| ~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore |
| Eternal Border - a Touhou Reimagining - Part 2 In Progress! |
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| Hawk:
Hello, everyone! I've decided to try my hand at this silly little thing called fiction, mostly of the fan variety. It's been years since I've written anything creative, and it most definitely shows. So, first, a little warning: GO NO FURTHER if: 1. Raping canon offends you. Here there be artistic license. 2. You don't like icky things like cursing and sexy-sex-sexy things. (Don't worry, I've read the stickies.) 3. You think that just because it's a Touhou fanfic, every single character from every game and written work will make at least some small appearance, if only to please fans of that character. 4. Shitty writing offends you. :o PROCEED if: THE OPPOSITE OF THOSE THINGS While I'm not so stupid as to throw first drafts up here, I still consider this a work in progress. So if you want to shout "THIS IS SHIT AND YOU'RE SHIT," that's cool, but tell me why, plx. You can't hurt my feelings, because I am an emotionless husk. So now I'm going to post what I have, which is the Prologue, and chapters 1 and 2, and then I'm going to sleep, and I have to see all sorts of trolls when I wake up. DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME. Don't mind the previous sentence, since it obviously contradicts my previous claim that I am, in fact, an emotionless husk (which is still true). Prologue ? Boundary of Sky and Rainbow There is only nothingness. It cannot be described as "black" or "dark", for that would imply the possibility of light, and also its absence. It?s like the deepest sleep. You do not see or hear, smell or taste or touch...but nor is there a distinct lack of these things. Acute awareness that you are seeing nothing means that something could be seen, and that is not what this place is. It would consume any normal person in an instant. But the void, though by its very nature having existed in nonexistence for all eternity, will soon be broken. Whether it will eventually gather itself back up is unknown at this point, not that I really care. From my vantage outside the void?good luck with that one?I raise my hand. It?s unnecessary?a regal formality?but I feel it?s appropriate for such an event. I take a part of myself, a chunk of core "me-ness", and throw it into the void. In an instant the nothingness is dispersed. No fanfare, no cracking or rumbling. It's just there, and then it isn't. Any amount of existence would do, and I?ve just placed within it a great and shining light. It?s a light that would consume lesser beings with its intensity, and it?s filling my entire vision. It?s glorious. The light collapses in on itself. It?s still young, and it tried to spread beyond its means. It is now the size of a speck, something that could rest on the tip of my pinky finger. And then I spy something concerning. The light has changed from a radiant white to a soft violet. I furrow my brow. This wasn?t supposed to happen. I turn my head left and right, vainly searching for a patch of void to try again. Of course I don?t find any. I'm not going to be able to find a patch like that again until next eternity, at least. I clench my fist. Rage is boiling up inside of me. I begin shaking. All this time. All this time! This was supposed to be it! I can?t believe I? Calm... Calm... No, this?ll be fine. It really is only a minor difference. I spread open my palm towards the speck of violet, and it comes to me. I begin walking home. "You?re tiny now," I say, "but soon you?ll grow. I?ll let my memories flow into you, and you?ll discover the concept of a physical manifestation. Then you?ll grow a body, and that body will be whatever you want it to be." I realize I?m whispering. Deep in my heart I?ve already begun feeling maternal affection. "And then I?ll begin teaching you. I?ll tell you everything. I?ll tell you about the time, five eternities ago, when I fell in love with a mortal man. And how, an eternity later, mankind?s sins brought me to the height of anger, and I wiped them out and started over. Did you know that mankind is very consistent with how it advances through time? Oh, yes..." A smile crosses my face. Everything?s going to be just fine. The name I?d picked out before wouldn?t fit anymore, though. "Alright, sweetheart. I?m going to call you...Yukari. Yes, Yukari. That?s good. Do you like that?" It?s really going to work. I shouldn?t worry so much. This will work. It will. It has to. "I?m your mother, Shinki." |
| Hawk:
