Yukari Yakumo is the master of boundaries, and Gensokyo's resident Magnificent Bastard. Whenever you've caught her interest, things will generally turn very inconvenient for you very quickly. It's even more unusual for her to handle things personally-usually she'll send her shikigami Ran, or Ran's shikigami Chen to handle things! One can only wonder...what is swirling in this madwoman's brain that she would break her usual sleeping cycle to deal with it?

Well, you won't find out this chapter. But hey, plagiarized danmaku abounds!


Ch. 3: Danmaku, In Three Easy Steps!

My conscious mind suddenly snaps to, as I recognize the callings of birds. Sitting up in the futon I was given the night prior, I stretch my arms out and give a deep yawn. Rubbing the awkward feeling from my eyes, I look to the roof to see the boards of the Hakurei shrine. So…it wasn't a dream? No, of course not. My legs are still a touch sore from outrunning that Meiling girl. I glance over to the wall to see the claymore and the handgun propped up like I left them. Honestly, I'd become accustomed to the idea of having a sword, so I feared Yukari might've decided she wanted it back. But she didn't, and all is right with the world. Erm, pocketed dimension. Whatever the hell Gensokyo is. I hop to my feet and grab my clothes lying in the corner, hastily dressing myself.

Why was I in such a rush? Today Reimu was going to show me the ropes of living in Gensokyo, starting with projecting what she called "danmaku". She explained that those cards she'd shot at the youkai Meiling yesterday were her danmaku, bullets that one can summon from themselves and never deplete. Ever. I mentioned before that I had a love for projectiles, so this already appealed to me. She went on to explain that Meiling was a guard for the Scarlet Devil Mansion -foreboding name, much- under the hire of the vampire Remilia. "But vampires aren't real!", I'd said. Reimu had raised an eyebrow to point out the obvious flaw in my logic, given my understanding of reality and fiction had so recently been demolished by the purple-and-yellow sledgehammer that was Yukari Yakumo, causing me to hang my head in defeat. Shortly thereafter, I was directed to an empty room on the side of the shrine, tossed this futon, then bidden to sleep. It had still been bright out, and Reimu had still been irritated by Yukari having me stay here.

Yukari.

The supposedly supreme youkai who held the bragging rights of "I made Gensokyo". She was supposed to see me again today. It was odd, Yukari acted rather silly yesterday, yet when addressing my state of affairs, she changed into a believable authority figure. And then, when trying to console me in my confusion, she seemed so friendly? Hm…can "bipolar" be used to describe this situation, or is that just for the happy-angry ratio? Regardless.

Having slipped my shoes on and holstered my weapons, I plodded outside, taking in the rays of the surprisingly early sun. Early to bed and early to rise, the wise ones say! I glance about the shrine grounds. Reimu doesn't seem to be up yet, so I make for the main entrance. When suddenly…BROOM! Yes, an old broom stood by the door looking mighty underused. I take notice of the ground at my feet, and the accumulated dust. Math time! Put two and two together, and what do you get? Sweep. I grab the broom in both hands, shaking the dust off of it first, then begin pushing along the ground in wide strokes, brown clouds kicked up by my efforts. True, it couldn't be helped, but even so I felt guilty imposing on Reimu like this. A little sweeping is the least I could do for compensation. About twenty-five minutes and a few hundred strokes later, the porch is already looking a lot better! That's when the door behind me opens, unleashing a slightly sleepy miko.

"Umn…ah…" Reimu rubs her eyes much like I did, then glances about the porch and seeing my handiwork. "…Well, now. Ryan, I never asked you to sweep…" She paused. "Ah, I get it, but I blame Yukari for this, not you. Don't get worked up about it."

"Actually," I began, propping the broom up. "I just didn't wanna be a total freeloader. I really didn't peg you as the grudge-holding type, anyway."

"You're rather quick to speak your mind, aren't you?"

