~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore
Thought's End & Embodiement of Dreams (2nd Ignition)
Valesta:
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I?m in a dark hallway made of gray bricks, lit with torches. Up ahead, there is nothing but darkness. How did I get here? The whole atmosphere is so gloomy; the feeling of fear over me can?t go away. My legs are shaking uncontrollably and anything that comes out of my mouth sounds like a whimper. I probably look as pathetic as I feel! Dang it! Snap out of it, Reimu!
?RRRRAAARRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!? I hear a loud roar behind me. It hits me so suddenly, I come very close to ruining a clean pair of undies. I turn around to face the noise as soon as I hear it. From the darkness, a giant creature comes into view. It looks like a hybrid of various animals: It has a long tail with a stinger, like a scorpion, it has forearms with long sharp claws, like a grizzly bear, it has large dark wings, like a bat, it walks on six legs, like an insect, and its head looks like it belong to some weird bug too, although its feet are orange and webbed, like a duck. It is about 20 feet in length, and it fills almost the entire height and width of the hallway. It lets out another fearsome roar.
?AHHHH!? I turn and run away as fast as I can. Not surprisingly, it flaps is wings, hovering off the ground, and then starts chasing me. I glance back and see it quickly gain on me. I look to the sides of the hall for doors to escape into, but there are none. Ahead, there is still darkness without an end. I?m trapped! The monster is gonna kill me!
I stop, accept fate, and tightly close my eyes as the creature thrusts its poisonous tail at me? but I feel nothing. I open my eyes and see its tail cut in half, orange goo spurting out. Just what happened? I suddenly feel a reassuring hand on my back. I look to my side and see a girl with long black hair, wearing a pink and red dress. A transparent blade is formed around her other hand, dripping with the orange goo, which soon disappears.
She says, ?Don? rry? imu? we got it u? ontrol?? Her voice is broken up, not unlike the way static interferes with a message.
The creature lets out an anguished roar and gets ready to resume its assault.
?Mokou,? calls the girl calmly.
Another voice responds, ?Yea? eah? I got it? incess?? Suddenly, the monster bursts into flames and vanishes. Another girl, with long aqua hair and red eyes, wearing a brown shirt and red overalls, a little scruffier in appearance compared to the first girl, shows up. With a casual pose and an expression looking only halfway concerned, she asks me, ?Ya ok? eimu??
I guess she was asking if I?m okay. I nod my head and say, ?Thank you so much! I thought I was doomed for sure!?
The second girl looks away, ?Hones? ly I? ember you being? re powerf? imu??
The first girl says with a serious expression, ?? sten, Reim? u mus? t? leas? us? ou und? and?? Their words are becoming more unintelligible, but it looks like she just told me something important.
All around us, there is a sudden high pitched voice calling, ?Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan!?
The two girls and everything around me whites out.
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I open my eyes. I?m in my homeroom in school, leaning on my desk, one of many, right next to a window. Around the room, there are fellow high school students: the girls wearing light-blue colored uniforms with mid-length purple skirts, like what I?m wearing, and the boys wearing dark blue uniforms with button up shirts.
Shoot, I must have dozed off again. What was with those two girls that I saw in my sleep? I?ve forgotten everything, except being saved, but those girls have shown up so frequently in my dreams since I got out of my coma five months ago, due to an accident, that they?ve left a permanent impression on me. What were their names? I heard one? it started with an M? or was it a G?
?Ah! You?re finally up!? I lazily look up and see a girl with short dark hair and blue eyes, Ayuki, my friend and classmate. She sent me a lot of flowers while I was out.
?Ayuki-chan??
?Class is just about over,? a boy standing next to Ayuki speaks up. He has somewhat shaggy brown hair and dark eyes, aided by glasses. His name is Hiroji. He?s a friend and classmate like Ayuki. He used to muse about how I share a similar appearance and same first name as a heroine from a doujin series of shooting games he plays (what the hell is that about?)
?Hiroji-kun??
Ayuki takes a closer look at my face, ?It doesn?t look like you had completely woken up yet??
?Ah, Kiribayashi. It seems you had been sleeping during class again?? A woman with long silver hair, tied into a large braid, wearing a pair of glasses and a professional-looking suit approaches.
I sit up quickly, ?Oh! I?m so sorry, Yagokoro-sensei! I didn?t mean?? Yagokoro-sensei (I don?t know her first name) is my class? homeroom teacher. She only started teaching at my school a couple months ago, at the start of the new semester.
Contrary to my expectations, Yagokoro-sensei just smiles and asks, ?So do you remember what kind of dream you had??
?Not a lot of it. All I remember is being rescued by? two strange girls. It was a really odd dream??
?I see?? Yagokoro-sensei walks away. This isn?t the first time she?s asked me this. Every time, she?s been interested in knowing what I?ve dreamt about and never scolded me for sleeping. I honestly don?t get that teacher.
?I honestly don?t get that teacher,? says Hiroji, just as I?m thinking those exact same words, ?I was sleeping just a few days ago during class, and she had someone wake me up, then made me the first to answer every question for the rest of the class that day, but she has no problem with you sleeping??
?Yeah,? agrees Ayuki, ?She?s a very unusual teacher? maybe she?s playing favorites? You?re pretty lucky, Reimu-chan??
?I guess??
?Aw man?? whines Hiroji, ?Don?t tell me you?ve become a teacher?s pet!?
?It?s not like that, Hiroji-kun! It?s??
DING-DONG DING-DONG? ? ? DING-DONG DING-DONG
The school bell rings, ending the period.
A few hours later, school is dismissed for the day. I go my separate ways with Ayuki and Hiroji and head home, the sunset creating a golden glow among the cityscape.
As I head home, I hear someone call me from behind, ?Heeey! Reimu!? I turn around and see a girl wearing the same kind of school uniform as me run toward me. She has platinum hair, which reflects the sunset?s light, with a black hair ribbon, and blue eyes. With her, she?s carrying a kendo weapon wrapped in blue cloth and a blue gym bag, which she NEVER parts with and is very protective of. Her name is Youmu Konpaku. She?s a fellow student at my school, who also joined at the start of the new semester. Word about her spread fast when she joined the school?s kendo team and practically destroyed everyone there to such a degree that they are afraid of her, despite her being shorter than most other students. She seems antisocial, as she isn?t interested in talking to anyone, but she seems to have taken a shine to me the second she saw me. One thing that?s annoying, though, is that she never adds an honorific when referring to me by name. ?Um? How was school today? did you learn lots??
