When Alice is Away, the Dolls Will Play

[Hanged Hourai]

Part 1

When magic dolls are more magical than you think.....

It was a normal, sunny day in the Forest of Magic. Deeper in, inside a magician?s house, things were about to get very un-normal.

"Well, this is just great." Alice sighed to herself as she got up out of her chair. "I can't believe I ran out of cloth. I was sure I had a few bolts left." Alice was the sole inhabitant of her house, shared with dozens of dolls she made herself. Controlling the dolls with her magic was useful for fighting and trivial things like cleaning. Alice wore a light blue dress adorned with pink ribbons and her blond hair cut short with a red ribbon on the top of her head. 

She had been working on a new project in the doll storage room. The walls were lined with her various dolls, all sitting with the same blank expression on their faces, dressed in colorful clothes, awaiting orders.

Confused, she scratched her head and got ready to head down to the village to pick up more supplies, leaving her latest doll-in-progress half-dressed on the table.

"Russia, London!" Alice called out. As she did, both of the dolls jumped down from their shelf and floated up to her side. ?Everyone else, standard house protection procedure!?  Alice commanded.

Then she left the room and the sound of the front door being locked could be heard throughout the house.

One doll in particular, sitting on the highest shelf blinked. It stood up and dusted herself off before hopping over to the window. The doll looked at Alice?s shape slowly disappearing into the woods.

?Alright! We?re good!? she yelled.

At this exclamation, the dozens of other dolls started moving, as though they just woke up. Stretching and yawning, they slowly became active, jumping from the shelf and floating around, talking to each other.

This doll at the window was clothed in an elegant red dress, with black lace and a ribbon on her head. Looking around the room, she had to find a few dolls to talk to.

?Tibet, France, Kyoto! Reports now!? the red dressed doll yelled while jumping from the windowsill to the table underneath with the unfinished doll. At this command, three dolls flew over to the table and stood side to side facing the red dressed doll.

?The straw dolls are stationed outside looking for intruders or Alice?s return, ready to raise the alarm.? The first one said.

?Good, and France??

?We?ve moved the cloth bolts from underneath the floorboards to the hall closet. She?ll never suspect anything.?

?Very nice, anything newsworthy to report Kyoto??

?Well now I?ll have to wait another day for Russia to pay me back from that poker game.?

The doll in red gave an annoyed stare at Kyoto, who started shifting nervously.

?We-well, we got news that the village is short on cloth, so Alice is going to be delayed a bit.?

?Excellent,? the doll in red said while walking to the edge of the table with her arms folded behind her back. ?This day belongs to us.?

She stood gazing on all the dolls talking and socializing in the room. They regarded her as their leader, and she was more than glad to accept it. She organized them, kept them safe, and let them live. That was something that Alice couldn?t understand. To her, they were ?inanimate? objects made for war. Alice wouldn?t be able to comprehend the sense of unification between Hourai and her sisters.

?Well, what are we waiting for? Let?s get going! We have a lot to do today.? Hourai said as she turned around to face Tibet and the others. Today was just getting started.

---------------------------------------------

Ok, this is my first fan fic. So does this seem like a good idea?

[Iced Fairy]

I demand more in order to make a full judgment!    :3

[Minch]

Good preview, but for me to make judgement. I NEED MOAR! So far so good. Actually.

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

It's like Toy Story for Touhou. XD

[Sect]

What happened to Orleans?

[Hanged Hourai]

What happened to Orleans?

Wait for it  :3,
there'll be more dolls than just in Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

[Doll.S CUBE]

As someone with my title, I like this. Although, where is Shanghai?

Also this is making me want to actually start my fic idea...

[Esifex]

I approve. Please, continue - this is the first story I've seen that's been centered around the dolls, and not Alice and the dolls.

[Hanged Hourai]

Part 2

When magic dolls are more magical than you think.....

?Hey Hourai,? Shanghai greeted as she flew over to the table where Hourai still stood.

?What is it Shanghai?? Hourai replied.  Most of the dolls left the storage room to do their business around the house, or even outside for the more daring, leaving only the two in the room alone.

