Marisa's House
Alice briefly turned her head towards the knocking at the door. She shifted her senses to one of the remote viewing dolls she had placed outside, and saw Byakuren standing patiently.
"Come in, Byakuren." Alice shifted her sight back and watched a smiling Byakuren open the door.
"I really shouldn't be so surprised. You've always favored more remote sorts of magics, haven't you?" The sound of Byakuren wiping her feet accompanied her own entrance into the room.
"Ever since I became a magician, yes. I take it you're here to help with the research?"
"Yes... You were researching a way to harness a great deal of magical energy, right?"
"Yeah, Satori didn't exactly think through all the consequences of that spell she borrowed from Eirin's mind... and it sounds like Eirin herself had discarded it as too energy demanding. In order to undo what she did, we need a lot of energy. Well, I -say- we, but Marisa's currently looking for Patchouli."
"Ah... that explains her current... condition. I can't tell you how frustrating it was to be able to hear what you were saying and not help contribute."
"Well, after seeing what Yuuka did to you, I'd be pretty rude to demand anything of you. You're doing better now, though, I see. Eirin's really something, eh?"
"What? Oh, no, her apprentice, Udonge, did this to me. It seems she's a Kirin, now."
Alice pondered. "Really? Interesting... Kirin have tremendous vitality, don't they?"
"Indeed. I've never heard of one getting injured, let alone killed. Even Udonge, a young one by any standards, managed to heal me and cure the entire village's population of Medicine's poison, and she's only a little tired."
"Curious that I've never seen one before."
"It -is- odd. I suspect they've all retreated to realms like Gensokyo. I'm still rather surprised she's the first one here, though..." Byakuren shrugged. "There never were many to begin with, but this really seems the sort of place you'd find one."
"Well, if we can find a way to replicate what Satori did, then that vitality would be invaluable. Eirin mentioned that she drained Suika, Tenshi, -and- a whole slew of pets, and all that -after- exhausting all their magic."
"Well, we might not -need- to exactly replicate what she did. Which brings me to my next point... you weren't a human who became a magician, are you? You're a demon." Byakuren stated with blunt conviction, though no hostility.
There was no denying that Byakuren knew the truth... lying would just dig the hole deeper. "I am a human, but I wasn't born normally, no. I, like the demons, was created out of the energy of Makai by Shinki. I ask that you tell no one of this, please." Alice's shoulders sank in a show of humility. "Actually, I'm surprised Ran never followed up on that. She must be busy... But please... the fewer people that know, the better."
"I can see how it would cause you problems. Very well, I shall do my best to keep your secret."
"How did you find out?"
"The little stunt you pulled against Yuuka. I may have been drained and broken, but even I like that I was awakened when I sensed the amount magic you were discharging. There's no way a human body could have that much... not even a formerly human magician." Byakuren explained.
"Well, good on you for figuring that out, I suppose. Want a medal?"
"No, but it brought to light a very important point. Satori needed to convert people's vitality into magic, but what if their vitality already -were- magic?" It wasn't a bad idea, but Alice looked at her fellow magician a bit anxiously.
"You know I wouldn't be enough..." she replied with a nervous laugh.
"Of course. You may have inspired the idea, but you're far too valuable to lose." Sensing the tension, Byakuren quickly calmed Alice's fears Alice, who looked relieved as she realized what Byakuren meant.
"Of course... the demons... there are countless demons! But they're all in Makai or in the Lunar Capital... neither of which is exactly right next door."
"That -is- the problem, yes. We need to find a way to-"
"No... wait... Not all of them..." An idea was forming in Alice's mind as she looked at Marisa.
"Well, of course not. There are bound to be a few scattered around Gensokyo, right? Not enough, though... and Satori was making it a point to get rid of them, I think..."
"Marisa was mentioning that there's an entire part of the Netherworld that's been dedicated to housing demons..."
"The Netherworld's really not any easier to reach, though, Alice." Byakuren said as Alice pointedly looked at Marisa, grinning.
"Not for you or I, no."
Lunar Capital
"And here you have our magical generation research area. Here, we look into ways of getting around that pesky limitation of having only so much magic within one's body." There. That's everything except the interdimensional research, and I'm not to mention that to anyone.
"I don't really think you have anything to teach me in this field, either." Satori said the honest truth. She had learned a -tremendous- number of magical techniques of every sort through this tour, and there simply wasn't much to learn by the time she'd been given a guided tour. With her Qi supercharging her third eye, she had gained more magical theory than she'd ever thought possible. A great deal of it was focused towards destruction, pain, and control, but even those things had their place... helping to further block off the pain that surrounded her, for one. What's more, she'd managed to locate Aya as they had been moving around the area. Aya was still alive and being tortured, it seemed, and Satori resolved to go back to the residential area she had been in. For now, though, she had some important information to gather, yet.
"So which would you like to pursue? You say we can't help you much, but-"
"You think I haven't noticed a rather obvious omission? One can't simply walk into or out of Makai, you know. I certainly didn't. What of your interdimensional magic? I'm curious what other worlds there may be to explore beyond simply Makai." Satori said.
"We don't perform that sort of research here. There's no need to; we demons simply have the ability to cross worlds." The practiced lie rolled smoothly off of Louise's tongue.
"Then why was there a gate for me to enter this world? I don't appreciate being -lied- to, Louise..." Satori glared at the demon with a look that pinned her to the spot. "Why would you lie to me, Louise? I -thought- we had an understanding, -Louise-!" Satori didn't even need to use any magic... her supercharged body's Qi was overpowering enough to cause Louise to submit, and the firm tone of voice made it clear that Louise simply didn't have any other option. Satori felt ready to snap under the tension that still hung in the air, and she was taking it out on the poor demon, funneling that tension she felt through her gaze until Louise caved.
"Alright! I was supposed to hide it from visitors! Please! Don't tell Shinki!" Louise begged quietly., her furtive glances trying to ensure that no one else overheard. "You don't know what she'll do to me." Even now, some truly horrific tortures were going through the demon's mind.
