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Thought's End & Embodiement of Dreams (2nd Ignition)

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Valesta: Lunarian capital, Tsuki no Miyako? The Imperial Lunarian Academy, a massive institute of many dome-shaped buildings, dedicated to passing on the near-limitless knowledge the Lunarians had gained over their many-millennia history and discoveries. Inside one of the domes, a class is being held. The students, almost seventy in number, sit in ring-shaped balconies that circle around the building?s higher ground, and listen to their professor at the ground level, a girl appearing to be an older teen, though she had lived for hundreds of years. She has dark red hair and red eyes, and wears a red dress over a white shirt. She is Yumemi Okazaki, one of the Lunarian?s top researchers, and also, little to her knowledge, was the one behind the experiment that resulted in the existence of Gensokyo. ?? and that is the result of mixing the sub atomic composition of mysterium with mithril. Next, class, I will tell you_? ?PROFESSOR!? A girl, fifteen years old in appearance, frantically rushes into the building. She has brown eyes and blonde hair tied into two small ponytails and wears a white sailor uniform. Yumemi leers at the girl, expressing her discontent at having her class interrupted, ?Whatever you have to tell me, Chiyuri, can it wait another twenty minutes? I?m trying to teach a class!? ?But professor?? says the girl, Chiyuri, ?We just found out about something incredible!? ??Incredible,? hm? Do tell, and be quick about it!? ?Okay, well? um? how can I put this?? ?Just tell me.? ?Um? you know about Earthly Realm #0756: Gensokyo and how it disappeared, right?? ?Yes. Quite strange. Well, if that is what this is about, then you have my interest, Chiyuri. Tell me more.? ?Well, you see, just a few minutes ago, Earthly Realm #0578: Terra had stopped emitting its? um? ?energies,? and started giving off Gensokyo?s? er? ?signature.?? Yumemi finds the information very interesting, ?I see. Well, then, do show me?? ?Okay!? Yumemi addresses her class, ?Class, for the last twenty minutes, I want you to review chapters 14 through 24. There will be a quiz on them. Study hard.? She leaves the building with Chiyuri. Minutes later, they arrive at an establishment dedicated to monitoring the status of Earth?s boundaries. It?s a dark building, only lit by the monitors of many computers. Yumemi looks at one of the monitors, and, as Chiyuri had claimed, the energy signature of our realm had been replaced by that of Gensokyo. The professor is intrigued by the latest discovery, ?Most curious. This is quite a find, Chiyuri. This hadn?t happened in over 800 years!? ?What might have caused this?? asks Chiyuri. Yumemi takes a few seconds to think, ?A shift in boundaries, but? where could Gensokyo have been during the period between its disappearance and reappearance? That is an answer I don?t know, but as a scientist, I simply cannot let these reasons go undiscovered. We will monitor this newly-established boundary. We might even go down to Earth if need be.? Chiyuri shutters, ?You mean actually SET FOOT of Earth?s soil? How can you even consider doing something so? disgraceful?? Yumemi smirks at Chiyuri, ?Sometimes, scientific prowess requires sacrifices, don?t you think so, my dear assistant?? ?Perhaps?? Yumemi glances at a monitor, showing the moon?s current phase: first quarter, ?Still, we have to wait for a little while?? == Three days have passed since escaping to Hakugyokurou, and along with that, Yukari?s death. Since then, it has been the most depressing downward spiral of emotion I?ve ever experienced from everyone else. I, for one, say we go back, find Yumei, and avenge Yukari, along with our world, but it seems I?m one of the only ones moving forward. If it?s not Yukari, it?s something else. Yuyuko, ever since hearing of what happened to Yukari, has holed herself up in her palace and not come out, Reimu is moping around for the same reason, Youmu is trying to figure out how to make Yuyuko happy, Reisen seems to be ready to go like, me, but she?s been in her own world, more and more, Mokou, now revived? well, who knows what she?s thinking, Sakuya seems to have stuff on her mind as well, Alice seems to be avoiding me for some reason,  and Cirno is just plain depressed. It seems we have some things to sort out before we go after Yumei? == Youmu leaves the palace, and into the gardens, after another attempt at trying to cheer up Yuyuko, which failed, ?Dammit? I?ve never seen Yuyuko-sama like this. I can protect her from any threat, but not her own emotions. Even with my swords and skill, I?m powerless to fight it?? She spends several hours aimlessly wandering the gardens of Hakugyokurou, eventually finding Reisen, ?Reisen?? Reisen glances at Youmu, ?Oh. Youmu. Hi.? She is still concerned about Eirin and Kaguya. However, for that moment, Youmu recalls her unfinished business with Reisen. She unsheathes the Roukanken, which she had recently regained her possession of after returning to the Netherworld, ?Reisen, you won?t escape this time! You will tell me about my father!? Reisen says, ?Give it up, Youmu! You won?t overcome my illusion before I make my escape. Besides, I don?t feel like dealing with you!? Youmu says, ?Eirin and Kaguya, right? They?ll be fine. They are immortal, after all. You don?t need to worry about them as much as you have to worry about me!? ?Just leave me alone!? yells Reisen. Her eyes glow red and she looks into Youmu?s eyes. Youmu begins to see a large group of illusory Reisens. A couple Reisens run toward her. The gardener attempts to attack them with her sword, but the Roukanken just passes through them. ?You can?t beat this technique, no matter how many times you try!? taunts Reisen, ?Just leave me be!? Youmu?s eyes narrow, ?Is that it? I?ve been waiting for you to do that, Reisen! I figured out a way to overcome it!? ?What?? Youmu runs toward the group of Reisens as her ghost-half radiates an intense light. Reisen reacts and covers her eyes in reflex, while her illusions are unaffected. Youmu, having found the real Reisen, positions her sword inches away from the Lunarian rabbit?s neck, ?I win, Reisen.? ?Not bad?? Reisen?s illusions vanish. ?Talk!? orders Youmu, ?Why have you been keeping this a secret from me? More importantly, where is my father now?? Reisen, instead of giving a straight answer, says, ?Can you move your sword? You?re making me uncomfortable.? ?Fine.? Youmu returns her blade to its sheathe. Reisen explains, ?It?s not like I didn?t want to tell you, Youmu, it?s just? I was told not to.? ?By who?? ?Who else? Master Konpaku, of course.? ??Master? Konpaku?? ?Your father. Duh! Where I come from, he is referred to as ?Master.?? ??Where you come from?? You can?t mean?? ?It?s exactly what you think, Youmu. Your father is an honorary Lunarian.? Youmu steps away from Reisen in disbelief, ?I? I can?t believe it? You?re lying!? Reisen shrugs, ?It figures. Master Konpaku knew you couldn?t handle the truth, so that?s why he wanted me to keep it a secret.? Youmu says, ?Okay, assuming you are telling the truth, what exactly is your relationship to my father?? Reisen pauses and answers ?? He?s my father too?? Youmu jumps away from Reisen, ?Wh-WHAT? You?re? my half-sister, then? That?s ridiculous!? Youmu thinks again, ?Or is it? He always has been a ladies? man?? ?Whoa, whoa, whoa!? calls out Reisen, ?I didn?t mean it like he?s my actual father. It?s just that I?ve thought of him as the dad I?ve never had.? ?Huh?? Reisen leans against a cherry blossom tree and slumps down, ?We moon rabbits? compared to Lunarian humans, we have very few rights. Our ability to telepathically communicate, our vision in the dark? we are seen as naturally born scouts. As a result, we are given military training from a young age, and expected to serve the empire. I was no exception? and I had always been at the bottom of my class. No matter what I did, all my classmates had done better. As a result, I was an outcast. One day, I was kicked out of a self-defense class. That?s when I first met him. At this point, he had risen through the ranks, and had