Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou or any other Touhou related materials. And be warned of repetitive names going on for paragraph after paragraph after... you know...
Kyouko was so scared beyond belief that she was almost surprised she wasn't wetting herself yet.
Things have gone awfully quiet for the last thirty seconds, with the three beings present in this godforsaken world waiting for each other to make a move. Kyouko hid behind a strange satori with a knitted third eye, named Koishi Komeiji while hovering twenty feet away from them was a girl called Gengetsu, who claimed herself to be a relative of the person responsible for this land's existence. She was in the Dream world where her greatest joys and worst nightmares could come true in a second before disappearing once more as fast as it came.
The Yamabiko counted her chances of survival and fond them not enough to make out of this place in one piece, much less alive. But, she didn't lose hope. It wouldn't do her any good if she broke down again. Besides, as uncaring and whimsical Koishi was, she promised Kyouko that she would protect the Yamabiko until they got out of the place. Not that Kyouko didn't trust her or had faith on the satori's power, but she didn't know if Koishi's power was enough to protect them both from whatever Gengetsu... Was...
The winged girl had this aura around her, an unstable one. It was like she was both sides of the same coin, both good and evil, but very, very powerful. The only beings that made this Kyouko forced down her lunch in order to stop herself from throwing up was the Flower Youkai, Lady Byakuren going commando, and that one time she caught a glimpse of the Yama. Gengetsu however was, for some horrible reason, above them. 'A being higher and more powerful than the Yama? That's impossible!' one might say, but hey, Dream world and Gengetsu along with her sister own the place. The winged girl was at her pinnacle of power.
Kyouko was about to break the silence and request Gengetsu to take her home, but Koishi beat her to the punch.
"Uhuh," said the satori, crossing her arms on her chest, "Nice place you got here, Miss Gengetsu, but it seems like me and my friend has enjoyed enough for our fill. So if you don't mind, we'll appreciate it if you point us to the nearest exit to the world of the awakened."
With one might beat of her wings, Gengetsu shot up the air, slowly coming to a stop. Her ominous grin now reverted back to the friendly and cheerful smile she displayed awhile ago, "Well, actually I do mind. I mean, you two are so fun playmates and this place never really does get many visitors. The only fun person that passes by is the Flower Youkai, though not even she stays for long."
"S-s-so w-w-we d-don't get to leave?" whimpered Kyouko as she hid behind Koishi's shoulder.
"Of course you don't! It's not every day I get to chat with the Queen of the Subconscious herself and the Silent Echo at the same time~!" squealed Gengetsu as she spun in tucked her wings in front of her and spun in mid-air, "Oh what fun we three are going to have! Unfortunately, younger sister doesn't seem to be in the playing mood, so I... Took care of her..."
The winged girl suddenly broke into a fit of giggling.
"Silent Echo?" mused Koishi before glancing behind her shoulder to look at Kyouko, "Seems like you already built a name for yourself. Now isn't that interesting?"
"I don't know and I don't care," replied Kyouko in the same fearful tone, "Just please, get us out of here!"
"Right, but not before I get some answers," Koishi muttered back before turning to the giggling Gengetsu, "Hey!"
The winged girl turned to face them.
"Where'd you hear the title 'Silent Echo' from? Come on playmate~ Tell us where you heard it~!" said Koishi in the same childish tone used by Gengetsu, though nowhere near the level of mocking the angel girl.
Gengetsu playfully stuck out her tongue and said, "You have to say the magic word~!"
"Please~?" asked Koishi through deceivingly innocent eyes.
"Okay~! Replied the winged girl playfully. Kyouko was on her toes as she strained her four ears to hear Gengetsu's reply, "I got it from a strange woman in a top hat! Apparently she was one of those people that can willingly cross dreams unlike Miss Kasodani here. She's very much like you, Miss Koishi! Only that she's nowhere near your level of power."
"Is that all~?" pushed Koishi, giving the winged girl a cute wink, "Then why did you come and drag Kyouko-tan here?"
"Because the funny lady told me that she's strong and interesting!" answered Gengetsu with a gleam behind her eyes which Kyouko didn't like, "Now that I've seen it for myself, she was right! Now I wanna fight her!"
Kyouko froze because of two things. It was because one; this godlike being wanted to fight her despite their huge difference in terms of power. And two; because a person telling Gengetsu to target her appeared just like Tenshi did.
Could all of her battles have some sort of connection? Kyouko looked up to the grinning blonde and wondered if she'll live long enough to find out.
"So~" spoke Koishi, "When will we be able to go home~?"
"That is if you both beat me till I can't stand up anymore!" giggled Gengetsu.
"Wonderful~! Say, Genge-chan," muttered the satori with her eyes obscured y the brim of her hat. When she spoke once more, Koishi's tone had a mixed tone of excitement and deadly seriousness in it, "Can I borrow a tool to fish?"
The Strongest Music Cues presents: Cute Devil~ Innocence (Re-mastered Version 2)
Gengetsu only laughed. It wasn't anything like Kyouko had heard of it was evil, malevolent and distorted, and yet... It gave her a strange feeling of peace and beauty. It was only then Kyouko realized it, it was the sound of the end. Gengetsu shot up into the red sky until she was no more than a speck of yellow.
Koishi pushed Kyouko away from her with strength that the Yamabiko never realized was there. By the time Kyouko landed in a heap and looked up, Koishi was bombarded by yellow bombs, causing the whole area in which she stood to be covered in smoke. A white blur broke through the veil and started peppering the area with white Danmaku as it circled around it. The blur came to a halt, revealing that it was Gengetsu, grinning from ear to ear as she spread her arms on either side of her and released a volley of Danmaku.
The Danmaku seemed to float in the air for a few seconds before launching themselves at the dust cloud, a stream of blue countless Danmaku from Gengetsu following them in a straight line. That was when another blur shot up from the smoke, signalling the sky to explode with green bullets shooting outwards similar to rings.
Kyouko watched as the winged girl dodged the bullets with no problem, sending out a burst of white bullets after the blur who turned out to be Koishi. The satori had this wide smile on her face as she flew higher, summoning volleys of green bullets to hit Gengetsu. Soon, the air was thick with green bullets, leaving Gengetsu with little space to dodge. From Kyouko's point of view, the bullets seemed to be forming a giant cage, slowly suffocating the winged girl of places to dodge, and leaving her trapped.
The Yamabiko's eyes widened as she watched the blonde disappear into nothing. An explosion of orange bullets from above indicated Gengetsu's reappearance before vanishing once more. Koishi ceased her summoning and gave chase, firing one heart shaped bullet after another. Gengetsu came to a halt, firing a burst of large fat bullets on every angle.
"In the light of this dark gloomy world, two broken souls do battle."
The Yamabiko below tore her gaze away from the battle and turned to the person who spoke. It was another girl, bearing heavy resemblance to the winged girl above. Her golden eyes matched her yellow hair, in complete contrast with her blue dress. A wide slit on the back of her dress revealed her flawless white skin where two scars were visible. She sat within a cage made out of melted wax, something Kyouko hasn't noticed a minute before.
