Author Topic: Frame of the Undying Fortitude (finished)  (Read 57252 times)

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #30 on: April 22, 2009, 01:22:22 AM »
[Sixth Spell]

The edge of the forest near the shrine?

T?was a dark place thanks to the lack of sunlight caused by the dark and heavy clouds that dominated the sky. Many rumbles of thunder could be heard as pink dressed rabbit girls leaped about to and fro from tree branch to tree branch in pursuit of their target.

?Over here! I saw them go this way!?

?No no, they went over here! Hurry!?

?Wait! They?re taking this path!?

The nightbug youkai girl could hear them? They were everywhere, yet her legs didn?t stop running despite knowing she had potentially no chance of escaping at this point. What was worse that she now had to carry a human witch with a paralyzed body, along with several now inanimate magical dolls on her back. But even so, she knew that if she could just reach the shrine?

Wriggle was gasping for breath, mouth open as she continued running in defiance of a terrible fate. Even with Marisa weighing her down, she didn?t slow down. She would sooner spend the rest of her days running or even die before she allowed herself to become a prisoner of Eientei.

On the Nightbug?s back, the stunned and weakened Marisa held on as tightly as she possibly could looking around with her half open eyes.

?H-hey? ?kid? I appreciate the help and all but? ?I?m just extra weight to ya?? began the witch in a weak tone.

?If you?re suggesting I leave you to be caught by those despicable rabbits then you should know that I will not follow it.? said Wriggle as she continued her dash for freedom.

?Heh? Well I?ll admit that isn?t the most favorable of scenarios? This isn?t something I?d normally suggest but??

?I said forget it! I? I will not leave you behind!? interrupted Wriggle sternly before switching to a more somber voice. ?Not like how I left the other two??

Wriggle momentarily recalled how she had to leave behind Mystia and Alice, helpless to prevent them from falling victim to the Eientei rabbits? She had to run away? She couldn?t do anything. She promised her night sparrow friend that she would protect her. She even let herself be trained by a human to accomplish this! But in the end, she was helpless do anything. She couldn?t protect, or save Mystia. She was not about to fail again with Marisa!

Her thoughts were interrupted as she took an odd step?

?Ghwa??!?

She suddenly felt herself plummeting as she stepped right into a hidden casm she hadn?t a chance of seeing thanks to the forest?s thickness. Taken completely by surprise, the insect girl tumbled down the rocky incline, battered by stones and rather large tree roots. She finally came to rest in a small pool of somewhat muddy water after her unexpected painful plunge.

?Uuunnnhhh??

Wriggle quickly got up on all fours, shaking her head. Dazed, she sat up on her knees and put a hand to her head. The insect youkai?s clothes were now mostly wet, and stained with dirt and mud. Her face turned to one of shock and fear as she quickly realized she had dropped Marisa. She gasped as she looked to the left? ?then to the right? ?then behind her to see that the black witch had crashed onto a small set of pebbles after the fall.

Wriggle rather quickly staggered over to her fallen friend.

?M-Marisa!?

Marisa sat up a slight bit as she cringed, not at all enjoying either the fall, or the landing.

?Aaahhh? Watch that first step will ya? It?s a real doozy?? said Marisa has she sat up a bit.

Wriggle hurridly helped Marisa to a sitting position as she got ready to pick her up again. Somehow, Marisa had managed to grab her hat, and Alice?s dolls.

?I?m so sorry Marisa? Here, I?ll help you-?

?Nope.? interrupted Marisa.

?I told you I?m not leaving you! Now lets-?

?Geez girl, do you? ?want them to win?? asked Marisa with a tad bit of irritation, putting a hand on her head despite still having a hard time moving.

?What manner of question??! Of course not!? replied an off-put Wriggle, putting her fists up.

Marisa took a deep breath, tired of having to inhale constantly. Afterward, she spoke up again.

?Then you need to be the one to make it to the shrine, got that?? asked Marisa with a happy smile.

?But? But I?? stuttered Wriggle, now visibly upset.

?It?s you they?re really after isn?t it? It?s better for one of us to get caught, and have a chance at being rescued later than it is for both of us to be caught and have none at all. Besides, Reimu can take these guys down for sure.? reasoned Marisa with a reassuring smile as she staggered up. ?Oh? These legs of mine are strong, and I?m good for a few magic shots? I can distract em after all??

By now, Wriggle looked quite upset. Why did she have to leave behind yet another friend??

?Heh, wow? I can?t believe I?m being so altruistic right now. This really isn?t my usual self at all!? said Marisa with an ironic smile, chuckling. ?Is this your work Reimu? Nah. You may have rubbed off on me, but you?re a little selfish yourself at times??

?Marisa?? uttered Wriggle.

?I usually only care about people I?m close to. Frankly, I normally don?t do this for pefect strangers, but? ?you?ve kinda grown on me a bit. I kinda like ya.? winked Marisa at Wriggle. ?You be sure to show Reimu that hat of mine, okay? Her senses have dulled a bit, but she?s still pretty damn sharp? Oh right, and hold on to Alice?s dolls. She?ll want ?em back later. Ciao!?

Marisa then waved at Wriggle weakly as she turned around and began running deeper into the forest. Wriggle stepped forward a slight bit before stopping herself. Hesitating momentarily, she called out to her new friend.

?Marisa!?

The weakened witch stopped turned around to look at Wriggle with a puzzled expression.

?You?re the? The first human? The first and only human who has ever been as nice to me as you have? You extended kindness to me even though I am a youkai, one that would potentially try to hurt you. Now you stand to sacrifice yourself for my sake? I will never be able to repay this favor?? said Wriggle.

?Hey, don?t worry about that! We?ll just say you?re borrowing my service, kay?? asked Marisa with a thumbs up.

Wriggle smiled as her eyes welled up with tears.

?Marisa? ?thank you. You are? ?my friend!?

As Wriggle finished her sentence, she turned around and flew out of the casm in the general direction of the shrine, hat and dolls in hand. Drops of tears escaped her eyes as she did so. Marisa smiled silently, turning back to run deeper into the forest while charging green blasts of energy in her hands? Maybe she could even now buy enough time for Wriggle?

?Why can?t this just come to an end?? Everyone else has given themselves up for my sake?? muttered Wriggle as she ran. Marisa, I will bring an end to this? And somehow, I?ll defeat the princess of Eientei save all of you!

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #31 on: April 22, 2009, 01:23:45 AM »
***

?Nuuuuhhh??

Slowly, the blonde haired youkai stirred? As the grip of unconcioussness released her, her eyes slowly but surely opened to reveal a dusty floor of reddish rock. The room perhaps unexepectedly had a good amount of light as well. She drowsly looked around with her eyes, seeing that the oddly spacious room was totally made of rock? ?and that there were steel bars present in front of her? Alice suddenly sat up in shock, letting out a surprised gasp, as she almost immediately attempted to stand up inside the rocky room?

But she could not stand. In fact, her limbs seemed? ?stuck. At best, she could only get to her knees.

As her senses returned, the doll using youkai felt her arms behind her back, her wrists crossed together. Something was around the girl as well? Upon looking down, she found ropes just below her chest further restricting her, binding her arms to her body. Her legs would not move either: ropes binding her just above the ankles and just above the knees were to blame (though Alice could not see them at the moment due to her slightly dirty dress).

This was quite the reminder to Alice that she had been captured... Naturally, she objected to this situation, struggling hard against the ties, only to find that her already bad situation was further complicated by a rope that connected her wrists to her ankles, preventing her from stretching out her legs. And try as she might, she could not so much as even reach the ankle ropes due to her lack of a flexible body. On the other hand, it wasn?t like she was going to be able to untie herself anyway, given the way her hands were tied?

After several minutes of struggling, the visibly frusterated Alice finally gave in. She sighed before looking through the bars of her huge cell.

Just where was this place? It looked like it was deep inside some sort of mine, or something of that sort. Alice could vaguely make out youkai rabbits walking up the cyndrilical, dungeon-like room, in addition to her sensitive youkai ears picking up the sounds of digging, rolling and gathering. Such a strange place?

No sooner had Alice thought that when she heard another voice?

?Where am I??

Slightly startled, Alice looked behind herself to her right to see another youkai? The bird youkai known as Mystia had been chained to the wall, hard metal shackles locked to her wrists and ankles denying every attempt at escape, her arms spread to her sides. Mystia took a moment to look around the room before her face twisted in rage. She let out an angered screech while attempting to pull away from the wall. The loud clang after clang of a chain suddenly being pulled could be heard as the night bird pulled and struggled with her shackles, trying desperately to get free.

?How? How dare they?!? growled the bird youkai.

?H-h-hey, calm down, you?ll hurt yourself!? called Alice, turning to face the bird somewhat.

?Bah! Anything is better than being at the mercy of? ?of that scum! Damned humans, when will they learn that just can?t do whatever they want?!? growled Mystia still trying hard to free herself. ?GRAAAH, LET ME OUTTA HERE!!!?

Alice winced as the panicked Mystia let out another harsh scream as she wrestled furiously with her chains even more. Afterward, Mystia finally stopped, out of breath, sweating and panting.

?Ahh, not taking well to our restraints eh?? began a familiar voice outside the cell, the voice of Tewi. ?Sorry, but it was necessary. You two were real stubborn afterall.?

As she talked, Tewi walked to the front of the cell, looking in.

?By the way, these aren?t ordinary restraints. They were designed specifically for youkai. I do not think you will be getting out of those anytime soon.? said Tewi with a wink.

Mystia glared at her with resentment in her eyes.

?Release us this instant!? demanded Mystia.

?I really can?t. You?re important to what we wish to accomplish. Besides, mistress would be quite angry!? said Tewi with a playful smile.

?Wait, you?re Tewi Inaba! Leader of the Earth rabbits!? said Alice, turning to face the small rabbit girl.

?Thaaaaaaat is me of course!? replied Tewi, pointing at herself with her thumb. ?You?re the doll maker of the forest that tricked my troops earlier aren?t you? Ya know, if you had just left them alone, you wouldn?t have had to have gotten involved with any this.?

?Just what do you want with her?? asked Alice, a little angry now.

?Not telling! You?ll just have to wait until tonight. You?ll see!? winked Tewi.

Alice just sighed.

?By then, we?ll have the insect girl as well.?

Mystia opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She just glared at Tewi with a frusturated expression, gritting her teeth rather hard.

?Now then, as long as you stay quiet and cooperate, then you will not need to fear any harm. This is a promise from the princess herself.? said Tewi, holding up a finger.

?Somehow, I?m having trouble believing that. Especially since those words come from a well known pathological lair.? said Alice with contempt, struggling in her ropes a bit more.

?As said before, your involment in this was your own choice, and now you?re suffering the consequences.  I can assure you that this is indeed the truth.? said Tewi happily again.

?A supposed promise from Kaguya herself, how convienant?? spoke Mystia more to herself.

?Well, I have told all that I was sent to tell. Whether or not you believe is strictly up to you.? finished Tewi with a nod.

?Well I don?t know if we can believe you.? stated Alice, looking at Tewi.

?The simplistic words of someone who is hiding fear.? sneered Tewi, looking deeper into the cell.

?Who?s afraid?!? jabbed back Alice, raising her voice a little before calming down, and looking away from the rabbit girl. ?I?m merely skeptical of you is all.?

?Whatever. I wonder if the birdie is scared too???

Mystia looked back up at Tewi with pure hatred in her eyes, though not attempting to get herself free again.

?Well that?s okay, I can?t blame you. You are the one we were really after of course.? shrugged Tewi.

As she spoke, a fellow rabbit came up to her and whispered something into right ear.

?Ah, I?m out of time. I have things to take care of so you two make sure to behave yourselves.?

?You?re one to talk?? growled Mystia.

Alice didn?t say anything, keeping her head turned away from Tewi, and closing her eyes.

?Now then, I?m leaving now. Try to enjoy your stay here?? said Tewi with a wave. ?Ciao!?

With that, Tewi finally left. Mystia continued staring at Tewi as she left. Oh, if only if she were free of these blasted bonds?! Eientei had to pay for all of this!

?You?ll pay?? growled the night bird. ?You?ll pay for sure! I?ll get out of here! I? I must get out of here! I must? ?get out??

Wriggle? Did she make it out okay? Where was she?? These were thoughts that began to occupy the thoroughly frightened Mystia, in addition to her endless thoughts of escape from her captivity and revenge against those who took her freedom away. She began shaking, slowly lowering her head.

?Wriggle??

Alice turned to face the breaking down Mystia, looking at her, but not saying anything. The night bird?s eyes began tearing up as she let herself slump down into a half crouch.

?Wriggle? Wriggle? ?I? ?I?m scared?! Help me?!?

And in that moment, she remembered a promise made to her?

?Mystia, I promise that I?ll come back for you! I swear I will!?

Finally, she let her head down all the way.

Wriggle? Please, stay safe.

Alice allowed herself a bittersweet smile as she looked at the desperate Mystia.

?Hm?? she began outloud. I guess I am afraid after all? We both are. But?

The girl looked up at the ceiling.

We still have friends out there? Marisa? Wriggle?

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #32 on: April 22, 2009, 01:26:14 AM »
***

This was sometime before, but not too long ago?

Golden eyes and silver hair. An elaborate robe-like outfit with black, white, blue and gold colors. A large change box worn around his body. This man was Rinnosuke Morichika. He had accompanied two fine girls to his simple, wooden home, comprised of a simple golden cuukoo clock, a fire place, several small bookshelves, a red rug with white trend, and two large red leather chairs. One of these girls was an immortal, one accosted and drawn out by a powerful rival who was also immortal. The other was her friend, her only real friend in this harsh world that refused to understand her. That girl was also Rinnosuke?s wife, and the half-youkai teacher at the nearby village of humans. Keine Morichika.

The three gathered briefly in this home to figure out what should be done about their mutual, persistant enemy?

??so that is what you must do.? finished Rinnosuke as he held his cup of tea in his right hand, sitting on one of the chairs.

?I figured. She would at least have something. We?ll find all that we can so we can know just what Kaguya wishes to do.? responed Keine, standing with her back turned to Rinnosuke.

?You?ve hardly had anytime to recover? Will you be okay??

?You needn?t worry. Mokou and I will be fine.?

Mokou was also in the room, standing away from the two against the wall, holding her elbows in her hands. She looked over to Keine.

?You say this girl is a great historian despite being so young?? began Mokou.

?When we see her, you?ll have no doubts. She simply must know something, even if it?s just a small fragment, that child of Miare?? responded Keine.

?A great historian huh? Hmm??

?Well, I?m in no position to stop the two of you?? said Rinnosuke. ?Good luck??

He then took another sip of tea?


***

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #33 on: April 22, 2009, 01:27:41 AM »
And now, we return to the tale at hand?

It was not long before Mokou and Keine had landed in front of the cloud-darkened stone stairs of a large, Japanese style castle surrounded by the ominous looking forest. A heavy wind blew as they arrived, waving the branches of the many trees to create a haunting sound of wind. The two walked up the stairs and toward the front entrance. Mokou looked around as they approached, seeing a small bridge going over a tiny pond by the castle to her left, and a small garden to the right, complete with a small pond surrounded by rocks, in addition to having a bamboo tube of water that made a distinctive thunk sound when filled with enough. One just had to wonder just how beautiful this place looked on a sunnier day?

The two were greeted by a young looking female servant who politely bowed for them before sliding the front door open for them.

?Welcome back, Morichika-san. I assume you have come to see the mistress??

?Yes. An urgent matter has come into bearing, and we require her assistance.? replied Keine.

?I see. I?ll inform her of your arrival immediately. Please, do come in!? said the servant as she slid the wood and paper door open.

Mokou and Keine were led into an all wood room with a ridiculously large yellow rug, many pictures of previous members of the houses? family, and even a large kotatsu. It was a fairly wide open space as well.

Mokou continued slowly observing the interior in silent amazment as she and Keine left their footwear by the door, walking through the incredible estate in their socks.

Man? This place is nothing short of being a total castle! The outside of this place is huge enough, but the inside? Just look at that kotatsu? No way that was cheap? She even has servants too. This little chick must be loaded to have all this? I wonder what I should expect?

Mokou then spotted a smaller table used for writing. On it was an ink brush, and several scrolls, at least two of which were being worked on. Several large books were well stacked by the table.

?Please wait here. Akyu-sama will be around shortly.? said the female servant, bowing before leaving.

?So this is it, hm?? said Mokou more to herself, putting her hands in her pockets.

?The Hieda clan is well respected since they?re the ones responsible for the Gensokyo Chronicle. They have a lot of resources, land and power available to them as a result.? explains Keine.

?Is that so? So what is the Gensokyo Chronicle?? asked Mokou.

?It?s a near-complete record of Gensokyo?s history. It has words on its inhabitants, species, and signifigant historical events. It?s been written and revised by the Hieda clan for nearly all of Gensokyo?s short history.? explained Keine.

?On? ?all of Gensokyo?? That would be plenty to cover?? said Mokou with a slight smile that quickly faded, and was replaced with a somewhat suspicious look. ?Hey? Keine, you said that it covered all of Gensokyo? So, should I assume that she has something on me as well???

?Well, after the moon incident four years ago, you basically became known Mokou, especially after how you fought the well known ghosts from Hakugyokoru. Plus you have had further exposure thanks to the Bunbunmaru Newspaper. It was not long until she had quite a bit of information on you.? chuckled Keine with a small smile.

?Well, that?s not surprising?? replied Mokou with a displeased look.

?And even if you wanted her to forget you she couldn?t. She remembers everything she sees, and her memories date back to over one-thousand years.?

?Huh?!? said Mokou, turning her head to look at Keine.

?Her knowledge is already well beyond her years. She retains the knowledge of all her ancestors.?

?Hm? A momento on all of Gensokyo?? said Mokou introspectively.

?A perfect momento in strict sense.? replied Keine.

?To write something of that nature? She must be quite the remarkable girl then??

?She isn?t anything short of a prodigy really. Her mind is even more in tune with history than perhaps even my own.?

?Wow? You don?t say?? said a quietly impressed Mokou, looking down at the ground.

Not long after Keine?s explaination, a cute, somewhat short girl walked in. She appeared quite young. Since she was human, she probably couldn?t be any older than fourteen. Her hair and eyes were both purple, with a light pink flower ornament in her hair. She was clad in a junihitoe, a very complex kimono meant for special ladies. The garment had flower patterned sleeves, a green vest, and a pleated burgundy skirt. She walked in with pink socks on, as well as carrying a rather large book.

She smiled at Keine and Mokou sweetly, holding the book in her right arm as she greeted her two guests with a polite bow.

?Good afternoon Morichika-san, welcome back. Ah, I can see you brought a friend today?? said the girl. ?I am Hieda no Akyu, head of this household, the ninth child of Miare, and the one responsible for the lateset Gensokyo Chronicle.?

Mokou hesitated a slight bit, honestly not expecting such a sweet (and young looking) girl.

?Ah? Pleased to meet you. I am Fujiwara no Mokou.? greeted the immortal girl with a bow of her own, Keine bowing with her.

?Ah, the hermit of the bamboo forest? Tis a pleasure. I honestly never thought I?d get to meet you in person!? said Akyu with a delighted expression.

?Eh? Well, I might hang around a bit at times?? said Mokou, blushing as her eyes looked diagnolly downward to the right at the ground. Damn, so she really DOES know about me!

?You?ve brought quite the interesting guest Morichika-san.? said Akyu happily.

?Mokou is a very interesting person to know. She is a bit of a shy one however.? replied Keine with a happy smile of her own.

Shut up Keine, you?re beginning to embaress me again!

Mokou?s eyes shifted to the left with ire at Keine, complete with a twitching left eyebrow.

?I see. So what may I help you two with this day?? asked Akyu.

Mokou?s face suddenly hardened into a much more serious expression. Keine?s smile died down a bit, but continued to be present.

?There is a bit of knowledge that has managed to elude me? A person who wishes harm to Mokou is seeking her, and two specific youkai for reasons yet unknown.? explains the teacher.

Keine and Akyu?s smiles both finally desipated.

?I haven?t any idea as to why, but this enemy of Mokou?s is seeking those two specific youkai. I?m referring to the one who controls all the insects, along with the singing bird who runs a nighttime stand.? explains Keine.

Akyu tilts her head briefly before straightening it, and putting her hand on her chin, her eyes looking downward left at the ground. It was obvious that she was searching through her vast memory for anything familiar?

?So familiar? I can vaguely??

Suddenly she perked up, apparently remembering something.

??can?t be??

Keine looked closer at Akyu.

?Akyu-sama?? asked the were-Hakutaku.

?Please wait here Morichika-san! I might just have something pertaining to what you seek! You may have a seat at the writing table if you wish.? said Akyu, running off into another part of the estate.

Mokou and Keine could vaguely hear Akyu asking a servant to make them all tea after she ran off deeper into the house.

A few minutes later, Mokou and Keine were in front of the writing table, kneeling down on pink floor cushions. Akyu sat in front of them, and all three had cups of hot tea in front of them. On the table was a rather large scroll- an elaborately decorated one with gold and wood handles, along with reddish paper. It was a European style scroll at that.

?Now then?? began Akyu. ?This maybe what you?re looking for.?

Akyu began slowly opening the scroll. But before opening it completely, she looked back up at Mokou and Keine with a serious expression.

?Mmm? I should warn you that much of the information in this scroll has either been altered, or has gone missing. It may, or may not be truthful, however this is our best option.? warned the historian.

?That is alright. I just need to know something. Anything at all is fine.? replied Mokou.

With that, Akyu momentarily glanced at Keine before finally opening the scroll completely, and beginning to read?

?This story takes place around seventy-five years ago, a relatively short time after Gensokyo?s birth. During that time there existed a very small village at the foot of a dark mountain near the edge of Gensokyo known only as ?Koro?. It was a village said to deal with things like the black arts, occult practices, and other forbidden things. It was also said to be a cursed village surrounded by death, with a veil of darkness covering it on even the sunniest of days. Does such a village sound familiar to either of you???

?Well?? began Keine, cupping her chin. ?I?ve heard rumors, but I never went to find such a place myself??

Mokou just shrugged, never hearing of such a place.

?I see? I shall continue. One dark day, long after the village?s founding, the village found itself under attack from an army of strange and grotesque youkai. The reason for the attack is long since lost, not recorded anywhere in this scroll. Many of the villages volunteered their power, and fought back with powerful magics, many of which are forbidden, and shouldn?t ever be used. But even so, their numbers were too few, and they found themselves overwhelmed and pushed back.?

Akyu took a sip of tea.

?It fell to the elite shaman of the village to defend its existance. Nine elderly men, later called ?the Nine elders of darkness? came together, and battled the strange youkai for many days. Afterward, they learned of the existence of the youkai group?s leader. The nine fought the leader, who was able to fight them off with great powers and skills. It says here that ?it moved through the shadows themselves?.?

?Huh?? What in the world does that mean?? asks Mokou.

?For that? ?we can only speculate.? said Akyu regrettably.

It was then Akyu noticed a troubled look on Keine?s face.

?How strange? This is quite the piece of history to elude me.? said the were-Hakutaku.

Mokou was growing all the more suspicious by the moment, her darkening expression reflecting this.

?They fought time and again until only three of the elders, and the leader youkai were left standing. According to the scroll, the elders had weakened and grew desperate. The final three came together, combining their power to??

Akyu briefly stopped herself, startled at what she was about to read. Keine and Mokou looked closer.

?This simply says that? ?they released ?an all powerful entity.? A beast that wielded ?an absolute power.? The creature did away with the leader youkai? ?for all of time??

Akyu then stopped again. Although this couldn?t be the first time she heard this tale, it still was quite the startling read for her. Afterall, things that were inconceivable in the outside world were common place in Gensokyo? ?for better or worse. Twas something it?s inhabitants knew all too well. Mokou, Keine, and Akyu had no choice but to heed these words with great caution.

?When it refers to an ?all powerful entity? could be in reference to a god? Or maybe a very high level youkai??? asked Mokou.

?It is unclear. The ones who wrote this scroll clearly wished to hide the being?s true nature. For all we know it?s something other than a god, or perhaps a youkai no one in this era has seen before.? answered Akyu.

?Well, we do know that the leader of the hostile youkai was ?done away with for all time.? Does it say what sort of powers it had?? asks Keine.

?Only that it had ?a power no one from this plain of existence should be allowed to wield?. It may have simply been much stronger than the leader youkai.? explains Akyu.

The young historian girl then smiled a bit as she looked at Mokou.

?Eh, you don?t believe that at all, do you?? she asked.

?Heh?? smirked Mokou with closed eyes. ?It actually doesn?t matter too much to me. I don?t care if my enemy is trying to awaken some monster or whatever powers said monster has or whatever. I?ll just smash it like all the other pathetic beasts she?s sent to attack me.?

?Hold on Mokou. This still doesn?t explain why she would be after those two youkai.? points out Keine.

?Ehh? Well there is one more part to this writing?? spoke Akyu, stretching her right arm upward.

Mokou fell silent.

?Please? Do read.? said Keine.

?Well? After the battle? ?the creature went out of control. It destroyed the village of Koro, and two more of the great elders. The last one was able to seal it. And he left a message?? explained Akyu.

?A message?? asks Mokou.

?He left a curse on the creature to strengthen its seal. A seal said to be made from the blood of the very youkai the creature, and only the creature killed. Apparently it?s possible to undo the seal? ?but the only clue is this??

When the stone is set, and the moon is high?
People shall rest, none shall die.

When the mind is set, and the heart is bold?
Many forbidden tails be told.

Many may unlock the secret, many may not?
But only one shall awaken the sleeper, like boiling water in a pot!

When the song is sung, and the fireflies dance?
The one who seals shall break many a romance.

And the one who unseals the sealer shall put one she sees forever in a cold trance.
That then shall be the very last dance.

Is the music ready? Are the dancers in place?
Sing and shout! Feel a peaceful feeling with grace!

Mokou and Keine just sat silently, dumbfounded at the message.

?What in the world is THAT supposed to mean?!? asks Mokou to no one in particular with a grumpy expression.

Akyu merely chuckled a bit with an awkward smile?

?Eeehhhh, well I would chance a guess that the two youkai that are needed will be used to break the seal in a ritual of somesort.? said Keine, scratching the side of her head.

?Well perhaps? I apologize for my incomplete knowledge, but this event in Gensokyo?s history has been so obscured and twisted, even my ancestors had trouble recording it properly.? said Akyu, scratching the back of her head.

?Well, assuming at least part of this is true, I don?t think we?re actually missing too much. Call it woman?s intuition.? said Mokou.

?Hm? Mokou, perhaps you should try to find those two?? There is a chance we can stop her before??

Keine was interrupted.

?No.? said Mokou ?Hunting for those two will take too much time. I?m thinking I should find out where my enemy is and face her before she can release the hold on that monster or whatever.?

Keine merely sighed.

?Well maybe, but??

?I think it all falls what happens between you, the ones she is after, and yourself when it comes right down to it Mokou-san. In the end, the choice will be yours.? said Akyu.

?You?re right? I might wanna slowdown and think about this for a minute, lest Keine gives me a good smack on the head again?? replied Mokou with a slight smirk.

Keine chuckled, but refrained from saying anything embarrasing.

?Well, I?d better get moving.? said Mokou, standing up.

Keine and Akyu also got up, and walked to the door.

?Thank you so much for helping us.? said Mokou and Keine at the same time to Akyu with a bow.

?It was my pleasure. You?re free to visit at anytime you wish, so please come back sometime Mokou-san. The Hieda always welcome the curious.? said Akyu happily.

?Ah? I?ll try to remember that. See you later.? said Mokou as she turned around and flew out the open door.

?Goodbye for now Akyu-san. Thank you again!? waved Keine as she followed Mokou.

Mokou stepped onto the porch, and waved at the two departing women.

?Goodbye and good luck! Take good care of yourselves you two!"

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #34 on: April 22, 2009, 01:29:04 AM »
***

Up ahead, Wriggle could see light? A clearing in the forest! He she reached the path she had desired? The Hakurei Shrine surely was close! She allowed herself an open mouth smile, knowing that she had just about escaped?

***

Over the large and distinct red structure that signified the entrance to a holy shrine, at the top of a massive flight of stone steps, a young woman in a maid outfit diligently swept away debris with a bamboo broomstick, clearing away the excessive debris that littered the ground. The outfit was pink in color, complete with a white apron, and matching bonnet. The girl had on a large yellow ribbon below her neck with a green gem at the center. She wore pearl white stockings on her legs as well. Her skin was a rather odd complexion, and her green eyes were unusually shiny. Furthermore, she made low sounding clicking and electronic noises whenever she moved? She had her green hair in a somewhat thick, waist-long ponytail.

She looked up into the sky. The ominous purple clouds remained in the sky, continuing to to reveal the occasional flicker of lightining. However, looking into the distance, she could see the clouds becoming orange in color as the sky unexpectedly cleared in the distance, revealing a golden sky, and a bright, setting sun.

The maid woman stopped her work, smiling as she observed the beautiful contrast of colors, the celestial conflict of light and darkness? She was glad she was able to observe such a beautiful sight before the storm began energizing itself again. But what an odd storm?

Just then, the maid was startled by the sound of a sudden explosion to her right! She immediately turned her head in the direction of the exact point of the explosion, seeing a rising, grey plume of smoke rising in the distance. Startled she threw down her broomstick, and began focusing on where the explosion had happened? Oddly her enough, her vision actually zoomed in on where the noise was, as if someone were carrying her eyes forward?

She saw four figures in the distance heading straight the path that lead to the shrine? And danmaku was being exchanged between them?

?A battle this close to the shrine?!? thought the worried made out loud. ?All four were youkai signatures as well? I?d best do something about this before things get out of hand, lest the mistress come home to a devastated shrine!?

With that, she began flying toward the four offenders?

***

Wriggle glanced back? Two behind her? One had gotten ahead?? That meant these three Inabas had the insect girl surrounded. This was not looking too good?

?You?re not getting away this time misquito!? taunted one of the rabbit girls.

She, and her partner, flying lower than her to her left, let out several magical blasts of energy at the nightbug.

?Nyah!? yelped Wriggle.

The insect girl used spiraling maneuvers as she evaded the destructive blasts. The rabbit girls began firing smaller blasts in a machine gun fashion, forcing Wriggle to dodge frantically. With bullets grazing her body, Wriggle gritted her teeth as she nose dived toward the ground to get out of the way. But seemingly out of nowhere, the missing Inaba popped in, leveling a magic blast at the insect girl?s head! Gasping, Wriggle suddenly stopped and fell backward, barely avoiding the attack!

She immediately came back up, hat and dolls in her left arm as she slammed her right fist right into the rabbits girl?s cheek, sending her moaning in pain into the ground with a grotesque thud. Wriggle then made her way through a small barrage of diamond shaped blasts from the other two rabbits, both of whom were now closer together. Wriggle retaliated with a rather large, green blast of her own from her outstretched, open palm right hand. The blast slammed into one of the rabbit girls, sending her plummeting.

The remaining girl, now looking angry charged at Wriggle with a squeal. The nightbug got around her before flying directly above, and bringing her right foot crashing down onto the rabbit girl?s head. Wriggle immediately began speeding toward the shrine again, only to be stopped by one of the very rabbit girls she had just knocked down a few moments ago.

She looked at the Inaba with anxiousness and desperation on her face.

?You say I?m crazy for wanting to escape?? she began in a rough voice, sweat pouring down her face.

????

?I say, I will indeed escape! I will stop your princess, and whatever plan she has involving Mystia and I. You will not be allowed to impair me any further? I?ll rescue my friends no matter what, so??

?Hey, shut up already and surrender!? chided the Inaba as she flew toward Wriggle.

But all the rabbit was able to accomplish was to have the front of Wriggle?s left foot smash dead into her cheek!

??get out of my way!?

Not staying to watch the rabbit girl crash and slide head first across the ground, Wriggle immediately began flying forward once again? Finally, she had reached the stone path leading to the shrine! She landed on the path and turned left to begin running toward the shrine steps? However she found a maid in front of her, one with a stern face?

?Halt! Proceed no further, youkai!? ordered the strange maid.

?Huh??! Please, you have to let me through! I must see the shrinemaiden as soon as possible!? said Wriggle desperately, voice slightly hoarse from being out of breath.

?The maiden of this shrine is away. However, I would not allow a youkai to just? Huh??

That?s when the maid woman noticed the familiar items the insect girl had on her?

?Wait? Those are??

Neither Wriggle, nor the maid girl had anytime left to converse? Two of the three Inabas went on the attack once more!

?We?ll use those!? shouted one to the other, who nodded.

The two pulled out strangle purple orbs with stars on them, and began charging them with energy, causing them to glow? While holding the strange objects in their right hands, the two fired diamond shaped blasts at Wriggle with their left fingers! The insect girl maneuvered carefully passed the blasts as she ran closer to the maid, rolling on the ground to avoid more machinegun-like fire. As she recovered, she switched the hat and dolls to her right arm, throwing out her left arm to shoot back at the persistant Inabas, but missing.

Clicking her teeth, Wriggle turned around and tried to run again, but one of the bunny girls fired out her energized orb! The object had the appearance of any of the other magical projectiles thrown out during this battle as it slammed dead into Wriggles back, causing her to stumble whilst hollering in pain. Digging deep to keep her footing, Wriggle turned around to fire back at her enemy, only to have the second orb from the second Inaba slam into her torso. She shrieked once more at the burning pain as she staggered backwards before falling forward onto one knee.

Something was different about those attacks? Almost immediately, Wriggle felt her eyes getting heavy, her vision blurring? What in the world was this? Her body felt tired and loose? It was getting harder to stay awake by the second?

?Hey? What is? ?happening here?? Suddenly, I? ?feel??

?We got her!? exclaimed on of the Inabas, raising her fist into the air before moving forward to take Wriggle.

?Oh, I see? Magic with a tranquelizer effect?? said the maid woman. ?But this would mean they intend to capture her alive, rather than exterminate her??

Wriggle staggered up into a weak standing position, still holding onto the possessions of Marisa and Alice. The approaching bunny girls halted their advance, taking to the sky. They didn?t want to take any chances incase Wriggle could still fight somehow. But just then, the maid woman jumped into the air, and landed in front of Wriggle, much to the dazed insect youkai?s surprise!

?Wha??? muttered the closer of the two rabbit girls.

The maid stretched out her right arm, pointing her fingers and thumb at the Inaba? And strangely enough, the tips of her fingers opened like clam shells, firing out green spikes of energy! The two rabbit girls were taken by complete surprise, the spikes hitting the closer of the two! The rabbit girl was taken aback? The five sword-like spikes had clearly hit her, yet they didn?t cause her any pain? In fact, they didn?t even so much as tear into her clothes? But then?

Wriggle and the second bunny girl were both surprised by the large green explosion that ingulfed the maid woman?s victim, annihilating the Inaba, and giving her a fast track right out of existence! The second Inaba had a clear look of shock on her face, inching backward a bit before turning around to retreat. The maid woman was about to fire again, but stopped, startled to see numerous card-like objects ?white in color with Japanese letters in red- fly out from the right and attach to the surprised youkai rabbit. She only had for a brief yalp before the cards glowed and exploded while on her in a brilliant display of white, snow-like energy!

That attack? That can only be? thought the dazed Wriggle, still stuggling to remain standing.

The insect girl looked up into the sky? In her blurred vision, she could make out a graceful figure speeding its way through the sky, moving as if it were dancing? A dichromatic red and white figure that looked humanoid upon stopping? The two colored being wielded a stick of somesort that had paper hanging off the tip? A gohei?

?Ouju-sama?? muttered the maid.

(Ouju-sama: A Japanese phrase that can mean Mi?lady or Mistress)

The third and final rabbit girl flew up to the humanoid figure?

?What is happening here?? You?re the one who exterminated the other two aren?t you??? asked the rabbit girl, a hint of hatred on her face.

The Inaba quickly leveled her hands at the dichromatic figure, aiming a magical blast? But before she could fire, the dichromatic figure began moving again, taking an appearance similar to a butterfly? Before Wriggle, the maid, of even the rabbit girl herself knew it, the ?fight? was finished. The rabbit girl?s corpse fell to the ground with a thud, her head bopping a slight bit on her snapped neck. Her open eyes were dulled out, and blood trickled out of the fallen youkai?s mouth.

With that, the figure finally took on a more humanoid shape once more, landing next to the maid? Wriggle turned around to face her, ignoring the fact that her body was finally giving in to the spells it had been hit with moments before. But even now, she could see that the two colored figure before her had this whole time been a beautiful, young human girl?

?It is indeed you?? began Wriggle in a weak tone. ?Shrinemaiden-sama? Your friends? They are? They are in da? ...dange-*?

That was all Wriggle could get out before everything went black?

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #35 on: April 22, 2009, 01:30:16 AM »
***

An explosion? Then another explosion? Marisa ran through the forest, slowing with each step as many Inabas pursued her. She had long since run out of energy to fight back? Finally, a blast hit just behind her sending her flying out for a bit before crashing right onto the ground. It was a miracle that she didn?t slam right into a tree? She slowly stood up?

?Damned witch! Tell us which way the firefly went, or else!?

Marisa strained a bit, but was able to respond in a voice the rabbits could here, even if her voice was raspy?

?In your dreams!? she said defiantly.

Deeper and darker into the forest Marisa went. Her movements were slow and haggard, her breathing heavy. She walked in a hunched fashion as if she were going to pass out from exhaustion at any moment. Even so, she allowed that familiar smile to decorate her sweat covered face.

?Darn? I guess I didn?t recover quite as much as I thought I did? Well, too late now. I wonder if I brought that firefly kid enough time to get to Reimu?s???

With that, Marisa finally collapsed to the ground. Her already worn out, and still partly stunned body had finally given up on her?

?Ha! Got you!? said an Inaba.

