Author's notes
Sorry this came out later than expected, but I needed to do some planning ahead. I only have the next few chapters loosely planned, so I'm a bit nervous releasing this, as it's the first time I've finished a chapter without the next one partially written. It'll probably take me a while to get into a new rhythm. In the meantime, enjoy, and thanks for reading, as always!
At the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Remilia's "office"
"Well, it seems its time to renegotiate our contract. Fixing all this damage to my home won't be cheap... but I'm willing to overlook it for a small favor." Remilia explained to Udonge.
Ran had long ago left, leaving Chen behind in Udonge's care... yet another poisoned subject to treat. Keine's condition had taken hours of complicated surgery to stabilize. Udonge just wanted to sleep, but so many lives rested on her now. And with Youmu gone to speak with the Prismriver sisters about starting up a communication with the Netherworld, Udonge now had to treat her many patients with only Alice as help. While Alice's many dolls and Alice's own dexterity had proven very helpful with the surgery, Alice herself knew rather little of medicine. They were still both having difficulty keeping the others stable and healing... this meeting was taking precious time... anything could go wrong, and quickly, so Alice was tending the patients while Udonge spoke with Remilia. Alone. Again.
Of course, Medicine Melancholy herself was a problem as well. Udonge wasn't sure what she would be able to do with her... maybe convince her to remove the poison somehow? That seemed terribly unlikely. Udonge simply knew no way to contain Medicine should she wake up, so she was currently keeping the poison youkai unconscious. She made another mental note to ask Remilia if she had any ideas during this meeting.
Udonge really hoped it would go smoother than their last meeting as Remilia continued.
"Now, I don't think I'm asking much in compensation. I simply need you folks to distribute some... advertisements, of a sort." Remilia pulled out a stack of papers... "Patchouli works quite fast when you give her a motivation..." and set the papers on the table with a loud thud.
On each paper in the stack was a clear image of Satori Komeiji, along with her name, a warning that she was able to read minds, a note that she was weak enough to be beaten by even Cirno... and a fifty million yen reward for the delivery of her person to Remilia Scarlet, dead or alive.
Udonge just stared... switching her gaze between a very serious Remilia, and the disinterested looking Satori on the paper in front of her. She finally gathered herself enough to speak. "But... she's done so much to help-"
"No!" Remilia stood on her chair and slammed her hands down on the table, clearly and suddenly angry. "She's put the whole of Gensokyo at risk! I had everything under control, but that blasted satori ruined it! Now these demons are going to invade, and everything will be gone, and it's all her fault! Why can't you -see- that?" Remilia screamed into Udonge's sensitive ears.
"But... but... she's the only one who... who can fix Eirin..." Udonge stuttered out, cowering in her chair.
"What, having the very culprit delivered into your hands didn't help?"
"Of course not! How would it? She's unconscious, and even if that -weren't- the case, I have no -idea- how we could control her. Clearly the wards we had at Eientei weren't enough, and they put anything your little friend could do to shame!" Udonge was looking intently at Remilia, her own voice raising.
Remilia was behind Udonge in a flash, one arm holding her in a crushing grasp, while the other had its claws at her neck as Remilia spoke.
"Do we really need to go through this again, little rabbit?" Remilia squeezed, forcing the air from Udonge's lungs. "Because if we have to, I'm not sure I'll stop where I did last time..." Remilia slightly loosened her grip, letting Udonge gasp for air and speak.
"No... but... We need Satori!" Udonge pleaded, and Remilia squeezed hard once again.
"-You- need Satori. -I- need her taken care of. Now, if you're not willing to help me, I'm having trouble seeing why I should keep you alive, let alone allow you to keep working here. Sakuya seems to be nearly healed, now. I know you can't simply relocate again; Marisa's condition is turning for the worse, and now Keine can't be moved, either... not that you have the people to move them in any case. So tell me one good reason to let you live... and another good one to let you keep working here." Remilia relaxed her grip to allow a response...
Udonge was panicking... she struggled to think of something. Fortunately for her, someone else intervened.
"You may as well let her go. I'll go ahead and distribute those for you." A vague voice spoke. "I can get them where you really want them, where everyone in Gensokyo will see them."
Remilia released Udonge, who quickly went for the door and skittered out. Remilia let her go; It's not as though Udonge could get away if Remilia really wanted to catch her anyway. Besides, it would be handy to have her around later to force into more contracts. Still, unless she dealt with Satori first, she couldn't use her grand plan again... and she'd probably have to deal with Ran and Yukari as well... well, one step at a time. Remilia sighed before asking of the intruder:
"Who are you? How did you get in?"
"Not important. What is, is that you and I have a common enemy. Now, the only issue I have with these posters is that is says you want her alive or dead..."
"Yeah. There are a few questions I wouldn't mind asking her, but I wouldn't mind a corpse so much." Remilia replied, not particularly worried. She was, after all, still a vampire in her own domain.
"Well, then I've no problem. Simply assure me that if she's brought here alive, that you... address that situation."
"Works for me..." Remilia didn't really care who distributed the posters, as long as they were seen... and she could tell her new temporary employee truly wanted Satori dead, at least as much as Remilia herself did...
"Glad to hear it." The visitor picked up the papers and left the room.
Meanwhile, at a Ruined, Western Style Mansion Near the Misty Lake
Youmu entered the mansion and looked around, a chill running down her spine. She lamented the fact that she was the only one really familiar with the Prismriver sisters... such familiarity had resulted in her being the one to meet with the poltergeists to have them serve as messengers to the Netherworld. She could hear the sisters practicing as she entered the house... but they were practicing individually. Youmu could hear multiple songs playing simultaneously, and the cacophony made her want to cover her ears, though she knew it would do nothing to stop the soul-touching music. She forced herself onwards, fear rising in her heart. At any moment, one of the Prismrivers could pass through a nearby wall... But she'd be ready!
Lunasa Prismriver, in her customary black outfit, flew out from the nearby wall. Youmu wasn't ready; she fell back and let out a surprised shriek. Lunasa looked curiously at her, and many of the instruments cut out completely.
"Oh, it's the half phantom... does your mistress wish another performance? The blossoms aren't due for another few weeks, I thought." Lunasa asked. Youmu's heart was pounding, first from the fear, and now from the unbalanced music. Merlin's brass, currently playing three different songs at different tempos, was keeping Youmu wound up.
