Kourindou
December 22nd
5:41 PM

"Nope... not that... that looks useless..." Reimu Hakurei yammered on while rifling through a box of "goods" that the shopkeeper, Rinnosuke Morichika, intended to sell. "Man, what kind of idiot would even buy this stuff?" she said to herself, though intentionally loud enough for Rinnosuke to hear. "Looks like junk to me."

"One man's trash is another man's treasure," Rinnosuke said calmly as he finished sorting the shelves that Reimu had blown through earlier.

"Yeah, if by 'one man' you mean everyone else, and by 'another man' you mean yourself, then I guess I can see the truth in that."

Rinnosuke ignored the snide teasing and walked over to the shrine maiden. "You still haven't told me exactly what you're looking for yet."

Reimu hesitated. What was she looking for again? Damn, she had been in such a rush that now she couldn't remember. Something about Sanae, and- …that's right. It had all started yesterday, after Marisa Kirisame and Sanae Kochiya had finished up their daily routine of coming to Reimu's shrine and drinking all of her tea...

Hakurei Shrine
December 21st
1:29 PM

"Why in four days?" Reimu asked.

"Because, that's Christmas!" Sanae yelled excitedly. "We weren't able to do anything for it last year since we were still getting acclimated to Gensokyo, but this year, Lady Kanako and I are gonna bring a bunch of people together for a big celebration, just like we used to in Japan!"

"Umm, ain't Christmas... well, a Christian holiday?" Marisa interjected. "I don't think many people around here would be celebratin' that."

"It's not just that," Sanae pouted. "In the outside world, everyone would get together near the end of the year with their family and loved ones. Christmas isn't a strictly Christian affair like it used to be."

"So, it's just another excuse to have a big party and get wasted?" Marisa said. "Count me in, then!"

"No, it's n- ...well, not exactly," Sanae sighed. "People do that too, but you're supposed to celebrate with friends and family, and exchange gifts with someone you love."

Sanae's words were followed by an awkward silence.

"S-someone you love?" Marisa stuttered.

Sanae nodded. "Yeah! For instance, Reimu. You have someone that you admire, right?"

The question caught Reimu off-guard. "Huh? M-me?" The visage of a certain blonde, troublesome, border-manipulating youkai crossed through Reimu's mind.

Observing Reimu's embarrassed expression, Sanae chuckled. "That's a yes," she teased. "So, who is it?"

"N-none of your business!" Reimu yelled. Though she couldn't see it, Reimu was sure that her face had become redder than her clothes.

"Oh, but it is," Sanae said, crossing her arms. "I need to know who it is in order to ensure that they show up at the celebration!" She grabbed Reimu and pulled her in. "So, no secrets!" Sanae said with a beaming smile on her face. "Who is it?"

"Ugh..." Reimu was sure that what Sanae said was nothing more than an excuse in order to loosen Reimu's tongue, but she did have a point. "F-fine, then, but don't tell anyone." Reimu leaned towards Sanae and whispered in her ear.

Sanae's expression shifted from excited to shocked as the name passed through Reimu's lips. "...WHAT?" Sanae yelled.

"Hey, you're the one who asked!" Reimu shouted.

"I-I wasn't expecting THAT!" Sanae stuttered.

Marisa leaned towards Sanae. "Psst," she whispered. "It's Yukari, isn't it."

"M-MARISA! Cut that out!" Reimu screamed.

"Ha-ha! Called it!" Marisa cheered.

"Wait, how did you know?" Sanae asked.

"Eh, it's kinda obvious." Marisa answered. "That and I saw them share a VERY tender moment together last April~," she teased.

"Th-that's... bah, stupid Marisa!" Reimu yelled.

As Reimu was now seething with anger, Sanae quickly changed the subject. "O-okay, then, I'll go talk to her... but you should find a gift to give her."

Reimu hesitated. A gift? For Yukari? Reimu didn't even know where to start looking for something like that.

Kourindou
December 22nd
5:44 PM

"That's right... say, Rinnosuke," Reimu said while sifting through yet another mismatched display of oddities. "Do you have anything that Yukari might enjoy? You know, as a gift?"

Rinnosuke blinked. "...Well, I don't even have the slightest idea what that woman likes. Besides, most of the stuff in here has passed through her hands at one point or another, so I'll bet she didn't sell me anything that she'd want for herself."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Reimu said. She dropped the item that she was holding on the ground, clearly not caring that Rinnosuke would have to clean up after her. "I don't even know what I'd get as a present for anyone, much less Yukari."

