Author Topic: One Week Mystery  (Read 5586 times)

Nekomata-chan

One Week Mystery
« on: October 26, 2011, 04:53:53 PM »
A/N: This is my first fanfic, and not a good one, so please diss where dissing is due.  :derp:


Chapter 1 - The Challenge Begins


   The doors ajar, Marisa peered into Patchy's library. The dawn was still in it's youth, and the magician was doubtful that her librarian friend was even awake. Even in the bright light of the Gensokyo sun, the library was hazy and dusty. Regardless, she waltzed in with breathtaking impertinence. Met instantly by a smog of dust, Marisa looked around for Patchouli. No sign of her. Koakuma was there, despite this. Marisa glanced to her.
   "Something up, ze?" she asked, out of habit. Marisa wasn't one for manners, but she was one of curiosity.
   "Oh, Marisa, thank you for coming so early!! It's Miss Patchouli!!" Koakuma babbled. Her attitude was not usual to her, and Marisa had to grip her shoulders and shake her gently to snap her out of her vicious cycle of panic.
   "What about Patchouli?" smirked Marisa. Maybe Patchouli's going to fire her, she thought, it'll been funny to watch.
   "She's gone!!" Koakuma burst into tears, crying into the reluctant shoulder of the Ordinary Magician. Prising the little winged librarian off of her now saturated shirt, Marisa bent a little to reach her eye level and stared her dead in the eye.
   "What do you mean by 'gone', Koakuma?" her usual face of confidence and jokes had dissolved into that of a concerned comrade. Patchouli was way too frail to randomly leave without anyone knowing where she was going, and everyone knew this all too well.
   "There was this note, Kirisame-san." Koakuma held up an old piece of paper, one that had been hastily torn from a book and scrawled on. Marisa ripped it from Koakuma's fingers and turned away.
   "Thanks, and call me Marisa." the magician then fell into silence, her lips occasionally murmuring the words on the note.
Welcome to the One Week Conundrum.
As you know, your One Week Magician is missing.
You have one week.
That is how long Miss Patchouli here will last.
Tomorrow is when you must start.
Any earlier and your one week will be up before it starts.
Your riddle is as follows:
The flower-studded sake dish on Mt. Ooe.
That is where your next clue lies, contender.
   Marisa began to shudder. She knew all to well where this was headed. It had only been a few years ago in which Patchouli had assisted Marisa in the entire subterranean case. They had met an oni, one that seemed to be friends with Suika, named Yuugi Hoshiguma. Her sake dish had flowers on it, and Mt. Ooe had something to do with one of her spellcards. Marisa grinned and juggled her mini-hakkero with confidence.
   "This is all way too easy, Koakuma! I'll bring back Patchouli before you can even bat your wings!!" overcome with excitement, Marisa could barely sit still. Unused to figures of speeches, Koakuma batted her wings experimentally, then began to glance around for any hint of sight of Patchouli. None. She frowned and went to glance back to Marisa, only to find a Marisa-shaped hole in the door, and a sudden rush of wind.
   "Oh... good luck... Marisa." she whispered to herself.
*****
   "Reimu! Rei~mu! ZE!" sang Marisa, leaping off her broom and giving a small skip to stop in front of a heavily inebriated miko. Reimu looked up, her brown eyes bottomless with the sheer volume of alcohol she had consumed.
   "Yeeeees? Whaaat do you waaaaant, Mariiiiisa~? That's a cool naaame! *hic* You can say MAH-ree-SAH, or ma-REEEEEEE-sar... or marry-SARRRRR, or, or, or, ma-ri-sssssssssssss~a!" her voice cracked, and Marisa smirked at the fact all of her pronunciations sounded exactly the same. Hooray for me and my simple name, she thought.
   "Anyway, Reimu, I'll be gone for a week or so, think you can kee-" Marisa was interrupted by a drunken hug from the miko. Suika had obviously paid a visit. Reimu hugged Marisa, her weak legs making it so her cheek was embedded in the magician's stomach. Marisa patted her head, looking away with an embarrassed flush to her face.
   "I~ love youuuu*hic*, Marisa~... you always.. *hic*... came with me on my... my yuck-key ex-derp-min-ations...*hic*!" the miko hiccuped and slurred, looking up at Marisa.
   "Don't you mean "youkai exterminations", ze?" Marisa never thought she'd see the day. Correcting Reimu Hakurei herself, a girl known for wanting perfection. Ah, well.
   "Yeah!! Oh... you're sooooo smort, Marisa~!"
   "I think you mean "smart"."
   "Oh, loooook at miss biiiiig boots, just 'cos you're smoort, and it iiiis SMORT, youu thiiink you aaare sooooo speeeecial, don't youuu, uh-zeeeeeeee?!" Marisa prised Reimu off of her, forcing the miko to turn away and into her half-drunk bitterness. This was a side she knew only too well when Reimu got drunk.
   "Never mind. See you around." the magician smirked. She was unable to take anymore of Reimu's drunken antics without crying from laughter. She pulled her broom under her legs, going side-saddle for a while, and decided to fly home. Maybe Alice would keep her house in order and stop youkai borrowing her 'borrowed' stuff.
*****[/center
   "Oh, Marisa, how are you?" Alice flew over to Marisa's side, as they flew over the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Marisa smiled, and Alice swooped closer to their faces were on the same level.
   "Pretty good, on a mission, ze!" nodding, Marisa skidded forward on her broom and invited Alice on. Alice delicately sat down, holding onto Marisa's shoulder for balance.
   "A mission? Oh, off to borrow more stuff from Patchouli, are you?" Alice sneered. Marisa borrows so much from Patchouli, she thought, that Patchouli has to hate her a little for it, right? That'll give me some extra space to make Marisa mine!! Alice looked at Marisa, raising an eyebrow as Marisa's eyes dimmed a little.
   "You could say that, I guess, ze. Alice, I need you to do me a big favour, okay, ze?" Marisa looked over her shoulder, a look of almost desperation in those mesmerising golden eyes, as Alice would describe them. Alice went a little hot under the collar, forcing her to look down and watch the occasional youkai pass underneath them.
   "S-sure... anything for you, Marisa." Alice stuttered, and began to flush a deep crimson.
   "I'm gonna be gone for about a week, probably more, and I need you to look after my house. Don't let no youkai come in an' start borrowin' my hard-earned borrowed stuff, yeah?" Marisa smiled, and lowered down to in front of Alice's house. Alice leapt off first, and Marisa turned to face her.
   "Marisa.. why? Where are you going?!" she began to panic. Marisa never usually went anywhere that made her feel this way about it, especially this serious.
   "Patchouli's missing, Alice, and I've got this note telling me where to go to find her, okay? She's a sick girl, Alice, I can't let her get into anything that may cause her serious injury or even DEATH, ze!!" Alice began to go red with fury. Marisa cared this much about one little magician that could beat anyone up with the vast amount of books she has. She ought to invest in a broom or let that maid Sakuya clean her library, it was so dusty. And she ought to start eating some vegetables.
   "W-what? You want to go look for her?!" despite not wanting to annoy Marisa and ruin her chances with her, Alice said this anyway.
   "Alice. Really? You think she's a contender for you?" Marisa burst out laughing, only making Alice more distraught.
   "B-but, Marisa, you don't... like this Patchouli girl, do you? And by like I mean... proper like like!" Alice began to display the same frantic attitude as Koakuma this morning.
   "Not as much as I care for you, Alice, ze. Patchouli's good, but a bit quiet, ze, but she never objects to letting me borrow some books!" Marisa smiled and held out her hand. "So, you'll promise you'll look after my house? I'm setting out tomorrow, so I'll give you a quick knock on your door and the keys to my house when I go, okay?" Marisa twitched her hand, spurring Alice to shake it to seal the deal. Alice looked at her hand, then up to Marisa's confident gaze. Locking her hand with Marisa's they shook hands and smiled. Marisa placed her hands on her hips and let out that trademark grin.
   "I promise, Marisa. Now, you go home and get yourself sorted. If you're gone for a week, you best take food, a blanket, some water, and not to mention an armful of spellcards-"
   "Bye, Alice!!" Marisa's distant voice let Alice know that she had already taken off to return to her own house. Alice sighed, retreated into her own house, and began to silently pray for her friend's safety.
*****
   That night, curled up under her duvet and about half a ton of clutter, Marisa began to worry about Patchouli. This girl, despite being strong, was frail as a toy in the hands of Flandre. Sighing, she turned over and was met by a picture of her and Alice. Resting her fingers on the picture frame, Marisa lowered it. It felt as if Alice was watching her from the picture, and she began to feel guilty for wanting to help Patchouli.
   "Goodnight, Alice. Goodnight, Patchy. Stay safe for me." whispering useless words to herself, Marisa drifted into a deep, revitalising sleep.

A/N: This chapter is one of many. As you can guess, I will be uploading a one-day chapter every day. Why does Marisa have to look for Yuugi's flower-studded sake dish? What does it have to do with Patchouli? Why will it take her one week? The most important question: where is Patchouli? Stay tuned!
« Last Edit: October 27, 2011, 10:10:13 PM by Chenorin The Kashamata »

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2011, 03:29:06 PM »
A/N: Day one of the One Week Mystery, but where will Marisa be sent next? I don't know and neither do you.


