Episode 2: Haniwa Meetup

Yakumo Ran has once again left the body of her nine-tailed fox companion, and the two venture to the Animal Realm to chat with Mayumi and Keiki. A stage play narrated by Shameimaru Aya, featuring four Cryptic Clue puzzles.

-----------
Chapter 1.
-----------

Music: Touhou 11 - Lullaby of Deserted Hell

*Some reddish wasteland somewhere in the underground. Dark withered trees, orange cracked but walkable ground.*

*Yakumo Ran and Yakumo no Kitsune walking to the right, while staying in the center of the frame. The life-sized Alice doll wears Ran's two-pointed hat, the nine-tailed fox does not.*

*They come across Toutetsu Yuuma, casually crouching next to the road, spork over her shoulder.*

Music: Touhou 17.5 - Memory of Fossil Energy

Yuuma, in a Scottish accent.
Ai! Ran! Taking your little foxy for a walk, ha?

Ran (the doll).
Yuuma. You know that's rude. Kits'ne has feelings too, you know?

Yuuma.
Also, you just can't decide on a headwear, can you?
First you had horns like me, then fox ears, and now... am I seeing that right? Are those antlers under your hat?

Ran.
*takes off hat* That's quite the memory you've got. I haven't had horns in so long.

Yuuma.
Must have been at least six-/sevenhundred years ago, ai? Even for a beast spirit like you, that's a long time.

Ran.
Careful now. You don't want to end up like Yoshika, do you?

Yuuma.
My brain is doing just fine, don't you worry. Much more solid than yours, ai Ran!

Ran.
Feel like that's enough banter for today. Let's move on, Kits'ne.

Yuuma.
Enjoy your walkies!

Ran.Hrmpf.

*They continue walking until Yuuma is no longer in view.*

Music: Touhou 11 - Lullaby of Deserted Hell

Kitsune.
Who was that? Sounds like you have a history.

Ran.
*sighs* Just some troll from the Animal Realm. Calls herself Yuuma.
Also leads some alliance that I had to stop a few years ago.

Kitsune.
Ah right, it's slowly coming back to me now. That was her? She looks far too uncivilized to be a leader.

Yuuma.
I heard that!

Kitsune.
Did Yukari agree that she wasn't important?

Ran.
That... might be... a gap in my knowledge.

Music: Touhou 15.5 - Yorimashi between Dreams and Reality

*Through a spontaneously manifesting purple eye-shaped gap in the air peeks Yakumo Yukari.*

Yukari.
Don't worry about it. It's fine.

*The eye-shaped gap closes.*

Music: Touhou 11 - Lullaby of Deserted Hell

Ran.
I may have also called myself a "fox" towards Yuuma at one point.
Just kinda tried to keep things simple back then, I guess.

Kitsune.
Understandable.

Yamashiro Takane, through the antlers.
Trivia time!

Ran.
Who was that?

Takane.
Oh right, I haven't clued you in yet.
I'm Takane, and I built a device that lets me connect to your antlers as a RAN and listen in to your conversations.

Kitsune.
Oh dear. That's wild. Ran, are you game?

Ran.
Once a bandit, always a bandit, I guess. Just make sure you don't get on Kits'ne and Yukari's bad side.

Kitsune.
And Alice's.

Takane.
Of course.
But yeah, Trivia time! What did Yuuma say to the kangaroo?

Kitsune.No idea. What did she say?

Takane."Time to troll".

Ran.Hm...

Takane.
Right, there's absolutely no way for you to get that reference lol. And I guess Aya won't either.

I indeed don't. Please write back to me if you know what Takane is referring to here.

-----------
Chapter 2.
-----------

Music: Artificial Utopia in Ruins - Beast Metropolis

*Red skyscrapers of the Animal Realm. On the ground, an army of small haniwa led by Joutouguu Mayumi.*
*(If not enough Haniwa are available, it is fine to dress up a dozen or more of Alice's dolls for the scene instead.)*

*Enter Kitsune and Ran from the left.*

Mayumi.
Woah, now that is a majestic-looking Haniwa. Where did you get that, and with whom do I have the honour to talk?

