It didn't take very long for the news to travel. By sunrise everyone from the Scarlet Devil Mansion to Myouren Temple knew that there was one less girl in Gensokyo. Word of this spread faster than wildfire, and a certain group of children closest to the nightbug came to see if the rumors were true. Mystia was the first on sight. A wailing bluenette partially cradled in Yuuka Kazami's arms was proof enough. Rumia and Daiyousei appeared moments later. All three of them silently stared at the pair. Yuuka looked up; a faint tint of exhaustion painted under her eyes.
"... Space elevator." She mumbled. The trio blinked. "How the hell is a space elevator going to work?" Her voice was in a slightly higher pitch than normal; flavored with worry. A certain kappa tinkering near by turned to the group.
"Well you see-"
"That was a rhetorical question." Yuuka stated flatly. Nitori's eye slightly twitched.
"Please. I understand you're upset, but that's no reason to be rude." Nitori flipped down her visor-like helmet, and turned back to the large metallic tube she was welding. Yuuka groaned.
"Why can't we just use the ship you took there?" Daiyousei's small voice came from the back of the group. Yuuka groaned again.
"We don't have enough fuel on hand." She adjusted the arm that wasn't currently wrapped around a weeping Cirno, and put her face in the hand. "Besides, they'd be looking for the ship." The blue fairy looked up, attempted to wipe some of her nasal drippings on the back of her hand, and turned to her friends.
"I wet Wriggu down! I pomised her-" Her voice cracked, "I'd ne'r be mean to hur again!" Tears poured down her face more quickly. "I BET SHE HATES ME!" The small girl's tiny hands came up to her face. Daiyousei went up to the girl, and wrapped her in a hug.
"No she doesn't." The green fairy's small muffled voice was quiet and understanding, "Wriggle doesn't hate anybody.." Cirno looked up and forced a smile.
"It's done!" Everybody's head shot in Nitori's direction. The kappa pushed up her helmet, and wiped her forehead with her arm. The 24 foot diameter oval she was previously huddled under didn't look very different from when she had started. The open-top cylinder had a bulky circumference that was about 10 feet thick of what looked like steel that was raised about 3 feet in the air. She turned grinning to the quiet group.
"That.. That's it?" Rumia blinked. Nitori chuckled and held up a remote.
"Of course not." The kappa pressed a button, and the cylinder grew. The outer edge of the wall lifted itself up and landed on a part of the wall slightly closer to the center. Then, that part of the wall lifted itself up, and positioned itself closer in too. It repeated until the whole structure was about 30 feet high, and it's thickness was only about a foot. The kappa pressed another button, and a glowing green ring started from the bottom of the structure, hovered up to the top, and fell back down. There was a loud bang, and from the top of the towering oval began to grow higher again. Nitori's grin grew when she saw the entire group staring mouth agape. "Cloning machine. The elevator starts off at 30 feet and is cloned 42,038,333.3 times to make it a total of about 252,088 miles. The distance of the moon." There was another loud bang. "Space elevator." The group remained silent. "So, is this trio going to be accompanying you two?"
"Yes!" Rumia gave a toothy grin.
"Is.. Is it safe?" Daiyousei and Mystia's pale faces were mirrored.
Nitori chuckled. "Of course! I'm 82% sure that it'll be able to get you there and back!" Yuuka looked up.
"And the remaining 18%?" Nitori grinned again.
"Right this way, ladies." There was a beep and a door slid open on the elevator.
"Now wait just a minute! Nitori, answer m-!" Nitori had begun shoving the group into the cylinder.
"I'll be manning the controls from down here. Have nice trip, ladies." She gave huge push, and everybody tumbled in. The door slid shut with a loud clank; they were surrounded by darkness. Silence, then-
"WhaAA.."
"Who's crying?" A deeper voice snapped.
"Mystia.."
"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"
"No we're not, Cirno."
"WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 28?"
"You mean 18?"
