[COMPLETE] Rumia Quest VI; Cont: Reaching for the Sky

[Raikaria]

>Well, there's torture, and just plain old trolling.
>"Who knows, but next time we'll all mess with her."

> "Maybe." Wriggle says.

> You yawn, and recall you were worn out.

> However, there is something else odd. You feel even more tired suddenly... and you're sure you hear someone's voice in your head... you think it's... no... it can't be. How could she be talking to you in your head. You can't even make it out clearly anyway.

[Hanzo K.]

>Who is it? Shinki? The old us? ...Rika?

[Raikaria]

>Who is it? Shinki? The old us? ...Rika?

> You think it's... Yukari.

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's try and focus on what she's trying to say. It must be important if she's pulling something like this off from where she's at.
>"Quiet down guys, I have to focus on something."

[Raikaria]

>Let's try and focus on what she's trying to say. It must be important if she's pulling something like this off from where she's at.
>"Quiet down guys, I have to focus on something."

> It sounds like there's a load of white noise, and you feel more and more sleepy.

> "D...r...e...a...m Ru...mia. D...r...e...a...m." you make out.

> Every time you hear 'Dream' you feel more and more sleepy. You guess Yukari wants you to sleep, for some reason.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Hey guys, I'm gonna go take a snooze. See you later."
>Let's meander on off to the usual snooze spot and catch some shuteye.

[Raikaria]

>"Hey guys, I'm gonna go take a snooze. See you later."
>Let's meander on off to the usual snooze spot and catch some shuteye.

> "You look sleepy." Cirno comments. If even Cirno notices...

> You float off to where you usually settle down to sleep, and just flop down.

===

> You are in some strange world. It reminds you a bit of Makai, except there are twinkling stars, and everything is black and dark blue, instead of red and black.

> "Welcome the world that connects every world, the Dream World." Yukari says, standing in front of you. "Also a world of loopholes. I'm asleep too, technically, but I spent so long sleeping in my life that I know how to work around this world enough to find and speak to you."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Trippy. It's like Makai, but not. Don't tell me someone like Shinki made this place too. Or maybe she based Makai on this place? So what'd you want to talk about?"

[Raikaria]

>"Trippy. It's like Makai, but not. Don't tell me someone like Shinki made this place too. Or maybe she based Makai on this place? So what'd you want to talk about?"

> "Neither. Makai just looks like it. Co-incidence. Magical Maisma happens to take a similar form to the Dream World. Although, yes, you could get to Makai from here. You could get to Yumemi's world. You could get to my dimension, the Gap World, you could get to the Netherworld or Senkai. And any number of other dimensions. The Dream World connects every dimension, as every dimension has beings that dream."

> "A few things. Of increasing importance. What did you think of my children?" Yukari says. You note she's using the plural.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Enkura and Maribel, right? Enkura...Well, I have to say I owe her one for taking care of splitting the old me away with her power. So I'm going to return the favor by trying to fix her crazy just like how we did with Flandre. As for Maribel, she's a good kid. She'll be a great keeper someday."
>Smile a bit. "She doesn't realize it, but she's not as different from you as she thinks. She cares too, just like you."

[Raikaria]

>"Enkura and Maribel, right? Enkura...Well, I have to say I owe her one for taking care of splitting the old me away with her power. So I'm going to return the favor by trying to fix her crazy just like how we did with Flandre. As for Maribel, she's a good kid. She'll be a great keeper someday."
>Smile a bit. "She doesn't realize it, but she's not as different from you as she thinks. She cares too, just like you."

> "Well, it broke my heart when she went mad, because of what she became. I hold myself responsible. She got her youkai half from me... and that's what drove her mad, in conflict with her Celestial half." Yukari says. "However, bear in mind, even I could not stop her losing her mind."

> "Maribel... yes, she inherited all my powers... no, she inherited them greater than I could ever hope to achieve myself. I try to see her potential, and I cannot, simply because I cannot fathom it." Yukari states.

