Touhou Project 1. When we First Met

Dear Maribel,

Oi oi, where have you been?

Hah, I know that's redundant. You've been gone for three months. So why am I writing this? I hear that writing letters is a good way to show your emotions. Not like I'll even send 'em, anyways. Well, whatever. After you disappeared three months ago, everyone was looking for you, ya know? We were all worried sick, your face was all over the news and everything.

Nobody ever found you, of course.

They all just assumed you jumped in a river or something. I, of course, knew that wasn't the case. I didn't even attempt to explain what I believe, though. Afraid they'll put me in with the crazies.

Anyways,

Remember when I first met you? It was all so stupid, you were just wandering in circles, looking like a dog with a missing tail. When I finally mustered up the courage to ask, that's when you told me how you were lost, remember? I slapped a palm to my forehead and laughed, then suddenly stopped, hoping you didn't take offense. You then asked where your first class was. I pointed you in the right direction and thought you would just mutter a thanks and leave.

But, of course, you had to ask me to walk you all the way there. "What's your name?" you asked.

"Uh, me?" I was not used to people actually taking interest in a conversation with me. I was always kind of the weird one, the 'talk to them and nobody knows what happens next' type of person. "Usami Renko."

"Well, thank you, Renko." I was startled when you completely skipped my surname and called me by my first name right away. "My name's Maribel, Maribel Hearn." I figured you were obviously English, because of your small accent, so I didn't point out the name thing. It actually kinda made me feel more friendly towards you all the more, so that helped, right?

After class I saw you walk over to me, which I was surprised about. There was so many other people you coulda talked to, but you wanted to talk to lame old me, right? Well, get lost together, stick together, that's how it is. Eh...

Remember later on you invited me to your dorm, to drink tea? We had a huge conversation. I found out you were from the west, but you spent many years in Japan, so you were able to speak fluently in Japanese. Then when you were trying to open a book and knocked your cup of tea all over the cookies, and you were too embarrased to tell me so when I took a bite it was all soggy? We both laughed so hard.

It must have been the first time I smiled in months.

I think that's around when we established a friendship, y'know.

Crap, I'm in a bit of a hurry, gotta get to class. Well, I'll write again later.

Your friend,

Renko Usami


	2. The Forming of the Club

Dear Marib- Merry,

How are you doing now? Same as you were last week when you got the letter I never sent? Okay, now I'm just not making sense.

Well, I was able to pass that big exam we were worrying about before you left. Remember? We first heard about it and were so sure that we were both going to fail it... I did squeeze through a passing grade, though. Lucky you, you didn't have to take it. But, whatever. It wasn't as bad as we'd imagined.

I am still worried about you, if you didn't know. I don't care that it's been four months, I still lose sleep over wondering what you're doing. I do still cling to the hope you will come back someday, but I guess whatever you're doing now is so much more important than the two of us...

...

I'm sorry...

...

That was a little harsh.

Hey Merry, remember when you first told me about your border-seeing abilities?

That one night, when you wandered out in that snowstorm, remember? This was probably around a week after I met you, I think. I saw you, walking, almost as if you were in a trance. I rushed out and grabbed onto your shoulder.

"Merry, what are you doing?" was all I could ask. You suddenly stopped, frozen in your tracks, as if your feet were frozen to the ground.

"Renko, I saw it."

_What? What did you see? Huh? _a trillion thoughts ran through my head. I didn't have time to ask before you passed out, right there into my arms. I had to carry you all the way back to your dorm.  
Damn, you were heavier than you looked.

When you woke up, you apologized for making me worry and sat down to explain. You told me all about how you could see borders, and how you were trying to investigate it.

I could tell you were worried I'd immediately call you crazy, but I thought it was cool.

"Hey, that actually sounds pretty interesting." you with your spiriting away, me, the human GPS-system, trying to figure out the paranormal.

"I declare us a club. The two of us, y'know. It's not really a 'club', but with us working together, we could figure this out." The two of us sat and pondered a name for the newly found 'club'

"How about we both think about-" Then you shouted out:

"Sealing club!" You suddenly got a humorously straight face, eyes bulging, and grabbed a pencil to tap it lightly on my shoulder. "I dub thee- Renko, of the Sealing Club" then you turned around the pencil and put it on your own shoulder "- and I dub myself, Maribel, or Merry, or whatever you like, of the Sealing Club."

Sealing Club- Y'know, I really liked that name. It made us sound professional.

Of course, with just the two of us, it wasn't that professional. We declared ourselves necromancers, though we focused more on other worlds.

I guess I'm the sole member of the club now...?

Wherever you are, Merry, I'll always consider you a part of the club, right? It's not a club with only one person. You named the club, so I would call you the leader.

Well, anyways, back to the present, 'cause I'm gettin' a little teary-eyed.

Another exam was announced right after the exam I just took. It's s'posed to be even longer. Which sucks, 'cause the one I just took was a few hours itself. I should get to studying, I'll write again another time.

The remaining member of the Sealing Club,

Renko Usami


	3. Worry

Dear Merry,

I know it's been a few months since my last letter. I had some complications with... Certain things.

Hey, how 'bout that Moon Tour? I heard 90 percent of those who signed up chickened out at the last second. Can't blame 'em. Would you still be up for going? Or maybe you already went to the moon. I can just never be sure anymore, can I?

