"And with that, let's take a quick break," Marigold declared, closing the book and laying it down on the table. "I imagine you would rather like to refuel and visit the restroom before we continue."
Braun glanced to the side, cheeks slightly flushed. He had been hoping she hadn't noticed the fidgeting as the pressure in his bladder had mounted. It had seemed inconsequential compared to what he was listening to, and it wasn't like he wouldn't have asked for a break if it got too bad.
Though now that she was offering…
"Which way to the restroom again?" He asked, scratching the back of his head and grinning sheepishly.
Marigold gestured to her right. "Down the hall, second door on the right. If you hit the storage room you've gone too far."
Nodding in thanks, Braun took off at a not-quite run, leaving Marigold alone in the room.
"Honestly," she said, chuckling at the sight. "I'm not sure whether to praise his dedication or childe him for his behavior. Tunnel vision is hardly a good quality, especially when combined with the willingness to neglect themselves in pursuit of their goals."
'Though I suppose I would be a hypocrite if I condemned him for it…' She thought to herself, smiling as memories of bygone days flashed through her mind. 'After all, it's not like I wasn't burning the candle at both ends back then.'
Shaking her head before she lost herself in nostalgia, the young woman rose from her chair and went to grab a snack while her guest was occupied. While she's up, she may as well refuel her tea.
Braun returned to find the storyteller comfortably reclined in her seat, steam wafting from the newly-filled teacup and a beef sandwich and salad set out on his side of the table.
"Thanks," he said, pleasantly surprised by the sight. "You didn't have to trouble yourself though, I've still got some rations I could chow down on."
"It's the responsibility of the host to see to their guest's needs," Marigold said, waving off his concerns. "Besides, we've had some good harvests recently. I've got plenty of food left."
"If you insist…" he trailed off, flipping open the sandwich and poking around the salad with his fork. "What about you? I haven't seen you eat anything since I came in. For that matter, how are you sitting there just fine after all that tea?"
"I had a big breakfast and snacked a little while you were occupied," she explained, lips twisting into a smirk. "As for your other question, unlike you, I moderated my sips rather than gulp it down."
The historian turned away, his expression that of someone who dearly wanted to protest but knew they would only make it worse.
Dropping the topic to salvage what's left of his ego get back on track, Braun took a bite out of the sandwich before posing a question that had been bothering him for most of this session.
"Is there any reason for the differing levels of detail in these stories? We've gone from basic summaries to detailed summaries, to actual dialogue and individual actions and traits." There were a number of possible explanations, from simple differences in age to differing priorities in recording, and he needed another opinion to start drawing proper conclusions.
"A combination of the stories' natures and age," Marigold replied, raising her right index finger. "The first tale is not only the oldest, and was passed down solely through word of mouth for a great deal of its existence, but is about the events, not the people."
"The second has notable figures, but they are not the focus and if there were details about them personally, the years have worn them away." Up went the middle finger.
The third has the most detail because it's not only the most recent, but because it specifically follows a handful of individuals and was recorded in detail." And finally, her ring finger rose to join the other two.
"So much for perfect records," Braun deadpanned, a little annoyed that the entire purpose of his visit might not be as accurate as described.
"I said it lost individual details, not that the information was warped to the point of inaccuracy," Marigold rolled her eyes and let out a huff. "Honestly, what do you think this is, one of Winchester's ramblings?"
"No, that scene with the Hakurei would have gone very differently in that case," he said, pushing aside memories of terrible speeches and overly descriptive brutality. "Sorry, I jumped the gun on that one."
"Just a bit, yes," Marigold agreed, graciously accepting his apology. "Sadly, even our best efforts aren't able to perfectly preserve the stories that came before. All we can do is try and ensure that the core aspects, characters, and events remain intact."
It wasn't an unfamiliar concept to Braun, given how much information he found in old ruins and relics. Once you can compare the modern collections to the ones told centuries ago, you start to realize how drastically records can change in a short time.
A handful of years can shift names and locations, decades can rewrite context, and centuries are enough for new versions to almost completely displace the old.
Even the earliest of his finds may very well be distorted retellings of some previous tales or tradition.
