~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore
A New World (book 2) Complete
nolrai2:
And next year is the end of a 60 year cycle?
Aw, damn. Damn.
Sect:
--- Quote from: nolrai2 on December 31, 2010, 01:32:14 AM ---And next year is the end of a 60 year cycle?
Aw, damn. Damn.
--- End quote ---
Well, on the one hand, at least there'll be two additional shinigami with good work ethic to help Komachi. On the other hand, just the fact that Shikieiki thinks that she'll need those two additional shinigami... >_<
Iced Fairy:
?Ran Yakumo!?
Ran looked up in surprise at the call. She quickly arose from her kotatsu and strode into the night. She looked up at her uninvited guest. ?I never expected you to come here.? She looked at the shrine maiden quizzically. ?In fact how did you get here? I'm pretty sure I never showed you.?
?I learned a lot of things you should have taught me on my own,? Hitomi said as she landed. ?But that's not important right now. There were two Lunarians killed by a Lunarian assassin in the Bamboo forest.?
Ran stared at Hitomi. ?Are you certain? Perhaps it was a shape shifting youkai.?
?Well the man tried to fight a god. And the banished one, Eirin, seemed to know who it was,? Hitomi frowned. ?He escaped before I could finish him off so I can't be certain myself. He was very hurt though.?
?I see...? Ran thought over the matter. ?How bad would you say??
Hitomi thought for a moment. ?His right arm was effectively useless, and he had burns on his chest and leg. He must be good though, because he didn't seem impaired by the pain at all.?
Ran nodded. ?Lunarian medicine isn't good enough to fully recover from that in a day, so we should have a reprieve. If there is some internal conflict they'll probably target Eirin, but we should still be cautious.? She turned her gaze fully on Hitomi. ?You should perform a strengthening ritual on the barrier tonight, just in case.?
Hitomi didn't look pleased at the order, but she simply nodded. ?Very well. And tell me what you learn from Eirin.?
Ran folded her arms. ?Indeed. In fact I think I'll grab Maribel and Renko as well.?
Hitomi blinked. ?I understand Maribel, but why Renko??
?In addition to her connections to the SDM she's just clever,? Ran looked up at the sky. ?And given we don't have a clue what's going on we'll need someone clever.?
---
?Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him.?
Lord Tenshou sat uncomfortably on the throne.
In truth he didn't want to rule the moon. He knew, on some level, that he lacked the temperament for a supreme ruler. He believed in his skills as an organizer, a diplomat and a general, but the raw charisma required to keep a group of nobles in line was something he lacked.
He'd never actually wanted to replace Tsukiyomi. He'd hoped that the war would start on its own. But it seemed that wasn't going to happen. Years of relative peace had sapped the will of the Lunarian people for war. Even Lord Tsukiyomi himself had chosen to run away. Lord Tenshou would only have been mildly irritated by their cowardice, if it were not for the fact that they were taking most of the best warriors with them. He could still win of course. But it would be more time consuming.
A better ruler would have been able to unify the moon without stepping on toes. The best ruler would have been able to get Lord Tsukiyomi to abdicate in their favor.
He shook off that feeling though. In time someone with those abilities would come to replace him. Until then he would rule. For the sake of his cause.
He turned to his new general. ?Jiyuwan, how many people have stayed??
?Slightly less then half of the moon, as expected,? the swordsman replied without expression. An impressive feat given his arm was still mending. ?However, I fear that the number of combatants we have is only about 150.?
Tenshou frowned at this news. ?I see.? He allowed his voice to carry to the nobles in the court. ?I had hoped that more people would be willing to defend their home, but it matters little. So long as we use purification weapons there will be little actual battle.?
?Still it means that we must secure our home first. Lord Shimeri??
His co-conspirator bowed. ?Yes??
?I assume you have the plans the Watatsukis developed for the elimination of the human menace?? Tenshou asked.
?I do. They can be implemented within the hour.?
Lord Tenshou nodded. ?Then unless there is a reason to hold the matter??
He scanned the faces of the crowd in front of him. There was no dissent.
?You may begin.?
----
Humanity is surprisingly resilient.
For years they've had the ability to eliminate themselves from Earth with the simple press of a button. The weapons involved have changed, from crude fission bombs, to fusion weaponry, and then on to satellite beams and other devices which have ?minimal long term environmental impact,? but they still are immensely powerful, and they're still easy to call. The people involved usually made pressing that button somewhat difficult, but it was never as hard as destroying most of a planet should be.