Ran.
Arigatou.

Kitsune.
Same as.

Ran.
Please excuse the finer pronunciation details, we are still working on that.

*Mayumi giggles.*

Ran.
Greetings to you too, Mayumi. I am Yak'mo Ran, and this doll here was made by Margatroid Alice *points at self*.

Army.
*cheerfully* HANIWA!

Ran.
I am really happy with how it turned out. She even gave me antlers *takes off hat*.

Mayumi.
That's really impressive. How did this Alice get so good at making Haniwa? She's clearly a master.

Ran.
I think her roots are somewhere in Yoroppa. But for most of her life, she's been practicing her craft in the Forest of Magic.
Her main interest are dolls, which she usually animates herself using magic.
But with the help of Hieda no Akyuu's insight, they were able to construct this Haniwa for me.

Mayumi.
Fascinating. I heard of Yoroppa, it's where a lot of the traditional weaponry was named.

Ran.
Very much so. Wanna play a cryptic clue?

Mayumi.
Sure.

Ran.
"Upcoming China ruined Rome's long arm" for 8 letters.

Kitsune.
What's a cryptic clue?

Ran.
One side of the clue is a definition, the other is a wordplay giving the letters of the answer.
Only works in one language at a time. A lot of them are written in English, probably because of the many disconnects between English's letters and its sounds.

Kitsune.
I see. Pretty cool concept. I'll try having a go at this.

*A few seconds of silence.*

Mayumi.
Hm... yeah, yeah. I think I've cracked this clue.
And as I can see, you're educated on the topic as well.
That was a good clue to present to a military Haniwa. Well done.

Ran.
Thank you.

Mayumi.
I also got a clue for you. This one is very personal to me.

"Chinese me and father Gandalf endlessly stack metal bars", for 11 letters.

Kitsune.
Who's Gandalf again?

Mayumi.
A very old wizard from some Yoroppian folklore. Think Merlin.

Ran.
Prismriver?

Mayumi.
Who's that?

Ran.
Nevermind.

Kitsune.
Oh I think I got it. That's a nice throwback, bringing back some good memories.
We used to listen to that one up and down when Sumireko brought it to the 100th black market.

Mayumi.
I know, right? She is such a great singer. Really makes you feel like you're in the middle of battle.

Ran.
Exactly.

Kitsune.
Let me think if I can conjure one up as well…
hm... yeah... maybe like this:
"Golem had heart and tail sent back by four religious staff from Japan". Five letters.

Mayumi.
Is Golem another word for Haniwa?

Ran.
They're similar I guess.
I think "golem" refers specifically to a being that is made alive through magic…
whereas a Haniwa tends to be a vessel for a spirit or soul to inhabit, I think.

Army.
*cheerfully* HANIWA!

Ran.
So Alice's dolls would be golems. Or Medicine, for example.

Mayumi.
Oh, do pills and elixirs have something to do with golem craft?

Ran.
I'm astonished at how much less you know about Gensokyo than about Yoroppian history.

Mayumi.
I suppose the contemporary surface hasn't been much of a topic in my training, yeah.
So I guess Medicine is the name of a doll that has come alive?

Ran.
Yup.

Mayumi.
I might have been living under a rock.

*A few seconds of silence.*

Ran.
I think I've solved it now. That's a really solid first clue.
I especially like how it leverages the quirks of the language it was built in.

Kitsune.
Like a golem or a Haniwa, you might say it has come alive in our minds.

Ran.
How poetic.

Takane.
I got one as well:
"What Utsuho does to her environment is terminal", for 10 letters.

Mayumi.
Hm... Trying to think about what that could resolve to.

Kitsune.
I mean the surface makes sense. Okuu's kind of a bird brain, so I could see her completely disregarding her surroundings.

Takane.
Aya's so going to barf when she hears that.

I did.

Mayumi.
Still no idea what this could be.

Kitsune.
Same here.

Ran.
Are you sure this isn't some Yamawaro-exclusive thing?

Takane.
Maybe? Kind of? I think if your metropolis had more windows and gates, you might get it.

Mayumi.
Even more windows?

Takane.
Yeah.