"Yes! I mean no! No! No... we... just want a messenger. Three... three messengers. You three."
"What? Why us?"
"Because! You three can go back and forth! Between the Netherworld! And I'm busy here! O...kay?" Youmu blurted out, unable to fully think of words before shouting them out in a mad rush.
"Well, it seems it'll cut into our practice time..." Lunasa seemed reluctant to even bring the issue to her sisters.
"Gensokyo's in danger! Reimu's there! We need to talk to her! It's really important! Please!" Youmu begged excitedly, swiftly prostrating herself before Lunasa, who rolled her eyes...
"I'll go ask what the others think."
Lunasa resumed her playing, and though the several new impossible to follow songs that were playing managed to restrain Youmu's mood, it did nothing to allay her fears. She knew the Prismrivers weren't -actually- ghosts, but hells, they were close enough. She was easily spooked, and they weren't especially considerate of that fact... though come to think of it, nearly no one was.
Youmu waited anxiously... When the Prismriver sisters actually performed, the tension in the air held everyone in rapture, a single thread pulled so taught that it seemed the world itself could be slashed apart if reality dared intervene in their musical enthrallment. Here, now, with the three Prismrivers practicing countless songs simultaneous, the tension was no less... but instead of being a single unified thread tugging everyone in the same direction, there were dozens of them, pulling Youmu apart. She focused herself as much as she could... tried to hold herself together against the tension in the air that threatened to tear her soul apart...
Youmu laughed in joy as tears of despair leaked from her eyes... She heard Yuyuko laughing with her in a dirge... she heard falling stars play a jaunty tune as they fell to their deaths...
Then the brass song's stopped as Merlin, dressed in her blue and pink, flew up through the ground. She let out a loud, sudden note in Youmu's face and laughed as Youmu was sent sprawling, her face betraying the terror she felt.
"Hey! What's so important you want us to go all the way to the Netherworld for? It's days away from here!" Merlin asked.
"Reimu's dead... Well... she's in the Netherworld... right. Dead." Already Lunasa's unbalanced songs were weighing down Youmu's mind. Why was she even here? With Reimu dead, there was nothing they could do to stop the barrier from collapsing. At that point, the demons may as well take it; Gensokyo would stop existing anyway.
"Oh wow! That -is- serious! But we're busy right now! We've gotta keep sharp or those new upstarts are gonna end up making more noise than us! I mean, we never even thought of impromptu midnight concerts! Argh! We won't lose to them!" Merlin shouted off and flew away. Youmu cried shamelessly. There was no other way to reach the Netherworld... without the Prismrivers, all hope was lost. She tried to conjure enough motivation to stand and leave, but failed, instead collapsing onto her back...
Then Merlin's music resumed, and Youmu felt the pull on her soul. Yes, without the Prismrivers, all hope was lost... but the Prismrivers were here, and if anyone could convince them, she could...
Well, that's what she was thinking for a moment, anyway. Moments later she was confused once again... her soul being pulled from every direction by the unnatural sounds she was hearing. Her tears of joy were swallowed by her sobs of despair... the sound of hail shattering glass mixed with nails on a chalkboard to form an anguished scream that sang the praises of life... Youmu lost track of time, unable to do anything but listen to the cacophony as it engulfed her, lying on her back.
Then she saw Lyrica, the youngest Prismriver in her usual red, poke her head and torso through the ceiling above Youmu. The more bizarre sounds stopped... only traditional instruments remained, though she still felt her soul torn between blissful agony and tortuous joy...
"We'll do it. It's taking me a while to convince them, but I'm making some progress already. We'll go ahead and set ourselves up as messengers. We'll check in at the Devil's mansion and Netherworld. You should be able to use us to get an update every couple days. We probably won't be able to keep it up more than a few months, though. Longer than that and we might end up forgetting what it is we exist for... and we can't have that."
Youmu barely heard any of what Lyrica said... 'We'll do it' just kept going through her head, and she weakly nodded, not even noticing Lyrica's disappearance. She gathered all of her remaining willpower and began the arduous task of crawling out of the mansion.
The sounds threatened to tear her apart as she tried her hardest to focus on the door, just a few feet away... once outside, she knew the poltergeists would be far more distant. Why was outside so far away? She threw one arm forward, grasped the cracked floor, and pulled with as much effort as she could muster. Her soul wanted to flee no more than it wanted to stay here and ride the waves of emotion forever, though... to become lost in the tides of noise and be torn apart. Her pull got her nearly to the door.
Youmu reached out once more, and grasped the frame of the door for dear life. The tension in the mansion was on the very verge of snapping... and if Youmu was caught in that, she knew she wouldn't survive... not as herself, anyway. She pulled on the doorframe, trying to shove with her feet as well, but it was too far. She simply couldn't... move. Her will eroded... her essence began splintering, flayed by the conflicting songs as she lay sobbing on the ground.
Then, she heard Yuyuko's laugh, taking the place of a trumpet in a boisterous tune. Yuyuko... She had to get back to Yuyuko... Youmu gathered her resolve... and she forced herself out of the door, outside of the mansion. The forces that had nearly rent her asunder were now merely playful tugs, but the ordeal had left her drained. Thirst burned in her throat, and hunger wracked her, but she hardly even noticed.
Of course, had she been in her right mind, she might have remembered that as a half-phantom, she could endure thirst and hunger far better than a normal human. If Youmu had been a human, she'd be dead from thirst after so much time in the mansion... if a Youkai, her very essence would have collapsed under the strain of the Prismriver's practice.
Youmu lay face down in the now melting snow, not caring if she got wet, greedily eating the snow in front of her face, desperate for water. Then, she lost consciousness completely... her first sleep since she had entered the ruined mansion, three evenings ago.
Meanwhile, at the Moriya Shrine
Satori was eating a light, simple meal of cooked noodles. She had done her best to stay out of Kanako's way, and Kanako was doing her best to give Satori some space. They were pleased with this setup, but of course, it was only a matter of time before something went wrong with it.
Suwako Moriya entered the door... Satori looked at her, and read curiosity rather than fear, panic, or hate. Well, that probably wouldn't last long, but she savored the moment while she could, delving into the goddess' heart, intrigued by what she saw there... and the more she learned, the more she wished to.
