Locomotive Phantasy | Chapter 01: Grey Horizon

"I h-ate her!" The Shrine Maiden of Paradise drunkenly slurred into her charcoal-heated kotatsu. Oh, her head…! Mumbling incoherently, her sake dangerously sloshed around her guinomi. It was the dead of winter, and for several days she had been receiving "gifts". Though, it was obvious who this culprit was. "Ya-kumo Yukari." She growled, grabbing a nearby present and chucking it across the room. The figurine bounced uselessly against her shouji door's koshi, rolling briefly. Glaring at the teal pigtailed character, she groaned loudly. "Suika…! Why don't y-ou stop her!" She lamented, jabbing a finger at the youkai accusingly. "She's a menace!"

"Ah' dunno." The oni responded, sat cross-legged beside her. "She gaps em' in before ah' can see 'um." Rifling beneath the kotatsu, Suika unveiled a book that must've been gapped in. Tilting her head, she quirked a brow at the lusty imagery. There was no predicting what the Youkai Sage was planning. Other than maybe… Her gaze swept across the room to view the multitude of gifts. ...Gaining Reimu's attention, obviously? A potted violet orchid had even been teleported inside. Gods' if she knew what Yakumo was up to. "Ya should ask her what she's thinkin'." She gently pat the shrine maiden's bare shoulder. "You ain't go' centuries."

Ugh, Reimu fully knew that. Upon every incident, she felt decades older. Sometimes she swore that the Gods' did it to spite her. Guiding the guinomi to her lips, she drained the sake. Slamming it down, she lumbered on upwards and staggered for the exit. "I'll f-ind that evil youkai and exorcise her."

Suika could only sigh, watching as the drunk Hakurei stumbled out into the snow. When Reimu was like this, she lost all sense and purpose. Didn't she realise Yakumo was habinating in a disclosed location? Clearly not. Easing up, she casually followed the shrine maiden who tripped over her donation box. Pitifully, Reimu rolled around grumbling in pain. "Ya know, it's probably wise yer don' freeze?" Oh, wasn't it ironic that she, an oni, would be the logical one? She observed as Reimu lay face-first; almost appearing child-like. Itching her cheek momentarily, she jumped from the engawa into the snow—bare feet and all. "Come on, am' no' draggin' yer to Eientei."

"Don't wanna."

Seriously. Propping her hands to her hips, Suika shook her head before glancing at the gap beside her. Double-taking it, she almost jumped out of her skin when Yukari appeared. "Yukumo?!"

"Oh, my." The Sage was split in half by her gap. Unclipping her fan, her lips were hidden from view as she observed the knocked out Hakurei. "Reimu is indeed drunk." She stated the obvious before stepping out of her gap. "Have you harmed my Reimu?" Her violet eyes narrowed subtly as her gaze swept to Suika. "What say you?"

The oni could only shrug dismissively. "She goh' 'erself drunk. Ah' did no such thing." Easing into the air, she said: "Am' gonna 'ead ta' Former 'ell. Al' be back tomorra' nigh'." With that, the horned youkai departed, leaving the Sage alone with Hakurei.

Gazing down at the shivering human, Yukari hummed thoughtfully. It seems her tactics had worked to frustrate Reimu. Though she hadn't expected her to snap so swiftly. Gapping away her fan, she lowered down and rolled the human onto her back. "Is Reimu angry?" She asked down at the flushed woman who's eyes hazily opened. They stared at one another briefly before Reimu glared at her.

"Y-Yakumo!"

"Yes, that is I." The Sage grinned as she prised her arms beneath Reimu's knees and shoulders. Easily picking her up, Yukari didn't bat an eyelid as a struggle immediately commenced. "You are sopping wet and drunk. Do not worry, I will take care of you."

"U-unhand me, youkai!" The human's wrestling was relentless but in vain. Quickly exhausting herself, Reimu begrudgingly stilled within the Sage's hold. "I-I 'aaate y-ou."