"Oh? That's easy," Rinnosuke said. "You should get them something they would enjoy, plain and simple."

"Hm..." Reimu stood deep in thought for a moment. "That would be the problem," she said. Yukari's thought processes were impenetrable, at best. Finding something she likes would be a chore in and of itself; finding something suitable as a gift would be close to impossible. "Well, it's clear I won't find anything here," Reimu said as she began walking to the door.

"Hey, aren't you gonna help pick up the mess you made?" Rinnosuke said.

"Why? It's not like you have anything else to do, no one besides Marisa and myself ever come here," Reimu called out as she left the store.

Rinnosuke sighed. "I know that... but you don't have to point it out..."

Hakurei Shrine
December 23rd
11:24 AM

December 23rd had come. Two days before Christmas, and despite non-stop searching, Reimu has had no luck finding a gift for Yukari. In an attempt to get some ideas, Reimu decided to sit outside the shrine and clear her mind by watching some snow fall while enjoying a hot cup of tea.

"Bah. There has to be an easier way to go about this," Reimu muttered to herself as she took another sip.

"My my, you look frustrated," a childish voice rang out.

Reimu turned towards the voice, which had belonged to the lady of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the charismatic vampire Remilia Scarlet.

"Oh, Remilia," Reimu sighed.

"...Hm? Is something the matter?" Remilia asked.

"Nah, it's nothing. ...Actually," Reimu looked around. However, the silver-haired maid that usually tailed Remilia wherever she went was nowhere to be found. "...I did want to ask Sakuya something, but it seems like you didn't bring her with you."

"What, I'm not good enough?" Remilia pouted. "May I remind you I am a royal lady; the wisest and most well-respected vampire- nay, the wisest and most well-respected youkai in all of Gensokyo," she boasted. "Any advice from me would be worth much more than advice from any human, even Sakuya."

"Yeah, not buying it," Reimu snarked. "Although... hey, Remilia, what's the most important thing to consider when looking for a gift for someone you like?"

"Oh?" Remilia stared at Reimu for a moment. "...Ah, I guess it would be too much to ask for that 'someone' to be me, wouldn't it."

"If you don't wanna help, I'll ask someone else," Reimu said, ignoring Remilia's overly-aggressive affection as usual. "Rinnosuke said that the most important thing is to get something they like."

"Hah, that's what he told you?" Remilia scoffed. "I guess a half-youkai only has half a brain as well. Sure, it's nice to give them something they can use, but a gift is supposed to strengthen a bond between two people. It needs to be something that reminds them of you."

"...Something that reminds her of me?" Reimu repeated.

"Of course. You know, I wonder why you didn't come straight to me in the first place," Remilia said proudly.

"Uh... thanks, I guess." Reimu quickly gulped down the rest of her tea, set the cup down, and stood up. "Maybe I'll check some stores at the human village. If I don't find anything today, tomorrow will be my last chance."

"Then I guess I'll head home," Remilia said. And with that, she disappeared into the snow.

"Could have at least said goodbye," Reimu mused. As she walked away, she considered Remilia's advice. It was much more usable than Reimu had expected, but she was still certain that Sakuya could have offered better advice.

Somewhere outside the Forest of Magic
December 24th
4:24 PM

"Hmph." Reimu walked along a faded path, kicking at the frozen chunks of snow at her feet. It was already Christmas Eve, and she still had yet to find anything worth giving to Yukari. In a last-ditch effort, Reimu had wandered into the Forest of Magic to ask for Marisa's help, but when she got to the witch's house, there was no one around. So Reimu had been sulking and walking around randomly for the past few hours, paying no heed to the bitter cold despite wearing nothing other than her usual thin miko robes and a red and white scarf.

"Useless..." Reimu muttered. "Even if I were to think of something, there might not be enough time to buy it or make it..." Reimu looked towards the horizon. Judging by the position of the sun, the time had to be about 4 PM. It would be getting dark soon.

"Oh? The Hakurei shrine maiden? That's a rare sight around here." The gentle that voice shook Reimu out of her depressed stupor belonged to none other than the Buddhist priestess Byakuren Hijiri.

"Byakuren... what brings you out here?" Reimu asked.

