4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Sanae Kochiya "Are we there yet?" 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "No." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Sanae Kochiya "Are we there yet?" 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "No." 4 0 0 2 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 This had been going for the last 2 hours. 4 0 0 2 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Suwako groaned. 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Suwako Moriya "Whose idea was it to walk anyway?!#We *are* able to fly, you know." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "Sanae's still tied up." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Suwako Moriya "Then untie her." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Sanae Kochiya "Actually this is kinda comfortable at this point." 4 0 0 2 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko shrugged, hefting the weight of Sanae in her chair. 4 0 0 2 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 They all knew that they could just fly away. #They all knew that there was nothing stopping them. 4 0 0 2 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 They didn't, though.#Even Suwako wasn't taking the initative to actually#lift off. They all just continued their leisurely pace#around the Misty Lake 4 0 0 2 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko sighed. 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "It's a nice day out, but it feels... I don't know... heavy." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Suwako Moriya "The unthinking satori's magic is manipulation of#the subconscious, and I suspect we're being affected" 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Suwako Moriya "I know she isn't doing this consciously. She#doesn't -- can't have -- intent beyond need or desire." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "Nothing beyond what her own subconscious gleaned.#Which says much more about us than about her." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Suwako Moriya "We cooperate without having to question each other.#We understand and work towards the same goals." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Suwako Moriya "We act out against each other to maintain a status quo.#We argue and fight despite our shared interests." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "And in the mean time, we ignore our priestess, who#gave up the world outside just to be around us." 4 0 0 1 3 -1 6 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "We watch as she hurts herself just trying to keep up." 4 0 0 2 6 -1 0 -0.5 7 1 They stopped in their tracks.#After a long silence, Suwako laughed. 4 0 0 1 6 -1 0 -0.5 7 1 Kanoko Yasaka "What's so funny?" 4 0 0 1 6 -1 0 -0.5 7 1 Suwako Moriya "Maybe we really *do* need therapy." 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 -0.5 0 1 4 0 0 2 0 -1 1 0 0 1 Koishi had been slowly floating across the lake#to find the geyser that led back to former Hell. 4 0 0 2 0 -1 1 0 0 1 She felt aimless. Rather than find a blessing for Satori,#she managed to insult some of the most powerful#beings in Gensokyo with a plan that made#her look like a complete fool. 4 0 0 2 0 -1 1 0 0 1 She looked up. In the distance, she saw raptors' wings. #The wings started increasing in size, #slowly at first, then much, much faster. 4 0 0 1 0 -1 0 0 0 1 ? ? ? "LOOK OUT BELOW!!!!!" 4 0 0 2 0 -1 0 0 0 1 A large object shot into the water in front of Koishi,#causing a massive splash and a jet of steam from#the lake. In the distance, some fairies were#thrown ashore by the resulting waves. 4 0 0 2 0 -1 5 0 0 1 Utsuho Reiuji spread her wings, splashing Koishi#with droplets of what water didn't instantly vaporize#from the radiating energy she possessed.#Koishi recognized her sister's pet bird instantly. 4 0 0 2 0 -1 4 0 0 1 Her partner-in-crime, a cat named Rin Kaenbyou,#floated gently down to meet Koishi. She was carrying#caway some corpses that had recently passed. 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Utsuho Reiuji "Hiiii~ We're just dropping by" 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 1 4 0.5 Rin Kaenbyou "In multiple ways." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 1 4 0.5 Koishi Komeiji "Thanks for checking on me... I suppose Satori wants#me to get home soon so she could say 'told you so'." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 1 4 0.5 Rin Kaenbyou "Actually... that's what we came here to talk about.#She actually wants to apologize to you." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Utsuho Reiuji "She's not feeling well so she couldn't come in person.#But she wants you to come back." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 1 4 0.5 Rin Kaenbyou "She was mostly scuffed about you not remembering stuff well,#but she knows you can't control it." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Koishi Komeiji "I'm thankful, really. But I can't come back yet." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 1 4 0.5 Rin Kaenbyou "You were headed that direction mya~" 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Koishi Komeiji "Even if I do go home, I still can't remember things#on-demand. It just isn't possible even if she wishes it." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Koishi Komeiji "I can't let this happen again. I don't want to give her#the same reason to hate me in the future." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Koishi Komeiji "I need to find the gods of the mountain again and#apologize for my own trespasses into their lives." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Koishi Komeiji "I know I'm not trained to help them.#I just wanted to do something that would." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 4 0.5 5 1 Koishi Komeiji "but talking to them made realize just how little I#actually can help..." 4 0 0 2 1 -1 5 -0.25 4 1 Utsuho placed a hand on Koishi's shoulder. 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 -0.25 4 1 Utusho Reiuji "I'm not sure what's going on, but take us with you.#Be empowered by our presences." 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 -0.25 4 1 Rin Kaenbyou "We've got your back. Unless you die, then, y'know,#I'll just be giving you a ride." 4 0 0 2 1 -1 5 -0.25 4 1 Koishi smiled, tears coming to her eyes. 4 0 0 1 1 -1 5 -0.25 4 1 Koishi Komeiji "Thank you all. I'm sorry for all this trouble." 4 0 0 2 1 -1 5 -0.25 4 1 The three sped across the lake.#Utsuho's crow eyes surveyed the landscape.#Hunting the snake that granted her power. 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 -0.5 0 1 4 0 0 2 3 -1 7 0.25 0 0 Sanae was slumbering in her chair.#Suwako was pacing back and forth, #digging a path in the grass#beside the Misty Lake's shore 4 0 0 1 3 -1 7 0.75 0 0 Suwako Moriya "The proper thing to do would probably be to go back.#It'd be weird apologizing to our kidnapper though." 4 0 0 2 6 -1 7 0.25 0 0 Kanoko was laying in the grass, basking in the sun. 4 0 0 1 6 -1 7 0.75 0 0 Kanoko Yasaka "Would she even still be there? If she's headed home,#she'd be heading towards Youkai Mountain like us." 4 0 0 1 6 -1 7 0.25 0 0 Kanoko Yasaka "Besides, you had mentioned the effects of her#personal magic. It'd be strong enough that she's close" 4 0 0 0 6 -1 7 -0.5 5 -1.5 4 0 0 0 6 -1 7 -0.5 5 -0.5 4 0 0 0 6 -1 7 -0.5 5 0.5 4 0 0 0 6 -1 7 -0.5 5 1.5 4 0 0 2 3 -1 0 0 4 1 As if on queue, Utsuho dived in at full speed,#a blazing meteor dragging Rin and Koishi in tow.#The two landed and did a pose they had clearly practiced. 4 0 0 2 3 -1 5 0 4 1 Utsuho swept upward, narrowly missing the forest, #and landed between Koishi and Rin, matching their#choreography with a powerful stance, #wings spread, arms folded,#and a bright, beaming smile on her face. 4 0 0 1 3 -1 5 0 4 1 Suwako Moriya "Oh for the love of --" 4 0 0 2 0 -1 0 0 0 1 A streak across the tops of the trees had ignited.#Suwako quickly extinguished it with#a splash of water from the lake. 4 0 0 2 0 -1 1 0 0 1 Koishi stepped forward to meet the trio again,#the evaporating mist and the glow of Utsuho's#control rod creating a bright rainbow aura around her. 4 0 0 1 0 -1 1 0 0 1 Koishi Komeiji "Everyone, I'm sorry. Thank you for waiting for me."