"Ugh… I had one too many drinks last night."

Seija sits up from where she was unconscious, finding herself in a seemingly endless prairie with clear blue skies above. Only more grass as far as the eye can see.

Where am I? Last I remember, I was with Shin at the castle…

Standing up, she starts walking. Her environment does not change no matter how far she goes.

What kind of place is this? Am I still in Gensokyo?

Her mind wanders the same way her legs do.

There's no one here. The weather's completely calm. Nothing to see, nothing to do… Not even Shin's here… What's wrong with me? I need to find a way back!

For the first time since waking up, the amanojaku feels a sense of direction. Her efforts quickly prove fruitless, however, when she falls to the ground after trying to fly.

Huh?

Every attempt, each more desperate than the last, meets the same fate. No matter how much she wills it, Seija is stuck on the earth below.

Why can't I fly? What the heck is going on?!

She calls upon her powers to flip the endless expanse around her. It refuses to budge.

"That's… that's impossible. Why isn't anything working?!" she frustratedly screams into the sky.

Seija is not sure what to do when she spies a figure in the distance. Slowly approaching, she realizes the one standing in the middle of the field is Shin. The amanojaku is relieved and runs to her partner.

"Shin, finally!" says Seija while approaching. "Do you know where we are?"

The inchling does not respond. Also, despite how much Seija runs, no more distance is being closed between them.

"What the-? Shin! Do you know what's going on? Come on over here!"

As though in response to Seija's words, Shin begins walking away.

"Where are you going? Come back!"

Shin breaks into a run.

"Wait, please! Don't leave!"

A sudden gale storm picks up ahead of Seija, despite there not being a cloud in the sky. The sheer force of winds causes ripples in the grass. She closes her eyes and braces herself before being blasted away.

"WAAAHHHH- OW!"

Everything is calm. Seija opens her eyes and finds herself in her room at the Shining Needle Castle. Looking around, she realizes she is lying on the room's floor, the usually inverted area reversed which ironically makes it appear normal. Her futon is upside down next to her while her blanket is half a meter away from its counterpart, jumbled up.

I… I must've flipped the room in my sleep.

The back of her head and body is sore from presumably slamming into the floor. She reverts the room to its normal state and floats down, taking a seat on her corrected mattress.

"Hey, is everything alright?!" Shin calls out before rushing inside. Her outfit is pink sleepwear similar to her normal kimono. "I heard a scream!"

The amanojaku responds, "Sorry, somehow managed to invert the room while asleep. I hit my head on the floor pretty hard."

She doesn't need to know about the dream.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright? Let me check!" says a concerned Shin. She walks around to Seija's back before the latter can object and carefully examines the back of her head, gingerly moving Seija's hair when needed. "Was it just your head you hit?"

"My whole back also took the impact but seriously, I'm fine. Don't worry."

"While luckily I don't see any major injuries, saying you're 'fine' is an overstatement with this bruise on your head. I'm sure the rest of you is aching, too. Lay down, I'll be back with some ice and food; luckily I had just started making breakfast."

Shin runs out, leaving Seija alone with nothing to do but comply with her wishes.

Well this is fantastic. I've never had this happen before, it has to be because of the dream and how vivid it felt. But it's over, so time to move on.

Just like she promised, Shin returns with a cushioned bag of ice and a light breakfast with tea. "Here, I'll help you sit up."

"I'm not suddenly incapable of moving, it's just a bump that'll be gone in a few days," says Seija, taking and holding the ice to her head. "You don't need to treat me like I'm helpless."

"Er, sorry. It's just…" the inchling trails off.

"Just what?"

"I had never heard you yell like that before. It sounded like you were terrified, so I panicked."

That's…

"You probably misheard," says Seija, her tone uncharacteristically comforting. "I bet it happened because of how much I drank last night. Heck, I don't even remember coming back to my room."

Shin breathes a sigh of relief. "Well, as long as you're okay. And that's not surprising, I had to help you walk here." Her expression turns mischievous. "You were so drunk last night that you told me all about your dark secrets."

Seija's face becomes crimson. "I-I, what?! T-there's gotta be some-"

"Pft, hahaha! I'm joking! But I couldn't resist teasing you about it. Though, given your reaction, was there something specific you had in mind?"

"Oh shut up!"

The inchling's childlike laughter only gets stronger. "I'd ask if I went too far, but I know you excel at holding on in the face of such terrible adversity, right? Truly a rebel against oppression."

"Hmph," Seija grunts with defiance.

Even when serious or upset, she's never far away from messing with someone. Always wanting to get a leg up on those around her, it's no wonder we work together so well.

The duo's eventful morning lasts quite a while as they eat breakfast in Seija's room. It manages to put the amanojaku's mind at ease following her dreadful dream.

It's been nearly a week since we got released from Former Hell community service. I'm gl- well, Shin's being here has made sure I don't lose my edge. We decided on a week of downtime last night, but…

"Hey," Seija begins, "is there anything you wanna do? Since my idea is on hold and you've been looking out for me a lot, I figure I should return the favor."

"Oh? Hmm…" muses Shin.

"Ain't gotta be anything fancy. We've got plenty of free time since we need to stay under the radar. Both sabotaging the dango festival and sneaking into Eientei within six days after being freed is pushing it."

"I agree, it's just weird hearing you say it."

