-Two Months, Ten Days Ago, Afternoon-
"Hey, watch it you two!" Yuugi Hoshiguma orders while sitting cross-legged on the ground and leaning against her home's dining table. She wears a loose blue kimono and has her long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail; every so often she sips from her trademark Hoshiguma Dish. "Ya gotta get the wood tiling exactly right, I won't accept a rush job."
"You're the one who cracked them in the first place with all your angry stomping!" Seija retorts. Currently she wears basic blue work coveralls over a white t-shirt. "You should be the one fixing this!"
"Shin set off a bomb in here, don't give me lip!"
That bombing inchling, who wears an identical outfit to Seija and is using the Miracle Mallet as a literal mallet for construction, says, "Look, the faster we fix this, the sooner we can go home. We can fight all we want after that."
Shin's used to forced residency after living with Reimu for a while, but I'm starting to lose it. I didn't realize just how much damage we did to buildings in the capital. With just the two of us, we probably still have nearly two months to go before everything that needs repairs is fixed. And besides Yuugi monitoring us, every single oni down here doesn't even care and just drinks the day away, sometimes causing more damage. Longhorn over here is the only one with any presence. …Hm, that nickname is below my usual standard.
"Well, ya don't hafta worry about finishin' the floor today," says Yuugi. "Once you're worn out, grab some food at the stall nearby. Tell 'em I sent ya and they'll make sure you're well fed. When you're through there, head back to the palace whenever ya want."
Hmph. With how lenient they've been with us, it wouldn't be hard to escape at any time.
"But I know you have no intention of doing that, so I won't concern myself with that possibility," says a voice from outside the freshly replaced sliding door. Opening it and entering, everyone present recognizes the new arrival as Satori Komeiji. She is clad in a pink skirt with a rose pattern and a frilly pale blue shirt featuring yellow heart-shaped buttons, with pink slippers and white socks covering her feet. Atop her purple hair sits a black headband that connects to a red cord that wraps around her body, converging on an open red eye right over her heart. "As stated before, you're only responsible for fixing damage you caused, directly or indirectly; anything the capital's residents do following the incident is their own mess to clean."
"I don't recall giving you permission to read my mind," Seija mutters, looking down as she continues placing new pieces of wood.
Yuugi chuckles. "Shoulda thought about that when ya messed with our home. To what do I owe the pleasure, Satori? Checkin' on these two goons?"
"'Goons'…?" Shin echoes.
"Pardon my intrusion," Satori says with a bow. "I wanted to let all three of you know I'll be absent until late tonight, so if you need to report anything make sure to tell Orin."
"Thanks for the heads-up. Where're ya goin'?" Yuugi asks.
"I'm attempting to set aside more time to spend with Koishi, so this morning I asked her if she wanted to do something tonight. Apparently she visited Moriya Shrine before making a decision and Sanae told her about a party happening at Hakurei Shrine in a few hours. Koishi decided that she wanted to attend the party with me, so that's where I'll be."
"Oh, nice. What's that shrine's latest excuse for gettin' drunk?"
"Sanae reportedly said that it was largely for its own sake, but apparently tonight is a full moon so I suppose that could be seen as the reason."
"Can't fault 'em for that. But I know ya don't play too well with crowds and can get tired travelin' so far, sure you'll be alright?"
The mind reader holds up a hand. "I can take care of myself, you need not worry. If this is Koishi's decision, I am happy to go along."
"How sweet! Wait, no, it makes me sick," says Seija mockingly.
"Listen here, you-" Yuugi begins.
"It's fine," Satori cuts her off. "Shinmyoumaru, make sure to turn in your and Seija's progress report to Orin before retiring for the evening."
"Got it," says Shin, continuing her work. She then slyly adds, "Try not to overexert yourself out there, you gotta look out for Koishi as the big sister."
"Hmph, I am well aware. I shall leave you all to it, then." With that, Former Hell's overseer turns and briskly leaves the way she came.
Yuugi snorts loudly and says, "Being passive aggressive is one thing, but I'm not gonna stand for you preying on Satori's insecurity about her relationship with Koishi."
"Ma'am, yes ma'am," the amanojaku replies without a modicum of emotion, still not lifting her head.
Slamming her dish on the table, Yuugi walks over and lifts Seija by the scruff of her neck. Looking her square in the eye, the oni says, "I'm being completely serious. Don't make me teach you another lesson."