?Yeah, we caught her at last!? said another.

The dichromatic witch now felt weight on her back as she just barely kept her yellow eyes open? An Inaba was holding her down while holding her hands cross.

?Well? I guess that?s it?? muttered Marisa.

Several Inabas watched from a tree branch, looking down happily on their helpless prey? But mere seconds later, they looked over to their right as they saw a glowing, whitish blue light heading toward them?

?W-what is that?!? asked one.

The other Inabas didn?t immediately say anything? However, another one?s face lit up with shock moments later?

?It?s you!? she exclaimed.

***

Sometime passed?

T?was not long before Wriggle began stirring from her futon on the floor, covered in spare bed sheets. She slowly opened her eyes, felling groggy, letting her blurred vision clear.

?Nnnhh? Not again?? she mumbled to herself as she held her head in her right arm and looked around.

The place didn?t seem that remarkable, a simple wooden home without any remarkable features and few decorations. An average Japanese style household with minimal decoration was all it seemed.

But wait, just how did she get in here? Wriggle could vaguely recall running from some Inaba?s that spotted her, then a strange maid woman with unusual fingers, followed by a two-colored girl appearing?

?Ah, you?re awake.? sounded a familiar voice from behind.

?Wah!? yelped the startled Wriggle as she jumped and span around to find the maid from before walking up to her with a tea cup and a pot.

?I didn?t think be up again so quickly, even though my mistress used a special counter-magic for the spell you were hit with.  You were out for just under an hour. Oh? And forgive my surprise. It was unintentional.? said the girl apologetically.

Wriggle allowed herself an uneasy giggle before her face filled with the expression of remembering something important.

?I?m very grateful for saving me, but there is something I must know quickly. Tell me, would this happen to be the Hakurei Shrine I?ve heard so much about?? asked the nightbug.

?Why it is. You seemed to be in quite the hurry to get here.? responded the maid with a nod.

?I came seeking the maiden of this very shrine per instructions from??

Wriggle looked down with a look of regret.? By now, the maid was kneeling by Wriggle?s side, looking at her with curiousity with a tilted head while pouring her some tea.

?Marisa?? said Wriggle solemnly.

?That?d be me.? said a familiar voice to Wriggle?s left, coming from across the room.

Wriggle and the maid turned their heads to see a dirty Marisa with ragged hair and torn clothes sitting up in a futon while smiling rather widely at them. Wriggle stared for a few seconds before pointing her finger at the witch.

?GAAAAH! MARISA!? she exclaimed.

?That?s what they call me! I?ll have to ask that you don?t wear my name out, kay?? asked Marisa with a wink while waving her finger. ?Its good to see you made it out okay kid!?

It would seem the maid?s earlier surprise had prevented Wriggle from even noticing the witch.

?B-b-but how did you get out yourself? The Inabas were everywhere!? exclaimed Wriggle.

?Ask her.? said Marisa casually, pointing her finger at someone standing next to the maid.

Wriggle turned her head to the right to find a purple haired girl in a purple dress staring down at her while holding a book in her right arm.

?DAH!? yelped Wriggle as she jumped away.

?So this is the one Kaguya needs for her plan? It is as I thought.? said Patchouli with an indifferent sounding tone.

?Stop sneaking up upon me so quietly, geez!? muttered Wriggle to herself, putting a hand on her heart as she breathed hard.

?If you are wondering then yes, I am the one who rescued that black and white rat over there from the Inabas.? explained Patchy.

?A? ?rat??? asked Wriggle, understandably confused while scratching the side of her face.

Marisa scratched the back of her head with a guilty smile.

?Yes. This little thief often makes off with my precious books.?

?Hey hey hey, I?m just borrowing them. I said you can have them back after I die since you?ll live longer than me, even with your crappy health, ze.? said Marisa, friendily waving off Patchouli.

?You cur?? says Patchy.

Marisa just giggled mischeviously. Wriggle facepalmed as she sighed. Afterward, she began speaking again.

?Well in any case, I thank you very much for saving Marisa.? said Wriggle with a nod before reaching out her right hand. ?I am known as Wriggle Nightbug. May I ask you your name??

Patchouli hesitated for a moment, shook hands with Wriggle.

?My name is? ?Patchouli Knowledge. I am the keeper of Voile, the great library beneath the Scarlet Devil Mansion.?

Wriggle immediately recognized that mansion?s name?

?The Scarlet De-?

The insect youkai backed away from Patchouli as she put up her left arm, a look suspicion on her face.

?Just wait a moment?! We were attacked by warriors from that frightening place earlier! Why are??!?

?Do not worry.? interrupted Patchouli. ?Back then, I thought Marisa may have potentially been the enemy, but circumstances have changed quite a bit since then. Worry not, I am on the same side as you.?

?Yeah, she was merely trying to protect Gensokyo, but managed to screw up in spectacular fashion!? laughed Marisa.

?Quiet you?? said Patchy through gritted teeth, glaring at the witch while tightening her free fist.

Wriggle slowly put her arm down as she continued looking at Patchouli.

?Well? If you say so.? she said.

?Its alright.? assured Marisa.

?Hm? It seems we will all get along just fine.? spoke the maid woman.

Wriggle responed to this by giggling, while scratching the back of her head, while Marisa grinned widely and happily with her eyes closed. Patchouli stared at the strange maid rather indifferently. After a few moments, Wriggle opened her eyes once more, and looked up at the maid.

?Ehh? Well it seems we didn?t really get to find out your name in the silliness just now? So may I ask your name?? asked the nightbug.

The maid put a hand below her neck as she spoke.

?My name is Ruukoto. I am the servant of the maiden of this shrine.?

She then stood up and bowed to the insect youkai.

?I am pleased to meet you, Wriggle Nightbug.?
?I share that very sentiment myself.? replied Wriggle happily.

Wriggle attempted to stand up, intending to return the vow, but suddenly stiffened and fell back on her butt.

?Ahh?! My legs??

?Oh my, it seems the counter-magic hasn?t fully run its course quite yet.? says Ruukoto.

?Knowing those rabbits, they probably put a little bit of whatever was in that earlier paralysis spell used earlier on Alice and I. Just wait a few more minutes.? said Marisa.

Wriggle sighed in slight depression.

?It looks like I can?t return your bows at the moment.? she said apologetically.

?Think nothing of it.? said the maid in a friendly manner, waving her hand reassuringly.

?It is alright.? added Patchouli.

Patchouli viewed the maid with suspicion.

Odd? She isn?t youkai or human? In fact, she seems?

Marisa interrupted Patchouli?s thoughts.

?Hey Patchy, I?m curious about something?? she asked.

?Um? What do you want to know?? asks the purple clad one.

?You say you?re gonna help us fight Kaguya and rescue our friends right? Don?t you and Remilia usually send out, or accompany that maid out in this kind of situation? It?s a tad strange to see her missing like this, ze?? answers Marisa with one eye closed.

?Sakuya? She is? ??detained? at the moment. She is quite busy with what I?m having her do at the moment and can?t assist us right now.? fibs the librarian.

Marisa shrugs.

?Hmm? Whatever you say?? she said. Makes me wonder whats really going on?

?Too bad. I would gladly take in as many allies as I possibly could to help me defeat Kaguya and save Mystia and Alice.? said Wriggle.

?Hm. Understandable considering that your insects can?t really help you this time.? spoke Patchouli.

?Bleh, we could go already if Reimu would get her slow tail back here. Just where the hell is she anyway?? asks Marisa with a slightly peeved tone.

?Mistress Reimu went around checking the nearby areas for anymore abnormal youkai activity. She should be returning shortly.? said Ruukoto rather casually in a matter-of-fact tone.

?Actucally?? began Patchouli who sat down on her knees. ?I think a slight delay will actually do us all good. I?m tired from fighting the Inabas earlier.?

?Agh, I wish my body would recover quicker? But yes, we won?t do any good just rushing in. Especially in that forest Eientei is in.? sighed Wriggle.

Patchouli looked at the nightbug.

?It isn?t the forest we should worry about. Our conflict will not be resolved there.? began the librarian.

?What was that?? asks Wriggle, understandably confused.

?I?m unsure of exactly where to go next? Ironically, that is what led me to seeing the shrine maiden. With her unmatched intuition, I could find out where Kaguya was going to be, as if I had a clairvoyant psychic guiding me.?

?That sounds? ?incredible.? comments Wriggle.

?Reimu has that classic woman?s intuition thing going on.? adds Marisa. I just hope she didn?t lose it being a lazy ass?

?Which brings me to another issue? Wriggle Nightbug should stay here and let the rest of us fight.?

Wriggle nearly jumped out of her skin at that statement, moving toward Patchouli while holding up her right fist.

?What a ridiculous notion!? she said in a slightly louder tone. ?Surely you don?t truly believe that I will just sit here and do nothing at all while that terrible princess continues to hold my friends captive for reasons I don?t even know about?!?

?The reasons involve her being rid of her rival for eternity. For that, she needs both you, and your nightbird friend. According to Marisa, she has the bird already. The last thing we need to do is to put you right in Kaguya?s lap so that she can? ?release that thing?? argued Patchouli sternly.

?But even so?? began Wriggle wincing heavily for a few moments. ?I made a promise to them? And I made a spiritual promise to Kaguya? Yes, I vowed I?d fight her to my last if it meant I could rescue my friends! I know going there is dangerous, but it?s the only way!?

?You fool, it won?t matter if you fail. What if they?re able to catch you, and??

?Naaaaaaaaah, she?s right.? interrupted Marisa, shrugging with her eyes closed.

?What?! You cannot be?? said Patchouli, shocked.

?If she goes, the rabbits will hunter her down. If she stays here, the rabbits will hunt her down. When ya really think about it, then it suddenly stops mattering so much. I mean, look how close there where to the shrine not too long ago. Plus they?re pretty much swarming the forest of magic at this point. She?ll actually be safer with us because there is a chance we can protect her.? explains the witch.

?Yes.? agrees Wriggle.

Patchouli merely gritted her teeth, not saying anything, appearing to stifle a growl. After a few moments?

?You appear out voted Patchouli-sama.? commented Ruukoto with a smile.

?Alright, I know when I?m defeated? If you come, then stick closely to Marisa and I, and watch yourself closely. Remember, if you get captured, that?s the end.?

Wriggle sighed.

?I understand.? she stated.

?Sorry Patch, but when things just need to get done?? says Marisa with a smile.

Patchouli sighed?

***

Mystia and Alice awaited their fate quietly in their large cell, not saying a word, or even struggling in their bonds any further. They had long since drowned out the faint, idle chit-chat of happy, sometimes over confident Inabas from outside, along with the clanging sounds made from whatever work the Inabas were doing within this unusual structure. Instead, they focused on their own thoughts?

For Mystia, they were thoughts of freedom and revenge.

They can?t keep me here? I?ll get out of here some way? They will not silence me. I certainly will see to that? That, and? And I will sing again. I?ll sing a song of freedom to this world?

Alice in the meantime could only think of what horrible things would potentially happen to her and Mystia if they didn?t escape soon? Or rather, if they even could escape? The doll user did her best to suppress her fear? She certainly wasn?t about to show cowardice to Mystia, and most certainly not to those Inaba gaurds?

Both girls maintained hard looks on their faces, but hints of fear and nervousness eminated from them both.

Naturally, both of them looked on in suspicion when a strange looking rabbit girl walked up to the two guarding their cell?

?Yeeeeeeeeeeap!? she said with a salute.

How strange? Her eyes and smile were both exceedingly wide, even for an Earth rabbit? The other two didn?t say anything, just looking at her with a ?why are you so weird?? expression that eminated from the two of them.

?You two are both hereby relieved of duty. Why don?chya take a nap??

That apparently wasn?t much of a question as the rabbit girl? ?deflated? ?while spewing out an odd purple gas!

?H-h-hey?!?

The two guard Inabas put up their arms. That was about the only thing they could do before they woozily shook, moaning as they softly collapsed to the floor.

?W-what?? thought Mystia outloud with a blink.

Alice shared the nightbirds current thought. They both looked on dumbfounded, even as Alice inched backwards to avoid any risk of breathing in the gas. They were both then startled by the sound of cracking coming from the wall to their left? Both of them looked in uncertainty as a human-sized hole was busted into the wall at the ground, creating a new opening into the cell?

Out crawled a purple haired girl in a business suit and a skimpy skirt with distinctive rabbit ears? ?not at all like those of an Earth rabbit. Before either one of the prisoners could so much as make a peep, the bunny girl looked up at them, putting a finger vertically to her lips, gesturing at them to remain quiet.

?Don?t worry. I?ve come to free the two of you.? she spoke quietly, a serious expression in her crimson eyes?

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #36 on: April 22, 2009, 01:32:25 AM »
***

?Blast, where is that miko already? If she doesn?t show up soon, I?ll just have to-?

Patchouli was interrupted as someone in a red and white dress opened the door, and strolled into the room.

?Well speak of the devil?? chuckled Marisa. ?Hi Reimu!?

The dichromatic young girl was the same on from before? Her two colored dress was what rather vaguely appeared to be a shrine maiden?s outfit. The collar was white in color with triangular frills, and zig-zagging red lines near the edges, complete with a yellow ribbon below the neck. Above the shoulders sat pink ribbons. The girl had nothing covering her shoulders (you could see her armpits and part of her sarashi this way), but she had on white, slightly baggy sleeves with red tightening straps near the edges. The bottom of the dress was somewhat frilly at the bottom, mostly red with a portion at the front center cut into a triangle shape to reveal the inner white dress, with a red bow tied at the top of the triangle.

Her hair was long and fluffy, two large parts of it at the front with red and white holders. On the back of her head was a somewhat wide ponytail the length of her back, held in place by a rather large red and white ribbon. Her footwear consisted of typical Japanese ?wood ?n? rope? sandles with white socks. Her eyes were dark red, almost black or brown in color. She seemed to be in her mid to late teens.

?Oi, you?re awake Marisa. That?s good to see.? said the miko as she looked through the room.

?Welcome home, ouju-sama.? spoke Ruukoto, looking at her mistress with a smile.

?Well it seems everyone is here okay then.? spoke the shrinemaiden.

?Correct. Were you able to locate anymore hostile youkai ouju-sama??

?Not really? Apparently they didn?t really want to go too far. It doesn?t really seem like they know where she is.? said the miko with a shake of her head.

?Would it be safe for me to assume that you?re referring to me?? asks Wriggle, looking at Reimu.

?No one else right? Ruukoto, Marisa and Patchouli explained everything to me, so I know Eientei is after you already.? said Reimu before her eyes started drifting. ?But what is her intention exactly?? I don?t really have any good feelings about this at all??

Wriggle then perked up as she remembered what had happened nearly an hour ago?

?Ah, you saved me earlier. Thank you very much.? said the nightbug.

Reimu smiled.

?Hm? It was just fortunate that you had Marisa?s hat, and Alice?s dolls or else I would not have been convinced that you were trying to help her. I originally left to check on Marisa after I got a bad feeling about her, but turned back soon after. I saw you and Ruukoto fighting.?

?You would have surely exterminated me had I not been carrying the possessions of your friends, correct?? asked Wriggle.

The shrinemaiden put a hand to the back of her head.

?Well if would?ve looked very suspicious? But I trust Ruukoto?s words, so??

Reimu then took a more serious expression.

?But ever since I woke today, I?ve had an ever present bad feeling? Earth rabbits are marching around several areas near the Forest of Magic, and something isn?t quite right about the clouds outside...? spoke Reimu, cupping her chin in her right index finger and thumb, bending her left leg slightly.

?Have you gotten bad vibes from those clouds yourself?? asks Patchouli. ?I am hardly alone then? This is only further conformation for me.?

?Hey, just what the hells going on here anyway? You mean even the sky itself is going insane?? asked Marisa, getting a tad worked up.

Patchouli looked at Marisa.

?Haven?t you noticed the strange clouds outside??? asked the purple one.

?They just looked normal storm clouds to me.? shrugged Marisa.

?How dense?? sighed Patchouli with a pained expression.

?Hey!? protested Marisa, raising a fist.

?Okay, let?s not fight here. Wouldn?t that be bad?? asks Wriggle calmly with a nervous smile and closed eyes before opening them again. ?Patchouli-san, if you do not mind my asking? Just what are those clouds, and how are they connected to our enemy??

?I wouldn?t mind knowing that myself?? added Reimu.

Ruukoto remained silent, but was listening as well.

?I should first explain that Kaguya has a book?? began Patchouli.

?A book with strange poems and riddles?? spoke up Wriggle immediately in an excited tone.

?Why? ?yes.? answered Patchouli, presently surprised. ?It is a book with many things that are either life giving, or potentially deadly for Gensokyo.?

?It may very well be the same book??

?Hey, you didn?t tell me about any book!? complained Marisa, crossing her arms.

Wriggle briefly looked at Marisa apologetically before turning back to Patchouli.

?My apologies? In any case, the princess of Eientei told of me an odd riddle??

Wriggle repeated the poem from earlier to Patchouli, the same one recited by Kaguya the previous night. Patchouli had one a very troubled expression at its completion.

?It is as I thought? She learned the secrets of Koro??

?Secrets of Koro?? asked Wriggle.

?It?s nothing that you need to know? However, I believe I can make the solution to this very riddle all the more clear?? explained Patchouli.

Everyone listened silently as they looked at the now standing Patchouli.

?Nightbug? On the very next page after that poem, there exists a continuation of the tail that describes just what Kaguya is trying to do. She intends to break the ancient seal of Koro, unleashing a powerful force into Gensokyo. To do so, she requires both you and your nightbird friend.? explained Patchy, pointing to Wriggle at the last sentence.

?A powerful force??? repeated Reimu more to herself.

?An evil force capable of bringing Gensokyo to its knees.? said Patchouli.

?Aaaaand the only way to stop it is to royally kick their sorry asses and get Mystia, and that strange book back?? asked Marisa. ?Yes? Alright, let?s get to it then! We gotta hurry, ze!?

Marisa was about to leap out of her futon covers when Patchouli verbally stopped her.

?You can stop right there, black-white. In case you haven?t noticed, the nightbug and I aren?t exactly high on stamina at the moment, and neither are you.? pointed out Patchouli.

Marisa (with a slightly embarrassed smile) suddenly felt her still stiff body tense up. She could not recover from the earlier trap quite as fast as say? ?Alice or Mystia. She was human, not youkai afterall.

?Eh heh heh heh? Well, I guess I do need to take this just a bit more slowly and carefully, right?? chuckled the witch.

Wriggle instinctively facepalmed.

?How reckless??

?Hmm? In the meantime, shall I repair your clothes?? asked Ruukoto.

?Actually, that wouldn?t be too bad?? thought Wriggle outloud.

?Worry not about me. I can repair these garments with the use of one of my many spells.? informed Patchouli.

The garments of Marisa, Wriggle, and Patchouli were all slightly tattered due to recent battles, in addition to being quite dirty. Their bodies also require just a tad bit more rest before further combat against Eientei could begin. On top of these problems, another one was even now about to arrive?

*GRRROOOWWWLLLLL*

Everyone except Ruukoto looked down at their stomachs at the same time as that unmistakable echoing of food deprived bodies eminated from each of them. Wriggle and Marisa only had small breakfasts due to being in a hurry, while Patchouli and Reimu hadn?t really eaten at all.

?Oh my? No matter there level of determination, humans and youkai alike simply cannot function properly without the intake of sustanence.? chuckled Ruukoto.

Patchouli was the only other person in the room who knew just what in the world that word meant? And seemingly everyone in the room was more puzzled than ever before about what Ruukoto was.

?Ah, you?re right? No use attempting to fight enemies on an empty stomach.? remarked Reimu with a smile as she held her stomach.

Marisa put a hand on her head.

?Aye, alright we?ll eat. But let?s make it quick! I wanna get Alice and Mystia back from that Kaguya bastard as soon as possible!? said the witch excitedly, raising a fist into the air before taking a more nervous expression. ?Besides, if I take too long rescuing Alice, she isn?t going to be too happy at me??

?Okay, Ruukoto? You fix up everyone?s clothes while I go cook something in the kitchen.? said Reimu, walking off.

?It shall be done, ouju-sama.? replied the maid with a bow.

Wriggle smiled as she watched Reimu walking towards the kitchen before looking toward the door again, her smile fading.

?Mystia, Alice? Don?t worry. I?ll be there soon.?

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #37 on: April 29, 2009, 08:51:54 AM »
***

It wasn?t long (only some thirty minutes), Wriggle, Patchouli, and Ruukoto exited the shrine, walking toward the stone stairs, the former two preparing to depart the area in search of Kaguya.

?Last chance. Are you absolutely sure you wish to do this?? asks Patchouli to Wriggle.

?I would not be coming outside like this if I had no intention of leaving. I must settle things with Kaguya, and bring this conflict to an end.? replies the nightbug.

?So what will be your method of accomplishing this objective once we locate and confront her??

Wriggle hesitated, scratching her left cheek with a finger as she unconcioussly moved her eyes in every direction.

?Err? Well, the truth is I?m not entirely too sure what to do exactly??

?As I thought?? thought said Patchouli matter-of-factly. ?Is this to say that in this whole time, you did nothing to prepare yourself for such a difficult mission??

?Uhhh? Well??

Wriggle hesitated for a long time.

?No.? she said finally with her head down.

Patchouli raised a thumb and simply said:

?Good job.?

Wriggle nervously giggled as she scratched the back of her head.

?Uh, well? Its difficult to make complicated plans for situations like this, is it not?? she asked.

?Complicated ones maybe? But the most basic ones?? said Patchouli.

?A basic plan? I do not have even that, but then again who would??

?I myself would.? stated Patchy plainly again.

?Eh? Is this to say you have thinking carefully of what to do?? spoke Wriggle, mildly shocked.

?Correct. I would begin by using some of my more useful, non-combat spells to sneak around the enemy, and evaluate them. If I cannot stealthly reclaim the book and your friends, then it is then I should fight. But rushing in head on is never the thing to do. However, I expect those two to do just that?? sighed Patchy.

?You must mean Ouju-sama, and Marisa-san.? spoke Ruukoto.

?That is correct. They usually tend to think with their bullets rather than with their heads.? stated Patchouli.

?Eh? Well, perhaps strategy just isn?t something particularly useful to have when nearly everyone can fly and shoot danmaku.? shrugged Wriggle.

?I think a lack of complicated strategy or advance planning adds to their character. It suits them just fine.? said Ruukoto happily.

Patchouli responded by glaring at the two with a slightly open mouth that looked vaguely like an upside down triangle?

***

Reimu put her now empty tea cup to her right side. Marisa was still on her futon, now fully recovered. She was preparing to stand up and shout at Reimu that it was time to leave with gusto when Reimu yawned, leaning forward as she put her hands behind her head (grabbing her left hand with her right), and stretched out? ?a move that exposed her uncovered armpits.

Marisa ?with her arms still in the air- stopped and stared as her face began turning red?

Waaahh? Oh man, Reimu has the sexiest pits!

Marisa stared for several seconds while the miko in question finished stretching out her partly exposed limbs, revealing her apparently sexy armpits. After finishing her loosening, Reimu by chance glanced over to Marisa. The miko looked at the witch in a funny matter. Funny, since the witch was in turn, looking at the miko in a funny manner.

?Uhh? Marisa?? What are you staring at me like that for?? asked Reimu.

?Eeeeeeeehhh??

Marisa stared awkwardly for a few seconds before finally snapping out of it.

?Ehh, its nothing!? She said innocently, as she suddenly stood up.

Reimu just stared.

?You were looking at me in a funny manner Marisa??

?Really, I just spaced out for a spell! Now c?mon, lets go!?

?Uwaa~!?

Reimu was startled as Marisa suddenly fast-walked over, and forced Reimu up and out of the door.

?Hey hey, you don?t really have to so hastely rush me!? protested the Miko.

***

?Well then, is everyone ready?? asked Reimu to her three teammates.

The three nodded.

?Hm. Ruukoto, you are to mind the shrine while I?m away. I need you here in case anything bad happens. Tell Genji and Suika where I?ve gone upon their return. If we?re not back in a timely manner, have Suika come after us.? ordered Reimu.

?Understood Ouju-sama.? replied Ruukoto with a bow.

?Okay? Well, let?s get going.?

The four rose into the air, Reimu seeming to lead them in a specif direction.

?Wait, do you even know where to go??? asks Patchouli.

?I have the strangest feeling? I simply know that we must go this way.? replies the miko.

????

?This is that intuition you were seeking. Don?t worry, we?re headed for the right place ze.? said Marisa with a wink.

In the meantime, Wriggle couldn?t help but notice something odd going on in the distant sky? Everywhere else, everywhere the insect girl looked, all she found were the purple clouds of the strange and violent storm. But in the direction she and her group were heading, the clouds broke apart, allowing copious amounts of sunlight to pour through.

It was admittedly beautiful. The parting clouds became gold in color, and the revealed sky was a heavenly lime green? Wriggle thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she saw faint sparkles in the distance.

?Heaven?? she muttered.

It was almost enough to make her forget the rest of the stormy sky? It seemed so benign? However that was the direction Kaguya was apparently in. That couldn?t possibly be Heaven. More likely, it was Hell in an elaborate disguise. Unable to look anywhere else but forward, Wriggle followed the other three girls in her group as they headed toward the sight of a destined battle?

***

Reisen stood in place as two rabbit girls ran up to her.

?Huh? Are you sure you saw something really strange down here?? asked one of them with suspicion.

?Strange? I swear to you that there is something strange over here?? replied the purple haired rabbit girl.

Just then, Alice and Mystia suddenly dropped in on the two rabbits from behind, knocking them out with swift blows to the neck as they landed! Mystia held up her cupped left hand with a look of contempt on her face as she spat on the unconcious Earth rabbit.

?Good work.? said Reisen after sighing a slight bit.

The two rabbits were hidden along with three others that were ridden unconscious not too long ago. The three escaping youkai hurried their departure from this mysterious place?

***

A rabbit soldier walked by the now empty prison cell that was supposed to be holding a very important bird youkai? She almost dropped her spear, as she looked inside with disbelief in her eyes. Open shackles and discarded ropes, and yet no signs of escape? Panicking, she yelled to the rest of the compound?

?Th-they?re gone! The birdie and the doll user are gone, usa!?

***

Reisen, Alice and Mystia ran through the perfectly carved tunnel as hurried away from the Inaba army, who by now was on to their escape.

?If we can just make past these series of tunnels, we can make it away from this sight quickly!? said Reisen, just as they came to one last junctioning part of the hall.

Just then Reisen suddenly stopped, Mystia and Alice nearly tumbling as they suddenly stopped behind her with shocked looks on their faces.

?This way, quickly!? called Reisen to her two comrades.

Reisen ran left into a curving hallway, as Alice and Mystia followed her. It would seem that she heard two more rabbit soldiers approaching from far away with her ears? Reisen stopped at another junction, a two way one. She almost immediately heard voices?

??check for weaknesses in the walls!?

?I?ll get the ghost locater telescope, usa!?

?We need to split up, usa!?

?We?ll need a few more minutes to secure the perimeter!?


?S**t!? cursed Reisen to herself. ?All we needed were just a few more minutes?!?

Reisen tightened her fists? Not only was the group trapped on both sides by rabbit teams, but now it would seem that the outside was already being secured. Reisen?s mistresses? ?along with Reisen herself? ?were good teachers afterall.

?W-well?? What do we do?? whispers Alice to Reisen nervously, fear beginning to show on her face.

Reisen puts a thumb to her gritted teeth as she evaluates her situation?

I must remain calm? I?ll focus, and get us out of here!

After putting her hand down, Reisen began concentrating hard? The pupils in her eyes momentarily vanished as she silently called upon her power over insanity?

?I?ll get us out of here, no matter what!?

***

?Alright, the three of us well search for them this way, while you two patrol the southern hall!? ordered a rabbit soldier.

?Roger that, usa!? replied the two she was talking to with a salute.

After that, the two groups parted ways. The two-rabbit group ran down the hallway, searching quickly, yet carefully for their targets. It wasn?t long until the two of them saw a black figure that looked a bit like Mystia stop near the end of the hallway, and run away from the rabbits, going into the left turn.

The rabbits were puzzled to find no nightbird? ?and a dead end! The two briefly stared at each other? Was that always there?? Didn?t the dig teams clear out this wall and make another tunnel??  Not having time to worry, the two turned around to find? ?a wall?! This could not be?!

?What exactly is going on, is that not the way we came in?!? said one Inaba, understandably confused.

?I? ?think so?? replied the other, not at all sure herself.

The other Inaba rather cautiously stepped up to the wall. With much hesitation, she slowly reached out to the wall? She briefly stopped her fingers out of hesitation before putting the tips of her fingers into the mysterious wall? To the surprise of both Earth rabbits, the fingers passed right through the wall!

Shocked, the bunny girl testing the wall briefly took her fingers away from it, looking at them. They seemed completely unharmed? She then boldly stuck her entire arm through, followed by her entire body! The other rabbit hesitated, standing still. But then, her partner?s head emerged through the wall, a smile on her face.

?Its okay, this wall is a fake!? said the rabbit in the wall.

The other rabbit hesitated again for a moment before running through, following her partner. The two ran back down the long hallway?

***

Meanwhile, the other rabbit team comprised of three Inabas continued running down a hallway of there own, though something was definitely up? None of the three remembered the hallway ever being this long? In fact it almost seemed endless! It was becoming less and less familiar as the three ran.

?Wait, where are we?? half-shouted one, stopping all of a sudden.

?I don?t really remember this hall being this long? Not at all.? commented another one.

?Something isn?t right? Well, let?s try going another way!? suggested the leader.

The other two nodded, and followed their leader down into a left hallway?

***

?There?? said Reisen, sweat drenching her face. ?That should keep all the gaurds of this corridor cluster distracted. We should have enough time now??

Mystia and Alice noticed the rabbit woman panting a bit.

?Maintaining an illusion like that is difficult for you isn?t it?? asked Alice.

?I should be okay. We should go now. It shouldn?t be long until they figure out what is truly going on, now that I?ve used my power?? explained Reisen.

The three began their run for freedom again.

?You held off on using your power so they wouldn?t find you as easy, and so we would have more time in the end? Makes sense?? said Mystia quietly.

It wasn?t long until the three had reached a certain wall? Reisen slid down in front of it, magically opening a hole.

?Hurry!? urged Reisen waving to her comrades into the tunnel.

Mystia practically dove in, followed by Alice.

?I don?t think we checked this part yet? Hey, get some more of us over here!? commanded an Earth rabbit voice.

Alarmed, Reisen hurridly crawled into the tunnel, stopping only long enough to seal the wall again?

***

Mystia could see it? A very real light at the end of this tunnel!

Freedom?! she whispered in her mind?

***

Reisen quickly crawled forward, moving toward the light on the other side? But wait, she hadn?t left it open in advance? Was it possible that her two allies had opened it without her?? With little choice, Reisen continued crawling forward, expecting to find both, her waiting friends and her freedom (despite her doubts)? Instead?

She was greeted by the gleam of an arrow head, mere meters away from her head as a bow and arrow were leveled at her cranium. Reisen?s heart sank as she looked up to find none other than her former mistress Eirin standing over her, looking down at the moon rabbit. A medical eyepatch concealed her (missing?) left eye, along with bandages on her face, and wrapped around her left forearm. And she appeared none too pleased.

Reisen dared not stand or even say a word. She could faintly see Mystia and Alice restrained by several rabbit gaurds? ?ones bearing the same mark as the ones that had previously captured Mystia and Alice.

?It would seem I still know you far too well?? said Eirin.

??mistress?? said Reisen weakly.

Was it not meant to be?! Even after such a carefully laid plan by Reisen, the escape was foiled! Mystia and Alice could only watch silently as Eirin continued leveling that arrow at her former student?s head? All the three could do now was await their fate?

?You have disappointed me? ?Reisen.?

[Spell Break]

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #38 on: April 29, 2009, 08:52:52 AM »
[Seventh Spell]

An oddly dark place (perhaps because of the clouds?)? It was a shadowy place where few now dared to venture. T?was the typical village of small wooden buildings surrounded by the light grasses and trees of nature, with this particular village even having a small cliff at its back. However, this village was long abandoned. For proof, one needn?t look any further than the dilapidated buildings that had been reclaimed by nature in the form of moss, and other natural growths. Tall grass, collapsed fences and many abundant flowers also hinted at the amount of time this village been abandoned.

But for all the plant life, animal life seemed? ?nonexistent. Not even the tiniest insect was to be found. Also, the trees ?in contrast to the rest of the plant life- seemed quite dead. Not a single leaf grew on any single tree in the village?s vicinity. Futhermore, it was eerily quite: not even a light wind blew here? Finally, at the front of the dark village stood a small wooden sign with a skull, and blood red Japanese writing on it?

But just what did it say?

Ye who dare come near this village? Tis best you turn back and leave very far away from here. Ye now stand at the very entrance to Koro: the village of evil. Ye brave enough to enter this dreaded place, ye do so at thine own peril?

However, two women had choosen to ignore this warning. They hadn?t much choice. Mokou and Keine boldly landed right near the village?s center, determined to learn more about Kaguya?s plans?

?This must be it? The mountain village of Koro, as told by Akyu.? Mentioned Keine.

The two looked around at the silent, darkened surroundings.

?Geez, the place is dark and dead looking as promised. Careful Keine, no telling what kind of s**t may have wandered in here in time?? replied Mokou. ?It?s pretty good how you were able to find this place by researching your scrolls pertaining to ?dark presences in the mountains?.?

?My ancestors, along with Gensokyo?s past historians did well to document the subtle clues that hinted at the conflict that went on here so long ago. We should stay together as we look for clu- Mokou???

Keine was startled to see Mokou suddenly stop looking around, becoming totally catatonic?

?. . .?

?M? Mokou??? asked Keine again.

Without saying anything, Mokou began marching toward the largest house in the village. Oddly enough, this house seemed much more intact than any of the other buildings? Exercising caution, Keine carefully followed Mokou inside, walking a short distance behind?

Before she knew it, she standing at the edge of a doorway inside the nearly pitch black room, while Mokou stood in the dead center? Suddenly, candles throughout the room suddenly lit up on their own, brightening the room with light! Keine looked around the now lit room? There must?ve been hundreds of these candles throughout it! Something was indeed off about this room? Just then, a giant magic circle suddenly lit up directly beneath Mokou, small indeties of spiritual power rising from the circle.

It was then that the silhouette of a person ?likely female- formed in front of Mokou, appearing to hold what looked like a large key? The bright, shadowy image disappeared as quickly as it came as the room filled with the sounds of whispering! Like a thousand voices speaking up all at once! It was here Keine began getting somewhat overwhelmed, feeling light headed and falling to her knees while clutching her head with her right hand.

?What? What is???

But a mere moment after she said this it was all over. The candles suddenly went out, and the circle of magic vanished from the floor. Keine slowly stood up, just as Mokou seemed to return to normal?

?Mokou???

The immortal girl turned around with a dumbfounded look on her face?

?K-Keine! I know were it is! The seal?!? she said eagerly as she ran up to her understandably confused Hakutaku companion.

?Are you saying you know where Kaguya is hiding?!? asked Keine, shocked yet trying to remain calm.

?Yeah, I do. Now I can settle this??

Upon returning outside?

?This is as far as you go Keine. Thank you for all your help, but now its time I took over and finished this!? said the immortal one with determination.

But? ?how? And what was that silhouette we were shown?? It looked like a person? thought Keine. ?Well Mokou? If you?re sure??

Mokou then took to the air, wearing a highly confident smile?

?Don?t worry. As soon as I?ve shown Kaguya whos boss, I?ll be back! Then maybe we can have a big party or something to celebrate! But until then, I want you to stay safe at Rinnosuke-san?s.?

??I understand. Please be safe Mokou!? called Keine with a worried look, watching her friend disappear.

?Oh yeah? And if you?re wondering about how I suddenly know what I know, just thank the phoenix!?

The phoenix?? thought Keine.

It wasn?t long until Mokou had flown out of sight entirely?

***

?but even so? Who was that person I was shown? Just whom does that odd silhouette belong to?? thought Mokou with a serious expression on her face.

***

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #39 on: April 29, 2009, 08:53:58 AM »
The darkened sky continued to cover Gensokyo, the clouds ever thick and volatile in appearance. The Scarlet Devil Mansion was hardly an exception to the otherworldly weather, though it could be said that such dreary, light deprived conditions suited the mansion and its residents just fine. However, the grounds had been recently disturbed by a battle between two of the mansion's own residents. A very small number of fairy maids worked tirelessly to repair the small craters around the mansion, along with the wall that had been breached by an earlier attack.

These were the brave faries. All the other ones remained in hiding, fearing further battles outside, or that Eientei?s rabbit armies would come after them. With the mansion?s mistress sick in bed, the librarian missing, the librarian?s familiar injured, and the head maid nowhere to be found, the fairy maids had no leader. It was perhaps because of this that even the fairy maids that dared to venture outside refrained from peering onto the top of the roof (perhaps because of what they were afraid of finding??). The roof was visibly tattered from the earlier battle, riddled with holes from powerful danmaku blasts that had missed their targets, and many knives litered the grounds.

Only one youkai was brave enough to fly the great height up to the mansion?s roof to see what had happened. She, like Alice, was a humanoid youkai, having no distinct animalistic features, nor an abnormally small size (she was the size of an average human girl). Appearing in her late teens to early twenties, the girl sported long, scarlet red hair with two long braids (longer than Sakuya?s) tied on both sides of her head with black ribbons, along with aqua colored eyes. She was a slender and somewhat busty girl clad in a green Chinese dress with a white inner shirt, and a thin black ribbon tied around her neckline. On her head was a green beret with a gold star on the front sporting the Chinese language character long- a word meaning Dragon.