Byakuren's face shifted to a worried expression. "Um... is it strange for me to be here? This is my temple... are you feeling okay?"

Reimu glanced to the side. The Myouren Temple stood to the side of the road, seemingly untouched by the harsh weather. "Oh... I guess I walked farther than I thought- AH-CHOO!" Reimu's sentence was interrupted by an incredibly loud sneeze.

Byakuren rushed towards Reimu. "Oh dear, how long have you been out in this cold?" Byakuren placed her hand on the shrine maiden's cheek. "Ah! You're freezing! What were you thinking, walking around outside wearing such light clothing? Here, come in the temple and warm up." She grabbed Reimu's hand and dragged her through the temple doors.

"S-sorry," Reimu stuttered through chattering teeth.

"Come on, sit down," Byakuren said. She grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it around Reimu. "Wait here, I'll get you something hot to drink."

"Ah, that's not necessa-" Reimu began to object, but was quickly stifled by Byakuren.

"Nonsense, you'll catch pneumonia if you don't warm up quickly. I'll be back in a moment." With that, Byakuren quickly walked out of the room.

"...Heh, she's way too nice," Reimu said quietly. She glanced around the room. It seemed to be a living area of sorts, for people staying at the temple. Despite that, Reimu didn't see anyone else around, including the group of girls that usually accompany Byakuren everywhere. Reimu didn't sense any youkai in the area either. So aside from the possibility of some humans staying elsewhere in the temple, Reimu and Byakuren seemed to be the only ones around.

"Here," Byakuren said as she came back into the room and handed Reimu a mug. "Be sure to grab it by the handle, it's very hot."

"Oh... thank you." Reimu moved the mug to her mouth and took a sip. "...Hm, what is this? I've never had it before."

"Hot chocolate," Byakuren answered. "The flower youkai, Miss Kazami, got some seeds from the outside world and cultivated them. Cocoa trees, they're called. They produce these beans, and you can extract a sweet powder from them. She came by a few days ago and gave me some of the powder. Mix it with some milk, sugar, and hot water, and you get this."

"Yuuka gave you this?" Reimu asked. Though it seemed out-of-character for Yuuka, Reimu wasn't entirely surprised. Being around Byakuren seemed to bring out the best in everyone, and it seemed Yuuka was no exception. Even Reimu herself felt more docile and friendly in Byakuren's presence.

"Yeah. Well, actually, Mina was the one who taught me how to make the drink."

"Murasa? Speaking of which, where is she? And I don't see the others around either..."

"Well of course you don't. Today is Christmas Eve, you know. Mina, Shou, and all the others are off at the human village, singing and bringing smiles to everyone's faces."

Byakuren's words caught Reimu off-guard. "Um... aren't you Buddhist?" Reimu asked. "Christmas is a Christian holiday."

"Oh? Religion is someone's personal choice," Byakuren answered with a serene smile on her face, entirely missing the point of Reimu's question. "The holiday season isn't just about religion anyway. It's when people take the time to be with the ones they love, to let them know they care. We'll be going to Miss Yasaka's shrine tomorrow as well."

"Ah! That's right!" Reimu nearly jumped out of her seat. She still had one last hope. "Byakuren, can you help me out?"

"Hm? What's the matter, Reimu?"

"A gift!" Reimu yelled. "I need to find a gift to give to Yukari tomorrow!"

"Oh..." Byakuren thought for a moment. "I'm not sure if I can help you there. I'm afraid I don't know Yukari very well."

Reimu sighed. "Well, maybe you can give me some advice about gift ideas in general? I have no idea what to get her. I tried asking around, but... well, the answers I got were less than helpful. Rinnosuke told me to get her something she likes, which was obvious, and Remilia told me to get her something that reminds me of her, which seems kind of selfish. But I still don't have even the slightest idea."

Reimu's words elicited a pained expression from Byakuren. "...Well... I don't mean to butt in, but..." Byakuren spoke softly. "...I think you've been getting some incomplete advice."

Byakuren's saddened face took Reimu buy surprise. "Huh? If you have anything to add, I'll listen," Reimu said.

"...Well, those points aren't entirely wrong. Of course you'll want to give her something she'll like, and if she thinks of you when she sees it, it'll strengthen the bond between you. But there's more to it than that." Byakuren pointed down. "Take a look at that blanket I wrapped around you."

Reimu glanced downward. The blanket was beautifully hand-stitched, with an intricate design woven into it. In the middle were a number of pictures sewn into the fabric.