Ran.
Hmm... think I still don't really have an idea of how this clue resolves.
I might have to bring it up with Akyuu and Sumireko at some point.

Yukari, through a purple eye-shaped gap.
I think I know the answer. But Takane, this one is like, almost unsolvable to anyone unfamiliar with the outside world.
If I hadn't been keeping tabs on Shikigami development, I probably wouldn't have come across the solution word either.
Very difficult clue, Takane. But a nice surface.

Kitsune.
Speaking of Aya, how are the readers going to learn the answers to these clues?

Mayumi.
I think there's an old military technique called the Caesar shuffle.
Aya can put the answers at the end of the article, shifted by 13 letters or so. Then the readers can shift them back.

Ran.
Sounds like a good idea.

Takane.
Yeah that could work. It isn't exactly a secure encryption, but for a spoiler warning it should be good enough.

*The purple eye-shaped gap closes.*

-----------
Chapter 3.
-----------

Kitsune.
By the way, Mayumi - what kind of spirit are you? Your Haniwa looks very Human.

Mayumi.
Hm... I'm not sure. Might have to ask Keiki-Sama.

Music: Touhou 17 - Idolatrize World

*Enter Haniyasushin Keiki floating in from the right.*

Keiki.
Is that... Ran Yakumo wearing a Haniwa in the style of an Alice doll? With antlers?
Dang. Looks like I gotta step up my game. I got a reputation to lose, after all.

Ran.
Thanks. Yeah, Alice is a very experienced and highly regarded doll maker.
I think you two could make some fantastic looking Haniwa when working together, or even just bouncing ideas off each other.

Keiki.
I could look into that yeah. Forest of Magic would be her address, right? I might work on creating a letter to her then.

Ran.
Sounds good.
So yeah, we were wondering what kind of spirit Mayumi is.
We know there are eagle spirits around here, Human spirits, Fox spirits, all kinds of beasts.
So what kind of beast spirit is inhabiting Mayumi's Haniwa?

Keiki.
I'm a bit confused on where you got the idea that Haniwa are possessed by beast spirits?

Ran.
Think that's what Akyuu said when we were planning this alternate vessel for myself, right?
"A Haniwa is a ceramic statue designed to house a beast spirit".

Keiki.
...
Now listen up here, you little Shikigami. What Akyuu told you was an overgeneralization.
While it's not impossible for a beast spirit to occupy a Haniwa, most Haniwa here in the Animal realm have souls created from faith. Including Mayumi.

Kitsune.
Fascinating. So Ran is more of an exception than the norm?

Keiki.
Correct. Haniwa do contain souls, but those souls need not be beast spirits.
In fact, that was kind of the point. Idols can be more resilient than spirits, especially when it comes to their mental health.

Army.
*cheerfully* HANIWA!

Mayumi.
That makes a lot more sense now. Thank you for clearing that up, Keiki-Sama.

Keiki.
Please also update Akyuu on that inaccuracy. I would like the chronicler to create accurate records.

*A purple eye-shaped gap opens showing one of Yukari's thumbs pointing upward, then promptly closes.*

Ran.
Thanks for educating me.

Keiki.
No biggie. I'm always happy to create clarity on my areas of expertise.

*Exit Keiki to the right.*

Music: Artificial Utopia in Ruins - Beast Metropolis

Takane.
Lady thinks she's god with that attitude.

Ran.
I mean. She's not wrong. *puts hat back on*

Army.
*cheerfully* HANIYASU!

Kitsune.
This whole realm here looks like it was made by animals for animals.
No one seems to bat an eye at a fox, even a nine-tailed one.

Mayumi.
Oh right. You seemed like an associate of Ran's. Do you have a name?

Kitsune.
Yakumo no Kitsune is what we decided to call me. I've been wandering Gensokyo under Ran for the last few centuries.

Mayumi.
Oh wow. What an honor it must have been to travel alongside such a masterful Haniwa for this long.

Kitsune.
Well... how do I explain this...

Ran.
Pardon the confusion. This Haniwa here is rather new *points at self*. Before that, Kits'ne was assisting me as my vessel.

Kitsune.
Yeah exactly. Thank you.

