Chapter 2 The Lunarians

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I do not own Mass Effect or Touhou

"Keelah." Tali groaned as she woke up, "My head..."

"Yeah, your head will ring for quite some time." Somebody said. "You did get hit by a weapon that could destroy the whole world."

Tali opened her eyes, and saw the two woman who, who just assaulted Commander Shephard and Urdont Wrex.

She tried to stand up, but both her arms and legs were tied by a rope. She than looked at the person who spoke, the woman who was responsible for the continuous pop-ups of-

"Can you take the virus out?" The second woman asked.

"Yeah." The first woman, Toyohime if she recalls, tapped on Tali's helmet, "It would have been much funnier to see those videos keep on running."

"That'll be cruel and inhumane." Yorihime replied dryly, "Hey, you in there. I know you're awake and, by now, able to understand what we're speaking. Now, what are we going to do with you?"

Tali shot daggers at Yorihime. "Why are you responsible for the moon's base disappearance?" She asked. "And where is Shephard and Wrex?"

Yorihime frowned. "Well, normally it's the other way. We're the one who should be interrogating you, but well, you guys should deserve some answers. I threw the big guy outside the Space Station and, when all the atmosphere was being vented the other guy got sucked outside"

Tali frowned. She managed to chuck a charging Krogan into space? What? "Huh?" She asked, but was ignored.

"We are not completely responsible for the moon base's disappearance." Yorihime explained, "We had some help from others in the complete suppression of the base; after all, I can't take out everyone without them warning Earth what is happening. Well, not like that matters, with Toyohime's ability."

"Ability?" Tali questioned.

"Yes, my ability." Toyohime said. Her face had a large red slap mark on it, courtesy to Tali's slapping, but on a whole she looked in fine condition. "I could manipulate the boundary between Earth and the Moon, and thus, I simply strengthened the border to the point in which no communications could pass."

"Boundary?" Tali asked, totally lost unlike other Quarians. "What do you mean, boundary?"

"Just as I mean it." Toyohime responded, "Boundaries. Anything that crosses between moon and earth, rather it be humans, items, or even waves, I could manipulate the crossing."

It was at that moment in which Tali understood the implication of Toyohime's abilities. "Wait, you can do that?" She asked, incredulously.

"Compare to Yorihime's ability, it's nothing." Toyohime confessed, "She has the ability to call down gods."

Tali could only spit inside her helmet. "She can call down gods?" Tali looked at Yorihime, who looked away. "Wait, gods exist?"

"Not any traditional gods that you know of." Yorihime responded, "I could only use the power of some gods, not all. Toyohime, you're stronger than me though. And would you please stop giving away secrets?"

"I'm sorry." Toyohime said sheepishly, "Um, I believe your name is Tali right?"

"I don't recall that I told you of my name." Tali said, suspicious of them.

"Well, um, I kind of hacked into the SSV Normandy's communication." Toyohime confessed, "I'm not only good at manipulating the border that protects the Lunarian Colony from the impurity known as Earth, but I'm good at decrypting communications. I must have to say, having a law banning saying the word rabbit was quite funny. Have to give credit to Joker, though, for his pun. Made me laugh a couple times."

Two things immediately rang in Tali's head. "You hacked our communications?" Tali asked, but then shook her head. "No, the more important thing is why do you refer Earth as an impurity?"

"Oh?" Toyohime looked at Tali curiously, "That's interesting. You're the first one to remark on the fact that Earth was considered an impurity. Well, you know that humans are always pursuing a desire, their emotions?"

Tali nodded.

Toyohime continued. "Well, in that sense they corrupt themselves with the concept of anger and hate, in which continues to stain their essence till the point that they tend to die due to that eventually."

Tali blinked, not like they're notice. "Wait, so if humans don't give in to any of their desires, they become immortal?"

"You don't refer as yourself as a human." Toyohime remarked, "Are you an alien?"

Tali nodded. "I'm a Quarian."

For the brief instance, Toyohime's face showed both…fear and pity. "A Quarian?" Toyohime asked again, "Oh. It seems that our time of secrecy is approaching to an end."

She said that with such a sad tone, a tone that, as Tali though, sounded as one who's happiness had final came to an end. "Is, is there something wrong?"