"Mina made this for me," Byakuren said. "Look at the pictures in the middle. What do you see?"

"A mouse, a ring, an anchor, a tiger, and a lotus flower?" Reimu answered.

Byakuren nodded. "They represent Nazrin, Ichirin, Mina, Shou, and myself. See, what Remilia told you could've been said a little better. It shouldn't remind her of you... it should remind her of the both of you. As for what Rinnosuke said, it's true, but it's not as important as he made it seem. But the most important aspect is something else entirely."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, let me ask you. Why do you give a gift to the person you love in the first place?"

"Hm... to show them that you care, I guess."

"Yes. That is more important than anything else. Take this blanket for example. Back in September, I offhandedly mentioned that I love curling up under a warm blanket in the winter. I didn't make a big deal out of it, and no one mentioned it afterward. However, Mina heard me. She made this for me, and gave it to me during the first snowfall of the season; the first snow I've seen since I was sealed away." Byakuren sported a glowing smile as she relived the memory.

Reimu didn't say anything. She could already see where this was going.

"That's how this gift showed me how much she cared. She was listening to me, even when I wasn't listening to myself."

"I... see." Reimu said softly.

"That's all the advice I can give," Byakuren said. "The rest is up to you. So, think back. Has Yukari ever said anything like that to you?"

Reimu closed her eyes and began to sift through her memories...

Hakurei Shrine
April 3rd
2:48 PM

"Hey, Reimu, you're almost out of sake," Marisa said, plopping herself down next to Reimu.

"I wouldn't be if you'd bring your own for once," Reimu snapped. She had long given up on the possibility of keeping her sake safe from Marisa, but the occasional guilt trip couldn't hurt.

"Well, now you are out," another voice said. A green-haired woman sat down beside Marisa and took a sip of the sake she had just poured herself.

"Hmph, Mima," Reimu said irritably. "I thought I set up charms to keep you from entering the shrine."

Mima held up a crumpled slip of paper. "Well they weren't very strong, were they? Maybe your mother could have conjured up something strong enough to keep me out, but it appears to be beyond your skills."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Reimu asked.

"Training day," Mima answered. "Marisa's gotten too confident lately. If I leave her be, she'll never practice."

Reimu glanced at the two witches. They were just sitting down, sipping sake, staring off into the distance. "...This is training?" Reimu asked.

"The most important part!" Marisa cheered. "Gotta unwind before you start, and booze is the best way to do it! Especially when the cherry blossoms are falling."

"Don't have too much," Mima warned, "or your aim will get sloppy."

"Ah... it's all gone anyway," Marisa muttered, tipping her cup upside down to get the last drop inside.

"Well, now's as good a time as ever to start, then," Mima said as she chugged the remaining sake in her cup. She stood up and stretched her wings and arms, then turned to Marisa. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's get this started!" Marisa yelled.

"H-hey, wait, you're not gonna do this here, are you?" Reimu yelled.

"Huh? Why wouldn't we?" Marisa asked innocently. "We're already here, and this area is perfect!"

"I know you two," Reimu scoffed. "Marisa, even if you manage to avoid accidentally destroying my shrine, I bet Mima will do it on purpose!"

"Oh come on," Mima whined, "I haven't destroyed your shrine once."

"Right, you did it twice!" Reimu snapped.

"Yeah, uh-huh. Well, we're doing it here, whether you like it or not~," Mima said in an almost song-like voice, clearly enjoying Reimu's fear.

Reimu sighed as Marisa and Mima took off into the air. The area around the shrine was instantly filled with countless bullets and lasers, a contest of power between two immensely powerful witches. Though they both seemed to be sending the same amount of bullets at the other, Mima showed much more control over her attacks, while Marisa simply stuck to her old strategy of saturating the air with bullets as thickly as possible. Reimu couldn't help but admire the stunning visage, countless rainbow-colored bullets streaking across the sky.

Reimu's thoughts were interrupted by another spectator. "My, how beautiful," Yukari said as she sat down next to Remiu to watch the battle.

"Yukari? Awake before sundown? That must be a first," Reimu said. "What do you want?"

"No need to be rude," Yukari said. She pulled out a small bottle of sake and placed it on Reimu's lap. "I noticed that Marisa and Mima were here, so I figured you could use some more."

"Oh... thanks," Reimu said.