Chapter 2 - Day 1 - Flower Studded Sake Dish


   Jolted awake by her nightmares, Marisa awoke to find her bed a mess, with her duvet sprawled out on the opposite side of the room. She sat up slowly and attempted to remember her latest day. Looking to her beside table, Marisa noticed the note telling her about Patchy's disappearance. She clawed it into her half-asleep hand, keeping it close to her.
   "Patchy... hang in there." she whispered to herself, and stood up. She was met immediately by stepping on her mini-hakkero, causing her to scream out in pain and irritation. Prising the mini-hakkero from under her foot, Marisa quickly looked to her clothes and hat in a dishevelled pile in the corner, behind about a ton of nonsense.
   "You're kidding me, ze." she groaned, and kicked the mess out of the way to retrieve her outfit. Marisa pulled it over her head and smoothed it down as best she could, before pulling her hat down over her scruffy bedhead. The mess she had kicked out of the way had blocked the door, and she was too tired to kick it again. Pulling her socks and shoes on, she pointed her mini-hakkero at the clutter.
   "Master Spaaaaark~!" she sang to herself. Within seconds, the unkempt rabble of items and her door were nearly evaporated in the sheer heat. Stepping out with a triumphant smile, she looked over at Alice who was disturbed by the Master Spark.
   "Marisa... ever heard of organization?" she asked, one eye drooping with her tiredness.
   "Not really, no, ze." the magician joked, looking up at the sun to determine the time. The sun that wasn't there.
   "You do know that it's about 5 in the morning?" Alice groaned, smoothing down her pyjamas. Marisa looked at them as she did. They were a light cyan and they had hand-embroidered Shanghai dolls on them. Her shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and her pyjama trousers were a little too long for her.
   "No, I don't. If I turn up to Yuugi early, she may not even have a hangover and be easy to talk to, ze!!" Marisa exclaimed, picking up her broom that she left there yesterday.
   "Yuugi's an oni. If she can help it, she probably won't even stop drinking long enough to get a hangover. Anyway, you have to get past Kisume, Yamame and Parsee. They won't be happy to be disturbed, especially Parsee."
   "Who?"
   "Parsee Mizuhashi?"
   "Who?"
   "Jealous youkai?" Alice was getting impatient, frowning faintly.
   "Oh~! Why didn't you say it was Parsee in the first place?" Marisa laughed, the braid at the side of her head was already coming out of it's bow. Alice laughed a little, looking away to disguise herself.
   "Well... stay safe, okay? Don't get all... you know... over-excited, and don't kill anyone." Alice walked a little closer, about to hug Marisa. She pulled away at the last moment, acting as if she was just stretching. Marisa shrugged and leapt on her broom.
   "No promises, Aliiice~!" she shouted as she flew into the air at top speed. Maybe Parsee, Kisume or Yamame had an idea why Marisa had to find Yuugi's sake dish?
*****
   "Yamame!! Yamame!!" Marisa shouted. This tunnel was extremely windy, and her voice didn't carry far. Yamame was in a dip in the wall, Kisume sleeping at her feet. The weary girl opened her eyes as Marisa pulled into the small crevasse.
   "Oh, it's...?" she murmured, causing Kisume to wake up.
   "It's Marisa, Yamame-sama! It's Marisa Kiriyamame!" the little bucket girl shrieked in delight. Marisa giggled at her hopeless attempt to remember her name.
   "Kirisame, actually, ze, and I came to ask you something." Yamame nudged Kisume's rocking bucket, causing the little teal-haired loli to retreat in apology.
   "Ask away. We've been asleep all the time, so we missed the party." Yamame sighed, and she stretched her arms past her choppy blonde hair.
   "Have you seen Yuugi lately? Tall, got big breasts, horn sticking out of her head. She's blonde, wears a white shirt and a long skirt? Know her?" Marisa tried to put in as much detail as she could, in case the half-asleep spider-girl didn't remember anything. She stood up and lifted Kisume's bucket to rest the handle in the crook of her elbow.
   "'Course. She was complaining about this dumb note attached to her sake dish that she couldn't get off. You could try helping her with that, Marisa?" Marisa's eyes were dim from sleep, but they lit up at Yamame's words.
   "Yes!! Yes I will help her with that!! Where is she?" her hair bobbing in the excitement, the magician nearly fell backwards out of the crevasse and into the harsh wind. Finally, she thought, I'm coming to get you, Patchouli!!
   "Yamame! Yamame! Yamame Kurodani?" a sweet, twinkly voice called out from deeper in the tunnel. When the girl skipped closer, Marisa saw it was none other than Parsee Mizuhashi, the bridge princess.
   "Oh hey, Parsee-Pars. Seen Yuugi-Hoshi-Washy anywhere near ya'?" Kisume asked. Marisa raised her eyebrow at the bucket loli's fascination with making nicknames for people. Being in a bucket all day must be lonely, though Marisa, so that must be the only thing she does for entertainment. Shrugging, she looked at Parsee. The girl's green eyes were a little bored, and seeing Yamame and Kisume so close to each other made her cringe a little. Jealousy was common in her, but today she seemed good at holding it back.
   "Yeah, she'll be coming soon, when she figures out how to get that note off of her sake-dish. She's spent all night on it, she's going sober. Poor girl." Parsee shrugged, and looked to Marisa who was a little jumpy.
   "Kirisame here says she can get the note off the dish." Yamame grinned at her own skills of finding someone to help. Her and Parsee had made a competition to get someone to get the note off first, and the person who found the one that could do so would have the other person's spellcards.
   "Marisa? Oh, come with me, Yuugi will be so pleased I found someone.." Parsee sneered at Yamame, her eyes glowing a certain brightness that made both Kisume and Parsee shiver.
   "Sure. See you around, Yamame, see you around, Kisume, ze!" Marisa called. Parsee took her hand and led her further into the tunnel, keen to get Yamame's spellcards for herself.
   "You really aren't giving up your spellcards to Sparsee, are you?" Kisume looked up to Yamame, who shrugged.
   "Not easily, anyway." the spider-girl smirked.
*****
   "Ugh... why won't this come off? How can one piece of paper stick so hard to a dish?! How did this get here anyway?! Grrr!!" Yuugi growled to herself, furiously scratching at her sake dish with all the anger of a raging bull. She didn't even look up as Parsee and Marisa landed before her. Marisa raised an eyebrow at the oni's anger, and was ready to peg it. Parsee shrugged and patted Yuugi's shoulder, causing her to look up and stop in her tracks.
   "Yuugi. This is Marisa, remember her? Few years ago she came by here trying to get into the Palace of the Earth Spirits? Remember?" the youkai's words were soothing, as if trying to subconsciously calm the angered oni. Yuugi sighed and stood up. The oni was more than a head taller than Marisa and her bust made Marisa feel like a child.
   "Of course I remember!! Marisa, think you can get this note off?" Yuugi thrust her sake dish at Marisa, the remaining drops of sake splashing in the magician's face.
   "I'll see what I can do, ze." the girl stammered. The oni scared her even now, but regardless, she lifted the sake-dish above her head to see the note. It looked as if it had been fused on, but when Marisa touched it gently the note floated down onto her shirt.
   "Bloody hell..." Yuugi muttered, and she pulled her note-free sake dish back and began drinking in earnest. Her hangover was coming fast and she wanted to stop it now!!
   "How did you..." Parsee began to whisper, but Marisa was focused on the note.
Well done, contender.
You have found your first clue on your journey to saving the One Week Magician.
You have six days.
That is how long Miss Patchouli here will last.
Tomorrow is when you must start.
Any earlier and your six days will be up before they start.
Your riddle is as follows:
Find the origin, find the decider of fate.
That is where your next clue lies, contender.
   Marisa sighed. This clue was way harder than the last one. Origin... origin of the One Week Conundrum? The Scarlet Devil Mansion of course... The decider of fate? Remilia had power over fate, didn't she? All these thoughts coursed through Marisa's mind with the speed of a tengu, and before long Yuugi was in a half-comatose state from drinking, and Parsee was busy swinging her legs from a bench.
   "Mind if I stay here tonight, guys?" the magician asked. Parsee looked up in shock.
   "A human... stay with a youkai and an oni? Sure... you're strong so I have no hope of beating you..." Parsee scowled with envy at Marisa's power, but Yuugi rolled off the 'patio' of a building and landed smack on the floor. Marisa and Parsee giggled, and Parsee nodded.
   "I'll set up a futon for you." the youkai smirked, watching Yuugi roll around on the floor, inebriated.
   "Cheers, Pars'." Marisa gave the youkai a little thanking hug, and Parsee walked off to find a futon. She was blushing a little at the show of affection.
*****
   Marisa, Parsee and Yuugi were joined that night by Kisume and Yamame. They were chattering, drinking, and giggling. It was just like a party. Forgetting all about sleeping arrangements, they all just sprawled out in places they felt comfortable. Kisume was hanging from a small but strong beam, Yamame curled up underneath. Yuugi was sprawled out on the floor next to her, with Parsee resting her head on the oni's left calves, and Marisa curled up in a small ball next to Yuugi's right arm. Together, they looked like the kanji for "fire":
« Last Edit: October 27, 2011, 10:13:04 PM by Chenorin The Kashamata »

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2011, 11:35:37 AM »
A/N: So, Marisa has to head to the Scarlet Devil Mansion next. Where will she be sent next? I hope you know I'm doing a sort of place lottery using a canonical Gensokyo map~! I just flick my hand around and place it somewhere on the map. Anywho~...


