Behold the Hakurei: Nexus 8

Behold the Hakurei

Chapter Two: Nexus

Hours passed as Reimu and company marched toward the setting sun.

"So we can't fly, we can't use danmaku, we can't use magic, Youmu has to hide her ghost half, Reimu and Sanae can't use their talismans, I can't use my mini hakkero, and you say our clothes look weird," Marisa said, "Is there anything else you want to tell us not to do?"

"Don't mouth off," Hanzo said.

"No, seriously," Marisa said, "You say that the dragon blooded are so tough, 'We're the chosen leaders of the world,' and all that but we had you beat pretty soundly. Why can't we do what we want."

"Because Creation hangs, quite seriously, by a thread," Hanzo said, "If you start causing havoc, you could unleash untold horrors upon a world with no one to stop them."

"Yeah, no one except me," Marisa said, "I've fought untold horrors before, like three times. Even my mentor was an untold horror. What makes you think I can't do it?"

"You said you were an ordinary human?" Hanzo asked.

"Yeah, why?" Marisa said.

"Because the untold horrors that I know of can kill a mortal just by looking at them," Hanzo said, "I'm not about to risk the fate of Creation on the hope that they decide not to look at you."

"I can be stealthy," Marisa said.

Reimu starred.

"No really, I can."

Youmu starred.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

Sanae starred.

"Well fine, if you all want to walk to wherever we're going, then that's fine by me."

Hanzo starred.

"Okay, I'm walking, we're walking. None of us are flying."

"Are you done yet?" Reimu asked, "We have enough to deal with without you whining."

"This is not whining," Marisa said.

"Really?" Reimu said, "You mean 'Ugh, I can't believe that you're actually making me walk somewhere this is so barbaric having to walk.' isn't whining? Because it sounds like whining to me."

"First of all, I didn't say that and I didn't sound like that," Marisa said, "Secondly, no I'm not whining. I'm complaining; this is not what we do and this is not how we do it. Even when we were young-"

"Younger than fourteen?" Hanzo murmured.

"-this is not what we did. Tell me Reimu, when in your life as a shrine maiden did you ever say 'I've have something really important to do, I'd better walk there even though I could fly.' When have you ever even thought that?"

"This is different," Reimu said.

"Different how?" Marisa asked, "Different like the time when winter lasted half a year, threatening all life in Gensokyo, or different like the time when Utsuho was going crazy, threatening all life in Gensokyo? Tell me, how is this different?"

"They all followed spell card rules," Reimu said, "We had as many tries as we needed to beat them. They also didn't want to kill us. From what Hanzo told me, in this world, death is impossible to come back from, I can't just fight my way to the underworld to get someone back. We all only have one shot at this, and we have to do it right. That means we have to walk."

"Just because it's dangerous? Wait," Marisa noticed the stares her friends were giving her, "You're not saying it's too dangerous for all of us, you're saying it's too dangerous for me."

"Marisa listen," Reimu said, "We don't know what the monsters here are capable of. You said it yourself, you're an ordinary human. Sanae and I have divine blessings and Youmu is…" Reimu thought for a moment, "Can you die?" She asked Youmu.

Youmu shrugged.

"Whatever," Reimu said, "You need to-"

"No," Marisa said, "I'm not letting myself stay in your stupid, divinely blessed, perfect shadow. If I always did what you thought was best my life would amount to nothing. I can take care of myself and I don't need or want your help." Marisa mounted her broom. "See if you can catch me on foot, shrine maiden. I'll come back with Remilia in tow."

Marisa sped off into the sky.

"Marisa, stop!" Reimu yelled, gritting her teeth as Marisa disappeared into the distance.

"Does she even know where Nexus is?" Sanae asked.

"She's at least going the right direction," Hanzo said, "And Nexus is a hard city to miss."

"Should one of us fly after her?" Sanae asked.

"No, let her be for now," Reimu said, "Give her some time to come to her senses. Besides, the last thing we need now is another one of us getting caught."

Under the cover of night Marisa gently touched down inside the walls of Nexus. The city reeked, partially of a few smells that Marisa wished she couldn't identify but it especially reeked of thievery. Not good old banditry, where there's no hiding in shadows for someone or that greasy feeling Marisa got whenever she stole something without announcement. Bandits were upfront about what they were doing. Thieves were liars, backstabbers, and cheaters, and the city reeked of them.

Even though Marisa couldn't see anyone, the streets were dark and made her hair stand on end. She would have to find a place to stay, and she would have to do it now.

As Marisa walked through the muck of the outer ring of the city, she thought that landing in the outer ring probably wasn't the best idea. She also wasn't at all thinking Reimu and her outburst about how she should be allowed to take care of herself.

Honestly, Marisa thought, What makes Reimu think that she needs to baby sit me? I can take care of myself just fine. I'm only trapped in a different dimension in a city I've never heard of surrounded by people I've never met who hold power I've never seen. Just you wait Reimu, by the time you get here I'll have the city wrapped around my finger. I just need to find a place to stay tonight and soon I'll be queen of this city.

With new found vigor, Marisa set off for the castle in the center of Nexus. Marisa could feel eyes on her as she strode through the streets, watching her, judging her, trying to figure out how much she was worth and how much they could steal from her. Marisa didn't care, she had enough magic in her apron and hakkero to lay waste to the whole city if she wanted. A few petty thieves were nothing to her.