"It truly is an amazing sight," Yukari said.

"Maybe," Reimu sighed. "Mima's an expert at this, but Marisa just fires off as many bullets as she can at once. There isn't much to admire about that."

"Oh? No, I'm not talking about danmaku," Yukari said. In fact, she had yet to even notice the battle raging in front of them. "Look, over there." Yukari pointed toward a small patch of flowers by the shrine's torii where a number of butterflies had begun to gather, oblivious to the deadly blasts of energy whizzing overhead.

"What, the butterflies? I never thought you of all people would enjoy something so simple," Reimu said.

Yukari held out her hand as one of the butterflies flew towards her. After a little coaxing, it landed on one of Yukari's fingers.

"Flowers," Yukari began, "cherry blossoms, warm weather, and especially these little guys... sometimes I wish spring would last forever."

"...For someone like you, that wouldn't be such a hard thing to do, would it?"

"Heh, I guess not. But it would mess with the natural order, and I don't feel like having to fix everything."

Reimu took a closer look at the butterfly that had landed on Yukari's finger. "Hey, I've never seen one like this before... have you?"

Yukari leaned her head towards the insect. "Now that you mention it, this is the first time I've seen one with these colors." It had the pattern of a normal monarch butterfly, but rather than the usual orange color, its wings were red up top, which slowly faded into violet at the bottom.

"...!" Reimu's heart skipped a beat when she realized that her face was barely 20 cm away from Yukari's. Reimu took a moment to observe Yukari. She was staring intently at the butterfly, with a more serious expression on her face than Reimu had ever seen on her before.

"Hm?" Yukari shifted her gaze towards Reimu, and their eyes met. The two stared into the other's eyes for a moment... and slowly began to move towards each other, parting their lips-

"HEADS UP!" Marisa yelled as a stray laser zipped right over Reimu.

"Ah!" Reimu lost her balance and fell onto the ground.

"Oh my. Are you alright?" Yukari asked. The butterfly on her finger had been spooked by the laser and had returned to the flowers that it had been hovering around earlier.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Reimu said as she rose to her feet. Mima and Marisa landed next to her shortly after.

"Hey, Marisa, you missed her," Mima chuckled.

"I wasn't trying to hit her!" Marisa said.

Mima crossed her arms. "Well, if you keep firing off bullets without any control, you'll end up hitting someone else before you hit your target."

Reimu turned towards Yukari, who was simply standing there as if nothing had just almost happened between the two of them. In contrast, Reimu was blushing uncontrollably.

Mima walked up to Reimu. "You look pissed," she said. "Did we interrupt something?"

"H-hardly!" Reimu stuttered. "Both of you find somewhere else to do this before it happens again!"

Marisa sighed. "C'mon, Lady Mima. Let's continue somewhere else before she tries to kill us."

"Hmph. Fine, fine," Mima conceded. "Here, follow me." Mima took off towards the nearby mountain, followed closely by Marisa.

"I guess that's my cue to leave as well," Yukari said. She quickly disappeared into a gap before Reimu's attention turned back to her.

"Ah..." Reimu sighed. "Just gonna pretend it didn't happen, huh?" She picked up the bottle of sake that Yukari gave her and walked back into the shrine, catching a glimpse of the strange butterfly on the way back in. "...It really is incredible," she muttered to herself.

Myouren Temple
December 24th
6:17 PM

Reimu opened her eyes. "...Maybe..."

"Well? Did you think of something?" Byakuren asked.

"I just remembered something that happened last April..."

"Oh, your drink has cooled off," Byakuren noticed. "Hang on, I'll heat it up for you again-"

"Ah, no thanks!" Reimu interrupted. "Sorry, I have to hurry!" She stood up and handed the blanket back to Byakuren, then ran towards the temple's exit, stopping just before she walked outside. "...Um... thanks," she said. "If you hadn't found me, I might have caught something... or worse."

Byakuren smiled. "Don't worry about it. ...Listen, Reimu. I know you like to act like you don't want anyone else's help, but... I want you to know that I'm always here if you need anything."

Reimu hesitated. "Y-yeah... thank you." She shut the temple's door and began running down the path again. The sun had almost set, and she had a lot to do. First, she'd have to pick up some things at Kourindou, and then...