"Whatever.."
"Ru-" The lights clicked on. "Oh, that's better."
"SH!"
"What?"
"What's that noise?"
"Noi-" A staticy crackling noise roared and echoed around the small room.
"H-" static "Hey, can you here me?" Nitori's voice called; the static died down. "The camera's working. I can see and hear you, can you hear me?" The group nodded. "Good. Good. Ok. I'm going to start sending you up. Ready?" There was a low moan from Mystia. "Yes? Good? Good." There was a pang then another. The floor trembled a little. A faint hum of a type of motor started. The ground gave a heave, and instantly everybody was flattened to the ground from gravity.
"You're c-rushing me, Yuuka!" Cirno squeaked.
"I can't mo-"
"RUMIA, MOVE YOUR BUTT!"
"SHUT UP, DAIYOUSEI!"
"I'm going to cry again, guys!"
"I HAVE TO PEE!"
"CIRNO!"
"YUUKA!"
"MY-" The ground shook and the pressure was lifted. A moment of cautious hopefulness overcame the group. Cirno shot up to her feet.
"Well! That was exciting! I almost peed all over you guys! Hey, Rumia, do you remember that time when we jumped out and scared Wriggle so bad she-?" Yuuka's dirty look stopped her mid-sentence.
"Listen here, you little popsicle," She got to her feet and jabbed a threatening finger into the fairy's chest. "You were the last person to see her, so you're a necessary component of this little search party." Cirno opened her mouth to speak. "-But," Yuuka interrupted, "That doesn't mean I won't turn you into crushed ice the second we get back to Earth if you continue to be so annoying." Her head snapped in the direction of the group of cowering girls in the other corner. Daiyousei let out a low whine from deep in her throat that grew into a full out sob. Rumia and Mystia wrapped their arms around her.
"Hey, lady, don't make her cry!" Rumia spat.
"Yeah!" Mystia's considerably quieter voice was almost drown out by Daiyousei's cries. Yuuka's glare focused on the night-bird who glared back with less gusto. A stare-down of blazing crimson against steel filled the small room with a tension so thick it seemed hard to breathe. Mystia, unable to take the burning strength of the woman's wrathful eyes, turned away with a small restrained flap of her wings; feathers fluttered to the ground. Yuuka gave a huff, and turned back to Cirno.
"Now I want the rest of the ride up to be quiet. Got that?" Cirno looked up through her eyelashes at the woman, and put her hands behind her back with forced innocence.
"Us? Loud? Wouldn't dream of it!" Yuuka's eyes looked ready to melt the ice fairy on the spot. Cirno trotted over to join her group of friends.
How long had it been? An hour? Two? Yuuka's back ached from standing so long. She considered trying to get in contact with the kappa on the ground, but she was enjoying the strained silence of the terrified girls huddling in the corner too much to break it. She sighed in defeat and sank down to the cold metal ground, propped herself up to a 'comfortable' position against the wall, and closed her eyes.
...
The quiet hum of the motor was almost relaxing. Nearly relaxing, but not quite there. It reminded Yuuka of the sound of her mechanical fan back at her house. She had gotten it from Alice, who had gotten it from Marisa, who had 'borrowed' it from Reimu, who had gotten it as a present from Yukari, who had brought it back from the human world last summer. Yuuka pictured herself back at her house with the fan on her. Back at her house in her nice clean soft chair in the den with the osculating contraption keeping her cool. She felt suddenly drowsy. Her head drooped suddenly causing her to violently snap it back up. Cirno was staring at her from across the elevator. Creepy. She slumped her head against her shoulder not caring how much her neck would ache when she stood up, and attempted to get comfortable again. Clean. Den. Soft. Chair. Her mind became fuzzy. Just her and th-
There was an ear splitting shriek.
Yuuka shot up, head spinning. The screaming turned into cackling. Cirno sat clutching her sides in laughter with tears threatening to pour down her face.
