around in panic, tried to find help... And found Parsee. "Parsee! Help!", I shrieked. But the bridge princess just smiled in a nasty way, crossed her arms behind her back and waved. "Parsee, this is not the time to not get jealous! Save me!", I shouted. But the bridge princess just shrugged.

"Noooooooo!"

"Another one for me and my pals!", shouted Yuugi and hammered her fist onto the bar, effectively waking me from an alcohol-induced nap. "Man...", I growled, "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Immediately, the group began to roar in laughter.

They had set me up. They had planned this all along. That was the only way to explain why Satori, Utsuho, Rin and Koishi were already sitting in the pub that Yuugi dragged me into along with Ryoko. They had planned to get me drunk before this evening...

"Here you go.", smiled the female Oni waitress as she placed another tray of Sake in front of us. Immediately, Yuugi reached for the two biggest flasks and handed one of them to Ryoko. Shiho and Satori reached for the two cups of hot tea on the tray, while Koishi just ignored it and kept playing with Kisume. Utsuho and Rin took two flasks as well, but only had eyes for one another.

"What about you?", asked Yamame and took another flask, while Parsee took the second-to-last. "I had enough...", I growled, not daring to reach for the last flask of Sake on the tray.

My headache was already worse enough... And the fact that Parsee was glaring at me over the brim of her flask didn't make it any better.

"Did he really just say he had enough?", asked Ryoko with a frown. She shared a short glance with Yuugi. They began to smirk.

Before I knew, the two of them each had one of my arms and pinned me against the wall with their exceeding strength. "Now, Okuu!", shouted Yuugi over her shoulder. With wide eyes, I watched as Utsuho rose from her seat and smiled over her whole face. "Okay~!", she exclaimed with childish glee and waved over to the waitress.

And what came then scared the living crap out of me.

The waitress returned with a barrel and handed it to Utsuho.

"Oh no, you don't!", I shouted. "Too bad.", chuckled Satori as she closed one of her eyes and grinned at me, "Utsuho really wants to." At this, I gulped, stared wide-eyed at the hell raven as she stepped over to me, the barrel on her right shoulder. "Utsuho, can we talk about this?", I gasped.

Shiho broke into a fit of laughter, attracting the attention of Koishi, Yamame and Kisume. Utsuho smiled sheepishly and reached for the cork. "I don't think so...", chuckled Rin with a cat-like grin. "Please...", I whined. But my plead fell onto deaf ears. Parsee sneered into her Sake, Rin waved a last time... And then, Utsuho pulled the cork.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

It was about three hours later that my steps carried me through the Garden of the Sun again. "Heh. Good job. How exactly did you manage to...?", began Insanity, but I interrupted him with a snarl. "I said I'm sorry, okay? I overreacted...", I huffed and rolled my eyes.

"Dude, you ignited the Sake and blew the whole place up.", laughed Insanity. "It didn't blow up... It just burned a bit...", I hissed under my breath, "And besides, we extinguished the fire pretty quickly." "There was fire still..." "Ah, shut up!", I roared. "Where are we going anyways? We've been at Mugenkan. Besides, it's in the other direction."

"I'm not going to Mugenkan..." "Thanks, Captain Obvious. I didn't figure that out on my own..." "Ah... Shut up. Just let me do what I want to do." "Hey, fine with me... See ya later."

I let out a sigh as the insane personality went quiet and vanished into the depths of my mind, but I had to admit that I was a lot more comfortable with him gone. After all, he was my insane side, and ultimately responsible for most of the things that had happened to me. Not only necessarily bad things, but still...

My steps led me down the path in between the sunflowers that all looked up at the sun, didn't stop once even as the sunflowers around me slowly decreased, only to eventually end up on a meadow. I didn't know that Mima and Yuuka had fought there nine years earlier as I walked through there, not yet, that was. But even as I walked over the meadow, I felt that it had some connection to Yuuka and Mima... It was just a feeling lingering in the air. The fragrance of the flowers.

But even as I was on that meadow, I didn't stop once, walked through the high grass that gently shook in the wind. The cool breeze on my face was refreshing, and it allowed me to finally let my thoughts trail off, far, far away from Gensokyo and all the trouble I had been through. I didn't even notice that the meadow was long behind me and that I was standing in front of a cliff and looked into the sunset high above the water below.

I closed my eyes eventually, took a deep breath, then sighed.

"Is it really over? Has the dream come to an end?", shot through my head as I opened my eyes again and looked into the sunset. "It all feels like a great dream... A lucid dream. A dream I had been able to control, and yet was forced to live in it, even as it became a nightmare."

