Author's Note:
I updated the Banner, it is a spoiler.. but as it has ended, i figure it doesn't matter ^^
--
--
Staring at the little doll, I chanted the spell again as I tried to reaffirm what I had suspected, that Alice?s soul was somehow being absorbed by the tiny doll.
[No I am not!! I am SHANGHAI!!]
A doll wouldn?t be able to speak unless Alice wills it to and Shanghai is not able to as Alice is so far away? not to mention that she has no vocal cords. This is magic and magic is not among Shanghai?s abilities!!
--
[Say Alice, what can Shanghai do?]
[Well, she can do anything I want it to do as I channel my magic through her.]
--
[Shanghai, tell me the truth!!]
Desperately, I racked my mind for where I had left Alice while I held the little doll in my arms.
Wrapping my fingers around her all the time, I stopped her from doing anything at all as her arms were unable to free themselves, being stubby little extensions sewed on to the body.
[I AM SHANGHAI! LET ME GO!!]
[I?m bringing you to Alice, Shanghai! Keep quiet or the Youkai will hear us!!]
I am remembering more and more of Gensokyo as I walked around this land.
It was like a journey of discovery spurred on by Suika. Things that I have forgotten were slowly coming back to me, if only in small details but I do remember know Alice and Shanghai.
The two of them? we were friends, although Shanghai was a doll then.
[NO! I DO NOT WANT TO SEE AL-]
Stopping suddenly, Shanghai looked away as I glared at her, my suspicions confirmed.
[You leave me with no choice? Shanghai. As the Shrine Maiden of the Hakurei Shrine, I have to remove the spirit you have stolen from Alice.]
Reaching for my gohei, I tapped Shanghai?s forehead with it and chanted to the spirits around me once more.
--
[Spirits of the Forest, I beseech you to listen to my selfish request once more? my friend, who had lost her soul to the vessel she cherished the most?
she might have wished; to allow her greatest treasure? to follow her for as long as she can? But? not in this manner, spirits!! I beseech all of you, to grant her wish in a different manner!!]Feeling a large surge of spiritual power enter me again, I touched Shanghai?s forehead and light exploded from her every pore, blinding me momentarily as I gritted my teeth and slowly pulled at the glowing form that was coming out of Shanghai?s little body.
[? ?]
Till the end, the little doll did not as much as struggled as it looked at me with it?s orange eyes.
It must have dawned on her too that if she kept the body that she has now, she will cause the death of her owner.
Alice has unwittingly given her soul to Shanghai, so she could move. It must have felt fine at first but it finally weakened her till she was close to losing her powers.
The Glittering Cloud that Alice and I had witnessed earlier must be her source of energy, the last source of energy that she had left before her whole soul would be given to Shanghai.
Equivalent exchange; the price for a soul to be given to the Soul of another would undoubtedly be another Soul.
[Alice you dummy!!]
--
--
Shanghai?
Shanghai?
Calling out to my favorite doll, I placed a hand on my chest and waited for death to take me away from this helpless state that I had carved out myself.
It might be a curse? a curse that I had inflicted on myself.
Oh well, I guess? this is what I deserve? after all the time I was sacrificing all my dolls.
All the talk about, my dolls are my life? looking after them were my life.
But weren?t they? my tools too? My slaves?
They fought for me, not because they wanted to? but because? they had to.
They sacrificed themselves for me, not because they want to.
But?
Because they have to.
How can I face anyone who says that I love my dolls?
And Reimu, she came back? I must thank her? for coming back to see me? even if there is nothing she can do, if she figures it out.
After all, I will never admit that she is stronger than me, not in a million years will I do that?
Haha? it seems that I will end this way?
My dream would not be realized.. I.. I won't surpass her...
--[? Alice?]
Sitting beside the motionless Alice, I placed Shanghai beside her before I looked at her again.
She had moved herself so that she was facing the sky that could be seen peeping through the gaps in the canopy and I shook my head at the effort that she had put into it.
After releasing Alice?s broken soul from Shanghai, Shanghai had returned to normal, a doll and I hurriedly ran back to where Alice was to check on her.
Thankfully she was fine and I breathed a sigh of relief that the barrier was still present around her.
