Crossing the Border to Gensokyo

Ceres smiled at Akira. "Well there's no sense in panicking," she said. "Besides, this is fun! It's not every day you go to other dimensions."

Maribel turned to Reimu and raised her voice a little in slight annoyance. "W-We're not lovers!" she said, breathing heavily now. She was obviously flustered since her face was getting all red. However, she did calm down afterwards with a few deep breaths. "I agree with Marisa. Let's get going..."

Tsuuka sighed when Migiwa asked her the question. She stood up and looked at her. "... You could call me any nickname you want... However, I will not return the favour unless I want to..." she said as she waited for Migiwa to walk with the group as well.

"Well, that certainly is true" Akira said with slight smile when he rubbed back of his neck.

"Aw no fair. Tsuu-chin," Migiwa complained following her friend.

Renko shook her head, getting rid of those strange ideas that keep popping into her head everytime someone mentioned her and Maribel being lovers. Well honestly, she wouldn't mind it at all, she had to admit that there was no other person she wouldn't mind spending her life with than Mary. But she wouldn't dare admit it out loud.

While Renko was lost in thought, Marisa gave her an odd look, waving her hand in front of Renko's face, "Hello? You still there, ze? We're leaving now."

"Oh!" Renko jumped in surprise, "Sorry, sorry. Got distracted. Anyway, let's hit this show on the road!"

"So.... how far away is this village?" Akira stirred conversation so that journey wouldn't be so dull and quiet.

"... Fine, I'll think of a nickname for you... Just, please... if you figure something out for me... don't pester me with it..." Tsuuka said as she looked at Migiwa seriously. She thought that nicknames would be quite interesting to have. Still, some nicknames could get annoying quickly. She then started walking with the group. "... I hope the walk's not too long... I might not be able to last it..."

Maribel quickly started to walk behind Renko and she tapped her behind the head and sighed in annoyance. "Geez... What did you think you were doing calling me some really embarrassing nickname?" she said, her face still slightly red.

"Don't worry, Tsuuka-chan, if you get tired I'll carry you on my back!" Migiwa said giving the girl thumbs up and a grin. She didn't take into account that she was way too short to carry the much taller girl."

Marisa waved her hand dismissively, "It's not too far. Then again I've never walked there. I've always flown, ze."

Renko scratched the side of her cheek, grinning sheepishly, "Well... I just wanted to see Mary's embarrassed face. Plus I like the nickname Merry Berry. I think it suits you."

"That is completely illogical... See, no offense, but... you're a little too short to carry me on your back..." she then smiled slightly and chuckled at Migiwa's childishness and ruffled her hair. "I just don't want my... friend to get hurt..." she then heard Marisa and sighed. "... I guess it will be a long walk after all... Say, you are a magician, right? Would you have some stamina potions that might help me?"

Maribel kept talking to Renko, ignoring the other talks around her. "... Tch, then usamimi suits you too! Although..." her face became a little more red. "No, never mind..." she said as she shook her head. She imagined Renko with rabbit ears and it did look a little cute.

" You really shouldn't force your self like that Tsuuka, just ask if you need help" Akira said concern.

Tsuuka just shook her head and rejected Akira's offer. She didn't want anyone helping her at all, sine she already was weak she didn't want to look even weaker than she already was. "... No, I don't need any help... I can do it on my own.." she said as she coughed into her sleeve. "S-Seriously, guys... I can do this..."

Renko chuckled good naturedly, "Hey now, if rabbit ears sprout from my head, I'm blaming you for cursing me!"

"A poition, ze?" Marsa looked over her shoulder at the tall girl, "Don't think I have one for stamina. I do have this one potion I never tried before... no clue what it does either..."

"Oh! Oh! Lemme try it! Let me try it!" Migiwa volunteered eagerly, not realizing the side effects said potion could have on her.

Renko suddenly alerted herself to her fellow club memebers, "Wait a minute, don't just try something weird like that."

"Aw, don't be such a spoil sport Renko-chuan."

"It wouldn't propably do any good for you Migiwa, as seeing how energic you are, also... untested? There's bound do be danger in that." Akira said with slight protest in his voice. Not sure what to think.

"Rabbit ears on Renko, huh..." Maribel thought as she looked up. She really couldn't get it out of her head. If only they had rabbit ears there... Or maybe they can go to that weird bamboo forest where she got lost in one of her dreams, she saw a rabbit girl there. She then shook her head and continued on walking. "Never mind, let's keep going."

