One's Man Trash is Another Witch's Treasure
Ken's POV
(So. I'm back here again.)
I stood with Ran, Yukari, and Chen in front of Marisa's home two yards away, near the trees. Her home seems to have vegetation out of control as vines grew on the walls, but nowhere near her windows.
"Ken, go in and see if the coast is clear" said Yukari, walking away to the side of Marisa's home. Ran and Chen followed her obediently, although they seem to be somewhat crippled. Ran clutches her chest in pain while Chen limps with her right leg.
(Well, I guess it makes sense. But I need an excuse..)
(I mean...why else would I be back in this house?)
(I'm pretty sure I don't want my sword back. But that could be the potential reason.)
(If I came with a reason related to Patchouli and her books, I think I would only get the so-called 'annihilation of love' response, thanks to her Hakkero.)
(Speaking of Patchouli, I wonder how her and this Patchcon business is going. It doesn't sound like she's going to last long though. I don't think Marisa ever leaves the library without stealing something...or not.)
(Why am I still standing here thinking? Even Yukari, Ran, and Chen are looking at me strangely.)
Ran, Chen, and Yukari each gave me a puzzled look. Their heads were poking out the side examining me like three porn stars acting as prisoners who escaped from their prison scoping out their drug dealer's hideout in a lesbian movie.
(That was a really weird simile.)
"Umm...we'll be waiting" said Yukari, before drawing her head in slowly, as she slowly became less and less visible before she was invisible. Ran and Chen nodded their heads at me and they too drew their heads in.
(Yeah...how you girls just did that was weird.)
"Okay, if you say so" I said, reluctant in proceeding with the task at hand.
(Now relax, all you're doing is visiting your friend's house again.)
No matter, I drew anxious while walking towards her door, seeing the lush yet invasive vegetation on the wall. However, I spotted something in front of her door. Seeing it only made more anxious, as my hand shook more and more, reaching out and grabbing what the thing was. I examined it, flipping the floppy thing around and such.
(This looks like a doll? This looks like Reimu, with the hair and clothes and everything...I think I'm going to keep this one.)
(Now how do I store it with me? Hmm...I know it's too big for my pockets...I guess I have no choice.)
Shrugging my shoulders, I unbuttoned my shorts and unzipped my zipper, before stuffing the doll down in my pants, before buttoning and zipping up my shorts.
(This better not give a big misunderstanding to anyone who sees this.)
Already I feel eyes attacking me from a certain point. Turning around, I see all three Yakumos looking at me awkwardly, before they drew in their heads at the same time, becoming invisible.
(I stand corrected, if they see me like this, they will shit bricks.)
(Now back to the task at hand.)
I stepped forward and knocked on the door three times with my hand. I stood waiting like an impatient guest, tapping my foot on the ground with my arms crossed as the seconds go by.
"Hey Ken~, how about the open window up there?" said Yukari, pointing upwards with her fan.
(Open window huh, thank god for that Holy Grail, only useful for breaking and drinking.)
I flew up and went in through the open window, some shards of glass were seen, but not enough to impede my progress through the window.
(Wow, I think this place got more cluttered with junk than the last time I was in Marisa's room.)
(Hmm? What's this?)
On a desk in Marisa's room are sigils, and papers everywhere on the desk, with a complement of open books. A doll that seems to look like Patchouli sits on her desk, ominously looking at me. What's scary about the doll is that she seems to be only half-finished, as there are various features missing on the doll like clothing and ears.
(Okay, the sooner we can find that wine, the faster I can get the hell out of here from that creepy doll. But right now, I need to test if she's here..but how...)
Walking over to the desk, almost tripping about three times before getting there in the crowded room, I examined the papers out of curiosity.
(Experiment not showing signs...Experiment not reacting to magic or fire...Use different sigil for refining...must steal more dolls from Patchy for further tests...what the hell?)
(It looks like Marisa is trying to research her own doll army. Should I help the SDM or not? Hmm~...)
(Oh well, I guess Marisa won't mind if I destroy this creepy doll of hers.)
I took the doll and looked around for the sword I used to use before. Seeing it laying against the bed, I took it, as it felt surprisingly light.
