Hatate Quest Nelja

[Oldmansour]

>"Who cares about that? I'm talking about the real world, you dope. Celes is from there too!"

>Aya lets out a long breath. "You know what, Hatate, I'm starting to get tired of you insulting me like that. I didn't come all the way out here to listen to you call me names."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Fine, whatever, sorry. Now let's get back on topic."

[Oldmansour]

>"Fine, whatever, sorry. Now let's get back on topic."

>Aya nods, seemingly satisfied. "Yes. You keep insisting that this is some kind of fake world. But you have to admit, Hatate, that is a bit hard to swallow." she says, sounding rather reasonable about the affair.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Okay, there's like a bunch ways you can figure out I know what I'm talking about.. First, it doesn't even make sense for there to be more than one Gensokyo. Second, try to think back to how you even ended up here. Third, haven't you noticed the wind for everyone but me and Momiji and stuff is completely wrong?  Fourth, the tengu here don't even act like tengu, and that should make you really suspicious!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Okay, there's like a bunch ways you can figure out I know what I'm talking about.. First, it doesn't even make sense for there to be more than one Gensokyo. Second, try to think back to how you even ended up here. Third, haven't you noticed the wind for everyone but me and Momiji and stuff is completely wrong?  Fourth, the tengu here don't even act like tengu, and that should make you really suspicious!"

>"Let me start with your first point." Aya says as she steps towards one of the large boulders near the water. "It actually does make sense. Have you ever heard of the theory of alternate realities?" she asks as she sits down on the stone.

[Hello Purvis]

>"No it doesn't make sense because that means there's more than one Yukari, and she'd never stand for that."

[Oldmansour]

>"No it doesn't make sense because that means there's more than one Yukari, and she'd never stand for that."

>Aya chuckles. "Knowing Yukari-sama, she'd probably find it fascinating."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Only if she's the one that wins. Which means the other loses and wouldn't like it at all. But yeah, too many Yukaris disproves that one pretty handily."

[Oldmansour]

>"Only if she's the one that wins. Which means the other loses and wouldn't like it at all. But yeah, too many Yukaris disproves that one pretty handily."

>"I don't agree." Aya says with a shake of her head. "I think it's safe to say I know Yukari a bit better than you do, and I don't think she'd dismiss the idea out of hand."
>"At least the Yukari you know." Momiji counters.
>"Good point. Stands to reason that every Yukari isn't the same." The black haired crow ponders that for a moment. "Are the tengu still frightened of Yukari where you two come from?" she asks you.

[Hello Purvis]

"You tell me. You're from there. And then you can stop trying to change the subject."

[Oldmansour]

"You tell me. You're from there. And then you can stop trying to change the subject."

>"I haven't. Like I said, I'm taking your arguement one at a time. You believe that the idea of there being multiple Yukaris make this world impossible. I don't agree." Aya presses her fingers together as she continues, "Now, I am willing to admit that some Yukari's might forbid travel between their Gensokyo and others, and vice versa. And she would have the power to do it, and if she couldn't, Ran could. Which is why I asked about your Yukari, to see if she'd be one of those."

[Hello Purvis]

>"There is literally no way Yukari could get along with herself. But that's beside the point, you're from our world, since you're real unlike most of the stuff here."

[Oldmansour]

>"There is literally no way Yukari could get along with herself. But that's beside the point, you're from our world, since you're real unlike most of the stuff here."

>Aya sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. She breathes a quiet "Okay." before looking back up at you. "Just for the sake of arguement, let's say you're right. Why then are you trying so hard to convince me that this world is some kind of lie?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Because it's a lie? Because you're living a lie?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Because it's a lie? Because you're living a lie?"

>Aya's smile changes slightly, becoming something devoid of humor. "You say that like it's a change from the past thousand years."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yes? Yes it is? It's a huge change because nothing here is real and it's designed to trap you into doing nothing but dancing with illusions? Unlike back home where you deal with real people who are real? This isn't hard, Aya."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yes? Yes it is? It's a huge change because nothing here is real and it's designed to trap you into doing nothing but dancing with illusions? Unlike back home where you deal with real people who are real? This isn't hard, Aya."

>"So this world somehow can trap me, but not you two? How does that work?"

[Hello Purvis]

"Because we had Celes, who recognized all this and warned us away from it."

[Oldmansour]

"Because we had Celes, who recognized all this and warned us away from it."

>"She's an expert on this sort of thing?"
>"She seems to be." Momiji answers. "Evidently, she and the people she lives with have been finding and disarming traps like these for centuries, and they still haven't found them all."
>"Not a bad one to miss." Aya says, her smile returning. "If you two're right, then this is probably the second most benign trap I've ever seen."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, tricking people into never leaving a cage is real benign."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, tricking people into never leaving a cage is real benign."

>"As compared to finding an army of youkai haters armed with weapons unheard of and terrible magics on the inside of the trap?" Aya counters.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Or eleventy million billion yens. It's real dumb to just make up whatever as hypothetical."

[Oldmansour]

>"Or eleventy million billion yens. It's real dumb to just make up whatever as hypothetical."

>"All I'm saying is that as far as traps go, it could have been worse." She chuckles ruefully. "Hell, I've been caught in worse myself."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, not yet. You escaped those other ones."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, not yet. You escaped those other ones."

>"Yeah." Aya says sadly. "Well. Some of them."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, escaped good enough to go home when it was done. But you know what I mean."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, escaped good enough to go home when it was done. But you know what I mean."

>"I'm still not sure though why you're trying to get me to go along with this idea, though." Aya says, looking puzzled. "Even if I'm trapped, as you say, I'm not in any danger. Did you think you needed my help to find your way back to your world?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Probably not, but...because you're trapped? Because you used to be my friend? And you're still a tengu?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Probably not, but...because you're trapped? Because you used to be my friend? And you're still a tengu?"

>"We also don't know if you are safe." Momiji states. "According to Celes, these traps can suck away at someone's soul. You could end up being trapped here forever. This book could turn you into just another character. Aya Shameimaru would be gone forever."
>The puzzlement on Aya's face turns to a warm smile. "You always did worry about me, Momiji. Even before I called you friend. And you too, Hatate, you have a good heart. And you've both got good heads on your shoulders, too. If there's a way back to your home, you'll find it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You're doing that dancing around the topic thing again."