"Uh oh… this is bad."
A blonde girl in a too-small sailor's uniform starts biting her nails as she looks into an empty room.
"Maybe they're all just in the floor compartments. Yeah, that's it."
The girl lifts up several tiles like trapdoors, to find barren storage units under each.
"This can't be happening… I'm gonna get killed, when she finds out about this. But it'll be even worse if I don't tell her!"
The girl rushes out the way she came, neglecting to close the storage doors. After making her way through a labyrinth of halls, she finally emerges in a gigantic but mostly plain room, with a pitch-black ceiling and dark blue floors. A white path winds its way through the center of the room, with ten-foot-high capsules on either side of it. The capsules appear to contain a glittery substance that swirls about within, floating about brightly like a supernova. Otherwise, the great hall is empty.
Well, there is one other thing within - a person, clad all in red, the same shade as her braided hair.
"Well? Did you find any?" the one in red impatiently asks the blonde.
"No, ma'am… we've got no more crates of chocolate-covered strawberries. Actually, we have nothing. Period. All of our food supplies are gone."
A blank stare is her response. Finally, the one in red raises her hand, and places it on her forehead, while looking down in disbelief.
"...There's no food? Where did it all go?"
"I don't know! Someone must have raided it!"
The one in red takes her hand off her forehead. Her expression has changed to anger.
With her hand, she smacks the blonde twice.
"Imbecile! Your duty is to watch the vessel. We were set for a long while with those supplies. And you let them get stolen!"
"I'm, I'm sorry…"
The crimson clothed girl quickly composes herself and sighs.
"We'll have to go out, then. But you know how it goes in this place, don't you, Chiyuri? This Gensokyo."
"Umm, yeah… this place is filled with demons and monsters."
"Exactly. And as mere magic-less humans, we are nigh defenseless against the likes of them. They have full intent to kill and eat us. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Yumemi."
The one in red - Yumemi - walks away from Chiyuri, who is still rubbing her face after incurring the former's wrath.
"We'll leave in thirty minutes, so prepare yourself for our expedition. We are going to have to search for a place to get food, and quickly. Make sure you are prepared for combat, if it comes to that."
And then, she mutters under her breath. "We've spent years here ever since the university kicked us out, and what have we to show for it? Absolutely nothing. We've just been lazing about, deluding ourselves into believing that just existing here will somehow infuse us with magic power, or that what we need will come to us. No, we have to go out and get the data ourselves, but Chiyuri would never agree to leave. She still won't."
She looks over her shoulder, to make sure the girl in the sailor's uniform had left. "Which is why I had to give her a little push. They say the beast fights best on an empty stomach, after all. Our lives being on the line should serve as excellent motivation."
"I'm ready. And you, Chiyuri?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess…"
"Keep your wits about you. We're just looking for any sign of civilization. Human, of course."
The two leave their ship, the Probability Space Hypervessel, and step out into a flat landscape.
"Well, here we go. Let's go to the hill due south of our location, I suppose. That there is a point of elevation around us is all I've managed to scout from the ship," Yumemi announces.
The duo steps over a felled tree trunk. Their last landing was not the smoothest, and neither one likes to think about or mention it.
They make their way through a grassy field, as it gives way to slightly more forested terrain. The hill they see before them, however, is clear on top, and will serve as a vantage point.
"Hey, Yumemi?" Chiyuri asks of her superior. "What if we run into those people from before? That we lost to the first time?"
Yumemi shakes her head. "They didn't kill us then, so I doubt they'll kill us now. Besides, if someone really tries to have our heads, not only do we have our artificial magic, we have firearms as well."
"Can a gun really kill a monster? Besides, we met a spirit the first time. How exactly are we going to shoot a ghost?"
"Then we use magic!" Yumemi grins.
Chiyuri sighs and continues to make her way towards the hill with Yumemi.
"It really is beautiful. The whole top of the hill is covered in flowers. Do you know which kind they might be, Chiyuri?"
"I don't. I didn't exactly major in botany."
"Neither do I, but to look that nice, they must smell just as wonderful."
The hill's peak is rather flat, and indeed covered in an expansive meadow of purple and white flowers. These flowers permeate a pleasant scent that reach the duo and put them in a rather good mood.
"Yes, indeed. I do enjoy this place. The flowers really are lovely." Yumemi sighs and takes in the scent.
"They are, aren't they?" A new voice emerges from behind the duo.
Yumemi and Chiyuri spin around to see a young-looking girl staring up at them.
"But you should steer clear of them, you know. These are lilies of the valley, a well-known flower for its scent, but also its lethal poison."
Yumemi opens her mouth to speak, but is cut off.
