Disclaimer: Touhou belongs to Zun.
A/N: Untill I've reached chapter 100, I'll probably be neglecting TTOTTY a bit. On with the show!
Midnight, Forest of magic, Marisa's PoV:
I slowly drew a circle using a brush dipped in my own blood, as worked towards summoning the set of lights. The things didn't last too long once active, only about 6 hours, but they were quite useful at night; they don't mess with the eyes of the light sensitive, or get put out by simple things like wind or water. They would be the perfect light source, if not for the mana usage...
I finally finished the greater light rune in the center of the circle, and then began to draw a magic circle around the circle.
After I had finally finished that, I began to draw a dozen ordinary light runes around the magic circle, and finished off with a circle around the runic circle.
I began to chant the magic spell to create a set of twelve mage lights. "In brightest day, in darkest ni-" Wait, that's the wrong chant...
Okay, lets try this again...
I began to speak in words that could not be heard, but instead were felt by any within earshot as though they reverberated against ones very soul.
With every syllable, the words of power within the magic circle flashed, one after another, burning into the very earth beneath them.
Every time I finished the chant, one of the twelve runes surrounding the main rune burned, filling the area with more light, before I began the chant anew.
It's not a very good idea to preform Runic Blood Magic in one's home, so I was doing it a ways away from my home, as I didn't want to light my house on fire again.
As I finished the 11th repetition, the 12 flames turned into a brilliant white halo, burning with heavy doses of arcane energy.
I began the finishing incantation, so that the ring would collect in the primary rune, split, and become 12 lightless orbs.
Mage Lights only need one to create a spark of magic within them, and they will become as brilliant as the halo form.
There are other ways to form such lights, but this would be the fastest and easiest. Why re-write the runes 12 times, when you can simply use the far riskier, but less time, mana, and blood consuming method?
As I continued the incantation, the halo began to turn to glowing dust, before swirling into a vortex of light in the center, forming one giant orb of light, which slowly split into twelve.
First, one became three.
Then three became six.
And finally, six became twelve.
The blood of the rune boiled away, leaving behind nothing but the twelve spheres that glittered lightly. They had the appearance of a fist sized orb of ghostly green crystal.
I couldn't help but fall on my back, exausted from the process, as it always took it out of me to use non-love based magic.
While Mage Lights are rather simple, they are at the same time not that easy for one with next to no natural mana generation.
If not for already having an extra 'bag' of holding, which happened to be my hat, I would have to wait untill morning to create one.
If one makes a mage light in the day, it would be sunlight, so I decided that it would be best to do so tonight, thus creating moon light. It seems rather supid to create sun based ones, honestly, as they can be as bright as a star. They make good anti-Vampire weapons though.
I grabbed my hat, and began to place one after another into the limitless space found within, before I suddenly felt a killing intent.
I I dodged to the side, just as a few Danmaku impacted with where I once was.
"Who's there, ze? !" I looked about, seeing nothing but darkness.
"Ohh, I thought you were a boar~!" It was Rumia, who by all means should be able to tell me from a boar by smell alone.
"Right, and why should I believe such a likely story, ze?" I couldn't help but sigh, even if I hadn't a clue as to the location of the little Youkai, she probably wouldn't try to strike again, as she was playing it off as an accident.
"...Because it sounds quite likely?" I hate when other twist my words...
"Now, tell me, what exactly are you trying to attack me for?" There had to be a reason, even a stupid reason is still a reason.
"Ahh, well, I saw you doing flashy things, so I felt like attacking! It's my job, you know?" ...I suppose she did say that it's her job to attack humans, even if it sounds more like a hobby if you ask me.
I suddenly felt a presence behind me, but was a moment too late to react, and I found myself in the embrace of the little Youkai.
How did she get behind me so easily...?
"Wha... L-let go, dammit!" I couldn't stop my heart from pounding, as I had seen a few of Rumia's meals over the years, just out of coincidance. One time, I even saw her tackle a man teeth-first, ripping open his throat in an instant, before ripping off a bit of flesh before he had even died!
"Never~! Though, it's not like I'm going to eat you... Not only would Mima be pissed, but I'd end up getting sealed by Reimu! While she's lazy, I'm sure she would mind her best friend, and rival, being eaten!" Even if she says that, it's rather hard to stay calm in such a situation... Heck, I can feel her breath on the back of my neck! "Now then, calm yourself, and let's have a chit-chat; I can hear that heart of yours ticking away at the speed of sound you know." I hate when I lose my cool around those that can tell!
