Yukari Yakumo sat along with her shikigami, Ran Yakumo, and Ran's shikigami, Chen.

"Ran?" Yukari called. Ran lifted her head.

"Yes, mistress?" the shikigami fixed her mistress with a dedicated stare.

"I-I don't know what it is. I'm going to the outside-" Yukari was cut off by Chen grabbing her sleeve.

"Mistress...! You can't!" The shikigami cat looked at the elder youkai with large eyes.

"I feel like I need to address something... I have that feeling, when something big happens. I just can't put my finger on it." Yukari looked at Ran. "Ran, will you accompany me?" Ran nodded. She shooed Chen away before continuing the conversation.

"What do you think it is?" the shikigami whispered, just in case her nosy shikigami was listening in.

"Someone I know... Something may have happened to them. Let's leave at once."

Yukari stepped out of her portal, closing her umbrella. With a quick look around, she saw her surroundings. She was standing in a field full of flowers, with a few trees scattered around. It reminded her of the 'Garden of the Sun', minus the sunflowers, of course.

"She should be around here somewhere... Though her presence is faint. Ran, help me look. Just call to me if you find anyone, okay?" the youkai's face was looking worried. Why would she be in a place like this?

Yukari opened her umbrella again, slowly stepping over the flowers. Her stomach dropped further with each step. Please, don't be-

"M-Mistress!" her shikigami's shriek cut off her thought. Quick as lightning, she sprinted to where her shikigami was standing. She couldn't yet see what the fox youkai was looking at, but her face was drained of color. This isn't looking-

Then she saw it.

"Oh, gods." the youkai dropped to her knees, not able to take her eyes off what was before.

Lifeless, chocolate-brown eyes stared straight ahead. The ghost of a smile appeared on her lips, though her neck was bent at the awkward angle.

The corpse of Renko Usami was hanging by a noose on a tree branch.

Yukari immediately took the corpse in her arms, untangling the noose with ease. Tears were lifted to her eyes before she could stop them.

"R-Renko..." the youkai hugged the body close, letting the tears fall freely down her cheeks. She didn't care that her shikigami was watching.

"M..m-mistress? Who's... That?" Ran asked, her voice shaking. Yukari didn't reply. Instead, the gap youkai sobbed. Her voice hiccupped as she cried.

"Renko, a-are you gone already? It's me, Merry... Renko, please... I-I'm sorry..." the youkai sniffed. Ran looked at her, befuddlement in her gaze. Yukari just shook her head before gently sweeping a hand over the human's eyes, closing them.

"Mistress?" Yukari looked up at her shikigami, who was pointing at something.

The fox youkai was pointing at a stack of envelopes, clutched in Renko Usami's pale hand.

A/N

Eyyy, I uploaded something! Yay! It's super depressing though. Sob! As you can see, it's also very short, because this was originally only gonna be one chapter, but I ended up splitting in up. Buuut whatever ^^ There you go :3