AN: I do not own Touhou Project, it belongs to Team Shanghai Alice, aka ZUN.
Well I got started immediately after the last chapter, reason? Life finally stopped giving me crap to do.
So without further ado!
LET! THE! GATES! OPEN!
Nox Aeterna
(Imperishable Night)
(Round 3!)
Stage Start!
BGM: IN Stage 4 Theme: Retribution for the Eternal Night
The group of eleven stood before the large large complex in the middle of the bamboo forest, Eientei, home of Eirin, the doctor from the moon. And if the information pieced together was right… the culprit for the incident. "Welp… who's first?" Marisa asked casually as the group stood before the massive gate in Eientei. "You Marisa." Alice said.
"O so now your singling me out huh!" Marisa complained throwing her hands up. Meiling started listing things on her fingers aloud. "Patchouli and Vaati are to slow, Mokou we have no idea, the three girls are to young, and Nitori can't fly." "But that doesn't!" "AND you're the one who manages to break into anyplace with a door, a lock, you name it, you're the best at what you do, you thief." Meiling said, actually getting a jab in at Marisa.
"FIIIINEEE I'll do it." Marisa complained, pushing the gates open and starting to dash into the complex… before a large amount of little girls with bunny ears appeared, all either holding little carrots like swords or giant squeaky hammers. The sound of Marisa bursting out laughing was enough for everyone else to move in and see just what she was laughing about… and then laugh about it themselves.
Alice was trying to contain her laughter, Shanghai was making soundless laughing floating next to Alice, Patchouli raised an eyebrow, Meiling herself was trying hard not to smirk and the rest of the group's 'kids' were on the floor laughing as Cirno, Mokou, Nitori and Vaati were the only ones not laughing.
The bunny in the lead, a little girl with a pink dress and floppy ears sighed, before placing her head on her hand. "Every time…" She muttered. She didn't even wait a second as she pointed at the group commanding her legion of bunnies to attack. The result was as expected…
Squeaky hammers bounced off the ground one managed to slam Vaati in the face, but didn't do anything as he grabbed it off the ground and tried to chuck it back, only managing to hit Marisa with it, who didn't even notice in her laughter. The flying carrots didn't go very far, at most they got past Marisa, who was in the lead and still laughing her head off as carrots flew past her before hitting the ground.
Mokou started rolling her eyes. "Do you all have anything better or have you lost all your guns?" Mokou asked, smirking at Tewi. "Not our fault Reisen won't let us touch her guns, so we have to make do!" Tewi shouted as she pulled out a wooden mallet from behind her, the other bunny girls running around and trying to grab squeaky hammers and carrots again, some even fighting over who got what… leading to the rest of the group completely breaking down.
Cirno had kneeled over, Mokou was snickering while Vaati grabbed one of the hammers and smacked Marisa over the head with it, only managing to cause a loud squeak and making the hammer recoil as a bunny girl ran up and grabbed it out of his hand.
"Wait they usually have what?" Patchouli asked Mokou, skeptical. "Normally they at least have some of the guns Reisen brought with her from where ever she goes on vacation, and I'm normally the one they shoot at, not that it does any good." Mokou said. "I'm going to pretend I know what a gun is and just move on." Patchouli deadpanned as Tewi and her rabbit brigade all formed up on the other side of the compound, hammers and carrots at the ready as Marisa put her hand up.
"Someone call a doctor! I can't!" was all she managed to get out before Cirno walked up to her, grabbed Marisa's head and flash froze it in a block of ice, causing her to shut up with her face frozen in ice as Mokou followed, melting the ice. "Thanks for that." Marisa said sarcastically as she and everyone else stopped laughing. "Now where were we!" Marisa shouted, Tewi sweat dropping as her bunny brigade copied her. "I was going to make a speech about how you aren't going to get past us… but at this point I don't care, ATTACK!" Tewi shouted as her charged with her bunny brigade, rubber hammers held above heads and and carrots held like very poorly held swords.
To say what happened next was a battle was an exaggeration. Alice had latterly kicked one of the bunnies into a group of bunnies, knocking them all down as Rumia started running around, bunnies actually running from her as she had grabbed one of the squeaky hammers. Daiyousei had resorted to just firing green kunai bullets as Wriggle got herself surrounded by a bunch of bunnies, Wriggle holding her fists out as she observed the bunnies around her.