Mayumi.
Ahh, hm. Yeah. Okay, got it. Beast spirit possesses fox, fox travels world. So how long have you had this Haniwa for?

Ran.
Just under a month. Probably around 25 days 23 hours and 47 minutes.

Mayumi.
Nice. Did you use military time to figure that out?

Ran.
Of course.

Music: Touhou 17 - The Animals' Rest.

*They continue talking as the scene fades to white.*

*Still images from the story show for about 10 seconds each.*

-----------
Bonus
-----------

The solutions to the cryptic clues, shifted by 13 letters. Big thanks to Yukari for solving these, especially the last one.

**Upcoming China ruined Rome's long arm (8):** PYNLZBER

**Chinese me and father Gandalf endlessly stack metal bars (11):** UNAVCNTNAQN

**Golem had heart and tail sent back by four religious staff from Japan (5):** TBURV

**What Utsuho does to her environment is terminal (10):** CBJREFURYY

-----------
Readers' letters
-----------

Since our first printing of this article, we have received a letter from Usami Sumireko:

> Dear Aya,
> Thank you for your continued efforts in reporting on noteworthy events all around and below Gensokyo.
> I was able to identify the source of Takane's "trivia time" reference:
> Apparently, two people from the Outside World recently had a small run-in over one of the voicelines in a team game called "Lol".
> The voiceline goes "Time to troll", which could be misunderstood as a player saying they would be playing the game in an unserious manner, which is not the intended playstyle.
> So one of the players baited the other into quoting that voice line, then jokingly reported them for unserious gameplay.
> To both of their surprises, the report was successful, and the organizers of the game were informed about the potential for improvement on this front.
> I am surprised at how connected Takane is with outside-world stories like these. This reference is barely a few days old.

-----------
In other news
-----------

Is Yakumo Ran's hat actually black and blue? Continue reading to learn about what our correspondent Usami Sumireko has to say on the matter!

Episode 3: Akyuu's Final Chapter?

Hieda no Akyuu has lived for 32 years, longer than most of her previous incarnations. As her mission in life is approaching its end, the Yama sends her on one final quest.

Will Akyuu be able to achieve her goal before she has to pay Komachi the inevitable visit? A stage play narrated by Shameimaru Aya.

This story can be read as episode 3 in the series "Yakumo no Kitsune", or as a standalone work.

-----------
Chapter 1.
-----------

Music: Touhou 18.5 - The Collector's Melancholy Afternoon

*A house in the Human village. Hieda no Akyuu and Kirisame Marisa sitting on a couch, facing a table with a map of Gensokyo.*

*Akyuu writes into a book.*

Akyuu.
*at writing speed* It is worth noting that most of the Haniwa in the Animal Realm are not actually inhabited by beast spirits.
Instead, they are home to their own souls created through the faith of the residents of the Primate Garden.

Marisa.
Did Yukari tell you that?

Akyuu.
Yeah. Apparently my previous description of Haniwa had an error, and Yukari forwarded a correction from Keiki to me.

Marisa.
That's neat. I love how connected we are these days.

Music: Touhou 9 - Fate of Sixty Years

*Enter Shikieiki, Xanadu no yama, through the door on the left.*

Eiki.
Child of Miare.
You have made good progress over the last decades, and your work is nearing its completion.
But now that you are in your thirties, the time has come for you to venture out to the mountain path of the Old Hell.

Akyuu.
The mountain path of the Old Hell? Isn't that where all of the previous Children of Are died?

Eiki.
Yes. It is one of the only places in Gensokyo that you haven't written about, and it is finally time for you to explore it.

Akyuu.
But what if I die again? I won't be able to write about the mountain path Youkai when I'm dead.

Eiki.
I have faith that you will be able to complete your quest this time.
If not, Hieda no Ajuu will be born in sixty years.

Akyuu.
Understood, o Yama. I trust in your guidance.

Eiki.
I wish you the best of luck, Child of Miare. May your quest be successful. *heads for the door*

Marisa.
*to Eiki, curiously* Do you ever die?

*Eiki turns around to stare straight into Marisa's soul, then exits.*

Music: Touhou 8 - Nostalgic Blood of the East - Old World

Marisa.
*shuddering* Di-did you see that stare?

