Mentioned Characters: Reimu, Sanae, Kanako, Suika

"Argh, this year is the worst!" Reimu Hakurei wasn't happy. "Yikes. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." "Can you blame me?! No one's gonna come to the festival in this weather!" Reimu was venting her frustrations at Suika Ibuki, who had just happened to stop by. Sure, Suika might be a powerful oni, but she can't do anything about the weather. Reimu was barking up the wrong tree. Still, she had a point. It had been raining a lot this year. At this rate, autumn would end before the Aki sisters got a chance to gain any new followers. Sanae told Reimu that Lady Kanako said the outside world had been hit by typhoon after typhoon. The girls of Gensokyo may be able to fly freely through the sky, but not even they would be crazy enough to go out in terrential rain.

There's no stopping the seasons from turning. Amid the long spell of rain, summer quietly became autumn. The days grew shorter, and the leaves, pelted by incessant rainfall, turned red and brown and fell to the ground. "It's gotten pretty cold." "That's 'cause you're lying about with your tummy poking out. Even an oni would catch a cold like that." Reimu passed Suika a jacket. The seasons would soon turn again. Winter was close, and so was the end of the year. It's a time when people feel restless. When you think there's something you have to do, but you can't remember what. Perhaps it's a trait ingrained into human DNA since we first started sowing crops, or maybe it's the body preparing for winter. Regardless, no matter how deep you fall into an autumn melancholy, the anxiety's always there. That's why people long for festivals.

"Miss Reimuuuu, we're here to help." The first to arrive were the Three Fairies of Light, who live in a big tree behind the shrine. They were standing on the porch. Reimu reasoned they were probably just here to enjoy the festival food. But that was fine. The promise of food would make them work harder. "You three can help me set up the stalls." "On it!" Watching over the fairies, Reimu was worried that she might have to call off the festival because of the rain. She didn't want their efforts to go to waste. So, like a good shrine maiden, she prayed.

Luckily, it seems she was worried for nothing. On the day of the festival, Reimu awoke to a clear blue autumn sky. The stone stairs leading up to the shrine were packed with visitors. Most had to walk along the muddy path from the village to get there, but they didn't mind. They were all waiting excitedly for the festival to start. A moment later, the party was in full swing. Youkai, humans, gods, and spirits rushed to the festival stalls. Reimu grabbed the witch trying to sneak past and stood in the middle of the road trying to maintain what order she could. This bizarre festival had a name. It was the Hakurei Shrine Fall Reitaisai.

After the rain, autumn glimmers. Blue sky reflected in puddles. Rice, ripe for harvest, swaying in the fresh, golden wind. Those hoping for a plentiful harvest, praying for their friends' good health, wishing their parents a long and fruitful life, and those seeking to have their own dreams fulfilled... look up. In the clear autumn sky, the shrine maiden dances.