Wearing a nervous expression, she peeped her head just above the roofs edge, her aqua colored eyes checking for any trouble. Afterward she flew all the way up, landing on top of the roof, and looking around? Holes were everywhere, and several of the mansion?s once brilliant tower-like peaks were now mere rubble. The Chinese looking Youkai girl hovered just above the roof, not wanting to risk falling through any weakened areas as she surveyed the damage.

Of course, it was not long until she spotted Sakuya, the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The result of her earlier battle with Patchouli was obvious: she was still bound (via strange organic growths generated by Patchouli?s magic) and unconscious. Shocked, the red headed youkai quickly flew over to the unresponsive maid, immediately pulling on the green, tentacle like matter holding her.

?What has happened to you?! S-Sakuya-san, wake up! Say something! Anything will do, just??

The Chinese girl frantically pulled with all her youkai strength, in addition to searching for any points where the growths were weak, doing anything she could to free her fellow servant all with an increasingly panicked expression.

?Sakuya-san!?

Slowly, the maid stirred, awakening to the rattling of her body, the repeated calling out of her name.

?Nnn? Nuuuhh??

?Sakuya-san! Are you alri- Okay, you?re not alright, but you?re still alive, that?s a start! Don?t worry I, Hong Meiling, gatekeeper of the fearsome Scarlet Devil shall have you free in a jif! Even in rain, sleet and snow, even if it takes a hundred years, I?ll-?

?Will you shut the hell up and help me get my knife?!? snapped Sakuya suddenly, causing Meiling to jump back in surprise.

?Uhhh??

Sakuya took a deep breath and calmed herself.

?Other than the bump on my head, the fact that I?m very dizzy, and have a splitting headache, I?m perfectly fine. Now hurry up and try to get a knife out of my garter or something.?

?Y? Yes ma?am!?

Sakuya struggled, but couldn?t reach any of her knives on her own.

It?s so tight!

Meiling on the other hand was completely free of such binds, and thusly was able to reach a knife without fail. Or rather with some fail as she tried unsuccessfully to stick her lithe arm through the growths that held Sakuya steady. Twas not long before she simply picked up one of the stray knives on the roof, and used it instead. She began cutting Sakuya free. As she did so, her earlier curiousity kicked in?

?Sakuya-san, just what is happening? I saw you and Patchouli fighting earlier, and the sky looks all weird??

?Tis a long story? Unfortunately, there isn?t time to go into detail. Just know that Gensokyo in its entirety is currently in great danger.? said Sakuya. ?Say, why didn?t you try to get me out earlier??

?Well, I was scared of what was happening, so I decided to lay low for awhile, even after it ended. That was by far a much more violent battle than your first duel with her?? explained Meiling.

Sakuya sighed inaudibly.

Even though that?s true? You're still a coward for not coming to see what happened immediately?

By now, Meiling had managed to saw her way past the larger growths, now going for the smaller, vine-like ones holding the maid?s limbs. Sakuya could gradually feel her limbs becoming easier to move as Meiling worked to free her.

?Once I?m free, I will be borrowing some of the headache medicine, as well as a spare set of clothes. I?m going to follow Patchouli?s path and put a stop to this.? said Sakuya. And settle my score with her. I know she?s still alive, and eager to fight me again?

?Well, I don?t quite know whats going on, but if all of Gensokyo is in grave danger as you said, then wouldn?t it be better for us to just work together??? asks Meiling.

?Maybe? Funny how it rarely works out that way?? mused Sakuya with a small smile.

?Then allow me to be your partner and stop your enemies along side you!? begged Meiling eagerly.

?No. Your place is here guarding the mistress with the fairy maids. Stay here.?

Sakuya stretched out as Meiling completely cut her free.

?But? Okay? I suppose you?re right, but why do this alone???

Some ten minutes later, Sakuya was clad in a short sleeved version of her previous costume, with the white parts replaced with light pink versions along with matching, tight gloves. With new clothes, her headache medicated, all her knives back with her, Sakuya stood at the mansion gate, ready to go.

?Meiling? You should know that either I, or Patchouli ?if not both of us- may not be returning alive.? said Sakuya calmly. ?Where we?re going is extremely dangerous.?

?W-what?! But if one of you?! W-w-what am I supposed to do if that happens?!? asked the shocked Meiling with a frightened look.

?Do as I told you before: protect the mistress. Do it with your life if you must.?

Sakuya said it in a way that hit Meiling far harder than it would have if Sakuya had yelled it. There was a certain darkness in her voice? Sakuya then shot right into the air as she headed for where she thought the final battle was to take place?

?S-Sakuya wait?! Oh man, now I?m on my own again? Why can?t anyone in this mansion just be sensible?? sighed the Chinese girl.

***

Back at Eientei, Reisen ?arms tied cross behind her back- prepared to face her former mistress while on her knees, held steady by two of the Earth rabbits. They were in one of the many of the castle?s rooms directly behind a small closet. Reisen was perfectly calm, eyes closed and breathing steady. However, she couldn?t help but wonder what would become of Mystia and Alice. The last time she saw them, they were tied up and being taken elsewhere while Eirin ordered Reisen transported back to the Eientei manor for punishment. Mystia would likely be taken to the sight of the great seal, but the moon rabbit hadn?t a clue on Alice?s fate?

With her escape plan foiled, Reisen could now only ponder what would become of her family as they walked deeper down this dark path. Just what was going to happen to Eientei, or to the rest of Gensokyo for that matter? And come to think of it, what was going to happen to her? Well? Considering all that Reisen had done ?namely, betraying the ones she swore to protect (in order to protect them, ironically enough)? ?she would likely be killed. Or at least that?s how things worked on the moon?

The sound of a sliding door? After what felt like hours, Eirin walked into the room. The nurse was soon standing in front of Reisen who looked up to see her colorful master. With her single uncovered eye, Eirin looked down into Reisen?s crimson optics, knowing Reisen was nowhere near stupid enough to try her power over insanity in this situation.

?You desire an explaination.? said Reisen.

?I did not even have to ask as expected.? replied Eirin. ?Though I suppose you?d want to know how the special unit and I were able to predict your moves so quickly??

?Perhaps??

?Twas not hard to figure out who the culprit was after thinking about the ?vanishing act? along with the fact there was no one other than you capable of pulling something like that off. As for your escape route, I was simply able to calculate the area you would most likely break out from based on the structures layout and security movements. Well, I am the brain of the moon afterall.? explained Eirin.

???

?You should know what I?m going to ask next, Reisen.? spoke Eirin calmly with an ever stoic expression.

?You mean to say ?why is it that you did what you did Reisen?? You have good reason, seeing as I betrayed you? But? ?I find myself questioning whether or not you would even believe me if I were to tell the truth about what I did.? explained Reisen.

?Hm??

?Yagokoro-sensei? I know you?re disappointed that I did not live up to the expectations you and Kaguya-hime had of me, and instead worked against you. I cannot begin to fathom whatever resentment you may have for me at this moment??

Reisen briefly looked down, then back up at her mistress with more of a pleading look, along with a more emotional tone.

?But please sensei, you have to understand that I did what I thought was best! I didn?t think anything good could come from tampering with such powerful forces as we were! I even? I even received a premonition, maybe even a message from someone or something? ?telling me that what we were doing would only spell disaster??

Eirin?s mouth wiggled just a slight bit, but no words came from her. Reisen?s tone began calming down.

?Sensei? I merely did as you taught me. You yourself always said to me: ?analyze your situation with a calm, understading mind, and do what you think is best.? I did just that. I only wanted to protect you.? Reisen then looked down, finishing her statement quietly. ?I wanted to protect all of you, to save you from this fate, even if it costed me my freedom, my life here at Eientei, or even my existance. I wanted to take hold of any chance that our family could stay together in peace here in Gensokyo.?

Eirin continued looking down on her ex-servant, her expression not really changing.

Anything would?ve been better than just running away again? Like I did back then on the moon? I lost one family? ?I didn?t want to lose another.

Eirin and Reisen were silent for the next few moments. The two rabbits holding Reisen briefly looked at each other, not knowing what to make of the situation. It was Eirin who broke the silence.

?Reisen-kun.?

The moon rabbit looked back up at her mistress.

?I understand what you did. You only did what you thought was right. Perhaps we are on a dark path. But I must consider the fact that we may yet be on the right one.? said Eirin with her eye closed and hands on her elbows.

?Even after all this??! Even after all the danger were putting ourselves through just for revenge on one individual, you would still considering following Kaguya-hime?s path?? asked Reisen calmly, a look of shock on her face.

Eirin sighed, a more sympathetic look appearing on her face.

?Alas, I am not like you Reisen. Though we both have betrayed the moon, my sins are far greater than yours none the less. Unlike I, you were never obligated to do what we both do, to serve our princess Kaguya. Abandoning your friends on the moon was only a minor crime compared to what I did to Kaguya-hime. As you know Reisen, when I evented the Hourai Elixir to make her immortal upon her order, I also cursed her to a life of solitude and hiding. Twas a life of pain and lonliness that she would live after being exiled from the moon? And the mere thought of continuing on peacefully with my life while she suffered alone for my mistake was not something I could ever forgive myself for. As you know, I too took of the Elixir, and joined Kaguya, helping her to live in the unending torment called eternity.? said Eirin somewhat somberly.

?Sensei??

?Ah, if only I had your freedom Reisen? I have come too far. After everything that has happened to us for these twelve-hundred years, I cannot abandon her now, no matter what may happen to me, or what her decree maybe. I realize I am a hypocrite for merely speaking these words but? ?please understand Reisen. I cannot turn back.? said Eirin, not looking at her former servant.

?SENSEI!? yelled Reisen looking dead into her teacher?s single visible eye.

Eirin flinched, honestly surprised by the moon rabbit?s outburst. The purple haired rabbit looked at her former teacher with a very serious expression on her face even as the two startled Earth rabbits tightened their grip on her as she writhed in their grasp.

?You know as well as I do that these thoughts of not being able to turn back are just lies. No one?s destiny is set in stone. You taught that to me yourself!? after that, Reisen began speaking in an angrier, more frustrated tone. ?Are you going to stand there and tell me that the same dosen?t apply to you? That isn?t something the Yagokoro-sensei I knew would do under any circumstance! No, the Yagokoro-sensei I knew wouldn?t have ever let something such as this happen!?

?Enough!? snapped Eirin with a sour look on her face. ?I already told you why I chose this path Reisen! I tried to understand you, yet you did not do the same with me! This path is in fact the very destiny you speak of!?

???

Eirin then calmed herself a bit.

?Its not that I think I?ve choosen the right path Reisen ?I?m honestly not sure if I have. But Kaguya-hime is my destiny. My eternal debt to her is even more important to me than my own immortal life. I cannot ?will not- turn back. I?m sorry.?

?Yagokoro-sensei??

?Hm??

Eirin smiled to herself.

?You still call me that, even after what we?ve done to each other? By rights, I should abandon you as a student, even execute you right here on the spot for defying Kaguya-hime.? Eirin?s smile faded as she began talking in a more stoic tone once more. ?But I will not. Instead you will stay here, silent and out of the way until our plan is complete.?

Reisen felt her ankles being locked together as ropes were tied just above them tightly. She suddenly had an even harder time moving her arms as another rope was used to connect her tied wrists and ankles together. Reisen briefly struggled against the ropes due to the increased discomfort. Eirin then pulled out a small white cloth?

?I promise to return for you once this is finally over. Please remain here quietly until then.?

?Sense- mmph!?

Whatever it was Reisen wanted to say, it was muffled out as Eirin covered the moon rabbit?s mouth with a tight application of the cloth. Eirin softened her tone as she said one last thing?

?There are gaurds posted at the perimeter should you try and escape. I promise I won?t be long.?

Reisen never got a good look at her mistress? face as the two Earth rabbits shoved her into the closet. Eirin held up her right palm as she briefly clamped it shut before opening it again to reveal a blue light. The light went into the closet and ?attached? to the ceiling, providing what would otherwise be a pitch black closet with a light source.

?I will leave this so that you at least won?t have to suffer in the dark.? said Eirin before turning around to leave. ?Goodbye Reisen.?

More words failed to leave Reisen?s mouth as anything more than useless ?mmmphs? as the two Inaba?s closed and locked the door. Reisen struggled with her bonds as she continued trying to get free. She still thought there was at least something ?anything at all- that she could do? But it came to no avail. Reisen soon fell silent and still, letting her head rest on the ground and closing her eyes.

Sensei?

***

Eirin walked through a certain path in the bamboo forest surrounding Eientei, soon coming face to face with a young woman appearing in her late teens to early twenties. She had long brown hair with matching eyes, and was clad in a white shirt with a purple ribbon below the collar. Matching her shirt and ribbon was the long white skirt with purple trend, and white shoes. For whatever reason, she was holding a piece of chalk in her left hand.

?Ah, you?re here as we arranged Rika-san. Your Hourai tanks have proven quite effective in their purpose.? began Eirin.

?AAAAAAHahahahahaha! Well you can only expect the best from an engineering genius such as myself!? said the girl boisterously as she put a hand toward her mouth. ?Now that you have seen them in action, it?s only fair that you come into fair ownership. I?m suuuure you get my meaning, ho ho ho ho??

Eirin nodded at the energetic girl named Rika as she snapped her fingers. Out came an Earth rabbit struggling to drag a rather heavy bag with a yen sign on it toward the two taller women. The small bunny girl soon finished her little journey and sat down, whipping sweat from her forehead with a ?phew!?

?The second half of your payment in full.? said Eirin.

?This is very good! Eientei?s denizens have turned out to be wonderful business partners!? giggled the girl.

Rika moved in to grab the money. Once she was somewhat close, Eirin snapped her fingers before saying.

?Tis a shame that it will be of no use to you.?

?Huh? Just what is that you?re tal-?

Suddenly, a large gold and black, shield shaped object burst out of the ground behind Rika right before it let out strange red colored tentacle-like objects (just like Patchouli?s aside from the red color) at the engineer!

?-king? ?about???

Before she knew what was happening, Rika?s body was wrapped by the strange growths! She struggled with great panic, trying to force any of her limbs to move in the slightest bit!

?W-w-what is the meaning of this?!? she demaned.

?I?m sorry, but we cannot allow anyone who knows about our plan, or even anyone remotely connected with us to run around freely at the moment. We are detaining you. You needn?t worry, for you will be kept alive until the end of our plan. After that, either I, or one of the rabbits will return here to erase your memory and free you.? explains Eirin.

?N-no, y-y-you can?t do this to me! How dare you, how dare you, how dare you! I will make you pay dearly for this! Dearly dearly dearly! Hey come back here! Don?t you leave me here?!?

Rika?s shouting continued even as she was dragged into the ground. Eirin and her rabbit were already departing as it happened, not wanting to stay and watch. The sounds soon stopped completely.

***

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #40 on: April 29, 2009, 08:56:00 AM »
Now standing just outside the forest, Eirin looked up at the sky. Dark clouds still dominated the sky, but clearings in them were visible over Eientei now. As partially obscured sunrays hit the nurse she briefly smiled a sad smile before having it vanish as she began going into deep thought. Reisen?s words had left something in her, something that made Eirin remember a time before?

As Eirin continued looking upward, she began thinking of the past?

***

Twas night over the bamboo forest. This night, lit by a brilliant crescent moon, was a night that had long passed over a millennia ago. Several people in strange, feudal Japan-ish outfits, along with several moon rabbits, two knight shikigami, and a certain red and blue nurse all descended from the sky, landing on the edge of a (then) small forest of bamboo. They all walked briefly in the direction of the forest?s edge, stopping a certain point.

It was worth noting that said Nurse was clad in a variation of her normal outfit- one with signifigantly less constalation marks. The ones that were present seemed to be present only on the lower half of her dress. Also, a yellow ribbon was present around the waist with large knots on both sides of the nurses? body. The sleeves were now white, with blue and gold ends. She had on white wrist bands, matching the color of the dresses? collar. A gold color also ran down the center of the dress, splitting off into a triangular pattern as the lower half of the dress opened to reveal the white colored inner part of the dress. Finally, she was equipped with an elaborate bow. A black and gold weapon that could pass for a sword, shaped in a matter that looked like strange batwings with a white hilt, and gold at the ends.

Inside the forest, a young woman ?Kaguya- walked carefully through a specifically choosen in the cold, moonlit forest, clad in a purple kimono with exotic flower patterns, accompanied by a small number (some eight) of Earth rabbits. She walked out of the forest, meeting with the strange people that had come from the sky with a very serious expression on her face. She knew who they were on site. It wasn?t possible to be mistaken as to who they were: they in fact were emissaries from the moon that had come to take her? ?the long exiled princess of the moon? ?back home. These people were Lunarians, inhabitants of the moon.

The princess stopped a short distance away from the Lunarian emissaries, the rabbit girls following close behind. Some held on to the princess from the sides, almost as if trying to tell her, ?please don?t go with them? or ?just run away? without saying the actual words. One could tell by the mere sight of them that they did not want Kaguya to leave them behind.

It was then that the short-haired, red headed female leader of the emissaries walked closer with a very stern look on her face. However, it was Kaguya that broke the silence.

?I already know why you came? The Queen has cleared me of my charge and is wishes for my return? ?even if such a return must be done with force.? said the princess calmly.

?You are correct your highness. Your charge of drinking the forbidden elixir that grants immortality has been absolved. Your family has ended your exile, and has asked that you return to the lunar capitol at once to reclaim your former position as princess of the Moon.? confirmed the red-haired emissary. ?Rabbit??

One of the Moon rabbits stepped closer.

?We are sorry princess, but you have no say on this matter. The Queen was quite absolute in her decision.? she said.

?I see?? responded Kaguya, turning her eyes away from the emissaries.

Eirin looked at Kaguya with a hint of regret in her eyes, not even thinking of turning them away? The rest of the emissaries looked on, waiting for Kaguya to come to them, perhaps even expecting it.

It wasn?t long until Kaguya broke the silence.

?Just how long has it been since my exile?? I have lived on this Earth for a long time now?? she began. ?I have spent a great deal of time on the Moon, and a great deal of time here on Earth. I have experienced many things during these times, and learned many things that the Moon even now remains ignorant of??

The leader of the emissaries twitched her eyebrow, wondering why Kaguya was stalling like this.

?Through these experiences on this so-called filthy Earth, I have discovered that there are in fact nice people on this Earth, just as there are nice people on the Moon. Earthlings and Lunarians aren?t as different from us as I was always told. They are as we are. They talk, they sing, they feel happiness, pain, sorrow? They do great things like we do, and they sin like we do. Many of them can be very nice people??

?Princess Kaguya, with all do respect, time is of the essence. We must return while tonight?s Moon is full.? said the emissary leader, growing aggravated.

Kaguya merely looked at the emissaries, then up at the full moon, smiling the whole way.

?Ah, I was blessed to be able to come and live peacefully in such a wonderful place? And now it would seem that I must leave it all behind, and resume my old, dull life. A life devoid of color and emotion.? she stated in a sorrowful manner.

Eirin continued watching, her clinched fists tightening with every passing second. The guilt was creeping in? None of this would?ve happened to Kaguya, the nurses? friend and student she knew since she was just a child if she hadn?t so recklessly followed that fateful command to make the Elixir. Twas a guilt further seeded by the simple fact that Kaguya had taken all the punishment for drinking of the forbidden Elixir while Eirin suffered nothing, even though it was her mistake. This pained her greatly? And now she was about force the princess away from her new life as well! She gritted her teeth for a moment as the guilt rampaged through her body?

The small Earth rabbits began gathering around their princess, tugging at her and looking up at her.

?Are you going to leave us, princess? I don?t want you to go??

?You can?t?! We enjoy your company princess!?

?I want to play with you more, princess! Don?t go!?

Kaguya petted the rabbit youkai as they begged for her to stay. The emissary leader crossed her arms.

?Hmph. Then let us waste no more time, Kaguya-hime!?


***

Back in the present day, Eirin began walking back toward her trused Earth rabbit team. The thoughts of the past did not leave her mind however?

?The funny thing is that I did not really realize how fateful that night would be long after it had passed?? she mused to herself. ?That was quite the night??

***

The Earth rabbits continued hanging on to their princess. She knelt down for one last hug with them?

?I am sorry. But I haven?t any choice.? she said to them as gently as she could.

She then stood up, and looked at the emissaries, arms in sleeves, her smile faded.

?I am ready.? said the princess.

The emissary leader smiled a slight bit as Kaguya finally began walking toward them?

?NO!?
 
?and with no other prior warning, two arrows pierced the emissary leader?s back, sending her staggering and tumbling down in surprise! She gasped as she painfully looked back to find Eirin holding her bow and arrow upward in a position that suggested that she had just fired shots! The other emissaries and the two shikigami quickly realized what happened, jumping away from the traitorous nurse and drawing their weapons.

?Ei? Eirin?!? mutters the understandably shocked Kaguya.

?Princess! If you enjoy your current life on Earth so much, then please continue living it! You are free from the binding fate that formely held you down so tightly while on the Moon!?

?Eirin?? muttered Kaguya.

?Eirin?!? screeched the fallen emissary as she tried in vain to get back up.

Her attempt was permanently ended when Eirin leaped into the air, and sent an arrow dead through her red head. The nurse landed back turned to Kaguya, another arrow already prone.

?What is the meaning of this, Eirin Yakogoro?!? shouted the alarmed moon rabbit assistant of the now late emissary leader.

?The princess is free now. It would be agreeable for it to remain that way. Clearly she has no desire to return to her former home? Who are we to force her to go?? she asked loudly and clearly in a stoic tone. ?If she wishes to continue living on this Earth, then I will let her do so! In fact, I shall even live with her through her eternity and guide her! I shall atone for my earlier sin here and now, without any further interference!?

?I will listen to no further ramblings of a traitorous wench such as yourself! Move away from Kaguya-hime, and surrender yourself quietly! You can either cooperate or die!? warned the angered moon rabbit.

Fearing for her friend?s safety, Kaguya began talking into Eirin?s ear.

?Eirin? ?you don?t have to do this??

?No princess. From the very moment I made the Elixir that made you immortal, this is all I can do. Please allow me to be by your side.?

?This life will be one of constant hiding and lonliness. I could never ask you to suffer such a hellish fate along side me?? said Kaguya.

?You do not have to ask. I do this out of my own desire.?

?So you?re dead set on following this terrible path? You will not budge no matter the danger??? said Kaguya, building energy in her right arm as she walked to Eirin?s left side. ?If you insist, then I will do nothing to stop you. Let us enjoy our eternity of exile and bordem. Together.?

The two women stood side by side, ready to defy the will of the Moon itself. The Earth rabbits stood ready as well. This only enraged the emissaries further.

?Very well? Princess Kaguya, it has become necessary that we return you by force! Eirin, this field shall be your execution ground!? yelled the Moon rabbit.

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #41 on: April 29, 2009, 08:57:13 AM »
***

Eirin's wandering took her to a small site in the forest where several of the Earth Rabbits from her personal special force. They seemed to be packing various small items and weapons, including two of Rika's Hourai Tanks. It was apparent that they were preparing to leave the area.

?Ma'am! Everything had been setup as you requested! We'll have enough energy within the next or so, and the Night Sparrow should be arriving at the seal this very moment!? reported one of the special force Inabas.

"Good work Inaba. Am I able to communicate with the princess now?" asked Eirin with a smile.

"The communication mirror you requested is ready ma'am!" replied the Inaba.

Two Inabas brought the mirror over to the nurse. This one was quite a bit larger than the one Kaguya used to speak with Mokou earlier. Already, Kaguya's image was in the mirror along with several more Earth rabbits, and a tied up Mystia. The bird girl had arrived where ever the former Moon princess even sooner that expected. Kaguya was in front of Mystia, teasing her with her finger (tickling her chin, and rubbing her cheeks) before having her dress gently tugged by an Inaba, letting her know that her trusted assistant was waiting to speak with her. She turned around with an oddly (and perhaps frighteningly) gentle smile.

"Greetings Eirin. I trust everything is going smoothly...? Ah, where is Reisen...? Was she not with you at the energy site?" asked the princess.

"Reisen is... ...a little tied up at the moment, ouju-sama. I'm sure she will be able to join us soon." replied Eirin stoically.

"Ah, that Reisen is a hard worker afterall!" said Kaguya rather cheerfully. "If all is well, then all that is left to do is to invite the other 'guest...' I'm sure you know who I'm referring to..."

"I suspect that the Nightbug has allies now. She will either remain in hiding, or come for her friends. Either way, we are fully prepared to capture her once we locate her." explained Eirin.

"Do you suspect an attack on the tower?" asked Kaguya with a head tilt.

"There isn't any way she can know about the seal, or the energy collection site. However, there is a chance that she'll stumble upon it, or have its location revealed to her by one of her insects. In anticipation of this, I have posted guards both there, and back at the manor, in addition to reorganizing the search parties so they can cover wider areas at a quicker pace."

Mystia whimpered while gritting her teeth as Kaguya grabbed her, and pulled the Sparrow  to her side.

"Wonderful work my dear Eirin. I shall fear nothing since all is up to you."

"Thank you, m'lady. Will that be all?"

After that, Kaguya turned to Mystia and began petting her, much to her aversion as she winced invisibly.

"What of Mokou?" asked the princess.

"Her whereabouts are still unknown. Shall I lay out the clues for her to find the location?" responded Eirin.

Kaguya hesitated for a bit...

"...no."

"Ah... M'lady?" asked Eirin, surprised.

"She'll come to me... That she will... I just know for it to be true. Call it intuition."

"I... ...see. I shall resume searching for the Nightbug then."

Mystia lightly growled as she was petted.

"Do you hear that little one? Your friend will be here very soon..." cooed Kaguya.

Mystia shot her head away from the deranged princess, though not able to escape her grip.

"Wriggle will never let herself lose to a person such as yourself." she stated in a quiet, yet harsh tone.

"We will yet see... She has been most fortunate up until now... Ohohoho..." giggled the princess.

She watched as she took Mystia's chin in her right hand, cuddling it. Having had enough, Mystia squealed as she shot her head away from Kaguya's hand before immediately lunging it forward again, biting dead into the princess' finger! Kaguya reeled it back with a most displeased look on her face. With the very same hand the night sparrow had just bitten into, Kaguya slapped Mystia hard across her left cheek. Mystia whimpered as she was hit, staggering back, barely keeping her balance while keeping her eyes tightly shut, and her head turned away.

"Wench! And here I was trying to comfort you!" she spoke, dissatisfied. "Well, no matter..."

Kaguya turned to the nurse again.

"Eirin~"

Eirin hid the fact that she was startled by Kaguya's suddenly ghostly tone. She also noticed that Kaguya's eyes also started becoming... ...darker. Perhaps it was just her...? No...

"The final battle will begin soon. Let us have that insect child within a small span of time shall we? Furthermore..." Kaguya stated before suddenly darkening her tone even further. "...I want you by my side when I settle everything with Mokou. Don't be late... Uhuhuhuhu..."

...and there it was. The last thing Eirin saw before Kaguya's image vanished from the mirror... Those eyes... Those same ominous eyes given earlier to Reisen.

Uh...? Kaguya-sama... Just now... ...everything about her changed suddenly. thought Eirin before raising her right arm into the air. "Hurry, and finish the gathering! I want us gone from here within the next ten minutes. Send out communication butterflies to the other three groups as well."

"As you wish, mistress!"

The Inabas sped up their efforts so that they could join Kaguya as soon as possible. Eirin began walking off, now back in her own thoughts...

How long has it been since we came to this place called Gensokyo...? It has been at least twelve-thousand years... Ah, the question I should be asking is how long we of Eientei have been like this. When was it exactly Kaguya began behaving so strangely...? She seemed normal only two months... ...no... ...a week or two prior. Beforehand she wasn't anywhere nearly as obsessive as she is now. But she's still rational isn't she? Eirin stopped and blinked. I'm still rational myself aren't I...? We have both lived a long time, so its not infeasible to assume that the amount of time that has passed has... No, Lunarians live this long naturally! Something like this shouldn't even be conceivable...!

Eirin shook her head rather violently for a few seconds, attracting stares from a number of Earth rabbits who wondered why Ms. Eirin just did such a thing.

I thinking far deeper into something completely nonsensical than I should... But even so... Eirin looked into the sky. ...you were so different back then...

***

"GAH!"

The Moon rabbit assistant was now the only emissary left standing. Barely standing at that. Her battered, blood covered form staggered backwards as a third arrow pierced her body... ...her chest to be exact. She vomitted some blood, breathing heavily, dirt, blood and sweat continuing to drench her haggard form.

Eirin landed right beside her princess. Both women only had very small tears in their clothes. The Earth rabbits looked more damaged, but all of them survived as well. The group looked upon the grisly scene. The bodies of the emissaries were decimated, and the knight shikigami were torn to pieces.

"D-damn you, Kaguya...!" gasped the single remaing Moon rabbit, trembling as she held her left shoulder. "A curse to you as well Eirin! Murderers, you sh-shall one d-day...-!"

She fell to her knees.

"There will be others... O-one day, y-you sh-shall... ...pay f-for this heinous deed... The both of y-you...!"

The rabbit then fell to the ground, her life extinguished.

Kaguya and Eirin merely looked silently at the destruction they had just rout together, perhaps silently resigning themselves to an eternity of hiding from the moon. After a few minutes, Eirin glanced over to Kaguya.

"Princess, she is right. It will not be long until they discover this murder. We must return to hiding immediately."

Kaguya merely continued her blank stare, not seeming to listen to Eirin.

"Princess...?" asked Eirin, now turning her head to look at Kaguya.

Kaguya closed her eyes as she turned to face Eirin, who turned her body as well. She then smiled warmly as she opened her eyes and began speaking.

"Eirin, is this strange? We both have become callous murderers this very night, and despite our mutual heavy feelings of remorse, we don't really have any true regrets, do we? We must both now live in hiding from the Moon for a long time, perhaps forever. I for one do not really mind however." said Kaguya before kneeling down to pet one of her rabbits. "I love this Earth very much. I cherish it and its people, along with the various plants and animals here... I cannot imagine returning to that old life devoid of life and emotion. This is where I belong. Or at least thats how I feel. Is that also strange?"

Eirin stared in awe of her princess... Somehow, she seemed to be... ...glowing. That peaceful smile, that strong posture even in the face of an everlasting exile, the fact that she had just committed murder and the consequential bittersweet feelings and remorse... Was this Kaguya's determination to change her destiny? Eirin couldn't help but return that warm, if somewhat sad smile...

"There is nothing strange about the path you have choosen princess. Tonight, you fought well and bravely so you could enjoy this freedom you have been experiencing for so long. This isn't an exile princess."

Kaguya blinked in surprise.

"You were not sent to a prison, no. Rather, you were freed from it, correct?" asked the nurse.

"Y... Yes...! That is how I feel." responded Kaguya.

Eirin, holding her bow in her right hand reached out her left hand for a shake.

"Then this is my promise to you: your continued freedom shall be my atonement for my earlier sin. The sin of forcing you into such an earlier hardship. Even if your curse has become a blessing, I shall still atonement, serving and guiding you as faithfully as I possibly can. No matter what, I will be by your side to protect you. That is my promise to you."

Kaguya smiled sweetly, shaking Eirin's hand with her own.

"It is a promise. From this moment forward we are together for all of time. Kaguya Houraisan, and Eirin Yagokoro, the exiles from the moon who have choosen to remain on Earth willingly shall live an all new life here together." said the princess softly.

"Yes." replied Eirin.


***

By now, Eirin and the Earth rabbits had gathered their supplies and were lifting off the ground. Eirin remembered her promise. One she found unable to break...

That night... ... ...was indeed a fateful night. she thought to herself.

[Spell Break]

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #42 on: April 29, 2009, 08:58:18 AM »
[Eighth Spell]

Hello. This entry is a special one, for it will be my last one until my current struggle reaches a climax. Unfortunately, that may also mean this is my final entry forever, for I know my enemy has nearly every conceivable advantage. Fate however has intervened on my part to bless me with several strong allies. With their help, I have more confidence that I can somehow rescue my friends, destroy Kaguya's ambition, and bring an end to all of this madness. I now travel to the fortress of my enemy, guided by a young Shrinemaiden.

Anyone reading this maybe wondering, 'why go there when the odds are so obviously stacked against you?' Please understand that this wasn't something I could possibly avoid. Strangely enough, I have had strange feelings that this journey was unavoidable. I can't help but feel that I would at some point in time have to directly confront my enemy like I intend to now, no matter how long I hid, or anything else. It would happen regardless of whether or not I was captured by my enemy, or went to her by my own free will. I never had a real choice. Not from the start, and certainly not now.

I pray that I have the strength to fight my enemy when I finally confront her. That along with the courage to stand against her without wavering. I pray for...


The writing Nightbug -flying with her aforementioned group of allies- stopped her entry for a moment, searching her mind for the best word to use to end this particular sentence. She was flying in the air at high speed as she wrote, but thought little of it. Miraculously, the winds did not impair her writing at all.

I pray for... I pray for...

Thats when the word she was looking for hit her.

...for forti-

"Oi! Hey Nightbug you're still on Earth right?" Came Marisa's interrupting voice. "Hey, did you always have that little book ya got there?"

Not being as fast as Marisa and Reimu, Wriggle and Patchouli were hanging onto Marisa's broom via magic rope. The witch followed the red and white Miko named Reimu as she guided them (with nothing more than her intuition) to their destination. Wriggle sighed... ...inaudibly of course as she tucked her precious journal away in a safe place. Patchouli raised her eyebrow as she looked to her right toward Wriggle.

"That book you had there... is it some sort of journal?" asked the librarian.

"Uhh... I guess you could call it that." said Wriggle, scratching her face with her left hand (which also had the magic rope on, the wrist to be specific).

"May I... ...read it later?" asked Patchouli.

Wriggle responded with a lengthly 'uuhhh....' while staring at the purple one with a tilted head. Marisa just laughed a bit, prompting Wriggle to wonder just what was so funny.

More time had passed. By now, Wriggle, Marisa, and Patchouli had noticed that Reimu had taken them pretty far off. The farther they went, the less green was present. They were moving into the barren wasteland that was known as the edge of Gensokyo. Only the largest and most powerful of youkai dared to ever travel here. But even now, Reimu continued to lead the group towards the apparent eye of the supernatural storm that hovered over the rest of Gensokyo. The witch and the two youkai found this location very odd, but didn't really know what to think of it. Reimu on the other hand knew full well where they were.

Not to far from it actually... she thought to herself. Looks like this is the place...

The further the group went, the farther away the storm clouds appeared, as the team was now enjoying an eerily pristine  clear dark blue and orange sky, as the sun set off in the distance. By now, the four girls could see what appeared to be a very tall, and very large rock spire with several holes all over the structure along with a dome shaped top... This was the same place where Mystia and Alice were held earlier! Unfortunately, the girls had no way of knowing that, but they quickly figured that they had to be here along with Kaguya.

The girls could also make out the movement of pink and black shapes on the structure... It was not long until they briefly stopped and scrambled inside the structure.

"Even from this great altitude there can be no mistake. Those are the Earth rabbits of Eientei." observed Reimu.

"Well well..." chuckled Marisa. "Looks like they finally saw us coming, ze!"

Wriggle squinted her eyes at the sight, spotting Inabas as they took up certain positions, and even dragged out Hourai tanks.

"So this is it..." she said to herself in almost a whisper... ...right before she gulped her throat.

"Kaguya and our friends are likely inside that very building. Its too late to back down now, so fight as hard as you can." said Patchouli to Wriggle. "Also... ...I'll tell you this again: don't get captured. If you are, then only terrible things can transpire. Also... ...I will even kill you if I must. Do you understand?"

Patchouli's expression was dead serious. Wriggle looked back at the purple one, also dead serious. Marisa started chattering something or another in a timid tone to calm the two of them down, though her words went unheard.

"I understand." said the nightbug.

Patchouli nodded before looking toward Reimu.

"Miko! We are ready to go!"

"Hear that Reimu? Time to show 'em what for!" half-yelled an excited Marisa.

***

"Usa usa tei?! When did you spot them coming here?!" said Tewi frantically to the message butterfly on her finger. Aww, I just got here too...! What are the lookouts doing? How did that Miko even find out the location of this place?!

Tewi obviously didn't think about the oddly shining sun over this particular location, even while the rest over Gensokyo was covered by the eerie dark clouds of an odd supernatural storm...

"Nevermind! All Inabas attack them at once! Capture the firefly, and get rid of the other three, usa!"

***

"Marisa, how about we go in from the top?" shouts Reimu as she looks behind herself to the rest of the group.

"Sounds good to me! Hey Patchy Patch, mind gettin' on the broom with me? Its gonna be a rough ride..." said Marisa as she looked back toward Patchouli who rather quick to take the recommendation.

"Wh-what are you planning to do? Don't you think attacking directly from above is a rather dangerous decision...?" asked Patchouli nervously as she held onto Marisa with her free left arm.

"Ah, you worry too much. Besides, we're gonna give 'em a little present on our way up to confuse 'em! Hey Nightbug, can I trust ya to send a big something at them after Patchy and I fire?"

Wriggle blinked for a moment as she gave Marisa an awkward glance before snapping out of it.

"Uhh, yeah! I got a specific card ready." nodded the nightbug.

"Alright then..." said Marisa, her smile suddenly becoming more mischievous...

Patchouli and Wriggle could almost swear that the witch had shark teeth at the moment... She took her hands of her broom, taking the mini-Hakkero along with a specific spellcard. She showed the card to Patchouli who narrowed her eyes as if the mere sight of the card irked her somehow...

"I see... You intend to use that spell... The one you 'borrowed' from me." she said.

"Thats right!" said Marisa excitedly. "Better hang on, this could get rough..."