The first connection between the truth was when I first looked at Alice?s Eyes,
They were blue instead of the familiar Orange and I had wondered what had happened so.
They turn blue when she is angry or when she is extremely powerful but Alice was weak and losing her powers even as she spoke to me.
The magical cloud that I had seen was her powers and it was being drained away from her, thus her comment on being the seven colored puppeteer.
[? Thank goodness? if I were a second slower?you might have really died? Alice? well then.]
Shaking my head at her foolishness, I wanted to do something for her too and I placed another amulet on Shanghai?s head before placing a hand on her chest and waving my gohei with the other.
[? Grant my friend this wish, oh spirits of the forest? You must have watched over her as she lived her all her life?
her power is your powers and despite herself, she wishes for company? Spirits who can hear me, I beseech you to answer her call?
Give this doll life, one of yours? RETURN ANIMATENESS!!]
Recalling one spell that Alice tried to use, I was surprised when a slip of paper flew from her pocket and activated itself in a blinding flash of light.
[?]
When the spell ended, a light glow surrounded Shanghai and as I watched, a tiny spirit flew up beside it and bowed to me.
[? are you? one who will be Alice?s friend?]
I had spoken with countless spirits before but they all did not reply me as vigorously as this little one did.
Flying all around Shanghai, it seemed to be satisfied with the tiny body and nodded to me.
[? don?t tell Alice that I did this? alright?]
Smiling as I touched the tiny spirit on it?s head, I got up and started to leave when Shanghai, no, the tiny spirit grabbed me by the sleeve and shook it?s head.
[No, Shanghai? you are Alice?s friend now? keep her company? okay?]
Pushing the tiny doll away from me, I took my leave and started running in the other direction, a direction from which I smelt water and strong spiritual presence abound.
--
--
--
Walking along the path that my instincts told me to, I passed a small spring and I decided to take a break there to have a small drink.
[?]
The memory of me drinking from that spring came to mind and I laughed as I took off my slippers and soaked my long suffering feet in the spring.
It had been a while since I had ran for such a long distance and I was quite tired.
Saving the world is hard work and taking a small break would not hurt?
As I looked all around me, I felt that I was reliving my past as I ran around Gensokyo.
More faces were familiar to me now, Alice, Suika and? ... ...
Watching the sky and the clouds drift too and fro, I felt at peace with the world in more ways than one.
In the Hakurei Shrine where I spent my days, the sky were beautiful but I never expected the skies of Gensokyo to be so clear and beautiful.
They were absolutely stunning as I could even make out the spirits that were floating about in the air.
In Gensokyo, spirits are a common sight and that made me felt at ease even more.
When I was home, sometimes I know I am different, isolated from the small town that I made weekly visits to.
They were not friends but rather associates that spoke briefly when we met.
Think of it in this perceptive.
A week is not that long, it is seven days, 168 Hours, 10080 minutes or 604800 seconds long.
With my small weekly visit, which might take a maximum of ten minutes, that is not even a fraction of their time at all.
How many things could I learn from them while being isolated from the Shrine?
How many people could I be familiar with while being away at the shrine, minding the responsibilities of the Shrine?
[? I have family here?]
Perhaps that is the reason I came with Suika here. The mere thought of someone being my family was enough for me to abandon the life that I had lived.
I was lonely?
[? Perhaps, I was afraid too? that people know of me being able to see spirits?]
If they knew I could see spirits, I would likely be rejected from the people of the Town. Even with my status as a Shrine Maiden, being a deviant is never a good thing?
Attention would seek for me and I was never an attention seeker in the first place?
I just?
Want to be normal?
Is that a crime?
[Ah? let?s go?]
Deciding that a five minute breather was enough, I got up and started walking down the path again.
The path was stony and very little travelled, as seen by the lack of maintenance; which reminded me of another thing, I had not seen a single human up till now.
Perhaps they were further ahead?
[?Youkai are everywhere thou?]
True to my words, youkai were everywhere.
There were some playing about in the fields, some of them drifting lazily in the air current and some of them just popping their heads from the trees in which they reside to look at me.
Like scared animals, those fairy like youkai ran away when their eye-contact clashed with mine.