Can't say the shock's unwarranted.

Continuing, Shin says, "Give me some time to think about it. It's been one thing after another recently so I haven't given more leisurely activities much consideration."

"Let me know when you decide."

Following their long and impromptu breakfast, the rest of their day is the most relaxing they have experienced since prior to their Former Hell plan. Lounging around the castle and making small talk are the most exciting events that transpire, not that either mind. The day passes them by quickly and soon it comes time for bed. Shin, out of lingering worry, makes sure Seija does not drink prior to sleeping. The latter stares at the floor of her room while lying on her futon after retiring for the day.

Shin never gave me an answer, I'll pester her more tomorrow.

Similar thoughts fill her mind as she drifts off to sleep.


"Wait, please! Don't leave!" Seija calls out in anguish.

Like clockwork, her nightmare from the previous night plays out the same way. Soon the gale storm picks up. Seija, for her part, does not process she is dreaming nor that she has experienced these events before.

Where is this coming from? There isn't a cloud in the sky!

The wind pushes her back; however, before she is completely blown away, a recent memory flashes in her mind. She pictures a smiling Shin saying, "You excel at holding on in the face of such terrible adversity, right?" Without thinking, Seija grips the grass on the ground to help anchor herself and weather the storm.

Grass shouldn't have been able to support my whole body weight. That's not natural.

Wait, what do I care? I need to catch Shin!

She picks herself back up and charges forward to catch up to her friend slowly vanishing over the horizon.

"I don't know who's doing this," Seija yells, "but you'll need way more than a breeze to stop me!"

Her advance is met by another gust, almost like it is responding to Seija's words, though this time she keeps her footing.

"How… do ya… like… that?" she says, pausing with every step.

Finally gaining ground, Seija gets closer to Shin. But right before she catches up, she hears a sound not unlike metal scraping the ground before the earth between them cracks. It then splits wide open, creating a chasm Seija could never hope to cross on foot.

Is this some kind of twisted joke?!

Despair creeps up on her, causing her not to notice the piece of ground she stands on giving way before both it and she plummet into the abyss.

"AHHHHH!"

The endless ravine morphs into the walls of her room as she wakes up from the fall, instinctively catching herself before hitting the wall like the previous day. Seija's body has broken out into a cold sweat and she pants heavily.

"What in the… that's the second time."

She looks around to see her room once again flipped upside down. Unlike yesterday, it is still dark outside Seija's window when she is forcibly awakened.

I can't tell exactly what time it is, though judging by how dark it is and when I went to bed it'll probably be at least another three or so hours until sunrise. Seems I was lucky enough to not have Shin hear me this time. But seriously, what is this dream? Why am I having it? No matter what I do, I can't seem to catch up to her. Am I… afraid of losing her?

Seija is too shaken to fall back asleep.


Around an hour past dawn, Shin sleepily walks to the kitchen to prepare another breakfast for a new day. She is met by Seija already at work, slaving away at the counter with her back turned.

"Yo. Woke up before you so I got started already," says the amanojaku.

"Wow, not often you're up so early," Shin says as she rubs her eyes. "Thanks!"

"Did you think more about what I asked you?"

"Yeah. An idea crossed my mind last night, but I need to confirm it by going to the village first. I was gonna buy more food anyway since we were running low, so it works out."

Seija, holding a tray with two bowls of rice and miso soup and a pot of tencha tea, moves over to and sits down at the table. "You're heading out later today, then?"

"Uh-huh, I-" Shin stops once she sees her partner's face. "Did you sleep alright? You look exhausted."

The lines under Seija's eyes are very pronounced, an expected result following one night of disturbed rest and a second that got cut short.

Was hoping she wouldn't notice.

"I'm more than alright. It's only because I woke up early."

"You didn't hit the wall again, did you?"

"Nope."

While Seija is technically telling the truth, it is obvious by Shin's furrowed brow that she believes there is more to the story. Her eyes see right through Seija, who does her best to keep a straight face. The room's tension is palpable.

"…Okay."

Finally, she relented. Wasn't sure how long I could keep that up with the look on her face.

Their conversation eventually goes back to business as usual, though a weight looms over them.

After both finish eating, Shin asks, "Any food requests while I'm out?"

"I'd love some more dango. Haven't had enough recently."

The inchling grins and rolls her eyes. "I'll make sure we don't have any for a while, then."

Seija sees her partner to the castle's entrance and waves goodbye. She notes the clouds rolling in from the north.

We might be getting some rain.

After Shin leaves, Seija is listless while wandering the castle with nothing to do. It is while walking through one of its many inverted corridors that her mind drifts.

I can't hide the truth from her forever. If it happens a third time, my face will be all the proof she needs.

Rain faintly patters against the castle walls.

I've never had nightmares before, let alone recurring ones. Did something cause this? Surely it's not purely because I ca- er, Shin's been my partner for a while. Doesn't make sense for this to only start now. We've been in danger before, especially recently in Former Hell. And we're not like those dysfunctional Komeiji sisters who can't even protect each other. They needed Youmu to bail them out.

Ugh… We were the ones who put Koishi at risk, so it's unfair to say that. Wait, what the hell am I saying? Since when do I care about what's fair?

A sharp headache rapidly grows in Seija's head as she thinks. "Urgh…!"

The lack of sleep must be getting to me.