?Not really,? I answer, ?I mostly slept during class today. I don?t know what?s wrong. I?ve just feel sleepy nowadays...?
Youmu responds, sounding as if she?s out of her element, ?Um? well, that sucks. So? did you have any interesting dreams?? Again! A student and teacher, both of whom joined my school at the same time and both are interested in what I?ve dreamt about. I haven?t seen them together, but I?m practically convinced that they are mother and daughter. Heck, I can even see the resemblance? sorta?
?Nothing interesting??
?I see??
I might as well take this moment to ask why she?s so interested in what I dream about, ?Why do you want to know what I dream about when I sleep? People usually don?t care.?
Youmu flinches like she was caught on the spot, ?We-well? I?m just? interested in dreams people have??
?Why??
Youmu sits in a nearby bench, her kendo sword leaning against her shoulder, ?Dreams are like an extension of our reality. Here, we go to school, hang out with friends, and do all those normal things. Dreams, however, offer us a temporary chance to live a life that exceeds the limitations of everyday life in this world. It offers us to create a world of our own, one that goes beyond anything here. I guess I?m just wondering how far your own world goes beyond this one??
I sit next to Youmu, ?That?s an interesting way of looking at it??
?Are there any other dreams you can recall??
?I often don?t remember my dreams,? I answer, ?However??
?Hm??
?Until five months ago, I was in a coma, due to a traffic accident??
?? I?m? uh? sorry to hear that??
?? When I woke up, things became weird. Since then, I?ve been frequently seeing two girls in my dreams, saving me from danger and telling me something I can?t make out??
?Kaguya and Mokou?"
Valesta:
I?m in a dark hallway made of gray bricks, lit with torches. Up ahead, there is nothing but darkness. How did I get here? The whole atmosphere is so gloomy; the feeling of fear over me can?t go away. My legs are shaking uncontrollably and anything that comes out of my mouth sounds like a whimper. I probably look as pathetic as I feel! Dang it! Snap out of it, Reimu!
?RRRRAAARRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!? I hear a loud roar behind me. It hits me so suddenly, I come very close to ruining a clean pair of undies. I turn around to face the noise as soon as I hear it. From the darkness, a giant creature comes into view. It looks like a hybrid of various animals: It has a long tail with a stinger, like a scorpion, it has forearms with long sharp claws, like a grizzly bear, it has large dark wings, like a bat, it walks on six legs, like an insect, and its head looks like it belong to some weird bug too, although its feet are orange and webbed, like a duck. It is about 20 feet in length, and it fills almost the entire height and width of the hallway. It lets out another fearsome roar.
?AHHHH!? I turn and run away as fast as I can. Not surprisingly, it flaps is wings, hovering off the ground, and then starts chasing me. I glance back and see it quickly gain on me. I look to the sides of the hall for doors to escape into, but there are none. Ahead, there is still darkness without an end. I?m trapped! The monster is gonna kill me!
I stop, accept fate, and tightly close my eyes as the creature thrusts its poisonous tail at me? but I feel nothing. I open my eyes and see its tail cut in half, orange goo spurting out. Just what happened? I suddenly feel a reassuring hand on my back. I look to my side and see a girl with long black hair, wearing a pink and red dress. A transparent blade is formed around her other hand, dripping with the orange goo, which soon disappears.
She says, ?Don? rry? imu? we got it u? ontrol?? Her voice is broken up, not unlike the way static interferes with a message.
The creature lets out an anguished roar and gets ready to resume its assault.
?Mokou,? calls the girl calmly.
Another voice responds, ?Yea? eah? I got it? incess?? Suddenly, the monster bursts into flames and vanishes. Another girl, with long aqua hair and red eyes, wearing a brown shirt and red overalls, a little scruffier in appearance compared to the first girl, shows up. With a casual pose and an expression looking only halfway concerned, she asks me, ?Ya ok? eimu??
I guess she was asking if I?m okay. I nod my head and say, ?Thank you so much! I thought I was doomed for sure!?
The second girl looks away, ?Hones? ly I? ember you being? re powerf? imu??
The first girl says with a serious expression, ?? sten, Reim? u mus? t? leas? us? ou und? and?? Their words are becoming more unintelligible, but it looks like she just told me something important.
All around us, there is a sudden high pitched voice calling, ?Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan! Reimu-chan!?
The two girls and everything around me whites out.
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I open my eyes. I?m in my homeroom in school, leaning on my desk, one of many, right next to a window. Around the room, there are fellow high school students: the girls wearing light-blue colored uniforms with mid-length purple skirts, like what I?m wearing, and the boys wearing dark blue uniforms with button up shirts.
Shoot, I must have dozed off again. What was with those two girls that I saw in my sleep? I?ve forgotten everything, except being saved, but those girls have shown up so frequently in my dreams since I got out of my coma five months ago, due to an accident, that they?ve left a permanent impression on me. What were their names? I heard one? it started with an M? or was it a G?
?Ah! You?re finally up!? I lazily look up and see a girl with short dark hair and blue eyes, Ayuki, my friend and classmate. She sent me a lot of flowers while I was out.
?Ayuki-chan??
?Class is just about over,? a boy standing next to Ayuki speaks up. He has somewhat shaggy brown hair and dark eyes, aided by glasses. His name is Hiroji. He?s a friend and classmate like Ayuki. He used to muse about how I share a similar appearance and same first name as a heroine from a doujin series of shooting games he plays (what the hell is that about?)
?Hiroji-kun??
Ayuki takes a closer look at my face, ?It doesn?t look like you had completely woken up yet??
?Ah, Kiribayashi. It seems you had been sleeping during class again?? A woman with long silver hair, tied into a large braid, wearing a pair of glasses and a professional-looking suit approaches.
I sit up quickly, ?Oh! I?m so sorry, Yagokoro-sensei! I didn?t mean?? Yagokoro-sensei (I don?t know her first name) is my class? homeroom teacher. She only started teaching at my school a couple months ago, at the start of the new semester.
Contrary to my expectations, Yagokoro-sensei just smiles and asks, ?So do you remember what kind of dream you had??
?Not a lot of it. All I remember is being rescued by? two strange girls. It was a really odd dream??
?I see?? Yagokoro-sensei walks away. This isn?t the first time she?s asked me this. Every time, she?s been interested in knowing what I?ve dreamt about and never scolded me for sleeping. I honestly don?t get that teacher.