"...You're humans, right? And you definitely don't look like you're from the village. You know what that means? You came in from the outside world!"
Chiyuri steps toward the girl and nods. "Yep, we did! We are-"
Yumemi covers Chiyuri's mouth forcefully. "We don't want to cause you any trouble. We are merely looking for some food, and then we'll get right back to our base, no questions asked. You're clearly not human. That much, I can tell."
"You're good at seeing the details, aren't you?" The girl smiles. "Well, you got it right. I'm Medicine Melancholy, a youkai - a discarded doll whose anger, lasting a hundred years, has manifested into animateness." She walks straight past Yumemi and Chiyuri into the flowers. "I was left here, abandoned, when I was just a normal doll, thrown away in this beautiful field of poison. As I sat there, lifeless, I absorbed it, and it became a part of me.
"At the hundredth year of my existence, my anger at the person who had forsaken me gave me life. Anger that has become aimed," she says, now glaring at the pair, "towards humans. As a whole.
"Your kind uses and uses and uses things, never thinking once about how they are treating it. And once they've decided they no longer need it, it gets left behind. Deserted. Lonely. Forgotten.
"Well, what do you have to say to me? What will you tell a tool that you no longer use, that you don't care about, because it's useless to you? Will it be pity? An apology? Shame?"
There isn't anything to say. Yumemi and Chiyuri just stare at the girl, unsure of what to do.
"You have nothing to say? Then I'll get right to it. As humans from outside the village, you are vulnerable, and okay for me to attack at full power. An easy target for Su-san!"
Finally, Yumemi springs into action. Pulling Chiyuri to the side, she dodges a salvo of shots from Medicine. Thinking quickly, she uses her fake magic to project a large cross between herself and the doll as a barrier. Chiyuri is awestruck, staring at the doll, before shaking her head and pulling out a gun.
Quickly, she aims it at Medicine and fires, hitting her squarely in the shoulder.
She doesn't flinch or stagger, even as the bullet ripped clean through her body.
Yumemi audibly curses and throws all pretense of composure out the window. Focusing more, she casts a large ring of smaller crosses to appear around herself, before launching them all at the poisonous doll at varying speeds.
Exactly as she intended, the doll focuses on dodging for just long enough for Yumemi to slip down the hill, Chiyuri in tow.
"Holy… run!" Chiyuri shrieks as they both recover from tumbling down the gentle slope.
Neither looks back as they run at full speed until exhaustion, and look with relief as there is no pursuer.
"Not even five minutes… I told you, didn't I? They're out for blood, here." Yumemi pants.
Chiyuri wordlessly nods, so Yumemi continues. "To think… poison? Just our luck, the hill we go to first is filled with toxic flowers and a little maniac!"
"This is where flight would be useful," Chiyuri moans in complaint.
"You mean to say this is where any sort of technology would be useful? If I'd known just how long we'd be staying here, I'd have gotten more permanent supplies, items that would last us a while… and we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Nothing for it but to keep moving on, I guess…" Chiyuri sighs. "Well, let's avoid that hill, at least."
They both continue to wander aimlessly, passing the time as they walk to find civilization by theorizing how their world is progressing. How is the Academy? What of the students they taught years ago? ...Do their families presume them to be dead, having been gone so long?
And then, relief - as they would believe.
"What's that, an old mansion?"
"By the looks of it, yes. I'd hazard a guess that it's western European in style. Gothic, in particular."
"You sure know a lot about architecture, Yumemi."
A smirk from the girl in crimson. "I know much about many things. You and I, we know more about magic than anyone from our world could dream of, and we have yet to scratch the surface of it. As for the mansion, it's our best hope at this point, so let's proceed. With all due caution, that is."
The two of them eagerly advance towards the large mansion before them. It sits on the bank of a lake, its ominous scarlet facade mirrored on the calm waters.
They stop to take in the impressive scale of the manor from a small ridge nearby. It has extensive, well-kept gardens both in front of and behind the house proper and large stone walls circling the perimeter. Reaching the highest from the building is a beautiful clock tower - everything about it is massive, the hands, the face, the numbers. The windows, tall and narrow, are rather sparse on the building, and its off-putting color scheme seems to suggest that visitors are not allowed.
"Reminds me of an old prison I saw once, on my trip to America," Yumemi comments.
Chiyuri whistles in response. "That's reassuring. But we don't have many other options, do we?"
"This is the only one I see right now. Let's go."
"Lady Remilia, I have spotted visitors, approaching the gates."
"I am aware."
A look of subtle surprise. "Oh?"
The vampire on her throne grins. "I have made it so."
"...Ah. I assume you intend to speak with them?"