In fact, Marisa thought, I could even have a little fun with them.

A short while later, Marisa stepped out from a dark alley, a large sack of silver in tow. Behind her were several bandits looking to rob the witch. Her broom had a few new cuts in it, but nothing compared to when the Moriya shrine created that ridiculous machine or when Tenshi tried to destroy Reimu's shrine.

With a confident smirk, Marisa approached the gates to the inner ring.

"Excuse me," Marisa said to the guards, "I heard this gate has a squeaky wheel. I brought some grease if you want some."

The guards eyed each other briefly before shrugging. Marisa tossed them the bag of silver and took proud steps through the gate.

While the outer ring carried the smell of thievery and things Marisa was getting tired of being able to recognize, the inner ring of Nexus carried, not a more sterile scent, but a refined version of the outer ring. Marisa could tell this still involved thievery, just a much less blatant version. Gone would be the shifty eyed men in dark alleys, replaced with schemes of corporate espionage.

It still isn't banditry, Marisa thought, In fact, it's worse. At least regular thieves will show their face.

Sights set on the castle, Marisa continued forward. When she arrived, to Marisa's surprise they just opened the gates for her.

"Aren't you worried that I'll, I don't know, set fire to the royal archives?" Marisa asked.

"I'd be more surprised than anything," a guard told her, "We don't have a royal archive."

"Then what was set on fire last week?" the other guard asked.

"A journal someone was stupid enough to keep," the first guard said, "I think they burned the keeper along with the journal."

"Well hold on, you have a castle, so you have to have a king, right?" Marisa asked, "What if I tried to kill him? You can't really just let people in."

"Eh, the king wouldn't mind if you kill him," a guard said.

"Why not"? Marisa asked.

"Because he's the king of Nexus. Everyday he has to agonize over a new reason why the dragon blooded realm shouldn't wipe this city and the trading guild from Creation," the guard said, "Every night he has to agonize over a new reason why he shouldn't let them. Besides, assassination is how we appoint new leaders."

"You what?" Marisa said.

"Yeah, now do you want to see the king or not?" a guard asked.

Marisa pushed past the guards and one of them yelled directions to the throne room. When Marisa entered the throne room, she saw an old man looking over the city from the window. He wasn't dressed like a king, more like a fairly well off merchant. The old man turned to Marisa, a tired look in his eyes.

"Are you here to kill me?" the king asked. He didn't sound scared.

"No," Marisa said, taking off her hat and hugging it to her chest, "I just wanted to talk."

"I don't get many visitors," the old man said, "What do you want to talk about? Starting a new trading company? A thieving company? Or maybe," the old man turned to Marisa, "You just want to disappear."

"No, nothing like that," Marisa said, "Though, I do want to see what the city looks like from up here."

"It looks like a cesspool," the old man said, gingerly moving to his throne, "Same way it looks from street level. The only difference is you can see more of it. What do you want to talk about."

"Well, when I first came to this city I told myself I'd have it wrapped around my finger by the time my friend arrives," Marisa said, "Just to prove to her that I could but, I guess it sounded better in my head."

"I understand," the old man said, "Back when I was young I was full of ambition. I told myself I'd be the most powerful man in Nexus one day, and now I am. That also sounded a lot better in my head. Why would you want to take over Nexus?"

"Well, my friend and I, we both know magic," Marisa said, "She has some stupid divine blessing, and where we come from a lot of, well, stuff happens. She always tells me to not get in the way, because she knows she's better than me. And I hate it. I hate knowing that I'll never be better than her. I hate having to work and risk my life for every last scrap of power that I have. I hate know that she doesn't need to practice or study to get better. I just, I want to show her that I'm capable."

"You study occult?" the old man asked, studying her from his throne.

You study occult? A memory echoed in Marisa's mind. I will not have my daughter turning into a youkai. From now on, the servants are not to let you out of your room without my permission.

But dad, I can do it! I could defend the village if you would just let me!

You think I'll let you turn yourself into a filthy monster? Marisa, you're a lot of trouble for the family so I'm giving you an option. Either be a part of the family or be a slave to that disgusting Mima!

"I used to study occult," the king said, "Interesting stuff. Of course, I had to stop when I had a city to run. Maybe you could humor an old man for a lesson?"

Marisa let out a breath. "I'd love to talk with you, but it's getting late and I need to find a place to stay," Marisa said, "Any suggestions?"

"Fortold Fate, it's an inn in the outer circle," the king said, "I know houses in the inner circle look nicer, but don't stay there. The outer circle is a much safer place. Also, Fortold Fate is an easy place to hide in and it always has a few interesting people there."

"Thank you sire," Marisa said as she turned to leave, a grin dancing on her lips.

"No, thank you," the king said, "I enjoyed this talk. May life treat you well."

As Marisa left, the king called after her one more time.

"One more thing," the king said, "About you and your friend. You said she's an exalt? Do your best to keep up with her. For her sake and your own. If there's one thing I've learned from my stay here, it's that the top is a lonely place."

While Kejop was busy ranting endlessly about 'a price must be paid' and 'some must die so others can live' Ivory found actually found some work to do. Thankfully, for Ivory, adventurers were actually searching for the source of the red fate thread she found. Strangely enough, only one of them had any fate tied to them. Seeing a mortal without fate was rare, but not unheard of. Still, those people were few and far between. To see them gather like this, even in such small number, that was cause for suspicion.