And they seemed to take a perverse pleasure in holding their fingers over those buttons. Even without outside intervention the 'Cuban missile crisis' nearly wiped the slate clean on humanity. And humans have continued their brinkmanship on and off until the present day.
However, every time the world stand ready to destroy itself, the human mind seems to suddenly kick in and people start actually thinking. The buttons that are so easy to push physically seem to be much harder to push mentally. It seems that when faced with utter annihilation, people suddenly want extra information and clarification about their orders. A tiny little voice speaks up and says, ?Maybe I should check that before setting civilization back to the stone age. Just in case.?
Which is why the Lunarians assault targeted so many people worldwide.
To their credit, some of the moon rabbit emissaries refused to act on their orders. A small few refused to go at all and were, sadly, executed for their defiance. More just couldn't bring themselves to kill billions, and hid on the earth, knowing that even if they survived they'd be hunted down later as traitors.
Still most completed their job. Rabbits aren't known for bravery when it comes to other's lives, and quite frankly, it's unlikely humans would have done much better.
Thus all over the world computers started seeing threats that didn't exist, attack satellites showed their neighbors activating weapons, submarines received launch orders out of nowhere, and radar started showing missiles in flight when they were in fact on their platforms.
Most of the owners of these systems did the right thing, calling to confirm the situation and warn their commanders. Across the world, the leaders of humanity began calling each other, trying to find out what was happening.
However there were a few commanders, and a few countries, that didn't react as rationally. They saw the threat, and they saw their enemies on alert, and they assumed the worst.
No one knows who fired first, or if they each decided on their own to attack, but that really didn't matter in the end. Once the first shot was fired it was over.
As actual attacks started, and casualties rolled in, people stopped hesitating. Retaliations went off, alliances came into play...
And the world of man disappeared in flames.
----
Alice sent Shanghai to grab one of the library books and put it back on the shelf. Technically she should let Juri do that, but it seemed weird to have your daughter picking up after you. Especially since everyone was in the library this evening.
She was about to pick out another book when suddenly there was a pop and her head started ringing. Like she'd flown too high and her ears had readjusted to the pressure.
For others the effects were more pronounced.
Koakuma staggered drunkenly then crashed to the floor. Dinah slumped in her seat. And Alice's blood turned to ice as Flandre hissed, her eyes glowing blood red.
Then it stopped. Flandre blinked and looked around curiously, her wings tinkling. Koakuma sat up and shook her head and Dinah grabbed a glass of water and downed it.
Marisa said what they were all thinking. ?What the fuck was that??
----
Elly grabbed her friend Kurumi as the vampire reeled. ?Kurumi, are you alright??
The vampire shook her head. ?So much fear. So much power.... And the disbelief is fading....?
Elly was about to reply when the massive doors to the mistresses chambers opened up. The two lesser youkai stood straighter as Yuka Kazami wandered out and yawned.
?Ah, I thought you weren't going to wake for another year, mistress,? Elly said.
?Something interesting has happened,? the powerful youkai replied. ?And I think I want to see it in person.?
----
Hitomi was staring moodily outside. They'd collected the ingredients for the barrier sealing ritual but it had to start exactly as a double hour began. With the double hour of the Dragon halfway done she'd have to wait for the double hour of the Serpent to start to begin the ritual. Thus all she could do now was wait and brood.
?Ah, are you worrying about the leaves too, mommy??
Startled from her reverie she looked back at her young daughter, who had thoughtfully grabbed them both some tea. ?Leaves?? she asked as she took the proffered cup.
Kanon nodded. ?Well the leaves will be turning soon, and that's always pretty. But then they start falling off and we have to sweep....?
Hitomi blinked then laughed. ?Ah, well that's not as big a deal.? She sipped her tea. ?I'm afraid my trip didn't go as well as I would have liked. I couldn't help some people.?
Kannon frowned. ?But it wasn't your fault right? I know, because you always try your best.?
Hitomi smiled. ?Thank you Kanon.?
She sat there for a moment thinking of a way to explain events to her daughter when the world rippled before her.
She had her amulets out in a second, but there was nothing to fight. Just a new space that had replaced the back of her shrine. A landscape of strange gutted buildings and silent machines. There was little sign that greenery had ever existed there, and no signs of life.