"Oh, I know perfectly well. So what you're going to do is help me... or I'll deliver you to Shinki myself."
"Yes Ma'am. Yes! Whatever you say!" She'd do it... she really would. The terrified demon had been firmly reminded of her place, now.
"Then guide me to where this interdimensional research is happening. Do not make it obvious I'm in control, and do not waste my time by drawing undue attention to us." Louise's nodded as she whirled about and swiftly set off in the direction requested. Satori began to follow, but felt a twinge of worry, though she couldn't be sure of its source.
"Sis, are you alright? You're acting a little... odd, aren't you?"
"I'm fine, Koishi." Satori said, though she wasn't too sure about it, herself. "I won't really be able to relax until we're finished here, and perhaps the stress is getting to me..."
"Well, if you say so, I suppose... just... be careful. You're just... a little off." Koishi couldn't quite place it... her eye was still closed, and she couldn't quite connect properly with emotions, yet... but her sister was certainly acting... different.
"I will, of course..." Satori said. She struggled with the urge to let Koishi know her plan... know the risks it involved... but Koishi was one of the many people who must not be allowed to know.
Chireiden
"It's about time! Where have you been?" Youmu's nearly screamed at Eirin's image, hardly restraining herself. Several times now, her spirit half had been mistaken by one of Satori's pets as a prisoner of the blazing hell and nearly abducted. To make things worse, Suika was doing little more than complaining about the most extreme headache she'd ever suffered. Youmu was helping patrol, cutting down spirits that tried to escape... It seemed at least fairly effective in keeping the remaining ones under control, but even that activity had died down as the spirits had begun to submit. Now she was simply trying to keep herself occupied as the pets ran the hell rather smoothly and concern gnawed at her might.
"I've been busy, Youmu. It seems what Satori did drained Tenshi far more than I thought. Has Suika been having any difficulties?"
"Other than complaining about the worst hangover she's ever had, no." Youmu muttered.
"What? Why is she sobered up?"
"Because she was too drunk to even move, before, so I took her gourd away. Now she's hung-over instead."
Youmu watched Eirin nod simply. "As I suspected... Tenshi contracted a disease on her way up here. Celestials aren't normally touched by such things... and Oni don't normally get so drunk they need to sober up. I wonder if they'll ever recover... Well, I suppose it isn't really an issue if we can't find out what to do about the sun."
"You still haven't found Satori?" Youmu asked. If anyone would be able to, she had confidence Eirin would be the one.
"She fled to Makai, with... nevermind, it's complicated. She has escaped, though. While speaking with Ms. Hieda, I discovered something that might help. You remember that hell raven? Okuu?"
Youmu nodded. "Yeah, the one with the red eye?"
"Indeed. As I suspected, it seems that's the eye of the Yatagarasu. She has some power over... well, let's say 'suns'. Now, do you know how much control she has over that power?"
Youmu shook her head and shrugged. "I haven't talked to her much lately. It seems that Orin knows what's going on, so I'll just... talk to her about it, I suppose? Why?"
"If she has enough control, then we might be able to use an artificial sun to tide us over until we can figure out how to return the Earth to its proper position."
"Oh! Sounds... good?" Youmu wasn't sure how confident she was letting Okuu near the Earth... the hell raven was a bit of a klutz, and well... bird-brained.
"It doesn't, but it's better than the alternative. It should be spring, now, but the temperature's falling quickly. It was freezing a few days ago... fuel's already beginning to run low. Find Okuu, get the pot, and be quick about it. I'll check back on you every hour until you find her. Then, I'll give her the instructions... and then we hope that the world ends in neither fire nor ice this week."
Youmu nodded and quickly turned to race away in search of the hell raven... but she couldn't shake a persistent thought...
With Okuu on the job, fire seemed likely.
The Netherworld
"Hey, Reimu. You must be getting bored, lately, huh?"
"What do you want, Marisa?"
"I just wanted some help with a little thing... I'm sure you won't mind. It's not too complicated or nothin'."
"I've heard that before..."
"Well, I just wanted to chat up someone on the other side of that barrier. You know, the one here in the netherworld?"
"And you'd like to speak with a demon because...?"
"No! No no no no. Not a demon... Patchouli. She -must- be over there."
"And what am I going to get out of this?"
"I'll owe you a real big favor! And this shouldn't be that hard of a task, but... well, You've got a lot more experience with barriers and sealing magic, so I figured why waste my time when you're just looking for a reason to get out of here? Don't worry, I'll cover for you."
Reimu glared at Marisa... then looked into the depths of Hakugyokurou. Even if figuring out a way around the barrier -was- tedious and painful... it would -still- feel like a vacation from Yuyuko's demands and Yorihime's strict training.
"Alright, I'll do it. You'd better be not be lying about covering for me, though. The last thing I want when I get back is an annoyed Yuyuko."
"You won't need to worry about that. Trust me!"
"Fine. I should probably look into the barrier anyway. It looks like there's some sickness going around the Lunarians, so it might be leaking or something."
"Didn't even know they -could- get sick, I guess you're probably-" Marisa stopped, the sudden realization seizing her. "Reimu... what... are their symptoms?"
"Eh, their skin's kinda red, like a bad burn. Stings like nobodies business, they say. Some swelling. They're pretty well versed in medicine, but they can't pinpoint what it is. Something about allergies to complete purity or something, they're thinking." Reimu said.
"Medicine... of course she'd be here... Dammit!" Marisa's curse caused Reimu to turn her head back towards the witch.
"What do you mean?"
"No, no... nevermind. You've got enough to worry about."
"Well, that's true enough. You can have that one while I go take this well earned vacation." Reimu said before flying out of the building.
"She must be really tired, huh? Didn't even notice you just outside of the room." Marisa turned to Yorihime as she entered.
"You did pretty well, not letting on that I was here."