(It's been a long time since i picked this up, now it feels like a feather. Thanks to a certain sadist.)
I tried to find a clear space devoid of any junk, but since that's nowhere in this room, I can't use the sword.)
(Ah well, good bye sword~!)
I tossed the sword towards the bed, bouncing a little bit before staying. Then I proceeded the rip the hell out of that doll, with furious twists and pulling in frustration. Already, the doll was a mere mess of stuffing, seen everywhere in the room.
(That was some nice stress relief, especially after getting hit with my own spell card before.)
(Okay...now what? I still haven't tested if she's here yet...eh~, I'll just yell something random. An old meme is fine.)
Cupping my hands while walking towards the window, I tripped on my way, making a loud thud, before I quickly got back up.
(She seriously needs to clean her room.)
At the window, with my hands cupped around my mouth, I yelled "MARISA STOLE THE PRECIOUS THING~!"
I stood for a minute, again tapping the floor with my foot and crossing my arms.
(Well, no reply there. She must be somewhere. Time to get the three in here.)
Taking my head out of the window, I said "It's clear! You three can come in the house!"
"Who are you talking to?" said a voice behind me, as immediately I got goosebumps on my skin.
(Please don't be...Please don't be...oh it's just her.)
Yukari, Ran, and Chen were already in the same room as me, I saw a gap already closing behind Yukari, as I sighed. Ran and Chen appear to be already working on trying to find something, as they were digging through the junk.
(What would be the point of me doing all that just to check if you can do that?)
"Uhh~, never mind. Let's get to work" I said, before helping the two dig their way through the junk.
Youmu's POV
BGM:Clannad OST - Roaring Tides
(Uuu~, what am I going to tell my Mistress Yuyuko? I was so unaware of my objective that I failed to protect it back there!)
I stood in the garden of Hakugyokurou, in front of a sliding door that leads to Mistress Yuyuko's private chamber. She should be out shortly, but the more I wait, the more scared I become.
I stood shakily and anxiously, as the apprehension affects me and my ghost half, who is erratically moving around. Before me was like a pit of evil that immobilized me with its ominous gaze.
(Th-there's nothing to be afraid of...but I failed...)
(I was given a simple order but I couldn't do it. I failed.)
(Why? I couldn't do something so simple, I have disgraced my Mistress and my father.)
As I thought more and more despondently into this, my eyes kept turning to my swords.
(Why did Mistress Yukari have to interfere in my only humble, simple task? No Youmu, it's all your fault. You failed to do your duty. I am ashamed of you. Youki would even be more ashamed of you. Of course, my Mistress Yuyuko would just joke about it. But inside, she would be disappointed in lowly me.)
My gaze was fixed on my swords, as my legs begin to wobble.
(I don't even deserve to be Mistress Yuyuko's servant, I failed such a simple, easy task. Then Yukari have to go and mess it up with those three.)
(She's the one who's making me suffer...it's all her fault!)
I begin to think of Yukari more and more as the sole source of my problems. Even thinking of her name drives me with a lot of anger.
"Youmu~, are you still there?" sung Yuyuko from behind the sliding door.
"Y-yes!" I replied in fear, her voice unusually terrifying me more than usual and temporarily paralyzing my whole body for a few seconds.
"Hmm~? You may come in" said Yuyuko, allowing me to enter.
I hesitated, but I slowly opened the sliding door. I walked in unsteadily as I slowly closed the door. I didn't face my Mistress once throughout this endeavor yet.
I turned around and sat on a nearby pillow next to a kotatsu. I only looked down at the kotatsu, never daring to face my Mistress after failing a simple task.
"Youmu?" said Yuyuko in a concerned manner. My heart skipped a beat when I heard her voice, making me do a hiccup.
I couldn't speak to her. I felt like the very air I breathed was being sucked out of me, like I don't deserve to speak at all.
(I want to tell her! I want to tell her how it's Yukari's fault! How she made fail my simple task!)
(Why can't I do it? I feel like there's a really big lump in my throat! I need to try...)
"Youmu? You don't look...happy" said Yuyuko bluntly but not jokingly. Again I made a hiccup, as every time I heard her voice, the dread of her punishing me just increases.
