Long post. Just to introduce the concept of ?Diving?. I believe some of you here have played Ar-Tonelico or seen Chrno Crusade or Negima. Anyway, ?diving? is simply entering another person?s mind. The contracts allow you to share mana by creating a link between your souls. As side-effect, you can share thoughts and emotions.
At night, when everyone is asleep, your team will dream together whether you like it or not. When conscious, one can choose to dive willingly. This will require a mediator, either Satori or Amarillo (at least at first, until you learn how to do it by yourself). Through these diving sessions, whether through dreams or actual dives, new issues and dilemmas may arise, or they may be resolved. This will bring your team closer together and improve your link synchronization, thus allowing better, more efficient mana sharing.
And an advance apology, I couldn?t think of anything for Sumire, mainly because Sumire hasn?t posted much. I only found very small plot devices to use with Gpop?s, Sho?s, and Sanasan?s groups so I focused on that briefly. The issues I?ve focused on for all the other characters are speculative on my part based on your profiles and posts so far. Let me know if I wrongly-analyzed anything. I thought this would add some colour to your characters and relationships and provide scope for character and relationship development. Let me know if you want any changes made.
And Gpop, Xan, Sanasan, and AmaterasuOmikami are free to suggest something for themselves if they wish.
As for Etch-a-Sketch, Cleartailcat and Rabbit, I don?t think you were with us for the first night, so I didn?t write in anything for you two. Feel free to set up your own ?dives? as you see fit.
PS: It took me time to write this so things may have changed since I began writing this. I haven't caught up with everything just yet. If there are discrepancies then I will edit this to adapt. Let me know if you see any. Thanks.
Inside Mitaka?s Memories, 9.10 AM, Day2 (Characters: More or less everyone)
?Satori?!? Mitaka gasped, finding himself stumbling across a misty realm. ?What?! Where did you take me?!? One minute he had been running madly, following directions from Alex (who was last seen hunched over in pain and had barely the strength to point out the direction in which Alice had run off), the next he had bumped into Satori who was standing in front of some mansion, and now?.
?Calm down, these are just your own memories of your dreams from last night.? Satori came floating out of the mist to join him.
?Satori, I don?t have time for this, I?.? Mitaka began, still in a haze of panic from the pursuit.
?Yes, yes, I know you?re in a hurry to go after Alice?? Satori sighed, waving the issue aside.
?So stop poking around in my head!? Mitaka said hotly, realizing where they were as Satori finished reading his mind. He didn?t mean to shout. But this was his own mind, and though he could order his lips to be polite, his mind was a beast of its own. ?I-I?m sorry, my mind is just?.but I have to?.?
?I understand. You aren?t the master of your own thoughts. Not many people are. I wish Gpop didn?t have this much mana. I wouldn?t mind losing this ability for a while myself.? Satori?s voice came again, a little irritated. ?Anyway, I think you?ll stand to benefit from watching your own dreams for a bit. I think it will help you understand your issues with Alice. Don?t worry, time doesn?t flow in here as it does outside.?
?How would my own dreams solve a problem with Alice?? Mitaka asked, sighing in defeat. He was at Satori?s mercy in here, after all.
?Because you 6 shared the same dream.? Satori said. ?It?s a side-effect of the contract. Mana sharing means you have to open up a part of your soul to each other. The greater your relationship, the more you open up your souls to each other, and the more mana flows between you. As a side-effect, you start to ?synchronize? your thoughts and feelings.?
?You?re saying I feel what they feel?? Mitaka asked, not relishing the thought of experiencing the emotions of 6 different people all at once.
?No, no, not at a conscious level, not yet.? Satori said. ?Your links are too weak for that at the moment. But you?re already connected at a subconscious level. Thus why you share dreams. Now I?ll help you remember your first shared dream?but from now on, I think it?d be best if you try and remember you dreams on your own. They will help you understand your team better?
A blast of hot, dry air blew past them as something roared past them, clattering and clinking. It was a train?which, as abruptly as it had appeared, came to a screeching stop. Mitaka looked down and found that they were on a station platform and a train had just arrived.
?Sukima line train to Gensomkyo arriving on platform 1. Please mind the gap between the train and the platform.? A voice called out. It sounded suspiciously like Suika.
And suddenly they were on the train and it was chugging along on its way.
?We?re going back to Gensokyo?? Mitaka asked.
?No, your minds all went back there last night.? Satori said. ?You all yearn for Gensokyo subconsciously, thus why you returned there in your dreams.?
?What do you mean ?you all??? Mitaka began. ?You mean I wasn?t alone?what???