Chapter 1 ? Compression In the land of Gensokyo, a few miles from Town, existed its oldest building: the Hakurei Shrine. Though, for being a place of worship, its average attendance was depressingly low. Its normal patrons?not that they donated?could more closely be associated with the types of deviants religious organizations have been known to condemn. But the resident shrine maiden accepted her impoverished lot in life. Accepted isn't quite the right word. It was more like how cancer patients feel about their mortality, or how a wife thinks her husband is cheating on her. She didn't consider herself greedy, but she and the shrine needed funds to live, so it was only natural she felt monetary hunger pangs. So no, it's really nothing like acceptance. More like obsession. It stuck around in the back of her head while she prepared tea, while she fought the monster in her gardens, or while she swept the stairs in front of the shrine, which is what she was doing just then. Shh... Shh... Shh... The broom moved back and forth rhythmically, like a pendulum. It had been cold lately?too cold for late spring, and it felt to her like each swing of the broom was counting down to something big happening. As the shrine maiden of Hakurei, she had certain gifts, like a knack for omens, as well as an all-too-familiar tinge in her gut letting her know someone had just entered the shrine grounds. I wonder what she wants today. It?s always something. Yesterday it was a basket. The day before it was some spices. Why can?t she just buy them herself in Town? It?s not like she?s poor, what with all the jobs she does for people. She?s just greedy, is all. And I never get any of it back, and? "Reimu!" The shrine maiden?s head snapped to attention. There she was, resident witch of Gensokyo, closing the distance rapidly. "Marisa." "How?s it going?" she said, stopping in front of her. "What do you want?" "Just wanted to hang out, you know. Don?t be like that. We?re best friends!" the witch said, smirking. "We?re not friends." "Well," Marisa said, "then, of all the people who are not your friends, I?m still the best." Reimu sighed and placed her broom against the shrine wall. "Let?s have tea," she said. "Sake?" the witch countered. "Tea." Reimu turned to go back into the shrine, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder holding her back. She turned around to see a worried Marisa. "Reimu," the tone was unusual for her. It was scared; almost apologetic. "I saw...well, I mean, you know my recent stuff?" "The teleportation stuff?" "Yeah, well. I couldn?t quite get it to work, so I went with something similar. Like, a view crystal. You know, let?s you see anywhere you want. I figure the ideas are similar, so I?d start with something simpler..." "And...?" Reimu had a horrible feeling in her gut. Marisa was annoying, but she wasn?t stupid. If she was worried... "Sure you don?t wanna get some sake instead?" "What is it, Marisa!?" Silence. "I got it working," she started slowly. "I saw Town, I saw inside the shrine, I thought it would be cool to see under the lake. You know, see the fish and plants and stuff." Another moment of silence. "I felt something. Some...magical presence near the lake. I looked around...until I saw her." "Her?" Reimu said. There were only a few her?s that could make Marisa act like this, and none of them was someone Reimu wanted to deal with. "I wasn?t sure, but then I saw the book," Marisa said, biting her lip. "I?d recognize that book anywhere, you know that." That settled it. "Alice?" Reimu said. "Yeah." "Are you su?" She stopped herself, realizing what Marisa had just said. "I...see. We need to not panic. Let?s have some tea." This was really, really bad. Reimu placed the cup down on the table in front of Marisa, who had by now regained most of her carefree luster. "Can?t we at least spike the tea?" she whimpered. Ignoring her, Reimu sat down herself and, cupping her glass with both hands, took a small, slow sip. "Where?s the goat?" the witch said, resigning herself to her sober fate and taking a sip herself. "Passed out in the garden. Where else?" Marisa snorted. "You should put her to work. Sweat the booze out of her." "She helps...sometimes," Reimu said, shrugging. "Genji was due for cleaning, and you know how much of a pain it is to clean his underside. Well, no more problems there anymore, see? It?s like, she?ll do stuff that requires one really strong motion, and nothing else." "She?s probably why you never get any donations," Marisa retorted. "No one wants to visit the shrine with the little girl rapist." "She?s not a rapist," Reimu said, primarily out of duty. "But she might be one day." The shrine maiden didn?t respond. The two sat there in silence for a few minutes, taking in the simple peace of drinking tea. A gust of cold