"Four years passed before I knew... Four years passed without me really being aware of them. But I remember it all..."

"The doubts as I began to look for my memories. My anger as I turned against Reimu and Marisa to fight for Remi... My first death since my amnesia by the hands of Alice... Yuyuko... Meeting Nanatsu again... Rumia leaving me and... My fight with Kanako... The apocalyptic night... My memories as I met Utsuho again... And my glee as Byakuren was with us again... Then of course the thing with Miko... And finally, my fight with Mima..."

"Going sentimental, are we?", chuckled my Flame-Soul silently. "Ah shut up.", I groaned aloud and moved a hand through my hair. I couldn't hold back a chuckle, though, amused by my Flame-Soul's comment. "But you have to agree... Everything passed before we knew.", I sighed. "That is true. At first, it seemed like a dream, nothing seemed to be real."

"After that, as we learned of the truth, everything became a little weird, and soon turned into a nightmare of constant loss, failure and fear... As Mima became powerful, we thought this nightmare wasn't going to end again... And then, we finally had a chance again, turned the nightmare back into a dream and now... Now, the dream isn't going to stop again. Because Gensokyo is a dream.", I finished and smiled.

My Flame-Soul didn't reply and Insanity had shut up, so I closed my eyes and sighed. The cool and soft breeze hit my face again and I enjoyed it. "This is the dream I always wanted... I finally have a mother now... I have siblings... I have found the two women I want to live with for the rest of my life. But all I need now... Is peace.", I sighed in defeat.

For a long time, I remained like that. I just stood there, enjoyed the silence and the soft breeze, watched as the sunset neared the edge of the ocean before me, it's bright orange color reflecting on the cold mirror that the ocean was...

"Hello Mima.", I whispered. I didn't need to turn around to know she was there... Something told me. Deep inside, I knew she was there, behind me. So as I turned around, I wasn't surprised to find her standing behind me.

She stood in a safe distance away from me. Her green eyes rested on me, carried something between sadness and seriousness. I knew why she was there. I knew why Mima had searched for me. It wasn't that hard to figure out.

"Look, Chôzen, I...", began Mima, but I rose a hand to stop her. "I told you... ", I growled and shook my head, "Stop apologizing already!" Mima let out a deep sigh at that. "But..." "Stop."

I turned back to the sunset, rose a hand and gestured Mima to come over. She complied without another word, walked up to me and stopped aside me, followed my gaze and stared into the sunset as well. "Beautiful, isn't it?", I asked. "Yeah...", replied Mima with a deep sigh.

I allowed myself to glance towards Mima and took her appearance in. She still looked pretty beaten up, something that assured me that she hadn't been treated at Eientei. And yet, despite her bruised and beaten up state, Mima looked absolutely stunning in that golden light of the sunset... It was her element alright. It complimented her, and she complimented it... Not only the twilight was beautiful. Mima was as well.

"You're right about the part with the beauty...", smiled Mima, an honest but weak smile crossing her lips, "You don't even know how right you are..." I frowned a bit when she trailed off and her gaze became a little dreamy and distant. "Care to explain?", I asked her, earning a small chuckle from the evil spirit as she suddenly closed her eyes and lowered her gaze.

"The twilight... It was the only thing that really ever mattered to me. The only thing that I thought of as beautiful. Before my death, I used to sit on the shrine's roof each and every day, just to stare into the sunset... I wanted to understand this beauty, wanted to understand why it calmed me down and... I just wanted to have it. Wanted to be like it.", began Mima, looking down at her open palm.

Slowly, she closed her hand. "My wish was granted as I died. Before my death, I had researched the twilight, had tried to tame it with magic... But it refused to become mine. So my last wish was that... When I offered my life to create Gensokyo... My last wish was to take my own life in front of the sunset. And as I plunged the knife deep into my heart, I stared into it. Became one with it.", whispered Mima.

In awe, I could only stare as orange light began to glow within her hand. As Mima opened her hand, a flower made of beautiful orange light rested within her palm... And as she took a deep breath and blew, the flower crumbled apart into orange blossoms that scattered through the air. "Though the scent lingers, the flower scattered...", whispered Mima softly and smiled.

Together with her, I watched as the petals were guided by the wind, were guided far over the ocean and into the sunset. Silence spread as we watched, comfortable, beautiful silence. I didn't pull away as a light weight was put onto my shoulder, instead, I began to smile and glanced down at Mima, who rested her head on my shoulder.

