Rumia Quest III: Hero of Shadow

[Raikaria]

>Quick, get that ribbon back on!
>"Ugh....I think we're all gonna be feeling that in the morning."

> You put the ribbon back on... everything goes dark, and you return to normal. When your vision returns, you feel exceptionally dizzy, and then notice you're falling... everything blacks out again...

---

> You wake up at what you recognise as the interior of the Moriya Shrine. You see Kogasa, still without her avatar, on a table next to you.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Ooog...You awake Kogasa?"
>Let's try to sit up, but be careful about it. Who knows how banged up we are.

[Raikaria]

>"Ooog...You awake Kogasa?"
>Let's try to sit up, but be careful about it. Who knows how banged up we are.

> The umbrella wriggles a little, and then slowly opens. Kogasa's avatar materialses slowly, and she blinks a few times, yawning.

> "Well... I don't feel like I'm gonna fade out any second..." she says.

> You try to sit up. You feel a bit dizzy doing so. You also notice that your ever present aura of darkness is not... well; present.

[Hanzo K.]

>"...Oof. That's new. My Dark Aura isn't here like it usually is. Weeeird."
>Hold an arm towards Kogasa. "Mind helping me find the others? I still gotta make sure everyone else is okay...!"

[Raikaria]

>"...Oof. That's new. My Dark Aura isn't here like it usually is. Weeeird."
>Hold an arm towards Kogasa. "Mind helping me find the others? I still gotta make sure everyone else is okay...!"

> "Yeah. That's odd." Kogasa said.

> "I... don't know where anyone is. I've been resting until just now. Where are we anyway?" the karakasa says.

[Hanzo K.]

>"I think we're at the Moriya Shrine, Kogasa. But don't worry, I'm here after all. And it looks like you were asleep here the whole time too, so nothing bad could've happened to you."
>Let's try to stand up with Kogasa's help. And if we can muster the energy, we'll hover instead of walking.

[Raikaria]

>"I think we're at the Moriya Shrine, Kogasa. But don't worry, I'm here after all. And it looks like you were asleep here the whole time too, so nothing bad could've happened to you."
>Let's try to stand up with Kogasa's help. And if we can muster the energy, we'll hover instead of walking.

> Kogasa thinks for a few moments, and then nods.

> Kogasa dosen't really walk, ever. She is always airborne unless she's sitting or lying down. Due to this, she's kinda hard to use for support to get up. Still, you manage to get up, you feel a little unsteady, however. You feel completely drained of energy.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Whoa...No wonder my Dark Aura's not on, I'm outta energy....I think maybe getting something to eat will help?"
>Let's try to leave the room, and find our way to the main hall, or the dining area, wherever those are. Odds are we'll find someone in the process.

[Raikaria]

>"Whoa...No wonder my Dark Aura's not on, I'm outta energy....I think maybe getting something to eat will help?"
>Let's try to leave the room, and find our way to the main hall, or the dining area, wherever those are. Odds are we'll find someone in the process.

> "I dunno." Kogasa says. It's not like the karakasa eats.

> You leave the room, and see Sanae in the room you enter. You don't know your way around the shrine... although it's not large anyway. Sanae appears unaware of your presence.

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's make our way over to her. "Hiya. How long was I out? I'm completely out of energy, got anything to eat?"

[Raikaria]

>Let's make our way over to her. "Hiya. How long was I out? I'm completely out of energy, got anything to eat?"

> Sanae turns, and looks a bit surprised.

> "Oh, you're awake! You were out for a week!" Sanae says.

> Sanae nods, and walks off to another room. Meanwhile, Suwako hops into the room.

[Hanzo K.]

>Wave a little. "Hiya. How ya doing? me, I'm wiped out. And apparently I was out for a whole week! Can you believe i- I guess you can, since you probably live here."

[Raikaria]

>Wave a little. "Hiya. How ya doing? me, I'm wiped out. And apparently I was out for a whole week! Can you believe i- I guess you can, since you probably live here."