?I honestly don?t get that teacher,? says Hiroji, just as I?m thinking those exact same words, ?I was sleeping just a few days ago during class, and she had someone wake me up, then made me the first to answer every question for the rest of the class that day, but she has no problem with you sleeping??
?Yeah,? agrees Ayuki, ?She?s a very unusual teacher? maybe she?s playing favorites? You?re pretty lucky, Reimu-chan??
?I guess??
?Aw man?? whines Hiroji, ?Don?t tell me you?ve become a teacher?s pet!?
?It?s not like that, Hiroji-kun! It?s??
DING-DONG DING-DONG? ? ? DING-DONG DING-DONG
The school bell rings, ending the period.
A few hours later, school is dismissed for the day. I go my separate ways with Ayuki and Hiroji and head home, the sunset creating a golden glow among the cityscape.
As I head home, I hear someone call me from behind, ?Heeey! Reimu!? I turn around and see a girl wearing the same kind of school uniform as me run toward me. She has platinum hair, which reflects the sunset?s light, with a black hair ribbon, and blue eyes. With her, she?s carrying a kendo weapon wrapped in blue cloth and a blue gym bag, which she NEVER parts with and is very protective of. Her name is Youmu Konpaku. She?s a fellow student at my school, who also joined at the start of the new semester. Word about her spread fast when she joined the school?s kendo team and practically destroyed everyone there to such a degree that they are afraid of her, despite her being shorter than most other students. She seems antisocial, as she isn?t interested in talking to anyone, but she seems to have taken a shine to me the second she saw me. One thing that?s annoying, though, is that she never adds an honorific when referring to me by name. ?Um? How was school today? did you learn lots??
?Not really,? I answer, ?I mostly slept during class today. I don?t know what?s wrong. I?ve just feel sleepy nowadays...?
Youmu responds, sounding as if she?s out of her element, ?Um? well, that sucks. So? did you have any interesting dreams?? Again! A student and teacher, both of whom joined my school at the same time and both are interested in what I?ve dreamt about. I haven?t seen them together, but I?m practically convinced that they are mother and daughter. Heck, I can even see the resemblance? sorta?
?Nothing interesting??
?I see??
I might as well take this moment to ask why she?s so interested in what I dream about, ?Why do you want to know what I dream about when I sleep? People usually don?t care.?
Youmu flinches like she was caught on the spot, ?We-well? I?m just? interested in dreams people have??
?Why??
Youmu sits in a nearby bench, her kendo sword leaning against her shoulder, ?Dreams are like an extension of our reality. Here, we go to school, hang out with friends, and do all those normal things. Dreams, however, offer us a temporary chance to live a life that exceeds the limitations of everyday life in this world. It offers us to create a world of our own, one that goes beyond anything here. I guess I?m just wondering how far your own world goes beyond this one??
I sit next to Youmu, ?That?s an interesting way of looking at it??
?Are there any other dreams you can recall??
?I often don?t remember my dreams,? I answer, ?However??
?Hm??
?Until five months ago, I was in a coma, due to a traffic accident??
?? I?m? uh? sorry to hear that??
?? When I woke up, things became weird. Since then, I?ve been frequently seeing two girls in my dreams, saving me from danger and telling me something I can?t make out??
?Kaguya and Mokou?? mutters Youmu under her breath.
?Huh? Did you say something, Youmu-chan??
?Uh? er? It?s nothing, Reimu??
?Anyway, there is also something else? It?s hard to explain. It?s like I?m? longing for someone? someone important. Someone without a name, face, voice, or gender, but someone close to me? someone I?m waiting for? someone I might recognize all the sudden if I saw him or her? Pretty weird, huh??
?Maybe, but it might mean something. I hope you find that someone??
?Yeah? I guess so??
Youmu gets up, ?Well, I?ll see you tomorrow. Take care, okay? I gotta study for an English test??
?Okay. Oh!?
?Yes??
I point at Youmu gym bag, ?Um? if you don?t mind, could you tell me what?s in your bag??
?Ah!? Youmu tenses up. At the same time, I see that bag move slightly, like there something alive inside of it.
?Oh! It moved??
?Er?? Youmu is getting more nervous.
?Are you? keeping a pet in there??
Youmu?s eyes turn away from me, ?Um? Yeah. Something like that. Please don?t tell anyone.?
?I won?t. Your secret is safe with me, Youmu-chan.?
?Thanks. I owe you. Well, see you tomorrow?? With that, Youmu walks away. Strange girl. Still, I feel like I met her somewhere before? Nah.
Those girls? the unknown person I?m seeking? Could Youmu be right? Could they mean anything?? Damn, I?m confused? I?ll try to make sense of it some other time?
---
In a park in Reimu?s hometown, at midnight, lit dimly by lamps, Yukari emerges from a portal. Alice and Reisen meet up with her after a couple minutes.
Reisen sits on the ground and takes some deep breaths, ?? ? ? It?s not easy living here? I gotta keep my ears hidden? And it doesn?t have the magic in the air the way Gensokyo and the Moon does. I can?t fly or make new spell cards? I gotta WALK everywhere??
Alice glances at Reisen, ?The Moon has magic similar to Gensokyo??
?Not just similar? Almost identical!?
?Wow! That?s an amazing coincidence.?
?Yeah, it kinda is??
Yukari speaks up, ?What a strange place Gensokyo was? Still, I wonder how it came to be??
Alice asks, ?Huh? Didn?t you say that Gensokyo became a realm due to combined energy from Reimu and Marisa?s dreams??
Yukari closes her eyes, ?That was my? uneducated guess, but that?s impossible? it?s not even logical. Coincidental accidents occur all the time across realms, and no new realms get created...?
?Then what could have created Gensokyo?? asks Reisen.
?Yukari?s eyes open slightly, ?It was Reimu and Marisa? dream. Not doubts there, but how it managed to gain such a status? I don?t know! Could it be some other power I don?t know about??
??? There is silence between all three of them to the creepy revelation regarding Gensokyo?s existence.
Reisen breaks the silence and changed the subject, ?A-anyway? We?ll find some way to get Reimu and Marisa together, right? Eirin-sama and Youmu are keeping an eye on Reimu and, at the other side of the world, Sakuya and Cirno are keeping watch of Marisa. Sooner or later, we can bring them together??
?If only this world were that simple,? says Yukari? ?But yes? sooner or later??