While attempting to get her head straight, she hears a loud thud above her. It is followed by smaller taps that stick out amongst the sound of rain.

The heck is that?

Seija finds the nearest window and flies out to get on top of the castle where the sound originates. Waiting for her is a short and sopping wet young woman. Her hair is long and blue while her eyes are red. Her outfit includes a white blouse and red bow at the collar, a blue skirt featuring a cloud pattern with a white apron over it, a rainbow of shards linked around the skirt, and brown laced boots. Most distinctly, her hat is black and adorned with leaves and peaches. Seija knows exactly who stands before her: Tenshi Hinanawi. The celestial's large keystone lies on the ground next to her.

That rock was the loud sound.

"What are you doing here?" Seija asks, her own hair and outfit quickly becoming drenched.

"Oh do you live here now? I haven't visited in over three years," says Tenshi nonchalantly. "I was bored, so I came down here. Wasn't sure where to go since Shion said she'd be busy today and there isn't anything fun going on like a festival at Reimu's shrine."

"Shin mentioned working with you before during the Perfect Possession incident. Is that why you chose to visit?"

Tenshi walks over, unconcerned with the weather. "Pretty much. That inchling is interesting in her own way and I've only seen her a few times since that happened. She knows how to have a fun time, like the fireworks festival."

"But you only participated during Reimu's portion."

"Yeah, but I can appreciate quality danmaku as much as the next person. Was a bit disappointed at first when they told me it was only play stuff."

I do recall her using real danmaku before the judges told her to stop.

Still bothered by her headache, an impatient Seija asks, "So what now? We amuse you until you're done with us?"

"Are you complaining? You should feel honored that a celestial deigns to be in your presence. Or would you try to get rid of me?" says the confident gal. She pulls out a round-ended sword hilt from behind her back. "We still have a small score to settle after you escaped me last we dueled. I don't see any of those tools you had before on you, so I'll use 'fair' spell cards to keep it on the level."

Just what I needed, a spoiled brat with too much power and time on her hands.

"Look, peaches, I'd love to babysit you, but let's not today. Shin isn't here, either. Scurry on home or I might have to call your mommy and daddy."

The Sword of Hisou alights in Tenshi's hand, emitting an orange glow around her that highlights the passing raindrops. Her face bears a smile of ill-intent. "If your goal is to make me mad, congratulations. You'll regret making light of me."

"Y'know what?" Seija begins as she stretches her arms in front of her. "Screw it. I've been in a weird mood all day. Putting a celestial in her place should turn that right over!"

"Let's see if someone as weak as you can even last without any cheating!"

They hop and fly away from each other in sync to gain distance before letting out mutual volleys of danmaku. The bullets clash and explode amidst the rain, briefly rendering both combatants unable to see each other.

I didn't plan on fighting anyone and I don't have any backup. No tools or anything to speak of. And Tenshi isn't someone to take lightly even if she's arrogant.

Breaking right, Seija attempts to catch Tenshi unaware with a side attack. She finds that her opponent is not there, however.

Where-

A large keystone hurtles down from above, Seija barely dodging in time.

"Still as slippery as I remember!" Tenshi calls out.

"Are you sure it's me being slippery or are you just an idiot?"

Tenshi descends from above Seija, standing proud on her keystone with her arms crossed. "Keystone - Kaname Funeral!"

All around the celestial, three waves of smaller keystones manifest and move to surround Seija. The latter starts flying up to avoid them.

Is this like before where she'll launch them at me?

Seija is faster than the stones, so they lock into position below her in a circle.

They stopped? That can only mean-!

All nine stones shoot a storm of lasers that target Seija. Due to the pattern the stones are in, the lasers create a pattern akin to a conical hourglass where Seija herself is the midpoint. She, recognizing this, moves to her left so as to not rise or fall into the lasers post-dodge.

So that attack homes in on me and fires after a set amount of time. It's too slow to be a huge threat on its own, thou-

The Sword of Hisou grazes Seija's arm while she instinctively skirts around the sneak attack. Her right sleeve is slightly torn.

"Tsk, that almost worked," says Tenshi, mildly unenthused. "Oh well."

A distraction? Didn't know she had it in her.

Seija backs up again and shoots another flurry. This time, Tenshi calls upon four small keystones that orbit around her. They block Seija's attack, cracking a bit in the process.

I can't play my entire hand too early. If I reverse everything she does she'll just adjust. I need to get her off-guard!

"Your bullets can't hurt me!" Tenshi gloats. "Try this on for size!" She sends her shield of rocks towards Seija at high speeds, following closely behind.

She's moving too fast to dodge, this is it!

Seija floats perfectly still for but a moment; a second later, she reverses the keystones' momentum. They are on an inevitable collision course with Tenshi, whose eyes go wide but remain composed. Right before impact, her entire body is enveloped in a blue aura. She charges through the keystones like they are paper, utterly shattering them, and headbutts Seija in the gut with immense force.

"Guragh!" Seija grunts, coughing and nearly keeling over.

Tenshi, after laughing, says, "You underestimate the durability of a celestial's body!"

"Is that right?!" The amanojaku wraps her arms around the smaller girl. "Turnabout - Reverse Hierarchy!"