wind flew through an open window and bathed the two in chills. "God damn..." Marisa said, rubbing her arms. "Shouldn?t it have warmed up a while ago? Even the hot tea is no match for this shit." "Mother Nature?s a fickle woman, or something..." Reimu said halfheartedly. "Maybe...maybe she?s changed!" Marisa shouted suddenly, causing Reimu?s eyes to open wide. "M?Mother Nature!?" "Alice!" Marisa seemed to catch herself getting too excited?she was halfway to standing?and slowly sat back down. "I mean, you know. We fucked her up pretty bad last time. I mean, we thought she was dead!" "Yes..." Reimu said, "but usually people want revenge in situations like this. It?s a classic story." "You didn?t see it," the witch muttered, averting her gaze. "You?re right. I didn?t," she said. "But, Marisa, if we go in there with that kind of attitude, we could both die. There?s a difference between forgiveness and stupidity." "But we?re going to do something, right?" "...Yes." "Together?" A slight smile crossed Reimu?s face. "Yes." Relief washed over Marisa?s face. "Alright! When are we leaving?" "You know how I do things. Sunset." "Fair enough," Marisa said. "Then I?ll be back then. I?ve got some stuff to prepare. Oh, and..." She picked up the cup her tea had been in. "...gonna borrow this, alright?" Truthfully, Reimu had always felt that the existence of the shrine gardens was slightly redundant. Gensokyo, barring the occasional mishap, was the most peaceful place in the world, at least in Reimu?s eyes. Having an area specifically designed to be serene seemed like way too much work for way too little payoff. That said, she took care of it, as it was part of her job. The grass was certainly nice to walk on, and, she supposed, to sleep on, given the consistency with which Suika Ibuki, resident oni, found herself passed out on it. But Reimu knew?despite her childish appearance or intoxicated stupidity?she was the most powerful creature in Gensokyo. She once claimed she could smash the Youkai Mountain with a single punch, and Reimu couldn't deny the plausibility. She walked up to the body lying prostrate on the ground and gave it a little nudge with her foot. "Suika," she said softly. "Suika." The kicks got a bit rougher. "Suika!" Bam! "Deva." Bam! "Goat!" "Not a goat!" Suika squealed, grabbing the leg kicking her and craning her neck to see under Reimu?s robe. "Tasty..." Flush with a mix of anger and embarrassment, Reimu wretched her leg from of the oni?s grip, nearly losing her balance in the process. "Suika!" She began pushing herself up. "As a...watermelon...I...I am naturally attshracted, you sh..see, ah..." She swayed back and forth upon standing. "...natchally attracted to other fruit! Like...cherries..." She extended an arm towards Reimu?s chest, which was quickly intercepted by Reimu?s own hand. Holding it inches away from her bosom, Reimu slit her eyes at the oni. "Suika!" The stare down lasted a few seconds before Suika pulled her arm back. "Fine. But one day we?ll have so much fun. Oh, but you need to be wary of getting...addicted. It ruins people, you know." "Yeah." Suika sat down on the ground and pulled out her purple gourd. It was one of the treasures of the oni, given to her when she became a deva. It never ran out of sake and was, Reimu thought, a contender for world's least useful invention-slash-magical artifact, right up there with Marisa's "chair extender" and "water stabilizer" creations. Suika brought it up to her mouth and took a few deep gulps. "So, what?s up?" "I?ll be leaving tonight to take care of something," she said. "I want you to look after the shrine." "Ooohhh?" She raised an eyebrow. "This must be a pretty something something, huh?" Reimu stayed silent. "Right...right...so, when do I dig a grave?" "Probably...noon tomorrow...ish. But I wouldn?t worry; she wouldn?t leave bodies." Suika took another large gulp from her gourd. "Who?" "Alice." "You sure?" "Marisa says she?s certain. I believe her." Suika put her gourd down and thought for a moment. It was always unsettling when she got contemplative, even when the alternative was sexual harassment. "Was it locked?" "No idea. Didn?t ask." "That?s probably important," the oni said. "If it isn?t, you?re fucked, and not by me, and that?s the problem." "We did it last time," she retorted. "Ugh..." Suika groaned, shaking her head. The shrine maiden got a bit red in the face; there were few things more infuriating than being talked down to by a drunk good-for-nothing. "Last time was her first time," she continued. "An adult can climb mountains, a toddler can barely walk. Both have legs. That book has the power to undo creation." "How can a youkai get that kind of power?" Reimu asked. "She?s not just a youkai. She?s God?s daughter. You know, God? Creation? All that shit? And it?s not her power, it?s the book?s." "So we just have to get the book." "Just..." Suika snorted. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide. "Wait!" She held forward both her arms. Attached to her wrists were chains about two foot in length. At the end of the chain on her right wrist was a small pyramid, and at the end of the left was a sphere. "Do you know what these are?" "I thought they were just decorations," Reimu said, unamused. Suika grinned wide. "Don?t tell anyone, but they?re amplifiers. Not that I?m not the strongest in all of Gensokyo without them, mind, but they help. This one," she said, pointing at the sphere, "is for diffusion, and this one," now pointing at the pyramid, "is for compression. See?" "Yes, but I?m not sure?" "And this one," the oni shouted, turning around to show her long hair. At the end, holding all the strands together, was one last chain, at the end of which was a cube. "This one is the most important. It means that no matter how thin spread I get, no matter how big I make myself, no matter how much I fuck with my density, I'm still me. Suika is Suika." She reached around and grabbed the chain, and with one slight yank, freed it. She walked over to just in front of Reimu. She craned her neck up. "Bend down a bit, yeah?" Reimu did as she was asked. She felt the chain slide around her neck?it was cold?and back around. Then there was a slight glow as Suika reduced the density of the topmost link, placed it through the link connected to the cube, and compressed it again, creating one complete chain. She then grabbed the cube and held it up just in front of Reimu's eyes. "Listen. The grimoire can create and uncreate things," Suika said softly. "This cube locks your existence into place." Reimu's eyes were glued on the cube. It wasn't altogether too remarkable to look at, but there was just something about it. It seemed to be throbbing...pounding, like a heart. No...that was her own heart, beating hard enough to cause her vision to jitter. She felt hot, uncomfortable, itchy. Her breathing became deeper and more rapid. Sweat started to trickle down her cheeks, causing her to become acutely aware of the warmth of her face compared to the coolness of the areas of sweat the wind ran over. She felt compressed, tight, muffled, and all she wanted was to scream; scream with ecstasy, and rage, and duty, and anxiety, and confusion, and all the other things inside of her. "S?Sui...ka...what...ah!" She fell back on her rear and instinctively kicked out, catching Suika in the stomach. The oni's hand had found its way in between her legs, and had begun rubbing something very precious to her. "You...you bitch!" she screamed, done with the world of don't-use-these-words. She was shaking violently, fear and excitement all rolled into one. "You're so cute!" Suika squealed joyfully. "You get my blood burning. Oh, but for real: That cube will protect your existence. It's just that I've been wearing it so long...it probably picked up a little bit of me on the way. Won't hear me complaining, though." Too angry to even speak, Reimu got up and began storming out of the gardens. "Also," Suika shouted after her, "that'll only work for you, cherry! The snake'll have to find some other way to be! Don't die a virgin!" Reimu turned her head. "Screw you!" "Anytime!" And that was how Reimu Hakurei, Maiden of the Border, began her journey. |
| Hawk:
Chapter 2 ? Warm Whispers Age will consume me. "In Gensokyo, there exists a door. Normal people can't find it, but if they did, they would run away. That is the effect of the door. A fear. A deep, profound anxiety." Illness will consume me. "Well, that's because they see their future. All mortals eventually die, and they're afraid of that. It seems silly to us, but you should understand that they don't know how nice it is here." Death will consume me. "Haha! Don't let Lady Yuyuko hear you say that. No, I'm afraid that humans are only allowed here once they've become ghosts. Then we welcome them to Hakugyokurou. If we let them in before that...well, it wouldn't be very good. Separation will consume me. "Because...humans need the mystery of death. It allows them to do things, and live their lives productively. You know when Lady Yuyuko sends you on an errand and gives you a time limit? It's kind of like that." Responsibility will consume me. Youmu Konpaku opened her eyes. Her meditations had been fruitless these past few weeks. Visions of her father kept interfering. A bad omen, she thought. She was sitting cross-legged on the grass in the gardens of Hakugyokurou, the land