(Two for one special for the end of the story. Yes, I wasn't expecting to end it quite this soon but here it is. I hope you've enjoyed the ride.)
Layla was speechless. Who was this otherworldly woman? Where had she come from? How did she know her name?
?There?s nothing to be afraid of. You?re here because you desire more than anything? to be reunited with your sisters. Am I right??
Layla gasped audibly, that was right but? how could that even happen now? Layla didn?t even know where Lunasa was, Merlin had been in France for a month now at school, and Lyrica?
?Y?yes Miss Yuyuko? but how can that even happen now??
Yuyuko smiled and walked towards Layla. Curious? she made no footprints in the snow. She stopped in front of Layla and held out her left hand. An orb of pale blue light appeared, floating gently over her palm. It almost looked like a ghostly flame, and before Layla could stare in awe of it any long it transformed into a scroll of some sort.
?Take it. This is a spell of magic. It will direct you on how you may bring your sisters back to you once more. Make sure that nobody knows of it Layla.?
Layla gently grabbed the scroll and looked at it for a brief moment before she looked back up to smile at the woman? but she was no longer there. Layla glanced around wildly wondering where Yuyuko had gone and realized that she was standing at the entrance of the hedge maze once more. She wondered how long she had been gone since the snow around her was now illuminated by the moon. Grasping the scroll tightly in her hand, she ran quickly and quietly into the mansion and into her room, locking the door behind her.
Unrolling the scroll she found that it was some kind of ancient magic. It instructed her to draw a rather complex circular design on the floor. She ran over to her closet and found a box of crayons. Pulling out a deep blue color, she began scribbling on the floor. She tried to be precise as she could and it took her a long while but she finally managed to get the symbol drawn. Next it said to get items of significant sentimental value for her sisters. She knew just the things.
Layla stood up and opened a draw of her desk. Inside were three silver pendants. First was Lunasa?s violin, which she had forgotten to pack and had left in the mansion. Layla had found it in Lunasa?s room and decided to keep it as a memory. Second was Lyrica?s keyboard, which Layla had found at the murder scene. Lastly was Merlin?s trumpet, which she had given Layla as a memento before she left for France. Layla looked at all three of the pendants with tears of sadness and tears of joy. She took them to the spell circle she had drawn and placed them each in circular sections left blank for the items.
Lastly, the instructions left an incantation. Layla looked up and saw that the sun was starting to rise outside. Oh no, how long had she been at work on that spell circle? The servants would be up to wake her soon, she had to hurry. She began reading the incantation written on the scroll, quickly but precisely.
I call upon memories of loved ones dear to me
I call upon mystical powers of the spiritual realm
Layla began to feel nauseous and weak, but she forced herself to continue reading. She didn?t notice the spell circle in front her starting to glow with the deep blue hue of the crayon it was drawn in.
I give up my energy and power
I give up my soul
Now come to me o? creations
Layla fell to her knees in pain. She had to finish this. The spell circle was glowing fiercely now, it illuminated the entire room in a bath of blue light. Layla barely found the strength to speak the final verses of the incantation.
Come o? poltergeists of memories
Come to me, my precious sisters
I summon thee
That was it. The incantation was complete and the spell circle gave a burst of light as energy sprung up. Layla was laying on the ground now, just able to lift her head up to watch the spell. She could see transparent figures forming.
?Lunasa! Lyrica! ?. Mer..lin!?
Just as she was able to make out her sisters in front of her, the last of her soul left her. The last image she saw was of her three sisters looking down at her before everything went black. Though Layla had given up her very life to perform the spell, one could see a smile on her face.
---
?Do you think that was the right thing to do Yuyuko? You knew from the start she wasn?t strong enough for that magic.?
?It is better that she died this way rather than to live on in her life in misery, don?t you think Yukari??
The blonde haired woman stared at Yuyuko intensely, despite being Yuyuko?s best friend she still didn?t approve of some of her methods. In her heart though, she knew that Yuyuko was right.
?Now Yukari, I have a favor to ask of you. Could you bring those three young poltergeists here for me? I believe I may have something they can do here in Gensokyo.?
---
The police couldn?t determine a cause of death. Despite the spell circle drawn on the floor, there were no signs of any injuries on the young girl. Usually when they had a run-in with these cult rituals they would find people that had sacrificed themselves with a knife. This was different though? there were no stab wounds, no signs of forced entry or struggles, no signs of any sort of problem at all. It was if her soul had just left her. They couldn?t find out where Lunasa Prismriver was at to inform her. A letter was sent to the institute that Merlin Prismriver was said to have been at, but they got a reply that she was no longer attending the school. All other family members were dead. Layla was buried out in the backyard garden, in a dead end corner of the hedge maze where a monument was constructed for her.
Reimu flew ahead at a staggering pace. She wiped a bit of sweat from her brow and slowed down as she neared a giant gate up ahead. She was definitely heading in the right direction now? but how was she going to get through this? Just as she was about to keep going, three girls appeared in front of her. Each one had an instrument floating around them.
?So, what the hell are you people? And what is this place anyways?? Reimu yelled out, as tactless as she always was.
?We are the Poltergeist Musical Performance Ensemble,? replied the girl in red, a keyboard floating wistfully around her.
?There will be a flower-viewing event at the mansion. We have been invited to play,? chimed in the second girl wearing pink, a trumpet floating playfully around her.
?You, however, have no instrument,? the last girl said coldly and idly, a violin floating around her idly.