One tried to attack her with a carrot, Wriggle kicking it out of the bunny's hand and then kicking the bunny hard enough to send her flying into the circle of bunnies, two and the girls with hammers attacking at once as Wriggle jumped up, before kicking the two girls in the head and sending them flying, picking up their left behind hammers. "Next!" Wriggle shouted, the bunnies around her panicking and running away, dropping their 'weapons.'
Nitori had pulled out one of her inventions, a high powered hose attached to at water tank in her large backpack, spraying the bunnies coming at her and sending them flying from the high pressure water. Several soaked bunnies had ended up imbedded in the walls of the compound.
Inside Reisen was looking over her collection of guns when she over heard and explosions, rolling her eyes as she heard another… and another. "Ughhh! How am I supposed to get anything done with this noise!" Reisen shouted to herself, grabbing one of the modified pistols she had on the shelf and loading it with Danmaku cartridges as she walled out, opening the sliding door and starting to shout.
"ALL RIGHT WHAT IS GOING on… out… here…" Reisen said, anger going into shock as she observed the scene. "Mokou was sitting atop a small pile of bunnies, Cirno leaning against a wall as she had several bunnies in ice cubes around her. Vaati was holding a squeaky hammer and chiding one of the bunny girls, who was looking guilty as Marisa held a knocked out Tewi by her collar, laughing her head off. Explosion marks covered the ground as any conscious bunnies were running around away from either Rumia, Wriggle, or anyone else who wasn't sitting down. Patchouli was reading her book as several bunnies lay charred around her, Alice was enjoying a cup of tea she had got from somewhere, Bunnies also knocked out around her as Shanghai held a small flag and was waving it like crazy in triumph.
Reisen continued to observe the scene before looking at the tiny pistol in her hand, going wide eyed and shutting the door and running back to her room and grabbing a small arsenal of weaponry this time. Rifles, a rocket launcher, dual pistols, and a shotgun, all primed and ready as she put on a yellow helmet with two holes in it for her ears.
Opening the door this time everyone looked at her as she cocked the shotgun. "Who's first?" Reisen asked as Mokou got up off her pile of bunnies. "Give it your best *BANG*" Reisen was holding her shotgun, pointed at Mokou, who now had several holes in her chest. "Nice shot." Mokou mumbled as she exploded, the pillar of fire reforming into an undamaged Mokou, Reisen's eye twitching as she remembered that she couldn't keep Mokou down, let alone out.
"You have five seconds to either run or fight." Mokou jested, tilting her head as several of the others started walking up as well. "Well… yeah." Reisen started both putting the shotgun on her back with the rifle and rocket launcher, swiftly drawing out her two pistols and firing away, managing to hit Cirno in the arm, and Vaati square in the head. "Why does this happen to me…" Vaati muttered as he fell over, bleeding from his head as he slowly regenerated.
Reisen didn't say anything as she continued firing, running as Cirno appeared in front of her, eyes glowing blue in rage as Reisen stopped. A quick point in Vaati's direction, and two red eyes going wide, and Cirno and Reisen were in a game of cat and mouse. Ice being thrown around as Reisen ran from the pissed off ice fairy, Vaati slowly getting up as the bleeding hole in his forehead sealed.
"That… really hurt." Was all he got out before falling flat on the ground, laying there for the simple reason he didn't want to have to deal with this, as everyone else decided to watch Reisen run from Cirno, who had decided to form a hammer made of ice in lieu of her usual sword. For the next five minutes everyone watched as Cirno and Reisen ran around the compound, Cirno smashing her ice hammer against walls trying to hit Reisen, who kept jumping out of the way and firing at Cirno with her pistols, the danmaku bullets either blocked by her hammer or straight up froze in mid air.
At least that's how it went until a large wooden hammer smashed straight into Cirno's face, punting her across the compound, flying past everyone and landing on Vaati, who gasped in pain as Cirno landed on his stomach, her ice hammer going flying and shattering against the southern wall.