As Alice and Reisen express a positive outlook to the future, Yukari starts to think about what the unknown force behind Gensokyo?s existence is.
One year later?
TO BE CONTINUED?
Valesta:
In-between 1: Prequel
Reimu Hakurei? A 19-year-old miko residing in Gensokyo, a position she excels at, but hardly ever takes seriously, and certainly doesn?t act the part. With the help of her friends, she had managed to save the land from a number of threats. She often has a string of bad luck, usually gets the short end of the stick, is quite lazy, and is easily annoyed, but is also among the most powerful beings in Gensokyo, with exceptional prowess in combat, but above all, a heart which easily forgives, embraces the good in everyone, and has great love for her friends.
However, that is only one part of the entity that is ?Reimu.? Hakurei is a part of her that exists in her dreams, while her true self, living among us, in the waking world is known as Reimu Kiribayashi, a 17-year-old high school student residing in Japan. Before she conceived the land of Gensokyo in her mind, she was living an ordinary life of hanging out with her friends, attending school, and just taking one day after another, rarely remembering the events that occurred a week ago, as they are of little relevance and are easy to guess. Yes, a life that can be classified as ?ordinary? is also a life that can be classified as ?redundant.?
She, and her classmates, sit through the last class of the day, as the teacher performs a boring lecture, surrounded by white walls and a white ceiling, the school?s dress code adding on to the monotonous overtone, the same thing they had gone through the day before, and the day before the day before, a situation that has repeated itself indefinitely. Reimu glances outside at the sunset. Lucky for her and a few other students, at least, she gets the privilege to look at scenery besides the mono-colored room. The fading light spreads over the cityscape, coloring it in gold. Even though it is still the same old scene, it gives off a soothing serenity, so it?s not all bad.
She then looks at her classmates, who are either listening attentively, as model students should, or are just sitting through it, like she is. She wonders what the point of school is. Yes, of course it?s to prepare them for their jobs of the future; to prepare them to perform their upcoming function in society. Looking at it that way, she feels that she, and her fellow students, are incomplete tools on the assembly line; tools of society, and she starts to wonder what the big point of life is. Everyone is born, raised, schooled and worked for 30 to 50 years, retired, and finally, dead. From such a standpoint, they paths their lives take feel to be primarily in the service of other people and not for themselves. Only the second to last aspect presents any real appeal, but what?s the point? Their better years had ended a long time ago and are no longer able to do the fun things they were once capable of. As for death? well, it could be interesting? if the mystery surrounding it wasn?t such an unsettling thought.
?Tch?? Reimu snaps back to reality and shakes the thoughts out of her head. Of course, she could TRY to do something to break the monotony, but therein lays another problem: the fear of change. She knows she dislikes the redundancy of her life, but, at the same time, she safeguards it: one of life?s greatest paradoxes. The funny thing about her situation is that almost two hours ago, she wasn?t thinking such thoughts. Earlier in the day was her mythology class, the only class where she gives her undivided attention. In that class, she reads and hears stories of concepts that spread far beyond reality?s offerings, things that can only be imagined, stories of interesting lives that seem to have any real purpose, the kind of world she would rather live in. Even though some of the things described in it are rather absurd in theory, mostly creatures with multiple body parts, such as two-tailed cats, eight-headed serpents, and nine-tailed foxes, actually meeting one would still be intriguing? but what are the odds of that?
Finally class ends. It could have been worse, at least it?s Saturday, the short day. The next day is Sunday, which there is no school, the one day Reimu can actually, all-too-briefly break out from her days of monotony. As she rises from her desk, she is approached by a girl from her class with short black hair, her friend and classmate, Ayuki, ?Hey, Reimu-chan! Did you get through class okay??
Reimu answers, ?About as well as I usually do??
?I see. Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to go out tomorrow.?
Reimu usually spends her Sundays watching movies or catching up with a manga series that she had been following, or doing anything else that breaks her from her boring reality, but she sees no problem in hanging out outside of school with her friend for a little while, ?Sure. Don?t see why not. So? where are we going??
Ayuki pauses for a few seconds, ?Just? around? doing this and that??
It figures. Reimu just hopes that it doesn?t involve keeping up with the latest trends, trying to appeal to boys, or doing anything else she has little interest in.
She goes home, eats dinner, takes a shower, lazes around the house for an hour or two, then goes to sleep, another redundant grind. The next day, she meets up with Ayuki in front of their school, the place where they usually see each other for whatever reason. Reimu is dressed in a casual, somewhat boyish, outfit, consisting of a red t-shirt and blue shorts, a style that used to be trendy, but is now far behind, while Ayuki wears a green hat with a visor, a pink top, and a red miniskirt, much up to date with the present trends, highlighting the difference of how interested they are in the subject. Reimu wonders how she became friends with someone she has virtually nothing in common with.
Reimu asks Ayuki, ?So, where are we going??
Ayuki answers, ?Just around. You know, shopping and stuff??
They take a bus to an adjacent town, filled mostly with shops. Naturally, Ayuki buys so much clothes, Reimu wonders how she can afford all of it, almost as much as she wonders why she agreed to come along with Ayuki in the first place. After a morning of shopping involving a one-sided interest, noon comes along and they pass a large red archway, believed to separate the world of humans from the world of spirits, beyond which, there is a long series of stone stairs leading up to a wooden shrine. Ayuki looks up the stairs, ?Hm? I haven?t visited this shrine before. I wonder what this one is for??
Shinto: Japan?s indigenous belief. A polytheistic religion with as many spirits, or kami, as there are aspects of life. Shinto is practiced all over Japan and people, both native of the nation and not, not necessarily because everyone believes in a higher power, but because of its ties to the culture. It?s not unusual for students to pray to a kami of tests to possibly get lucky on an upcoming exam. Reimu wonders which kami this particular shrine was built for. Probably nothing that has any relevance to her personal life.
Reimu and Ayuki ascend the long set of stone steps. Looking at it, it didn?t seem so long, but actually going up it makes it feel almost endless. After a minute or two of climbing, they reach the top and stand on a stone path, leading to the shrine, which has a donation box in front of its entrance. Between them and the shrine, there is a dark-haired girl, not much older than them, dressed with a white shirt with large sleeves and a long red skirt, sweeping dust off the path with a bamboo broom: a miko, whose duties include taking care of the shrine and performing rituals.
Reimu calls out to the miko, ?Um? hello? I was wondering if you could tell us which spirit this shrine is for??