[They are so cute? but they are youkai.]
Like caged animals, youkai are wild and we don?t even know whether they have any rationality or any memory of sorts.
They could really be wild animals; just that they can never die and is formed out of beliefs and of spiritual power.
[? Speaking of spiritual power?]
Muttering to myself as another large lake came into view, I reached into my sleeves to draw out one of my amulets, which was the one I had placed on Shanghai?s head.
It was an amulet used to help in possession by forcing the spirit out of the spirit by creating a barrier that will expel the spirit out of the body.
I did not know that it will so successful as this was the first time I had actually tried it out in a doll.
All the other attempts involved people who wanted the spirit to be out of their bodies, thus it was much easier as both our combine efforts would make it easy for the spirit to be removed.
Once a spirit is too attached to a body, the harder it is for the exorcist which is me, to conduct it.
Shanghai must be very willing to return as the Alice?s spirit and power was quickly restored to it.
Perhaps it still retained some of Alice?s Memories as well as I could have sworn I heard Shanghai cry while I was holding her.
[Well, at least there is someone with Alice now?]
--
[? How am I going to cross this lake?]
Looking at the gigantic expanse of water, I was troubled as to what to do.
Beyond the lake was a great white mansion with an European clock tower that held some youkai that had enormous power.
If I recalled accurately, Marisa?s hat was found here, no matter who Marisa is, she is my friend, a friend that I had lost with me memories and I was going to save her.
Rule One of the Miko: Do not just think of yourself
Reminded of that rule, I slapped myself and sat down on a nearby rock to complement my thoughts.
Why was I here?
What should I do?
And is it right?
Up till now, all my actions were not for me but for others and I was happy about that fact too.
Serving others is a Shrine Maiden?s Job. Before I had knew it, I was serving the spirits and the people and now? the world.
But I am happy about it?
[? Let?s go? time to find a way to get pass this lake.]
Looking at the waves that were crashing up to shore and the murky, muddy water,
I knew swimming was not an option and I would probably drown before I get half-way across.
[? maybe I can borrow a boat?]
Looking around, I gave up almost immediately as there was no human in sight, not even shadows of a human like me.
[? well? guess I have to swim after all?]
Shaking my head, I decided against it again and attempted to walk along the shoreline to find a way pass the river.
[Well, I suppose I can always call upon a spirit? but that would be cheating?]
Communicating with the spirits takes a lot out of me in the past but as I slowly cultivated myself, speaking and praying with spirits had became very much easier and for me now, it is a sort of routine for me.
I take it very seriously as usual but at times, I wonder what it would be like to actually have a conversation with a spirit just for that, a casual conversation.
My calling for spirits usually involves speaking to the Great spirit that resides in the Hakurei Shrine, a spirit who has been there for hundreds of years to bless worshippers and to forgive them for their mistakes.
Charms for repelling curses, amulets for good luck etc all is gone through the process of speaking with the Spirits, thus our role: We serve the spirits and they serve us.
Actually it?s more of the spirits serving us and we doing the housework for them?
But as I stressed, spirits are embodiments of faith, beliefs and spiritual power.
Spiritual power is a source of energy that is within a person and is formed when one tunes himself or herself to nature.
It allows man and nature to coexists in harmony and is also known as Qi or aura to some people.
It is a natural process that everyone has spiritual power but what differs is how one uses the power. People might unconsciously give out lots of Spiritual power just by being happy, making it a lively atmosphere for everyone.
Spirits are embodiment of that power and it takes form only when it is attached to a belief. Fear for example creates the most spirits, as many people fear snakes, it is logical for many snake spirits to form as all of the spirits that were exhaled and given out will collect to become spirits.
However, the people turned to science and stopped believing in gods and spirits to protect themselves, thus the amount of spiritual power decreased as a result of people becoming more and more uncaring and does not like to exist peacefully with one another.
It is such a shame that it has come to this state in the Hakurei Shrine? but I always do my best to retain faith and harmony around the people.
[Who goes there!!]
Hearing someone call out to me, I looked all around me for the source of the voice but turned upped with nothing.
[WAIT, I REMEMBER YOU, YOU?RE THE RED-WHITE!]
