The Shrine of Gensokyo

Chapter 20: Of Cheesy stuff and Clique Lines

Author's Note: I swear i'm sorry for dropping you guys in that cliffhanger and forgetting. Oh yeah, it's gonna be cheesy alright, bear with me for a bit.

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[…!!]

Waking up, I placed a hand on my head as I remembered the dream I just had a few moments ago..

[W-Who is she…]

Finding that I had fallen asleep on the front steps, I stretched myself and stood up slowly, allowing the blood to rush to my brain slowly.

[…]

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The dream was like those dreams I have with Marisa in the past, always ending prematurely and never seeing who the person is. It is like walking through a tunnel to my past and I racked my brain for the source of her voice.

[… … Oh my gosh… may the spirits… bless you…]

Feeling something being crumpled in my hands, I remembered the prophecy that the Great Hakurei Spirit had apparently given me and I looked at it again.

[Head towards Youkai Mountain, the last place Kirisame Marisa was seen…]

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The same words were present but upon closer scrutiny, I found a signature at the side of the amulet.

[Purple… w-wait…]

Looking at the word that was scribbled at the side, I was suddenly hit with the realization of that name.

[Yukari… the gap youkai… Yakumo… Yukari…]

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[…NO!]

Falling to my knees in front of my Mistress, I watched in horror as another body fell against me, covered in blood and in arrow shards.

[KAGUYA!]

[PRINCESS?!!!]

[SAKUYA?]

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Three separate screams filled the night but it was subsequently filled with another scream, this time the scream of pain as the Mistress threw her spell straight at Eirin.

[DIVINE SPEAR: SPEAR THE GUNGNIR!]

Throwing the spear, it ripped through the air and her form and firmly embedded her body and soul right smack at a side of Eientei, resulting in a large explosion in the process.

That done, the Mistress bent down and hugged me, panting and all.

[W-Why did you come back, Sakuya!]

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Running back from where the Mistress dropped me, I declared my spellcard without hesitation when I saw Eirin about to launch thousand of deadly silver arrows at my mistress.

[Time Sign: PRIVATE SQUARE!]

Running forward and stopping time, I back flipped over Eirin and hugged my mistress and allowed time to resume, willing to put my life on the line to save her, my mistress even if it meant my death. In the cold dark and silent world where time stopped, my mistress was like a beacon to me, a symbol of hope and although being a devil, the angel in my life.

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[Don't be foolish! You are not immortal! You would die!!]

Sobbing, my Mistress sobbed wildly on my shoulders as I slowly stroked her hair, happy that the both of us were safe and well despite my rash and meaningless action.

[You're not me!! I can re-spawn from a single bat… you're a mortal human, Sakuya!! What would I do if you left before me!!! SAKUYA!!]

Hitting me repeatedly on the chest, I hugged her tightly and said nothing. Nothing needed to be said as her message was said clearly.

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A few days ago, I would never dream that my Mistress would say those words to me again but thanks to Reimu… she did… she did return to her normal self…

[Mistress… I-I'm sorry…]

[I'm deducting your pay… stupid Sakuya…]

Sobbing, My Mistress never released me till a moment later when she heard another voice call.

[… I'm glad… the both of you are fine… -coughs-]

Coughing up blood, the other Princess in the vicinity smiled as I propped her head on my knee.

[Kaguya… why?]

[It's…. not a good…. Thing… if a… cough-, guest… would be hurt… I… -cough- am… not a good… hostess…]

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Smiling weakly, Kaguya had acted as a shield behind me when I resumed time and she managed somehow to stop all the arrows with her small frame. Even now, I could see arrows pierced through her back and I slowly pulled them out of her by her request.

[… forgive… me… and Eirin… … she's… heartbroken… -cough-]

Recovering some of her strength after the arrows are pulled out of her, Kaguya struggled to her feet.

[.. I apologize for being late… I had… to get some things…]

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Smiling weakly, Kaguya flew down to the trapped figure on the side of Eientei, leaving the both of us on the roof.

[Mistress… are you alright?]

Patting her hair down and helping her wear her hat, I smiled when she shook her head and wiped the tears out of her eyes.

[Nothing… remember, I'm cutting your pay for disobeying me… what if you are hurt…]

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Looking away, my mistress pulled me with her as we both went down to have a closer look at Eirin and Kaguya sitting in their ruined mansion.

Sizzling with energy, Mistress's spear still glowed with crimson power and from a distance, ripped apart Kaguya's clothes but nonetheless she still hugged Eirin and refused to let go of her even with the divine spear still lodged in her chest and preventing her from resurrecting.