?You have some free time right now?? Shanghai asked. She was Hourai?s closest friend in the whole house, and almost as strong as her too. Clothed in a purple dress with an apron draped over the front, she had long blond hair topped with of course, a red ribbon, which just made her look like a maid. Approximately the same age as Hourai, Shanghai still acted like a kid.

?Yeah, there's not much going on today, why? You have something planned?? Hourai inquired.

?Yeahhhhhhh,? she grinned, ?I was planning on a special project. You an? me. Wutcha say??

?Another one of your ?projects?? What happened to invading the forest and making the fairies our servants?? Hourai asked doubtfully.

?That?s still a work in progress,? Shanghai replied, a little hurt, ?besides, this one is for real. Come on. Pleeeeeease??

?Sorry, no. I?m not getting involved in your convoluted schemes.? Hourai said, jumping down from the table. ?I?ve got work to do.?

?Hmmmmmm. Fine then. I?ll get someone else to help me.? Shanghai pouted. She flew through the door into the living room, joining all the others.

Hourai sighed and walked out of the room, observing the activity all around her. Dolls laughed and played and had fun. Some of the newer ones played tag, while the more experienced did some different activities like sharpen their weapons or play poker. And in all this commotion, she found who she was looking for.

?Seoul!? Hourai shouted.

A doll sitting in the corner looked up and hovered lazily to Hourai. Seoul wore a three colored dress of royal blue, yellow, and bright pink, similar to the other doll dresses in design. Her hair was long and black and straight. On her face were a pair of round glasses. Seoul could see fine, but she was made with glasses, so Seoul kept them.

?What is it??

?I need to know the status of our finances.? Hourai stated.

Seoul pushed her glasses up and tilted her head. ?Well, you?re the one with access to the box. Why do you need me??

?Shanghai is on one of her projects again, and you know as well as I do she?s the only other one who could access our money without my key.? Each doll took care of their own money, but the collective pool of money that they all shared was guarded and locked under key possessed by only Hourai. ?No lock could guard against Shanghai when she?s really determined. Besides, I?m checking to see if there?s been a drastic drain on our funds. And you keep track of our records and money.?

?Well let?s see. We haven?t tapped into it for a while. I believe that it should be nearly full.? Seoul said after a few seconds of thought.

?Thanks. I?ll see you later.? She said, turning around. Hourai set off towards the storage room, where the box with all the money was located. She walked inside and jumped to the top shelf and went over to her spot. The doll moved the false wall out of the way and pulled out a blue lockbox. Hourai took out a bobby pin and a needle from the hole also. Kneeling down, she put them both inside the lock and started picking. The key to the box was a lie, only to prevent everyone from trying to test their lock-picking skills against it.

Turning the bobby pin took much more effort when you were twelve inches tall. Both hands on it, she exerted much effort before successfully turning the lock sideways. Lifting the lid, she saw nothing. Absolutely nothing save for the gray walls of the box. It was completely empty, all the money was gone. Hourai took a step back in awe. She trusted all the dolls in the house with her life. And now, the money they all shared was gone. Grim realization took her over as she came to the only logical conclusion.

In barely a whisper, she said aloud, ?It was Shanghai. Shanghai stole the money.? Hourai slumped against the wall and slowly slid down before sitting on the shelf. Hands on the side of her head, she tried to shake out the idea, but it remained, only becoming stronger. ?She took it for her stupid project. I trusted her.? Words began to fail her as Hourai slipped into a state of denial.

Hourai was pulled out of her downward spiral when she heard panicking from the other room. Picking up her head, she headed for the door to find everyone running about. Hourai grabbed a doll by her shoulder and asked, ?What the Shinki is going on here!?!?

The doll looked at her grimly before replying, ?The alarm was raised. The kidnapper is coming back.?

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Any better? :3
Tell me what you think.

[MysTeariousYukari]

Win. I love it, please write more ^_^

[Kasu]

Doll kidnapper?  I wonder...

Anyway, this is pretty interesting!  Keep it up.

[Esifex]

SHANGHAI how dare you YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER YOUNG LADY

Calling it on Marisa being the kidnapper

[Smallfry]

This is sick. Keep writing or else i'll stab you with a plastic spoon.