become the leader of the royal guard. I was intimidated by someone of such a rank, but he was very kind. He didn?t look down on me as an inferior moon rabbit. He treated me as an equal, and? in fact, he seemed particularly sympathetic toward us. He told me that one day, if he had anything to say about it, moon rabbits would have the rights of humans. We became close, like father and daughter, and he always encouraged me and took care of me. However, that fateful full moon night came when I, and hundreds of other rabbits, were dispatched across Earth?s boundaries to find Eirin-sama, and possibly Kaguya. I was worried, but he came to me with his final words of comfort: To not worry about anything, and use this chance to live as I want, not worrying about the Lunarians? rules. Needless to say, I was sent to Gensokyo, where I did find the targets, but never parted with the truth. I was living as the Master told me, and I couldn?t have been happier.? Youmu responds, ?I see. Is that the last you saw of him?? Reisen shakes her head, ?No. I met Master Konpaku one last time. He found out where I was sent, found me, and appeared before me. He told me Gensokyo was connected to this realm? his old home, and that he had a daughter. He told me that if I ever met her, not to tell her anything about him.? Youmu sits on the grass, ?I see. You were just honoring my father?s wishes?? ?Yes?? ?Well, I now know what became of him. That is all I need to know. There is just one last thing?? ?What?? ?Reisen, do you know why he joined the Lunarians? He just disappeared with some woman the last time I saw him, telling me that serving Yuyuko-sama was now my responsibility. He must have had a big reason for doing what he did.? Reisen says, ?Perhaps that?s true, but not even I know. I?m sorry, Youmu.? ?I see?? Youmu rises to her feet. ?Now that you know, what are you gonna do?? asks Reisen. Youmu answers, ?I?ll address that issue someday, but right now, I need to find a way to cheer up Yuyuko-sama, and I also want to help Reimu and the others get back at Yumei. I may not have been very friendly with Yukari, but I won?t let what happened to her go unanswered.? Reisen also rises to her feet, ?I see. Well, there are some things I need to take care of too.? With that, she walks away. == I sit on the stairs leading up to the palace, wondering what the new Gensokyo is like. Something tells me it?s not going to be the bright and beautiful place it once was. As much as I hate Yumei right now, I guess I have to give her credit for delaying my decision, because right now, between Gensokyo and our world, I have neither to choose from, and I sure as hell can?t live here, surrounded by the dead. ?Oh! Hello, Marisa! It?s been a long time!? my thoughts are interrupted by a male voice. Walking up the stairs, with a friendly smile is Rinnosuke Morichika, or as I affectionately nickname him, Kourin, after his store, Kourindou. ?Huh? Kourin? Is that you? I thought you disappeared with Gensokyo!? Kourin rubs the back of his head, ?I guess I would have if Yukari didn?t take some time to rescue me? and I just heard from Reimu that she unintentionally saved me again, when I requested she send me here just as a vacation from my house in the middle of nowhere. You?re all here because that ?Yumei? character destroyed your world, right?? ?That?s right? and now, Yukari is dead.? Crestfallen, Kourin turns his eyes away from me, ?Yes, I heard too. I can?t believe it? Yukari is the strongest youkai I know?? ?She died saving all of us?? There is a long pause between us. Finally, Kourin says, ?Reimu is at a bench on a cliff, not far to the west of here, looking out at acres of sakura trees. She?s very depressed. Maybe you can cheer her up?? I rise to my feet, ?Maybe I will, Kourin.? == Elsewhere in the expansive gardens, Cirno wanders around, thinking of the past events. Ahead, she sees Mokou lying on her back at the base of a tree, grabbing a petal out of the air and incinerating it. Cirno rushes over to Mokou, ?Hello!? ??? ?What was your name again? Fuzzy-wora no Mocha?? Mokou glares at Cirno, ?It?s ?Fujiwara no Mokou.? So, who the hell are you?? Cirno gladly introduces herself, ?I am the great ice fairy, Cirno! Next to Alice, I am the strongest remaining youkai from Gensokyo!? ?Like I give a shit.? ?But you asked for my name!? ?Shut the hell up!? ?No, YOU shut up!? Mokou smirks, ?Hmph. You?re pretty brave, considering I can reduce you to ashes with little trouble?? ?Try it!? challenges Cirno. ?Nah. Don?t feel like it?? Mokou takes a breath, ?So, what did you want with me?? Cirno takes a few seconds to find the right words, ?Well? um? Aren?t you from the world Reimu and Marisa come from?? ?That?s right,? says Mokou, ?What about it?? ?You? know that it disappeared, right?? ?Yeah,? says Mokou, her confrontational demeanor weakening, ?Alice told me.? ?Well, if that was your home, why did only Reimu and Marisa start to disappear? Only people that are born there disappear, right? But you didn?t fade at all!? ?Wh? what?? ?You were just like us, not fading away, but if that was where you came from?? Mokou says, ?I don?t know. My earliest memory was being found and adopted by a nobleman. I knew I wasn?t his biological daughter, and that my ability to create flames wasn?t considered natural? but now I find out that I?m not even from within that boundary? Damn! Just what the hell am I?? Mokou focuses her gaze on the sky, ?Of course, ?Fujiwara no Mokou? isn?t my real name. It was just the name dad gave me?? ?Mokou?? Mokou looks at Cirno?s sympathetic expression, ?Don?t give me that look, fairy girl. All that shit I just said, it doesn?t matter anyway. With all that?s happened, that?s the least of my worries.? ?Um? okay?? Cirno turns to walk away. ?Hey.? ?Um? yes?? Mokou gives Cirno a reassuring smile, ?Thanks for listening. You know, you?re not half bad, fairy girl.? ?Yay!? Cirno walks away, feeling better. Mokou continues laying back, her mood improving since she had a rare chance to talk about herself to someone. ?? Kaguya?? Not long after Cirno left, Mokou receives another visitor, Reisen, ?Oh! Mokou! You?re back! Are you feeling better?? Sarcastically, Mokou answers, ?Oh yeah, I totally am! Especially after spending 14 months of hanging with Kaguya 24/7 and occasionally Reimu, and getting shot in the head by you. It was nice.? Reisen says, ?Mokou? Why did you and Kaguya attack me and Eirin-sama. You realize you could have spent an eternity there rather than just 14 months?? ?That?s just it,? says Mokou, ?we WOULDN?T have spent an eternity there.? ?What are you talking about?? asks Reisen. ?Okay?? Mokou explains, ?After princess and I fell into the void, we were we encountered by Yumei. She told us a whole bunch of crazy shit, like how she was going to erase that world I used to live in, and that if Reimu died while we were still there, we would be phased out of existence. Do you get it? REAL death! Not even immortality can stop that!? ?What the hell?? says Reisen, ?You want to die?? ?Why not?? says Mokou, ?I?ve lived for hundreds of years, burdened with an unending desire to kill Kaguya, and having to live as an outsider. With all that, you start to get a little tired of living, yet you know you can?t. Anyway, even though that world was a part of our lives that princess and I left behind, we sure as hell wouldn?t let that psycho, Yumei erase it, along with the things that represent our dearest memories. You see, the presence of outsiders like me and princess in the remains of Reimu?s dream caused an interference that prevented Yumei from leaving. That?s the reason why she couldn?t leave while we were there. We would save the world and perish for good. It was all too good to be true. However, before Yumei was separated from us to join with Marisa, she did? something. It might have had something to do with the fact that we couldn?t clearly communicate with Reimu all those times we told her to not free us, or the reason you and your egghead doctor couldn?t hear us.? ?I see? So, Mokou? What are you going to do now? Kaguya was captured by Yumei.? ??? Mokou gives Reisen a ?why should I care?? look. ?A-anyway? I just thought you should know?? Reisen walks away. ???

Valesta: == Partway through the gardens, on my way to finding Reimu, I happen across Alice. Instinctively, I call out to my friend, ?Heeeey~ Alice!? ??? Alice glances at me, but suddenly turns her head away, ?Hmph!? She starts to walk away. Seriously, what the hell is her problem? She started being pissed off at me again ever since we got here. Well, I found her, so why not get to the bottom of things while the chance presents itself? I chase after her, ?Hey! Alice! Stop! What?s the matter with you?? I catch up to her and grab her arm. She struggles to break free of my grip, but I hold on tightly. Finally, she stops and turns toward me. I let go of her. ?C?mon, Alice?? SLAP! I feel a sudden impact across my face. Alice slapped me? again. This is the second time since all this crazy shit started that I got slapped by Alice. I knew I deserved the first one, but what the heck did I do this time? ?Wh-what the hell, Alice? What was that for?? Alice glares at me, ?So the truth comes out, Marisa?? ?What are you talking about?? ?About what you said to Yumei? About ?not giving a shit about Gensokyo??? ?Erk!? Yeah, I said that didn?t I? ?Hmph. It must be very nice to just live in your own world and not care about the plight of anyone else.? ?What?? ?Marisa, you said before that you would be happy just going to school with us and not worrying about Gensokyo? but the rest of us don?t want that! We want to go home!? I can?t exactly say that Alice?s reasoning put me in a good, or even a humble mood, ?Yeah, go home and leave me behind! I can?t just say goodbye to my old life and join you! As great as Gensokyo sounds, I can?t just leave the people that raised me, even if my day-to-day life was putting up with those stupid elitist hussies!? ?Marisa?? ?All I wanted when I got into that accident was friends? Thanks to Gensokyo, I made friends that followed me back to my normal life? and now you want to go back, and leave me alone? I don?t want to lose any of you, but I love my family and can?t stand the thought of just abandoning them. Don?t you get it, Alice? I can?t just pick a place to live out my life in! No matter which I choose, I will be miserable because of what I had left behind! To me, it?s better for there just to be one choice! Don?t you DARE treat me like I?m the bad guy here!? ?Marisa? I?? ?I?ll admit, what I said back there was stupid and selfish, but don?t pretend to know me, because you don?t! What we all want is to be happy, but with the way things were, that?s impossible! Someone is gonna get hurt! Can you blame me if I?m someone who doesn?t wanna deal with that kinda pain?? Alice takes my point, ?I see. I?m sorry, Marisa. You?re right, I thought what you said was truly insensitive, but I never considered your side of the whole ordeal?? ?Just as long as you know that?? ??? I look toward the sky, ?Besides? None of that is an issue anymore. Now it?s Yumei?s Gensokyo, built on the ruins of my home and family. I will not let Yumei get away with that!? Alice looks at me sympathetically, ?I will help you, Marisa.? I start to walk away, ?You don?t have to. It?s not your fight.? ?What do you mean it?s not?? asks Alice, ?Yumei is using Gensokyo for her own ends, and I?m not going to let the land that I loved be used like that! Don?t think you?re alone here, Marisa!? ?Yeah? sorry, Alice. We?re in this together?? == In a washroom inside the palace, Sakuya cuts her hair short again with a knife, braids the two longer strands extending from the sides of her face, and finally, changes back into her old maid outfit, which she left in Yuyuko?s care, muttering to herself, ?Vacation is over. Gensokyo has returned? just not in the way I?d have thought?? She thinks about what Yumei had said, ?Gensokyo? the mistress? Patchouli? Meiling? Flandre? They were all a result of a Lunarian experiment? And? I am a Lunarian?? Sakuya laughs for a few seconds, ?A Lunarian serving a product of a Lunarian experiment. How ironic! Still?? She walks toward the washroom door, ?I most certainly can?t let Yumei get away with Yukari?s death or using Gensokyo? and my mistress, as she pleases.? Meanwhile, behind the palace, at the base of the Saigyou Ayakashi, Yuyuko looks blankly up at the tree, ?Yukari? Yuko?? Youmu approaches Yuyuko, not knowing how to react to her mistress?s unusual mood, ?Um? Yuyuko-sama? I prepared a five-course meal for you!? Yuyuko blankly responds, ?Give it to someone else. I?m not hungry.? Youmu says, ?I know that Yukari?s death was a hard thing for you, but you will see her again, right? This is the Netherworld, after all! This is where the dead go! Plus, she?ll be a ghost like you!? Yuyuko says, ?I never told you this, Youmu, but this is not THE Netherworld, it?s A Netherworld.? ?What?? ?There are as many Netherworlds as there are Yama, and unfortunately, the souls from the world you were in are not assigned to come here. Yukari is going to go to another Netherworld.? ?Oh?? ?This? is an eternal parting?? ?Yuyuko-sama?? ?Youmu? Did Yukari say anything about me before??? Youmu answers, ?She said she wished she was the judge of character you are so she could know of Yumei?s true motives?? Despite finding out, however, Yuyuko feels even worse, ?I could have been there!? Tears rapidly emerge from her eyes, ?If I were there, Yukari wouldn?t have? If not for my position here, I could have?? Her gaze fixes on the Saigyou Ayakashi, ?I?m sorry, Yuko? I failed to take care of Yukari?? Youmu tries to find some comforting words for her mistress, ?Yuyuko-sama? um?? Staring at the ground, Yuyuko tells Youmu, ?Please? just leave me alone, Youmu. I want to be alone?? ??? Youmu walks away, takes a brief glance back at her anguished mistress, and then keeps walking. == I finally find Reimu in the place Kourin told me she was, sitting on the edge of a cliff, looking over acres of a beautiful sea of pink petals and green grass. Of course, that sight is a paradox to the mood hanging over us all. ?Hey! Reimu!? Reimu glances back at me, saying unenergetically, ?Oh. Hello, Marisa.? I want to ask how she?s doing, but I already know the answer to that question, so I pick another topic, ?Well, that was pretty strange, huh? Having a dream, which was used in some alien experiment. Pretty unusual stuff, doncha think?? ?Marisa?? says Reimu, ?Shut up! Don?t you get it? It was BECAUSE of our dream that our world had been destroyed!? ?Then what could have been done about it, Reimu? Avoid getting into that accident? We don?t know where and when shit like that happens. Hell, we could be dead five minutes from now! We had a dream, we had many adventures is Gensokyo, it happened. It was a good dream, but sooner or later, we had to wake up, and we did. We had some friends trapped in your head, so we had to get them out. What were we gonna do instead? Ignore them? We had the means to help them, and so we did. So it led to the destruction of our world. That sucks, but did we know it was gonna happen? No.? ?What?s your point, Marisa?? ?It was inevitable, Reimu. It happened, and right now, you?re here, wondering what we could have done, lamenting something you had no control over.? ??? ?Reimu, instead of thinking about how our dream may have been part of what destroyed the world, think of all the good things! If not for it, we never would have met, we learned things about the universe most people never would have learned, we made friends that even I would take a blast for if I had to, we went on exciting adventures, and this? could just be another one. We?ve always found a way to pull through, right? Let?s keep doing that.? My little pep talk seems to have brightened Reimu?s mood a little, ?So, how do you think we can pull through this time?? I grin, ?Just join us for dinner, alright? I?ll talk about everything, then.? == Lunarian Imperial Palace, throne room? The throne room is a large chamber, though, like the rest of the building, its floor, walls, and ceiling are all made of wood. Sitting on the throne is a woman who appears to be in her mid to late twenties, though in actuality, she is older than any other Lunarian alive. She has long flowing shiny black hair and dark red eyes, and wears a silver robe over several layers of regal clothing, and a silver tiara. Another person enters the room. She has the appearance of a mid to older teen, has light-blue hair tied into a ponytail with a yellow ribbon, brown eyes, and wears a red dress and white blouse. She stops short or stairs leading up to the woman, and kneels respectfully, ?Mother, I have a report.? The woman says, resting her head against her hand, ?Yorihime, how many times have I told you not to refer to me as ?mother? when you are conducting official business?? ?But, mothe? Your Imperial Majesty Lunariya? We are alone.? ?Third Princess, Watatsuki no Yorihime? As a leader of the defense corps, you must set an example by composing yourself properly, no matter what the situation.? ?I understand.? ?Your report?? ?Yes. We received word recently from the Science Division, specifically Professor Yumemi, that the Earthly Realm, Terra, had vanished, and was replaced by a realm that had mysteriously vanished over a year past.? Lunariya looks at Yorihime with a stern expression, ?What does this have to do with the war with Earth?? Yorihime responds, ?Nothing, Your Majesty, but if knowledge serves, that was the realm where you exiled First Princess Kaguya. Of course, my sister and I weren?t adopted by you yet, but I do believe it was there. Are you not worried about her? She is your only biological daughter, out of her, my sister, Toyohime, Kotohime, and myself, after all.? Lunariya coldly responds, ?She broke our laws, and she received her punishment accordingly.? ?But? that law is no longer in effect, and what about my mentor, Eirin Yagokoro?? ?Yes, that was rather unfortunate. I?m honestly surprised she evaded us for as long as she has, but these things happen. After all, we did suspect that they somehow escaped to another boundary, did we not? It?s too early to assume that they are gone.? ?Understood. I?m sorry to have bothered you.? Yorihime turns to exit the chamber. ?Do not waste my time again.? == Inside the palace, we meet up in the dining hall: Me, Alice, Reimu, Sakuya, Youmu, and Reisen. Yuyuko?s not here, surprisingly, neither is Mokou, unsurprisingly, but Cirno just came briefly and left with some food. Hell, if I know what that was about. We all look at the food spread across the table, stuff from all food groups and the aroma fills the air. Reimu and Reisen are awed by all the food. Reimu asks, ?Youmu, did you cook all this?? ?Half of it,? answers Youmu, ?Sakuya did the rest. The share I made was all originally meant for Yuyuko-sama.? HALF? That?s still too much for one person, but I was already aware of Yuyuko?s monstrous eating habits, so there?s no point in acting surprised. Anyway, we sit down and chow down. As we eat, Reimu says, ?So, Marisa, what did you want to share with us?? ?Yeah?? I stop eating so I can talk to everyone, ?Right, so? uh? It?s been three days since all that depressing shit happened. How long are we gonna mope around?? ?It?s about time someone said that,? says Reisen, ?I want to save the princess and Eirin-sama as soon as possible, but I can?t do it alone.? Sakuya adds, ?I?ve honestly wanted to see the new Gensokyo for myself. I? have some fears that I want to confirm?? ?But what?s the point?? asks Reimu, ?Even if we get back at Yumei, it won?t change the fact that our world is gone.? ?Or will it?? I ask. ?What do you mean?? asks Alice, ?What are you thinking?? ?Think about it,? I say, ?Yumei did that by erasing the boundary between dreams and reality. Well, what would happen if it was put back up? Do you think it might reverse what happened? I don?t know if the result will bring everything back to the way they were, but it?s worth the try, right? Besides, we know that she has the power to make Gensokyo its own boundary again.? ?Indeed,? says Sakuya, ?At the cost of her life. Honestly, I doubt she would be willing to do that.? ?Well, it?s not like I thought of everything, so we?ll cross that proverbial bridge when we come to it.? ??? Silence in the anticipation of what I?m going to add. ?Look, I had some time to think things over. I?m not the kind to give into despair for long, you know. We have to look ahead, right? The issue here is not whether or not we get back at Yumei for what she did, but to convince her somehow to undo what she had done,? I turn to Alice, ?What do you think, Alice? You?re the smart one here.? ?Fair enough,? says Alice, ?We?d might as well. It?s not like anything is getting accomplished, neither for the sake of Gensokyo nor of your world, if we just stay here.? ?Well, there you have it,? I say, ?I say we savor this moment, because this will be our last decent meal in awhile, get a good night?s sleep, and finally, head out tomorrow morning. How does that sound?? ?I?d say you have a decent idea,? says Reimu, ?Count me in.? ?I most certainly have a desire to,? answers Sakuya. ?I gave my answer,? says Reisen. ?I?ll go along,? says Alice, ?I can?t call this place my home, can I? At least not yet.? Youmu pauses on her response, ?Um? We?ll see. I?ll have my answer by the time you have to go.? ?Okay,? I respond, ?That thing Yukari gave us is a one-way ticket. There?s no turning back after we use it, so think carefully.? ?I will.? With our next course of action confirmed, we eat the rest of our dinner. == In the gardens, Cirno finds Mokou lying in the same place she was at before, still staring blankly at the evening sky. Mokou is broken out of her trance at Cirno?s words, ?Hey!? Mokou sits up and looks at the ice fairy, ?Hello again, fairy girl. What?s up?? Cirno holds out a small tray of food from the palace?s dining hall, ?I brought you some food! I didn?t see you at the palace, so I thought you may be hungry.? She places the tray next to Mokou. The immortal eats a handful of wasabi peas. Completely unaffected by the intensity of the spicy flavor, she says, ?You didn?t have to go through all that trouble for me. Even if I starve to death, I?ll wake up, feeling like I had a four-course meal.? Cirno protests, ?But? food! What about tasting good stuff?? Mokou takes another handful of peas, ?Well, I can?t argue with you there.? They eat until the tray is completely cleared. Cirno pats her gut, ?I?m sooooo full!? Mokou sighs, ?You should have brought more, fairy girl. It?s not often I get to eat decent homemade goodness.? ?You don?t eat often?? asks Cirno, ?Or do you do that ?starve and come back full? thing?? ?Both,? answers Mokou, ?I lived in some remote area of the bamboo forest, hunting for youkai.? Cirno flinches, ?EEK!? ?Not like you. Unintelligent, un-humanoid youkai. Sometimes I eat with an? acquaintance from the Human Village, but her cooking sucks.? ?That sounds horrible,? says Cirno. ?Nah,? responds Mokou, ?It wasn?t so bad? at least compared to being inside Reimu?s subconscious. No food at all. Kaguya and I died from starvation and regenerated more times than I can count. Believe me, dying from no food? is not very pleasant.? Cirno changes the subject, ?We?ll probably have to go to Yumei?s Gensokyo, and stop her.? ?Tell me,? says Mokou, ?Do YOU want to go and risk your life? You?re not like me. When you die, that?s it.? Cirno says, ?Well? um? I liked Marisa?s home. It was a great place. Sure, some people were really mean, but I don?t want Yumei to just get away with what she did to it. Um? what about you? I mean, you said you weren?t? well, born there, but it?s where you lived, right?? Mokou responds, ?What should I care? That?s a part of my life I left behind a LONG time ago.? ?Okay? just wondering? So? are you gonna stay here?? ?Why not? This is the Netherworld, the home I?ll never have, after all.? Cirno begins to walk away, ?Okay? Marisa seemed ready to go back? and I?m gonna go with everyone. I won?t see you again for a while?? ??? Mokou looks blankly at Cirno. At the Saigyou Ayakashi, Yuyuko is also unmoved from her spot. Youmu approaches her, ?Yuyuko-sama? Reimu and the others are going to return tomorrow. I was wondering if I could have your permission to accompany them. I?ll understand if you want me to remain by your side. I don?t know when, or even if, I will be able to return?? ??? ?Yuyuko-sama?? ?? ? ? Do as you wish, Youmu.? ?? Understood. I wish you well.? Youmu leaves. Despite her outwardly underwhelming reaction, Yuyuko?s contemplation takes another path, ?Hm?? A few minutes later, Mima approaches, ?Yuyuko, are you feeling better?? Yuyuko says, ?Mima, I have a job for you?? == Well, it was a long night, and it?s a good thing too, as I doubt I?m gonna sleep that well for a while. After breakfast, me, Alice, Reimu, Sakuya, Youmu, and Reisen meet up at the foot of the Saigyou Ayakashi. ?Are we ready?? I ask, ?There?s no turning back after this. Reimu, you have the ball, right?? Reimu pulls Yukari?s gap-ball out of her pocket, ?Right here.? ?Youmu?? I ask, ?Are you sure you want to do this? What about Yuyuko?? Youmu responds, ?Yuyuko-sama gave me permission. It?s alright.? ?Let us go, then,? says Sakuya. ?It?s about time,? says Reisen. ?We might as well get this over with,? adds Alice. ?Okay,? I say, ?Throw it, Rei_? ?WAIIIIIIIIIT!? A high-pitched yell comes from above. Cirno flies down. ?Cirno!? Cirno complains, ?You?re mean! I wanted to come too!? ?Are you sure?? I ask, ?It could be dangerous.? ?Are you saying I?m weak?? ?No. No. Welcome aboard.? We hear another voice approach, ?Well, if she?s going, I?ll go to. I?d feel bad if she didn?t have someone like me backing her up.? Mokou comes into sight. Cirno asks, ?Mokou, you?re coming too?? ?I didn?t expect that,? says Reisen, ?Are you sure that you want to help rescue Kaguya?? ?Better me than anyone else,? says Mokou, ?If anything, she?ll be embarrassed that I, of all people, came to rescue her.? ?Well, whatever,? says Reisen, ?glad to see you?re with us.? ?Do you have room for one more?? Another volunteering voice comes from above. ?Yuyuko-sama? You want to come too?? Youmu asks her mistress, who just volunteered. ?Well, it?s not like I?m helping much by just moping around, am I?? remarks Yuyuko, ?Besides, I wasn?t there for Yukari when I could have saved her. The least I can do is seeing this through.? ?But what about the Netherworld?? asks Reimu. ?That has been taken care of,? says Yuyuko, ?Shall we go?? ?Okay!? Reimu tosses the ball. Halfway through midair, it turns into a gap. The nine of us proceed to enter it. LET?S GO!

Valesta: We emerge from the gap. The nine of us find ourselves on the top of a mountain, just one among a mountain range. It?s pretty chilly, but there is green grass growing among the boulders. Reimu looks around. Compared to the hell around us the last time we were here, the sky is blue and the sun is shining. It almost feels hard to believe that this is the same place, ?Well, we?re here?? ?So this is Yumei?s Gensokyo,? says Alice, trying to pass judgment on the situation, ?It?s not as bleak as I would have imagined.? ?Um? You might be coming to an early conclusion on that, Alice!? Reisen points out to one side of the mountain range, ?Look!? Everyone looks out in the direction Reisen pointed out. ?Oh my!? exclaims Yuyuko. Before us, we see the ruins of a city, extending out as far as we can see. I don?t know which city it was, nor does it matter. Some office buildings are tipped slightly, and others are standing, but in rough shape. A complex highway runs throughout it, and there are cars scattered all over the place. Despite the ugly sight before us, it looks like this city came out fairly well, at least compared to the one we were in when we escaped. ?Actually, I was looking at the other side,? says Alice, as she points out to the other side of the mountain range. On that side, it looks like a world completely different that the one we just saw: At the foot of the range is a small length of field, followed by a massive forest, stretching out as wide as we can see, and a large mountain in the hazy distance. It looks more like the Gensokyo we know, but overall, the layout doesn?t match up. ?Now THAT looks MORE familiar,? I say. Sakuya points out, ?If memory serves correctly, I believe Yukari said that the world was rearranging into an identical image of Gensokyo?s geography.? Reimu guesses, ?Well, she has control over the boundary and Gensokyo. Maybe she just did things to suit her own taste?? ?I suppose?? ?Looking at these two places, it really does look like the two worlds were combined,? says Youmu, ?Strange to see both in the same place?? Cirno looks at one side of the mountain range, and then the other, ?So? um? where do we go?? ??? There is silence between us. That was a pretty good question. There isn?t a whole lot of indication of where Yumei is hiding out? Reimu says, ?I think Yumei is on the forested side. I mean, she tried to make her own Gensokyo, so I?d say she?d want to be on the side that most resembles the original.? ?Sounds too obvious,? says Reisen, ?I say she?s trying to trick us, and is somewhere in the ruined city.? ?And what about Kaguya?? asks Mokou, ?She could be held anywhere too.? ?Not to mention,? says Youmu, ?She DID acquire Yukari?s powers, right? That means she could be in one area, but then instantly go to another.? Yuyuko closes her eyes in focus, ?I?ll try to find the greatest concentration of energy. The largest should be an indication of this ?Yumei?s? location?? Yuyuko takes a few seconds. Finally, she opens her eyes, ?Oh dear?? ?Have you found anything, Yuyuko-sama?? asks Youmu. Yuyuko shakes her head, ?No. It appears the energies emanating from each side are near equal. I would have thought someone who controls Gensokyo would have a seemingly unreal degree of energy.? ?She said something about having been granted an enormous amount of energy for the experiment,? I recall. ?Ah!? Alice gasps upon a realization, ?Maybe she used most of it up to change this realm?? Reimu adds, ?She said it only had something to do with dreams, so that may be it. Besides, she wasn?t so strong when she fought us? well, all of you anyway?? ?I guess?? I guess it?s possible you don?t have to be a go_ er? deity to possess the power of one? ?Regardless,? says Sakuya, ?Our question remains unanswered. Our only remaining option is to decide on which side we shall explore.? ?I vote for the forest,? I blurt out. ?I choose the city!? shouts Reisen. ?I don?t give a damn either way,? says Mokou with an ?I don?t care? pose. ?I wanna go to the city!? votes Cirno, ?It looks cooler!? Sakuya looks on one side, then the other, ?It doesn?t matter to me?? ?I don?t know about all of you, but I?m choosing the forest,? says Reimu. ?Hold on,? yells Alice. The way she just spoke, she?s likely gonna come up with a compromise, ?Let?s look at this logically. Instead of simply choosing one side, which may possibly be the wrong choice, we should split up and cover more ground. Besides, a large group can?t move as fast anyway?? OH! Who called it? ?? not to mention, Yumei has Yukari?s powers, so she can go anywhere, so we?d put ourselves at a disadvantage by all going together. We should split into halves and explore both sides, thus covering more ground.? Wasn?t THAT obvious? Yup, there?s a reason Alice is my superior at chess? ?That sounds reasonable,? says Yuyuko. Counting her fingers, Cirno says, ?Um? halves? But? there are nine of us?? Rolling her eyes, Alice says, ?Four of us will go down one side, and five of us will choose the other.? Decision time! Reimu and I claimed the forest, and Reisen and Cirno claimed the city. Now for everyone else? Mokou lazily steps in the city?s direction, ?I?ll go to the big town. Fairy girl?ll need all the help she can get.? ?HEY! I can take care of myself!? protests Cirno. ?I will go to the forest, then,? votes Sakuya. This leaves Alice, Youmu, and Yuyuko. Alice says, ?I will go to the forest too. That makes it three to four. One more for each team.? ?HOLD ON!? shouts Youmu, ?Can one of you please change your choice? Yuyuko-sama is my mistress! I must_? ?Oh, don?t worry about it, Youmu,? interrupts Yuyuko. ?Yuyuko-sama?? Yuyuko gestures in the direction of me, Alice, Reimu, and Sakuya, ?You asked me if you could accompany them because you consider them your friends and you wanted to help them, am I correct? Well, you may do that?? She then gestures toward Reisen, Cirno, and Mokou, ?I will go with them. Don?t worry about me. I?m sure these three will provide adequate assistance.? Youmu briefly strikes an uneasy glance in Cirno?s direction, and then responds, ?If? you say so, Yuyuko-sama?? I think I can tell what Youmu is feeling. On one hand, she wants to be there for her mistress, but on the other hand, Yuyuko IS an excellent judge of character, so if she says she will be okay traveling with three people she barely even knows, that should still be good enough. Of course, if I can take a guess at Youmu?s feelings, it should be as clear as the light of day to Yuyuko, ?Really, don?t worry, Youmu. I consider you a servant, but you should know a role of protector is unnecessary.? Youmu looks at Yuyuko with a puzzled expression, ?What??  Yuyuko explains, ?I AM a ghost, after all. I live off of pure spirit energy, not life energy, so whatever happens, I can only be weakened, not harmed, and certainly not destroyed. You have nothing to worry about.? Youmu responds, still seemingly uneasy, ?Understood.? Yuyuko says to Reisen, Cirno, and Mokou, ?Okay, my companions! Let us be off!? ?Well, THAT took long enough,? says the impatient Mokou. Youmu approaches in my team?s direction, ?It looks like I?m with you again.? ?You shouldn?t worry TOO much,? I try to reassure the gardener; ?She?s with a flame-controlling immortal, a Lunarian with some nifty powers, and an ice fairy who is, let?s be honest, NOT completely useless. She?ll be fine!? ?I heard that!? calls out Cirno. ?You really should give Cirno more credit,? says Alice proudly, ?She used to be under my flawless guidance, after all.? ??Flawless??? asks Reimu. Seriously; that fairy can fight alright, but she is still dim in the intellect department. ?Well, let?s go!? I say as I run toward the edge of the summit in the forest?s direction. ?Wait! Marisa!? yells Alice. I jump up, positioning my broom under me, and fly away? until gravity kicks in and I start to fall, ?Ah! Oh, shit!? I reflexively reach up trying to grab the cliff?s edge. ?Damn it, Marisa!? Someone grabs my arm and I crash into the rocky mountainside. I look up to see that Reimu had grabbed me. ?What? But? but this is Gensokyo? right? Why can?t I fly?? Alice reaches down to grab Reimu?s arm to help me up, ?Don?t be so hasty!? Sakuya also helps, ?Ugh! Don?t forget that? this is not the same Gensokyo! Don?t? jump to conclusions!? Finally, Youmu pitches in and they get me back on solid ground. How much do I love my friends? Quite a bit; especially at times like this. ?Well, that was quite a display of what this Gensokyo?s magic lacks. So we can?t fly?? notes Reisen. She looks down the edge of the mountain leading to the city. I previously noticed that it starts with a cliff with no good footholds, ?This is going to be tough?? ?Oh, only when you don?t have other ways of flying. Let me show you, bunny girl!? A pairs of flaming wings sprout from Mokou?s back. She dashes toward the edge of the cliff, grabbing Reisen by the arm along the way, and she jumps off, taking the rabbit with her. They float down with Reisen?s scream echoing. ?Wait for me!? Cirno runs after Mokou, glancing back toward us, ?Bye-bye!? She flies off the cliff, quickly flapping her wings. ?Well, I?m off. I will be seeing you.? Yuyuko jumps off the cliff and floats down using some? ghost thing. ?Well, it looks like we?ve lucked out,? says Reimu, looking over the edge. Sure enough, there is a narrow trail meandering down to the bottom. Well, no use hanging up here, so we make our way down. == Meanwhile, in an unknown location, Kaguya and Eirin are trapped in two spherical green fields, emanating the only light in the room. They had been trapped there ever since they awoke from their deaths. Their ability to use magic and materialize objects are sealed for as long as they are within the barriers. Kaguya asks Eirin, ?Are you sure you can?t find a way out of these prisons?? ?There?s nothing I can do, Princess,? says Eirin, ?I would think a spellcard could break through this, but I can?t use mine, and?? The doctor kicks the wall of her prison, but there is no effect, ?? obviously, physical force is out of the question. Even my superior intellect is challenged in the face of a cautious mind?? ??Cautious mind?? Honestly, doc. Can you blame me for being too careful when I know one of my enemies is a genius with an IQ of 540?? Yukarumei steps out of a gap. ?Who are you?? asks Kaguya, ?Your ears? You are a Lunarian, aren?t you?? Yukarumei says, ?We have met before, dear princess. Allow me to assume the form you remember?? Yukarumei reverts to Yumei. ?You?re? Yumei?? says Kaguya. ?Glad you remember our little encounter after you entered the void. You also have me to thank for placing that little seal on your ability to communicate across the boundary between dreams and reality. It would have been troublesome if you actually warned Reimu of my intentions,? says Yumei. ?So that?s why?? ?Just what happened?? asks Eirin, ?What have you done? Where are we?? Yumei answers, ?We are in Gensokyo.? ?What?? ?I?ll tell you what happened?? Yumei explains to Eirin what had happened while she had been in her regeneration. ?So you destroyed Reimu and Marisa?s home, and created your new twisted version of Gensokyo in its place?? ?That?s right,? says Yumei, ?This is a new world that I control. All of its residents are outside me now? well, except Yukari, since she?s technically me now, but they now all serve me! Allow me to demonstrate?? Yumei claps her hands. In mere seconds, Suika enters the room. ?Aneeting yoo need, Yoomay?? ?Yes, Suika. Allow me to drink from your gourd.? ?Ooookay!? Suika holds out her gourd to Yumei, who takes a quick swig from it. ?Ah, delicious. Be on your way, now.? ?Bai-bai!? Suika turns and leaves. Kaguya and Eirin watched in awe as one of Gensokyo?s most powerful youkai followed Yumei?s instructions without question. Eirin, who was not alive to witness the events that led to the creation of Yumei?s Gensokyo, asks, ?How did you acquire Yukari?s powers? She was outside the dream?? ?Oh, I have my ways,? says Yumei, ?Besides, I?m the only ?Yukari? still alive now.? Kaguya eyes widen, ?No? That?s impossible!? Yumei says with a sly grin, ?You?d be surprised how a well-placed plan can even bring down the mightiest of foes.? ?Curse you!? Eirin demands, ?What are you trying to accomplish by doing this? What do you need your own Gensokyo for?? ?Revenge,? answers the rabbit. ?What?? Yumei looks at Eirin, ?Surely, you, Doctor Yagokoro, know of the Lunarian science division?s test samples? Well, I am such a sample, sent to Earth to do what I was ?customized? to do?? ?Yumei?? Yumei?s fist tightens, ?I never had a chance to have a life of my own. I was only an object to be experimented on. Hell, ?Yumei? isn?t even my name. Professor Yumemi simply decided to call me ?dream? in order to keep things simple. They did what they wanted with me, and just discarded me. They didn?t give two shits about me. Thanks to Gensokyo altering history, I doubt they even REMEMBER me! Well, I will wield the results of that experiment against them and show how ?successful? they were! My goal? is revenge against the Lunarians!? Eirin says, ?I?m sorry about what happened to you, Yumei? I?ll admit that I may have played a part in starting the experiments taking place now? but do you honestly believe doing this will allow you to defeat an empire that has conquered countless realms? Your goal is nothing but an unrealistic fantasy!? Yumei smirks, ?And here I thought you were supposed to be smart, doc. Of course, I alone stand no chance, but I will form alliances across realms, thanks to my new boundary manipulation. I will ally with the realm of the Lunarians? arch rivals, among others, and with them, I will crush them all!? Kaguya says, ?You destroyed Reimu and Marisa?s home? the land Mokou and I loved? all for THAT selfish reason?? Yumei brings her face closer to Kaguya?s ??Selfish?? Tell me, do you know how many realms fell under the Lunarians? control? More than you can imagine. Besides, I sure as hell ain?t the only one whose life was ruined, thanks to the Lunarians? stupid desire for endless knowledge! With my victory, all those enslaved realms will be freed!? ?A decent side-benefit,? says Eirin, ?but in the end, this is all about your revenge.? ?Hey, I gotta start somewhere. Eirin, I think you know what I want you for.? ?The hourai elixir?? ?Yes. With that, I can be just like Lunariya, the Immortal Empress! Nothing will stop me!? Eirin says calmly, ?Don?t count on me helping you. I may agree with some of your motives, but that doesn?t change the fact that you destroyed the place where the princess? most precious memories lie.? Yumei storms out of the room, ?Dammit! I knew this wouldn?t be easy! Just you wait! I have time. I will convince you, in one way or another, to help me!? Once Yumei?s footsteps are too far away to hear, Kaguya looks at Eirin, ?Thank you, Eirin.? ?For what, princess?? ?For refusing Yumei?s desire? just to not help the destroyer of the place I loved the most. I?m sure she will make things rougher?? ?I know, princess. Just be brave?? Eirin pauses, ?I did that because you were the very first person I could consider a friend?? ?Eirin? Did you make the elixir for me, because it was like you said? because you thought of me as a friend? or because I was your princess?? ?As a friend. In fact, I was told not to let anyone else drink it? but I was immortal and you weren?t? I didn?t want to lose you someday?? ?? But? I was exiled?? ?I knew we would be together again, princess. Wounds heal with time. So do relationships?? ?Eirin? you can call me Kaguya?? Eirin rubs the back of her head, ?Force of habit, my apologies?? Kaguya smiles warmly, ?It?s okay? but someday? will you call by my name and not my discarded social status?? ?I will try princ_? ?Haha!? Despite the situation, Kaguya still finds interacting with Eirin to be something to take her mind off her grim situation, even if only temporary.

Valesta: The five of us make our way down the mountain, toward the forest area of Yumei?s Gensokyo. There?s yours truly, a fellow dreamer-slash-shrine maiden who happened to be among the strongest beings in the dream, despite being a tad laid back, my neighbor-slash-puppeteer-slash-fellow magician-slash-sole youkai in our crew-slash-only ?imagined character? among us, a forsaken Lunarian-slash-former servant of a being less existent than herself, and a half-ghost who is either too grown up or too childish. The mountainside trails are very narrow, to the point where we?re walking single-file, with Reimu at point, then me behind her, then Youmu behind me, then Sakuya, and finally Alice in the far back. ?Dammit!? complains Youmu, ?Why can?t we fly? This IS Gensokyo, isn?t it? We should be floating down to the bottom!? ?Well this IS Yumei?s Gensokyo,? I say with a slight shrug, ?She had control over this place, and if someone? say? us, were to invade, I?d disable the ability to fly too. It makes it harder for intruders to get around.? ?Dammit?? says Youmu, still bitching about our predicament. ?So flying is out of the question,? says Reimu, ?That?s inconvenient, but what about healing?? ?Already covered,? says Sakuya, ?I gave myself a small cut about a half-hour ago to test it, and my marred skin is now completely mended, so we still have that benefit.? ?You cut yourself?? asks Alice, who quickly goes back to her somewhat indifferent demeanor, ?Well, whatever works for you?? ?And spellcards?? asks Reimu. ?I?d imagine we can,? says Alice, ?Think about it. What could benefit Yumei? Of course, the healing and spellcard creation, but flying? She has Yukari?s powers and can go anywhere she wants in a way far more efficient than flight, thus she can disable flight with little personal impact to herself.? I nod in agreement, ?Eh, makes sense.? A few more minutes pass as we make our way down, the bottom still not seeming to get any closer. Youmu says, ?I hope Yuyuko-sama will be okay with those three?? ?I told you before, she?ll be fine!? I try to assure Youmu again. Alice picks up by stating the facts, ?As a ghost, her susceptibility to death is even lower than Mokou?s? in fact, death doesn?t even apply, as she already IS dead. It?s like she told you, Youmu, she simply had you as a servant, not as a protector. She doesn?t need one.? Youmu glances at Alice out the corner of her eye, ?Was that supposed to make me feel better?? ?Well, I tried,? says Alice, dismissing the issue. Reimu cuts to the point, ?Bottom line, your mistress will be fine? I think. What, Youmu? Do you not like being with us?? She said it in a teasing manner. ?It?s not that,? says Youmu, ?It?s just that it?s my sworn duty to_? ?Be by your mistress? side, right? Wow, your life?s a total bore!? A voice cuts in, interrupting Youmu. ?Who?s there?? yells Sakuya. It came from a ledge above us, which we had already traveled on. It?s an awkward view, due to our limited space, but we can see a little of who just spoke: A blue-haired girl with dark red eyes, wearing a pink blouse, a long blue skirt, and a small black hat with a peach-like ornament on it. She isn?t anyone I recognize, though? However, Reimu seems to know her, and not in a good way by her tone of voice, ?It?s you! Tenshi!? Alice, Youmu, and Sakuya also seem to recognize her, based on their facial expressions. Now I remember, Tenshi was that heavenly being that trashed Reimu?s shrine during the Mountain of Faith incident. However, I was knocked out for most of that time, so I never met her face to face. I only know what I do about her, based on what my friends told me, but I hear that, despite supposedly representing all that is good, she LOVES fighting, and thus, would help out with any cause, as long as she gets her much-wanted adrenaline. All in all, she?s a bitch. ?What are YOU doing here?? demands Youmu. Tenshi answers, ?Oh, I just noticed that Gensokyo had come back after a long absence, so I wanted to take a look. I met with the one what was at the middle of it all, Miss Yumei, and she said I would get some action if any on you came along, so I went and found you, and I am SO bored right now!? Reimu says, ?Dammit! I should have known if you showed up!? Apparently, Tenshi is aware of our mobility disadvantage, as she points it out, ?Well, it doesn?t seem you can move much, but I know you?ve been in tight places before, so I doubt you?ll disappoint. That said, let?s get ready to rumble, shall we?? She jumps down from her perch. In midair, two angel-like wings sprout from her back, and she hovers in front of us, over the abyss below. In her hand, a straight-bladed sword, with a rainbow-colored blade, appears. She takes some practice swings? or what I THINK are practice swings, as with each swing, a fissure opens up along the mountain or ground, following the blade?s path, ?Attack me.? Well, if it?s a fight she wants, then it?s time to kick some ass! ?You asked for it!? I draw a spellcard, ?Love Sign!? Energy flows into me as I aim my hand in her direction, ?Master Spark!? I fire my big beam. However, Tenshi doesn?t even make an effort to dodge! The beam slams into her, forcing her back by several feet before my spell ends. She flies back toward us. Reimu follows up, ?Spirit Sign: Fantasy Orb!? Reimu sends several balls of holy energy toward, Tenshi, but this time, she barrel rolls around the attack and stops right in front of us, ?Ah, I needed that! After 14 months of sitting around in?? Tenshi shutters ?? Heaven, I needed a good reminder of what it REALLY means to be alive! Well then, enough fooling!? ?We haven?t the time to deal with you!? Sakuya tosses a few knives at Tenshi, who swats them to the side with her sword. However, a few more appear in front of her, no doubt due to Sakuya?s time manipulation, and sink in when her guard is down. ?UGGH! Not bad?? ?My turn!? Alice summons two dolls, which appear in front of her, which fire a barrage of colorful magical blasts. I back them up with my own attack, by extending my arm in the celestial?s direction and firing off some green shots of magic. However, she recovers in just enough time to dodge and ascends over our attacks. However, Reimu intercepts her by throwing a handful of needles, which sink in the same area Sakuya?s knives hit, intensifying the bleeding quite a bit. Youmu draws a spellcard, ?Human Sign!? Energy flows into her as she unsheathes her larger sword, the Roukanken, ?Slash of Present!? She disappears from sight for a second, and around the same time, Tenshi staggers back from a large scar that just appeared across her chest and split-second later, Youmu reappears in her original location. As Tenshi recovers, I draw a spellcard, Reimu has a bunch of needles in one hand and ofuda in the other, Youmu has both of her swords drawn, Sakuya has a bunch of knives ready, and a few dolls materialize around Alice. Tenshi, clutching the wound she received from Youmu, looks at us with one eye tightly shut, ?Damn? looks like I?m at quite a disadvantage?? ?Just get out of here!? yells Reimu, ?What fun is there in this?? ?How could you ask that?? asks Tenshi. ?Do you know what Yumei had done?? says Reimu, ?She destroyed our homeworld, and replaced it with the place we are now! In doing so, she rendered hundred of millions of people inexistent! How can you, a celestial, help someone like that?? Tenshi shrugs, ?Eh, it happens. If you ask me, I don?t really care. It?s moments like this where I get my thrills. I don?t care about Yumei or what she did. All I want is my fun. I?m in this for myself and no one else.? ?Looks like you won?t listen to reason no matter what?? mutters Reimu. ?Reason is boring,? says Tenshi, ?If you want me to take ANYTHING seriously, force is the only voice I wanna hear!? ?Fine by me,? I respond. Sakuya follows up my words, ?Tenshi, do you honestly believe you have a chance. Yes, we certainly are at a mobility disadvantage, but that doesn?t change the fact that this battle has the five of us against just you, and you obviously aren?t powerful enough to deal with that. If you value your life, and from what I gathered from what I heard about your battle with Youmu during the Mountain of Faith incident, you do, you would admit your defeat and leave us alone.? Yeah, back then, Youmu fought a one-on-one battle against Tenshi, which my half-human friend barely winning. As much as that celestial bitch likes to fight, I heard that when she was seriously threatened with death, she, rather pathetically, broke down (or so I?ve heard). It?s kind of funny when I think about it? Tenshi takes the ex-maid?s words to heart, ?Yes, I can?t argue with you about that? I don?t stand a chance against these odds? SO LET?S EVEN IT, SHALL WE?? Tenshi swings her sword in Alice and Sakuya?s general direction. The ground Alice is standing on starts to crumble away. ?AHH! Help!? Alice cries out as she falls with her arm outstretched upward. ?Alice!? Shit! I can?t maneuver around Youmu in enough time to save her. Youmu also tries to make an effort, but Sakuya manages to dive and grab Alice?s arm just in time, just her legs still hanging on the ledge. ?Hold on!? Youmu sheathes her swords and proceeds to help Sakuya and Alice back up. ?Ah-ah-ah~? heckles Tenshi as she swings her blade, causing a vibration, which throws off the footing of me, Reimu, and Youmu. However, it causes Sakuya to lose her grasp on the ledge, ?Damn!? Both she and Alice start to plummet. ?ALICE!? I cry out. ?Dammit!? ?SAKUYA!? yells Reimu. ?Time for a picturesque finish!? Tenshi raises her sword. At that moment, a bunch of rocks protrude out of the mountainside below where Alice and Sakuya are about to fall. The rocks shift to form spikes pointing upward. ?Dammit!? I curse as I try to think of a plan to save them in the very few seconds I have. However, just above the spikes, a gap appears, not unlike what Yukari is capable of, only this gap is pitch-black instead of purple. The gap swallows Alice and Sakuya, and then disappears. Okay? what the hell was THAT? ? And more importantly, what happened to Alice and Sakuya?

Valesta: While Reimu and Youmu are no doubt wondering the same thing, Tenshi says, ?Oooookay? that was a little weird?? (She doesn?t know either?) ?? but still, there are now just three of you. That went better than I had hoped!? Dammit all! There will be plenty of time to come up with ideas of what happened to Alice and Sakuya, but for now, we have that bitch, Tenshi, to deal with! Tenshi fires a red laser from her sword at Reimu who evades to the side, then tosses an ofuda back at the celestial, who cuts through it with her sword. Soon the battle escalates into a crossfire sequence with lasers, blasts of holy energy, magical energy, spirit energy, needles, and ofuda flying back and forth between us. Reimu, Youmu, and I make our best efforts to dodge Tenshi?s attacks, but from where we are, it?s easy to lose our balance, which the celestial likes to use to her advantage. After a few minutes, which really felt longer, Tenshi lets up on her assault, breathing fast and heavily, ?You?re? pretty good?? ?We can still hold up quite a bit longer, Tenshi!? declares Youmu, ?Give up! You?ve lost!? However, through her pained expression, Tenshi?s lips curl into a smirk, ?I?ve lost?? Don?t get any wrong ideas?? ?What?? says Youmu. Tenshi says confidently, yet still between deep breathes, ?My power? is the ability? to control the land? I can do whatever I want? with the very ground you stand on? I could finish you at any time?? Reimu grits her teeth, ?Tch?? ?Hahaha? it?s a win-win situation for me? I just wanted my entertainment? now? TO END THIS!? Tenshi swings her sword one more time, causing our entire perch to crumble, causing us to fall. Crap! ?Let?s see? if something will save YOU!? Tenshi again summons a bunch a jagged rocks, this time on OUR falling course. However, all three of us have an effective means of dealing with it, as we all draw a spellcard. Youmu declares, ?Edge Sign: Rolling Slash!? Red energy flows into the Roukanken. She swings it downward at the spikes, releasing a blade of spirit energy, which cuts through the spikes. At the same time, Reimu declares, ?Dream Sign: Evil Sealing Circle!? Her entire body glows and releases a small pillar of white holy energy, which completely obliterates the spikes under her. As for me, I declare, ?Love Sign: Master Spark!? and use my good old spell to blast myself out of harm?s way? ? However, right below the spikes, there is still a fissure, and we can?t fly, so? yeah, we?re still pretty screwed. We fall into the big crack in the ground, with a bunch of chunks of the mountainside falling behind us, which Tenshi probably decided to add for good measure. One big rock catches up with us, but Youmu slashes it to pieces. Dammit, there?s no point! Even if we can avoid getting crushed, the fall will still kill us! ?Shit! Dammit! We?re done for, since we can?t fly!? I wanted to know what happened to Alice and Sakuya, but something tells me they?re in a better situation than us! I sure wanted to know what happened to them? Youmu also starts to despair, ?Yuyuko-sama?? The fall continues deeper and deeper into the earth, and that feeling of vertigo becomes worse and worse. Suddenly, however, Reimu lets out a surprised ?WHAT?? I ask, ?What is it, Reim_? Before I can complete my sentence, a simple look in her direction answered my question. Reimu is falling SLOWER than Youmu and I. Reimu yells, ?Marisa! Youmu! We can fly! I don?t know why, but the magic to do that is here!? Youmu starts to also fall slowly, ?You?re right!? I position my broom under me and do the same, ?Well shit, that?s a relief? now let?s get the hell outta here,? I say as I prepare a spellcard, ?Light Blast: Shoot the Moon!? A magic circle appears above us and below the falling rocks and fires up a large beam of magic energy, destroying the rocks? but not all, or enough, of them, as more rocks fall to take their place. ?Shit!? I yell, ?No good!? Reimu says, ?I?ll help! We can do this!? ?Yeah?? I respond, noticing that it?s becoming increasingly hot. ?Look! Below!? calls out Youmu, looking down. Below us, at the bottom of the earthly shaft we had been falling through, there is a large sea of magma (I guess one mountain, among the range, was a volcano). We each summon a shield of our respective energies, which protects us from the heat, but not enough to stop our uncontrollable sweating. We hover over the lava, getting out of the way of the rocks, which crash and pile up on a small island. ?Damn! It?s too hot!? bitches Youmu? though I agree. ?Yeah? we need to get out of here. FAST!? Reimu, being amazingly useful during these last few minutes, notices something, ?That island! There!? Sure enough, on another small island, there is a large magic circle. By now, we know that things like that are not JUST there, so we decide to examine it. After all, this is a weird place to find one, and if there is something like that around, there must be another presence responsible for it. Despite our reluctance to get any closer to the magma, we drop into the magic circle. ?Hot?? Youmu continues to whine. ?Well, this is weird,? I say. ?I wonder why this is here?? says Reimu. However, before Youmu or I can respond, silver pillars of light form around us. Before another word can be said, Reimu vanishes, then Youmu, and finally_ == As Reimu, Marisa, and Youmu disappear, unbeknownst to them, they were being watched through a small gap in the boundary. On the other end of the gap, reclined in a large armchair, Yukarumei says, ?An aspect of the dream you have not yet encountered. This will prove pretty damn entertaining!? Reimu appears in another magic circle, in the middle of a room appearing to be part of a large cave. She notices that during the warp, she had been separated from Marisa and Youmu. The room is hot, though not nearly as hot as the sea of magma. ?Where am I?? As Reimu inquires herself about her whereabouts, several fairy youkai appear and surround her. ?Damn? looks like I?m not alone here?? ?Welcome, nya!? a voice comes from the shadows in the back of the room. ?Who?s there? Wait?? Reimu recognizes the mannerism the voice just used, ?You?re? Chen? No, wait?? While she recalls the mannerism belonging to the nekomata, Chen Yakumo, the shikigami of Yukari?s shikigami, Ran Yakumo, the voice using it is distinctly different. ??Chen?? Don?t know who that is, nya. I was ordered by Miss Satori to entertain you, nya? so I will!? Reimu rolls her eyes, ?Please don?t use the word, ?entertain.? I think I?ve heard enough of that concept in one hour?? Youmu finds herself warped into a large purple corridor, lined with stain glass windows. ?What is this place?? ?Hello,? A low female voice greets, accompanied by the sounds of approaching footsteps. Youmu draws the Roukanken in the direction of the voice, ?Who?s there? Answer me! Where are Reimu and Marisa?? ?Oh, my? ?pets? are dealing with them?? The owner of the voice walks out of the shadows and into plain sight: A girl with short violet hair, wearing a blue shirt and pink skirt, with a few golden heart-shaped ornaments all around. ?Hello, Youmu Mari Konpaku, gardener, servant, and? self-proclaimed protector of Netherworld Hakugyokurou?s appointed sovereign, ?Princess? Yuyuko Saigyouji, referred to by you as ?Yuyuko-sama,? formerly known in life as Yuko Saigyou, only human friend of one Yukari Yakumo? who is recently deceased. That?s too bad. Daughter and student of Youki Konpaku, whom you recently found out was appointed as a Lunarian, and? well, this is interesting, you don?t know who your mother is. Skilled in the art of the sword, half of your teachings being from your father, and the other half being self-taught. Physical age: 15, mental age: ? either 8 or 20, depending on the situation, chronological age: 39? how embarrassing. Your coworkers go by the names, Lunasa, Merlin, and Lyrica Prismriver, as well as one Mima, who recently joined. The ones you consider to be your best friends, as well as companions, go by the names Marisa Kirisame, Sakuya Izayoi, and Alice Margatroid, oh? and it looks like little Youmu is growing up: The one you have romantic feelings for goes by the name_? ?DAMMIT! SHUT UP!? snaps the freaked out Youmu, who takes a few second to catch her breath, ?How? do you know all that? I never met you!? The girl smiles at Youmu like she?s looking at a plaything, ?If you find that to be a bother to you, I wonder how you will react when I delve deeper into your heart. There are things you have kept hidden inside yourself from the world? and I, Satori Komeiji, am going to bare it all.? ?Stay away!? yells Youmu, threatening Satori with her sword. Satori, however, keeps approaching Youmu, ?If you plan to attack me, go ahead.? ?RRaaaarrrgggghhhh!? Youmu charges at Satori, who keeps walking with a relaxed composure. Youmu draws the Hakurouken and swings it at the mysterious girl, who tilts her head back, dodging the slash by mere millimeters. Youmu follows up by swinging the Roukanken downward, putting all her weight into the attack. Satori, however, rotates her body to the side, causing the gardener to stumble forward. ?You are powerful, Youmu, yet your skills remain unrefined. I see you never completed your training before your father left for the moon.? ?Damn you!? snarls Youmu, ?Don?t talk to me like you know me!? Satori chuckles, ?Youmu dear, I know you better than you know yourself.? ?Shut up!? Youmu sheathes the Hakurouken and draws a spellcard, ?Human Sign_? ??Slash of Present,?? Satori cuts off Youmu?s words, ?Your favorite spell, much like how Master Spark is Marisa?s spell of choice.? The mysterious girl explains the nature of Youmu?s attack as if she were reading a paragraph from a textbook, ?The energy of the spell manipulates your body?s spirit energy, allowing you to move at an extreme speed, beyond your normal capability, over a short distance. At the same time, within that tenth of a second, the manipulated spirit energy moves into and manipulates your arms, allowing you to accurately slash, as under normal circumstances, your mind cannot react that quickly. Its overall energy expenditure is roughly 8% to 12% of your overall 100%. Almost 18% at its best: an effective and energy-efficient spell. You have good taste.? Youmu drops her offensive posture in surprise, ?No?? ?I know more,? says Satori, ?Shall I explain the nature of its more-powerful cousin: ?Slash of Eternity?? or its refined counterpart: ?Angel Dance?. Or how about a different spell altogether, like the land-splitting ?Delusion of Enlightenment? or ?Karmic Punishment of the Idle and Unfocused,? which makes good use of your ghost-half?s doppelganger ability.? Youmu drops to her knees in mental defeat, ?No? What? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU? HOW DO YOU KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT ME?? Satori smirks, ?I don?t need to know you to ?know? you. Like I said before, I will reveal all that is hidden within your heart. You are a very interesting? and very naughty girl, Miss Konpaku. I wonder if you can handle the truth?? == I find myself appearing inside a magic circle in another location. I look around and realize that I?m alone. Reimu and Youmu disappeared ?? Damn it?? I examine my surroundings: A corridor made up entirely of metal. It?s hot, but going from that magma pool to this is like going from the flying pan to the freezer? if you?ll pardon the clich? and slight exaggeration. I stand in the magic circle for a few seconds, but nothing?s happening. Looks like it was a one way trip. I walk through the corridor, which has only one direction. It isn?t long until I reach a door with a VERY uninviting insignia on it: A circle made up of six triangles, three yellow and three black. I know what it represents, and it?s usually NOT a good thing. Still, I never thought Gensokyo had something like this? or maybe this place is ruins of a power plant or WMD facility? Still, the magic circle I arrived through is not doing anything, and there is no other way. ?This is such a mistake?? I mutter to myself as I press a panel next to the door, which responds by sliding open. I hesitantly step inside?

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