I wanted to get this out now since I'm going to be busy for the rest of the week.
They had reached the still standing parts of the city now, though Versailles could hardly be considered a city anymore. It was more akin to a smoking crater after an explosion of that size.
"Shouldn't we be waking her up first?" Alice asked as she pointed at the still sleeping floating form of Josette. The girl was making sounds that indicated that she was beginning to awaken but had somehow still failed to do that yet.
Patchouli nodded in agreement, they would need her awake. She then cut off the spell that kept her floating, unceremoniously dumping her onto the ground. Of course she had made certain that she did not fall a great height or hit something jagged. At most she would get her dress dirty from all the soot on the ground.
She landed with an audible 'oof' on the ground, her eyes snapping awake rather quickly now. She quickly scrambled back up, her hands reaching for something inside her clothes before her eyes finally refocused to see them and allowed herself to relax slightly.
"What happened?" Josette asked the rather predictable and generic question one would ask after being suddenly knocked out of consciousness.
"Well… your brilliant execution of your assassination plan has resulted in the mass death of potentially millions of people and the near complete destruction of one of Gallia's largest cities." Patchouli sarcastically informed her, moving aside so to show her the aftermath of the explosion of fire.
"That's a bit…" Alice started, glaring at her friend to show her dislike over the manner in which she stated that. No doubt she thinks that she could have put that in a far softer manner.
The girl gasped as she finally saw the destruction. There were soft tears forming in her eyes as she looked at the destruction which was a direct consequence of her actions. Her legs failed her and she dropped to her knees as she took in the depressing image of the destroyed city.
"This is not the time to be depressed by your actions. That can be withheld for later." Patchouli curtly interrupted before she could get all emotional about this situation. Alice glared at her again, again displeased. The puppeteer was, in fact, going to add her own piece to this but Patchouli beat her to it.
"There will be time to mourn the dead later but now is the time to tend to the living." Patchouli coldly said as she walked over to the kneeling teal haired noble; her likewise colored eyes watching her step up to her.
The dead were dead. There was no helping those who had passed along the border in this unfortunate turn of events. Their deaths may have been tragic and saddening, they should not waste time helplessly crying and mourning for them when the same time could be used to ensure that others did not pass along with them.
Patchouli did a low wave at what remained of the city, unintentionally indicating a spread out group of survivors who were looking in their direction. They looked for worse with their soot covered clothes and painful looking burns on quite a number of them, but what they seemed to have in common was the nervous mood they had with them as they slowly approached.
From their wealthier looking attire and that they likely saw them fly over here; they would not be incorrect to assume that they were of the noble class. Considering that nobles seemed to provide nearly all forms of leadership in this world's social structure; they were likely waiting for them to take command of the situation.
And she was doing a magnificent job of providing a motivational speech about harsh reality to Josette to instill her with the will to help the remaining people of this city. She gave a sigh as her already meagre enthusiasm died. Her short lived speech with her soft monotone was certainly… inspiring.
"In essence, as Queen of Gallia, you should go about fixing your country first and then later, when you're finished, you are free to go and tear yourself apart with self-hate and anguish." Patchouli summed up for her. That was far easier to put to word.
Josette continued to stare at her with her wide eyes. At least she was not crying anymore, though that may or may not be a good thing. Crying in public would certainly make her look weak but on the other hand it would show that her heart clearly went to her beleaguered people. She was not certain which was better… politics.
"Um… I agree with the principles of what you said but that could have been…" Alice repeated another time and she certainly did not blame the puppeteer. Her oratory skills were never amazing.
"C… could I please have a moment, please?" Josette softly mumbled out. Patchouli nodded, this was almost certainly the point where she was either going to run away from responsibility or come to some sort of resolution about what to do about this situation.
"Take your time." Alice told her before walking over to Patchouli and dragging her away from the trouble human girl. Patchouli offered no resistance as she was led elsewhere; there was neither point nor reason to do so. She was sure that all Alice wanted to do was rebuke her for being too harsh anyway.
Pulling them into the shadow of some overturned wall, Alice let go of Patchouli and glanced back to make sure no one was near them. Confident, that there was none to eavesdrop on them, Alice spoke. "Teach me the summoning spell."