(Of course not! I failed you!)
On the table, my palms began to sweat as the apprehension was doing its work, paralyzing me and tightening up my body.
I was ill-fated and unprepared when I heard those cursed six words that stabbed my heart from my Mistress Yuyuko: "Did you bring the sake, Youmu?"
In the silence that took place after she asked, I could hear my heart beat more audibly. It beat with so much force, so much I could feel my chest being pumped.
I sullenly looked at my chest, and became so horrified that it also held my neck in a tight grip. My chest felt like something was trying to come out of it. Every time my heart beats, my chest is attacked with so much more force, and my neck felt more and more gripped.
(Wha..What's going on? I can't breathe!)
I couldn't move my hands off the table, as my arms felt like they were in a snake hold, forever bound to the evil kotatsu. I wanted to hold my neck because it really felt like someone was choking me, and I wanted it to stop.
(Let me go! Let me go! Help!)
I was paralyzed to the core, my body won't listen to me, as I continued to look at my pounding chest. It felt like a blow each time my heart beats, as I endured.
(Help me! Help me, Mistress Yuyuko!)
My lips won't even move for me, feeling very heavy. No matter, I tried to speak out in my mind, but my pleas go on ignored.
(Help me! Help me! Why won't you help me?)
I wanted my Mistress Yuyuko to help me so badly, but the shameful failure of my task rings in my head, jeering "Failure! Dishonor!" for failing such a simple task.
(I deserve it. I deserve this bullying. I deserve the punishment for the shameful defeat I have sowed.)
When I resigned myself, my eyelids felt really heavy, as the vision of my painful chest begin to close on both sides.
Even when my body was fully paralyzed, I tried my best to shake myself out of this mess as my eyes were fully closed, and shouting "help me! Yuyuko, help me! I want to be free! I want to be fre-"
"YOUMU!" yelled a sharp, distinct voice close to my right ear.
Immediately, I opened my eyes, looking at my once pounding chest. I felt like I just fought a long battle. My neck begin to slowly open up, but I was still unwilling to talk.
I saw arms wrapped around my arms and chest, they were wearing silk, free and light, blue sleeves with large white ends. The hands were enveloped on my arms, the fingers spreading out.
I felt like there was a cushion on my back, comforting me in my despair. I felt hair tickle my skin lovingly, as I slowly pulled out of my apprehension.
I recognized those arms and the sleeves. The sleeves are a very high and fine quality, as only owners of mansions could own them, while the arms were soft, lithe, and cold. They were even colder than my body, even if I never let people touch me. I never give them a chance. Although, there's only one person I would allow such a freedom.
Yuyuko Saigyouji, the owner of Hakugyokurou, and my Mistress. The one who is hugging me and comforting me, my mistress whom I allow to touch me.
But I didn't get it. I didn't believe this was happening, I closed my eyes and opened them again, expecting an illusion. But I never felt nothing in return, I still felt the comforting hug that puzzled me.
(Why...why are you hugging me? My insolence does not deserve this comfort. I don't deserve this!)
My memories of my defeat were sound and still ranged out, yet, I also felt Yuyuko's embrace. My eyes began to emit tears as the stream flow to my chin, landing on my Mistress's sleeve.
"Youmu, Yukari took it, didn't she?" said a now soft, calm voice that belonged to my Mistress Yuyuko to my ear.
I didn't want to speak at all, so I nodded my head slowly, feeling too ashamed to speak. My short hair clashed against her long hair.
"I figured so. No one else could beat my Youmu in a fight" said Yuyuko charmingly, as she tightened her embrace on me.
Her words were disarming, taking me away from hating Yukari, and the despair I felt earlier. However my defeat still had its effect on me, tightening my body.
In my mind, I saw a faint glimpse of that man who was with Yukari. He was also with those two girls before, I was not ordered not to attack him that time. I think his name was Ken. Why he is in my mind is elusive, it's really weird.
(What? What do you want from me?)
"Loosen up" said the Ken in my mind, before he seems to step out of it himself.
(But I never got what that...meant.)
Realizing what Ken meant when he said "loosen up", I remember when I was thoroughly relaxed at the graveyard before Yukari showed up. I was having a peaceful meditation under that tree, before a rude awakening caused me to be more alert.