"No." Yorihime on the side, who was listening to the whole conversation, "Nothing that you had done wrong. It's just, well, it's kind of a long story."

"May I inquire what is the story?" Tali asked, curious.

Toyohime resumed her happy face. "You probably don't want to hear it." She replied, "As a result of your co-operation with us, I would like to show you something. Yorihime, you read the reports."

Yorihime stared holes into Toyohime. "You're kidding me sister." Yorihime replied quickly, "You can't be serious about-"

"How can you not sympathize with Quarians? You were shouting a long list of profanities at the Council for isolating them from possible asylum." Toyohime shot back, "And, I would like to show somebody the Sea of Tranquility before it gets corrupted."

"What you're suggesting is in direct violations of at least fifteen Lunarian laws." Yorihime said, "You can't show a possible hostile foe a way to invade the Lunar Capital-"

"It wouldn't' matter." Toyohime said, with an extremely sad face. "The humans would overrun all our defenses and destroy our home regardless, so showing someone who's seeking for-"

"What are you guys talking about?" Tali looked at the arguing Toyohime and Yorihime.

Yorihime looked at Tali, and sighed. "Fine, Toyohime. But you're taking all the yelling that the Emperor would dish out." Yorihime said, making Toyohime cringes. "You remember how you got yelled at when you let those two humans walk to Sea of Tranquility and let them go free."

"Ah, yes." Toyohime said, looking carefully away from Yorihime's stare, "I'll take full responsibility. And, for you question Tali," Toyohime looked at Tali, "The Sea of Tranquility is one of the many seas on the moon."

"One of many – how wait, there are seas on the moon?" Tali asked incredulously, "No way. I heard from Shephard that the moon was just a satellite without any water sources!"

"Us Lunarians used advanced cloaking technology to hide the seas from humanity." Toyohime revealed, "And, with extremely careful hacking and sabotage, we divert any scout vehicles from driving into the cloak and revealing the seas and thus, revealing us Lunarians also. That's why we had to attack the moon base; one of them found out by sheer luck the Sea of Tranquility and was about to report base. We Lunarians had to kidnap everyone."

"Um, kidnap? You didn't kill?" Tali questioned.

"Well, a hundred years ago we would have killed the humans." Toyohime admitted, "But now, due to the Lunar Convention of 2105 we forbid the execution of humans who found out about the Lunarian Capital and rather, focus on sending back to Earth back with their families via brainwashing and massive hacking."

It was that moment in which Toyohime frowned. "Despite there was no lunar bases being established, there were several attempts to land on the moon. There, we managed to brainwash everyone involved in the attempt to believe that such attempt never existed in the first place, and the person who saw us was then sent back to their family with their memories altered. But now, we're not too sure if we could do with them…."

Tali shrugged. "I could see where you're coming from." Tali sympathized, "But, why do you want me to see a sea?"

Toyohime's frown became a smile. "Why, it's because it's a Lunar Sea! It is the place where no impurities exist, a place where we Lunarians could truly escape from the corruption that was slowly taking over the Lunarian Capital. It's our haven, it's our –"

"Stop talking about that." Yorihime smacked Toyohime in the head, "The main reason why it's because the air is the purest there is in the galaxy."

"So?" Tali asked, and realized the implications. "I…could possibly breath there?"

"Well," Toyohime held her head in pain, "I'm not too sure if you could survive the Sea of Tranquility though. Us Lunarians could stand there, because, in some extent we all have abilities that allow us mental resistance to resist against the purity of the Sea of Tranquility. There were some humans who visited the Sea of Tranquility and kept their sane minds, but most people who accidentally got 'spirited away' lands in the middle of the sea and lose their sanity because the air is too pure."

"It's a choice." Yorihime said, shrugging her shoulders, "We could take you there and let you enjoy the freedom of the air there for a little bit, or we'll take you immediately to the Lunar Capital and have your memories erased."

"Either way, I'm going to get my memory erased." Tali pointed out, making Toyohime cough and drawing everyone's attention.

"Um, you know how the Sea of Tranquility is that for only those who are pure?" Toyohime pointed out, "I mean, we could appeal to the Lunar Council that, if she does survive exposure to the sea, that she was pure and it was possible for her to return back with all her memories, right?"

"You're going to be in boiling water than." Yorihime pointed out, but Toyohime shrugged.