Forest of Magic, outside Alice's house
December 24th
8:35 PM

Reimu ran up to Alice's door and knocked. Luckily, there were some lights on in the house, so she must be home. And without her, everything Reimu had been through in the last few days would have been for nothing.

"One moment," a voice rang out from inside the house. Strangely, the voice didn't seem to belong to Alice. After a few moments, instead of the usual small Shanghai dolls that Reimu had expected, a woman with stunning silvery-white hair opened the door. "Oh, the Hakurei shrine maiden? Is there something you needed?" The red robes, white ponytail, and air of grace could only belong to Lady Shinki, the goddess of Makai.

"Oh, Shinki... is Alice in?" Reimu asked.

"Ah, she's downstairs in her little workshop right now, but she should be up shortly." Shinki pulled a seat out from the table and motioned for Reimu to sit down.

"So, um... what are you doing here?" Reimu asked as she sat.

"Hm? It's the holidays, of course. Do I need a reason to come visit my daughter?"

"Ah, right," Reimu said. She had forgotten. A majority of the people in Makai had been created personally by Shinki, including Alice. However, unlike the others, Alice was specifically created for the purpose of being a daughter of sorts to Shinki.

"Should I point out that we're not related at all?" Alice's voice sounded from a nearby hall.

"Alice, don't be mean~," Shinki sobbed.

"Hmph. I'm an adult now, Mother. I don't need you checking in on me constantly." Alice's tone of voice showed that she was less-than-thrilled about Shinki's (presumably surprise) visit.

"Hee hee, they grow up so fast, don't they," Shinki giggled.

Reimu was trying to determine if Shinki was intentionally embarrassing Alice, or if it simply happened naturally. Either way, she found it rather endearing.

"A-anyway," Alice began, "Reimu, did you have business here?"

"Oh, right!" Reimu said. She pulled out a small bag filled with some silver and a few small gems. "I figured since you're good with making dolls, you might be able to help me with this."

"Hm? You want to make something with them?"

"Yes, earrings," Reimu said. "I wanted to make them for Yukari, but there's no way I could pull off something like that."

"For Christmas?" Alice asked.

"Y-yeah," Reimu said.

A smile curled across Alice's lips. "Ah-ha, I see how it is... okay, then, this shouldn't take too long. Though unfortunately, until I'm done, you'll be stuck in here with my dearest mother." Alice's voice showed nothing but irritation towards Shinki's presence.

"Aww, I love you too, Alice!" Shinki said, either not picking up on Alice's sarcasm or simply not caring.

"Thank you," Reimu said. She pulled out a small piece of paper with some scribbles on it and handed it to Alice. "Here, this is what I wanted them to look like."

"Alright, wait here." Alice headed back down into her basement workshop, closing the door behind her.

"Always so busy," Shinki mused. "Even when she was a little girl, she never stopped moving."

"Yeah, I remember when I met her all those years ago," Reimu said. "Even then she could make those dolls in no time at all."

"Such a cheerful and helpful little girl, too. I remember how she used to follow Yumeko around everywhere, helping her clean and cook and everything..." Shinki leaned back in her seat and smiled. "Sometimes I wish she had stayed that age forever."

Reimu had begun to connect the dots in her head. Shinki just missed having her daughter around, plain and simple. These little visits meant the world to her, and Reimu was sure Alice found some value in them as well.

After chit-chatting for a couple hours with Shinki, Reimu finally saw Alice come out from her workshop.

"Here, all done," Alice said as she laid the earrings on the table in front of Reimu.

"Ah, they look great!" Reimu said. "Thanks."

"There's still a little bit of silver and a couple gems left," Alice pointed out.

"Keep them. It's not like I can do anything with them. Consider it your payment." Reimu quickly grabbed the earrings and walked towards the door.

"Oh, you're leaving already?" Shinki asked.

"I still have things to do back at the shrine," Reimu said.

"Ah, well. It was nice to see you again," Shinki said cheerfully.

"Y-yeah," Reimu said. "You too."

"Alice, say goodbye to your friend," Shinki said.

"I don't need you to push my manners anymore, Mother," Alice said irritably. "See ya, Reimu."

"See ya," Reimu repeated back as she walked out the door.

Moriya Shrine
December 25th
3:57 PM

Reimu was in a positively cheerful mood as she walked up the steps to the Moriya Shrine. In her hands was a small box holding the earrings; the fruit of her trials over the last few days. Not just hers, either. Without the help of Sanae, Marisa, Rinnosuke, Remilia, and especially Byakuren and Alice, the gift in her hands wouldn't exist. She said a silent thanks to each of them as the Moriya Shrine came into view.

