Screams and shouts.
Metallic clangs and the stomping of feet.
The smell of something burning.
“…ngh…” Reimu’s eyes opened to see blackened and charred leaves covering the forest floor ahead of her like a dense blanket, the gold and brown autumn leaves beneath barely visible. Glowing embers caught on the wind hovered in and out of Reimu’s field of vision. A clamor could be heard from somewhere behind her. Reimu could hear the cracking of twigs and tree branches, the sign that someone or something was fast approaching. Adrenaline surged through her system, forcibly bringing her mind to clarity. Every sense on alert, Reimu took a deep breath and got to her feet. She could feel the heat from something distant washing over her back and legs. Her head throbbed and ached, a sharp pain shooting from her forehead to somewhere behind her ear; as Reimu put her hand to her head to try and massage the pain away, she sensed something warm and wet against her palm. She looked at her hand to find her fingers stained with crimson.
Her eyes felt heavier with every passing second. With the smoke in the air, she coughed every time she inhaled; her throat ached and itched, only making it even harder to breathe. Reimu wobbled as she took a step forward, coughing again as ash and cinders in the air entered her lungs. She lurched forward, spitting out blood that coated her hand. “…where…?” she whispered between breaths, resting her weight against the nearest tree. “…where am I?”
“She went this way!” A loud, deep male voice boomed from behind her. “The footsteps lead here!”
Reimu couldn’t help but look behind her. She could see a group of men and women beyond the trees, many of which were holding torches and blades that gleamed silver in the light. In the distance behind the incoming mob, she could see a tower of black smoke that rose higher than any castle or monument she knew. It expanded in width the further it rose, blotting out the stars and leaving the sky moonless. Though it was the dead of night, the bright orange flames threatened to sear her skin.
Her heart seized up, and her breathing quickened.
I have to get out of here.
Reimu’s fists clenched as she poured every ounce of strength she could into her legs, breaking into a sprint. Her throat burned with every breath she took, and her head began pounding so painfully that Reimu nearly felt faint. She took off in the direction opposite of the men and women pursuing her, racing towards the heart of the forest. The soles of her feet throbbed against her worn-out sandals, the straps threatening to snap. She looked to the sky, seeing the dim glow of the moon that could barely break through the black of the thick smokestacks above, and kept going.
What is this? What’s going on?! Reimu ducked under an incoming tree branch, biting back a whine of pain as her arm scraped against the pointed ends of a nearby bush. She could feel her blood beginning to seep out of her upper arm from the scrape. Why are there people chasing me?! What’s happening?!
“Over there! She’s getting away! Get her!”
Another voice yelled, the deep growl of an older woman. It sounded much closer than Reimu had expected, startling her and forcing her to look in that direction for a split second. As she did, Reimu suddenly felt the impact of another tree branch against the crown of her head. She yelped, falling to the ground and cradling her head in her arms. The pain had intensified, and now she could feel blood leaking down both sides of her head. But before she could gather herself, a dull thud hit the ground next to her. Reimu, sensing the danger, quickly scrambled away from the source of the noise.
An arrow buried deep into the ground an inch from where she’d been.
Trying not to let panic take her, Reimu returned to her feet and continued running. Another arrow grazed her arm and lodged itself into a nearby tree. She clicked her tongue, trying not to make any noises as fiery pain shot up her arm all the way to her shoulder. It was painful, and Reimu wanted to scream and cry out from the pain, but she knew that if she did, it would tell her pursuers where she was and make it easier to catch her.
I…I can’t let them catch me. Reimu bit her lip and began running again. She could hear someone closing in on her, and she couldn’t let that happen. With both her arms wounded, however, running had grown demanding. Swinging her arms forward and back caused her pain but letting them hang limply at her sides was awkward and impeded her. If…if I can get far enough and hide in the forest somewhere…
Ignoring the pain, Reimu reached for the sleeves of her kimono and tore them into smaller strips. Stopping to crouch and hide inside a nearby bush, Reimu wrapped the torn scraps of cloth around her arms to staunch the bleeding as quickly as possible. Once her wounds were dealt with, Reimu crawled out from the bush and broke into another sprint. She recognized that the rapid footsteps and the voices were closer now than they had been earlier.