The miko calmly answers, ?This shrine exists for the kami of change; for those who wish for a better life? for an alteration of life?s progress. Do you desire such a thing??
Her words take Reimu aback. The way she said it, it was like the miko understood Reimu?s dissatisfaction with life. It?s nothing she spoke to anyone about it and it?s not like anyone knows what Reimu is feeling, but at that moment, the miko, who Reimu had just met, seemed to get her, leaving an impression lasting more than a few seconds. Reimu answers, ?Um? Well, I?ll give it a shot??
Reimu walks over to the shrine?s donation box, pulls 200 yen, which she had picked up earlier that day, out of her pocket, and prays in her mind, Alright, spirit of change. To be honest, I?m skeptical as to whether you really exist, and I just might be talking to myself right now, but if someone really is listening, know that my life is boring? but of course you know that, right? I mean, why else am I bothering with this? Anyways, I just want something out of the ordinary to happen. Not randomly finding a hundred-million yen somewhere, not something that will completely warp life as I know it, but something? exciting, if only temporary. That?s all I ask, so please do that small favor for this lowly mortal, alright? With that, Reimu tosses the money into the donation box and walks away from the shrine.
?Thank you,? says the miko with a bow.
Ayuki looks at Reimu with a sly look, ?So? what did you pray for, Reimu-chan? Did you ask for a life-changing encounter with some handsome guy??
Reimu scoffs, ?That?s something YOU would pray for, not me.?
?Yeah?? They walk down the stone steps. Ayuki says, changing the subject, ?Well, just a few more months until we become seniors. After we get through that, we may go to college? or go straight to work. Either way, things will change soon??
??Change??? asks Reimu, ?Only for a little while maybe, but then, everything goes back into a repetitive grind. Everything in life today is done through a long sequence of the same things.?
Ayuki shrugs, ?Whatever, Reimu-chan. I?m just saying that things won?t be the same as they are now.?
??? It figures. Whenever Reimu tries to open up to her friends, they never seem interested. Of course, why should they? It?s not a problem that concerns them, and it makes her all the more depressed about it. Reimu has no interest in Ayuki?s interests, so Ayuki shouldn?t have an interest in Reimu?s problems. Is what they have really considered ?friendship? or is it just doing things together?
The day of shopping continues into the twilight hours. They grab some ramen for dinner and eat close to the restaurant?s window. As they are about to finish their meal, something catches Ayuki?s eye: a shop across the street with a sale on clothes within the latest trends, ?Oh? I have to check that out! I?m sorry, Reimu, but can you pay for the food? That shop could close any minute!? Ayuki throws a handful of money onto the table to pay for her food, and then runs out of the restaurant.
Reimu shakes her head in disapproval. Deep down, she wants to reach out and have someone understand her, but when she doesn?t even understand what drives her friend?s interests, how can she hope for the same?
Reimu pays for her food, and Ayuki?s, then walks out of the restaurant and over to the curb and looks both ways for traffic. The area is at the top of a steep hill, so it?s hard to see anything coming from the left, but the right is clear, so she decides to cross the road.
As she is halfway across the street, she hears two men yelling, ?Slow down! Someone could be at the top of this hill!?
?I can?t! I can?t slow this thing down! The breaks aren?t responding at all! Maybe they just broke??
?WHAT??
Reimu looks in the direction the screams are coming from. At that moment, she sees a large truck reach the top of the slope at a high enough speed that it lifts off the ground. Reimu looks in bewilderment; a flying truck! An out of the ordinary sight! Had her prayer been answered? The sight causes her to lose touch with reality.
One of the men suddenly notices Reimu standing in front of their out-of-control truck, and yells, ?You! Quick! Get outta the way!?
Ayuki walks out of the shop on the other side of the street and yells, ?Ah! Reimu-chan! REIMU-CHAN!?
?Huh?? Reimu snaps back to reality, but it is too late for anyone to save her, nor for her to save herself. SMASH! The airborne truck crashes into her, sends her sailing through the air, ?ARGHHHH!? The pain is excruciating as her body gets damaged in hideous ways. On the outside, she screams and cries, expressing her agony, but deep down, she is still bewildered at what just happened. She knows a terrible thing just occurred, but at the same time, in a sick way, it?s the kind of rush that breaks the everyday monotony. Before hitting the ground, she sees the truck land, lose control, and tip on its side, everyone nearby shocked by the current incident. She hits the ground, her head slamming against the pavement. She begins to black out, the only thing in her sight is the setting sun, bathing her with its serene rays, Am I? going to die? I should be scared? but I feel so at peace? I feel?. as if something good is going to happen? Spirit of change, you have a twisted sense of humor. I?ll give you that? Reality drifts away, the last thing she hears are the sound of distant sirens and Ayuki, among other people, screaming in panic?
?
Reimu finds herself, alone and unclothed, surrounded by a void of black. There is a sudden flash of light and when the light clears, there is another girl, with long wavy blonde hair and golden eyes, in front of her. The mysterious girl reaches out toward Reimu. Reimu, not knowing what else to do, reaches out as well. As they feel each other?s warmth, and deep female voice booms around them, ?Finally! It?s about to begin! Sleep well, my two dreamers!?
?Wh-what?? As Reimu tries to grasp the situation, everything around her begins to change. She finds herself in a blue sky, plunging toward a mysterious land of green, blue, and pink below. Everything she knew prior to her circumstances flows out of her head and she begins to fade. After that? a new life begins within? a life of danger? a life of intrigue? a life of excitement!
Valesta:
In-between 2:
At 1:30PM, one the top of a clock tower, two girls fight a tense battle. Both of them wear blue dresses, but one has silver hair and is dressed like a maid, and the other has short blonde hair with a red headband.
The maid delivers a powerful slash with a knife, but the other girl leaps out of the attack?s range and, in front of her, a doll materializes out of thin air and fires a volley of colorful shots of magic, which score a direct hit. As the maid is staggering from the attack, the girl then sends a doll armed with a small lance shooting toward the maid, which also hits, sending her flying back and slamming against the tower?s clock.
Exhausted, but not ready to surrender, the maid pulls a white card from her pocket and declares, ?Scarred Soul!? She feels a rush of energy, which makes her feel slightly revitalized. The girl keeps her distance, but the maid advances, throwing countless knives. A doll armed with a shield appears in front of the girl, blocking the knives, but the onslaught begins to become too overwhelming. Finally, the maid rushes forward and delivers a powerful kick, breaking through the doll, breaking the defensive, and leaving the girl wide open for the powerful attack to come, ?SOUL SCULPTURE!? The maid, empowered by powerful magic, draws two knives and furiously slashes at the girl, inflicting several cuts.