(So that's what he meant.)
Remembering a procedure I went through before meditation, I tried to breathe deeply. My limbs already begin to feel more relaxed, while my stomach slowly rises and falls.
After a few minutes, I already felt like a new person, rejuvenated, refreshed, and more peaceful. The apprehension and despair that devastated me was no longer there, as calmness and focus replaced them.
(I owe you someday for telling me these much-needed words. Thank you, Ken.)
Thankful of his words, I became unafraid to talk to Yuyuko. However, when I tried to speak, I felt my hair being brushed off to the side.
"Mistress Yuyuko?" I asked, noticing how clear my voice is now.
*Chu~*
I felt my ear being nibbled on top with teeth, teeth that of Yuyuko as she continues to hug me. I immediately felt warmth rush to my cheeks, while wincing slightly from being nibbled.
"Mistress Yuyuko, are you hungry?" I asked, thinking that would be the only logical reason.
I could hear a muffled "mhmm~" from Yuyuko, telling me that she is hungry, and possibly starving.
"Okay, Yuyuko, I will serve you some meals" I said, making a small grin.
(That was the first time I called her only Yuyuko.)
Marisa's POV
BGM: N/A
(Hold still will you?)
But she wouldn't. Reimu always keep dodging my attacks by grazing or teleporting and hitting me from behind. My back hurts a lot from being hit to the ground. My face has grown red from hitting the floor so much.
(It's always like a 5 to 1 ratio. I only hit her once while she hits me five times already. It's not fair! And she's not even using her danmaku!)
However, ever since I hit her with a star from using Meteonic Debris, she doesn't even seem to fighting as hard as she should be.
(This isn't fun no more, she's not even trying! Maybe a quick hit in the head will tell her to try!)
On the ground was Reimu, only throwing ofuda and senbon needles at me while I was in the air.
I swooped down towards the ground, dodging the ofuda and the needles in the air. I quickly landed and ran towards Reimu, holding my broom in the overhand position.
Reimu responds by quickly throwing two ofuda to create a blue barrier in front of me.
(Hmph! Easy!)
I kicked the ground and jumped over the blue barrier, as Reimu stares at me with wonder, her eyes seemed lifeless.
(I'll knock some sense into your head so you won't stare as much!)
Close to Reimu and descending in the air, I brought down my broom and struck Reimu in the head with the straw. Successfully, Reimu was brought down to the ground in utter shock. The strange thing is, as soon as I hit her, she fell limp and acted like she was dead.
(Eh? Reimu?)
"Reimu?" I said, looking down on her seemingly lifeless body. "Come on Reimu, now's not the time to be playing dead."
I poked her body a few times with the bamboo end of my broom, trying to check to see if Reimu is alive. "Reimu? Reimu!"
All of a sudden, her body seems to have exploded in a blue explosion, before ofuda flew out of it in all directions and hit me in the head, chest, and legs.
I was so unprepared that I staggered backwards by the shock of the explosion, trying to frantically find out what just happened and why did I get hit with ofuda when the Reimu in front of me was playing dead.
Then I fell back on the ground when someone tripped by the foot. I hit the back of my head real hard, my hat fell off with the Hakkero in it.
"Ow~!" I yelled in pain, grabbing my head where it hurts. I lifted my head to see who tried to hit me in the front, and it turned out to be none other than Reimu.
Reimu seemed to be dusting off her clothes. The back of her clothes seem to show a lot of gray spots while to my disappointment, no sign of a red bump on her head.
(So the Reimu I have been fighting is a fake? That really makes me feel bad I spent all that effort just to kill off a clone..)
"When you get up, can you help me set up the shrine for the banquet?" asked Reimu, looking at me on the ground before looking away. Reimu walked away from me while I was still on the ground groaning from the fall I had thanks to her. However, she seemed to be walking slowly to me, this made me remember I still have a trick up my sleeve while I was on the ground.
With my right arm, I reached out behind me while arching my back and head to reach my hat. My hand barely caught a hold on it before I dragged it towards me. I relaxed my body to stop arching, resting on the ground, only tilting my head again upwards to look at Reimu. I shoved my hand in the hat, taking out the mini Hakkero and aiming it at Reimu.
