Reimu and the Yakumo Clan were searching for Hecatia Lapislazuli (1) at Gensokyo's current Hell. A great number of black building were raising like if it was a resemblance of the Outer World but everything was haunted like if it was a post-apocalyptic world with no hope left. Sky was some sort of reddish twilight without sun.
(1): The Goddess of three different hells. She's stunningly beautiful with a red long bob hair, ruby eyes, and a modern black shirt exposing her tummy that says "Welcome ♡ Hell", combined with a colored miniskirts with black patterns on it. She's not evil. In fact, is a wise governor and a nice person.
Ran: "Reimu, you didn't say a single word since we have arrived."
Yukari: "Are you alright?"
Chen pokes the Maiden in the back trying to get an answer from her.
Reimu: "I'm okay... it doesn't matter, because I just did wake up a bit dense. That's all."
The Maiden has her head in another place thinking on her last dream. She was alone in a beach in twilight, the softly roaring tides were nostalgic for her and a figure similar to Yukari was with her... until she started to distance from Reimu for some reason. Everything that remained was she alone in an illusionary world.
Reimu: "I just have to make my mind. Let's continue, Yukari."
Says in low tone of voice that shows some resignation after coming to the conclussion of her feelings about an impossible love.
Yukari: "Reimu... we'll move when you tell me what's happening. You can't be like that if we have to fight again."
Reimu: "All this time... since we did meet at your sanctuary, since you did humillate me not going seriously in that fight, continuously toying and teasing me... I wanted to give my best everyday for moments like this. But it's clear... my role in all of this is to be the one who sacrifies to save them all... to save people I supossedly cannot befriend. I've decided to supress feelings from now on, to not dream anymore and live reality because... all I can do is... fight. When this is over, if we win... can you never return to the shrine? Is the best for us to say goodbye. If we still meet... it will be even worse at the end."
After her words showing a painful tone specially at the last phrase, she gets ahead. Ran inmediately understood what was happening. Chen felt scared about it and sticked to Reimu's back embracing her.
Chen: "Chen likes Reimu, don't go away meow!"
Reimu: "I'm not allowed to say I like you but I hope that my actions speak more than my words. This goes for any Youkai who knows me and specially the biggest and more powerful of them all. I'm a walking sacrilege with no chance of being happy, that's why I'll give my life for them until the end. No other thing matters for me at this point."
Ran: "Miss Yukari..."
Reimu gets farther to enter first in Hell Realm and search for the Goddess.
Reimu: "Let me find Hecatia. You can go search for the Sages. Bye for now, Yakumo Clan."
After the Maiden's depart, a tense silence did happen, Chen was crying and Ran embraces the small cat to calm her with headpats.
Ran: "To be exact she has been the definition of a tool for too much time, Miss Yukari. She's glad to help us but it's starting to be too much for her. I know that face. Is the face of one who will give up its life if necessary to fulfill its mission. She thinks she's not worthy for more than that."
Yukari: "Reimu... but why? What made you act like this?"
Ran: "I think she's in love with you. But because of her role and her status as a Human didn't confess it. And if it was from a long time she just played the tough girl thinking that you are out of her league or anyone would be with you before her... or you know, the lifespan problem. You'll outlive her. The truth is that she likes your teasings and your presence in the temple."
Yukari: "... this girl... she didn't even try to catch my attention. But the truth is that to me it doesn't matter the race, lifespan, social condition... she's so brave to fight enemies that are more powerful than her, yet doesn't speak about her feelings in front of me. I'm disappointed. She should think more on herself."
Ran: "We are in time of going with her."
Yukari: "Yes, but for now... she should meet Hecatia. We could go search for Kasen and ask Suika if she did see her at Hakurei Temple. I'll have words with Reimu at the proper time. To be honest... I don't like to damage her feelings."
Ran: "Miss Yukari, do you love her? At first I thought that she was unworthy of you but now in my opinion the one who thinks that is just her."
Yukari: "I do. And I'm capable of anything to protect her."
Ran: "I can search for the sages with Chen. Go with her, Reimu needs you more than ever. Wasn't she part of the Clan? I did hear you one day very clearly."
Yukari: "I would be a terrible girlfriend or wife nowadays... but you are right. So much time enduring, I understand now why so much frustration."
Makes a gap and disappears into it. Meanwhile Reimu looks at the dark buildings.
Reimu: "In the end, I was always isolated from the rest. After all, I'm just a Human and this is all I can do for those who pray is to answer their prayers."
Someone did touch Reimu at the back and did a jumpscare into her. A familiar voice could be heard.
Hecatia: "Hey!"
Reimu: "UAAAH! HAH! H-Hecatia? But... what's the meaning of this?"