Suwako Moriya was dying. Well, fading to nothingness, but close enough. She accepted her fate, and simply wished to ensure that those she left behind would be well cared for. Satori swiftly found the reason for her decaying form... and indeed, learned that she had been slowly dying for a long time, now. She had perhaps a decade left before she was lost completely. She had enjoyed her time in Gensokyo, and was confident that Kanako and her shrine maiden Sanae, who carried Suwako's own divine blood, would get along just fine here.
Satori could hardly ignore the other heart that accompanied her... a series of gods, though they shared but a single heart... many serpentine curse gods wound themselves around Suwako. These beings, known as the Mishaguji, had entered into a sort of contract with Suwako. Though the event had happened eons ago, Satori had no difficulty reading the agreement they had made, so strong was it in Suwako's mind. Suwako had found the wild curse gods splintered and weak; they lacked direction, being almost animal in nature, and Suwako gave them guidance. She commanded them, and when they followed her orders, they were rewarded with faith... This had gone well for a long time, but Suwako realized shortly after being defeated by Kanako that they consumed more faith than she was getting, now that she shared what she got with Kanako. She found herself feeding them, anyway... she knew that to do otherwise would only bring down their wrath upon her and those who relied on her. Kanako had defeated her, it was only right that Suwako be the one to pay the price the Mishaguji demanded.
Now, after eons of this arrangement, Suwako appeared as a mere child... the most powerful and imposing form she could muster. The Mishaguji, meanwhile, were plentiful in number and strength, some of its bodies larger than the Moriya shrine itself. Soon, the rapid, irreversible downward slide would begin. She was already gathering little faith, and the Mishaguji were as hungry as ever... every day, Suwako gave more and more of her divine essence to the serpentine gods.
The Mishaguji seemed confident in Suwako's plan to keep them from fading, so they continued feeding and following instructions. For Suwako's part, she had already accepted her impending end, and was trying to train Sanae to be able to gather faith for herself as well. If Sanae didn't start improving seriously soon, then her life was at risk. Suwako had already promised the Mishaguji that Sanae would continue feeding them once Suwako went. Suwako wasn't sure what would happen if Sanae couldn't keep them fed. Once they ran out of divine essence they may simply wither and die, denying Kanako her prime source of faith and causing her to vanish, leaving Sanae alone, a mere normal human outsider in a world that cared nothing for such people. Of course, they may start running wild, devouring whatever they came across; Sanae may be on top of that list, but Suwako wasn't sure when they would stop. Neither outcome was very good for her distant descendent.
It was a plan centuries in the making, and Suwako had carefully thought it out... now, she was doing the best she could to live her last days as much as she could, while giving Sanae the best chances of survival.
"Hello? I asked you a question." She must have a name... Suwako prompted of the stunned Satori. Satori merely stared... such a complex plan... and is seemed Suwako constantly ruminated on it. She was still unsure if it was the right thing to do, but realizing she had committed herself to this path a long time ago, and she was prepared to see her plan through to its end.
"Huh? Oh... I'm Satori." She stammered out. So she's the satori Kanako meant. I wonder what I'm thinking.
"Well, apart from that thought just now, you seem to be thinking about your relationship with the Mishaguji, mostly."
Well, that's proof enough, I suppose. I haven't even mentioned it to Sanae or Kanako yet. Suwako's thoughts weren't very forceful... even the Mishaguji, with their basic, hunger-driven minds were more assertive.
"You probably should. They may be able to help, and even if not, just dropping a parasitic nest of curse gods on the Sanae's lap is something she'd probably not be happy with as a surprise."
I'll just tell her later. Once it's a little further along. Suwako thought to herself, while she began to say "I don't think that's-"
"You would be surprised just how many dead we get at Chireiden who are still thinking that exact thing. 'I'll tell them tomorrow.' Do it now, or you may never get the chance."
Suwako let out a 'Hmph'. Who does she think she is anyway? I know those two better than anyone. "Telling them would be a bad idea."
"You may know Sanae better than I do, as I've yet to meet your shrine maiden. But Kanako? I doubt it. Your mental impression of her is quite wrong. And yes, I know you've worked very closely for thousands of years. Rather vain of you to think that you could keep a secret like the Mishaguji pact from her while thinking she would be incapable of hiding anything from you."
Suwako was beginning to grow rather annoyed. "I can't-" believe this girl!
"You should probably start. Everything would go so much more smoothly if people would just listen to me." Satori calmly explained, cutting off Suwako's words and responding to her finished thought.
Suwako leveled her eyes at Satori, and was on the verge of ordering her curse gods after Satori.
"I understand you're upset... it seems Kanako assigned me to your room. Rest assured, I am but a temporary guest. I've some cleansing to do before I can return to work, and after that I'll merely need to coordinate with Kanako. Go ahead and give her the scolding you want to. She wants someone to call her out on the things she's been doing; guilt is beginning to drive her mad, and you're one of the few people who could actually give her the guilt she needs."
Suwako had already marched back to the door, but turned around at Satori's suggestion. If that's what she wants me to do, maybe I should just let Kanako be... Suwako was torn... unsure if her decision was truly her own now, or if Satori had manipulated her into it.
"It was yours, fear not. One last thing before you go. You never told Sanae of the Mishaguji... fine. But did you ever consider she might wish to find another calling in life, rather than being forced into the life of a Shrine Maiden forever?"
Suwako had considered this very thing... and had tried so hard to shove it out of her mind, to convince herself that Of course it's what Sanae wants! And she had succeeded... until Satori had asked the question once again. Suwako left the room and slammed the door shut, a combination of anger and guilt left behind in her wake.
Satori shrugged as Suwako left. "As long as she's sure."
Satori returned to her interrupted meal. Of course, the noodles were all soggy now, and the meal had lost its warmth... Well, nothing to be done about it. Satori shrugged and resumed her now far less appetizing meal.
Several Days Later, at the Moriya Shrine
Satori sensed another approaching shortly before she burst in the door. Given her outfit, it must be the shrine maiden that lived and worked here. Her heart was eager and excitable, and also currently rather fixated on a man she had just got back from meeting with. Her heart was pounding, and upon seeing Kanako in the room, one thought kept running through her mind. Please don't notice... please don't notice...Sanae was sure that if Kanako noticed that her sarashi was missing, she would catch on...