Taking that into account, a bit less detail regarding individuals wasn't anything major. Assuming Marigold wasn't lying, which it didn't feel like she was, it was probably closer to a miracle that their records remained as accurate as they did.
"I'm a bit curious," Braun remarked, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich and reaching for the salad bowl. "Are all these passed down through the village or was some information picked up from other groups? Because this is still a pretty big spread, even if they are connected."
"Every last one of the stories and entries we've covered or you've seen has been passed down from our forefathers for as long as our history goes," she stated with practiced swiftness and a shrug of her shoulders. "From what we can tell, the founders of the village were almost all involved in youkai-related matters and just banded together out of convenience."
The man nodded at her explanation. "That makes sense. It's not like there was any shortage of groups forming between the fall of the Sol empire and the rise of the kingdoms. Given how out the way this place is, and the lack of major resources, I'm not surprised no one was interested in bothering you."
"Such cruel words from our guest," Marigold declared, covering her heart and feigning outrage. "To think, the person who showed such interest in our history thinks so little of it."
Braun just stared at the dramatics as he reached over and continued eating his salad, refusing to take the bait.
"Oh fine, be that way," she complained, her face puffed up into an annoyed pout.
He just emptied the last of his bowl before giving her a smug smirk. "Thanks for the meal. I think I'm ready for the rest of the story now."
The storyteller was less-than-happy with this but recognized that this battle was lost and chose to content herself with an aggravated huff as she opened the book once more and resumed reading.
With the Hakurei negotiations more or less complete, Yukari was free to go check in with the other uncertain party she had contacted. So long as Kaguya hadn't suffered a sudden onset of nihilism, she felt fairly confident in Eirin's agreement, no matter how begrudgingly.
Emerging from a Gap just outside of Eientei's defenses, she gave a little wave to the surveillance devices before flying deeper into the Bamboo Forest and towards the mansion.
After several minutes of uninterrupted flight, she reached her destination. Waiting for her outside the entrance was Yagokoro herself, along with her princess.
If the lack of defenses hadn't confirmed it, this reception did. The doctor was in.
Letting a fraction of her satisfaction at this development show on her face, Yukari landed a few feet away, closing the rest of the distance on foot.
"So, I take it this means you're willing to work with us?" She asked the pair, Yagokoro grimacing momentarily at her long-time foe's expression.
"Of course!" Kaguya proclaimed cheerfully. "Why wouldn't we be?"
Not wanting to give Yukari the chance to make any comments on the matter, Eirin swiftly produced a folder and tossed it her way. The youkai was surprised but managed to snatch it out of the air in time.
"A list of potential recruits, as well as several models for the society itself," Eirin explained.
"My, you've been busy," Yukari remarked, flipping through the contents. The information was extremely dense while remaining easily comprehensible, every detail accounted for with multiple ways of achieving the listed goals.
The plans themselves weren't too different from what the Gap Youkai had in mind, but, as much as it galled her to admit it even in her thoughts, there were more than a few improvements compared to her ideas.
Of course, admitting that would give Eirin far more power in this arrangement than Yukari was comfortable with, so she opted for a more subdued approach.
"These should make things easier," she noted, nodding slightly before locking eyes with the doctor. "I imagine you'll want to speak with Okina and the Hakurei regarding the land's development next?"
"That would be a priority," Eirin agreed. "There are others who can pick up the slack should you alienate prospective members, but those qualified to assist with the creation of the barrier and the conditions within are in far shorter supply."
"Oh, I imagine I'll do fine. Unlike some of us, I've actually spent the past few centuries interacting with people instead of hiding away," Yukari fired back, a strained smile on her face and daggers in her eyes.
Just as it looked like the meeting would devolve into passive-aggressive sniping, an unexpected third party shattered the tension with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
"Oh, is this like those books Tewi gave me?" Kaguya asked, eyes alight with curiosity. "Two strong-willed people competing for dominance in their relationship, masking their true feelings with barbed comments?"
Yukari and Eirin's heads whipped around to face Kaguya at speeds capable of snapping human necks, utter horror etched onto their faces and all thoughts of their argument forgotten.
"What did you just say?!" The pair demanded in unison, united by that special psychic link unique to twins, soulmates, like-minded rivals, and the spectacularly offended. Kaguya tried and failed to stifle a laugh at the sight.