"Y-you should-d've seen the LOOK ON YOUR FACE!" Yuuka's defense position fell.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON, YOU IDIOT?"
"YOU'RE THE IDIOT! I JUST SCARED YOU! DON'T YOU GE-" A hand shot forward and grabbed Cirno by the throat.
"You LITTLE, ANNOYING, INTOLERABLE-" A feather near Mystia, upset by the sudden whir, was sent into the air, and down Yuuka's windpipe. She lashed back clutching her own throat. She forced it down and nearly pounced on the sparrow. "WHAT IS WITH ALL THE FEATHERS?"
"I'M MOULTING, OK?"
"STOP FIGHTING YOU GUYS!"
"Hey?"
"SHUT UP, DAIYOUSEI!"
"DON'T TELL HER TO SHUT UP!"
"Hey!"
"YOU SHUT UP TOO!"
"HEY?"
"I HAVE TO PEE!"
"WHY IS IT ALWAYS PEE WITH YOU?"
"HEY!"
"WHAT?" The entire group shot around to the speaker Nitori's voice was coming from.
"You're here!"
The door slid open to reveal the pastel yellow and silver landscape of the Lunarian society. Four of the five girls' mouths fell open.
"So this is the moon."
"Yeah."
"Can we eat it?"
"Shut up, Rumia." Yuuka adjusted herself and peered out the doorway. "Now listen. They're going to be looking for us, so let's keep a low profile. Get in, get her, get ou-"
"WRIGGLE, I'M COMING FOR YOU!" Cirno shoved Yuuka aside and attempted to dash out, but the green-locked woman grabbed the fairy by the ear; with a sharp tug Cirno was on the ground. Yuuka glared down at her with gleaming scarlet eyes.
"What the hell did I just say?" She shoved the bluenette out of the way with her booted foot, and took the first step out. "Now where was the last place you were with her?" Cirno sat up grumbling.
"Why should I tell an old hag like you?"
"Cirno.." Daiyousei's small quivering voice called from the back of the group cautiously. Yuuka spun around on her heels.
"What did you just say, moron?" Her tone sent a shiver down the party's spine. Cirno folded her arms indignantly.
"I said, why should I tell an old hag like you?" Yuuka's eyes turned into slits; she picked up the girl by the scruff of the neck of her dress and held her eye level.
"I will not hesitate to melt you into a puddle with my Masterspark."
"Isn't that Marisa's spellcard?" Rumia came up next to the bickering duet. Yuuka dropped Cirno, and stomped her foot.
"NO! IT'S MINE! THAT NO GOOD FUCKING THIEF STOLE IT FROM ME. NOW EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S HERS!" She spun around on her heels again and was about to begin making her way to the moon village, but Nitori's voice calling over the speaker stopped her. She paused to listen.
"Yuuka! Hey, wait! I want no casualties! It'll ruin my reputation. So, be a good soccer mom, and watch after these girls! They're Wriggle's friends after all!" Yuuka huffed and turned to the girls. Mystia had a clawed hand on Daiyousei's shaking back, and was attempting to sooth her with coos of encouragement and kindness. The green fairy's big indigo eyes were pooled with tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks; she made eye contact with Yuuka, flinched, and looked away with the color draining from her face. Rumia was helping up a grumbling Cirno to her feet with a toothy grin and an extended hand. Cirno got up pouting with her cheeks tinting a frustrated shade of pink. She glared up at Yuuka spat on the ground, and turned away folding her arms. Yuuka sighed and knelt down to eye level of the ice fairy.
"Cirno, listen," She tried to keep her voice as even as possible, "Wriggle could be in danger. We need to find her as soon as we can. Now where was the last place you seen her?" Cirno hesitated for a moment.
"Moon mall."
"The moon mall?"
"Are you deaf? That's what I said, old lady." Yuuka stood up to address the entire group.
