Maribel Hearn Quest - ACT 1

[Neovereign]

>"This isn't good enough though. I'll still be too slow."
> Catch up with Kagerou and Chen.
> Practice flying along the way.

[Monarda]

>Yay ! I was useful ! -Marihawk
>Try to just hover, actual flying is too hard without an instructor.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"This isn't good enough though. I'll still be too slow."

>"Well maybe you'll get faster with practice." Chen smiles.

> Catch up with Kagerou and Chen.
> Practice flying along the way.

>Try to just hover, actual flying is too hard without an instructor.

>Chen is already next to you, so together you start catching up to Kagerou.
>As you walk, you stop periodically to practice flying, you seem to gain a little more height every time you stop to hover.

>Soon, the two of you catch up to the werewolf, and the three of you begin to descend the shrine steps.
>_

[Neovereign]

>Make sure we don't try to practice floating down the steps.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Make sure we don't try to practice floating down the steps.

>You walk down the steps like a normal person, because you don't want to accidentally tumble down them due to a failed practice flight.

>The three of you reach the bottom of the steps, and Kagerou seems to sniff the air.
>"Okay, I got a trail." she says, "It's faint, but it should eventually lead us right to her."
>_

[Neovereign]

>"Let's hurry then, before nighttime."
>Start running.

[Monarda]

>Hmm, if we find Renko, what will we do then ? I mean, she probably won't want to face trial for her actions, yet she also won't have anywhere safe to stay....
>Follow that cute wolfgirl !
>"Umm Miss Kagerou, i know it might be a little dumb, but with those wolf ears, does it mean you have no human ears ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Hmm, if we find Renko, what will we do then ? I mean, she probably won't want to face trial for her actions, yet she also won't have anywhere safe to stay....

>You think about what to do should you find Renko... You honestly haven't thought that far ahead...

>"Let's hurry then, before nighttime."
>Start running.

>Follow that cute wolfgirl !

>The three of you quickly take off, following Kagerou into the woods.

>"Umm Miss Kagerou, i know it might be a little dumb, but with those wolf ears, does it mean you have no human ears ?"

>"Well... Erm... I kinda..." Kagerou mumbles as she finishes her sentence, and you can't hear the last words clearly...
>_

[Neovereign]

>"It's okay if you don't. My ears can't hear as well as yours or Chen's."
>We have to ask Renko why she did it. Ask her if she meant to or not. But we've got to know if she's safe or not first.

[AzyWng]

>And figuring out if she's safe or not means finding her!
>Keep going...

[Monarda]

>^{_{"I wouldn`t mind having ears that hear so well...."}}
>Keep going even further.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"It's okay if you don't. My ears can't hear as well as yours or Chen's."

>"Well, actually..." Kagerou begins, "You know what, nevermind. We still need to find this friend of yours."

>^{_{"I wouldn`t mind having ears that hear so well...."}}

>You notice Kagerou and Chen's ears twitch. You can't really see it, but you think Kagerou just smirked.

>We have to ask Renko why she did it. Ask her if she meant to or not. But we've got to know if she's safe or not first.

>You decide that once you find her, the first thing you're going to ask her is "Why?" assuming she's safe.

>And figuring out if she's safe or not means finding her!
>Keep going...

>Keep going even further.

>Of course, the only way you're going to find that out is if you press onwards.
>As you go further into the woods, you notice a shimmering humanoid figure hanging from a tree up ahead, judging from past experience, it might be Koishi.
>_

[Neovereign]

>"I-I need to talk to you, please."

[Monarda]

>Do before Miniking`s:"Wait ! I see someone."
>Use our Indiana Jones Whip to drag Koishi here.

[Neovereign]

>Hm... I'd like to experiment with Koishi. I'm unsure though, as I don't want it to be dangerous to her. _{^{Even though she stole 1st place unexplainably in that popularity poll that shall not be mentioned.}} Should we try to open a tear in her barrier?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Do before Miniking`s:"Wait ! I see someone."

>"Nya~? Where?" Chen questions.
>Kagerou stops and begins looking around.

>Use our Indiana Jones Whip to drag Koishi here.

>With a mighty crack you drag Koishi over to you.
>Wait, where did this whip even come from!?!

>"I-I need to talk to you, please."

>"Who are you taking to?" Kagerou looks at you with a raised eyebrow.
>Koishi seems to be swinging back and forth by her legs from the tree branch without a care in the world...

>Hm... I'd like to experiment with Koishi. I'm unsure though, as I don't want it to be dangerous to her. _{^{Even though she stole 1st place unexplainably in that popularity poll that shall not be mentioned.}} Should we try to open a tear in her barrier?

>Should you?
>_

[Monarda]

>"Hold on."
>Approach her and attempt to tear her barrier wall thingy with Mini-Yukari Hacks.