The attack ends, but the girl manages to hang on. She releases a pulse of blue energy from her body, knocking the maid several feet away, giving the girl enough time to declare a card of her own, ?War Sign!? The rush of energy revitalizes her as well.
The battle rages on. The girl sends out several dolls, which overwhelm the maid with shots, and then, she finally unleashes her coup de grace, ?LITTLE LEGION!? Dolls armed with swords appear around the maid and mercilessly slash at her, until she loses her will to continue fighting.
?
On the computer?s monitor, the words, ?SPELL BREAK? appear.
A girl with long wavy blonde hair and golden eyes, wearing a black sweater and blue jeans throws her controller to the side in frustration, ?Dammit! I just can?t win this stupid game!?
Another girl sitting at the computer?s keyboard, wearing a blue and white dress over a white shirt and a white backpack, with light blue eyes and aqua hair with a green ribbon, says, trying to pick her words carefully to avoid infuriating her friend further, ?Um? I was just lucky? I think. I thought you played well. You might win next time??
?Yeah, yeah?? The blonde girl takes a few breaths, ?Still, it?s nice to play with you, Cirno. Watch out, ?cause I?m gonna win next time!?
Cirno smirks, ?MAYbe? but I?m still gonna be the champ! I?m gonna be Genso_ um, the world?s ultimate youk_ er, player, Marisa!?
Marisa turns around, ?Whatever you say. Well, I have school tomorrow, so I guess we?ll continue some other time. Thank you for bringing the game.?
Cirno ejects the game disk from Marisa?s CPU, ?Sure thing! See you next time!?
Cirno leaves the room and heads toward the houses front door. Nearby, a woman with short blonde hair and brown eyes, dressed as casually as Marisa, says to Cirno, ?Ah, it?s you again, Cirno Izayoi! You?ve been coming here quite often.?
Cirno tilts her head to the side, ?Oh, um? Hi, Mrs. Kiris_ I mean, Mrs. Starr. Is that bad??
?Oh no, not at all,? says Marisa?s mother reassuringly, ?It?s just nice that you?ve been keeping our daughter so much company? Ever since her unfortunate accident and coma, she?s been so much less outgoing, like something has been weighing heavily on her mind. I?m glad you see her so often. You?ve only just met a few months ago, but you?ve been such a good friend.?
Cirno rubs the back of her head, smiling, ?Well, she?s fun to be with??
?Well, I hope you keep visiting,? says Marisa?s mother.
?Will do! Bye!? Cirno leaves the house.
Cirno steps out to a quiet and tranquil neighborhood of houses, each with green lawns and a thin network o tree?s branches overhead, leaving a wide enough opening for the sunset?s light to shine through. An area of a small town in southern California. However, this was not a scene Cirno had been completely familiar with all her life. She was born elsewhere, and Marisa was technically one of her mothers, though the girl herself never would have thought it in her current state.
Marisa and another girl in the world, named Reimu, got into coinciding accidents, and both went into comas? and dreams. Together, they dreamt of a world called Gensokyo, in which Cirno was born. However, it was more than just a mere dream. Through reasons unknown, Gensokyo established itself as a parallel universe, even connecting to the Netherworld. Gensokyo existed for as long as the two girls slept, but both of them started to recover, which spelt Armageddon for Gensokyo. Many of its denizens vanished with the world, but one of Gensokyo?s residents, Yukari Yakumo, who could manipulate the boundary between dimensions, managed to transport a small handful with her to Earth. They now keep watch over Marisa and Reimu, hoping to one day reunite the dreamers in order to save two denizens, not native to Gensokyo, who are now trapped in their respective subconscious.
In Gensokyo, Cirno was youkai, a non-human being, with dreams of becoming the strongest, but her lack of intelligence and power made that a hard goal, though she has learned and become stronger. On Earth, she approached Marisa rather directly, and even though she was greatly annoyed by the youkai at first, they soon became friends. In her free time, Cirno enjoys playing video games, usually at a local arcade, a practice she quickly mastered.
?Ah, I thought I?d find you here, Cirno?? Cirno turns around to a voice behind her. Standing there is a girl with somewhat messy silver hair, down to her mid-back, blue eyes, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. Her name is Sakuya Izayoi. Her hair used to be shorter and kept in two braids, and she wore a blue maid outfit before, as she was a servant to a youkai from Gensokyo, named Remilia Scarlet, but since Remilia vanished, along with Gensokyo, Sakuya decided to take on an appearance to distance herself from the servant she saw herself as, and thus, feel more comfortable with the new lifestyle she had been forced into. Sakuya currently works as a cleaner at the high school, where 16-year-old Marisa (18 years old as her Gensokyo counterpart) is currently attending. She and Cirno live together in an apartment as mother and daughter, thus Cirno is adopting her last name. ?So how is Marisa doing? What did you two do today??
?Not much,? answers Cirno, ?we played some game, and that?s about it.?
?I see??
Cirno fixes her gaze on Sakuya, ?Hey Sakuya? Do you think Gensokyo will ever come back??
Sakuya sighs, ?I don?t know, Cirno. The first thing we must do is reunite Reimu and Marisa. Youmu and Eirin are watching Reimu, but unfortunately, this world isn?t so simple. We can?t just pick them up and bring them to each other. Getting around this world? is very challenging and complicated?? In Gensokyo, there was magic in the air, which allowed most people to fly through the air, but as Earth lacks such a power, they can?t fly anymore? except Cirno, who has wings folded up and hidden inside her white backpack.
Cirno kicks a pebble on the ground, ?Stupid place. I wish it were as simple as Gensokyo??
Sakuya smiles unassumingly, ?I guess this is what happens when humans and only humans control everything??
Cirno looks at the ground. Of course, Earth has nothing but humans controlling the world, and apparently, they don?t want things to be simple. Being one of the four and a half youkai currently on Earth, Cirno has to pretend to be human, thus she has to hide her wings and anything else about her that indicates that she?s not human.
Sakuya decides to try to take Cirno?s mood away from the depressing topic they are getting into, and asks in a motherly fashion, ?So, Cirno, shall we head home? I?ll cook us a good dinner. I?ll make your favorite if you want.?