It was like the death of something dark and sinister, a final farewell to it as it was carried away by the wind.

"It is over now, isn't it?", asked Mima eventually. "I fear so, Mima... I fear so.", I replied softly, breathed each word gently. "Hm..."

I closed my eyes and moved a hand through my hair. "How sad. And it just begun.", sighed the evil spirit. I chuckled at that comment, glanced into her direction and shrugged. "True. But it isn't that bad, you know?" At this, Mima sighed and rose her head again. "I fear it is...", replied Mima and lowered her gaze, "Everyone in Gensokyo hates me. They don't want me here anymore..."

"I knew this would happen..."

"Look, Mima... I told you already, didn't I? You need to give them time. It may take a while, but if you show them that you honestly regret all you've done, then they won't stay mad at you. Trust me, I know what I am talking about.", I sighed, "And besides... You still have me and Yuuka. Neither of us will leave you down."

A small smile appeared on Mima's lips and she nodded. "I guess you're right...", she muttered. "I know I am.", I chuckled and shrugged. "And you are, Chôzen.", spoke another voice, attracting my and Mima's attention. We turned back towards the direction of the Garden of the Sun, from where another familiar face came.

"Sorry about earlier. You just hit a nerve.", chuckled Yuuka as she prodded me with the tip of her parasol. It was a good thing that the sharp bit had broken off during the final fight on that cliff... Otherwise, it would've hurt a bit. "I guess so. A pretty sore nerve.", I huffed. And received a smack with the parasol onto the head. "It still is sore, so think about what you say and do.", smiled Yuuka in her deadly sweet way.

"I feel so.", I huffed and rolled my eyes, rubbing my throbbing head a bit. "Anyways, Chôzen is right, Mima. And besides, it's not like anybody is especially nice to me at the moment as well. I helped you after all... And some little angel whispered to everyone that I am in love with you...", continued the Flower Youkai as she turned to Mima and walked up to her. I watched her as she sled her arms around Mima's neck and cuddled into the evil spirit.

So it was true after all. Yuuka was in love with Mima... And if my suspicions were right, Mima loved her just as much. But she had yet to show it... Or already had. I couldn't know, I had been asleep for four days, after all.

"I trust him... And you, Yuuka. I will wait...", sighed the evil spirit, even though a small smile remained on her lips. "Ah. There you are!", called out another voice, and the three of us turned towards the meadow behind us once more, only to find my two women walking towards us.

"Yo!", greeted Rumia with a bright smirk, "We were at Eientei a while ago, and Eirin said something about exploded spleens and you leaving after waking up... Figures that you were here after all. With Mima and Yuuka, of course."

All of sudden, Yuuka was past me. People always considered her to be slow... At that moment, she had moved without anybody noticing. At least not until she stood behind Rumia and had her in a headlock. "Hello Rumi~", greeted Yuuka with her deadly sweet voice, especially as she called Rumia 'Rumi'. "W-what the heck, Yuuka?!", roared Rumia as she tried to free herself. "Don't 'what' me! Keep your mouth shut next time!", shouted Yuuka.

Ignoring their little fight, I turned to Nanatsu and opened my arms, welcomed her in a bone-crushing hug. "Hey, Nana~.", I whispered into her ear. "Good to see you like this. You sure scared all of us when you suddenly collapsed after that fight.", giggled Nanatsu and hugged me back.

"Let go, Yuuka! Ow!" "Not until you learned your lesson, Rumi~"

"Geez, don't do such a thing again, you got me?!", huffed Nanatsu as we let go of one another. "I don't plan to. But if Mima decided to go all crazy again...", I chuckled playfully and glanced towards the evil spirit. Immediately, Mima took a step back and raised her hands in defense. "Like hell I do that again! I experienced that once and I know I'm not trying to lose myself to the insanity ever again!"

Nanatsu narrowed her eyes at the evil spirit... She still wasn't convinced about Mima's 'sudden change', but then again, most of Gensokyo wasn't. But I knew that Mima had changed. Call me naive, but I believe that there is good in every person. After all, Insanity is the bad within me, so why not the other way around?

"Come on, ease up Nanatsu!", I huffed and shook my head at her, "Mima is trying to apologize here..." The evil spirit nodded a little, but her gaze rested on Yuuka, searching for reassurance. The Flower Youkai had let go of Rumia, but was still glaring daggers at her as she approached Mima and laid an arm around her in a possessive way.