"Princess, why?!" Eirin wailed, throwing out her hands in an uncharacteristic display of emotional overload.
"How do you even...?! Yukari sputtered, unable to finish the sentence through the pile-up of words in her throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kaguya gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "It was exactly like one of the scenes I read, so I thought you might have been making up for lost time."
The two gaped at Kaguya, neither the Brain of The Moon or The Elusive and Two-Faced Youkai able to do more than stare at the Lunatic Princess in the face of such an absurd leap in logic.
"I'll just go and let the two of you get on with what you were doing then," Kahuya offered, inching away from the increasingly twitchy pair before vanishing into thin air.
Taking a moment to compose themselves and shove the events of the last two minutes to the very back of their minds, locking them in a box labeled Never Happened, they both turned back towards one another. Studiously ignoring the flushed complexions that had resulted from their outbursts.
"Well, at least she's learning quickly," Yukari noted, exasperation dripping from her words. "Does she time-skip around often or was this a special case?"
"This would be the first time," Eirin noted, gaze flicking back and forth from the princess' former location as if she might reappear there any moment. "Though I imagine she was more concerned about being somewhere else than determining where that is."
"Progress is progress I suppose," Yukari sighed, dropping the slightly dented folder into a gap. "At any rate, I'll alert the Hakurei and Okina that you agreed to help and they'll likely contact you within a day or two."
"The 'send a message' type of contact or the 'show up at my door' type?" Eirin asked, already knowing the answer but not wanting to admit it to herself.
"Most likely the latter," Yukari admitted. An iota of sympathy making its way into her voice.
Eirin did not pinch the bridge of her nose, nor did she let out the sigh of the long-suffering. Even with her dignity torn to shreds by her princess, her body acted on its own to protect what little of her image it still could.
Perhaps because she noticed this and felt sympathy for her, or she simply lacked the will to further prod the doctor, but Yukari opted to remain silent. A faint smirk the only sign that she had noticed anything.
"I'll leave you to your preparations then." A gap opened in the air behind her. "Just this once, I'll wish you luck." With that, she turned and strode through the gap, which sealed shut behind the youkai.
Now alone, Eirin seemingly deflated, her muscles untensing and posture sagging. "Honestly," she said, rubbing her temples. "Sincere well-wishes from Yakumo of all beings and the Princess making such comments. The world truly is ending."
She walked back towards the entrance, her work here done and thoughts occupied with the most effective ways to collaborate with the Hakurei and The Secret God. A small part of her mind brainstorming ways to get back at Tewi for corrupting the Princess.
With the crucial players brought into the fold and Gensokyo's development underway, it was time to begin populating their wonderland.
Up until this point, Yukari had handled introductions and recruitment personally. The intended targets were simply too important and paranoid for anything less than her best to stand a chance at convincing them.
But now, with the architects/sages at work on their salvation, she was free to delegate some of the more tedious aspects of the plan to others.
There was very little she was unwilling to do in the name of Gensokyo's existence and survival, but she wouldn't deny a certain sense of satisfaction at the idea of her not having to put herself in uncomfortable situations just to get a foot in the door. No, she could sit back and let other, less-dreaded, individuals spread the word.
Fortunately, despite what some people might say, she had friends who could help. Hence why Suika Ibuki was waiting outside one of Youkai Mountains' many out-of-the-way coves in the middle of the night.
Since Yukari hadn't arrived yet, the Oni had passed the time by indulging in her favorite hobby: guzzling alcohol. If not for the fact her gourd automatically refilled, there would have been a pile of bottles up to her knees.
As she was wondering what was so important that her friend was going to these lengths to hide their contact, A gap opened across from her. Moments later, Yukari strode out of the tear in reality with hints of red marking her cheeks.
"Huh," Suika said bemusedly, ignoring the sight of the gap sealing itself behind its master. "Did you go to all this trouble of getting me alone to confess your feelings? Because I'm flattered, but I'm not really looking for someone right now."
Yukari's eye twitched briefly before being forced back into normality by what seemed to be sheer willpower. "N̷o̶," she intoned, before taking a calming breath and refocusing. "I'm here on much more important matters."