Wriggle and Reimu pulled out spellcards as well. In addition, Reimu formed four familiars with the appearance of yin-yang orbs in front of herself. Marisa formed two more of the green arrow-like familiars from the battle with Koakuma earlier. Wriggle let go of the magic rope that kept her tethered to Marisa's broom, letting the two witches fly out ahead of her at high speed.

Some of the Inabas -some meaning hundreds- began taking to the air, charging toward the invading four girls in a counterattack attempt. The Inabas still on the ground let out blasts from their mighty Hourai Tanks.

"Here they come!" yelled Wriggle, seeing the beams.

Wriggle and Reimu stopped advancing, giving themselves much time to dodge the incoming magical laser fire. Marisa however held an evil expression as she daftly charged at the lasers (much to Patchouli's distress). She waited until the very last second, zooming away sharply from the laser barrage.

"Waaahhh~!" cried Patchouli as she tightened her grip on Marisa.

"Ay, I warned you this was gonna get rough Patchy! WOOHOO!" said Marisa with a delighted tone as Marisa continued her bold charging.

Patchouli -sensing magical energy coming at them- looked behind herself, seeing the lasers homing in on them!

"You do realize they're following us, right?!" said Patchouli frantically.

"No problem, no problem! All you have to worry about is when to fire! Just hope you're not prone to whiplash!" replied Marisa happily.

With that, Marisa drew a second spellcard, and slammed it on her broom...

"Comet! Blazing Star!"

The witches' broom glowed blue as stars began flying out of its back, sending Marisa and Patchouli soaring toward the now panicking ground defenders who fired frantically at the charging witches! The two girls held their hats on as Marisa dropped altitude to the point where she was almost at the ground! The pursuing homing lasers ended up crashing down on the very ones that had previously fired them, blowing Hourai Tanks to bits, and sending screaming Inabas scattering left and right!

"Heh, they actually helped us by firing those! Go figure, ze!" said Marisa happily as she began slowing down. "You alright back there Patch?"

Patchouli merely held a hand to her mouth as her face turned green...

"I wouldn't say so..."

"Glad you're okay! Now its time to really give them something to be scared of! Don't you agree Patchy Patch?"

"I'm actually inclined to..." said Patchouli, her face still slightly green.

Marisa stopped, then gained some altitude.

"And don't call me Patchy Patch!" snarled the librarian darkly.

"Whatever, now its time!"

Marisa held up her card while Patchouli held up her hand.

Its funny how this was originally Patchouli's non-spellcard technique... thinks Marisa briefly.

"Love Sign! Non-directional Laser!"
"Magic Attack! Non-directional Laser!"

Bright, rainbow colored energies surrounded both girls as they sent many brilliant looking stars and laser beams of many different colors in many different directions, rocking the land around them with multi colored explosions! Inabas could be seen abandoning Hourai Tanks as they retreated into the air to escape the destruction! However...

***

Seeing the explosions from above while dodging more danmaku, Reimu finally activated her attack!

"Thats my cue... The last word: Divine Spirit! Fantasy Seal! Blink!"

As red colored energy flowed into Reimu, hundreds, if not thousands of ofuda cards and large purple orbs of energy began raining down on the Inaba army from her position! Many went to the ground, while others went into the wall placements, sending many more Inabas scattering and retreating, not wanting to be vaporized! The real victims however where the Inabas taking to the air for retreat, only to be continually bombarded by danmaku as they ascended!

Even as destruction rained down upon the defending Inbas, shots continued to zip toward the heroines. One yellow colored blast in particular zipped past Reimu, mere inches from her face... Many blasts of the same type were being fired off from the top of the strange structure.

"Firefly, its your turn!" called Reimu.

The nearby Wriggle nodded, unleashing her spell. White colored energy poured into her, creating a gleaming, pearl colored aura!

"Wriggle Sign! Nightbug Tornado!"

Numerous white-colored energy balls began swirling out from Wriggle's position, small in size. Not long after being released however, the balls would grow greatly in size, raining down on the rooftop Inabas to damage them in large numbers in swirls of falling death that resembled hail! As the card's name implied, the sight was that of a swirling vortex of danmaku, perhaps looking like small ant eggs at a distance...

It wasn't long until the surviving Inabas on the roof gave up, abandoning their blasted Hourai Tanks and picking up their injured as they began retreating inside. Marisa and Patchouli stopped as many as they could with a myriad of non-spellcard attacks with Wriggle and Reimu following suit once their respective spells had ended. Since the Inabas were retreating to fortify the bases interior, it wasn't long until the fire had cleared out.

Strange... I thought there'd be many more if Kaguya is hiding inside with her prisoners... thought Reimu to herself.

"Hey! Come out of that hole and tell me where my friends are!" yelled Wriggle at the rabbits, attempting to chase them inside.

Reimu thankfully stopped her with her right arm, giving the firefly a head shake. She figured that they set a trap, but was not really worried, not for even a second. She had a very 'safe' way inside...

"Marisa! Its time to go in!" shouted the miko to her witch friend.

Marisa just so happened to flying back into the sky by holding onto her broom with one hand while it was pointed straight up into the air.

"Aye, captain!" said the witch with a cute wink and salute as she took to the air above Reimu.

Wriggle -serious as she was- couldn't quite hold back a chuckle at this, amused by the flippant behaviour. Patchouli followed Marisa, wondering what these two mischievous humans and firefly were planning next...

"What are you doing?" asked the librarian, raising an eyebrow.

"Going into the base!" replied Marisa cheerfully.

"From what I see, you're flying high and away from it."

"Naah, I'm going in! Just watch in learn, ze." said Marisa, looking back at Patchouli. "Oh yeah, and you might wanna get far back... Definitely, ze..."

Patchouli did that, along with raising her altitude far above Marisa's not wanting to risk anything.

What is this...? she thought to herself.

"Okay! Magicannon!"

Marisa pointed the hakero straight downward toward the base, intending to blow a large hole right through the roof!

"W-w-wait! You do realize your friends are inside right?! You may very well destroy them!" mentioned an alarmed Patchouli.

"Nah, Kaguya absolutely wanted them alive, ze. The rabbits should definitely know whats coming. If they're in there, they'll move 'em! Now..."

The hakkero let out stars of many different colors as Marisa unleashed...

"FINAL SPAAAAAAARK!"

At those words, Marisa's mini-hakkero unleashed an almost blindingly bright beam of white light down toward the huge stone structure!

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #43 on: April 29, 2009, 09:00:42 AM »
***

Meanwhile, a certain maid ran through the bamboo forest ran quickly towards the mansion of Eientei, aiming to finish her business with the Lunarians and their rabbits. A small number of Inabas tried to stop her, but where swiftly dispatched. It wasn't long until the mansion came into view...

"Finally... Now I'm going to settle all of this once and for all." she said to herself with a very serious expression.

Drawing several more knives, she ran toward her destination...

***

"What on Earth is going on up there, usa?!" shouted a frantic Tewi as the ground she stood on began shaking violently.

The Inaba army watched as rocks, dirt, and tubes made from magical energy began falling to the ground as the ceiling began cracking and crumbling apart! Rays of white light poured their way inside, heralding the coming of Marisa's deadly attack!

"Gyaa! Everyone, scatter!" ordered Tewi as she flew out of the way.

All the Inabas were obedient, but not all where fast enough... Several where vaporized, along with some badly placed Hourai Tanks as the Final Spark pierced the roof, and went cleanly though the ground, much to Tewi's shock! The small rabbit youkai shielded her eyes from the light and dust as Marisa's powerful beam did its work. When the noise had stopped, Tewi slowly turned her head, looking to see a great deal of sunlight suddenly lighting up the inside of the base, as the gaping hole in the ceiling allowed for the previously blocked out rays of light to shine through.

This however didn't hit Tewi nearly as hard as what she saw looking downward... Her mouth slowly fell as far open as it could... Her eyes widened to the site of a CLEANLY CARVED hole dead in the floor! A fairly large one at that! The other Inabas seemed to take similar reactions... It was if all of them spontaneously felt a dark feeling... ...but not necessarily from seeing Marisa's power...

Th-those fools...! thought the little rabbit to herself before crying out. "N-no...! They destroyed it!"

***

The quartet of Wriggle, Marisa, Patchouli and Reimu all looked down at Marisa's handy work. Thanks to the wild witch's antics, there was nothing stopping them from going inside. Reimu didn't really seem surprised at all, but Wriggle and Patchouli looked on in total awe.

"M-m-marisa-chan...! Amazing!" stammered Wriggle, her mouth and eyes open wide, sweat pouring down her temple.

Patchouli was having a similar reaction... Though fighting off Marisa various times to drive the young witch from her library, Patchouli had never seen this particular attack until now.

"Kh...! I never thought she'd be able to do something like that...! For a human other than the miko or Sakuya to have power such as this... Any human should by all rights have been disintegrated using an attack like that! And yet..."

Marisa slowly floats down to Patchouli's level, wiping her forehead with her left arm before putting the Hakkero away. She was panting slightly, but clearly wasn't anywhere near the point of exhaustion....

"Did ya see that Patch? I've learned a few impressive things huh?" said Marisa with a playful grin.

And she still has energy to spare! Unbelievable...

"Thanks Marisa. Now they can't stop us from getting in!" said Wriggle happily.

"There are a lot of rabbit youkai left to beat up... Shall we?" said Reimu with a smile as she drew more ofuda...

***

Blast them! They may have ruined everything! All of the princesses plans maybe ruined! thought Tewi to herself as her eyes began tearing up.

She looked at the hole for a few more seconds before looking up at the four invading girls. She pointed at them and shouted.

"Those four musn't be allowed to do any further damage, usa! Take them down with all our Inaba might!"

"Hey, hey, hey, we can hear ya from there ya know!" called down Marisa teasingly.

Tewi didn't respond... But her allies did! Hourai Tanks on the side ledges near the roof pointed their barrels upward at the invading girls and fired! The four were ready to dodge the rather slow moving lasers that were fired...

Reimu blinked...

"Scatter!" shouted the Shrinemaiden.

The other three were surprised by the order, but didn't exactly question it... For you see, each of the lasers split off into twelve smaller, faster ones that move in such a way to slice the four heroines to pieces! The four either gasped or held back swears as they weaved through the tight spaces! To make matters worse, pretty much every Inaba that wasn't helping to operate a tank was converging on the heroine's locations, firing their yellow danmaku with great effort!

Wriggle remembered the earlier warnings to not be captured... But if she held back, her friends would be in deep trouble! Putting her arms in front of herself, the nightbug boldly flew through the continuing laser barrage, flying deeper into the base!

"Nightbug, thats too far! Its dangerous to go so deep!"

Alas, the limitations of Patchouli's lungs would not allow her to shout loud enough for Wriggle to hear above the heavy sounds of danmaku fire... Of course, even if the nightbug heard, she more than likely would've ignored it. She quickly noticed that some of the tanks were being adjusted to fire on her, while a number of Inabas came at her from many directions. The insect youkai sent her green danmaku in several different directions to at least slow down the incoming bunny girls before building up a large ball of energy in her right hand, and shooting it at several Hourai Tank lasers that were hot on her trail.

The resulting explosion blinded the Inabas, giving the other heroines a chance to fight back! Not one to miss an opportunity, Marisa -an evil grin decorating her face as usual- jets down at incredible speed on her broom, using her familiars to fire out green, arrowhead-like magic blasts at the Hourai Tanks, destroying several before landing directly on one (punching the gunner Inaba right in the face), and sending magic into it's body... She leaped off that one and onto another one just as that one exploded, and repeated the process with this, and several more tanks!

As that happened, a miniature tornado that could have only been the product of Patchouli's magic blew several squealing youkai bunnies into the wall, while a number of others were pounded with razor sharp metal disks! After using a fireball to take out one more Inaba, the librarian (who was also fighting on the ground like Marisa) swung out her arm, causing many large crystals to spontaneously shoot up from the ground, and crash right back down into it... Or rather, some crashed back into the ground, while many others slammed into a rather high number of unlucky Inabas!

Higher up, Reimu could be seen fighting off a swarm of Inabas with precise punches, kicks, and blows from her gohei! Suddenly, many Inabas -coming from all directions- converged on the maiden, but she countered by sending a great deal of danmaku bullets in the form of purple blasts and ofuda cards at the youkai rabbits, vaporizing them!

As she watched the battle, Tewi quickly realized she was next! Now that the youkai rabbits were out flanked, they would not be able to use their superior number to wipe out their enemies! Gulping hard, she turned back to run, even as a pursuing Patchouli's ground crystals crashed all around her. Wriggle and Marisa came together, taking pot shots at her, and her fellow rabbits from afar while in the air.

"Who is that? She doesn't quite look like the others..." asks Wriggle.

"That would be none other than Tewi Inaba, ze. She's leader of all these crazy rabbits that have been trying to kidnap ya!" explains Marisa.

"You don't say..." replies Wriggle, taking a brief rest from her assault to crack her fist. "Then she can tell us where our friends are!"

"Correctomondo!" says Marisa. "I hear she can also grant us good fortune... Lets catch her!"

As the two began moving toward Tewi, the youkai rabbit leader made several short jumps to avoid Patchouli's fire blasts.

"Be a good little rabbit and come quietly!" calls out Patchouli.

"In your dreams!" shouts Tewi, looking back at Patchy while sticking out her tongue.

Alas, this action causes her to miss the giant transparent ofuda barrier that a certain miko had just erected in front of her... Tewi turns her head just in time to slam right into the barrier face first with a loud SPLAT... She staggers back a few steps before saying:

"Ow."

And falling onto her back with swirls in her eyes. Patchouli just stared with a rather cute 'what in the world...?' type expression.

"Um... Watch where you're going." she said afterward as she walked toward the tanked Tewi.

Tewi continued to lay on the ground for a few moments, spasming every few seconds. After said moments, she shot right back up into a cross-legged sitting position, holding her nose while her eyes teared up.

"Owowowow! No fair, no fair usa!" cried Tewi.

"Well, you aren't exactly playing fair at the moment yourself." pointed out Patchouli as she walked toward Tewi.

It was then that a group of Inabas stopped fighting with the others for a moment and looked down to their leader's situation.

"Hey, you leave Tewi-sama alone!"

"Get away, get away usa!"

Patchouli turned around just in time to see at least seventeen rabbit girls heading straight toward her... And now she was already beginning to feel a bit fatigued... She whipped out a spellcard, but found herself unable to recite the spell!

"Patchouli!"

Wriggle sprung into action, closing her eyes in concentration... The tips of her antennae came together for a brief moment, seeming to send out a small pulse... Wriggle's eyes suddenly shot open, glowing green as she raised her hands in the air.

"My precious children... Hear me, for I am your queen! Grant me your power, strength and souls so I may vanquish my enemies!"

With that, thousands of tiny green particles of energy began pouring in from the hole in the roof! The energy particles converged above Wriggle's upward held arms, slowly forming a large green ball of energy! As it formed however, groups of green, carefully aimed bullets shot out from it, slamming dead into the backs of the Inabas antagonizing Patchouli, and sending them crashing into the ground!

Tewi watched in horror as her would-be saviors were swatted out of the sky like flies one by one!

"Even as you and your troops pursued me without relent across Gensokyo, I have been in contact with the unseen world of the insects! Even then they were building their power, and now lend that slowly gathered strength to me even now! As I unleash this attack on you, Tewi Inaba, I will personally make sure you know the power of Gensokyo's insects and never take us lightly again!" said Wriggle as she cocked her arms back, as if to fire the huge ball at Tewi.

Tewi staggered back, teeth gritted, and sweat pouring down her face.

"W-wait! Just what is it with you anyway?! You aren't supposed to have this much power!" said the panicking rabbit girl.

"What a funny thing to say... Someone who trains at Eientei shouldn't have so little!" shot back Wriggle. "Now take this!"

It was after those words that Wriggle threw the now huge ball of energy at Tewi. Even after being fired, it let out endless volleys of danmaku, taking down Tewi's fellow rabbits! Tewi's squeal was barely audible above the big green explosion that sent her flying and tumbling across the room, very nearly crashing into the back wall!

"Ha ha! Nice shot Nightbug!" complimented Marisa with a wink, even as she continued fighting off more Inabas.

It was only a few moments until the dust and smoke cleared, allowing Wriggle to see a burnt out Tewi staggering back up to a standing position, dress tattered and dirtied.

"Grrr, y-you'll be quick to regret that...!" sobs Tewi.

"Ha! It isn't over just yet!" replies Wriggle as she points forcefully at Tewi.

Tewi blinks, and looks upward just in time to see a large number of fast moving green bullets about to crash dead into her! She squeaks just before another explosion! However, the explosion isn't green, and is much larger than it should've been... Wriggle looked on, wondering what had happened with that attack as sweat built up on the side of her face. She was silently disturbed to find a widely smiling Tewi walking out of the dust and smoke unscathed (from that attack at least), holding a spellcard in her right hand.

"Luckily, I had one of Mistress Eirin's bombs handy! I only wish I remembered it sooner!" said Tewi before chuckling. "Now you get a taste of my power! Payback time, grub!"

"Grub?!" shouted Wriggle in disdain.

"Thats right!" exclaimed the smiling Tewi, spellcard held out with her free hand on her hip. "Rabbit Sign: Great Fortune Crest!"

Wriggle looked on as a red and green aura forming around Tewi as the spellcard vanished. Tewi held her arms forward, shooting out barrages of red and green bullets shaped vaguely like carrots at the nightbug. Wriggle rolled to the right, dodging and weaving her way past the bullets before taking off into the air going backwards with Tewi in hot pursuit. The Inaba leader never let up the attack, and it got denser the longer it went on. Wriggle winced as a bullet grazed her left cheek, leaving a small burn mark.

"A good spell, however..."

Wriggle raised her open palms above her head yet again, building up more green energy!

"...I haven't quite exhausted all my borrowed strength quite just yet!"

Wriggle began throwing green orbs of energy like baseballs, intercepting some of the bullet swarms being thrown by Tewi. It was a true danmaku battle as both combatants weaved through and dodged one another's shots. However, both had their limits... But especially Tewi as the time for her spell had soon run out...

"N-no!" stammered Tewi as the bullet waves stopped firing.

Wriggle had ceased fire as well, but was now speeding toward the rabbit girl at high speed! Tewi flew backwards as fast as she could...

"It would seem that I must knock a bit of sense into you!" said Wriggle as she changed the way she flew.

She had put the top of her head out first... But wait, this could only mean...! Tewi realized this, but it was too little too late...

"Uwaaaaah! Usa usa usa usa usa usa USA USAAAAAA!" she babbled while panicking, knowing she had no way to dodge or counter.

"Have a small bit of this, NRRRRAAAGGGHH!" yelled Wriggle, an aggressive expression doting her face.

And then... ...CRASH!

"NWAAAAUGH!"

The two battling youkai met heads as Wriggle thrusted her own cranium right into Tewi's sending her flying backwards into the ground, tumbling several yards! The other Inabas ceased battling with Wriggle's allies as they watched their leader tumble across the ground for several yards before coming to rest limply with anymore sounds from her voice.

She didn't move after that.

"Wow! Way to use your head, ze!" complimented Marisa.

"Ooowwww..." muttered Wriggle.

She grabbed the top of her head as she slowly staggered up.

"You'll understand if I ask you to refrain from any head puns for a bit won't you, Marisa-chan?" asked Wriggle with a slightly pained voice. "Perhaps that wasn't the best of moves to make..."

With their leader defeated, and their numbers dropping grievously the remaining rabbits lost all remaining motivation to fight.

"R-r-r-retreat! The base is lost!" yelled one Inaba.

***

From outside, hoards of youkai rabbit girls could be seen pouring out of the fallen fortress, flying away in nearly every possible direction in their panic!

***

"Ha, their leaving. Makes our job a bit easier." sighed Reimu, relieved that she wouldn't have to fight off the full force afterall.

"Rats, I was too hard on her... Now I have to wait for her to awaken before I can ask her about Mystia and Alice..." sighed Wriggle, still rubbing her head.

The nightbug nearly fell over from a hard shoulder patting from behind, courtesy of Marisa.

"Ahh, don't worry about it. Youkai rabbits heal fast, so we can ask her again in no time flat! Besides, a mind is a terrible thing to waste!" said Marisa happily.

What did I say about head puns right now...? sighed Wriggle in mind with a slight smile.

"What an amazing place! I didn't know Eientei was even capable of something like this." said Reimu, looking around the structure the group was in.

"You're wrong shrinemaiden. They're not. They had help..." interjects Patchouli.

"You must mean the power of Koro..." mentioned Wriggle, looking at the librarian.

"Correct... And looking around here, the roof, the layout, some of those magic regulation pipes, and what I found in that large hole Marisa blasted into the ground, my suspicions about this most unusual of buildings have been confirmed."

"Eh...?" said Marisa, her smile fading as she raised an eyebrow.

"It is just as Koakuma and I deciphered from the great book. Depending on the time we have gotten here, all our effort may have yet been in vain. In other words... ...we may already be too late." said Patchouli with an eerie calmness.

Wriggle, Marisa, and Reimu stood silent, uncertain looks on their faces as they knew they were not going to like what Patchouli had to say... Wriggle especially began to look panicked.

Mystia! Alice!

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #44 on: April 29, 2009, 09:01:33 AM »
***

Reisen slowly opened her eyes, face covered in sweat... No matter what sort of pulling, turning or twisting she did, she was not able to make the stubborn ropes that trapped her budge. The white cloth covering her mouth muffled out the cooing and moaning sounds she made out of either instinct or frustration as she tried to free herself. And now frustration was setting in... She hated being tied up like this! A bunch of mere ropes (albeit, magically enhanced ones) were holding her back from doing the one thing she wanted -needed- to do most... She had to save her masters!

The Moon rabbit's Rabbits frustration and desperation finally began to get to her as she let out loud moan, whilst thrashing violently against the binds, ignorant of any previous fatigue from earlier struggling. Knowing she was without any sharp objects she could potentially use to cut the ropes, she pressed her head against the tiny closet's door bending her lithe body so that her hands could reach her bound ankles. Alas, no matter how hard she tugged at those well made knots, she was not able to make anything move even half an inch.

'Mmmping' helplessly, the Moon rabbit slowly worked herself into a kneeling position, bringing her bound wrists to the sides of her body as she continued her struggle to break free. Her eyes began tearing up as Reisen mentally begged the ropes to loosen. She squinted hard as she feverishly wiggled and squirmed, her screams softened yet again by her gag. She began wondering how she could've been so weak... The inevitable feelings of never being able to escape began to creep in... And with such feelings came the thoughts of a grim future for her beloved masters... And with such thoughts... ...came regret.

As her arms grew tired and stiff from all the struggling, Reisen, now covered in sweat, came to rest on the wall in front of her, laying her head upon it while breathing heavily. Her eyes blurred from building tears building up in them... She silently lamented in her hopelessness, beginning to despair... However, a loud thud and several faint screams awakened her from her helpless stupor, startling her with a muffled squeak!

"What in the world was that?!"

"I don't know! We should check it out, as is our duty usa!"

"Right!"


Reisen sat straight up in her surprise, remaining dead silent with wide, small pupil eyes as she wondered just what was going on outside...

***

The now dark hallways of Eientei... A lone, silver haired figure rampaged her way through horribly confusing hallways, leaving holes from retrieved knives, and either dead or unconscious rabbits in her wake. It wouldn't be long until more gathered around to stop her... Or rather, attempt to stop her...

What is it with all these Inabas already? All I want to do is to get to their masters! They are my real targets...

***

At the junction where the lone figure was heading, some fourteen Inabas stood at the ready, visibly nervous and intimidated, yet unwilling to allow the intruder to do as she pleased...  They didn't have to wait long... Like a black shadow with gleaming silver on her hair and hands, Sakuya was soon approaching the Inabas, walking calmly toward them.

"Halt, maid from the mansion! Proceed no further, unless you wish to exit this castle with force!" warned the leading Inaba.

Sakuya brushed off the warning.

"I assume you all know just why I'm here? It has become apparent that the ones you serve are no longer present here. I will kindly leave upon you telling me what I wish to know." stated Sakuya, continuing to walk forward.

"You will never know of their plans, maid!"

"If you tell me, then we can avoid having something unpleasant happen. Do you not all value your lives?"

"You fool, its plain as day that you in fact don't value your own life at all! Inabas, atta-"

Suddenly, everything went black and white for but a moment... Within an instant, several of the rabbit girls fell down, numerous knives stuck right into their bodies! Sakuya reappeared right in front of the shocked rabbit leader who looked up in surprise a mere second before Sakuya sent her headfirst into the wall with a sharp kick to the chin. The rest of the Inabas were able to scatter away to the left. Alas, Sakuya invoked her time power again, instantly appearing in front of another Inaba to kick her away before spotting another one further ahead about to fire danmaku...

That Inaba was swiftly dealt with via a knife to the head.

In seemingly an instant, reinforcements began converging on Sakuya on both sides! One came at the maid with a wooden sword from behind, aiming a 'stab' right into Sakuya's back! Sakuya stepped minimally to the left to avoid the attack before twisting around, grabbing the bunny girl by the hair, and tossing her down the hall. A knife was implanted into that Inaba before she even hit the ground.

Next up, an Inaba charged in at Sakuya from the front, attempting to hit her with a magic blast at point blank range. Again, Sakuya merely side stepped the attack, raising her left hand into the air before flicking it down, sending it's three knives firmly into the rabbit's back. Reacting in the nick of time, Sakuya also managed to catch an Inaba attempting to pounce her with her right arm, throwing the youkai rabbit down the hall!

Now Sakuya tossed a good number of knives into the air as she prepared for the assault coming simultaneously from both sides... The maid employed a devastating tatic: using her magic to slow down the knives' decent, she would throw one, block and slash with the other, then throw that knife as she blocked and slashed with another! She repeated this tatic throughout the assault, more and more rabbit girls falling defeated to the ground with every passing second!

Not to be outdone, one Inaba came at Sakuya with a knife of her own! Sensing the attack, Sakuya quickly grabbed one of her own knives with her right hand and span around, blocking the attack her own inverted knife before sending the Inaba face first into the ground with a swift low kick! The maid quickly grabbed one of the falling knives with her left hand, and ended it for said Inaba as she slammed the blade dead into the youkai's back! She then tossed the knife in the right hand behind herself, nailing an incoming enemy dead in the heart just as she was about to fire danmaku at the maid.

Sakuya then leaped into a standing position, pulling the knife from the stabbed Inaba. Two more were in front of her, letting out more magic blasts at her. Sakuya nimbly dodged the shots with amazing, almost dance-like movement before stopping time again! When color had returned to the room, some seven knives had impaled one of the offending rabbit girls, while the remaining one ended up being used as a vault by Sakuya, much to her shock! While balancing on top of the youkai rabbit's head with her hands, Sakuya KICKED knife after airborne knife down both ends of the hallway, each one finding a target! Some of the rabbit girls escaped being mortally wounded, but many others weren't so fortunate...

Naturally, the last bunny girl was the last to fall for Sakuya's trickery. The maid used her arms to 'leap' off the girl's head after her spinning knife kick assault, coming right back down with two knives in hand! Said knives immediately found their way into the Inaba's shoulders, causing her to scream out! As she fell down, Sakuya looked up to find a wooden sword wielding Inaba staring at the result of Sakuya's skills... Some thirty-eight rabbit girls were down for the count, and Sakuya at best only had a few scuff marks, small blood stains, and the occasional burn spot from a grazed bullet!

"This can all end here you know... You and your squad are among the last ones remaining in this castle." spoke Sakuya, drawing a full set of knifes.

The youkai rabbit spoke no words, letting her actions speak for her... Although hesitating slightly, the lone rabbit girl put up her sword...

"I see..." sighed Sakuya. "So be it."

***

By now Reisen had backed into the closet wall, wanting to be as far as she possibly could be from the door with all that racket going on outside. Sweat continued dotting her face, though this time it was from nervousness and uncertainty. The sounds of danmaku fire, pained Inabas and and the clanging of metal quickly got to her location, soon sounding like it was all right outside... Reisen dared not to make the slightest sound, or even move a muscle...

Suddenly, a knife punched right through the door at Reisen, lodging itself in the wall to her left, missing her face by less than an inch! The Moon rabbit broke out in a cold sweat as all breath left her lungs! Ignoring the liberated pieces of her hair falling to the ground, her now wide, crimson eyes of tiny pupils stared at the very knife that nearly ended her existance for what seemed like an eternity... Soon she let out a very stressed moan as she closed her eyes, and sank deeper into the floor...

It took some minutes to calm down, but when Reisen did, she noticed that the sounds had moved away from her. The knife had become something other than the object of her near destruction: an opportunity! Even without the whole of her composure, Reisen knew she couldn't stay in this closet, or anywhere in Eientei at the moment... Moving into a pseudo standing position, the Moon rabbit slowly closed her hands around the deadly blade's hilt before forcing her body forward to dislodge it. Reisen 'mmmphed' some more, closing her eyes tightly... Surely this knife had to be thrown not by a normal thrower, but by a spellcard to be lodged this deep, even after piercing the wooden closet door with such ferocity!

Reisen's youkai strength however won the day, as the rabbit soon found herself having to turn herself in order to avoid crashing face first into the wooden floor. The knife landed with a soft clang right beside her. As she looked back at it, she found it to be strangely familiar... But she had no time to think about that now. Working herself into a kneeling position, the Moon rabbit moved back toward the knife, carefully taking the hilt into her hands before beginning to cut the ropes that held her...

***

Now sliced in two, the wooden sword fell to the ground, as its wielder fell hard onto her back. Sakuya stood over the Inaba, her clothes blown by the wind coming in through the freshly blown hole in the wall. Her facial expression was one of someone who was rather displeased...

The maid knelt down and held up the fallen Inaba by the collar.

"Now I will ask one final time. Where is your mistress?"

The calm tone Sakuya used was far more threatening than even the loudest of yelling could ever hope to be. This, combined with the fact that the limp bodies of the rabbit girl's fellow Inabas were strewn across the floor, and even some of the ground outside. But even so, she remained silent...

"I see..."

Sakuya sighed before pulling out a strange crystal...

"I was trying to avoid having to use this..."

The Inaba looked on in fear as Sakuya aimed to jam it right into her head...

***

Reisen practically flew out of the closet just in time to see a number of extra holes in the room. She looked around, deciding to go through the largest of the holes: the one in the wall to her right. She moved carefully to avoid a splinter, desperate to find an Inaba who could tell her what happened...

She didn't search long...

A certain Inaba was sitting up right on the floor of the room that Reisen soon found herself in... There was a rather large hole in her head, but she continued to live... Her eyes were rather dead, and glassy... Shocked, Reisen ran up to, and knelt beside her fellow youkai rabbit.

"Are you okay?! What happened here?!"

"Reisen...? Could that... ...be you...? You are... ...too late... ...to stop the... ...intruder... Intruder... ...now know... ...where master... ...is... Stop her... ...we coudln't... Too weak... Hurry and... ...save mistress..."

What did this intruder do to her?! Reisen saw several more rabbits laying throughout the room in various states of injury, and not all were alive... She shuddered to think what the rest of the estate looked like... However...

"Reisen! Hurry to the seal! Our mistress and her plans are in danger!" called a nurse cap wearing Inaba from behind.

"B-but what about everyone here?" asked Reisen, turning her head to look at the Inaba.

"Some of us escaped the assault, so we can help! I'm not sure why you're here, but you have to get to the seal quickly!"

Reisen hesitated a small bit... She also wondered why none of the Inabas were stopping her... Maybe Eirin didn't tell them all of Reisen's earlier betrayal...?

"Okay..." nodded Reisen before running forward.

After getting back outside, Reisen stretched out a bit before taking to the sky...

"Please be careful Reisen! Good luck!"

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #45 on: April 29, 2009, 09:02:33 AM »
***

Wriggle, Marisa, and Reimu all stood dumbfounded by Patchouli's startling revelation... Her horribly, horribly explained revelation.

"Hey, hey, heyyyy, there can be absolutely no way I heard that properly... Could you, uhhh... ...repeat that Patch? In plain Japanese?" asks Marisa, putting her hands up and back up a bit.

"Wait, you actually failed to understand that unnecessarily complicated and convoluted explanation?!" asked Reimu, looking at Marisa in shock.

Patchouli looked a tad irritated...

"She talked a tad too fast as well, no?" adds Wriggle, as she scratches her cheek with a nervous smile.

Patchouli's eyebrows began twitching...

"Oi thats right, ze... Hey Patch, make it clear this time too. And talk slower." said Marisa with a finger wave.

"And remember, you're talking to people who do not have the same grasp on things as you do. Use smaller words and simpler explanations." Wriggle added further.

Patchouli shut her eyes tightly, her face turning red as she spoke through gritted teeth.

"Alright, alright, I'll explain in a more 'concise' manner so all of you can be happy!" spoke Patchouli, now looking quite annoyed.

"Glad to hear it!" said a happily smiling Reimu.

Patchouli glared at the three for several seconds, shaking and growling before clearing her throat, putting her balled up right hand to her mouth as she did so. She then took a deep breath... Or rather, a somewhat hollow one...

"Okay... Let me speak again... This tower if you so wish to call it that, is... ...well, was a focal point for the collection of Earth's life energy. Life energy needed to break the great seal of Koro."

"Absorbing the energy of the Earth itself... How is something like that even possible?" said Wriggle in wonder.

"A great deal of energy was needed then, correct?" asked Reimu.

"Indeed. It would make since for them to need so much energy, since great power is required for the seal removal incantation. They built this tower to carefully absorb the energy, and the tunnels around it to convert the life energy into magical energy." explained Patchouli. "What Marisa destroyed was in fact the central collector of energy, an absorption monolith if you will."

"And without that, they can't collect anymore energy, ze!" said Marisa with a smile.

"Yes, but... They may have already collected more than enough energy, much to our misfortune..." said Patchouli darkly, looking off to the side.

"Well, wouldn't they be transporting out of here somehow? Perhaps a pipeline we could disrupt to stop them..." said Reimu inquisitively.

"No. That would make locating the seal too easy should anyone capture this base. There are also signs that they were in a rush, and wouldn't have time to build such a thing in any case."

"Well... Maybe they flew it out somehow...?" asked Wriggle, scratching her cheek.

"That is the only likely solution. With the proper containment crystals, it would actually be far more feasible, and stealthier solution than a magical pipeline."

"Well, that makes things a bit harder... Heeey, isn't that flawless intuition of yours tellin' ya anything, Reimu?" asks Marisa with a raised eyebrow, looking at the miko with a lowered head and hands on her hips.

"Ah, forgive me Marisa, but I haven't really been getting any odd feelings, or sensing anything significant since we got here." said Reimu apologetically, scratching the side of her face. "Its really strange."

"Its going out on ya? Hmm, maybe Alice was right to say 'your intuitions waining because you never use it.'" replies Marisa.

"No, its something else..." said Reimu inquisitively.

"Rats, this leaves us without any method of tracking down the true location of that vile princess!" said Wriggle in disappointment, looking off to the side toward the ground.

"Oh no... You are a tad incorrect, Nightbug." responded Patchouli. "Take a look at the hole made in the ceiling above us."

The three other girls looked upward, finding that the sun was steadily being drowned out by clouds, the occasional rumbles of thunder sounding closer and louder.

"The power of Koro is responsible for the unending, rainless storm that has been covering Gensokyo, save for where said power is concentrated. That said, now that this place is no longer a concentration of Koro's power, the storm now covers this place as well. Therefore, in order to locate the seal, all we need to do is..." spoke Patchouli.

"...locate another place in the sky where clouds are cleared out!" finished Wriggle.

"Precisely."

Wriggle turned around, intending to fly out through the hole in the roof.

"Alright, I'll go do tha-"

"But we're not going to do that." interrupted Patchy.

"Gwa...!"

Wriggle tripped over herself, tumbling forward on the ground before coming to rest with her legs over her head.

"Thei wah arwe gooha hew thei (then what are we gonna do then)...?" asked the dazed Wriggle with a drunkard's smile.

"We're going to ask the bunny." replied Patchouli.

"But Wriggle bonked the bunny." pointed out Reimu with a raised finger.

"Then I will awaken the bonked bunny." said Patchouli.

"How will you beckon the bonked bunny to wake up?" asks Marisa.

"The only true way possible." answered Patchouli, closing her eyes and raising her right finger.

Wriggle, Reimu, and Marisa were suddenly standing side by side, looking at Patchouli curiously.

"Eeehhhh?" said the three simultaniously.

Patchouli walked over to the still unconscious Tewi, staring down at her for a few moments...

"Indeed, this should work." spoke the librarian.

Patchouli held out her first two right fingers out in what appeared to be a horizontal peace-sign gesture. Wriggle, Marisa, and Reimu blinked, unsure of what to make of Patchouli's intentions... They silently wondered to themselves... Thats when Patchouli lifted up Tewi's skirt...

"Eh...?" mumbled Wriggle, Marisa, and Reimu simultaniously to themselves.

Patchouli began sending electricity through her two out held fingers as she looked at Tewi's crotch as she thrusted her fingers downward and... Uhhh...

"EEEEHHHHHHHH?!" shouted Wriggle, Marisa, and Reimu at the same time in shock (pun not intended).

Tewi's eyes snapped open, a delayed reaction before...

"EEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

Tewi leaped incredibly high in the air with a totally flustered look on her face!

"USA USA USA!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME, USA?! HOW SHAMEFUL!"

"Did... ...she... ...just...?" stammered Wriggle.

"Man... Patchy... What got into you...?" asks Marisa more to herself with dread.

Reimu just stared, jaw agape. It was all the Miko could do to keep herself from fainting from the shock (again, pun not intended).

Tewi landed on the ground, staring at Patchouli as if she were the spawn of Satan.

"I can't believe you...! Taking advantage of a helpless rabbit like that...!" said Tewi accusingly.