"Geez, what the hell Kazami!", complained Rumia as she got up. "You deserved that Rumia...", I admitted with a sheepish chuckle. "Still...", huffed the angel of death and turned away. "Nice to see you all go merry and all, but I don't think this is the time for it.", commented Yuuka as she furrowed a brow at us. "Relax, Yuuka... It's over, forgot? Gensokyo is slowly turning back to how it was...", I replied and shrugged.

My gaze trailed over to the sunset, and the four women followed my gaze as well. "It is over now... Now is the start of a new era. It's the beginning of an entirely new Gensokyo, even though it is just like the old one. But better. It holds a place for everyone that is willing to dream, everyone that wants to dream together with others. Gensokyo is the dream of a paradise that many dream together...", I whispered and let my thoughts trail off.

"No matter who and what you are... You have a place here. Walking enigma, angel of death, Shinigami, evil spirit, human or immortal... No matter what or who you are, Gensokyo welcomes you with open arms. So... As long as we dream this dream together, as long as we want this dream, it will stay. That is what Gensokyo is."

None of the girls said anything after I had finished, neither of them spoke or moved. They all were lost in their very own thoughts. And I smiled as I closed my eyes and let the breeze hit my face. For the first time in such a long nightmare... It was peaceful. For how long, I couldn't say... After all, Gensokyo wasn't only a peaceful paradise. Sometimes, it was quite chaotic. And the next incident was bound to happen, after all.

"Chôzen, not to interrupt you or anything, but we should go... We have to be somewhere, remember? It's about to begin...", muttered Nanatsu into my ear, but not silent enough for Mima and Yuuka to not hear it. They, however, disregarded it with a simple movement of their brows. They knew as well that it was probably something they were not invited to.

However...

"Ah... Yeah, we should go.", I replied and chuckled. Nanatsu and Rumia nodded and turned away, began to leave. But I wasn't going to leave yet. There was something I still had to do. "Hey... You two coming?", I asked over my shoulder. Immediately, Nanatsu and Rumia froze and turned towards me and the two green haired women again. "Where to?", asked Yuuka.

"Chôzen, you can't just invite them! They...!", snarled Rumia, but I shut her up with a single glare. Or rather, Insanity glared, as my eyes were crimson as they laid on Rumia. "This is a party to our honor, so why can't I invite who I want? Why can't I decide who should be there and who not? Well, and I invite Mima and Yuuka! And if anyone says something about it, he should bite my ass!", I roared.

Both Nanatsu and Rumia were shocked at my sudden blaze of anger and had taken a step back. With a huff, I turned back to Yuuka and Mima. "So... Are you coming as well? Like I said, I don't care what others say, you are part of Gensokyo as well, and no matter what side you were on, I'm inviting you to the party. That's how Gensokyo works, right? You fight, and no matter how serious, after the incident, you throw a party together.", I smirked.

"And besides...", I spoke and shrugged, "If they sent you two away, I'll go as well. I don't want to be part of anything if they are like that." Yuuka and Mima shared a short glance at that, both apparently pretty surprised about my words... But it was Yuuka who smirked all of sudden and turned back to me. "Well, we hardly can recline, right?"

My smirk turned into a wide grin and I nodded with childish glee at the two. "Then it's settled. Come on!", I exclaimed and pointed into the direction of the Hakurei Shrine. Yuuka was the first one to move, walked past me and my simply shocked wives, only to be followed by them without a word. And then, it was just me and Mima again. "What? You're not coming or what?", I smiled at her.

"Look, Chôzen I...", Mima closed her eyes and a genuine smile crossed her lips, "Thank you."

I shrugged. "Yeah. Whatever. I owe you, didn't I?", I chuckled. "Are you sure about that? I think I owe you more than I can ever give... After all... I did destroy your life. Maybe it's for the best if I just leave Gensokyo and...!" "Shut up, Mima. I told you, didn't I? It's fine. You don't owe me anything, and you're not going to leave Gensokyo, you got me? Now just shut up and follow me...There's a party waiting for us!"

Mima closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, even though that genuine smile returned. "You're naive, you know? But fine... Fine, I'll go.", she muttered and shook her head. "That's the spirit!", I exclaimed. Mima rolled her eyes as she looked up at me again. "I am a spirit, duh."

I smiled back at her. "Then it's fine, isn't it? Now let's go." "Wait." I stopped again. "What now? Still something you're going to regret? I told you just now, it's fi...!" Mima stopped me with the simple movement of a hand. "It's not that...", she muttered and averted her gaze. "Not? What then?"