"Hey, don't put yourself down. You're a prime catch underneath those rough patches, I'm sure there's someone out there for you," Suika reassured the Gap Youkai, a shit-eating grin on her face.
"Are you done?" Yukari inquired testily, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at the pint-sized Oni.
"As soon as you tell me what had you of all people blushing like a maiden caught in a Night Parade," Suika replied, taking another gulp of her jug's contents. "I haven't seen you that flustered in over a century."
Yukari stared incredulously at her friend for the next few seconds, until it became clear she was being completely serious. Accompanying that realization was the question of if she really needed the Deva's help for this.
Unfortunately for her, she did. "Houraisan has apparently been taking lessons from Inaba's sense of humor and made a very inappropriate comment while I was speaking with Yagokoro regarding the same matter I'm here to talk to you about," Yukari reluctantly explained, unfolding her arms in resignation.
Suika blinked twice, cocking her head to the side in confusion. "Sorry, I thought you just said you were talking to Yagokoro. You know, the one who screwed over the invasion of the moon, killed a ton of our allies, and considers youkai a notch or two above pond scum?"
"Sadly, it's the same. To keep a long story short, Salem's going to push the Brothers into ending the world, we can't stop it, and I'm putting together a metaphorical life raft to save what can be saved," Yukari explained, underscoring each point with a raised finger.
"Wait, wait, wait, what?!" Suika cried, flailing her arms in confusion. "You can't just drop something like that on someone!" Such was her shock and confusion at this revelation that she didn't notice when her frantic motions flung her gourd onto the ground.
"I did say it was a long story," Yukari noted with a smirk, satisfied at the sight of her friend off-balance after their earlier comments. It would have been better if she'd been able to tease her about her own relationships, but Suika, like most Oni, had never really developed a sense of shame in that regard.
Yukari still had nightmares about walking in her and her guests back in the day. Oni parties were never small affairs, and those involved tended to lose what little inhibition they had remarkably quickly. They'd certainly been quick to offer her a spot once they noticed her presence.
Banishing those memories back to the dark corner of her mind from whence they came, Yukari turned her attention back to the angry Oni demanding answers. "Which part do you need further explained?" Yukari asked, feigning confusion.
"Don't you even start with that 'woman of mystery' act!" Suika demanded, dramatically pointing at Yukari. "What the hell do you mean the world's going to end?!"
"A spiteful brat lost her prince and, after failing to convince or trick the Brothers into restoring him, decided to raise a rebellion against them." It was truly absurd when you thought about it like that. Millenia of monsters, heroes, gods, and demons battling it out and it's one woman's tantrum and the God of Light's misguided efforts that bring everything crumbling down.
In her darker moments, Yukari sometimes wondered if the Elder Brother had just grown tired of this world and deliberately handed a grieving psychopath everything she would ever need to wreak havoc and create an excuse to end it all. She honestly wasn't sure which possibility she preferred.
"And we can't just smack her down like any other dumbass, because?" Suika inquired, raising a whole eyebrow to show her skepticism. Even going so far as to put her hands on her hips.
"The God of Light dipped her into the Waters of Life and, according to what I know on the matter, she's immortal until she understands the value of life." Yukari bluntly stated. "Also, at this point, she's amassed enough pawns that any force strong enough to break through to her would appear the bigger threat in the eyes of the world. And she just keeps adding to her collection as time goes on."
Suika stared at the Gap Youkai for several seconds, before raising her arm to take another swig of her gourd. Unfortunately, seeing as said gourd was presently on the ground several feet to her right, what actually happened was she smacked herself right in the face.
Having been leaning back in preparation for her drink, the blow unbalanced the pint-sized Oni, toppling her like an oversized domino.
It didn't do any actual damage, a benefit of belonging to a species that considers boulder shattering blows 'love taps,' but it certainly wasn't pleasant. Not least because that vaunted durability did little to protect against the emotional damage she suffered at the sight of the ever unflappable Yukari Yakumo bent over in hysterics.
Fortunately, Suika's heart was strong, and she handled the situation with all the maturity and good nature expected of one of her species' greatest leaders. That is to say, very little.
