Maribel Hearn Quest: ACT III - Part 3

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Huh look, someone is over there."
>Approach that figure with care.

>You approach the figure.
>It seems to be a man in white and blue robes. He stands up as you approach and heads towards the cave-in, peering through a small hole in the rocks. You notice some flowers set on the ground near where he was kneeling.
>_

[Monarda]

>"Um... Mister ? Is everything alright ?"
>Look worried.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Um... Mister ? Is everything alright ?"
>Look worried.

>The man turns around, startled, before his appearance quickly changes to that of a red-haired woman and she composes herself.
>"Hmm? Who might you be?" she(?) tilts her head.
>_

[Monarda]

>"The name is Maribel... so you are the youkai from the rumors..."
>Nod.
>"...did someone you care about get stuck there ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"The name is Maribel... so you are the youkai from the rumors..."

>"There are rumors about us?" she(?) asks.

>Nod.
>"...did someone you care about get stuck there ?"

>"An old friend of ours lived down there. We've been cut off since the entrance collapsed, we don't even know if she or anyone else down there is alive... We can see through to the other side of the cave-in, but whenever we check nobody seems to come."
>_

[Monarda]

>"I see... then let me help you, may i take a look on the other side ?"

[Neovereign]

>Geez... a magical world like this and tons of people are being separated by rocks...

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"I see... then let me help you, may i take a look on the other side ?"

>"There is nothing stopping you." she shifts forms back to the man, "Just don't try to move the rocks. The cave and Jigoku itself are in a state of severe disharmony, attempts to clear the blockage might result in another cave-in."

>Geez... a magical world like this and tons of people are being separated by rocks...

>You do find this situation quite silly.
>_

[Neovereign]

//Just saying this early, but I think we should leave a gap for them to head in and out if we're gonna help with gaps. I don't trust going in there or sending one of our peeps into there...

[Monarda]

>"Okay, here goes."
>Paying attention to the details, make a gap on our side that leads to the other side of the collapsed tunnel.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Okay, here goes."
>Paying attention to the details, make a gap on our side that leads to the other side of the collapsed tunnel.

>You head over to the hole and peer through, using the visual to create a gap to the other side.
>"Whoa." says Suika, "Are ya sure you're not Yukari?"
>The man(?) tilts his head.
>"Are we going in, Merry?" Renko asks.
>_

[Neovereign]

>"Hey, there's some pretty big differences between us. Be it behavior or other."
>"I don't think it'd be too safe to go in though, with the remark about it being easy to cave in again. I could get back out anytime though, I think."

[Monarda]

>"Yeah Suika, i just look like her and have the same powers, she did keep an eye on me ever since i was young because of that of course."
>Turn to the youkai.
>"So, the way is clear, you should go and search for anyone."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Hey, there's some pretty big differences between us. Be it behavior or other."

>"Yeah Suika, i just look like her and have the same powers, she did keep an eye on me ever since i was young because of that of course."

>"Oh. So I guess you're pretty special for her. Heh, if I didn't know any better, I'd say ya were her long lost sister or somethin'..."

>"I don't think it'd be too safe to go in though, with the remark about it being easy to cave in again. I could get back out anytime though, I think."

>Turn to the youkai.
>"So, the way is clear, you should go and search for anyone."

>"Thank you for the offer," says the youkai "but we cannot enter Jigoku, as we are bound to Gensokyo." They frown, "We have been merely waiting to see if anyone, such as that unfortunate human that entered shortly before the collapse, would try to leave it and perhaps give us confirmation that our old friend is alive. If we were able, we could've at least tried to clear the way, though we did not want to risk the possibility of another, perhaps worse, cave-in."
>_

[Monarda]

>"Bound to Gensokyo ? But why ?"

[AzyWng]

>"Also, who is this old friend of yours?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Bound to Gensokyo ? But why ?"

>"We have... A somewhat unique niche, despite how seldom we interact with others. You wouldn't be able to understand it."

>"Also, who is this old friend of yours?"

>"A powerful oni by the name of Konngara. Leader of a now-fallen order that she dubbed the Astral Knights, who sought to keep peace and maintain balance in the world. And ideal that we share."
>_

[Monarda]

>"I see... may i at least have your name ? Or names i guess ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"I see... may i at least have your name ? Or names i guess ?"

>"Our individual names were lost long ago. We are known only as Shingyoku now."
>_

[Monarda]

>"I see, well then..."
>Look to the others.
>"I guess we gotta go in..."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"I see, well then..."
>Look to the others.
>"I guess we gotta go in..."

>"Do we?" Matenshi asks.
>"For what?" says Chen.
>_

[Monarda]

>"Well since they can't go in, who will look for their friend ? And i don't want to ask for their help without giving something back to them, plus lifes might be at stake here."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Well since they can't go in, who will look for their friend ? And i don't want to ask for their help without giving something back to them, plus lifes might be at stake here."

>"I guess that's fair." says Matenshi.
>"So, we're going in then?" Renko asks.
>_

[Monarda]

>Nod.
>"If something happens, we can always gap away, or we can ask Mini-Suika here to warn the others if it doesn't work."
>Gently pet the Mini-Suika.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Nod.
>"If something happens, we can always gap away, or we can ask Mini-Suika here to warn the others if it doesn't work."
>Gently pet the Mini-Suika.

>"Alright." Renko nods.
>"Don't worry, I won't let ya down if it comes to that." Suika says as you pet her.
>_

[Monarda]

>"Right."
>Turn to the youkai.
>"Can you describe your friend's appearance to us ? That way it will be easier to find him or her."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Right."
>Turn to the youkai.
>"Can you describe your friend's appearance to us ? That way it will be easier to find him or her."

>"She has a long horn sticking out of her forehead, and black hair." Shingyoku replies, "She usually wears a red robe with white sleeves."
>_

[Monarda]

>"That should be enough."
>Nod, then look at the others.
>"Ready ?"
>If so, venture inside and look around.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"That should be enough."
>Nod, then look at the others.
>"Ready ?"
>If so, venture inside and look around.

>"I guess..." Matenshi shrugs.
>The rest of your group agrees.

>You enter the gap, ending up on the other side of the blockage. Looking around, it looks like a pretty generic cave, though it does continue down a distance before seemingly opening up.
>There are ominous cracks in the ceiling, it'll probably give at any moment if the blockage wasn't seemingly the only thing keeping it up.
>_

[Monarda]

>"Okay, let's be careful, don't touch the walls or anything suspicious."
>Proceed downwards.