"Would you rather I put up a front?" She shrugs, showing some mutual agreement. "Anyway if that hasn't tired you out, we should get started. Who knows what you'll be doing when Yukari shows up." I nod and she directs me to the concrete grounds in front of the shrine. We stand at opposite ends, and my excitement wells up behind a dull expression. I just want to break out in song, "I'm gon-na make dan-maaaa-ku, I'm gon-na make dan-maaaa-ku!". But I don't.

That would just be silly.

"Okay, now pay attention." Reimu catches it quite easily. She swiftly waves her arm upwards while facing a nearby tree. "Hm!" she grunts as a series on cards materialize in mid-air, launching at the tree with lightning speed before embedding themselves in the wood. A few moments later, they burst into tiny points of light that, soon after, fade away. She turns back to me. "That," she begins, "was my danmaku. It comes out in that form due to the fact that I come from the holy bloodline of Hakurei, and are to reflect that. All danmaku for Gensokyo natives typically represent who they are on some level, however-" she pauses, "For outsiders like yourself, it pretty much is shaped however you like it. Just know that once the shape has been set and its function decided, it can't be changed. Choose carefully."

Carefully? No. Like a shameless gamer? Oh, hells yes. There's always one kind of gun I've always wanted to have, and now? Now the opportunity is mine, all MINE! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha…ahem. Also silly. All crazy aside, though, it feels like it'd fit the situation anyway. I mean, energy bullets? They're practically begging me to do this. I pull out that trusty handgun, Reimu blinking at my action. I look back and nod to confirm that yes, this was what I would use as a medium, and no, I didn't get lost and think I needed actual bullets. I take aim at the tree, deciding mother nature's gonna take one for the team, and fire…or lack thereof, because nothing happens.

"Don't treat it as such a casual action!" Reimu called over. "Focus yourself on the medium before attempting to form anything." Okay, so focus. Concentrate on the cool metal in my hand, on the trigger waiting to be squeezed. At this moment, I felt…odd, to say it simply. A tingly sensation welled up in my chest, before flooding my entire body. I aim once more, finger slightly trembling as the energy in that area intensified, then seemed to stretch into the gun. It was as if the weapon had become little more than an extension of my arm; I could no longer tell where my hand ended and it began. This was it, moment of truth! I open my eyes, and quickly note that the feeling remains. While it does, I squeeze the trigger once more…success! A translucent yellow orb of energy blasts out of the muzzle and smacks into the tree with a "BERKOW!" sound at a satisfying speed. Grinning, I let loose a series of twelve rapid shots, all hitting their mark in the course of a moment. I'm feelin' like a kid in a candy store!

"Kinda generic…" Reimu states in a warning tone. Of course. Like she said, once I decided this to be my danmaku, there would be no changing it. I needed to pick something reliable, infallible and -more importantly- had a uniqueness to it that I could call my own. Ah, but she's yet to see the "function" I had chosen! I aim and squeeze, but hold my finger there. Immediately, the rays of the sun hitting my body are more noticeable, and my skin feels like it's vibrating…almost as if it was hungrily devouring the light that made contact with me. White lines of light begin to be drawn into the muzzle of my gun as a high-pitched "Whirrrr" grows ever louder. When it finally reaches the loudest point, I release. The sunlight I'd presumably absorbed forces through my torso, to my forearms, through my fingers, to the shining opening. Something leaves my body and the recoil forces my arms to bend at an "L" angle. A massive, blazing orb of blue light the size of my body from my head to my waistline rips free with a "BEH-YOW!" sound and strikes the poor tree, utterly decimating it down to a jagged stump with a nice white explosion. A whistle from the miko signals that I've impressed a bit. Besides that?

I have a freaking Buster Pistol. Eat your heart out, Zero.

"Well," She starts, "you've grasped that quickly, haven't you? Not to mention that I've hardly seen shots that were charged like that. With a hand…held…medium…" She pauses. "You…didn't happen to run into a black and white witch before that run-in with Meiling, did you?" I shake my head. She sighs in what seems to be relief.

"Should I know her?" I have to ask.