[Kaisou]

Oooh, I can't wait for part 3!

Calling it on Marisa being the kidnapper

If it's not Marisa, then I will be really shocked.

[Kasu]

Am I the only one that doesn't think its Marisa? D=

[Sect]

Ooh! Medicine's the kidnapper!

[Minch]

She doesn't care for other dolls that aren't alive. So why should Medicine be the kidnapper?

[Hanged Hourai]

Part 3

When magic dolls are more magical than you think.....

?The kidnapper. One of the most demonic and evil beings in all of Gensokyo. Also called the thief, the kidnapper has stolen many objects from the house and even a doll once before, an unforgiveable sin. And now she?s back. ?Danggit, the timing can?t have possibly been worse.? Hourai  thought to herself as she ran into the front room to rally everyone together. ?Tibet! Get over here!?

Through the mass hysteria, Tibet heard her name being called and flew over to her. ?I?m gonna need you with me,? Hourai said. Both jumped up on the coffee table in the living room and looked upon the chaos in the living room. Dozens and dozens of dolls were running around, worrying their heads off.

Hourai put two fingers in her mouth and gave a loud whistle. Everyone stopped running around to look quietly at the two dolls on top of the table.

?Ok, the kidnapper is back, and we need to organize if we want to stop her from entering and taking Alice?s possessions or even one of us. Tibet, what?s the ETA on the thief?? 

Tibet walked forward and explained, ?The straw dolls saw her on the forest path, so she should arrive in ten minutes.?

Hourai took the lead again, ?Ok, I want all magic users with me in front of the house. Sydney, I want you to outfit everyone else with weapons and send the experienced dolls to guard the front door. Kenya, take the new ones and guard Alice?s room, that?s where the valuable stuff is. Everyone go!?

The dolls started bustling as they headed towards the storage room to equip themselves. Out of the crowd, several flew over on the table and lined up, side-by-side. ?Darn it, why did she have to take London and Russia?? Hourai thought to herself as she saw two gaps in the lineup. ?Without London?s fog technique, this fight just got harder. I want all of you outside in one minute.? As she said this, they all flew off in different directions to prepare themselves for the nearing standoff.

?Hey Hourai, you an? me, we got this.? Shanghai still stood on the table, pointing her thumb at herself.

?That filthy, lying, wretch.? Hourai thought to herself as she looked upon her traitor friend, ?Actually, I need you to help the newbies in the bedroom.? No way was she going to have her up on the front lines with her. If she couldn?t trust her in the house with money, she certainly couldn?t trust her with her life in a fight.

Shanghai looked flabbergasted as she stood speechless.  ?Wha- what?!? You need me out there! After you, I?m the strongest one of us here!?

Hourai turned her back to Shanghai. ?I need you on defense to help the new dolls. They need someone to rely on for help. I hope I can trust you with this.? The words felt empty as she said them.

?Whatever, just don?t blame me if we lose another doll under your brilliant leadership.? Shanghai replied sarcastically as she flew off towards the bedroom.

Hourai stood all alone in the living room. She felt empty as she grew farther apart from her best friend, the only one who saw her as more than a leader and a friend. They were more than that. They had been partners, even from the beginning. Shanghai was the only one who truly understood Hourai. And now, she just told her best friend that she didn?t need her help and to get out of the way. Hourai sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to make sense of it all. As she averted her gaze from the door down to her feet, Hourai contemplated something she hadn?t thought of before for a long time when everyone hurried out of the storage room.

?Alright,? Hourai said while standing up, putting on her best mask of leadership despite what she was thinking, ?Everyone in position! We do not let the thief through that door! Let?s move!?

A yell of support came from the doll mob as everyone got ready for the attack. Dutch and France flew up to the doorknob and turned it, opening the front door. Hourai led her group of magic dolls through the door and turned back to see the crowd before it shut completely. Right as it was about to close, she saw Shanghai, leaning against the wall, staring straight at Hourai. During this one second, it was like time stopped, and they were the only ones in the world. In Shanghai?s empty stare, Hourai could see everything, the distrust, the resentment, the broken friendship. But what hurt most of all, she could see that Shanghai knew that she no longer trusted her. The look in Shanghai?s eyes reciprocated everything that Hourai felt, and they both felt the same towards one another. It hurt her. It hurt deep inside on levels that Hourai didn?t know could be touched by another person.