"Indeed. Their path is far more important to the fate of Gensokyo than they know, which is why I drew them here. Fate is as a river; it is impossible to change its course on a large scale, all at once. No, it is best altered through the minutiae, the single instances that provide great change together."
"So do you know who they are?"
"Naturally. Reimu has told tale of them. How convenient for us, no?"
"It is as fate would have it."
"Yes… as I would have it."
"What do you mean, we can't come in?"
The gatekeeper dressed in olive, crossing her arms, shakes her head.
"The mansion is not receiving visitors at the moment. If you wanna make an appointment with Lady Remilia, then go for it. But I can't let you pass now."
Yumemi patiently responds, even though it doesn't take a lot to get her upset. "Alright, then. We are just… lost travelers. We're looking for some food to purchase. You wouldn't happen to have any, would you?"
The gatekeeper's expression hardens a little. "Travelers…? Are you from beyond the barrier? As in, the outside world?"
Yumemi and Chiyuri both tentatively nod.
A sigh. "Look, I'm sure you're wonderful people, but you need to leave the premises, now. Outsiders are granted no mercy by the youkai of Gensokyo, because residents are off limits. So when people like you wander in… there's a feeding frenzy. To think you've made it this far without being eaten is a wonder. But if you try to come in here, then you'll die.
"The mistress of this mansion is a vampire. Her younger sister, a vampire. There's a devil inside, as well as a master youkai magician. And… I'm a youkai myself, even if I don't look it. So, I'm doing you a favor here by not taking you in for Lady Remilia this instant. Maybe you'll survive. The Human Village is due east of here, you can go there for refuge. That's all I can do for you."
Yumemi is now visibly angry. "I don't have time for this. Right now, we need food, immediately. You think I can't handle myself? Try this on for size."
She formulates a collection of pale blue balls of energy - not really magic, just concentrated photons - and wills them at the gatekeeper.
She blocks all of them effortlessly, with just her hands.
"Well, well. A challenge it is. I don't know what that was; it sure wasn't magic, but it wasn't qi either. Which is what'll make this all the more interesting."
She assumes a fighting stance from some sort of martial arts that neither Yumemi nor Chiyuri can place. Right when she looks ready to attack, though…
"That will be enough."
A new person appears, right behind the gatekeeper, with steely eyes and an expressionless face. She wears a fairly generic-looking navy blue and white maid outfit, with eye-catching silver hair. Her bluish-greyish eyes cut daggers into the duo, and then turn to the gatekeeper.
"Meiling, Lady Remilia has requested that these two be invited into the mansion."
"What? You're just going to let them in?"
"I don't know what the mistress's thought process is, but her wish is my command, as they say."
Surprising both Yumemi and Chiyuri, the gatekeeper, Meiling, starts pouting, looking altogether childish.
"Aww, it would have been a lot of fun!"
Sakuya wordlessly turns back to the pair and gestures for them to follow her.
Chiyuri hesitates. "Is there a vampire in this mansion, miss…?"
The maid turns around. "Apologies, I've forgotten my manners. I am Sakuya Izayoi, head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. And as for your question… indeed there is. I assure you, though, she beckons you come not as food, but as a guest. On my honor as a servant."
Yumemi sighs. "Alright, come on, Chiyuri, let's go."
The halls of the manson's interior are no less ominous than the outside. Still, the rooms are painted in a red color reminiscent of blood, as if the whole place is coated in it.
Yumemi and Chiyuri are both quiet as they follow the maid Sakuya through the open, but somehow claustrophobic halls of the palace. They can't help but notice the slight glint of knife blades from a strap on the maid's left thigh, that shines in their eyes every time she takes a step.
Finally, reaching an impressive set of mahogany double doors, the trio of the maid and Yumemi and Chiyuri stop.
"Within is Lady Remilia. You would do well to be on your best behavior. As I said, she invites you as guests, but if you somehow cause her mood to swing… well, I carry out her orders. Flawlessly."
The maid then uses one hand to open the door and holds it open for the guests, somehow. It's clearly a massive piece of wood, so how she managed that is a mystery to the pair.
"Welcome to my home!" A surprisingly childish voice rings out from a throne across the hall they now find themselves in.
Seated there is… apparently, a child.
"This is the terrifying vampire? It looks more like she needs a teddy." Yumemi mutters quietly under her breath.
Suddenly, time completely stops.
Yumemi looks around herself a few times, but everything is still except for herself.
And then, right in front of her, is the maid Sakuya Izayoi. Her eyes, navy and grey before, are now a deep shade of red. If her gaze bore into Yumemi before, it now shoots through her entire body, sending chills down her spine and making her feel like withering into a pile of dust right there.