of the dead. On the ground in front of her were her two swords, arranged in an 'X', both blades pointing towards her. "Swords are tools used to kill and save, Youmu. The blades touch to represent that those ideas are linked. Traveling down either path, ignoring the other, results in failure and damnation. The blades are pointed at you so that you never forget your place. Just as you kill, so can you be killed. Just as you save, so can you be saved. You're not immortal, and you're not perfect." She stood up and picked up her belt, ritualistically placed off to the side, and buckled it back around her waist. Housing her swords in their sheathes, she took a deep breath. At the end of each sheath was tied an Eternal Princess, a lavender flower unique to Hakugyokurou. It was said that a single whiff of its smell would cause a mortal to die in the most pleasant way possible. As official gardener of the dead, all of her duties of the day had been completed except one. She began a brisk walk towards the largest tree in the area. It was the Saigyou Ayakashi, a towering cherry blossom that had never bloomed. It didn't die, but every spring its branches were just as empty as in the winter. Standing a few yards away from the base, she unsheathed the longer of her two swords, the Roukan, and made a quick and powerful slash towards the trunk. Tiiiiiiing... The sword connected with something midair, and bounced off, emitted a pure tone that hung in the air for a few seconds. The barrier distorted just enough to be visible with the naked eye?like looking through glass?before it disappeared again. The stoic young girl nodded once and headed inside. "How are the flowers?" the woman sitting at the table asked. She was thin and pale, pitiable except for her lively attitude. "Acceptable, my Lady," Youmu said, bowing once before sitting at the table herself. "I see..." Yuyuko said, letting her eyes wonder around the room. "And the cherry blossoms?" "Acceptable, my Lady." "And the barrier?" "Strong as ever, my Lady." Youmu's head was tilted down, staring holes the table. "What color are my eyes?" Yuyuko locked her fingers together and cradled her chin on them, smiling slightly. A moment passed. "Red, my Lady." "Oh, quite right. Quite right. Let's see..." She hummed a nonsensical tune while thinking. "Do I have any birthmarks?" An even longer moment. "Not that I am aware of." Youmu's cheeks were tinted ever so slightly crimson. And then, like a bullet, "My Lady!" "What's the second perfect number?" "28, my Lady." "What's black and white and red all over?" "The Prismriver Sisters, my Lady." "Hmm..." Yuyuko craned her head back and studied the ceiling, seemingly satisfied. "How many fledglings came today?" "None, my Lady." "None?" the frail young woman's head snapped back down. "None, my Lady." "Well...why!?" she said a bit louder than she'd wanted to. The gardener was silent, as though trying to find the right words. "No one...died...my Lady." "You expect me to belie?" She stopped herself, took a large breath, and began rubbing her temple. "The last time this happened was before you were born. Long, long before. Before Youki, even." Youmu started slightly at the use of her father's name, but only slightly. "Something's wrong...I have a bad feeling, Youmu." "Such a wise conclusion, Queen of Ghosts." Even Yuyuko couldn't see Youmu move. Like lightning, from her seat at the table to the corner of the room behind Yuyuko. One of her hands was clutching the mysterious assailant's hair from behind, and the other was holding the shorter of her two swords against her neck. "Your Majesty, I submit a most humble request," the intruder seethed. "If you could call the bitch off, we'll be able to talk like adults." Yuyuko smirked at the girl. A few seconds passed. The smirk turned into a scowl. "You're not human." "No. At least, it won't be that easy to kill me. Now?ah! That sword is...rather sharp?if you would, Your Majesty." The girl opened her hand, and from it a small sphere of light flew out, which grew and grew. It started taking shape. Yuyuko recognized it. A book made of pure light. And then Yuyuko was falling. LoveLaughterLoveTheManIsThereLoveKissSexCompleteLoveDeadNo! BloodBookMetalTastesLikeMetalBookLightBookBookBook She hadn't been dizzy in so long. Since she died. Surprisingly, she could only think how she should've hit the floor ages ago. Instead, her head was cradled in someone's hands. They weren't warm, and they were awkward. They were nothing like a mother's caring touch, but they were Youmu's, and they were full of love. "My Lady! My Lady!" She was screaming. Yuyuko had never heard her scream. It was interesting. "Give me...a few minutes, alright?" she