~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore
Thought's End & Embodiement of Dreams (2nd Ignition)
Valesta:
A knife quickly materializes in Sakuya?s hand and she tosses it at Patchouli?s head. Patchouli just stands in place as she opens her mouth. Just as the knife is mere millimeters away from making contact, Patchouli chomps down, catching the weapon between her teeth.
Sakuya is taken aback, ?Wh-what the???
Patchouli spits the knife out, ?You idiot, Sakuya. I?m not the Patchouli you knew. Expect me to pull some pretty crazy shit every now and then, alright??
?Tch.? Thanks to the lack of magical energy in this realm, I can?t make new spell cards! Thanks to the battle with Reimu almost a year ago, I have only four left! I?d better not waste them?
?Now it?s time for me to go on the offensive! Agni Shine!? Patchouli extends her hand toward Sakuya and several fireballs materialize, which merge into one large ball of flame, which comes flying toward Sakuya.
?Far too easy!? Sakuya leaps up and takes to the sky, certain to fly over Patchouli?s attack? at least until gravity kicks in and drags her back to the ground. ?Damn!? This battle made me feel so much like I was back in Gensokyo that I forgot a major basic of this realm: I can?t fly! Sakuya lands short of going headlong into the fireball. She freezes time, allowing her just enough time to intentionally fall on her back to avoid the fireball. It flies over her, lightly singing her torso. However, her avoidance maneuver allows Patchouli to get in a free attack.
Patchouli smirks as she raises her hand into the air, ?Princess Undine!? A blast of highly pressurized water burst below Sakuya, launching her into the air. Still smirking, Patchouli directs her open palm up in the former maid?s direction and many fireballs materializes around her and fly toward the helpless Sakuya.
?AARRggGGHH!? Sakuya screams as Patchouli?s fireballs engulf her, the temperature rising to an almost unbearable heat.
?Agni Radiance!? Patchouli?s open palm curls into a fist and the fireballs around Sakuya burst in a moderate explosion. Sakuya falls to the ground with severe burns and some parts of her clothes on fire.
?Rughh?? Sakuya tries to douse the flames.
?Hahahaahaa!? Patchouli laughs as she sees the nearly-defeated Sakuya try to endure her pain, ?Was that too much. I?ll make it better! Princess Undine High Level!? A magic circle opens in front of Patchouli and a power stream of water flies out, slamming into the ex-maid, knocking her to the ground.
Sakuya feels relieved from the previous burning, but knows that she can?t take much more, Damn it! Whoever this Patchouli is, she?s not fighting me seriously. I must use some cards of my own if I want to survive and get to the bottom of this? Sakuya rises to her feet, drawing a wet spell card.
Patchouli folds her arms in front of her, ?Now the big guns, eh? It?s about damn time.?
Sakuya raises her spell card, ?Maid Secret Skill!? A small group of knives materialize around Sakuya and fly toward Patchouli.
?WEAK! Rage Trilithon!? A wall of stone rises in front of Patchouli to defend her from the knives.
Sakuya thrusts her hand in the librarian?s direction, ?Marionette!?
Suddenly, responding to Sakuya?s will, the knives arch around Patchouli?s shield and sink into her flesh, ?AhhhhhhSHIT!? The shield vanishes and Sakuya charges at Patchouli, knife drawn, sinking it into her lower chest, avoiding her vitals, ?AUGH!?
?Who are you,? demands Sakuya, ?You don?t act like the Patchouli I know. What?s going on?? TELL ME!?
Instead of answering the ex-maid?s question, Patchouli moans in a voice different than her own, ?How could you? Sakuya??
?What?? Sakuya remembers the voice Patchouli just used as belonging to someone else. Before her eyes, Patchouli transforms into Remilia Scarlet, her former mistress.
Sakuya withdraws her knife and stammers, ?Wh-what? Mistress? I?m? I?m so sorry! I? I??
?Sucker!? Remilia snatches Sakuya knife away from her, turns it toward her ?former servant,? then transforms again, into Iku Nagae, an atmosphere reading youkai who Sakuya fought during the Mountain of Faith incident.
?What??
?HA!? Iku stabs the knife into Sakuya?s shoulder.
?ERK!? Iku then, using her power over lightning, sends an electrical surge through the knife's blade and into Sakuya?s body, ?Arg-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!? Sakuya falls to the ground, paralyzed by the shock.
?Hahaha! Surprised you, didn?t I??
Sakuya forces herself to speak, ?What? are you???
Iku responds, ?Funny you ask that. You know me better than you think.?
?What? Just? what do you want???
Iku paces around the defeated ex-maid, ?Nothing, really. At least not for right now. I just thought I?d give my powers a spin?? She transforms into various Gensokyo residents, starting with Ran Yakumo ?? Don?t worry; I have no intensions of killing you?? She transforms into Yuka Kazami ?? In fact, I need you.?
?What? are you? talking about???
The figure with no certain identity turns into Aya Shameimaru, ?It's nothing I need to inform you of?? She transforms into Keine Kamishirasawa ?? because my desire and your overall plan just happens to coincide??
?What??
Finally, the figure transforms into Tewi Inaba, ?Look, just free Princess Kaguya and that stupid tomboy rival of hers?, okay??
?What?s in it for you? exactly??
?None of your business, maid-girl?? She transforms into someone Sakuya had never seen before: A girl with red eyes and bunny-ears extending out of her head, wearing a black blazer, like Sakuya?s friend, Reisen Udongein Inaba, a moon rabbit. The differences are that this rabbit has short red hair and wears black dress pants instead of a skirt, as well as being slightly taller. ?Well, time?s up. I?ll see you around. We?ll meet again if you continue to dawdle, y?hear? Bye!? With that, the figure vanishes into thin air.
The paralysis wears off after a few minutes and Sakuya slowly gets back to her feet, thinking out loud, ?Who was she?? And why does she want Kaguya and Mokou to be freed?? Sakuya takes a few seconds to think, but doesn?t come up with any reasonable motives regarding the mystery girl, ?No matter? We still have to free our friends? but??
Valesta:
A few weeks following Sakuya?s encounter with the mysterious entity that had the ability to assume the forms and powers of the Gensokyo residents that vanished along with the dream, the ex-maid meets up with Yukari to discuss the matter.
That night, the two of them stand on the roof of a skyscraper and look out at the illuminated cityscape.
?Indeed a far cry from our former home,? notes Yukari, referring to the city, ?If Gensokyo lived on, would it look like this someday? I can only imagine??
Sakuya asks, ?Yukari, what do you think of that figure that attacked me? She seems interested in reuniting Reimu and Marisa and setting Kaguya and Mokou free. I don?t know why. It just seems that she has something to gain out of that??
?Anything else worth noting? I never met that person, but I find her fascinating. From what you described, she most certainly is a link to the non-existent Gensokyo??
Sakuya recalls, ?Before she left, she turned into a rabbit youkai. Not the kind that Tei and the other Gensokian rabbits are, but more like Reisen. She also referred to Kaguya with a tone of familiarity??
?Sounds like a Lunarian,? says Yukari, ?But what do they have to do with Gensokyo. Sure, they wanted to invade it, but??
?At any rate, our objectives seem to coincide, so I doubt we?re enemies. She really wants us to hurry in reuniting them??