Hearing the scream, I was startled when a couple of icicles rained down on me and I hurriedly took a step back.
[? W-Wha?]
Flying on top of me was another fairy but this fairy has a stronger and larger physical body then the rest.
Wearing a blue one-pieced dress, she had matching hair and eyes with a green ribbon tied on her hair. Her wings were unique as it was shaped liked an icicle.
[? What are you doing there?! I know! You came to ambush Cirno!]
[Cirno, is that your name?]
Looking at her, I found that she was quite adorable and I smiled up at the little fairy, something which she did not expect at all.
[W-Why are you smiling at cirno, Red-white?! Cirno is Cirno. Cirno is the ice-fairy of the lake.]
[? Okay, Cirno? You?re the ice-fairy of the lake.]
[Yes, Cirno is the ice-fairy of the lake! The ONLY ice-fairy of the lake!]
Sticking her chest out proudly, Cirno flew down towards me before staring at me fiercely.
[What does the Red-white wants with Cirno! Did she come to pay Cirno a visit?]
[? Well? Not exactly? and why are you calling me Red-White?]
[Red-White is Red-white! Cirno remembers you!]
[? Do I know you?]
Tilting my head in confusion and staring at her, I racked my brain for an answer as I paced all around her, looking at her distinct features as I did so?
[?]
For some reason, this tiny blue fairy did not come into mind when I hear the name Cirno?
--
[DON?T YOU CALL ME AN IDIOT!! CIRNO IS THE STRONGEST!!]--
[? the strongest?]
[YES, CIRNO IS THE STRONGEST AND CIRNO WILL PROVE IT!!]
I must have hit a sore sport as the ice fairy suddenly dived at me with her teeth bearing out at me.
The sight of the tiny ice fairy being so vicious shocked me and I was unable to dodge in time and she collided head first into my stomach and the both of us rolled around in the dirt for a second.
[Ow?]
Getting my wind back first, I rubbed my head and dusted my miko outfit off before looking at the sprawled out ice-fairy beside me.
She was knocked out with her face buried in the dirt and I laughed at her pitiful sight before pulling out of the dirt and shaking her awake.
She was real tiny, just a tad bigger than Shanghai and an attitude and ego that was way above her small frame could ever contain.
[?]
Looking at her dazed expression, I tried once again to remember who she was. I know her, sort of? there were pieces in my recovering memory that contained her but I just could not place her.
[? well. Rest for now.]
Placing her near a small rock, I jumped up on another and scanned the whole area for any clues to where I was.
The Large Mansion was still visible over the thick fog but it was hopeless to get across there without some kind of help.
The surroundings were familiar but it seem different somehow, as if I was viewing them from a long way away instead of in such close proximity.
As I looked at the Mansion, I was reminded of Maids and Door Guards for no particular reason and I chided myself for being so foolish.
[? there wouldn?t be any maids here..]
[CIRNO IS MAD!]
[Ahh?]
Crying out as the ice-fairy somehow rejuvenated herself in a matter of seconds, she sat up and glared fiercely around her before tilting her head in confusion.
[Why is Cirno mad?? And where is Red-White?]
I was just above her eye-level and she couldn?t see me from where she was. Cirno must not be that bright after all as I just sighed and laughed softly.
[?ha ha~]
Hearing my voice, Cirno looked up and saw me and the way her face contorted totally blew the cute out of Cirno as she lunged at me again.
[RED-WHIITE WILL PAY!!]
[Ahh? AH no!]
Jumping away just in the nick of time, I paused and looked up at her before I called out.
[Cirno, I don?t want to hurt you!]
[RED-WHITE IS TREATING CIRNO AS AN IDIOT! CIRNO IS NOT! CIRNO IS NOT!]
Throwing a temper tantrum in the air, Cirno wheeled around for a moment before she raised her arms up and shouted at me.
[CIRNO WILL MAKE RED-WHITE PAY!! ICE SIGN: ICICLE FALL]
Is? this danmaku?
Running from the ice-fairy as she threw blocks of ice at me, I barely scrapped it through when a large icicle block smashed to the ground beside me, causing dirt to fly everywhere.