"Do not mistake my intentions. It was necessary to put them there while electrified, as it was the quickest way to awaken you. And now to question you." stated Patchouli matter of factly.

Tewi began tearing up.

"How am I supposed to think of this?! You shamelessly abuse me so callously, then expect me to talk secrets to you! I will not hear of it!" protested Tewi.

"Well, thats to bad." said Patchouli casually.

"Hey you! Where are Mystia and Alice?" said Wriggle, running in front of Tewi and pointing a finger.

"I will not tell you a thing! I wouldn't tell you, even if I knew."

"Damn kid, why did you even bother to ask? I mean, she's the queen of lies, you can't forget that." pointed out Marisa with a shrug.

"Huh... Therefore, by stating she does not know the answers to my questions, she actually does!" said Wriggle. "Tell me, or I'll throw the book at you!"

"Go die in a fire!" shot back Tewi.

"Hmm..."

Wriggle walked up to Tewi, pulling out her diary... She opened it then snapped it shut right on Tewi's nose! The Earth rabbit had another delayed reaction as she looked at what just happened for a few moments before...

"YEEEEEEOOOOWWW! That hurt!" yelled Tewi, turning around, crouching and holding her now bleeding nose.

"Wait, that wasn't throwing the book, that was closing the book!" pointed out Reimu with a facepalm.

"But are they not the same?" asked Wriggle honestly.

"Interchangeable, but hardly the same." replied Reimu with a grumble.

Tewi continued rubbing her nose for a few more moments...

"Oooohh, thats it! Now you're all gonna get it! Face the wrath of Tewi Ina-!"

Tewi turned around and jumped back up, only to see that she was surrounded on all four sides by the heroines.

"-ba...?"

"You're surrounded, ze! I think its best that you stopped fooling around and tell us what we want to know, even if it goes against your lying nature." said Marisa, smiling with her arms crossed.

"But I was being honest!" pleaded Tewi.

"Thusly being dishonest." shot back Wriggle.

"B-b-b-but why would I lie?!" asks Tewi frantically.

"Why wouldn't you lie?" points out Reimu.

"Where are my friends?" asks Wriggle calmly.

Tewi slapped her hands around her mouth. Wriggle got into her face, a little angry now.

"You heard me, did you not? Where are my friends?!"

By now, Tewi was sweating bullets, frantically looking around the room... These scary four faces glaring at her...! Those accusing, antagonistic eyes...!

"It doesn't matter what my answer is because only one of your friends is here anyway!" blurted out Tewi without warning before slamming her hands over her mouth again, falling on her butt as her eyes began tearing up.

"What do you mean? Which one of them is being held here?!" asks Wriggle.

"Alice would be the only logical one to keep here." said Patchouli.

"Where is she?!" asks Wriggle forcefully.

"I dunno!" pleads Tewi.

"Of course you know!"

"I don't know!"

"Cease your lies to us already!"

Wriggle inched her head closer with every exchange, frightening Tewi (who was backing away) further.

"Where is she?!"

"I will not tell!"

"Answer me!"

"Never!"

"I know she's here!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is t-"

Wriggle smiled slyly at the sight of Tewi realizing the daft reversal she had just fallen for. The rabbit girl slammed her hands over her mouth yet again as she slowly fell to the side... Reimu stared awkwardly, while Marisa chuckled and Patchouli face palmed.

Wriggle waited triumphantly for a few moments before leaning down towards Tewi's face one last time, speaking in a calmer tone...

"Where is she?"

Tewi sat back up, and pointed to Wriggle's  right with her left hand.

"She's over there." stated Tewi calmly.

Reimu took the liberty of walking over to what Tewi had pointed to... A part of the stone wall the jutted outward in a strange manner... The Miko placed an Ofuda card on that particular part of the wall before chanting something silently... Just then, the wall shattered into nothing, revealing a hidden prison cell containing a bound, gagged and surprised looking Alice! The doll maker looked away, blinded from the sudden light.

"Mmmph?!"

"Alice!" said Wriggle, immensely glad to see her friend alright.

"So there you are! I wonder why they put you in a place like that..." wondered Marisa as she walked up to the cell.

Reimu used an energized Ofuda card like a knife, cutting away the bars effortlessly before releasing Alice.

"Sorry we took so long, ze. You okay?" asked Marisa.

Alice had somewhat of an exhausted look on her face as she rubbed her freshly freed wrists.

"Well at least they kept me alive by leaving an air sphere in there." began Alice, referring to the strange blue energy orb in her cell. "Their food was actually good, but I got some really lousy service."

Wriggle, Reimu, and Marisa chuckled. Patchouli just looked on...

Alice being humorous! Now thats a nice change. thought Marisa.

"I'm just glad you're okay now Alice. After I saw you and Mystia get taken away like that I honestly feared for your life! Alas, they still have Mystia..." said Wriggle.

"Indeed, that is a problem..." said the doll user, cupping her chin.

"Well Alice? Up for a little payback while we rescue Mystia?" asks Marisa with a sly smile.

Before Alice can answer, Marisa reaches her first two right fingers down into her broom's tip, pulling out... ...a small bag, much to Wriggle's impression. The witch then opened the bag with her free hand... Out came Shanghai, Alice's trusty doll companion, as she weakly reached toward her mistress!

"Shanghai!" said Alice as she knelt down and hugged her doll.

"Heh, I also got your grimoire in there." added Marisa.

"Oh, thank you everyone! For saving me, and returning Shanghai and my book to me." said Alice, petting her doll.

Wriggle smiled... ...no, beamed at the sight! She then looked upward...

One step closer... she thought.

It was then that Reimu, who was turning around, noticed something peculiar...

"Ehh...? Librarian, what are you doing?" asked the miko.

Alice noticed it too, raising an eyebrow. Wriggle and Marisa briefly looked at each other before turning around as well...

Patchouli... ...was now staring down once more at Tewi in a rather strange and suspicious manner.

"Patchouli-san... What is it you are doing, staring down at that rabbit in that manner...?" asks Wriggle nervously.

Patchouli didn't answer. Tewi looked up with a nervous expression, her eyes still tearing up.

"I said what you wanted me to...! Please don't hurt me regardless..." squeaked the Earth rabbit pleadingly.

Patchouli only looked on for a few more moments before raising her right arm to the side... After a brief surge of purple energy, a large hammer formed in Patchouli's right hand!

"Ah...?!" squeaked Tewi as she jumped back, startled. "W-w-w-what're you gonna do with tha-"

Tewi got her answer as Patchouli brought the hammer down dead on her forehead!

"Ugwa!"

Tewi fell straight to the ground like a pancake, knocked out cold once more.

"Well, I don't really require her 'assistance' anymore. I think it would not be too bad of an idea to take a small rest while I review some notes for handling the seal. Hmm..."

"Yeesh, it sounds like she's speaking more to herself, rather than us." grumbled Marisa, crossing her arms and twitching her eyebrow with an annoyed smile.

"Oh my, what an eccentric librarian!" chuckled Wriggle to herself.

The four girls watching the librarian were further thrown off when she took Tewi by the ears and began dragging her toward a nearby chair! Patchouli leaped on to the chair, book in her lap...

"Oooookay, why are you in a chair with that rabbit exactly...?" asks Reimu, raising an eyebrow.

Patchouli brought Tewi up with her, snugging the Inaba while she read her book and blushed heavily with an incredibly cute and innocent look on her face.

"I... I have always wanted a stuffed rabbit of my very own. Mukyuu..." admitted the blushing librarian as she cuddled the unconscious Tewi.

Marisa and Alice both stared, dumbfounded with jaws agape.

"Um... Wow..." said Reimu simply.

I wouldn't ever think a total recluse like her would like stuff like that... Man... thought Marisa to herself.

"W-w-well we all learn something new and interesting each day, don't we?" said Alice, smiling awkwardly, earning an equally awkward stare from Reimu.

It was then that Marisa peeked over to Wriggle... ...who seemed to be shivering as if she was out and about in the middle of blizzard! She stood with bent knees and arms in her hands as she shook with very heavy, and very odd blushing upon her face.

"Ehh? You alright there Wriggle?" asks Marisa.

"Oh... D-do not mind m-me, Marisa. I-I tend to do this w-w-when an individual i-is being so inc-credibly m-moe within my vicinity." explained the shivering insect girl with chattering teeth.

Marisa blinked.

"Uhh, right..." said the witch. "...anyone mind telling what in the world moe is...?"

(Moe: [moh-way] A word meaning 'budding' in Japanese. Used to refer to a female character's cuteness.)

"Weeeeell Alice seems to know, given her current reaction..." said Reimu, pointing at the doll maker.

Marisa was shocked to find the doll user holding her bleeding nose with both hands, her eyes like that of equal signs!

"Oh goodness... That really is moe..." said Alice quietly to herself.

Marisa groaned. This was rather new to her you see...

"Well, she certainly isn't going to answer me..."

Reimu smiled as she went directly to Marisa's front, closing her eyes and holding up a finger.

"Ah, well if you don't know what moe is, then you're obviously not an otaku." said Reimu happily with a cheerful smile.

Marisa just stared at the miko.

"Somehow I think thats a good thing..."

Wriggle giggled nervously in agreement.

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #46 on: April 29, 2009, 09:04:04 AM »
***

Later on, in the darkening skies of Gensokyo...

By now, night had almost completed its hold of Gensokyo. The group of now five, having taken sometime to rest in their search for Kaguya now flew through the evening sky towards the seal of Koro, the place where the conflict that had begun nearly twenty-four hours prior would finally reach a climax.

Wriggle flew in front of the group, taking point. Reimu and Alice flew along side each other, while Marisa and Patchouli once again shared the broomstick. As they flew, Wriggle held out her finger, a small firefly landing on it. She seemed to listen carefully to its 'words' before turning her head toward her allies.

"Truly, we are heading straight for our enemy. This firefly tells me we will be able to see strange emerald lights in the distance soon." informed Wriggle.

"Heh, glad you took Patchy's advice and sent some of your insects ahead of us to make sure we were on the right track." chuckled Marisa.

"With night falling, and no moon or starlight it might get a little hard to see. Everyone stay close." said Reimu.

"Eh, I don't really think the lack of light will be too big of a problem if we speed it up a bit." shrugged Marisa.

"You forget one thing witch." began Patchouli. "My eyes are not particularly good, even in light. Things can become especially difficult for me on some nights."

"Ehh, I wouldn't worry." said Marisa casually. "Hey Nightbug, you're a firefly, right?"

"Uh?" mutters Wriggle, looking back once more. "Indeed I am a firefly, but why is it you ask so?"

"If it gets too dark, then why not use you? Being a firefly, your butt glows in the dark, correct?"

"Gwaah?!" exclaimed Wriggle.

Reimu and Alice face palmed as they sighed.

"Well hey, depending on how brightly you glow, we could find our way easy." said Marisa in a straightforward manner with a widening smile.

"Aaaaand make it easier for the enemy to spot our exact location while we are up in the sky like this." adds Patchouli.

"Sh-sh-she's correct! Please don't make ridiculous suggestions that involve my body!" stammered Wriggle very nervously as a large sweat drop rolled down her temple. Besides, to do that would require the removal of my lower body wear...

"Meh... Whatever you say, ze." said Marisa with a shrug.

***

Not too long prior, a certain maid had found a certain tower... Using it, she realized that she was on the right track to her target...

I'll be there soon... Be prepared to face me, Eirin!

Her flight direction would take her straight to the seal.

***

Even with the night taking hold, the group was still able to see a break in the clouds over a certain area, much like the one over the energy collection tower from earlier. Surely enough, it was not long until the gang could see a large amount of ethereal emerald light shining in the distance.

"Is that it?" asks Alice.

"Its gotta be. That surely took long enough..." answers Reimu.

"At last, the sight of the Koro's great seal... All there is left to do is to retrieve the book so we can end this madness." says Patchouli calmly, giving a certain glance at the sight.

"That'll likely be easier said and done. I reeeaaally don't think the inhabitants of Eientei will wanna just hand it back nicely." replies Marisa, looking around even though the sight was straight ahead.

"Maybe so, but this is our last chance." replies Patchouli.

Wriggle gulped in nervousness.

"Fighting these people is a rather tall order. Marisa, Reimu and I know first hand... We're going up against strong opponents, and the only surefire chance of victory is to fight them together." says Alice.

"That is so..." acknowledges Wriggle, beginning to sweat a bit. So this is really it... I won't lie to myself and say I don't feel fear... But I cannot back down now. Mystia is counting on me!

Wriggle looked ahead for a few more moments, thinking of Alice's words... She abruptly stopped, prompting her startled allies to do the same. The nightbug turned around...

"Eh? Why the abrupt stop?" asks Marisa.

A few more moments of hesitation.

"Everyone..." began the insect youkai with her head down.

The other four said nothing, but were clearly listening. Wriggle put her head up, looking at them directly smiling warmly.

"Thank you." she said.

The others blinked, slightly caught off gaurd by her words.

"I dragged you all into this conflict, even though it is my fight. I did not ask you to fight along side me against the princess of Eientei, but you stayed by me none the less. You all willingly put your bodies and even your very existences in danger, and not just for my sake, but for Mystia's and possibly all of Gensokyo's as well. I can never repay this deed, regardless of how long I may try. So my friends, thank you for all of your help, for the strength that you lent, everything. Thank you all."

With that, the night bug bowed in midair, showing her respect and gratitude to her friends. Alice smiled warmly, returning the bow.

"You're welcome." she said politely.

Reimu seemed mildly shocked, like she was moved...

I'm... ...finally being thanked... By a youkai of all... How ironic.

The miko then returned the bow.

"You're welcome."

Marisa grinned happily, looking back at Patchouli, who nodded. The purple colored librarian got off Marisa's broom, floating beside the witch. They bowed simultaneously as well.

"You're welcome." they both said.

Wriggle smiled and nodded. Carrying the resolve and will needed to face the greatest challenge of her life, the insect youkai girl put up her right fist, raw determination now etched across her face.

"Alright... Lets go and do it!"

With that, Wriggle turned around and headed forward once more, faster than ever! Her friends were mildly surprised by the speed boost... ...but they all followed her with a steady pace. The remaining four all nodded to each other... The whole group had made a silent vow to succeed!

***

The location of the seal...

Kaguya sat upon a large rock, gazing into the beautiful green light that basked the somewhat large chasm in front of her... Behind her was a large rock wall... Was she perhaps sitting inside a giant hole? She smiled warmly, arms in her sleeves, awaiting the final battle -the climax of her ultimate plan- to begin.

"Very soon... You'll be free very soon... And then..."

Kaguya was interrupted by none other than Eirin, who dropped down from above to Kaguya's right, accompanied by a small number of Inabas.

"Princess, a message butterfly has returned. It has confirmation of the firefly girl heading in our direction, accompanied by several allies. We are ready to attack them upon your order." reported the nurse.

"Ahh, as expected of you, Eirin." replied Kaguya. "One small detail troubles me however..."

"Oh? What is it that bothers you?" asks Eirin.

Kaguya peeks right and upward toward Eirin with a curious expression.

"Where are Reisen and Tewi...? I wanted all of us to enjoy our victory together once everything had ended."

"I'm sorry princess, but Reisen is taking care of several unforeseen circumstances and Tewi's whereabouts are unclear. We suspect she was earlier defeated by the group approaching us." explains Eirn. Best if she does not know of Reisen's true circumstances at the moment...

"I see... Most disappointing. But I guess it cannot be helped at this moment, now can it?"

Kaguya then stood up.

"Princess...? Do you intend to join us in battle?" asks Eirin, conerned.

"I do. It is only proper for me to attend this grand conclusion in person. Besides, I must be present when our true guest arrives..." said Kaguya with a less than innocent smile.

Eirin hesitated.

"I see... Then I will fight my hardest along your side, Kaguya-hime." vows Eirin.

"A wonderful thing for me to hear... Perhaps this will be like old times...?" asks Kaguya with giggle.

"Perhaps..." responds Eirin rather flatly.

"Mmm, hmm... Then let us go welcome our esteemed guests."

Eirin nods, taking off with the Inabas. Kaguya rose to a certain height before stopping, smiling deviantly whilst narrowing her eyes. She could make out a faint red glow in the distance.

Hurry to me, Mokou... Hurry to your ultimate fate.

With that, Kaguya turned to the right, following her loyal servants into the emerald night...

***

Wearing great wings of fire, and surrounded by an unending blaze, Mokou zips toward the seal at an incredible speed!

I'm coming for you Kaguya! On this night, I will teach you a lesson you won't soon forget!

***

Wriggle's group could soon see a large hole in the distance... Or rather, a giant, chasm-like hole with many jagged cliffs and edges. Would 'a circular canyon' be a good way to describe it? The very center of the hole seemed to be the source of the emerald colored supernatural light seen earlier. The beast of Koro slept beneath that light, waiting to be freed at last... This was the seal of Koro.

"Well, we're here." said Wriggle.

"But where is Kaguya? I cannot make her out from he-"

Patchouli was interrupted by a purple flash on the ground... All five of the girls immediately scattered away from a fierce Hourai Tank beam as it was fired from the ground! The blast immediately burst into a number of smaller blasts, turning around and homing in on the girls!

"Patchouli!" called Reimu as she turned around and held up her gohei.

"Of course." responded Patchouli, also turning around opening her book.

Reimu swung her gohei, creating a number of large yin-yang orbs that slammed into the homing lasers, while Patchouli  created a number of large crystals that also slammed into the lasers! In the meantime, Alice flew forward, swinging her right arm fiercely!

"Take this!" shouted the doll user.

At that moment, myriads of black dressed dolls began raining down from the sky, directly over the small group of Inabas attacking the group.Upon contact with anything, the dolls exploded! The rabbit girls were sent screaming, running for their lives as the explosive death came down upon them. The Hourai Tank did not survive the dolls.

"Aah... I cannot believe they had a tank even out to this location... Were they attempting a surprise attack?" asks Wriggle to no one in particular.

"Nah, this is just the welcoming committee." replies Marisa with a smile. "Lets go oblige 'em."

Marisa drops to the ground, taking down Inabas with her broom. Wriggle follows suit with punches and kicks. Alice, Reimu and Patchouli all join in as well. However, just as the Inabas were about to be bested...

"Alright, that'll be enough of you Inabas... It is time to welcome my guests."

The Inabas immediately obeyed, jumping away from the five heroines.

"That voice..." said Wriggle in terror as she turned to find Kaguya landing in front of her.

"Eh, shes here?!" blurts out Marisa before sensing something, and looking to her right towards Alice. "Hey Al, watch it!"

Alice is charging at several Inabas, but stopped just in time for several of Eirin's arrows to land right in front of her! Next up, Reimu has to jump backwards to avoid a further assault by Eirin! Patchouli looked at the descending Eientei residents with a scowl.

Eirin landed to Kaguya's right, Inabas dropping in behind them.

"It seems you have arrived..." says the Librarian.

Ignoring Patchy, Kaguya begins to speak to Wriggle...

"Welcome dear firefly. We have been awaiting your arrival. Did you enjoy the welcoming party? They've been working very hard to please you after all..." said the princess with a smile.

"Kaguya... My enemy... Know that I no longer fear you!" replies Wriggle.

"Very good! But I must wonder if the same applies to death... By coming here, you have sealed your fate, insect. Surely you are determined to rescue your bird friend. However, as you want her back, I need her with me and you are needed as well." said Kaguya before spreading her arms out.

The five, now side by side just look on...

"Tonight is a full moon. Everything is in place for the glorious festival. All there is left to do is to undo that wretched seal. All of you, watch this greatest of celebrations!"

"Enough already! What the hell are you going on about?" asks Marisa in an annoyed tone.

Kaguya chuckled.

"The most important guest of all well arrive soon... Only then you'll know..." answers Kaguya.

"Wait, 'the most important guest' you say? Hold on... You couldn't mean..." said Wriggle, beginning to sweat.

"So its just as I thought..." sighs Patchouli. "The nightbug and night sparrow are merely the ways to an end. This whole time, they weren't your real targets. This is just what I had expected..."

"Huh... Well, there can only be one person she's talking about..." adds Marisa.

"But of course, that should be obvious. They battle each other constantly. However, would you really risk Gensokyo by unleashing the monster beneath that light?" asks Reimu, none too pleased.

"That is her fate. As it is your fate is to watch as the Nightbug and her friend help to revive it!" boasts Kaguya.

"I will watch no such thing! As miko of Gensokyo, I'll stop you from putting anyone else in further danger!"

"Listen to my words carefully princess!" said Wriggle forcefully, looking into Kaguya's eyes.

Kaguya looked back to Wriggle, her smile fading.

"It there is anything this day should have taught to you... If there is anything this day has taught to me... ...then let it be known as this: you cannot change my fate! My destiny is in my own hands! And as it stands, it is my destiny to battle with you and come out victorious!" says Wriggle, determined. "Mystia and I will be free again, and your plans will be for naught!"

"My, you gain a few allies and you become rather... ...insolent." replies Kaguya.

"Ehehehe! I don't mean to brag, but we're not really people to trifle with here! If you want this to happen Kaguya, then you shall have to go through a battle with all of us in order to make it happen! If you're not willing..."

Marisa was interrupted by Kaguya, who was suddenly smiling again.

"Oh, I am VERY willing, witch. This is something I have awaited for over a thousand years!"

"Are you truly prepared to fight five people? It only took two to beat your last hair-brained scheme. Even with the nurses' help and rabbits backing you, you're at a power disadvantage." cuts in Alice.

"Trust me, I am prepared..."

"Is it... Is it Koro's power...?" asks Wriggle.

By now, Patchouli had had it with Kaguya's taunts and confidence.

"Enough! Hand over the book containing Koro's secrets you despicable princess! The powers you are attempting to release will be dangerous even for you!" warns Patchouli.

"You fool, even now the beast is under my full control." respondes Kaguya.

"An obvious bluff. Even Eientei can't do the impossible." shoots back Patchouli.

"You need proof... You shall see with your own eyes within five minutes."

"Five minutes?!" says Reimu, shocked.

"Five minutes is all that is needed before the incantation to break the seal will be ready." spoke Kaguya with the most sly of smiles.

"Only five minutes?!" repeats Wriggle more to herself in shock.. "Mystia had better be alright..."

"Worry not. You will join her soon. You shall be my puppet one way or another! AHAHAHAHA, I will surely enjoy this..."

Being your puppet is hardly my destiny! I'll show you just how wrong you are, princess of Eientei! thinks Wriggle to herself with gritted teeth.

"You're insane..." mutters Alice.

Kaguya ignores Alice's statement. Eirin and the Inabas assume fighting stances... Suddenly, there is movement on the ground...

"W-what is...?!" asks Alice.

She gets her answer... Some fifty clumps of mud begin springing up around Kaguya, taking the very form of the princess herself. The mimicry was perfect... Making matters even worse, several Lunarian knight shikigami descended from the sky, ready to assist the princess!

"What the hell...?! I guess you're serious after all..." admits Marisa, a nervous smile with the second sentence.

"I will not back down. I will not waver!" said Wriggle, knowing the odds were stacked more and more against her with every passing seconds.

Oddly, Eirin blinked at Wriggle's words, seeming to twitch... Kaguya however remained fully composed. She let her arms down, ready to fight.

"Now then Wriggle Nightbug, you and your allies... I wholeheartedly welcome you! Welcome to your final destiny!"

[Spell Break]

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #47 on: April 29, 2009, 09:07:25 AM »
[Final Spell]

"We'll yet see what my true destiny is!" exclaimed Wriggle.

And with that, it had begun. It was the beginning of the end...

Wriggle opened up, charging green energy in her right hand, and firing a spread of curtain fire at Kaguya! The princess and her nurse both jumped backward, letting the mud clones of the princess take the blasts! Marisa then moves right in, flying into the air, and coming down on Kaguya, aiming her broom at the princess' head! Kaguya merely jumped back, letting the Inabas attack the witch.

"Such predictable and exploitable moves, just like last time. Are you perhaps holding back on me, witch?" asks Kaguya with a smile.

"Heh, hardly!" said Marisa, smiling even as she used her broom to fight off the converging Inabas. "I'm just making sure you haven't gotten any slower!"

"Cocky... Eirin, split them up!"

"Yes, princess." replied Eirin.

"Oh no you don't!" said Patchouli, flying in on Kaguya diagonally from the princess' right. "Earth and Water Sign! Noachian Deluge!"

The spellcard in Patchouli's right hand briefly glowed blue before disappearing, many blue, water drop-like blasts came flying out of the librarian's finger tip! Kaguya merely glanced over towards Patchouli, never letting down her confident and sinister smile... Just then, several of the mud clones ran in front of the blasts, acting as a shield for their mistress, mere seconds before the projectiles could connect! Patchouli then stopped her advance with a frustrated expression just as an arrow zipped toward her head! Patchouli threw up her left hand, sending the arrow away with magical force just as Eirin jumped in front of her.

"You will not be allowed to lay a hand upon Kaguya." stated Eirin, staring dead into Patchouli's eyes.

"You're fast becoming an annoyance. Move away this instant!" demanded Patchouli.

Eirin held out her bow, materializing three arrows in it. She fired them... All of them instantly split into six more projectiles upon being fired! Patchouli held out her book, opening it to fire a number of metal disks that intercepted the arrows!

I'll take care of you fast, then go after your princess! thought Patchouli.

Eirin took to the air, Patchouli quickly following. Meanwhile, Alice had just finished using one of her sword wielding dolls to cleave a knight shikigami in two. She looked up and saw Patchouli and Eirin preparing to battle each other.

"Hey!" she shouted before following them.

***

"Agh!"

Wriggle recovered in mid-air, fresh off of a blow to her torso via Kaguya. Landing less than gracefully, the nightbug had her left hand to her stomach, and her right hand to the ground as she stopped her sliding whilst in a kneeling position. Marisa and Reimu were busy with the Inabas at the moment, while Patchouli and Alice battled with Eirin, meaning Wriggle was fighting the princess on her own at the moment. Not a good situation, especially if the battle from the previous night was any indication...

Wriggle stood up, ignoring her pain as she charged more green energy into her left hand...

"What a brave little youkai you are..." commented Kaguya with a calm smile as she landed.

"Little...?!" grumbled Wriggle with an undignified expression as she looked up, glaring at Kaguya.

"Little not just in stature, but also in intelligence. Not only have you fallen into an inescapable trap, but you've also been force to fight with me all by your lonesome. Honestly, how is it you expect to win?"

"I don't need to 'win' this fight necessarily, just free Mystia and escape from you is all." replied Wriggle.

The insect youkai looked down briefly before looking back up at the princess with a sly smile, even while green blood trickled down her mouth.

"Besides, I could never take a princess as ugly and feeble as yourself all that seriously anyway!"

Kaguya snarled a bit before smiling again.

"You truly are determined to rebel against me at every turn, aren't you...?"

Kaguya then pulled back her right hand, charging a rather familiar looking attack... Wriggle looked at it in alarm, intensifying her own attack as well.

"Such foolishness will be the end of you! Nothing that I have desired has ever eluded me, and you will not be the first!" exclaimed Kaguya before firing her blast. "Now give yourself up to me quietly!"

Wriggle's smile vanished, replaced by a look of 'oh crap...!' as she gritted her teeth, squinting her eyes but somehow not fully flinching at the brightly lit blast heading straight toward her! With sweat pouring down her face, Wriggle held out her right arm, unleashing her own powerful blast! The two attacks connected, clashing against each other. But even so, Kaguya's slowly overwhelmed Wriggle's blast and inched toward the firefly youkai girl!

"Gh...!"

Straining, Wriggle supported her right arm with her left, desperate to win this stand off. However...

"Something such as this will go nowhere... I intended for this to end quickly!" exclaimed Kaguya, still maintaining that unnerving smile.

The princess pulled her hand away, much to Wriggle's surprise. But even more surprising was the sudden explosion! With a loud boom and a white flash, Wriggle was sent flying backwards, sliding on her back across the ground!

"Ohh... Bad day..." mumbled Wriggle, looking upward just in time... "Wah...!"

The nightbug rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by a large metal club attached to the end of a long bronze chain! Kaguya moved and twirled as if dancing was she swung the magical chains from her sleeves at Wriggle. The nightbug was forced to jump, then duck, roll to the side in order to avoid the attacks! Finally, Kaguya threw up her arms, forcing both chains into the air!

"What is she...?!" asked Wriggle to herself as she stood by.

Widening her grin, Kaguya then threw her arms down simultaneously, sending both chains to the ground with a loud crash! Wriggle jumped backwards and instinctively taking to the air immediately afterward to avoid being crushed... Her instincts had served her well, for right after that attack came a white flash from where the chains landed! Suddenly, some twelve white, wispy bullets came flying out from the flash homing in on Wriggle, aiming to all strike her at once!

Surprised but quick to react, Wriggle turned upside down and  dropped downward, narrowly avoiding the white bullets that bounced off each other upon ramming each other. Turning herself right side up, Wriggle looked toward the pursuing projectiles, sending a volley of similar, green colored blasts from her right hand at them! Two of the blasts hit the mark while the rest continued moving in on Wriggle. Wriggle maneuvered quickly, yet carefully, letting one white bullets pass before shooting it down, spinning around to take out two more immediately afterward!

The remaining seven came at Wriggle from the front... The nightbug pulled out a mysterious, orb shaped object and put it in front of herself before moving away... Oddly, the blue object stayed in the air, not succumbing to the Earth's gravity. Suddenly, another loud explosion along with a white flash! The apparent bomb detonated upon the blasts coming too close to it.

Wriggle returned to the ground with her eyes closed... ...and almost immediately had to crouch to the left in order to avoid yet another chain swing! But this time she was ready. Remembering a lesson learned from the previous night's battle, she had intentionally landed close to the shocked looking Kaguya! She opened her eyes and yelled out as she sent a large green blast form her left hand right into the princess' torso! The blast exploded on the screaming Kaguya's chest as she was thrown backwards, her chains vanishing.

"From that far distance, I was at a severe disadvantage. It is an effective attack when the opponent is far. However, the user becomes almost helpless when the opponent comes within range of melee attacks! I hope you did not think I had failed to learn my lesson from the previous night's battle... ...your highness!" said Wriggle sternly, adding sarcasm to 'your highness'.

Kaguya rather quickly stood up, smiling in delight as magic mended her burnt clothes.

"Unexpected! I honestly found that almost impressive... Let us see what else you have learned!"

Upon saying that, Kaguya held out her right arm and unleashed a rather large white ball of pulsating energy right at Wriggle! Wriggle, having not enough time to dodge, responded by holding up both of her hands, energizing them right before the ball could contact them. The ball was stopped in mid-flight by Wriggle, but the insect girl strained visibly to ward off the intense blast!

"Even with your increased knowledge, the differences between our powers are like that of night and day!" boasted Kaguya with a giggle.

Just then, Wriggle put on a small smile, much to Kaguya's confusion as she dropped her own. By now, the ball of death had just about overwhelmed Wriggle... And that was when Wriggle let out a somewhat loud grunt as she used her right hand to toss the ball to the left! The blast exploded some distance away. Naturally, Kaguya looked a tad undignified...

Wriggle was by now quite grateful that Marisa and Patchouli had both shown her a few tricks shortly before they left the energy collection tower. Now looking a tad annoyed, Kaguya once again stretched out her right arm, unleashing the same attack as before. This time Wriggle was ready, dodging with ease.

"The same trick will not work twi-"

Wriggle was cut off as Kaguya spoke, suddenly wearing a twisted smile.

"Let's add a new twist then!"

Kaguya suddenly swung her left arm, unleashing some ten white bullets, smaller and faster moving than the previous attack! They moved in an unpredictable sine-like pattern.

"Whoa!" yelped Wriggle with a shocked expression as she saw the incoming bullets.

Wriggle saw no other choice but to charge into the bullet pattern, maneuvering her lithe frame past the bullets, albeit coming somewhat close to them. Kaguya began flying backwards, swinging her right arm to create a second wave of bullets. She aimed them directly at the gaps that Wriggle relied on in order to get passed the bullets, requiring Wriggle to twist around them with hard maneuvers! The nightbug grazed many bullets as she caught up with Kaguya.

Kaguya ceased her attack, leaping backwards as she began firing a series of more straightforward shots at Wriggle in rapid succession. Wriggle fired back in a similar manner while zipping around as many shots as she could. The two girls ran on foot towards the right (left for Kaguya) as they exchanged shots, many of which slammed into each other, causing small, white explosions! Both combatants frequently took glancing blows despite actively trying to dodge and intercept one another's attacks. However, this was of course better than taking a direct hit...

Not even a minute of this went by until Wriggle had decided that she had enough... She pulled out a spell card, holding it in her first two right fingers...

"Firefly Sign! Comet on Earth!"

The spellcard disappeared, as did the sight of Wriggle's body as she found herself surrounded by green energy. Kaguya halted her retreat just as the energy field covering Wriggle exploded into a mass of large blue energy orbs, supplimented by smaller green ones. Kaguya merely smiled.

"Something like this will be easy!"

Kaguya dodged the blue orbs with ease. The green orbs fired in single file lines that went in several different directions in a slow spiraling pattern, leaving enormous gaps that Kaguya could exploit to get to Wriggle with ease. The still smiling princess confidently moved toward her target, energizing her right hand with energy as she brought it in front of herself. However...

She's close enough? Scatter!"

Just then, the green orbs momentarily vanished then reappeared in front of Kaguya at nearly point blank range as a wall of death! Now a blue color, the orbs slammed into the visibly surprised princess! With a yelp, Kaguya was forced back, but she still managed to draw a spellcard in her left hand...

Soon there was an explosion of blue fire as the orbs slammed Kguya into the ground! Wriggle's spell ended, the energy disappearing. Wriggle herself looked at the large, yet quickly withering cloud of dust and smoke her attack had unwittingly created. She squinted her eyes for any sign of movement...

"No way... Did that attack...?"

Wriggle got her answer... She was startled to see Kaguya suddenly shoot out of the dust like a bat out of Hell, holding a bundle of charged, rainbow colored energy dead in Wriggle's face! Wriggle stood in absolute terror... When did Kaguya get so fast?!

"How do you like my emergency spell, insect? Hourai's Angelic Wing grants me augmented speed, along with this lovely laser here you see here."

Damn! I cannot block or dodge it from such a distance...! thought Wriggle, sweat pouring down her face.

"GAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #48 on: April 29, 2009, 09:08:20 AM »
Kaguya laughed without a hint of sanity as she unleashed her blast! There was a white flash and a brilliant rainbow explosion following the attack! Kaguya merely floated in place, waiting for the dust to clear... But when it did, all found was a small crater, no trace of her quarry... A confused expression marked her face.

W-what...? This is impossible! That blast was only strong enough to incapacitate her, rather than destroy her! And she certainly wasn't fast enough to dodge-

"Hee, you call that a laser? That was rather pathetic, ze!" said a familiar (and cute) voice from behind the princess.

Kaguya briefly held an expression of shock before her face darkened with contempt.

"You." she stated simply.

"Me." replied the annoyingly familiar voice.

Kaguya turned around to find Marisa... ...along with Wriggle, unscathed from the previous attack (but obviously, looking quite flustered).

"Of course... Only you could possibly be fast enough to pull a nick-of-time stunt such as that. I remember that speed of yours well, little black kitten." said Kaguya calmly with a look of contempt, not smiling at the moment.

There before Kaguya stood Marisa, standing next to a bewildered Wriggle, unscathed from the previous attack. The witch wore her usual confident smirk as she faced down Kaguya, broomstick held at her side. Wriggle held a hand below her neck, panting a bit from shock.

"It would seem my beloved Inabas weren't quite enough to deter you. I guess that the time for playing games is long passed, am I correct?" asked the princess rhetorically.

"Whoa, here it comes...! All aboard!" called Marisa as she snatched Wriggle, putting the youkai on her broom with her.

"Wah...!" Yelped the nightbug.

Strangely, Marisa flew away from Kaguya in full retreat... Odd... Or at least thats how it would seem until you realized that Marisa knew what was coming next... She looked back at Wriggle and blinked.

"Next up is a spellcard attack. Ya better hang on for dear life, ze!" warned Marisa to Wriggle in a happy manner.

Predictably, Kaguya pursued her two targets while brandishing a spellcard.

"Divine Treasure! Brilliant Dragon Bullet!"

Kaguya's being became surrounded by a rainbow colored aura as her spellcard vanished. The princess made no special gestures as hordes of arrow-headed lasers began pouring out from her position! Some flew straight down at Wriggle and Marisa, while others made limited attempts to home in on them. Marisa maneuvered around the attacks, waiting for the spellcard to expire.

"What power...!" said Wriggle even as she was pelted with dust from the many explosions going off around her.

"That's Kaguya for ya! Geez, she even improved it! I honestly didn't expect that from someone like her..." said Marisa, still with that wide smile, hanging on to her hat as she sped away from Kaguya's assault.

"She can be crafty, as we both have found out. Oh, and thanks for that save back there Marisa. I thought that would be the end of my battle." said Wriggle, talking loudly to ensure she was heard over the explosions.

"Ey, thank me later!" said Marisa, still holding her smile. "Lets give her royal pain the ass a good pounding first!"

"It would be my pleasure to do just that, however she is rather powerful compared to us... We must attack together if we are to best her!"

"Don't gotta tell me twice! In fact, I just happen to have a plan!" claimed the witch with confidence.

Marisa veered while adjusting altitude non-stop as she continued avoiding the assault. Wriggle of course held on for dear life. Neither girl knew they'd be able to get a shot off like this...

Wait, since when does Marisa formulate plans?! thought Wriggle in honest surprise, hiding her shock.

"Tis a very quick and easy plan, you see... It goes like this..."

***

"How vexing... For them to last this long is most impressive." commented Kaguya to herself. "But my aim is true."