"It's about Yuuka and everything...", sighed the evil spirit and suddenly blushed a little. "I owe her something. Something she didn't get last time." "And what would that be?", I asked and rose an eyebrow at her. "A proper wedding. The last wedding was just a show, was just meant to achieve the ritual of bonded hearts... I didn't know about Yuuka's feelings back then...", huffed Mima sheepishly.

"You're going to marry her for real just because you think you owe her? You shouldn't...!", I began, but Mima interrupted me again. "I feel the same about her, alright? I may be stupid sometimes, but I am not that stupid!", snarled Mima as she glared at me. "Aw, how sweet.", I taunted. "S-shut up!"

I shrugged a little and approached Mima again, moved my hand through my hair again. "So... If you already decided, then what is there you want to ask me?", I questioned as I furrowed a brow at her. Mima flinched a little and her blush increased. "W-well... I am going to... well, I thought you'd be fitting and... You're the only one I really trust and...", stammered the evil spirit, and I rolled my eyes at her. Really, since when had Mima been this shy about something? Guilt was really nagging on her, was it?

"Spill it.", I huffed and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to cringe again. "G-groomsman."

As Mima uttered this simple, single word, I found myself frowning at her in something between disbelief and pride. After all, she had chosen me, of all people, to take this place...? Now that was a surprise...

"I-I can understand if you don't want to be after all that has recently happened and all, but...", began Mima again, but I groaned. "It's fine. I'll do it.", I smirked at her and waved a little. Mima blushed madly as I agreed to, something that caused me to start laughing immediately. "Come on, now... The party is waiting."

Mima nodded meekly, averted her gaze, but began to follow me as I turned to leave to the Hakurei Shrine.

"Man, I really hope she'll return to be herself soon... I can't say that I dislike this shy Mima, but... oh well. But who can I blame? After all she had been through, it was only natural for her to be somewhat defensive and all..."

However, as we reached the shrine, I was the only one to approach it. Mima and I had decided that it was better if she stayed behind with Yuuka, who had awaited us in front of the stairs to the Hakurei Shrine. According to her, my wives had already entered the Hakurei Shrine and were awaiting for me, but had promised not to say anything about me inviting Mima and Yuuka... Something I was grateful for.

Reimu, who stood in front of the shrine, spotted me as I reached the upper end of the stairs and let out a deep sigh. "So you made it. I'm glad. Everyone wants to see you.", smiled the shrine maiden. "Good evening as well, Reimu.", I snorted with a hint of sarcasm. Reimu giggled softly and shook her head. "Still the same idiot that appeared here about four years ago. Come on, everyone is waiting."

I nodded and began to follow her inside the shrine, from where I already heard loud laughter and excited yelps. There were light and voices behind the shrine as well, indicating that there were people behind the shrine as well, but first things first.

So I followed Reimu. But not without glancing over my shoulder over to the shinto gate, where I knew that Mima and Yuuka were behind. "Before we enter the party now, Chôzen... There is something I have to tell you.", spoke Reimu all of sudden, her voice serious and enraged. As she stopped and turned to me, so did I turn to her and frowned. "Something that I should have told you four years ago, right after you unsealed Mima."

"And what would that be, Reimu?", I asked, tilting my head a little and furrowing a brow. Reimu took a deep breath and turned her gaze away. "It's... About the incident in which I sealed Mima. Nine years ago...", hissed Reimu. I narrowed my eyes at these words, frowned. "I'm all ears. What about it? Why haven't you told me back then?", I asked her. "Because... I feel guilty about what happened. Not for Mima, but for what Mima did to... get my attention."

Reimu closed her eyes and balled her fists. "About nine years ago, the whole fight in between Mima and me escalated. We used to put traps into each other's path... But that one day, everything went too far. Mima went too far.", growled the enraged shrine maiden. Enraged at herself.

"All I remember is... That the smell of fire woke me one night. I left the shrine as fast as I could, thought the shrine was burning, but...", Reimu bit down on her lower lip, which began quavering. Her fists balled and veins became visible on them. "But?", I asked, only for Reimu to open her eyes. She turned to me, stared at me with anger. "But it was the Human Village. Mima had ignited everything.", roared Reimu.

"It was already too late when I arrived in the village... Keine had saved most of the humans, but many of them... died. Most of the human village was wiped out that night... And I couldn't save them. Even now, I awake from nightmares. Nightmares in which I stand in the burning village and hear the cries of men, women and children alike... But the image that has burned into my mind... It is Mima, standing in the middle of the flames, laughing at me...", hissed Reimu, barely able to hold her emotions within.

