Magical Girl Reimu Appears~!

[Iced Fairy]

I said I was going to do this for some time, and now I have.

A long time ago there was a WWC for Mahou Shoujo.  I lost to Erebus, but I liked the ideas there.  I feel I just didn't flesh them out.  I kept telling myself I should go back and do an edit job on it, but I realized it'd need a whole bunch more pages worth of explanations to work.

But now I am high on caffeine and life and such, so I blitzed an early chapter to get it together.  I advise you staying away from my old work if you haven't read it, as it'll spoil the good jokes.  Anyways...

-------
Reimu Hakurei sighed as she swept the steps leading to her shrine.  For such a small out of the way shrine the grounds were absolutely huge.  Which meant a lot of Reimu's time was occupied sweeping, washing and otherwise cleaning the place over and over again.  She wondered if the shrine was simply meant to have more workers, but the tiny size of her house suggested otherwise.  Then again a single extra pair of hands would be a huge help.

She sighed as the last step was cleaned.  She considered cleaning more of the path, but what was the point?  It was a huge walk from the human village, and she couldn't clear the whole road by herself.  So instead she leaned against the torii gate to rest.

As she looked down the rolling forests and hills of Gensoukyo stretched before her as a yellow/green mass.  Youkai Mountain stuck out among the less hills, and she thought she could see a hint of the lake and village, but most of it was just green.  Reimu had traveled over much of that land, usually as part of some incident or another.  She considered leaving her shrine and heading out into that world again, but she held herself back.  Perhaps someone would come by and leave some money today.

?Hakurei Reimu!?

Reimu blinked at the small squeaky voice.  She immediately looked around to see if a fairy was playing a prank on her.

Instead she saw a mouse.

?Hakurei Reimu.  You have been chosen to save Gensoukyo from the forces of darkness,? the mouse squeaked.

Reimu gave the mouse a long disapproving glare.  ?I know that already.  Part of the Hakurei shrine maiden bit.  Really Nazrin, I thought you'd be above these games.  Show some pride!  You're a servant to a deity.?  She tried to see if there was an illusion around the mouse.  Maybe the tanuki were playing tricks again?

Nazarin's tail and ears twitched.  ?Look, I don't like this either, but it has to be done to save the world from destruction.  You have to take this wand and become Mahou Shoujo Paradise Miko!?  The mouse produced a gohei from somewhere and somehow held it towards the miko.

Reimu blinked at the ridiculousness of the spectacle.  Someone had to be messing with her, and the sheer insanity left only one potential mastermind.  ?This is Yukari's doing.  I can tell.?

?Yeah, but this time it's...?  Nazrin's ears twitched again before she scurried behind Reimu.  ?Oh crap!  I'm too late.?

Reimu looked up to see an amorphous mass of dark slime roiling onto the shrine grounds from the forest.  Probably an unintelligent youkai.  Most youkai were barely more then animals, and a good deal of her income came from warding the creatures away from human habitations, or killing the ones that attacked humans too openly.  Similar to a tiger hunter in fact.  Still the Hakurei shrine should naturally ward off dumb youkai.  ?Hey!  I just cleaned that!?  She tossed two homing amulets to warn the slime creature off.

The amulets flew straight and true, then fizzled as they struck the monster.  The slime turned and started working towards her.  Reimu quickly scooped up Nazrin and took to the air.  It was unlikely the creature could follow them.

Nazrin twisted in the palm of her hand.  ?Reimu, normal magic won't work on them.  They aren't youkai like the rest of us, they have a special protection.  You need to use the magic of love to banish these monsters!?

?We'll see about that,? muttered Reimu as she fished out one of her more powerful cards.  ?Demon Binding Circle!?  The massive magical attack spread out and splattered the thing back into the forest.

Reimu smirked.  ?You should know better then to underestimate the powers of the gods.?  Reimu slowly let herself move towards the ground, then froze.

The slime was forming back together into a single mass. What's worse the creature looked like it had increased in size.  Somehow it had absorbed her banishing magic!  What strange power was this?  Physical attacks surely wouldn't work.  How could she fight?

Nazrin brought her out of her considerations by poking her with the gohei.  ?Please just use the wand!  I can explain later!? the small mouse said.

As the shrine maiden of Gensoukyo Reimu knew when to roll with the strangeness.  ?Alright....  But you owe me a good explanation later.?  She grabbed the gohei.  ?Now what??

?Say Paradise Miko Power, Transform.?

?I'm going to kill Yukari for this.?  Reimu sighed then held the gohei over her head.  ?Paradise Miko Power, Transform!?

The short staff flared with magical power, a wide area attack that seemed to paralyze all it struck.  This was probably a good thing, because immediately afterwards Reimu's clothes exploded into light.  Reimu found herself spun about as ribbons twisted themselves into a new set of clothes, each piece appearing in order like a reverse strip tease.  Finally the light faded, leaving Reimu wearing... a shrine maiden outfit with gloves instead of detached sleeves, boots instead of sandals and a much shorter skirt.

"Someone will die for this," Reimu stated with calm fury.  To be so casually stripped in public....
 
Nazrin forced her to focus on the matter at hand.  "Hopefully it'll be the monster.  Use your Fantasy Paradise Orb!"

"That's named worse then a Remilia Spellcard.  Oh well, whatever.  Fantasy Paradise Orb!"  Reimu held up her hand, then gasped as she was spun around right before a massive red white yin yang orb burst from her hand.  Reimu thought it looked like the type of the spells Marisa liked, though Marisa wore more clothes when performing her flourishes. 