[… Reisen…]

Calling out for her rabbit attendant, who was gathering a crowd of rabbits behind us without us noticing, she called out an order that stunned all of them.

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[Take the guests to their room… …]

[B-But Princess!]

Murmurs of disbelief echoed behind us and even the Mistress grinned in confusion at her order.

[Take the guests to their room…]

Reisen Udongein Inaba, the de facto leader of the rabbits paused for a moment and finally lowered her weapon, a firearm that looked suspiciously like a semi-automatic machine gun and bowed to us.

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[… Forgive our rudeness, Miss Scarlet, Miss Izayoi… if you will…]

Trembling with rage, Reisen gestured for us to follow her and we did but only after bowing to our hostess, Houraisen Kaguya.

[Well then, we shall take our leave… Lady Kaguya.]

[Lunarian Princess, my apologies for ruining your castle.]

[… Nonsense… Scarlet Devil… it… was my fault to begin with… all my fault…]

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With tears streaming her face, Kaguya hugged and sobbed on the shoulders of the motionless Eirin when her body suddenly slumped on her as my Mistress stopped the spellcard.

[Take care of her, Lunarian Princess.]

Scoffing, Mistress Remilia cloaked her own body with her wings and followed the Rabbit attendant, who was staring at us with a mixture of gratitude and headache.

[… Mistress… why are we here…]

[… mm… Fate called me here… as allies will gather…]

Whispering to me, Mistress Remilia grinned and said no more.

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[…wakey wakey~~]

Hearing the same words, I sprung out of bed frantically and grabbed whoever it was that greeted me in a desperate bid to stop her from running away.

[H-Hey! That's too much of an energetic welcum, Reimu!!]

Smelling the scent of sake on the person, I immediately released her and I blushed in embarrassment at the small form I had captured first thing in the morning.

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[Morning to ya too, Sleepyhead! Aww~ The red-white is all red!!]

Laughing, Suika returned my hug before pulling me out of bed, taking a gulp of sake as she did so.

[C'mon~ Keine is preparing breakfast while you were asleep, Mokou is helping so we should go too!]

Walking tipsily to one side and then to the next, Suika looked more like she was dancing than walking and I placed both hands on her shoulders to keep her from crashing into the pillars.

[Suika… you shouldn't drink so early… you'll get drunk…]

[Sez who, Reimu~ I am eternally drunk!]

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Hiccupping, Suika grinned while I just sighed and agreed to her statement. Suika is an oni and oni's do drink lots, I've read that Onis' and Tengus' like Miss Aya do drink together in the past till the Onis' left Gensokyo and moved underground to the underground city. Looking at the little girl in front of me, I knew no one would imagine that she was an oni if one overlooks the horns from her head as accessories like what I did.

[… Reimu, ish there something wrong?]

Looking up at me, Suika blinked for a moment but laughed a second later as I tickled her ribs to tease her.

[No nothing, that is divine wrath for drinking…]

[Eh!~ No fair!!]

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Squirming in my hold, Suika protested when I lifted her up in the air and continued my assault on her now vulnerable sides and feet.

[Now, cut down on drinking and you'll cut down on the number of years in hell, Suika!!]

Reprimanding her, I walked into the kitchen and was rewarded with the sight of Mokou and Miss Keine slaving away at the stove. Mokou was lighting the fire with her hands with an irritated look on her face while Miss Keine was paying attention only to what was happening on the table.

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[Keine! Watch it, you almost got me!]

[Sorry, Mokou… Ah! Reimu!]

Waving at me, Miss Keine dropped her spoon and it struck Mokou squarely on the head before bouncing off of her.

[… Keine! I told you, if you are not up to cooking, let me do it!!]

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Losing her temper, Mokou stopped her flame and stood up, obviously unhappy with how Miss Keine was cooking and she took the wooden spoon from her hands.

[Look at yourself! Even the fairies are doing a better job!!]

Pointing to the table, I covered my mouth and giggled when I saw the two of them peeling potatoes. It did not suit the mood right but I just giggled at the thought of them trying to help in any way that they can.

[…I will help too, Mokou!]

Walking forward, I placed Suika, still out of breath on the table and told her to change to some fresh clothes.

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[Suika, go on… you'll be smelling of sake the whole day…]

[But, Reimu! I drink! So ish fine!]

[No it's not, go!]

Dismissing Suika, I pulled the protesting Miss Keine away from the kitchen and rolled up my sleeves.

[As a guest of this house, I shall do my part too… even if it is a little… I don't want to be a burden…]

[…]

Looking at me, Mokou grinned and nodded her head.