"I love you too." The shrine maiden could only splutter in response. Curse this youkai! Yukari however took no mind, lifting them both onto the engawa. Peering down at the brunette, Yukari momentarily wondered what to do. At a moment's notice, she could get Reimu dry and dress her. But on the other hand, should she manually dress her? Either option would probably disgruntle the Shrine Maiden of Paradise. Oh, well. "Your jinbei and hanten; where are they?"

What is she...—oh, hell no. "Y-you're not—"

"Not what, Reimu? You will fall ill." Yukari pointed out, noticing the sleepwear hung in the corner beside the rolled up futon. Approaching it—much to Reimu's chagrin—she quirked a brow down at her. "Either way you will complain, so let us finish this quickly, no?" Without another word, Yukari summoned a gap and swiftly undressed, dried and redressed her. The Hakurei could only stare up at her blankly, until a full scale blush slammed her cheeks. "Oh, m—"

"S-shut it, demon! Gap hag! Monster! Pervert!" Pressing her palm to Yukari's mouth, Reimu could hardly push the cursed woman's head back. This damned Sage only grinned at her, clearly amused by her drunken antics.

"It is close to midnight. I shall fetch you some water so you can better flush out your system." Placing—or rather, dumping—the Hakurei beside the rolled futon, Yukari gapped out.

Stunned, Reimu slowly eased up from the tatami matting. Hands propped behind her, she mumbled incoherently. Her head was spinning! "Ugh." Covering her head within her hands, she leaned in on herself. Was she going to throw up…? Before she could find this answer, Yakumo returned. Great.

"Reimu?" She looked as sick as a dog. Receiving nary an answer, Yukari stooped down to address her better. "Take this." She eased the cup of water within the shrine maiden's hands. It was taken, and miraculously its contents wasn't spilled as Reimi drained it. "Good girl." She smiled, a hard blink interjecting this action as the cup was pushed back. Holding the emptied vessel, she set it aside. "How are you feeling? Dizzy?"

"N-no… s—ugh…"

A while later after drunken tantrums, Yukari was left to her own devices. Closing the shouji door behind herself, Yukari sat herself down upon the engawa. Releasing a sigh, she stared out into the misty snow. Lately, Gensokyo's winters have become far worse. Herself and the fairies weren't responsible, either. But it was a nearby source. Outstretching an arm, snowflakes gently landed into her palm. Yukari hummed thoughtfully as she watched it disintegrate within her skin's warmth. Her gaze pulled upwards above the torii gate towards Youkai Mountain. Grey pillars of smoke could be seen even from here. With Moriya Shrine's aid, the kappa had evoked Gensokyo's industrial age. Steam locomotives were already replacing manual labour, but clearly at a cost. They were approaching the border between phantasy and science. Their future was precarious.

Condensation released from her lips as she sighed within the chill. She had witnessed the horrors of technology first-hand and what greed does. They needed to balance the scales before it was too late for Gensokyo. What to do indeed…

Summoning a gap beside her, she commanded her shikigami to enter. "Ran, come."

"Lady Yukari?" The kitsune popped her upper body through the gap to address her, bowing her head.

"My Ran, I will be vacant for a few days. In the meantime, contact the Sages: Most particularly Matara Okina. It is for the wellbeing of Gensokyo. Tell her that I intend to bring Reimu."

"Ah?" Ran seemed momentarily confused before nodding. It must be an emergency if her master was willing to cancel her hibernation. "Understood. Should I notify the others?"

"No."

A/N: Originally I planned to write a simple Yukari/Reimu, but as it continued, it developed further. I also tried writing Suika a little differently as well. I thought it'd be interesting giving her a Northern English accent. I considered basing it on a dialect, but that'd make her hard to understand. Anyway, the next chapter will be whenever. Depends on how difficult it is.

I also have three more Touhou stories lined up, these are coming soon(™).