A New World (book 2) Complete

~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore

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Alfred F. Jones:
Bam. What a huge update. I'm largely indifferent towards the Lunarians, but they can indeed be selfish brats, can't they?

Watching for more, as always.

Iced Fairy:
Hm...

As for the numbers well, as painfully ironic as it is, "One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic."

The deception occurred on multiple levels. Think Wargames, Crimson Tide, the Soviet Radar incident and Dr Strangelove all going off at once. To every country on the planet. That's why it was so effective.

As for the Lunar Cold war... well CiLR pretty much states that the "war" was the Americans landing, planting their flag and going home while the Lunarians and Moon Rabbits panicked about impurities. The Americans never figured out anything.

Sect:
Ah, my bad. I think I got my memories mixed up with some of Muffin's stories, then.

As for the tragedy/statistic quote, there's a point where it's just plain monstrous, especially when genocide is concerned (and not a game, which it's apparantly about to be now that Yuka's waking up). But no, I was mostly concerned about the huge workload come the next year for Komachi and Shikieiki. It'll make the Flowering Incident look like a mild bloom in comparison.

Kasu:
Bloody hell.

Renko and Maribel aren't gonna like this...

Iced Fairy:
Maribel dropped the glass she was holding with a dull clunk on the table. Renko looked up at her in surprise as her friend stared into space. After a moment she quickly stood and moved to Mary's side. ?What's wrong??

The words seemed to snap Maribel out of her daze. ?The barrier. It's gone.?

Renko's eyes widened. ?What!?? She tried a simple spell, but felt none of the resistance that she should have in the outside world. ?But magic's working just fine, Mary.?

Maribel shook her head. ?I just know it's down. I can feel it.?

Renko frowned. ?Okay let's fly up and take a look. We should be surrounded by city if the barrier is gone, right??

Maribel nodded. ?Right. Let's take a look.?

Renko followed Maribel out of their house and then took to the sky. The stars were still clear, and as they got above the height of the shrine there were none of the lights that would indicate a city.

?See Mary, there's no way that the barrier is do....? Renko's voices caught in her throat as she stared in horror.

The false dawn of a nuclear explosion had appeared over the horizon.

?Oh god....?

The glow was slight. Hidden behind the mountains that surrounded the valley of Gensoukyo still. But there was no mistaking that horrible light.

As it slowly faded Renko began to realize what that meant.

?I don't believe it,? she choked out.

Maribel nodded. Then she gasped. ?Mom and Dad!?

Renko swore and dove after Mary as she ripped a hole in reality and moved through it. There was a moments disorientation as they moved through the gap then the two burst back into reality over Okaya.

The city was in ruins. Some parts still burned. The lake that had separated the town from its sister city smoldered as well as if it had been brought to boil. 'Satellite weapon' the last analytical part of her brain remarked.

Maribel gave a thin wail and disappeared.

Renko was too slow to follow her through the gap but she knew where her friend was going. She quickly flew down to a place she'd visited often, but never enough.

Maribel was there.

The black ruins stood in silent tribute to the fact that there had once been a house there. It had been a beautiful house, with flowers in the windowsills, and a western style porch. There was no sign of the rocking chair that once sat there. Next to her was a blacked tree trunk, a poor marker for where a once proud Jacaranda had spread its leaves. Across the street a twisted swing set creaked and popped as it cooled in the breeze, behind the burnt line of a fence.

Mary was on her knees rocking back and forth, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

Renko moved to her love and embraced her as tightly as she could. ?I'm here Mary. I'm...? She sniffed and tried to start again. ?It's...?

Then she couldn't take anymore. She began crying.

It wasn't alright.

Their old world was gone forever.

The two sat there, in the light of guttering flames until a explosion of a distant refinery shook them out of their stupor. They managed to pull themselves up, but Mary couldn't seem to turn away from the house.

?I can't find them,? she said in a weak voice. ?I can't even find their bodies.?

Renko looked around at the devastated neighborhood. ?I'm sorry Mary. We don't even know if there were here...?

Maribel shot up. ?That's right. Maybe they were out driving. Or took a vacation. I can find them!?

?Mary, it's...!? but Maribel was off again. Following some boundary only her eyes could see. Fortunately this time she was flying, so Renko could follow behind.

Maribel was pursing whatever she saw frantically. Renko almost told her to slow down, but she caught a glimpse of smoldering figures on the streets below and sped up herself. She felt sick. Maribel didn't need to see that.

