Keine Quest (Part 3): Broken History

[DracoOmega]

>Ponder for a moment.
>Take out one of the spellcards we looked from our house in the alternately timeline. Check it's history.

>You pause for a moment to think, then pull out one of the spellcards that you obtained here and try to examine its history. It seems to have been created several years ago, and never used. You think your counterpart may simply not have had need of them in quite some time, now.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Perhaps. Ran, I wonder if I could get you out of here? I was able to bring this spellcard from outside in with me, as well as some money. I wonder if this means I could take you out with me?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Perhaps. Ran, I wonder if I could get you out of here? I was able to bring this spellcard from outside in with me, as well as some money. I wonder if this means I could take you out with me?"

>"I...." she looks startled. "I don't know. Do you even know how you brought those things in to begin with?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not a clue. I simply walked through. I want to think that they were touching me had a role in it, but they are definitely out of place items, so far as that barrier was concerned."

[DracoOmega]

>"Not a clue. I simply walked through. I want to think that they were touching me had a role in it, but they are definitely out of place items, so far as that barrier was concerned."

>Ran stands up. "Please.... try."

[Kasu]

> Nod.
> Get up and head for the barrier with Ran.

[Hello Purvis]

>Consider the best way to do it for a moment, then say, "Please excuse me." and scoop up Ran into a princess carry, and try to back through.

[DracoOmega]

> Nod.
> Get up and head for the barrier with Ran.

>Consider the best way to do it for a moment, then say, "Please excuse me." and scoop up Ran into a princess carry, and try to back through.

>You nod and head outside the house. Ran follows you. Once you reach the barrier, you pause and consider for a moment, then ask Ran's permission and scoop her up before she can respond.
>"W- what?" Ran cries as you sweep her up in your arms, nearly getting a face full of tails in the process. Aww... they're so fluffy and warm... Wait, is that really something you ought to be thinking at the moment? Normally she'd be a bit much for you to transport this way, but not tonight. Ran fidgets weakly as you take a step forward into the barrier. You feel your hands pass through and then you hit something. Or rather, Ran hits something, bringing your momentum to a halt.

[Hello Purvis]

>Darkly: "No. It's a possession. I'm carrying it, it's not moving under its own power. Let me through with it. I'll come back with it later."
>Apply a little force, not enough to hurt Ran, but enough to try to nudge her through.

[DracoOmega]

>Darkly: "No. It's a possession. I'm carrying it, it's not moving under its own power. Let me through with it. I'll come back with it later."
>Apply a little force, not enough to hurt Ran, but enough to try to nudge her through.

>You refuse to accept that this cannot work, and try to will both history and whoever else may be listening to let. her. through. You try to push forward again, but you can feel Ran compressing against the barrier. She winces slightly, and you stop.
>You think you know what the problem is. You can travel through the barrier because you are not anchored firmly to either history. Both Patchouli and Kaguya spoke of how your existence seemed out sync with the rest of the world around you; you did not belong there, yet could still exist there. This is probably why you are the only one who remembers the old world. Something about who and what you are placed you outside the flow of the changes. The reason that your possessions can travel through the barrier with you is probably because their own history is minuscule and malleable; just being who you are is enough to allow them to shift along with their reality. The history of a sentient being on the other hand.... Ran is many centuries older than yourself, and a being of great knowledge and power in her own right. You can't simply passively shift her connection to reality in the way you can for a coin or a spellcard.

[Kasu]

> Could we get her through if we hid Ran's history?
> If it sounds possible, attempt it.

[DracoOmega]

> Could we get her through if we hid Ran's history?
> If it sounds possible, attempt it.

>You don't know if this would be possible. But moreso, you fear what would happen if you did succeed in getting her through the barrier only because her history was hidden and then the effect wore off. If Ran's existence was suddenly incompatible with the world she was in.... You're honestly not sure what would happen, and you have a hard time consciencing experimenting on her.
>You do wonder though, if you might be able to pull her through if you had an anchor on the other side. Something that could solidify her connection to the outside world, while you acted as a bridge.

[Kasu]

> What would work as an anchor?  A piece of clothing or something?