"You jerk!" Suika's hand lashed out, grabbing a nearby rock and hurling it at the convulsing youkai with enough force that it shattered the sound barrier, only for the projectile to vanish into a gap that hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Turnabout is fair play, my friend," Yukari retorted smugly. The Oni glared at her in faux annoyance as she grabbed the gourd and heaved herself to her feet. "That said, I really do need your help. As you might have noticed, I'm not exactly what you might call popular,"
"Yeah, no kidding. You know you're the only person I've ever met who can get a bunch of drunk Oni to go twitchy just by walking into the bar?" Suika snarked before downing more sake, her good mood restored as quickly as it had left.
"And that's something of an issue when people need to be persuaded that the end of the world is nigh and the only chance for survival is coming together," Yukari continued, shooting Suika a stink eye for her interruption. "Consequently, I need people who are respected among their communities to handle that part if I want to save more than a handful of groups,"
"So you want me to go up to the Oni, and probably the Tengu, and tell em that the world's ending and we've all got to run off into your pet project if we want to survive," Suika deadpanned, "You do see the problem with that, right?"
"And if I gave proof that Yagokoro and the Hakurei were cooperating with me on this matter?" Yukari asked, having already anticipated this response. "It's well-known that the Hakurei clan is adamantly opposed to youkai, as well as how myself and Yagokoro do not get along to put it mildly. If all three of us are working together, then it must truly be the end times."
Suika raised a finger to object, before thinking better of it and lowering her hand. "Huh. You know, that just might do it," she remarked. "It'd have to be damn clear evidence though. My word's good, people know that, but there's a lot of youkai who would just think you pulled one over me."
"Oh, it is," Yukari promised, grinning mischievously as she held out her hand, a sheaf of papers falling out of a gap and into her grasp. "Magically binding statements, signed and sealed by all three of us, that the situation I've described to you is completely accurate and our efforts are in good faith."
Suika let out an amused snort. "Yeah, that'd probably do it. Won't convince everyone, you kind of shot yourself in the foot with your rep, but it'll be enough for most of Youkai Mountain to listen."
"Great," Yukari exhaled, tension seemingly evaporating off of her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been running around non-stop for a week and really could use a nap." But before she could depart, Suika held up her hand, index finger extended.
"Hold it," she stated. "I might be fine with going along with your plan, but if you want me to drag the rest of the mountain into this, I'm gonna need a bit more about what they'd be doing in your Wonderland."
Yukari stared at the oni, shocked that her friend could betray her in such a cruel manner. However, reality set in, and she resigned herself to answering whatever questions Suika had.
The interrogation questioning went on for some time, but eventually, Suika got enough of a picture of what would be expected of the refugees. They would have to avoid upsetting the status quo, and not expand outside of their territory, but beyond that, there would be no major conditions.
Curiosity satisfied, she let Yukari go with a promise that she would talk to her fellow Devas Of The Mountain and try to get them on board with the plan.
With her task done, Yukari sent her Shikigami, Ran, to lay the groundwork for similar agreements with other groups while she took a long-overdue nap.
And so, time continued to pass, the various members of this ragtag coalition each laboring to complete their parts of the grand plan.
The Hakurei clan's greatest members worked day and night to design the barrier that would not only protect Gensokyo, but allow it to exist. A bubble of reality separate from mundane reality, where the fantastical could survive and thrive with even a trickle of belief.
Those not busy with the barrier were put to use locating potential residents for the human community and contacting the few gods who could be trusted to keep silent about the plan. When not occupied with that, they would often be found running interference from prying eyes, albeit with covert aid from the more subtle youkai.
Yukari split her time between assisting the Hakurei on the barrier, keeping the various factions from escalating beyond pointed remarks and into actual violence, and devising plans with Eirin for keeping Genokyo safe and functional. It was a good thing Ran could handle the role of recruiter, or she might have had to resort to desperate measures to find time for rest.
Okina continued her work on the land, designing variations to account for the various groups that might call Gensokyo home. Whether the towering peak of Youkai Mountain, the elusive Forest of Magic, or even the underground kingdom of Former Hell, the Secret God would be prepared to accommodate any or all of them.
