The Lone Shrine Maiden's Wish

Chapter 3: A Day Away from the Hakurei Shrine

Author's Note: Hello, hope you're enjoying the start.

Do know that Touhou is very 'open to interpretation' so don't take my personalities and lore as gospel or anything.

Play Touhou, also.

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"So, let's begin with getting you out of the house!" Yukari stated with excitement, trying to get Reimu to show a bit more energy.

Reimu silently stared at Yukari, already regretting this but knowing it's better for her to actually get some exercise. Hakurei wouldn't mind if the loyal maiden took some time off to better herself. A happier maiden is a cleaner shrine. That's Reimu's hope and what she keeps telling herself anyway.

Yukari gazed upon Reimu's thoughtful expression, as if pondering.

"Are you considering the offer? Because it's not really a choice. You spend all day, everyday just sitting around and cleaning. Your god's not going to be mad, come on." She got up and pulled Reimu's arm with her, forcing her to get up. 

Reimu stared at Yukari's smiling face.

"Are you going to let go of my arm?" The shrine maiden asked. Yukari just shut her eyes and tilted her head.

"Nope! Come, let's go to the park. You could use the sunshine." 

Reimu sighed again as she was forced forward walking with Yukari holding her arm. It made it a bit awkward that Yukari was so much taller than Reimu, but Yukari could not care any less. And so they began walking their way down the path that lead to a more ground level and to the city.

The shrine maiden did not often leave the shrine, and when she did she floated off directly out. It seems Yukari wanted to take the scenic route, giving Reimu a chance to see the path that led to the shrine itself.

The forest was bright green, a cover of trees that let in small bits of morning sunshine that moves and flowed as the calming chilly wind of spring passed through the leaves, and both the human and Youkai's dresses. The bushes and flowers that hugged the un-walked edges of the path gently flowed as well. The path had a very visible dedicated spot to walking, as the numerous footsteps on the ground had led two paths with a middle patch of grass to be dead and pure dry dirt, while the section that separated the two dirt sections was a lively green, hinting that most of the old people that walked to the shrine were one on each side.

A mountain, or very tall hill is what housed the Hakurei shrine at the top, leaving the path to be a wide spiral that spun around the hill twice before leading to the top, meaning going back down was another walk down two spiral's worth of distance. Each moment of the walk, Yukari held tightly onto Reimu's arm whilst her other arm laid limp against her side, sections of her maiden outfit nearly touching and dragging along the ground but cut just enough to accommodate Reimu's height. 

Even though she was 'forced' out of her house, Reimu was surprisingly enjoying the silence of the walk. The only noises were the both of their footsteps and the wind passing through the leaves. It felt serene and gentle, with the occasional bit of sunlight poking around Reimu's body, warming up small spots before the sunlight faded behind the next section of leaves, letting the chilly wind rub against Reimu's side.

Time passed quickly in Reimu's head despite feeling as if it was slow as she stared out among the nature that acted as a moving, living painting. And before she knew it they were at ground-level, just a straight walk through fluffy plains, thick with grass aside from a similar two-section path with a middle section of grass.

"My, you're quiet this morning, dear Reimu. Yet you walk with strength. Are you entranced by the beauty of nature?" Yukari asked, snapping Reimu out of her mind.