"Sure, but it still would have been easier if you hadn't panicked when she mentioned that illness."
"Well, can you fault me? What's all this about anyway? You seem to have some idea, and... well, I -am- worried."
"Medicine Melancholy is a youkai of poison. She was recently truly and very thoroughly killed-"
"Don't you people use that spellcard game to... you know, -prevent- that sort of thing?"
"It seems it wasn't a proper duel, but a fight between two Youkai. Remilia... the vampire with the time stopping maid... remember her? She was the killer." Marisa explained.
"I see. So this youkai's been poisoning my people? Why...?"
"That's where it gets bad. Alice said that Medicine was... well, using the poison victims as marionettes, basically."
"I see. Well, if they're purified, there shouldn't be a problem, right? Though... we aren't used to disease or poison... Eirin's the closest thing to a doctor we ever really had, though my sister and I received some basic instruction."
"Can anyone among you develop an antitoxin at all?"
"Perhaps I could... and I can think of a few gods that could restore them as well. Unfortunately, if they find out that they're no longer pure... to say nothing of the Netherworld itself... well, their morale would be crushed. I'd better fix this as quietly as I can as soon as possible."
"Perhaps, but be careful. She defeated several of Gensokyo's best. When we faced you on the moon, it was with spellcards... and my thinkin's that she won't be so kind. And I just don't know what'd happen if someone gets killed in the Netherworld... actually, wait... no, I do."
"Oh? We'd been wondering ourselves. Care to enlighten me, o sage of the living and the dead?" Yorihime asked, assigning the title without even a hint of reverence. Marisa grinned as she replied very simply.
"Shikieiki Yamaxanadu would throw a -fit-. Huh? What's that, Alice? Oh... oh, good idea! Sorry, Yorihime... something came up." Marisa quickly explained before seeming to slip into a meditative state, inspiring Yorihime to go off and do the same, though their goals were quite different.
Lunar Capital
Satori looked at the... vessel. Calling it a ship was a little too much of a stretch, as it looked like no ship she'd ever seen, save perhaps some that had been floating around in the back of Sanae's head. The metallic hull was hardly shaped to move... at least, not in water. This vehicle was never constructed to sail, either... truly, it seemed more a building than a ship. Louise herself seemed to have little idea what it was for, but given its classification under interdimensional travel, she could make a guess.
"Interesting... I've never seen anything like it. Could I meet with the engineers? I'm extremely curious how this might work." Satori asked Louise, who looked profoundly nervous as she looked around.
"We aren't supposed to be here, remember?"
"Fine, if you wish, you may go. Tell absolutely no one of my interest here, though. I'm still going to go inside... I simply must learn more about this magnificent creation." Satori said truthfully. If she didn't, Gensokyo would likely just be the beginning of demon expansion. Louise took the opportunity to dart away as fast as she could, without a single thought of considering turning Satori in. Doing so would implicate herself... something she desperately wished to avoid, in case Satori ended up causing trouble. Satori let her go; she was finished with the demon, anyway.
Satori approached the enormous vessel, sensing that several beings were aboard it. There were unmistakably a few humans... though they felt odd, somehow. They seemed rather tense and nervous... a sense of fearful obedience reached Satori's eye, even through the walls of the ship.
The vessel had innumerable, intense wards placed around it. As Satori approached them, she picked them apart easily... it seemed that major demons all throughout the Lunar Capital had contributed to the wards... this really -was- supposed to remain protected. Of course, Satori had met those very same demons all through the world, and with her eye sharper than it had ever been, she had had little difficulty learning not only how to create these wards, but how to destroy them... and even how to simply pass them without triggering them, normally a task that would require each of the warding demons to be present to open a passage through their magic.
Even so, it took her several minutes to tease the magic apart so she could quietly slip through. Sensing a familiar, echoing heart around, she spoke quietly.
"You two should wait here. Blinding the wards to your passage would be too time consuming, I fear"
So that's what she was doing... Youki's thoughts betrayed his presence. I can try to remain near here, but there simply aren't enough places to hide... He thought of several places they'd passed that would work well to conceal him, and Satori memorized them.
"Until we meet again, then." Satori stepped through and closed the barrier once again behind her, leaving a magical wedge of sorts to allow her to swiftly escape, if needed.
Aboard the Mysterious Ship in the Lunar Capital
"Hey, you! What are you doing here! This place is-" The magician in black was swiftly interrupted by the intruder that had somehow managed to sneak up on her.
"Off limits to those without explicit permission from The Great Goddess, yes. What I don't understand is why you seem to be so willing to work for her. Ah... fear is a reasonable enough motivation, I suppose. Wouldn't escaping her clutch be even better than widening her influence, though? You believe that with more territory to control, it would be easier for you to slip away. That's true enough... but I can't let her expand her territory, you see." Satori found the answers to her questions leaping to the surface of the magician's mind.
"What are you doing? Stop it! I'm loyal!" Panic swept through the mind of Satori's victim.
"...Just not to Shinki. Don't worry, I won't tell her, but I wouldn't be surprised if your 'friend' will. After all, she could gain a lot of favor by turning you in, Yuki."
"No! She wouldn't! We're friends! Mai would never-"
"Oh? Mai, why don't you come out, already? I'm not going to let you get away." Satori turned her attention to the other, quieter, blue-haired magician hiding in the shadows, currently trying to sneak away. Upon being addressed, she bolted...
Satori wove a quick spell to disorient the fleeing magician, and before she could recover, used an illusion to further cloud her mind, and guide her back towards Satori and Yuki. Sure enough, Mai was turned around, and came bolting back into the room with Yuki and Satori. Satori swiftly caught her before she could halt her momentum, and held her close.
"Yuki! It's not what it looked like! I was going to go get help!" Mai desperately lied... and Yuki seemed willing enough to believe her. Satori, though, wasn't about to let such a deception happen if it could be avoided. She tightened her grip on Mai, to make it very clear who was in charge here.