"Put this on the table over there," Sanae's voice rang out. She appeared to still be setting up, with the assistance of Byakuren and her followers. "And this goes over here. Lady Kanako, hang this wreath out on the torii. Miss Hijiri, can you help me over here?"

"Eh? Seems like they're still getting ready," a voice came from behind Reimu.

Reimu turned around to the sight of Marisa, who had showed up moments after her. "Oh, Marisa. ...What's that in your hands?"

"A gift for Alice," Marisa said holding up a large package. "And what do you have there?"

"For Yukari," Reimu answered. "Alice helped me make it, in fact."

"Oh, Reimu, Marisa, you made it!" Sanae said as she ran over to them. "Merry Christmas!"

"Y-yeah, same to you," Reimu said, still uncomfortable with the greeting. "Um... do you need any help?"

"Hm... everything is pretty much done," Sanae began, "but there might be something left that you could help Miss Hijiri out with."

"Ah, yes, I should talk to her anyway," Reimu said.

"I'll pass," Marisa said. "Just point me to the booze."

"Hey, Byakuren," Reimu called out as she ran towards the priestess.

"Oh, hello Reimu. Merry Christmas," Byakuren said in her usual soothing tone.

"Ah, merry Christmas," Reimu said.

"So, did you need something? You ran up to me like a scared kitten."

"N-no, I just wanted to thank you again for last night." Reimu held up the small box in her hands. "Thanks to you, I managed to think of a gift for Yukari. Just in time, too."

"You don't have to keep thanking me," Byakuren said. "I'm just glad that you found what you were looking for."

"Well, at least let me help you set up..."

"No need," Byakuren said. "Everything is done."

Reimu looked around. The entire shrine, as well as the area around it, was decorated with red and green tinsel, wreaths, ribbons, and all other manners of Christmas symbols. Oddly enough, there was a green-haired woman in red robes and ribbons standing by the entrance of the shrine, wearing a plastic star on her head. "...Um... Hina? What are you doing?" Reimu asked.

Hina turned to Reimu. "Oh, hi Reimu. Um... well, Sanae said she didn't have time to find a Christmas tree, so she asked me to stand outside the shrine with this star on my head as a replacement..."

A small giggle slipped through Reimu's lips. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh... but why did you agree?"

"Oh, I don't mind, everyone's looking at me and complimenting me~!" Hina said cheerfully. She was clearly enjoying getting some positive attention for a change.

"Well, if you're okay with it..." Reimu had to admit, Hina certainly did make an excellent replacement tree.

And so, the hours passed. The sun set, people arrived and departed, but still the celebration raged on. Eventually, the only people remaining at the shrine were Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Shinki, Byakuren, Hina - still at her post by the shrine's entrance - and the three who normally lived at the shrine; namely Sanae, Kanako, and Suwako.

It was now about 11:45 PM, but Yukari hadn't been seen the whole night. "Sanae, you're sure Yukari said she was gonna be here, right?" Reimu asked.

Sanae nodded. "Uh-huh. I spoke with her personally, and she promised me that she'd show up."

Reimu sighed and glanced at the gift she was waiting to give to Yukari. If Reimu left now and rushed to the Yakumo mansion, she might be able to make it to there before Christmas was over, but if Yukari was already on her way to the Moriya Shrine, they would miss each other. "What to do..." Reimu sat pondering for a moment, but was quickly interrupted.

"If Yukari said she would be here, I think you should believe in her and wait," Byakuren said softly as she sat down next to Reimu. Somehow, she seemed to know the exact dilemma that Reimu was dealing with.

"...Yeah, you're right," Reimu said. She buried herself in her thoughts for a second time, but was interrupted yet again by a different voice.

"Ah~, I was just trying to tease her a little, but I suppose I have to come out now." The voice seemingly came from thin air, but it was unmistakably Yukari's. On cue, small gap appeared in the air next to Reimu and slowly widened. After it was large enough, Yukari stepped out of it. "Good evening, Reimu."

"I'll leave you two alone," Byakuren said. She got up and walked back towards where Shinki and the others were sitting.

"Yukari," Reimu said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Yukari took the seat next to Reimu that Byakuren had just vacated. "I was only watching you for a few minutes. Sorry I'm late, but I was a little busy."