Hecatia: "I'm a curious goddess, Reimu. I couldn't avoid to see you down. So I just wanted to help you a bit~. You aren't usually like this, sweetie!"
Junko (2) comes after Hecatia and shrugs.
(2): A blonde long-haired woman with an oriental dress ornamented with black gold patterns. She has lost a kid because of Lunar Rabbit dictatorship and tried to revenge against them. Is always nearby to Hecatia.
Junko: "Hecatia-Sama always like chaos. You can't imagine another way of greeting from her."
Reimu: "Thanks for the gesture but I'm not in the mood. I was just here to request something but first I have a question."
Hecatia: "Go ahead~."
Reimu: "If I die, will I end here?"
Hecatia and Junko look each other with shocked expression.
Junko: "Why do you make such a question, Hakurei Maiden?"
Hecatia: "Well, I would be super glad of having you with me. But that would be determined by Eiki-Sama. But don't worry too much, everyone loves you."
Reimu: "I don't care about who love me anymore. All I need is to end my task and now please, hear my request."
The Maiden was trying to look as idle as she could trying to don't make expressions.
Hecatia: "I won't until you tell us your problem. I want to talk with Reimu Hakurei, no with some sort of robot. Hell calling to Reimu-Chan~."
Junko: "What did happen to you? We are serious about this. I remember you to be more defiant and bad-tempered. You were pissed-off during our fight because you didn't want to see moon rabbits occuping Gensokyo. Thing which I understand since I hate them all."
Reimu: "My personal troubles aren't important now. The Incident is our priority and I'll need your help to stop it."
The hell goddess heavily sighs.
Hecatia: "You have no choice, honey. We will help a human called Reimu, not a soulless bot."
Some tears started running across the maiden's cheeks. She was moved by the other two, makes an effort to not gasp, do any gesture or sob. A knot was on her throat.
Reimu: "Why do you do this? I'm not meant to make you carry my selfish wishes and issues."
Junko: "We consider you our friend, dumbass."
Hecatia: "Come on, shrine maiden. No one is invincible or unbreakable forever. Even the strongest being can feel defeated or surpassed by something that has been too much. I won't look down on you or make fun at you."
Reimu: "I... love Yukari Yakumo. But it's impossible to reach. I mean... nothing did matter. I was just tired after solving the Scarlet Mist incident. But when I did solve the Cherry Blossom one and went to investigate what was happening to the Border... I did fight Ran Yakumo at day, and met her at night. It was... impossible to beat her, she was just toying and teasing like if I was nothing. Then, she did start training me and stealing food and booze from my shrine. She always liked to tease me with pranks but in the end that made my days less boring. I liked how she giggled and said my name everytime, but I have to be awake from this dream sometime. This anguish was with me from afar. I'm just a human, she will outlive me if we solve this incident. And... she's way out of my league. I can't compare to the Youkai Sage. I can't reach that height no matter how hard I try. Plus, I'm the Shrine Maiden. I'm not allowed to take that path."
The goddess puts a hand on Reimu's shoulder, and the blonde-haired woman looks thinkative.
Hecatia: "I see your logic makes sense, but you are forgetting something important."
Junko: "Yukari Yakumo was known for her infinite cruelty to anyone who defies her. You did and you don't just are alive. She did even trained and watched over you."
Hecatia: "She's tied to the Hakurei Maidens, Reimu. And someone of her power level could do anything she likes. Why decided she to help you and take care of you then? If she doesn't love you... at least must have you in high consideration regardless of what you did or who you are. If not, you probably would have died time ago, with another new maiden taking place."
Junko: "Acting like that won't make anything better. It's like when I was angry for losing my child... I wanted to destroy everything but nothing improved. Think a bit."
The brown-haired woman nods as she can't endure the tears anymore and they start sprouting. Hecatia hugs the Maiden to give her a shoulder to cry.
Reimu: "Heh... I was an idiot. To ask her to never come again to the Temple thinking that it would be better for us... I was thinking on her first but I now realize that I will only worry her."
Hecatia: "We all are idiots sometimes. Who doesn't have a weakness moment, hm? I support you."
Junko: "I have an image of you, someone who never gives up. Don't make me think otherwise."
Hecatia: "Breathe, just let it get out. Then, we can speak about the incident you did mention."
Some minutes after, Reimu recovered herself the best she could and explained the situation to them.
Hecatia: "It sounds serious. That beast from the sky... is just a Spell? I don't want to imagine how powerful the user must be. We have like one week left... the First Hakurei seems like a real threat."
Junko: "If Gensokyo gets reseted, the Moon Rabbits will have their chance to perform any low tactic on this land. I won't allow it."
Reimu: "I did fight one fragment among Rin Kaenbyou, Utsuho Reiuji and the Yakumo Clan. It wasn't easy."