?We?re in no rush, Sakuya. Kaguya and Mokou are immortal. They can stand to wait??
?Are you sure we can?t just take them to you and reuniting them by going through the boundary??
Yukari shakes her head, ?Theoretically, we could, but humans of this realm are shallow things. They are terrified of the unknown. As they are, I doubt they will cooperate that way, plus they don?t remember who they once were??
?Whoever the rabbit was, though, something tells me she may have different ideas??
?Just keep watching over Marisa, along with Alice and Cirno. The time will come. You?ll see.?
?Understood??
==
CONCEALED THE CONCLUSION, part 2: Embodiment of Dreams
I rush out my house and head en route to school. Yeah, I am late! It hadn?t happened before moving, when I could just wake up, get dressed, and head to school, eating breakfast there. Now it?s waking up, getting dressed into a school uniform, which has more pieces of clothing than casual clothes do, eat breakfast, because my new school doesn?t serve it there, then head on over! Damn it! I run as fast as I can, my wavy blonde hair riding the wind my speed produces.
My name is Marisa Starr. I recently turned 17 and my life is pretty typical? well, from anyone else?s viewpoint, that is. About a year ago, I was in an accident, which caused me to fall into a coma for a few months. Not too long after, my dad, who I don?t see often as it is, got a new higher-paying job, which caused us to move. I used to attend a public school, but because I don?t fit in well with anyone, mostly due to my tomboyish nature, they decided to transfer me to an all-girls private school, hoping that I?d be able to make some friends, which is even worse, because most of those girls are stuck-up bitches, not to mention that, and this is between us, I tend to be attracted to girls, rather than guys, which makes me all the more awkward! I guess you could say that I?m a lesbian, not that I outright announced that to the world. It?s my secret, and now yours too.
The town I live in? well, there is not much to say about it. It?s pretty typical. There is a LOT of green. Green grass on the ground, green leaves on the trees, green bushes seem to be a popular decoration around buildings. All in all, it?s a pretty secluded place, peaceful even, not that I?m complaining. At least I prefer it to the big city, so it?s all good, despite being a little boring.
I rush up to the front gate of the school after dashing through a few blocks. The outer walls of the main building are white, and the roof is blue. It was built only a few years ago, so it?s pretty tidy, as opposed to my old public school, which was basically a hellhole from a cleanness standpoint, so even if I?m awkward around all the other snobs that attend this place, it?s still a fresh environment. All the students there wear the same kind of uniform: A white collared button-up shirt under a blue wool vest with a pocket on the front of it, a medium-length skirt, which is blue and green with a checker-like design, black dress shoes with blue socks that come up just below the knees. Finally, a gold badge (or shiny yellow plastic that is supposed to pass as gold) with the school?s insignia on it.
In front of the gate, my two friends wait for me: Cirno Izayoi and Alice Margatroid. I was half-lying when I said that I didn?t fit in the private school. Not long after I attended, those two joined at the same time. They instantly wanted to be friends with me for some strange reason. Unlike all the other girls at the school, they are actually pretty nice. The three of us always stick together, plus we have all the same classes. With my personality, it?s not easy to make friends, so I treasure the ones I do make.
?Heeeeey!? Cirno is 12 years old and has blue eyes and short blue hair complimented by a green ribbon. While my school is high school level, Cirno was allowed in because she?s some kinda ?child prodigy.? The school board can believe whatever the hell they want about her, but I think they screwed up. Cirno isn?t really all that bright. In fact, one would say that she?s a little? stupid. Most of the time, she has to peek at Alice?s or my test papers to pass. She also wears a large backpack ALL the time, even when she?s sitting at her desk. She sometimes gets bullied by the other girls because of that. Still, we often play games together and that?s always a good time.
?Good morning, Marisa!? Alice is 18 years old and has bright blue eyes and short blonde hair with a red headband. She?s a bright girl, but she really doesn?t talk to anyone besides me and Cirno. During class, she?s usually off in her own little world. She likes dolls; probably too much for someone her age; something she gets made fun of sometimes by the other students, but she usually ignores those bitches. She?s really cute when she smiles, seldom as that is.
?What?s up?? I ask, ?You two didn?t have to wait for me. I?m late and if you?re waiting for me here, you?ll be late too!?
?Whatever,? says Cirno, ?We?re always together! If you?re late, then we?ll be late too.?
I turn to Alice, ?Are you okay with that??
Alice says with a slight shrug, ?I really don?t care??
?Anyways, let?s get to class.?
We enter the school building. While there is a lot of green on the outside, there is a lot of blue and white on the inside. As this is a new school, there are empty racks reserved for whatever prizes this school is bound to win. All there is so far are some plaques for academic achievement and a few chess championships, as well as a couple trophies for ranking in some fencing tournaments.
On our way to our homeroom, one student passes going the opposite direction and sneers, ?The loser trio is late again. You?re so pathetic!?
Alice pretends to ignore her, Cirno gives her a mean look, and I extend my arm in the bitch?s direction, and extend my middle finger, ?Screw you, Ashley.?
?My name is Melissa!?
?Whatever. Your name is Shitbitch for all I care.? We get bullshit like this a lot. This is why I hate my schoolmates outside of Alice and Cirno: Everyone acts like we?re inferior because our families aren?t quite as distinguished. In fact, the three of us are probably the only students here that don?t act that way, which is all the better that we hang around each other all the time: We can always reassure one another.
Cirno smiles at me, as if to say, ?Yeah, you sure told her off!?
Alice says, ?Honestly, Marisa. You could have picked a better way to resolve that scenario??
I respond, ?Sometimes, you just have to do what I just did. If you don?t stand up for yourself, they will just pick on you some more. You have to prove that you?re not the kind of person to just stand there and take that kind of crap.?
Another student passes by, saying to Alice condescendingly, ?Nice headband, bitch! Did you get that out of a dumpster??
??? Alice grits her teeth in annoyance, but says nothing.
I stand up for Alice, ?No, she didn?t. Is that where you got your face??
?Ah!? The girl looks at me, genuinely insulted, and stomps off in a rage.
?And don?t come back!? yells Cirno in a way that, honestly, makes me look less cool.
Alice pauses, smiles, and then giggles a little. She?s so cute like that! ?Hahaha!?
?What?s so funny??
?Nothing! You are just exactly how I remembered you.?
??Remembered???
?Oh? It?s nothing. Forget I said anything.?
?Anyway, you should have said something like I just did. People like her pride themselves on their appearance and look down on others in that regard. You have to hit them where it hurts!?
Alice responds, ?Garbage like her is not worth wasting my words on.?
?Ouch!? exclaim me and Cirno at the same time, impressed by Alice?s logic.
We arrive at class and promptly receive our third tardy in a row. One more and it?s detention. Damn. We sit at our desks, in the back of the class, me sitting in the far right corner, facing from the front of the room, Alice in front of me and Cirno to my left. Every class is the same: a lecture where I sit bored, Cirno, being the smart one for once, reading comics, hiding them from the teacher?s sight with a textbook, and Alice daydreaming or asleep. She usually has to ask the teacher to repeat herself when asked a question. That is how each class goes.