"Mai, I will not tolerate such lies. The part that annoys me the most though... is that you feel as Yuki does. You don't wish to work for Shinki any more than she does. You're simply more willing to betray her trust to ease your escape."
"Don't believe her, Yuki! You know I would never betray you! We've worked together for years! What's shadow without a light? What's cold without heat, right?"
The phrase was well known to Yuki... it had been a sort of motto for the pair over the years they'd worked. It had taken a lot of effort, but they had eventually gotten their abilities to work well in tandem. Yuki drew heat from Mai's ice magic to fuel her flames and vice versa, making both substantially more powerful than either alone... It was this combined technique that had earned them any respect at all amongst the demons.
"Of course, Mai. I trust you more than... this intruder." Yuki said as she began conjuring flames. Her conviction... her faith in her friend burned brightly.
"Pay attention to what I'm about to do here." Satori said as she held Mai close... and created a link between herself and her victim. It was slightly different, applying it to a being like Mai instead of Sakuya, but hooking the damage diversion magic was trivial enough in Satori's current overcharged state. She saw Yuki's trained senses carefully watching... and the horror as she realized what Satori had done. Mai had realized it as well, and her terror grew.
"You... You evil, horrible monster... taking her hostage!"
"I've been called worse... and I'm not nearly so bad as the demons outside. It seems you two have been assigned to work on this ship..."
"You should... ahhh... probably go ahead and tell her what she wants, Yuki." Mai nervously stammered out. Satori grinned at Mai's nervousness, justified though it was. If Yuki' and Mai's situations had been reversed, she knew Mai wouldn't have hesitated even a moment at the hostage situation.
"No need, Yuki. I know. It seems you two have been mostly assigned to keep the lead engineers on task. I know where they are; as humans, they're particularly loud... but I'd like you to lead the way to them. I have some matters to discuss with Yumemi and Chiyuri."
"How... how do you know all this? Even their names?"
"Well, that question always comes up sooner or later. I'm rather surprised it took so long... usually its the first question I get. I'm reading your hearts. And don't worry, Yuki... Mai won't betray you so long as you remain useful to her. The same goes for me, actually."
"I'd never betray you at all!"
"I know, Mai. Let's just... the engine room is this way. Just... swear to me you won't hurt Mai."
"So long as neither of you do anything to justify it, I so swear. I'm afraid I need to leave the connection I've forged in place for a time yet, however... just in case."
Yuki frowned, but was in no position to alter the deal. "Very well. We'll need to stop by-"
"The generator room to readjust the temperature regulation spell to account for my presence on the ship, yes, I'm aware. We can make a quick stop there... this ship needs to be ready to get underway, and quickly. And don't worry about those lesser demons posted throughout the ship. They'll be easy enough to avoid."
"Right... let's... let's go..."
Netherworld
Reimu walked back in through the door of Hakugyokurou. Marisa looked up expectantly. The shrine maiden looked run ragged... in part from her new lifestyle of waking early and going to sleep late, but particularly weary from her recent task.
"You owe me, Marisa." Reimu said, handing Marisa a small charm.
"You and everyone else in the world." Marisa said, eagerly looking over the charm. "So... what do I need to do with this?"
"Just use it as a focus for the communication spell you want to use. Words imbued with the power of the charm will slip through the barrier." Reimu said as she collapsed onto the welcoming wood boards that made up the flooring.
"You're a real pal, Reimu. Now I can get a hold of Patchy... Whenever a barrier's involved, just ask Reimu!"
"Marisa, next time you suggest I do something that might get me an earful from the Yama, please just blast me with master spark or something instead, alright?"
"Ah, so that's where you were all this time."
"Don't I wish her lectures were that brief... no, the barrier was complicated enough to keep me busy. I just -know- the Yama will lecture me, though, and I just hope you're around for me to point her at. You -owe- me."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, already. Now, to let Patchouli know what's going on... ohhh, I hope she's alright."
"Shame about her getting caught on the other side, though-"
"Reimu!" A yell from the depths of the estate made the shrine maiden groan. It wasn't time to train, so it must be Yuyuko demanding something.
"I'm on my way..." Reimu moaned, repeating herself more loudly as her name was called again. She wearily picked herself off the ground and hovered towards the voice. She turned back to Marisa "I want a full explanation as soon as we both get a chance... I'm feeling awfully left out of the loop."
Marisa nodded her assent and watched Reimu go. Considering how hard Yuyuko was driving Reimu, it would take a miracle for the chance Reimu wanted to appear.
Marisa looked outside quickly to ensure there were no eavesdroppers. The crude Moriya shrine that had been constructed here for whatever reason stood alone outside, the Lunarian crowd a fair distance away. Returning to her seat, she used Reimu's charm to open a communication link with Patchouli and prayed for success.
"Patchouli?"
Marisa? How in the Devil's name can you reach me? Has that damnable barrier fallen?
"No, I'm afraid you have Reimu to thank for this annoyance. Now, first... are you alright?"
Touching. I suppose I'm as alright as I can be while surrounded by demons. Thankfully, without that sickly shell I was in before, I was able to make great use of my spells to keep myself from getting trampled over after some... rough starts. It seems I've finally been deemed 'not worth bothering.'
"That's a relief. I was worried you-"
I didn't start with that designation. These demons know a damned lot about suffering. Hey, I just thought of something that'll cheer me up, though.
"Errr... alright?"
Yeah. You'll be returning all those books to me, soon. Then -you- can be the demon's plaything for days while -you- get -your- footing.
"Hey, whoa! I -said- I'd return them when I died, and I meant it. I'm just not dead yet."
You died, you're in the Netherworld, you owe me those books. I don't -care- that you happen to be alive as well. I'm going to need -something- to do over here, and watching you get your just desserts would do wonders for my mood.
"Lunasa's bringing the books here, now! I was going to show them to Yorihime, but if you want them back, they're yours. I mean, if this is a bad time-"
Of course it is! Look, you went through all this effort to contact me, and I -know- it wasn't out of concern for a fellow magician. What the -hell- do you want, Kirisame?