said softly, and then, utilizing all the powers at her disposal, transported Youmu as far away as she possibly could. With a loud thunk her head hit the wooden floor. "Alice," she said. "You remember!" Alice squealed, now sitting on the other side of the table. The book of light had completely disappeared. Yuyuko pushed herself up. She wasn't in pain. "I remember your name, and that I used to know you," she said. "I think you...killed me." "You're on the right track," Alice said, "but not quite." She was smiling happily. "I knew showing you the grimoire would knock something loose!" Yuyuko was not amused. "We were friends!" Alice shouted. "Or...at least, not enemies! Look," she said, "for the past couple hundred of years or whatever, I've been bumming around, doing my own thing, you know. Just doing whatever. But then I see some bad stuff going down, something that directly affects you." She pointed at Yuyuko. "And I'm like, I gotta tell her, or she'll hate me forever." "So...what is it?" "A murderer!" she shouted. "And a witch! The witch put up a...eh..." She kept twirling her hands in the air. "Siphon! You know, sucks up all the souls headed here. Reverses it, and uses them to power something!" "Something?" "Dark...magic! Evil stuff. I dunno. So they're a duo, right? Working together to power this bad thing." "Who are they?" Alice held up two fingers and pointed to the first. "The witch: Marisa Kirisame." She pointed at the second. "The murderer: Reimu Hakurei." Yuyuko stood up. "I'm going to go make some tea, would you like some?" "Oh, yes please!" It took her a few minutes longer than it should have, since it was normally Youmu's job, but she was?or at least could have been?a yamato nadeshiko, after all. Eventually, she returned, placing a cup delicately in front of the odd girl. "You're obviously lying," she said, returning to her own seat with a cup for herself. "That's only half-true." Yuyuko started feeling slightly dizzy again. "But...which is which..." "Is up to you," Alice said, taking a sip. The ghost queen began rubbing her forehead again. "I..." "You used to say that to me all the time." "We...were friends..." she whispered. "Or, at least...not enemies." "And day after day you'd tell me stories full of the most ridiculous bullshit, expecting me to piece together the truth from the lies." Yuyuko couldn't speak. "Hahahahaha.... See? See? That's what you get! Karma, Yuyu, karma. I've been waiting centuries to see that look on your face! And here's the kicker!" Alice got up and ran around the table, a demented grin spread wide. She fell to her knees and skidded the last few inches. Eliciting a faint squeal from the normally calm queen, she grabbed her head and pulled it roughly to her face, placing Yuyuko's ear directly against her mouth. Her lips were cracked, and it was warm when she whispered. "If you figure out the mystery, I'll tell you what's beneath the Saigyou Ayakashi." |
| WRATHIE_Beatrice:
--- Quote from: Hawk on July 26, 2009, 12:41:32 PM ---1. Raping canon offends you. Here there be artistic license. 2. You don't like icky things like cursing and sexy-sex-sexy things. (Don't worry, I've read the stickies.) --- End quote --- Now, before I go further. read the rules at the top of the page and move on. |
| Hawk:
Mmm...only one troll? Well, thanks for trying anyway. So, uh. Let me clear up a few things that seemed to have confused you. When I said "Raping canon", it was not my intention to imply I was going to throw the Touhou canon to the ground, hold a knife to its neck, be empowered by its screams, ruin it for marriage, and post that here in violent, sexy, gut-wrenching, NSFW detail. My story will be massively different from the games' canon, so I was using jargon to try to imply just how unlike its original it would be. Let's look at a few examples: * Yeah, the sequel totally raped the epic story the first one set up. * I was playing BlazBlue the other day against some D-spamming Nu scrubs. I've mostly figured out how to deal with that, but then a real Nu player stepped up. Rape. * So then I killed her family and raped her. One of these things is different from the rest. This is an exercise left up to the reader. Also, when I explicitly say "Don't worry, I've read the stickies," in immediate response to a sentence that could very well imply I'm going to break one of the two rules explicitly made for this subforum, and then someone replies to that saying "Read the stickies," I gotta say, I'm impressed. Well, assuming [this thread doesn't get modded/I don't get banned] for not breaking the rules, chapter 3 should be up in the next couple of days. |
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