Before long, it?s lunchtime. As expected from our ?mindblowing? popularity, we get a cafeteria table all to ourselves. After each of us eats a meager mid-day meal, Cirno?s food of choice being ice cream, Alice lifts her book bag onto the table and pulls out a miniature chess set. We decide to play a game. We only have 20 minutes left to play, and most people would probably not be able to finish a game in that time, but not Alice. Either she?s too good or I suck that badly, probably both, but she always beats me in a timely fashion. The game ends in 17 minutes with my king?s escape route cut off by two of my own pawns and opposed by one of Alice?s rooks.
?Checkmate.?
?Dammit! I lose again!? I?ve never beaten Alice at chess. To make matters worse, I always lose to Cirno at VIDEO GAMES!
Cirno gives me a reassuring pat on the back, ?You did good, Marisa.?
?Do you even know HOW to play this game, Cirno??
?No??
?Then don?t say anything.?
Alice puts the chess set away, ?Well, class will be starting again soon.?
Shit! I lost to Cirno at IaMP over the weekend and I lost to Alice at chess today! The score will not go unsettled! ?Alice! Fencing! After school! Be there!?
There is a few seconds of silence between us. Finally, Cirno asks, ?So? um? what will we do when we graduate?? She gives Alice the sort of glance that indicates something that is just between two people, but whatever.
Alice says, ?Personally, I want to study abroad in Japan.?
?Me too! It?s like you read my mind!? says Cirno.
Alice and Cirno both look at me longingly. I respond, ?Wh-what??
?I want you to come too,? says Alice, somewhat direct.
?We won?t take ?no? for an answer,? adds Cirno.
?Well?? Going abroad with my friends? It doesn?t sound like a bad plan at all, still? ?I?ll think about it??
Before anymore words can be added, the bell rings.
A couple more hours pass. At long last, the final bell rings. Cirno decides to head straight home, while Alice, who accepted my challenge, and I head to the gym, then to the locker room to change into white fencing clothes and masks.
The school prides itself on two things: chess and fencing, so obviously, the team is practicing, the sounds of their clashing blades echoing through the gymnasium. Still, Alice and I get our own strip to play on, as no one wants to be anywhere near ?losers like Marisa Starr and Alice Margatroid.?
We decide to do epee, the ?anything goes? style. Without anyone to referee the match, we?re left to our own devices, but we stay as close to the rules as possible, though the team members occasionally mock the way we play.
?En garde!? The ?battle? begins! I take the initiative and advance toward Alice, who attempts to counterattack, but I feint my move, retreating out of her range, then quickly advancing again and performing a lunge, twirling my blade so it connects with Alice?s left thigh, ?Touche!?
?I won?t fall for that twice!? A new round begins and Alice goes on the offensive. She attempts a straight on attack, which I parry, then attempts to strike at my right knee. She?s using her strategy, but unfortunately for her, I?m faster. I quickly step back and riposte, my blade connecting with her mask, around the right eye area. Good thing fencing has this equipment.
We keep playing well past when the team leaves. Needless to say, I won. Alice may kick ass at chess, and Cirno may kick ass at video games, but I kick ass at fencing. After my two previous losses, I feel pretty good to have won a round, even if it is within my area of expertise. Also, Cirno never played us at chess or fencing, probably because she?s too dim to win at chess and too short to win at fencing. I like fencing. It emulates a fight and that?s always a good way to let off steam. I?ve probably only been in real fights twice in my lifetime (surprisingly not against other students here), but part of me felt good at those times.
We change back into our school uniforms. Alice wipes the sweat off her forehead, ?Good game. Are you satisfied??
?Hell yeah,? I respond, wiping off some sweat of my own. That was quite a workout.
We head home. We walk out of the school and it?s already dark out, the full moon shining down from above. We walk toward the school gates. There aren?t any homes around for quite a ways, but the street lamps give off plenty of light. The coolness of the night and the gentle breeze refreshes us after those furious hours of swordfighting.
We walk out the gate and turn left onto the main road, which passes in front of the school.
We walk a few steps, when suddenly, a figure appears before us. Huh? Where did it come from? I didn?t even see it. It?s like it came out of nowhere.
Alice?s eyes widen and she steps backward, ?It can?t be???
I look at the figure: It?s a girl, about 14, with blue hair, and wearing an elegant pink dress and a pink hat that no one around here would be caught dead wearing? But screw that! On her back, there is a pair of bat-like wings, and it?s more than a costume, because she?s slightly hovering off the ground, and red claws extending from her fingers. She also has eyes that are a red as blood. She smirks slightly, giving me a view of her teeth, which have fangs like those of a cat.
I say to the girl what is on my mind, ?What the hell are???
Alice cuts me off, saying, ?You?re? Remilia Scarlet!?
Valesta:
?Do you know her?? I ask Alice.
???
The weird girl, ?Remilia? says, looking at me, ?We meet at last, Marisa Starr.?
?Wh-who are you? WHAT are you??
Remilia smirks deviously, ?I?m a vampire and I vant to suck your blood. BLAH!? As she makes her clich? reference, she flies at me. However, Alice steps between us and a few things that look like dolls appear around her. That?s right, APPEAR, as in materialize out of thin air! As if that wasn?t weird enough, the dolls, moving on their own, hold out their arms and circles that seem to be made completely of light appear in front of them. From those circles, multicolored ?shots? pour out toward Remilia, who deflects a few with her claws, then backs off, putting some distance between herself and Alice.
I back away from Alice, shocked and scared of what I just witnessed. My heart starts to pound so hard, I can hear it. Tears stream from my eyes. Just what the hell is going on? ?Alice, just what ARE you??
Alice says after a long hesitation, ?Stay back, Marisa?? She pulls something that looks like a piece of paper with a weird symbol on it out of her uniform?s front pocket ?? I?ll handle her.?
Remilia smirks at me, ?Funny, Marisa. I recall you having more bravado than this?? Her eyes turn to Alice, ?Alright, Alice Margatroid, entertain me!?
?Recall?? What the hell? I never saw her before in my life!
Remilia lunges at Alice and strikes with her claws, which my now-mysterious ?friend? dodges to the right, jumps backward, raises her piece of paper, and declares, ?Magipulation!? The slip disappears, and in its place, a doll radiating some kind of blue light appears. ?Return Inanimateness!? She tosses the doll at Remilia; it connects and explodes in a large blue burst. The weird winged girl is sent reeling backward and crashes into the school?s outer wall, leaving a sizable dent. Damn! I didn?t think Alice could fight like that!
Even though I?d imagine the blow Remilia just received would hurt like a bitch, she just grins, not showing much pain, ?Pretty good, Alice! Now?? She stretches her hand out in Alice?s direction, ?Red Magic!? From her hand, several round ?shots? fly out, quickly escalating from a volley to an outright salvo.
Alice won?t dodge in time. Hell, I have faster reflexes and I couldn?t. In defense, Alice raises her arms in front of her upper body and face. She gets hit by several of the blasts, each one appearing to impact her like getting hit by a baseball flying from a pitching machine, also, even from where I am, on the side, it felt pretty hot when Remilia started using that attack. The shots that fly past Alice keep going into the woods behind her, either crashing into trees or knocking off branches.
Remilia?s attack ends, then, as the weirdness can?t possibly end where it is now, SPLITS into a swarm of bats, which disperses. I guess she really IS a vampire!
Alice, appearing to be in a bit of pain, and small amounts of smoke emerging from the places where she had been hit, lowers her defensive stance, looks where Remilia was, ?Where???