Chapter 3 - Day 2 - Decider of Fate


   Jolted awake by the same nightmare as yesterday, Marisa sat up to find Yuugi, Parsee, Yamame and Kisume gone. The misty morning in Former Hell seemed to be the same as the night. Marisa could barely tell whether it was day-time, night-time or lunch-time. Patting down her bedhead, she looked around for her companions to no avail. She shrugged, deducting that they probably had stuff to do and didn't want to bother her. Looking down she saw the note from last night, slightly crumpled, on her dress.
   "The Scarlet Devil Mansion, huh? Maybe they saw Patchy go or someone make off with her." Marisa sighed, and stood up stiffly. Oddly enough, she was fully dressed with broom and mini-hakkero in hand. Despite this, her head was hurting like a Master Spark in her brain, not to mention she felt a bit sick. This is what a hangover feels like, she thought, it's worse than I imagined! Marisa took a deep breath and straightened herself up. She could not focus on saving her friend if she wasn't in top form!
   Sitting on her broom, Marisa swooped out of Former Hell, and noticed Yamame and Kisume in a small danmaku battle with a random youkai. Dodging some of the bullets gave her something to focus her mind on, and she yelled in enthusiasm as she headed out of the wind tunnel. Raising her hand in greeting to Kisume as she left, she gasped a little as the still air hit her lungs. The sun was beating down harshly, as was sometimes the case in Gensokyo, but Marisa started to wonder about Remilia in this sunshine. There is only so much a parasol can handle sun-wise. Maybe Yuuka conquered the entire of Gensokyo, and now it all is Mugenkan (Garden of the Sun). Marisa laughed at her own suggestion, and decided to head to Misty Lake.
*****
   "Damn it, Daiyousei, when an enemy comes you must show NO MERCY!! Repeat after me: NO MERCY!!" Cirno was putting out enough hot air to melt herself, and Daiyousei was trembling at the sheer audacity at which her friend was commanding. Marisa landed on the ground, just metres away from them, which caused an icicle to near impale the air beside Marisa's head. Laughing loudly, Marisa lifted up her mini-hakkero in false-attack-mode. Cirno, knowing all too well what that thing was capable of, hid behind Daiyousei, who smiled.
   "Cirno-san, how can you be the strongest if you are not even going to face a mere human, present company excluded, Kirisame-san." Daiyousei's voice was light, wispy and polite. The manner in which she spoke and her ability to be polite yet condescending reminded Marisa of Patchouli. Sighing, Marisa lowered her mini-hakkero and looked as Cirno, obviously faking her fright, flew out from behind Daiyousei and bellowed.
   "I AM THE STRONGEST, DAIYOUSEI! NO ONE WILL SAY OTHERWISE, NOT EVEN YOU!" she pointed at Marisa dramatically, but yelped and dodged behind a giggling Daiyousei when Marisa even moved her mini-hakkero.
   "Look, baka, I'm heading to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and if you don't move out of the way I'll make you and your little friend into soup!" the magician's patience was obviously fading, and Cirno dragged Daiyousei out of the way. Self-confident as the little tyke was, she obviously didn't want her 'loyal' friend and cohort turned into soup.
   "O-okay... off you go, then, Kirisame-san. Have a fortune-filled trip!" Daiyousei waved and smiled as Marisa took off into the misty, damp air that even the sun was struggling to penetrate. Marisa was flying above the mist, and could see the mansion with ease. She leant down on her broom, and was at the gates in seconds.
   Awaiting a punch for attempting to trespass, Marisa was shocked to see Meiling wasn't there. Meiling couldn't have been fired already could she? Lost in her train of thought, she didn't notice Sakuya appear beside her.
   "Marisa. How pleasant of you to visit. We must ask you for some assistance, if you would kindly follow me." Sakuya dragged Marisa through the gates and into the mansion. There, on the throne, she saw Remilia looking deep in thought, with Koakuma looking the same as two days ago. A lot of the fairy maids were bustling around, refilling tea and trying to catch snatches of the situation. Marisa saw Meiling talking to Remilia, re-enacting either a battle she was in recently, or showing a battle-style she was planning to use.
   "Oh, Marisa! Koakuma tells me you went on the One Week Conundrum thing. Well, we have the next one for you." Remilia revealed a note from out of nowhere, one that resembled the others exactly.
   "It looks nothing like the first note, Marisa, I mean it! Be careful, yeah?" Koakuma was trembling, and could barely keep a hold of her tea. Meiling patted her on the back, causing Marisa to compare the two in sizes. Koakuma was pretty small... in all senses of the word. Meiling was the exact opposite. Koakuma was subservient, sweet and petite. Meiling was flamboyant, confident and sometimes lazy. Not to mention the difference in boob-size between the two. Snapping out of her tangent, Marisa began to examine the note.
Well done, contender.
You have found your second clue on your journey to saving the One Week Magician.
You have five days.
That is how long Miss Patchouli here will last.
Tomorrow is when you must start.
Any earlier and your five days will be up before they start.
Your riddle is as follows:
Find the shrine of paradise. Look in the place struck desolate.
That is where your next clue lies, contender.
[/i]
   Marisa coughed. These people are playing hard, now, she thought. The first part was easy enough! She had to go to Reimu, right? Shrine maiden of paradise? The place struck desolate? If she was feeling mean she would say the donation... the donations box! Yes! Reimu never got more than 50 yen a year! She managed to make it stretch when she went shopping. Savings bags of rice, tea, and sake was all she needed, really.
   "You can stay here if you want to, Marisa." Sakuya offered. Marisa smiled and was taken by the dog's offer. Such a good doggy, she thought.
   "Sakuya, set Marisa up a futon in the spare room." Remilia waved her hand to dismiss her maid (dog). Sakuya nodded and disappeared, having stopped time and restarted it. Marisa giggled, causing Remilia to tilt her head inquisitively.
   "Obedient dog you have there, Remi." Marisa smirked.
   "Oh, that's correct~! Sakuya is one of the best I know! And she makes nice tea." Remilia took a sip to prove her point. Marisa cringed as she realised that it was blood-tea. How Sakuya found the blood to make that I will never know, she thought.
   "Hey, where's Flandre?" Marisa knew the way, but wanted to check Flan was still in her basement, unfortunate as it was, Marisa didn't want the child exposed to such an in-depth thing.
   "In the basement. You two go play~, it's good for her to have visitors, it's just a shame she can't come out herself.  I would let her out if I could, but she's just too much danger to everyone..." Remilia sighed desolately for the plight of her little sister. Marisa shrugged and headed towards the basement.
*****
   Flandre was overjoyed to see Marisa, barely able to sit still. Hugging the magician as she entered the room, Flandre seemed rather proud of herself.
   "Marisa! Marisa, guess what!" Flandre held up a small stuffed rabbit, "Sakuya figured out how to fix my toys when they break!"
   "Great! How does she do it?" Marisa knew, but she wanted to humour her friend.
   "She uses this silver thing and some string and goes loop-la-loop and then it's fixed! How cool is that?" Flandre sat down on her bed, patting the place beside her to get Marisa to sit down too. The magician took up the offer and Flandre gave Marisa a small hug. Marisa patted the tiny vampire's head, having missed her over the past few months.
   "So.. how have you been lately? What toys has Sakuya fixed?" Marisa couldn't think of any else to say. Flandre launched into an entire verbal essay.
   "Well, Sakuya once tripped over a toy when she came in. That was funny! Heehee! And she fixed... my toy Yukkuris... have you seen them?" Flandre pointed at some mushy toy Yukkuris. There was a Remilia one, a Sakuya one, a Meiling one, even a Koakuma one, a Flandre one, a Marisa one (she felt flattered that it was at the top of the pile), and a Patchouli one. Marisa sighed when her golden eyes set on the Patchouli Yukkuri. Ugly as the thing was, it reminded her of the friend she had to save.
   "Hey.. Flandre... have you heard about Patchouli?" Marisa felt she was going to regret telling such a child this, but she felt it was cruel leaving Flandre out of it.
   "No, did she get some new books and did you borrow some? Haha~!" Flandre giggled, giving Marisa an even harder time telling her about it.
   "No, Flan, she's... *sigh* Patchouli's gone. There, I've said it. No, she isn't dead, but I have five days to find her until she... comes home by herself. But I wanna find her first!" Marisa looked to Flandre, who looked stricken.
   "She's... g-gone? W-where?" Flandre seemed as if she were about to cry, and Marisa put her arm around the vampire's shoulders, keeping her from doing so.
   "I don't know, Flan, but I'll find her. I promise. And when I find her, I'll come back and tell you of my adventures, yes?" Marisa smiled and straightened, trying to encourage Flandre to do the same. Tears came to the little vampire's vermillion eyes, and she clung to Marisa's shirt and begin to sob into her shoulder.
   "Patchy doesn't usually go out on her own!! She's sick! She'll get worse, Marisa, you have to find her! She could die!" Flandre was getting hysterical, which made the magician resort to evasive comforting!!
   "No, no, no, Flandre, she's fine, she's fine, it's just... it's a game we're playing. A special private game between her and me. She's fine, she's got medicine if she gets sick. It's just a week-long game of hide and seek! You like hide and seek, don't you?" Marisa patted the vampire, who perked up a little.
   "Really? I love hide and seek! I didn't know Patchy did too!" Flandre giggled, and Marisa giggled too, and they chatted and giggled and forgot about the case at hand.
*****
   That night, Marisa had made a deal with Sakuya to stay in Flandre's room on a futon, as long as they didn't destroy any walls. Cheerfully agreeing, the pair had changed into pyjamas. Flandre into a short-sleeved nightie with a chibi version of her head embroidered on the chest. It had "FLANDRE" in big yellow letters underneath. Marisa changed into some white pyjamas that Sakuya had provided, literally out of nowhere. That girl was enigmatic, in Marisa's opinion.
   Snuggling under their thick duvets, the night was cold. Flandre couldn't sleep, so Marisa started to tell her about everyone in Gensokyo, their powers and their friends, before launching into information about their jobs, ages, species, spellcards and when Marisa had met them. Flandre was asleep in seconds.
   "Goodnight, Flan." Marisa smiled.
   "Goodnight, Mari~..." Flandre fell asleep mid-sentence. Marisa just giggled and got to sleep herself. Tomorrow was going to be a tough day. So far Marisa had been lucky, as she is a popular girl, but she had a feeling Reimu would want a danmaku fight.
Falling asleep, she tumbled into the same nightmare as she had experienced the nights during the One Week Conundrum.