Seija returns the glare with a defiant and knowing sneer. "'Another'? Think you got a faulty memory, bear. You never managed to accomplish anything. Shin held you off just fine when the chips were down. It's Youmu who has the right to say that, not you. So step off."
"If you attack us unprovoked, Yuugi, we're entirely in the right to defend ourselves," Shin cuts in, pointing the Miracle Mallet at them. "And it's not your call to get angry on Satori's behalf."
"Grrr…" After multiple tense seconds, Yuugi lets Seija go, the latter already flying so she simply stays in place. "I admit the two of ya are doing your work properly, but I don't get why Satori lets you," she says, pointing at Seija, "get away with everything short of murder. Cross me personally and I won't be as nice, we clear?"
"You honestly expect me to respond to that positively?" Seija asks with a raised eyebrow and slightest of grins.
"Heh, guess not." Yuugi moves to grab her dish and goes to the door. "I'm gonna go knock some back at that stall I recommended. If I'm still there when y'all decide ya want some grub, we can have a 'friendly' competition. See ya."
Shin, once Yuugi leaves, exhales a breath she had not realized she was holding in. "Let's try not to push our luck too much, okay? Yuugi's right that we're being treated really well, all things considered."
"You already know I intend on upholding our end of the deal," Seija reassures. "All the problems we caused will be undone and then we can leave. Satori knows that, which is why she's fine with some mouthing off."
"Part of me wonders if that's really all there is to it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I dunno, call it a hunch. Sometimes you have to eyeball these things."
That gets a legitimate laugh out of the Seija, who responds, "The only 'hunch' I need to see right now is us hunched over and fixing this stupid floor already."
"Pft, shut up!" says Shin, laughing in kind. The duo returns to work soon after.
Heh, 'bear' will work. Can't let that oni get too comfortable around us.
Distant stars, the lights from which travel millions of lightyears to provide a glimpse into eras long past, dot the space around Seija's floating, unconscious body. They are framed by plaid-like red and blue lines. In this void, the amanojaku starts to stir.
…Huh? Where am I?
She orients herself - as much as such a thing is possible in this circumstance, at least - and takes in her surroundings. Lines under her eyes prove that whatever slumber she awoke from was far from restful.
Am I… in space? I've heard of it but never actually seen-
She turns around and sees the near side of the Moon bearing down on her. The celestial body is much, much larger than how it appears on Earth.
It's so close! How did I even get here?!
Panic starts to set in. Her mind races to find any sort of explanation.
Was I transported somehow? How long have I been here? Okay, stay calm, the last thing I remember is… uhhhh…
No matter how hard she tries, Seija cannot remember anything after going to bed the night she and Shin visited Youkai Mountain.
This has to be a dream, right? Just pinch myself and I'll wake up.
She pinches her right arm with her left hand and waits. Nothing happens. She tries again and still nothing. She switches arms and even bites her lip for good measure, to no avail.
Ugh, that's gonna leave a mark. Okay, I'm in space for real without even my mallet, got it. Great. But if I'm here, where's Shin? Was she dragged here too? Is she okay?
"SHIN! ARE YOU HERE?!"
Not even an echo responds.
Looks like I'm alone. Hopefully she's alright- AGH!
A more visceral kind of pain than what Seija has experienced previously grips her entire body, momentarily paralyzing her.
Dang it…! I'm getting REALLY sick of this!
"Why does this keep happening?!" she shouts in frustration. "And how the hell did I get here?!"
"Incredible, you lost your cool in record time," a voice behind her says.
"Wha-?" Looking back at the source, Seija finds a familiar youkai with an easily recognizable red eye. "Satori…? Why are you here? Is this all some kind of illusion you're making?"
Satori bears a disinterested expression. "I couldn't do something like this even if I wanted to, try not to make baseless accusations. What you're experiencing right now is very real. More real than it should be, in fact."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hold that thought, we need to get away from here. I can feel hostile thoughts nearby. Whoever it is, they're hunting you."
Who would even want to- alright dumb question. …Why do I feel like I've had that same thought recently?
"Probably because your memory is being manipulated somehow," says Satori.
"Huh? Did you-"
"Yes. And no, you don't need to tell me that it's annoying when I read your mind. Air your complaints another time."
"Whatever! Let whoever it is come, I want to know who's behind this!"
"In your disheveled state, I doubt you could even beat me, let alone someone capable of organizing all this. Now move! We don't have time to waste here."