?Are you me?.?? A voice asked.
Mitaka looked around and noticed Jeremy Nezu sitting on a seat, gazing down at the cracked drill in his hand. He spun the drill around in his hand, watched as the light caught off the surface of the silvery bolt it was attached to.
?Oy, Jeremy?? Mitaka called out. He wasn?t really expecting an answer but it was worth a try. And as he expected, Jeremy didn?t look around but continued on gazing at the drill with a look of a mixed wonder and contempt.
?What on earth is going on here? Why are Jeremy?s thoughts?if they are his?in my dream?? Mitaka looked around at Satori.
?Down here, in the dreamscape, everything, even the deepest thoughts come up to the surface.? Satori said. ?But sometimes they don?t mean it. You know, the mind is random like that sometimes. No many are masters of their own mind. You tend to think things you don?t really mean.?
?More importantly?how can I be looking into other people?s dreams?? Mitaka began.
?You?re not doing so intentionally. But everything was such a mess last night?? Satori yawned. ?Oh, it was terrible. You all kept me up all night long. The contracts were so sloppily done. One contract kept on interfering with another, and you end up getting this tangled mess of noodles of thoughts and minds.?
?So you brought me here just to complain?? Mitaka sighed.
?No, we?ll come to the point in a bit. But let?s observe a little more.? Satori said.
?But you?re so unlike me.? Jeremy continued, as if speaking to his drill. ?I?m not supposed to be the fiery, psychotically rash hero you want me to be. I?m a hikkikomori otaku, a NEET, and I like my peace and quiet. I?m anything but an optimistic fighter. But you give me power?and yet you demand so much of me.? Jeremy seemed to be confronting something personal. ?You won?t allow me to be anything but this hero you want me to be. If I become anything else, fall into depression, think even one pessimistic thought unbecoming of a hero, you will leave me, and they will die?.? Jeremy looked up at the three people sitting opposite him. ??they will die??
Mitaka looked around and found Chen sitting on her knees, looking out the window, her back against Jeremy. Her ears were perked up to attention. Beside her was Ran, holding Chen while pointing out things outside. And Yukari had her eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought.
??I don?t care if I die alone. But I don?t want to drag them with me.? Jeremy said to the drill. ??so this is what they meant when they said, with great power comes great responsibility?.with great power comes these accursed chains??
?AGH! This is not like me! I?m not supposed to be this thoughtful!? Jeremy slumped back against his chair and scratched his head furiously.
?Perhaps it isn?t demanding you to be something you don?t want to be.? Yukari was suddenly sitting next to him.
?Yukari?? Jeremy looked around at her.
?We with power have a lot less freedom, that is true.? Yukari said, nodding at the scenery Chen and Ran were watching. It was Gensokyo, in all its former glory. ?There are things we must protect. There are things that depend on us.? Yukari looked around at Jeremy. ?But that doesn?t mean you have to let it shape you. You and that power you hold are one and the same, after all. And yours is the power to carve new destinies from old. You shape it. Not the other way around. Perhaps it is just demanding that you grow, evolve, though what direction you take is entirely your own freedom.?
?I?.? Jeremy began, but the train suddenly rushed past Mitaka and Satori, rushing off into singularity, leaving them behind in?
??eh?? Jeremy blinked.
?Repel the invaders!? A voice boomed across what looked like a huge command cluster with tiers upon tiers of fairy operators all frantically active at their own computer consoles. Beyond them was a huge holographic screen showing scenes of battle, not unlike the Central Dogma of Evangelion.
??.Amarillo?? Mitaka raised an eyebrow at the figure standing at the very highest tier, hair hidden by a wide straw hat, barking orders to the fairies in the room.
?We?re not letting them take Gensokyo! Not while I?m here!? Amarillo shouted.
This was a little different from what Lily White had described to them this morning when they carried an unconscious Amarillo into the shrine. She was supposed to be a calm and collected soldier. Now she was barking orders for battlefield formations.
?Ma?am, but?there?s no enemy?? Lily White, who was standing beside her as her second-in-command, reported.
?What do you mean?! This is a battlefield! They?ve got to be there!? Amarillo said, as if it was obvious. It was a battlefield, thus there should be enemies on it.
?They?re not. But we?re suffering losses on our side for unknown reasons.? Lily White reported, worriedly.
?Hiding are they?? Amarillo murmured to herself. ?That?s not a warrior?s way! Battles are fought face-to-face!?