A/N: So, day 2! Marisa has to go back to Reimu? She seems to be backtracking a little. And what about these nightmares? Why have they occurred only during the One Week Conundrum? You'll have to wait until next time. Stay tuned!

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2011, 05:58:05 PM »
A/N: I've been hyper all day. I forgot the entire plot, so I hope I don't mess up.


Chapter 4 - Day 3 - Desolate Shrine of Paradise


   Marisa awoke that morning, again, having had the same nightmare as previous nights. It started off as Marisa being in a library. A dark one, much like the one in the mansion. And she saw Patchouli, but not as she would have liked to. Patchouli's eyes were blank, lifeless, and her skin was cold to touch. When Marisa shook her to wake her up, she turned to dust. The dust then became a book, and it looked as if Patchouli was inside the pages, begging to be let out. When Marisa tried to get the librarian out, the book shut and blood started pouring out, following a blood-curdling scream that was everlasting. It was at that point that Marisa would wake up, the scream echoing into silence.
   Flandre stirred in her sleep, her prism wings letting off a mirroring effect on the walls from the rising sunlight. Marisa glanced out of the barred windows, noticing that the sun was slowly stroking the horizon with the gentleness of a person holding an injured bird. A person that wasn't Flandre, anyway. Marisa got up, and quickly, yet discreetly, changed back into her everyday wear. It was folded up, and she deduced that Sakuya had probably washed it. Flandre rolled over in her sleep, and Marisa laughed silently as she kicked the wall. It left a massive hole in it, which seemed odd. Marisa pulled her hat over her bedhead, readjusted her braid at the side of her head, and left the basement. The note firmly in her hand, she quickly ran back up to the foyer but was stopped by an alert Sakuya. The maid, knives in hand, quickly rested her free hand on the magician's shoulder.
   "Marisa, Lady Remilia has ordered me to assist you in finding Patchouli." the maid smiled, one of the first smiles Marisa had been given.
   "Well, I hope you're a good dog and don't slow me down, ze." Marisa smirked and watched Sakuya's face contort into that of a pure nemesis. Straightening herself down, she nodded.
   "I'll be as helpful as I can. Where did we have to go next, the Hakurei Shrine?" Sakuya quickly asked to distract from the subject. Marisa, broom in hand, kicked from the ground and zoomed out of the doors, Sakuya hot on her heels.
   "Yep, that's where we're headed! If you don't mind, ze, can we speed it up?" Marisa shouted over the rushing air, to which Sakuya added with a nod. They both sped up, flying over the Human Village and the Bamboo Forest of the Lost with twice the speed of one of Yukari's trains. When they arrived, Reimu seemed sober enough to talk. Sakuya bowed respectfully, to which Marisa just sighed.
   "Reimu, have you seen a random note, anywhere?" Marisa looked around for any sign. Then she remembered. "Maybe something in your donation box?" she grinned as the miko immediately leapt at the donation box like a hungry tiger. Tearing the lid from it, she squealed in delight as she retrieved a hurriedly-scrawled note from the bottom and handed it to Marisa, barely able to stand still. Marisa read the note, sighing at it's similarity and routine structure.

Well done, contenders.
You have found your third clue on your journey to saving the One Week Magician.
You have four days.
That is how long Miss Patchouli here will last.
Tomorrow is when you must start.
Any earlier and your four days will be up before they start.
Your riddle is as follows:
Within the bamboo is history itself, flying alongside the phoenix.
That is where your next clue lies, contenders.
   Marisa nearly tore the note up. Bamboo? Well, the bamboo forest, of course, but history itself? Where the hell should she find history itself? And the phoenix? Well, that's a little obvious. That Mokou girl she had to fight a few years before fighting Yuugi and her mates. That was fun, all of her fire everywhere made it a little uncomfortable, but it was still fun. But the history itself... Mokou's friend! K-Key.... Ke-ke... Kein... Keine! Keine! It was Keine she had to find! Keine Kami... Keine someone. Whatever. She had decoded the note! Haha, you were becoming all too easy, note, thought Marisa.
   "Figured it out." she blurted out, to which Sakuya frowned and Reimu looked puzzled. "Remember that endless night thing? Sakuya, Reimu, when we all went up against that hakutaku girl and her phoenix buddy? Keine and Mokou?" Marisa's clues seemed to be getting nowhere with Reimu, but Sakuya realised.
   "Ah, Fujiwara no Mokou and Keine Kamishirasawa. I remember. That Fujiwara no Mokou was an enemy of the Lunar princess Kaguya Houraisan, correct? Who had stripped her father of all dignity with those impossble resquests?" Sakuya was met by dumbfounded eyes given by the miko and the magician. "I did some revision in Patchouli's library afterwards, it never hurts to learn things." Sakuya's words were similar to those of an annoyingly strict teacher. Reimu shook off her shock and looked to Marisa, who did also.
   "So... you're heading to the Bamboo Forest of the Lost?" Reimu began to nibble on her lip. "You'll, well, get lost. Unless you skip immediately to the Human Village, you'll never get through it! Eientei isn't visible from the sky, you'd never reach it." Sakuya and Marisa sat Reimu down and cooled her panic with a cozy cup of tea. Sakuya looked to Marisa, worried.
   "She's right, Marisa. You don't want to get lost. Even if you set out today, it would be too dangerous. The note says 'Tomorrow is when you must start. Any earlier and your four days will be up before they start'. You don't want to gamble on Patchouli's life like that. She really likes you, Marisa, it would cripple her to see you give up her own life in your own haste." Marisa sat down and her head hung low.
   "You're so right... Patchouli is too frail to bet on like common money." Marisa sighed desolately. "Even if we do find her.. this entire experience has probably scarred her. Wherever she is-.." Marisa was cut off by a gasp from Sakuya.
   "Marisa, look at this!!" Sakuya's finger was on the word 'contender'. Only it wasn't contender. It was 'contenders'. "I only started coming with you earlier today! How do they know?" Sakuya, unsettled, went to sit by a contented Reimu, who was still downing tea as if tomorrow wasn't coming.
   "They've gotta be smart, ze." Marisa thought for ages. The sun began to go down, Reimu and Sakuya started discussing money-saving tips, such as buying rice in bulk, as well as meat. Marisa was still deep in thought. Then she suddenly came to a conclusion.
   "Who can see everything, know nearly everything, be cryptic and at the same time do things unseen and instantly?!" Marisa stood before the two, whilst Sakuya and Reimu exhanged puzzled looks.
   "Queen Boundary herself, Yukari Yakumo!" Marisa shouted, causing Reimu to choke on her mouthful of tea and Sakuya to begin slapping her on the back.
   "Oh, you're joking, right?! Yukari, a kidnapper? She's not the kind to just kidnap people for her own joy! But... the reason why no one has answered Remilia's "Missing" section in Bunbunmaru paper... could be that Patchouli is held in one of Yukari's gaps?!" Sakuya stood up, starting to agree with Marisa, leaving Reimu gasping for air on the floor.
   "My, my, such a smart entourage." a disembodied voice giggled. One of Yukari's gaps slowly opened, and the youkai stepped out alongside Ran, her shikigami, and Chen, Ran's shikigami. Yukari, a fan covering her smile, stepped towards the three who raised weapons in determination.
   "Where is Patchouli, Yukari?! Better tell us or eat lasers!!" Marisa screeched, raising her mini-hakkero.
   "You do not want to mess with the three of us, Miss Yakumo, or you will face dire consequences!" Sakuya's gentle voice was curdled with anger.
   "What they said, only with armpits added!" Reimu's outburst caused some looks of confusion from her comrades, but she shrugged and pointed her gohei and yin-yang orbs at Yukari. The youkai raised her hands defensively, and giggled.
   "Relax, darlings, I have news to shock you. Patchouli is neither in my custody nor the custody of anybody else. Are you all mad? Patchouli is simply at the library, where she is the entire time. I assure you, I am being sincere." Yukari sneered, and the three contemplated believing her. They turned away, huddling together to confer. "Haha... naive girls. Now, Ran!" Yukari pointed her closed fan at the huddle, and Ran sped towards them and grabbed hold of Reimu. Reimu struggled, but the shikigami had a hold of her arms and her neck. She could not move for hope of choking herself. Ran nodded at Chen, who, with the assistance of rope, bound the miko up and handed her to a new gap appearing from Yukari.
   "Reimu!" Sakuya and Marisa shouted together.
   "I think you'll find there are other matters to be attended to. I am a brilliant liar, and Patchouli is rather a complying hostage." Yukari gestured up, and a gap opened revealed Patchouli, bound, in what seemed to be a glass box. Sakuya threw a knife at it, but it reflected and hit Marisa in the shoulder, ripping her clothes from it.
   "Why did you ta-" Marisa's words were stopped as the bound Reimu appeared in the box beside Patchouli. Their mouths free, they began to have mundane conversation.
   "Plan on getting out?" Reimu boredly asked.
   "Not as such, no." Patchouli sighed, causing her asthma to kick in and her coughing to start up with a vengeance.
   "For one, why did you just put Reimu in there, and second, why the hell is Patchouli in there?!" Sakuya's mild manners were spinning beyond control, and, noticing a rope still attached to Chen's grip, stopped time. She grabbed the rope, tied a tight knot around her waist, and placed the other end in Marisa's hand. Restarting time, Yukari hissed at Sakuya's plan, but Sakuya stopped time around Marisa and herself, causing them to be the only ones that could move.
   "I'll go in there, grab the others, and you pull me out, yes?" Sakuya revealed her plan. Marisa, gobsmacked, agreed and Sakuya leapt into the gap. "Ugh, it's freezing in here! Not to mention it feels like-"
   "Just get Patchouli and Reimu out!" Marisa shouted into the gap. Glancing to the gap in which she saw a time-frozen Reimu and Patchouli were lying, she noticed Sakuya's hand reaching in, slicing the bounds and dragging them out of the box. Now, feeling the rope tighten a little bit, she began to pull. Then, slowly, she felt time go to normal, and saw Yukari, Ran and Chen frown at her.
   "Uh... hi?" she waved a little, but suddenly Sakuya stepped out with a near-unconscious Patchouli and an annoyed Reimu. Marisa immediately helped Patchouli up, hugging her emphatically and crying into her hair. Patchouli patted the magician's back, smothered.
   "We are still here, Kirisame. If you don't mind, we have stuff to do, so... good day to you." Yukari, Ran and Chen disappeared into a gap, but another opened up under Patchouli, Sakuya and Reimu. Clawing the ground to stay up, they were dragged into the gap and it closed around them.
   "Patchouli?! Patchouli!! Reimu!! Sakuya!! Patchouli!! Sakuya!! Sakuya!! Reimu!! Re-Reimu!!" Marisa began to sob angrily, clawing at the ground furiously. Realising that she could not reach her friends, she back to cry into the ground.
   "Damn it... Yukari... damn you to Hell..." Marisa  sobbed, hysterically. Looking to the note, she saw the word 'contenders' fade to just 'contender'.