Why…why does this feel familiar?
Reimu shook her head, deciding that now was not the time to ask such questions. She could hear inhuman growls from somewhere in the forest, and Reimu was at a loss for what to do about them. But running was the only option available to her. As she leaped over a fallen tree in her way, Reimu was beginning to hear barking and howling: the sound of hounds on her trail.
As she vaulted over another fallen tree, a sudden tingle rocked her spine with an intensity like lightning. Reimu whipped her neck around to see a dog closing in on her rapidly, its beady eyes glowing in the dark of the night. It leaped towards her, fangs bared, and missed her ankle by a hairsbreadth. She yelped and jumped, managing to pull her leg away from the jaws of the creature. It gnashed its teeth, snarling, and continued its pursuit. As it leaped at her again, Reimu rolled out of the way and kept sprinting as fast as her legs could take her. Before the dog could scramble for her again, Reimu quickly took one of her sandals and threw it with all the force she could muster. It landed right between the canine’s eyes, forcing out a whine as its arms flailed and it fell onto its back.
Reimu pumped her fist and began running again in the opposite direction. But her feelings of accomplishment quickly sank as a man emerged from the bushes ahead of her, a blade in one hand and a torch in the other. “Aha! There you are!” He sneered, widening his stance and pointing the tip of his sword at her. “You’re not getting away this-!?”
She ran at the man without hesitating for a second. Surprised, the man swung his blade in an attempt to catch her. However, his delayed reaction allowed her to get too close to his body. Grabbing the man by the collar of his hakama, Reimu lowered herself and slid between his legs to continue running past him uninterrupted. “Wha-?! Hey, you! Endou! Get back here!”
Reimu barely had a moment to feel pride before she felt an impact send her body hurtling to the side. She inhaled sharply, trying her best to keep from crying out. An intense pain, far greater than she had felt earlier, rocked her body from head to toe. She clutched at her side, feeling the wooden shaft of an arrow buried in her shoulder sticking out from her flesh. Whimpering, she bit her lips hard enough to draw blood to keep from screaming as she tore the arrow out of her flesh. She staggered to her feet and began running again. It hurt to do so.
But it was the only thing she could do.
I…I have to get away…
Another arrow whizzed past her face, scratching her cheek before burying itself into the forest floor ahead. Recognizing that more were probably on the way, she did her best to run while lowering her body to the ground as much as she could. But Reimu could only walk three feet more before she felt another sharp pain from the back of her left thigh as another arrow found its way into her leg. Reimu let out a quiet sob, the pain and despair threatening to overwhelm her.
She wanted to lie down, to let the pain win.
But still, she kept running.
“Catch her! Don’t let her get away, dammit!” A voice yelled from somewhere in the distance far behind, accompanied by what sounded like the pounding of hooves: the gallop of horses. Reimu could hear a cacophony behind her; the unsheathing of swords, the buzz of arrows that flew past her, the whinnies and neighs of steeds, and the howls of hunting dogs. Reimu turned to look around, her heart dropping when she saw dozens of angry men and women brandishing their weapons. All of them were sprinting in her direction, bloodlust in their eyes.
Is this how I’m going to die? Reimu turned on her heels and continued running as fast as she could, trying to ignore the screams from her injured leg every time she put weight on it. The sound of another arrow cutting through the air to strike a tree trunk mere inches from her face. Reimu gasped for air, stumbling and falling to her knees before crawling into a run once more. Her lungs burned, and the back of her throat stung with every breath she took. Even as her legs trembled, she kept running. She could see men and women on horseback beginning to circle ahead of her, aiming to cut her off at the clearing ahead. Reimu slowed to a stop, tripping and falling forward.