?Hourai? Hey Hourai!?

She broke her gaze and turned to look at the elite group of dolls staring at her.

?What?? she said, still dazed by Shanghai?s cold glare. ?Oh yeah. Everyone! Into position! We stand our ground or go down trying!?

The dolls flew into various spots in the air, awaiting the arrival of evil itself. Waiting, Hourai looked back to see if Shanghai was still there.

Nothing. The door had been closed, and she only hoped that it would open up again.

-------------------------------------------
Side Note: 5 day weekend coming up! So wait a little while and I'll have more for you guys pretty soon.
Thanks for all the words of niceness!

[Kasu]

Oh snap.  Tension among the dolls.

[Kinzo the Astro Curious]

I'd like to hear more of this, good story going!

(since someone asked - I read this just before MotK went down, I didn't read in just the few minutes its been up)  :V

[Hanged Hourai]

Part 4

When magic dolls are more magical than you think.....

The strongest dolls all gathered wordlessly in front of the house as they awaited the arrival of evil itself. Hourai tried her best to shake off Shanghai?s gaze, but she couldn?t. How would she be able to face her best friend ever again? Everything had changed in that one instant.

?Hourai,? she looked over to see Seoul talking to her, ?we should talk strategy now because when the thief comes, we won?t be able to speak out loud.?

?Good idea,? Hourai replied, ?I?ll take the rear. Seoul, I want you up front with France and Kyoto. Orleans and Dutch will serve backup. Everyone else, take the middle. Let?s go!?

The dolls got in formation, ready to repel the intruder. ?Shanghai, you?re with m-. Oh, right.? Hourai said, her voice softening.  ?Was I wrong?? she thought to herself, ?Could I be wrong? Those eyes. Those cold eyes. Will I ever be able to face her the same way again?? Hourai thought to herself.

?Incoming at 12:00! It?s her alright!? Tibet yelled.

Shaking off her thoughts, Hourai floated a little higher and all the dolls turned to look at their leader.

?Today,? she yelled, ?we show our strength against the vile kidnapper! We fight not for ourselves, but for the house, for Alice, and for each other! Let us show our strength and emerge victorious! We are dolls and we will win!?

A roar of cheers and clapping could be heard from inside the house. As Hourai turned around, she saw many dolls gathered in the front window applauding her. In the back, there was somebody else. Looking closer, she saw someone standing aloof, staring right back at her. Cold eyes. Shanghai?s eyes.

Now was not the time for feelings. Hourai turned back and saw a dark figure walking up to the house through the woods. The thief. Everyone tensed up and floated silently. Not a sound cold be heard except for the shuffling of wretched feet in the distance. Hourai felt unsettled, like those eyes were fixed on her, drilling their way through her back, filling her with a cold sensation that spread through her body.

The dark figure stepped into the light and everyone could see its grotesque features. A witch that embodied all that was unholy. Yellow hair braided on one side of her head, an oversized hat, and black and white clothes that in all probability were likely stolen.  Trickery was her food, and sin was her water. This demon was the culmination of all that was impure.

?Yo Alice, I?m here to borrow some stuff~ze!?

The voice of evil.

?Whoa, what?s this? I just need to borrow some books.? The kidnapper said as she walked into the clearing and saw the dolls. ?I guess she isn?t home. Well, that makes it easier since I don?t have to ask. Come get some!?


Next time!
Epic Marisa v. Dolls fight! Who will win? Stay tuned!
-------------------------------
Sorry for short update, more will be coming soon though! Thanks for feedback!

[Kasu]

Oh man.  I love how they describe her so maliciously and she just keeps up her cheery personality.

[Esifex]

'Trickery was her food, and sin was her water'...

I like that. I'm going to be forced from now on to use that when describing Marisa to someone not yet graced with Touhou knowledge.

[Hanged Hourai]

Part 5

When magical dolls are more magical than you think.....