She begins rapidly spinning clockwise and the immediate vicinity counterclockwise to make Tenshi dizzy, using the dozens of bullets her spell card creates to pelt the celestial from behind. This prevents Tenshi, who is physically stronger, from being able to break free right away. All the rain around them is affected, creating a sphere of water that visibly shows the thirty meter radius Seija is choosing to spin.

"I'll send you falling back to Heaven!"

Once she has built enough momentum, Seija lets go at the precise moment needed to throw Tenshi at the Shining Needle Castle.

"Reverse Sign - Overturning All Under Heaven!"

Up becomes down and down becomes up, the ground above and the sky below. The inverted castle now temporarily appears normal from the outside. Hundreds of bullets appear and shoot at Tenshi, whose reversed momentum causes her to fall back to Seija and towards the sky.

Regaining her bearings, Tenshi says, "It… won't be… that easy! Temperament - State of Enlightenment!" A red glow appears around her and she powers through the danmaku, taking visible damage but much less than Seija expected.

I knew celestials were durable, but to this extent?

Tenshi manages to stay standing, or rather flying, after the onslaught. Many parts of her hat and dress are scuffed and she has a few bruises, but she is more than capable of continuing. "Looks like you got some fight in you after all! I was worried this would be way too quick with how you were acting at first." She reignites her sword. "I think this deserves a change of scenery!"

I can't let her control the pace any longer!

Seija summons an absurd amount of danmaku, desiring to fell her opponent for good. Tenshi summons another keystone to stand on, plants her sword into it, and breathes in to focus and gather energy. All the bullets land, yet Tenshi withstands every hit without batting an eye, focusing and gathering energy all the while.

Her ability is too powerful, I don't have the strength to wail on her fast enough!

Raising her Sword of Hisou above her head, Tenshi shouts, "Sky of Scarlet Perception of All Humankind!"

She points the sword at Seija and it fires out a gigantic red laser with massive width. Normally the size would be such that Seija could get out of the way easily; however, her mental fatigue has built up the past two days and, combined with the pain from hits Tenshi already landed, she cannot fully dodge. Nearly her entire left leg is hit while flying right to avoid the attack. Seija stifles her yelp of pain through gritted teeth. Since the area is inverted due to her still active spell card, the blast keeps going and pierces the rain clouds below them. Seconds later the rain stops and the clouds part entirely, replaced by an expanding aurora of many beautiful colors.

"What do you think?" asks a smug Tenshi. "A beautiful battlefield to end this duel in, isn't it?"

"Absolutely gorgeous," Seija replies, trying to hide the fact her left leg is limp while flying.

"I'm impressed you made it through that attack. I'll do you the honor of finishing you off in as flashy a method as possible, befitting a celestial!"

"It's always celestial this, celestial that. Do you have a personality beyond living in Heaven?"

The confident girl's eyes narrow. "Hmph, I'll teach you to respect my power." She returns to her earlier position, focusing with her eyes closed.

Heh, she didn't like that. …What am I doing, trying to contest her in power? She outclasses me by a longshot. After my nightmares the past two days and her arrival, I just saw red when she challenged me. My mood is making me too aggressive. I have to attack where she's weakest: her temper!

For the first time since Tenshi arrived, Seija cracks a smile. She ends her spell card, flipping the scenery back to normal, and says, "Earlier, were you really able to eat all of that danmaku thanks to a celestial's thick skin? Or do you just have a thick skull?"

Tenshi's eye twitches, however she continues concentrating.

"Must be embarrassing having to try this hard against a dreg of society like me when you're supposed to be an almighty being. That's twice now you haven't beaten me."

"This isn't over yet, just wait!" the blue-haired girl snaps back. Her eyes are still closed.

She's faltering, keep laying it on!

"I've been waiting yet you've got nothing. All of you've done is make it where I'll need to ask Shin to sew up my sleeve later. Your light show was all flash, no substance. And the only thing that head of yours is good for is use as a blunt weapon which, from experience, still ain't much."

Well, it hurt like hell, but I don't need to say that.

"Grr…" Tenshi growls.

"Oh my, is poor little peaches upset? Maybe you'd have won already if you didn't spend so much time lounging and feasting in Heaven. A lethargic lifestyle isn't healthy, y'know. Doesn't fit the image of a celestial, either. So shameful! That sword does all the work for you."

"Sword or no sword, my abilities are far beyond anything you're capable of, which I'll prove to you right now!"

Got her.

Tenshi flies straight up with her keystone, so high that Seija can barely see her anymore.

Whenever someone loses their cool, they always get sloppy. Time and again I see it. Even a celestial is no exception.

The speck that was once Tenshi turns a shade of orange as it gets bigger, closing in on Seija. All the latter can see is a gigantic keystone to Earth. From behind it, Tenshi shouts, "KEYSTONE - WORLD CREATION PRESS!"

It's a huge rock but anyone could dodge-

Earlier events with Tenshi's keystone lasers flash in Seija's mind.

It's a diversion!

Seija glances down to find a dozen newly summoned keystones rocketing at her, likely intended to launch her into the large one. Thanks to her anticipation, she narrowly threads the needle between them all, leaving only the main one.

That stone is moving obscenely fast and she can't see from her side of it, this is my chance!

Tenshi finally reaches where she believes Seija should be and hears a thud on the other side of her keystone. "You said before you'd send me falling back to Heaven!" she taunts. "Where's all that bluster now?!"