Kyouko didn't even know how this girl got in there or how that cage was formed without her noticing, but she could tell that this new girl bore no ill will towards her. Instead, the girl gave Kyouko a smile as her lips parted, "My name is Mugetsu..."
She raised one fragile finger towards the fight above, namely at Gengetsu. "Stop her... Before she does something stupid..."
Kyouko looked on her feet and bit back a scream as red liquid began to rise above her ankles. She looked around and saw that the entire landscape was being filled with red which could only be described as blood. She kicked off the ground and hovered, turning her gaze to the girl, she found out that Mugetsu's cage was unaffected by the sudden rise. Kyouko couldn't help but feel a chill down on her ears; maybe this was what Gengetsu mean when she said she took care of her sister?
The Yamabiko turned her gaze back at the sky and watched the battle unfold.
She winced and covered her head as a grand laser tore through the air, rivalling that of Tenshi's and the black-white Witch. Koishi managed to dodge this by swooping low and firing off heart shaped bullets from beneath Gengetsu. The winged girl used this chance to hail her opponent with blue Danmaku from above. From the dust and smoke shot out the satori, pulling out a spellcard from her pocket which began to glow.
"Instinct~ Release of the Id!" she declared as the area around her exploded with pink heart shaped bullets.
Gengetsu made quick work with the first wave and weaved through them. However once the bullets revealed more of their pattern, the more did the winged girl's movements became restricted, giving her no chance to retaliate. Koishi seemed to be enjoying herself as she spread her arms outwards, intensifying the speed of the hearts as they criss-crossed each other. Gengetsu seemed to be having fun as well as two balls of red light began to glow in her palms.
The winged girl barrel rolled in the air and saw a chance to fire her bullet. Her blue bullet tore through the volley Koishi sent knocking the satori backwards.
"Suppression~ Super Ego!" yelled Koishi declaring a new spell. All of a sudden, the hearts surrounding Gengetsu all turned bubblegum blue and began moving towards Koishi. The Dream Demon spun like a ballerina as a heart bullet came from behind. All of the bullets seemed to be drawn towards Koishi before they were expelled once more. Gengetsu managed to guess the pattern and weaved through the spell with ease.
It was similar with the Instinct Spell card, only reversed.
She somersaulted in mid-air as a magic circle drew itself beneath her feet. A larger circle was formed in front of her as six smaller ones were placed a few feet in front of it, forming a hexagon. The circles began to glow an ominous blue light, slowly turning crimson as the second ticked by. Four heart bullets connected with Gengetsu's back, yet she managed to shrug them off like they were nothing. She then proceeded to place her hands in front of her as a giant blue beam rushed forth, mauling down waves and waves of bullets that got in its way.
The beam was too bright, so Kyouko had to shield her eyes to prevent them from going blind. Once her vision returned, she saw Koishi flying out of harm's way while keeping one hand on her hat.
This time it was the winged girl's turn to attack, allowing the world her to explode in blue knives and yellow stars. The stars were more organized in their pattern as they form a stream that gave way to little gaps while the knives spread out forming a ring shape in the air. Koishi managed to weave through the attack and was about to send a fist to Gengetsu's face when the Dream Demon disappeared all of a sudden. The satori whirled around to see Gengetsu firing a storm of white and yellow Danmaku flying at high speed.
Koishi disappeared amidst the smoke and explosions while the winged girl cackled in delight.
"Where are you~? Come out, come out wherever you are~!" sung Gengetsu as she looked from left to right. With one deliberate movement, she turned around, "Found ya!"
She was then met with a wave of white Danmaku to the face. Her form eventually disappearing into the sea of searing white energy.
"Symbol~ Danmaku Paranoia" declared Koishi, diving straight down through her Danmaku. She eventually found Gengetsu and didn't hesitate in giving the winged girl a kick to the gut, sending her crashing straight into the shallow sea of red. The winged girl rose out of the blood with nothing more than tainted wings and a few bruises. It was as if the blood was sliding off her like water. Raising her hand to the heavens, Gengetsu activated her spellcard.
"Withered Heart~ Dead March!" she called just as the stagnant sea behind her suddenly rippled with life. That was when the surface broke and a large silhouette rose up in the air and extended an arm to snatch Koishi out of the air. The satori thought quick and dashed to her side, unleashing a wave of white Danmaku which hailed the winged girl below. Koishi's smile seemed to widen as she intensified the raw power she applied to her spellcard. The speed of the white bullets suddenly increased until they were all nothing but a blur.
The explosions they caused made the terrain below nothing short of a warzone. However the silhouette that came out earlier didn't seemed fazed by the attack and stretched another arm out to catch Koishi. This time it succeeded in capturing her, only to have its hand explode as a ring of force came from within it. It fell in a great splash that caused the earth to rumble. Koishi brought her hands in front of her and purple daggers began to circle Gengetsu. Soon, the area in front of the satori burst to life as another wave of white bullets came forth.
Gengetsu didn't seem worried about neither the amount of bullets headed her way nor the knives which were circling her as the sea of blood suddenly exploded. A colossal skeletal hand shot up into the air followed by three others. This time the silhouette from earlier became more distinct that it could be easily identified. It was the skeletal colossus of a humanoid, ancient and rotting, towering high up in the scarlet sky.
It glared at Koishi with the dark abyss it had for eyes and uttered a silent roar.
It raised its thick bony hand into the air, taking a swipe out of Koishi only to miss; the satori was simply too fast to catch. Sweeping the air with its good hand, the skeletal giant opened its maw and released an acrid breath that reached all the way to where Kyouko was. She was too busy blocking the stench out to think how that was even possible. Koishi blocked out the attack by creating a swirl of daggers around her which blew away most of the breath away with their speed.
The winged girl who she was battling earlier now sat on the shoulder of the undead giant, a sadistic smirk upon her lips.
"She's a Dream Demon just like me," muttered Mugetsu at Kyuko's side, "We are beings who travel across the Unconscious Regions, overseeing the dreams certain individuals of the Waking World have based on their desires and experiences."
The Yamabiko turned her attention at the girl in the blue dress and asked, "How... How could she be that powerful? To create something that big and... I don't think that's even a spellcard to begin with!"
The blonde sighed through her nose as she replied, "It is because she still has her wings..." She turned her back towards Kyouko to give the Yamabiko a better look at her scars, "Dream Demons aren't that well known in the Waking World, however we are known to humans as angels, now isn't that a bit ironic? A demon being called an angel? Our wings... It's one of our main source of power, or rather, the place where our powers are stored. We get our powers from the dreams of the entities of the Waking World, the more people dream, the more powerful we get. That's when I realized with the power we both had, me and my elder sister, we can create a world of our own where we'll be able to do anything we wanted."
A pause... A couple of heart beats and explosions from the battle passed before Mugetsu continued, "Unfortunately... It didn't come without a price... I had to give up my wings to create this land, a land where we sisters could make the dreams of people a whole lot better. You know, around the time I made this place, children never slept through the night without having a single nightmare. The Humans of the Outside were in the state of war, so it was understandable..."
