Tradition's End (A Touhou Project Fanfiction)

A Village Cafe

She... was a butterfly. Insignificantly tiny and light enough to float on the breeze. Her beautiful wings pulsed, yet they did not tire. Though, should she ever desire rest, respite was always but a moment away.

A sea of flowers stretched infinitely before her, their petals spread proudly and their stems reaching skyward. Not a single cloud despoiled the pristine blue sky. It was a perfect fantasy.

...

She was not alone. Other butterflies were there with her. Serenely, they would enjoy this world's endless bounty together. It was true freedom.

...

She began to feel a tug on her mind. It was inevitable, after all. This was all too beautiful, too perfect, to last. A tiny, blue and yellow butterfly landed on a flower, before the world faded to black.

...

Alice opened her eyes and was greeted by a familiar ceiling. Slowly, she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and yawned. After a deep stretch, she fell back onto her pillow.

Mmm, it was another pleasant dream. Something about the beauty and simplicity of the Butterfly Dream resonated strongly with her.

She glanced over at the medicine bottle on her nightstand. Hmmm, she would need to make another trip to Eientei soon. There were only a few night's worth left.

The morning sun shone brightly on the foot of her bed, another reminder that it was indeed time to wake. Alice had plans today, and she was not keen to delay them. Shanghai awaited.

Within the span of ten minutes, Alice had, with the help of several of her dolls, gotten dressed for the day, brushed through her golden blonde hair until it was pristine, and had breakfast cooking on the stove.

Eggs were another thing she needed to pick up from the Village. She added it to her mental shopping list.

After a quick meal, supplemented by one of the bread rolls Eric had brought her. Alice directed her little legion of dolls to do their daily chores. Things like dusting surfaces, cleaning the windows, sweeping, and making the bed were easy enough for them to do without Alice's direct control.

Although, with so many of her dolls doing different tasks at once, she found it difficult to focus her magical energy on much else.

All indoor tasks were finished in short order. Soon, Alice's dolls were outside, cleaning the house, clearing away tree litter, and weeding the garden.

It was late spring, so Alice's garden had long since sprouted and was coming along nicely. The soil in the Forest of Magic was only moderately fertile, but the concentration of mana in this region seemed to augment both growth speed and size when it came to plants.

Perhaps the human farmers should take a lesson from the Forest and infuse their crops with magic.

It was not an overly large garden, but it was enough to keep her busy. This year, she had planted mostly vegetables, herbs, and important reagents. However, she always made sure she had enough room for her favorite flower. It was one she would see often in her Butterfly Dream.

She had learned years ago that they were called pink carnations, and this Spring's batch was beginning to bud. Alice hummed a little as her dolls watered the soil. Soon she would be greeted by lovely pink petals.

It was late morning by the time all the chores were done. Alice decided on having a quick cup of tea before she made her trip into town. As it brewed, she gathered the things she would need for her journey.

A large, woven basket was placed on the side table nearest to the front door, and a pair of long, brown boots were brought front and center. She briefly considered bringing a parasol for shade, but decided against it. It would be difficult to hold a parasol while flying.