"That's okay," Reimu smiled. "All that matters is that you're here now."

The two sat staring at the stars in silence for a few minutes, each too anxious to say the first word to the other. Finally, Reimu mustered up the courage to speak. "Um... I got you something... you know, a Christmas present." She took one last glance at the box she had been carrying around all day before handing it to Yukari.

"Oh? Thank you," Yukari said. She quickly unwrapped the small box, and held up the earrings inside.

"...Do you remember that butterfly we saw back in April?" Reimu asked.

Yukari smiled. "Yeah..." The earrings were made of silver, in the shape of butterflies. On each of their wings was a small ruby on the top half and a small amethyst on the bottom, representing the red and violet wings of the strange insect.

"Well? Do you like them?"

"Of course," Yukari said. "They're beautiful. Oh, I have something for you, too. Close your eyes."

"Hm? Okay," Reimu said as she shut her eyelids. She felt Yukari tugging at and unraveling her hair ribbon, followed by something else replacing it.

"Alright, you can look," Yukari said.

Reimu opened her eyes. In front of her, Yukari was holding a small mirror so that Reimu could see herself. She glanced towards where her hair ribbon was before, noticing that a new one had taken its place. It looked similar to the old one, but with a more intricate design around the edges, sewn in violet instead of white.

"I made it myself," Yukari said. "In fact, that's why I was late today... I couldn't find it, so I had to quickly make a second one... I'm just worried that this one looks a little sloppy."

"Ah... nonsense, it looks perfect," Reimu said as she tightened it a little more.

A short distance away, Marisa and Alice were watching the exchange. "Cute," Alice said softly.

"Kinda weird if you ask me," Marisa said. "I mean, that is Yukari over there... an absurdly powerful youkai and the Hakurei miko just seems like a weird pair."

"...Oh, by the way, Marisa, I made you a little something," Alice said. She tugged on a few strings and a pair of Shanghai dolls flew towards Marisa; one dressed in a small version of Alice's clothes, the other dressed in a small version of Marisa's clothes. "I figured, witches need their own familiars, right? So I wired these two so that you could control them with your hakkero. Try not to overload them, though."

"That might be tough," Marisa laughed. "But as long as I've got you here..." she reached for the large package she had brought with her. "Here. For you, Alice."

Alice opened the package and began to pull a number of dusty books out of it. "These... are all the books and tomes that you've taken from me in the past few years?"

"Yup, all in pristine condition!" Marisa bragged. "...Well, minus the dust."

Alice smiled. "You've stolen so many things from me in the past, but this is the first time you've ever actually returned anything..." At this point, she was trying her hardest not to break out laughing.

"Yeah, I figured you'd like it," Marisa said.

Alice nodded. "Thank you, Marisa."

"Cute," Yukari said. It seemed the roles had been switched, and now Reimu and Yukari were the ones observing Marisa and Alice.

"Yeah, I've never seen Marisa do something like that before," Reimu mused. "Kinda heartwarming."

Reimu and Yukari turned back towards the sky. The stars were shining very brightly, but the moon was almost nonexistent; only a tiny sliver on the right.

"Hey, Yukari, what time is it?" Reimu asked.

Yukari stared at the moon for a moment. "Judging by the moon, I'd say it's a little past 11:58."

"So Christmas isn't over yet? That's good..." Reimu wasn't going to question how Yukari came up with such a precise time simply by looking at the moon.

"Hm?" Yukari turned towards Reimu. "Why, was there something you wanted to do before midnight?"

Reimu hesitated, but only for a moment. Just go for it, a small voice in the back of her head told her. "Yeah, there was." Reimu leaned in close to Yukari and stared into her eyes, ignoring the fact that her heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest.

"...Mm-hm," Yukari chuckled, getting the hint. She leaned towards Reimu, closed her eyes, and parted her lips.

That was all Reimu needed to see. Overpowering her anxiety and embarrassment, with sheer force of will she moved her head forward, and her lips met Yukari's for the first time; a kiss eight months in the making. It only lasted for about a second, but Reimu savored every moment of it before breaking off and resting her head on Yukari's shoulder. "...Merry Christmas, Yukari," Reimu said, stifling her excitement.

Yukari placed one hand on Reimu's head and wrapped her other arm around Reimu's body, holding her as close together as the two could be. "Merry Christmas, Reimu."