Cirno shakes her head, ?Nah. I?m gonna go off on my own somewhere??
?Very well. Just make sure no one sees you flying. If people see one thing out of the ordinary, they will go utterly nuts and things will get much harder for us. Remember that.?
Having gone through the same topic before, Cirno says in an annoyed voice, ?Yes, ?mom.?? The two of them part ways. Cirno finds an area free of the gazes of others, takes off her backpack, freeing her wings, and takes to the sky, sticking to the rural areas, where she is less likely to be seen. After a half-hour of flying, she descends to a patch of forest located in a massive grassy field. Cirno visits this place often because it reminds her of the Forest of Magic, a location in Gensokyo, where she spent a lot of her time. In this place, she feels like she?s back in Gensokyo; the place she often visits when she?s feeling homesick. Cold air radiates from her body, releasing her icy powers, which she had to suppress up to that point. While Cirno doesn?t necessarily dislike Earth, there are just some things that cannot replace her true home.
Cirno decides to take a walk across the field for a change. A full moon shines overhead. At one point for Cirno, it was just a beautiful sight, but an alien threat made it more fearful, but no longer being in Gensokyo, she feels a little safer. One plus to being on Earth. She walks and occasionally flies for several miles, trying to relax and organize her feelings. Her journey into nowhere continues well into midnight. Finally, at the edge of another patch of forest, she sees a blue and white house. The setup of the building is exactly identical to someplace she had seen before? in Gensokyo.
Cirno take a couple steps away from the house, ?What? No way!? Cirno starts to feel like her homesickness is causing her to hallucinate. Still, she goes around to the entrance door. Up above the entrance, there is a sign with the word, ?Kourin.? ?Impossible! HE?S here too? No? It may be some other ?Kourin,? but?? Out of curiosity, Cirno decides to check the inside of the house. Sure enough, the inside structure, right down to the furniture, is exactly as she remembers. Further in, inside another room, she hears the sound of fingers typing on a keyboard. An unfamiliar sound for the location, but enough had already triggered the ice fairy?s curiosity.
She goes into the room where the noise is coming from, which is lit up only be the light of a computer?s monitor. She glances at an IM conversation in progress:
Kourin: oh yeah. Around the same time, some celestial caused an earthquake and made the shrine collapse. She was pretty mad. Oh, and the weather was all screwy too. It was crazy!
ZUNtsa: wow tht sux stll I thnk tht wood mayk a good stry? maybe anuthr fyter peepl had been wantin 1 I tink lol
Kourin: Sounds good! Can Reisen and Komachi be playable in that?
ZUNtsa: shur Il se wut I can do
Kourin: Oh! And maybe Sanae?
ZUNtsa: dunt poosh ur luk
Kourin: Darn. Oh well! I look forward to playing it!
ZUNtsa: bai
?? Who are you talking to?? asks Cirno, now confident that she knows who she is talking to.
The man sitting in a small chair at the computer, with silver hair, glasses, and wearing blue, white, and black clothes answers, ?Well, Cirno, I was speaking with an online friend, who?? He pauses for a few seconds, ?Hold on?? He turns around to face the ice fairy, ?What? I can?t believe it! Is that you, Cirno??
?Rinnosuke!? cries out Cirno as she leaps over to give the man a tight hug.
Valesta:
Rinnosuke returns Cirno?s embrace, ?Wow? I had a feeling other would escape Gensokyo, but I didn?t think it would be to this realm or that you would even find me??
?How did you get here?? asks Cirno, getting off Rinnosuke.
Rinnosuke explains, ?Well, all around my home, Gensokyo was crumbling. It was rather frightening, and I was also beginning to fade away. However, at that time, Yukari appeared. Having been long-time friends with her, she lent me her powers and warped this house to this location of this world. She didn?t explain anything else. She said she had to go ?find some information on Marisa,? whatever that meant??
?I know what she was talking about!? announces Cirno. She explains about Reimu and Marisa and their involvement with Gensokyo?s existence.
?No way!? exclaims Rinnosuke, ?Me, you, all of Gensokyo. It was all because of Reimu?s??
?It?s hard to believe, but it?s true??
Rinnosuke leans back in his chair, putting his hand over his forehead, ?Unbelievable??
?I know, right? We?re parts of her dream??
?Just something that someone thought up, huh? I wonder if that has something to do with all worlds. Still, I?d rather not think about it??
?Anyway, right now, we need to find a way for Reimu and Marisa to be reunited, so Yukari can free Kaguya and Mokou. Too bad this stupid place can?t just let us take them to one another! If one of them sees Yukari open a portal, they?ll probably start running, because THOSE sides of them have never seen something like that, and they live on opposite sides of the world! Either Marisa goes to Japan, or Reimu comes here, but even then, how can they meet up??
?That?s? rather troubling? Hey, Cirno??
?What??
?Might it be possible to get Gensokyo back? Did Yukari say anything??
?Dunno. Yukari doesn?t even KNOW how Gensokyo went from being some girls? dream to another universe!?
?She doesn?t??
?No. At first she guessed that it had something to do with Reimu and Marisa dreaming the same thing, but she said that couldn?t be it, and that it is ?something else???
Rinnosuke pushes his glasses back to the top of his nose, ?That?s a little vague. I thought Yukari knew everything about this stuff.?
?It looks like there?s one thing she doesn?t??
Rinnosuke pauses for a few seconds, ?Still, this could be a good thing to know??
?What do you mean??
Rinnosuke answers, ?Whatever that ?something else? is, it has something to do with how Gensokyo became more than just a mere comatose thought. If we can find out what caused it, we may be able to resurrect Gensokyo!?
Rinnosuke?s observation makes sense to Cirno and she again hugs him, ?You may be right! You?re so smart! I love you, Rinnosuke!?
Rinnosuke blushes, ?Um? thanks? can you let go of me please??
??? Cirno gets off Rinnosuke.
?Just because I guessed it, doesn?t mean we?re in the clear. We still have no idea what caused it. What could? rather literally? make a dream into a reality? Without that answer, we are stuck here, or anyplace other than Gensokyo, forever??
?Damn it? and just when I thought we had hope??
?Hey, it better than nothing, right??
???
Meanwhile, in the middle of another wide-open space, well away from civilization, Sakuya walks around, reflecting on her past across dimensions out-loud, ?Remilia-sama? you may have yelled at me on quite a few occasions, but I really do miss you. Some people may feel relieved to have been free of servitude, but without you, I just feel out of place. I just can?t feel like I fit in anymore. Not just you, but everyone else who had meant something to me? I only have a few friends remaining, but I rarely see them now. Meiling? Patchouli? Miss Flandre? I?m the only one left??