Tewi stood on the north side of the Eientei compound her wooden mallet still in it's swung position as Reisen joined her by Tewi's side, the two bunny girls standing side by side, Reisen reloading her guns as Tewi readied her hammer. "Shall we?" Marisa asked looking at Alice, who nodded as the duo walked up to be opposite of the two bunny girls.
BGM: 狂気の瞳 ~ Invisible Full Moon - Rock Remix
Team Magic and the two Eientei girls stood ready, Tewi holding her hammer high as Reisen aimed her guns, Alice already having sent out a small arsenal of dolls as Marisa sat on her broom. "I got the small one, think you can handle the other one?" Marisa asked quickly. "What to lazy to deal with her?" Alice snarked back. "No, it's just that she has those things, like your muskets, and you saw what they just did to Vaati, either of us gets hit…" Marisa started as Alice worked it out. "My dolls." Alice said Marisa nodding. "Bingo, now let's rock!" Marisa shouted, shooting at Tewi, who jumped over the speeding magician and tried to slam her hammer into Marisa's back, missing due to Marisa going to fast, Tewi running after her, holding her hammer like it was nothing.
Alice's dolls charged, led by Shanghai as Reisen started shooting, standing still as her red eyes glowed, dolls falling left and right as Shanghai swerved and used her shield to get around the shots, slicing at Reisen, who flipped backwards, and in a s motion putting her pistols away and grabbing the shotgun again, firing at Shanghai, who raised her shield to block, but the close range and power of the shotgun blast broke the shield, Shanghai falling as several shots hit her, damaged but not out.
Alice kept on going, sending in a trio of lancer dolls, with a backup of musket wielding dolls, Reisen putting her shotgun away again and pulling her rifle off her back, flicking the safety off and firing away while aiming down the sights the shots hitting the lancers as the musket dolls firing, the bullets either colliding in midair and causing small danmaku explosions or firing past them, Reisen dropping to the ground as the shots flew over her head and past her ears, the musket dolls falling down to the ground from being hit.
Alice bent down and grabbed one of the danmaku muskets, putting her book in a small pouch on her hip, Reisen getting back up and aiming down her sights at Alice. A clash of modern and old weapons, innovation of warfare at it's finest. "I hope you can keep up." Reisen said, having gain her confidence from all her shots. Alice herself bent down and picked out another musket, holding one in each hand, the modified muskets not needing to be reloaded. "Let's see about that." Alice said in a cold voice, the two girls aiming at each other, fingers on the triggers.
Marisa and Tewi had continued their game of run around, Marisa hopping out her broom and throwing a potion at Tewi, who batted it away from her, the explosion of the bottle hitting a wall near the rest of the group, the smaller girls cowering behind Nitori's giant backpack, Nitori herself also cowering as Mokou, Meiling and Patchouli stood, or floated and watched, not caring as dust kicked up near them from the explosions.
Marisa flipped her broom into a her hand, holding it in one hand as the other held a green glow, Marisa firing off a barrage of magic missiles at Tewi, the little bunny girl bouncing around them as they flew past, Marisa firing off a green orb above her that shot at Tewi, a homing shot as Marisa ran forward.
Tewi was forced to block the homing shot with her hammer as Marisa swung at Tewi with her broom, enchanted wood hitting the normal wooden hammer and pushing Tewi back, who slid with her feet implanted in the dirt, stopping next to a small pile of rubber hammers.
Thinking quickly Tewi put her wooden hammer down and started throwing the rubber hammers in a shower at Marisa, the witch running past the bouncing red rubber hammers as Tewi picked up her wooden hammer, speeding at Marisa as the two impacted, getting in a blade lock… with the handles of their weapons, Marisa broom and the hammer head both ready to impact the head of whoever gave first, both girls grunting as they tried to gain dominance in the blade lock.
Alice and Reisen had started shooting instantly, bullets flying past both of them as Reisen emptied the clip of her rifle, dropping it to the ground as she pulled off her shotgun, firing as Alice jumped up, floating in midair above the spread shot, firing down with her two muskets, several shots going wide as Reisen didn't bother to dodge, firing again as she tilted her head to avoid a bullet flying past her.