"What took you so long, Sanae? We're trying to deal with a crisis here. You were supposed to return early this morning, and its nearly noon, now. How are-" we supposed to convince the tengu of our intention if-
Satori answered her questions from Sanae's mind, as Sanae was still trying to think of a good excuse for her tardiness.
"The villagers don't believe there's a threat any greater than normal, and are adopting a 'wait and see' approach. And no, she wasn't able to recruit any volunteers to train a youkai in the ways of youkai exterminating. As for her tardiness…"
Sanae's mind panicked, realizing that Satori was dangerously well informed. Don't say it!"Please don't-"
"She'd rather I didn't tell you." Satori replied. Sanae was hardly comforted, but was anxious to get to the privacy of her room, and had little way to stop Satori anyway. Kanako quirked an eyebrow... Just what is she hiding...?
"Right… ummm… what she said, basically. Can I... uh... go?" Sanae's heart was pumping frantically, anxiety nearly overwhelming her.
"Very well. You did seem to do your job. Go ahead and rest." Kanako acquiesced to Sanae's request, and Sanae, relieved, rushed off to an adjacent room and closed the thin sliding door. Unfortunately for Satori, extreme pain was but one of several feelings strong enough to be felts through such a barrier. While the pulses emanating from Sanae's room were not unpleasant, exactly, Satori really didn't appreciate the distraction... why were humans always so loud with their emotions, anyway?
Kanako whispered… "So why was she late, anyway? Doubtless you know, if you knew the rest…" Satori replied quietly, her own heart rate rising in response to Sanae's.
"She had a rendezvous with a man she's taken a fancy to. It seems things got pretty far, but she hasn't quite gone all the way."
"-WHAT-?" Kanako shouted. Satori sensed Sanae's attention break for a bit and grow worried… but then she carried on, sure she was free of blame.
"Hush. I don't know what his intentions are, but I'm sure she's at a stage where she doesn't care. Keep an eye on her." Satori explained, though her breathing was becoming irregular, and her face flushed.
"I'll do that, thanks." I hardly needed -another- thing to keep an eye on, but I can't let Sanae get herself into even more trouble...
"And… do you… mind if we go outside? She's really rather… distracting, right now." Satori glanced at Sanae's room, taking deep breaths to try and keep herself under control.
"Sure, but what do you mean?" Come to think of it, Satori's acting a bit odd, herself.
"Can I simply say she'd like some time to herself to focus on the subject of her infatuation?" Satori stood and wasted no time moving towards the exit. Kanako thought a bit, then chuckled lightly… Satori could see she understood.
"Yes… perhaps we'd best go outside." Kanako stood and actually walked, rather than flew. Her footsteps sounded loudly, making her exit clear to Sanae, who appreciated the extra bit of privacy.
Satori was already out the door by the time Kanako neared it. Such thoughts weren't uncommon in Chireiden; the cats and crows and other animals all certainly experienced lust as well, but Satori had always tried to give them plenty of room whenever they got down to business; strong feelings of any sort tended to overwhelm her, and wild lust was no exception. One awkward moment had been enough to teach -that- lesson. Thankfully, her pets had been understanding, and now gave Satori plenty of space when she needed it.
Pushing that uncomfortable memory back out of her mind, she closed the door to the shrine as she and Kanako walked towards the lake. The overwhelming pulse had dimmed to a comfortable sort of background noise as they walked further away... Satori relaxed a bit and let out a sigh of relief.
I can't even imagine how distracting it must be with all those pets she keeps around. Kanako thought as the pair walked silently.
"Put simply, humans have particularly strong emotions. A bit of space and a closed door is enough to block the emotions of the beasts and youkai that live at home, but even at this distance, with all those walls, Sanae is... loud."
What about the other satori? Satori's good mood sank a bit, though only for a while... Sanae's emotions were swiftly displacing Satori's own, positive or negative. After a brief pause, she answered Kanako's thought.
"Physical... intimacy... between us wasn't nearly as fulfilling as reaching a profound understanding. A heartfelt wordless discussion to connect us..." Satori explained, clearly longing for such a connection herself. Sanae had it easy; she didn't even need a partner, it seemed...
Was? I wonder what changed... Satori sighed and her gaze grew distant as she replied. "Momiji can tell you that."
Kanako noted the wistful look in her companion's eyes, and walked off a ways quietly wondering. I'll ask her later, then. When is she leaving, anyway...? It's been quite some time... leaving Satori in the thrall of her memories and Sanae's mental glow. After a while longer, the glow faded as Sanae finished, and Satori couldn't help but smile as she let out a content sigh. A poor substitute for a profound understanding, perhaps, but hardly an unpleasant sensation.
Satori would have to be careful in the future... she had seen other satori become addicted to such powerful sensations in the distant past, and it had never ended well. Yes, it would be best for her to leave the shrine soon, but for now she sat and looked at the shore of the lake, her mood vastly improved. She was almost ready to resume her work.
Later that Evening at the Moriya Shrine
Satori was sitting at the lake, looking over it, when she felt Sanae approaching. The shrine maiden was eager to do something, and her excitement was quickly infecting Satori.
"Oh, it's you again!" Sanae said as she noticed Satori. I really hope she kept quiet.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think what you're going to do is going to be anywhere -near- as exciting as you wish..." Satori said... Sanae was anticipating lobbing chunks of metal into the lake, where they would explode violently. Sanae herself seemed very confident it would work, though she had no prior experience.
"Oh? Who's miss know-it-all now? Watch this!" Sanae cut a small chunk of the metal she carried away with a knife... Satori was rather confused... she was aware there were different sorts of metals of course, but the way the knife cut easily through the chunk of dull metal to reveal a shiny interior was unusual. Sanae quickly "skinned" as much of the smaller chunk as she could in about twenty seconds, then tossed it as far as she could into to the lake. For a moment, nothing happened as the chunk landed in the water, but Sanae watched eagerly. Satori merely raised an eyebrow... a faint hissing noise was coming from it, and it floated around for a few seconds... odd, but far from the sort of reaction Sanae had been hoping for.