At the same time the ripples finished Hitomi felt a great emptiness run through her. As if a piece inside of her had vanished. Kanon whimpered and grabbed on to her arm. ?Mom, something bad's happened....?
Hitomi nodded. Then slowly stood. She carefully walked to where the barrier's field should begin to confirm her suspicions, while Kanon trailed along with her.
Just as she thought there was nothing where the Hakurei barrier was supposed to be.
Hitomi shifted her guard as the space beside her ripped open and Ran and Chen jumped out. However the two youkai gave her only the barest of nods before staring at the city before them. ?Chen, go run and try to confirm what happened.?
?Right on it!? Chen said before zooming off.
Hitomi moved to face the kitsune. ?Ran, what's going on!??
?You know as much as I do.? Ran pointed at the world outside. ?The Hakurei barrier is gone.?
?But how!?? Hitomi yelled. ?That shouldn't be possible. The barrier falls if my line ends, the dragon's power fades, or if someone breaks it. I'm still alive. The dragon is right there,? she said pointing to where the big dipper was in the sky, ?And I didn't feel anyone attacking the barrier!?
?You missed the most important part,? Ran said. ?The barrier is the boundary between belief and disbelief.? Ran looked over the ruined city. ?I fear that something happened to the outside world that would make them find a world of monsters and gods believable.?
?Which means the Hakurei Barrier no longer has a purpose. It's gone for good.?
The emptiness in Hitomi's chest filled her whole body.
She felt Kanon tug on her sleeve. ?Does that mean we don't have a shrine anymore??
Hitomi looked at the building that had been her home for most of her life. The 'secret' had always been that the shrine was dedicated to the spirit of the barrier itself. Now its power was gone. What happened to gods of places that no longer existed?
She slumped down. ?Damn it.?
Then she stared at Ran. ?Damn it! What have I been doing with my life then!? What's been the point of the last thirty years!? All those deadly fights. The years with only occasional visitors. It was all a waste!?
Ran looked shocked, then her expression turned to fury. ?Thirty? Try three hundred! I've sacrificed my pride, my reputation and my friends to protect this damn barrier! And you humans manage to break it all in a second!?
?We humans! I didn't do a damn thing!? Hitomi drew herself up. ?And why are you here at this abandoned shrine anyway youkai! Our....?
?Stop it!?
The two turned to where Kanon was standing in tears. ?This was our barrier right! Both of ours. So that means someone else did this. We should find them and punish them, not fight each other!?
Both Ran and Hitomi's faces fell. ?I don't think it's going to be that easy honey,? Hitomi said.
Ran nodded. ?She's right. I'm afraid this can't be fixed. And... it's not really anyone's fault.? She sighed. ?I'm sorry for blowing up on you though. I should have been prepared for this.? Ran sighed. ?Anyway, I'm going to go make sure nothing in the area is dangerous.?
?More dangerous then the youkai normally are?? Hitomi asked.
Ran smiled weakly. ?Probably not, but I want to make sure.? The kitsune flew off.
?Be careful Aunt Ran!? Kanon called after her. Hitomi felt a tinge of pain at the familiar words, but she wasn't going to correct her daughter. Especially not now.
So instead she said, ?Kanon why don't we fly up and look around? That way we can see what's changed.?
?Sure mommy!? The little girl focused intently and slowly began hovering up. For some reason Kanon wasn't all that good at flight yet, but Hitomi was sure she'd learn soon. She followed her daughter up, then looked over the new landscape.
There were other mountains all around now though Youkai mountain seemed incredibly tall in comparison. To the West Gensoukyo looked relatively unchanged, though Hitomi was sure she could see a few spots where a building had appeared from the outer world.
To the East everything was different. It was a ragged set of buildings that looked to be about twice the size of the human village, and it was obviously only part of the city. It looked like the center had been to the west, where Gensoukyo now sat, and the burn marks across the city indicated something had hit that center hard. Hitomi was very glad they hadn't been around for that.
?Do you think anyone's still alive in the city?? Kannon asked quietly.
?I don't know,? Hitomi replied. After a moment she added. ?But if there is hopefully Ran or Chen will find them.?
?Damn. What a mess.?
Hitomi looked up to see another flier approaching. She recognized the black and white outfit immediately. ?What are you doing here??
Marisa winced at the greeting. ?I came to see what happened.? She paused a safe distance off and scanned the broken landscape. ?Looks like Patchouli was right. But how the hell'd that happen?? She sighed and turned to where Hitomi was still watching her warily. ?You two going to be alright with the barrier down??