(Uh oh, looks like she forgot I still have this with me~)
My arm shook as the Hakkero begin to gather energy into its hollow core, rainbow colored crackles of electricity went throughout the Hakkero. I grinned evilly at Reimu.
"Marisa?" asked Reimu, stopping on the ground, before looking at me.
(Too late!)
"Love Sign! Master Spark!"
Alice's POV
BGM:Clannad OST - A Couple of Idiots
I stood in front of Marisa's home, looking at the broken window. I left my grimoire at home, but I brought Shanghai with me for company.
(Hmph. What a lazy witch. She's not doing anything about the broken window or these...vines on her house at all)
I began to feel disgusted, since I have been here before several times. I crossed my arms and begin to lose patience.
(If there's that, then I know going inside has got to be the worst thing I could do. That's why I put Shanghai over there.)
I looked over at Shanghai, she stands there as I manipulated before, holding the bottle with a cork on it.
(Heck, why am I here? She might not be home at all...I'm supposed to bring that bottle to the shrine for her anyway..)
(No! That witch Marisa needs a lesson. She needs to be more responsible and not have someone like me to do it. I have other things to do anyway! Don't keep me busy with a bottle.)
(One day she'll thank me for being so harsh to her!)
I grew increasingly adamant to give the bottle to her after being initially rejected by the poor condition of seeing her home and Marisa. Blood began racing to my face as I felt flushed, and irritated for no reason.
(Well, I don't want to come all the way here for nothing, time to knock and warn her about a threat I will not disclose and give her back the wine! I wanna see her squirm!)
I lifted my arm to about an inch away from knocking on her door.
Ken's POV
"God damn it!" I yelled loudly.
I kicked open the door while being enraged. The door swung open to its right, as I panted many times, looking at the floor.
"Can't that witch ever clean up something for once in this house? This place has only gotten messier last time I been here!" I yelled in frustration.
I was pissed off, nothing has ever made more angrier than trying to find something in a house like this. It's like an equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack.
(This is more like a fucking junkyard than a home! In fact, I don't think it's a home at all. It's a fucking sieve!)
My face was red, not from the anger I had built up, but from the numerous times I had tripped in this house and fell on my face.
Suddenly, something small hit my head from behind. I quickly turned around ready to punch whoever did that to see Yukari and her unfolded fan. She looked like she was being totally sarcastic.
"Watch your language Ken, we have a child here you know~" sung Yukari ominously, only making me get angrier.
(Chen's upstairs, I can cuss all I want!)
"We're never going to find anything in this house!" I yelled, accidentally spitting on Yukari's forehead. She wiped that off with her hand before lightly slapping me in the face with the same hand. The slap hurt more than usual since my face was already red and more sensitive from the numerous faceplants I had.
"Say it. Don't spray it, Ken~" said Yukari.
(I'm supposed to say that! But apparently nobody in this land has an effing lisp!)
While getting increasingly angry at Yukari for being a smartass, she looked past me and widened her eyes. She pointed in the direction my back is facing. "Hey Ken, look over there! There's the bottle of wine!"
"No there isn't, you dumbass. We been trying to find this bottle of wine for over an hour and I bet you're just hallucinating" I said, taking pride in my statement.
Yukari narrowed her eyes at me, before slapping me harder this time on the other cheek. While I was feeling that cheek with my hand because it felt like a bee sting, I was flipped around by Yukari to look in the other direction.
In the distance, I saw some kind of little humanoid that seemed to be holding a bottle with a visible piece of cork sticking out of the neck.
(Yeah, I deserved that one.)
"I stand corrected" I said, defeated with little to no pride left.
"Told you~, now go and get it" said Yukari, sounding irritated. I heard her unfolding the fan she had and fanning herself.
I grumbled a few times but I went outside to retrieve what seems to be the bottle. Being inside for more than an hour, the sun was quite harder on me for a few moments before my eyes got used to it.
Putting my arm on my forehead to prevent the sun from getting its rays in my eyes, I had gotten closer to the humanoid. I recognized it immediately when I got close to it.