In the minute and a half Kaguya's spell had been active, the princess had been purposely guiding her shots into a manner where they would hit the ground around Marisa and Wriggle in every possible direction. Even with Marisa's swift evasions, the shots slowly closed in on the two heroines, leaving them with fewer, and fewer places to go. Kaguya noticed that it was getting harder and harder for the two to evade with every passing second. The only thing irked Kaguya was that she thought they would be hit by now. She had clearly underestimated Marisa's dodging ability.

She was not at all worried however, smiling in fact. She continued her assault until Marisa and Wriggle were blown to the left from the shock wave of a blast that had come incredibly close to hitting them. Mere seconds after this, one of the beams appeared to finally hit directly... The black, white and green streak that had been racing just above the ground dodging Kaguya's deadly rays had suddenly vanished!

"Ufufufufufu..."

Upon disengaging her spellcard, the princess descended down to the cloud of smoke that covered the hole that she expected her targets to be lying unconscious in... She walked forward toward it upon landing on the ground.

"I guess she was all talk, just like last time. Too bad." cooed the princess in a playful tone. Now there isn't anything stopping me! If I hurry, I can complete the ritual without any further interuption. Its only a matter of time before...

At that moment, Marisa -unhurt and flying on her broom- suddenly shot out of the smoke like a bat out of Hell, speeding toward a very much surprised Kaguya! The broom was glowing a blue color as stars shot out of it from behind...

"What the...?!" gasped Kaguya, now in a cold sweat.

"How does a taste of your own medicine sound? Comet...!" shouted Marisa with a rather evil smile.

"Ahh...!"

Kaguya tried to fly off, but it was too late...

"...BLAZING STAR!"

Before Kaguya knew it, the tip of Marisa's broom was crashing hard into her stomach like a hammer smashing an egg! The princess was sent speeding backwards, even after the broom unenergized and lost its glow after several moments.

Pretending to be hit in order to cover for an attack...! thought the pained princess.

As the princess tried to recover and regain her breath, Marisa was behind the broom, hanging on via magic thread! Using the broom's momentum, she flew forward at Kaguya, Hakkero in hand!

"Ya let your guard down because the nightbug and I don't seem very strong, didn't you...? Thats a mistake you're now gonna have to pay for dearly, Kaguya!"

As the broom fell, Marisa rose at Kaguya, striking her dead in the stomach with the Hakkero! The impact created a small explosion of rainbow colored energy as Kaguya shrieked loudly from the pain! After that, Marisa used her weapon a bludgeoning device as she nailed Kaguya in the head, sending her darting toward the ground! With both girls at gravity's mercy, Kaguya was forced to use her power to soften her landing... ...however, it as still a pretty hard landing, complete with a loud thud with dust flying everywhere. Marisa landed far more gracefully, firing a high-recoil laser blast upon getting within a certain distance of the ground to lower her speed, allowing her to land safely, and gracefully. The witches' broom returned to her upon a simple snap of her fingers.

Marisa merely smiled, holding her broom over her shoulder with her right hand. Kaguya coughed loudly as she slowly tried to sit up... She glared at Marisa with GREAT anger.

"B... Blast you...! Accursed witch, how dare you trick me!" growled Kaguya.

"Whaaaatever. Its really your own fault for underestimating us, princess. Did ya honestly think we could be hit by an attack such as that?" replied Marisa.

Now very clearly angry, Kaguya rather quickly stood up. Marisa was rather startled by this, but she hid it. Well, mostly...

Yeesh! I forgot how hardy these immortals can be!

"You insolent little animal, I shall now give you something that you had coming to you for a VERY long time!" announced the princess.

"Naaah." replied Marisa, not appearing worried.

Taking no time to wonder why the witch just stood there, Kaguya walked up to her stationary target only to stop a few moments later... Her sense warned her to look behind herself... She did so just in time...

...for Wriggle was dropping in on her from above and behind, aiming a hard, magically enhanced punch right at the princess' head! Gasping, Kaguya jumped away just in time for the surprise attack to miss its mark! Wriggle's fist went straight through the ground instead.

"Blast!" said Wriggle to herself, upset at the missed attack.

Wriggle next clenched her fists and held her arms outward and upward her sides for a brief moment before turning to Kaguya and swinging her arms down in front of herself, unleashing two large, semi-crescent shaped energy blasts! Kaguya held up her right hand, forming a red card... It formed a small energy shield that stopped both blasts... ...barely. Thats when Marisa pounced from behind, attempting to nail Kaguya with a pointblank energy shot! This time Kaguya was ready, immediately turning her shield toward the attack to block as she zipped out of the way, and kicked Marisa!

"Gah!"

The witch was unable to defend, getting knocked down to the ground. Wriggle moves in next, only to have her torso meet with one of Kaguya's arm chains. The nightbug slid backwards in a kneeling position, her left hand on her stomach, and right on the ground.

"Hnnn... You would do well to not get cocky from merely landing a few blows on me... That goes for both of you!"

Wriggle caught her breath as she stood up...

"You were the cocky one not too long ago, your highness." pointed out Wriggle as she glared at her enemy.

Kaguya returned the glare as she stood  up. From a certain point of view, it would almost appear as if Kaguya was about to explode with rage as the irony of Wriggle's words hit her like a tidal wave. For a few moments if looked as if this was indeed becoming the case. However, perhaps to one's shock -certainly to the shock of Wriggle, and even the mild surprise of Marisa- Kaguya calmed right down. Despite panting and her face being covered in sweat, Kaguya's patience and self-control returned... ...as did that ever sinister smile. Rather than rage, Kaguya felt amused by the irony...

"Fufufufu... You are correct. I did underestimate the two of you. It was foolish of me to think you'd be hit in such a manner. That strategy wasn't too bad for something surely conceived in mere moments. However, just it'll take more than I have been giving up until now to best me, little tricks such as that will fail to defeat me in turn." said Kaguya calmly, even confidently.

"Heh... Then I guess we'll just keep poundin' ya until you are defeated!" said Marisa happily, now standing once again.

"So we fight until we can no longer so much as move a finger...? If that is what I must do to take you down and save Mystia..." resolved Wriggle.

"Hmm..." purred Kaguya as she created a dark purple aura of energy around herself. "Kindly show me your resolve, both of you!"

With Marisa in front, and Wriggle behind, Kaguya took a fighting stance, as did her opponents...

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #49 on: April 29, 2009, 09:09:17 AM »
***

Elsewhere farther away from the Seal of Koro, a large white flash -the spawn of another battle- could be seen. Right afterward, arrows and giant hail stones slammed into each other at incredible speeds by the thousands! Eirin and Patchouli flew low to the ground, circling, dodging and sidestepping as they fought their frantic battle.

Soon Eirin was flying backwards, speeding away from a charging Patchouli -who perhaps strangely- gained fast. After getting within a few meters of her target, the purple librarian snapped open her spell book, letting out a paper thin wall of energy that resembled the pages of her book! Eirin back flipped as she avoided the attack, firing three arrows from her bow upon landing. Each arrow split into six, forcing the still charging Patchouli to weave through them. The nurse stepped off to the side as Patchouli fought back with a number of metal cutting disks, throwing them at the evading nurse. Eirin got some distance, then stood her ground.

"Ufufufufu..." chuckled Eirin with a very slight smile. "I'll make this quick..."

Patchouli did not say anything, merely glaring at Eirin. Just as the two were about to attack each other again, they both sensed something...

"Hey you!"

Eirin sensed an incoming attack from both, her left directly behind. She leaped to right in time to avoid a rain of dolls that exploded on contact with the ground! Eirin and Patchouli both shielded their eyes from the explosion's flash.

"Silly nurse, I was hoping you hadn't forgotten about me!" called out Alice as she landed in front of Eirin, her free hand on her hip."

"It seems I have to deal with both of you... Very well." replies Eirin, before flying straight into the air and taking out a spellcard.

"Spacesphere! Earth in a Pot!"

A red aura surrounded Eirin mere seconds before her eyes briefly flashed red before returning to normal, and a sphere of destructive dark red energy surrounded her. Her spellcard briefly glowed red before vanishing.

"Bah, a simple barrier is nothing more than child's play!" said Alice with a confident smile as she put her grimoire in her left hand, and stretched out her right arm.

Some fifteen dolls appeared in front of the puppeteer, each holding a bow and arrow. They all unleashed many yellow, arrow shaped bullets at Eirin at once, aiming to shatter her apparent forcefield and take the nurse down a notch! Eirin merely smiled as said bullets were absorbed by the field without appearing to take any damage. Patchouli looked at the energy sphere in in a suspicious manner before perking up as if realizing something, reaching her right arm toward Alice and firing a powerful blast of wind... Alice was blown out of the way just in time as Eirin charged forward inside her energy sphere, completely disintegrating the ground Alice had been standing on mere moments before! Alice sat up on the ground, shocked.

"She can move while holding that energy sphere...? Is that even possible?!" she asked to no one in particular.

Meanwhile, Eirin had turned her attention to Patchouli, who was using more wind power to speed her retreat away from the powerful nurse.

"What manner of forcefield...?!"

During her retreat, Patchouli used a spell to erect a great many spires of ice from the ground to crash into Eirin. But the nurse merely shrugged off the blows, not even slowing down as the attacks were annihilated!

"Things such as these are mere trivialities for my excellent Spacesphere. If you don't so mind, I'd like to show you what other unique tricks this card of mine is capable of." chuckled Eirin.

By now Alice had stood up and was on her guard against any further attacks from Eirin. Meanwhile, Patchouli was still backing away from the advancing Eirin, throwing all manner of attacks at her while dodging and darting away, doing all she could to avoid being hit by the deadly sphere. Alice flew toward Eirin while preparing a spellcard...

"White Sign! Chalk-White Russian Dolls!"

Alice's card briefly flashed white before vanishing. Following immediately, numerous dolls began appearing on either side of Eirin, letting out swarms of blue and white bullets! Unfortunately, the result was no different than before... The bullets were merely blocked without effort by Eirin's Spacesphere. Eirin herself ceased her pursuit of Patchouli.

"So simple... Will not either of you learn? Juvenile techniques such as these have no chance against a refined combat style such as my own." said Eirin with her eyes closed. "Even together you stand no cha-"

"Can it already!" interupted Alice, visibly irritated by Eirin's remarks as she cringed. "No one wants to hear mindless and unfounded bragging! Curse! Hourai Doll!"

Alice reached forward with her right hand while gaining altitude.

"That fool, what does she...?" asked Patchouli to herself, thinking out loud as she looked up at her fellow youkai.

A doll wielding an orange glowing spellcard appeared directly in front of Alice's outstretched hand... And a moment afterward, a large orange and purple ray of light shot out from where the doll was, straight at Eirin! The nurse looked up at the incoming attack, a mix of intrigue and mild shock on her face as she raised an eyebrow. Her confidence in her own spellcard however was too great to warrant any active dodging, and she chose to take the attack head on instead.

Patchouli watched, shielding her squinting eyes with her left arm, shocked to see Eirin and her bubble both being forced down by the attack as opposed to merely shrugged off! Eirin appeared to be straining somewhat as she pushed against the beam, ultimately being forced further toward the ground!

"I... ...see! So you choose an attack meant... ...to pierce as opposed to outright destroying... Clever...!" called out Eirin.

It was not long before the Spacesphere encased Eirin hit the ground, setting off a violent shock wave that forced Patchouli to back away to avoid being thrown by the sheer forces along with all the dust and dirt being kicked up! Alice yelled out as she continued her assault, not letting up for a second, even as Eirin disappeared into the ground! It was not long until the ground itself began to crack and away and break at the sheer force from the clash of magics.

"YAAAAAH!" let out Alice.

With that, the beam expanded in size! A large bundle of energy built up around where Eirin was for some thirty seconds right before a bright explosion! Patchouli and Alice both shielded their eyes from the bright flash. When the blast cleared, they could see a rather large cloud of smoke and dust at and around where Eirin was supposed to be. There was no sign of the nurse... With her spellcard expired, Alice wondered if she had won. Patchouli silently hoped that did the trick...

Even after a full minute, nothing happened. The two youkai girls could not see the Lunarian nurse anywhere. Alice was beginning to wonder if they had won... Patchouli however didn't drop her guard for a second. She was right to do so. If only Alice had followed suit...

The doll maker remained in place, allowing a small nervous smile to creep upon her face.

"Ah... Ha... Ha ha ha ha...! Was it all merely a front, boastful nurse? How silly, talking in such a confident manner without even being able to remain true to your words!" yelled the laughing Alice down to the large hole her attack made. "Ha ha ha!"

"You fool, we don't know if she's truly beaten yet!" warned Patchouli, only barely overcoming her ever fatigued voice.

And as if on cue, Eirin -still encased inside her deadly Spacesphere- came flying out of the ground like a bullet directly behind the shocked Alice!

"YAA?!" squealed Alice as she turned around, holding out her right arm once again.

"One seeming moment of apparent hope, and you immediately think that constitutes a decisive advantage over me? Most foolish you are." said Eirin calmly with a smile as she barreled toward Alice.

The only thing the doll maker could do was summon a number of large-shield wielding dolls in front of herself, Eirin slamming right into them! As this happened, all the small shields formed a single, large-sized shield! A bright clash of energies was created as the two magics clashed!

What is this?! I've never seen a spellcard that could be sustained for this long! Its been over a minute, has it not?! thought Patchouli to herself.

"Ahh...!"

Alice was now quite sweaty, straining visibly to fight off Eirin's attack... ...and still losing.

"Such a child, you clearly have much to learn. Did you really think my Spacesphere was incapable of surviving such an attack, clever as it was? It would've been better for you to acknowledge your inferiority to the princess and I and surrendered quietly. Whatever pain and suffering you must now endure because of this fool hardy attitude of yours is of your own bringing" said Eirin, as her attack began to crack Alice's shield. "Alas, it maybe the only way to get one as yourself to understand the difference between us. I guess this is really all I can expect of your lot. Even with a partner you cannot best me."

Alice's shield quickly gave way, allowing Eirin to slam her Spacesphere into her. Alice cringed hard as dark red energy racked her body! She was sent plummeting to the ground like the bullet of a gun, screaming all the while! She hit the ground with a thud, rolling a yard or two, and appearing to have been knocked unconscious. Her loyal Shanghai doll flew down to her, attempting to shake its mistress awake with a panicked look on its face as Alice moaned nearly inaudibly.

Patchouli stepped back while taking out two spellcards... Naturally, Eirin now focused all her attention on the librarian. The nurse began moving quickly toward Patchouli...

Bah... Its hypocritical and embarrassing to use this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Furthermore, I don't think I have any say in the matter... It seems you've rubbed off on me a bit Marisa... thought Patchouli to herself, smiling nervously for a brief moment.

Eirin stopped some distance away from Patchouli. She crossed her arms, completely confident of her victory.

"All there is left to do now is to dispose of you, Patchouli-san. Witness the further abilities of this Spacesphere."

Eirn's sphere suddenly vanished! Patchouli blinked in surprise just as Eirin crouched down, folding her arms one over another before suddenly spreading them out! Patchouli sensed the incoming attack right at the last moment, summoning winds to blow her to the side just as seven large, dark red crescent shaped cutting blades became visible just as they were about to hit! The librarian lost a small bit of hair to the close call, nearly getting thrown away by the subsequent explosion! Patchouli immediately moved in for a counter attack.

?Magic Blade! Extend, Power of Mighty Blade!?

Patchouli's right arm became a large, green, single sided energy blade as she dashed at the seemingly vulnerable Eirin! Eirin stood calmly, holding out her bow.

"Extend, Blade of The Bow! Shining Death Blade!" shouted the nurse.

A crescent shaped energy blade of silver materialized on the bow's upward facing tip! The two girls rushed at each other, clashing their blades with a force so great, that the magical energy split the ground beneath them! They bounced away from each other, Patchouli dissipating her blade as she took out a spellcard, the same one from earlier. Eirin reformed her Spacesphere.

So its still up afterall... I dared not put anything passed this spell. I guess its time... thought Patchouli. "Handle this! Ritualic Space! Orreries Solar System!"

Patchouli's spellcard vanished, just as a rainbow colored aura surrounded her. Eirin briefly raised an eyebrow before smiling, intrigued.

"Well now, what sort of technique do you have in mind now?" asked Eirin softly. "Its sure to be sub-standard, that much I expect."

"Such a snooty mouth..." uttered Patchouli as angelic wings sprouted from her back. "Perhaps, I'll be the one to put you in your place?"

The aura disappeared as Patchouli was surrounded by six spheres that materialized around her! One blue, one green, one yellow, one purple, one orange, and one red. They all appeared to be of a solid, glassy substance. Eirin's sphere vanished once more as she prepared to attack. The nurse held up her bow, firing arrows that instantly transformed into bullets made from the Spacesphere's energy upon being fired. Patchouli held up her right arm, her spheres moving away from her, going to the front while remaining in a circular formation. They span around, as they deflected Eirin's shots! Eirin looked visibly startled by the repulsion. Patchouli let a small smile creep onto her face.

"This is my answer to that little sphere of yours. Twas not difficult to figure out that it is, in fact, an amalgamation of subspace energy. That is how it is able to take so much punishment without any real damage. The only answer to something as that is something that is similar, if not the same." explained Patchouli.

"So those spheres are like my own..." chuckled Eirin. "Then this battle will be between those who have mastered subspace attack magics: us."

Eirin reformed her sphere and charged right at Patchouli. The librarian brought all her spheres together in a tight circular pattern to block Eirin before pushing her back. Patchouli then had the blue sphere smash into Eirin's sphere, sending her back further. Eirin however remained calm...

"Hm... I'll make this a spectacular show..." she said, sounding... ...amused.

Eirin spread her arms out, the sphere expanding and turning blue! Patchouli twitched.

"Going all out already...? Then again, our duel is far from over... Very well, I shall oblige you!" responded Patchouli.

Patchouli pointed her right arm forward at Eirin. The colored spheres began glowing a bright white color as they began moving as if orbiting an invisible point! This spinning caused the spheres to appear like that of a large shining white ring! They zoomed over to the still charging Eirin, slamming into her expanding Spacesphere! The two energies clashed as if a huge lightening rod on the ground, magical energies of a great many different colors shooting up into the sky like inverted lightening bolts!

Both combatants strained visibly from the difficulty of maintaining their powerful spells, sweat rolling down their faces and clothes blowing about (though their head wear managed to stay on). Eirin gritted her teeth, closing one eye as her sphere began to crack... Resisting, she let out a brief yell, her sphere suddenly expanding greatly! Patchouli staggered backwards, dropping her book to keep her right arm up and steady using her left hand! She fell to one knee as she resisted Eirin's resolve. It was becoming hard to breath... Although Eirin's sphere was giving way, it became clear that Patchouli would be outlasted if things continued in this manner. Her own spheres were horribly cracked, pieces falling from them...

Blast... This will take a good bit out of me, but I haven't any real choice!

Patchouli had her left hand take the place of her right as she reached down to pull out a spellcard, Eirin unable to see what was happening.

"All elements... Become... ...one..." muttered Patchouli, pushing herself passed her limits. "Come together... ...aid my battle..."

The spellcard glowed a rainbow color as Patchouli held it in front of herself.

"Become unified as you best the enemy before you! Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth Sign! Philosopher's Stone!"

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #50 on: April 29, 2009, 09:10:09 AM »
A large magical circle appeared on the ground in front of Patchouli as her spellcard vanished!

Ha! Using two spellcards at once? With a fragile body such as that, she might as well be contemplating suicide! laughed Eirin in her head, half shocked, half amused.

Surely Patchouli had to know the danger of exerting so much effort in a body such as hers... But she went through with it anyway. The large purple pentagram-like circle that appeared before Patchouli had four purple circles in it with a different color filled in for each. One blue, one green, one yellow, and one light purple. Four crystals arose from the colored-in circles, corresponding to the color of the circle from which they emerged, rising to a certain height above the ground before the large magical circle from whence they came vanished.

The incredible power display caused by the the clash of the  Orreries Solar System and Spacesphere spells was suddenly interrupted as the damaged Solar System spheres disengaged Eirin, flying back some distance before falling away and losing all color! Meanwhile, Eirin's sphere of power continued to grow, now uninhibited by Patchouli's attack!

"Ah, is that all you had for that spell? Those stones seem to be your final line of defense now, Miss Librarian. Those stones will do little to protect you." stated Eirin. "Now for the fini-"

"Not quite... Your overconfidence and mindless ego will yet be your downfall, insolent nurse." interrupted Patchouli with a weak smile.

Patchouli continued holding up her right arm, holding the Philosopher's Stone spell. Eirin was puzzled as to why Patchouli would say such a thing, even in this dire situation... And thats when it happened... The nurse was shocked to hear a voice coming from directly above her!

"Puppeteer Sign! Maiden's Bunraku!"

("Bunraku" is the name for traditional Japanese puppet theater. "Maiden's Bunraku" is a style of performance where a Bunraku puppet, normally controlled by up to three people, is controlled by only one girl.)

Eirin looked up to find none other than Alice directly above her, bearing a red aura along with a number of red dressed dolls, all with their own red auras as well! Alice held out her right arm, as the dolls held out theirs. Eirin was more than startled by this sight, evidenced by the cold sweat that broke out on her face.

The rainbow colored puppeteer...?! This isn't possible...! Why didn't I sense her?! thought Eirin to herself. "How can you still move?! You took the full brunt of my Spacesphere's power... Youkai or not, you should have been unconscious far longer than that!"

"If you thought I would taken down that quickly and easily then you are sorely mistaken! Again you have underestimated my ability! Now you shall pay for it in the form of this powerful danmaku!" stated Alice, a displeased look on her face. "Now dolls... FIRE!"

Alice and her dolls shot out numerous large red beams and energy balls at Eirin! They hit both, the sphere and the areas around it!

"You waste your energy, fool! The result will always be the same as-"

Eirin failed to finish her sentence as something caught her eye... She looked back to Patchouli, shocked to find the Solar System spheres regaining their color while returning to the air, glowing white as they did so!

"N-no...! That spell was over...!" half shouted Eirin, a look of genuine fear marking her face for the first time in the battle.

"Far from, wench!" replied Patchouli, her smile gone. "You fell right into our trap! That subspace sphere of yours dulls your already poor ability to sense others around you. Typical, only someone with your arrogance would exacerbate their own weakness! Tell me, are all Lunarians so poor in that sense?"

"But there wasn't anyway for you to set up this trap! You had no chance to speak with the other girl directly!" half shouted Eirin.

"Wrong again! Alice and I are youkai. Youkai can sense each others plights and pain, not through direct communication, but through action alone! Alice was able to sense what I wanted her to do merely from me fighting against you! You nurse... ...have failed." explains Patchouli.

"What an absurdity! I've heard nothing of this before!"

"You live amongst numerous youkai, and yet you never once saw it...? This is really pathetic... At the very least you now know that you know less than you thought. Next time you see one of your rabbits fight, count how long it takes until her nearest allies arrive. There is but one thing left to do now..."

"You will not...!" called out Eirin before stopping herself. No...! The sphere is taking damage from non-subspace attacks?!

The Solar System spheres began spinning, creating a large white ring once again. The crystals from the Philosopher's Stone spell began spinning as well, also creating their own tube-like ring of sorts!

They intend to break my barrier with a single swift blow! I don't know if I can guard against this...! thought Eirin to herself in panic.

"Now feel this combined power! You who would blindly risk Gensokyo for the dark dreams of your insane princess!" yelled Patchouli.

With that, the two large disks of white energy slammed into each other, creating a single, large pearl white ring of concentrated, pulsating energy, spinning in a manner that made it look like a galaxy as a sparkles fell from it!

"Take this!"

Eirin held her mouth open wide, retina's dot sized, and sweat pouring down her face as the large ring of death sped toward her. Knowing she would have little chance of dodging the attack, even if she could safely bypass Alice's continuing barrage. Instead, she put all her effort into maintaining her Spacesphere, the best hope she had at warding off the attack.

The powerful white ring slammed into Eirin's barrier, causing another massive light show of spectacular power as the two spells clashed once more! Eirin grit her teeth as she braced herself and held her ground, resisting with as much effort as she could muster. This time, SHE was the one at a disadvantage as blocking the Solar System spheres, combined with the more conventional magical attacks proved most difficult. Her whole body felt the strain as it filled with pain and stiffened. Much to her credit however she continued standing firmly... ...but for how long?

"This... This cannot... ...be...! How... ...can... ...they...?!"

Despite all her effort, Eirin's sphere was giving way, cracking as it shifted from a dark red to dark blue color all over at random. Soon white light was all she could see as the attack finally overwhelmed her own. As her Spacesphere dissolved, Eirin could swear time slowing down for her (despite the lack of Sakuya's presence). She felt a powerful force lift her from the ground, sending her on a seemingly long journey backwards. During the flash, there was but one thing she could think about...

I won't let this be... Princess...!

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #51 on: April 29, 2009, 09:10:49 AM »
***

Patchouli and Alice shielded their eyes from the bright white explosion, looking toward the large cloud of dust afterwards. Not about to repeat of earlier in the battle, Patchouli waved her right hand, sending wind to blow away the dust. She ended up revealing Eirin, propped up against her bow, using it like a crutch. Whether she had recovered somehow, or had just finished staggering up was unclear. She had her left hand over mouth as she coughed a bit, her eyes teary as well with the left one being only barely open, looking squarely at Patchouli. Clearly she had been hit squarely with the dust. Her clothes were dirty and lightly tattered. Her deadly Spacesphere was finally gone.

Without a word, Patchouli began walking toward Eirin, inspite of her clear fatigue. Eirin herself merely looked at the approaching Patchouli as she used a very low level spell to clear her eyes. As the she approached, Patchouli opend her book, holding it in her left hand as she held her right palm over it. She stopped when...

"You were right Miss Librarian." said Eirin.

Patchouli raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed you were correct. I have underestimated you, your partner as well. I was arrogant and foolish to take you so lightly, thinking I could be rid of you so quickly. Now I've allowed this damage to be incurred to me, weakening my fighting ability considerably." said Eirin calmly.

"What a liar you are." replied Patchouli after a moments pause.

Eirin twitched.

"Your Spacesphere took the brunt of that attack. The damage you suffered as a result was moderate. Your fighting ability has weakened, but not what I'd call considerably."

Eirin then... ...smiled.

"Well... Regardless of who's right, it really matters not." said the nurse.

"Hm?"

"Do you not see...? As you have your resolve, I have mine."

Eirin stood up straight and began moving as if to take a firing stance with her bow. Alice, who was listening from above readied a spellcard...

"You see you two, long ago I made a terrible mistake... One which I atone for to this day by serving Kaguya-hime. I will not bother you with the details, but if you know nothing else, then know this..."

Patchouli waited.

"As long as I can fight, and as long as she she can be happy and as long as she has a dream... Then I will continue to fight for her sake, defending her with every breath!"

The determination in Eirin's voice was powerful, as was the passion in her eyes.

"Even if such a dream is twisted and selfish?" asked Patchouli indifferently.

"For her sake. For her happiness." reaffirmed Eirin.

Patchouli closed her eyes, seeming... ... ...put off.

"You are... You are nothing more than her dog, aren't you... This reminds me far too well of a certain other relationship. How... ...disgusting."

Eirin raised an eyebrow... Did she mean...?

"I see... If you insist on this foolish fighting then you'll have to have your stubborn mind unclouded forcefully! Alice!"

"Right!" responded Alice from above Eirin as she activated her spellcard. "Elegant Sign! Spring Kyoto Dolls! Make her pay for her blind loyalty!"

Blue dressed and elegant looking dolls began circling Alice as they materialized, letting out swarms of turquoise, lime-green and dull yellow colored, diamond shaped bullets at Eirin! The nurse tried to get away, but was startled to find her body too stiff! She gasped as she stumbled, the whole mess of bullets crashing down on Eirin like deadly rain! Patchouli stood in front of the barrage, waiting for the spell to end. Watching the barrage was like watching a well of deadly light.

A little over a minute passed when Alice's spell gave out. Patchouli and Alice merely waited for the dust to clear...

"Hmph! That should really teach her a lesson! It serves her right for making us go through all this trouble!" said Alice passionately.

Patchouli waited without words, soon seeing Eirin's face down body on the ground. The nurse no longer moved. Her clothes had been further tattered, along with having burn marks. But Patchouli grew suspicious... It should have looked far worse than that... Alice came back to the ground behind the nurse, smiling triumphantly over the downed Eirin. It would've seemed that the battle had been won by Alice and Patchouli.

That was exactly why both girls were horrified to see pull her left arm back as she attempted to stand up.

"Th-that isn't possible...!" cried Alice as she had her dolls fire arrow bullets at the recovering nurse.

Patchouli gritted her teeth as she pointed her book at Eirin, letting out a large fireball. Both attacks however were stopped just short of hitting, exploding as if hitting an invisible dome...! They could see a very faint, almost invisible barrier around Eirin...

"Impossible, that Spacesphere should have been completely annihilated!" hissed Patchouli with a nervous expression.

"She should be down for the count! Why is...?!"

Alice was interrupted by chuckling coming from the rising Eirin.

"Ufufufufufu... It would seem... ...my little last minute gamble... ...has paid off." began Eirin. "Well... ...to a limited extent at least..."

"What are you getting at?!" chides Patchouli.

"Twas a terribly risky thing to do... If that ring of death had not felled me, then my own maneuver would have. How fortunate... That was not to be." began Eirin as she stood up. "What I did was  no different than anyone else... ...when fighting a danmaku duel."

"This is preposterous! You can only take back magical energy needed to use spellcards, not the energy from the spellcards themselves!" insisted Patchouli.

"To do otherwise is potential suicide, even for an immortal like yourself!" added Alice.

"Which is why I said it was a gamble." repeated Eirin. "But the benefits outweighed -and in this case, overcame- the risks. So now, even though my spellcard is no more, I am still able to use a small portion of its power."

Alice and Patchouli prepared themselves for anything...

"And as for my stiffened body..."

Eirin winced as she bent her fingers inward. Patchouli and Alice both fired at her again in a desperation to stop her, but their attack once again failed. Eirin inaudibly mumbled something... Suddenly, she could hear ever muscle in her body loosen and stretch, suddenly regaining their prior mobility! It came at the cost of a short lived sharp pain, but she considered this nothing... She smiled as she prepared to continue her battle.

"This weak field has brought me all the time I needed. And now, I will return the previous favor to you both with its remaining power. With the strength I have retained, I will end this battle once and for all."

Leaving her bow on the ground, Eirin stood straight, crossing her arms in front of herself before suddenly spreading them outward to her sides. Her barrier suddenly exploded into hundreds, if not thousands of deadly red and white bullets upon her doing this! Patchouli and Alice put up forcefields and doll shields respectively, attempting to shield themselves from the sudden and fierce attack! The bullets slammed into the shields like machine gun rounds, pelting them like mad! It was not long until the shields broke, sending Alice and Patchouli both flying backwards whilst being pelted with Eirin's bullets.

"Gah!"

"Nyaah!"

Both slid on the ground a short distance upon landing. They tried to get up, but Eirin wasn't having it.

"There is still one last trick I can do with this spell..." said Eirin more to herself.

She held out her left arm out, pointing it at Patchouli. Before the librarian could do anything, she found herself inside of a weak Spacesphere, one around the size Eirin had before spell was broken!

"Wha? What is this...?!" thought Patchouli out loud, looking around her transparent prison.

Eirin merely smiled as she pulled her arm back whle picking up her bow with her right. Bullets began raining down on Patchouli from inside the sphere. Caught by surprise, all the librarian could do was to barely dodge the first few shots before shielding herself with a forcefield that she put every last ounce of effort into holding! Eirin immediately turned around just in time to catch the arm of a charging Alice, twisting around and throwing the doll user back the way she came! Alice recovered in mid-air, having three of her dolls fire bullets at Eirin, only to have them evaded with the dolls shot down by several arrows.

Taking to the sky, Eirin held up her left arm, forming a small energy orb above her open left hand before throwing it at Alice. The doll maker dodged the attack, sheilding her face from the dust, dirt and smoke the orb's explosion kicked up with her arms. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her torso as Eirin moved in, crashing her right foot into the puppeteer's stomach, sending her flying a very short distance before falling to the ground with a gasp! Ignoring the pain, Alice immediately stood back up, only to find Eirin walking toward her, three arrows in her bow.

Dammit! thought Alice.

"Well now... You've caused quite a bit of trouble for us... That should be ending very soon however. Are you ready for the second round?" asked Eirin with a smile.

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #52 on: April 29, 2009, 09:11:36 AM »
***

Elsewhere, closest to the seal...

"Ungh! I told you to stop doing that to me!" protested the tied up Mystia as she was forcefully dragged closer to the great seal via path down the cliff filled crater by Inabas. "I said stop that! Does it really seem as if there is any sort of need to treat me so roughly?!"

"If you wouldn't resist so much, we wouldn't have to handle you so rough." stated on of the Inabas. "Then theres your night blindness ability. It would be bad if you got away using that, so we're holding onto you to make sure that you don't escape even if you use it."

Two rabbits held onto Mystia, walking side by side with her, holding her arms. Well, perhaps something along the lines of 'manhandling' would be a better way to describe how the rabbit girls were handling her. They were rather pushy, pulled a lot, and were generally rough. In addition to those two, more Inabas walked with them from the front and the back.

"I'm doing nothing to escape! Just stop handling my person with such unnecessary vigor!" pointed out Mystia.

With her arms tied, and Inabas keeping a good eye one her, Mystia knew she would never escape on her own right now. Furthermore, Mystia's wing still needed just a bit more time to heal completely. The pain in it had all but vanished, but it still was hard to move, feeling rather stiff, stinging mildly when she tried to do so. She was no doubt being taken to the seal was... She could see a great light... ...a green one... ...just to her right. What an aura...

"Of course... The seal is down there, right?" she asked somewhat nervously, calming her tone from mere moments ago.

"Thats right! Mistress will be here to help you embrace your destiny soon, so wait quietly." said one of the rabbit girls.

"All she wishes to do is to make my life hell, can't you fools see that? Just who does this mistress of yours think she is? To manipulate others in such a foul manner?" protests Mystia.

"Aren't the words you're speaking any familiar to you?" asked an Inaba innocently.

"We know you use your night blindness abilities to draw humans to your grilled lamprey stand! Shouldn't this be just a small bit ironic for you?" said another.

"Perhaps... But when did I ever dictate their lives, and force them to do things they did not enjoy? People took pleasure from eating the lamprey I served, leaving for their homes in high spirits afterwards, but what of this? I made people and youkai alike happy at that stand I lured them to. That was hardly similar to the kidnapping and enslavement your mistress has subjected me to! I do not enjoy any of this at all!"

"Regardless, you are Mistress Kaguya's puppet now. You'll come to enjoy serving her." said an Inaba.

"As you all enjoy serving her...? You puppets?!" asked Mystia, emphasizing 'puppets.'

Some of the Inabas began talking quietly amongst themselves, but that wouldn't last long...

"Foolish bird, we are Kaguya's friends, not her puppets! She is very friendly to us, and cares for us! We'd gladly give our lives for her!"

"Even as she is now..." said Mystia in a low tone.

"What do you mean? We're merely carrying out her desires as we've done for several thousand years."

"That was not a question... Nevermind, just know that blind loyalty in place of true friendship can only lead to suffering." said Mystia, saying no more after that. Even I know that... These youkai rabbits... ...are all fools.

The Inabas just laughed, amused by the seemingly ridiculous notion that Kaguya was just using them. The nightbird did not really hear them due to being in her own thoughts, deciding they would pay in time... As Mystia thought that, the ancient seal finally came into full view. She was astonished. What size... It looked like a brightly glowing green gem with a large, magical above it, an almost as large yin-yang symbol inside the circle. In addition to all this, the seal looked as if thousands of fireflies were flying right out of it, along with hundreds of bird feathers orbiting it.

It was a beautiful sight... But something about this seal was quite heavy on Mysita... She felt a nearly overwhelming presence that beckoned her to stay away... She couldn't tell what she was feeling was. Was it originating from the seal...? Or somewhere else? She could not tell. She couldn't even tell if it was good or evil. Mystia felt both, fear and fatigue simultaneously, the feelings echoing on her now sweating face.

"It should not be long until you get used to it. What you feel is merely the power of the seal." explained an Inaba.

Mystia couldn't shake feelings that there was something more to it than that. For the need of a seal this powerful...

"S-s-so... ...is the monster... ...down there...? R-right i-in that hole?" asks Mystia, doing her best to shake off her nerves.

"That is indeed the seal of Koro." answered the same Inaba.

"Such a presence..."

Mystia stared down at it in a mix of fear and awe for several moments before the sounds of several faint explosions found there way into her ears. She and the rabbits looked upward and to the right. They could see a great deal of different colored explosions of magic, along with a large white column of light... To the left of  that one was a smaller, fainter green one... Mystia's widened in a mix of hope and uncertainty.

Can it be...? thought Mystia.

At first she wasn't sure of what to make of it, but after a few moments...

No, that light is unmistakable...! she thought to herself, heart pounding. "Wriggle...!"

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #53 on: April 29, 2009, 09:12:56 AM »
***

One by one, groups of mud clones, Armor Shikigami, and Inabas fell to the struggling shrinemaiden, all ending up with large holes in the centers of their bodies, all caused by a well placed ofuda card, each one charged with the spiritual energy harmful to all youkai. Reimu flew across the battlefield, sending large numbers of her cards along with enchanted needles at her numerous enemies, sending them into oblivion entire groups at a time.

Soon, she caught sight of several bullet barrages and beams, twisting out of the way of them. She briefly balled up her left hand before opening it again, suddenly having a rather thick stack of ofuda in her hand. Reimu could see that they were all bunched close together, perfect for taking down in a single swift attack. A spellcard appeared at the bottom her her ofuda stack...