Marisa winced at the pointed, less familiar use of her surname.
"Well, that -is- why I wanted to contact you, but while we're talking-"
Get. To. The. Point.
"We need to perform a ritual requiring an enormous amount of energy... and Alice mentioned to me that the demons in the Netherworld could be a source of such energy."
They could indeed. In fact, the only reason they leave me alone now is because I've found a way to cast spells directly from their bodies. Leaves them too drained to dodge, and leaves me with as much magic as I need. So yes, I've already discovered that little fact on my own. But there's a problem and a solution to using their energy for your ritual.
"Could you... um... -please- tell me?"
Oh, I'll happily enlighten your worthless self. You see, just because there's nearly limitless energy here, doesn't mean a thing for doing a ritual out in the world of the living.
"So what's the solution, then?" Marisa feared she knew the answer...
You, of course. If you come to this part of the Netherworld, it ought to be simple enough to use your split soul as a conduit to channel the energy. Of course, channeling -that- much demonic energy as their bodies are stripped away to their souls is going to carry a lot of residual pain from the Demons, here, and the magic itself is likely to warp your soul or kill you. Your suffering will be at least equal to what I went through these past few days... a personal hell of torment beyond human imagination... but that's a price I'm willing to make you pay.
Marisa let out a nervous chuckle... Patchouli seemed to be in a particularly bad mood. "Well... that's... that's simple. Good... good work, Patchouli."
Oh, no worries. Just let me know if we're going through with this. You'll need me to channel the energy through you, of course. And don't forget to bring those books...
Marisa couldn't see Patchouli's expression, but it wasn't hard to imagine her wearing a wicked sneer. Marisa added one last thing.
"Oh, and you may want to know, but Medicine Melancholy is here and-"
-KILL HER-! Patchouli's mental voice was livid, nearly sending Marisa flying with the mere force behind the thought.
"Very funny, Patchouli. She's dead."
Then erase her existence! Destroy her soul! Send it over here for me to do it! It's her fault I'm here... -I'm- here, and -she- gets to relax in the Netherworld? Oh yes, I'd very -very- much like to settle my score with her... but I'm not -so- petty. -Anyone- can annihilate her, so long as it's done.
"Right... Take care, Patchouli." Marisa quickly said and cut off the connection before terror could overwhelm her. Patchouli hadn't seemed like herself when Marisa brought up Medicine. Marisa had never seen Patchouli get anything more than annoyed. Alright, -very- annoyed, judging from the first part of their conversation, but outright loathing like that was unlike her. Marisa wondered just how... or if, she should share Patchouli's plan with Alice and Byakuren.
Aboard the Mysterious Ship in the Lunar Capital
"They should be just in here." Yuki said, and both Satori and Mai nodded their heads in agreement. Satori, of course, knew they were... knew that they had no idea there was an intruder on board, let alone that their guardians and wardens had already been defeated. Satori had been able to guide Yuki and Mai away from any demons on board. The fewer beings that knew of her presence here, the better. Satori took care to shield her mind against the powerful human emotions she knew would pour through the door when it was opened.
Yuki opened the sliding door, revealing an immense, complicated device of some sort, and removing one of the last barriers between Satori's mind and that of the two humans.
"Yumemi, Chiyuri... we need to talk." Yuki said as the trio entered the room and sealed the door behind them.
Panicked thoughts... Oh gods... they didn't find out... no. No, they're... probably just here to make sure we're alright and still working. Just say what we always do... 'it's just taking longer than we thought'.
"Of course! Here, let me just get back up... Chiyuri, get up here." A few moments of grunting noises followed the reply before a red-haired woman in a red outfit squirmed her way out of a narrow gap in the machinery. Moments later, she was followed by a blond in some uniform that might have been white before getting covered with grease and oil.
Satori hadn't even been able to tell something was odd about the hearts of these humans until being exposed to them in person... but now it stood as a glaring omission. They were completely devoid of magic. Even a human... no, even the few outsiders Satori had encountered had more magic than this. In this realm, now suffused with magic from the mere presence of the demons, these two were notably deprived of it.
And yet, they both had tremendous minds. Perhaps even Eirin could learn something from either of them. Certainly their technology and understanding thereof was far beyond anything Satori had seen or read so far. Only the Lunarians might be able to compete, if what shattered fragments of memory Eirin had had while Satori was extracting the repair spell were any indication... And yet, they hadn't even the faintest idea of what magic -was-, let alone how to use it... despite seeing it several times, now.
"We got a new guard, then, Yuki?" The red haired woman gestured towards Satori with the wrench she was holding. Satori answered for the still-nervous witch.
"No. In fact, I've brought you two more people who wish to escape from here."
It must be a test of loyalty... "Two -more-? What do you mean?"
"I mean two, in addition to yourself and Chiyuri, Yumemi. To name them, let's call them Yuki and Mai."
Chiyuri herself was skeptical, though none of it showed on her face. Just play it like always, Yumemi... "Look, even if you've changed your minds and told us that we -can- go free when we finish, it's not going to speed things up. It's just going to take some time, alright?"
"You mean it will take as much time as you make it. You've been stalling completion of this interdimensional ship until they become convinced it isn't worth investing all this security into, when you'd be less guarded and perhaps able to escape. A reasonable plan, though I'm not sure how you'd have been able to defeat demons with no magic. I suppose you wouldn't have believed them even if they -had- told you of your deadline, though."
"Deadlines be damned, it'll be done when it's done, alright? We're trying as hard as we can!" She isn't buying it! Yumemi was getting defensive.
"Well, unless it's not finished in five days. That's when they were going to kill you all and send a new team to finish up the work." Satori's flat declaration caught all four members of her audience off guard.
They wouldn't! We've served them faithfully for as long as I can remember! Mai and I are too useful to be discarded like that!