The bats gather again behind the unsuspecting Alice and Remilia completely reappears and prepares to slash with her claws.
?Alice! Behind you!? I cry out.
?Ah!? Alice glances behind her, and, noticing Remilia about to attack, ducks down and avoids the attack, then jumping back, putting some distance between them.
?Haha!? However, Remilia presses her assault, and dashes toward Alice, slashing her across her upper chest.
?Ah!? Alice staggers backward, holding where she was just struck, blood streaming down the front of her school uniform and dripping onto the ground, making this whole thing look even more intense. I think I?m going to be sick?
Remilia delivers a kick to Alice, knocking her off her feet, and then turns her attention toward me. I?m shivering in fear and thus, I don?t have the reflexes I usually do, which explains why I didn?t react when Remilia leaps toward me, tackles me, and pins me to the ground. She tries to wrestle me down and she?s succeeding. For someone who looks to be 14, damn she?s strong! ?Stay out of this! I?m going to shut you up!?
My fear is reaching such a point that I?m starting to feel dizzy. I whimper, rather pathetically, ?Alice? help me??
?Zero Sign!? A familiar juvenile voice cries out from behind.
?Hm?? Remilia stops wrestling me down and sits up on top of me.
?Ice Vulcan!? Suddenly, several small sharp crystals, which look like ice fly into Remilia?s chest, the force knocking her off me and onto her back.
Alice returns to her feet, ?Whew. You made it!?
I look behind me and see Cirno standing with her right arm stretched out, light blue smoke rising from her palm.
?Cirno??
Cirno calls out happily, ?Heeeey! Marisa? Are you okay??
I get back up, ?Ye-yeah?? I never thought that my life would be saved by CIRNO, of all people!
Alice says, ?She has to be the one that_?
Suddenly, Alice?s words are cut off as Remilia returns to her feet. Blood is running down her front, but she?s alive. No way! No one could have survived that (although I?m a little relieved, as I thought I was going to faint if she was killed before my eyes)! She looks over me shoulder at Cirno, ?Another annoyance! Die!? She dashes past me and toward Cirno.
Cirno, who seems to be almost as scared as I am, not that I feel she has a right to, raises her arms in front of her reflexively, ?EEK!?
SWIP! Suddenly, an object shoots down in front of the vampire, stopping her in her tracks. I look at the ground. It?s a knife, which has to be pretty damn sharp as it just pierced through concrete. I look beyond to who I assume had thrown it. Past Cirno, standing on a branch extending out from a tree is a girl with mid-back length silver hair and blue eyes, wearing a pretty standard baggy white t-shirt and blue jeans, holding a few knives between her fingers. She?s Sakuya Izayoi, Cirno?s mom? or at least that?s what Cirno CLAIMS she is, although I call bullshit on that, as that?s just wrong on too many levels. She and Cirno live in a cheap apartment and I visited a couple times. She has fantastic cooking and she?s equally skilled at keeping the place tidy. I swear she could easily become someone?s maid.
With a rather dynamic pose, Sakuya says, ?Hold it right there!?
Remilia responds, ?Sakuya? you dare attack your own mistress??
?My mistress disappeared with Gensokyo! You are nothing but an imposter!?
Remilia makes a fist, ?You may be right, but my powers are very damned real!?
Alice runs past, stopping by Cirno?s side. Sakuya jumps down from her perch and lands next to Cirno and Alice. Cirno throws off her backpack, revealing a pair of crystalline WINGS! Well, hell. Why not? There isn?t much left to be surprised about.
?Remain at a safe distance, Marisa,? advises Sakuya.
?Okay?? I take a few steps back.
?Try me?? Remilia raises her arm into the air, ?Spear the Gungnir!? A large spear-shaped object, made completely out of red ?energy,? for lack of a better term, appears in her hand.
?You were right, Sakuya,? says Alice, ?She can use spells without a spellcard. She did the same thing before you arrived too.?
?We can discuss this later,? says Sakuya, ?Get ready!?
?HAAAAA!? Remilia charges at Alice, Cirno, and Sakuya. Alice nod at Cirno and both of them retreat several feet while Sakuya holds her ground. Remilia gets within range to attack ?Cirno?s mom? and swings her spear. However, Sakuya dodges the attack by jumping away and ascending so high off the ground, she puts pro basketball players to shame! She performs half a midair back flip to the point where she?s upside-down and twirls 180 degrees so she?s facing Remilia, and tosses two handfuls of knives (which just seemed to come out of nowhere, like Alice?s dolls) down at the vampire, who parries all of them with her spear. ?Hm?? Around the same time, though, a knife materializes in front of Remilia and flies toward her (where the hell did THAT come from?) Remilia sidesteps at the last possible second, the blade just grazing her hip.
Sakuya flips back upright and lands on her feet at the same time that Alice draws another slip of weird paper, ?War Sign!? About five dolls armed with swords and two dolls armed with lances appear, ?Doll?s War!? As Remilia?s guard is lowered by Sakuya?s attack, Alice?s attack flies in and the sword dolls spin and pass the vampire, cutting her several times. Finally, the lance dolls shoot at her like rockets and skewer her at the same time, then disappearing.
?Ugh!" Remilia staggers back.
?It?s my turn!? Cirno charges at Remilia and draws her own piece of paper. I guess Alice isn?t the only one who can use those. ?Cryo Si_? However, Remilia recovers amazingly fast and swings her spear, knocking Cirno to the side and headfirst against the school?s outer wall, ?Whaaa! Why am I the odd one out?? The impact caused Cirno to let go of her paper and a passing breeze causes it to flutter to my feet.
I kneel down and pick it up, ?How do these??? Somehow, I feel stronger by holding it.
The battle rages on. No matter what kind of punishment Remilia receives, she always recovers like nothing happened. The vampire lifts off the ground and into the air. Cirno, being the one with wings, follows her up, but is promptly kicked back to the ground. Moving like lightning, Remilia strikes at the nearby streetlamps, causing everything to go pitch-black.
?I can?t see anything!? screams Cirno.
?But I can see you with my vampire eyes,? taunts Remilia.
I hear a sound like a blade tearing through flesh, followed by a yell from Sakuya, ?ARGGGH!?
The scream is followed by the noise of a blade cutting through empty air. Remilia?s voice, now a considerable distance away from where Sakuya screamed says, ?Nice try, Sakuya, but face it, you can?t win against what you can?t see.?
Alice says, confidently, ?You really think that beat us? Think again, vampire!?
?What??
?Flame Sign: Luminous Candle Dolls!? Suddenly, several dolls holding candles appear all over the place, providing light. Granted, it?s not as good as the lamps, but whatever. We can see again.
?Gr?? Remilia swings her spear at one of the dolls, but it moves back, avoiding the attack.
Alice yells, ?Sakuya! Cirno! I need to focus to make this spell last! I?m sorry, but it?s up to the two of you now!?
The battle continues, now with Alice having about as much physical participation in the battle as I am.