"I thought I told you to be on your best behavior. Saying things like that will be your demise. This is your last warning."
Just as suddenly as it halted, so the world's clock ticks again. But the shock of it has ground Yumemi to a halt, as Chiyuri, unaware, keeps ambling forward.
"Ah… scared of my presence, you in red? Excellent taste in colors, if I do say so myself. You have nothing to fear. We are all friends here, as it were."
Yumemi snaps back to attention and hurries to catch up with Chiyuri, who just noticed Yumemi had stopped. Before going reaching her, though, she steals a glance behind her, looking for the maid.
Sakuya stands silently and unwaveringly at the doors behind them, which are now closed without even the slightest hint of a sound.
That manipulation of time… that doesn't fit in with the Grand Unified Theory the world had discovered to describe nature itself, Yumemi thinks. But neither does magic…
Finally, Yumemi and Chiyuri stop before the throne their host sits at.
Evidently, she is the "Scarlet Devil", a vampire, of this mansion. That describes her eye color rather well, but it does not fit her clothes or hair. The former is a pale pink, and the latter a pale blue. Her skin, as befitting a creature of the night, has a pasty white pallor. Everything about her comes across as muted, except for those sharp eyes. It seems to be a running theme with the residents of this place…
"I am Remilia Scarlet, master of this house, but you may simply call me Remilia. As I said before, we are friends in these halls."
She speaks with an almost royal inflection, but it is difficult to take her seriously when she looks and sounds no older than ten. Perhaps it is a byproduct of constantly sucking human blood as a vampire that keeps her young.
"I already know who you two are, of course. Yumemi Okazaki and Chiyuri Kitashirakawa, is it not?"
Both can't hide their surprised expressions to hear knowledge of them.
"Ahaha… I have heard of you both. Actually, that's not quite accurate. I know quite a lot about you two. Rather interesting, I must say."
"How would you have heard that?" Yumemi asks, unsure.
"I suppose you could say I've done my research. We are rather alike in that regard, I think.
"Your expressions betray your surprise. But if I may surprise you more… you come from the outside world, or rather, its future. You came back in time and space itself to study magic to prove its existence to the faithless humans you knew. But your theory and research was rejected as mad ravings, and you were shunned by all communities you were part of as insane.
"And so, you have settled here, living in the very same craft you have traveled in, hoping to gather irrefutable proof of the existence of magic."
"That's all true…" Chiyuri whimpers.
"Mm. I am not dissimilar to you, you know. Not terribly long ago, I too traveled to this Gensokyo from the outside world. We vampires were among the last bastions of the youkai, the last few races people honestly feared. But even then, belief in us was dwindling dangerously low. Youkai, as you may know, subsist on human fear. But when people - people like you, I might add - find rational, scientific explanations for things, there is no longer any need for the monsters in the stories your parents told you.
"We were dying, not to conflict, nor disease, nor anything like that. No, it was the most undignified end of all - that of a forgotten being that merely faded away. As the expression goes: if a tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it, does it make a sound? If a youkai vanishes of lack of belief in its existence… does anyone know? Care?"
Remilia pauses to collect her thoughts, and hearing silence as Yumemi and Chiyuri clearly mull over her words, continues.
"Gensokyo exists separately from the outside world. It is on Earth, yes, but it does not take up room on it. Baffling, isn't it? I'd like to see you explain that yourself, but I'll spell it out for you, to save us both the time.
"Gensokyo exists as a pocket dimension of sorts, a world that is both here, but is not. The barrier that separates this land of fantasy from the outside is not tangible, not physical. It is rather a boundary in common sense, so to speak. Things that people no longer believe in, or otherwise have no place in the outside world can continue to thrive here. Your world is one of rationality and logic. This place, Gensokyo, is a place where all of that ceases to matter. That is the meaning of the Great Hakurei Barrier, that keeps us all isolated.
"I'll let you in on a little secret of us youkai. You may see us as terrifying monsters - that's our exact purpose, actually - and be afraid of the things you may see in Gensokyo. Here, there are demons, evil spirits, malevolent beings capable of bringing unimaginable death. Here, we are directly connected to the afterlife - Hell itself is not so different from this place. In fact, what used to be Hell exists beneath our very feet, and it is filled even now with youkai that are hated by other youkai, as well as countless swarms of vengeful souls, sealed away.
"But as I said, the secret. Not many youkai like to admit this, much less to someone like you, but we all think it. We are in close proximity to Hell, we live in a world of monsters, but to us, the scariest place…
"Is the outside world. Ironic, is it not? Humans nowadays are fearless. You could record a video of me literally eating a human alive, not just sucking their blood, and release it to the world - and it would be dismissed as a trailer for an upcoming horror movie. The only thing people are afraid of anymore is themselves. Murder. War. Poverty. Global Warming. All brought on by humans."