It'd be just like them... Dammit. If Yuki didn't keep dragging me down, I'd be too important to be killed over something like this.
Why... why wouldn't they tell us? It would only motivate us more, wouldn't it? Maybe... yeah, she must be lying.
I told Yumemi this plan would only work for so long! We need to figure out a way to overpower them!
"I assure you, I'm not lying. The demons intend to use this ship to invade many, many realms. They have some other plans, as well, but this is the one they're all expecting to work. You two..." Satori turned to the magic-empty humans... "Might not realize this, but they only need a few demons in a realm to begin a thorough invasion. Reducing the crew capacity of the ship won't actually have slowed their spreading by any meaningful amount."
Yuki and Mai nodded their agreement before Yuki spoke to Yumemi and Chiyuri. "I can't believe you'd sabotage the project! I defended you against all those accusations!"
Satori interrupted before the yelling match that was about to start could gain momentum.
"You may have that discussion when I've gone-"
"Who do you think you are to barge in here and act like you know every-" Yumemi interrupted, only to find that Satori did the same to her.
"I am Satori Komeiji. I am going to save your lives because it is necessary to do so. If you would -prefer- to be tortured to death, perhaps I could give the demons some pointers. I have been through countless torments, and know that even worse yet lie ahead. And I could show you all... every... one." Satori growled... the demonic power that fueled her body started to flare up, barely controlled. Her patience had worn so thin that even the magically-deaf Yumemi and Chiyuri couldn't miss seeing the seething hatred beneath it. The room grew silent save for Satori's voice as she suddenly regained her composure with a light, silence-shattering cough and resumed speaking.
"For now, you four need to get this ship operational, and quickly. And yes, Rika, and Rikako should probably go with you."
What about Chang'e?
Satori considered, scouring the four other mind in the room for that name. Rika and Rikako had been willing to stall the project, but Chang'e had been doing her best to actually get the ship up and running. What's more, the woman seemed dangerously unstable, if Yumemi and Chiyuri's minds were to be trusted... rather powerful, as well... she had actually bested Yuki and Mai the one time they'd thought she was slacking off.
"I can't know for sure without meeting her, and I'm not sure I'll get the chance. I'll leave that decision to you. I will tell you though, that she seems to be native to the Lunar Capital... which I had thought completely destroyed. I don't know if she simply betrayed her fellows and was allowed to live as a result, or if she somehow survived the demon invasion and joined them afterward, but she's betrayed her last community in one way or another, and you -may- be next."
"Some help you are." Chiyuri scoffed, earning her a soft slap from Yumemi. Don't get us killed, idiot!
"I'm helping as much as I can. Now, you'll need to know where to go, of course. You were able to track magical energy, but you chose a rather unfortunate type. Instead of tracking the magic that demons use, you'll want to go where youkai thrive... they use a very different sort, and I suspect you'll be able to adjust your sensors to detect it easily enough once you have a youkai here. Unfortunately, with how I've been keeping myself fit lately, I won't be of much use, but I know of one that might." Satori spoke swiftly and decisively.
"You have a way with words, don't you? I'm even tempted to believe you... none of those here even know those sensors you mentioned exist, let alone how we followed them here." Chiyuri mentioned from her spot in the machine... an engine of sorts, if Chiyuri and Yumemi had any idea what they were doing.
"And now I'm one of the few people who knows how they work. Calibrating them so they simply zeroed out in your home world, then traveling to another world and following the first unknown energy signature you found to its source... elegant in its simplicity."
"It was an obvious enough solution... and I'm finding your claims more credible by the moment. So... why? Why are you helping us?" Yumemi said.
"Now that... I can't really tell you. I can't tell you what I don't know, you see. Sorry, but may I borrow that wrench a moment?" Satori gestured to the odd looking metal tool Yumemi held. The redhead shrugged and tossed it in a gental arc to be caught gracefully by Satori.
Yuki looked a bit nervous. "We... we can't just leave, though. The Goddess will be able to find us... There's no real escape from her..."
"There is indeed. When you get to Gensokyo with this vessel, seek out Alice Margatroid. She's been hiding successfully for years, now."
"Alice...? -Alice-! She... oh gods..." Yuki was overwhelmed... She managed to get away after all! I'd always hoped and feared she had. but... wait, does that mean the book is more than just a legend as well?
"It is a very long story, and a very interesting one. Suffice it to say, yes, those two legends at least are true."
Yuki turned to her side happily. "Mai! We're going to meet-. Mai?" Where did she go?
"She's going out the same route we came in." Satori smashed the wrench into her own right foot as hard as she could. She felt the magic carry the force of the blow away... and heard Mai's scream of agony from down the hallway.
"You should probably go bring her back. And be very careful that she doesn't escape. It'll be a bit tougher with a broken foot, though, so she shouldn't give you much trouble." Satori said to Yuki, who darted off after her companion.
"What was that about?" Yumemi was very confused. She knew she had just witnessed magic, yet remained clueless as to what had happened.
"Long story. Thanks for letting me borrow this." Satori said, lobbing the deformed tool back. "Sorry about its condition. One more thing. If you wouldn't mind seeking out a Magician named Byakuren and showing her this ship of yours, I think she'd be very appreciative. Alice will know how to find her, so you should at least accompany Yuki and Mai that far. And don't worry, they -do- wish to leave here and escape Shinki's grasp, just as you do. The wards around the ship will likely clue you in as to when to start preparing for immediate departure."
"Satori Komeiji, you said? Well, if we -do- get out of here, I suppose I'll owe you some thanks, huh? For all our sakes, that had better be the case."
"You're better off not even mentioning me at all, truly. Take care... I doubt we'll meet again." Satori said, heading off herself, leaving Yumemi holding a completely ruined wrench and thanking her foresight in having several others at hand.
"Let's get to work, then. One way or another, we'll be finished with this place, soon, eh Chiyuri?"