> "I'm fine. Yeah, you passed out from exhaustion after stopping the nuclear core from going into a full meltdown and basically engulfing that mountain range and everyone there in a massive fireball of nuclear energy. Not to mention the environmental effects throughout Gensokyo." Suwako says. You don't understand half of what she said, nor does Kogasa.

> Suwako is quiet for a moment. "Well, while we're waiting for Sanae to come back, anything you wanna ask me about?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"Umm....Yeah. What happened to everyone else? I mean, I know that  Sanae's okay, and Kogasa is too, because we're right here n'stuff."

[Raikaria]

>"Umm....Yeah. What happened to everyone else? I mean, I know that  Sanae's okay, and Kogasa is too, because we're right here n'stuff."

> "Everyone else has gone home, or back to their business. The exceptions are Rikako, who's apparently still at Eientei, and Rika." Suwako said.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Rika? What happened to that crazy anyhow? She made this giant thingy and tried to wipe out all the youkai. That's why I call her crazy, 'cuz there's good youkai too."
>"...The giant thingy was kinda cool though, too bad we had to blow it up."

[Raikaria]

>"Rika? What happened to that crazy anyhow? She made this giant thingy and tried to wipe out all the youkai. That's why I call her crazy, 'cuz there's good youkai too."
>"...The giant thingy was kinda cool though, too bad we had to blow it up."

> "She's in Kanako's meditation room. So's Kanako, for that matter. Neither have came out since everyone arrived here with you. Reimu wanted to take her to the Hakurei Shrine, but Kanako was adamant it was best that she handled her for some reason, and also stated that Reimu wouldn't have to carry her all the way across Gensokyo, or deal with her that way. Kanako sure knows how Reimu's lazy mind works..."

> "Don't tell me how col the giant robot was. I've been hearing it for the past week from Sanae already!" Suwako said, laughing.

[Hanzo K.]

>Chuckle a little. "Really? It was pretty strong y'know. We couldn't even dent it until Cirno and Letty smashed the Eye."

[Raikaria]

>Chuckle a little. "Really? It was pretty strong y'know. We couldn't even dent it until Cirno and Letty smashed the Eye."

> "As I said, Sanae told me all about it already. Besides, I am a goddess of earth. I know about the metals and alloys you can make with them within the ground. It's not surpriseing." Suwako said.

[Hanzo K.]

>"I think you said something like that last time we met up, yeah?"
>"So...any idea when I'll be back to normal? Well, so far as a sealed youkai like me can be considered normal."

[Raikaria]

>"I think you said something like that last time we met up, yeah?"
>"So...any idea when I'll be back to normal? Well, so far as a sealed youkai like me can be considered normal."

> "Can't remember." Suwako said happily.

> "I'm not an expert on youkai biology. Besides, all youkai are different. I wasn't even the one who saw to your condition; Eirin came by from Eientei. Oh, that reminds me, she says you owe her a favor for fixing you up, that she may call in at her discrescion."

> At this point, Sanae comes back with a tray with various foods on it. It's not a buffet by any means, but there's enough.

> "Sorry, we don't have massive amounts of food. Me and Kanako don't really eat, we don't need to do so." Suwako said.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, that's okay. Food is food, so I can't complain~!"
>"...A favor huh? Well, if it's running an errand, or helping her with something like crazy people from the moon trying to steal that princess -Why would they? She's weird.-, I'm always willing. Though right now, I'm anything but ready."
>Let's get to munching! Maybe it'll help! I mean, we haven't eaten for an entire week yeah? Maybe that's why we're tapped out!

[Raikaria]

>"Well, that's okay. Food is food, so I can't complain~!"
>"...A favor huh? Well, if it's running an errand, or helping her with something like crazy people from the moon trying to steal that princess -Why would they? She's weird.-, I'm always willing. Though right now, I'm anything but ready."
>Let's get to munching! Maybe it'll help! I mean, we haven't eaten for an entire week yeah? Maybe that's why we're tapped out!