[Kay, c'mon, help me prepare the rice, Keine is really worthless in the kitchen… your two little friends are a great help thou, Reimu.]

Winking, Mokou patted their heads and praised them. The two fairies are behaving more like us now and I wondered whether they too, signified the gap between people and youkai were not that great as I originally thought.

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[… Youkai are humans too… they just need to learn more… and know about us more…]

Looking at the two of them hard at work peeling, it brings a feeling of ease into my heart and I smiled at them, happy that I had met them and had protected them.

[Let us get to work, Mokou! Breakfast… breakfast!]

[Now ya talking!]

Rolling up her sleeves too, Mokou grinned as she grabbed a wooden board and a knife.

[I'll get the side-dishes ready, Reimu you prepare the rice and the fire, alright?]

[Okay, leave it to me!]

[Mokou… Is Miss Keine really very helpless in the kitchen?]

[… uh huh… history has proven half beasts are not very picky in their food…]

[…]

[We never had this conversation, you hear?]

[… y-yes…]

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Standing outside the front gate of Miss Keine's home, I bowed and smiled at the three of them still gathered in front of me.

[… Reimu, are you sure you wouldn't want us to come along?]

[No thank you, Miss Keine, Mokou… you will have to look after the village.]

[… I can take care of this place myself, Reimu, let Keine go with ya, at the very least.]

Trying to argue with my decision, Mokou pushed Miss Keine forward but I shook my head still.

[Even so, the children and the people would find it safer if the both of you are around… Suika, you too…]

[…]

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Drinking out of her bottle, Suika paused as she held her hands behind her head, sighing as she did so. Clad in her Shrine Maiden outfit, Suika nodded as she waved her own gohei in the air. I had tasked her with the responsibility of greeting every single family in the village.

[Remember Suika… the people… they are still a little…]

[Nah, don't worry about me, Reimu! A Oni won't give up so easily, I'll make the people listen to me.]

Patting her chest, Suika continued energetically as she pushed me forward.

[They are nice people… so come back soon, Reimu… I want to eat your rice again…]

[…]

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Seeing that she was struggling not to cry, I nodded and bent down to kiss Suika on her cheeks.

[… Pray for my safety, Suika… like how I will pray for yours…]

[… Yea… the old hag won't be happy if you don't pay… heh…]

Wiping tears from her eyes, Suika nodded and pushed me again, urging for me to go.

[… then… I'll be off…]

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[Find Marisa, kay?]

[Mm…]

[Don't forget what you promised us! Don't you dare come back crying, ya hear?]

[… yes…]

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With those goodbyes, I took my leave from the human village and set off for youkai mountain, a landmark that cannot be missed in the distance. With my gohei gone and much of amulets missing, I was glad that I met Suika as she gave me another supply of amulets and charms with her arrival.

My family was with me for a short while and I felt rejuvenated to say the least, seeing and sharing things with Suika was all that I ever needed. My faith gained strength too and as I prayed, I found much more voices and spiritual power flowing into me.

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Most unexpectedly of all those were that my twin companions strengths increased by leaps and bounds as well. Seemingly drawing their strength from me, they were able to keep up with my speed and even to shoot a few danmaku after Mokou teasingly played with them after breakfast.

In a sense, they are like shikigami's to me now and I felt overjoyed that they shared the same thoughts as me.

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Stay together!

Sleep together!

Look after each other!

Although primitive in their speech and how they would portray them to me, I understood them and for once, they actually 'spoke' to me in words rather than through feelings.

[… mm… Let's be together.]

Hugging them, I sped forward even quicker and towards my target, the Youkai Mountain which was just right in front of us.

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[… seems like the one who called us here has finally arrived.]

Grinning, I stood up from the comfy sofa that the Lunarian had provided and gestured Sakuya to follow me as I felt the presence gain strength and power in the middle of Eientei.

Eientei is really a beautiful place, one of eternal beauty due to the powers of Houraisen Kaguya, the power over eternity. Even I, the vampire with the power over fate could not challenge that power. In the guest room that had been provided to us, I was impressed with the service of the Rabbit attendants and even Sakuya, with her strict standards had lesser and lesser to complain when it was Reisen Udongein Inaba serving her.

The de facto leader of the rabbits seemed to have understood the situation and she apologized profusely to Sakuya and me.

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[…]

But, I came here only for business and not for leisure.

[This is a good place for a break, isn't it, Sakuya?]

Asking the silent Sakuya as she kept me in the shade with my parasol, I walked slowly towards the centre of the mansion. The wooden boards creaked under her heels and she paused for a second, hesitating in answering me.

[… But, Mistress…]

[Yes, I understand… I have you… but, I mean for you, Sakuya.]