Using all her strength to reverse the ludicrously large rock's direction while flying around behind Tenshi before she can be any wiser, Seija says, "It's right here."

"What?!"

This idea is risky and might not truly defeat her, but I have a point to make!

Seija tackles Tenshi so the celestial's face is pressed against the keystone. The act hurts the former more than the latter due to Seija not having a celestial's resilience, as the rock has reached a speed that would grievously injure anyone were it not part of a spell card. By reversing the keystone's momentum, it launches upward at the same speed it was previously falling. It is no longer falling to the ground at a constantly accelerating rate, instead rising at a constant speed thanks to Seija's ability targeting just the keystone to render the effect of Earth's gravity and air resistance on it null. Tenshi is pinned between the rock and Seija, the latter lying on top of the former.

"Mmf, Seija!" says the celestial's muffled voice.

She'd be more than strong enough to break the rock and throw me off normally, but it was with the height of her strength she gave this rock such an immense velocity. Plus gravity helped her. Now that it's pushing against her with that same amount of force, at most she could manage an equal amount of force against it, which isn't enough to change the motion of the object or be enough to actually lift her body off. That last part is what seals it, there's a major difference between pushing against something while lying on it and punching it with a huge wind-up. Even if she did manage any tangible resistance, my body acts as a weight to keep her completely pinned. It also helps that she's so short. I just have to stay here to make sure gravity and air resistance remain non-factors.

Tenshi's muffled shouts accomplish nothing while they ascend higher and higher. She is able to continuously summon the Sword of Hisou to her hand yet Seija uses her abilities on herself to gain a slight range of movement to knock it away repeatedly despite the circumstances.

Of course, I told her she'd 'fall' back to Heaven. I meant that very literally!

A minute passes while Seija lets the keystone carry them into the stratosphere. "Woo, it's chilly up here. I'd say this is good enough to count as having kept my word!" she yells, barely audible given how fast they are moving. She flips their perspectives of the world once more, now seeming as though the keystone is falling on them. Giving herself enough wiggle room, Seija gets out from underneath the keystone and focuses on keeping Tenshi stuck as long as she can, until she is finally unable to make out the girl amidst the unnaturally close-to-Earth aurora.

"Ha! How do you like… that…"

Her vision blurs. The amanojaku pushed her mind and body to the limit throughout the fight between the blows she took and the immense concentration required to precisely manipulate the keystone for so long. Her lack of rest prior is the final straw.

Shoot, I got too into that fight… Losing consciousness while this high above the ground… Real smart…

Seija, ironically, falls like a rock as the orientation of the world corrects itself. For a bit under a minute, she is completely out cold. She wakes up after that, half-conscious, and makes out the amorphous blobs of Youkai Mountain and the various greenery of Gensokyo. Her attempts to try and course correct are thwarted by her tired body.

This might… be a problem…

"SEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIJAAAAAAAAAAA!"

That voice… I know that voice…

Two figures fly to Seija as fast as they can, though she cannot make them out through her partially shut eyes.

"SEIJA!"

Shin rushes to her partner. Close behind is Marisa on her broom.

"We have to match her speed and slow her descent gradually!" the ordinary magician commands. "You're not quite fast enough for this, so let me start!"

"Alright!" Shin responds.

Shin…

Marisa begins by aiming her broom perpendicular to the ground, the same position Seija's body is in. Next, Marisa, who is now parallel to the ground, grabs Seija's waist and gently slows their falling speed; were she to halt the amanojaku's descent immediately, it would certainly cause injury.

"Okay, we're slow enough now. Help me get her on the broom, Shin!"

Not even verbally responding, Shin instantly takes hold of Seija's legs and moves her to the broom. While this entire process is occurring, they are rapidly running out of time before they reach the ground; there are now roughly thirty seconds before it is too late.

"Hurry!" Marisa yells.

Shin, after positioning Seija on the broom, gets behind her to make sure the latter does not fall off.

With a hand on her hat, Marisa says, "Hold on!" She veers the broom up so it is parallel with the Earth once again. By the time she levels it out, they are only a hundred meters above nearby treetops. "Phew, that was a little too close."

"Seija, Seija, are you alright?!" an extremely distraught Shin asks.

The barely conscious Seija managages to answer, "Ugh… not at all…"

"Heh," chuckles Marisa. "Guess she'll be fine. Let's get her back to your castle."


"Why the heck didya think that was a good idea?!" Marisa shouts at Tenshi. "A rock that size would've caused a massive tremor throughout Gensokyo!"

Seija, Shin, Tenshi, and Marisa all sit around the former two's meal table. Seija sports bandages in various spots, primarily her left leg. She is not wearing her iconic red, white, and black arrow pattern dress; instead, she only has her light purple undershirt usually worn beneath the dress and a spare dark blue jinbei Shin owns for when they need to do laundry. The strap for the Hakurouken necklace is visible to the others, but not the shard itself. Tenshi, despite some messy hair and scrapes on her clothing, looks much better off as the injuries she sustained were less major and already healing. She returned to the castle soon after the other three did, raring to continue her fight with Seija before Marisa, who originally came to investigate the unnatural aurora, began telling her off.

"It's not like anything bad happened. That rock was still technically danmaku; it wouldn't do truly permanent damage. At best it'd give some folks a little scare," Tenshi counters. "And it's not my fault Seija went as far as she did. She could've just given up."

