The Order of Ragnarok

Written by Albireo Imma

I never own Touhou Project and Norse mythology

Chapter 4: Theodore Scarlet

Hakugyokurou, the ghostly shrine overlooking the realm of afterlife, seemed to be quite in festive mood with some ghosts flying around. The gardener of Hakugyokurou, Youmu Konpaku was doing her daily chores while looking at some ghosts doing fancy dances in air.

"My… they're quite cheerful nowadays…"

A blonde woman clad in pink and purple dress was sitting on the porch of the shrine while drinking a cup of tea. The woman, the master of boundary, the one who predated Gensokyo itself, Yukari Yakumo was taking a visit to the realm of afterlife to meet her friend, the ghost princess Yuyuko Saigyouji.

"Is that so?" a ghostly pink-haired woman clad in light blue dress appeared from nowhere before floated towards Yukari's side. The woman, Yuyuko took out her fan before setting herself beside Yukari. "Well, it can't be helped. Since the day I took Michael Jackson's soul into Hakugyokurou, those ghosts seemed to be really happy and came to dance for the whole day and night…"

Yukari looked at a group of ghosts that doing some backwards movement while wearing fedora hats. Some others were doing some awkward left-to-right movements, disturbingly similar to Thriller's dance. She couldn't help but to smile by looking at the overjoyed ghosts.

"At least, those souls have some sort of entertainment after their deaths…" Yukari said. "It's never being so cheerful in here, Hakugyokurou I mean…"

The ghost princess giggled as she covered her mouth with her fan. "You're right, Yukari-chan…" then, she took a deep breath before she looked at Yukari. "But I doubt that's your reason to be here…"

Yukari sighed before she took another sip on her cup of tea. "That's right, Yuyuko…" she said solemnly. "It seems something was passing through the border without my consent. I had asked my Shikigami, Ran and her Shikigami, Chen to check it out, but they found nothing suspicious…"

"I see…" Yuyuko mused. "So the youkai of boundary isn't that omniscient after all…" the pink-haired ghost princess grinned. "Does it hurt your pride, my friend Yukari?"

Yukari sighed again. "It's true that I am the oldest youkai in Gensokyo, the one that control any boundary that exists, literally and figuratively… but sometimes, I make mistakes…" she closed her golden eyes. "Doing mistakes is something that can normally happen, and even gods do mistakes…" she reopened her eyes. "Put in simple words, omniscience doesn't exist…"

"Good reasoning, Yukari-chan…" Yuyuko nodded before she took a sip on her tea. "But by judging at the situation, incident is imminent it seems…"

"That's for sure…" Yukari said. "Then, I've to bother Reimu about this matter…"

"Reimu Hakurei?" Yuyuko spoke, saying the Hakurei priestess' name. "Your ultimate chess piece? Your trump card?"

Yukari chuckled. "You can put it that way. But… I have a feeling that I'll have to use more than that…"

"Yuyuko-sama, there's a package sent to you…"

A white-haired half-ghost gardener of Hakugyokurou, Konpaku Youmu came in front of Yuyuko while holding her straw broom. Her dual swords, Roukanken and Hakurouken were fastened at the back of her waist. She was holding a package wrapped in black paper in her other hand. Some ghosts were bobbing behind her, doing some moonwalk dance while floating in air.

"Oh my… a package for me, how lovely…" Yuyuko commented before she floated towards Youmu. The girl handed the package to her mistress. At first, Yuyuko seemed cheerful, but as she lifted the package, her expression turned solemn.

"Yuyuko-sama, what's wrong?" Youmu asked.

"This is…" Yuyuko looked at the package before she looked at Yukari. "Yukari, it seems they have made their first move…"

Yukari frowned before she smiled. "Twisty…" she stood up and went to Yuyuko's side. "To be able to run freely under my nose is daring enough…" she placed her palm on the package. "But to make such action such as sending this kind of thing is… a whole new thing…" as for that, the package suddenly scattered into dozens of black butterflies, much to Youmu's surprise. "I'll take this thing with me…" the butterflies then entered an appearing portal.

"Yuyuko…" Yukari turned around. "I'll take my leave here…" a gap filled with grotesque-looking eyes was opened before she stepped into it. She took her parasol and opened it. "Take care…"

"Bye-bye!" Yuyuko waved her hand. Yukari smiled before her body had fully entered the gap. Then, the gap disappeared.

"What's that?" Youmu asked about the thing earlier.

"You don't want to know about it, Youmu-chan…" Yuyuko said solemnly. Then, she turned into her cheerful self. "Well, where's Michael-kun?"

Youmu pointed at a group of dancing ghosts (which took shape as white, translucent slug-shaped things that floated in air). She was pointing at the ghost that was wearing fedora hat and black glasses. It was also wearing a golden necklace which had 'MJ' on it.

"Do some more dancing!" Yuyuko exclaimed happily. The group of ghosts continued to do moonwalk in air. Youmu just sighed. She had no choice other than to tag along as well.

Theodore examined his body after sleeping for almost two days. His wounds were already healed thanks to Alice's special concoction, which consisted of a mixture of various magic mushrooms. Although it tasted so bad, it's efficient and his wounds vanished after several hours of consumption.

The purple-haired man looked around the room. It was filled with many dolls in many types of clothing. Those dolls seemed to look real, and one might think that they were miniature-sized humans. Theodore stood up and went towards the display. He decided to touch the doll, but then he remembered Alice's threat.

Don't touch anything here, or I'll let those dolls detonate themselves on your head…

Theodore gulped. Even as a long-lived being like him, being blown on the head sure was an unpleasant experience. He decided to not touch that thing.