Marisa's House
"Reimu's a genius, I'll tell you." Marisa stood suddenly, nearly knocking over the pot she had been irreverently placed beside. "Hey, what's the big idea, stuffing me in the corner like some furniture?"
"We needed the room to work, Marisa. Next time you fall asleep in the middle of the floor, I might just toss you into a snowbank instead. Now then, I take it Reimu was able to do what you couldn't?" Alice's phrasing of the question bothered Marisa.
"I -could- do it, of course, she just did it faster, as you can tell. So I had a talk with Patchouli."
"And?" Byakuren was nearly as anxious as Alice to hear the news.
"The good news is that Patchouli has actually already come up with a way to cast directly from a demon's body... tested, used, magician approved."
"Given the look on your face, there's a catch. What's the bad news?" Byakuren finally walked over to Marisa after putting down the reagents she was working with.
"Well, the Netherworld isn't here... and we need the energy here... and the demons are in the Netherworld..."
"So we just need a way to connect the netherworld to this world. Hey, Marisa, aren't you-"
"Yeah, Patchouli had the same thought. My body should work as a conduit for the energy."
Byakuren gasped. "Marisa! You can't be serious! You don't have any idea what that much energy would do to you."
"Patchouli gave me a few ideas. Immense pain, probably dying again. She made it pretty clear it would be painful, though. -Really- clear. I don't think she much likes me, anymore."
"I don't think she much liked you at all, Marisa." Alice pointed out, refusing to leave the table where she was busy scrawling some notes and circles.
Byakuren shook her head vehemently. "No no no... well, yes. Given the amount of energy we're considering, though... your body wouldn't be the only thing ripped apart. It will likely be enough to tear your very soul asunder... at the very least, you'd be more demon than magician, and almost certainly not... well, as human as you are... when it was finished."
"That bad? Well... got any other ideas, then? Because if not, we're in trouble."
"No. So we'll make do... I'm somewhat familiar with the effects of demonic energy on a human body, you might say. I'll try and find a ward to shield you from its effects. Alice, I could use your help; your body's unique composition will help with the experiments. Marisa, you'll need to prepare the glyphs to contain the energy once we get it over here."
"You're really getting into the mood now, aren't you?"
"I never stopped -being- a Magician, Alice. I merely stopped indulging in my youkai nature. Now, though... well, it's better to simply follow my heart... right?" Byakuren asked, still not entirely sure about embracing that part of her identity.
"I doubt anyone cares that you're trying to save the world for selfish reasons. So long as we actually -do- save the world, I think your youkai nature is allowed to shine through." Alice said with that distant, appraising tone she favored.
Byakuren and Alice swiftly lost themselves to their experimentation, and Marisa felt like an outsider as she watched them for just a few minutes before collecting herself enough to begin work on the magic circle to distract herself. The one that would contain enough energy to correct a global catastrophe... that would all pass through her. She shuddered as the enormity of the task they were going to attempt weighted heavily on her. The world was an awful large burden, and she'd be lifting it on her own shoulders, it seemed.
Chireiden
"Alright, do you understand, Utsuho?" Youmu asked again.
"Yep! Just make a tiny little sun, right?"
"Exactly. Now, show us how small you can make it." Eirin prompted through the communication spell.
Utsuho focused as her friend Orin watched on... she first made a rather typical sphere... a good three times her size, easily.
"It's... got to be smaller than that, Okuu." Orin helpfully pointed out. "like... a lot smaller than that pot miss Satori used."
Utsuho nodded and continued to bend her will towards the sphere. It shrank swiftly down to the size of a person... then began to appear unstable and wavered slightly.
"Ahhhh... is that... supposed to be happening?" Youmu asked nervously.
"Energy too great for this size containment field. Venting excess energy in ten seconds. Evacuation of the immediate area is advised." Okuu rattled off, causing Youmu and Orin to skitter well away, around several corners. Eirin, of course, merely closed and covered her eyes from the impending discharge. Okuu counted down...
"3...2...1... Discharging excess energy" A blinding light filled the nearby halls, and after a few moments, Eirin saw the stabilized sphere, now approximately the size of a child.
"Getting better, but it needs to be smaller, yet." Eirin coaxed as Youmu and Orin cautiously reentered the room. The artificial sun continued to shrink to about the size of a toddler... then just a little more.
"Minimum stable reaction sized accomplished. Further reductions will remain stable only for brief and unpredictable lengths of time. Such reductions of fusion reaction are not advisable for sustainable energy output." Utsuho continued in that oddly focused tone of voice.
"Well, Youmu? It's hard to judge from here... any chance of that fitting in the pot with the world in it?" Eirin asked.
Youmu carefully judged the size of the sun, comparing it to the size of her spirit half... The sun was certainly smaller than the pot, but there was simply no way it would in the pot with the world in there as well.
"No... I don't think so."
"Of course it couldn't be that easy... Alright... time to change tactics. We won't be able to do anything about the darkness just yet, but we can at least stop the world from freezing over while we figure out how to appropriately create the sun... I'm going to need you all to heat the pot. Gently, at first, but keep raising the temperature slowly. I'll pay attention to the temperature up here and tell you when to stop." Eirin commanded, and the meeting moved to the room with the pot.
Youmu walked nervously as she thought once again of -the- pot and shuddered. To think, the whole world could break with one clumsy step...
Hieda Household
Udonge awoke rather refreshed. She got out of bed and stretched as she let out a silent yawn.
"Feeling better, then?" Tewi said, looking at Udonge. Udonge responded first with a startled glance at Tewi, then a more thorough visual inspection of the room. Satisfied there weren't any immediately obvious traps, she turned her attention to Tewi.
"Yeah... how long was I out? It feels like I slept for a week."
"Eh... about a day or so, maybe? Really, I don't know if I'd have recognized you like that if they hadn't told me."
"You mean the horn...? Yeah... I don't really know what happened there..." Udonge gently touched the still-unfamiliar horn.