A/N: Ooh, did anyone expect that? Yukari Yakumo, the diabolical kidnapper! Wow! Stay tuned to see if Marisa finds them!

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2011, 08:16:34 PM »
A/N: I crashed heavily on coffee yesterday, which explains the lack of update. One day behind won't hurt me, right? Ah, well, Marisa has to go pay Keine and Mokou a visit. What will happen? Read on...


Chapter 5 - Day 4 - History, flying with the Phoenix.


   Unable to sleep due to the severe events that occurred the previous day, Marisa simply stared at the clouded, moonless and starless sky with fatigued eyes. Reimu... Sakuya... Patchouli... those three names resounded in her aching head. Her hair was a mess, her clothes torn, and her mind torn worse. She had seen her friends, her best friends fall into a plot, screaming for Marisa to aid them, yet the Ordinary Magician could do nothing, the immense power of the gap overwhelming even her... Marisa gently sobbed into the dry air, which even seemed empty with the absence of the shrine maiden.
   "Wow. You really messed up there." a familiar voice came from near the shrine gates. The magician sat bolt upright, her face a contorted mixture of surprise, relief and depression.
   "A-Alice?!" she whispered, her words dissolving in the frozen air around her. The figure stood away from the gates, revealing her true form.
   "You aren't even close, my friend." Marisa squinted, even in the faint light of the shrine lamps, the glare prevented her from seeing. Then, as the figure stepped into the radius of the light, Marisa saw that familiar white and blue kimono.
   "Sanae!" Marisa called. It was more of a confirmation call than anything else, but the figure shook her head. Then Marisa noticed her sleeves were attached. She could also see another figure, a shorter one, in red.
   "That lack of sleep has messed you about, hasn't it?" the younger voice called out sympathetically.
   "What do you care?" Marisa hissed and looked away, causing the taller figure to drag the shorter one into the light. Marisa's throat began to grow raspy, and she began to frantically search for Yukari. No sign of her. She could be anywhere in those bothersome gaps.
   "Because Master has been out of control lately. I obey her commands, and Chen obeys mine, but even I, Ran Yakumo, am curious as to Master's sudden sadistic attitude. She has begun socialising with that celestial, Tenshi, more, as that masochist serves her inner sadist more than her dreams allow her." Marisa began to gasp for air at the shikigami's words. Even the shikigami's shikigami was nervous-looking.
   "Maybe she just read stuff. Books can transform ya', ya'know, da ze." shrugging off, the magician turned away to face a rather interesting tree beside the shrine.
   "But her voice is different. Did you not realise yourself? Yukari-sama may be a mysterious woman, Miss Kirisame, but she is no kidnapper. Her voice is higher than usual, is it not?"
   "It was because of her excitement, Ran-sama. We talked about that, right?" this statement caused Yukari's shikigami to facepalm and sigh at her own forgetfulness. Chen smiled, and looked back to Marisa. "Please, Marisa-san, we want you to carry on this quest. Miss Yukari has an addiction to riddles and stuff, but if you don't, she may involve your friends in her games with Tenshi."
   Marisa nearly vomited at the thought.
   "Fine. On one condition." she hissed.
   "Anything, Kirisame." Ran replied, bowing faintly.
   "Don't just sneak up on me, stay away from me, oh, and watch over Reimu's shrine while I'm gone." the magician, still tired, looked around for any mention of time. "And what time is it?"
   "Four in the morning. If you head towards the human village slowly, you will reach there by about seven. Miss Kamishirasawa finishes her morning history lesson to the village's children at quarter past nine, then they have a break until ten. Then at ten, they go until quarter past eleven. Then it is the end. Plan yourself accordingly. You may have time to find Fujiwara no Mokou in the waiting time of Kamishirasawa's lessons. Be brave... Marisa." Ran's pronunciation made Marisa go a little hot under the collar as she hopped on top of her broom.
   "Thanks for the elaboration. Keep Yukari asleep, for heaven's sake, I can't be caught by the bit-... sorry." Marisa's expletive raised the ears of the nekomata and the kitsune, causing her to hastily apologise behind it. Flying off into the night air, Marisa cursed her own stupidity that maybe her impression of those shikigamis was totally wrong. Dodging random sleepwalking youkai and fairies, Marisa began to fly low as she gently skimmed the tops of the bamboo forest of the lost. She was getting carried away, when she noticed a fire burning the bamboo beneath her, and various shouting from two obviously arguing girls. The magician swooped down and landed smack-bang in the middle of a danmaku contest between Kaguya Houraisan and Fujiwara no Mokou. Kaguya's rainbow danmaku were no match for the intense heat the phoenix girl was firing out without a single care. Marisa, choking on the smoke from the frying bamboo, ducked to the floor to escape the onslaught. She dove behind a seemingly sturdy bush and pulled out a few of her most distracting, yet weaker, spellcards. She could fire a Master Spark between them? No... if she hit Mokou, she'd never get Keine to give her a note, or even any of her books! Panicking, Marisa sighed and pulled out an idea literally from her hat. She could lob one of those exploding bottles in between them, the flash could be bright enough to make them halt and notice her, maybe even make up. Then she remembered the tale of rivalry these two kept alive. No chance. Sighing, Marisa chucked her exploding bottle inbetween the two enemies, and caused them both to panic.
   "Damn it, Kaguya, no flashes! I can't see a damn thing!" the Mokou girl, nearest to Marisa, screeched.
   "Oh, blame me, will you? It's you and your stupid fire!" Kaguya yelled back, her sleeves quivering with anger.
   "Well, who else could'a done it, 'eh?!" Mokou lifted a spellcard, and was met by Marisa's arm holding her wrist back. "W-who is this?!" Mokou turned, seeing Marisa, armed only with a legendary confident-grin/troll-face and over nine thousand units in her power level.
   "Marisa, shame you couldn't remember me after I sparked your ass." her words, however sweet they sounded, caused the phoenix girl to near cower as she remembered the trauma of Marisa's Master Spark.
   "Cowering away from a simple black-and-white... hey! It was you that came and defeated me, you and your little girlfriend blondie and her stupid dolls. Never go out with a girl that plays with dolls, way too childish." Kaguya was met with a single laser aimed at her forehead, and was thrown backwards. She began sobbing uncontrollably, "Eirin! Eeeirin! EEEIRIN! Help me, Eirin!! Uwaaa!!" the princess howled, whilst Mokou and Marisa looked at each other with the contorted faces of those holding back laughter. Their laughter was not long-lived, as they suddenly felt two presences around them, and then it went black.
*****
   "Heeheehee! Eirin, does Kirisame-chan just look so adorable when she's asleep." the voice dragged Marisa out of the black void known as unconsciousness. She found Kaguya's deep browny-black eyes fixated on her own amber irises, which caused her to nearly leap off of the bed she was placed on.
   "Mrrf... Eirin, why don't 'cha come up with that Hourai Elixir cure, drop it accidentally into Kaguya's tea and let me finish her off!! For gods' sake!" Mokou was clamped on a table, when all of a sudden they heard an almighty screech, akin to the velocity of a battle cry, and for Marisa to find Keine, in her hakutaku form, green dress, greenish hair, horns, the words, glaring down at the members of Eientei with a furious hatred.