Yumemi, struggling to understand, objects. "That's not true at all! What people hate the most is when things are out of their control, like an incurable disease, or when someone dies in an accident!"
Remilia shrugs. "That can be attributed to fear of your own weakness. But you also fear the lengths you're willing to go to. How far will people push the envelope? Before they realize that they've gone too far, and desperately try to backtrack?
"I was still in the outside world during the Cold War. I believe you've heard of it, even in the future. And I imagine that, even in the future, it is the among the closest points humanity has ever reached to widespread destruction on a global scale. That was a time when people almost went too far, when hysteria was rampant because people thought each passing day could be the one where a nuclear weapon was launched."
"So it's better for you here. In 'Gensokyo'." Chiyuri thinks about the gravity of Remilia's lecture as a solemn air hangs over the room. "It's better because you don't need fear here."
Remilia smiles. "Almost. We still need fear. It is an undeniable facet of life as a youkai. But we have a method. That part is too confidential for humans like you to hear, although I'll give you a hint for listening so well for so long. ...There is a large population of humans in Gensokyo who are unaware of what's really going on in the world around them. And that's all I'll say on the matter."
Yumemi, while listening to the knowledge the vampire imparted, is also questioning the very action itself. "Why did you tell us all that? We are just clueless outsiders to you, doubly so because traveled back in time. What are we going to do with that information?"
"Hopefully, quite a lot. I'll leave it to you to figure that out, though. As for me, I'm up late. I'm afraid this has thrown my sleep schedule into disarray, so I'll be dismissing you two now."
"Ah, if I may-" Yumemi cuts in before Remilia completely loses attention of her, "Um, we'd like some supplies, just food, really. Our reserves ran out and we've no clue where to get more."
Remilia yawns and says, "I will allow you to spend until tomorrow here, so you might have all day for your search. Until then, we will of course treat you to meals and otherwise take care of your needs. As honored guests."
With that, the vampire waddles off through a side door.
From behind, Sakuya clears her throat. "It is still fairly early, for humans - about 2:30pm. I assume you are not currently hungry?"
Nods of confirmation prompt Sakuya to speak again. "Alright, fair enough. I believe it will be rather boring for you if I were to escort you to your rooms now, so I will bring you to a source of entertainment - the vast library our mansion houses. I have a feeling that its many books on magic may be of some use to you."
A slight knowing smile from the otherwise professional Sakuya clears some of the tension; not once had she shown any trace of humor before, even if it does turn out to be rather bland.
The prospect of access to such a vast collection of books on magic was downright incredible to Yumemi and Chiyuri, and they both readily agreed.
"That was rather… odd of you, Lady Remilia."
"What about it?"
"You are not one to give such… respect to others. You thought of them as below you." Sakuya's words are carefully chosen. While she would normally stop the world to think of the right thing to say, it is her habit to maintain the passage of time with Remilia, her master.
"And they are. But one does not have to be my equal to hurt Gensokyo, the land we live in."
"Hurt Gensokyo?"
"Yes, although 'kill' may be more accurate. My lecture, you might call it, will serve a role in averting that future. There have already been some events to sway it, and hopefully there will be more yet."
"Mayhap we could share knowledge; a trade, if you will, of information from one world to another."
The librarian - Patchouli Knowledge, Sakuya had introduced her as - was not quite excited but undoubtedly interested in visitors from the outside world and the knowledge they brought with them.
"Certainly," Yumemi cheerily responded, "we as professors of physics are expected to be at the forefront of the study of the world around us in pursuit of attaining the Theory of Everything, a single concept that explains every natural working of our universe on the whole."
"And I, one of a select few with the luxury of unlimited access to a vast library of magic and the ability and time to study its contents in excruciating detail. A good match, hmm?"
"Indeed. So, without further ado, could we take a look?"
Patchouli smiles ever so slightly. "A moment, please. There are two of you, and there is Koakuma and myself representing the library. I will assist one of you in your search, and the other may relay their knowledge to Koakuma."
Yumemi and Chiyuri glance at each other, knowing that whatever Yumemi says, goes.
"I'll go with you, then. Chiyuri, you know what we taught, our curriculum. Share with them the Grand Unified Theory, and all the advances made in physics after 1900." Yumemi turns to Patchouli. "That's about when this place was created, right?"
"1885, by your calendar."
Chiyuri nods, sullen. "Alright… Would have been more fun to go through the library, but no…"
Yumemi, as per the usual, hits Chiyuri at her insubordination, the sound echoing through the room.