Their hurried flight took them to the edge of town where a strangely familiar shrine sat. In the courtyard were two figures. Living figures! The two women swooped down towards the scene.

Then they stopped as they got close enough to see.

The mountain god Kanako was holding an old woman on her lap. She looked mostly unscathed but Renko could see that Kanako was holding the woman's hair in place. Radiation poisoning.

Kanako glanced briefly up but turned her attention back to the woman just as quickly. ?There. Do you feel any more pain??

?No Princess Yasakatome. The pain is gone. Thank you.? The old woman let out a few rasping breaths. Then fell still.

Kanako sighed then put the body down. Standing up she turned away from the girls to look at the broken down shrine.

?Why??

Renko turned to Maribel.

?Why couldn't you have done something? What's the point of gods if they can't help people?? Maribel asked.

Renko expected anger, but Kanako just shook her head.

?What use is a god who no one calls for help?? asked Kanako softly. ?What is the point of a god who no one needs until after everything is gone??

Renko saw tears drip down the goddess' face.

As the goddess walked towards her old home she called back, ?Go back you two. There's nothing for you here. Leave Suwako and I to grieve for our people.?

?Besides this place isn't safe. The radiation has probably already affected you. Go see Eirin.?

Renko's gut churned. She was a fool! Of course there would still be radiation. ?Maribel! We have to go, now!?

Maribel seemed confused, but she immediately followed Renko's demand. Space tore open once again and the two stepped through.

The journey was rough. Renko's stomach lurched as they moved between spaces and she threw up into the void. Then they crashed into the bamboo forest in front of a large stately building. Two rabbits and a woman with silver hair were standing there in surprise, right as Maribel lost the contents of her stomach.

?What in the world...? the woman asked before seeming to make some connection. ?Radiation? Quick come inside. You two, help them!?

The two rabbits moved to help Renko and Mary keep standing, and started leading them into the building. Renko was grateful for the assistance, because at that point the world started swimming....

-----

Renko opened her eyes. Apparently she'd fallen asleep at some point. She sat up on the hospital bed and immediately moved to take Maribel's hand. Mary started at the touch, then cupped Renko's hands in her own. Her best friend looked like she was still in shock, but at least she'd stopped crying.

?You should be more careful with yourself.?

Renko looked over to find Patchouli entering the room. ?I'm sorry. I guess I just wasn't thinking. I should have known it wouldn't be safe yet.? She closed her eyes briefly. ?We're lucky radiation poisoning is easy to cure magically.?

Patchouli sat down across from them. ?I can understand how you'd forget something like that, given the situation.? The magician sat their silently for a while. After a few false starts she said quietly, ?I did something just as stupid myself when I lost my family in the Great War.?

Renko started with surprise, and Maribel looked up. Patchouli coughed. ?Well that's not what I came to talk about.? She looked back to the two girls. ?I did a scan based on your genetic data. I'm afraid I only found one of your cousins Maribel.? Marbiel just looked down at the bed again. Patchouli took a deep breath. ?Renko we found your parents, alive and mostly well. Apparently the village in Hokkaido that they were visiting escaped the war.?

Renko sat there speechless. My mother and father are alive? My mother and father are alive! Her eyes began to tear up, then her mask finally broke. ?Thank you! Thank you! Oh thank god.? She wiped at her tears as relief washed over her.

Her mood darkened as Maribel embraced her weakly. How unfair was it for Maribel to lose everything, while Renko had gotten a miracle?

It seemed Maribel had guessed her thoughts. ?It's not your fault,? Mary said. Renko gripped Mary tighter none the less. She needed the support.

Patchouli coughed again from behind her book. ?Anyway Aya checked the village personally. She said they should be safe for the next couple of weeks. They have food and fuel to boil water, so they should be fine, along with the other 150 or so people who were there.? She coughed lightly. ?Apparently there are small villages and farmsteads like that scattered all around Japan and the nearby nations. Not much in the way of power though. And all the cities are gone.?

She paused for a moment. ?It shouldn't be hard to bring them down to Gensokyo. But right now might not be the best time.?

?Why not?? Renko asked. She began to worry. Was the war still going on?

Patchouli shook her head. ?We'll explain later. Don't worry. We should be safe in the short term, and you need the rest.?

?But-? both Mary and Renko said in unison.

?Sorry, but this was the doctor's orders,? Patchouli said, before rapidly chanting a sleep spell.

Renko fell back against the pillow and rapidly drifted off again into a dreamless sleep.

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