"Everybody needs to stay close. If you start to wander, I'll force you to hold hands, and after that I'll just tie you all together." Rumia giggled. Yuuka stared down at her surprised. "I'm serious." Rumia froze and shut her mouth as if forever.
It took longer than expected to get to the mall. It was barely possible for a minute to go by without the quintet having to dive for cover. Posters of the visitors from Gensokyo were plastered all around town. The 'Exiled princess returns for vengeance' flyer was the most common followed shortly by 'Horned murderer and thief', although none of the girls' faces minus Cirno were posted around town guards on every street corner would make a beeline towards their flashing colors. After nearly an hour they finally made it to the large retail complex; bluenette in the lead. Yuuka's mouth fell open at the large establishment. It was even more crowded inside then on the streets. Lunarians and bunnies scurried along bumping into each other and shoving to get by. It had been hours since anybody had even seen Wriggle. There was no guarantee that she would even still be on this side of the moon.
"Alright," Yuuka turned to the group quickly doing a mental headcount, "Cirno, where were you with her?" Cirno momentarily shot a dirty look at the woman then shifted her gaze to the directory to her right.
"Uhhmm.." Her cerulean eyes darted around the large image, and came to a stop on a single red labeled area; a smile crept on her face. "Here." She said pointing to the spot. Yuuka crouched down to see exactly what she was looking at.
"The ball pit? You and Wriggle were in the ball pit?"
"Yes." Yuuka turned to the fairy with a doubtful scowl.
"You sure?"
"I TOLD YOU ALREADY, LADY!" Yuuka's hand darted forward and covered the girl's mouth. She looked around at the small crowd eying them suspiciously.
"SHH! Fine! Fine! We'll go."
After a short trip prolonged by the constant pushing and shoving of the crowd the party approached an empty ball pit. Yuuka glanced at the clock to see that it was nearly the time a mall should be closing. She looked down at the rainbow of the training mosh pit and back at Cirno. "Well? Where is she?" Her forced even voice nearly cracked as she felt a lump appear in her throat. She swallowed it and put on her best evil eye show.
"Uh," Cirno held a finger up to her chin as she pondered, "Maybe she's hiding in there. You know. To not be caught." Yuuka's icy demeanor tripled. "I guess we'll just have to go in after her." In an instant her, Mystia, Rumia, and Dayousei pounced into the pit with giggles that weren't even attempted to be smothered. Yuuka's eye twitched. She was going to have to see Eirin for some type of therapy after this.
"Well?"
"Sorry, Yuuka. We can't find her." Rumia's head popped up from in the corner. Next to her Mystia's legs surfaced as she did a handstand. Cirno grew a devilish grin.
"Yuuka, why not try helping us look for her?"
"WH-What? You four are perfectly adequate-" She nearly choked in laughter. "What the hell am I saying? You're a bunch of morons." The woman pulled up her skirt slightly, and took a step into the pit, sinking immediately down to her waist.
Daiyousei's green head appeared next to her.
"Yuuka, are you going to play with us?"
"No! You idiot's seem to forget that you're friend is in danger!" Rumia paused from pelting balls at Mystia's legs to turn to the woman.
"Why are you here anyway? She is OUR friend after all." Her high pitched mocking voice echoed against the enclosed pit. "Besides, you hate all of our team anyway." Yuuka turned away to hide the blush threatening to tint her cheeks.
"Well- I. That's not true." She forced down the embarrassment and looked the blonde dead in the eyes. "Wriggle is also my- er friend." Mystia popped up to listen to the conversation.
"Rumia, remember when we dared Wriggle to ring her doorbell, and Yuuka nearly snapped her neck?" The sparrow's wings flapped with more feathers shedding from the appendages .
"Yeah?"
"You know how Wriggle still goes back?"
"To be a smart-ass?"
"Noo, they've got the hots for eachother." Rumia choked.