Chiyuri, shocked that Yumemi would even think of doing that in a place that isn't their own vessel, turns to the librarian in hopes of some admonishment. Instead, she only sees a look of slight amusement.
"It appears that you take leadership... into your own hands. I cannot say I disagree with the notion; at times, it feels like the best course of action. I myself am not in any shape to do that, though." After a pause, she speaks again. "Well, let us go to our respective tasks."
"Well, it was very good learning. Hopefully she's okay with me taking a few books."
Chiyuri isn't terribly surprised. "There's no keeping you from learning, is there? You and that 'Patchouli' both, apparently."
"Well, not really - she's exceedingly frail. She got tired of walking after thirty minutes, and started complaining about her anemia and asthma. It was at that point that she retired to… somewhere, and I wandered the shelves on my own."
"Anyways, these rooms are really nice, aren't they? As far as old mansions go, anyways."
Yumemi laughs. "The food was even better."
And in an instant, the maid was there.
"Many thanks for your compliments. I take a lot of time making meals."
"I'm certain," Yumemi smiles. "But I'm surprised. Our previous encounters with the youkai of this world, have not been pleasant. This place, comparatively, is a dream."
For once, the maid allows a smile to break through her expression. "You are the only humans to feel at home here. Besides myself, of course."
"You're a human?!" Chiyuri's surprise manifests in an exclamation that prompts a glare from Yumemi.
"I am, but you wouldn't know it from anything I do, or anything anyone says about me. The people of the Human Village almost hate me more than they do Lady Remilia herself. The only reason you now know this about me is because I have allowed you to."
"But how do you have powers when we don't, if we're both humans?"
Sakuya shrugs. "The outside world is a spiritually dead place. There is no magic in the air as there is in Gensokyo."
"What would it take… to learn, then?"
"I am not the one to ask. If anyone could help you, it would be Sanae Kochiya, a human outsider with an ability."
"Where is she?"
"The shrine atop Youkai Mountain, the Moriya Shrine. But I would warn you to avoid the area. The mountain is teeming with territorial youkai - the kappa, the yamanba, and most dangerous, the tengu. It would serve you better to go to the Human Village, further to the east."
Yumemi exhales in annoyance. "Everyone says 'Human Village' this, 'Human Village' that. But we aren't normal humans. We are from the future, for one."
Sakuya smiles, not in her rigid, professional manner, but as a person. "Neither am I, and I have found my place. And - I'm again choosing to share something about myself, just as my mistress has chosen to tell you much - I would know more about 'the future' than you might guess."
"What does that mean?"
"More than that, I cannot say. It is time for me to dismiss you, however. May you have good fortune ahead of you, and a long time yet in this life."
With that, the duo finds themselves in front of the gates of the mansion, facing the shores of the lake.
"Lady Remilia, I have pointed them toward the Moriya Shrine as requested."
"Excellent work as always, Sakuya. The more we make them identify with us… the closer we get to averting a crisis."
"If I may ask, what is this 'crisis'?"
"It is… hazy, my sight. In the future, I see them leave this land. Beyond that, a great many people surging in. And then… so many fates are fulfilled at once."
"That…?"
"Yes. When I say that, I mean that stories are brought to an end, many at the same time. Numerous lives, cut short in one fell swoop. A veritable guillotine over the head of this land of fantasy.
"I am among them."
Sakuya's face seems to contort into an altogether unnatural expression for her. Distress.
"Don't worry. It is my power to see fate, and my duty to resist it. I cannot influence every detail, unfortunately, but I must do everything I can."
"Moriya Shrine, she said? But we don't have directions," Chiyuri groans.
"Are you an idiot? She clearly said on top of the mountain."
"And did you hear her talk of those who live there? She said they're territorial. We're getting off track, anyways. Didn't we go out looking for food? So why aren't we doing that, instead of rushing to our deaths?"
Yumemi physically exercises her authority over Chiyuri once more, eliciting a yelp.
"Don't question me. I'm deciding to take a gamble - if that Sanae person really can help us with magic, we won't have need for getting more food. Think about it. We'll be able to show that wonderful power of magic to the world ourselves."
Chiyuri, rubbing her cheek, nods. "Whatever you say."
Both of them feel a gust of air around them and the sound of someone landing on the ground.
"This has the makings of a great story! 'Abusive Human from the Outside Tries to Learn Magic!'"
Landing before the duo is a black-haired woman with a camera in one hand and a notebook in another. Sprouting from her back are a large pair of black wings, which she somehow conceals after a few moments on the ground.
"Aya Shameimaru, finest journalist in Gensokyo, reporter for Bunbunmaru News. Can I ask you a few questions?"
Yumemi wears an obvious disapproving look. "We have somewhere to be, so if you'll excuse us, miss youkai."