"I told-" Satori started, before being cut off by a tremendous explosion as a gout of flame and burst of sparks leapt out of the lake with the sound of a sudden crash. Satori was not an easy one to surprise, but she sat where she had landed upon throwing herself back and stared at the water. Sanae herself didn't remember the exact mechanism described in her textbooks... only that sodium and water was good fun.
Sanae turned towards Satori and stuck out her tongue. "I told -you- so." She was smug in the extreme as she carved off another chunk. Satori backed away from the shrine maiden and lake...
"What... what... Where did you get that?" Satori finally managed to stammer out as another chunk landed in the lake... Sanae's eager gaze followed it, but Satori covered her ears and looked away from it. Finally got a chance to do this... I've been wanting to ever since Reimu summoned up that metal god for me. "Reimu got it for me about a month ago." Another bang erupted from the lake... Sanae found it quite amusing. I really need to learn how to do that.
"Reimu can... summon gods?"
What kind of shrine maiden would she be, otherwise? "Of course."
"Well, yes, she is a shrine maiden... so she says, anyway." Satori conceded. Sanae got a good chuckle out of that.
She's a -bad- one, though. I -still- haven't seen whatever god is supposed to live at her shrine. I kinda thought she wouldn't be able to summon the god when I asked her to back then... it was supposed to make her look even more useless. Oh well, at least I got this out of it. Sanae carved another chunk off.
Satori pondered this bit of information. Reimu could summon gods... "Wait, but then why don't you? You seem to serve your gods more faithfully..." Sanae didn't seem to notice that she hadn't spoken the words she'd been thinking. All in All, Satori was getting an impression that a lot of things went over the young shrine maiden's head.
"Oh, I can summon a few..." Sanae started as she lobbed the sodium chunk into the lake. Mostly just Kanako and Suwako, though... It takes training to summon a god... Really strong gods are tough to summon... "Someone like Amaterasu would be way past me though. I doubt even Reimu could summon her." Sanae continued as the metal hissed on the surface.
Satori felt the beginnings of an idea. "And when you summon the god... you can-" -BANG!-... Satori winced as she continued "just... make them do whatever you want?"
"Sure, if you do it right." 'course, without knowing the god's full identity... all their titles, names, abilities, profile... "Easy to mess up though... some gods get real upset when you summon them... gotta bind them properly or they do whatever -they- want instead. Really, they usually just leave... some might do what you wanted anyway." Really glad I don't have to do anything like that, though. Sometimes I get the feeling that Lady Kanako and Suwako are keeping secrets from me...
Satori frowned... well, it had been worth asking. Sanae was already in the process of carving off another chunk of the bizarre metal, and Satori had had enough excitement for today. Sanae's hadn't faded at all, though, and Satori needed to get away from her unrestrained emotions to be able to think clearly for a while.
Moriya Shrine, The next morning.
Satori sat at the table with her three hosts. She a lot of her own to consider and discuss, but of course she couldn't help but overhear the others' thoughts.
They were sharing a simple meal of rice. Kanako was mentally looking over the budget the shrine had to work with. It seemed the tengu were finally beginning to pay tribute; this war was looking to be good for profit, but it might take a while before the tengu were willing to donate under more normal circumstances. The extra income is nice, but I'd rather not be poised on the brink of destruction.
Sanae was wondering what other old textbooks might lead to fun "experiments" like the sodium one she did earlier. She was eager to meet with her boyfriend as well... but she knew she'd have to wait for Kanako to let down her guard to sneak out.
Suwako was considering the next steps of Sanae's training... perhaps she, too, could gather faith from youkai... if so, youkai extermination might be a reasonable way to do it. Sanae seemed to have taken a liking to the activity, herself. After all, fear got them their faith already, expanding that fear would be the obvious course of action. She'd have a duel with Sanae later... Gotta keep the girl fit and all. Hmm... gathering faith through fear of frightening youkai... it has a touch of poetry to it.
Satori started the conversation as the meal wound down. "Thanks for letting me eat with you. I need to update you three on the Makai war situation, and I'd rather not have to repeat myself again." Kanako had already heard much of this, but the other two were paying rapt attention, so Satori continued.
"The demons have fully conquered the moon, as you're aware. Ran is sure that by the time of the next full moon, they'll have managed to discover the way to Gensokyo, open only during the full moon. It is likely they will appear and overwhelm us, unless we can stop them from coming at all." Sanae was shocked, but also excited at the prospect of hundreds of demons to fight... She was eager to get into battle. Suwako was more experienced in the ways of war, and far less eager as a result.
"No, Sanae, it isn't a good thing. Remember when you were trapped by Byakuren?" Satori stared into Sanae's eyes and guided her memories with a minor hypnotic spell. Yeah... Sanae recalled her first match against Byakuren... she had managed to beat Marisa and Reimu to the magician (Indeed, didn't even know they had stowed away on the Palanquin themselves)... and had lost outright. Byakuren had introduced the shrine maiden to the ancient magician's friends.
Sanae had been chilled to the bone. Byakuren had left her alone with them, presumably in some sort of hope that she would see the errors of her youkai-hunting ways. The way they had looked at her... hungry stares in their eyes, made her feel like she was in a horror movie. She had feared death, but murder was only one of their myriad of motives, and far from the least pleasant... Sanae was once again shuddering in blind fear and vulnerability... Hokkai had been a truly frightening place. She had tried her best to forget the details, but with Satori's help now, they were all flowing back.
Sanae was becoming far too agitated, so Satori released the hypnosis. "That is what you face. All of those beings freed, and more. This is not a minor threat." Sanae clearly understood the point now, and nodded meekly, allowing Satori to continue.
"Currently, Eirin Yagokoro is being healed... A task I must attend to once I hear word from Udonge... in fact, I should really contact her... she's been awfully quiet." The three were familiar with the name, but not the entirety of its significance. Satori shrugged and explained.
"She's able to use a spell to hide the Earth from the moon. She used it during... ah, but you weren't here for the endless night incident, were you? Nevermind, then. The point is that she can protect us... but it's going to take Udonge and myself quite a lot of time to heal her. We -should- have enough time, but I'm not terribly familiar with what Eirin's undamaged mind is like. It may take longer than expected if she's particularly old." Satori continued, answering questions before they were even spoken. What's it matter to us, then? Doesn't really change what we're doing here... Suwako's thoughts were simply confused.