Hecatia: "Interesting, this could be something worthy to see. Count us on, Reimu. To make the Ultimate Last Word Ritual, we'll need Eiki-Sama and the rest of Gensokyo sages."
Suddenly some sort of shining needle went for Reimu's neck from behind. Junko reacted quickly removing the shrine maiden from that spot and that shot just missed.
Junko: "Be aware, we have company! Reimu, that should have been easy for you to dodge!"
Hecatia: "Who are there? Show yourself, and don't be afraid. What I'll do to you will only hurt until you die, coward~. Attacking someone who's not on her best moment proves how much respect do you deserve."
It was the white shining monk again.
Reimu: "Is another soul fragment from that bastard!"
Zan: "This sorry excuse of a Shrine Maiden will cease to exist today, and if you interfere you shall be purified, Hell Goddess."
Hecatia: "You speak of purifying, yet I feel you are tainted by hatred."
Junko: "The white shining is nothing but a Facade!"
Reimu: "If I die another human can take my place. Killing me won't change nothing!"
Hecatia and Junko look at her. She was visibly angry but for some reason on her eyes a threatening red shine appeared, Reimu's body was surrounded by a rainbow aura.
Reimu: "Do you want to see me dead? I'll take you with me if necessary and rip you apart. Last Word: Fantasy Nature!"
For one second, in a brief moment, Reimu could be seen in a different shadowy silhouette. It was just a blink, like some sort of darker side was asking to come out. With the spell, a massive spinning wave of amulets, needles, yin-yang orbs and rainbow explosive energy orbs went out of her body at once at a speed impossible to follow for ordinary eye striking with extreme violence. Her enemy laughs dodging each wave.
Zan: "You are using a weaker version of my spells, Reimu. I know their patterns and your fragile body won't endure so much time casting that."
Reimu was looking him with cold eyes. The idle face turned into some sort of psychotic smile.
Reimu: "So what. We'll see how endures more of us, if you dodging or me wanting to see you in pieces staining everything with blood. SO SHUT UP AND DIE! LAST WORD: FANTASY NATURE!"
The spell was being fueled with the maiden's own vital energy this time, the pattern now was totally random and the projectiles increased twice its size, going at double of speed.
Hecatia: "Junko, she's losing her control!"
Her enemy couldn't keep dodging and ended in the ground. Tried to cast a barrier but it was useless. Reimu was angrier than ever.
Zan: "Y-You... ugh..."
In response, her creepy smile intensifies.
Reimu: "What did happen to your confidence, are you feeling the pain? BECAUSE THE FUN HAS JUST STARTED! HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Junko: "At this rate she will die!"
Everything was starting to tremble, even if wasn't the real Zan, Reimu's body was a bit shaky, but not because fear, it was because of joy chills and her own feeling of being tired. With every spell wave, the soul fragment of the Hakurei Head had a limb removed in the ground until her head was brutally decapitated. The hell goddess and her companion tried to stop her but the frightening energy wave repelled them out. Reimu looked at them with soulless eyes.
Reimu: "Don't worry, Hecatia... I'll torture him personally and make him feel everyone's pain."
Hecatia: "Junko... we'll have no choice but to knock her down."
Yukari: "Allow me to do it. She's under my care and I won't leave her alone again."
A gap appeared in the middle of the air and the sage was there. It was very rare to see her that serious.
Hecatia: "Very well, but don't kill her."
Junko: "Just take her back to normal."
Yukari: "I'm not planning on killing my shrine maiden. In part, this did happen because I didn't pay enough attention to her feelings."
The Maiden giggles looking directly at Yukari while some bloody tears run from her eyes.
Reimu: "Look, he even couldn't cast a single spell and every last bit of him is on the ground, HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Yukari: "You are coming with me now, Reimu."
Reimu: "Or what. I'm off to search for that bastard. This incident ends today... your tool will fulfill all your wishes..."
Everything got darkened with some sort of deep purple aura, Yukari was getting angry.
Yukari: "What did you say?"
Reimu: "I'm just your tool! Admit it already! Nothing is going to change anyway. I have friends to protect after all. You always are playing with things like if they were nothing, treating everything like a joke. Now is my turn~. I'll laugh at Zan Hakurei's judgement. And if I die you just can search another human! You have nothing to lose."
Yukari: "We are done talking. You are posessed by your own anguish. You aren't yourself right now."
Her eyes started shining in purple and many gaps did open showing some sort of eldritch horrors in the eternal cosmos. Yukari's expression was a painful one, she was feeling fearful for the first time after centuries, it was fear of losing Reimu forever.
Reimu: "Huh? So you want a rematch. Hahahahaha! Come on, giggle a bit! Where's your usual disrespect for everything that surrounds you?!"