The massive orb flew straight and true, slamming into the slime monster.  Reimu expected the ooze to splash again, but instead it disintegrated into sparkles with a mournful howl.

She carefully flew down to inspect the place where the youkai had died, but there was nothing, not even a scar on the grass.  ?What the heck is going on??

Nazrin hopped out of Reimu's hands and reverted to her humanoid form.  ?Finally.  These rules are so annoying!?

?Rules??  Reimu shook her head.  ?Alright, start explaining now.  Why am I in a frilled fetish miko costume now?  And what the heck was that thing?  And where the hell is Yukari?!?

Nazrin flinched away from her, and Reimu grudgingly relented.  ?Look I don't have all the answers myself, but I'll tell you what I do know okay??

Reimu nodded.  ?Do so.  Now.?

Nazrin sighed.  ?First whatever this nonsense is it's big.  Yukari was apparently too hurt to come by and pick me up.  She sent Ran instead.?

?What?  You sure she's not just sleeping??  It seemed ludicrous to Reimu that the gap youkai could get that beat up without Ran getting similarly hurt.

?Yeah, I could tell Ran was on edge.  She's really worried.?  Reimu heard certainty in Nazrin's voice.  ?Apparently whatever these new youkai are, they're immune to anything except a very specific type of magic.?

?Okay, fine.?  Reimu nodded.  ?I can understand that.  But why didn't Yukari just use this magic herself??

?Because it's got all kinds of stupid rules.?  Nazrin rolled her eyes.  ?Seriously I had to give you the wand in mouse form.  I couldn't switch to this form until after you killed the monster!  Those sparkles and lights and that short skirt, it's all required.?

?That's ludicrous,? Reimu seethed.  ?Let's see what Marisa has to say...?

Nazrin waved her hands.  ?That's another rule.  No telling people until after they figure it out themselves.  I mean it's not like your identity is hidden or anything but...?

Reimu stared at the little mouse.  ?That's stupid too, but it does sound like one of the rules Patchouli occasionally spouts off.  Fine, I'll play along for now, but if you abuse that trust I'll fry you.?

?Trust me, I can't think up rules that dumb,? Nazrin sighed.  ?I'm also supposed to stick around you until we find the rest of the magical girls.?

Reimu groaned.  ?There's more people who have to suffer this humiliation?  I'm not sure if I should be happy or mortified.?

?Uh, only two though, at least that's what Ran says.  And I promise I'll help cook while I'm staying here.?

?Teach me how to get out of this excuse for an outfit and I'll take you off the list of people to hurt for this,? Reimu said with a sigh.

?Deal.?

----

It stirred.

Finally it had arrived.

For years?  Centuries?  It had been kept away from the warmth.  The light.

But now it was here.  Now it could fulfill its purpose.

To find that warmth and light.  And destroy it all.

[nolrai2]

I think the only proper response to this is:
 >.<

[Hideki]

That was amazingly painful to read.  Not because your writing sucks, on the contrary, I think it absolutely fantastic.  It's just that I think I empathized a little too much with Reimu in thinking that this would be incredibly annoying and embarrassing thing to go through.

Uh, to be fair though, Reimu is not your typical magical girl protagonist. 

[Iced Fairy]

Sanae smiled and stretched.  The morning's cleaning had been done, and she had plenty of charms and fortunes ready for sale.  Admittedly she'd only covered the main shrine, but her miracle powers made it so the cleaning was never too bad.  Just one of the nice benefits of being a living goddess.  It was still harder than back at home, where she'd had several helpers, but her magic was much greater here on this side of the barrier.

She looked out over the calm waters of lake Suwa.  The lake was a lot smaller, but that was nice too.  The Moriya sub-shrines were scattered all around the lake.  Before it had taken an hour by car to reach them.  Now it was ten minutes of wondrous flight.  She basked in the sun, enjoying the day.  It was noonish, so the steady trickle of kappa and tengu was slacking off.  It was a nice break before the evening rush.

Sanae's good mood faded immediately as she felt a ward break.  Given the number of youkai wandering around that was bound to happen occasionally, but Sanae was still a little nervous of the wild youkai.  Her entrance to Gensoukyo had been spectacular, but her second incident hadn't gone as well.  She'd gone out to find a lost human and arrived just a little too late.  It had taken some time for her to regain her trust in any youkai, and she still respected the danger wild ones posed.  Sanae flew towards the area cautiously.

Her caution was well placed.  A blob of hissing green liquid flew from the trees and she barely dodged in time.  Sanae broke through the treeline to find what looked to be a giant beetle made out of black goo.  It reminded her of something from one of her morning cartoon shows.  One thing was certain, it wasn't playing by spell card rules.  It fired another orb of green acid that melted a sapling as Sanae dodged.

Sanae closed her eyes and drew a five pointed star with her gohei. "Creature of darkness, in the name of Lady Yasaka, I seal you,"  The lines materialized into divine energy then flew towards the creature.

Then bounced off with a pathetic *doink* sound.

The effect was so unrealistically comical Sanae had trouble believing she was still awake.  "Where's the sealing?  There was supposed to be a youkai incinerating sealing."