"F-fine... I have some inquiries of my own anyways..." I found myself suddenly being carried towards my home by the small blonde, as though I weighed nothing.
After making the short trip inside, she set me down on the bed and backed away a short distance.
"Now then... I'll let you go first, you may ask any one question you would like!" Rumia grinned a happy little grin, obviously happy to have executed her plan flawlessly.
Defeating Marisa was quite the accomplishment after all.
"...Tell me, how do you know Lady Mima?" Rumia's grin widened.
"Well, I expected as much, but it's not much of a story... You sure you want to hear it?" I gave a few rappid nods, intent on finding out more about my Master. "Well, It started a bit over a month before the great barrier was formed... I found a powerless young women who wasn't afraid of me... No matter what I tried, she didn't fear me, saying that she couldn't stop me if I did try anything, so I decided to make her my pet, and we lived thogether happily for a time... Mima, Miko, and myself. Yukari would constantly drop off food for us, even a slab of human flesh for myself, which I convinced Mima to try after hardly any effort; that girl's curiosity is dangerously easy to pique." Rumia had a happy smile on her face while telling this portion of the story.
"...Lady Mima ate human flesh?" That was a bit difficult to take in.
"Yeah, and she liked it, too! It's always interesting to find such interesting humans~! ...Even if they tend to get crazy later on in life." Rumia sighed sadly. "At first, everything was just great! But after a few years, Miko began to... change. She began to distrust, and hate Youkai for no good reason. By that point, I had given up human flesh for the most part, but... she tried to kill me..." Rumia had quite the sad look on her face at this point, even if it happened so long ago.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but... Who is Miko?" While I'd heard the name, and talk of a sister, I hadn't a clue as to who it actually was.
"Mima's sister. She was stronger. Much stronger. So strong that she eventually went a bit mad for awhile, sealing away hundreds of youkai... Mima knew that Miko was the true evil one between them, even if Mima was reffered to as 'evil' for siding with Youkai whenever possible... One day, she too snapped, just as Miko had... Miko was sleeping, and... and she took that knife of hers, sneaking into that empty room that Miko had slept in... and then... she... she..." Rumia couldn't continue, hardly able to hold back her tears at what had happened to her friends over the years.
"...Master killed her own sister in cold blood?" Rumia nodded, hardly able to contain herself. "Hey, it's okay... Cry if you need to..." My small push burst a damm in Rumia, which had obviously held strong for a very very long time.
I suddenly felt Rumia burry her face in my petite chest, crying her heart out, while I stroked her hair.
"It's okay... It's not your fault, you know? Things like this happen It seems, and you can never predict it!" Rumia's was hardly listening, her inky black tears staining my clothes.
I held her for awhile still, before she finally calmed down.
"...Sorry about your clothes..." I looked down, seeing my white undershirt covered in black that I assume I'd not be able to get out easily.
"It's nothing, ze!" It's not like I can't just use some magic to fix them up at some point. While they looked ruined, magic would probably get them back to normal.
"A-anyways... Umm..." She seemed a bit confused, so I gave her a little reminder.
"It's your turn for a question, ze." Rumia lit up once more, returning to get happy grin, even if her eyes were a bit puffy and red.
"Well..." Rumia began to relay her rather surprising question. What could she want with that sort of information for, beyond the obvious?
Midnight, Bamboo Forest of the Lost:
I looked about, doing as Rumia said.
Rumia had left me here, on my own, saying that it would be better to split up.
It wasn't long untill I finally came upon something, and that something was rather large!
An adult boar, just minding it's own business.
My body began to react to my need for stealth, as though I were a natural born hunter.
My wings tensed, causing the rings to go motionless, and grow dim, while my nails lengthened slightly, turning into claws, and my fangs extended as they had when told to eat.
I slowly crept along, getting closer and closer to my prey.
The boar didn't notice a thing, just sniffing about, grazing on some grass.
My eyes began to intensify in their gentle glow the closer I got to securing the huge meal.
The boar looked up a moment, causing me to stop.
After a few moments, the boar went back to doing as it was before.
Once I hade gotten within a few metres of the beast, I tackled it to the ground, ripping its throat open with my tusk-like fangs.
With this, I had made my first kill, and gathered a great deal of food.
I drank down the blood, happy with my meal; it had only been little over a day, but I was already pretty used to being a Vampire.
I began to drag the felled boar, making my way towards a random direction; I had no need to fear getting lost, as Rumia said she'd come pick me up after a bit.