?Amarillo is a hardened veteran.? Satori explained. ?She has prior experience of fighting for the Gensokyo she came to love. However, when she first stumbled into Gensokyo, she ended up having to be rescued from the battlefield. It was much later before she acquired the power to fight. She doesn?t want to be like that again. She wants to be there, on the frontlines from the start, defending Gensokyo with tooth and nail. However, this time, it?s not a head-to-head battle on the battlefield. It?s a secret war, fought underhandedly with shadows and agents. Gensokyo crumbled without as much as a resistance. This frustrates Amarillo who?s used to fighting face-to-face with her enemies.? Satori said. ?This command room is a reflection of her wish to battle openly with her enemies.?
?Err...what?s going on here??? Jeremy began.
?Be quiet!? Amarillo snapped. ?Civilians shouldn?t be in here! Go take cover in a shelter!?
And with that, Jeremy disappeared along with his companions.
?Where did?.?? Mitaka began.
?Don?t worry, their dreams were severed here.? Satori said. ?Jeremy?s gone off to dream on his own again or walk in on someone else?s dream. Their dreams just intermingled for a short period of time.?
?What was that all about?? Mitaka asked.
?What bothers Amarillo even more is fighting alongside others, something she has never done before.? Satori said. ?She?s lead armies, yes, but she?s a lone-wolf who scores landslide victories behind enemy lines on her own. A one-of-a-kind prodigy, if you may. She?s had followers and underlings, but never equal comrade-in-arms. Nobody had ever been up to her level before to warrant open cooperation.?
?Tch, we?re in the middle of battle here. If you can?t help then at least don?t be a burden.? Amarillo muttered to herself.
?I see?? Mitaka nodded. The battlefield on the screen seemed to rise up towards them, and suddenly, they were in the thick of battle. There was an obscure army invading a castle. The two watched from the safety of a secluded rampart as waves upon waves of enemies threatened to tear the castle apart.
?OWLBEAR BEAM!? A blinding light scorched the heavens before tearing through the enemy ranks, vapourizing them in a mere instant.
?That?s it! That?s it!? Mai cheered as a man in a huge dark cape roared with laughter at the scrambling enemy troops down below. From up here on the battlements they looked like ants, scurrying about in panic as someone raised a magnifying glass against them.
?I?m a demonlord, after all, a badass freakin? overlord!? Owlbear laughed heartily as, with a single glance, his enemies erupted in flames. ?I am the undisputed demonic overlord of Makai! My powers are unmatched, unequalled!?
?Whoah! Is Owlbear that powerful?!? Mitaka gasped before he could stop himself.
?That is what he wishes to become.? Satori said. ?An overlord who can stand up and fight alongside Shinki. One who can defend Makai with ease and protect his vassals from any harm, great or small. The destruction of Makai weighs heavily upon his heart. If only he had more power, so he thinks. He yearns for power, one fitting of a Makai overlord.?
?Don?t worry, Shinki, I?m here to be a great overlord worthy of your Netherworld!? Owlbear turned and hefted his wife into his arms. But Shinki seemed distraught and was trying to push him away.
?You?re hurting yourself, aren?t you?? Shinki whispered. ?I don?t want to see you hurt. Please?stop this??
?Shinki bears a huge burden, being mother of Makai. She wants to carry that burden alone. She doesn?t want others to have to stain their hands as she has done to save Makai. Owlbear wants to share that burden?or even take it all upon himself if he could. The love they share is an interesting one, for their selflessness clashes with one another.? Satori said.
Slowly the castle fell away from them, or rather, they rose up into the sky, the castle rapidly receding until it was obscured by the smoke and dust of war. They went up, and up, the clamour and fury of war dying away until they had reached a perfect calm, up where the world was a mere bright blue dome below them, with puffs of white floating peacefully over the azure blue. They were so high up the clouds were DOWN.
And nearby there was a high, secluded peak, towering amongst the stars. And atop it?
?Kojiro?? Mitaka?s eyes twitched. He knew the man had ideas of grandeur?but this?
The samurai stood, feet apart, the tip of his katana?s scabbard planted into the rock, as he surveyed the world. As Mitaka came close, he noticed there was a sad look in his eye, a look of longing?but at the same time, he stood resolute, unyielding.
??nothing much is happening with this one.? Mitaka said. ?Explanations??
?You don?t have an eye for imagery, do you?? Satori sighed.
?No, I don?t. I?m simple like that.? Mitaka shrugged.
?And proud of it.? Satori added. ?Well, notice that he?s secluded, having removed himself from the rest of the world.?
?Yes?.?? Mitaka gestured for her to go on.