A harsh spitting noise forced her back to reality.  She barely dodged the acid stream the bug shot.  Cursing the thing's resilience she called up another batch of divine missiles.  The amulets she fired struck the creature, and just sank into it with no effect.  Once again the bug spewed acid in return, and once again Sanae dodged.

Sanae tried all her miracles, spells and charms.  The winds didn't shake it, spells just bounced off, and amulets were consumed into its mass.  And every time it fired back with a spray of acid, one that seemed to getting larger and larger.

She was breathing heavily by the time she reached into her pack for another charm and found nothing.  ?Damn it!?

"Paradise Needle Freeze!"

A tiny glowing missile flew across the grounds and slammed into the creatures side.  The attack left no mark, but it's effects were incredible.  The dark beetle collapsed while it's legs twitched violently.  Looking back along the missiles path Sanae saw Reimu, in what could only be a magical girls outfit.  In addition there was a mouse dashing towards her with a gohei in it's mouth trying to say something.

She had to be sleeping.  It was the only reasonable explanation.

Well, if it was a dream, there was only one thing to do.

She grabbed the gohei from the little mouseling and held it up to the sky.  "Miracle Miko Power, Transform!"

Sanae was a little worried about being able to pull off the transformation poses, but she found the dream did most of the work for her.  She was a little embarrassed at the degree of the chest shot lean, but it could have been worse.  As the light faded she did her best Sailor Moon pose.  Her new outfit was perfect for it too, in that her top just barely fit her, and the lower half of her skirt had turned to ruffles and frills.  "In the name of the Moriya Shrine, I will punish you!"

Not wanting to take the chance she'd wake before she got to really show off, Sanae quickly pointed at the creature, "Miracle Azure Tornado!"

At the miko's command a gust of blue force flew from her hand and smashed into the bug, sending it flying away in disintegrating sparks.

The threat passed, Reimu walked over to Sanae.  "I suppose you'll want an explanation?"

Sanae was nearly bouncing with joy.  "Explanation?  Isn't it obvious?  These monsters are composed of pure negative feelings, and we've been granted the power of love to battle them for the fate of all Gensoukyo!  Nazrin is our animal helper and we're the soldiers of LOVE!  Possibly also justice.  This is almost as good as a mecha series!"

Reimu's expression soured.  "How is it you know everything already?  If you are somehow responsible for this incident too I will hurt you so badly..."

?Hm...  That's weird.  I didn't think I considered Reimu to be so grouchy.?  Sanae shook her head.  ?I need to do some dream analysis when I wake-  Ow!?  Sanae rubbed her head and turned to look down at Nazrin.  ?Hey why'd you hit...?

She realized she'd felt pain.  Which meant...

?Right.  This isn't a dream,? Nazrin said.  ?The world really is in danger.  You really are a magical girl.  And you did in fact shove your boobs out towards Reimu during your transformation sequence.?

Sanae quickly folded her arms over her chest and tried to keep from blushing.  She could tell by the warmth in her cheeks and the other two girls' expressions that she was failing badly.  Finally she tried to shift the conversation.  ?So, uh, what are the monsters we're fighting??

Reimu's annoyed expression faded into a sigh.  ?We don't know.  Apparently Yukari's hurt, so she sent Ran out with the word before holing up in gapland to keep the barrier up.?

?She said she'd be able to explain it all when we got the third member,? Nazrin said.  ?And I'll be able to head home while Yukari takes over mentor duties.?

?Oh so we're a trio??  Sanae thought for a moment.  ?Hey, how did you find me anyway?  If this isn't a dream you had to have used a real spell.?

Nazrin held up her dowsing rods.  ?I can hunt down the appropriate girl when the time is right.  That's why they wanted me instead of Chen.?

?Not to mention Chen would probably try to keep the magic wand for herself,? Reimu added.

Sanae wished she knew the people involved better but she nodded in response.  ?Okay, that makes sense.  So what else do I need to know??

?Well first you'll probably want to hear how to get your old uniform back...?

------

It paused for a moment to consider its actions.  It seemed like it needed something more.  She needed something more.

Yes.  First she needed a throne.

Action was thought.  A throne of darkness rose at her command, and with it rose her new body.

The beings of this world loved beauty, so she would take that beauty and mock it.  She would become as terrible as she was great.

A debonaire lady who would bring darkness to rule over all.

[Metaflare]

"Where's the sealing?  There was supposed to be a youkai incinerating sealing."

Sanae, thy name is Marvin

[Iced Fairy]

Meiling yawned.

It was a warm day.  Almost too warm.  The only thing keeping her awake was the breeze from the lake.

Despite the rumors from the Tengu she rarely slept at her post, and she usually only did that during breaks.  Still she had to admit that she wasn't as alert as a Master of the ancient Chinese martial arts should be.

It was just so hard to really feel serious about the job.

Back when she'd joined the mansion, they were always in danger.  Youkai hunters, angry villagers, or the Church could show up at any moment.  To relax in her duties was to put the entire safety of the mansion at risk.  An intruder could kill dozens of helpless maids before Sakuya or the Mistress dealt with them.  And so Meiling had been ever watchful.  She had become part of the walls of the mansion, keeping all harm out.

Here there was no threat.  In fact if she was too successful the mistress would get bored.  If she wasn't ever vigilant a fairy might slip in and 'kill' another fairy.  Even the youkai hunters here preferred mock battles to deadly dueling.