"That is not true!" All hopes of covering the pink died along with Yuuka's pride in that second. A scarlet blush stained her past her neckline. The younger girls turned towards her.
"Oh, I guess you're right, Myst." Rumia's sharp teeth flashed in a grin. Yuuka gave a indignant huff through her noes.
"I don't 'have the hots' for anybody!"
"Why are you so red then?" Cirno tittered. "And why are you here on the moon with us 'morons'?" Yuuka's mouth fell open but no words came out. She looked silently around the group.
"Is she ok?" Daiyousei took cover behind Cirno. "She looks mad." Yuuka forced out a noise that sounded a snarl.
"Cirno, back on Earth you said that you made a promise to Wriggle never to be mean to her again. She could be hurting or dead now, and we need to find her immediately. Where else could she be?" Cirno's blue head violently hung down in shame; her icicle wings drooped.
"I-" She mumbled something under her breath, and looked up tear-stained. "I'M A TERRIBLE LEADER!" She threw her head back as her entire body hitched in a sob. Yuuka sighed and put her face in her hands to wait for the crying fit to stop.
"Cirno, this is taking up more time."
"I left her in the foo-od court!" She wiped her noes with the back of her hand. Yuuka sighed angrily, and dug her way out of the pit. The entire team silently followed after her.
By now, mostly everybody was either gone or leaving the mall, Yuuka's boot's heels clacked along the hard floor much louder then the other girls' footsteps, or the murmur of what was left of the crowd. An annoyed twitch had settled itself comfortably on Yuuka's left eye, and anybody who noticed her while walking by practically did a u-turn to get as far away from her as possible. The food court was, of course, the furthest possible walking distance from the ball pit; Yuuka considered just taking off and flying to her destination, but that promised more unwanted attention. Finally, they were nearing the outdoor food court. The party's steps significantly increased into a slow run. Wriggle was nearly in their grasp, the quintet all mirrored a creeping small grin. Their pace increased into a full out sprint, the food court should just be around the cor-
Everybody's heart simultaneously sank. The doors leading out were locked; a large 'Closed' sign was hanging tauntingly from behind doors. Yuuka threw herself against the doors defeated, and repeatedly pounded her head against the glass. She could hear most of the girls behind her start sniffling. Tears pooled behind her closed lids.
"..Guys?" Everybody's head snapped up so fast they nearly had whiplash. Down the curved hall was a small nook like room that wasn't quite a room with a big sign hanging over it that read 'Lost and Found/Lost Children Pickup'. There sitting in a small wooden chair was a very exhausted looking Wriggle Nightbug. Yuuka's knees gave out.
"WRIGGLE!" The entire Team 9 darted towards each other; she ran equally as fast back towards them. They all collided in a mostly painful hug like embrace, and fell to the floor.
"I'M SO SORRY, WRIGGLE!" Cirno squeezed the nightbug in a literally breath-taking hug. Wriggle gagged and nodded. The entire group continued hugging as Yuuka's shadow loomed over them. Wriggle looked up, and her idiotic grin grew twice its original size.
"Yuuka, you're here too?"
"Wouldn't want to miss the party, now would I?" She sunk down to the floor with the rest of the girls, and wrapped them all in a tight squishing embrace with blood coming to her cheeks. Cirno let out a groan.
"Old lady, stop!" Yuuka made a noise that sounded like the exact kind of giggle she shouldn't ever be making. "OLD LADY!"
"Pardon me." The group froze in a dead silence, and peaked up. There was a a very tall, stern, brunette woman in a guard uniform with pink washed out lips. Cirno and Wriggle sank into the crowd of little people in the green-locked woman's arms. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you in for some questioning." Yuuka's heartbeat was suddenly very loud in her ears.
