Maribel's Dream

Maribel opened her eyes to a grassy plain. It looked familiar. She inspected her hands. They were slightly translucent. She was dreaming of another land again. As usual, she got up to go explore, but she stopped when she heard a voice.

"Hello Maribel." it said sweetly. The voice sound eerily like her own.

"Who's there?!" Maribel whirled around to see a ghostly figure that looked like her, but different in a way. She couldn't put her finger on it.

"Who are you?" she asked while stepping towards the figure.

"Someone you don't know, but knows you very well." the figure replied. Maribel could tell it was smiling even though she didn't see a mouth.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wish to guide you through Gensokyo. There's a place I want you to see." Maribel was intrigued.

"Gensokyo? Is that what this place is called?"

"Indeed. Follow me if you wish. And make note of everything around you." The woman started walking away.

"Hey...HEY! WAIT UP!" Maribel ran to catch up to the woman.

The woman and Maribel walked through a village. Maribel noticed it was almost completely populated by humans. All of them cleared the way for the woman and were giving Maribel strange looks. She heard some of the things they were whispering.

"Why is she wearing her casual dress?"

"Why is that girl with her?"

"Why do look they same?"

Maribel turned back to the woman. She could now clearly see her wearing a purple dress and a white mob cap not unlike her own, and she had long blonde hair. Everything else was still misty. That confused her so she asked the woman again.

"Who are you?"

"Someone who can shred boundaries with a flick of her wrist." That didn't help much. Although she did make note of her saying "boundaries"

"Do you want to buy something?" the woman asked.

"Uh...no thanks. I kinda want to get where we're going before I wake up." she replied.

"Understandable, but don't worry. We're almost there."

Maribel and the woman continued walking until they reached a building. Maribel knew what it was. It was a shrine. She looked to woman expectantly, who laughed.

"You thought this was it?" The woman took Maribel's hand and slowly flew her to the roof. They sat down.

"Watch." she said.

The sun rose over the horizon. It shone a brilliant yellow orange illuminating the entire land around it. Everything in the light seemed to glow too.

"It...It's beautiful." Maribel said.

"Isn't it?" the woman said. "I had this shrine built here so you could see all of Gensokyo bathed in sunlight and and moonlight if you sit on the roof." The two of them watched the sunrise. Maribel looked at her hands. She was becoming more translucent.

"You're waking up." The woman said. Maribel heard a twinge of sadness in her voice.

"Do you remember the way we came here?" she asked. Maribel turned to the woman and nodded. She could see her clearly now. The woman looked like an adult version of her. She caressed Maribel's hair.

"When you want to visit me in the waking world, go to the border between the magical and the normal. I'll be here to greet you."

"Who are you?" Maribel asked the woman one last time.

"I'm Yukari Yakumo. Or Violet Hearn as I'm known to you." Maribel looked directly into her eyes.

"Mom?" she asked. Yukari smiled.

"I hope to see you soon my sweet magician Merry. But now, it's time for to return to your home."

Maribel woke up in her bed smiling. She'd go find Gensokyo one day, but that'll come eventually. She had to tell Renko about her dream.