"Gengetsu didn't take the loss of my wings lightly as I had, so she ran off into the darkest corners of this world while I was left to tend to it on my own. And when she came back... She was different," another pause and Mugetsu swept a strand of hair from her eyes, "Dear elder sister, she wasn't the same ever since. Perhaps if you were to speak with the satori's sister, you will hear the same sob story as you have now... Gengetsu and Koishi Komeiji... Aren't that different you know?"
"Still..." Kyouko was left to ponder the information which she had just received when an explosion caught her attention. She managed to catch the sight of the satori before Koishi was engulfed by a crimson beam of raw power, "KOISHI!"
"Gengetsu is broken... She spent a third of her life swimming across nightmare after nightmare," muttered Mugetsu, hugging her knees as she sat, "Should you ever fight her, Kyouko Kasodani, expect your fears to beat you mercilessly."
"I already faced my fears!" Kyouko shot back, twirling her broom at her side, "Even if she's a bit weird and I only knew her for a short while, Koishi is still a friend and I'm not going to let her fight alone!"
With that, Kyouko kicked into the ground and dashed through the air. Unbeknownst to her, Mugetsu's blank expression slowly transformed into a smile, "This girl is a bundle of joy... Please survive..."
Everything dies into silence. The Strongest Music is paused!
The grand beam which erupted from the skeletal giant's mouth slowly grew smaller until it winked out of existence and the colossus closed its mouth. It stood with its broken hand slowly piecing itself together, clearing cracks and connecting scattered fragments. Raising its left hand, it made an attempt to grab at the motionless satori that hovered in mid-air only to miss once again with Kyouko's interference. She managed to tackle Koishi out of the way before the giant crushed her.
"Koishi! Are you okay? Say something!" cried the Yamabiko, vigorously shaking the satori with all strength she could muster.
"Kill..." whispered Koishi in a dead tone, contrast with the happy go lucky kind of crazy attitude she was displaying awhile ago, "I have to kill her..."
Kyouko was taken aback by this along with a cold sensation sliding down her spine. She immediately released the satori's shoulders and asked, "What? H-hey you're scaring me, why do you have to kill her? We have to go by the spellcard rules, you can't just kill anyone!"
"We're not in Gensokyo anymore... Rules don't apply here..." replied Koishi as she stared at her feet with the same dead tone. When she looked up, Kyouko suddenly felt flying off as far away as she can from her new 'friend'. Looking into the emptiness within Koishi's eyes scared her, it scared her even more than when the whole Myouren Temple went against her. It didn't help when she noticed Koishi's third eye crying red liquid.
"She broke my hat..." she pointed held up the tattered remains of her black hat, still smoking from being hit by the laser beam, "She has to die..."
"No! Wait, Koishi, you're not thinking straight. Please think about this for a second or else we'll be doing something we'll regret," said Kyouko in a panicked tone, she did not like the murderous intent hidden underneath the satori's blank words.
"Why shouldn't she? I told you, didn't I?" asked Koishi, her voice barely audible than a whisper, "Mr. Hat keeps me relaxed..."
Strongest Music is switching tracks: Touhou 11 ((remix#246))Hartmann's Youkai Girl
Kyouko looked back at the sound of explosions and saw rows and rows of blue and red Danmaku bullets rising to wrap themselves upon the undead giant's arms and neck. She managed to see Gengetsu take flight and shriek in frustration before Koishi grabbed the Yamabiko by the collar and tossed her away, following up by declaring a spellcard.
"Out of my way," whispered the satori, raising her spellcard, "Subconscious~ Rorschach in Danmaku"
Soon a barrage of colored Danmaku assaulted the undead giant. With every wave that hit, the skeleton flinched as it took the unholy punishment while struggling to keep itself upright. Koishi relentlessly lashed on every part of the giant she could see, making sure to intensify and increase the amount of orbs she was throwing. Kyouko cringed as she watched debris from the giant fly off into random directions. The ferocity Koishi was expelling with every Danmaku summon was unmatched while mercilessly pummelling undead like a toy.
The giant made an attempt to swipe Koishi out of the air, only to have its bony arm blown into oblivion and engulfed by the raging waves of bullets. Kyouko could see the spell card's pattern from her safe zone, it was similar to the fluid motion of two arms stretching and compressing alternately, unleashing glowing orbs with tiny little gaps to pass through. Gengetsu's face formed a snarl of disgust before weaving through the pattern. She dodged, bobbed, and barrel rolled throughout the onslaught, only to be caught by surprise as the bullets blinked all at once and disappeared.
She managed to see the cause before she was launched back into the unforgiving earth, sending and explosion of red from the sea of blood.
The Dream Demon slowly got up to her feet while shaking her head, pausing for a moment to study her opponent. She wasn't surprised to see Koishi Komeiji standing a few paces away from her, however what caught her interest were the satori's arms. Koishi's hands were bigger, bulkier, and thicker while being enveloped in a large layer of green rock-like shells, forming hammer like fists. She broke into a sprint, raising one giant fist before she brought it down to where Gengetsu stood.
The winged girl managed to side step the attack, unfurling her pure white wings as she responded with a hook of her own. The air seemed to vibrate as Gengetsu's punch collided with Koishi's strange fist. The satori's left hand began to grow in size till her frail arm could no longer support it, causing the enlarged fist to fall in to the shallow sea of red and disorient the Dream Demon. Before Koishi could even enter a combo, Gengetsu beat her to it by summoning a white lightning bolt from the crimson heavens, electrocuting the slow satori. She drew her arm back and delivered a devastating punch into the hatless girl's face.
From afar, Kyouko winced at the hit. However her jaw almost dropped when she saw that Koishi didn't even stagger. Instead, her right hand shot up from nowhere and grabbed the winged girl's offending hand, lifting her up no problem before slamming her into the red water. Gengetsu recovered quickly once she hit, twisting her body to face her assailant. Power began to gather within her finger tips when all of a sudden, a huge magic circle burst into existence. With her bulky arms, Koishi was too slow to dodge and was enveloped in a blue grand laser tearing across the landscape.
When the beam died on Koishi's place sat twin narrow blue shells filled with jagged spikes. The two shells spread apart and within was Koishi, grinning like a madwoman while she gazed at Gengetsu who was doing the same.
"Neat trick... But..." the Dream Demon spread her wings and shot into the air, hovering while looking down at her grounded opponent, "WHAT USE WILL IT BE AGAINST THOUSANDS?!"
That was when the winged girl spread her arms apart and began to multiply. One became two, two became four, four became sixteen, while sixteen spawned into hundreds and soon into thousands. Not even a minute has gone by when the sky was suddenly filled with dense white clouds all whom were Gengetsu.
"In this world, I am a Goddess! You are no match for me, Queen of the Subconscious!" jeered the Dream Demon army in one voice, forcing the spectating Yamabiko to cover all of her ears, "Your deepest nightmares, in this realm they will become reality! Now die!"