"That's cold! If you assist me here, I'll pull a few strings and get you to the Moriya Shrine right quick. Trust me, you'd rather lose all your limbs than deal with the tengu patrols and bureaucracy, and an upstanding member of the tengu community like myself vouching for you will go a long way with them."
"...fine," Yumemi grunts.
"Alright, alright! That's what I like to hear. Now let's get right to it…
"First question! You two are Yumemi Okazaki and Chiyuri Kitashirakawa, correct?"
"Yes. Seems like some people know us."
"And you're from the future, with highly advanced technology?"
"Also true. Our ship sails through time itself, something considered impossible in this time."
"So what would you say your purpose is in Gensokyo?"
"We are researching magic. We aim to prove its existence - and perhaps the existence of this place - to the world, so that we might have a greater understanding of it."
Aya stops writing notes and looks at Yumemi, deadpan.
"I wouldn't do that."
Yumemi struggles to find words as she feels Aya's glare burn through her. Chiyuri, too, is decidedly uncomfortable.
"Some people who could have very easily killed you are letting you live because of mercy. I saw you were at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Do you honestly think they normally let humans walk in and out untouched? They have to know your intentions. If they know about your plan to expose Gensokyo, why would they let you go free?
"Because they trust you to wisen up. To make the smart choice, and leave us alone. Because they spared you."
There is an uncomfortable pause.
"Moving right along, Chiyuri. How do you feel about your superior? I'd like the full truth, if you would."
"She's very intelligent… and a hard worker… She's honestly everything someone could aspire to be," Chiyuri slowly says, making sure not to say something inflammatory.
Aya nods with a smile and writes something down.
"And how about her hitting you?"
Chiyuri opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
"Difficult to talk about? Alright. Then I ask you, Yumemi. Why do you do it?"
Yumemi's face is as red as her hair and clothes, and her fists are clenched.
"I've changed my mind. I don't think we'll need your help getting to Moriya Shrine."
Aya doesn't seem the least bit surprised. "That's a shame. I was so eager to help, but you're stubborn. I guess you really do want to die, huh? Crossing a youkai like this is asking for it. Good thing I'm thick-skinned."
Aya sprouts her wings again and closes her notebook.
Lifting off with a grin, she yells down at Yumemi and Chiyuri, "Good luck climbing the mountain by yourselves~"
After watching her fly away, Yumemi sits down in the grass and puts her head in her hands. "I hate this place. Everything I've worked so hard for in my life, and I'm being told to throw it all away. What's the point?"
Chiyuri reassuringly places a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Don't get down on yourself. We both have a long time ahead of us yet. Plenty of time to make a difference"
"Not here!" Yumemi hollers. "We'll be eaten by some monster within a few weeks, I guarantee it. We should never have left the vessel. We should never have come here. Because we came here, I'm the laughingstock of the scientific community, I've lost my job, everyone I know ostracizes me… this place has ruined me."
Chiyuri sits down next to Yumemi. "You're looking at it wrong. I think we've had the greatest experience of our lives coming here and discovering magic. So what, if everyone in our world thinks we're insane? ...We've got a new one, right here."
"Are you seriously telling me that we should stay here? That we shouldn't return to our time?"
"If you think it's that bad back home… yeah, really."
"...You've lost it, Chiyuri."
Chiyuri giggles. "I was kinda expecting you to pummel me after saying that."
"I don't have it in me right now. I would, if I did."
The subordinate's face, still bright, still positive, seems to shine onto her elder's.
"Besides… we already have those books from the library, right? We could probably go to the Human Village they were talking about and look over them there."
"...You're right. Forget the Moriya Shrine. The maid was right, that was a silly thought. We have what we need right here."
"Have you been keeping tabs on them, Sakuya? I noticed you were out."
"There's a problem, Lady Remilia. They aren't going to the mountain shrine as expected. They have started going to the village instead."
Remilia shakes her head and pounds her fist against the wall behind her. "Blast! We can't afford missteps. I hope it just doesn't come to… you-know-what. They seem like an interesting duo."
"I have also been informed by Patchouli that multiple books on magic theory are missing from the library."
"Naturally… I may have underestimated their density. I thought I had made it clear that Gensokyo is the only place magic should exist. The outside world is better off being in the dark."
"Should I ask for some assistance? Perhaps Reimu or Marisa can talk or beat some sense into them."
Remilia waves her hand. "I'm not that desperate yet. I still need to be the one to save Gensokyo, after all."
"So what would you have me do?"
"Just wait, for now. I'll have something for you later. I need to try to discern what my next move shall be."
"As you wish."
"Ah, I think I see it." Yumemi points to what looks to be the tops of buildings.