And so Meiling found her most dangerous foe was sleep.  Sometimes an incident would start, or a foe would arrive.  But those were short bursts of alertness surrounded by long stretches of quiet.  And there was nothing that compared to the attacks of the church hunters.

When the first shadow moved Meiling snapped out of her ruminations.  She wondered if this was a new fairy prank or some other youkai come to test it's luck.  Best either way to call them out.  She cracked her knuckles.  ?I see you.  Better come out now.?

Her eyes widened in surprise as killing intent rolled over her.  She snapped into a fighting stance as not one, but five shadowy blobs rolled out of the forest then flowed into the form of men.  ?I don't know why you're here, but the Scarlet Devil Mansion isn't taking guests.?

The creatures responded by rushing her as one.  Meiling focused her ki throughout her body then sprang forward in return.  ?Ha!?  Her first sweeping blow struck all five of the creatures, sending them to the ground.  She set her stance, waiting to see if more foe appeared.

It was a good thing she did.  The creatures all sprang back up despite the force of her blow.  Meiling sprung backwards avoiding their counter attack.  When she landed she summoned her chi powers and stomped the ground.  The resounding thud from the move shook the ground, keeping her foes at distance, and warning her allies trouble was afoot.  ?This is your last warning.  I won't hold back if you attack me again.?

The creatures didn't listen.  They moved strangely, like puppets controlled by a incompetent master.  But they came all at once, and more blobs joined their numbers.  Meiling would have to meet the group to avoid being overwhelmed.

That should be a simple task.

?Haaa....?  She closed her eyes and altered the chi within her body.  Most people contained both yin and yang energy naturally, ebbing and flowing with nature.  Meiling had given herself entirely over to yin.  Her body contained death itself.  The universe had to balance that out by constantly funneling yang energy to balance her.  Now she used her powers to increase her yin energy beyond it's normal limits.  The universe responded by surrounding her in a protective yang shell, which manifested as rainbow light as she spun in place.

Her rainbow tornado knocked her foes flying.  Not satisfied she released the energy within herself, causing the yang energy around her to shatter off into rainbow knives that struck her foes.  The creatures collapsed into goo at her strikes.  ?I warned you.?

To her shock the creatures began to rise again.  ?What?!?  Did she need more power?  There was no way she could hit that many foes at once with a stronger attack.  She'd be overwhelmed if she tried.

A blast of scarlet light slammed into one of the figures moving back towards her and a brace of knives struck the others.  Meiling smiled and moved back into the fray, kicking and punching anything that got near her.  The rest of the mansion was helping out, which meant she could focus on what she did best, guarding the real powerhouses while they figured things out!

The next few minutes was the chaotic mess of battle that Meiling had trained so long to master.  Her foes tried to swarm over her, but Sakuya and Remilia's attacks prevented them all from striking at once.  Meanwhile her own heavy hitting techniques prevented them from breaking away and passing the gate.

However she began to worry a little.  The enemies were always standing up.  And Remila was starting to use her more deadly ranged spells.  Was there nothing that killed these foes?  They didn't seem to be getting weaker either.  If anything they were getting stronger.

?Paradise Orb Crush!?
?Miracle Paradise Slash!?

A glowing orb and a strange amulet flew through the air, each striking a target and causing them to vanish into light.  The battle seemed to freeze as Reimu and Sanae leaped into the fray.  To Meilings confusion they both seemed to be in fetishy variants of their normal miko costumes, and Reimu seemed to have a mouse on her shoulder.  ?These things can't be killed by normal magic.  We'll finish them up.?  As the creatures began to turn towards the miko Reimu leveled her gohei and said ?Nazrin, hurry up and find the last girl.  It's probably Marisa, so hit up the library!?

The mouse hopped off Reimu's shoulder as the creatures started attacking the two miko.  Meiling started moving to intercept some, but the small rodent stopped right in front of her.  ?Here!? it squeeked, producing a gohei from nowhere.  ?Use this to transform into Mahou Shoujo Burning Miko!?

Meiling had lived a long time.  Longer then most had ever realized.  And she'd learned a lot over that time.  Not much of it was useful these days, but she still knew a lot.  And one of the things she knew was that people asking you do something very strange in the middle of a fight usually had a good plan.  She grabbed the item and held it up to the sky.  ?Burning Miko Power, Transform!?

She felt worried when the magic took control of her movements.  But the green glow surrounding her seemed to hold the monsters off.  Once again she stomped the ground, and with that her clothes seemed to burst into light.  The magic gohei then slowly replaced those clothes, while forcing her to go through a series of kata that seemed designed for maximum bouncing.  Meiling did her best to ignore this and focus on her enemies.

As the glow faded Meiling immediately sprang out of her finishing pose.  She felt full of energy, energy she had to release.  Leaping between each opponent she let out a loud string of kiai as she struck each one.  She finished the last one with a mighty kick, before posing once again.  "Burning Crack Fist!"  There was a brief pause before she continued, "You're already dead."  The evil figures all suddenly bulged, then exploded into disintegrating shards.

Sanae gave Meiling a look that was something between awe and disappointment.  "Um, that was really cool, but I think it's the wrong genre."

Reimu just shrugged.  "Whatever.  It worked.  We've got three now, so lets hunt down the mastermind and teach him what for!"

"Um..."  Meiling raised her hand to draw their attention.  "Would you mind explaining what's going on?"  She looked down at her new clothing.  ?And why am I in a frilly skirt with heeled boots and a top designed for maximum bounce effects??