To this, Koishi made no response and watched as the army charged at her. A couple of heartbeats passed by and the satori began to twitch. That twitch became a shiver and soon turned into a convulsion. She hugged her stomach while uttered a silent scream, Koishi's gaping mouth transforming into a sick smile as the mob of Gengetsu's closed in. And then she exploded.
Dark blue tendrils erupted from every part of her body, shooting out and piercing anything that got in their way. However these tendrils seemed to have a mind of their own as they seemed to curve and swoop to where the Dream Demons were most.
Kyouko was horrified by this as she continued to watch. She just witnessed her friend annihilate an entire army all by herself, and in a gruesome manner too. Still, despite the tendrils' seemingly brutal kills, no blood or limbs were torn apart. Instead, the Gengetsu's who were caught in the attack all shimmered and disappeared into nothingness. Soon all that was left was Koishi with tendrils sticking out of her body, it was only then that they all travelled back into their host's body and receded as if they were never there.
The satori straightened her back and turned her head from left to right.
Gengetsu burst from the red waters with her wings spread wide and a hand outstretched. Unfortunately she was cut in half before she could even move further by a long flexible blue tendril decorated with sharp blades. Koishi drew her whip like arm back and lashed it once before launching it backwards. Another Gengetsu exploded from the sea only to be hit square in the chest. More Dream Demons emerged and Koishi only repeated her actions, killing them all instantly.
However one managed to get through and dodge the whip by a hair's breadth, successfully grabbing the satori's unguarded back. The captive struggled against the winged girl's monstrous strength only to find that it was futile. She managed to look up and see another Gengetsu flying towards her before sending a colossal haymaker to her face. The satori spat blood out of her mouth and glared at the Dream Demon with a mad glint within her eyes.
Gengetsu struck once more, the sound of fist colliding with flesh filling the air.
"This is fun isn't it?! I'll teach you not to mess with me in my territory! Have some this, and that, and some of these! RAGGGHHHH!" Gengetsu delivered a word on each blow, intensifying it and making sure to add a bit more force. She managed to land thirteen blows before finally taking a step back to examine her handy work. "Well, don't you look cute~? Ehehe."
The hatless girl's face was reduced into a bloody and bruised mess. Her cheeks were swollen while her right brow sported a cut or two. Gashes and black marks riddled her eyes and face. She was so damaged that her lips were dribbling crimson liquid while her nose did the same. But despite all of this, despite of the unholy amount of punishment she'd received, Koishi was still smiling. And that was more than enough to act as a warning.
She suddenly achieved great strength and managed to dislodge herself from the Gengetsu clone that held her, grabbing the clone's wrist and twisting it before kicking the clone into the other Gengetsu. Koishi lashed out with her elongated arm, though the second winged girl managed to tilt her head to the side, a blade cutting her cheek.
"Oh~ Found you~" sang Koishi as her other arm began to transform.
Her face turning into a look mixed between disgust and frustration, the Dream Demon gathered tainted white electricity between her palms and unleashed it towards the mad girl. The satori used her morphing hand to block the attack which was followed by a dull boom and smoke spreading. Once the black clouds disappeared, a blade the size of a door gleamed wickedly while sticking out of Koishi's arm. From her shoulder everything looked normal until one's eyes started travelling downward where hard blue rock like armour began to appear until they met with the blade's base.
On her other hand (no pun intended), it now bore resemblance to a large hand with five sharp claws with the length of a short sword.
Koishi broke into a sprint, all injuries healing at an alarming rate as she kicked off the ground and slashed downwards. Gengetsu shielded herself with her wings, which for some reason, refused to be torn apart by either blade or claw. The satori suddenly succumbed to her frenzied state, slashing and hacking at the Dream Demon's invulnerable wings with great passion and glee. The winged girl unfurled her wings and sidestepped Koishi's downward slash, using the opening to send a jab to the monstrous satori's face.
Koishi retaliated by swinging the flat of her blade arm sideways, knocking air out of Gengetsu's lungs. Planting one foot behind her, the winged girl leapt into the air and landed a lucky kick to the satori's abdomen, pushing her backwards.
I think it's time to intervene, spoke a disembodied voice and suddenly, Kyouko was snapped out of her trance. She had been watching the battle escalate while in shock. Now that she thought back, she could have gotten herself killed when the Elder Dream Demon summoned a massive army of herself.
She then looked at her right fist holding her broom. She was trembling badly now, it didn't take herself long to realize how scared she was. Kyouko looked down at the two fighters locked in a battle of death. Koishi was obviously strong the first time the Yamabiko met her, but now seeing her in this grizzly and out of control state, it was hard to control the fear she was emitting. And then there was Gengetsu. That girl was literally one of the Goddesses of this world. She could flick Kyouko like a fly if she wanted to.
The Yamabiko then thought to herself. She couldn't possibly engage them both in combat all by herself. That would be no short of suicide and in Koishi's state; Kyouko didn't think she could distinguish between an ally and foe anymore. She must really have loved her hat.
I don't have the power to take them both on... Kyouko's gaze turned to the other person below, but maybe someone else can...
The Dream Demon cackled cruelly as Koishi swung her claws back and forth. Ducking low from a furious swipe, she shot into the air and pelted the satori with lightning bolts. Her opponent morphed her right arm into a shield once more while turning her other arm into a flexible one. Koishi launched her left arm into the air; however her attack was easily evaded.
"Get down here," she growled as she swept her elongated arm through the air.
"You'll never catch me that way, girl!" taunted the Demon as she dodged the satori's attack with ease. She moved to her left as Koishi struck again, "It's no use, you can't even think of flying to catch me!"
"I don't need to fly," replied the monstrous girl. Gengetsu suddenly yelped as the blue whip came back and grabbed her leg. Koishi pulled and slammed her into the blue tiles, "I'll just bring you down to me."
"Smart girl," giggled the Demon as she burst into white light, obliterating the hand holding her. When Koishi cleared her eyes, Gengetsu was already gone. On instinct, she transformed her arm into a gigantic fist once more as she swung behind her, only to have it caught. The winged girl lifted it up with ease, making the satori vulnerable. A red magic circle sprung into existence before Koishi was lost in a beam of crimson.
"Weak," she giggled over the roar of her laser. Her amusement was cut short, literally. A large blade cut her grand beam in half, revealing an emotionless abomination within. Koishi swung once more, causing the Demon to jump back and retaliate with Danmaku. She merely cut through the missiles and continued to sprint.
Gengetsu kicked to her right, gathering energy within her palms and unleashing them into deadly blows as the monstrous girl followed her. The two race across the landscape, the ground exploding into red as the sea of blood was disturbed. It was a battlefield for two titans, each striving for dominance over the other.
The satori's eyes went wide as her opponent came to an abrupt halt and leapt over her, dodging her claw swipe. A light tap behind her was enough to guess the winged girl's intent, so she swung her claw around only to have it meet with her enemy's wing. The Demon smiled at Koishi before twirling around while extending her wings to their fullest extent, pushing the satori backwards.