Before, it seemed like they had a good shot at defeating Remilia, but now with Alice out of action, it look even, with the odds tipped slightly in Remilia?s favor. I tremble again. Shit! If they die, will I be next? However, my pessimism is interrupted but some weird? visions. They feel spontaneous, but also? somewhat nostalgic: Battles, not unlike the one I?m witnessing. From the point of view I?m in, I?m also a part of them. A lot of them have people I haven?t seen, but also some I have seen. I see Alice, though she is wearing a long blue dress with red ribbons, Sakuya, though she?s dressed like a maid. How appropriate. There is also a platinum-haired girl with swords I see several times in the visions, but who I?ve never seen before, and? a girl in white and red, though her face is blurred. Who IS she? What the hell am I seeing?
The battle rages on. I look at the piece of paper Cirno dropped, focus, and suddenly, two words spontaneously escape my lips: ?Love? Sign?? The card disappears and suddenly, I feel intense energy inside me. It feels like it?s pressing against the inside my right palm, begging to be unleashed. More illogical visions. I look at Remilia right ahead, not suspecting anything from me. I direct my open right hand in her direction, with my left hand around the arm to control my trembling. Finally, I utter two more words: ?MASTER SPARK!? Out of my palm, a massive beam flies out.
Remilia instantly turns her head in my direction, wide-eyed, ?WHAT THE HELL?? The beam slams into her, knocking her head-first through the outer wall.
My attack ends with scentless smoke rising from my hand. Despite the power I felt before, I suddenly feel weak. I slump down, ?What?? What did I just???
Alice looks at me, the candles flickering slightly, ?Marisa! You just???
Sakuya asks a question I don?t get, ?Are you starting to remember??
Cirno also look impressed, ?Is Kirisame back??
?What the hell are you talking about? You know something, right? What did I just do??
Before anyone can say anything, Remilia emerges from the hole in the wall, ?Heh? heh? Well done, Marisa. Looks like you?re starting to recall some things?? Suddenly, her form changes, her injuries as Remilia disappearing: She turns into a girl, who looks about 25, with red eyes and short red hair, who wears a black business suit, black slacks, and a small pair of glasses. However, like her previous form, something isn?t entirely human about her: She also has a pair of rabbit ears extending from her head ?? I hope you reunite with HER soon.?
?It really is you again!? yells Sakuya, ?Just what do you hope to gain from this??
?Do you need to know? What the hell could you do with that information anyway? Our objectives are the same. Quit screwing around and see for yourself.?
Cirno charges at the rabbit-girl, ?I?ll beat what you know outta you!?
Suddenly, a spear materializes in the rabbit?s hand. It?s not made of ?energy,? like Remilia?s, but rather, more like a plain metal spear, though with a somewhat large blade. She points the weapon mere millimeters away from Cirno?s throat, ?Touch me, and you?ll be breathing from THREE places, fairy. Comprende??
?Uh huh?? Cirno backs away.
?At any rate, I?ve done what I came here to do. Looks like all is well. Ciao!?
?Wait!? Alice calls out, ?Just who are you? WHAT are you??
The girl answers, ?You can call me Yumei. That is all. Remember, Marisa. This is not a dream? not anymore.? With that, she vanishes into thin air.
??Yumei???
I get back up and walk over to Alice. I would have grabbed her by the collar if I didn?t know that she is capable of cutting me down with an army of armed dolls, ?Okay, just what the HELL was all that about? I almost got killed! Out with it!?
Sakuya hesitantly says, ?You?ve seen everything. There?s no use in hiding it anymore??
?Just tell me, dammit!? I?m not angry. Not really. I?m just frightened and confused. However, those feelings are intense enough right now to be interpreted as anger.
Alice explains, ?Marisa? a year ago, when you were in a coma, you were leading a very different life than you are now.?
?What? What life? The only life I was leading was ?being asleep and depressing.?? I don?t know why I?m saying this. I just feel the need to joke, usually in a vain attempt to keep me from going overboard with emotion.
?You were dreaming,? says Cirno.
?What??
Sakuya picks up, ?You? and a certain other girl who met an identical mishap were dreaming the same dream. However, it was no ordinary dream.?
?How so??
?It was more than a dream world. It was a dimension. I don?t know how that got to be the case, but it was. A lot of people? including Alice and Cirno, were born from that dream. Also, there have been some outsiders that became a part of it? like me.?
Cirno gives another small tidbit, ?That dream world was called Gensokyo.?
?Gen? so? kyo???
Alice says, ?Right. It was a dream that transcended time, and had thousands of years of history. You lived there for 18 years as a witch named Marisa Kirisame.?
?What? You?re shitting me, right??
Alice answers, ?I?m not ?shitting? you, Marisa. I know it?s a farfetched story, but it?s true. When you woke up, Gensokyo was no more. Only a few of us escaped.?
I want to protest more, but after what I?ve seen, can I argue? Right in front of me, there is a girl that controls battle dolls, a girl with wings, and a girl? well, I don?t even know?
Alice explains, approaching me, ?Marisa, we need your help. Two of our friends are trapped in_?
?Stay away from me!? I shove Alice away.
?Marisa?? says Cirno.
?My coma is done and over with and I want to forget that ever happened! It was just a dream and its over! This is a dream too! It HAS to be! None of this is possible! Nothing is realistic about it!?
Sakuya speaks up, ?I know it?s hard to_?
?SHUT UP! You?re nothing but fictional characters! You shouldn?t even exist!? Alice and Cirno both look deeply hurt by my words, but I?m more concerned about myself right now ?? Just stay the hell away from me! I never want to see you again!? I run away, frightened and thoroughly freaked out.
==
Cirno starts to chase after Marisa, ?Wait! Marisa!?
Sakuya puts her hand on the ice fairy?s shoulder, ?Let her go for now. Yukari was right, humans in this realm are terrified of the unknown. I think what we should do right now is let her be for awhile, let her calm down, and confirm that all of this is not a dream.?
Alice looks crestfallen, ?Marisa??
==
I run home. I pass by some people out for a late night stroll, asking me what the matter is. I don?t answer. Why should I? This is nothing but a dream! A fantasy!
I return home. I don?t even eat dinner, brush my teeth, or get changed. I just jump into bed. When I wake up, it will be a brand new day. Alice and Cirno are just ordinary classmates and we will have fun as always!
? Right?
Valesta:
I wake up and I feel like shit. I had trouble getting to sleep, but, after hours of trying, I finally did. However, I probably only got in four hours of slumber at best. I?m still wearing my school uniform. Did those event really happen?? Nah! It was a dream. I mean, in today?s world, how can something so weird happen?
I put on a new uniform, and then eat a breakfast that does little to satisfy my hunger. Finally, I?m out the door, headed for a new school day. I?m actually looking forward to getting to school. I can see the area where Alice, Cirno, and Sakuya supposedly fought the vampire, and confirm that nothing happened and it was all a result of my active imagination.
A few minutes pass. I?m actually on time today! I follow the outer wall of the school, and turn the corner to the side where the front gate is. To my horror, however, there were tons of yellow tape up and police teams were investigating an area where it looks like a war had been fought. There were cracks and dents along the wall, the streetlamps were damaged beyond repair, and trees had shown signs of damage. I look to my right and notice a large hole in the wall? the one that I had made!
What the hell? It dawns on me all so fast: It was no dream? All that crazy shit actually happened? I look at the scene a little more. There is dried blood all over the ground; Puddles of Alice and Sakuya?s blood, small splatters of Cirno?s blood, and trails of Remilia?s? or Yumei?s blood. Good luck finding DNA matches for THOSE samples. I?m lucky I didn?t end up bleeding at all, otherwise I?d be hounded with questions which they wouldn?t believe the answers to.