"We're all going to be in boiling water soon." Toyohime pointed out, "I reckon that we are going to be exposed in the next year or so, maybe even sooner."

Yorihime paused. "Well, that's true." Yorihime acceded to Toyohime, "But, it'll be best if you don't lost any of your powers in the council for the upcoming invasion –"

"I'll still be in power. I'm the only link to Gensokyo, remember? The must punishment I'll receive would be a major scolding, but I'll still hold all my power. The Lunar Council wouldn't risk losing me."

"What do you mean, invasion? And Gensokyo? What's Gensokyo?" Tali asked, her mind struggling to keep up with the recent revelations.

Toyohime and Yorihime looked at each other, and, it was visible in their faces that both of them was thinking, "well fuck this."

"We have to explain our origins than." Toyohime started out, "Thousands of years ago, Lord Tsukuyomi, the founder and the lord of the Lunar Capital, realized that the Earth was impure and he had to leave. So, with his most loyal advisors they fled to the moon where they enjoyed the purity of Earth. However, Lord Tsukuyomi had stated that there will be a time when humans would eventually become so technologically advanced that the impurity of Earth will eventually reach to the moon and, well, corrupt us all.

"Gensokyo, hmmm." Toyohime hesistated, "It's complicated."

"It' the pinnacle of human fears." Yorihime took over, "It's a land where humanity's fears were born and kept away from the human society by a great barrier called the Hakurei Barrier so that humans would not be kept in terror by monsters. We, Lunarians, and Gensokyo share an uneasy relationship, you can call it downright antagonistic. So far, Gensokyo attacked us twice, but the first time it led to Gensokyo's utter defeat."

"And the second?" Tali asked, and both Toyohime and Yorihime sighed.

"It's not really the Second Lunar Invasion but more like the trolling of Yukari Yakumo, the leader of Gensokyo." Yorihime said, facepalming, "Yukari launched three different attacks on us, and, while Toyohime intercept Yukari herself while I intercepted some interlopers who managed to come here using a rocket, she had another person steal from us and get back to Gensokyo."

"It was a thousand year old sake." Toyohime answered, depressed, "She stole. A jar. Of a thousand year sake. That was cleaned. Of all impurities."

Tali winced. "It was a thousand year old?" Tali said, and both Toyohime and Yorihime nodded.

Tali wasn't the biggest fan of alcoholic drinks, but she did knew that the older the drink was, the more mature taste it had. And, wow, a thousand years? That must be something that every wine collector would enjoy.

"We were planning to drink it when it became five thousand years old sake." Toyohime said, holding her bonnet over her eyes. "They drank all of it! All of it, those-those Barbarians."

"I wanted to declare war." Yorihime crossed her arms, obviously crossed, "I wanted to declare war so badly, but we couldn't prove that it was them who stole it…."

Both of them looked extremely depressed, and Tali could only look at the captors with kind of surprise. They didn't look very dangerous at all, even though she heard that Yorihime manhandled Wrex like he as a toy.

"Just wondering," Tali recalled that they mentioned something, "Who is Yukari Yakumo?"

"The meanest hag in history." Toyohime responded immediately.

"The galaxy's worst troll." Yorihime stated. "Imagine the person you want to throttle the most and place in her hands enough power to end the galaxy."

"Is she powerful?" Tali asked, "More powerful than you two?"

Yorihime nodded furiously. "I have no chance in fighting her in all aspects. There is no way that I could defeat her."

"I could defeat her when it comes to the border between Gensokyo and the moon." Toyohime responded, "It's because it's my specialization. But, no, I cannot defeat her when she goes all out."

"How powerful is she?" Tali asked again.

"Well," both the sisters exchanged a look before Toyohime spoke up. "We….honestly do not know how powerful she is. So, the answer to your question is, she's powerful enough."

"We know that her ability is manipulate borders." Yorihime responded, "To the extent, we don't know. But, if what we assume is true, she might be able to manipulate the border between victory and defeat."

"Which means?" Tali looked on, interested.

"She can never be defeated." Toyohime finished, "But, that's a major assumption that we'll making. We Lunarians did manage to drive off Yukari off from our lands, but I personally believe that she allowed us to defeat her."