[A-ah!!]
Diving back again as a stream of small icicles were coming straight at me, I took cover behind a large boulder and screamed when they riddled the boulder full of little holes.
It was like a pin cushion when I left it, riddled with tiny holes that the icicles had made in them.
[Well, it?s just that when the other side declare the spell-card, you have to dodge and graze every single one of them before hitting them.
That?s about it.]
Suika?s words came to haunt me again and I wanted to scream at her at not warning me about the danger that will involve danmaku play.
[Well? at least it?s just one spell?]
Breathing a sigh of relief that at least it was quite easy to avoid all the icicles, I suddenly leapt back on to a fallen icicle to face Cirno.
Up till now, Cirno was still mad and when she saw me doing that, her face turned red in anger and she screamed at me again.
[RED-WHITE WILL PAY! ICE SIGN: ICICILE FALL!]
Ready for the attack, I leapt from that particular icicle to the other and reached into my sleeves for my blow gun.
[? I?m sorry Cirno!]
It was like shooting fish in a barrel as I shot a stream of tiny needles straight at Cirno before diving down for cover as the larger icicles struck where I was momentarily.
[OW! THAT HURT!]
Hearing her cry of pain, I wrongly assumed that that had taken care of her and popped my head out, only to see Cirno trembling with rage as she raised both her hands up.
[RED-WHITE!!!]
[Ah? No?]
Watching in shock and disbelief as tens and hundreds of icicles form above her, I muttered a curse and started running for as fast as my legs can carry me.
[AHHH!!!]
--
The sounds of icicles crashing behind me never ceased at all even when I ran back towards the place where I first met Cirno.
I was panting like crazy after running a crazy marathon around the edges of the leg.
Even now I could still hear Cirno?s enraged cries as I made yet another fast turnaround another icicle.
Cirno has conveniently modeled her icicles to fall with gaps between them for me to hide between them and it was like a maze, a maze that I could not hope to get out of.
For a few times I had dodged away from sight and launched a few needles at her but they seemed to bear no effect what so ever.
Amulets would be a much better choice but they kept being knocked out of air by Cirno?s small ice needles. If this kept up, I will definitely be killed.
[What?s with the spell-card rule? I don?t have any?]
My sentence trailing off, I sighed when I remembered that I did have spell cards, it was just that I did not know how to use them.
[? and the yin-yang orbs, I still do not know how too? Well? I just have to make the best out of it.]
Drawing my blow-gun again, I dived behind yet another icicle as Cirno circled passed me, calling out my name as she did so.
[RED-WHITE! We are not playing hide-seek! We are danmaku-ing!!]
Giggle at the term: [Danmaku-ing], I readied myself and did a spectacular roll behind Cirno and shot her at the back once again.
[OW!]
This time however, I threw a few amulets between me and her and muttered:
[BORDER!]
The two slips of paper converged to form a small barrier between us and that effectively stopped all the ice-needles that she threw at me.
[?]
It was an amulet that I recognized among the lot that Suika gave me, it was used primarily as a sort of prevention for spirits and who knew it would be so effective.
[Red-white. Cirno is the strongest!]
Sensing something was wrong when Cirno never even faltered at the sight of the tables being turned, I was about to take off again when Cirno pulled out another slip of paper and declared.
[ICE SIGN: PERFECT FREEZE!]
[?!!!!]
Realizing too late, I felt the area around me starting to freeze and I fell to my knees, numbness hitting me from all parts of the body.
[??! ?]
[HAH! RED-WHITE WILL DIE TODAY!]
[? heh..]
Feeling my strength leave me, I recalled someone telling me that a second lost might be a difference between life and death.
How fitting?
Kneeling on the Ground in front of the Ice-fairy, it must have looked as if I was praying to her, praying to Cirno, the ice-fairy.
I should have been mad, mad at myself for losing to her but I didn?t?
I had underestimated her and underestimated the Spell Card rules and of course,
I had overestimated myself.
The moment that I had been challenged by Cirno, I had not given a thought on how I was supposed to defeat her or even stop the battle from starting.
After my previous success in helping Alice, talking with spirits and usage of the amulets, I must have gotten cocky all of a sudden and over confident in my abilities.