   "You... let... Mokou... and... the other one... go... this instant... I will rip the head right from this moon rabbit here." Keine span Reisen into her grip, paralyzing the rabbit with fear as Keine closed her free hand around the rabbit's pale violet hair, ready to wrench it from her skull.
   "Whoa, whoa, Miss Kamishirasawa, our fight is not with you. Simply put Udongein down, please, and we will free Fujiwara no Mokou. Please... do not hurt Udongein. She only carried Mokou here-... NO! Stop it, Miss Kamishirasawa, you will kill her if you don't cease and desist!" Eirin's face of pure calm dissolved into pleading and panic as Keine closed her fingers around Reisen's neck and began to slowly choke the now blue-in-the-face moon rabbit. Tewi rushed, prising the hakutaku's fingers from her friend's neck, but was thrown, caved, and sobbing within a heartbeat.
   "Hey, hey, hey! Keine. Keine.. sshh, it's okay, Keine. I'm not hurt, I was just panicking from the pain of another fight. They didn't want me hurting Kirisame, so they strapped me down. Okay? You're okay now, Keine? Now, sshshshsh, it's okay, don't get mad at Reisen. Put her down, take some deep breaths, and we can go home with Kirisame and have some yakitori, yes?" Mokou's voice of fire turned from a tomboyish flare to a soothing flicker. Keine's scarlet red eyes faded to a docile maroon colour, and, assisted by Reisen who could now breathe, Mokou was unstrapped, Marisa was helped up and they left for the human village and Keine's home.
*****
   "So, Kirisame-san, would you like some tea?" as Mokou and Marisa had taken a seat at the table, Keine had hurried to the kitchen of her house.
   "Mm, yes, please! Oh, and I had a question... have you come across some kind of cryptic note? Only... I was just wondering 'cos a few of my friends have..." Marisa's thoughts ended that sentence with 'been kidnapped', but she kept that enclosed in her brain. Keine returned, a piece of paper tucked into the crook of her arm.
   "Why, yes, I have found a note. It was placed beside my family's ornamental sake-dish kept in the centre of the kitchen. It was written in odd font, as if the writer put in much care to get it right but little effort presentation-wise. Like an urgent note, even." Keine sat down, passing Mokou and Marisa a cup of tea each and beginning to sip her own. Mokou downed her tea in three seconds, and sighed in relief.
   "Mind if I take a look, ze?" Marisa asked tentatively, before the note was shoved under her nose.
   "Please, I cannot make heads nor tails of it. It contains few titles of people, mostly riddle material. Kirisame... have some of your friends gone missing?" Keine's hand raised to cover her mouth in short surprise.
   "Not missing. I know where they are. Excuse me a moment..." Marisa's amber eyes scanned the note, sighing inwardly at the similarity to the previous notes. Marisa only noticed one thing odd. The titles of all of her missing friends were there.
Well done, contender.
You have found your fourth clue on your journey to saving the One Week Magician, the Perfect and Elegant Maid, and the Shrine Maiden of Paradise.
You have three days left.
That is how long your friends will last.
Tomorrow is when you must start.
Any earlier and your four days will be up before they start.
Your riddle is as follows:
Find the connector to death, and the sword of the partial phantom.
That is where your next clue lies, contenders.
   Marisa's head connected sharply with the table, causing Keine and Mokou to nearly jump out of their skin.
   "W-what is it, Kirisame?!" Keine's panic was obvious, her eyes lighting up in panic.
   "Just... who would 'connect' you to death?" Marisa looked at the pair with hope.
   "Maybe Komachi? You know, the slacking ferrygirl? A girl I shall never meet..." Mokou smirked a little, to which Keine replied with a sharp slap to the arm.
   "But what does Komachi have to do with 'the sword of the partial phantom'?" Marisa groaned, and both of them didn't see the cogs turning in Keine's brain.
   "The Netherworld." she murmured.
   "Yeah! Yuyuko invokes death in mortals, and Youmu is part-ghost and has that sword thing!" Mokou nearly set alight with excitement. "So let's go! All three of us, a little adventure! Huzzah!" Marisa nearly began to cry as she forced Mokou to sit back down.
   "N-NO! Please... don't come with me... you... you can't... end up with... end up like... Patchy... and Sakuya and Reimu... please... stay here. I'll go on my own... just don't come with me..." Marisa's words were cut off by abrupt sobs, but Keine slowly devised a plan to distract her.
   "Look, you spent a while in the forest, Mokou, you must be spent, and both of you were out for nearly ten hours in Eientei. It's about time we got some sleep to process what has happened, okay?" Mokou escaped instantly, not wanting to be the shoulder on which Marisa may cry. Marisa, drooping, was led to another spare room, decorated with a far sparser d?cor than the rest of Keine's house.
*****
   As the moon tucked itself into bed behind a cushion-y cloud, Marisa's eyelids slowly shut. She was determined not to let anyone else fall for, whom she has now dubbed, 'You-Carcass", as Yukari was as good as a carcass when Marisa gets her hands on that youkai.
   "Goodnight world... don't explode on me..." she murmured for some light humour for herself.

Anyone notice the fact that Marisa seems a bit more intent on her own safety rather than that of others? Well, it is because she doesn't want to care for anyone else and risk them getting 'kid-gapped' by You-Carcass. There is a massive battle to go on when Marisa finds You-Carcass, but she's off to meet Yuyuko, a close friend. Will the Innocent Ghost have any insight into You-Carcass' sudden behavioural change? Stay tuned!

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2011, 05:38:27 PM »
A/N: Apologies for the lack of posting, I've had a few stuff to deal with homework-wise. So, here's an epic chapter featuring a Touhou favourite: YOUMU!!


Chapter 6 - Day 5 - Connector Of Death


   The night was a long one, and the sun was only just rising when Marisa was awoken by a large sound from Keine's kitchen.
   "Oh, dear me..." Keine's sweet voice echoed from the site of a crash, drowned out by Mokou's incessant laughing. Keine had fallen over on the table and was inches away from Mokou's face, causing her to flush a bright vermillion. Mokou's uncontrollable laughter was continued even as the black-white magician drowsily floated into the room and face-planted the table as she sat.
   "Rough night, eh, kiddo?" Mokou patted Marisa's back, downing a cup of tepid tea that she had left a while. Marisa was passed a cup of 'rejuvenating herbal tea' from Keine, and proceeded to fall asleep next to it. Keine lifted her head and poured the mixture down the magician's throat. Marisa, again, paid no mind to it and let out a gurgling snore.
   "So, ahem... you have to, uh, go to the Netherworld later, right? Cool place, you know... few of my friends are there, and all... 'specially since they went adventuring when they were retired and Yuyuko invited them to die. Bizarre, I know, but they're happy in the Netherworld. From what I hear, it's constant eating, relaxing, and it's just like retirement. Bo~ring, if you ask me." Mokou began to ramble as Marisa's brain was jerked back from the brink of sleep's abyss. The Netherworld! The earlier she set off the better!
   "Listen, Marisa, I know you don't want us to come and... quite frankly... we want to know why. It's not that we're nosy or anything, Marisa, but we were worried. We were hoping it was a trip for business and not to try to get invited to death by Miss Saigyouji. You seem such a vibrant and light-exuding character, Marisa, and it would be a waste to cut it short." Marisa's heart-strings were snapped by Keine's words, nearly forcing her to burst into tears.
   "Mmrf... fine, I'll tell you." the magician then spun out the tale that had transcended not too long ago.