"But... It is why I am not holding Mima responsible for anything that has happened. As I looked into Mima's eyes that night, as she stood within the flames and laughed... I saw it. I saw that Mima's power has gotten to her head... And just recently, it has happened again."

All of Reimu's anger seemed to dissipate all of sudden, she relaxed and sighed. "But... I don't think that will happen again. And that is why I trust her now.", muttered Reimu, before she suddenly looked past me, "Did you hear that? I trust you, Mima. I am sure that Yuuka can keep you under control now... You may come out now."

I froze and turned to look over my shoulder towards the gate. "Reimu knew Mima was there?!"

Without hesitation, Mima stepped out of her hiding spot, followed by Yuuka. While Yuuka looked Reimu into the eyes, Mima looked somewhere else. "I am sorry, Reimu.", muttered Mima and closed her eyes, "I never wanted things to become like this."

"It's fine... We all have that moment when we lose reason.", sighed Reimu and turned back to the shrine, "I don't you being here... I'm the last one to act against you. As long as you behave."

The miko stepped up to the door before she stopped and turned back to us. She gestured all of us to come over, and waited until Mima and Yuuka, as well as I, stood next to her. Only then did Reimu turn towards the door. And only then did she open it.

And immediately, the sounds of the party turned into an eerie, uncomfortable silence.

"Chôzen has arrived.", announced Reimu as she stepped into the room and left me standing in the door along Mima and Yuuka. And everybody was staring at us. Yukari and her shikigami. Shinki and her daughters. Byakuren and her followers. Miko and the other taoists. Nanatsu and Rumia. Everybody.

Save for Tenshi, who leaned against the wall to my right and was looking into her half-empty cup of Sake in a bored manner.

"What are they doing here?", blurted Kaguya out as she rose an eyebrow at us. "Here. Have some Sake.", smiled Nanatsu wryly as she stepped up to me. I took the Sake from her hands and thanked her silently... The mood was too serious to drink some Sake, though.

"I agree.", hiccuped Suika, "The old witch was not invited!"

My eyes widened and I glanced towards Mima, only to see that she had a hard time holding back her tears. And as I saw that, anger flared up within me.

Everybody gasped and looked in shock at Suika as a cup hit her between her eyes and knocked her over. "Shut up! I invited them!", I roared, "This a party to my honor, so I should decide who to invite and who not, right? Besides... Mima hasn't done anything that couldn't have happened to me! Oh yes, I could've been in Mima's place! What then? Would I have been excluded?"

"As a matter, of fact... Yes.", huffed Yukari and stuck her nose into the air. I reached out, pulled Tenshi's half-empty cup of Sake from her hands and threw it at the Sukima. It hit her right into the face and knocked her over as well.

"Anybody else?", I shouted. I knew that it was ruining the mood... But really, I didn't want to be part of this party if it meant to desert somebody, especially Mima and Yuuka. "I'm not going to ask you to become friends with her all of sudden... And I don't ask you to forgive her just now... I know you'll need time. But listen to me... Mima has changed. Mima has regained reason and she regrets what she has done... So I'm asking you... Just for tonight... Let her be part of Gensokyo again. She deserves to dream our dream as well."

Confused glances and whispering passed through the crowd. And it only stopped as Marisa rose to her feet and walked over to us. "I agree with ya, Chôz! Come on, let Miss Mima have some fun as well, everyone, ze!" "Marisa is right. And so is Chôzen. Mima has come to apologize to me on her own, after all. I trust her.", smiled Shinki and clapped her hands together.

"I trust her as well!", exclaimed Byakuren and smiled widely, "Why shouldn't we, after all? I mean, we trust Chôzen and his insane personality as well, don't we?" "I see no reason to disagree with Byakuren.", commented Miko with a shrug. "Gekilldo does it again. Really, keep your charm under control.", snorted Alice. "Whatever.", I shrugged and allowed a smirk to pass my lips.

"It may sound weird, especially since it's coming from me, but...", began Kanako, causing everybody to look at the goddess that was sitting behind the kotatsu of the Hakurei Shrine with her legs crossed, "...I trust Gekido. And I see no reason to change that. For now." I chuckled a little and nodded thankfully towards Kanako, who only shrugged in reply. "I agree with him as well.", mentioned Reimu eventually, "Trust me, I know Mima. And I see the regret she has."