The words of encouragement that Suika had told me: [Reimu never loses] must have gotten into my head and made me accept this battle immediately.
[Never be proud, you are serving the people, Reimu.]My teacher?s teaching once more rang inside me and I swore, swore loudly inside me that I had made so many mistakes, forgotten so many teachings within such a short time.
I really am changing?
[CIRNO IS THE STRONGEST!]
[? yes, you are? you are the strongest? huh?]
Watching helplessly as she formed thousands and thousands of small ice needles around her and me, I just shook my head and laughed.
[Well, nothing like being bested by someone better than you?]
--
[Rule Three of the Spellcard System: It shall Negate The Doctrine of absolute Power.]
[/b]
--
[? what use is of remembering that?]
--
[I?ll get you Red-white! One day I shall make you pay!!]
[Okay, I will be waiting, Cirno.]
--
[Promises? looks like she made me pay alright?]
Closing my eyes, I gingerly stood up and spread my hands apart, welcoming the barrage that will come at me.
[TAKE THIS! ICE SIGN: ICICLE FALL!!]
[? well, it would be rude for me not to take the invitation right?]
--
[Rule Four of the Spellcard System: It is unsurpassed in beauty and in thought.]
[/b]
--
Opening my eyes, I leapt to the sky and willed my body to move and to move it did.
[? wow? so? I can really fly?]
Or so I thought as I crashed back to the earth in the next second.
[OW!]
But I was out of the Freezing spot and the strength returned back to my body gradually.
The icicles that were aimed at me were gone behind me too and I grinned in temporary triumph as Cirno dived down at me again.
[RED-WHITE!!]
[Well? I?ve got nothing to lose?]
--
[? What is it like to be a fairy, Cirno?]
[?Cirno don?t understand what Red-white means.]
Flying past the lake, I casually called out at the grumpy idiot that usually sits by herself in the middle of the lake and I flew over to wave at her.
[Up to another lost, Cirno?]
[RED-WHITE!! YOU!!]
Looking at the lonely face is not a very happy sight and I played along with her for a while, giving in some pretense that she was getting better before I whacked her with my gohei.
Truth was, she is getting better. It?s just that I am getting better faster than her.
[I WILL MAKE YOU PAY, RED-WHITE!]
[Later, Cirno.]--
[? Cirno, you are the strongest? right?]
[Yes, Cirno is the strongest!]
Remembering her face at last as the island in the middle of the lake became visible in the afternoon sun, I lowered my head and smiled at her.
[Well? then I should show you how strong I am.]
It?s all or nothing. If I can?t get at Cirno, she will kill me.
[? Red-white?]
It probably must be the first time that she was seeing me so terrified, my hands were shaking and I was trying so hard to preserve my dignity as a shrine Maiden.
[It? is alright, to give in to your fears sometimes? Cirno?]
Smiling, I was reminded of the time that had happened to me a long time ago.
I had lied to Suika that I had gotten Air-sick and I had lied to myself saying that I had not taken an air-plane before in my life?
how could I not know I get air-sick by not going on an air-craft?
The reason why my teacher, the other Hakurei Maidens was gone was cause of an accident that happened in the air to cause the air-craft we were on to crash.
It was a horrible, horrible incident that only I survived.
Till that day on, I vowed never to get on an airplane and fly in the air again.
If anyone tried to bring me on one, I would say I get air-sick?
[? Cirno?]
[? ??]
[? Let?s Danmaku, for real.]
Clenching my eyes shut, I leapt from the ledge I was to the air and just as easily as that, I flew.
--
[WOAH!!]
Feeling the new revelations strike me, I struggled to keep my heartbeat normal as I soared in the sky, as carefree as..
Well. A large vulture as I looked kinda silly.
With my hands spread wide open, I did not really look like flying but sort of gliding as I flew along.
[Aww? how am I going to steer?]
Wondering that random thought, I heard Cirno cry out from behind me and I instinctively turned.
[Red-white, take this again! Ice Sign: Icicle fall!]
[? how many times must she do that?]
Wondering to myself as the image of the icicle?s path came to me, I narrowed my eyes and dived towards the formation.