Her bruised knees ached, and her feet throbbed. Blood continued to trickle down the sides of her face, collecting at her chin and dripping to the ground. Her heart dropped as she saw her pursuers slow to a stop in front of her and dismount their horses, approaching with their swords drawn and their torches held high. Reimu searched frantically for any hint of kindness in the faces of the mob and found none.
I…I won’t leave this forest alive.
A large man emerged from the crowd with narrowed eyes and a deep scowl. Like the others behind him, the man held a blade in his hand. He approached with heavy steps, each one kicking up leaves and dirt. When the man reached her, he crouched and took out his sword. It was a larger and wider blade than those of the others; seeing that it was also mottled with specks of blood. Reimu quivered. He gently rested the spine of the blade against Reimu’s shoulder while looking her up and down, eyes examining the state she was in. Reimu wanted to bat the sword away, to get to her feet and run. But her quivering legs would no longer listen to her. A hoarse plea escaped her lips. “…please…”
The man stared into Reimu’s eyes. No response came.
“…I don’t want to die,” she begged in a feeble voice. “Please…don’t-”
She let out a pained whine as the man slapped her across the face with the flat side of his blade. He sighed, standing back up, and placed the tip of his sword against the back of her neck. As he began to pour strength into the blade and run the length of the blade against her nape, Reimu felt the sword's blunted edges beginning to split her skin. A sensation like white-hot lightning raced through her spine.
Reimu closed her eyes, steeling herself for what she knew was coming.
Seconds passed.
She waited with bated breath.
Seconds continued to pass.
Nothing was happening.
…am I already dead?
A warmth suddenly washed over her body as she felt a sensation, not unlike an embrace wrapping around her head and her body. The pain began to fade away, replaced by a soothing heat that chased away the shivers in her body and returned strength to her limbs. Reimu opened her eyes to see that she was in the arms of a young maiden she did not recognize. Her pink hair reminded her of the leaves of a cherry blossom tree, and her orange-red eyes seemed to shine brightly against the night like a sunset. Confused, Reimu looked up at her only to be met by the mysterious girl’s gentle, reassuring smile. “It’s okay, Reimu. I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” she whispered, hugging Reimu’s forehead to her chest. “I promised you, didn’t I?”
“W-who…who are you? How do you know my…my name?” Reimu could see, in her peripheral vision, that the two girls were surrounded by a circle of thorny black vines. She could not fight down the terror she felt, the ice-cold claws around her heart that made her chest tighten. “…are you here to kill me too?”
“No, silly.” To Reimu’s surprise, the girl giggled. She gently patted and stroked Reimu’s hair, planting a tender kiss on her forehead. “I’m never gonna let anyone hurt you ever again. No matter how many times this dream repeats itself, I will protect you.”
“A dream?”
Reimu could hear what sounded like someone gargling beyond the black thorny brambles. Confused, she pushed the pink-haired girl to the side. Reimu could see the large man that had been threatening her was now on his knees and clutching at his neck. Strangled screams escaped his gaping mouth as he clawed at his neck desperately, streaks of dark red flowing from his collar. Reimu could barely make out what resembled a long, slender black tree branch that was wrapped around the man’s neck. She could see it tighten like a noose, the barbs and thorns adorning it sinking into the skin of the man’s throat. He flailed about and tried to tear the vines off, to no avail. Garbled noises emanated from his mouth, blood, and saliva dribbling from his jaws.
“Wha-?” Looking around her, she could see the mob of men and women struggling similarly. Some lay still on the grass, unmoving like the life had been drained from them. Others were still struggling, letting out strangled cries and screams as they tried to hack away at the tree branches and vines that coiled around their limbs and necks. The horses were suspended in the air by a web of blackened vines and branches, whinnying in fear as their legs flailed against empty air, and they threw their head around in search of some form of escape. The hounds were similarly trapped in a net of ebony-black vines; their snouts were muzzled shut by a layer of vines, so they could only whimper as they struggled in vain.