Sakuya reflects on her past adventures in Gensokyo.
?
Sakuya, back in her days as a vampire hunter, stands over the corpses of two vampire nobles, ?That eliminates the bloodlines of the Redd and Crimson families. With this, only the Scarlets remain. My mission is almost complete? but why do I feel so unhappy??
?
?And now for a name?? She paces around the room in deep thought for several more seconds, then stops and looks at the girl, ?Your name is? ? ? ? ? Sakuya? Izayoi.?
?Sa? ku? ya? I? za? yo? i??
?That?s right! Your name from here on will be Sakuya!?
The girl, now christened Sakuya Izayoi, says, ?Sakuya? I like that name? What about that new life you talked about??
Remilia walks over to a nearby closet and pulls out a blue dress with an apron and maid?s head gear, ?I think this sums it up fairly well. From now on, you will be a maid of this mansion, serving me, Remilia Scarlet.?
?
Reimu charges at Sakuya with her gohei in front of her in a defensive position, ?Just why the hell are you serving someone who would endanger the world, just to carry out some selfish belief??
Sakuya leaps away from Reimu and tosses a couple knives, which Reimu manages to deflect with her weapon, ?Hmph. Your rage is quite understandable, but the well-being of this world means nothing to me. My mistress? wishes are all I serve now!?
Reimu jumps at Sakuya and the maid attempts a counterattack with a knife. Both weapons clash, ?What?s so special about her??
?Nothing really. However, I owe her much. THAT is the reason why I will continue serving her. Personally, I fail to share her vision of a ?perfect vampire world,? but that doesn?t matter at all.?
?
Marisa dodges a swipe from Remilia?s claws, then rides her broom shaft-first into her gut, stunning her, ?ACK!? She follows it up by firing a blast of magic, which sends the vampire flying several feet away and slamming against the outer wall of the mansion?s clock tower.
Marisa raises a spell card, ?Love Sign!? She thrusts her arm in Remilia?s direction, ?It?s over, Scarlet! Master Spark!?
Remilia?s eyes widen in shock, ?Oh? damn!?
?REMILIA-SAMA!? Suddenly, Sakuya flies into the path of the Master Spark, and it slams into her, shielding Remilia, ?Ahgh? ah??
Marisa yells, ?Hey! Where did YOU come from??
?Sakuya??
?
With a smile, Yuyuko says, ?I see? Not something I?d expect from the average maid? How would you like to be MY maid??
?I?ll pass,? responds Sakuya, ?Remilia-sama is the only being worthy of my service.?
?Don?t be that way,? says Yuyuko, holding out her hand, ?What I am about to offer you cannot be refused. I?m sure you?ll be proud to serve the princess of the Netherworld.? White wisps form around Yuyuko?s hand and surround Sakuya, in the form of ghastly blue flames, ?Invoke Death.? The flames close in on Sakuya. Suddenly, she feels all the energy leave her body and she drops down on to the palace roof.
On her hands and knees, Sakuya weakly demands, ?Wh-what did you just do to me???
Yuyuko tilts her head in confusion, then answers, ?This will end your life. After that, you will work alongside Youmu as my servant for all eternity! This is the greatest honor I give.?
?Damn? it?? curses Sakuya with her teeth clenched.
?
Eirin makes a creepy smile, ?Tell me, Sakuya. What is your definition of ?immortal???
?H-huh??
?You see, I mixed your drink earlier with a potion I made, which erases an immortal?s memories upon death. An empty mind is easy to manipulate, after all. Might you agree that the concept of ?life? is purely based on consciousness and memory? Without those, a body is nothing but meat and bone. The point is that the next time you die, though your body will regenerate, the identity known as ?Sakuya Izayoi? will cease to exist.?
Sakuya takes a step back, ?So I am? technically mortal??
?You are now. I propose a challenge: You and me, Sakuya. A fight to the death. If I win, you will be my tool to prepare for the Lunarian invasion. If you win, then you will continue with the life of your choosing and I won?t interfere again. Does this sound fair??
A knife appears in Sakuya?s hand, ?Sure enough. I guess I should thank you, Eirin. Up till a month ago, I thought that when I died, everything ended. Now that fact is true for me. You brought me a step closer to true humanity.?
?You?re welcome?? Eirin prepares an arrow, ?Let?s see if you have the skills to enjoy that newly found humanity??
?
?What changed you? What taught you the value of your existance??
?At first, I was what you said. I wandered around Gensokyo, slaying one vampire after another, but around me, there were people who were concerned about many things, leading ordinary lives, and I wondered how I was so different. Remilia-sama gave a new reason for my life, and since then? Reimu? Marisa? Meiling? Patchouli? Youmu? All my friends? have taught me the value of my existance.
?
?It all feels so long ago?? Sakuya casts her gaze on the ground, ?Is it truly all over now??
?I dunno. Is it??
?Huh?? Sakuya looks ahead of her and sees a familiar figure. She has long purple hair maintained by ribbons of various colors and wears a nightcap and nightgown. Sakuya immediately recognizes this person, ?You?re? Patchouli??
Pachouli smirks, a facial expression uncharacteristic of the way Sakuya remembers her, ?Appears that way, eh? Losing me, the mistress, Flandre, hell, even that Meiling. Pretty damn taxing, huh??
?How are you here? I saw you vanish before my eyes, along with the mistress, Koakuma, and Miss Flandre!? Something?s not right? She looks like Patchouli, no doubt about it, but the way she?s talking and the way she is looking at me? She?s like a different person altogether!
?Wouldn?t you like to know? However, my time here is short, so I mustn?t dawdle.?
?What are you talking about, Patchouli??
?THIS!? Patchouli directs her hand in Sakuya?s direction, ?Metal Fatigue!? A metal blade materializes in front of her and flies toward Sakuya, who was not expecting Patchouli to attack her so suddenly, who dodges to the side, the blade cutting through a few strands of her hair.
?What are you doing?? How did she use that attack without a spell card? She should barely be conscious in that case, but she?s doesn?t even look tired after that!
?I wanna try this out in battle! Fight me, Sakuya! I have little time!?
A knife materializes in Sakuya?s hand, ?Fine, if only because you are the one that attacked me. I will get to the bottom of this!?