Reimu looked down at her own outfit with a look of disgust.  ?Congratulations, you've been selected as a soldier of love and justice.  Marisa gets off this time.  You get to help us fight the forces of evil, since only we can kill them.  And apparently questionable outfits are part of the magic.?

?Uh...? Meiling looked down at the outfit again.  It seemed like one of Koakuma's pranks, but there was no way Reimu and Sanae would play along with one of those.  ?Alright then.  But I can't exactly go running around Gensoukyo like this.  I've got a day job you know.?

"Don't worry about that, Meiling."

Nazrin and the trio looked up to see Remilia descending to the battlefield.  "I think I have an idea about what's going on from the manga Patchouli's been collecting.  I'm willing to give you leave to solve this matter.  Go forth and punish them in the name of the Scarlet Moon!"

Reimu looked to Sanae, "So Sanae, is that joke as bad as I think it is?"

Reimila smiled.  "Oh, and white panties suit you, Reimu."

Meiling saw Reimu start to charge up another spell but a fan slipped through a gap and tapped her on the head.  ?Now now Reimu.  You shouldn't use the power of love on innocents.  Or Remilia.?

Reimu's anger turned to more generic annoyance.  ?Yukari!  You've got a lot to answer for!?

Meiling couldn't help but gasp a little as Yukari walked out from her gap.  She was covered in small wounds, and the youkai's arm looked like was taped on.  Even considering how much more punishment youkai could take it was obvious the youkai sage had taken a serious beating.  Reimu and Sanae looked disturbed as well, and Lady Remilia seemed pensive.

?I think you should tell us what's going on now,? Reimu stated simply.

Yukari nodded.  ?Yes I think I should.?  She turned to Remilia.  ?Forgive me for borrowing your gatekeeper.  I'll recompense you of course.?

?Just return her in the same shape she left,? Remilia replied before looking down at Meiling.  ?I expect you to uphold the name of our household, Meiling.?

Meiling bowed.  ?It will be done.?

------

The five retreated to the Hakurei Shrine after teaching Meiling how to transform back.  Reimu quickly brewed some tea for her guests, then plopped down at the small table.  "So what is happening, Yukari?  You usually deal with this sort of incident personally.  Why the light shows and skimpy outfits?"

Yukari sipped her tea carefully.  ?You've heard it said before that Gensoukyo accepts everything, correct??

Meiling shook her head, but Reimu and Sanae nodded.  ?Right.  That's why western creatures can enter.  As well as old technological items.?

?Indeed.  Gensoukyo will allow any creature to enter, and as you all can attest, each creature has their own rules.?  Yukari sipped her tea again.  ?The issue comes when a creature insists on only using their rules and not allowing Gensoukyo to change them.  Gensoukyo must let them in, but we residents don't have to let them live?

?Allowing Gensoukyo to change them?? Sanae asked.

Yukari turned to Meiling.  ?You should know this.  Was Remilia affected by the holy items of Japan before she came here??

Meiling thought for a moment.  ?Er, she didn't like them before.  But now that you mention it she does seem a little weaker to holy items here.?

?Exactly,? Yukari looked at the two miko.  ?Western Vampires are nearly immune to Eastern holy relics in the outside world.  When they came to Gensoukyo some changed.  They adapted, becoming part of Gensoukyo, while still benefiting from their own rules.?  Her eyes hardened.  ?Others attempted to abuse their powers and were dealt with.?

Reimu nodded.  ?So you're saying these creatures have special rules protecting them, and they aren't going to play nice with everyone else.?

?That's the gist of it,? Yukari replied.

?But why can we just overpower them?? Meiling asked.  ?You destroyed the other vampires well enough, just by overwhelming them.?

?I believe Sanae can answer that,? Yukari looked over at her.

"Ah!"  Sanae clapped her hands together in understanding.  "I get it.  Magical girl shows are still kinda big, so there's a lot of faith that only magical girls can beat monsters!  We have to destroy them this way because that's the only way the outside world believes they can be destroyed."

Yukari smiled.  "Well actually it's the opposite.  Remember disbelief sends things through the border."

Sanae, Meiling and Nazrin looked at Reimu in the hopes that she might know what the gap youkai was hinting at.  Reimu thought a bit before replying.  "So we have to destroy them this way because the outside world has come to the conclusion that's stupid and any old attack should work?  I happen to agree with them here."

Yukari shrugged.  "You take the good with the bad.  I like existing, so I have to follow the rules."  She sighed.  ?I'd hoped this new youkai would come to accept Gensoukyo as it accepted her, but it seems old habits are too strong for that creature.  It was born from mindless hate, and destruction is all it desires.  That is why we must kill it.?

Nazrin reverted to her preferred form before turning to Yukari.  "So why did I have to run around in animal form until after they transformed?"

?That was me hedging my bets.  This isn't an exact science after all.  Still, you've got the main character who wants to quit,"  she pointed at Reimu, "and the hyper genki girl who jumped at the call," Yukari pointed at Sanae, "bonus points for being genre savvy.  Finally you've just gotten a girl with burning passion!" Yukari pointed at Meiling.  ?The trio is complete.  You can scurry back to supporting cast if you want.?

?Please,? Nazrin replied.  ?I felt useless enough when handing out powers.?

?And what about us?? Meiling asked.  ?Where do we have to go to confront this monster??