   Sakuya slammed several knives against the walls of the gap that she, Patchouli and Reimu were contained in. Reimu had tired of slamming her gohei against the wall, and it was Sakuya's turn to try and break out. Only Patchouli had made a scratch, but she had since collapsed from exhaustion whilst Reimu was helping her breathe properly.
   "How... the... ha-.. hell... did you... hiya~... get in here... hyah, anyway... Patchouli?" Sakuya shouted between waves of knives. Patchouli sat up from resting her head between her knees and coughed once.
   "I cannot remember a thing, Sakuya. I just remembered waking up in a hard futon and was given overly-sweet tea by Yukari's shikigami. Ran, I think her name was. She was a kitsune. I remember reading about those. Ran had a shikigami also, a nekomata by the name of Chen. Ran seems attached-"
   "Patchouli, you'll exert yourself! Rest yourself!" Reimu begged, as Patchouli lay back against the gap's wall. Reimu patted the librarian's head, and Sakuya fell to her knees in exhaustion.
   "I can't go on... sorry... we'll have to hope Marisa doesn't give up." Sakuya sighed and looked back to the miko with desperation in her eyes.

   Keine stared with shock in her eyes and Mokou choked on her cup of tea. Marisa sighed, having told them the entire tale. The magician slumped on the table, not having breathed throughout.
   "My, my, my, what an interesting tale." an eerie voice echoed from the four corners of Keine's kitchen. Keine instinctively clutched a now furious Mokou.
   "Hey?! Who was that?! You coward, don't hide in the shadows?!" Mokou screeched and nearly burst her lungs. In seconds, a line began to open in midair. Red ribbons curled into bows in the corners of the opening oval. In the rippling mass of eyes, a white hat with a red bow appeared, followed by a long rain of golden hair and two mischevious purple eyes. A pink parasol appeared, and a long white flowing dress with a purple patterned ribbon down the front. A white fan covered the smirk of Yukari Yakumo, who giggled incessantly at the now steaming phoenix girl.

A/N: Part 2 uploaded when I can be bothered~!

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2011, 05:53:20 PM »
Discontinued due to boredom and lack of motivation. Another fanfic coming up, part of a series of tales told from a diary-style point of view.

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2012, 10:20:43 PM »
A/N: Hells, yeah, I'm revamping this because of a new surge of inspiration!! Oryaa!


Chapter 6 - Day 5 - Connector of Death - Part 2


  "Yukari, you better give Patchy, Sakuya and Reimu back this instant, or heads are gonna' roll, da-ze!" Marisa growled, clutching her mini-hakkero so tightly that it threatened to cave in on itself. Yukari simply snapped her fan shut, her smirk having dissolved into an irritated frown.
  "No." came her reply. Marisa, fuming, aimed her mini-hakkero.
  "Don't make me." the magician threatened. Yukari's smirk returned.
  "Cute. Really, really cute." the gap-youkai teased. Marisa simply lowered her mini-hakkero, and attempted a method that Patchouli herself had suggested. Negotiations.
  "What do I have to do to get them back? Tell me, ze!!" she attempted. Yukari simply groaned, her head lolling backwards in boredom.
  "Oh, please, how clich?. You don't have to do anything apart from complete the One Week Mystery. Once you do, your friends are free to go. Just don't incur any other companions along the way, unless you wish for them to join Patchouli, Sakuya and Reimu. I felt awful imprisoning Reimu, but since you asked for her help, I had no choice. It's your own fault. It's about time somebody told you to treasure your friends over treasure itself. Now, if there is nothing else, adieu." Yukari's monologue echoed as she disappeared into the slowly-closing void. As the gap disappeared, Marisa could see Mokou and Keine exchanging confused looks.
  "Sorry." was all that she could say.

  It was dark. So dark that Marisa struggled to see her hand in front of her face. She relied on her mini-hakkero's pulsating constant mana output to even think about seeing. Keine and Mokou had long since fallen prey to slumber, so only she remained awake. Having left a note thanking the pair for their hospitality, the magician took off into the air and towards the Netherworld.
  Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, a small gap opened, revealing a white-sleeved hand resting a note on the patio, before disappearing into the abyss.

  After what seemed an eternity of flying, Marisa drew to a halt before the barrier separating Gensokyo from the Netherworld. The sun was only just stroking the horizon, so the light from her mini-hakkero was redundant as of that moment.
  "Well, well, well, looks like Yukari weakened the barrier yet again. Lazy old hag." Marisa murmured to herself. If Yukari turned up with a comeback, she couldn't have cared less, but the gap-hag didn't and the magician was free to pass into the realm of the dead, without hesitation.
  Ascending the long stairs on a broom was definitely easier than attempting to walk, thought Marisa as the wind failed to whip her hair. The Netherworld was renowned for its lack of wind, regardless of whether one was flying. It took about 15 minutes, and Marisa reached the little building where the "princess" of the Netherworld dwelled.
  "Hey!" came a confident yet subservient voice from Marisa's left. "What are you doing here?!"
  "Oh, if it isn't Youmu Konpaku, ze." Marisa replied, tiredly, "I've got no time for the usual antics today, I'm looking for a note.." Despite all of her usual energy, the current myriad of events had left her drained.
  "Oh? A note? Well... as it happens, Lady Yuyuko came across a note on the porch whilst having breakfast. She's been reading it and re-reading it, so if you go to the main patio, you are sure to find her. Don't try anything stupid, or I will slash you in half." Youmu threatened calmly. Marisa nodded once to her and began the slow, apparently arduous trek of about 100 yards to where she could see Yuyuko Saigyouji sat with a small, tattered piece of parchment. From what it seemed like, Yukari had run out of decent paper. Ha.
  "Hey, Yuyuko. Mind if I take a look at that?" Marisa asked, putting a hand on her hips. Yuyuko looked up, and a warm smile greeted the exhausted magician.
  "Oh..! If it isn't Marisa Kirisame! Welcome. Yes, you may take a look at the note, it makes absolutely no sense to me.." Yuyuko sighed and dropped the note elegantly into Marisa's open palm. The magican retreated her hand and began perusing the letter.
Well done, contender.
You have found your fourth clue on your journey to saving the One Week Magician, the Perfect and Elegant Maid, and the Shrine Maiden of Paradise.
You have two days left.
That is how long your friends will last.
Tomorrow is when you must start.
Any earlier and your two days will be up before they start.
Your riddle is as follows:
Return to a place of joy, where the book of power is suspended by puppet strings.
That is where your next clue lies, contender.
[/i]
  Marisa smirked. So she had to return home to Alice? Simple! Yuyuko smiled.
  "All I could tell is that whoever is taking the quest must start tomorrow. Looks like your sleeping here tonight, yes?" the ghost girl smiled. Marisa nodded quietly as Youmu disappeared to set up a futon.

  That night, Marisa slept softly. She was at peace, for a reason which she could not understand. All she knew was that soon the nightmare would be over and Patchouli, Sakuya and Reimu would be back and happy as ever. Soon, her life would be right again.
  Meanwhile, in Mayohiga, a certain youkai drank tea with an evil smirk, her inked quill delicately printing the next mystery riddle...

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it!! Nya~!

Nekomata-chan

Re: One Week Mystery
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2012, 11:39:37 AM »
A/N: Chapter 7 of One Week Mystery and Day 6 of Marisa's "ordeal", as it were. This chapter is going to have one massive surprise in, so hold on to your witch hats!