[DracoOmega]

> What would work as an anchor?  A piece of clothing or something?

>It would need to be something that had a strong connection to the outside reality. The stronger the better. You're not even sure an ordinary person would be enough.

[Hello Purvis]

>Put her down.
>"I think I have a way around this. I need to find where Chen is hiding."

[DracoOmega]

>Put her down.

>You put Ran down again. You... think you can see tears starting to well up in her eyes.
>"I... thank you nonetheless; it was too much to hope for." She self-consciously brushes the tears away. "I'd thought I was resigned to this already. I'm sorry."

>"I think I have a way around this. I need to find where Chen is hiding."

>"Chen?" she asks. "Why... what does she..." Ran looks away from you. "Is... is she ok?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I know she managed to survive this whole mess."
>Gesture toward the border.
>"Yuka told me that she had seen Chen. Unfortunately, I don't know where she is. But, I've been travelling with Rumia. Hopefully she knows. I'll try to be back with her as soon as I can."
>Exit if Ran has nothing to add.

[DracoOmega]

>"I know she managed to survive this whole mess."
>Gesture toward the border.
>"Yuka told me that she had seen Chen. Unfortunately, I don't know where she is. But, I've been travelling with Rumia. Hopefully she knows. I'll try to be back with her as soon as I can."
>Exit if Ran has nothing to add.

>"I'm glad she's safe," Ran says. "But how will you get her in here any more than you could get me out? And... as much I dearly wish to see her again... I would rather she be free, though I never lay eyes on her again."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not quite. Rather, I intend to use Chen's ties to you to try to safely root you outside. Then I can try to fool the barrier into letting you through."

[DracoOmega]

>"Not quite. Rather, I intend to use Chen's ties to you to try to safely root you outside. Then I can try to fool the barrier into letting you through."

>"Do you... do you think that would be possible?" You can see Ran struggling not to hope; her expression is practically transparent.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I wouldn't be suggesting it otherwise. Hopefully, this won't take long."
>Exit!

[DracoOmega]

>"I wouldn't be suggesting it otherwise. Hopefully, this won't take long."
>Exit!

>"....thank you," she says. "If it helps, Chen often preferred to spend time in the forest of magic when she had no other duties to attend to. Perhaps she's still there."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>Exit!
>Once out, if nothing strange has happened, head for Rumia. "Rumia, I need to ask you something important. Do you know where to find Chen?"

[DracoOmega]

>Nod.
>Exit!
>Once out, if nothing strange has happened, head for Rumia. "Rumia, I need to ask you something important. Do you know where to find Chen?"

>You nod at Ran and exit the barrier again. Nothing of consequence seems to have happened in your absence. Rumia is still skipping back and forth. You see Mokou idly pick up a stone off the ground and toss it against another outcropping. She looks up at you as you emerge.
>You walk over to Rumia and ask her if she knows where to find Chen.
>"Chen?" She puts a finger to her chin and looks towards the sky thoughtfully. "Hmm.... maybe~!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Where? I need her to help me save someone inside there."

[DracoOmega]

>"Where? I need her to help me save someone inside there."

>"Umm... I think she's over that-a-way!" She points dramatically to the northeast. "I don't think she's good at saving people, though..."

[Hello Purvis]

>Is That-a-way toward the Forest of Magic?
>"That's okay, she only needs to be here."

[Kasu]

> "We'll be doing the saving.  We need her as a link to the person inside for this to work though."
> Head northeast with everyone.

[DracoOmega]

>Is That-a-way toward the Forest of Magic?

>It does look that way, or at least in that general direction as best you can tell at the moment. You are pretty much on the opposite end of Gensokyo.

>"That's okay, she only needs to be here."

> "We'll be doing the saving.  We need her as a link to the person inside for this to work though."

>"Oh, ok," Rumia says, nodding sagely. "Rumia doesn't get it, but quiz lady's real smart, so I'm sure it'll work!"

> Head northeast with everyone.

>You flag Mokou over and head off towards the direction Rumia pointed. It's a fairly extended trip, but eventually you can see the forest come into view in the distance.

[Kasu]

> Land outside of the forest.
> Look around for signs of life.
> If nothing is found, head inside the forest.