It became silent again after Reimu finished in her always casual tone. But this silence didn't last for long, was broken as a gap opened right in front of my face and a clear liquid burst out of it and right into my face. I waited shortly before I wiped it away, then glared towards Yukari, who moved back into a sitting position. "That's my revenge, Chôzen.", huffed the Sukima no Youkai and rolled her neck.

She then let out a deep sigh. "Alright. Alright, I'm allowing Mima to stay. Under one condition!", growled the Sukima no Youkai and rose her index finger. "Which would be?", I asked. Yukari's serious frown turned into a nasty smirk. "Mima is going to get drunk!"

I sweatdropped.

"Ya callin' me baldy?!", roared a drunk Marisa, her forehead pressed against that of Ryoko. "I'm callin' ya worse thin's, lightweight!"

I couldn't help but to break into a fit of laughter with everyone as we watched Ryoko and Marisa starting a fight. The mood had relaxed and everything had cooled down. I knew that Mima would be shunned the next day again, as would Yuuka, but there was a lot of time until then. The night was long from over.

Apropos Mima... Where was she? I hadn't seen her since Yukari, Yuyuko and Yuugi dragged her off to get her drunk.

"Hey, Chôzen!", shouted a voice into my ear and I turned to face Rumia. The angel of death was smirking at me and offered me another cup of Sake, which I gladly accepted. She plopped down aside me and rested her head on my right shoulder. "Have you told them yet?", asked my second wife. And I only shook my head. "It's not time yet, Rumia... It would destroy the mood entirely.", I replied.

Rumia nodded. "Yeah... Quite a decision we made here, hm?", asked Rumia as she rose her head a little to stare through the crowd, like I did.

The door to the backyard of the shrine was open, allowing me to look outside. I spotted Cirno, Wriggle, Daiyousei and Mystia there, playing tag under the moonlight. Yuuka sat on the porch, the moonlight reflecting off her pale skin, giving her a mysterious appearance.

Youmu was swinging a sword a little, training. Reisen, Tewi and Eirin sat on a log near Youmu and watched the swordswoman while they conversed. Kaguya, Mokou and Keine had retreated outside as well, sat under a tree with Mokou resting against it's log with Kaguya and Keine both resting their heads on her shoulders. And Flandre and Koishi were chasing around the garden, watching here and there what the others did.

Inside the shrine, Byakuren, Miko, Shikieiki and Shinki sat together around a smaller table, conversing about religions and faith. Kanako, Suwako and Sanae sat together in silence as they watched Marisa and Ryoko fighting in the middle of the room. The sisters of Makai, my sisters, were scattered all over the room...

And was just part of Gensokyo.

But everybody was having a good time... And it sure relieved me to see that. "Hey... Where's Mima, anyways? You went through all the trouble to invite her here and she just left?", huffed Rumia. She still seemed to be uncomfortable with the thought of Mima being here, but she didn't have much of a choice but to accept it.

But, as if on cue, the missing evil spirit resurfaced again.

"B-behold, Chôz'n!", exclaimed a completely drunk Mima all of sudden, and I turned to glance into her direction. Just how did she get drunk that quickly?! She was hovering outside the shrine, pointed at me, a proud and self-pleased smirk on her lips. "T-this was something I was originally going to throw at you... And I'm doin' so now!", she slurred, summoned her crescent staff and swung it once.

All of sudden, the yard in front of the shrine split apart as something gigantic slowly rose out of it. I held my breath and stared at Mima and the madness that was present in her eyes. "And now, Chôzen... Are you ready to face the greatest evil Gensokyo has to offer? Your own nemesis?", shouted Mima.

It didn't even take me long to realize what she was talking about. Especially not as she flew backwards and over the hole in the ground in between us, a single, wooden wall rising out of it.

"Oh no, you didn't!", I shouted as I watched the wall come out of the ground. "Oh yes, I did!", Mima retorted from the other side of the wall. Fear spread through me, panic. Adrenaline was immediately flowing through my system, sweat running down my face in thick pearls. My fingers began to twitch uncontrollably. Fear was overtaking me, blind panic.

I observed it for a long time after it was fully visible. It was a single, wooden wall. A wooden wall with no windows, but a single door inside.

The door to Sly's pub.

"Oh yes I did!", repeated Mima, slurring like hell. "Come, try and get me!", she shouted. I sweatdropped a little. Either she was so drunk that she forgot that there was this evil door right in between us, or she forgot that I could easily hover over the wall or go around it. But I decided against that... I was going to play along. Cause, why not? "Challenge accepted Mima!", I snickered. "This is too easy..."