Words could not describe how I knew how to fly but it is deeply rooted in my brain, kind of like riding a bicycle, once you mastered it, it is easy and natural to you.
The image of the path I was supposed to take is clear in my mind too and I almost casually grazed every single Icicle to greet Cirno.
[Now Cirno, this is the? AIEE!!]
Losing concentration for a moment, I completely missed Cirno and instead crashed into a nearby tree.
[Ow? that was really not cool?]
Rubbing my head, I sighed and flew out of the tree to meet Cirno again.
She had the same clueless expression she always has when I and Marisa?
M-Marisa?
A sudden image of her appeared in my mind and I groaned in pain and dipped down lower in mid-flight.
[T-That hurt?]
Seeing that I was distracted, Cirno took the opportunity to attack me again but I easily grazed all of them by twitching about in the air.
[NOW!]
Diving like a bullet, I reached into my sleeves for a particular ofuda that I had kept and slammed it right on Cirno?s forehead, calling out it?s incantation as I did so.
[BIND!]
It was a single strike, the minimum requirement to end a danmaku fight and I had done it picture perfectly as Cirno, her body paralyzed, fell from the sky.
[..!!]
What have I done?!
Watching in horror as Cirno fell lifeless from the sky, I struggled to turn my body around and with no hesitation whatsoever dived in after her.
As I approached closer and closer and with the wind screaming at me, I shielded my eyes when she plunged into the murky depths of the lake.
[Cirno?! CIRNO!!]
As an ice-fairy I imagined she would float but there was no body in sight even after a few seconds.
[I?ve got to save her!]
The binding spell will bind almost all her powers, I had forgotten about it as Cirno looked too much like a normal person?
Taking a deep breath, I plunged into the depths and searched furiously for the little fairy, hoping against hope that I would be able to see at least a trace of her.
[please, Cirno be fine!! I? I didn?t want a little danmaku battle to turn out like this!!]
Praying deep in my heart, I stretched my arms furiously to see if I can touch anything that remotely resemble an arm or wing? or anything!
[G-Gotcha!]
Feeling an arm after flailing in the water for several moments, I grabbed hold of it and desperately swam for the surface with her in tow.
[Whew!! Cough? cough]
Breaking the surface for air, I pulled the little Ice-fairy with me to the surface and removed the ofuda from her forehead, rendering her powers back to her.
[? well? what did you know? I had to swim after all?]
Laughing, I towed Cirno with me as I swam for the little island in the middle of the lake; an island that I knew was Cirno?s home.
--
As I watched Cirno sleeping off the shock of the water, I took the opportunity to think about what would have happened if I had lost to the little fairy in front of me.
She was egoistic, very confident and very arrogant. Calling herself the strongest tend to do things to people but what about me?
I call myself the Hakurei Shrine Maiden if not out of pride but of what?
A shrine maiden should never be proud and always should be humble.
I should be confident of my abilities and not be PROUD of my abilities as a Shrine Maiden.
I recalled the instant I was flying, the jubilant feeling of being free and riding the air like it was nothing.
The first experience is always the best experience of all? if I could keep that feeling everything I fly, it would be terrific.
But that?s not to be? the next time I fly I would probably be excited at most and eventually? I would be accustomed to it.
That is like my character, the first experience of being a Shrine Maiden will definitely be ecstatically great and I would be proud of myself.
For how long could I keep the enthusiasm up as the Shrine Maiden?
I wouldn?t know for sure?
But as I look at Cirno, the Ice-fairy, I remembered the countless times she fired Icicle Fall at me, the same pattern and the same intensity.
She never gets sick of the move and she is very confident in the move all the time, even knowing how many times I had broken the pattern, she still uses it.
Perhaps I had made the wrong call in calling her arrogant.
Her innocence is something that I wouldn?t have in a million years.
She?s not proud or arrogant, she is just, Cirno.
Well, she?s definitely not the strongest of Gensokyo, yet anyway.
She?s Cirno, the Ice-Fairy of the Lake and an adorable youkai Fairy that I know.
The world might not end without this little fairy, but at least there will be more color in it with her.
If I lost it will be up to this little fairy to save the world then?
--