?That's a fine question, one I'm afraid I can't answer.?  Yukari drummed her fingers on the desk.  ?It likes to hide in an alternate dimension, one that can't easily be accessed.  When I stopped trying to beat it back through sheer power it slipped by.  I don't think we can locate it until it reveals itself.?

?Then how can we kill it?? Reimu asked.  ?I want to be done with this nonsense.?

?Well if it's following the normal playbook, it'll try to send agents into the normal world, and once we kill enough of them it'll become frustrated with us and stage some kind of all out attack,? Sanae replied.

Meiling frowned.  ?So we have to stay like this for some time?  That will make my job difficult.?

Yukari sighed.  ?I understand.  But for now this is the only way.?

?Then we'll do it,? Reimu said grimly.  ?But I swear when I catch that youkai I'll make it regret having ever existed.?

----

Followers.  That's what she was missing.

She had creatures of course.  Bits of her essence sent to cause destruction.  But they would not be enough.  Especially now that her plans had been foiled.  She would need intelligence in the future.

It took many failures.  Creation was not something she enjoyed.  But in the end she succeeded.  Four they were.  One for each enemy, and one for the world itself.  The first she built as her own guardian.  Ever loyal.  The second she constructed to be obsessed with servitude.  That woman was easier to form.  The third was built of ambition.  A man with boundless desires.  And finally she created one of rage, to cleanse where the others passed.

She smiled when they stood before her and bowed.  ?Your will my queen?? the first asked.

?Bring ruin to all.?

[Joveus Molai]

Welp, now I'm imagining Meiling as just Kenshiro with long red hair, braids, and a green cap.

[Iced Fairy]

Marisa whistled happily as she filched an apple from the cart.  Normally she kept her borrowing away from stall merchants, but this guy was a cheat.  About a fourth of the apples she'd inspected from him were wormy.  A couple of quick cuts from her knife revealed this apple was one of the infected.  ?How lazy can you be not to pay off Wriggle or buy a protection spell??  Marisa shook her head at the man's inadequacy before quartering the apple and deworming it.

She'd finished half the apple when she reached the school.  Classes were over, but several kids were using the open area around the school building to play various games.  A few noticed her as she began walking towards the building.  The group jumping rope stopped and ran towards her.  ?Ah, it's the black-white witch!?

Marisa smiled and tipped her hat to the girls.  Most of them were the younger sisters of people she'd gone to school with, way back when.  ?That's right!  I'm here to fatten you up so I can eat you later.?  She held out three apple slices, which the girls happily grabbed.

The oldest of the three smirked as she grabbed her slice.  ?Brother says you've already eaten the other two magicians.  Aren't you full??

Marisa lightly whacked the girl upside the head.  ?What the heck is Youmon teaching you, kid??  The other two girls giggled as their ringleader pouted.

?Marisa, are you giving the next generation of troublemakers hints??

Marisa turned to face Keine as the younger girls faded back.  ?Nah, that'd be cheating.  Besides it's better for them to get the xp on their own.  Forced leveling isn't as profitable.?

The schoolteacher folded her arms and leveled her stern gaze at the magician.  ?So why are you here??

?I needed your help actually, as a historian.?  Marisa held up her mini-hakkero.  ?I decided I really should know how this thing works, and the history behind it.  And you're the best person to ask about history.?

Keine sighed.  ?I wish you'd come to me with these questions because you liked history, not because you wanted a new way to blow something up.?  She frowned at Marisa.  ?Especially since you blew me up not too long ago.?

Marisa shrugged.  ?Not my fault you couldn't take a joke.?

?You were in my class for less then a year and you've caused me more trouble then any of my other students.?   Keine shook her head.  ?Still given the story in question maybe you'll learn something.  The lessons of the Monkey King might teach you what I could not.?

?Just don't try to lock me in a-? A black flash from the schoolyard cut Marisa off.  She and Keine whirled to see what had happened.

There standing next to the sandbox was a man in a strange uniform.  It looked like something Reisen would wear, only more severe and black.  He stood about as tall and Keine, and Marisa didn't like the angry sneer he was wearing.  Marisa took a careful step to the side as the man looked around.  ?So this is where the scum breed.?

?If your going to talk like that I'm going to have to ask you to leave,? Keine said while stepping forward.

The man's sneer deepened and he raised his hand.  Marisa could feel the magic coalescing before the spell circle appeared and she flipped out her mini hakkero in response.  ?Look out, Keine!?  The were-hakutaku jumped aside just as at the man's dark laser fired off.  Marisa's return fire sent the figure sprawling, but he didn't seem seriously hurt.  Either he was a youkai or a powerful mage.

The children started screaming and running away while Marisa leaped into the air.  ?Everyone follow Keine to safety,? she yelled.  ?I'll handle this guy!?

?That's right, children!  Everyone get behind me!?  Keine's voice helped most of the kids recover their senses, and they began to flock behind the teacher, who was already setting up powerful wards.  Seeing they were fine, Marisa turned back to her foe.

The man had just regained his feet when Marisa finished her second incantation.  ?Love Sign: Master Spark!?  The air in front of her exploded into painfully bright light, while the whining roar pierced her ears.  She always hated using the powered down version of the spell, but leveling the village might hurt people other then her target.

When the light faded she couldn't see anything left of the man.  Just a scorch mark across the playground.  Marisa nodded grimly.  ?Well, I wonder what that was about.?