In the light of this gloomy world, two broken souls do battle
"Stop!"
Kyouko arrived as the two were about to clash. Much to her surprise, the red liquid parted giving way to dry blue tiles, however she had pressing matters to attend. The two powerful beings looked at her at the sound of her voice. The winged girl was giving her a look of amusement mixed with curiosity while the monstrous girl only stared at her with a blank expression. The Yamabiko's legs suddenly felt shaky, threatening to collapse any moment under the gaze of these creatures yet she forced herself to stand strong.
"Please, there's no need to fight," she pleaded, holding one hand at the base of her neck while the other firmly gripped her broom. She turned to Gengetsu and said, "Just let us go and we won't bother you anymore. My friend... Is just upset because she lost something valuable to her. But it doesn't mean it can't be forgiven. Miss Koishi."
She turned towards the satori in question, "We can still go home without having to fight. All we have to do is forget about this. Please listen to me, there's no need to hurt each other any longer."
There was silence, only to be broken by Gengetsu's giggling.
"He he he, aren't you cute?" she laughed, "Sorry, but while you're in my world, you're my property. YOU DON'T HAVE A SAY IN THIS!"
She flew towards the teal haired girl with frightening speed, her hand ready to grab Kyouko's arm. However Koishi intercepted her with a blade arm.
"Kyouko, I promised the monk lady I'd protect you," the satori pushed the Demon away with incredible strength, "But if you dare get in my way, I'll have to make you obey."
"No!" shouted the Yamabiko, however Koishi already leapt towards her opponent.
Gengetsu evaded Koishi's claw strike, causing the satori to follow with a slash upwards. That only made the winged girl step back, however she continued by spinning around with her blade and launching a blue tendril towards the escaping Demon. Said Demon dodged with ease and grabbed the tendril before yanking it hard. Koishi was caught off guard with the winged girl's strength and was pulled upwards before being slammed into the ground. Gengetsu reinforced her grip as she swept the ground using Koishi's body.
"Get away from her!"
The Demon dodged as Kyouko brought down her broom, ducking low as the Yamabiko swung her weapon again. She aimed her free hand at her opponent's belly before letting loose a white lightning bolt. Needless to say, Kyouko was thrown backwards.
As Gengetsu turned to face her other opponent, she was met with a shelled fist twice as large as her own head. It took a bit of strength to keep herself from flying away, however it seemed like Koishi wasn't going to let her recover farther than that. The satori transformed her arm into a normal one so that she could grab Gengetsu's own before pounding the Dream Demon in the gut with her enlarged one. Once the winged girl was stunned, Koishi grabbed her neck and slammed her into the tiled floor, swinging her normal fist into the Demon's cheek.
"Get your filthy hands off me," growled Gengetsu as she spat into the satori's eyes, using the moment's distraction to create a giant hand from the red liquid. The hand swatted the satori off her like a fly. Koishi used the momentum to rise up again, only to have her face kiss the Demon's foot, sending her tumbling away once more. "You like that, you insufferable fool?!"
The winged girl cut short her jubilation to catch the brush end of a broom, "You agai—"
With one fluid motion, Kyouko unsheathed her sword from her broom and spun, leaving a shallow cut upon the Demon's side. Adjusting her grip on the slender blade, she thrust forward. Slashing diagonally as Gengetsu danced along her strikes. However the Demon soon found an opening and gathered energy into a palm. She got ready to unleash it, but failed as Kyouko let loose a devastating shout. Once she landed on her back, she opened her eyes to see the Yamabiko crashing down blade first.
Quickly rolling away, she stood up and timed the moment just right before unfurling her wings, causing the teal haired girl to be blown away.
"Idiot. If the Queen of Subconscious was no match for me, what makes you think that the Silent Echo has the power to defeat me?" she taunted with a smile, "Stupid ones like you fight for the silliest reasons."
"No... I'm not going to fight you," panted Kyouko as she rose to her feet, "She will."
The Dream Demon seemed puzzled at the moment before she realized the person behind Kyouko. Gengetsu snarled at the sight of her scowling sister from behind her prison. Mugetsu grabbed the iron bars of her cage and angrily shook them while shouting, "You need to stop this, Genge-chan! There's no point in all of this! That person with the Top hat tricked you! Please, stop this and let me out!"
"So you'll put me in time out because I was a bad girl?!" screeched the elder demon, "Well boo hoo, I like being bad, you big bully!"
"You idiot!" retorted Mugetsu, "Let me out!"
"No!" Gengetsu yelled back, "Not until you promise to play with me again! This is all your fault, little sister! You always loved cosplaying and working at the same time that you don't have time for me anymore! This is what happens when you don't look after your big sister!"
"You're supposed to be the older one," snapped the younger demon, "Stop acting like a child!"
The elder demon crossed her arms under her chest and looked away. Kyouko didn't like the progress of this discussion; something bad was going to happen if she didn't do anything. But what can she do? Her entire body's frozen in fear; she could barely move a muscle. It took all her willpower just to stand up. She needed a miracle, a miracle that only she could make.
"Lady Gengetsu, if I may," began Kyouko as she inhaled a deep breath. The Dream Demon turned her attention towards the Yamabiko, fortunately she seemed to be listening and showed no intention to attack, this may be Kyouko's only chance. "What is it that you want?"
The winged girl stared at her with narrowed eyes, subjecting her beneath her piercing gaze before saying, "What else? For fun of course! The person with the top hat told me of the things you can do, the entertainment you will be able to bring. And my, my, she never told me you were a weakling. So weak in fact that you barely had enough power to stand up against my illusion, much less defeat me…. You, however, compensated by bringing with you the Queen of the Subconscious. Now wasn't that an interesting turn of events?"
"But don't you see?" replied Kyouko as she forced her voice out, "Your fun is bringing about unhappiness and pain upon those around you. Don't you care at all? "
"Of course not," was Gengetsu's simple reply," Why should I? None of the dreams here are any fun! So I decided to make my own!"
"You foolish big sister!" cried Mugetsu, gripping the bars of her cage in an attempt to escape, "Have you forgotten what set us apart from the other demons?! Have you forgotten what made us both special?! Big sister, we're not barbaric monsters people believe us to be! Please don't go down that path before it's too late! You're not like this."
"Shut your trap, Mugetsu!" snarled the winged girl, her wings spreading apart, "You're not the boss of me, so stop telling me what to do!"
"Lady Gengetsu, please listen," pleaded the Yamabiko in a firm voice, her hands curled into trembling fists, "Do you know the reason why your sister is like this now? Do you know why her wings are gone? It's because she cared for the people who dreamed. The sacrifice she made just so people can dream peacefully, are you just going to stomp and spit on it like that? You say that you only want your sister to look after you, but… with what you're doing; you're making her sacrifice vain and useless."
"What do you know, you sewer headed gremlin?!" hissed Gengetsu, her eyes flashing dangerously yet Kyouko did not back down.