Unexpectedly, Okina had also recruited a helping hand of her own. A one-armed Oni by the name of Kasen Ibaraki, seeking to become a hermit of all things. Okina didn't feel like micromanaging the environment or people and had opted to appoint Kasen to sort out little issues before they become bigger ones.
Eirin, like Yukari, was splitting her attention multiple ways: she planned out the future society's structure, worked to subtly ward the site of their project from Salem's ambitions, and assisted her princess in her efforts to improve her abilities.
Kaguya herself was largely busy practicing, but she found the time to write and deliver a letter to Mokou, explaining the situation and offering her a place in Gensokyo. And then delivered it in a fireproof container, directly through the Fujiwara's heart.
Six months after the decision to create Gensokyo, the Eastern Wonderland was no longer the dream of a scattered few. The Oni of Youkai Mountain, convinced by Suika and Kasen, who turned out to be another Deva, had agreed to join the exodus. As had the Tengu, their ingrained loyalty to the Oni the final push needed to convince them.
Unfortunately, since most other youkai factions lacked the cohesion that the former two groups possessed, progress had slowed. No longer were they recruiting entire factions, now they were forced to content themselves with bringing in suitable individuals or small groups.
The Hakurei's efforts had fared slightly better, having already assembled a small group of humans willing to live in the youkai-infested land under the clan's protection. Of course, the refugees needed to be kept ignorant of their exact role in this arrangement, but that didn't prove to be an issue.
Beyond this budding wonderland, however, Salem's icy grip had continued to extend outward. Not only was the majority of the western continent under her thrall, but tendrils of her influence had begun to worm their way into the surrounding countries.
Spearheading this development was a growing sentiment, discreetly fanned by Salem's agents, that the Brother Gods were uncaring and uninvolved rulers. Who, unlike even the weakest of gods, would not lift a finger in aid of humanity. Only caring about what role people might play in their grand design and withholding aid which could usher in a new era of prosperity for their petty amusement.
The proponents of this belief argued that it was the duty of all the world's inhabitants, humans, gods, and youkai alike to come together and topple the tyrannical creators from their thrones. That by doing so, they could transcend the flaws that had been ingrained in them and become Gods themselves.
It was an utterly asinine theory, but one that appealed not only to people's inherent greed and/or desire for a better world but the concerns many had about the Brothers. While the God's deeds were well known, and there was the occasional festival/ceremony where they might make an appearance, they were removed from the affairs of the world in a way no other beings could claim.
Salem's poisonous words, repeated through a thousand tongues, took that separation and twisted it into something far more sinister. Distance became indifference, guidance became tyranny, the process repeating a dozen times over. Every trait, every action, became a justification for the spread of the witch's corruption.
For those with the fortune to remain untouched by the ever-growing tides of madness, and who happened to possess the means to discern it, there was the question of when their daily lives would be upended. Planners and leaders from all walks of life made their own preparations for the day the sanctity of their home would be upended.
Yukari and the other schemers working to build their new home were no different, weaving plan after counterplan to protect their work. Yet, despite their preparations, the first shock to their system would not come from Salem's earthly taint, but the scarred heavens.
For Eirin's former disciples, and the once-guardians of the moon, the Watatsuki sisters had arrived on their old teacher's doorstep.
You know, looking at this and some later chapters, I seem to have the weirdest compulsion to have Yukari and Eirin suffer Charisma Breaks. I'm not even sure where I'm going with this, it just keeps happening.
The bit on Salem's methods is my reasoning for how the hell she recruited enough people for the Brothers to write humanity off (because the idea that they would kill literally everyone for the, at most, handful of minor kingdoms-worth of rebels is moronic even for post-Vol 5 RWBY). That and what I've seen of her indicates she subscribes to "go big or go home" as a personal philosophy, to say nothing of the satisfaction she would feel letting humanity turn against the Brothers of, mostly, their own accord.
As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think. Any constructive criticism or discussion is highly appreciated. I'm also looking for a beta, so if anyone is interested feel free to PM me.
Now, if you'll excuse me, Lostbelt Six drops tomorrow and I've some last-minute farming to do before I get ready to skin a werewolf.
EDIT: Added the sentence about the Watatsuki's since people kept getting confused about where the "scarred heavens" line referred to.