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Covering my amusement by placing a hand over my mouth and fangs, I looked back at Sakuya to her unwavering face.

[… no, if there is a need for a retreat, the Scarlet Devil Mansion would do ideally… a day without China for example…]

Scoffing, Sakuya closed her eyes to dismiss my suggestion as she escorted me to the great hall, as it was called by Reisen.

To call this tiny room the 'great hall' is overly exaggerating…

Stepping into the room, I had to swallow my words as the room was magnified to perhaps a hundred of it's original size.

[Manipulation of space… like you, Sakuya…Perhaps this place is more interesting than even I had ever imagined.]

[… There are flaws, My Mistress… you only need me…]

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Putting a hand on her chest, I sensed Sakuya's pride being on the line here and I relented and nodded to her.

[Of course, you are the most Elegant and Perfect Maid in Gensokyo, Sakuya. I would never have anyone else]

My eyes followed the edge of the room and I saw that indeed, the flaws were very obvious. Cracks were already present and ever forming at the edges but I spared them no thought. Those were details, nothing I should be worried about.

Slowly walking the entire length of the room, I stopped short of reaching the end of it and I grinned as I drew a spellcard out from my pocket.

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[Mistress…]

[… do not worry, this eternal cage is nothing to me. The Lunarians are just buying some time to prepare themselves. But, as a vampire, I am always impatient.]

Surrounding myself with crimson magic, I raised myself in the air and challenged the room and eternity itself.

[! LUNARIANS! EITHER GREET ME, OR WATCH AS THIS ROOM BE WIPED FROM HISTORY!]

Roaring, I was rewarded with the room shuddering, a ripple of power streaming through the room itself that made Sakuya drop to one knee in a bid to keep standing.

[… Miss Scarlet, please… excuse us for a moment… the spell is not complete… if you threaten to destroy this reality, even you would not be spared. All I request is for a minute in a space of all eternity… please, be patient for a minute….]

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The Lunarian Princess's voice answered me and I can sense that she is panting and struggling to maintain the eternity of this room, not to mention Eientei.

[…]

Baring my teeth, I decided that enough was enough and I stopped the building up of my strength and instead spread it around the room evenly, forming a red mist around us.

[It needs a new décor, don't you think, Sakuya?]

Waiting, I tapped my foot on the wooden board as the threads of fate that is so evident in front of me, wove themselves into an intricate net.

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[… Soon, we shall be… slaves to each other's fate…]

Narrowing my eyes, I ignored Sakuya, who looked as if she was about to say something.

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[…]

Reaching a small stream after an hour's flight, I decided I should take a break and I landed on the banks of the river. It was a beautiful sight with fishes jumping out of the crystal clear stream.

[… hmm…]

It was water as far as I could see but from what I could tell the stream did not come from Youkai mountain so where could it had came from. The other side of the stream was covered by a shadowy mist that seemed so mysterious that I decided to investigate it myself.

It might hold a memory of my past and as soon as I decided, I slowly walked into the river and tried to wade across.

Why I decided to wade through the river is not known to me then but it just came naturally for me to want to walk through the crystal clear river instead of flying through towards the other side.

Perhaps I wanted to feel the water running over my toes and my feet to keep myself cool.

Till this day, I am still not sure why I did that and it proved to be a very costly thing for me to do.

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Walking slowly and struggling against the current, I shivered as the water was more freezing than I had originally thought but since I was already deep in the stuff, I was reluctant to give up.

[I… must finish what I started…]

The depth of the water slowly rise and before I knew it, it was up to my knee and then to my waist.

Struggling more and more against the current, I found that I was not wading at all but rather struggling to keep afloat in the span of a few minutes.

Worst and most unbelievable of all, the other side of the river was still so far away and it appeared to me that I had not even gone even a bit closer to her despite struggling with the depth of the water.

[W-What's going on…]

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With my clothes soaked, I could not raise myself from the water even with the help of my two companions who tugged at me desperately.

Looking back, I saw that I had indeed travelled quite a distance and that the bank was far away from my current location. Taking a step backward, I felt another stream of cold water strike me but this time my whole body was knocked away by the current.

[A-AH!!]

Keeping my head above water from the choppy waves is impossible now as the waves struck me repeatedly every few seconds and it was all I could do to keep my mouth from filling with water and keeping my body afloat.

[… ugh… h-help!]

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Death by drowning, I would not have imagined that I would leave the world via this method…

Sanzu River, Sanzu River!!

Hearing my two companion's thoughts while floundering helplessly, something in my mind clicked and I instinctively shouted out a name from my memories.

[KOMACHI!!!]