?Kojiro wishes for a peaceful life with those he loves. However, he always lives in fear, fear that those he loves may get taken away from him, again, and again, just like his family had. His life is always caught up in one disaster or another that inadvertently harms his loved ones Thus he?s afraid of attachments of love and thus the peaceful life he yearns forever eludes him.? Satori said. ?Even when he does find something or someone he loves, he fears for them, and the fear of losing them eats away at him like a canker. Thus he has chosen to remove himself from others.?
?Doesn?t? look that way to me.? Mitaka said. ?He looked like a jolly friendly chap.?
?Oh yes, you of all people should know how easy it is to hide your true self.? Satori said, pointing over at the small outcrop of rock rising behind Kojiro. ?He?s friendly, but he keeps his distance, holding people away at arms-length.?
?He subconsciously keeps Remilia at bay, you see.? They floated around the outcrop to find Remilia sitting, hugging her knees on the other side, her back against the outcrop. ?He?s too pessimistic to imagine a life loving another. But it?s not like he has to try to keep her away. Remilia?s doing a good job of it on her own.?
Mitaka floats over and notices that there were claw marks on the ground and stone around Remilia.
?Remilia is still fighting over her mixed feelings.? Satori said. ?She harbours feelings for Kojiro, but is afraid of said feelings. She wants to stay where she is, but she also wants to pierce the wall in Kojiro?s heart. Thus why?s digging herself into the ground while trying to scratch through the wall.?
??.ok, interesting metaphor.? Mitaka sighed, a little impatiently. ?Is there a point to this??
?Wait for it.?
Something flashed in the field of stars above them. And then something came descending fast towards the earth below, something shining a dull, blackish bloody red, something deadly-looking.
?WHAT THE??!? Mitaka gasped, as another small patch of light, one that was whitish pink, rose up from the earth and stood before the incoming invader, as if shielding the earth.
?NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!? A high-pitched voice, laden with sadness and pain, roared over the mind-numbing explosion of the impact as the two patches of light collided. ?YOU WILL NOT HARM THEM! YOU WILL NOT TOUCH THEM!?
?Let?s not get too close.? Satori said. ?But what do you see??
?Flandre.? Mitaka screwed up his eyes enough to make out the girl. ??.two Flandres, fighting each other. One dark, one bright.? Just as he finished saying that, the bright Flandre crushes the dark one with her Laevatein, pulverizing her in one fiery, messy strike.
?Flandre has the power of destruction. However, that power not only destroys anything physical, it destroys anything spiritual as well. She destroys her own body again and again, but being a vampire, she can regenerate that easily. However, her mind, unlike her body, can?t take the abuse of being destroyed again and again. Slowly, she crumbles, and shatters, her mind slipping into fractured insanity, consumed by her urge to destroy.? Satori explained.
?She was defending the earth just now.? Mitaka said.
?No, she wasn?t.? Satori said. ?She was defending three people. Not the entire world, but three people.?
?Who?? Mitaka raised an eyebrow.
?Well, there?s Marisa, and her beloved sister, off course?.? Satori began.
The bright Flandre, singed and severely wounded, floated limply above the earth, as if in too much pain to move.
?Should we help her?? Mitaka asked.
?This is a memory of a dream.? Satori said. ?Don?t be silly.?
?And the third person?? Mitaka asked, but Flandre answered for him.
?ZEI-NIISAN!? Flandre shouted at the top of her shaky voice. Mitaka sensed that she must?ve been in great pain, but she still managed to shout like that. ?ZEI-NIISAN! I CAN FIGHT HER! I CAN WIN! I CAN STOP HER DESTROYING THINGS! I CAN STOP HER KILLING PEOPLE! ZEI-NIISAN! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?
??she does it for Zei?? Mitaka asked.
?Zei is like an anchor to Flandre now, the only thing tethering her to her sanity. To her Zei is the one real thing in her life, something that won?t be destroyed no matter what.? Satori said, before pointing down at the earth where Zei presumably was, far removed from where Flandre is now, probably oblivious to what Flandre has just done. ?But Zei doesn?t realize that. Zei still doesn?t understand why Flandre calls him ?Onii-san?, why she runs around after him, eager for his approval, for his affection. But Zei is too far removed from Flandre?s internal struggle. He doesn?t understand what Flandre is going through. He doesn?t know what he means to Flandre, even going as far as asking ?why do you keep calling me Zei-niisan? Why don?t you treat me like the other things you destroy??
?She is locked in an internal struggle with her destructive self, her insanity. She needs something real to hold onto, to fight for, and to her that is Zei.? Satori said.
?Why are you telling me all this?? Anger suddenly welled up again within Mitaka. ?Why do I need to see all this? This is private!?