"On what charges?" The guard took a step to the side, and motioned with a nod to a poster hung on the wall behind her. 'Suspicious blue and green children suspected of aiding the exiled princess. Contact with information.' above the large words were crudely drawn pictures of Cirno and Wriggle. Yuuka's mouth went dry. She glanced at the girls cradled protectively in her arms; there was a sudden burst of protectiveness that overcame her. She cursed herself for letting herself go so soft; if they made it back alive she'd have to find a reason to violently torture Elly to get some of her edge back. Until then though.. She did a little calculating in her head of number of children vs the size of her arms. She leaned into the huddle. "Mystia, I need you to do a couple favors for me."
"What?" The sparrow hissed a little too loudly. The guard put her hand on an item on her belt in warning.
"I need you to get on my back, and start singing one of your blinding songs at everybody but us." Yuuka whispered.
"No guarantee it won't effect you."
"That's fine. On the count of five now." Mystia's body tensed up. "One.. t-" The guard's hand pulled out something that Yuuka was sure was threatening, "FIVE!" Mystia shot up, and landed Yuuka's back; her talon-like hands gripped into the red fabric in support. She turned her head and opened her mouth. Yuuka's head went foggy, but she could still see. She scooped up Wriggle and Daiyousei under her right arm, Rumia and Cirno under her left, and took off flying at top speeds. The guard woman behind them was clutching at her eyes trying to get them to work, and screaming something into her radio. In an instant guards were popping up everywhere. Yuuka darted right and left trying to avoid them. Twice someone grabbed at her legs, but with a quick boot stomp they were send tumbling back. They were out of the mall now, Yuuka put some distance between herself and the ground. She turned her head back to the still serenading girl with a smile. "Mystia, that was brilliant." The timid girl gave a very modest and humbled grin, and kept on caroling. In the distance, the elevator was in sight. The woman's speed increased, she could hear more and more guards making their way towards them. Then, it occurred to her; why was nobody but her flying? Something twisted in the pit of her stomach, she flew closer to the ground then she wanted to. Something wasn't right here. A guard took a swipe at her with something silver, she twisted uncomfortably to avoid it, but it slightly struck the side of her thigh. She tensed in pain as a current of electricity flowed up and down her leg. It had barely touched her, but her leg felt almost numb. She shivered at what would've happened if it had hit her dead on. The sound the the commotion was drowning out Mystia's blindness inducing melody. Yuuka considered just- her flight pattern took an unexpected swoop downward. A guard running below her had another silver thing, and took a swipe for Yuuka's leg's, but the heel of her boot collided with the guard's jaw before anything could happen.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"
"I DON'T KNOW OK!" Yuuka attempted to get higher up. Wriggle felt a light-bulb go off in her head.
"Yuuka!"
"What?"
"They keep aiming for your legs! Only your legs!" Yuuka looked down at the firefly in her arms in disbelief.
"But wh-" Yuuka's flight took another drastic droop, they tumbled painfully on the ground. A very tall ominous shadow loomed over them; its owner cackling. They looked up to see a tall thin withered looking man with black hair tied into a bun and squinted cruel eyes. Yuuka felt a chill go down her spine, she recognized the color in his eyes; the only other person she knew with brown eyes that glinted like that was Kaguya Houraisan. "Shit." The man's cackling died town. It was completely silent for a second. The man stood smirking down at them, then WHACK. A large foot cracked Yuuka across the head; her face twisted in pain.
"What breed of idiots are you? Who returns to the scene of the crime?" His smirk grew into a cruel grin. "Honestly, Earthlings are complete dimwits. I am Houraisan. My, you all look confused." His cackling started up again. Yuuka pulled the entire Team 9 close to her protectively. The cold laughter subsided long enough for him to crouch down to eye level with them. "Wondering why you can't fly?" He broke out into another giggling fit. This must be where Kaguya gets her insanity from. "You see," He leaned in closer, "I can control gravity here." His face was suddenly stone dead serious. Yuuka realized the reason they had aimed for her legs; so she couldn't run. "Really, a bunch of fools you are." He stood up, and put his hands behind his back. "Now, abou-" Cirno darted up out of Yuuka's arms and sent a razor sharp icicle straight into his face, he keeled over screaming in pain.