Tali was shocked. "Wait, how many of these individuals out there could do actions like that?! Summon gods, manipulate borders, -"

"Hmmm," Toyohime said, pondering. "Let's see. Our master has the ability to make any drug, somebody could manipulate eternity, another person could manipulate insanity, another can manipulate good luck, yeah, there's a bunch more."

Yorihime nudged Toyohime. "In the events of the Second Lunar Invasion I met someone who could manipulate fate itself."

If Tali was drinking something, she would most definitely spat that out. "Fate?" She asked, "That exist?"

"As we said, we're not too sure about their limits." Yorihime looked at Tali, "I'm sure that she's an entity similar to Yukari; we do not know how powerful she is, but we know that she was powerful enough. I managed to defeat her, though, in a one to one fight without using powers that does not transcend our reasoning though."

Tali's mind was in a whirlwind. "And, where is this Gensokyo?" Tali asked, ready to categorize any possible threats to the galaxy.

"It's extremely hard to pinpoint the location." Toyohime said, shrugging her shoulders, "Imagine trying to find a needle in a haystack, and that needle is moving constantly away from you. My ability allows me to lunge and grab the needle in the haystack for a moment, but then I must immediately drop it because it pricks me."

Tali looked at Toyohime. "Just wondering," she started, "Does magic…exist?"

"Oh dear me of course it exists.' Toyohime said, astonished. "Have you aliens not fully discovered the concept of using supernatural abilities?"

Tali though furiously. "Um," She started, "Do you count Biotics as supernatural power?

"Biotics?" Toyohime tilted her head, "What's that?"

"It's the ability to manipulate Mass Effect Fields in the body by manipulating the Element Zero in our bodies." Tali explained, relishing the fact that both Toyohime and Yorihime were looking utterly clueless. Finally, something she could trump them over in terms of technology.

"Um, what the hell is Mass Effect Fields? And Element Zero?" Yorihime looked at Tali with metaphor question marks appearing on her face.

Tali paused. "Um, have you guys advanced much in science?" Tali asked.

"Hmmm," Yorihime said, placing her hand on her chin, "Um, I'm not really too sure? But I could tell you that though our rate of technological advances had slowed significantly since a thousand years ago, we can be safe to say that we are about, um, a thousand years ahead of you guys? That's assuming that you have human ships with that much technology –"

"Keelah." Tali muttered. "What kind of Bosh'tet was that?"

The Alliance's ships weren't as technologically superior as their Quarian counterpart, but it could be said that the Alliance was catching up pretty fast to the Quarians. But…a thousand years? The Quarians may be a decade ahead, true, but definitely not a century, and certainly not a thousand years ahead.

"Bosh'tet?" Toyohime asked, "What is that?"

"It's our way of cursing." Tali explained quickly, realizing she was talking to someone not accustomed to Quarians, "But, seriously, a thousand years?"

Yorihime frowned. "Let me be frank." Yorihime started, "Your technologically advances stinks. When we were keeping an eye on the communications between humans and, whatever aliens they're communicating with, I never heard of a research team being put together to further advance knowledge, thus representing that you guys weren't really keen on sharing technology.

"And, to top that of, we Lunarians had captured a ship from a hundred years ago, and we acquisitioned a ship from the capturing the Lunar Base. When we compared both the ships, half of us literally spat out their drinks. There was absolutely zero difference in how the engines work, which us Lunarians would have, in that hundred years, found a way to increase engine efficiency by at least twenty percent."

Tali's eyes widened. "You guys could improve engine efficiency by that much?!"

Yorihime nodded, pride in her eyes. "Yes. We Lunarians are essentially amortal here on the moon, and we do have a lot of time to spend. So, most of us dedicate themselves into increasing capabilities of space flight, although we're not going to most likely have a chance to test it out."

"And," Tali hesistated, "Let me clarify. You guys do not know what element zero is?"

"Nope." Yorihime confirmed, "We used materials only found here on the moon or, from materials found drifting from the seas, or from materials that Lord Tsukuyomi had brought along, so unless Element Zero was found naturally here than we did not use Element Zero."

Tali had to confirm one more thing. "Your technology…it's made from the recycled parts of the old ones, right?"

Yorihime nodded. "We lacked the materials to recklessly waste. So, we had to make the final product perfect the first time around otherwise it'll be an utter failure."

"Keelah." Tali whispered, "You guys could revolutionize the Migrant Fleet."