[Neovereign]

>On one hand, we could make her visible forcefully. On the other, we could hurt her. And there's still other unknown effects that could happen... Sigh, let's do it.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Hold on."
>Approach her and attempt to tear her barrier wall thingy with Mini-Yukari Hacks.

>On one hand, we could make her visible forcefully. On the other, we could hurt her. And there's still other unknown effects that could happen... Sigh, let's do it.

>You hesitate for a moment, but make a tear in Koishi's barrier...

>Koishi falls off the tree, the barrier seems to have contracted so that it covers her third eye. A large crack is present in the barrier, and it seems to be growing.
>She doubles over on the ground, the third eye underneath the barrier seems to be spazzing out slightly.

>"Where did she come from!?!" Kagerou exclaims.
>"Is she okay!?!" Chen asks.
>_

[Neovereign]

>Manually close the tear!
>"Koishi, are you okay!?"

[Monarda]

>"Oh no ! I didn`t think this would happen !"
>Kneel and examine her.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Manually close the tear!

>You attempt to shut the tear, the main crack fades, but almost immediately several smaller cracks appear all over the barrier, growing quickly.

>"Koishi, are you okay!?"

>"Who... are you...? What's... happening...?" she asks, whimpering.

>"Oh no ! I didn`t think this would happen !"
>Kneel and examine her.

>The cracks in the barrier over her third eye are expanding rapidly, and the entire barrier begins flickering and looks like it will fail any second now. Koishi is doubled over on the ground, and her third eye is still spazzing out.

>Chen and Kagerou are giving you and Koishi worried looks.
>_

[Neovereign]

>Concentrate and try to fix the cracks to the best of our ability. Don't give up!

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Concentrate and try to fix the cracks to the best of our ability. Don't give up!

>You try to fix the cracks, but more appear as you repair each one. Despite your efforts, the barrier around the eye shatters completely.
>At that instant, the eyelids on the closed eye rapidly force themselves open, revealing an iris and pupil staring right at you. The pupil immediately contracts, as if it hasn't seen light in years.
>Koishi goes completely silent for a few seconds, while the eye begins darting between the three of you. A look of complete shock draws itself over Koishi's face.

>Immediately she clutches the head, and starts screaming, the eye starts darting around rapidly, pupil still contracted.
>"MAKE IT STOP!! MAKE THE VOICES STOP!!!" She yells at the top of her lungs, before running to the nearest tree and proceeding to beat her head against it repeatedly.

>Chen and Kagerou look very concerned.
>_

[Monarda]

>Oh no, oh no !
>Panic
>"What do we do ? I know nothing of the kind of youkai she is and how to treat her."

[Neovereign]

>Grab her.
>"K-Koishi, stop!"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Oh no, oh no !
>Panic

>You start freaking out.

>"What do we do ? I know nothing of the kind of youkai she is and how to treat her."

>"I don't know!" Kagerou exclaims, "Maybe we can stop her from hurting herself, for starters."

>Grab her.
>"K-Koishi, stop!"

>You grab onto Koishi and pull her away from the tree, she struggles hard in your grasp and you can barely keep a grip on her.
>"LET ME GO!! I HAVE TO MAKE THE VOICES STOP!!!" she screams, before looking you directly in the eyes with a betrayed look, "WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?!?!"
>_

[Neovereign]

>"I'm sorry! I've been screwing up left and right, and I didn't mean for any of this to happen!  Please stop! I don't want anyone else to get hurt!"

[Monarda]

>Hug her to try and try to stop her rampage.
>Didn`t someone say that she is a mind reader youkai ? Let`s try emptying out thoughts a bit.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"I'm sorry! I've-"

>"B-But I have to stop the voices..." she says before you can finish speaking, her third eye is making contact with you, "S-So you didn't mean- AAAAGH! IT'S HAPPENING ALREADY! YOU HATE ME NOW! YOU HATE ME NOW!!!" she forces herself out of your grasp and runs towards the tree again, bending over to pick up a large rock...

>Hug her to try and try to stop her rampage.

>But you act quickly and embrace her before she can grab it. She starts struggling.

>Didn`t someone say that she is a mind reader youkai ? Let`s try emptying out thoughts a bit.

>You try to empty your mind. A task easier said than done... You are unable to do so completely, and thoughts of finding Renko are still there.
>"I AM NOT A WEIRDO!!!" She yells at Kagerou, who is within sight of her third eye.
>Kagerou looks stunned, "S... So you are a satori! I-I thought so... Look, I didn't-"
>"AAAAAAAAHHHH!!! NO! S-STOP THINKING OF ME LIKE THA- OH NO I DID IT AGAIN!!!" She starts trembling in your grasp.
>_