Chapter 7 - Day 6 - Suspended by Puppet Strings


  Marisa was shook awake early in the morning by Youmu. The sun was fairly low in the sky, yet it's rays were slowly traversing the Netherworld and giving it a light golden glow. Quite beautiful. The magician pushed the half-phantom aside and got to her feet. Awkward. She had slept in her clothes. No matter, her friends were more important than her clothes. At least, she hoped they thought the same. The magician positioned her hat on her head and began a slow walk to Yuyuko at the porch. Yuyuko had offered to look after the note as Marisa slept, and the latter had accepted the former's offer. The blonde magician simply took a seat on the dark wood beside the ghost girl, and gave her a little prod on the shoulder to snap her out of her trance.
  "Oh, good morning! Apologies for my daydreaming, it seems the dead have nothing else to do~..." Yuyuko sighs and places the note in Marisa's lap. "I think you should go, you know. No time like the present, yes?" she giggles. Marisa attempts to giggle, but the events she had experienced just made her want to curl up and cry. But she never cried. At least, not over stuff like this. She didn't want Yuyuko to think of her as a weakling, so she simply forced a smile, retrieved her broom from it's resting place at Yuyuko's side, and began a quick flight out of the Netherworld.
  "Be sure to visit again sometime!" Marisa heard Yuyuko shout as she travelled through the barrier separating Hakugyokurou and Gensokyo. As she penetrated the barrier, she felt it's magical energy become stronger. Marisa adopted a speed-flight position, lowering her torso to the broom, and zoomed out of the now-strengthening barrier. Yukari was playing with her. Thinking nothing of it, Marisa headed towards the Forest of Magic, where she couldn't wait to have a discreet cry in her own home and possibly just relax with Alice. That was what she silently wished for.
  "I don't care what dumb game you're playing, gap-hag, I have work to do." Alice Margatroid insisted, attempting to shut the door. Yukari Yakumo placed her closed parasol in the door to wedge it open.
  "I didn't say you had a choice in it, did I?" Yukari grinned, as Alice felt a cold gust behind her. Daring to look behind her, she saw one of Yukari's infamous gaps opening up behind her. Alice screamed, pushed Yukari aside, and ran into her front garden.
  "Leave me alone!!" the puppeteer demanded, adopting a fighting stance. Marisa had travelled over the horizon and, not seeing Yukari, decided to land right next to Alice.
  "Hey, Alice! How are you-" Marisa's question was cut short at the sight of Yukari. Marisa growled and stepped in front of Alice, shielding her. "Get the hell away from Alice, you old bag."
  "Such rude words from such a rude girl. As to be expected. You need a time-out to think about what you've done... unless your friend wants to take that for you.." Yukari grins in such a sinister manner it sends simultaneous shivers down the spines of the two girls in front of her. The two girls feel a sharp wind, and the sound of a gap opening underneath Alice's feet. Alice screams just in time, giving Marisa a chance to grab her friend by the waist and attempt to haul her out of the gap. Said gap had taken on a forceful tactic, trying to drag Alice in instead of having her fall in.
  "Hold on, Alice!! D-... Damn it, Yukari, Alice doesn't have anything to do with this!!" Marisa screeched over the howling winds, as Alice desperately tried to cling to her friend's arms.
  "Oh, please.. she's one of your friends. I knew she'd at least try to help you... besides, it's all for your own good." Yukari smiled as she faded from her original spot and appeared behind Marisa. The youkai rested her hands on Alice's hands, lifting their grip from Marisa. The magician, however, was having none of this, and reverse-kicked Yukari away from her. Replacing her grip on Alice, Marisa raised one hand to summon her broom to it. Said broom dashed to her palm without a single bit of hesitation, and Marisa lifted it above her head.
  "Don't you dare let go!" Marisa ordered, as Alice and herself headed straight up into the air with enough force to rival a tengu. Marisa then mounted the broom, Alice doing the same behind her. The two gasped for several seconds, before checking if Yukari was still there.
  "I think she's gone..." Alice sighed in relief.
  "I don't." Marisa grunted. As she did, she felt the weight on the broom get considerably lighter. Looking behind her, all she could see was Alice's hand disappearing into a gap. Marisa screamed and attempted to wrench the gap apart, to no avail. Defeated, the magician flew down to Alice's house. It was there when she saw a flaw in Yukari's plan.
  A gap was still open.
  Forgetting all the rules of the riddle, Marisa dived in headfirst.
  The purple abyss, riddled with eyes, didn't faze the magician as she saw four familiar figures at the bottom of the seemingly never-ending crevasse. Marisa smiled and gave herself a streamlined pose to enhance her speed.
  "E-everyone, look!" Marisa recognised this voice as Patchouli's.
  "Marisa got kidnapped?" said a voice that couldn't be mistaken. Reimu's.
  "Probably not, I mean, she's not the type that'd go down without a fight." Sakuya said.
  "Marisa, hi!" Alice sweetly called, waving. Marisa landed with a light thud in front of them, and was greeted by a myriad of hugs and pleasant greetings. Marisa looked upwards, to notice that gap still open.
  "Yeah, can anybody fly?" Marisa pointed upwards. Nobody denied it. Marisa held out her hand in a beckoning gesture as she began her magical ascent.
  "Wait up, damn it!" Alice screeched, catching up with her. Sakuya, Reimu and Patchouli each caught up, respectively. Marisa smiled gratefully as the gap grew ever closer. But, at that last, crucial moment, it closed and the five girls slammed against the wall before plummeting back down into their prison.
  "Didn't your parents ever tell you to play nicely?" came that voice that made Marisa want to explode. Yukari.
  "Yukari, I think you've done enough! Let us out of here!" Marisa charged at Yukari, who disappeared through a gap and reappeared behind her, pushing Marisa to overbalance the magician and send her falling. Patchouli and Alice both tried to help, but were held back by Reimu and Sakuya.
  "Don't! She'll just hurt Marisa more.." Reimu hissed quietly.
  "Too right I will." Yukari sneered, picking up Marisa by the scruff of her shirt. "Now you girls sit tight whilst the little magician and I have a little danmaku duel." Yukari giggled as she flew upwards, carrying the struggling Marisa with her.
  "Should we do something?" Sakuya asked.
  "No! You do nothing. If any of you do anything, I shall not hesitate to rip your beloved Marisa limb from limb. All of you need to learn that sometimes your friends can look after themselves, and are more important than winning." Yukari giggled, throwing Marisa opposite her. It took the latter a while to balance, but Yukari waited leisurely.
  "Bring it, bitch." Marisa sent her grip to her hat, holding it tight on to her head. "I've beaten you before, I can do it a second time."
  "Oh, please... nobody said anybody was beating anybody. We are going to have a legitimate danmaku duel, four spellcards each, and the first person to either run out of spellcards or declare forfeit is the loser. Get it? You first..." Yukari giggles. Marisa smirks, hiding four spellcards in the pocket of her stained white apron.
  The magician began firing star projectiles, which Yukari batted aside with her fan. Marisa growled and charged at Marisa, firing several lasers whilst she did. Yukari grazed them, hiding her pain not too well as several slammed into her torso and face. Marisa saw an opportunity, but Yukari saw it first.
  "Bounded Field, 'Curse of Dreams and Reality'!" Yukari giggled, the spellcard she raised dissolving as the spell activated. Marisa flew backwards, giving herself more reaction time to dodge the small green bullets headed her way. Dancing throughout the larger green arrow-head bullets, Marira fired lasers and her own bullets through them with a triumphant grin on her face. It wasn't long before Yukari's concentration was cut short and the spell cut off. Yukari ascended higher, rows of purple kunai hurtling down to Marisa. The latter grinned and flew downwards, before flying back upwards to dodge the barrage. Spinning around, Marisa flew behind a completely focussed Yukari and raised a spellcard of her own.
  "Love Sign: Master Spark!" Marisa yelled as her mini-hakkero fired a stupidly powerful laser and knocked Yukari out of the air. The gap-youkai hit the floor hard, but attempted a quick recovery and retrieved a spellcard from up her sleeve.
  "You're in for it now, magician! Bounded Field: Balance of Motion and Stillness!" Yukari hissed, her spell activating as she flew above Marisa and summoned a few familiars. Spirals of blue bullets danced their way from the aforementioned familiars and caused Marisa to get hit several times in the arms. Her sheer determination steeled herself against the sting of the bullet hell she was caught in, and her own star bullets and exploding projectiles cut their path through Yukari's spellcard and pummelled the latter until the spellcard disappeared into nothingness. Marisa closed her pocket, telling herself she wouldn't need another spellcard. Yukari upped her game and began firing blue and purple kunai, even faster than before. The blonde kleptomaniac magician was run ragged as she dodged and grazed the projectiles with an obvious lot of effort. Yukari smiled and raised yet another spellcard.
  "Evil Spirits: Xanadu of Straight and Curve!" the boundary youkai smiled, spinning around flamboyantly as white lasers exchanged cyan shard bullets and red bubbles headed Marisa's way. The magician sighed and raised a spellcard of her own.
  "Stardust Reverie!" the magician shouted her half-assed incantation. Usually she never bothered to say the whole spell, it activated with just a snippet. A spiral of stars gave Marisa a clear path through Yukari's barrage where the former could zoom right up to the latter and give her an entire exploding barrage of stars to her face. Yukari screamed as she plummeted, half-conscious to the floor. She didn't get up. Marisa flew down beside Yukari, folding her arms, and looked to her four friends.
  "Whoa.." was all her friends could muster.
  "Whoa, indeed. I'm knackered. And we're stuck here." Marisa sighed, sitting down and hanging her head between her knees.
  "Not exactly," Patchouli began, "I concocted a spell to alter the flight path of Yukari's gaps. That one she left open leads to the Hakurei shrine now." the librarian pointed and everybody looked out of the purple abyss at the summery scene of the tattered shrine. Everybody walked out with a big smile on their face.
  As Marisa walked out, the latest riddle fell out of her pocket, and as it touched the ground, the writing faded and the paper disappeared into nothingness. The gap closed behind the group, and they all were grateful.

  That night, Sakuya had allowed everybody to visit the Scarlet Devil Mansion for a party. The night had lasted so long that everybody was asleep. All except one. Outside the window of the mansion, a certain youkai watched everybody sleep with a warm smile.
  "I did them all a favour.." she murmurs to herself as she sinks into her gap and it slowly closes.

The end.