France and Kyoto rushed forward to repel the intruder, who had lifted the broom she was carrying and swung it like a bat at the dolls. They did a frontal midair flip to dodge and positioned themselves behind the witch on either side, forming a triangle with Seoul at the front, facing the thief. The kidnapper looked over her shoulder to Kyoto on the left, during which, Seoul took the chance to start the attack while she was distracted.

Three Doll Combination-Twisted Puppet Strings.
Hourai instantly recognized it by the way Seoul held out her palms. Multiple strings of glowing purple energy shot out from Seoul?s hands toward France and Kyoto, who caught the ends of the strands. Wordlessly, they turned to look at each other before throwing their ends of some of the strings to one another. The witch saw she was being trapped in the middle of an energy triangle, so she hopped on her broom and flew straight up. France was quick to react, and threw a strand on the back of the broom, wrapping around several times before becoming completely taut.

Yanking, France pulled the string hard, causing the thief and her broom to crash back down to the ground. Dolls had strength out of proportion compared to their body size, especially the magic ones. Facedown, the witch was incapacitated and the dolls took this chance to finish the fight. Still in triangle formation with the energy strings, Seoul, Kyoto, and France floated over the intruder?s body and joined hands.

Trapped Puppet-Hopeless Entanglement.
The hands of the dolls glowed with a purple aura and the strands started hovering.  The witch started shifting and murmuring, so it was time to finish this. The strings became perfectly straight, pointing in every direction. Kyoto, France, and Seoul hovered up until they were ten feet off the ground, still directly over the witch. Without warning, one of the strands shot down, penetrating the ground not two inches from the thief?s face before transforming from energy to solid matter. Another shot down, by her foot. A third strand came down from above, striking near her leg, piercing the thief?s dress. Then, dozens and dozens rained down, like a waterfall of purple energy, then turning stiff and solid, overlapping until it was dense as a jungle.

From inside this cage of purple lines, the witch gained full consciousness. ?Hey! What is this stuff? Get me out of here!? Sounds of stuggling could be heard from inside the doll-made jail.

From above the purple cage, Seoul, France, and Kyoto still held hands, purple rods sticking out from the bottom making the jail. They released their hold and in the place the hands were, all the strands met at a pointed tip, reaching for the sky.

Orleans and Dutch jumped into the fight, seeing how the enemy was trapped, both decided to end the battle here. They joined their left hands and put their right on the each other?s back, as if preparing to dance the tango. Bodies facing one another, they pointed their joined hands toward the bottom of the purple cage.

Twin Doll Laser-Forced Armistice.
Green and orange energy started glowing around Orleans and Dutch, making them shine with magical aura, becoming brighter and brighter until their bodies could not be seen in the ball of light. All at once, that energy flowed down from their bodies and accumulated in their left hands. Orleans?s hand was enveloped in a ball of sheer green magical energy. Dutch?s hand looked exactly the same, only different in color. Turning their heads to look at the thief, they looked back to each other and nodded.

A large laser shot out of their hands, one half green, and the other orange. Flying straight and true towards the witch, the beam started rotating. It spun faster and faster, until the laser split in two, orange and green. Still spinning, the beams twisted over each other at dizzying speeds, becoming a helix of color and energy.

?Oh no you don?t!? the thief yelled, ?Illusion Laser!? Without warning, a beam of yellow energy shot out from the cage, leaving a hole in its wake. The Illusion Laser shot straight down middle of the doll?s helix laser, breaking them away from one another. The green laser shot off into the woods, and the orange sailed straight into the sky.

Orleans and Dutch separated their hold on one another and jumped to get out of the way of the witch?s laser. Without any time to react, another beam shot straight up out of the cage, striking France, Kyoto, and Seoul. The dolls fell to the ground, unconscious and smoking. The laser left a hole where the tip was, destroying the point where all the lines connected. Fractures appeared in the threads, growing until they became full-sized cracks.

In a single moment, all the lines making the cage shattered into thousands of pieces before dissolving into purple dust, blowing away in the breeze. From the spot where the cage had been, the witch was standing, brushing off her clothes, which were riddled with tiny holes.