> "Oh, I hope she'll be different to me. Not totally. However I don't want everyone to hate and distrust her like they did me."

> "Now then, for the next thing. It's about this world itself. The Dream World connects every world, and I have reason to believe that someone is using it for their own gains. If they can learn, and fathom, how to manipulate the Dream World, they can mess with the dreams of everyone, in every dimension, and control their subconscious desires, their will. That power... would be unfathomable." Yukari says.

> "However, the Dream World is not an easy place to actually navigate and enter, there is only one way in Gensokyo to enter it physically, and I wish to do more research about this matter myself first. Still, keep it in mind, if a dream feels real... unless it's me, it might be a sign of whatever is at work here."

> "As for that one way... I do not think you should know that yet. Knowing you, you might get worried and try to enter the Dream World and get lost. This dimension is as large as the combined dreams of every dimension in existence. You will get lost until you die."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Trying to use the Dream World..? Do you think they're in Gensokyo? And for that matter, who do you suspect it is?"

[Raikaria]

>"Trying to use the Dream World..? Do you think they're in Gensokyo? And for that matter, who do you suspect it is?"

> "I have no idea who, what, where, why, or even when. All I know from my adventures in Dreamland while I hibernate and sleep 20 hours a day is that something is wrong, and, from deduction and keeping tabs over time, I can only assume someone is attempting to use this world."

> "It's been tried before. Back when there were two ways in from Gensokyo. Mima tried to use the Dream World to increase her own power. After that incident, however, that passage was destroyed, and I doubt Mima is behind it this time, unless she found a way in while she was trapped in Makai."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Seiga was acting kind of like she had an incident of her own in the works, you think she might be trying something? I mean, you did say you could get from here to Senkai. And if you've seen or know a place well, you can usually get there via Senkai. I should know this because I lived there for a few years. So what if it happens to work both ways?"

[Raikaria]

>"Seiga was acting kind of like she had an incident of her own in the works, you think she might be trying something? I mean, you did say you could get from here to Senkai. And if you've seen or know a place well, you can usually get there via Senkai. I should know this because I lived there for a few years. So what if it happens to work both ways?"

> It is possible that it is Seiga behind this." Yukari says. "But I will continue to look into things. This has been happening for years, but the shifts have increased in speed the last few days."

> "And now, for the most vital information. The Gods have realized a time of great calamity is coming, they have realized, when Yuuka was re-awakened, what had become of Titania, who they only thought was missing, suppressed, but still the same."

[Hanzo K.]

>"And that brings us to something else I noticed that was odd. We were talking about Yuuka when Seiga chimed in. I had said something to the effect of 'I'd rather have a sadist than an omnicidal nutcase', and she chimed in with 'Isn't it better to have neither?'"
>Then sigh. "I take it even Shinki's going to be in a fuss with all this?"

[Raikaria]

>"And that brings us to something else I noticed that was odd. We were talking about Yuuka when Seiga chimed in. I had said something to the effect of 'I'd rather have a sadist than an omnicidal nutcase', and she chimed in with 'Isn't it better to have neither?'"
>Then sigh. "I take it even Shinki's going to be in a fuss with all this?"

> "Shinki isn't a god of our dimension. She's not involved."

[Hanzo K.]

>"So, what do you think will happen? Maybe the calamity they're talking about is related to this dream world control plot?"

[Raikaria]

>"So, what do you think will happen? Maybe the calamity they're talking about is related to this dream world control plot?"

> "I don't know. I honestly don't know at this stage." Yukari says.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, I guess all we can do is wait and keep an eye on things. You know I'll keep an eye on Seiga, and maybe I can get Enkura to help out once she's not crazy anymore."
>Smile slightly. "I kinda like how she used those Shade Copies to do things without being there herself. They could be pretty helpful in keeping an eye on things if they weren't so wild. Though maybe that's because the memories she used of them were all crazy-addled. Nevermind that she herself was batty."