"Well, as I said... it may take longer than expected. If that ends up happening, we need a backup plan... you three have sent someone to the moon, so you may be able to block that path or hinder the demons enough to stop them from mounting the full fledged invasion they need to have a chance. If nothing else, you have tremendous information gathering potential, and if the demons open a gate, you also have the strongest force easily mustered to quickly secure and close it."
So we're your backup plan... hey, wait! If we block off the moon, then the tengu I- Sanae's thoughts worried her.
"Yes, the tengu you sent up there will be trapped. It's a moot point, really. Many are dead, and most of them captured; they aren't coming back anyway... they were never going to." Satori coldly explained. What? Did she just say what I think she said? Kanako was jolted back to attention... and looked at Sanae's face, her thoughts almost as obvious on her face as they were in her mind. But... I sent them there. They were supposed to come back! I'm supposed to rescue them! Sanae was about to speak.
"See, this is why, you shouldn't keep secrets, Kanako." Satori chided the ancient goddess. She did. Did I not specifically ask that she -not- say that? "You asked me to keep it from Hatate. Sanae really should know, though." Sanae slammed her hands on the table and shouted at Kanako.
"YOU -KNEW-? How -could- you?" How could you... ask me to send them to their deaths... Sanae felt betrayed... Kanako wasn't particularly pleased herself... she looked at Satori... This is why I asked you keep it secret. Suwako was unsurprised, though rather disappointed that the tengu they had sent had lasted such a short time.
"I needed you ready to send the next set up..."
"You want to send -more- of them to their deaths? You want me to kill -even more- people?"
"Think of it as youkai extermination if it helps." This could take a while.
"No, it doesn't!" That's completely different! That's just a game! "I'm bringing the survivors home, and that's that." Sanae crossed her arms under her chest in a huff.
"Sanae, calm down. You barely even knew them, and they were willing. It's not like we sent your boyfriend up or anything." Kanako tried calming her.
Huh... how does she know about Hiroyuki...? The man's face flashed in her face. Oh no.
"Hiroyuki? So that's his name... ah, but it seems he usually goes by Hiro?" Satori casually read aloud. Sanae turned to Satori, while Suwako turned to Sanae and they both yelled the same thing...
"How could you?" Suwako was suddenly distraught and worried. This was the first time Sanae had ever tried to keep a secret from her goddesses... and it strayed dangerously far from Suwako's plan to have Sanae adopt the Mishaguji. Meanwhile, Sanae was upset at Satori... I asked her not to tell them! Wait... what's Suwako mad about? I... didn't think she'd be that upset.
"I needed to let Kanako know why I had to leave the room... your lust was overwhelming me." Sanae's face turned red in embarrassment and anger. She peeped?
"It's not my fault your emotions are so loud. And Suwako's just worried about your life... the inheritance of the Mishaguji that are feeding off of her will have them feeding off of you, next... and she thinks that your having a life beyond that of a shrine maiden is definitely a step on the way to failure." What? She planned to do -WHAT- To Sanae? Kanako was horrified... not just that her partner and primary source of faith was being killed, but that she had planned to sacrifice their priestess in a similar manner. This isn't helping the situation! Suwako thought as she glared now at Satori, who shrugged helplessly. It wasn't -her- fault the secret was there...
"Just what is she talking about, Suwako?" Kanako asked through gritted teeth with a calm that would chill the hearts of most mortals... but merely further infuriated the two other gods at the table.
"Yeah, mind explaining yourself?" Sanae was more obviously livid.
"Look, it wouldn't be a problem if you just stay a shrine maiden forever! You can handle them!" Suwako screamed back.
"Did you ever think maybe I'd want to move -on- after while? Maybe even have a life beyond you two? Did it never cross your mind?" Sanae was on the verge of tears... she had been betrayed by her two goddesses.
"And you didn't think that -maybe- you should discuss the fact that you were -dying- with me? I keep you around for more than moral support, you know!" Kanako fumed at Suwako.
"I'm telling you, it would have been fine! It's your fault for not training her to be a proper shrine maiden!" Suwako snapped at Kanako before shouting at Sanae. "And how could you keep a secret like that from us?"
"Says the one that planned on having me devoured by her snakes?" Sanae screamed back, her mind picturing her being -literally- devoured by the Mishaguji. Suwako hurried to explain herself...
"No, they'd just feed of your divine energy-" and you've got plenty of that.
"And once that was gone?" I rather like being a goddess, you know!
"They'd eat you next, maybe, but-" It would never come to that!
"So what, I stay a shrine maiden or you kill me?" Great, ending up in a snake's gullet. Great to know I've got my goddesses looking out for my well being! Sanae's thoughts and words showed her exasperation.
"No! You just need to have enough faith to keep them fed!" You'll have enough! We've got time!
"If you couldn't get that much, what makes you think -she- could?" Kanako joined the shouting match. "She's been losing faith... haven't you noticed? Soon she won't be a goddess at all!" She's been improving a little lately, but she could still become a normal human easily... then what?
"What?" I've been losing that much...?
"That's why I've been training her, idiot! She's gotten better!" I just -know- she'll be ready when the time comes!
"But she still pulls in far less than you do! Your damned servants can eat themselves before I'll let them take Sanae!" I don't know how we'll manage without them, but we'll have to, won't we?
"But I already swore-" That I'd provide them with a new host!
"You didn't... Tell me you didn't!" She didn't bind herself to that... why would she?
"Of course I did! They wouldn't settle for anything less!" Nothing less than a binding oath would calm them, and they don't work when agitated!
"You... you..." Kanako was at a loss for words and swung at Suwako. She felt no less betrayed than Sanae herself... and still felt betrayed from Sanae's affair as well, just as Suwako did. Meanwhile, Suwako was just about to call Kanako out on her 'discretion' regarding the tengu suicide mission, even while grappling the larger goddess...
Satori, meanwhile, sat forgotten and fumed herself as she watched the trio attack each other verbally, and now physically. She had important information to tell them, and they were getting distracted by their petty problems. They all knew the dire situation! Why couldn't they focus on the world ending threat? Their priorities were a set of secrets that shouldn't have even been such in the first place. Satori left, her life of intense mental focus the only thing keeping her from angrily slamming the door behind her.