Not surprisingly, school was canceled because of this. Makes sense, as to anyone else, it looks like a brutal murder had taken place here. Well, it looks like not only was my life saved, but also a day of putting up with elitist bitches. Of course, I?m not going to enjoy my day off very much with all I have on my mind.
I return home, preparing for a day of deep thought. As I walk through the door, my mom says, ?I know why you?re home early. I heard about it on the news. There was a murder right outside your school.?
Not even my mom would believe me if I told the truth, so I play along, ?It seems that way. There was blood everywhere. Pretty gross. Heheheh??
?They said that no body was found, though. Anyway, that was surprising news. I didn?t think anything like that could happen in a small town like this. The world is becoming a dangerous place.?
?I guess so??
As I figured, I had spent my entire day off thinking about nothing except all the shit that had transpired last night. What else can I think about? I saw a bunch of stuff that should only happen in Japanese cartoons, and all of it seems to relate to me and a dream I had, which I don?t remember at all! As I think about it, I feel horrible about what I said to Alice and the others about saying that they shouldn?t exist and that I don?t want to see them again. Right now, they are the only ones who can lend an ear to me about this. They fought to save my life and I repaid them by saying horrible things. I constantly look down to my schoolmates as bitches, but I gradually realize that I am one myself, and that makes me feel like shit.
The hours fly by as the events from last night mercilessly invade my mind, even during my delicious dinner. Mom seems to notice something?s bothering me, but I just deny it. Even when I try to think of something else, it?s always back to that vampire! With how much I?m worked up over this, I need to calm down.
I enter my home?s upstairs bathroom, strip naked, and take a warm shower. As it turns out, it helps. I feel a lot more relaxed and I start to think on the positive side of those events. I was confused and scared when the battle was going on, but now, looking back on it as a memory, it was kinda? fun. Seriously! My friends, who I thought of as somewhat normal people, suddenly started using all kinds of strange powers like superheroes with secret identities, and fought against a vampire. Not to mention, I was the one who used that big laser! Me! I felt tired afterward, but it was so cool, and I find out that it really happened! As I think about it, my expression turns into a smile and ?? ? Hehe? Hmhm? HAHAHA!? I start laughing.
I must have showered for about 45 minutes. Finally, I reluctantly step out of the shower, put on a pair of PJs, and head to bed much earlier than normal. All that one-track thinking has made me tired, and I fall asleep pretty quickly.
?
I?m surrounded by nothing but blackness. However, my body seems to be emitting its own light, so I have no problem seeing myself. Everything around me is all the same color, but I feel like I?m standing on solid ground.
All around me, a familiar voice says, ?Welcome, Marisa!?
In front of me, that red-haired, four-eyed, bunny-eared girl from the previous night appears, ?You!?
The girl reintroduces herself, ?My name is Yumei. So, we finally meet inside your head.?
??Inside???
?This is a dream, Marisa.?
?What the hell are you doing here??
?Funny question. I?ve lived here for the past 14 months? since you got out of your coma. Unfortunately, I couldn?t show myself to you in here until you became aware of my existence. Luckily, on full moon nights, I can step out briefly and get some fresh air. Still, it took some time for my powers to grow enough to do that. In the meantime, I feed on your dreams.?
??Feed on my dreams,? huh? I hope you choke on that giant scorpion that appeared in a nightmare I had when I was four.?
Instead of reacting in an insulted or angry way, she just laughs, ?HAHAHA! Oh shit, that?s hilarious! You remember a dream like that, yet you forgot the single most important dream you?ve ever had.?
?That again??
Yumei continues, ?But that?s not unusual. You forget plenty of good dreams. While I?m here, I?ve learned about every dream you?ve ever had, even the ones you didn?t commit to memory. For example, when you were in the seventh grade, you had a dream where you made out with a freshman girl, who helped you pick up some books you dropped, and you thought she was really cute.?
???
?Oh! It gets better, Marisa! Three weeks ago, you dreamt you? well, I won?t be specific, but it was with Alice Margatroid. You need to keep your naughty, naughty imagination under control. Good thing children aren?t here.?
?Screw you!? In a humiliated rage, I charge at Yumei, attempting to tackle her, but she quickly jumps several feet into the air and over my head. I whirl around to face her again.
Yumei places her hands in her pockets, ?Tsk. Tsk. No need to act that way with me. I?m your friend, and friends like to mess around with one another.?
?Bullshit! Why did you try to kill me??
Yumei?s ears raise slightly, ??Kill you???
?You mean you?ve forgotten? When you were a vampire and you tackled me, saying that you would ?shut me up!??
Yumei?s eyes widen, ?I?m impressed. You have quite a vivid memory. I simply knew your friends would save you. I figured Alice would recover and attack me, but Cirno showed up instead. It went well.?
?I?m not convinced. Why did you attack us at all??
?So you would remember your other self. The psyche that existed in the mystical world of Gensokyo, which fought countless battles against the youkai that threatened it. I intended to create an image of such a battle that took place there to jog your subconscious memory a little.?
A mirror rises in front of me. I?m wearing my white pajamas, but the reflection looking back at me is wearing a black dress, a white apron, and an oversized black witch hat, not to mention that she looks slightly older, ?That?s? me??
?It is. Marisa Kirisame, your other self. The identity you took on in your dream as the body of Marisa Starr was fast asleep in her coma.? The mirror disappears and Yumei continues to talk, ?I understand that you saw some visions, as well as remembering how to use one of your persona?s spells. You?re remembering, Marisa, and that?s exactly what Alice, Cirno and Sakuya wanted too.?
I should still be creeped out by all this, but with all I don?t understand, I can?t help but want some answers, ?They were just? things. I don?t vividly remember anything, assuming what you say is true.?
Yumei pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose, ?True. What you need is something to stimulate your memories enough to remember EVERYTHING. You? saw something unusual in your ?visions,? haven?t you??
?What the hell are you talking about? EVERY SINGLE ONE was messed up!?
?Something out of the ordinary with the visions themselves, not their content. Hm? Might it be THIS by any chance?? Next to Yumei, another figure appears. It?s one of the girls that appeared in the visions, wearing a red dress and detached white sleeves, and black hair. However, her face is still a blur to me, ?This is your counterpart. Like you, she dreamt, and together, you created Gensokyo. Perhaps if you find that face, you?ll find the missing piece of the puzzle that is your memory.?
?I just need to find out who that is, and I?ll know??
?Perhaps.?
My eyes narrow at Yumei, ?Why are you doing this? What in it for you??
Yumei paces around with her arms folded in front of her, ?Aren?t you curious as to why your ?friends? are so interested in you, that they would follow you to the extent they have? It?s because two? ?foreign elements? were left in Gensokyo when you two woke up, are trapped in the subconscious of the other girl?s mind, and they want to retrieve them, and they need to reunite you and that girl to make it happen. Likewise, I am trapped in your subconscious, so freeing them will free me. If you?re sick of me being here, I?d suggest you go along with them.?
??? That is some weird information, and I don?t know what the hell to make of it.
Yumei stops pacing and shrugs, ?But hey, it?s your decision. I just figured you wouldn?t want someone else sharing your mind, and I don?t think you?re not the least bit curious as to why all these things are happening.?