"…?" Patchouli had no words for that. She was rather fine with Alice not wanted to patronize her but could not understand why she would want to summon a familiar to get out via Makai right now. Did she not question her about this not too long ago anyhow?
Seeing her friend's confusion, Alice set out to explain. "Between the two of us, we cannot achieve much."
Patchouli nodded with that simple statement. It was a true assessment, Alice's skills were not suited to reconstruction and while she could likely make simply huts with her magic, she would likely run out of magic far earlier than the demand for them to fall. So if the two of them could not help all that much then… oh.
Alice nodded when she saw that Patchouli have an epiphany and reach the same conclusion as her. For sure a Queen Josette de Orleans could muster the resources to rebuild the city, but that would take much time considering that much of the logistics and infrastructure of Versailles was likely lost with the flames.
But there was another far greater power than that of Gallia, or more likely all of Halkegenia, that could assist with the reconstruction. An entire realm filled with demons that had too much time on their hands not too unlike Gensokyo. She was certain that their Goddess could muster them all to assist.
Patchouli poked her head out of the shadows to check if Josette was still contemplating. She was only slightly surprised to see her now mingling with the commoners and passing along orders as a noble. They had time.
She then looked at the ground and inspected it, frowning when she calculated the level ground necessary to come short. They would need to relocate first.
"We should probably check back up on her before we start." Patchouli used her head to gesture in Josette's direction. Alice was a fast learner and should have the spell down rather quickly, but there was still the matter of preparation and all the circles and runes to scribe down somewhere for the ritual.
"And we should probably ask for the new Queen for permission first." Patchouli added on. Receiving assistance, no matter in what form, from devils and demons from hell always seemed to making a damned deal. Besides she was sure there was going to be some form of political problem from getting help from demons. From the Church perhaps, though that might not matter since the leadership of Romalia likely did not look favorably upon Gallia thanks to Joseph de Gallia.
"Let me guess, demons are the embodiment of evil in their religion or culture." Alice said in an exasperated tone. It was a justified assumption; there were not many religions that did not have demons or other denizens of hell as a force of good.
"That depends; does the regular denizen of Makai have long pointed ears?" Patchouli asked of Alice. She did not recall any mentions of demons in the Brimiric Faith, though she supposed that these mystical and malevolent Elves of theirs played the roles of demons to humanity well enough.
"Ah… I… don't think so. Everyone had some natural feature which would identify them as not human but I don't think pointed ears were one of them, or at least it wasn't common." Alice carefully replied after trying to recollect her memories from Makai.
"Then hopefully no one will be calling for genocide on Makai or something equally stupid." Patchouli told her. She wondered how humans would handle beings which had wings and horns and all those other demonic features. Hopefully better than they would handle pointed ears.
"That's not funny." Alice said reproachfully.
"I know. Halkegenia would not stand a chance against a being which can create her very own dimension and everything in it." Patchouli said, nothing she had seen of Halkegenia yet led her to believe that they could defeat an actual Goddess.
"I suppose that she should be done by now." Patchouli said in regards to Josette. Taking the lead this time, she pawed her way out from under the shadow of the upturned wall and returned to the light.
Looking around, she blinked when she momentarily failed to spot Josette. Expanding the range of her search she finally came across a patch of the unique teal hair that marked her off.
Hmm…
"That was fast." Alice commented, as she too spotted the girl. Patchouli had to nod in agreement. Either they had spent more time behind that rock than she thought or Josette had come to a resolution and had actively went out to do something faster than she had predicted. It was probably the second, though she suspected that Josette was always planning to be Queen; though not in these circumstances.
The small spread out grouping of Gallians were even smaller in number now and that seemed like a positive thing seeing that the remaining commoners were sent off with at least some purpose in them. She also seemed to have picked up a trio of armed guards in mail and Gallian blue regalia.
"…ell Count Fulk to prepare for my arrival." She heard Josette pass along to one of her guards, who did a curt salute and scampered off to see this 'Count Fulk'.
"So my rather poor speech talk actually worked?" Patchouli asked with fake surprise. She really did not think it was actually all that great.