Outside the Moriya Shrine, hours later
Satori could -still- feel the surging emotions dominating the 'conversation' within the shrine as she looked over the lake. Three shouting voices could be heard, each trying to defend their actions to the others. A diversion finally appeared... Momiji was ascending the mountain with a troubling message to deliver. She was out of breath... she had hurried to be the first to get here... she couldn't let the others beat her...
"Satori... You've... got to..." Run! Momiji tried to say. Satori read the message in Momiji's heart and instantly agreed. Fifty million? The thought made Satori's head spin. Hells... she didn't have much time...
"You... aren't turning me in?"
And ruin the only chance for my people's redemption? No amount of money could buy the peace we've thrown away. Momiji shook her head as she was still catching her breath, but her heart had decided... she would do what she could to help Satori. Satori was touched... Momiji wasn't one who gave loyalty easily. Satori felt bad having to test it so soon, but...
"You... intended to keep this from Kanako?" Satori asked... Yeah... Everyone's going to know soon enough; these posters are everywhere... but at least this way I can buy you a few minutes to escape.
"I appreciate it. But what you need to do right now... is your duty. Go in there and inform them of the bounty."
"But... you'll..."
"Be hunted, yes. They would soon pin their problems on me, anyway... it may as well be at your suggestion. No reason for you to suffer with me. I do have one favor to ask though..."
"Whatever-" you desire.
"Help Hatate. Her heart is almost completely closed. She has a family... friends. But if she's forced to keep doing what she's doing, she'll soon close her heart entirely... Don't take no for an answer: Stand up to Kanako if you need to. Get the news out on what she's been going through, and she'll have the support she needs. If the other tengu are like you... it may even give your people the unity you desire. I... I think I may have underestimated your kind earlier." Satori admitted.
Momiji was... curious about the request... Just... what -have- they been making Hatate do? I thought she was just collecting photos from the spies on the moon... The request had only strengthened her faith in Satori, though. Momiji was now more convinced than ever that Satori was some sort of messiah that would save her people. Satori didn't share that confidence, having just seen the strife a brief conversation with her could cause, but she was thankful for the encouragement, hopelessly optimistic though it may be.
"I... will then..." Don't you die, though... We still need you.
"I'll do my best. Thank you, Momiji, and goodbye." Satori had rested, recovered, and now had some more ideas... her time here was finished anyway; Sanae's unrestrained emotions would have driven Satori mad soon enough, so now was as good a time as ever to call on help from another. Momiji quickly ran inside the shrine.
Satori quickly sent a message to Udonge using one of Seiga's spells... telling Udonge how to find Satori when the remedy was ready. Knowing she had no time to see if the message had been received, she worked quickly. Satori carefully entered the right mindset, lined up her magical powers... and hopped off of Youkai mountain to the home of one of her few allies, who immediately offered a cup of tea.
"I was wondering when you'd accept my invitation."
In the Moriya Shrine
Momiji threw open the door, and faced three enraged faces tangled in a mess of limbs and clothes, all suddenly turned to whatever creature might be foolish enough to disturb their 'discussion'. Momiji felt herself shrink a bit under the three glares, but she had a job to do, and she was going to do it.
"My goddesses: I... come bearing news." Momiji placed the poster on the table in front of the trio, who glanced at the face on the poster. Her right eye closed as usual... but her other two were wide open. A fifty million yen reward. Suwako and Sanae stopped bickering almost immediately... Momiji was dying to know what was going through their minds.
Momiji didn't need to be a satori to tell the conflict that Kanako was facing, though. The expression of a mercenary who had just been offered money desperately needed, at the mere cost of betraying a partner. Momiji had caught her breath, and spoke up.
"These posters are all over the mountain. We're still trying to find the intruder who-"
"If they managed to evade notice while posting these all over the mountain, you won't be able to find them now. Wouldn't mind if whoever it was worked for me, though... not many can get up here undetected." Kanako explained.
"Dead or alive? That makes it easier. Just some routine Youkai extermination." Sanae growled... her obvious hatred for the mind reader shared by Suwako... and even Kanako. The youkai that had splintered a close-knit family... Yes, they could put aside their petty differences... they just needed a motivation.
Kanako sighed, disappointed. Yes, they needed, the money, and yes, Satori had caused a rift between them... but she had done so accidentally, while trying to unite them against an actual and immediate threat... seeing her shrine maiden and partner god putting aside their differences for greed and revenge wasn't very inspiring. She would take what she could get, though.
"Yes... let's... all go." Kanako said. They really did need the money, and if she was with them, perhaps she could at least convince them... and Remilia... to spare the youkai that was trying to save all of them.
"Lady Kanako!" Momiji shouted as the goddess was about to leave. "I have a question for you... it may take a moment..."
Kanako sighed and shouted outside after Sanae and Suwako, who were keeping a distrustful gaze on each other. "Wait up for me... I'll just be a few minutes." She turned back to Momiji... "What is it?"
"I just... What has Hatate been doing? No one's seen her in weeks... You said she's gathering information...?"
"And I meant it. She's doing her job, and doing it well, that's all you need to know."
"May I speak with her, then?"
"Absolutely not. I don't think she should meet any other tengu for a while."
"I need to meet with her. I've been... entrusted... with a message... from... her... family." Momiji lied, though she had little experience in the field."
"Her family knows... Satori put you up to this, didn't she?" Kanako asked, though the answer was obvious.
"Yes... but she's right! Hatate's friends and family deserve to know what she's doing!"
"Fine. I'll show you. Satori may have changed her mind, but I think her initial decision to keep it secret was likely the better one. We'll see who you think is right." Kanako led Momiji to a door and opened it.
Momiji looked around the dark room... she saw the scenes of torture, read the names. She saw Hatate, not even noticing the door opening now, using her spirit photography to photograph the gruesome images and add them to the wall... Her reaction was the same wherever she put the photograph, it seemed... even when she added to a board the image of a tortured tengu that shared her name...
"Her family knows what she's doing..." Kanako reiterated.
Momiji walked into the room... she approached Hatate. "Hatate?" The young crow tengu turned, and the light from the door illuminated her face. Hatate's face nearly appeared dead, her once carefully maintained appearance now marred by tear-streaked makeup... Momiji recoiled in shock. Hatate didn't seem to care about the reaction... she sat, still waiting for the reason she had been named.