I shrugged towards the others and smirked to myself as I stepped out of the shrine and towards the wall that Mima was behind. "If you manage to... somehow... uh... get to me, I'll.. uh...do something! But if you don't then I'll... uh... Do... uh... something.", exclaimed Mima behind the door, making me chuckle again. I reached out for the doorknob of that evil door...

...only for Mima to push it open, slamming the door right into my face.

I screamed out in pain as the wood hit me right in between the eyes, stumbled a bit backwards, but then just huffed and rubbed that sore spot in between my eyes. "Geez, Miss Mima and Chôzen are at it again! Can somebody get those two drunkards away from each other before they kill everyone, ze?", I heard Marisa shout.

Angry about that pathetic attempt of me to reach Mima, I glared at her through the open door. "Haha, very funny Mima...", I snarled and rolled my eyes, but prepared myself to jump towards the evil spirit. As I did, however, Mima just pulled the door close, causing me to slam face first into it.

New pain shot through me, I screamed out and hissed as I rose, my face hurting all over. Especially as Mima suddenly opened the door again, frowning. "Hello?", she slurred, ignoring me as I stumbled backwards while I screamed in pain, "Huh, I was sure someone was knockin'..."

"Oh, I could watch this all night! That's just too funny, ze!", roared Marisa in laughter. "I have to agree. It's always funny to see Chôzen embarrass himself in public.", agreed Reimu over the brim of her cup. I twirled around, raised my fist and growled loudly. "Just you wait! I'll defeat her without going around or over this wall!", I shouted, twirled back to Mima and prepared myself for another jump.

"Hey, as we all watch him embarass himself, how about I tell you a funny story? His spleen was completely ripped apart, and you don't even want to know where I found parts of it...!"

"EIRIN, SHUT UP!"

"Geez... Gensokyo is just like it should be. Gensokyo is itself again. And this time, even Mima can be happy inside it. This time, Gensokyo truly is the dream of everyone together... But there is one question that remains..."

"How and when am I supposed to tell everyone that... Nanatsu, Rumia and I decided to..."

"...decided to separate ourselves from Gensokyo soon?"

"...not now. After Mima's and Yuuka's wedding. For now... I should just enjoy this dream. For the time that it remains."

(1) "Momoko" is one of Tenshi's nicknames and refers to the peach on her hat, while "Chôshinsei" literally means "Supernova"... Tenshi can't remember Chôzen's name, save for the first three letters.

And with that ridiculous trolling of Eirin and a drunk Mima, this book finally comes to an end. Sly's door is evil, isn't it?

Woah. I can't believe it's been over a year since I started this... And I can't believe how I have improved. Of course, I still make mistakes, I still put -ed where it doesn't belong, I still mess up the time every now and then and I still overlook mistakes when I look through the chapter for a last time before I post it. Goddammit!

It's been a fun year... I know I have many mistakes to fix, but I'll do that when I find the time. Which means... I'll fix them while I write II-Negative Mind (hopefully without creating too many new mistakes!).

By the way... I am sure that nobody seemed to notice, but there have been a few hints scattered across this story that hint at the plot of the second book. Some are so obvious that you just overlook them, while others are hidden a little.

For example: In this very chapter is a small hint. Wonder if you'll find it? It is the obvious hint that you just kept overlooking... It has to do with the part including Komachi.

Another hint, though hidden, is in chapter 59: No regrets at the end; during the "Moriya Shrine" scene... You should really count how many people I mention there. Hehe.

But the biggest and most important hint is hidden somewhere in the Unfocused World... At least in a scene regarding it. Komachi played a role during that scene as well. However, it is not connected to the "obvious" hint.

Before I stop now... Thank you. Thank you everybody. All of those who read this story, who encouraged me, who reviewed and gave me new ideas and all... Thank you. You made me strong when I was about to give up... Without you, I wouldn't have managed to write this.

But I don't only want to thank my readers... I want to thank ZUN for creating the Touhou Project... Without it, we wouldn't be here now. And of course, I don't forget Hexer04 and KillingCarmilla, who always were there when I had new ideas... Sorry if I pestered you with it all the time. I hope you two are there for me when I write the next book as well.

So guys and gals... This is the end. Make sure to look out every once in a while for the next book. Check my profile if you want to be kept up-to-date about my next steps... And until the next book, I guess.

So, for the last time in this book...

So long~