?These were in your own dreams.? Satori shrugged. ?If you had remembered them, you would know anyway. Besides, I?ll be reminding everyone else of their dream last night. The more you understand each other, the better you can overcome your shortcomings and cooperate.?
They seemed to float higher and higher, as if leaving the earth. Soon they were on the moon, watching the earth rise up over the moon?s horizon.
?That?s unexpected.? Mitaka said. If he hadn?t known this was a dream, he would have choked from what he was seeing?.well, if this wasn?t a dream, he would be choking for air right about now, but that was being pedantic.
There, under the earth, supporting its weight, was a frail-looking bespectacled boy. He was staggering underneath its immense weight, probably not unlike the great Atlas of legend, but he seemed to be toiling and suffering at the same time.
?That?s that boy, Yoh, I think.? Mitaka said. ?The boy we found with us yesterday in the shrine.? He remembered back to their chance meeting when Yoh literally dropped in on them with Meira, having narrowly survived Gensokyo?s destruction as well. ?I don?t know him that well yet.?
?I haven?t even spoken to him.? Satori said. ?But he dreamt along with you all last night and shared in it as well.?
?He carries the whole world on his back?? Mitaka asked. ??metaphorically, off course?? He added, noticing Satori?s incredulous expression at Mitaka?s utter simplicity.
?Yes, you of all people should understand the wish to help anyone and everyone.? Satori said.
?But?I don?t think I try to carry the whole world?? Mitaka said.
?No, you don?t, and that?s what sets you two apart.? Satori said. ?Yoh?s altruism is different from yours in that he tries to please everyone, and I mean everyone. He craves attention, subconsciously, and he believes he can achieve it by being nice to everyone. But his kindness and compassion is taken advantage of by everyone else. The whole world dumps their burdens on him and yet he takes it all.?
?Boy, back straight! Head up! Come on, chin forwards!? Meira was pacing around him, smacking him in places with her sword scabbard to straighten him up.
?Even his relationship with Meira is more of one between flunky and bully.? Satori said. ?But Meira does care for the boy. She just chooses to express it by ?straightening? him out, as it were.?
?There is no ?I?, there is no ?me?! Reisen tried! Oh, she did!? A loud, booming voice exploded across the lunar sea of dust. Mitaka and Satori looked around to find Jalal McWallace running across the dust, wearing the American flag the astronauts had left behind as a kilt. ?But there is no insanity for the insane! Lies upon lies! Oh, the stark, raving sanity of immortality is insanity in itself! William Wallace thought he had it hard. But he?s dead! At peace in his grave! EIRIN! TASUKETE EIRIN! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!? He leapt inside the lander module of the Eagle and disappeared.
??.what on earth??!? Mitaka blinked.
?Jalal! Wait!? Another figure ran past them after the first. ?Don?t leave me behind! It was my fault! The hourai elixir?.? It was Eirin.
??.was that?the highlander person?? Mitaka asked. ?Did he eat something funny??
?He drank something funny.? Satori said. ?The Hourai elixir.?
??.oh?? Mitaka suddenly understood. He didn?t need Satori to explain this. It was common knowledge that immortality wasn?t for mortals, that?s just common sense. Immortality is far too great a concept for a mortal mind to wrap itself around. As a result, the mind would break and shatter under the weight of immortality.
?Wow, and that?s the lunar lander!? Another voice brought their attention to two girls who were strolling across the moon?s surface as if it was a theme park. ??why is it shaking violently?? Renko asked, raising an eyebrow. ?And where?s the American flag? Wait?don?t I know someone from the United states??
?ummm?.does your star GPS system work here?? Sanasan asked, changing the topic abruptly.
?I dunno.? Renko said. ?Some of the constellations look familiar but?wait?wait?constellations?kittens?cotton balls?.borders?wait, borders?? Renko?s mind shifted gears in a way rather difficult to image. ?Borders?I feel like I forgot something?or someone??
?Hey, hey, why aren?t there any rabbits?!? Sanasan gasped, changing the topic once more.
?What?s up with those two?? Mitaka asked.
?Renko is best friends with Maribel. Sanasan was a more recent addition to their circle of friends, and, coupled with the fact that she?s rather shy and reserved, she feels a bit like the third-wheel in the relationship. Deep down inside she yearns for time alone with her friends so that she may become more than just a third-wheel.? Satori said. ?That?s why they?re up here, far removed from where Maribel is on earth.?