Momiji's respect for Hatate grew tremendously. To continue doing such a painful job without complaint...
"Why are you sequestered here?" Hatate didn't answer though... hardly gave any indication she had even heard the question. Kanako answered in her place.
"I put her here to prevent everyone from needing to see what she did. I wasn't sure what she'd find out, after all, and it seems like a good thing that I did... Imagine the panic that these pictures would spread." Hatate slowly, almost imperceptibly, nodded in agreement, though it wasn't clear what she was agreeing with.
Momiji saw it a different way. "Panic? No... don't you see? These are what we finally need to unite us." The ancient tengu's eyes burned with conviction. "Those demons will pay for what they've done... this burden is not for a single tengu to bear." Momiji indicated Hatate as she continued.
"You want me to release all this information, then?" Kanako asked.
"We need an enemy that's more than just a rumor. And here they've gone and shown their true selves... they're giving us something to fight against... something we've not had for a long time."
Kanako couldn't help but smile a bit, witnessing the tengu's pride. Perhaps Momiji was right... and if she was wrong, Kanako could simply use Momiji as a scapegoat, claiming she's just scaremongering, and mostly undo any problems that arose.
"I'll release this information as well, then... but you'll need to protect Hatate... some tengu or kappa may be frightened instead and try to kill her." Momiji agreed and addressed her new charge, who had since returned to her work.
"Your courage and dedication may have just saved our entire race..."
Hatate gave no indication she had heard.
Meanwhile, at the Scarlet Devil Mansion
Udonge looked at the pills. They had taken so long to make, and she wasn't even sure she'd done it right. She was... mostly sure she had followed the directions Eirin had given correctly... and she had successfully made plenty of the things. Now all that remained was getting a hold of Satori and using the blasted stuff... that should cure the poison, somehow. Then they'd just need to repair Eirin's mind in time for the full moon, and everything would work out.
Udonge knew things weren't that simple, though. Youmu still hadn't returned from her meeting with the Prismrivers, so the Hakurei Border was still at risk, potentially dooming Gensokyo -anyway-. And now Remilia had put out a bounty on Satori large enough to ensure that everyone in Gensokyo would want to claim it... finding Satori in these conditions was going to be impossible.
At least, that's what Udonge was thinking before she got Satori's message. She was tending Marisa when she heart Satori's voice in her head.
I'm currently within Senkai. Keep it quiet where I am; there appears to be a large bounty on me. Once you need me, contact me or come yourself. Someone in the human village can probably tell you how to get here.
Udonge was ready to bring Eirin to Satori, of course, but... she looked over the room. Sakuya's wounds were healed... she had left earlier and resumed her duties, thankfully. Marisa was stepping through death's door, and Keine was hovering near it. Reisen was stable, but she had yet to recover most of her lost blood. Toyohime and Kaguya had had their wounds treated, and were mostly fine, apart from the poison. Eirin and Tewi had both had all their limbs broken (Mokou had apologized for the latter, but had seen no other alternative), and ensuring they healed properly was just one more thing to watch. Mokou herself had said she wished to help, but Udonge knew that she'd do more harm than good in her current condition.
Chen's injuries were minor, but the poison seemed to be even worse for her... her breathing had been irregular and labored, and had even stopped completely a few times. Her condition demanded constant vigilance, or she'd almost certainly die... and Ran had made it very clear that allowing Chen to die would be dangerous indeed. As for Medicine Melancholy, her injuries had been severe, but were healing rather quickly... if Udonge were at all short on general anesthetic, she'd actually be worried. For now, though they had enough to keep Medicine under until they could decide what to do with her... Eirin would undoubtedly have some insights.
Yes, all ten of her patients needed her attention, and as helpful as Alice was, even the magician needed to rest now and then. Once Youmu returned, Udonge would have to go to the human village, though... she didn't have the time to wait for Keine to regain consciousness. Udonge got an idea and grabbed the doll she had used to communicate with Satori earlier.
"Satori? Hello?" But there was no response. Perhaps the other doll was destroyed... or perhaps it was 'out of range', however far -that- would need to be. Sighing, she put the problem out of her mind for now. Until there were at least two other people to keep an eye on her patients, she couldn't leave them.
"Why didn't anyone tell me Marisa is injured?" Patchouli tried to shout as she attempted to burst through the door. It ended up as a brief wheeze and a slowly creaking opening instead, but the intent had been clear enough.
"What-"
"Where is... there she is..." Patchouli hovered over to Marisa and studied her for a few seconds before Udonge gathered herself and managed to shove Patchouli out of the way.
"You need to leave her be... her condition is critical! I'm doing my best to keep her alive, but..." Udonge's ears and eyes drooped.
"Of course she's in critical condition! A blind fool could see that!" Patchouli declared, her enthusiasm carrying through her weak voice. "How in the hells did you manage to keep her alive this long?"
"I was just... treating her like my master taught me." Udonge replied, but Patchouli wasn't interested. She looked around, instead, looking at the other patients as well.
"Why didn't Remilia tell me anything? I was wondering why Sakuya hadn't been replying to my summons lately... then she shows up earlier today, says she's been laid out for a week or so..." Patchouli began ranting... Udonge couldn't help but reply.
"I have this feeling she'd say 'You never asked.'" Patchouli glared at her in respose, but the fire in her eyes quickly dimmed, and her eyelids once again drooped.
"Yes, you're doubtless right. Thank you for helping Sakuya out... though it seems you may need my assistance to help these folks."
"Any help you can offer would be appreciated, of course, but I don't know how much-"
"I'm quite learned in these tasks... I regularly tend to myself, you see. I assure you if that bumbling oaf of a doll obsessed poor excuse of a magician can manage it, its well within my capabilities." Patchouli seemed confident enough, though Udonge was glad Alice was taking a break right now...
Udonge gave a summary of the situation, and watched as Patchouli worked... true to her word, she seemed to have quite some knowledge of healing, though it was clear she had relatively little practice... not unlike Udonge herself a few weeks ago. Alice lacked the knowledge, but had the practice and skill... together, they could probably manage a short while in Udonge's absence.
Now, Udonge was free to try and find Satori... she just hoped she found Satori before the bounty hunters did...