Tali's biggest aspirations was to build something that didn't use Element Zero, not so reliant on that for everything. If, if what Yorihime had said was true, they were recycling materials over and over again, and thus they couldn't use Element Zero.

And, and, the possibilities than! The bosh'tet Council and even the Quarian Migrant Fleet is hellbent on using Element Zero for everything. Tali had known that Element Zero was slowly reaching its breaking point in terms of advancements. And that made Tali mad, for neither groups were planning to extend their feelers into other possible usages of technology.

But now? These Lunarians showed that there were an infinite possibilities of advancements without using Element Zero and they said that they were still advancing in technology. If Tali had to describe, it would be a race between two spaceships. The first one was entirely reliant on Element Zero, but the other wasn't. And, while the first one's speed gradually increase until it reaches quite a fast speed, the second one doesn't simply stop improving the engines because they didn't have Element Zero. No, even if they reached a speed that would ensure them to win for the race, they just keep on tinkering and tinkering for an even faster speed.

"Hmm?" Toyohime looked at Tali, "Oh, wait, are you on your pilgrimage?"

Tali nodded. "Yes. Maybe, maybe when I come back home I could bring something that you Lunarians had. Most likely that wouldn't happen, but if I do, than I could bring change to the stagnant Quarian Race, and perhaps we could start moving in technology again."

Yorihime frowned. "Yeah, most likely not going to happen." Yorihime responded, "I mean, maybe? I'm no too sure."

Toyohime nodded to Yorihime's instant rejection. "We Lunarians keep our technology secret jealously. So secret that Yukari got whacked in the head by a wrench trying to steal Lunar Technology." Toyohime smiled, remembering something, "I'll maybe sneak in something when you return home, but don't bet on it."

Tali smiled. "That's all that I could ask." Tali said.

Toyohime, at that moment, reached over to Tali's legs' rope and started undoing them. "You can't walk if you don't have your legs." Toyohime said, making Tali blinked a couple times.

"We're still keeping your arms bounded." Yorihime said promptly, "And I'm a hundred percent sure that I can run much faster than you. So, don't you even think about escaping."

"I won't. On my honor as a Quarian, I won't do such action." Tali responded quickly, making Yorihime look away.

"Good." The last of the ropes around her legs unraveled, allowing Tali to stand up.

Tali stretched her legs. "Keelah, that feels much better." Tali said, "I thought my legs were going to cramp."

"If it does cramp, than Yorihime will simply drag you around." Toyohime said with innonence, making her sister send a very dangerous look. "I mean, she does have the habit of training Lunarians to the point in which they cramp, and then she start dragging them around the whole track, saying that they still have to finish the track and this is good for their endurance, and it got to the point in which she was nicknamed 'the monster of -"

"Toyohime?" Yorihime requested, "Shut up."

"Awww, why?" Toyohime said, making Yorihime sigh massively.

"You know what?" Yorihime started, grabbing the scuff of Toyohime's neck, "Tali, let's go to the damn Sea of Tranquility."

Toyohime looked behind, only to see a very pissed off face. "Um, sister?" Toyohime asked, "What are you-"

"Tali," Yorihime looked at her, "You said that you wouldn't try and run away, right?"

Tali nodded. No matter if her memories would be wiped, she wanted so desperately the technology that the Lunarians possessed. Right now, Saren didn't matter. She needed that technology.

"Good." Yorihime started dragging her sister to the door, "Alright, we're going to do hell's course number two today. Let's start jogging."

If Tali had a camera, she would have definitely snapped a picture on Toyohime's face. Yup, she would definitely take a picture.

'"NOOOOOOO!"

Author's Notice

Wow, that was quite exhausting. I'm currently 65000 words into my story, and I show no stopping now.

To answer my question from the previous chapter, the Lunarians are much more advanced than humanity or any other race because of their lifespan and their willingness not to wage war. Which would be more effective at technological advancement? A person who lived for seventy years or two people living for thirty five years? It will normally be the person living seventy years, for they do not have to spend nearly half of their lives learning subjects that they already know of. And, well, there wasn't much else on the moon they could do, thus explaining Toyohime's and Yorihime's frequent trips to Gensokyo,

Now, review, like, or favorite if you like my story. Please do.

See you next time!