?That was pretty good for some dolls, but I want to end quickly this so I can borrow my books~ze. Let?s go! Magic Missile!?

---------------------------------
First time ever writing a fight scene.

[Esifex]

First time ever writing a fight scene.

I love you. Please don't stop.

I loved the little bit about how France yanked Marisa out of mid-air; the little tidbit about strength out of proportion with their bodies was a nice touch.

[Hanged Hourai]

Part 6

When magical dolls are more magical than you think.....

The nature of dolls is a very curious one. Imbued with magic from their creators, dolls are given a small, but steady amount of energy that allows them to be controlled by the maker. This energy will last for ages, disappearing only after the doll becomes very old. In battle, the creator has some of their energy flow down to the doll, who will magnify that power and release it in various forms, depending on the design and build of the doll. In most cases, this results in a lifeless object easily controlled, however, some magical beings have a special energy signature that permeates the whole doll, giving the spark of life, free will, and emotions. When dolls fight together without the creator, they give their energy to one another, magnify it, and return it back, repeating over and over again until a large amount of energy is amassed before releasing it in the form of an attack.

Now back to the story.
--------------------

?Magic Missile!?

The witch swung her arm in front of her, releasing a barrage of green danmaku that sailed through the air. Totally unprepared, Dutch was brutally assaulted by the attack and fell to the ground. Orleans was quick enough to react and dodge the first wave, but she saw her friend go down and became distracted. The second wave was too much for her, and she also fell.

By now, the frontal offence had totally failed, and all that stood between the witch and the house were a gang of magic dolls and Hourai. No one felt well after seeing how quickly some of the best techniques the dolls had crumbled under the thief?s magic.

?Scared of little me?? the witch said innocently, ?Taste this! Stardust Reverie!? She sat back on her broom and flew straight up, leaving a trail of static star-shaped bullets.

Without verbal communication, mob mentality takes over in groups of dolls. Everyone is scared that what they decide to do conflicts with what another wants to do, which will lead to mass confusion. For example, if one doll wants to hold their ground, and another wants to retreat, that would send mixed signals to everyone else, leaving them open to attack.  Whatever the first move is, everyone will likely follow to prevent confusion.

And apparently, someone thought it was a good idea to charge into the witch, ignoring the magic bullets.

Hourai watched helplessly as her friends all rushed forward towards certain defeat, unable to warn them to stop. Everyone flew upwards to approach the thief, ignoring the star bullets. A grin appeared on the witch?s face as she saw the horde of dolls wide open for attack. She snapped her fingers and each of the stars broke into five smaller stars and started circling the point they had once been, rotating faster and spreading out.

 It was too late by the time the dolls noticed the storm of bullets heading towards them. Some tried to turn around and flee, some sped up to reach the witch before the bullets hit them. All failed. Hourai couldn?t look away as she saw her friends mercilessly beat from every side by bombardment of danmaku. No one was spared from the brutal onslaught, even after passing out, they were slammed from every angle by the stars.

It was only after everyone had fallen to the ground that the witch came down from the air. ?Can?t expect them to be that smart, they don?t have any brains,? she laughed to herself. ?Oh, there?s one left??   

Hourai felt pangs of anger resonate throughout her entire body. Tiny fists clenched in pure hatred. How dare this intruder come in here and do that to her friends. No one was allowed to do that to her friends, no one! This was unforgiveable, an act that Hourai had to avenge. Hourai was out for revenge, out for blood.

I missed you. Did you miss me, Hourai?

?Well, if you?re as easy as the other ones, you?ll be pretty simple to beat,? the witch jeered.

Use me, use me and win.

?Well if you?re just gonna float there, I?ll make the first move.? The witch grabbed her broom and jumped on it, hovering in the air.

Let?s do this together, Hourai.

?Get out of my head, you stupid voice. I don?t need you anymore,? Hourai seethed in her mind.

?Ima comin? to get my books!? said the witch. And with that she shot off on her broom directly towards Hourai and the house.

Use me, use me and win.
------------------------------
I love motivation, it makes me write like crazy. :3

[Esifex]

Oh my.

Is this mysterious voice related to the Grimoire?