I would still go, anyways. It would be cool to see outer space. But it wouldn't match the time when we dreamt our way to the satellite TORIFUNE, remember?

Everything was so strange, it was like- Well, we weren't there, but it was like we were. And we were seeing exactly how it looked at that moment too. Pretty cool, if you ask me. Then the little monster-creature attacked. Good thing it couldn't get to you too bad before we got back to Reality. You still ended up with that nasty cut and a disease, though. No one knew what the disease was.

While you were quarantined, I could not sleep. I would always try to find out more about what happened, but it was like you fell off the face of the planet. Much like how it is now, but at least then I knew where you were. When you finally got released, I remember nearly breaking your bones from tackling you to the ground.

Sorry for that, by the way.

Did we ever figure out anything more about the Izanagi Objects, anyway?

We were both so eager to begin our search, when you were notified about how behind you were on schoolwork.

Ugh.

After you got caught up, though, we were starting to find more and more evidence of a different world from ours. You were able go between the worlds at will, but still not able to control _where_ in the other world you would end up, and how long you could stay. I was even able to peek into your world a few times, but that was still a rarity.

Normally your visits would only last a few minutes, but they started getting longer. I was getting worried about the fact that, maybe, you might not be able to return. You worried me a lot, you know.

You still didn't really socialize with anyone in the other world, though you were able to catch the attention of passer-bys sometimes. You would come back to Reality and explain them to me in detail. For example, one was a child with dark hair and floppy rabbit ears, or another was floating green-haired woman, wearing a blue dress.

Though I was fascinated, I was also very scared for you. This world was foreign, which we didn't know anything about, and what could happen was a mystery.

I was afraid I might lose you, too.

Oh, gods. It's already 3 in the morning? Well, I gotta get rest before class tomorrow.

...Goodnight, Maribel.

Your best friend,

Renko Usami


	4. You see it My Way

Dear Merry,

Remember those 'certain things' I talked about in the last letter?

Well, they've popped up again.

Guess I should explain... Well, uh, how to put this...

They're trying to put me in an asylum.

I'm going with the crazies.

I mean, I knew it was where we'd end up one day, but just not this soon...

Oh, what am I saying. I'm scared, Merry. If I can't find a way out of this, I might actually end up going crazy. Please, I have no idea where you are. It's been a year since you disappeared. Have I ever told you how _I_ feel?

That one day, we were walking. your mind was on something else, wasn't it? I was talking about the exam, while you just kinda zoned off. I now look back, and think you've figured something out, maybe. You were probably just planning.

That's when you suddenly stopped.

I turned around and stopped talking to see you clutching at your head with your hands.

"Renko... I-I'm sorry..." You outstretched your arms, and suddenly a web of small, paper-thin gap-like things _floating in the air _surrounded you.

"Merry?" I tried to walk toward you, but suddenly something pulled me back. I saw another of the gaps- that stupid nuisance, holding me back by my foot. It appeared to be stuck in it, almost like a hole in the ground, but instead it was in the air. I tried to pull forward, out of it, but I fell flat on my face. When I looked up, you were gone. I stood up to see my foot was free of the stupid hole-in-floating-space.

It was just all too weird.

It was what I was worried about. I was afraid that I would lose you. And I did.

I suddenly felt dizzy, tears prickling in my eyes. It was happening again.

...

Did you know, Merry?

Did you know that you saved my life?

Before you showed up at the University, I was a mess. I had a best friend, whose name I won't mention, but we were close. We did everything together, supported each other, so on, so forth, whatever. That was when one day, around a month before you arrived, she drowned after she fell through ice on a frozen lake. I was there.

I couldn't save her.

After that, all the other students at the university, always seemed to be staring at me. I felt like I could have saved her , but I knew I couldn't swim and I'd just end up drowning too. Everyone else thought I should have saved her, and that I didn't on purpose. I grew depressed. Thoughts of suicide crossed my mind, but I never followed through.

Then you showed up.

You stumbled in, like the lovable, creepy ol' friend I knew you as. You changed my life. With someone to rely on, I was back on my feet again, feeling like the Renko I was so many years ago. We grew to be so close.

But, with what happened a year ago, you became a complete stranger again.

I didn't know you.

I don't know you.

You were my best friend.

You are my best friend.

I just don't know what to think anymore.

Well, I guess this is a closing. I think I made my point. I won't write more letters, probably, this is getting too in depth. I'll be shipped over to the asylum soon, so I guess this is good-bye.

Your friend who will always and forever be your friend no matter what,

Renko Usami


	5. Running Away

Dear Merry,

Hey.

I really don't know what to say, I thought the last letter would be my last, but I realized.

They can't get me.

I'm not going to any asylum anytime soon. I was scheduled to be picked up and brought right over, about an hour ago.

Well, guess where I am now? Remember the Hiroshige?

Well, what next? I guess I just gotta say, you kinda ruined my life. Not that it's a bad thing. Oh, and the thought just crossed my mind.

Are you dead?

You probably aren't. But isn't being dead a way to freedom, right? You can know everything and everyone. We could meet up, y'know.

The fake scenery on the screen is so nostalgic. It reminds me of the time we were together in our silly little 'Sealing Club'.

I almost... No.

That would be reckless, as you would say. But the thing is, again, we could always meet up, way in the future.

I found a nice, sturdy rope.

See you soon,

Renko Usami


	6. Epilogue

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**_


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Touhou Project, Friendship, Hurt-Comfort