"Lady Byakuren taught me to never let anyone down," sighed the Yamabiko, her ears drooping sadly, "she taught me how important it was to understand and appreciate the efforts of others, even if we don't agree and get angry about it sometimes. We… must learn to accept."
With a frustrated growl, the winged girl was in front of Kyouko in an instant, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her up with her feet dangling. She remained stoic as her face betrayed no emotion of fear. Her eyes merely looked at the Demon with the gaze of pity. She forgot how to become scared. She forgot how to cower under the pressure of the winged girl's power. All she felt was sadness…
"Kyouko!" cried Mugetsu from within her cage, "Gengetsu, let her go now! Please!"
"Stop… Stop looking at me…" muttered the Dream Demon, her voice cracked and trembling, "Stop looking at me with those eyes!"
"Guk!" the Yamabiko began to choke as the grip around her neck increased, yet she forced herself to stay calm and master the pain. She had to get through this girl. This time, she knew that her survival mattered very little, she had to help, "Tell…me… Why..? Are you… satisfied with… the way things are..? No use… No use in killing me. I'm… a nobody… but your sister… Your sister can help, if… you'll just let her… Please listen…. To her... Her voice… let it reach you…"
Kyouko's vision began to blur. Air failed to reach her brain as she began to black out. Dark spots danced around her vision just as she felt the hold around her neck loosen. With a thud, she fell upon the tiled floor, coughing and hacking for air. As she held her throbbing neck, she noticed sparkling droplets fall before her. Slowly lifting her head up, she saw that the Dream Demon was crying.
People had different ways of calling for help, some cried, some hid it underneath a smile, some pretended that it didn't matter…. While others… Others let it all out. The only problem was…they tend to be ignored until to the point their own hearts become numb and dull. This was simply Gengetsu's call, a cry for help. The Yamabiko only realized it just now. In this vast wasteland, a nameless world save for its title, she had no one to turn to but her sister. Yet even to her, her sister seemed distant, almost as if she were stranger.
That's when she decided to bottle it up until it broke her, broke her mind and soul until she became corrupted. Underneath the cruel and sadistic demeanour she had adopted was a girl afraid, waiting to be loved once again.
Gengetsu fell on her knees as her face expressed shock. The stream of tears continued to fall from her eyes, dampening the cold blue floor. And then she began to sob.
Her shoulders trembled as she wept and howled, covering her face with her bloodied hands. Her wings were furled and shivered, causing a bit of her pure white feathers to fall upon the floor. Kyouko wanted to comfort her yet found no strength to do so… Fortunately someone else did. The Yamabiko's ears tensed as she heard footsteps, identifying them as Mugetsu's once she came into view. Now released from her prison, she stood beside her elder sister with a solemn expression.
With a sigh, the younger Dream Demon knelt and hugged her sibling from her back, whispering, "There, there… That's it, let it all out… I'm here… Please… there's no need to be sad, okay? This…. This is all my fault…"
"Mu-mu's a dummy!" sobbed the winged girl, not rejecting the hug, "Dummy, dummy, dummy!"
The younger girl cracked a sad smile, "I know I am…"
It was a beautiful scene. Kyouko fell on her back, exhausted as rain fell from the red heavens. It was clear, cold rain, soaking her yet she didn't care. A ghost of a smile on her face as the Dream siblings reconciled. It was over, and all it took was a few pretty words. Who knew?
"Bad Kyouko…"
And then the atmosphere was shattered with those two words. Everyone turned their attention at a certain malformed satori.
"You're not supposed to be making friends with the enemy…" muttered the abomination that the satori had become.
"K-Koishi-san?" stuttered the Yamabiko as she got up. No… this isn't good. I completely forgot about her hat!
"You do know about what I said, right?" Koishi took a step forward; her blade arm gleaming with wicked light while her other arm was normal, "looks like I'll have to make you obey…"
On instinct, Kyouko raised her sword in defence as the satori's blade collided with it. Releasing a shaky breath as she felt the ground beneath her tremble, the Yamabiko used her Youkai strength to push the satori away. Koishi merely looked at her with an emotionless gaze, her nightmarish appendage morphing within blue tendrils as it turned into a claw.
"Winged girl needs to die," said the satori in a raspy voice, almost similar to sandpaper rubbing together. It sent chills down the Yamabiko's spine.
"IT'S JUST A HAT, KOISHI-SAN!" yelled Kyouko, though without her amplifying ability. All of this trouble for a silly hat? Bullshit.
"It was my hat," replied Koishi in a dead sort of tone, "It was my friend…"
"I'm not letting you hurt them…" said the teal haired girl with defiance, levelling her slender blade with her shoulder. Behind her, the Dream Sisters exchanged nervous looks at the scene before them. That was until Koishi raised her claw and jammed it into the ground, causing blue tendrils to shoot up from the tiled floor and wrapping themselves around the sisters. The two kicked and screamed as they hung in mid-air within scaly blue green tendrils.
Kyouko could only gape in shock at how fast things happened.
Turning her attention back at the satori, she just made it in time as Koishi said, "Our turn to dance… You've been a very bad girl, Kyouko. I'll have to discipline you right now…"
The Strongest Music cues presents: Touhou Violin Rock II- 6 ハルトマンの妖怪少女(Hartmann's Youkai Girl)
The malformed satori tilted her head from left to right, causing an audible crack to echo. With a sadistic smirk, she planted her foot on the ground and dashed forward with delight, raising her claw above her head. She hacked and slashed with her claws as the other girl parried and blocked with all her skill. Kyouko evaded a claw strike on her left before bringing her slender sword in front of her to block the following strike, the force of it pushing her backwards.
Kicking off the ground, the Yamabiko barely evaded Koishi's dive attack as she crashed on the place where the other girl had been. The teal headed girl pulled a leaf out of a certain half-ghost and used her sword to summon blue and red danmaku in the air, the mass of them homing towards the satori. As the bullets exploded, the malformed girl burst through the smoke, a derange glint within her eyes as she jabbed her clawed hand. The attack was easily dodged, giving her opponent the chance for a counter attack.
Knowing this, she deflected Kyouko's sword with her blade arm, forcing the other girl on the defensive before unleashing a thick clump of blue green tendrils. The Yamabiko was shot out of the air on impact, sending her falling like a shooting star into the ground.
Pain flooded the teal headed girl's mind, yet a black shadow overhead brought her back to reality. She barely had time to stumble out of the way when an explosion rattled the earth. Koishi drew a large rocky fist backwards before launching it. Kyouko did the only thing she could do at those two seconds. She screamed.
The malformed satori was blown off her feet as she received a full blown amplified shout to the face, the sheer power behind it enough to level the ground. It was the voice of fear, and Koishi loved it. Grabbing the ground with a claw to reduce her distance, she dashed with all her might combined with her power of flight. Her right arm transforming back into a blade while her other arm formed into a shield, the floor beneath her quaking at her mighty stomps.