"Huh? Oh, wow... you should look in a mirror, then. Eirin seems to think it's got something to do with you pushing yourself too hard. She suggested you relax a bit." Tewi produced a small mirror and handed it to her.
Udonge took it and looked at herself. The Kirin's curved horn wasn't the only change to her appearance, now. Her lavender hair was now blonde, though it remained the same length as before. Shocked and confused, Udonge half-flung, half-dropped the mirror onto the floor, where by some small miracle it didn't break.
"Yeah, that was almost my reaction." Tewi picked up the mirror and looked it over. "Anyway, thanks for giving back the luck I loaned you."
"What?"
"Yeah, when that pain started up back at Eientei, I figured I wouldn't be able to make any use of my own luck, so I loaned you as much as I could before I lost control. Seems it worked out; you got me back up, so everything worked out." Tewi put the mirror away again, seemingly satisfied with something.
Udonge shuddered, thinking of the many lucky breaks she'd had. Mima doing... whatever she had done... her patients being rescued from the mansion, meeting Satori and gaining her support, escaping from Remilia several times, being found before freezing to death in the lake... the list seemed to go on and on.
"I suppose I owe you my life, then...?" Udonge admitted.
"Nah, we're even, now. And don't discount your true accomplishments as mere luck. You may have been in the right spots at the right times, and fortune may have helped out, but you're where you are because of your own actions and decisions."
"This... isn't like you. Who are you and what have you done with Tewi?" Udonge wasn't exactly comfortable with Tewi acting so... kind. Or so insightful, come to think of it. She was still waiting for the punchline... the punchline that almost always involved a laugh at her own expense.
"Nah, I'm the Tewi you know and love. I just know better than to get on the bad side of a Kirin." Tewi tucked the mirror away and chuckled. "They're quite powerful, I hear. Even Eirin's a tad nervous around you, now. Maybe she's worried that you're a threat to her career or something, who knows. Tread lightly, Udonge... You're suddenly a person to watch carefully, and you're not used to the position you've been thrust into. That's all the free advice you get, though." Tewi said as she walked out through the door, fidgeting idly with her carrot-shaped necklace.
Udonge felt a chill run down her spine. She had no idea what was happening to her... if the transformation was over, whey was she still changing? What would change next? How long would she still be Reisen Udonge Inaba?
"Don't let the little rabbit psyche you out. She's a bit of a trickster, you may recall." Mima's voice announced her presence in the room, hovering near the bed where Udonge had been resting.
"Mima... thank you so much for everything. You saved the lives of all those people..."
"I do what I can to help. Now that you've recovered... it turns out I -have- thought of a way you might be able to repay me, after all..." Mima gently suggested.
"I'll do what I can... whatever it is, it was worth it to save those people..." Udonge was visibly nervous... many people had been saved... what equivalent deed would Udonge need to perform for Mima...? What could be worth the lives and sanities Mima had helped restore.
"My thanks, then, though you needn't worry so. It should only take a little of your power, and its well within your reach. You may have noticed that I'm not... quite alive." Mima indicated her ghostly wisps of a tail.
"I did notice that, yes..."
"Indeed. I would like you to bring me to life. A task well within your power, I think. Indeed, it should be quite easy... the hardest part of such a thing is retrieving the person's spirit, and... well, I'm right here."
Udonge nodded. She knew what Mima was saying was true. Healing all those people may have been draining, but restoring a single person to life... especially when that person was already present... it ought to be trivial. Especially if what Mima had said earlier to make Udonge push herself so hard held true.
"Of course! Just give me some time to focus." Udonge began to focus her power, intending to revive the ghost that had done so much, not just for herself, but for all the villagers as well. As she concentrated on her goal, she began to feel ill. Something told her that was she was about to try was wrong in some fundamental way... as she gathered the power of life she would need, her very nature screamed at her not to do this, even as her mind screamed at her to repay this debt.
Mima noticed the hesitation. "Please, Udonge. If anyone can do this, it's you."
DON'T DO IT!
Udonge stopped at the mental shriek. The energy she had been gathering seemed to fly away of its own will, and Udonge struggled to keep from retching as she felt something knot up inside of her, like her intestines were having some sort of tug of war.
"Udonge! Please, it's almost over... just bring life to this poor spirit, I beg you..." Mima hovered down to look at Udonge's eyes... eyes no longer the bright red they had been a short while ago, but now a deep, soothing blue. "Just please, try your very hardest. Life is at stake, here!" Mima begged.
Udonge nodded and gathered as much of her will as she could to shake off the distractions. She focused once again on her horn, bringing as much life force as she could into it... channeling as much of her tormented, resisting essence as possible. It was like swimming up a waterfall, but she would do it... for Mima... for the people of the village... for everyone that Mima had helped... she needed to do this. There was a debt to be repaid... she could do it, and she -would- do it! She reached out to Mima-
DON'T! DO! IT! THIS IS NOT -RIGHT-!
Again the voice screamed at her and her power flew from her control, wildly discharging and causing the potted plants in the room to bloom suddenly. Udonge sobbed in breathless agony as she felt the knot inside her pull taut. She felt like she was being turned inside out, and considerable will though she had, she couldn't stop herself from falling to the ground. She clutched at her gut, too weak from pain and nausea to even speak... hardly even able to breathe. She saw Mima's face as she looked up.
"It appears I misjudged you both. You must be ever so tired... I think you've both earned a very, very long sleep. " Mima said softly as she began to weave a spell over the incapacitated and confused Udonge, and moments later, the screaming pain was replaced with a sweet and merciful silence.
Author's Notes:
Sorry it's a bit late. It's getting to that point where chapters might start coming out a little more slowly. You see, the pot gets harder to stir as the plot thickens. And then all those threads get tangled together into this big ball and I've got to sort them out. And then my metaphors get worse and worse...
I've also been writing some other fics, but they're little more than gleams in my eye right now. They're helping me get around some writer's block I've had for this one though, so it's all working out. I think.
Thank you everyone once again for reading and reviewing.