[Hanged Hourai]

Oh my.

Is this mysterious voice related to the Grimoire?

No spoilers. I don't roll like that.  BV
But thanks for all the nice words, they motivate me to do better. Thank you! 

[Smallfry]

Hahaha, this is amazing. The dolls all have a hive mind except for Shanghai and Hourai, it would seem.

[Hanged Hourai]

Part 7

When magical dolls are more magical than you think.....

?Never again. I put you away forever, and that?s where you?re going to stay. Forever,? Hourai said in her mind. ?Now if you excuse me, I need to kill a witch.?

Whatever you say, just remember I?m here for you, friend.

Now wasn?t the time for personal squabbles in her mind, it was the time to fight.

Hourai Technique-Infinitely High Gallows
A red aura surrounded Hourai, making her a bright beacon of light. She clapped her hands together, and when she pulled them apart, a red string was attached to both the palms. Clenching her hands to make them fists, a drape of red energy flowed down from the thread all the way to the ground, making it seem as if Hourai was holding a piece of cloth. The witch was still charging towards the house during all this, and Hourai was still in her way.

?That doesn?t scare me, dolly!? the witch jeered. And with that, she sped up more.

Perfect. The thief was on a collision course with Hourai, and that was how she wanted it. As the witch got within feet of Hourai, the doll moved her body off to the side, keeping the sheet of energy in place. Resembling a bull and matador, the thief sped straight into the blanket of energy, right past Hourai. As the witch?s head passed through the energy, on her neck was a noose, made of red energy, resembling rope. The drape disappeared and Hourai was holding a cord that was wrapped around the thief?s neck. The little doll flew backwards towards the forest, and the force of this pull was enough to unseat the witch who had just realized what happened. The broom she was sitting on shot out from under her and harmlessly hit the house next to the door.

The rope of energy Hourai wasn?t just solid, it was magic. Designed specifically by Hourai not to snap any necks, no matter how much force was put on it when worn by its victim. That is, it doesn?t kill as long as she doesn?t want it to.

When Hourai pulled back on the rope, the witch was immediately stopped in mid-air, but without any injury to her neck. By this, the witch was in shock and her eyes were bugging out. The thief?s hands flew to the rope that was around her neck, but to no avail. Hourai was at the edge of the forest, and the witch was about ten feet away, pulled by the rope. Taking this chance while her enemy was still in shock, Hourai flew straight up, the intruder trailing, helpless at the will of the doll.

At about thirty feet in the air, Hourai stopped and looked at the witch. Clawing at the rope that could be her downfall, the intruder met the doll?s gaze.

?What was tha?Ack!? The thief was stopped mid-sentence when Hourai whipped the rope in the air above her head and flung it down to the ground with all her strength. 

That witch is dead. Dead. I?ve avenged my friends. I?ve done the right thing?Right?

Oh dear Hourai, I didn?t expect you to go that far. Doesn?t seem very fitting for a fearless leader to do that.  I suppose I?ve been a bit of a bad influence on you, huh?

?What did I just do?? Hourai said, realizing her actions, ?That wasn?t right, I?m supposed to a role model. How did I just take someone?s life without even thinking? Was this what I was made for? An instrument and bringer of death? That doesn?t sound like me. But then, what is me, what am I??

I can help you, Hourai. I can make all this go away if you let me. You wouldn?t need to worry about anything again. Wouldn?t it be nice to be rid of all the stress and pain? I can do that.

?Re-really? Why would you do that for me??

I care about you, I care about you like no one else has before. Not even Shanghai.

?I?m through with Shanghai. I?m not ever going to let her hurt me again. What do I have to do for you??

Just give in. Give up and do what comes most naturally to you.

?You don?t mean??

Crash. The unmistakable sound of a collision could be heard from below. The witch?s body connecting with the forest floor.  A wave of grief flooded over Hourai as she slowly looked down to where the thief?s body was lying on the ground, motionless. 

?No, no no no no no no no. It wasn?t supposed to be like this. This wasn?t supposed to happen. This??

?Ouch? stupid doll, that really hurt~ze.?
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Not my best. :ohdear: