~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore
Thought's End & Embodiement of Dreams (2nd Ignition)
Valesta:
Inside the supermarket, now dimly lit by the sunset?s light through the holes in the ceiling, Reisen finds Yuyuko in one of the aisles, eating out of a cereal box.
?That stuff tastes better with milk,? Reisen informs Yuyuko as she approaches.
?With milk?? Yuyuko smiles, ?Capital idea! I should try that!?
Reisen sits across from the ghost, ?Are you sure you did the right thing??
Yuyuko stops eating and asks through a mouthful of cereal, ?Hm? Right thing about what, now??
?About Youmu. I mean, she IS your servant, and it?s only natural she?d want to be by your side. However, you sent her off with the others. I know that the splitting up conflicted that, but even though I chose this side, I would have gone with the others and let Youmu go with you, you know??
Yuyuko smiles, albeit a sad smile, ?You have a kind heart, Reisen. However, Youmu is better off spending time with her friends than with me??
?Why? You are her mistress, I mean, why would she want to be with anyone else??
Yuyuko leans back, ?Trust me? I know??
Youmu yells, ?How the hell could I possibly LIKE that? How could you even imply that I liked my mistress being dishonored in the way you just did??
?Well, didn?t you?? asks the other Youmu.
?Absolutely not!?
?There you go again,? says the other Youmu, gesturing an indication that she knew the answer she was going to hear, ?Lying to yourself again. Not that I blame you. After all, it?s what you do best.?
??To myself??? explodes Youmu, ?You may LOOK like me, but you and I aren?t the same person at all! There is no way? No possible way that you and I are the same. You are just an illusion trying to trick me! It?s not going to work?? Youmu takes a couple deep breaths, ?You hear me, Satori! This cheap trick is not going to work!?
Youmu hears Satori?s voice come from an unspecified location, ?So you believe that is an illusion? Hmhmhm? You are welcome to go ahead and think that??
?So you are there! Show yourself, you three-eyed freak!?
?Satori?? says the other Youmu, ?We share a mutual adversary. It?s a shame I have to rely on a fake like you to confront her rather than do it myself!?
?Why are you calling me a fake??
?Because you are me?? says the other Youmu, ?You and I are one of the same, sister. The only difference is that you go around masking yourself with lies. ?I will fight to the death for Yuyuko-sama!? ?Yuyuko-sama is my reason for living.? You know, lies like those. If you want a truth, then here?s one: You HATE that bitch, Yuyuko.?
?Ridiculous!? yells Youmu, ?You?re just trying to fool me! I would never think that! How dare you say such a thing about Yuyuko-sama, and say that you are me?? Youmu draws the Hakurouken, ?Enough talking. I am not going to lose to an imposter like you!?
The other Youmu strikes a defensive stance, ?Go ahead and try.?
?Yaaaa!? Youmu leaps up and swings the Hakurouken down at her other self. Their swords clash.
?Hmph.?
?Ah!? Youmu?s eyes widen. As the Hakurouken is made to cut through confusion, it had cut through illusions with no effort, but as it had not cut through the other Youmu?s blade, Youmu realizes something is not right.
The other Youmu kicks Youmu away, then draws a spellcard, ?Recollection: Slash of Present!? She disappears with a blur, and then appears in front of Youmu, delivering a fast and powerful slash.
?Ugh!? Youmu staggers back. Strangely, no blood was drawn, but she does feel the pain, ?Ah! Damn it!?
The other Youmu sheathes her sword, ?Just what I?d expect from a fake??
?You? bastard??
?Here is something we can agree on, ?me?: Our father, Youki Konpaku was? or should I say, is, a truly great man. Powerful, wise, clever, handsome, devoted, kind? Truly a man amongst men. Sure, he had that little weakness to beautiful women, but if you put that aside, he?s perfect??
???
?So why the hell should he serve someone like Yuyuko? Someone who doesn?t come close to matching his supremacy? It?s a question that has been on your? or should I say, OUR, mind. After all, all that ghost ever did was constantly nag him for food, to tell her stories, to investigate things that sparked her curiosity? and he did as he was told without question. That kinda pissed us off.?
???
?One day, we asked him why he serves her, and spoke badly of her, saying that you wished she would just disappear. At that moment? he slapped us. That?s right, the one and only time he ever did something like that outside of training. Let?s just say that didn?t help much with Yuyuko?s credibility in our eyes.?
???
?Of course, father just HAD to leave that fateful night? to join the Lunarians, apparently, and left us to fill his role. Now how can someone who despises Yuyuko be a loyal servant? We couldn?t just run away, and father did trust us with that duty, and we respected him enough not to disobey. That?s when YOU were born? and I ceased to exist. In your mind, you created another self that mirrored father?s devotion to Yuyuko, and assumed that identity to cope with the situation. I don?t blame you. After all, if you didn?t, you just might have gone insane. You became a new person who was totally devoted to Yuyuko, and it got to the point where it took over your identity entirely. That?s why I had said those things. You are not your own person? not anymore. You are just a character you created and assumed. That?s why you are a fake!?
?I?? Youmu can no longer find the will to object to her other self?s words. She wants to continue writing off her words as lies, but cannot as part of her realizes the truth in them, ?AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!?
==
I slowly make my way through the tunnels of the underground maze. There are some glowing crystals that provide just enough illumination for me to see, but the path had branched off many times, so I?ve just had to trust my instincts on where to go. If I ended up at some place after entering that circle, then Reimu and Youmu must also be down here somewhere? but I don?t know if I?m getting warmer or colder on the trail to finding them?
I had recovered a bit of my strength since that power struggle with Miss Meltdown, so I?m no longer using my broom to stay upright, but I sure s hell can?t run as I am, and I can?t take another fight?
Also, now that I have a chance, I wonder what happened to Alice and Sakuya. They vanished into a dark gap and vanished. I can?t have been Yukari. I mean? she?s dead, and her gaps don?t look like that. Could it have been Yumei?? Nah! Still, if a gap did appear, I assume it was to save them, so I guess I shouldn?t worry too much. I wonder if they?ll make it back here?
Of course, just as I think about my current predicament, a gap opens and that Yumei/Yukari hybrid, who Cirno called ?Yukarumei,? emerges, ?Hello there, Marisa! Good job winning that battle?? She reverts to Yumei?s form.
Dammit! I can?t very well fight her with the stamina I have right now, ?What the hell do you want, Yumei? You have some nerve showing up after what you did??
?Oh, I?m only here to talk,? says the damn rabbit, ?I want to make you an offer??
I force a smug look, ?What could YOU offer me? We?re well past the point of talking this shit over??
Yumei grins, ?Even if I could make you the most powerful woman in the universe??
?What are you TALKING about??
?My goal,? says Yumei, ?is to use Gensokyo to defeat the Lunarian Empire. However, defeating it is my only goal. Once that is done, I?d be happy with giving you the throne. Think about it! I can make you empress! I did have to live in your mind, and you were pretty nice to me.?
?That was because I thought you could bring Gensokyo back? not like this. As for your offer, the answer is hell no.?
?Why not?? asks Yumei, ?Together, we can find a way to kill the immortal empress! All her power can be yours! Does that not interest you??
I shake my head, ?All I wanted was friends. Whether I?d be saving Gensokyo or going to school with them, it doesn?t matter because I was with them. That?s all I want. You can worry about that stupid empire by yourself.?
Yumei takes a step back, ?Damn? I don?t understand. How could you pick something so trivial over obtaining all the power someone could possibly desire??
?Because I DO understand, that?s why.?
?I see. In that case?? Yumei turns back into Yukarumei and opens a gap and turns to enter it.
I blurt out, ?So are you going to finish me??
She looks back at me, ?Finish you??
?Yeah, I thought it was pretty obvious! I?m weak from that battle with Utsuho; I can only use about two Master Sparks, though the second one would probably be pretty weak. My only chance of winning is to use a Last Word, but that would kill me. You?re skipping out on a great opportunity!? You may think I?m crazy for saying this, but I?m visibly weakened and I know Yumei isn?t that stupid.
Yukarumei responds, ?That would be too easy. I?d rather test my? minions against you.?
??Minions???
?Yes. Gensokyo?s denizens are no longer a part of me. Instead, they live around this world and serve my desires. I?ll leave it to them.?
?So you are just going to leave me be? You do know I?ll make damn sure this comes back to bite you in the ass later, right??
?Hmph. You?re on, Marisa.?
???
?Also, I?ll tell you where your friends are. Go to the end of this tunnel and where it forks off, go right. In that tunnel, take the second left, and Youmu is in the fifth room to the right. Reimu is pretty close to that location, so she?ll be there before you. Ciao.? She enters the portal.
??? I stand there, stunned. Yumei just? HELPED me? Damn, I don?t get her at all! She might be lying, but for all I know at the moment, it?s just as good a lead as any, so I proceed to follow her directions.
==
?AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!? A scream echoes through the underground tunnels. It catches Reimu off guard.
The miko takes a second to recall the voice, ?That was? Youmu! It wasn?t far from here!? She heads in the general direction the scream came from and it isn?t long before she finds the room where Youmu and Satori are. Youmu is slumped on the ground with her eyes blank and lifeless.
?Youmu!? yells Reimu.
Satori looks at Reimu, ?You? It seems my servant was unable to stop you.?
?Who are you?? demands Reimu, ?What have you done to Youmu? Did you just???
Satori shakes her head, ?No. Your friend is undergoing a trial? and trial that requires a strong heart to overcome. Failure to do so results in the destruction of one?s mind. Her heart is very weak??
?Youmu!? yells Reimu, ?Can you hear me? Youmu!?
?Youmu! Can you hear me? Youmu!?
Within Youmu?s subconscious, Youmu hears Reimu?s voice from the outside, ?Re? i? mu??
?Re? i? mu?? Youmu?s words are relayed through her body.
Reimu finds the nature of the response unusual, but she knows she got through to wherever Youmu?s consciousness is, ?Yes! It?s me, Reimu! What?s going on??
Even though Youmu?s body?s face has a blank expression, she speaks with the emotion she is feeling within, ?I?m? so sorry, Reimu??
??? Satori watches the exchange between Reimu and Youmu silently.
?What are you sorry for?? asks the miko.
Youmu answers, ?I?ve lied to you? I?ve lied to everyone, including myself! All I?ve done? is lie. I?m not the person you think I am, Reimu. I?m not the real Youmu. I?m just a personality made from a necessity??
?What have you DONE to her?? demands Reimu to Satori.
Satori plainly answers, ?I have done nothing. This girl cannot face the truth of her own being.?
?Stop this now!? Reimu tosses a handful of needles at Satori, who dodges them with little effort, and then charges in, swinging her gohei, which Satori leaps away from, well before the attack can connect.
?It?s useless,? says Satori, ?You can keep trying, but your attacks will never hit me.?
?Damn??
?Besides, since Youmu had started undergoing her trial, nothing can stop it now. Not even me. I?d advise you not to waste your time, Reimu.?
?How did you know my??? Reimu shakes her head and shifts her attention toward the more important matter at hand. She kneels and looks straight at Youmu blank face, ?So there is some truth you had been keeping from everyone??
?I?m sorry?? Despite the unchanging expression, Youmu?s eyes well up and tears start to flow.
?So what??
?H-huh??
?You have secrets, right? We all do. In fact, I?d be worried if you didn?t,? says Reimu, ?I?m sure it?s something that?s hard to accept, and really, I don?t want to know what that secret is, but regardless, you are still Youmu, right? I don?t care what you had been hiding. The fact remains that we had been on many adventures together and we had even lived together. THAT was no lie, and can you say that our friendship is a lie too??
?N-no??
?No matter what, you are Youmu, and nothing can change that!?
?No matter what, you are Youmu, and nothing can change that!? Reimu?s words echo from above.
Inspired, Youmu looks her other self in the eye, ?You? You?re right? about everything.?
???
?I did find it hard to accept, but it?s true what you said. I had felt angry at Yuyuko-sama because I felt she had enervated father?s greatness. I?ll admit? that I was you at one point, and that we are the same. I recall something. That time, when you said that father hit you?us? do you remember what he said, afterward??
The other Youmu?s eyes widen, ?What??
?He said that we half-ghosts are not accepted by worlds of the living, nor the dead; That we are cursed beings. However, Yuyuko-sama was benevolent enough to give us a home, even if it meant our servitude to her. Isn?t that the real reason we didn?t run away? Not just because father told us to??
The other Youmu is taken aback, ?I see? good point, other me??
Youmu approaches her other self, ?Regardless of how I really feel, my honor can?t allow me to reject that kindness, and I don?t think you were able to do that either. I?m no fake self. Aren?t we both the same person??
The other Youmu closes her eyes and smiles, ?I was meaning to teach you, but in the end, you taught me. Well played??
Youmu shakes her head, ?Oh no. I think we both learned more about me. It?s funny how little we both knew about ourselves...?
?So what will you do??
?Do you need to ask? I will keep living as I have been. Hopefully someday, I?ll meet father again and we can be a family. Until then, however, I will fulfill the duty he entrusted with me? with us.?
The other Youmu starts to shine brightly and Youmu begins to white out?
? and she finds herself back where she was fighting Satori with Reimu kneeling in front of her, ?Reimu!?
Reimu?s face lights up, ?Youmu! You?re back!?
Satori?s eyes narrow, ?That girl?s words? They gave her courage; strengthened what was such a weak heart. Fascinating??
Reimu and Youmu rise and glare at Satori. ?Shall we get back at who did that to you?? asks Reimu.
?Be careful,? says Youmu, ?This girl, Satori, can read our minds. Maybe if we attack her together??
?There is no need,? Satori cuts in.
?What??
?My powers do have a limit,? says Satori, ?I can only read one mind at a time. I can?t read another when I?m reading one. Also, my combative powers are insufficient for fighting multiple opponents and I am not one to fight a battle I no longer have any hope of winning. Therefore, I admit defeat.?
Reimu shrugs, ?Fine. Sure. I wish they would all know when to give up??
??? Youmu picks up the Roukanken, which she had previously dropped.
Satori says to Reimu, ?So you?re the one who fought against Rin. Seeing your memories of that battle, she?s still alive. Very good.?
?Yeah,? says Reimu, ?She did mention someone named Satori. So you?re that person, huh??
?Yes,? answers Satori, ?Rin is like a pet to me. Hm? I wonder about my other pet??
==
Following Yumei?s directions, I arrive in a room illuminated by light shining through stained glass windows. There, I find Reimu, Youmu, and some purple-haired chick I don?t know, ?Reimu! Youmu! You?re alright!?
?Marisa!? call out Reimu and Youmu.
The purple-haired chick looks at me, ?Well, speak of the devil. It seems Utsuho is still alive too.?
I glare at the purple girl, ?Utsuho? What relationship do you have with Miss Meltdown??
The girl puts her hand over her mouth to hold back a laugh, ??Miss Meltdown?? Good nickname. You?re a funny girl Marisa Kirisame? or should I say, Starr. Anyway, to answer your question, she?s my pet.?
?Well then, you should keep your ?pet? on a frickin? leash? Huh? Wait a minute! When the hell did I tell you my name??
?There?s no need to,? says Youmu, ?It?s her power.?
I blink a couple times, ?What? What power? Can she read my mind or something??
The girl looks straight at me, ?Good guess.? Ugh? Figures.
Reimu says, ??Miss Meltdown?? What exactly did you FIGHT, Marisa??
?I?ll leave that to your imagination. How about you??
?A cat that can raise the dead??
Shutter? She didn?t get it that much better? ?I see. What were you up to, Youmu??
Youmu answers, ?I was the first to meet Satori, here. In fact, we were fighting her until about a minute ago.?
I draw a spellcard, ?So she?s our enemy??
?Don?t worry,? says Reimu, ?She admitted her defeat to us.?
I raise an eyebrow and look at ?Satori,? ??Admitted defeat?? Your damn pet should learn to take after you, then??
Satori nods, ?Yes, Utsuho has always been a problem??
?I take it your opponent didn?t know when to give up?? asks Youmu.
?Well, ain?t THAT the understatement,? I respond. I bring up another point, ?Oh, by the way, guess who I ran into on my way here.?
?It was Yumei,? says Satori.
?YOU shut up.?
?What?? say Reimu and Youmu at the same time.
?Yeah,? I say, ?But something was weird. I was feeling like shit from fighting Satori?s radioactive canary and she showed up, but all she did was give me directions to find this room and a stupid offer I turned down. If she was seriously trying to kill us, that would have been the perfect chance. In fact, she has Yukari?s powers, so she could come and pick us off anytime she wants! Something doesn?t add up here??
?Weird,? says Reimu, ?Did she say anything else??
?Yeah. She said she?d leave it to her minions?? an idea crosses my mind. I look at Satori, ?YOU are one such minion, right??
?I am,? says Satori, ?In this Gensokyo under Yumei?s control, all denizens directly born of it must follow her commands. We were told to deal with the outsiders??
Youmu offers a guess, ?Maybe she just wants to sit back and watch our struggles? Maybe she like a good challenge and wants us to fight through her Gensokyo and become stronger and then challenge her? That?s how I would do it??
?Yeah, that?s how YOU would do it,? I say to Youmu, ?But she said her aim is to defeat the Lunarians using this Gensokyo, not to mention I heard her express her distaste for ?honor? to you before. We are an obstacle for her. Frankly, I?d want to get rid of interferences without delay, but if she really is as arrogant as you described, Youmu, well then, more power to us??
?Sounds to me like it?s a game to her?? notes Reimu, ?Either that, or we?re missing something here. Maybe her intentions are more complex than we thought??
?Maybe?? I turn my attention to Satori, ?How about you?? I ask, ?Have you ever met her before? Could you read her mind??
Satori responds, ?If we are defeated, we are allowed to let you go, but we can never disclose anything that would work against Yumei. Ever. It?s like a new sixth sense to us. Plus, I?ve never met her before, personally, so I couldn?t say anyway.?
?I see,? I acknowledge, ?Well, we might as well keep going. If we meet her again, shit SHOULD start to come together??
Reimu says to Satori, ?Well, we beat you, and you said you?d let us go. I?m wondering if you could_?
?To get back to the surface,? interrupts Satori, ?take a right from this chamber, and then another right when the corridor branches off. Keep going straight and you will eventually make it back to the surface. It will go on for several miles, though.?
?Okay! Thanks.? Reimu, Youmu, and I turn to leave the chamber.
?Wait!? shouts Satori.
We turn around. ?What is it?? asks Reimu.
Satori says, ?Reimu and Marisa? I sense a great confusion in the two of you. Before the end of your journey, that confusion may obstruct the path you travel. When that happens, please look to me for guidance. This underground complex extends all over Gensokyo and I will follow your progress. When you are ready to see me? please dig a hole to come here.?
I turn and continue walking, ?Thank you for your abstract advice. Didn?t you say you weren?t allowed to work against Yumei.?
?Yumei has nothing to do with this,? says Satori.
?We?ll keep it in mind,? says Reimu.
The three of us leave Satori?s chamber and begin to follow her directions out of the complex.
Valesta:
Yukari wakes up. Despite being a ghost who can?t feel pain, the loss of her body?s spirit energy is just as hard on her. She opens her eyes and sees a grey ceiling. The first words that come out of her mouth express the perfectly natural reaction to her predicament: ?Where? am I??
However, Yukari was not expecting someone to answer, ?Inside a dungeon. I see you?re finally with us.?
?Zzzzzzz?? Another voice is also present, in spite of being just snoring. However, Yukari recognizes the voice that spoke to her, as well as having a vague remembrance to the sound of the snoring.
?Yama??? Yukari sits up, and sure enough, inside the typical-looking cell of the dungeon she is in, with stone walls, floor, and ceiling, and metal bars, with her is Sikieiki Yamaxanadu and Komachi Onozuka, who is sitting in the corner, sleeping.
Sikieiki points out the irony, ?Fancy our reunion being like this. Out of many Netherworlds, we find ourselves in the same one, in the same place, in the same predicament??
???
?And you?re a ghost now, I see. I never thought that would happen.?
?A while ago, neither would I. You see?? Yukari tells Sikieiki everything that happened to her, up until her confrontation with Kotohime.
?I see?? says Sikieiki, ?You?ve had quite an adventure? and the end serves you right! You see, Yukari, even though you have the ability to alter the space between realms, it doesn?t mean you should have used it so freely. It is a crime against the natural order of things, and doing so excessively, like you had, is most certainly a way to find oneself condemned to Hell. What you should have done was_?
?Yama,? Yukari interrupts, ?I know you are doing your job and all, but, frankly, it?s rather difficult to take your words seriously when we are sharing a prison cell. It? undermines the authority you are supposed to have. Even then, manipulating boundaries is what I do. I?d go so far as to say it?s my? raison d?etre.?
??? Sikieiki understands, but doesn?t want to admit it outright.
?So, how did you and Komachi end up here??
Sikieiki leans back, ?As you are no doubt aware, the Lunarian Empire had taken control of this Netherworld. The Yama who governs this one is? how shall I put this? a coward. She surrendered rather easily. Accompanied by Komachi, I took it on myself to convince the leader of the occupation, this? ?Kotohime,? that it is in her, and the empire?s, best interests to leave the realms of the afterlife alone. She refused to listen, had her troops ambush us, and we were tossed in here.?
?Sounds like her?? Yukari stands up and looks at the metal bars of the cell, ?You actually let these hold you? Are you even trying??
Sikieiki says, unusually smug, ?Try to escape yourself.?
?I will!? Yukari extends her arm and fires a blast of energy. However, it comes out much weaker than she intended. The small blast slams into an invisible field of energy in front of the bars and gets absorbed.
?See??
Yukari stares at the bars, ?What happened? Why am I so weak??
?This is why.? Sikieiki raises up her hands into plan view, revealing two gray rings wrapped around the index fingers of both of her hands. Yukari looks at her hands and finally notices that she is wearing the same thing. Looking at Komachi, the shinigami is in the same situation.
?What are these?? asks Yukari.
?I can only assume that they suppress our ability to use energy attacks,? says Sikieiki, ?Komachi and I tried to do the same thing, but to no such avail.?
Yukari smirks, ?Hmph. They forgot one thing! Watch and learn, Yama!? Yukari tries to open a gap, but nothing happens, ?What? These rings do that too??
?There is actually a different reason for that?? A girl with sandy blonde hair and golden eyes, wearing a blue uniform with a Lunarian emblem pinned on it, comes into view.
?Who are you?? asks Yukari.
?A Lunarian, obviously,? adds Sikieiki, ?What do you want with us? Wasn?t conquering this Netherworld enough??
?Relax,? says the girl, ?I don?t get my kicks the same way as my ?sister.??
?Your sister?? asks Yukari.
?Kotohime, I mean?? The girl introduces herself, ?My name is Watatsuki no Toyohime. I am the second princess of the Lunarian Empire. I?m terribly sorry about Koto?s treatment of you.?
?If you really are sorry,? says Yukari, ?You will release us!?
?That, I cannot do,? says Toyohime, ?You see, Koto had been granted absolute control of this realm. Even I can?t disobey the rules she had set. The least I could do is apologize to you for how you were treated.?
?I see your sister?s behavior doesn?t run in the family,? says Yukari.
?We Lunarians are living things? human and youkai, too,? says Toyohime, ?We are all different, just like you.?
?So what?s going on? If these? rings didn?t take away my powers, then what exactly happened??
Toyohime explains, ?First, I will explain those rings to you. As you had discovered, I?m sure, they suppress your ability to use whatever energy you use as a weapon. They also disable your ability to materialize things in your space, greatly diminishing your combative ability. They cannot be removed through sheer force? that is unless you mutilate yourselves. A machine in this complex controls them and by deactivating it, the rings just slip off. As for your powers, golden-haired youkai, while you were out, Kotohime put you through a process she likes to call ?conditioning.? In that process, one?s innate powers are extracted into a crystallized form. The resulting crystal is then surgically implanted into another?s body, thus allowing that person to use those powers. I wouldn?t be surprised is Koto ?stole? your ability for herself.?
Yukari?s hands curl into fists, ?What? I?ll kill her! In one way or another, her life will be mine to take!?
Toyohime smiles awkwardly, ?Well, if you can find a way out of here somehow, you can try??
Yukari takes a few deep breaths, knowing that getting angry in this situation will not help. ?When I first met this ?Kotohime,?? says Yukari, ?She introduced herself as the empire?s fourth princess. Just how many princes and princesses are there??
?You do realize it?s the enemy you are making small talk with?? whispers Sikieiki to Yukari.
Yukari shrugs, ?She doesn?t seem like a? you know? BAD Lunarian??
?I heard that,? says Toyohime, ?No trouble, though. I find you interesting and reasonable. To answer your question, there are no princes and there are four princesses: Myself, my real sister, Yorihime, Kotohime? and one I?ve never met??
?Care to tell us what you mean by ?real? sister?? asks Sikieiki.
Toyohime explains, ?Yori is my blood related sister. Really, only the exiled first princess is the empress? biological daughter. The rest of us were taken in. ?Mother? truly loves Koto, but she adopted Yori and I for our? convenience??
??Convenience???
?Yori and I are the last surviving students of the moon?s former greatest mind, Miss Yagokoro. With her wisdom passed on to us, mother figured that princess status would be a great asset for the empire?s chain of command, thus, our adoption.?
?Ah!? Yukari knows Eirin came from the moon, but also that she was escaping from there, along with Kaguya. She decided to say nothing and give the Lunarians no leads.
?Huh?? There is a yawn, ?By ?Miss Yagokoro,? do you mean Eirin Yagokoro??
Yukari whirls around to see that Komachi had just woken up. ?You idiot!?
Komachi picks the sleep out of her eyes, ?What did I do??
Toyohime?s face lights up, ?You KNOW her? Where is she??
???
Toyohime?s expression softens, she slumps to her knees, and she clasps her hands together, as she begs, ?Please tell me! I really want to know! Is she okay??
Yukari sighs and pauses for several seconds, ?Alright. I?m sure you?ll go to whatever means to find out. I guess the cat?s out of the proverbial bag?? Yukari explains everything she knows about what became of Eirin after she left the moon with the emissaries to retrieve Kaguya, to how she took them to Gensokyo, to the moon incident, and finally? ?? she and Kaguya were taken away. I don?t know what Yumei?s plans are with them, though??
Toyohime tenses up, ?I see. I wish I could do something with that information, but unfortunately, our forces can only operate within other boundaries on nights of a full moon??
?So, now that you know, what do you plan to do?? asks Komachi.
Toyohime pauses, ?I would like to find her and bring her home, but I respect her too much to dishonor her wishes. For now, the information I had gained will not leave these walls?? Toyohime walks toward the dungeon?s entrance, ?I?ll be sure to visit you again, and? thank you? for being there for Miss Yagokoro when she and Kaguya needed you, golden-haired youkai.?
?It?s Yukari. Yukari Yakumo.?
?Yukari? I will remember that name?? Toyohime leaves the dungeon.
Komachi remarks, ?Looks like you made a new friend, Yukari.?
?I hope so,? says Yukari, her lips curling into a smirk, ?Hopefully through that, I can manipulate her into releasing us. It will happen, mark my words! I will make Kotohime PAY for what she did to me!?
Meanwhile, in Makai, the immortal maid, Sakuya and the demon maid, Yumeko?s battle begins with Alice, Shinki, Yuki, and Mai watching on.
Sakuya begins the duel by throwing a single knife at Yumeko to see how she will react and gauge her skill.
?Hmph.? Yumeko swings her knife upward, deflecting Sakuya?s knife, causing it to spin into the air. The demon maid then whirls around to toss her knife, which Sakuya narrowly sidesteps out of the way of. However, Yumeko then jumps up, grabs Sakuya?s previously thrown knife out of the air, and tosses it down at the immortal maid, who is momentarily immobile from the momentum of dodging the first knife.
?Damn!? With no time to dodge, Sakuya raises her arms in defense and the knife sinks into her arm, ?AAGGH!?
?Sakuya!? yells Alice.
?That?s our Yumeko,? says Yuki.
Yumeko says with a deceptively sweet smile, ?That wasn?t bad, fellow housekeeper, but it looks like I have the advantage here. You might want to give up, you know. The sight of other people?s blood excites me and sometimes I lose control. When that gets to be the case, accidents happen.?
Sakuya pulls the knife out of her arm, ?UGH! I assure you, I?ve been through worse. We?ve only gotten started.?
?That?s the spirit! Let?s continue, then!? Yumeko draws another knife and charges toward Sakuya, the distance between them closing faster than the immortal maid anticipated. Sakuya barely blocks Yumeko?s attack in time and then jumps away to put distance between them again, as she knows Yumeko has the speed advantage. Knives materialize between Sakuya?s fingers, and she tosses one handful, and then the other at Yumeko, who twists to one side to avoid the first throw, and then swings her knife, deflecting the second. Yumeko gets in close for another close-range knife attack, which the immortal maid sways back to dodge, but the demon maid follows her attack with a kick, which sends Sakuya slamming back-first into the wall.
Yumeko rushes forward to thrust a knife into Sakuya, who quickly sidesteps and avoids the attack, and then dashes back toward the middle of the room, again for distance, and draws a spellcard, ?Time Sign: Private Square!? A pillar of area, with Yumeko in the center, becomes monochrome, as the time within it stands still.
?What just happened?? asks Yuki.
Alice answers, ?That?s Sakuya?s power. She can control time.?
Yuki?s eyes widen, ?Really? Wow, the outside world has some interesting things??
??? Mai attentively watches to see what will happen.
Shinki folds her arms in front of her, ?Quite a talent your friend has, Alice, but we will see if that?s what?s needed to defeat Yumeko??
Sakuya dashes frantically around the frozen Yumeko, materializing and tossing knives, which stop short upon reaching the outside of the pillar. Finally, the spell reaches its limit and time resumes. Yumeko notices the knives as they start to advance on her, gradually becoming faster. Quickly and instinctively, she leaps up, avoiding any major damage, though a few of the knives nick her ankles, and lands outside the danger zone.
?I did not expect that,? says Yumeko, ?Quite a power.?
??? Sakuya says nothing, dissatisfied over the utter lack of success her spell had.
Yumeko guesses at the nature of Sakuya?s technique, ?They just appeared, and you suddenly went from one location to another, so I suspect you did something along the lines of freezing time??
?Ah!? Sakuya is surprised at how fast Yumeko figured it out.
?It seems the knives need a little time to move, thus the time window, and there was only so much space you could affect, which is why the knives were not closer. Plus, there were no knives above me to cut off my escape, so it seems there is something to prevent you from covering that area. I hope that?s not your best. How boring. At any rate, let us resume, shall we?? Yumeko tosses three knives at Sakuya, who tosses three of her own in retaliation. The knives collide and deflect off each other. Yumeko summons a group of magic circles that fire out knives. To stay on the same level of power as the demon maid, Sakuya does the same, and soon, there is a large crossfire sequence between the two maids. Both manage to dodge most of the knives, though some get through their defenses and inflict minor damage.
As the battle rages, Alice says to Shinki, ?This needs to end soon! I do recall how Yumeko can get when a battle goes on for too long. Sakuya could end up in serious danger!?
Shinki says, calmly, ?Oh, I?ll worry about that when the time comes.?
?It could be too late by then??
?It won?t. Trust me, dear Alice.?
?Time to end this!? yells Sakuya, drawing a spellcard, ?Silver Sign!? Her magic circles multiply in number. Sakuya thrusts her open palm in Yumeko?s direction, ?Perfect Maid!? All at the same time, the magic circles fire out a swarm of knives.
Two knives materialize in Yumeko?s hands, ?Is that it? I imagined you had a challenge coming my way!? The demon maid charges into Sakuya?s attack, quickly swinging her knives and deflecting Sakuya?s until she gets all the way through with only some minor nicks.
Sakuya bites her lip, ?Damn??
Yumeko says triumphantly, ?My reflexes are the best in Makai. It?s insulting to think such a feeble attack would beat me! Now then?? Yumeko draws a spellcard, ?I?ve seen what a couple of your cards can do. Now allow me mine!? Yumeko raises her spellcard, ?Demon Sign: Hell Mirror!? To her left and right, two identical Yumekos appear.
?Tch.?
All three Yumekos jump away and toss knives at the maid at the same time. Sakuya narrowly dodges, but then the three Yumekos separate, and she loses track of the original.
One Yumeko dashes in close to deliver a close range knife attack that Sakuya leaps away from. Out the corner of her eye, she notices another Yumeko toss a knife at her, which Sakuya reacts to at the right moment, sidesteps, catches out of the air, and tosses back at its original thrower. The knife sinks into her lower chest, and the Yumeko bursts into black flames and vanishes. Sakuya acknowledges it as a fake, but also realizes something that differed from the original.
?Your friend has skills,? says Yuki to Alice.
Alice folds her arms in front of her, ?The real Yumeko would not be caught off-guard like that. I assume the copies lack the ability of the original??
Sakuya declares a spellcard, ?Time Sign!? Energy fills her, but she doesn?t cast her spell right away.
?Haa!? One Yumeko attempts another melee attack on Sakuya, who again dodges, but the other jumps over its copy, lands, and prepares to strike.
?Private Square!? Sakuya again casts the spell where she freezes time in a small area, in which both Yumekos get caught. She dashes around the monochrome pillar, tossing knives, which stop and surround the Yumekos. Time resumes and the knives fly. One Yumeko jumps out of the danger zone, while the other gets stabbed from all direction as she tries to confirm the situation. Naturally, that Yumeko bursts into flames, revealing itself as the fake.
?Not a bad trick,? compliments Sakuya, ?But it wasn?t hard to find its flaw.?
?I figured as much,? says Yumeko, ?My copies lack my unparalleled reflexes. However, I figured you?d make it through that spell?? Yumeko readies another spellcard, ?I wonder how you will deal with this one?? She raises the card, ?Flash Sign: Shining Blaze!? Suddenly, Yumeko vanishes with a blur.
Sakuya raises her knife in defense, ?Where did you go, Yumeko??
?Oh, I?m here, I assure you?? Sakuya notices Yumeko?s voice is constantly on the move, coming from various directions and distances ?? but it?s obvious you can?t keep up with me??
?Tch??
?Surprise~? Yumeko momentarily appears in front of Sakuya, quickly jabs her knife into Sakuya?s left eye, and then disappears. It all happened before the immortal maid could react.
?AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!? Sakuya slumps to the floor in pain, her left hand over her blinded eye, blood seeping between her fingers, ?Ugghhhh??
Yuki winces at Yumeko?s action, ?Ouchie! Sucks to be her!?
Alice grits her teeth, ?Gr??
??? Shinki and Mai watch with unchanging expressions.
?Well, it looks like Yumeko?s getting into this,? says Yuki with a slight shrug, ?When she gets excited, along comes her inner sadist.?
?End this!? Alice tells Shinki, ?At this rate, Sakuya will lose? or worse! It?s over??
??? Mai briefly glares at Alice.
?Hmhmhm?? Shinki chuckles.
?What?s so funny? This is serious!?
?It?s nothing,? says Shinki, ?It?s just unusual to see you care so much about someone. Still, it?s too early to call a winner.?
?What??
?Your friend hasn?t yet given up. She?s determined??
Sakuya rises up, still with her left hand over her eye, and tightly grasping a knife in her right. Yumeko had slashed her back and shoulder, but compared to the pain in her eye, the rest is trivial.
?You are so stubborn,? says Yumeko, on the move, ?Are you REALLY that serious about getting Alice out of here, only for her to die? Think about how meaningless all of this is!?
??? Not saying anything, Sakuya focuses. All the colors around her become lighter, but time continues to move, albeit at a slower pace. With time slowed, Sakuya can see Yumeko?s movements, though they are still amazingly fast. Yumeko tries to perform more hit-and-run attacks, though Sakuya can now defend against them, but little else. She continues defending until the effects of Yumeko?s spell wear off.
Time resumes its normal pace and worn out from the time manipulation, Sakuya?s breathing becomes heavy. Yumeko smiles, ?Another time thing, I take it? It seems those abilities take a lot out of you.?
???
?Plenty of blood. I?m quite satisfied?? Yumeko readies a third spellcard, ?Are you ready for the coup de grace? Maid Secret Skill: Persistence!? In front of Yumeko, five magic circles appear, and each fires out a knife.
In spite of the pain, as well as the heavy loss of energy due to spellcards, time manipulation, and loss of blood, Sakuya still barely musters the energy to jump over the knives as she runs toward Yumeko, ?Ugh? That?s? a rather underwhelming spell??
Yumeko places a hand on her hip, ?Perhaps you should turn around??
?Hm?? Sakuya glances behind her. The knives she had previous dodged make a U-turn in midair and fly back toward her. ?Ah!? Sakuya dodges to the side, but the knives stay in the air and continue flying toward her. She runs and flies, despite her body?s protests to stay ahead of them.
Yumeko says calmly, ?It?s no use. Those knives will stay on your trail until they hit you.?
?Tch.? Sakuya tries to consider her options. She could attack Yumeko and hurt her enough to shatter her concentration on the spell, but in her current condition, it?s doubtful she?d succeed in the attempt. Spellcards are out of the question, since Sakuya no longer has the energy to use one without harming herself.
?Please! Just give up!? yells Alice to Sakuya, ?It?s not worth this!?
Sakuya groans, ?I never give up... The only people... I?ve ever lost to are my mistress? Reimu? and Eirin? the longer that list? the greater my weakness? This? is not just about you, Alice??
Yumeko pouts, ?You are so stubborn, it?s sad. Fine then, that will be your epitaph.? Yumeko charges at Sakuya. The immortal maid attempts to guard with her knife, but Yumeko?s swing is so strong, it knocks the weapon from Sakuya?s hand. Yumeko then thrusts her knife in Sakuya?s gut.
?ACK!? Sakuya coughs out blood. At the same time, Yumeko?s homing knives sink into her back.
Yumeko smirks, ?Fighting to the death, eh??
?Sounds good,? groans Sakuya, ?Nothing to hold me? back? now?? Sakuya slowly pulls a spellcard out of her pocket, ?Last? Wo_? Suddenly, Sakuya?s spellcard is cut in half. She and Yumeko glance at what caused it: A doll armed with a sword, which then vanishes.
They look at the obvious source. ?That?s enough!? yells Alice, running over to Sakuya.
?Heh?? Sakuya slumps to the ground.
?Crap?? says Yuki, shaking her head, ?So much for a good finish??
?You didn?t need to do that?? says Sakuya, ?I?m finished anyway??
?Shinki!? yells Alice, ?Is there any way we can save her? There isn?t a lot of time!?
Shinki walks over to them, arms folded, ?Of course, there is. Sara!?
In front of Shinki, a girl with pink hair, wearing a red dress over a short-sleeved white shirt appears, ?What?s up, Mothe_? she sees Sakuya, ?Oh my GOD! I guess I see what you need me for??
Alice stares at the girl, ?Sara? I forgot about you??
Sara glances at Alice and says sarcastically, ?Oh, gee, thank you for thinking about me all these years, Alice, especially when I was constantly wondering about you? Ah, whatever, there are other issues right now?? Sara kneels next to Sakuya and pulls the knives out of her body.
?AHH!? Sakuya screams and winces in pain.
Sara rolls her eyes, ?You?re not making this any more pleasant for me, y?know? Now hold still?? Sara holds her hands out and they glow white.
Alice glances at Shinki, ?Um? What is she doing??
The creator explains, ?I granted Sara healing powers not too long ago. I thought it could come in handy someday??
?Alice?? moans Sakuya.
?Sakuya??
?It looks like I?ve failed to prove myself to Shinki??
?No, I think you have done enough,? says Shinki.
?What??
?You didn?t give in, and you even tried to use a Last Word. Sometimes winning isn?t what?s important. Your resolve is indeed strong?? Shinki turns her attention to Alice, ?It?s not too late, Alice. Are you sure you want to return to Gensokyo? You are aware that death awaits you there.?
?I won?t say that until it happens,? says Alice, ?Besides, I have friends. They can help me against whatever is supposed to end me.?
Shinki closes her eyes in resignation, ?I see. It is your choice, and I won?t stop you, though I insist against it to the end.?
?Thank you,? says Alice gratefully.
?However,? says Shinki, ?Night is about to fall. I suggest you remain here for the night. I will return you tomorrow.?
?But??
?We should,? says Sakuya, ?You know as well as anyone that it?s not a good idea to explore an unknown area at night.?
?Okay. Sure.?
Sara?s hands stop glowing, ?There. You should be good.?
Sakuya turns her attention toward her body?s condition. She is still blind in her left eye, and most of her cuts remain, ?How am I ?good?? Nothing is different.?
?Well, exCUSE me for being weak,? growls Sara, ?I can?t heal ALL that! I just got you out of the danger zone. For the rest, you should just get patched up.?
?Good work, Sara,? says Shinki.
?Well, at least I got a chance to use that power?? Sara vanishes.
Shinki says to Yumeko, ?Yumeko, I have some tasks for you,?
?What is needed, Mother?? asks Yumeko obediently.
?Take Alice?s friend and bandage her injures and your own. After that, prepare a futon in Alice?s room for her friend and make Alice?s bed. Then, I want you to cook dinner. Also, at some point,? Shinki points at the floor, where blood is smeared all over, and discarded knives laying around, ?clean, wash, and disinfect this floor.?
Yumeko stares at the floor, wide-eyed, realizing the mess she was partially responsible for making, ?Um? Yes, Mother. I shall get to work right away?? She helps Sakuya to her feet, and they leave the room, with Alice following. Shniki vanishes, leaving only Yuki and Mai.
?This is bad!? cries Yuki, ?Alice is going to leave us again, and Mother says she?s going to die, so? SHE?S GOING TO DIE!?
???
Yuki clenches a determined fist, ?Well, I, for one, will not let that happen. Mother may punish us for this, but I have a plan. Mai, wake up at midnight, because your help will be much appreciated.?
???
?Okay!? Yuki leaves the room with a mix of tension and resolve.
Mai stares straight ahead blankly ?? ? ? ? Luize??
Valesta:
==
Well, I really gotta hand it to Satori. However the hell this underground complex was made, it really is BIG. Reimu, Youmu, and I had been following her directions, and are now walking down a long corridor. She said it would go on for several miles, but that seems like an understatement. We?ve walked, we?ve ran, and we don?t seem to be getting any closer! It was noon when Alice and Sakuya disappeared and Tenshi sent us down here, and quite a bit of time has passed. Sunset has probably passed already, and that means it?s dark out. It had occurred to me to fire a ?spark? spell upward, and make a tunnel to the surface, but we don?t know how deep we are right now, and if we are too deep, we?d end up being buried alive, so screw THAT!
?Dammit! I?m hungry!? Youmu?s bitching about yet another inconvenience, not that I blame her. It reminds me that we hadn?t eaten since before leaving the netherworld.
An apple materializes in Reimu?s hand, and she tosses it to Youmu, ?Eat up.? Good old Reimu. At least SHE was conscious about rations?
Youmu?s face light?s up, ?Reimu? Thank you so much!? Youmu prepares to take a bite, but then she hesitates, ?But? what about you??
?I?m not hungry,? says Reimu, mere seconds before her stomach rumbles. Liar.
??? There is a long pause between the three of us. Finally, Youmu tosses the apple into the air, draws, and swings around the Hakurouken, splitting it into thirds, carving out the core at the same time. She could totally make the cut at one of those Japanese restaurants where the cooks cut the food up with a fancy knife show. We each grab a piece out of the air. Youmu returns the sword to its sheathe, an almost smug look on her face. I guess she likes to show off like this, not that Reimu or I bother to comment. I don?t know about the others, but that apple slice managed to tide me over. Of course, like Reimu, and UNLIKE Youmu, I?m taking my time eating it.
The endless walk continues. Good thing those crystals light the place, otherwise, I?d be freaking out from pitch blackness.
?I wonder how Alice and Sakuya are doing,? says Reimu.
Youmu states her thoughts, ?Well, they were about to get seriously harmed, and there was nothing any of us could do to save them in time. That gap, whatever its source was, saved them from that fate. If it wanted them dead, it shouldn?t have appeared. I imagine they are fine right now??
I still can?t help but worry about Alice and Sakuya, but Youmu has a point.
??? Reimu looks at me suspiciously.
?What?s with that look, Reimu??
?You?ve been awful quiet since Sakuya and Alice disappeared.?
What the hell? ?I?m worried, dammit! Why aren?t YOU being more quiet??
Reimu smiles wryly, ?Good point??
We keep going. Reimu and I finished our apple slice and Youmu starts bitching about her hunger AGAIN. However, Reimu insists on saving what food we have. While I gave the miko props for worrying about food, she sure didn?t take enough of it?
Finally, we reach a large room. How large? Almost big enough to fit a VILLAGE in it, but it?s mostly empty (Okay, maybe I?m exaggerating, but really, it?s huge). Something catches Reimu?s eye off in the distance to the left. It?s a red gateway with stairs beyond it; The entrance to a shrine. Something else catches Youmu?s eye, a large creature with long claws, beady eyes, and elongated nose, and lotsa fur. A mole youkai! Non-humanoid; no intelligence; basically a wild animal.
Youmu approaches the creature, drawing her swords. The mole youkai runs away, sensing the danger. Youmu cases after it, ?Get back here! You?re gonna be our dinner!? She glances back at me and Reimu, ?I?ll get it and cook it!? That THING?S gonna be our food for the night. Sigh? Looking forward to it?
Reimu walks toward the shrine and I follow. Is it the Hakurei Shrine? Guess I?ll find out?
We get close enough to read the sign on the gate. It doesn?t say ?Hakurei;? It says ?change.? However, Reimu reacts to it just as strongly, if not stronger if it were the Hakurei Shrine, ?No way! It can?t be!? Reimu runs up the stairs. I again follow to find out what her messed-up reaction is all about. We reach the top aaand? ? ? it?s a shrine. Nothing outta the ordinary here (besides it being underground). However, Reimu is still looking at it as if we had reached the realm of infinite wisdom, or something equally melodramatic. Okay, maybe I?m exaggerating, but seriously, she is happy. REALLY. REALLY. HAPPY.
?This is it?? says Reimu, wide-eyed, ?This is the place??
?Yeah?? I say, ?It?s a shrine? this is not your shrine??
Reimu shakes her head, ?No. For me, this is where it all began.?
?THIS is where your accident happened??
?No, Marisa. This was before the accident. You see, I was bored with my life. Everything was the same. I was afraid? afraid that I was doomed to the fate that society expects of us all. I wanted something exciting to happen. To change my perspective? I prayed? hoping that something in my life would change forever!?
?Reimu??
?Marisa, that accident was godsend! It was through that that Gensokyo came to be, and I couldn?t be happier with that life?? She looks at the shrine?s donation box, ?Before? I only paid 200 yen?? 200 yen? If I recall the current exchange rate correctly? she got her prayers answered in THIS way? for just two bucks? Sweet deal?
Reimu searches her pockets, ?It?s only right I make a donation to repay the kami of change?s benevolence? ? ? Here!? She pulls 4000 yen out of her pocket, walks to the box, and donates her repayment. Ironically, thanks to Reimu herself, this shrine had instantly become more successful than her own. That?s sad?
Reimu had calmed down a bit, though I can?t get over the fact that a few minutes prior, she was acting like a borderline psycho. We sit on the steps leading up to the shrine. ?I can?t believe it,? says Reimu, ?I found this place again? underground? and yet, it still looks the same way it did when I made that donation. I remember it clearly. I was just out with an? unwanted friend of mine, and we stopped by the place on a random whim. No one seemed to understand me, but the miko attending the shrine? she was just telling me the nature of the shrine?s god, but in that moment, it was like she got me. Like she understood that I wanted some kind of alteration in my life. It was because of her? that I ended up becoming a miko myself on the other side. Our dream had become reality, thanks to Yumei, but it was still the two of us that shaped Gensokyo into what it was??
?Yeah,? I respond, ?Remember that battle we had? the one to settle our rivalry before we woke up and forgot everything? At that time, you said that a ?God? exists in all of us, in the sense that we have our own worlds and we can do anything we want with them. Let?s say that two other people were sent into comas, and that Yumei used them as a means of creating a new universe. Wouldn?t those people accomplish the same feat we had? Really, this power isn?t just ours?. Absolutely ANYONE would be capable of doing this??
We both pause, and then start laughing. We try to get the crazy ideas out of our heads, because, seriously, if we go any further, we?d start to question the origins of our reality, and I?m in no mood for that.
Reimu gets back to the circumstances of her accident, ?When I was knocked out, it was by a truck that couldn?t slow down. It reached the top of a hill and lifted off the ground. I thought it flew. I was so mesmerized that I failed to dodge in time. It was a twisted answer to my prayers? but an answer, nonetheless? What about you, Marisa??
Reimu wants to know how I got into an accident? Well, she just did, so I?ll make it fair, ?It wasn?t much. I was on my way to school. I reached an intersection and started across the street. Suddenly, some asshole in a red car came rocketing toward me. I also heard police sirens. I guess that person was trying to get away. He didn?t really seem to care who got in his way, and bulldozed through an ?innocent? teenage girl. End of story.?
?That was unlucky for you,? says Reimu, ?But aren?t you now happy it happened? Thanks to that, we got to meet and made many more friends. You were willing to even fight me to defend it.?
?I guess?? The only reason I fought Reimu as she was awakening was because I had no memory of my life as Marisa Starr and I couldn?t comprehend otherwise?
To be honest, it?s only a matter of time until Reimu starts asking the difficult questions about the situation, like which life I prefer more. Luckily, I?m saved by Youmu, who is walking up the stairs, carrying a giant furry monster on her back, saying in between breaths, ?I have dinner? The two of you? could have? helped me catch? this thing, you know? I?m the one? who has to cook it!?
I heard from Alice that during the Mountain of Faith incident, Youmu put some outdoor survival tricks to use. I never saw her do things like that, but now, I can see that Youmu really is skilled at cooking, even without a kitchen (something she learned from her old man, I guess). Using some chunks of root that extend all the way down here, she makes a fire and a rack to hang our future meal above. Within a half-hour, dinner is ready. Well, meat is meat, and even through these primitive conditions, the food tastes pretty good. I eat casually, while Youmu wolfs down her food, but Reimu isn?t eating very quickly, in spite of her good mood not so long ago? I wonder what?s up with her all of a sudden?
Afterward, we find some futons inside the shrine, and use those to sleep. Not a bad find, especially when I thought we were going to be sleeping on rocks. Well, our journey continues tomorrow?
==
Tsuki no Miyako, Lunarian capital?
At the Lunarian Imperial Academy, Yumemi sits in her office, looking over some notes of recent experimental results, when Chiyuri rushes into the room with an expression of mixed urgency and excitement, ?Professor!?
?What is it, Chiyuri? This had better be worth disturbing me.?
?Professor, I?m sorry I did it without your permission, but I looked through your files at former projects??
??? Yumemi?s eyes narrow, she gets out of her chair, and she slaps Chiyuri over the head.
?Owww??
?You know I hate it when you do that. The results of your failure to follow instructions had better intrigue me.?
?Yeah, well, you see, there was one experiment from over a year ago. It was just a small ?do something and see what happens? experiment; easily overlooked in favor of larger projects, but the fact remains, nothing came of it. Hope was lost after a week of no results??
?? And??
?Well, it?s not so much the experiment itself, but where the subject was sent to??
?Where, may I ask??
?Earthly Realm #0578: Terra. The place that? kinda? ?transformed? into the previously eliminated realm, Gensokyo.?
Yumemi raises an eyebrow, ?Fascinating. Which test subject was sent??
Chiyuri scratches her head as she recall the information she gathered, ?Um, it was? A7P02-YUMEI. Sent after astral projection and an artificial infusion of 3.2 teravams of energy.?
?Sounds vaguely familiar. On the next full moon, we shall check for ourselves what happened. After all, this might have something to do with us now?? Yumemi?s face lights up, ?Just think of it, Chiyuri! OUR experiment might have caused something like that!?
Chiyuri steps back, ?That?s a heckuva result, then!?
?Indeed. Still we do not know for sure? but not much longer. After all, tomorrow night is the night; the full moon!?
In a dark room, four figures, shrouded by darkness, look at an image shown in a small pool of water at the center of the room. The image is the supermarket in the ruined city, where Reisen, Mokou, Cirno, and Yuyuko had decided to spend the night.
The first figures says, ?Well, it looks like they are well on their way to finding our ?guests.? It?s up to us to make sure they don?t make it that far.?
The second figure, with a drunken slurred voice says, ?Ya. Yoomay told uz too.?
The third figure laughs manically, ?HYAHAHA! I don?t care about what Yumei wants. All I want is to get back at that stupid fairy! It?s about damn time I got her back for that indignity!?
?But it?s not like you can disobey Yumei either, flowergirl,? says the first figure, ?Regardless of your reasoning, you ARE doing what she says.?
The third figure growls, ?Tch. It?s annoying to take orders from that weakling!?
?Well, that ?weakling? is who we owe our rebirth to. If it makes you feel better, you can call it a debt of honor? or something like that.?
?Screw you, gearhead! I do as I want, now and always.?
?Heh. Believe what you want.?
?You can do whatever you want with the others, but that fairy is MINE! Got it??
The forth figure, also with a drunken voice, says, ?Fyne. Yoo can wayst yer en?gy on dem. Dee o?hers will be moar fun.?
The first figure says, ?Well, tomorrow morning, I?ll give them QUITE a wakeup present! I shall try out my new Super-duper Mega All-powerful Great Kappa Mk.18 on them!?
On the supermarket?s roof, Mokou finds Cirno practicing with a spellcard. The sky is dark and the almost full moon gives ample lighting.
Cirno raises her spellcard, ?Last Word!? Suddenly, cold mist spirals around her, concealing her form. Finally, she yells, ?Disengage!? And she returns to normal, ?Hey, I think I?m catching on!?
?What the hell do you think you?re doing?? asks Mokou.
Cirno turns to the immortal in surprise, ?Oh! Hi Mokou! I was just practicing my Last Word! I?m going to be the ultimate youkai, so it?s only right I know how to do it, right? I think I?m getting better!?
?You IDIOT!? yells Mokou, causing the ice fairy to flinch.
?Wh-what??
?You DO realize what happens when you seriously do that, right? You die! It doesn?t mean much to immortals like me, but you? you would be willingly sacrificing your own life!?
?I? I know that!?
?Do you? I already told you how precious your mortal life is, and now I see you practicing THAT? You won?t get another chance; you DO know that, right? Does living really mean so little to you??
Speechless, Cirno says, ?Well? I just want to know it? I don?t want to ever use it? but? um??
Mokou takes a deep breath, ?Sorry. I didn?t mean to flip out at you like that. It just gets to me when I see mortals doing something that potentially endangers their lives.?
?Something gets to you?? asks Cirno.
Mokou blushes, ?Sh-shut up, fairy girl. Anyway, you don?t need to know a Last Word to be strong??
?? Okay. Sorry.?
?It?s pretty late,? says Mokou, ?You couldn?t sleep??
?I just have too much energy,? answers Cirno, ?Alice used to tell me that I should do something more? um? what?s the word?? Prod? ucta??
?Productive??
?Yeah, that?s it! She said I should do something more ?productive? with all my energy, like train.?
?Good advice.?
?What about you, Mokou? Why are you up??
Mokou taps the roof with her foot, ?Because I?d get nightmares if I sleep in that rundown shithole. Rabbit girl and ghost girl can sleep wherever they want, but not me. I like to sleep under the stars.?
Cirno?s face lights up, ??Sleep under the stars?? Hey, I like that! Can I sleep under the stars with you??
?Be my guest, fairy girl.? Mokou slumps down, and then lies on her back.
?? I have a name, you know!? Cirno does the same as Mokou and they lay side by side.
???
Minutes pass. Finally, Cirno complains, ?The ground?s too hard! How can we sleep??
?Don?t think about it. That?s what I do.?
Another minute passes. Cirno says, breaking the brief silence, ?Mokou??
?What? Just because you can?t sleep doesn?t mean it?s okay to keep me up.?
?The stars. Do you know what?s up there??
?Who knows,? says Mokou, ?Maybe someday, I?ll find that out for myself. It?s funny. I?ve lived for thousands of years and I thought I had leaned lots, but it?s questions like that which make me realize how little I know.?
?Mokou??
?I?ve spend so many years trying to exact a futile revenge on Kaguya, but in the end, I?ve never made the most of my immortality. What a waste. Remember, fairy girl, don?t make my mistakes.?
?It?s Cirno.?
???
Tengukami:
I'm happy to see Cirno getting some love.
Valesta:
[And now a brand new installment! Enjoy!]
---
At the Netherworld prison, Sikieiki glances at Yukari, ?Yukari??
?Yes??
?You told us the basic gist of how you ended up in this situation, but something is bothering me. You see, your standing among Gensokyo?s denizens has always been a subject of admiration for me? Therefore, I am rather confounded by the fact that you ended up how you did.?
???
?Be specific, Yukari. How were you killed? How were you captured? How did you end up dead and powerless??
?Erk!? Yukari flinches. It was an excellent question. Something the mistress of boundaries had wondered herself, reevaluating her self-image in the process, ?You see, I already told you about what Yumei said. It was that while she said it, a spear suddenly appeared in her hand and she attacked me. It was fast and without warning. After I got here, one of Kotohime?s thugs attacked me from behind, draining my spirit energy.?
Sikieiki ponders Yukari?s answer for a moment, ?It sounds like you are easily caught off guard.?
Yukari pouts at the judge, ?You know that?s untrue.?
?RRRAAAWWWRRR!? A terrifying sound comes from behind Yukari.
?AAH!? The boundary ghost flinches, and then turns to look at a grinning Komachi.
?Gotcha! It looks like the yama hit the nail on the head, Miss Blindside! Nice reflexes, by the way.?
?Hmph.? Yukari blushes at the fact that her secret weakness had been so thoroughly exploited on numerous occasions.
Sikieiki leans back, ?At any rate, let?s say this ?Yumei? had been watching everything that had gone on in Gensokyo since it came into being. That would mean that she had plenty of time, more than many other things, to study YOU, Yukari, including your personal flaws. It would seem like simple knowledge of one?s adversary is a dangerous weapon in itself, regardless of how powerful one?s opponent is??
??? Yukari wants to object, but cannot deny the truth of Sikieiki?s statement, ?W-well how about you, yama? Your kind?s powers are universally known. How did you end up here??
?I already told you we were ambushed.?
?Not good enough, yama. Now it?s YOUR turn to be specific.?
?Very well, then. My intentions to go to this Netherworld to convince the Lunarians to leave were not exactly a secret. Just as I was about to lecture her, however, Kotohime summoned a great number of her guards? there were quite a few? about??
?The upper hundreds, perhaps?? comments Komachi.
?That is an exaggeration, but there were definitely a lot. We managed to fend off a few, but they overwhelmed us very quickly. Afterward, we were sent here. At least you had the luxury of being underestimated, Yukari, before you got captured.?
?If anything, we were OVERestimated,? adds Komachi.
?I see?? Yukari stares at the rings on her index fingers that suppress her ability to use materialization and energy attacks, ?This may very well be the first time I?ve ever felt? weak? helpless, even??
?This isn?t just your first time,? says Sikieiki, ?But I suppose if there is a little justice in the universe, we are being taught a valuable lesson. We?ve had the luxury of being in power and having authority over thousands? millions, even, for as long as we can remember. We?ve tried to be fair to those beneath us, but we never truly understood them? that feeling of being helpless, almost like pray. As we speak now, we are experiencing what the weak feel like, and there are those in a lower position still??
Yukari glances at Sikieiki, ?Did you spend the last couple hours preparing that statement in your head??
Sikieiki?s eyes widen, ?How did you?? Er? Of course not. It?s something all three of us should have realized.?
?It pisses me off, but the lady has a point,? remarks Komachi, ?We always looked down on others, and now, we are the ones being looked down on. Power sure does icky things to people??
?Whatever,? says Yukari, ?We still have to find a way out of here, somehow. I?ll just work my magic on ?Her Royal Majesty Toyohime? and she?ll let us out. You?ll see.?
Outside the dungeon, Toyohime had been listening to their conversation, and had been deep in thought, ?They could come in handy for the ?plan.? Still, Do I really want to go through with this?? Koto? Mother? Master Konpaku??
In the underground complex, a faint noise awakens Reimu from her sleep while Marisa and Youmu continue to sleep soundly. She notices a faint light shining from the outside. She exits the shrine and sees a dim orb of yellow light slowly floating away.
?What is that?? She follows the orb, which speeds up and flies down the shrine?s steps. She follows it to the foot of the stairs, and suddenly, in its place, Yumei appears.
?Hello, Reimu!? greets the moon rabbit with a cheery smile, ?I?ve come to_?
?It?s you!? Reimu leaps toward Yumei and delivers an aerial kick, which sends her reeling.
?GUH!? Yumei slides across the ground. Reimu runs after her, materializing her gohei in her hand.
Yumei rolls onto her back and positions her hands into the shape of a T, ?Time out! I?m not here to fight you! Do you see my lance with me? Hell no! I come in peace, dammit!?
Reimu stops, ?Okay. What do want, Yumei??
Yumei gets to her feet and dusts off her ruined business suit, ?I?ve just come here to tell you something you might want to be aware of.?
?What is it??
---
[Yeah, a short one, and that's probably how I'm going to do things from now on. Not much to say here, the part with Yukari, Sikieiki, and Komachi was mostly there to make their defeat and imprisonment a little easier to swallow.
Stay tuned. Hopefully, the next part will come along soon.]