Hitomi kept herself between Kanon and the witch, no matter how much her daughter tried to worm around her. ?I can still summon other gods. And the power over boundaries is innate to our blood. Don't think we're easy prey.?
?That's good. Doubt anyone will mess with you over this but I'd hate to see your family lose everything,? Marisa said while moving forward to poke at a partially melted bicycle.
?Haven't lost everything? Sure, we've still got a magic power no one needs, the ability to summon gods we can't repay, and a shrine that's situated in such a poor location that no one goes to it,? Hitomi realized Kanon was looking at her worriedly and tried to calm her voice. ?We'll probably have to close down the shrine in fact. The only reason it was staying afloat was because Ran was giving 'donations' to keep us afloat.?
Marisa looked sheepish. ?Um, actually that was me.?
Hitomi blinked. ?What??
?But aren't you supposed to ring the shrine bell when you donate?? Kanon asked.
Marisa shrugged. ?Yeah well.... I made a promise to Reimu. And I want to keep it.? She looked away, but Hitomi could tell the witch was blushing. ?Anyway that's not important! The important thing is I'm wondering if you need any help.?
Hitomi frowned. ?If you want to make donations that's your own business, but I'm not a charity case. Give to the shrine, not to my bloodline.?
?What's the difference mommy?? Kanon whispered to her.
Hitomi frowned a bit. ?We're supposed to serve the gods, not ourselves,? she said quietly while keeping her eyes on the magician. Then she sighed. ?Though I suppose now we don't have a god.?
Marisa laughed at that. ?How times change.? The witch shrugged. ?Well seems to me we still owe the barrier some respect. After all it did its job. It kept magic safe until the world accepted it again. I think it deserves a break.?
?I like the shrine too mommy,? Kanon said.
Hitomi looked back to the weather beaten shrine. ?I suppose it has been a good home.?
?And if you ever need help keeping it up you can give me a call. I've got a lot of memories here,? Marisa said.
?We can take of ourselves,? Hitomi replied. She didn't want to end up further in this woman's debt.
The witch sighed. ?Alright.? She then took off and started heading towards the devastation. ?Anyway this place looks like a mess. Feel sorry for all the poor bastards who lived here. Might want to say a ritual for their souls.? The witch tossed a gold coin behind her. ?On me. Don't want them angry as I inspect the place for artifacts.?
?Proper rites don't give you the leeway to go grave robbing!? Hitomi shouted after the witch, but she was ignored.
She sighed and turned to Kanon. ?She's right in that we should do rituals for the departed. We can use the incense from the barrier ritual for it too. I'll grab that, you get the gohei, alright??
She'd do her job now and worry about the shrine later. Maybe sometime along the way she'd have an idea on how to live life as a miko of a godless shrine.
?Yes mom,? her daughter replied. The little girl's wonder was starting to give way to sorrow over the lost lives. Even though neither of the miko had known anyone who had died.
?It's a good thing this is mostly academic to me,? Hitomi muttered as she headed back inside.
Sect:
Aw, damnit. I hate Lunarians: even while dead, the Watatsukis still manage to piss me off by being a bunch of broken cheaters. >_< Plus, you know, there's that whole thing with me (or, apparantly, my descendants) being murderlized by those extremely dirty Lunarians using their cowardly, dirty tricks.
EDIT: And dear god, Komachi's going to need more than just the Watatsukis now. How many billion is that?
EDIT EDIT: Saw a UN report with estimations on the world population in the next three hundred years. I can't remember when exactly this takes place, so I'm going to use the numbers for 2200, with a medium estimate of 8.2 billion and a high of 21.2 billion. So... I'll just throw 12 billion out there as a rough guesstamation. (Generously) assuming that 50% of the humans in the world survived, that's a death toll of 6 billion. Numbers are probably higher, considering that a good portion of the damage would be done to major population centers, which at that point would probably be where the majority of people in the world would be. Granted, I imagine that several of the world powers would at least try to target military centers and government infrastructure rather than population areas, but...
Sect:
I should probably mention this: I'm not criticizing how you did this. In fact, as far as Lunarian human annihilation plans go, this is probably the best and most feasible route. I'm curious as to how the rabbits were able to hack into or fool the systems (I'm guessing manipulating radar or satellite waves or something), and I guess, in this version, America never had the cold war with the Lunarians in the 60s.