"That's not the point- oh whatever."

Odd feeling to be in a room with an incident solver where I'm not the one being yelled at.

Shin, equally annoyed, says, "Next time you drop by uninvited, can you please not hurt my partner? I would never forgive you if something happened to her and there are no gaps I wouldn't cross to keep her safe, celestial or not."

Thanks, Shin.

"Hey," says Seija, "I won as far as I'm concerned."

"Only one of us is covered in bandages," says the celestial, a fire in her voice.

"Be honest, peaches: do you really feel like you beat me?"

"Hahahahaha! In practice, yes, but I respect just how far you're willing to go to overturn those above you, even if it's an ill-fated endeavor. You're not the worst person I've spent time with. While I don't concede defeat, you've earned your respite. And, for what it's worth, I knew that changing the weather like I did would draw some people to us."

"What are you getting at?" Shin asks.

"I'd like to think I'm a pretty good judge of strength-"

"Pft, good one," interrupts Marisa.

"-and I felt you might need some help. An aurora appearing over the castle was sure to draw Shin back. I might've gotten a little carried away afterwards-"

"'A little' she says," Shin interjects.

"-but I never intended for you to be in legitimate danger. I also figured being a little rougher with you was fine given your reputation."

I don't care what she intended, it goes against who I am to kowtow to anyone, let alone someone like her.

"Well, and I can't believe I'm saying this," Marisa begins, "I'm glad you're okay, Seija. Even if ya didn't mean to, dealin' with Tenshi like you did saved others the trouble. She would've looked for a fight somewhere else even if you didn't give her one."

"Thanks for the support, understudy," says Seija with false gratitude.

"I'll choose to ignore that. And don't think I'm unaware of that stunt you two pulled with Mokou the other day. You're still on thin ice after what happened underground, don't push your luck. If you try something, we'll find out eventually."

Seija casually fidgets with her hair. "I'm shaking in my non-existent boots."

"Sometimes I don't know why I bother. I'm off to tell Reimu what happened so she doesn't come runnin' herself. Can't say I know where she is that she didn't already get here, though."

With that, Marisa heads out, leaving the other three to their devices.

After a moment, Tenshi says, "Gotta say, I came here expecting to speak with my dreamy former partner, didn't think I'd end up trying to settle an old score."

Tenshi does not realize it, but her choice of words causes both Seija and Shin to tense up for differing reasons.

Seija is the first to speak, saying, "Hold on, what do you mean by 'dreamy'?"

There's no way Tenshi-

"Oh, just that this one is fro-"

"Tenshi, w-wait a second!" says Shin suddenly. "Yukari already took care of all that, you're mistaken."

Huh? Am I missing something here?

"What did you mean by 'this one'?" Seija asks.

"Uh, don't know why you two are acting so weird all of a sudden," says Tenshi. "You know about those dream versions of folks that were running around during the Perfect Possession incident, right?"

"No, I don't. Shin never mentioned that."

"Really? I heard they caused quite a commotion. When I was teamed up with the inchling here, along the way we ran into her dream self. She pulled a switch on me, replacing the original."

The room is dead silent. Seija turns to Shin with a shocked expression.

Shin's… dream self?

The inchling, visibly nervous, says, "Okay, before you get the wrong idea, let me explain. Yes, that switch happened, but after Reimu and Yukari beat the Yorigami sisters, Yukari had them round up all the dream selves and send them back to the Dream World. She even knew that the switch occurred so there's no way she'd let me fall through the cracks."

Seija takes a moment to process her partner's words. "So, you're not the dream version of Shin?"

"She isn't sure," Tenshi chimes in.

"How can she not be sure? That seems like a very obvious either/or thing!"

"After we finished fighting people during that incident, we came back here to talk for a bit. She said herself that she wasn't sure which one she was anymore. Personally, I don't understand how you people and Youkai on Earth can have such vague senses of self."

Shin looks down, saying, "I was telling the truth when I said Yukari had them all rounded up back then and that she knew about what happened with me. But my memory of that time is… blurry. The dream and real word versions of someone are still the same person, just different facets. All the switching and confusion made me unsure who I was."

"I definitely noticed you becoming a bit more crass after the switch happened. You've been with her longer than me, Seija. Did you notice a change?"

The amanojaku's head spins. She frowns and puts a hand on her face.

Shin was always at least a little mischievous ever since I met her, but she was definitely further down the devious end once we met again in spring last year. She went from unwilling to go against all of Gensokyo after losing to leading the charge. When before I had to trick her to work with me, she later came to me. It… It lines up… Was I being played for a fool this whole time…?

With both her hosts emotionally distraught, even Tenshi is able to read the room and says, "I'll come back a different day. Um, sorry for causing trouble." She quickly leaves, the other two barely paying her any mind.

"Shin, I… I need time to think," says Seija with a level of sincerity that alarms the inchling. "Can you give me that?"

"S-sure," Shin answers, unable to think of anything else to say.

Both retire to their rooms despite it only being a bit past noon. Seija is listless the whole time she lies on her futon.