"I'll... keep going on my own..." Tsuuka said, walking the same way as the group. She then saw the stairs going down the shrine. It was going to be a long climb down for her. Even at school, she had trouble going up and down the stairs. She took a deep breath and sighed. "... Here goes..."

"Let me see that potion!" Migiwa said walking up to Marisa and completely ignoring Renko's advice.

Marisa grinned, handing over the potion to the energetic idiot, "Here you go, ze!"

"Wait a minute! Didn't I say not to drink that!" Renko reached over to grab the potion from Migiwa, unfolding a series of events that she would soon regret. You see, Migiwa had moved back to avoid Renko but ended up tripping on a tree root and sent the potion flying into the air. The contents landing with a splash on top of the brown haired girl's head.

After that, there was a long silent pause. Then a snicker and snort, soon Migiwa was bursting in laughter pointed at Renko's head. "What's so funny?"

"Bwahahaha... you... haha... Rabbit... hehe," The energetic girl had grasped her stomach now rolling on the ground laughing, "You have rabbit ears!"

"WHAT?!" Renko yelled, her hands flying to her head to feel the offending appendages sticking out of it and putting two little holes in her precious hat.

Akira kept swallowing down his laugh trying to supress it, since it didn't really look like pleasant situation for Renko, But he just couldn't do anything for himself, corner of his mouth sligthly twitching.

Maribel was just watching the whole thing happen right in front of her. When she saw that Renko somehow had rabbit ears as the effect of the potion, she didn't feel like laughing. Instead, her face grew bright red and she just covered it up. "W-W-W-What in the world was that?!"

Tsuuka just stared at Migiwa, not looking amused at all. "... You should learn to behave a little better..."

"Oh come on Tsuuka-chuan," Migiwa said, finally able to control her laughter, "You have to admit that was hilarious."

"Oh, so that was the animorph potion, ze," Marisa shrugged, "Oh well it should wear off in a bit. No need to worry, ze."

Renko sighed, pulling her hands away from her newly acquired ears, "I hope you're right... geez, I can't believe something like that actually happened. I thought it was scientifically impossible..."

"This is no laughin matter..." Akira said walking next to Migiwa and pressed his fist at top of Migiwa's head, himself still trying to keep laugh in bay.

"It's good that you didn't consume it atleast the effect would be propably...." Before Akira could finish his sentence, he stopped it and quickly lifted his hand covering his mouth with his fist, clearly trying not laugh of the imagination of the effects.

"Not one bit..." Tsuuka told Migiwa. She didn't like laughing at other people at all. Besides, she lived with the fear that people might laugh at her as well for being different in their world so she didn't want to start it off by laughing at others. "We should just get going to the village... Still, I do hope that I make it there." she said as she started to descend down the stairs.

"Well, I do hope that it will wear off soon. It's just awkward to see Renko Usami with Usamimi on her head." Maribel said, her face still somewhat with a faint blush from earlier. She then followed Tsuuka down the stairs, signaling to the others to go as well.

Ceres laughed quietly at the bunny ears while Toru tried to cover his own laughter with a cough. They had been silent for a while because they were lost in their own thoughts, but they followed Maribel along with the others anyway.

"Mou... you guys are no fun..." Migiwa complained as she stood back up and descended the stairs. Marisa had by now gotten on her broom and floated in the sky, moving a little ahead of the group.

"If you get too tired, I'll give you a ride on my broom, ze!"

Renko meanwhile walked a little behind the group, the rabbit ears laying flat against her hat. It was so embarrassing to have something like this happen.

"Don't worry, miss Kirisame... I'll be fine, trust me..." she said, going towards Migiwa. "What you did to Renko-san wasn't so nice... Well, that aside..." she put her hands in her pockets and started walking down again. "I wonder if they can really know who or what I really am... Don't you think it's somewhat mysterious for me to have an incurable illness that doesn't really kill me but just reduce my stamina?"

Maribel walked to Renko and smiled to her. "Don't worry... U-Um... Those look cute on you, trust me." she said, laughing a little nervously.
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Meanwhile, in the Hakurei Shrine, a gap opened behind the unsuspecting miko and a woman in an elegant dress holding a parasol stepped out of it. "Who are those interesting people who visited here~?" Yukari said right behind Reimu dangerously close to her ear.

While they kept walking down the stairs, Akira noticed several footprints and objects with reddish glow which he could use as path, but he resisted the urge to use those path's.