(that was completely speculative. Nothing in Sanasan?s profile or posts suggest this is so)
?But Maribel isn?t here, right?? Mitaka asked, racking his memories on Touhou lore. ?I mean, why should it matter now??
?Which is why this bothers Sanasan deep down. She feels guilty for feeling that way. Thus why she?s offered to accompany Renko to visit Maribel today.? Satori said.
?Right.? Mitaka said. ?Well?.doesn?t look that serious.?
?It can be.? Satori said. ?Especially as Renko?s link to Gensokyo is so strong that she now relies on an external mana supply as well?Sanasan?s in fact. If Sanasan?s guilt gets in the way, Renko might suffer for it.?
Now there was a bridge between the moon and the earth. They walked up to it and found Parsee standing at one end. Interestingly they could see far enough to see the lone figure standing in the middle, Hiroko, who seemed to be flailing her arms, calling out for Parsee.
?Parsee!? Hiroko cried after Parsee. ?I-Iku!? She turned to the other side of the bridge and called out to Iku?who was an infinitely small dot on the surface of the earth, but still strangely visible. Neither moved towards her, waiting for her to make the choice. But the conditions of the contract meant that moving towards one would leave the other without a mana supply.
?Hiroko is in a dilemma.? Satori explained. ?Parsee is inherently jealous of everything. She lacks self esteem and confidence, always feeling inferior to everyone. But Hiroko had reached out to her. Hiroko had cared for her, told her that she was a precious friend to her. Parsee, who has never been acknowledged by others, always ignored by all the people crossing her bridge, who has never felt any sense of self-worth, suddenly felt like she meant something to someone. She cherishes that feeling and loves Hiroko for it. But as a result she became possessive of Hiroko, coveting all her attention. She doesn?t want to share it, share Hiroko?s love, especially not with the likes of Iku. Iku is indifferent, a little laid-back, not caring much about anything. She wouldn?t care if she somehow disappeared either. But Hiroko, being the caring person she is, won?t allow that. She?ll follow Iku around if she needed to, to keep her alive, unaware that was she?s doing is hurting Parsee. And Parsee hates Iku for it, that Iku could so easily win Hiroko?s attention when she strives so hard to be apple of her eye.?
?Uhuh?? Mitaka nodded. ?If the problem was so obvious, all they need to do is just sit down and talk it out properly, right??
?If only it was that simple.? Satori said. ?Some things always remain unsaid, and these become the root of grave misunderstandings, some powerful enough to destroy bonds of friendship and love.?
?Shall we?? Satori asked. And together they crossed the bridge, solemnly passing a frantic Hiroko, before finding themselves back on earth?Gensokyo?s.
Now they found themselves in the heat of battle once more in a desolate land, filled with the smoke and dust of war and the sound of explosive warfare.
?All tanks rush forwards!? a voice roared from a nearby tank. ?The power of technology shall overcome all!?
??.mind explaining that one?? Mitaka asked, pointing down at the tank commander, Thirty-Four, who was marshalling a huge battalion of tanks atop a high ridge.
??.not too sure about that one, actually?? Satori smiled uneasily. ?He?s put all his trust in his tank and his technology, deciding not to trust anyone else. He sleeps hugging his machine gun at night. He lives in his tank, thinking it offers him better protection than his friends.?
?But the tank?s don?t stand a chance. We need to repair the?? Rika?s voice came from within the tank.
?I trust in my tank!? ThirtyFour shouted. ?You should too!?
?You trust a tank more than me?!? Rika shouted back.
?Alex!? A worried female voice carried across the battlefield as a man came striding out of the smoke, his face locked in an expression of grim resolution.
?Lily! I told you to stay behind with the girls!? Alex snapped at her. ?The battlefield is no place for women!?
?But Alex! You?re weakened! The contract must be draining you! And that Yagi has the sacred scrolls! You won?t??
?Please!? Alex shouted, turning to face Lily. ?If anything happens to you?if Yagi gets you?then I?ll be truly weakened. As long as you?re safe, I can fight. But if you?re in danger like this, I??
?ALEX!? A voice, cackling like a madman, found Alex?s ears. Alex turned in horror to find his former comrade, now his nemesis, standing amidst a cloud of dust and smoke. Behind him, obscured by more smoke, was the figure of someone with a parasol.
?Alex, no! You can?t fight! Not against him! He?ll kill you!? Lily shouted, baring Alex?s advance while shielding him from Yagi. ?You wont? get him! Not as long as I?m alive!?
?Foolish girl!? Yagi laughed. ?As long as you?re alive, he?s ripe for the picking! As long as you?re alive, there is one weakness I can use.?