Josette did not deign to respond, only waving away her guards and telling them to leave the three of them. Patchouli watched without emotion as the guards gave them wary glares before complying to a certain degree; moving far off but still within sight of them.
"Um… did you tell them you were the queen?" Alice asked Josette.
The teal haired girl shook her head in a negative. "No. But with Joseph and Isabella unaccounted for and likely dead, the next in line would be me since my sister was stripped of her titles and name; something I will rectify later. With that, they can probably figure out who will take the throne next."
"You seem to have gotten over this rather fast." Patchouli commented as she inspected Josette. She would not say she was confident or even close to resembling happy, but at least she had some strength of will in her stance and posture. It was certainly better than hopelessness and abandonment.
"I just needed a moment to move along." Josette responded solemnly. She took a deep breath as she prepared to ask something else. "Forgive me for this. I know that the two of you deeply wish to return home but please, could you please help."
That was sincere, touching and completely unnecessary really considering that both she and Alice had already chosen to stay and assist. Though it did smoothen out asking she did not mind demons.
"I fully understand if you choose to leave and will neither begrudge you nor persecute you for doing so. But please…" Josette continued to appeal, bowing down before them now.
"There was no need to ask." Alice took the initiative as she replied favorably. It looked like Alice was going to say more but Josette cut her off
"Thank you." Josette thanked them deeply, bowing down just as deeply.
"Are you certain of this?" Josette asked the two inhuman mages. She stood nervously on the edge of a black red magic circle made of material that they had to constantly remind her was, in fact completely safe and not the least dangerous or lethal in any form or manner.
They were in a rather furnished tent that had been commandeered from the newly promoted Field Marshall Fulks who was now busy in organizing all remaining Gallian military to perform a mass search of the destroyed city alongside a rather substantial number of volunteers. And while they were busy with that, she as regent of Gallia was trying to secure immediate aid from elsewhere; elsewhere apparently being from another dimension filled with monsters and demi-humans.
This did not seem to be the greatest of ideas to her, but…
"Yes. The denizens of Makai are quite civilized for the most part." Patchouli remarked as from the floor as she continued to help Alice inscribe more cold black runes on the dirt surface. She didn't even know where they got that black stuff much less what it was.
"My mother should be more than willing to help." Alice reinforced from across Alice, her eyes completely concentrating on making sure there were no mistakes with how she was drawing the runes.
Ah… yes… her mother… a 'demon' Goddess. Somehow that had a detrimental effect on how reassured and safe she felt about this…
"It's done." Patchouli said as she used magic to propel herself back off the ground to land on her two feet. Her hands were covered with that black stuff which was somehow fading away from her hand and leaving nothing behind to indicate it was even there in the first place.
She did not bother asking how she did that. There was just this feeling that she would tell her that it magic and would leave it at that.
"Right… um… are you sure I don't need any incantations or anything?" Alice nervously asked Patchouli.
That Alice was performing this and had only learned how to do so today only made her more worried. Really, she should not have agreed to something that was clearly dangerous but the temptations of immediate aid were powerful.
There was not going to be enough food to go around, there was not enough tents and buildings left to give everyone shelter, there wasn't enough blankets to keep everyone warm. There was also the matter of trying to replace everything that was lost. The palace was destroyed and along with it most of the records of Gallia. There wasn't even a treasury anymore!
Most of the trades and services that city had was gone. The stockpiles were now just crumbling ash and the number of nobles who had traveled her with the army and were now missing, presumed dead, was staggering. And the death toll… she did not want to even guess how many were in that explosion. How many that died because she lost control for a moment.
"Yes. We would not have spent so long on this…" Patchouli gestured at the black outline of the magic circle. "…if there was no point to it."
"Here goes then." Alice said as she closed her eyes and summoned her magic… maybe? She thought she had somewhat figured out how to tell if she was drawing upon power by watching Patchouli but Alice's arrival had ruined all that.
Her magic immediately took hold as the black lines simultaneously changed to a glowing bright red in an instant. Now the eerie black lines and symbols had been replaced with blood like lines and symbols. Her uncertainty to this only rose up.