Alice dropped from the air and landed in a crouching position on the ground, pulling her head up as Reisen looked at her smirking, tilting her head as if in shame. "I wasn't trying to hit you…" Alice said, several beams of danmaku shooting up from where her bullets impacted, homing in on Reisen, who jumped high as the lasers continued to follow her, bending at right angles as Reisen dropped her shotgun, pulling her pistols out of their holsters and firing, hitting the lasers and causing small explosions as she ran, Alice herself firing at Reisen as a small group of musket dolls joined her, two empty handed dolls picking up the shotgun and rifle she had dropped.
Reisen scowled, now down to just her pistols and the rocket launcher, hiding behind a building as bullets impacted the wall next to her, Alice and her dolls getting closer as she reloaded, putting her pistols in their holsters as she pulled out her rocket launcher, she only had one shot.
Jumping out from behind cover she rolled into a kneeling position on the ground, rocket launcher on her shoulder to help with the recoil as she looked through the sights, firing at the ground near the group of dolls.
The rocket impacted the ground and exploded, sending dolls flying everywhere, small parts and clothing going flying as Reisen lowered her rocket launcher, not seeing Alice anywhere as she looked side to side. Behind her Alice raised one of her muskets to Reisen's head, the bunny girl feeling the gun against the back of her head. "Looks like I win." Alice said in a not so happy voice, not happy about having her dolls blown up… again. "I've got on more trick up my sleeve." Reisen said as she quickly spun around, kicking the musket out of Alice's hand as she brought a pistol up to Alice's face, Alice aiming her other musket as Reisen's forehead, both of them daring the other to shoot first.
BGM: UNL Patchouli's Theme: Voile, the Magic Library
It was quick and sudden but both Reisen and Tewi seized up for just a moment, a faded lock symbol forming over their backs for just a moment before disappeared, it was quick, but not unnoticeable to those watching. But that second was all Alice and Marisa needed.
Marisa pushed, taking advantage of Tewi's moment of weakness and slamming her head with her broom, Tewi flying into a wall, knocked out from the force as Alice kicked Reisen's leg, causing her to drop as Alice grabbed Reisen's pistol with her other hand, Reisen now staring down Alice's musket barrel as she aimed Reisen's pistol at her hand, just daring her to grab her other gun.
Patchouli, Meiling and Mokou however looked over from Alice, Marisa and Reisen and looked towards Vaati and Cirno. Vaati was sitting up right blinking as his hand glowed slightly, a small lock over his palm as Cirno stared as well. "What in the ever loving library is this?" Vaati asked confused, looking at Patchouli for an explanation. "I would assume that your ability woke up, like Reimu's ability to float, or Flandre's power of destruction." Patchouli deadpanned as she started scanning her own mind for anything she could find on this new development.
Vaati looked back at his hand for a moment, staring at the small, faded lock. "So what? I have the ability to lock things?" Vaati asked, confused. "I would assume unlock as well." Patchouli said, bringing her finger up to her chin as Marisa dragged the knocked out Tewi over, and Alice had several dolls escorting the now disarmed Reisen over, having tied her hands with a bit of rope they usually reserved for Marisa.
"So…the ability to lock and unlock huh?" Vaati muttered, Cirno hugging him as she stared at the small lock with him. "But how does that?" Vaati wondered, thinking for just a moment on how it had caused Reisen and Tewi to seize up, how did that relate to locking or unlocking.
BGM: SWR: Argue for and Against
While Patchouli and Vaati brainstormed, and Cirno just listened on, Mokou, and the others got down to business with the remaining rabbit putting Reisen in the hot seat. "Alright then, tell what you know about this eternal night?" Mokou asked, simply and bluntly, while also holding a fireball in her hand as Alice held a musket to her head and Marisa pointed the Mini-Hakkero at her. Reisen sweating bullets as she looked for answer, not knowing her non reaction had already given them one.
Back with Patchouli and Vaati, Patchouli snapped her fingers slightly. "Think about it, Reimu and Yukari use their abilities in ways different from normal ways, like Reimu floating away from reality, or Yukari's manipulating of anything that can be classified as a border." Patchouli said, Vaati thinking about it for a moment. "So that would mean that I caused them to 'lock up' in the heat of the moment so to speak?" Vaati said, using a phrase. "That seems to be the case, but it didn't work for very long." Patchouli stated reminding him of the very small window that it gave Alice and Marisa, about a second. "Well practice makes perfect." Vaati muttered.