Panicking, the Yamabiko unleashed a full blast of danmaku bullets, yet all of these seemed to be bouncing harmlessly off her foe's shield. Instead of running away from the inevitable, she decided to get close and personal. Walking forward to meet with her opponent, Kyouko moved left to avoid Koishi's thrust, retreating back a few paces to step away from the shield's reach. Clashing her sword with the satori's blade arm, they she blocked a high slash aimed for her head just as a kick connected with her gut.
Doubling over, she dived to the right to avoid being cut in half. She rose once more to the challenge and met with Koishi's blade, luring the abomination in a feint and successfully injuring her opponent with a slash to the waist. Kyouko released a shaky sigh as she looked at her sword.
Blood.
"K-Koishi-san!" she stuttered as she turned to look at the satori. There her foe stood, staring at the deep cut on her side. The red streamed out of her body in a powerful gush before slowly trickling into nothing. The wound was healed, as if it wasn't there in the first place.
Koishi gritted her teeth and howled, she punched the tiled floor with all her strength, summoning jagged spikes in the process. The Yamabiko jumped and took to the air to avoid her inevitable slaughter, firing off danmaku bullets behind her. Her bullets never made it as blue tendrils came to intercept them. The spikes suddenly trembled and burst open like some disgusting flower in full bloom before releasing thousands of heart shaped bullets into the sky.
"Oh no…" muttered the Yamabiko as she gazed at the incoming bullets, "Just what kind of trouble did I get myself into now…"
It sure was a good run. Yet right now, it seemed like her luck just ran out. As the pink glow of the hearts lit her face, she let go of her sword and allowed it to fall blade first into oblivion. She just floated there, staring at the beautiful patter the hearts made as they flew towards her. Danmaku… It wasn't a contest of strength or wit… It was… a battle of beauty, to see who could come up with the most beautiful pattern. The way the colours blended and the shapes they formed should dazzle their opponents to submission.
The Red-White told her this once and the Black-White mentioned that the most beautiful ones could only be made through one's feelings. For the Shrine Maiden, it was determination, for the Witch, it was love. Kyouko looked hard at the satori's pattern.
Perhaps if you were to speak with the satori's sister, you will hear the same sob story as you have now... Gengetsu and Koishi Komeiji... Aren't that different you know?
The feeling of Sadness.
Mr. Hat keeps me relaxed.
She was all alone.
Kyouko…
The teal headed girl opened her eyes, the bullets were coming closer.
Dreams are what we make them, hm? That needs your help, and you'll help her just as you aided the Winged One. Here… In this world… You're the one making the miracles… You're the heroine…
"That's right," she muttered, her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst through her chest.
Well what are you going to do now?
The bullets were a mere thirty feet below her, it was now or never.
"I'm…. going…. to…" Kyouko inhaled a lungful of air before unleashing her trademark echo, "HELP HER!"
A powerful shockwave rocked the heavens as the Yamabiko put her heart and soul to that shout. Every bit of pain, suffering, sadness, and hopelessness she unleashed in that powerful blow. It pierced through the armada of bullets and erased anything that got into its path. It was like watching a concentrated tornado destroying everything on a single point.
Due to its sheer raw power, the shout had enough strength to pull the bullets surrounding it into its path, literally dragging them with it. She knew this wasn't real, she could never muster this kind of echo in real life, but then again, thinking back to what Koishi told her on her arrival to this world, it was possible because she simply thought of it.
This is your dream so you can practically make anything possible!
Kyouko simply wanted her voice to reach the broken satori.
An explosion signalled that her echo hit its mark, followed by another series of smaller explosion which meant that the other bullets also connected with the ground. The rest of the bullets far from her echo's path simply whizzed past her, doing her no harm. Closing her mouth, the echo faded away, yet the Yamabiko could still her own voice in her head. With one sloppy shake, she turned her attention towards the cloud filled earth and quickly descended.
The Dream Demon twins were still bound to the thick tendril yet it seemed like they had ceased struggling. They were too busy observing the hovering teal headed girl with either mixed emotions. As the smoke cleared, Koishi Komeiji was revealed to be still standing, two thick blue scaled shields covering her body. Transforming her shields back into her normal arms, she gazed at the approaching Kyouko with emotionless eyes. A hollow smile appeared on her lips as she moved forward.
The Strongest Music turns into Silence! Cirno, kill the music!
"You've been a very bad girl Kyouko," she rasped in the same sandpapery voice, "Monk lady isn't going to like this…"
The girl shook her head, much to the satori's confusion, "Let's just go home, Koishi-san."
"What?" Koishi retreated a step at the Yamabiko's words, "No… Mr. Hat…"
"Is right here," Kyouko pulled her hand from behind and presented a black hat with a wide rim, offering it to the hatless girl, "Well? Go on…"
The satori hesitated at first yet grasped the edge of the hat with utmost care, eventually taking it while gazing at it with wonder, "It's… the same…"
Kyouko heard something rustle behind her, only to find that the tendrils which tied the Dream Sisters were slowly dissolving into nothing. The two blondes floated gently to the ground as they watched the giant pillar of scales crumbles into fine powder. They turned their attention to the two youkais, their eyes widening as the teal headed girl hugged the satori.
"Back at the temple, there are a lot of good people," said Kyouko into the stunned Koishi's ear, "We have a lot of food, good company, and lots of spare rooms. Murasa could be annoying sometimes, and Mamizou could be a little shifty but everyone's all good. Nue has this cute tendency to pout when surprised, and playing danmaku with Kogasa is so much fun. Shou's a bit strict, but she's also clumsy and forgetful. Nazrin doesn't say much, yet she could be really talkative whenever you bring her information about treasures."
She felt the satori tremble within her grasp yet she held on, "Sometimes it could get really boring, reciting sutras every day and cleaning the yard, it hurts sometime on the knees and back yet it could also be fun. It's fun whenever the Red-White visits, it's fun when the Black-White comes to play, you should try Mystia's lamprey sometimes, it's really good you know… On Thursday nights, you could come with us on our gig and hear us sing. You could get the VIP seat while you watch. The temple's really fun, it's so full of life and people. There, no one would hate you; you wouldn't have to be alone."
There was something hot and wet seeping through the Yamabiko's shoulder, she could hear a faint sniffle behind her back. She kept her embrace firm as ever, "You could have everyone with you. You can even invite your sister. She and Lady Byakuren could talk and talk while you can play all you want. We'll welcome you when everyone shuts their doors in your face. We'll be there when you're hungry or cold, giving you a roof above your head or keeping you filled. You need to piece yourself back together, because I know… Someone, somewhere cares about you. And that person is just waiting for your return… You need to remember that you're not alone in this world."
Kyouko could feel her own tears filling up her eyes, eventually trailing down her cheeks as she spoke, "There are people waiting for you, Koishi…"
She placed her hands on the satori's shoulders and let go. The other girl had a blank expression on her face, yet hot tears also fell down from her cheeks. Her lips trembled while her hands shook as she held her hat. A second passed and Koishi finally found her voice, "Are you… sure..?"
"Most definitely!" chirped the Yamabiko with a smile. She then turned her head to the Dream Sisters who were watching the entire spectacle, "Ah! W-Wha… H-How long—?"