"Dream Sign... Duplex Barrier!" shouted the Miko.

The all the cards began glowing a red color as Reimu tossed them at the ground in front of the enemies. Bursts of magical energy began emerging from the ground in the form of giant, energized ofuda cards, moving toward the enemies like that of Hellfire Bombs! The enemies vanished under the magical explosions of enchanted cards.

The enemies in front of Reimu were steadily disappearing, but the ones in every other direction saw an opportunity... They all flew in at Reimu like a merciless swarm of energetic locusts, hoping to overwhelm the Miko while her attack was focused away from them! Alas, the attack wasn't just frontal... This hard truth hit the various enemies hard, quite literally I may add. Hoards of cards emerged from the ground around Reimu in all directions, sending enemies to their dooms in blazes of brilliant white and red. Reimu did not have to wait long for the enemies to be cleared, dropping spell before speeding toward the part of the battlefield where Marisa and Wriggle did battle with Kaguya.

If I'm quick, I should still be able to help them. she thought to herself.

Suddenly, several mud creatures (ones out of range of Reimu's previous attack) leaped up from the ground, looking like brown snakes in Kaguya's attire that shot up right from the ground! They fired yellow energy rays at the Miko upon being above her, forcing to veer off while lowering her altitude.

Thats what they wanted...

Five more creatures then leaped from the ground at the ground toward the Shrine maiden, attached to one another to resemble something like a snake! Reimu looked behind and down, caught by surprise as the lead creature grabbed her by the ankle! Reimu yelped as she was suddenly yanked down to the ground! The miko saved herself by wielding two ofuda, one in each hand. One was used to annihilate the one that had grabbed her, and the other was used to stop herself from slamming into the ground below by creating a small explosion right at the bottom of the fall.

Reimu front flipped after stopping her forceful descent, landing (relatively) softly on her back... ...only to have seven more of the mud creatures converge and pile on top of her, followed by no less that five Inabas! Reimu gasped, feeling herself suffocate as the crushing weight constricted her lungs. Left with no other choice, the miko balled her right hand snapping it back open immediately afterward. A small yin-yang orb was suddenly in her open hand...

Without warning, a bright white flash could be seen as Reimu's attackers suddenly went flying right off of her! The miko coughed as she took in a big breath of air, and wiped some mud residue off her dress. She barely had time to even sit up before seeing that she was completely surrounded... The numerous enemies charged, some holding back to fire danmaku from a distance. With no other choice, Reimu quickly prepared another attack!

"Dream Sign..." she began as an energized spellcard appeared in her hand. "Evil Sealing Circle!"

Just as the enemies and their attacks converged on Reimu, she slammed her spellcard into the ground! Upon doing this, she created a massive blue pillar of light, a pillar of pure, spiritual energy! The deadly energy disintegrated all in its path as it expanded in size, sending Reimu's enemies to their fate...

***

Before long, Wriggle and Kaguya were both charging in at each other, bundles of powerful magical energy shining in their hands. They both yelled out as they threw their bundles at one another upon getting close, the magics clashing and causing a powerful and brilliant explosion that knocked the both of them back! Wriggle was first to recover, allowing herself to slide backwards on the ground while she threw her arm forward, throwing lines of powerful green energy balls at the Moon princess. Kaguya smiled, forming a small bundle of white energy as she navigated and grazed her way around the projectiles, pouncing down on Wriggle who jumped back to avoid the blast.

Upon that happening, Kaguya sensed an attack coming from a diagonal direction behind her, jumping to the side just in time to avoid a number of energy stars fired out by a smiling Marisa. The witch moved in on her broom, letting out several intense rays of differentiating colors as Kaguya, who swerved around and took to the air to avoid them before holding out her left arm and spinning, sending a number of wispy homing lasers to pursue and perhaps shoot down the witch.

"Whoa!"

Marisa held on to her hat as she picked up speed to avoid the projectiles. Meanwhile, Kaguya turned her attention back to her real target: Wriggle. Speaking of whom, the insect queen charged at Kaguya with another large bundle of magical energy with a yell! Kaguya however just smiled, forming another white bundle of energy in her right hand and shaping it into a sword of energy (granted, one not as solid looking as Patchouli's) to block the attack. Wriggle was alarmed to see her attack split into two as it hit the smiling Kaguya's sword which in turn extended a small part of itself, slicing into the off guard Wriggle who cringed in pain!

"Nnh!"

"Ufufufu..." chuckled Kaguya.

Kaguya went on the offensive, slashing at Wriggle three more times, sending the insect girl falling toward the ground with a pained shriek! But as that happened, Wriggle -one eye barely open- managed to get out a large green orb of energy out at Kaguya! Kaguya merely deflected the attack away, chuckling as she did so.

Thats when Wriggle smiled, albeit not allowing Kaguya to see it.

Suddenly, the orb burst into several tiny, white, snowball like projectiles that poured down on a surprised Kaguya, causing her to shriek in pain! Stunned by the attack, Kaguya was not prepared to face Marisa who flew right in (having long avoided the homing projectiles) swinging her broom like a baseball into Kaguya's body, sending her flying away, large blue stars scattering all over as it happened! Right before Kaguya could recover, she found herself being grabbed thrown hard toward the ground by a vengeful Wriggle who used her youkai strength to resist the pain, and add power to her throw! Kaguya managed to save herself by moving her arms out and firing a small white blast, using its force to break her fall.

Afterward, she flipped several times and landed in a standing position, Wriggle and Marisa doing the same in front of her.

"Hmm, very good. You two are allowing me to enjoy this festival even more than I thought would be possible. Please continue to resist with such ferocity as you are now. The conclusion will be all the more satisfying, ufufufu..." chuckled Kaguya.

"Its all a happy festival to you? Well... Maybe I can convince you that you doing nothing more than exacerbating a wave of needless madness." answered Wriggle with determination on her face.

"Teehee, we're not exactly interested in your little party ze, though I will admit that you have made this whole adventure interesting." said Marisa with a mischievous smile.

Wriggle glared at the witch with a 'now why did you say that?' expression.

"Well... Then perhaps I should give you a special present? Powerful treasures perhaps...?" asks Kaguya, putting a sleeve to her mouth.

"Powerful... ...treasures...?" asked Wriggle, unsure of what Kaguya was thinking.

"Ufufufufu..."

"Eh, I've seen them already, so what?" asks Marisa.

Kaguya closed her eyes, smiling while Wriggle looked more confused.

"Eight impossible requests. Eight divine treasures that cannot be found by mere mortals. I however have harnessed the power and beauty of these lost treasures into something wonderful. You witch have seen it once before, but the insect queen standing next to you shall bask in their beauty for the very first time. I hope you find this dazzling..."

"Bah, like I would allow you unleash a more powerful attack at a time such as this!" exclaimed Wriggle.

"Do try." replied Kaguya sweetly.

"I will very gladly do just that!"

Wriggle and Marisa charged in on Kaguya. The Moon princess leaped into the air, her opponents following with haste whilst charging magical blasts.

"Good, good. Play with me... Entertain me..."

The princess briefly folded her arms before suddenly spreading out again, holding eight spellcards, each of which glowed with a different color from their own magical energy.

"Heh, nooooothing new here, eh?" asks Marisa. "Then I hope ya like your danmaku hot!"

Wriggle and Marisa cupped their hands in front of themselves, letting out vicious magical attacks. Wriggle fired orbs that circled her at first before bursting into numerous tiny white balls of energy that sped toward Kaguya like a swarm of angry insects, while Marisa fired a multitude of of fast moving stars, each one a different color! Kaguya zoomed backward, inching her way around the dense fire of her enemies as all but one of her eight spellcards disappeared. Kaguya held the spellcard back as it glowed yellow...

"Face an indomitable will... Impossible Request... Buddha's Stone Bowl!" said Kaguya.

The card suddenly turned blue before vanishing as a green aura surrounded the princess! She spread her arms as a great many blue colored lasers were unleashed upon Wriggle and Marisa! The two heroines sped away from one another, weaving through the long and sharp looking blasts, but not unscathed as both girls found themselves grazing many a laser, seeming almost overwhelmed by the blasts!

"Gah! Its nothing I cannot ha-"

Right before Wriggle could finish her vocalized thought, the ever deviously smiling Kaguya moved in on her, unleashing a single laser that struck the nightbug dead in the torso!

"Ngh...!"

Her face covered in shock, Wriggle lost control of her flight, and began plummeting to the ground below. A hole was left in her shirt, and her stomach was left with a painful burn mark. Despite this, she was able to see Kaguya fly in on Marisa, and unleash a second wave of lasers on Marisa who only barely dodged.

"M... M... Marisa, look out!" called out Wriggle as she finally recovered.

The warning came just in time as Kaguya unleashed several green energy stars to supplement her already powerful danmaku! Marisa dove sharply downward in an attempt to get away, but the attacks just would not stop coming no matter where she went! Seconds later, several of the stars connected with her, sending her flying off her broom and toward the ground!

"Gaah!"

"Marisaaaa!" yelled Wriggle as she attempted to speed over to her human friend.

Before Wriggle could reach her her falling friend, more lasers slammed into her back right before she was grabbed from behind by Kaguya, who restricted the insect girl's arms with her left arm, and wrapped her right one around her neck.

"Ah-ah-aaaaah! I'm MUCH more interested in you, dear. After all, you're my real target. I don't care at all about that other girl." cooed Kaguya into Wriggle's ear.

Wriggle struggled in Kaguya's grip.

"Unhand me at once! I haven't time for your drivel...!" demanded the straining insect girl.Blast it, should I not have been able to break out of her grip without effort...?! Is her physical strength being augmented along with her magic? Where did she find such power...?!

"Oh my, harsh harsh words, honey~" said Kaguya in a sensual tone. "It isn't any use trying to escape, so please don't be like that. You in fact have nothing to..."

Thats when Kaguya and Wriggle alike both spotted Marisa flying up at an incredibly high speed at the both of them broom first! The witch held onto her broom, pointing it at Kaguya as stars of many various colors flew out of it from behind!

"I can't believe ya thought I was out, ze! Now have some of this!"

Kaguya only smirked...

"Stone Bowl!" she shouted.

Wriggle looked around with her eyes in fright as everything around her and Kaguya suddenly went dark...

***

Marisa was left in awe as Kaguya and Wriggle were both encased in a large sphere of stone. Even so, she gritted her teeth and pressed her attack!

"Yeah right! This move even pierces hard stone with ease! You wasted energy just putting it up!"

The witch continued her attack, thrusting her energized broom right into Kaguya's stone barrier, only to have it get jammed in as opposed to breaking through! The attack merely caused several cracks instead of the complete pierce Marisa had spoken of!

"Hey, that shouldn't be...!"

Before the young witch could finish her sentence, the giant sphere began glowing blue... Sensing the building magical power, Marisa backed away from the stone sphere, returning to a normal sitting position on her broom as she put up a pentagram-like barrier...

Without warning, the sphere exploded into hundreds of glowing blue beams of light, shooting off into every possible direction! A great number of them slammed right into Marisa -or rather, her barrier- and sent her flying backwards whilst forcing her to strain against their power as her shield slowly but surely cracked from the pressure!

***

Alice and Patchouli jumped away from each other while moving forward to avoid yet another wave of Eirin's arrows when suddenly...

"What?" said Patchouli to herself, sensing the incoming blue blasts.

"Hey, look out!" warned Alice, jumping backwards and having her dolls materialize a large golden shield in front of herself.

Patchouli followed up with a blue forcefield of her own. Eirin raised her left hand into the air, creating a spacesphere-like barrier to protect herself.

The blasts fell all around them, but due to the blasts being both, spread farther apart and weaker than when Marisa encountered them, all three escaped harm.

"Where did that come from?!" asks the freaked out Alice.

Eirin opened her left eye and looked to her side...

"Princess..." uttered the nurse to herself.

***

Some of the enemies surrounding her were flattened by the rather careless attack, but Reimu herself was not harmed. She countered the attack with some handy ofuda magic. She looked around, wordlessly preparing to battle the next wave...

***

Flying from a distance, Reisen could see the blue lights from far away. Visibly fearing that she was too late, she flew on as fast as she possibly could.

Mistress, you musn't do this!

***

"What...?! What sort of...?!" stuttered Wriggle.

"Ah ha ha~ Tis a new trick I perfected for myself since the last time we met. Tell me witch, do you like it? Does it amaze you, give you a challenge as you expected?" cooed Kaguya.

"Gh...!"

Wriggle gritted her teeth, helpless in the seemingly impossibly strong grip of Kaguya, struggling to free herself so she could save Marisa.

"A stubborn one, aren't you insect...? If you had just cooperated, your friends wouldn't all be suffering as they are now. Its a shame really..."

Wriggle stopped her struggling, but her grip on Kaguya's arms strengthed.

"Its... Its true..." she grumbled. "I did drag them into my conflict... Asking them to help me best you, my immortal enemy... But you forget that they choose to risk themselves and help me, just as that nurse and that cadre of Earth Rabbits do for you. Fighting for one another... Its what friends do!"

"Oh...? And are you fighting for the bird as well?" asks Kaguya.

"But of course! I would never dare abandon Mystia to a foul wench such as you, even if I had to fight you, and your entire army alone!"

"Interesting... But would you be willing to let your other friends be killed in order to save the life of another?" asks Kaguya.

Wriggle perks up, unable to answer. It had finally hit her, a realization she had previously been keeping buried deeply. Even if she had somehow succeeded in rescuing Mystia, would it really matter if the others failed to survive? Previously, she had been thinking that it would be the end of herself and Mystia if Marisa and the others had lost, but now...

"Ha! If only you had merely cooperated, your friends could enjoy all their days peacefully... Ufufufu, what a silly little bug you are..." chuckled Kaguya with a smile.

Wriggle was silent for a few moments, her eyes tightly shut before...

"NO!" she shouted.

Kaguya's smile faded as she raised an eyebrow.

"They... They will not lose...! We will not lose...! We can't afford to be beaten here... Because... ...Mystia is counting on us... No, not just that... Because we're counting on each other! Every last one of us! And we're fighting for our mutual home of Gensokyo! Unlike you, who would unleash a beast of sorrow that would only wrought cruel destruction! Tell me foolish Kaguya, are you and your own friends fighting for similar purposes? Are you really fighting for one another, or are they just your pawns?"

Kaguya became alarmed at a sudden increase in Wriggle's physical strength as the nightbug slowly began to loosen her grip!

"Tell me! Are they even your real friends at all anymore?!" yelled Wriggle.

These words had apparently struck a nerve with the normally playful Kaguya... Her face began contorting with further madness...

***

Marisa held on as long as she could...

"Man...! No way outta this one!" she spoke to herself in a strained tone.

But oddly enough -just as her shield was almost totally broken- she smiled to herself.

"On the bright side... This'll let me see if I've finally gotten any tougher!"

And then the shield shattered...

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #54 on: April 29, 2009, 09:14:15 AM »
***

Wriggle and Kaguya both watched the nearby explosion as Marisa was overwhelmed by the attack at last. Marisa fell limply from the cloud of smoke, her broom and hat falling with her.

"No...! Marisa!" cried Wriggle, reaching out futilely to her falling friend.

Wriggle looked on in despair while Kaguya watched rather flatly.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm... Thats quite too bad really... And after all that silly talk about how you and your friends would not lose to me... If you and your bird friend had just come quietly as I asked the previous night, none of this would be happening now..." spoke Kaguya with a sigh.

Wriggles eyes widened in shock as Kaguya suddenly readjusted her method of holding the insect girl, locking both arms around her little neck for a terrible choke maneuver! Wriggle gasped, hacked and coughed as she pulled on Kaguya's arms as her eyes closed tightly, doing everything she could to breath again! Kaguya looked visibly angry as she did this.

"Such stubborness, such ignorance! How dare you say those things to me!" spoke Kaguya in a violent tone as her face contorted with anger. "To say foolish things such as 'are they your real friends', questioning their loyalty to me... You fool, we ARE fighting for our family and our home! To rid ourselves of the one that ails us! I am not bringing destruction, I am bringing glory! You foolish girl, you mere insect in human form, how dare you say otherwise! I should kill you here for speaking such blasphemy...!"

It was unclear whether Wriggle heard anything Kaguya said. With her oxygen cut off, it wasn't long before she began to feel lightheaded, having to fight to maintain consciousness.

"You poor, blind, ungrateful wench, be thankful I need you alive!"

Kaguya then loosened her grip somewhat, only affording very little air for Wriggle. Realizing the princess was trying to render her unconscious, Wriggle did the last thing she could do in this situation... With her arms free, she suddenly lifted her left arm and thrust her left elbow into Kaguya's torso! The moon princess gasped in surprise as she involuntarily loosened her grip on Wriggle! Feeling Kaguya weaken, Wriggle hit Kaguya with her free elbow several more times before finally kicking herself off Kaguya with her right leg!

Kaguya held her stomach, reeling backwards as she coughed. Giving no quarter to her enemy, Wriggle charged forward!

"Gaaaaaaahhh!"

The nightbug went in, giving Kaguya a right hook, then a left, then a right, then another left, then a right again before spin kicking her, knocking her backwards! She finished her combo with a spray of green danmaku that slightly tattered Kaguya's clothes and sent her plummeting toward the ground!

As Kaguya fell, she gritted her teeth, swinging her right arm forward. A magical bronze chain launched out from her sleeve, wrapping around the legs of a surprised Wriggle who promptly found herself being violently swung several times before slamming back first into the ground upon Kaguya releasing her! Wriggle screamed out, writhing in pain while on the ground. Kaguya looked down at her quarry with contempt, panting with her face covered in sweat. Suddenly, her eyes shifted to the left as she flew backwards just in time to avoid a huge laser!

"Hmm... Still alive?" asked the princess rhetorically.

"You make it sound like I'd just let myself fall to the ground like a drop of rain!" chuckles a hatless Marisa as she charged in.

"Then kindly allow me to send you to the ground again, witch!"

Kaguya swung her arms forward while Marisa cupped her hands in front of herself... The clash of Kaguya's tiny green stars, and Marisa's large ones of varying colors causing explosions in the sky that resembled beautiful fire works... But this battle was anything but beautiful... Marisa managed to get behind the slower Kaguya, dropping down on her broom first, only to have Kaguya block, grab the broom, and toss Marisa downwards, sending a barrage of long lasers after her for good measure! Marisa pulled out her Hakkero once again, firing a thin red beam that canceled out the lasers, whilst forcing Kaguya to actively dodge. Kaguya sent another laser barrage in, forcing Marisa to cease her small laser attack and back off.

Marisa charged forward again with an attack similar to her Blazing Star technique, Kaguya forming a small energy shield in front of herself to defend. The two powers struggled for a few moments before pushed herself forward, throwing Marisa off. From point blank range, the two then fired off many shots at each other, none hitting, creating many explosions! Finally, the two fired charged up magic bolts at each other. The projectiles slammed into each other, but rather than explosively cancel each other out, small sparks of energy came flying out at the two girls instead! Surprised, Kaguya took one to the torso while Marisa was hit in her left shoulder. The two finally backed off after that.

"Foolish witch... For all that confidence, you still have not been able to defeat me, even though you had a youkai partner with you just like last time." spat Kaguya.

"What is this 'had one'?" said the fatigued voice of Wriggle, as she flew in at Marisa's side, hand over her torso. "I'm right here, or is the battle depriving you of your eyesight?"

Kaguya smiled a slight bit.

"Look at you, how can you be any use to one another with such injuries? You're looking quite haggard..."

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself." replied Marisa with a smile.

"That confidence again... Do you not remember what happened the last time you fought me?" asks Kaguya.

Marisa's smile turned bittersweet.

"Last time...? Marisa?" said Wriggle.

"Yeap. I fought her once before alongside Alice during the moon incident. We both fought at once and gave it our all... But in the end we wound up beaten flat on the ground while that bratty vampire and her maid took her down." explains Marisa with a somewhat dark expression. "I hope ya still got some fight left in ya Wriggle, cause you're gonna need it if we are to win!"

Wriggle gulped.

"Well, I know its not looking too good for us but..."

"My my, still listening to that weakling of a witch, insect? She's foolish to say 'we can win' even though she's injured and her new partner isn't as powerful as her old one. Fufufu..."

Marisa merely chuckled a bit, bowing her head down.

"Heh heh, you're right. I fought you before and I lost to you. Alice and I weren't able to beat you then."

"Marisa..." said Wriggle softly.

Marisa then put her head back up with a daring smile.

"But so what? This is an entirely different battle... I'm stronger now, and Wriggle has plenty of her to draw from! Lets end this!"

With that, Marisa charged forth on her broom, leaping up and standing atop of it and riding it like a surf board! Kaguya smiled as she remained in place as she drew a red glowing spellcard in her right hand while firing an energy ray from her left. Marisa moved off to the side to avoid that attack while launching a single large star from her hand, one that was promptly intercepted by another of Kaguya's projectiles! Marisa then threw a single right punch that Kaguya blocked with her left arm. Kaguya's smile disappeared as Marisa backed off, allowing a following Wriggle to charge in with a flying kick with her right foot! Kaguya dodged to the side as Wriggle flew past. The nightbug however had already prepared her next attack...

"Kaguya... I will demonstrate to you that we are not as weak and pitiful as you believe we are!" announced Wriggle while still facing away from Kaguya.

Wriggle then turned around, immediately unleashing a large barrage of green orb shots before taking out a spellcard!

"Wriggle Sign! Night Bug Storm!"

As Kaguya shot down Wriggle's first retaliatory barrage with her own projectiles, white energy began to build up around the nightbug's hands! Meanwhile, Marisa swooped in on Kaguya's side, placing a rainbow-glowing spellcard on her Hakkero...

Thats right... Even her greatest defense couldn't stand up to this last time... Just a few more seconds Wriggle...

Wriggle continued her attack.

"See how you handle a little bit of this! HA!" shouted the nightbug.

Wriggle throw out her right arm as white energy surrounded it, sending many small white orbs that transformed into larger, fast moving ones while speeding toward Kaguya! The former moon princess smiled.

""We've seen that little trick before, haven't we?"

The princess actively dodged the projectiles when she heard Marisa...

"Love sign...!"

"Hm~ Plan to go all out eh? I thought you would try such a thing... Both of you, attack with your greatest strength! Impossible request...!"

"MASTER SPAAAAAAAAAAARK!"

Marisa pointed her Hakero straight at Kaguya as she unleashed an enormous and brilliant beam of rainbow colored energy at the princess! Wriggle threw out her left arm, sending out a second wave of white projectiles that at the exact same moment the spark did. Kaguya was enveloped by both attacks!

After the combination attack had passed, the place where Kaguya should have been present was replaced by a large glowing ball of rainbow colored energy, surrounded by swirling white energy... The phenomenon wouldn't last for long, as mere seconds after it appeared, it exploded in a brilliant white flash!

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #55 on: April 29, 2009, 09:16:14 AM »
***

Under that very same explosion, another fierce battle raged close by...

The doll maker stayed on the move, running away from the unending barrages of arrows while deploying projectile shooting dolls to attack Eirin. Eirin herself was also constantly moving on the ground, sometimes firing her danmaku straight at her two opponents, other times firing into the air to let arrows rain down on them, while dodging the counterattacks of her enemies.

But where was Patchouli? A large fireball from behind answered this question, forcing Eirin to back flip over the attack, landing just in time to see Patchouli floating toward her while holding a large water bubble on her finger. Eirin knew full well that the seemingly benign bubble was actually a form of harmful magical energy, and thus did not let her guard down. She jumped away from the bubble before jumping slightly forward in order to avoid the large water spout that suddenly sprang up behind her with great force. Next, she fired several barrages of her enchanted arrows, intercepting attacks from Patchouli's fireballs and Alice's dolls. She jumped back more as Alice and Patchouli converged on her.

All three fighters were looking a bit fatigued, especially Patchouli.

"I see that the night air hasn't lessoned your abilities, librarian." huffed Eirin with a slight smile. "It is good that I developed countermeasures for you."

"Countermeasures...?" replied Patchouli calmly, though fatigued, raising an eyebrow.

Eirin drew three strange arrows, dark in color with odd, thin, triangular tips, surrounded by many different types of energies.

"You two have taken longer to dispatch than anticipated... But I intend to gain the upper hand with these." said the nurse.

"Be careful, those particular arrows look different than the rest!" warned Alice, who stood ready with a formation of dolls out in force.

"Whatever this is, my magics will find a way around it!" claimed Patchouli, pointing her open book at Eirin.

***

"Aww, if only I could fly faster!" thought Reisen out loud as she continued speeding toward the brightening battlefield.

There were a great many flashes, flickers and lights in the distance indicating a fierce danmaku battle... The moon rabbit only hoped that she could somehow end the fighting, along with Kaguya's quest before it was too late... She had to shield her eyes from a blinding white flash caused by two magic attacks hitting someone at once moments earlier, along with a barrage of lasers not long before that. The fighting was clearly escalating...

Just then, Reisen felt rather odd... Like everything had gone black and white for a single moment... And that moment, she... ...everything... ...had simply stopped... She continued flying forward, though puzzled at the strange feeling she just had. Suddenly it happened again! Reisen couldn't shake the feeling that something abnormal was happening...

Again, and again and again...!

Soon the moon rabbit could see someone off in the distance, a black white and silver streak. The person flew no faster than Reisen, every time the strange feeling of 'stopping' occurred, the person was suddenly much farther away from Reisen. With something like that, the person could reach the battlefield within a somewhat short time span...

"Wait, these odd sensations and that streaks jumps in distance... Almost as if its skipping instances of time and space... But the only one I know who could... ...do that..." Reisens eyes widened in distress. "Oh no, that maid from the mansion...!"

***

Eirin minimally sidestepped a pair of metal buzz saws, courtesy Patchouli before managing to get inside the spiralling danmaku tatics of Alice!

"Dammit...!"

Eirin then thrust fourth her left leg, sending her left foot crashing right into Alice's torso before sending her flying backwards into the sky with a firm kick to the chin with the same foot.

"And now for you..."

Eirin immediately turned toward Patchouli, jumping to the side to avoid a barrage of water drop danmaku. Next, she jumped into the air, aiming one of her strange arrows at the librarian.

Patchouli created another large bubble in anticipation of Eirin's counterattack...

"Counter-element arrow, fire!" called out the nurse as she unleashed the arrow.

The deadly weapon began glowing a bright brown color just as it hit the bubble, dissolving it completely without leaving a drop! Shocked, Patchouli dashed backward, raising large spires of green crystal from the ground to attack Eirin. Eirin herself evaded before firing three more arrows at the spires. Moments before impact, the arrows turned a bright blue color... ...slamming right through the spires, shattering them!

Eirin smiled a bit.

"A success. My counter-element arrows are working flawlessly."

"Counter-element arrows...?!" muttered Patchouli to herself. "Weapons that can become the exact element needed to eliminate my own attack in a matter of seconds... This is troublesome... However..."

"I'll get her!" called out Alice, preparing to form more dolls.

"No wait!" ordered Patchouli. "Let me take one more shot at her!"

Eirin smiled, waiting for the next moves of her opponents. Oddly, she closed her eyes and kept them so...

"Gah!"

Patchouli let out fireballs, water blasts, and eight blades of metal at Eirin in succession! The deadly projectiles converged on the nurses position in the air! Eirin aimed her bow in the general direction of the incoming projectiles, using nothing more than her sense to detect the projectiles. With her eyes closed, she had no way of knowing what element to counteract and when. This puzzled Patchouli and Alice...

Eirin let out her arrows, sending them streaking toward the incoming attacks from Patchouli... And without Eirin even needing to see them, the arrows changed to the appropriate counter elements to stop the attacks in their tracks! Patchouli and Alice were mortified!

"A good theory librarian. I willing to bet that it was one that wished was incorrect." said Eirin, reopening her eyes.

Patchouli stood silently, her face sweating, teeth gritted.

"Thats impossible! You didn't see the attack at all!" shouted Alice.

"Ah, not too observant I see... Unlike your pathetic dolls, my arrows act completely on their own. They require no whim from me. They know what element to change to because they know, not because I know. Ufufufu... Now then, how will you two think of a way around my latest trick? show me."

"You only have a countermeasure for Patchouli, but not I! I will take you down with these supposedly pathetic dolls of mine, you'll see! Gaaaaah!" shouted an angry Alice before taking off into the sky at Eirin.

"No Alice...!" called Patchouli, flying after the doll maker while instinctively reaching toward her.

Alice materialized two sword wielding dolls as she charged forward, jabbing them at Eirin who swayed from side to side to avoid them. She then stopped in mid-air and threw four more dolls past Eirin, two toward the ground. They span in place, becoming make shift spinning blades! Eirin stopped moving in order to avoid slamming into the dolls directly at her back. Alice pulled two of the dolls back, forcing Eirin twist and dodge in order to avoid being cut. The next two were promptly beaten back via a blow with the bow, and a precise shot with an arrow.

Wasting no time, Alice went in, materializing eight dolls to stab Eirin with swords! Eirin dashed backwards, staying just outside their range. As that happened, Patchouli caused a large wall of rock to emerge from the ground! The librarian promptly flew behind the wall... ...and unleashed a gigantic flaming rock from it! Eirin gave a good whack with her bow to Alice, to push her back while simultaneously grabbing a counter-element arrow... She fired the single arrow at the meteor-like rock, then fired a second. The second arrow split into five! They caught up to the slower moving first arrow and converged on it, transforming into an energy beam! The beam went right through the meteor-like ball of fire, shattering it and forcing a shocked and surprised Patchouli to dodge, something that she barely accomplished as the beam grazed her torso!

"Thats very good..." said Alice in a low tone as she held out a glowing spellcard that quickly vanished. "But now... War Command! Doll's War!"

Eirin suddenly found herself against Alice once again facing off with Alice as she sent eight spinning sword wielding dolls after her en masse with a highly erratic movement pattern! Eirin dodged the dolls, deflecting them with her bow if need be. However, this attack had more power behind it than Alice's other attacks up to this point... It hurt Eirin's arms to block it! Eirin gritted her teeth as she attempted to move back, a doll cutting across the left side of her torso. With no time to move around the attack, Eirin ducked under another one, while moving to the right dodge another, clearly trying to get inside the attack. It was costly however as two more dolls went past her, one successfully nicking the nurses' right leg before another doll slashed her left shoulder as it returned to its mistress. That same doll and another then attempted to ram right into Eirin, cutting her to pieces! The nurse blocked with her bow, forming a small forcefield in front of herself. She then stretched her left arm out behind herself, forming another small forcefield to block the remaining dolls. In her left hand was a small coin like object with a blue star...

Alice gasped right before the bomb's explosion...

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #56 on: April 29, 2009, 09:17:13 AM »
***

Watching a small distance away, Patchouli covered her eyes, protecting them from the flash of Eirin's bomb. She put at hand on her chest as her breathing became somewhat strained.

No, not now...!

The weakening librarian fell gently to the ground, staggering forward somewhat as she landed on the ground with her hand still on her chest. She looked up to see the continuation the Alice's battle with Eirin...

***

"Dammit...! You won't beat us like this...!" said Alice, sweat present on her face.

Eirin gritted her teeth as she used her forcefield to resist the full force of Alice's eight spinning spellcard dolls, remaining calm however. Her field however was weakening...

"It is good of you to have such confidence... However, after we captured you, we decided a contingency plan would be needed in the event of your escape and rebellion... Its time to play another hand...!" said the nurse.

Eirin leaned forward as her forcefield shattered, using the the force to propel herself clear out of Alice's range! She materialized a strange arrow with a large yellow orb as it's tip.

"My second trump card! Anti-doll arrow, fire!" shouted the nurse as she released the strange arrow.

"...!"

Alice adjusted her hand, moving the dolls into a defensive position in front of her. Seven dolls circled the eighth. The arrow plowed right into the dolls, pushing them back, but being stopped none the less. Suddenly the orb exploded, sending thousands of odd, metallic, razor sharp, paper-thin strings flying about! The strings wrapped around the dolls, stopping them and cutting into them while at the same time severing the magical threads that Alice used to control them! Alice herself watched in shock as her entire attack was nullified, her dolls plummeting to the ground.

"In a normal duel, I would never think to utilize such a weapon against you, but this isn't a normal danmaku battle. Now that you have seen my second trump card, this battle can finally end." said Eirin.

Alice floated in place with a frightened expression on her sweat covered face, while Patchouli continued watching from the ground, wondering how they were to take down such a crafty nurse...

"And now, an end to this battle! Princess!" shouted Eirin, even though she should have been out of Kaguya's hearing range.

***

"Ah, I know Eirin. It seems your battle is going well." said an all too familiar voice behind the waining cloud of smoke created by the fearsome combination attack of Wriggle and Marisa. "Tis only a matter of time before these fools are in their place as well."

Wriggle and Marisa remained in place, shocked at the sight of an unharmed Kaguya, clad in a glowing red robe.

"D... Don't kid around with me...! How is something this possible, even for her?!" said Wriggle to herself.

"N... No way...! Not even the slightest scratch!" added Marisa.

Kaguya closed her eyes and smiled.

"Hmhmhmhm... Impossible Request. Robe of the Fire Rat. As you can see, it has gotten quite a bit stronger, standing up to two powerful attacks at once. Quite an improvement from last time when only a single Master Spark was needed to destroy it, hm?" asked Kaguya. "Ufufufufu~"

Kaguya's robe glowed with power, sweltering heat emanating from it as an orange aura appeared around its wearer. Kaguya suddenly sped fourth at Marisa, a ball of blue energy forming in her right hand... She was so fast that even Marisa didn't have time to move away! The witches Hakkero was knocked out of her hand by a well placed energy blast from Kaguya, who proceeded to grab her by the neck! Marisa allowed her broom to fall to the ground as she wrapped both hands around Kaguya's arm, struggling to get free of Kaguya's choking grip. She coughed and gasped for air as Kaguya began speaking...

"And as you can see, it comes with several new benefits as well." cooed the princess. "I cannot deny it now... You have grown stronger witch. Alas, so have I... And it would seem that I've grown stronger than you as well."

Suddenly, Wriggle grabbed Kaguya in a head lock from behind!

"You leave her alone Kaguya!" she shouted.

Kaguya looked back with an amused smile.

"My my, the little insect is persistent... You however cannot do anymore than this witch can. You really failed to get much stronger since our first encounter, how sad... Perhaps I should put both of you in your place and demonstrate your inferiority to Eirin and I?"

Kaguya's aura intensified as burning heat suddenly enveloped Wriggle and Marisa, both girls crying out in pain. It was a terrible heat that struck at their skin like sharp whips. They were both essentially being burned alive, their clothes even starting to smoke. Even so, Wriggle held on...

"This Robe of the Fire Rat has now acquired actual powers of fire, serving as a full fledged weapon as much as a powerful suit of  armor of legend. It isn't possible for you to stand against this Nightbug, so why don't you just give up now?" said Kaguya with a smile.

Wriggle gritted her teeth, tightening her grip around Kaguya...

"I won't... I... I will not... ...do such a thing... ...nor yield to you... Instead you'll... ...you'll be defeated... ...and my friends saved...!" said Wriggle as she fought the pain.

Kaguya's expression switched to one of intrigue as she looked back at Wriggle with her eye, turning her head a slight bit.

"Admirable... You will not even allow the slightest possibility for your friends to die, or your mission to fail... You will fight me until it kills you if it means they can escape... I  had many a doubt that you possessed such courage." Kaguya then looked away from Wriggle, closed her eyes and smiled. "Okay then..."

The princess suddenly throws Marisa downward before quickly reaching behind, and grabbing Wriggle! With Wriggle weakened severely by Kaguya's burning aura, she was pulled off rather easily...

"Go to them!"

...and thrown with great strength at Marisa! The nightbug cried out just before she slammed into Marisa's torso, Marisa herself gasping hard upon impact. The two girls began falling limply toward the ground. Knowing Marisa could not survive a fall from this sort of height, Wriggle almost instinctively stretched her right hand downwards, using her left arm to hold onto Marisa. Out her right hand came a small, white energy beam. With one eye barely open, Marisa summoned some of her remaining strength outstretching her own left arm and firing a similar beam at the ground.

Together, the two girls slowed down the pace of their decent, landing much more favorably, though with a thud. Both of them slowly stood up after falling. Kaguya on the other hand wasted no time... Floating above the heroines with a deviant smile, she spread her arms out, numerous fireballs materializing above her!

"Ow... Marisa are you o..."

Wriggle stopped speaking as both, she and Marisa looked up at Kaguya just in time to see her about to fire down upon them! Both girls gasped as Kaguya threw down her arms, sending the fireballs downward at them!

"Look out!" called out Marisa as she leaped on top of Wriggle and held out her right arm toward the balls...

The fireballs were aimed directly at Wriggle (though this was not obvious considering how widespread they were)... With her arm outstretched, Marisa once again formed her blue, pentagram-like shield, protecting Wriggle from Kaguya's merciless assault. Wriggle was forced to watch helplessly as Marisa expended what had to be the last of her strength in order to protect her. On her own, she would have been completely defenseless by now... Her mind raced to find a possible way to help Marisa, but none came...

Around the two, bright orange light dominated as Kaguya's attack hit their targets, the duo feeling the intense heat as a consequence, sweating from it. For Marisa and Kaguya, the attack only lasted all of a few minutes, but for Wriggle, time had slowed to a practical eternity. Even after it was over Marisa continued to hold her battered and cracking shield in the air, her eyes closed, teeth gritted, panting heavily with fatigue and even looking as if her left arm was about to give out...

"Ma... Marisa...?" spoke Wriggle softly.

Marisa slowly opened her eyes, a weak grin appearing on her face as she opened one eye.

"H-hey there Wriggle... You're okay, right ze?"

Wriggle dared to crack a small smile in return, knowing full well Kaguya was approaching them with an orange bundle of energy in her right hand...