“Yep, a dream,” the pink-haired girl repeated with a smile. She raised her hand up to chest level, palm facing upward, and slowly began to close her fingers into a fist. Reimu heard a sound like the wood of a tree trunk cracking and rope tightening. Reimu inhaled sharply as she heard the loud crack of bones shattering and snapping. Within seconds, everyone in the clearing went quiet; their bodies went limp, and their blades clattered to the ground while the black wooden tendrils sank into the earth and disappeared. The horses only neighed louder at seeing their riders go quiet, recognizing that they had just died. The pink-haired girl ignored them. She snapped her fingers, and the wall of thorny black vines surrounding them retreated into the ground as if they had never been there. “I’m here to protect you. No matter what,” she said, still smiling. “So don’t be scared, okay?”
Reimu took a shaky breath, her gaze fixed on the girl. “…who…who are you…?”
“You’ll remember when you wake up.” She responded with a giggle and a smile, kneeling before Reimu and opening her arms. She beckoned Reimu to come closer. “Now, c’mon. Enough of this nightmare. You deserve better dreams than this.”
“…this…this isn’t a dream…” Reimu whispered. Unsure of what to do next, she remained rooted to the spot. With the pain gone and her pursuers dead, she began to recognize the forest around her. “…it’s a memory.”
The girl nodded. “You remember?”
“…yes. I remember this…this night.” Reimu looked back at the large bright fire still burning in the distance. Her eyes followed the trails of smoke that blended into the dark blue and black of the night sky above. “This is the night I was killed. Me and my family…I was killed here. In the forest near my home.”
The pink-haired maiden approached once more, leaning in for an embrace. Reimu allowed it, resting her forehead against the girl’s chest and closing her eyes. “…don’t worry. I won’t let you go through anything like this ever again. Okay?”
Confused, Reimu could only nod. She still did not understand what was happening and who this pink-haired maiden was. However, there was something about the girl’s words, the warmth she felt, that made her feel safe inside. She no longer felt cold fear gripping her from within, and pain no longer wracked her body as it had earlier. “…okay.”
“Good. Now rest, Reimu,” the girl’s embrace grew tighter. “What you need now is some peace and quiet, m’kay? I’ll always be right here for you, so don’t worry about anything, and get some good sleep.”
Reimu nodded again. She took a deep breath and noticed that a flowery aroma was on the girl’s skin, pleasant and soothing. She felt the tension in her body loosen at the smell. It was comforting, and it felt like home. “…will you still be here even when I wake up?”
“I will.” the girl replied with a smile that seemed to chase away the shadows surrounding them. “I promise.”
Reimu smiled and closed her eyes. As she allowed her mind to slip into unconsciousness, the last thing she saw in her mind’s eye was the girl’s soft smile.
“Nn…”
Her eyelids felt heavy, and her head felt like her brain had been replaced with a brick. Reimu could tell that it was past midnight with how groggy her mind and body were. She took a deep breath and was surprised when a floral aroma entered her nostrils. It was pleasant and inadvertently brought a smile to her face. Reimu could feel the warmth of another person’s body against her forehead and the tip of her nose, as well as a warm sensation around her head and neck. She opened her eyes to see light pink pajamas with a pattern of cute baby ducks in front of her. The faint sound of a person’s sleeping breathing could be heard from a few inches above; Reimu could feel the sensation of someone’s warm breath washing over her forehead. She looked up to see Rosemi’s sleeping face a few inches from hers. Reimu smiled momentarily before a cold feeling started to creep in, chasing it away.
Again. It’s that dream again.
Will I ever stop seeing that scene? Reimu breathed in again, trying to relax and put her mind to something else, but Rosemi’s floral scent no longer sufficed to help her settle down. I don’t wanna remember it, but it keeps coming back. She placed her hands on her arms, rubbing her palms against the spots that seemed to ache with phantom pain. Her fingers drifted towards the place on her upper arm where she remembered being struck with an arrow. She winced at the memory; there was no wound on her arm, yet it throbbed like it had been freshly injured. Reimu sucked in a breath through her teeth as she sensed the pain resonating along her legs, on her chest, and across her shoulder.