"No, but you'll probably meet her soon enough. Just in case I'm not around when that happens, be listening for a 'Marisa Kirisame'." Um…"Kirisame"? As in- "As in, the one Meiling mentioned in her screaming yesterday, yes." I can only assume this person is a toublemaker of some sort, though Reimu seems hardly apprehensive to mention her…either way, none of my business. Anyway, she does have a point, this seemed a little too easy, even if every combat-capable person in this world uses this fighting method. Stroking the hair on my chin, (Righteous beard!) I can only assume this too is due to some help from the one who brought me here. Maybe I'm just underestimating myself? Oh well.

"Anyway," Reimu continues, "that's all said and done. In any case, some work needs to get done around here before any other lessons." I headtilt, puzzled. Danmaku alone wouldn't be enough? "Oh, you know, flying, Spell Cards, that sort of thing." Flying? Sweet.

Wait. Spell Cards?

As in magic spells?

And…my medium is a modern-day firearm.

I resist the urge to face palm. "Choose wisely", indeed. I could only imagine the ways this could backfire on me, using a gun with magic. Glorious.

"Something wrong?" Reimu asks. I shake my head. "…Didn't think too much about your danmaku beforehand, did you? You're worried about the idea of Spell Cards." I nod. Damnit, she's good. "Well, don't worry about that-spell cards are of a greater variety than you'd think."

"Like what?"

"There's a nuclear energy user and a knife-thrower, just to name two. Those two in particular are fairly tough fighters as well, despite having such odd forms of projectiles. Not to mention, some who control more potentially dangerous elements are complete weaklings."

"Name one."

"A youkai with control over darkness. It takes maybe, maybe two Spell Cards from me to put her down. A fairy who controls ice. She's the resident practice dummy." My fears are then alleviated quite a bit. "Look, I know that this is probably a bit much for you to take in so easily, but you have to understand that here, typical weaknesses and strengths are meaningless. The primary deciding factor is how hard you work at making yourself an expert of your area. I don't mean to sound cheesy, but it all depends on how hard you work to be the best you possible." Wow, that was cheesy. As well as profound! I allow myself a fairly wide smile.

"Besides that, you're a man, aren't you? Stop acting so cowardly."

There goes the smile.

We used the rest of the morning working here and there. Despite Reimu's insistence that if she needed something she'd ask, and didn't want to risk me wrecking anything, I still hefted some sacks of rice to a shed in the back, swept the perimeter a bit more thoroughly, and moved some furniture that was inside. (By that time, Reimu decided "Why not?" and had me do something by request.) We spent the later hours drinking some tea ouside and chatting on matters of Gensokyo and the Outside World. Reimu had been curious as to certain technological advances that she'd caught glimpses of in the shop of a man named "Rinnosuke", and I just needed information period.

Shortly after, Yukari appeared.

"Hello, dearies!" Came the voice of the older woman from a gap that suddenly emerged in front of the shrine. Out walked Yukari, spinning her parasol a little, grinning merrily at Reimu, then fixing her focus on me. "I trust you managed to get some work in this morning?" This was clearly directed at Reimu.

"I taught him how to use danmaku, and that was it." Said the miko, already grumpier than before. Yukari pouted a little.

"Just danmaku, not how to fly? Reimu, for shame." She made a "tsk" noise in disapproval. Reimu subtly reached for her gohei in response. "But that's why I'm here!" Yukari beamed with a hint of mischievous intent, heading our way, "To make sure these matters are handled correctly. Not that you can't handle it, Reimu." I didn't need to look to tell Reimu was just about ready to smack the youkai once more.

"Anyway," I begin loudly, standing up and diverting attention from the tense atmosphere, "you wanted me to do something for you today?"

"Oh, hardly, dear." Yukari smiled. "I want you to do something with me!"

"Trust me, there's no difference." Reimu directed towards me. I couldn't help but snicker as Yukari's face took an ever-humorous hint of irritation via twitching eyebrow. Shows you right, little Miss Yakumo! Can't be the instigator all the time!

"Well, regardless," Yukari began, eyebrow twitching in her falsely pleasant expression, "we must be going. So!" She leaned out and suddenly snatched my right arm by the wrist. "I'll speak with you another time, Reimu!"