???
?Well, sweet dreams, Marisa.? With that, Yumei disappears.
She?s right. I?m curious, I want answers, and I sure as hell don?t want her finding out what I dream about. Despite all that had happened, I make up my mind pretty fast. After school tomorrow, I will speak with Alice and find out what to do, assuming she and Cirno decided not to do what I said about me never wanting to see them again.
Valesta:
==
As the moon shines on one side of the world, the sun shines on the other.
After hours off tossing and turning in her sleep, Reimu Kiribayashi is awakened by the sunlight shining into the room and the sound of wood cutting through the air multiple times, along with a voice counting with each swish, ?379? 380? 381? 382??
She wakes up in a small bed in a small room with two beds. Next to her bed, there is the ordinary desk with a computer and TV nearby, and next to the other, there is hardly anything except kendo equipment and various objects wrapped in cloth. After a few second, she remembers where she is: She had graduated from high school, after having to do a ton of makeup work, due to her coma, and, after an all-too-short summer vacation, she enrolled in a Japanese university and is now living in a dorm. She looks in the direction of the swishing sounds and notices Youmu Konpaku, her former classmate from high school, who enrolled in the same university, and is now her roommate. Little does she know, however, that Youmu was a close friend of hers in a life she has no vivid memories of, where she was the protector of the ghost princess of the Netherworld and a master swordsman.
?Youmu??? Reimu wakes up to Youmu practicing her kendo, a sport which, needless to say, she is very skilled in. Despite wearing a blue t-shirt and a mid-length brown skirt, both of which were recently washed, she is already working up a sweat.
Youmu smiles unusually cheerily, ?Ah, good morning, Reimu! Did you sleep well?? Even though Youmu used to ask her what dreams she had, she had learned to keep asking that question under control.
Reimu says, ?I slept okay, I guess. I had a weird dream??
Youmu raises an eyebrow, ?About what??
?I was in a bamboo forest, and I was attacked by a horned monster with silvery-green hair. It said polite things, but it kept attacking with lasers and stuff. You were there too??
This description has a familiar ring to Youmu, but she feigns ignorance, ?That?s a weird dream! I was also being attacked by the monster??
?Yeah??
?Well, it was just a dream! Don?t worry about it!?
?True, but something felt so? real. So familiar. So? nostalgic??
?You?re just imagining things. Don?t worry about it.?
?Yeah? You?re right??
?? ? ? Today is a new day of class. Let?s not be late?? Youmu puts down her wooden sword, puts on a green hooded sweater, and picks up a blue gym bag, which she never once parted with.
?Right.?
Youmu runs for the door, ?I?ll go on ahead and leave you to get changed! See you later!? Youmu leaves the room.
Reimu changes out of her night clothes and into a casual white t-shirt and blue slacks. She grabs a piece of bread from a nearby refrigerator, which she and Youmu share, spreads butter over its surface, and rushes out of the room, eating it, a meager breakfast, as she woke up very late.
She rushes across campus, an action that makes her stand out, as everyone else has either finished a class or is on time.
Finally, after climbing three floors of stairs in the campus? largest building, she reaches her class: psychology, taught by Professor Yagokoro, who the previous year, taught at Reimu?s high school. Reimu can?t help but wonder if it?s a startling coincidence or she?s stalking her for some reason. However, Reimu once knew her as much more than a teacher, as she is a being from the moon, a Lunarian, Eirin Yagokoro, who escaped to Gensokyo. At that time, she was the best friend of the moon?s exiled princess, Kaguya Horaisan, and was known for having a genius IQ and skilled in making potions. Kaguya, and her rival, Mokou, were trapped in Gensokyo when it vanished.
Reimu rushes into the classroom, where all the other students had already arrived, ?Sorry I?m late!?
Eirin, wearing an official-looking white suit and a pair of eyeglasses, says, ?Thank you for coming today, Reimu. Don?t worry, you haven?t missed much.?
Reimu sits at her assigned desk.
Eirin begins the day?s lecture, ?The human mind is known for being the mechanism which governs everything that defines us: Actions, emotions, opinions, beliefs, feelings? You would believe that mankind has figured out every aspect of it? but to this day, it is still a mysterious thing. When we sleep, we live lives very different from our realities; Temporary existences that are manifestations of our endless imaginations. Class, today we are going to talk about dreams??
Reimu lays her head on her desk, noticing the strange theme of her day so far, or even her life since awakening from her coma.
?Everything that we?ve ever felt and experienced determine the lives we live during our times of slumber??
A couple hours pass. Finally, class ends and Reimu and the other students leave the classroom. Soon after, a female security guard, with red eyes and long lavender hair, wearing a blue uniform, with a handgun holstered at her hip and a hat which fits her awkwardly, enters the room.
?Hello, Reisen,? greets Eirin, ?What brings you here??
Reisen takes her hat off, revealing her ears, which were coiled underneath. They stretch and straighten out, ?I have some news, Eirin-sama.?
?What is it??
?I got word from Sakuya that a battle against some mysterious entity caused Marisa to regain some of her memories.?
?Really??
?Really! I was told that she got her hands on a spellcard and ended up using one of her spells.?
?Interesting. Any word from Youmu about Reimu??
Reisen pauses for a few seconds, ?Yes, about her? Well, it seems Reimu actually remembers things from Gensokyo, but she is just having trouble comprehending it. She shares a bunch of dreams with Youmu, which were familiar experiences from back then.?
?I see. Perhaps that time has come? It?s much earlier than we planned, but the stage appears to have set itself??
The day passes quickly. That evening, Reimu and Youmu eat dinner at a ramen stand not far from the university. They sit shoulder to shoulder at the counter, but while Youmu quickly eats her food, Reimu is deep in thought and only occasionally touches her dinner. Youmu soon notices Reimu?s behavior, ?What?s wrong??
?It?s just? the dreams. I?ve been having them more and more lately. I?m remembering too many and a lot of them have the same things? it?s making me uneasy??
?They?re just dreams,? says Youmu.
???
?What same things keep appearing??
?I told you about this before. Every once in awhile, two girls appear.?
Youmu tries to let out a friendly chuckle, ?? Heh? They keep appearing, huh??
?Yes. They try to talk to me, but? their words get broken up. I can?t understand them. From their expressions, it appears to be something important.?
Youmu raises an eyebrow in interest, but continues the same line of assurance, ?You?re only imagining it...? Dammit! How much longer can I keep up this charade? I can?t just keep lying to her?
?I guess? and there is something else??
?What??
"I dream of battle and I dream of peaceful times, but a lot of them have me alongside the same people: you, Youmu, or someone that LOOKS like you, a silver-haired girl dressed as a maid, a blonde girl in blue, and??
?Hm??
?Another blonde girl in black, but there is something different about her. Her face? it?s a blur??
?I? see??
Reisen, dressed as a security guard, enters the stand and speaks to Youmu, ?Excuse me, Miss Youmu Konpaku. I need to speak with you.?
Reimu looks at Youmu with mock-suspicion, ?What did you do~??
?Beat me. I?ll be right back.?
Youmu and Reisen leave the stand and head behind it, speaking softly so no one nearby can hear them.
?So, what is it, Reisen??
?We are going to tell Reimu the truth.?