Back with Mokou, Marisa and Alice, Reisen was about so say something before Mokou hit her over the side of the head, knocking her out cold. "I got it, either Kaguya or the moon doctor is the cause of it." Mokou stated, shaking her hand from the impact. "So what, try to find one or the other and go for it?" Meiling asked, Mokou nodding. "Split up, I'll try to find Kaguya, and I'm taking those two with me." Mokou said, pointing at Cirno and Vaati. "Any reason why, got a grudge or something?" Marisa taunted.
"That, and she has the same trick that I, and now Cirno and Vaati do, she if fully willing to kill." Mokou said, thinking somewhat about the safety of the rest of the group. "So the rest of us gotta find this moon doctor right?" Meiling asked, Mokou nodding again as Alice walked over to Nitori and the girls, urging them to follow as Patchouli floated over with Vaati and Cirno.
"So about all of us except the Ice fairy, the target dummy…" "HEY!" "and the firebird are going after this doctor?" Marisa said, getting a successful rise out of Vaati, who huffed in slight annoyance. "That would be the plan." Mokou said, waving off Marisa's taunting, she'd had time to get used to anything at her age. "So off we go then?" Alice asked, everyone starting to walk towards one of the larger buildings, Mokou leading Vaati and Cirno towards a smaller building. "That's about right. When we come back, expect someone to be half dead, most likely Vaati." Mokou said, raising her hands behind her head as Vaati floated after her with Cirno.
"Any reason the world seems to hate me." Vaati deadpanned, floating next to Mokou. "World hates everyone kid, you gotta just roll with it." Mokou said, as she opened the door to the smaller building, leading them into the room she had previously found Kaguya in last time she came for a rampage.
"So while they are off doing that we have a doctor to find and beat up!" Marisa shouted, punching her hands together as Meiling punched the bamboo door off it's hinges, everyone else getting into a sort of position around her, Magic at the ready.
Inside Eirin looked at the punched off door in extreme confusion… and then shock as she saw the amount of magic about to be thrown at her. "That's… not good." Eirin deadpanned, before rolling away from the skylight she was using to channel magic through, behind her counter and grabbing her bow as a large amount of magic flew into the room. "Did we get her?" Marisa asked, running into the room to try and start 'borrowing' as an arrow was fired past her face and into the wall. "Not at all, I'm still here." Eirin said back as she nocked a second arrow, Marisa yelping and ducking as the arrow barely missed her.
Eirin walked out into the open, observing the large group before her. "This is hardly a fair fight… mind if we take this outside?" Eirin asked, everyone looking at each other before shrugging, rules in Gensokyo allowed that sort of thing. "Fine." Meiling said as they all walked out, followed by Eirin who was quickly surrounded by the large group. "Guess I'll have to show you all just what I can do." Eirin said, wanting ot finish this quickly, she had to get back to channeling after all.
BGM: Touhou Remix P.185 (Orchestral) Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess
Mokou led Vaati and Cirno through the building, Mokou peeking around the corners as Cirno mimicked her, without looking… as Vaati just casually floated behind them. "Any reason for the stealthy stuff?" Vaati asked casually, Mokou looking at him with an 'are you crazy?' look before rolling her eyes.
"It was supposed to be to surprise the crazy princess, but no you just have to ruin it?" Mokou asked sarcastically, a shuffling heard nearby in the house. "What's your issue with this Kaguya?" Vaati asked, not understanding the problem. "I want to know!" Cirno said somewhat loudly, Mokou groaning before stepping out from around the corner looking at Vaati and Cirno still. "It's a very long story." Mokou said not wanting to talk about it.
"It wasn't that long, just your father's own greed and your own loneliness." A female voice said, Mokou, Vaati and Cirno turning away from each other to see Kaguya, in all her glory standing in front of them… wearing a pink tee-shirt and red sweatpants. Mokou gapping at Kaguya as Vaati and Cirno stared. "This is the moon princess?" Cirno asked, Vaati had shown her in picture books princesses were regal figures in long dresses.