Horror dawned on Alex and Lily?s faces as Yagi threw his head back and let out one long drawl of laughter.
?Alex used to be alone. When alone, he is strong, devoid of any weaknesses.? Satori said. ?But now that Lily and the girls are with him, he must fight to protect, something he has never done before. His love becomes his weakness.?
?Alex! Don?t!? Lily cried.
?Lily Black feels, deep down, that she is a burden on Alex, that their contract weakens him. But now she is also a weakness, something the enemy can exploit to destroy Alex. She wants to be strong to protect Alex, but by walking out onto the battlefield she puts both herself and Alex at risk.?
A great cloud of smoke and dust washed over them before leaving them in a new location. It was raining. A cold mist stuck to them like tendrils of the dead. They stepped together through the mist, feet falling and splashing on wet stone, until they came across a warm patch of light.
It was a window, rather ornate. Gpop and Koishi?s voice were muffled by the thick pain of glass but they seemed to be enjoying themselves by a warm, cozy fire, snuggling close together in a comfortable couch.
Standing outside the window, looking in longingly, was Merlin, drenched and wet, shivering in the cold, but still resolute on watching Gpop.
?I assume she?s jealous?? Mitaka asked.
?Got it in one.? Satori said. ?But it?s more than that. Team Freud revolves around Koishi and Gpop. As a result, Sanae and Merlin feel left out.?
?Where?s Sanae then?? Mitaka asked.
?Currently in Myon and Suwako?s dream.? Satori replied.
?And that?s Kogasa?? Mitaka asked, pointing at another window further down. Kogasa was standing underneath a torn and ripped umbrella which offered her no protection from the pelting rain. She too was looking forlorn, watching Sho and Yuyuko inside.
?So she?s feeling left out too?? Mitaka asked.
?A little more complex than that.? Satori said. ?Sho looks upon Kogasa as a little sister, but she still feels left out of the Saigyouji group. She is a tsukumogammi who was once a thrown away umbrella, after all. She?s prone to feelings of inferiority and uselessness. She fears that if she wasn?t useful enough, people would throw her away. The fact that she?s stuck in umbrella form at the moment doesn?t improve matters.?
??.right.? Mitaka sighed, nodding. ?I thought it was tough for the beast youkai?but the tsukumogami have it harder, don?t they??
The mist grew thicker, almost choking them. Now they were in what looked like a misty graveyard. Rain continued on falling, fittingly.
?Man?if everyone else?s was that bad, what about mine?? Mitaka asked, worriedly. ?With Alice like that?.did I fight with her in my dream??
?Yes, but it was nothing like the fight you had in real life.? Satori said. ?Problems in the subconscious carry over into real life, but in small, subtle ways. However, their repercussions can at times be major.?
??in fact, this one is yours.? Satori added, nodding at the lone girl standing by a set of graves.
?Alice?? Mitaka stepped up to her. ??.but she can?t hear me.?
?Just watch, will you?? Satori said, impatiently.
?Where are the others?? Mitaka asked, looking around for more figures hidden in the mist.
?Here.? Satori said, nodding at what Alice was looking at.
Five tombstones stood, bearing the names of each of the members of team FUBAR. All except for Alice, miserable, wet Alice, who was dressed in black interlaced with chains that tethered her to the five tombstones.
?This graveyard contains the bodies of everyone who ?died? in Gensokyo the day it collapsed.? Satori said.
?But?nobody died, right?? Mitaka was suddenly shaking. ?They?ll all be restored, right? Yukari said?Yukari said?otherwise I wouldn?t have?.?
?Yes, yes, they didn?t ?die? in that sense. But as far as Alice is concerned, they?re as good as dead.? Satori explained. ?The mere fact that she survived and nobody else did makes it so. She is more alive than them, thus they are dead to her.?
?That?s utterly screwed up logic.? Mitaka muttered. ?If we?re sharing the dream, why are the rest of us dead? She knows we survived, right??
?Because Alice?s feelings are strongest at the moment, overpowering all other concerns of the team.? Satori said. ?Thus why the rest of you became as she projected, you?re all dead under those tombstones.?
?This was all your fault.? Alice muttered in the direction of Mitaka?s grave. ?You shouldn?t have taken all of us. You should have left me behind.? She gestured at her chains. ?I was a burden. A burden that dragged you all to your graves!?
?Can?t you all be more grateful?! I was prepared to die for all of you! I was prepared to give my life just to give you a few extra hours!? A voice echoed across the graveyard. Mitaka almost leapt. The voice was coming from his own tombstone. A stone face in his own likeness was protruding from the stone, the epitaph scored across its forehead.