"Yeah, it looks like a village, alright."
"Looks like we've found salvation. We'll buy supplies and try to make sense of these books."
The duo stands on a hill not terribly far from the Hakurei Shrine, reminiscing momentarily.
"This was about where we landed the first time, right?"
"Yes. I remember it like it was yesterday. The thrill of discovery of a world where magic really existed… I'll never forget that feeling, as long as I live. Something like that should have made us the most well known names in the scientific community.
"Once we're done collecting research here, though, we will be treated as heroes. We may have jumped the gun on the first proposed theory, but with all sorts of evidence from this place, it will be hard refute our findings."
Chiyuri looks a bit anxious. "But didn't that 'Aya' say not to do that? Or we'd die?"
"Nonsense! That was an empty threat. You believed her, and she clearly wasn't even human?" Yumemi laughs. "She was just trying to scare us. Like the vampire said, these monsters, 'youkai' as she called them, need us to be afraid of them. That's all."
"I hope you're right, Yumemi. I hope you're right…"
Reimu sighs as loud as she possibly can, to drive the point home.
"I told you not to steal my tea before, right?"
From a rift in space - a gap - a white-sleeved hand protrudes, reaching for a small box full of tea and suddenly stops.
Then another gap appears and the hand's owner emerges from it with a suspicious smile on her face.
"Whenever you show up, something important is happening. So spill it."
"Aw, can't I just be here to take in the sights, and the tea?"
"I remember you saying pretty much the same thing last time."
"You're no fun, Reimu, but unfortunately, you're right."
"Of course I am. My instincts are never wrong. So what is it this time? I haven't noticed anything unusual."
"That's to be expected, in this case. The suspects are keeping a low profile, but they don't appear to know they're doing anything unusual. And in fact, at the moment, they aren't. It's what they plan to due in the future that has me worried."
"Who is it?"
"You've met them before, long ago. Do the names 'Yumemi Okazaki' and 'Chiyuri Kitashirakawa' ring a bell?"
"Hmm? Yeah, they drew in a bunch of people to their ship thing a long time ago. What, are they still here?"
"They are, and they're getting close to doing something that threatens Gensokyo. It wouldn't be like any incident before. I'm afraid Gensokyo will be subjugated by science."
"What does that mean?"
"As you know, the outside world is a land without belief in magic and divinity. The humans there are their own idols and their own monsters. With the interference of those two, Gensokyo will fall to the same level. They are not acting out yet, but allowed to remain on their current path, they will."
"So you're saying I should go beat them? Is that it?"
"No. That's what you did the first time, and here they are again. It will not deter them. You need to find some other method. Someone else you know is already investigating this, and it might not be who you expect."
Reimu, an expression of confusion on her face, clearly has more questions for the visitor.
When she goes to ask, though, she finds that nobody is there.
"In and out at the worst times, as per the usual."
"How did reconnaissance go, Lady Yukari?"
"They do not pose an immediate threat. Remilia has taken note and is working to stop them, in her own way."
"And what of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden?"
"She cannot be counted on; this is not her area of expertise. Even so, I thought it best to inform her of it."
"Will you have to step in?"
Yukari sighs and props her parasol up against the wall of the house. "It may be necessary, down the line. The duo is unaware of their own actions' gravity, though. It is not too late for them to be dissuaded. If that cannot be done… there will be two less people in the world.
"Hopefully it does not come to that. With any luck, the brat will actually do something helpful. As always, she has decided to take the problem upon herself, so she may claim the glory upon its resolution. If she fails, then more extreme measures will have to be taken.
"Anything is worth the sanctity of my Gensokyo."
Hey! It's the author. I hope you enjoyed this first part as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I really wanted to do something with characters from the PC-98 and Windows games. Typically, if any story involves a PC-98 character, it's Mima. She's interesting and all, but there's more to draw from.
So, I chose to write a story about Chiyuri and Yumemi, the penultimate and final boss of Phantasmagoria of Dimensional Dream, respectively. They're kind of like Sumireko before Sumireko existed: from the outside world, wanting to expose the secrets of Gensokyo… even if their motives and background are a bit different.
They have a lot of their own little character pieces seen in PoDD. Yumemi hits Chiyuri multiple times and is kind of eccentric - her "battle outfit" is just her normal clothes, with a cape added. But, it's clear she is very intelligent. Chiyuri draws a gun on the player very theatrically and speaks stiffly, with the whole "if you value your life" sort of thing, but that all changes with Yumemi around - she becomes unassertive, if a bit whiny. They do seem to be friendly with each other in PoDD, even if Yumemi's leadership style involves violent tendencies.
Thanks for reading!