And from the center of the circle, a small red pool formed.
"Now to part three, restrain it before it comes out." Patchouli commanded and Alice complied, holding out her hand in a gesture towards the pool.
Josette failed to see any visible change but there must have been something because Alice's face looked a lot more strained suddenly; strained to the point, where she was now visibly shaking with effort. Her breaths were also starting to sound far louder and were visibly tired.
"Um… Is that normal?" Josette asked Patchouli who now had worried look on her face. She certainly hoped it was.
"No." Patchouli flatly answered as she moved over to behind Alice. "What's happening?"
"It's… too… strong…" Alice grunted out between breaths.
Josette supposed that meant whatever she was summoning was too strong for them to control. That…
Patchouli looked ready to speak again but Alice lost her fight against whatever she was trying to restrain and fell back with a tired sigh.
Josette had the time to look at the glowing red pool which was now rising off the ground one last time before it exploded to release whatever powerful demon was within.
"AAAALLLLLIIIIICCCCEEEE!" she heard a scream from the circle and a crimson form leaped from the light to tackle Alice to the ground.
"I missed you! OH!" she heard the voice recoil in surprise.
Now that the light was gone, she could identify the demon… was that a demon? Dressed in an extravagant crimson robe with silver trims, her hair was a grayish white and… she looked perfectly human to her.
"Ah… mom?" She heard Alice say from her downed position.
"You… you… how did you get so big!?" she heard the woman cry out as she dropped back down on to Alice to inspect her. "You were still this small when you went to Gensokyo!"
Gensokyo… that was where Patchouli and Alice hailed from wasn't it? Wait… Alice's mother was a demon. Did that mean Alice was a demon as well? She was so confused.
Glancing at Patchouli, she felt quite a large amount of relief to see that she was not disturbed by the situation. Surprised, yes; but scared or wary, not in the least. That meant there was no danger…?
"Um… lots of milk?" Alice stuttered out as she faced her mother.
"'Kay!" the excitable woman exclaimed as if milk explained everything. She certainly didn't understand how that was even a valid answer. "That means I can finally give you the 'talk'"
"I already know all that stuff." Alice flatly told her mother.
The woman then promptly got off Alice in a stiff manner. Her eyes were distant as she looked down at a confused Alice. "So you know what a moma and papa does in the be-"
"Yes. I know what sex is and how human babies are made." Alice repeated to her mother who had tears in her eyes up at her words.
The woman then turned around so her face couldn't be seen by Alice but was still in view for her. "My little Alice… all grown up now. I'm so happy." The woman wiped tears of what was probably happiness from her eyes. Was it some achievement to know what sex was in their world?
"Um… may I ask who you are?" Josette asked the woman. She knew for certain that Alice knew who she was and suspected that Patchouli was aware of her identity as well. That left her.
"Me? I'm Shinki, nice to meet you." The demon woman did a small incline of her head in greeting to which she awkwardly returned. Was this some sort of demon way of greeting each other?
"The absolute ruler of Makai. A being of unspeakable power and a God capable of creating her own reality." Patchouli said in a monotone as she looked at the smiling Shinki. "My images are shattered."
Shinki was a Goddess?
…
Her images of holy power, or demonic power were too shattered.
"Hmm…? Oh your… little Koa's master right? Does that mean Koas' here too?" Shinki asked excitedly as she seemingly disappeared from in front of her to reappear right in front of Patchouli. The purple haired woman fell back slightly from her sudden close proximity with Shinki before catching herself with a foot placed behind her.
"She's not here. We're not in Gensokyo lady Shinki" Patchouli said a bit more polite than usual. "We are hoping that you would open up a gateway back to Makai."
Shinki looked surprised by that. "Eh? Make a gateway to Makai? Ah… haha… yeah… I can't do those."
Alison Airlines… why must you add your evil dark modern realities to fluffy Touhou? SDM is not the Mafia. Moriya Shrine are not loan sharks. Yuyuko is not crime lord. Cirno is not some drug addled, murdering, crazy loon but I will admit that Shikeiki is probably the police and Eientei probably does make illeg- shady drugs.