Kaguya looked like she had just put on a different color of Vaati's normal clothing with shorter sleeves.
"Is there any reason that your moon princess looks like she invaded my dresser drawer?" Vaati asked, Mokou still gapping at Kaguya in sheer shock. "And I thought nothing could get her to show emotion… all it took was for Eirin to get me a new outfit to blend in." Kaguya said, laughing a bit as she closed Mokou's open mouth. Mokou herself finally finding some words. "What… the hell… happened…" She sputtered, everyone other time she had seen Kaguya it was in her regal clothing, all prim and proper, not showing any emotion and fighting her to the death several times over.
This was completely different to everything she had built up against Kaguya for the past five hundred years.
"It's called several things, one I wanted to got out instead of being cooped up here in Eientei all the time, two I don't want to fight you, and three, I wondered why do we keep killing each other when the entire reason for all of this, happened over a thousand or so years ago, and only happened because your dad was a selfish prick." Kaguya said, counting all of it off on her fingers as Mokou tried to find a reasonable answer.
"Wait what?" Vaati asked, wondering just what the heck was going on. "Yeah, the entire reason Mokou and I fight all the time is because of her dad being a selfish prick who wanted my hand in marriage and immortality, and used Mokou's old friendship with me to try and get that." Kaguya said, not even watching her language.
"But you tricked him, you could have at least given him a fair chance! Like with everyone else!" Mokou said, throwing her hands up as sparks of flame dance around her. "I didn't give anyone a fair chance, I just wanted to test humanity in trying to solve my puzzles, it's his own fault he died, and anyone who would just use their child like that did not deserve to be called a decent father." Kaguya said, chiding Mokou.
"I realize that bit, but what else am I supposed to do for all eternity!" Mokou yelled, her anger flowing over. "I don't know, find some friends, try to not kill me every time we see each other?" Kaguya gave an example, pointing at Vaati and Cirno. "How does she?" Vaati asked Cirno, who shrugged. "She wouldn't have brought you here if you couldn't be collateral damage, or die." Kaguya said as Mokou was still trying to make sense of what was going on.
"This just hurts my head." Mokou said, holding her hand to her face. "Look we can settle our differences afterwards, if you want I'll get changed and we can fight for the hell of it alright?" Kaguya asked. "Give me some form of familiarity in this mess please." Mokou asked, looking at the one person she had spent the past couple hundred years fighting… for a very stupid reason that had little justification.
"Alright give me a minute, then we can beat the crap out of each other, you two wanta watch?" Kaguya said, then asked as she started walking towards her room Vaati and Cirno struggling as Mokou sat on the floor. "Something tells me you need to revaluate your life up until this point." Vaati stated, and then started yelling as Mokou set him on fire, Cirno flash freezing him in panic to put him out. "I guess I do, but you deserved that." Mokou said, smashing the ice Vaati was frozen in with a punch, Vaati sprawling onto the floor with the ice around him, Cirno going down to comfort him and apologize for freezing him. "I deserved that." Vaati said weakly, putting his hand in the air for a moment before letting it fall back down.
"If you three are done with comedy hour, how about we take this to the back?" Kaguya said, now dressed in her robes as she looking onto what had just occurred with a smile, trying not to laugh. 'Such friends already.' She thought as she started walking towards the back door, who robes dragging behind her carelessly as Mokou, Vaati and Cirno followed. "This is nothing at all what I expected to happen." Mokou mumbled under her breath as they walked outside, one more fight for old times sake this time.
(Stage Clear!)
An: I want to say right now, life had been kicking me in the nuts recently, most of it involving my own problems that caught up to me again. But yeah, Eirin vs literally everyone is going to happen, because canonically Eirin is around Yukari level in power, and that's above Mokou and Kaguya, by a lot. But yeah, Kaguya… is not what anyone expected am I right, even I was surprised, but looking into both canon backstory and adding some fandom and head canon I got this, if only because Kaguya is an interesting character who might end up being like Nitori, not part of the 'main' cast but someone who is always there to support the group in times of need. And I hope people enjoy the Reisen vs Alice battle, I semi based it off the Mami vs Houmra Battle in Rebellion, being a musket wielder vs a gun wielder. I thought it would be fun.