Yukari: "Last Word: Arcanum, Bounded Field!"
The bounds between realities were shaking and forming a vast barrier of unescapable purple spell amulets. Some eldrich tentacles appeared as well with big gaps opening around the Maiden.
Reimu: "LAST WORD: FANTASY NATURE!"
Another spell wave was being casted by her, the talismans were cutting some tentacles and colliding with the border barrier while some magical orbs explode against them. Reimu was more powerful than ever since this time she was being capable of making scratches on it.
Yukari: "Forgive me for this... I'm sorry."
The tentacles are regenerated and grab her violently.
Yukari: "Now!"
The barrier started closing more and more, firing an infinite barrage of amulets. When it clossed a colossal magic implosion did occur. Reimu was severely wounded, falling down. The Sage got the maiden on her arms, she was bleeding.
Hecatia: "She's still alive but not for much time..."
Junko: "Using her own vital energy to power up a spell... is like if she suddenly doesn't value her own life."
Yukari: "We have to act quick. If she dies, I wouldn't forgive myself."
Hecatia: "It's not her time to pass away yet. However, I hope she learns a lesson from this. Later, we will speak about the Incident."
Yukari: "She has become stronger, to be honest I had a bad time containing her danmaku. Reimu almost becomes a Youkai."
Several hours later, the Shrine Maiden opened her eyes.
Reimu: "Uhhh... my head! Did I drink... too much with Suika again?"
She was awake on Yukari's lap. The Sage made a sweet smile for the Maiden.
Yukari: "At last, you are awake~."
Reimu: "I think I had a terrible nightmare. My entire body hurts!"
The blonde Youkai embraces Reimu carefully and puts her head on her breasts. The shrine maiden blushes harshly.
Reimu: "Y-Yukari... what is happening to you? Is this some kind of teasing? Wait, you are not giggling. Somehow you were getting me with tentacles at the nightmare."
Yukari: "You are safe now, that was just a bad dream, okay?"
Her voice sounds with some emotional tone.
Reimu: "Are you ill? This is not like you."
Yukari: "Reimu, tell me your feelings. Did you love me in secret and you didn't say me anything?"
She was serious about the question to the point of even feeling tension.
Reimu: "H-Huh?! Well to be honest I... I can't say it because I'm the shrine maiden."
Closes her eyes, trying to reunite enough determination to softly kiss the Sage on her lips. Then looks away, feeling how everything was going to melt.
Reimu: "See?... I said nothing."
Yukari: "Look at me~. No running away, I like to see you all embarrased. Hohoho~. Well, now that you "didn't say anything" I'll tell you my plan: teasing you everyday in the best and worst situations~. You are so cute when you play the tough girl and blush. Now close your eyes. Reimu~."
Reimu nods, feeling how her heart was melting even more and the next thing she felt was Yukari's tongue playing with her own. Their mouths became one in a passionate kiss. When they ended and opened their eyes a slim thread of saliva separated them for brief seconds.
Yukari: "Not bad for your first time, shrine maiden. I can teach you these things too~"
Reimu: "Are you trying to pervert me?"
Yukari: "Hohohoho~. You put it like if I was bad."
Reimu: "Well, I won't say anything, just like before."
Both women look each other with a sweetened expression.
Yukari: "I'll take care of you, never doubt about it."
Reimu: "Not anymore. Sorry."
Yukari: "I have to apologize too, with so much teasing you couldn't see how do I feel with you but next time think more carefully. I wouldn't waste any second of my time if I didn't like you."
Reimu: "Just like Hecatia said... wait. Where is Hecatia? We are..."
Yukari: "At my sanctuary, yes. After our little battle, Hecatia and Junko were agree to help us when the time comes. We had to carry you to Dr. Eirin. Thank her you're still alive. I was so worried! Ran is looking for the rest of the Sages while we talk."
Reimu: "I couldn't control my inner anguish... I was an idiot to the extent that I did let myself carry away."
Yukari: "Rest for now. I'll remain here to watch over you, my dear. Expect some teasing later~."
Reimu: "I will... and next time I'll be more careful. Just one question..."
Yukari: "Hm?"
Reimu: "Did I get stronger?"
Yukari: "You did, and I'm proud of you."
Fortunately everything went well for now. Yukari and Reimu finally could express their feelings. They were aware of the lifespan difference, but it didn't matter as long as they make happy each other for the next years. But this was not over yet, in some days everything could be ruined. They had work to do yet, but for now the Maiden lays on Yukari's bed recovering from her wounds. Her couple's scent made her relax a bit after what was like a bad dream for her, after seconds she would fall asleep feeling like nothing could harm her with the Sage's protection. A peaceful smile was on Reimu's vissage, she was able to be happy and rest once for all after so long.
TO BE CONTINUED...