[Raikaria]

>"Well, I guess all we can do is wait and keep an eye on things. You know I'll keep an eye on Seiga, and maybe I can get Enkura to help out once she's not crazy anymore."
>Smile slightly. "I kinda like how she used those Shade Copies to do things without being there herself. They could be pretty helpful in keeping an eye on things if they weren't so wild. Though maybe that's because the memories she used of them were all crazy-addled. Nevermind that she herself was batty."

> "Hmm? You think Seiga is up to something?" Yukari asks.

> "It doesn't matter if Enkura was mad or not, a Shade is an insane creature. She could jst make something else, of course, using her imagination."

[Hanzo K.]

>"She was certainly talking like it. And even if she's hard to peg, I trained under her long enough to be able to tell when she's got something planned. I warned her that if it gets too out of hand that I'll stop her myself though. It's a Master's duty to keep their Student from causing too much trouble after all."

[Raikaria]

>"She was certainly talking like it. And even if she's hard to peg, I trained under her long enough to be able to tell when she's got something planned. I warned her that if it gets too out of hand that I'll stop her myself though. It's a Master's duty to keep their Student from causing too much trouble after all."

> "Very good. The ambition of a wicked hermit that turned down becoming a Celestial is a worrying prospect." Yukari says.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Yeah, I'm pretty sure even Cirno isn't stupid enough to trust her as far as she can throw her. I only teach her because of our agreement. She's only trained in Dark Energy Control, it comes naturally to me. Even if she's able to make it form around her in the shape of one of the taoist gods, I think I can still outmatch her thanks to the boost I got from Shinki."

[Raikaria]

>"Yeah, I'm pretty sure even Cirno isn't stupid enough to trust her as far as she can throw her. I only teach her because of our agreement. She's only trained in Dark Energy Control, it comes naturally to me. Even if she's able to make it form around her in the shape of one of the taoist gods, I think I can still outmatch her thanks to the boost I got from Shinki."

> "I wouldn't underestimate someone who can defeat Shinigami and escape Kishin."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, I know that, but I've stolen a few tricks she came up with herself. Marisa sure had the right idea borrowing a few tricks from the other magicians. I even took a page out of Yumemi's book and started making Dark Crosses to use for both attack and defense, just like she did. In fact, my Dark Armor is based on that trick of Seiga's I just told you about. And there's one thing I have that she doesn't, the ability to merge with a shadow. If we end up fighting in a place that's naturally pitch-black, then I'll have the field advantage."

[Raikaria]

>"Well, I know that, but I've stolen a few tricks she came up with herself. Marisa sure had the right idea borrowing a few tricks from the other magicians. I even took a page out of Yumemi's book and started making Dark Crosses to use for both attack and defense, just like she did. In fact, my Dark Armor is based on that trick of Seiga's I just told you about. And there's one thing I have that she doesn't, the ability to merge with a shadow. If we end up fighting in a place that's naturally pitch-black, then I'll have the field advantage."

> "You think Seiga is foolish enough to fight in a dark area with you? Besides, you must recall, if you have to fight Seiga, Yoshika will be involved too, and one bite from her means the fight would be over, and you under Seiga's control."

[Hanzo K.]

>"That's true, I'd just have to incapacitate Yoshika first then. Too bad I lost those chains when the old me finally went away for good. Those would've been pretty handy."

[Raikaria]

>"That's true, I'd just have to incapacitate Yoshika first then. Too bad I lost those chains when the old me finally went away for good. Those would've been pretty handy."

> "It's for the better. The problem is, Seiga has the ability to repair Yoshika with incredible speed as well. It will be difficult." Yukari says, before she shakes her head.

> "This is not my issue, however, and I cannot keep this link to your dreams much longer."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, I guess I'll jump that bridge when I come to it. But it was nice talking to you again! Anything you want me to pass along to Maribel or Enkura? I have Enkura stuck in Flandre's old room right now until we can at least remove most of her crazy."