There was sudden movement at the corner of her eye, and then a massive force knocked the wind out of her.  She tumbled across the ground, then staggered to her knees painfully sucking in air.  The man was standing there, somehow unfazed by her spark.  ?I'm going to make you suffer,? he growled.  Then he rushed her.

Marisa forced herself to breath normally then hopped over the attack.  The man turned his rush into a roundhouse kick and Marisa ducked it before moving back again.  ?You're strong, but you suck at fighting,? she taunted.  The man charged her again, forcing her to flip over him.  As she did so she reached into her hat and tossed out one of her explosive potions.

An inferno consumed the man but she didn't let her guard down this time.  So when a bullet came out of the blaze she quickly zipped to the side.  ?You're starting to annoy me,? she called down to the man as he stepped out of the fire.  The creature was also starting to worry her.  She'd tried physical force, light and fire, and none of them seemed to work.  She had a frost spell, but if that failed....

?Burning Miko Kick!?

Marisa blinked in surprise as Meiling hit the ground with a fiery jump kick.  The man scurried away from the attack, as if the strike was somehow more deadly then her own spark.  ?So you're the ones we were made to kill,? the man said.

Reimu and Sanae dropped from the sky to land next to the youkai martial artist.  As they did, Marisa finally noticed they'd all changed from their normal attire.  Each seemed to have been designed by someone trying to use the most fabric while covering the least amount of skin.  The three all dropped into something resembling fighting poses. 

?Enemies of the light, in the name of Moriya be purified!? Sanae said.

Reimu's reply was simpler.  ?I'm going to break you.?

?I'm getting the feeling I'm being ignored here,? Marisa said pointedly.

A hand fell on her arm.  ?That's because you are.?  Marisa looked over to see Yukari standing beside her.  ?You can't damage this foe.  Let Reimu sort it out this time.?

The man began to bubble and boil.  ?Excellent.  Let's start the killing now.?

?You're forgetting your duties, you fool.?

There was a flash of black light and three more figures appeared.  ?This was supposed to be a simple scouting mission, not a final confrontation.?

?Well it looks like it failed.  So how about you all die?  Paradise Miko Orb!?  Reimu flung a blue yin yang orb out, but the four scattered.

?Our apologies for denying you your 'final battle' but we have some things to test out first,? the lone woman said.  She tossed down several vials before the four vanished in black fire again.

Marisa blinked as the pots exploded into Oni like figures.  Not the more refined shapes that the modern Oni usually chose, but the monsters of legend.  ?Huh, maybe I can put a dent in these??  Marisa unleashed a spread of magic missiles.  The deadly energy struck home, and was absorbed by the figures.  ?Damn it.?

?Sorry Marisa, but your attacks will only feed it,? Reimu replied.  ?We'll clean up.?

Marisa fumed at her impotence as she watched the trio move to attack.  In the part of her mind that wasn't annoyed she had to admit it was surprisingly well coordinated for a group from Gensoukyo. 

?Paradise Miko Barrier!? Reimu called out, creating a reflective wall around the group.

Sanae moved next.  ?Miracle Wave Splitter!? the wind priestess called out as he leaped into the sky.    She landed with a skirt swirling smash that sent waves of energy ripping through five of the monsters. 

As the remainder rushed towards Sanae, Meiling appeared next to her.  ?Burning Dragon Punch!?  Meiling ascended into the sky with an incredible uppercut.  The oni figures were slammed aside by Meiling's flames before disintigrating into rainbow light.

?That's cool!? Sanae exclaimed, then her expression fell a bit.  ?But uh, still not genre appropriate.?

Marisa leaped down to where the three were standing.  ?What the heck was that all about?  And why didn't my magic work on them?  Don't tell me Meiling's secretly a priestess.

Meiling laughed.  ?Ah, no such thing Marisa.  I'm... still not entirely sure what's going on here.?

?We're magical girls!? Sanae stated.  Then she paused.  ?Er, well I suppose that's common here, isn't it.  We're magical soldiers of love and justice.?

?Basically there's some new youkai around, and killing them involves stupid outfits, waving around gohei, and yelling out the names of our spells,? Reimu replied icily.

?And you didn't tell me?  I thought we were friends Reimu.?  Marisa frowned.  ?Seriously, while I admit the spells are kinda questionable, you should have signed me up too.?

Reimu shrugged.  ?Yukari was the one who picked who got the powers.  Honestly I thought you'd be suffering here next to me but it seems you lucked out.?

?Lucked out?  You call being left in the dark lucking out??  Marisa fought to keep her voice from rising.  ?You know how important new magic is to me Reimu.?

?Oh!  Do you want everyone to know whether you prefer a bra or a sarashi?? Reimu asked with a sneer.  ?This isn't exactly happy fun time here.  Incidents at least don't embarrass me while I'm solving them.  It's not even new magic, just magic with more sparkles around it.  You're missing out on nothing.?

?I'd prefer it over being totally helpless while crazy monsters rampage around the world!?  Marisa snarled.  ?Would you like it if someone had to come running to rescue you??

?That's...?  Reimu looked down.  ?I...?

?It does sound like it would suck,? Sanae laughed nervously.

Meiling nodded.  ?Yeah, it's not something you get used to.?

Reimu rubbed the back of her head.  ?Well, maybe you can beat another magic stick out of Yukari there.  I'd help, but I really want to get back into an outfit that isn't a crime against modesty.?