"ATTACK PATTERN ALPHA OMEGA MEGA SUPER AWE-" Cirno looked at her flabbergasted teammates. "I MEAN RUN!" The group of girls shot up in a full out sprint; a rainbow of danmaku in their wake. Cirno, in the lead, was running backwards smiling like a madman with blue orbs of bullets forming circles and a thin yellow curtain of blazing danmaku shooting out between the gaps at the guards. She nearly tripped over something, swung around to run normally, and fired 3 blue lasers back towards the oncoming guards with white bullets falling down at them like snowflakes. Mystia began singing her heart out again, red and blue twisting bullets shot back into the crowd. Some fell back in reaction to the blindness as she shot huge glowing blue bullets back that increased in speed as they scattered. Rumia and Daiyousei ran in a matched pace. As Daiyousei threw curtains of red and green kunai Rumia shot two lasers that closed in; trapping anybody between them to be bombarded with small white bullets. She ran up to Mystia and threw her a grin as she blasted the guards with 'Nightbird' a spellcard inspired by the girl. Light and dark blue bullets were flung at the guards as the bullets twisted closing and opening small gaps in between the bullets. Wriggle was near the back of the group. She surrounded herself with an array of bullets of all sizes. Blue, green, and yellow bullets circled around her like a swirling storm, then fired out in a random display of blazing burning colors behind her. She picked up her pace as she fired larger yellow bullets down like lasers with petal-like danmaku spraying out between the pillars of light. Yuuka was doing a fairly good job keeping the crowd away from the girls, she switched sporadically disappearing from one place, and appearing in another with twisting bullets firing in every direction. They approached the elevator, the younger girls opened the door, and piled inside. Yuuka stood in the frame of the door, and summoned her flower umbrella. She looked over her shoulder, and gave Rumia a grin. In one quick motion, she took a swipe at the air with the parasol and opened it.
"MASTERSPARK!" An enormous blue light shot from the flower, destroying everything its wake. The ground literally vibrated with the intense blazing power of the spellcard. The team of small girls had to cover their eyes from the amazing light. Finally, it slowly died down. Yuuka stepped back into the elevator, and in an instant Nitori's voice was heard.
"You have her?"
"YES! SEND US DOWN!" What was left of the guards had approached the elevator, and began pounding on it's door.
"Hey, guys remember that 18% thing?" Everybody gulped. "Yeah, that was all with the return. Good luck"
"Wai-" The ground shot down, everybody was flattened to the ground, their faces stretched back into ugly smushed pieces of flesh with the force. It was impossible to scream, the air was literally being pushed out of their lungs. There was a loud terrifying bang from above them, then another. They fell for a solid 5 minutes, every minute increased the force pushing down on them. Then, suddenly the falling slowed to a complete stop. There was a loud PANG, and the doors flung open. Nitori stood in it's frame grinning, obviously proud of herself.
"Welcome back, guys. Please get out, the elevator is collapsing." With that everybody was scrambling to their feet. They fell out of the elevator just in time to see what exactly the loud noises had been. The large metallic tube was coming apart in large sections of steel cylinder. Nitori grinned down at the girls. "Cloning machine. Very unstable. All of this will disintegrate in less than three minutes. Isn't that insane?" Yuuka glared up at the kappa.
"You knew this would- nevermind." The group stood up and dusted themselves off. Yuuka and Wriggle involuntarily made eye-contact that was impossible to break. The woman knelt down to eye level with the nightbug, and put her hands on her shoulders. Wriggle stared into her crimson eyes silently. Everybody around them paused; time seemed to stand still. Yuuka took a deep breath and swallowed the butterflies in her stomach. "I love you." Wriggle's mouth fell open, then curved into a smile.
"I love you too." A few feet away from them Cirno gagged.
"EW!"