Then, he thought that he didn't want to sit in the room and do nothing. He decided to take a look outside. So, he opened the door after putting his jacket which was on the bed. He went outside the room into the living room.

There, he was astonished. He saw many dolls, but this time, the dolls were moving and doing chores like cleaning the floor and window, sweeping and many things. Alice was found sitting on a chair in front of a window while sewing one of her dolls' clothes. She was humming to herself with a melody that Theodore vividly recognized.

"That melody…" he thought. He felt like he was seeing someone else, someone who was familiar to him. He rubbed his eyes. "It sounds familiar…"

Without his notice, his feet were moving themselves towards Alice. He felt a sudden urge to touch her. He was moving from behind so Alice didn't know his presence. When he was near to her, he raised his hand to touch her.

Zap!

Theodore's eyes widened. In a flash, swords, lances and spears were put on every of his vital points. He could feel the sharp cold metals were touching his skin. Those who put those weapons on him were Alice's dolls. With a slight push, those weapons might penetrate through his flesh.

"Oh, it's you…" Alice spoke, making a gesture so her dolls lifted their weapons. "I'm just being cautious, that's all…" she stood up. Theodore gulped. "You look perfectly fine today…"

Then, two of her dolls were bringing a chair and put it in front of Theodore. "Sit down and let's have a tea…"

"Uhh… okay…" Theodore nodded nervously before he sat on the chair. He had taken a note that Alice wasn't someone he should mess with. Shanghai was bringing a teacup while Alice another doll, Hourai was bringing a teapot. Shanghai handed Theodore the teacup and Hourai poured the tea into the cup.

"So, Theodore…" Alice started. "You're not a lost villager, right? Your dressing is quite different compared those who come from the village…"

Theodore nodded as he sipped the tea.

"And most importantly…" Alice looked at Theodore. "You're not human…"

Theodore gulped.

"Don't worry. It's not like I even care what are you, but I'm just rather curious about the reason why you're here, in the Forest of Magic I mean…" she took a sip of her tea. "This place is filled with ferocious and flesh-eating youkai, and people won't even bother to enter such place. So, I wish I can learn about it…"

Theodore stared on the surface of the water in the teacup before he spoke. "I'm searching for someone…"

Alice put her head on her hand which was put on the armrest. "Is that so? You're searching for someone in the middle of this forest?"

Theodore nodded.

"So, tell me…" Alice said. "What, or who are you searching for?"

"I won't tell anyone about it…" Theodore said. "I have to search her for myself…"

"Her?" Alice frowned.

"So I've decided, Miss Alice. The day after tomorrow, I'll leave this place so I can find her…" Theodore stood up. "Thanks for treating me though…"

"I don't mind…" Alice replied.

"Before that… I want to ask you something…" Theodore said. "It's about the song you've hummed earlier. How do you know it?"

"Is that even matter?" Alice asked, frowning.

"Nothing. Just asking…" Theodore said.

Alice sighed before she said. "I learned it from someone I considered as my mother…"

"Mother?" Theodore frowned.

"Go to sleep…" Alice said. "You'll need enough rest so you can find the person you're searching for. Like I said before, if you dare to touch anything inside my room, I'll ask Shanghai to take out your eyes with her lance…"

Theodore gulped. Despite talking in such nonchalant fashion, the girl made him shuddered. He had to try to not do anything stupid so his life could be spared. "I-I understand…" he bowed before he entered the room.

Alice sighed as Theodore entered the room. She set herself on her chair while Shanghai and Hourai were hovering above her head. "His eyes look familiar…" she muttered before she closed her eyes, sleeping.

"Remi, Flan, go on… I'll hold them here…"

"No! Theo, you're going with us!"

"I can't… I have no strength left. I lost my wings, my fangs, my power… I don't want to lose you too…"

"Theo, don't say such nonsense! We'll always be together, right?"

"…"

"Onee-sama… onii-chan…"

"Flan! Don't move! Your wounds are not fully healed yet!"

"Onee-sama, go on… I'll hold them. Go and bring Flan away from here. Go away as far as you can go…"

"Theo…"

"Go… no matter what happen… both of you shall live…"

"Onee-sama… I feel cold…"

"Flan! You'll be alright! Believe me!"

"Go, my sister, Remilia Scarlet. May the fate be with us…"

"Theo…"

"They're coming! Now, go away!"

"Theo!"

"Theo!" Remilia woke up. She panted heavily because she had such a nightmare. She found herself sweating profusely. She felt a sudden urge to call her servant, Sakuya to comfort her, but decided against it because she didn't want her to know about her nightmare.

She looked at the window. It's already afternoon. It's normal for a vampire like her to sleep in the daylight since she's a nocturnal creature.

"I am Remilia Scarlet, the vampire mistress of Scarlet Devil Mansion, the one who dwells in the middle of the night, the one who is able to control the fate…" she muttered.

"But what if… I am a toy of the fate itself?"

TO BE CONTINUED

Hello, it's me, Albireo Imma. Thanks for those who reviewed the last chapter. I'm getting pumped up because of the reviews, so I update this story quickly as possible. For readers who don't want to see any of the Touhou characters to be paired with Theodore, please be relieved since I won't pair him with anyone, just some normal relationship like friendship. I'm making Alice to be closer to Theodore since both of them would have many similarities. Just friendship, get it. And I did mention about Alice with someone who she considered as her mother. Read Alice's background and you'll see it? Well, I'm quite happy and I hope you may continue to read and review.

Albireo Imma