"Wait, wha-?"

I was cut off as we were swallowed up by a gap, and went through the violet, golden-eyed void once more.

3rd POV

Reimu watched Ryan's expression go from puzzlement to shock as he and Yukari sunk into a gap opened below their feet. It closed over their heads, Yukari taking a moment to toss out the tea cup that'd been still clutched between the man's fingers as they went through. The cup fell upside-down on the grass, then lay still.

All was silent…until Reimu sipped her tea a bit loudly.

"Poor guy." She muttered, shaking her head. She could only hope Yukari didn't mess with him so bad he would later cause an incident in retribution.

"Oi!" A voice called from above. "Reimu! What're ya up to, ze?" The miko sighed. No solitude to be found here at all.

Ryan's POV

Dark. Dark, and purple. This was all that registered in my senses for a good, oh, five seconds while the Border Youkai whisked me through her little dimension of violet and eyeballs. Still creepy as ever, by the way. Luckily it didn't last long, as we emerged shortly in a wide open field, grass billowing as far as the eye could see. It was very…well, pretty, for lack of a more impressive description. My focus was restored when Yukari clapped her hands together.

"Okay, now's the time!" She spoke with a determined expression. I was puzzled. The time, the time for what?

"What do you mean?" I asked. "What, for me to learn flight or whatever?"

"Oh, that?" She chuckled. "Ah silly boy, you don't possess that ability!"

"What?" I was genuinely shocked. I thought everyone in Gensokyo could! "Reimu said that was real common, though! You even teased her about not teaching me!"

"Flying? No, she only thinks it is. Also, I tease because it's funny. Quite a few youkai travel in a method similar to flying, but its not the same." Me old hopes be a bit dashed at this point. I look towards my feet, feeling my face twist into a solemn expression. Her hand pats my shoulder. "Oh, don't look so downtrodden. Like I said, there are many alternatives, and you'll find yours. For now, let's get down to business." Yukari took a few steps away, glancing up and down my form before nodding to herself. "Right. We're here to determine what your special ability is."

"Special ability?" I echo her words, blinking in confusion. "Just what is all this?"

"Oh, Reimu didn't tell you? I must have words with that girl." She sighed. "Anyway, let me give you some examples. Reimu can call on the powers of the gods. The head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion can stop time. A certain witch you've probably heard of can master most any kind of magic spell. A shrine maiden who lives on a mountain is said to be capable of miracles. These are but a few examples, and all of them are unique to their holder. Even if two people bear near-identically shaped danmaku, their ability will always be their own. Like, if your danmaku had been shaped to resemble Reimu's it wouldn't change anything." I fold my arms, nodding in understanding. Wait a minute!

"You saw my danmaku practice? You were watching?"

"Yes. You should be glad Capcom couldn't see that, by the way." I feel my face heat up in embarrassment, and look away from her eyes. I didn't think anyone would get that!

"Sh-shut up."

"Dr. Wily does not approve."

"I said shut up!" I whine. Yukari covers her laughter behind her hand.

"Fu-fu-fu…calm down. In any case, we need to see just what you can do before moving on. A handful of Gensokyo's finest are known to have some inherent trait or ability that stands out, and the rate at which you picked up danmaku, though plagiarized," Shut up! "leads me to believe we can identify yours with little trouble." Yukari twirls her parasol a bit. I punch my right fist into my left palm. Okay!

"Right! …How do I do that, again?" All Yukari can offer is a shrug. My mouth hangs slightly agape.

Wonderful.


What manner of ability could an outsider to Gensokyo bring? Who was the mystery guest come to ruin Reimu's afternoon? Most importantly, just why is Yukari still breaking character by hanging around? Will I ever stop ending on questions? Well, the answer to that is no. But hey, more answers will come in time! Until the next chapter, when Ryan discovers his ability and a certain witch is still causing trouble simply because she can!

This is the Magnificent Sasquatch, signing off! Godspeed, readers!