"Listen Wriggle: I'm going for one last shot... My Last Word to be exact. Once that gets going, blow the hell outta her with everything you got, okay?" explained Marisa.

"Okay, but I'm not really sure if I do have anything left at this point..." said Wriggle, smiling bittersweetly.

"Well its our last chance... Every ounce of energy is better than zero."

Kaguya had been walking toward the two fallen heroines, but soon broke into a flying dash, prompting Marisa to drop her shield and fire a large ray of white energy, deflecting what would have been a large fireball from Kaguya, causing her to stagger back!

"Last Wo-"

But as Marisa reached for her spellcard with her left hand, Kaguya built energy within herself, causing a small glint in her eyes... ...before suddenly being right at Marisa, holding her right arm with her white energy charged left hand!

"Wha...?! How...?!" gasped Marisa.

"Thought you'd be too fast for my eternity manipulation...? No one is that fast I'm afraid..." giggled Kaguya.

Wriggle's eyes widened as she watched in horror...

"Going for your last word...? I think its time I finally put a stop to you..." said Kaguya.

Kaguya's left hand glowed brightly for a few moments as she moved it in a certain manner... Time seemed to slow to a crawl... In these moments, all Wriggle could hear was that sickening snap, the crunching of several bones... Moments after that, she could only hear the agonized scream of Marisa, watching as she screamed up into the air. Kaguya backed away, still wearing that dark smile as Marisa collapsed on top of Wriggle, grasping her shattered right arm with her left as tears rolled down her eyes.

"M-my arm...! What the hell did you do to my arm?!" cried out Marisa.

Without even answering, Kaguya nonchalantly walked up to the injured witch and picked her up by her hair with her left hand, causing further pained screams. With Marisa helpless to defend herself, Kaguya sent her right fist crashing dead into Marisa's cheek, sending her flying off, away from Wriggle. The nightbug was horrified... ...and infuriated. Did this woman's cruelty know no bounds?! Kaguya floated over to Marisa, stomping on the helpless Marisa's broken right shoulder, the witch letting out more agonized screaming...

Wriggle's breathing became uneasy... She could not stand to see Marisa be harmed by Kaguya any longer... A single tear rolled down her eye as she balled up her fists... Suddenly, feeling a sudden burst of strength, she got up and charged at Kaguya from behind!

"STOP IT NOW!"

As Wriggle ran, she charged a bundle of white energy in her right hand whilst screaming with rage... Kaguya only widened her ever dark smile before casually kicking Marisa in the torso, sending her away as if she were kicking nothing more than a soccer ball. Almost immediately, she turned around whilst outstretching her right hand, smacking the charging Wriggle with a white energy enhanced blow right before she could hit! Wriggle spun a bit, gasping before collapsing to the ground. Kaguya smiles, cupping her chin with her right index finger and thumb while supporting her right arm with her left by the elbow. She turns to her side, looking at her fallen quarry.

"Looks like I win. Dear me, it was fun while it lasted... Alas, we can spare no more time as our guest approaches." said Kaguya, before casting a dark glare at Wriggle. "We shalt not waste another moment. Shall we be going little Nightbug?"

Wriggle partially sat up, gritting teeth while staring back at Kaguya. Her hope of succeeding in her mission slipped further and further away from her with every passing moment...

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #57 on: April 29, 2009, 09:17:57 AM »
***

"Gyaaaah!"

Patchouli shrieked as she flew backwards against her will, crashing and sliding across the rocky ground, landing on her back. Her sneak attack had failed, too slow to be effective. Eirin didn't even need her counter-element arrows.

Alice found herself falling on the ground, landing with a staggering run as a doll pulled an arrow out of her back. She swung her body back, holding out her right hand as several dolls materialized and fired rounds of multi-colored projectiles. Eirin continued her pursuit without any stalling, knocking away Alice's counter attack by twirling her bow as if it were a battle staff. Afterward, the nurse unleashed another anti-doll arrow, severing the link between the attacking dolls and their mistress, promptly dematerializing. Alice fell forward to her knees, exhaustion creeping up on her.

How is this...?! What is she?! A normal human couldn't possibly last against two reasonably strong youkai, right...? though Alice to herself before remembering her previous hostile encounter with Eientei. "Oh... Thats right... This is merely a repeat of what happened last time, isn't it...?"

The battered puppeteer looked over to her grimoire, still tucked tightly into her left hand... This simple book might have very been her ultimate weapon... Upon opening it, she would reach the true pinnacle of her power! However... In spite of that fact... ...she was once defeated while said book was open. This event was years ago, but the memories were vivid, as if they happened only days earlier. It was horrifying for Alice. Somehow, this event was Earth shattering to her... There was no horror worse than being defeated while doing your absolute best. Fearing her sanity would slip away from her, Alice resolved never to open that grimoire ever again, nor allow anyone else to do so. Even now that fear of ultimate destruction while at full power loomed over her.

Up until now, she'd been able to get away with never opening that book, her life never truly in danger up till now. But tonight was different. Tonight's battle wasn't a simple shooting duel, but now a battle that had the potential to end her life, that and several other things -including the lives of her friends- at stake. Even now as the doll maker looked downward at that powerful book in her hand as several dolls floated behind her, generating a large golden shield to defend their mistress from several of Eirin's powerful arrows, the projectiles lodging themselves into the defensive apparatus.

Alice looked back at the approaching Eirin, panting with sweat on her face. She noticed Eirin's stoic eyes peering down at her book as she stopped walking, standing over Alice...

"Hm... That book, just what is it? You never seem to use it for anything, or even need it for combat, so why is it you insist on always carrying it around?" asked Eirin.

Alice bit her lower lip.

"..."

"Is that so...? It is all too apparent you do not wish for me to know you connection to that mysterious grimoire. Not that it matters now... Though I have the distinct feeling that somehow, this book could do something that could potentially give you exactly what you need to best me and save your friends. Even now you hesitate to open it, is that merely a burden? Why even carry it?"

Alice knew Eirin had a point. Opening the grimoire would potentially give Alice enough power to face Eirin on her own AND come out triumphant. Doing so even allowed her to momentarily resist the binding spell used to capture her earlier in the day and ensure the escape of Wriggle and Marisa. She knew unleashing it was something she HAD to do... But that ever present irrational fear made her hesitate... A mental conflict between getting over her fear and pride had arisen. However, it was indeed a crippling fear...

Finally, Alice shook her head while gritting her teeth. She took her book in hand while she shot into the air, taking out a spellcard and turning around to face Eirin who oddly enough just stood there.

"Your interest is misplaced! I don't need that stupid book to defeat you! Take this! Magic Sign...!"

The spellcard glowed yellow before vanishing...

"Artful Sacrifice!"

Alice held her right arm upwards, numerous dolls with golden auras, clad in yellow dresses materializing above her.

"Now eat this!"

The dolls began shooting down toward Eirin like rockets, large skyward explosions of magic forming upon impact with anything! The dolls homed in somewhat on Eirin. Eirin jumped to the side, avoid one explosion, then carefully dodged the others as well. Alice continued with her attack, screaming out as she did so. Soon, the dust and smoke kicked up by the magical explosions made it impossible to see Eirin, but Alice continued her assault on the nurse none the less!

Suddenly, Eirin shot out of the smoke like a bat out of Hell at Alice! The doll user gasped as Eirin's bow was rammed dead into her stomach, ending her spellcard and sending her flying back! Alice -managing to stop her forced backwards flight- held her stomach, panting as she looked up at Eirin in shock.

"Indeed, a coward you are. And you allowed yourself to become unfocused and wild, how pitiful." said Eirin with a smile. "It does not appear you have anything left to give now so... ...please hold still and suffer the cost of your cowardice."

"Gh...!"

***

Patchouli staggered forward, left hand on her chest as she breathed with grievous strain. She had gauged her strength well but it was proven insufficient... This was bad... The enemy had the advantage with the heroines against the proverbial ropes. Patchouli decided it was time for one last trump card...

***

"GAAAAAHHH!"

With her dress tattered, Alice plummeted to the ground along with one of her doll and her grimoire amidst a deadly shower of arrows. She landed on the ground with a hard crash, no longer moving, arrows falling all around her, barely missing her while riddling her doll and grimoire.

"Uuhhh..."

"Too bad. You had a chance. Your battle is over now because you failed to take that chance." said Eirin with her eyes closed before turning around. "There is but one obstacle left now. Let us be rid of her."

As Eirin flew toward Patchouli, Alice managed to barely sit up, her youkai body numb from the Lunarian nurses' punishing assault. She did so just in time... A great number of Eientei rabbits and mud creatures had surrounded her...

***

Before long Patchouli found herself having to block off a large wave of arrow danmaku with a forcefield as Eirin wordlessly began what she expected to be her final assault on the librarian. Afterward, Patchouli collapsed to her knees, her breathing strained and rigid ever more.

"Your partner is no longer able to assist you, and your body has given up. This is the price you pay for taking me so lightly. The time has arrived for your unconditional surrender." stated Eirin, with a rather snooty look.

Patchouli rather weakly looked up at Eirin, still panting heavily as sweat dripped down her face. Without saying a word, Patchouli pressed her palm below her neck. Suddenly, she jutted forward as she took a deep breath! The same recovery spell previously used in the battle with Sakuya... Strength had returned!

"Idiot nurse... Do you not realize that even corned cats have their tricks?" said Patchouli as she stood up.

Eirin was mildly surprised at the now clearly breathing Patchouli's little trick, her facial expression reflecting this. However she cracked a small smile almost immediately afterward.

"Clever girl. An emergency spell that takes some of the natural life force around you and focuses it into your body to stave off your asthma and renew a small portion of your strength." explained the smiling Eirin.

"I guess I should not at all be surprised that you knew... Or rather, at how you were able to surmise how it worked merely by watching." replied Patchouli.

"That is indeed a useful spell, but..."

Without finishing her sentence, Eirin charged forward, prompting Patchouli to swing her left arm upwards, creating several large and sharp crystals that flew straight into the air for a few moments before dropping down on Eirin. The nurse immediately dodged out of the way of the crystals, loading an arrow into her bow and firing it, unleashing a high number of energized arrows at Patchouli. The librarian summoned a gush of magical water from the ground, sending the arrows skyward and away from her. As this happened, Patchouli took to the air, cracking her book wide open and letting out a large ball of fire! Eirin zipped to the left just as it slammed into the ground. The nurse then flew right up to Patchouli, having to dodge some water based projectiles in the process.

Too fast...! thought Patchouli as Eirin came toward her.

Once the nurse was right at the librarian, she attacked with a downward flip kick, smacking her right foot dead onto the top of Patchouli's head, sending her plummeting to the ground! Patchouli landed with a thud, causing dust to rise from the ground. Eirin landed a small distance away with a smile, switching her bow to her left hand...

"Good. That was all I needed."

Patchouli stood up, seeing Eirin facing her as she stood.

"Wait..." began Patchouli with a concerned look. "You said that was all you needed... What is it you mean?"

"As you're no doubt aware Ms. Patchouli... ...I am the single greatest medical mind in all Gensokyo. Do you realize what this means for you in this particular situation?" asks Eirin.

"What you speak is irrelevant. I will have no more foolish talk, now..."

"Fool, it means your trump card is for naught!" interrupted Eirin. "You noticed that I identified your emergency spell, did that tell you nothing?"

"Of course that wouldn't tell me anything unless..." Patchouli perked up, a cruel realization hitting her... "Unless you found someway to counteract it?! But such a thing would be impossible without physical contact! You haven't any chance of countering my spell, supposed 'Brain of the Moon'."

Eirin shook her head a slight bit.

"You're wrong yet again. That little break in the action moments ago when I kicked you...? All I was doing there was buying time. Yes, a spell like that at that level of casting cannot be broken so easily... ...for the first thirty seconds. Once the time after that thirty seconds has passed..."

Eirin cocked back her right arm, turning her body to the side as if preparing to throw something... Patchouli looked at the nurse with great concern, ready for anything, her eyes widening.

There simply isn't anyway she could have...!

"...then that spell can be broken as easily as a small twig!"

Eirin threw her hand forward, a small shockwave suddenly hitting Patchouli! The librarian staggered back... Her breathing began getting tense once more... Her strength suddenly began draining...! Yes, Eirin had undone her emergency spell!

"Wh-...!" gasped Patchouli before bending and coughing.

"Something like that is easy and simple. With this, it is as if your so called 'trump card' never even existed." said Eirin somewhat mockingly.

"W-why... ...youuu...!"

Patchouli slammed her left hand below her neck yet again, activating her spell once more! Eirin merely chuckled and threw another counter spell at Patchouli, weakening her further!

"I guess thats it. It takes more effort to activate the spell than it does to break it. Even in my current state, I have more than enough energy to keep this up for a long, long time. Meanwhile, you have exerted yourself quite a bit at this point..."

"Don't you dare say... '...surrender now!' I will nah... ahh... unhh..."

Patchouli collapses to her knees, dropping her book, holding her neck while breathing very heavily.

"Its over. If you will not surrender peacefully then the only thing left for me to do is to end you. I guess this is goodbye Ms. Patchouli." replied Eirin.

Eirin fired but a single arrow at the ailing Patchouli, who was only barely able to to put up a small energy field in front of herself to block it. After that, Patchouli collasped to all fours, exhausted.

"Hmm. Very well then." said Eirin.

The nurse suddenly moved in at great speed, crashing her right knee dead into Patchouli's face, sending the mansion librarian flying back! But before she could even land, Eirin was right back at her, landing two kicks to the face before a third flew right into the torso, sending Patchouli flying further away! She landed and rolled across the ground for a few moments on her belly, only to have Eirin move in yet again, kicking the librarian straight upward from her stomach before spin kicking her into some large rocks nearby! Patchouli landing with a loud CRACK, cringing in pain as she held her chest with both hands, wincing heavily in pain.

She slowly looked up weakly at the approaching Eirin, a trickle of blood running down her mouth while practically suffocating... Eirin stood over Patchouli, giving her a dark look as she prepared one last arrow in her bow and reared it back, aiming for Patchouli's head...

Suddenly, everything turned black and white for a single instant, Eirin perking up as this happened! She threw back her left hand, sending out a wave of energy barely in time to drive away a swarm of knives that would've otherwise impaled her! At the same time she could hear the sound of metal clanging to her front. She looked down to see another knife on the ground, a scratch mark present where Eirin's arrow had hit... Not only did the arrow never hit its intended target, but said target was gone with only her hat remaining! Knives everywhere, appearing in an instant, plus Patchouli's sudden disappearance... This could only be...

"So you've finally arrived... Where are you, Sakuya?!" called out Eirin looking around for the silver haired maid.

***

With Patchouli secured in her arms, Sakuya flew low to the ground, no doubt taking her somewhere (reasonably) safer.

"S-Sakuya... It seems you... ...have arrived... ...just in..."

Unable to finish her sentence, Patchouli coughed severely as Sakuya stopped flying and set her down.

"Tis best if you conserved what little strength you have remaining Lady Patchouli." stated Sakuya as she pulled out a strange yellow device, complete with a small opening, a metal capsule and orange button. "She'll be right behind me, but I got a good distance ahead with time manipulation. You should be safe here."

"Th-thank you... ...Sakuya." said Patchouli, taking the device.

The purple one put the small opening of the strange object into her mouth and pressed the button. Her lungs suddenly expanded, filling with glorious, much needed air as she was able to breath again.

"As for our other issue... It seems you and your team are losing by quite a bit Lady Patchouli." said Sakuya.

"Th-that is so... ...I am defeated, so... ...the proverbial mantle is passed to you, as I stated it would be if I were to be bested."

"Then let me be the one to deal with Eirin and the other dwellers of Eientei." said Sakuya with determination.

"I leave it... ...in your hands... ...Sakuya." said Patchouli before laying down on the ground and closing her eyes.

Without saying another word, Sakuya took one last look at Patchouli, who was quickly drifting off for some much needed sleep. Afterward, Sakuya took off toward Eirin, itching for another go at the nurse...

Finally... This time Eirin, we shall put an end to this. It won't even matter that you can never truly die.

***

Eirin stopped her advance as clouds of dust suddenly shot up in front of her... Hundreds of knives flew out of the clouds with great speed! Eirin back flipped into the air, unleashing swarms of arrows to counteract the attack! As she landed, Sakuya flew out of the dust cloud, numerous knives circling her in an X shape! The maid landed on the ground, throwing her arms forward, sending her knives right at Eirin at high speed! The nurse jumped back and rolled out of the way before firing another arrow barrage. Sakuya summoned more knives, spinning them all around herself to deflect the arrows.

Eirin smiled as she stood up.

"You're finally here Sakuya. I questioned whether or not you would even appear here."

Sakuya pulled out a spellcard as she smiled and replied.

"There wasn't anyway I was going to stay down after allowing myself to be disgraced... Furthermore, those who tarnish the house of Lady Remilia must pay." Said Sakuya before allow her smile to fade. "Now then, are you going to hand over the book of Koro? Or shall we do this... ...the sporting way?"

"You know that I will not turn my back on the princess, just as you will not turn on your Lady Remilia. But how exactly do you plan to fight? Look at yourself... You're sweating all over and trembling from fatigue before this battle even began." pointed out the nurse.

Eirin was right. Sakuya was sweaty and panting.

"This is the result of using your time powers to get here quickly." said Eirin pulled out a spellcard. "This was quite the foolish gamble, my dear Sakuya."

"Hardly." chuckled Sakuya. "Are so arrogant that you thought I would fail to have a plan? From what I see, you are also tired from fighting, and plan on doing something similar... We think more alike than I think either of us would be willing to admit, at least in terms of combat."

"Perhaps..."chuckled Eirin. "Well then Sakuya..."

Both women took their now glowing cards in right hand, holding them inward...

"Sakuya Izayoi!"

"Eirin Yagokoro!"

"I shall serve my princess!"

"I shall protect my mistress!"

Then they both shouted...

"As loyal servant to the one dearest to me, I declare that I will defeat you!"
"As loyal servant to the one dearest to me, I declare that I will defeat you!"

The girls held their cards outward as shock waves formed around both! Magic circles appeared beneath them!

"DECLARATION!"
"DECLARATION!"

With this, the next terrifying battle between Sakuya and Eirin would now begin!

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #58 on: April 29, 2009, 09:19:32 AM »
***

Kaguya's sadistic laughter filled the air as Wriggle rolled out of the way of several explosive, orb shaped blasts, whilst pulling out a spellcard. She darted to the right before jumping away from the orbs thrown by Kaguya who moved, weaved and spun around as if she were dancing as she formed the orbs and threw them at her opponent. Wriggle continued evading, throwing several shots of her own at Kaguya, only to see the princess evade them without effort.

"You seem to be weakening by quite a bit, little bug. How stubborn... Why not just end this little charade and come with me?"

"I won't play your stupid games any further Kaguya. I have one last method of stopping you!" replied Wriggle.

"Oh...? That spellcard in your hand?" asked Kaguya, stopping in midair while resting her chin on the back of her right hand.

Wriggle's card began glowing with dull-green energy.

"Are you not too weak to use any further spells? This is interesting... Your level of sheer determination is impeccable, yes..." said Kaguya forming white energy in her free left hand while wearing an absent minded smile. "Too bad. Even if I did give you the chance to use that card, I doubt that it would be anything capable of bringing any harm to me at this point, given your severely weakened state and all."

Kaguya then dropped to the ground and held her arm out at Wriggle. She fired her blast at the insect youkai, who, despite her injuries and fatigue stood her ground, letting the blast come at her head on... Why was she standing there you may wonder? Did she have a death wish? Not at all. What she had... ...was a trump card!

Mere moments before Kaguya's blast could hit, an enormous creature burst forth from the ground, taking the blast in Wriggle's stead! The beast -a giant youkai centipede- exploded as it was hit, showering the ground around it with its flesh and blood in protection of its queen... Wriggle tossed her card away, letting it vanish with even shouting out a name...

"Wha...?" uttered Kaguya.

Just then, three more enormous bugs burst out of the ground around Kaguya, attempting to pin her down! A giant hornet, a giant centipede and a giant cicada! White energy flowed around Kaguya's body as she put her arms up in an attempt to hold them off! She was forced into staggered stance. Meanwhile, Wriggle looked on, clutching her left shoulder with her right hand while panting.

"They got here just in time... These are my servants Kaguya! They respond only to my will! And they most certainly will make sure that they are not deprived of their queen without a hard battle." explained Wriggle with confidence.

Despite straining visibly with one eye closed, Kaguya smiled confidently.

"A surprising trick little one, but a trick that merely delays the inevitable!" claimed Kaguya.

Wriggle narrowed her eyes.

"What are you going on about?" asked the nightbug.

"Just look closely!"

Wriggle's three summoned beasts attacked fiercely with legs, claws and mandibles... ...but appeared to do no damage!

"No, she should've been down by now..." mutters Wriggle.

"I can hold this Robe of the Fire Rat for quite a bit of time dear Nightbug, longer than virtually any spell wielded by Gensokyo's other individuals. Even now, it protects my body against these pitiful attacks. You'd do well to ask your overgrown servants here if they value their lives."

"That Robe can't be capable of holding up much longer! We won't lose to you Kaguya!" shouted back Wriggle.

Twenty more centipedes burst out of the ground, diving at Kaguya!

"Even if that were true, this robe has several more tricks up its sleeve, roach!"

Kaguya began laughing out loud once more as she created a heated orange glow around herself... Wriggle's insects were set ablaze as Kaguya threw them off herself with sheer magical force! She immediately jumped into the air, avoiding the other centipedes just as they were about to land on her, waving her right arm downward! The creatures thrashed about violently as they were immolated, much to Wriggle's horror!

"Blast it...! Get her!" called out Wriggle.

"...?"

Kaguya turned around just in time to find a whole army of airborne insects coming right at her at high speed.

"Oh...! Reinforcements? It is quite impressive that you were able to gather this many in such a short time, especially considering your injured state... However, it will be of no avail." said Kaguya as she held her arms out. This will end the Fire Rat spell but it matters not.

Kaguya's entire being burned orange as a large number of fireballs shot out from her, blasting the insect army into ashes! One by one they fell, engulfed by hellish flames! Kaguya -back in her original clothing- chuckled to herself as she watched the slaughter with a sinister smile.

"No...!" gasped Wriggle to herself before gritting her teeth as a giant ant rose directly under her. "Lets go!"

Wriggle rode on top of the massive ant as it leaped at Kaguya, mandibles wide open! Kaguya merely turned around and waited... Just as the creature was about to strike, Kaguya slammed her right arm right through its mouth, sending an energy blast down its body, exploding it, forcing Wriggle to jump off! The princess immediately proceeded to slice a surviving wasp in two, but not before dodging its deadly sting! Finally, she turned to face one final wave of insects large and small, coming right for her.

Wriggle watched helplessly as Kaguya sent out her bronze chains to impale several of the large insects while rapidly firing out her green and blue, diamond like danmaku to finish the rest. Soon, not a single one of Wriggle's summoned insects was left standing. Wriggle herself stood trembling, her eyes filling with tears...

"A valiant effort dear nightbug. Alas, that was merely your latest failure to strike me down." said Kaguya before looking down at the crying insect girl. "Ufufufu~ Don't cry little bug... You're helping to create a great paradise afterall."

Wriggle stood, taking her hand off her pained shoulder as she tightly clenching her fists. She had nothing left to battle Kaguya with at this point...

Unbelievable... M-my very last effort... It has ended in total failure...!

She watched as Kaguya descended towards her once more, still wearing that same awful smile.

"Yes, you will be helping to create my paradise... However..."

Suddenly, Kaguya bolted toward Wriggle as high speed! Helpless to defend herself, Wriggle ended up being grabbed by her injured left shoulder!

"...you have been a naughty bug! You must be punished!" said Kaguya, with a twisted smile.

Kaguya plowed Wriggle into the ground as she flew, grinding her against the Earth! Wriggle endured great pain from hard rock ground along with the friction as Kaguya laughed maniacally, enjoying how she was ruthlessly dragging the battered youkai!

Wriggle was in severe pain, thoughts of dying crossing her mind... Death was quick to look like that of a sweet embrace... Afterall, Kaguya had beaten her. She knew Kaguya had beaten. And in turn, she had failed Mystia, Marisa and her other friends and allies. And she knew this cruel torture was possibly only the beginning of whatever horrors she would be subjected to as Kaguya's unwilling puppet...

These thoughts did not vanish, even after ever insane Kaguya stopped her sadistic assault, standing over the fallen nightbug.

"That felt rather nice... A fitting punishment for all the trouble you brought down to me. As said before, this could have avoided if you had merely..."

Kaguya stopped herself, her smile fading as she sensed something coming at her from the right... It was none other than Reimu, the miko of the Hakurei Shrine! Kaguya cursed, glaring at the incoming dichromatic miko darkly as she fired barrages of green bullets at her. Reimu charged forth at high speed, erecting a large, blue, ofuda-like barrier in front of herself to stop the bullets from hitting her. The miko zipped right through her barrier, spinning around and sending her right leg slamming into the startled Kaguya's chest, sending her flying backwards! Kaguya held the spot just below her right breast that Reimu had kicked, glaring at Reimu in annoyance.

"I see... The miko of the Hakurei shrine has managed to momentarily elude my loyal troops! But that matters not, for you will soon be out of the way, as your friends are!" exclaimed Kaguya.

Reimu's eyes breifly widened.

"My friends? What are you getting at?" called back Reimu looking at Kaguya with suspicion and caution.

Kaguya's smile returned.

"Each and everyone of them have been defeated by Eirin and I! You are the only one left standing... How long is it you think you can last for?! Ahahaha!"

***

Wriggle was barely conscious, the pain of Kaguya's brutal dragging great, the damage from it slow to heal despite her youkai body. She laid stiff and unmoving on the ground, her clothes tattered horribly, soaked in her green blood. By now, her wounds had actually closed, and were in the process of healing, but that mattered not... A full recovery from this condition would take too much time, even for a youkai.

Wriggle was out of options. Out of time. Out of hope. No matter how much her tired, barely aware mind tried, she could not think of anyway out of this situation. She thought she could hear the sound of battle nearby... Was that real? Was her mind becoming deluded, playing tricks? And just how long had this been going on? The passage of time seemed impossible to detect in this tortured state... How much time had already passed...? Again, it mattered not.

Unable to move a muscle, Wriggle closed her eyes and waited for what would happen next.

***

"What can you do now that my loyal soldiers have arrived, dear Reimu?" asked Kaguya.

Kaguya smirked watching as five of her loyal inabas flew at Reimu one by one. Reimu yelled in the air while spinning her gohei in the air, using it like a staff to swat the small bunny girls away. Kaguya responded by leaping into the air, sending her chains right at the miko. Reimu flew out of the way as she sent many small needles at Kaguya. The former princess remained in place, smiling as she pulled her chains back, whilst swinging them, sending the needles away. She then sent four white, crescent shaped blasts down toward the ground before charging right at Reimu, chains still visible despite being mostly retracted... Reimu raised her left hand upwards while putting her index and middle fingers together and pointing them upward, three large blue yin-yang orbs forming around her, orbiting her like planets.

***

Wriggle began to regain full awareness, fighting the overwhelming pain. But still, she laid unmoving on the ground, only able to rely on her ears to figure out what was going on around her. She could hear gasps and yells from familiar voices, along explosions, magic and the yelps of injured inabas... One of the voices was oddly familiar... Reimu...? Was that Reimu Wriggle was hearing? Was she fighting against Kaguya? If that was the case... ...then who was winning...? Reimu was perhaps the last hope...

Not able to stand the thought of Reimu fighting alone, Wriggle gritted her teeth, her eyes tightly shut as she tried with all her will to get up. Her pained muscles stiffened at the attempt, screaming silently at her for rest. They had no strength left. No matter how much she willed it, Wriggle still could not move...

***

Underneath Reimu, a white glow lit up the spot where Kaguya's earlier crescent blasts had it the ground. Out of them shot green and white colored beams of lasers!

"Gah...!"

Reimu whirled around, dodging the lasers as they came up underneath her while simultaneously blocking and dodging more danmaku from the charging Kaguya. The former moon princess got within point blank range of Reimu, ready to strike her down with a large bundle of  white energy! Reimu held her gohei to the side as she thrusted it forward while a single ofuda card was attached. This caused a clash of energies resembling a blue puddle of water during a heavy rainstorm to appear in between the attacks, followed by a small shockwave that blew Reimu and Kaguya a very small distance away from each other! Reimu gritted her teeth, backing away from Kaguya as the two clashed physical strike after strike...

***

Unable to give up, Wriggle Gritted her teeth, forcing her body to shake quiet a bit... ...but finally moving ever so slightly...

***

Kaguya was sent reeling back somewhat as Reimu slammed her right fist into the princess' cheek. Kaguya responded by unleashing a small blast of energy while still close, the explosion sending Reimu toward the ground! The miko recovered just as she was about to crash into the ground... ...but not before turning toward the ground and erecting another ofuda shield in front of herself... It turned out to be a wise move, as the very ground she would've landed on exploded, sending flying back into the air! As this happened, Reimu aimed a spin kick at Kaguya, blocking another energy blast attempt, stopping what would've been a clever yet cheap blow to the back. Kaguya's energy bundle fell to the ground where it exploded harmlessly, for she had dropped it to catch Reimu's leg.

"Ah... You clairvoyantly knew of the bomb one of my Inabas had planted while I was distracting you. You then predicted my attempt to strike at your turned back. Could this be the much rumored intuition of yours?" asks Kaguya. No matter if it is...

Reimu kicked Kaguya dead in the cheek with her other leg before twisting around, and firing another barrage of deadly needles at her! Kaguya put up a shield, blocking the needles as she threw out a chain, managing to wrap it around Reimu's ankle before she could get away! The princess span the miko around twice before throwing her downward at another hidden bomb in the ground! Reimu used another sheild to block the explosion, the sheer momentum sending back into the air, right into the path of two waiting Inabas that immediately tried to charge into for a headbutt! Reimu quickly blasted them with ofuda, only to have Kaguya rush in from Reimu's left, and detonate a third bomb from up close! Reimu gasped as she saw the white flash...

***

Her body recovering, Wriggle was able to slightly pick herself up, able to bend one knee for support. She heard a loud explosion above, along with Reimu's scream...

***

The miko -now with burn marks and partially torn clothes- plummeted toward the ground, but managing to recover...

"K-Kaguya...!" called out Reimu with one eye closed as she drew more ofuda.

Suddenly, a large brown object reached out and wrapped itself around the miko's body from behind! Reimu looked back in surprise to see that the object was actually the extended arm of one of Kaguya's hideous clones of mud! Reimu's ofuda cards glowed blue as she struggled in the creature's grip when a second creature sprouted up from the right, whipping the ofuda right out of Reimu's hand with its whip-like right arm before using said arm to wrap her legs! Two more creatures appeared, wrapping Reimu in their arms as well. She struggled in their surprisingly powerful grasp, but to no avail. The miko was completely helpless!

Kaguya gently landed on the ground, her arms back in her sleeves. She wore a confident and calm smile as she walked over to Reimu, getting right into her face. Reimu continued wiggling futilely as Kaguya briefly unfolded one of her arms to caress the miko's chin and cheeks.

"It seems that the uncanny intuition you sport can be outwitted after all, ufufufu..." giggled Kaguya. "Tis a shame you lost like this... You were the little bug's last hope. How sad... But alas, you were not the one to succeed. Tis I who is victorious. But you tried your best didn't you? I can admire you for that... Now then..."

One of the mud beasts began turning its free hand into a blade...

"Ohh, no no no, that will not do at all. If we were to do away with this miko permanently, it would be most problematic for Gensokyo. Subduing her will be enough for now." said Kaguya as she looked toward the murderous clone.

The creature's hand then reformed its hand to normal. Satisfied, Kaguya walked over to Wriggle who was still struggling to stand.

"My my... I guess some youkai really do not know when to give up. How stubborn..."

Wriggle could hear Kaguya walking in front of her. She did not dare look up... Suddenly, she found herself forced of the ground, held in the air by Kaguya! Wriggle said nothing, just looking at Kaguya in fear.

"This of course means that you will need further teaching..."

With that, Kaguya sent Wriggle slamming right into a huge nearby rock with a blast of sheer magical force, the nightbug gasping as she impacted, leaving cracks and a partial imprint! The princess followed up by flying over to Wriggle and slamming her right fist dead into the insect youkai's gut! Wriggle briefly shuddered as green blood trickled from her mouth. This assault had dispersed what precious little strength Wriggle was able to recover.

Now it was truly over.

Mystia... ...forgive me...

Wriggle slowly slumped to the ground, falling over and not moving. Kaguya giggled as she snapped her fingers. Two rabbit girls came to her.

"The time has come. Take her over to the seal for me." commanded Kaguya.

"Yes ma'am!"

The bunny girls did as they were told, picking up the battered Wriggle and flying off. Kaguya began to following, returning her arms to her sleeves. But as she did so, she took a moment to look into the sky... She could see a brightly glowing orange star in the distance... No, that was no star... It could only have been...

"Hmm... The guest is almost here... We'd best hurry..." said Kaguya. "Tis the beginning... ...of the end. Ufufufufu~"

An Odd Sea Slug

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Re: Frame of the Undying Fortitude
« Reply #59 on: April 29, 2009, 09:20:26 AM »
***

Elsewhere, far away from the seal...

Keine looked up into the sky... Specifically, the clear patch of sky over the Seal of Koro's revealed location. Mokou did not inform Keine of its location, but the teacher figured it out soon enough with this simple clue. She floated above the ground near the house she shared with Rinnosuke, her eyes -filled with great worry- gazing over the horizon.

"Keine!" called Rinnosuke from below. "You should come down and rest for a moment. Its not good for anyone to worry too much."

Keine looked down at her silver haired husband with the same worried expression upon her. She hesitated for a few moments before closing her eyes and slowly returning to the ground, her hands clasped in front of herself as she faced the man.

"You're correct Rinnosuke... But I have a very odd feeling... A bad one at that." sighed Keine.

"Hmm..." mumbled Rinnosuke, adjusting his glasses with his right index finger. "Do you sense anything bad in particular?"

"Well... All I have right now is this deep anxiety." responded Keine.

Rinnosuke smiled sympathetically, walking up to Keine and putting a hand on her left shoulder.

"Mokou is a strong woman Keine. You taught her well. I wouldn't worry. There isn't any doubt she knows what shes doing."

"Hm... Perhaps you're right, but..." sighed Keine before looking toward the sky again. "...she still battle against Eientei, against forces that neither her or her enemies understand."

Rinnosuke's smile dissipated as he cupped his chin with his right index finger and thumb, tucking his left hand under his right armpit.

"Rinnosuke..." began Keine again. "Back when Mokou and I were exploring Ancient Koro earlier..."

"Go ahead." said Rinnosuke after his wife's hesitation.

"Back then, we traveled into a certain house near the center of the village. It was odd... Mokou seemed compelled by an outside force to go inside. I followed her in, not knowing what else to do. While inside, we saw a strange aura. The aura of a person dwelling in a strange darkness... Something came over Mokou and possessed her, and as I watched, I began to feel fatigued and light headed, as if something was possessing me as well..." explained Keine.

Rinnosuke now looked concerned.

"What... What was it Keine...?" he asked.

"I don't know... In fact, I'm beginning to think that 'possession' wasn't quite the appropriate term to use just now... In actuality, I was simply feeling the presence of an overwhelming force... An entity in great pain... For just a moment, I could swear it was speaking to me... It was as if it were attempting to share a dire warning of some kind..."

"A warning? What kind?" asked Rinnosuke.

"It seemed as if... As if it were telling me that within Koro's seal, there is something bigger... ...deeper than a simple monster... Like a great evil beyond the monster of Koro...! I fear that said great evil is with the monster, and that the sheer terror could very well destroy everyone near it."

Rinnosuke's eyes widened as a small bit of sweat came upon the side of his face. He began attempting to find words of comfort to share with the worried Keine... But suddenly, Keine suddenly gasped, her own eyes widening as they became a crimson color!

"K-Keine?!" said Rinnosuke with worry, intentionally reaching out to grab his wife before remembering what this was...

Keine throw off her overly large hat as she breathed heavily, a green magical aura appearing around her as the blue parts of her dress became green. The blue parts of her hair became green along with the dress as a large, lengthly and bushy white and green tail emerged from where her tail bone was. Finally, Keine yelled into the sky as two long horns emerged from her head.

Once the transformation was over, she looked at her hands, then back up at the sky. She couldn't see it, but she knew...

"Tonight is a full moon..." she said more to herself. This is the night for the unsealing... Is this a premonition?

"Your Were-Hakutaku form." said Rinnosuke calmly.

"..."

Keine looked at Rinnosuke for a moment before looking back to the clearing in the sky over Koro's seal. She then closed her eyes and tightened her fists.

"Rinno-"

"Its dangerous to go you know." said Rinnosuke with a sympathetic smile, knowing full well what Keine desired to do.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on fighting, merely observing from a distance. Even with the increased power of this form, chances are that I will only impair Mokou's ability to fight, be a hindrance."

"I see... Be careful Keine." said Rinnosuke.

"I will. I love you." responded Keine.

"I love you too."

Keine nodded her head as she turned around and took to the sky.

"Oh, and Keine..." said Rinnosuke, now with a dead serious look in his eye as he crossed his arms.

Keine stopped, turning around again.

"If you believe in any deities at all... Pray to them."

Keine nodded once more before finally leaving. Rinnosuke watched her fly away until she was out of sight. He then turned around and walked back toward the house, a troubled look in his eyes as he uncrossed his arms and resumed the pose he had while listening to Keine, but supporting his right arm with his left one instead of tucking it under his armpit.

"Odd... Why am I having odd nagging feelings about Marisa? Its probably nothing, but perhaps I should go check on her..."