Akyuu.
Yeah. Really shakes your heart when she looks at you like that.
Shikieiki has been refining her stare over centuries of practice. I've been on the receiving end of it quite a number of times.

Marisa.
I guess I really shouldn't have asked her that. In hindsight, that was some very poor wording on my part.

Akyuu.
Seems like it. She really knows how to get her point across, doesn't she?

Marisa.
When you put it like that... that is very much a respectable skill.
So it sounds like you're going to Hell soon?

Akyuu.
Marisa! I'm already scared enough without those unfortunate wording choices!

Marisa.
Sorry.
You know, if you're that scared... would anyone notice if you just made something up?

Akyuu.
I appreciate your compassion, Marisa, but this is for the Gensokyo Chronicle.
This work will be relied upon by the village and by future generations, and it needs to have accurate information.

Marisa.
Akyuu-rate information, got it.

Akyuu.
If I was to fabricate even a single line, the entire Chronicle could no longer be trusted.
If I wanted to lie, I would be writing for the Bunbunmaru Newspaper instead.

Touche.

Marisa.
*nabs book* Page 114. Utsuho Reiuji. Scorching, troublesome divine flame. You've written that?

Akyuu.
Yup. Pages 110 to 113 are about Satori, then Utsuho, and then Yuugi.

-----------
Chapter 2.
-----------

*Enter Hakurei Reimu and Komeiji Satori through the door. Satori's mood drops as she sees Akyuu's thoughts.*

Music: Touhou 20 - Might as well Stake your Life to Solve the Riddle

Reimu.
What's wrong?

Satori.
Looks like it's that time of generation again. Akyuu has been told to visit the outskirts of the Old Hell.

Reimu.
Is that special? Sounds like just another one of her field trips, especially now with our new spell card rules.

Satori.
You would think that. But for some reason, it seems like every previous incarnation of Akyuu has found their end on that path.

Reimu.
How? Does Akyuu remember their last moments?

Akyuu.
I don't know how I died, no. Feels like I just... fell over. Like a heart attack. Onto the pebbles on the side of the road.

Marisa.
So is Akyuu going to die?

Satori.
We don't know yet. Akyuu thinks that Eiki seemed more optimistic this time around, so maybe there's hope.

Reimu.
Sounds like we should investigate how those deaths happened, and maybe we'll find a way to protect her this time.

Marisa.
Does that mean that we have an... incident?

Reimu.
Looks like it.

Marisa.
Awesome! I'll just quickly grab another magic book for the journey, then I'll be right back.

*Exit Marisa through the door.*

Akyuu.
Maybe we should just start the trip. Old Hell is quite a bit away, so we'll have time to gather ideas before we get there.

Reimu.
Onwards then. Satori, you know Old Hell - would you join us?

Satori.
Sure.

*They exit through the door.*

-----------
Chapter 3.
-----------

Music: Touhou 10 - The Gensokyo the Gods Loved

*The Untrodden Valley at the foot of the Youkai Mountain. Akyuu, Reimu, and Satori walking to the right, the camera keeping pace.*

*They come across Yakumo Ran, in her usual nine-tailed fox body.*

Reimu.
*bows* Konnichiwa Ran.

Akyuu.
*bows* Konnichiwa Ran.

Ran.
*bows three times* Konnichiwa Reimu, Konnichiwa Akyuu, Konnichiwa Satori.

Satori.
*bows twice* Konnichiwa Yakumo no Kitsune. Konnichiwa Yakumo Ran.

*The nine-tailed fox silently bows to each of the three an additional time.*

Satori.
Yakumo no Kitsune says Konnichiwa to you too.

Reimu and Akyuu, bowing in unison.
Konnichiwa, Yakumo no Kitsune.

*The nine-tailed fox smiles in appreciation.*

Ran.
What drives you here to this beautiful waterfall?

Reimu.
We are on our way to the mountain path in the Old Hell because Shikieiki told Akyuu to explore it for her chronicle.