?.... Fair enough.? Marisa turned to where Yukari was.  ?We'll chat more later, kay, Reimu??

?Sure thing, Marisa.?  The trio flew off quickly.

Yukari hid behind her fan as Marisa walked up to her.  ?Don't even bother asking, Marisa.  It can't be done and I don't really feel like explaining.  Again.?

?Oh?  What if I threaten to tell Reimu you're the one keeping her shrine afloat??

Yukari's expression soured.  ?I don't negotiate with people who threaten me.?

Marisa snorted.  ?That must make working with youkai hard, since half of them only know how to threaten.?

?Sorry, I should have said humans.?  Yukari sighed.  ?However, you're similar enough to a youkai such that I guess I can make an exception.?

?I'll take that as a compliment I guess,? Marisa glared at Yukari.  ?So spill.  What makes those three so special??

Yukari opened up a gap.  ?Do you mind if we continue this at your house?  This conversation makes me want to sit down.?

?Fine.?  Marisa followed the youkai through the portal into her kitchen.  Somehow she wasn't surprised Yukari could drop in here at will.  ?I suppose you'll want tea too??

?That would be nice, yes.?  Yukari grabbed the one chair that had open table space, forcing Marisa to clean off another area for herself when she sat down with the tea.

?So?? Marisa asked.

Yukari took her time sampling the tea before answering.  ?Those three girls posses something you and I do not.  Overwhelming love.  It is that which allows them to destroy these monsters.?

?Overwhelming love??  Marisa snorted.  ?You're joking right??

?No.  Those are the rules,? Yukari looked at Marisa sternly.  ?Some rules are inviolate, no matter how much trouble they get me into.  That is a rule the strongest youkai live by.?

Marisa waved the answer aside.  ?If 'love' or devotion was the answer you'd have picked up Koakuma or Sakuya instead of Meiling.?

?It's not the same,? Yukari waved her hand.  ?The love these three wield is different.  Broader.?

Marisa frowned into her tea.  ?And what about my love for magic?  Are you saying that's not good enough?  That magic isn't pure enough to love?   And what about your love for Gensoukyo?!?

?You're making a lot of assumptions about me there, aren't you?? Yukari said with a smile.

Marisa matched the youkai's golden-eyed stare with her own.  ?You love Gensoukyo so much you'd die for it.  Don't try to deny it, Yukari.  I know you can change the rules about people entering Gensoukyo.  And I know you can do it without destroying the barrier.  Even if you couldn't do it as a youkai, you'd be able to do it with your magical skills.  But that new Gensoukyo wouldn't be the one you love.  You'd be keeping mystical creatures out purely based on their powers or species, and you couldn't stand that.  You're willing to risk everything to keep your dream Gensoukyo alive.?

Yukari's smile faded.  The two sat in silence for some time.  ?How is it you're so perceptive about these things and so ignorant of everything else??  Marisa's stare didn't waver.  Eventually Yukari closed her eyes.  ?Yes.  You're right.  Mostly right anyway.?  The ancient youkai thought for a bit.  ?Perhaps it would be better to state that those three have unconditional love.?  Her eyes opened again.  ?I love Gensoukyo, but it is the product of my ambitions.  You love magic, but you also wish to master it for power.  Koakuma loves her mistress, but she also desires a more carnal relationship.  Our love is compromised by desire.  These three are not.?

?So you're saying our love is less pure?  Tainted because we actually get something out of it??  Marisa clenched her fists in anger.  ?That's some twisted thinking if you ask me!?

Yukari sighed again.  ?Not less pure, just not the same.?  She shrugged.  ?I don't like it, but I'm not going to question it.  We don't have the potential.  Perhaps some other day you'll be the one with the special skill and Reimu will be sidelined, but that's not this day.?

Marisa shot up from her chair.  ?This isn't about-!? Marisa stopped, then sat down again.  ?Okay maybe it was about Reimu being the chosen one again.  But now I'm just pissed off by these stupid rules.?

Yukari rose.  ?I'm sorry to hear that.  But I'm afraid I can't do anything about it.  I won't stop you from looking into ways of fighting on your own.  I just expect you to be responsible for the consequences of your actions.?

?How is that different from normal?? Marisa groused as Yukari opened a gap and exited her house.


Marisa sat there for a while fuming.  She wanted to start working on the problem, but she couldn't get over how unfair it was.  Her love wasn't good enough because she got power out of it?  Her desires were somehow unclean?  Tainted?  It was an insulting proposition.

She wasn't a youkai at the height of their power, or a living goddess, or a shrine maiden who inherited all the base powers she'd ever need.  She was a magician.  A magician who wasn't even naturally talented.  Her main skill was deconstructing other people's spells, and she had to fight to get them to work right half the time.

She couldn't just sit back and like things because they were there.  Nothing was just there for her.  She'd had to pursue everything she'd ever loved.  She'd run away from home to pursue her magic.  To have magic itself tell her she was wrong to do that was....

"You desire power."

Marisa slowly stood.  "Yes."

"I know a path to power.  A different path.  One that will give you the strength to fight just as your friend Reimu does."

"Tell me," Marisa said simply.

"Enter the portal and I shall explain it to you.  But be warned.  I can't give away power for free.  There is still a price to be paid, Marisa Kirisame."

Marisa grinned as she stepped through the portal that appeared before her.  "I'm the daughter of a pawn shop owner.  Let's make a deal."