?I?m grateful, Mitaka! But look what happened! You?ve all died!? Alice cried desperately. ?Just let me go?for their sake. I don?t want to be a burden! I don?t want to hold you all back!?
?Shut up! SHUT UP!? Mitaka?s head boomed as if ignoring Alice. ?Do you know how much I gave up for you?! I was so weak a 4th grader could?ve pushed me over! Do you know what they called us?! We were team FUBAR! Do you know what stands for?! I was one of the team?s weakest! So stop whining! I never wanted to be this way! Heck, if I had a choice, I want to be like that Kojiro guy, or maybe that Owlbear person! They don?t? seem to be bothered by 4 or 5 contracts. Noooo.?
?It?s not fair! I?m still alive. You?re making me live on! You?re forcing me to continue surviving while everyone else is dead and gone! How is that fair?!? Alice cried. ?Hourai?Shanghai?.everyone else?? Alice broke down into sobs.
?I don?t?.get this conversation?.? The real world Mitaka muttered over to Satori.
?Neither do I. Now do you know what I go through? If you people don?t understand your own thoughts, how can I?? Satori sighs. ?And I can?t block them. It gives me a headache.?
?It?s not fair to Reimu and Marisa!? Alice shouted hotly, choking back tears. ?I?m a deadweight! As I am now I can?t do more than throw my grimmoire at people! Without me you?d all have more mana between you!? Alice shook her chains violently, before finally falling in defeat. ?Stop hurting yourself for me?I don?t deserve it?they deserve it more? She whispered.
?And that is you.? Satori nodded. ?Not listening, not caring, wrapped up in your own selfless self-sacrifice, but forgetting that you?re hurting others in the process. You don?t want to hear that what you did was wrong. You just want others to accept it as you have. To soldier on like you are. You selfishly think it?s ?right?, you selfishly think it?s the ?saintly? thing to do.?
?But?? Mitaka began to retort, but words failed him. He knew it, deep down inside, that Satori was right.
?You want to be the hero.? Satori said. ?You want to save everyone and everything. Because you love them. But also because you want to avoid the guilt, the weight of not having saved them, of living on when others had died.?
?Alice can?t handle that. She can?t handle living on on the sacrifice of others. She can?t handle living on when an entire realm just died. It?s typical survivor syndrome.? Satori explained.
Slowly everything faded into darkness. Satori remained quiet, allowing Mitaka time to gather himself. He was shaking, trying to manage his thoughts and feelings, but failing.
"Everyone has an ugly side." Satori said, soothingly. "You have to face that. It's not your fault. You do a good job hiding the fact, and that in itself is a form of courage, to be able to go against yourself."
?What?what should I do??? He finally managed, choking down something awful.
?Your synchronization with her is currently the worst, partly because you fail to understand her, partly because she rejects you, and partly because she rejects herself, her own existence. She?s probably in most danger from dying amongst your group, even if you do find her now.? Satori said.
?What should I do now?? Mitaka echoed his question. Flashes of light attracted his attention. He looked up and found what looked like a scoreboard.
?Something I and Amarillo came up with earlier.? Satori said. ?Your current link sync rates. Use this as a guide on where to focus your attention.?
SYNCHRONIZATION STATUS
REIMU HAKUREI ? 6.2%
Mitaka?s heart dropped. If Reimu?s sync rate was that low, how were the others?
RUUKOTO HAKUREI ? 5.4%
SUIKA IBUKI ? 4.3%
MARISA KIRISAME ? 3.8%
Mitaka gulped. If Marisa, the most optimistic of the group, was there, then Alice would be?.
ALICE MARGATROID ? 0.2%
Terrible. Just terrible.
?Don?t feel too disheartened.? Satori said. ?100% would mean a complete merge of souls together. At least, in theory. I don?t think I?ve ever seen that before. 20% is typical for your average married couple. Identical twins can manage up to 30%. That?s when you start to think, speak, and act alike. With them you?re just a little short of being best friends?well, with the exception of Alice.?
?Alice is blaming herself for everything. She thinks she?s just another burden on your team. She believes that if she disappeared, Reimu and Marisa would have more mana between themselves.? Satori said. ?Now go after her. She?s in the park by the department store, currently wretching in the girls bathroom in the middle of the park.?
?Got it.? Mitaka said.
?Oh, and Mitaka?? Satori added. ?Whenever you want to dive in again, just go to sleep, or visit me or Amarillo. We can set up a dive anytime.?
?Right.? Mitaka felt he won?t be in a hurry to experience that again. But still, it might prove useful in the future.