Ran.
I see. I might join you on your way then, it's been a few years since I last tested the strength of the Hakurei barrier there.
Nothing past the protocol, of course. But if I get it out of the way now, I won't have to worry about it for another couple years.

Akyuu.
Sounds good. I'm a bit frightened, so maybe the more company I can get, the better I might feel.

Satori.
Good to see you again, Kitsune. It's already been a few weeks since we talked at Alice's house.

*The nine-tailed fox smiles in acknowledgement.*

Satori.
How have you been doing?
Oh, that's great to hear. The beast metropolis? That must have been an impressive view, mustn't it?
And you got to meet Mayumi. And Keiki. Sounds like you've been having a really good time, Kitsune.

Reimu.
Ran's Haniwa is parked at Alice's house, I suppose?

Ran.
Indeed. We still sometimes decide to travel as "one". Saves her some walking effort, and I get to pretend to be a fox.

Akyuu.
Oh yeah, there was a time when I thought that you were a fox, Ran. Until Yukari told me what a Shikigami is.

Ran.
Right? It can be fun sometimes to just stir up a little bit of innocent confusion.

*The nine-tailed fox smiles in agreement.*

Akyuu.
Absolutely. I heard that some people can just never remember that Kitsune exists, even after seeing her multiple times.

Yukari, from behind the set.
Aya, you really need to work on your foreshadowing skills. That was too obvious.

You know that that only makes it more obvious, Yukari.

-----------
Chapter 4.
-----------

Music: Touhou 11 - Last Remote

*A reddish but otherwise nice-looking mountain path somewhere in the Old Hell. Akyuu, Reimu, Satori, and Ran walking to the left.*

*The mountain slope rises steep on their right and falls off gently to their left. The path widens to a circle, and they sit down.*

Satori.
Here we are.

Akyuu.
The mountain path of the Old Hell.

Ran.
Looks pretty nice and peaceful for a place bearing this name.

Reimu.
Remember that we still don't know about the dangers of this place, so make sure to keep an eye on Akyuu's health.

Satori.
Or three.

Reimu.
*nods* Or three.

*Reimu picks up a pebble and holds it in front of her eyes. Her facial expression moves from confused to uneasy, then horrified.*

*Ran worryingly taps her shoulder.*

Akyuu.
Reimu? Is everything okay?

Reimu.
*drops the pebble* What- what just happened? Akyuu... *turns around* oh thank the gods, Akyuu, you are still alive.
I have no idea what came over me. I was looking at this pebble, and then...

Satori.
For once I am completely clueless. It's as if your thoughts had been an entirely garbled mess during that moment.
Or at least nothing that I was able to read.

Akyuu.
What is happening here? Does this mountain make people go insane? Is this how I died? Insanity?

*Ran picks up a pebble and holds it close to her head. Her facial expression moves from intrigued to endearing, then overflowing with joy.*

Reimu.
Ran? RAN?

Satori.
OH! I see it now! She's talking to my sister!

Akyuu.
Who? Ran?

Satori.
Kitsune is talking to my sister Koishi. They seem to be getting along really well.
You see, as a satori I can read people's thoughts, but I can't read the unconscious.
My sister only exists in the unconscious, so she is practically invisible to me.
But Kitsune, having slumbered under Ran for centuries, seems uniquely positioned to bridge that gap.

Reimu.
Invisible to me as well. You have a sister?

Satori.
Yes! You just talked to her a minute ago. And also one other time, right after the nuclear fusion incident some 18 years back.

Reimu.
I have no memory of that.

Akyuu.
Wait... no memory? So you forgot about it?

Reimu.
Apparently.

Akyuu.
That might explain it then! If meeting Satori's sister is impossible to remember, but I am unable to forget...

Reimu.
...then your brain had no choice but to shortcircuit, causing you to die on the spot?

Akyuu.
I think that's what must have happened, yes!
In each of my lives I was feeling completely fine, until suddenly... my brain just completely shut off. One frame to the next.

Satori.
One frame to the next? I thought you only used this kind of language when talking about Shikigami?

Akyuu.
You're right. I was being a bit imprecise there.

Reimu.
That's all well and good, but does it actually get us any closer to helping Akyuu survive this time around?

*Ran places the pebble back down.*

Ran.
What a weird experience. It felt as if Kits'ne was having a conversation without me, and I wasn't even able to follow it.

Satori.
Yeah, that's how I tend to feel as well when Koishi is talking to someone near me.

Ran.
Komeiji Koishi? The one who closed her third eye?

Satori.
Yes. You know her?

Ran.
Yukari told me about your sister a long time ago. That was her? I didn't feel her presence at all.

Satori.
She does seem to be completely imperceptible to anyone she isn't directly approaching.
And in your case, it sounds like she talked to your vessel, so not you.

Ran.
Fascinating.

*Reimu picks up another pebble.*

Satori.
Akyuu, can I borrow your notes real quick?

Akyuu.
*pulls out noteblock* Here.

*Satori starts frantically scribbling sentences onto the noteblock.*

Akyuu.
*at deciphering speed* "So you are Satori's sister? Koishi Komeiji? Nice to meet you."
"I mean, I guess we have met twice before, but I must have forgotten about that, I'm sorry."
"Do you know if there is any way for people to remember you? Akyuu has a condition where she possesses a perfect memory, and..."
"Oh, you realized that?" Oh my god. "That is why you first talked to the people you knew were not the Child of Miare?"
"I still don't know if it is safe to let Akyuu see you. Has anyone ever remembered an encounter with you?"

*Reimu carefully positions the pebble back onto the ground.*

Reimu.
So that was Koishi. Pretty nice girl, all in all. Just a really weird ability.

Akyuu.
You remember her?

Reimu.
Yeah. No idea how I was ever able to forget about her yellow-green outfit.
It's such a classy style that no one else in Gensokyo wears.

Akyuu.
So I guess that means that it is possible to remember Koishi as long as you've known about her beforehand?

Reimu.
Only one way to find out.

Satori.
Akyuu...

Akyuu.
KOISHI, I THINK I'M READY!

*Akyuu picks up a pebble, and her posture freezes completely.*

Music: Touhou 4 - Days

Satori.Akyuu?
Reimu.Akyuu?
Ran.Akyuu?

*Silence.*

-----------
Chapter 5.
-----------

*After a full minute of silence, Akyuu places the pebble back down.*

Music: Touhou 11 - Be of Good Cheer!

Reimu.
AKYUU!

Akyuu.
*crying* She talked to me! And I remember her!
Never once have I felt so alive! It's like the weight of eight generations has finally fallen off my chest!
I can't wait to return home and finish the Chronicle!
I think I'll insert her profile in Symposium of Post-Mysticism, right between you - Satori - and Okuu.

Satori.
Words can't express how relieved we are to have you back. You scared us! In that minute, your mind was closed off even to me!

Akyuu.
I guess I just had a very deep and personal conversation with her, yeah. She kept apologizing for our previous encounters.
The ones that spelled the end of my old incarnations, that is.

Ran.
She probably just didn't know any better. The Child of Miare only travels this road every one or two centuries, after all.

Akyuu.
Definitely. Koishi means no harm. I got the impression that she is completely incapable of hate.

Satori.
Seems like it, yeah.
I think the reason she closed her third eye in the first place was because she felt rude reading people's minds.

*Ran picks up another pebble.*

Satori.
Looks like they're talking about some kind of popularity poll now…
And apparently my sister got one more vote than Kitsune and Marisa combined?

Reimu.
Wild. I would have thought that Marisa was among the more well-known people around here. Like at least top 50.

Satori.
Oh my sweet summer child.

*Ran places the pebble back down.*

Music: Touhou 9 - Fate of Sixty Years

*A purple eye-shaped gap opens in the air. Through it peeks Yakumo Yukari.*

Yukari.
A message from Shikieiki, Yama of Kublai's palace.

Akyuu.
I'm all ears.

*Shikieiki joins Yukari behind the gap.*

Eiki.
Child of Miare.
I am here to congratulate you on your success. Your quest is complete for now. Very well done.

Akyuu.
Thank you, o Yama.

Satori.
Kitsune wants to know why you're not calling her Yama-sama.

Akyuu.
Oh. Nothing much, just that it would sound a bit silly.