"Thank you," said Mugetsu, taking the teal headed girl's hands and shaking them, "Thank you for everything. I never quite expected you to be so… stubborn…"
Not sure if that was a compliment or an insult, the other girl replied, "Um, thanks?"
"I'm sorry," mumbled the elder Dream Demon, she did her best to avoid eye contact with the Yamabiko as she continued, "I'm sorry if… I messed with your head a bit. I'm really sorry, I'll never do it again, I promise. I'm ready to do anything you ask, just so you can forgive me… I've been really selfish and—"
"Ah! N-no! Th-there won't be any need for that!" cut in Kyouko while waving her hands. Having an all-powerful being like Gengetsu under her command was just asking for trouble, "R-Really! I mean, I've already forgiven you… All of you…"
She mostly directed the last part to the sniffling satori, still holding on the hat as if it was her life line. Koishi looked up and gave her a sheepish smile before hiding her face behind her hat.
"I see… I thank you once again, Kyouko Kasodani," the younger Dream Sister curtsied with gratitude. Straightening up, she nodded to her elder sibling as the two of them summoned a white portal with a flourish of their hands. A cold breeze greeted the four as the portal stretched its entrance wide, "Well… I think this is where we part. This should take you back to your own Dream plane; from there you would wake up and be back into the Waking World."
"Eh?" the Yamabiko looked towards Koishi while saying, "B-But what about you?"
"Miss Komeiji can make it back on her own," replied Gengetsu with a small smile, "Being the Queen of the Subconscious and all, it shouldn't be too hard."
"Besides…" muttered the satori, she held the teal headed girl's shoulder gently, "It was nice of you… to offer me a place to stay. What you said about your temple is true, Everything's fun and noisy, but… I'm not really the type to stay in one place… Thanks though… You won't even remember me after this…"
"What?" asked Kyouko in confusion and surprise, "but… Why?"
"Subconscious…" replied the satori with a knowing look, "I'll be always at the back of your mind…"
Gazing at the portal behind her, the Yamabiko released a heavy sigh, "We'll meet each other again, okay? The three of you…"
"Of course," said Koishi with a grin.
"We'll do our best to give you a nightmare free week," assured Mugetsu with a wave of her hand.
"We're here, always watching," promised Gengetsu with a smile of her own.
Nodding at her new friends, the teal headed girl charged into the portal, her vision going white.
"Kyouko!"
"Kyouko!"
"Gremlin!"
Waking up to a bunch of rowdy voices gathered around her, the girl in question sleepily opened her eyes to her friends' faces. Murasa, Shou, Ichirin, Mamizou, Unzan and Mystia surrounded her with haggard looks on their faces; it didn't look like they got enough sleep. Looking around, she found out that her room was a complete mess. Sake bottles and dishes were scattered about while various reading materials from the outside world were cast aside carelessly. For some odd reason, there was a rope lying at a corner as well a ball gag of some sort.
Just what were these people doing inside her room like this?
And then the hugging started. Shou was crying while Murasa kept hitting her over and over on the head. Ichirin was more content sobbing in relief at a corner while Unzan patted her back. Mamizou nodded in satisfaction as she drunk from her sake bottle. There were words of welcome and complaints on how worried she made them. Honestly, the Yamabiko couldn't feel anymore guilty than she did. They were worried sick over what happened. Just how long was she out to reduce them to this state?
"Murasa, Shou, get off!" barked Kyouko as she shoved the phantom and Tiger Youkai away. Her eyes rested upon the person trembling before her, wings shaking like mad. Mystia glared at her with tear filled eyes before pouncing on her for a wild hug. After fifty consecutive shouts of "Idiot" the night sparrow finally calmed down and exited the temple in an angry manner. The residents of the temple finally cleaned up and went back to their respective rooms.
A sigh escaped the Yamabiko as she set aside her broom. Frowning in confusion, she placed a hand under her chin as she noticed a second futon beside her own. There was something jogging at her memory ye tshe could quite place it. She remembered the Dream World, the illusions Gengetsu put her through. Yet it felt like…. Something was missing…
Dismissing it as something unimportant, she plopped herself into her futon and wrapped her blanket around her. Maybe it was time for her to have good dreams.
And so, another night comes to a close at the Myouren Temple.
…
….
…
Deep inside the meditation room, a certain monk was focusing.
"Ohmmm," went Byakuren, "Ohmmm… zzzzzz…."
And she's been like that for five hours already.
Elsewhere, Koishi Komeiji walked through Chireiden's vast corridors. The stained glass windows casting a purple light on the velvet floor as she passed by. It was cold here in the underground, seeing as the only source of warmth they had was the Hell of Blazing Fires which was miles away from her home. It was sure a long time since she went home, it was a miracle she could still remember the path leading towards her sister's study. The satori also noted the lack of pets running around tending to the mansion and such. Maybe it was because of the lateness of the hour, or maybe everyone was on a holiday.
It didn't matter seeing as she found a door left ajar, a faint orange light could be seen within.
Opening the door, a nostalgic warmth took over her. The air smelled of freshly baked cookies, it made Koishi's stomach hungry. Entering the room, she noticed how the orange flames danced merrily under the fire place, casting their bright light on the carpeted floor. She could hear deep breathing coming in front of one of the chairs. Orin, her sister's cat, was purring in her sleep just before the fire place. There was no sign of Okuu, so she must still be tending to the reactor's flames.
Going around one of the chairs, Koishi found her beloved sister sleeping peacefully with a book in her hand. There was still a bit of milk left in her glass along with some cookies at a silver plate. She stroked her elder sister's deep pink hair before caressing her cheek with a finger. Koishi smiled and walked away, coming back with a blanket in hand. She draped the fabric over her sister as to keep her warm. Kissing her elder sibling on the forehead, she went to the door and opened it. Looking back once and said, "I'll… be right back…"
With that, she went out, closing the door behind her. Unbeknownst to her, the elder Komeiji opened her eyes half way, bringing the blanket close to her face, "I'll be waiting… little sister."
Nicolas Notes: *Is crying* I-I-I... I MISS YOU ALL!
I think it's about time I explained my ass long absence, ehehehe. Well you see, during the start of Febuary, I got hooked with a new fandom which caused my head to go haywire and formulate other stories aside from my Touhou ones. Thus, causing me to lose focus. I couldn't really write anything without the other ideas getting in the way. I'm just... moved to tears that I managed to finish this without focusing. NOT.
Well, not exactly to tears but I'm very happy to be back where I belong. On another note, Kyouko-tan has managed to use the full advantage of being in the dream world, eh? I call that the "Kasodani Starlight Breaker" lol.
There were various references here and there, one from a game that I love, one from a book we all know, and one from a video series I deeply love. There may be others, though it's up to you if you can find them.
Updates will either be slower or faster depending on me. Once again, i have lost my schedule of which fic to work on and whatnot. Don't expect Laevateinn to be back yet, but I'll try as hard as I can to finish it.
Well that's all for now, I'll see you guys in the next installment.
YAHOO~