Note: Rumia dosen't know anything about Kaguya or Eirin's relation to the moon, or the Lunarians wanting Kaguya back.

> "That's the spirit!" Suwako says. "At least it's not a certain sky goddess' cooking!"

> "No-one knows what Eirin thinks. She thinks beyond that of most in Gensokyo. She is a genius. It could be something trivial she asks you to do, years from now, but it'll play into her hands."

> You begin nomming. Considering you usually eat raw food you forage, caught animals, or carrion, actual cooking is a delecacy for you. Of course, as a Youkai you don't need to eat often at all, but when you're this low on energy, eating's the fastest way to recoup it!

[Hanzo K.]

(It wasn't meant as something sensible, just Rumia being typical Rumia and saying weird things.)

>"Yeah, normally I don't really even bother with cooking if I can help it, but right now I can't really be picky since I need to fill the tank back up~!"
>"...But this isn't so bad really~!"
>What all do we have to munch anyways, there's probably so many things we haven't even tried before! Cooked food is a whole new world for us to explore!

[Raikaria]

(It wasn't meant as something sensible, just Rumia being typical Rumia and saying weird things.)

>"Yeah, normally I don't really even bother with cooking if I can help it, but right now I can't really be picky since I need to fill the tank back up~!"
>"...But this isn't so bad really~!"
>What all do we have to munch anyways, there's probably so many things we haven't even tried before! Cooked food is a whole new world for us to explore!

> "Yeah, most youkai don't cook. Youkai seem to be virtually immune to all the nasty bugs and things humans get from eating raw meats and stuff." Suwako comments.

> "Well... I'm more resiliant to illness too." Sanae protests.

> "You're not a proper human though Sanae, you're partially a goddess after all." Suwako reminded the miko.

> "Thanks!" Sanae says.

> You think about what else can be cooked, and what it does. Still, you don't like fires. Fires make a lot of light.

> Suddenly, the large double-doors in the room open, and Kanako strides into the room, holding Rika off the ground. She's not even bothering to thrash about.

> "Well. It turns out that this little mastermind became so engrossed in her research and science, she actually transcended." Kanako said.

[Hanzo K.]

>Look to the other who aren't Kanako and Rika, with a confused look. "Uhhh..?"

[Raikaria]

>Look to the other who aren't Kanako and Rika, with a confused look. "Uhhh..?"

> Sanae and Suwako look confused too, but Kogasa nods. "You mean... like I changed from an Umbrella, right?" the karakasa says.

> Kanako nods.

> "She's lyin! She's lyin! She can't be telling the truth!" Rika shouts, starting to thrash. Kanako gives the girl a glare which frightens you, even though it's not directed at you, and she stops.

[Hanzo K.]

>"So...she's one of us now?"

[Raikaria]

>"So...she's one of us now?"

> "Yes. Rika transcended from humanity into a Youkai. In her own quest to eradicate youkai, she unknowingly lost her own humanity. She has not eaten or drunk for a week. That would kill a human from thirst twice over." Kanako said.

> "Apparently this happened to Alice too." Sanae said.

> "Yes. Remillia was once human too, but her transcendence was a different matter altogether, it was caused by someone else. A lot of Youkai are embodiments of natural phenomenon, or some aspect, like the Nuyydou are youkai embodiments of clouds. Some are just races classed as youkai, such as the rabbits of Eientei. A few, however, are transcended humans. Of course, there are also animals that transcend, like your Night Sparrow and Nightbug freind." Kanako explained.

> You don't actually know how you came about. You presume since you're from Makai, that Shinki created you.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Whoa...So she ended up turning into what she wanted to wipe out huh? I kinda wonder if there isn't something more to that."
>"Oh well, I guess she'll learn to love being a Youkai! You don't get sick too easy, and you don't have to worry about getting lost at night either! It's a pretty fun life really, 'specially since just about all of them swore off eating people. Even me."