(Shanghai? or is it Hourai? It's probably Shanghai.)
The doll held out her bottle of wine gesturing for me to take it.
(Well, okay?)
I took the bottle of wine from her hands by the neck. Already I felt a layer of dust on the bottle, but I didn't care, I finally found it.
"Okay girls. I found it!" I yelled, waving the bottle in the air.
"Give it here" said Yukari instantly beside me. I was amazed that she was beside me all this time. The doll looked at her curiously.
(Looks like Alice decided to do something for us. That was very nice and somewhat uncharacteristic.)
"Here you go" I said, now already relieved of my frustration and giving her the bottle. "Chen, Ran, we're going now!"
"And with enough time to spare~" said Yukari, already dropping the bottle into a gap.
"Now where do we go ne...what the hell?" I said, seeing some sort of a large rainbow-colored beam piercing the sky before dissipating suddenly. I shook, shakily pointing my finger to where the beam was once. "Was...was that a master spark?"
"I believe it was, Ken. And that's exactly where we're headed~" sung Yukari, before opening a gap that doesn't give away a destination, only eyes staring at you back. She goes into it, and shortly after, Ran and Chen follow her into it.
(At least I'm not the only one with a red face.)
I begin to walk into the gap when I felt someone tugging me from behind on my shirt. Turning around, I saw the doll staring at me with those lifeless eyes, flying on its own up to my chest.
(Woah...at least that's less creepier than the doll Marisa has in her room.)
The doll points to her left. Looking at the direction, I saw Alice lying on the ground with her arms on the ground. She seems to look unconscious, and I was completely shocked. Not the fact that Alice was there, that's no surprise at all. The big surprise is that the doll is doing all that without Alice moving her limbs on purpose.
"What? How did you-" the doll silenced my loudness by placing her finger on her lips. Immediately, I became silent.
(Can't you speak? Then again, I'm pretty sure Alice doesn't design vocal cords either.)
The doll tried to communicate to me by raising her arms like she was lifting something and pointing in a direction, but I could not understand her.
Becoming restless, The doll floated to my hand and grabbed my finger, before pointing towards Alice.
"Walk towards her?" I asked, feeling weird all of a sudden. The doll nodded and tried to pull my finger towards Alice to no avail.
I walked over to the unconscious Alice while the doll held on to my finger. When I got to Alice, she seemed to be truly knocked out, with her nose bleeding.
"I wonder how she got knocked out. Meh, no time to think about that now. Now what?" I asked the doll. The doll let go of my finger and got to the floor. She walked over real close to Alice and did a motion where she tried to lift her up.
"Ohh~, is that what you meant?" I asked, feeling bad for not getting it before. The doll nodded and climbed on top of Alice's stomach. I lifted Alice up off the ground bridal style. She still seems to be unconscious when I immediately blushed.
(Yukari was right. This could create misunderstandings. I'm not sure how Sakuya would react if she would react. Hopefully she doesn't go all Dio Brando on me.)
The doll pointed towards the gap. I asked, "you want me to take her into where the gap leads to?"
The doll nodded, sitting on top of Alice. I sighed, before starting to walk towards the gap.
(I'm taking orders from a freaking living doll who apparently doesn't need a puppeteer to function on its own while another doll is in my pants. Wow...woah!)
I heard a bump. Designating where that noise came from, I realized I bumped Alice into the door with her head. She shows no sign of waking up though.
"Woops. hehe" I said, while the doll facepalmed.
(Then again, the door is only five inches away from being closed, and Alice didn't wake up after bumping her against the door. And Marisa might get suspicious as to why her door is open when she left it closed.)
While I was smiling evilly, the doll looked at me questionably, before I closed the door by bumping Alice's head on purpose against the door.
(Well that takes care of that...hey, why are you all up at my grills?)
The doll looked pissed, before slapping my cheek as hard as she could on my right cheek, before landing on Alice's stomach again.
(Well, that one didn't really hurt, but I could tell that using Alice like that was unnecessary.)
(Ah well, time to get in the gap. The three are probably already waiting for me.)
I walked towards the gap, before stepping in it, finding myself in a familiar location.