…I might wake up Rosemi-sama if this gets worse. I should go. She needs some sleep.
Reimu looked up at the flower girl that was still embracing her, unable to help herself from smiling at seeing her sleeping face. Fighting down the urge to peck her on the cheek, Reimu allowed herself to turn intangible and phase through Rosemi’s body and arms. She floated into the air, taking a moment to linger and stare at the still-sleeping Rosemi, and began to hover towards the door.
She didn’t make it five feet, however, before she heard rustling behind her.
“…Reimu?” a sleepy voice broke through the silence. Reimu turned around to see Rosemi dragging herself up into a sitting position, looking in the ghost’s direction and rubbing the drowsiness out of her eyes. “Where ya goin’?”
“I, uh…” Reimu looked away. “I just wanted to get a glass of water.”
“Is something wrong?” Rosemi asked sweetly, tilting her head slightly. She nudged herself forward to sit at the edge of the bed, her legs dangling off the side.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t look okay,” Rosemi patted the bed with her hand, motioning for the ghost to approach. “Something’s bothering you, and you’re not telling me again. I know that look on your face, y’know?” she said with a smile.
Reimu let out a sigh, slowly hovering back to Rosemi and rematerializing. She came to rest at the flower-girl’s side, leaning her shoulder against the flower girl’s own. “…I was just…I didn’t wanna wake you up again like the last time, y’know?” She said, still looking away.
Rosemi giggled softly, nudging Reimu with her shoulder. “You know I don’t mind waking up for you. Especially when it’s about things that bother you. You can’t hide it from me, Reimu. It’s the nightmares again?”
The ghost hesitated. But after mulling it over, she nodded. She pulled back her sleeves to stare at the palms of her hands, belatedly realizing that her fingers were still quivering. “…I’m sorry, it’s just…I don’t know why I keep having that dream…it keeps coming back, and…and…”
“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Reimumu~” Rosemi’s voice was soft and sweet. She leaned in, rubbing the tip of her nose against Reimu’s cheek. “It’s okay. I promise.”
“No…no, it’s not okay…” Rosemi laced her fingers with Reimu’s, making her falter momentarily. The ghost took a deep breath before continuing. “Rosemi-sama, honestly-”
“C’mon, don’t call me Rosemi-sama when it’s just us,” Rosemi cut her off with a smile. “I’m gonna get mad at you.”
“I’m sorry, Rosie,” Reimu laughed sheepishly. Her cheeks flushed when the nickname left her lips. She made eye contact with the girl beside her, unable to resist the smile on her face. “I’m, uh…I just…I don’t know what to do…I don’t want to keep having these dreams, y’know? Ever since the memories came back to me, it…comes back to me.”
Rosemi nodded quietly.
“…there are some nights when I don’t dream at all; those nights are fine because I can kinda get some sleep, and then…y’know, nothing happens. And there are also nights when I actually dream about nice things too, so…I thought I was over it, but…” Reimu inhaled through her nose, sucking her lower lip inward. “…I…”
“It isn’t your fault, y’know,” Rosemi replied matter-of-factly, tilting her head. “You didn’t ask to have a nightmare. And you never asked for those horrible things to happen to you. You have nothing to say sorry for.”
“I know, but…even if I know that, the dreams go away and…” Reimu put her hands to her temples. “I…I honestly don’t know what to do. I’ve been trying to sleep while thinking of other things instead, but that doesn’t work…”
“Like what? What kind of things do you think about, Reimumu?”
Reimu blushed, the tips of her ears reddening like cherries. “I dunno…you?”
Rosemi giggled and picked Reimu on the cheek, wrapping herself around Reimu’s arm and holding her hand tight. “Anything else?”