Who cares if it's the same one or not, it's not like we were on equal terms until after the switch happened. Even if she is from the Dream World, she's still the Shin I know and have spent the past eighteen months with.
So what the hell is the feeling of betrayal? Why do I feel lied to and, more importantly, why do I care? I'm still an amanojaku. Lying, cheating, stealing, it's all on the table. I don't connect with others and they don't connect with me. Yet with Shin, it's something more. I stuck with her cause I thought it'd be interesting; in that sense, Tenshi's motivations for visiting today aren't unlike my own. But our connection has grown beyond that. Only a few days ago we promised to keep each other amused. I wasn't being wholly honest about my intent then; I just want to stick with her for its own sake now. What's happening to me?

All these thoughts and many more linger in her head. The duo do not see each other for the rest of the day.


Successfully fighting against the wind, Seija almost reaches Shin in the field they stand in when a metal-like sound scrapes the ground, forging an impassable ravine. It all goes the same way as the previous night.

Is this some kind of twisted joke?!

Yet, as despair creeps in, another set of Shin's words crosses Seija's mind: "There are no gaps I wouldn't cross to keep her safe." She steps back and makes a running leap, purely on instinct. Despite it being too wide to jump across, once Seija blinks she sees that she made it to the other side without even feeling the impact of landing.

What the- Think later, Shin now!

Seija finally makes it to Shin, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Wait up, I almost thought I lost you."

"Huh?" Shin turns around. "Seija, what are you doing here? I told you before, societal upheaval is impossible."

"What are you talking about? We're working towards that goal right now! First we'll overturn the Lunar Capital, then Gensokyo!"

"The Lunar Capital? What are you saying? There's no way you stand a chance against them. You shouldn't antagonize everyone."

"But we already promised that we'd do it! And how we'd continue to entertain each other!"

"I think you're insane," says Shin coldly. "Right now you're being the opposite of 'entertaining.' I guess that's to be expected from an amanojaku. Can't get along with anyone."

Seija feels a massive knot in her stomach hearing those words; her expression is pained. "B-but… we promised to win the white-water rafting race afterwards! You have to remember that!"

"How do you know I enjoy rafting? I never mentioned it to you when we were working together."

"Because we're still working together! And have been for the past year and a half! You're my partner, Shin!"

"Partner?"

"Yes! I… I care about you! You mean more to me than anything else!" Tears form in Seija's eyes. "I don't know how or why an amanojaku can feel that way, and that no longer matters to me! You're my partner, Shin! Please, stay with me!"

Shin grabs her head, as though she is on the cusp of remembering something. However, just before she gets to say something, everything in the world freezes. The wind no longer blows, the grass stops swaying, and Shin herself is completely still.

"Shin? Shin! Are you alright?"

A new voice echoes, "It's no use, she won't hear you."

"Who's there?" Seija calls out, assuming a defensive stance and wiping her eyes before any tears can fall.

"I don't intend to hurt you. My job is to make sure everything in the Dream World stays in order," says the voice.

"Your job? Wait, if I'm dreaming right now, are you-"

"Doremy Sweet, at your service." As she says that, the baku materializes in front of Seija. Her dress is black on the top and bottom and white in-between; black and white balls of various sizes adorn the opposite colors. Her dark blue eyes and hair matched with her immensely long red nightcap and white socks inspires drowsiness. A tail similar to an ox's pokes out behind her and she holds in her left hand an open blue book with a bookmark to match said tail.

If I'm dreaming, then what was I last doing before sleeping? I was… in my room. Before that I fought Tenshi and found out that Shin might- Oh. Yeah.

"Are you listening to me, Seija?" Doremy asks.

"Yeah, yeah. So this Shin-"

"-is not the real one. You were talking to a fabrication made by the dream."

Can't believe I said all that junk to a fake Shin.

Seija sighs before asking, "What do you want with me?"

"As I said, my job is to keep order here. Recurring nightmares, however horrible, are normally a natural process in one's psyche; usually they happen in response to some kind of traumatic event. Sometimes they stay, sometimes they fade, but there's a cause of some kind even if it isn't obvious."

"And? Where are you going with this?"

"Your nightmares have been decidedly unnatural. They're eating away at your psyche, slowly but surely. Not as a natural slip into insanity, either. Every time you overcome some kind of mental or emotional hurdle, that gets reflected here. But there is never going to be an end to it. Had I not stopped it and you continued talking to Shinmyoumaru, a new event would occur to ensure a bad ending, however contrived." The baku smiles knowingly. "Though I must say you overcame a few without realizing it just now. That part about how much you cared about her was downright moving."

"W-what the hell?!" an incredibly flustered Seija yells. "Who said you could look inside my head?!"

Doremy shrugs. "Just like how you can't help your desire to overturn society, I can't help but be a part of the process that regulates this world. There are few things in the hearts and minds of humans and Youkai that I cannot access."

"Never mind! Just tell me why my nightmare is unnatural already!"

"They've been induced somehow. Someone with the explicit desire to destroy you from the inside out is causing these dreams. Really, the cruelty in this nightmare's design is obscene. Instead of putting you into a hopeless situation from the outset, you keep making what you think is progress before losing hope in progressively worse ways."

Who would even want to- alright dumb question.

Seija places a hand on the back of her head. "I've crossed way too many people to narrow it down."

"I should be able to figure it out myself, yet this quarry is proving elusive. I didn't even notice this nightmare the first night and only barely caught it the second, which is impressive."