Eiki.
That.
But you would be free to call me that, Fox of the Eight Clouds.

*The nine-tailed fox smiles in a feeling of honour.*

Eiki.
Continue walking the right path, Child of Miare, and you might get to experience a full Human lifespan this time.

Akyuu.
Will there still be a tenth Child of Are?

Eiki.
Eventually, yes. But not for at least sixty more years after your current lifespan ends.

Akyuu.
Once again thank you, o Yama Shikieiki.

Eiki.
You have my blessing. Now go back home to complete the Chronicle.

*The purple eye-shaped gap closes.*

Music: Touhou 11 - Last Remote (starting from the calm part)

Ran.
One thing that's a little bit sad about this is that Takane wasn't here to witness this moment.
Her chiming in through the antlers has kind of grown on me over the last couple weeks.

Reimu.
We could do a quick visit to Alice's house on our way back. Then we could tell her about it.

Ran.
I like that idea. Would also give Kits'ne some well-deserved free time, right Kits'ne?

*The nine-tailed fox smiles in anticipation.*

*Enter Kirisame Marisa from the left, flying in on her broom, an old-looking tome under her arm.*

Marisa.
Guys! Look at this cool old book that I just borrowed!
Patchy will get it back, of course. Once I meet my fate in sixty or so years.

Reimu.
Marisa...

Akyuu.
Marisa! Look! I'm alive!

Marisa.
I know. *chuckles* Who do you think told Remilia to manipulate your fate?

*Fast fadeout to black.*

Music: Touhou 9 - Flower of Soul ~ Another Dream

*Still images from the story show for about 10 seconds each.*

Episode 3a: Epilogue to Akyuu's Final Chapter

Music: Touhou 11 - Hartmann's Youkai Girl

*Full moon over the Human village.*

*Akyuu and Marisa are once again sitting on their couch, a closed book on the table in front of them.*

*Akyuu writes onto a sheet of paper.*

Akyuu.
And done.

Marisa.
*nabs the sheet* "Koishi Komeiji. The closed eyes of love." Satori has a sister?

Akyuu.
I was surprised too. Maybe you've even met her before, though you probably wouldn't remember.

Marisa.
Wild.

Koishi.
*in front of Marisa* Oh nice, a chapter about me. Hi Marisa.

*Marisa rubs her eyes and blinks twice. Koishi is nowhere to be seen.*

Akyuu.
Her?

Marisa.
Her.

Music: Touhou 8 - Nostalgic Blood of the East ~ Old World

*Enter Kamishirasawa Keine, in her Hakutaku form.*

Akyuu.Ah, nice to see you, Keine. Come on in.
Remind me, Keine, when did we publish Symposium of Post-Mysticism?

Keine.Fourteen years ago.

Akyuu.Alright. And when was this chapter about Koishi Komeiji added? *hands Keine the sheet of paper*

Keine.About whom? Let me see... *reading* Hm. Mhm. Interesting.

*Keine takes the book off the table, opens it in the middle, places the sheet inside, and closes it again.*

Keine.The chapter about Koishi was included in the original release of the book, fourteen years ago.

*Keine hands the book to Akyuu, but Marisa grabs it first. When she opens the book, none of the pages look any different from the others.*

Marisa.
*flipping through the book* Page 117 - Utsuho? Page 114 - Koishi? Excuse me what?
Akyuu? Didn't you tell me two weeks ago...

Akyuu.
Shhh. *holding a pointer finger in front of her own mouth*
See, Marisa, I'm not lying about the content of the Chronicle. That's the important part.

Marisa.
Wait, so did you guys just retcon that the chapter on Koishi was always part of your book?

Keine.
Pretty much.
It's not as trivial as it sounds though - sometimes, when I'm not focused, it can leave a Mandala effect behind.

Marisa.
A what?

Keine.
A phenomenon where some people still remember the history from before I changed it.
Not sure why exactly it's called that. But a Mandala is a thing where different colours have to go into separate areas.

Akyuu.
Better not let Byakuren hear that.

Music: Touhou 8 - Evening Primrose

*Drawings of Komeiji Koishi show for about 10 seconds each.*