“Uh…” Reimu could feel her heart pounding like a drum after the kiss on the cheek Rosemi delivered. “…I dunno…”
“Reimu,” Rosemi leaned her head onto Reimu’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “Your past and what happened to you don’t define the person you are to me today. They help me understand you. And I want to understand you. Even if the memories are painful, they’re a part of how you became the person I love today. You’re more than your memories.”
“I…I don’t want to bother you with it, Rosie,” Reimu leaned her head against the top of Rosemi’s head. Her voice was shaky. “It’s…it’s really heavy stuff, y’know?”
“Mhm~ I know it’s heavy. But heavy things are easier to carry when you’re not alone, right?” Rosemi snuggled closer to Reimu. “I know it’s hard. But two heads are better than one. I made you a promise, and I’m gonna keep it, y’know?”
“A promise?”
“Yeah! I’ll always be here for you. In your dreams and when you wake up. I’ll protect you from all those bad feelings and anything that tries to hurt you.” Rosemi pecked Reimu on the cheek again. “And the great Rosemi-sama keeps her promises. Especially the ones she makes with you.”
Reimu, lost for words, leaned harder into Rosemi and wrapped her arms around Rosemi’s shoulders to pull her into a tight embrace. Rosemi closed her eyes and returned the hug, gently patting Reimu’s back as she felt the ghost’s shoulders begin to tremble.
“I…I’m so sorry, Rosie…you keep having to enter my nightmares and save me every time…” Reimu’s voice shook. Her lips quivered. “I…I really don’t want to keep making you waste all that energy and time on me…I should be over it now, but I don’t know why I’m not…”
“People heal at different speeds, Reimumu,” Rosemi didn’t complain as Reimu’s embrace grew tighter. She simply hugged the ghost in her arms even harder in return. “It’s not your fault. It’s okay, I promise.”
“But you…” Reimu paused, taking a shaky breath before continuing. “…you shouldn’t have to deal with my problems like this, y’know? You…you don’t deserve to have to deal with-”
“That’s not true, Reimumu, and you know it,” Rosemi cut her off, her voice louder and more intense than usual. “I want to be here with you.”
“…even if I’m just emotional baggage?”
“You’re way more than just emotional baggage, Reimu. Never call yourself that. You’re more than that to me.”
“But what am I, then?”
“You’re beautiful. You’re a great singer. You practically never need to worry about going on a diet because you’re a ghost, so you’re never overweight, y’know?”
“I-I don’t think that’s how it works, Rosie,” Reimu was unable to help herself from laughing, covering her mouth with her hand.”
“…as long as you’re here, I’ll always choose you at the end of the day, Reimumu,” Rosemi leaned in and rubbed the tip of her nose against Reimu’s. “I love you. And I know that supporting you is a decision I will never regret. So no matter how long it takes, I’ll keep being here for you. And I’m gonna bother you until you find me annoying.”
Reimu felt tears spilling out of her eyes as she hugged Rosemi as tightly as possible. “Rosie…I don’t know what I did to deserve you. You’re such a blessing and an angel. I’m never gonna find you annoying.”
“But I’m a demon, though.”
“I mean…you’re so much more of an angel than Enna, just saying.”
Rosemi laughed and laid back down on the bed, patting the pillow next to her and beckoning for Reimu to come closer. “I’ll tell her you said that. Now, c’mon, let’s go back to sleep. Hopefully, you dream a better dream this time.”
Reimu complied, lying beside Rosemi and smiling at hearing the flower girl’s giggle. Hearing it made her feel warm inside. She crept closer, pressing her forehead to Rosemi’s chest and closing her eyes. “…hey, Rosie? What do you do to sleep at night? Maybe you can teach me a strategy or something.”
“Uh…” Her voice descended into a whisper. “…counting sheep?”
“Seriously, Rosemi?”
“Have you tried it, Reimumu?”
“Yeah, it was literally one of the first things I tried over a year ago.”
“Um…wanna try hot milk?”
“…yeah, that sounds nice.”
“Two teaspoons of sugar, right?”
“You know me so well, Rosie~.”