Some 'Ruler of Dreams' you are…

"Regardless," Doremy continues, "do know that my appearance here tonight wasn't just out of the kindness of my heart nor a sense of duty. I take it as a personal insult that someone is doing this under my watch and I intend to drag them into the light. In the interim, I'll keep an eye on you and personally eat any more unnatural dreams so you can sleep well."

"Don't expect a 'thank you' or anything," says Seija, crossing her arms.

"I would never ask for one. At least, not from you. Hopefully the next time we meet, it will be under better circumstances. Good night, Seija." She closes her book and the area disappears, piece by piece. "Oh, and two more things. First, don't worry about remembering this encounter. My eating this dream will wipe it from your memory as well as previous instances. But whenever you return, what we discussed today will come rushing back like a tidal wave."

"So I won't even remember that there's someone attempting to destroy my mind or why I flipped my room in my sleep, got it. And the second thing I'll immediately forget?"

"I caught a few bits and pieces of what you were thinking earlier. Let me reassure you of one thing: the border between dreams and reality is often indistinct, and that applies to your dream self. Regardless of which version of someone you spend time with, they are still the same being at their core; the connection you form with them is real, one just tempers their desires with inhibitions. Should one replace the other, they might do things they would normally never approve of; on the flip side, the beliefs of someone can change and what was once something they would never do might become commonplace for them. In truth, there's no telling which occurred without comparing the two selves directly, which is itself unnecessary since both will still feel the same way deep down. This is my long-winded way of saying to have faith in those you care for, since true connections transcend dreams."

Doremy fades away completely along with the rest of the dream, putting Seija's consciousness back to rest.


Birds chirp outside the window in Seija's room. The sun rose over three hours ago, however the amanojaku only now stirs after a long and comfortable rest. She yawns the longest she has in a very long time.

Man, I needed some quality shut-eye.

Sitting up and pulling her blanket off, her hair is an utter mess. Many parts sticking out in different directions in a tangled blob of black, white, and red. It is only when stretching her arms to her sides that Seija notices Shin, human-sized, sleeping with her back to a nearby wall. She is wearing a jinbei that matches the one she lent Seija.

What is she doing here?

The amanojaku lazily shuffles to her partner and shakes her by the shoulder. "Yo, Shin, wake up."

"Uhhhnnnn… five more minutes…" says the sleep-talking inchling.

"I don't have time for this."

Seija flicks her wrist and points up with her finger, causing Shin to flip where she sits and end up face down on the ground.

"Ow, what'd you do that for…?"

"Because you were sleeping in my room for an unknown reason and wouldn't wake up."

Shin sits up, rubs her eyes, and says, "I couldn't fall asleep right away last night. Eventually I heard a crash in here and ran over to find you sleeping like a baby while all the parts of your futon were spread throughout the room. You were totally conked out so I rebuilt the futon and tucked you in. I still couldn't sleep and was worried that you might hurt yourself in your sleep again, so I sat down to keep an eye on you. Must've fallen asleep after that at some point."

Her partner's story makes Seija fully wake up. "You stayed to make sure I was alright?"

And what happened to make me flip the room in my sleep, anyway?

"Well, yeah. And I want to talk about what happened yesterday."

Oh that. It's weird, I don't really feel bothered by it anymore.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"What? What do you mean 'it's fine'?"

Seija sits next to Shin unconcerned. "I mean it's fine. I thought about it and decided it doesn't matter."

"But- That's- Huh?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes there's a problem! You looked so shaken yesterday, I was terrified you were gonna resent me for hiding this from you! And now you wake up in the morning with bedhead, tell me 'it's fine,' and expect me to believe it?!"

"…Yeah?"

"Seija!" proclaims the inchling, moving in front of her partner. Her head is held high and her face is determined. "I am Shinmyoumaru Sukuna, descendent of the inchlings! What happened in the past doesn't matter! I can promise you, in the here and now, that I am and always will be your partner! That together, you and I will continue to prove to this world that favors the strong over the weak just how big we are! That we'll overturn the hierarchy!" Her expression turns a bit softer. "So please believe me that I trust you and that you can trust me. You don't realize how much it means to me that you, an amanojaku, choose to stay with me. Like we made a connection that flipped nature itself on its head. That-"

Shin's speech is cut short by Seija leaning over and embracing her.

"S-Seija?"

"I'm sorry I doubted you. You don't need to justify yourself any further."

Shin is completely still in Seija's arms. Once her shock passes, she reciprocates the hug, holding tight.

Seija, after many long moments, breaks it off and says, "Okay, that's our sappiness quota for the decade and then some. To change the subject, did you confirm whatever it is you wanted to in the village? We might be out for more than a week while my leg recovers."

"Actually, I did," says Shin, a glint in her eyes. "I just never got a chance to tell you after Tenshi's attack. How do you feel about concerts?"

"Depends on the style. Let's continue this over breakfast. I don't know why, but I'm starving."

"That's because the closest you've come to a meal since yesterday's breakfast was nearly eating dirt in your fight with Tenshi."

"Okay but you agree I won, right? Right?"

Shin looks away and rubs her neck. "Suuuuuuuure, we can go with that."

"Shin!"

"Gonna go make breakfast!"

"No you aren't, get back here!"

A chase ensues that runs all over the castle, Shin purposely slowing down so the injured Seija stands a chance. More than a handful of danamku barrages are exchanged in the process. Both of them sleep very well the following night.