?Really??
?Yeah. Eirin-sama and I will be waiting for the two of you in your room after class tomorrow.?
?Okay, although it only seems like it will be a matter of time when she recalls everything on her own.?
Reisen shrugs, ?Well, whatever comes first. We?ll be waiting.?
==
The next day, I head to school. Of course, Alice and Cirno aren?t waiting by the gate for me. They won?t be here. Not with the injuries they got fighting Remilia. I?ll have to pay a visit after school, as I planned. I just want to get through classes today, so I can get my answers later, so I end up arriving on time again. When I get to class, however, I?m surprised to notice that Alice and Cirno actually DID come. However, they are seated in the middle of the class. They glance my way. Alice simply turns her head back to the front of the room in a ?Hmph!? fashion. Cirno gives me a dirty look, and then does the same. It figures. They?re pissed off, not that I blame them after what I said. I sit in my usual seat in the back of the class, the adjacent girls looking at me like I?d diseased. The girls of this school, being the preppy bitches they are, may constantly look down on me as some kind of lowborn, but a couple nights ago, I treated Alice, Cirno, and Sakuya the same for being figments of my imagination. It dawns on me all too clearly: I?m a hypocrite.
The classes go by with me lost in my own thoughts and self-inflicted despair. Finally, lunch arrives. Alice and Cirno are sitting at the usual cafeteria table. Well, here goes nothing. I won?t get very friendly reception, but I will set things right!
I walk over to the table, ?Um? Hey, how?s it going??
??? They?re pretending to ignore me, I just know it.
?Is it alright if I sit here??
???
?I?ll take that as a ?yes?,? I sit down next to Alice. After several seconds of silence between us, Alice finally speaks up, ?What do you want, Marisa? You said that you don?t want to see us again.?
?And that we shouldn?t exist,? adds Cirno.
?I know I said those things and I?m sorry.?
??? My apology isn?t getting through.
?Look, I was just frightened at the time. I was attacked and thought I was going to die and I was scared of what you did and what you said. I honestly didn?t mean what I said, and if I could relive that event, I?d have handled it differently. Please forgive me.?
Alice and Cirno pause for a long time. Finally, both of them start laughing.
?What?s so funny?? I ask.
?Haha! Nothing,? says Alice, ?It?s just that we?re not used to you making that kind of apology. Putting it that way? from YOU, then I guess I?d HAVE to forgive you?? The laughter stops after a few seconds. Alice rises from her seat, ?However, I just want to so one thing to call it even??
?What?s that??
SLAP! Alice strikes me across the face fast and hard. I didn?t even see it coming, so I didn?t brace myself. She hit me so hard, I fall out of my seat and onto the floor.?
No teachers were around to witness this, much to Alice?s luck, but it made enough of a scene with the other students, that they were all stunned into silence? followed by a thunderous cheer. Dammit! This is probably karmic backlash from the horrible things I said, but I still can?t help but privately tell all those girls that they can go straight to Hell.
?Now we?re even,? says Alice, gripping her hand. I guess she hurt herself as much as she hurt me.
I get up off the floor, rubbing my cheek, ?I deserved that??
One of the girls walks over to our table and says to Alice, ?You know, Alice, I thought you were just a lowly student here, but seeing as you went and hit that piece of human trash, I want you to join our clique.?
?SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!? yell me, Alice, and Cirno at the same time.
The girl flinches and walks away, ?Whatever. My bad for thinking you were cool.? With us acting together like that, I guess we?re friends again.
With everything settled, I ask the first question on my mind, ?What are the two of you doing here? I thought the wounds you got from that battle would have kept you from coming.?
?About that,? says Cirno, ?Under our clothes, we look like mummies.?
Alice leans over the table, ?We had to force ourselves to come. It would look suspicious if we weren?t here after the scene we created. Anyway, tending to our wounds is not something we?re used to.?
?How is that??
?Gensokyo had this kind of? magic in the air. All its inhabitants benefited from it in various ways: We could fly, our wounds, provided they?re non-fatal, would completely heal in a matter of hours, and we could infuse specially marked paper with that magic, thus creating spellcards.?
?Spellcards??
?During that battle, you used one to fire that large beam. All intelligent beings possess a great power, but using it puts a great strain on the body. Spellcards are a crutch we must rely on to draw that power out. They give us extra energy and regulate our flow of power so we can more easily use the power in the way we desire. Of course, we still use our stamina, so using them too much is not a good thing??
?Is that why I felt a little woozy after using it??
?Yes. As you are now, Marisa, the energy you possess is strong, but limited. Your alter ego, Marisa Kirisame, however, could use that attack repeatedly with ease.?
Cirno shares a piece of her limited knowledge, ?This world doesn?t have that magic, so nobody without wings can fly, our wounds heal very slowly, and we can only use the spellcards we had when Gensokyo disappeared. We can?t make new ones??
?Spellcards we attempt to create here are just scraps of paper,? adds Alice.
?It sounds like an amazing place,? I say.
?To you, I?m sure it does,? says Alice, with a smile.
?I mean, seriously! I could do crazy shit like I did a couple nights ago; I wouldn?t be hurt for long, and I could fly.?
?Not without a broomstick,? says Alice, ?You sacrificed your ability to fly on your own for more magical power.?
?Whatever? Oh yeah, I met that ?Yumei? chick in my sleep last night.?
?Really?? says Cirno.
?Did you find anything out about her?? asks Alice, ?Sakuya was attacked by her on the full moon night before the one where we were attacked. She?s quite enigmatic.?
I recount what I was told, ?Well, she said she simply picked a fight with you guys to create an image of my Gensokyo memories, whatever they may be. It apparently worked. She can only come out on full moons; she says that she is trapped inside my subconscious and wants me to help with freeing two ?foreign elements? from my counterpart, a brunette whose face I can?t see, because doing that would free her from my mind too??
?Interesting,? says Alice, ?I can only assume that the ?brunette? she mentioned is Reimu??
?Whatever her name is, Yumei said that I need to see her face, and I?ll SOMEHOW remember everything about Gensokyo clearly as crystal.?
?I see??
I say solemnly, ?Alice, I want to resolve this. What are those ?foreign elements???
Cirno answers instead, ?Two friends of ours, who were still in Gensokyo when it disappeared. We heard that they are living in Reimu?s head. One of our friends says that if we get you and Reimu together, we can rescue them.?
?? And get Yumei out of my head too.?
?We don?t know much about Yumei, so we?ll take your word for it. To be honest, I don?t know where she came from, but she may be a part of the answer we?re looking for??
?Hm??
?Gensokyo was more than a dream of you and Reimu. While it lasted, it was an entire dimension. Sakuya, a few of our other friends, and the two in Reimu?s head, were not natively born of Gensokyo. They came from the outside. We don?t know how, but Yumei might know something as to how that is.?
I lean back, ?At any rate, I?m interested, and I have to admit, this is kinda fun. I will help you out. I take it I need to meet this Reimu chick, right??
?Yes,? answers Alice, ?She lives in Japan.?
I nearly fall out of my seat from leaning back too much, ?JAPAN? How the hell are we gonna get there? I don?t have enough money to afford a trip like that!?
Alice smiles, ?Don?t worry, Marisa. We have someone who can get us from one side of this world to the other in a heartbeat.?