The still groggy Seija sighs and eventually nods, unable to come up with a good counter-argument. After the unlikely pair has flown in the opposite direction of the Moon for about a minute, Seija speaks up and asks, "Why are you here? Where are we even going? Why can't we see whoever's after me? There shouldn't be anywhere to hide in space!"
"Patience, I can only answer so many questions at once. To start with the most important part, we aren't in space, though I can see why you would think that given the area's appearance. This is the Dream World."
"What?! Does that mean-"
"You didn't arrive in this world by dreaming. Your body is here in the flesh, which is exactly the problem."
"Uh, okay. And you're-"
"-the dream self of the Satori Komeiji you're familiar with, yes. This is the first time you and I have met directly."
"And the one after us-"
"-is another denizen of this world, yes. I… can't read their mind. All I feel is hostility primarily fixated on you. And I don't know how this person could be concealing themself visually, but it's not too far-fetched an idea given our location."
Seija, annoyance growing, glares at Satori. "Would you-"
"-cut it out? No. It's faster this way and as I said we don't have the luxury of time."
"Ugh."
Seems it's true what I've heard about dream selves: they have less inhibition than their real world counterparts. She's still a bit subdued and the original was already curt, but this version of Satori doesn't bother with any fake pleasantries. I'd prefer this version if she wasn't still such a know-it-all.
"Can't say I'm interested in your analysis," says Satori, whose agitated tone betrays her neutral expression.
"Then answer my other questions already."
"Hmph. Well, first, I'm here because I'm conducting an independent investigation into a malevolent force I have felt roaming around recently. Doremy Sweet may be the ruler of this world but that doesn't make the rest of us mindless drones. We're free to move freely while our counterparts in reality are awake, provided we don't try to leave or cause trouble."
The way she phrased that means-
"You're quick on the uptake. Rebellion, albeit very rare, can happen. Prior to this aforementioned force, the last time I can recall where trouble brewed here was a bit over two years ago: Sumireko Usami's dream self caused a great deal of commotion for a few weeks until the one from reality defeated her. That girl has had a few issues regarding her dreams, from what I've heard; despite that, though, she managed to hold onto her sense of self and make it back to her world each time."
Her sense of self… Shin had to deal with something similar. I wonder, could I meet the version of her in this world?
"Don't get distracted," Satori snaps. "We need to get you out of here immediately and there's still much to explain-" She cuts herself off when her third eye goes wide. "Fly down!"
Are we fighting after all?!
Both immediately nosedive, however this puts them directly in the path of a danmaku salvo that manifests from seemingly nowhere and mercilessly pelts both of them. Fortunately, many of the bullets somehow miss their mark.
"Ow!" Seija yelps. "What the hell?! You said to go down!"
Satori's face is scrunched in a mixture of pain and shock. "I… I don't know! I definitely heard a thought that said they would attack our previous position. Wait, I'm hearing another! Go right!"
With the Moon and distantly visible Earth as their only reference points, they once more follow Satori's direction. The bullets again shoot at where the two fly, but Seija is prepared this time and flips their position with the attack to dodge it.
"Get your act together!" the amanojaku orders. "Obviously there's some kind of foul play going on!"
"I can tell, thank you!"
"Didn't you say before you couldn't read their mind? How are you getting anything in the first place?"
"It's complicated, give me a moment!" Satori's third eye scans their surroundings. "I've never been able to read the thoughts of this being, just their residual presence. If I'm hearing thoughts now…" All three of the mind reader's eyes widen with realization. "Fly down!"
"And why should I-"
"Just trust me one last time!"
You better be right!
Seija begrudgingly complies to great success; the latest attack harmlessly goes by above them.
"I guess a one-in-three chance isn't the worst odds," says Seija through gritted teeth.
"I'll take that as a thank you. That time the thought indicated we should have gone up. I don't know how, but they're somehow thinking the opposite of what they're doing."
"Like they think to themself 'I'll attack from below' but still knowingly shoot from above?"
"That's not how that works. Barring clinical insanity or some other kind of mental condition, you can't lie to yourself in your own thoughts. The forefront of your mind might have that statement in your example, but you still know your actual target. It's no different from knowingly saying a lie aloud."
"Okay, psychology theory can wait. Where are they now?"
The third eye makes a show of attempting to pinpoint any nearby presences. "They're… gone. All I can detect now is you."
"That means we're safe for now, right?"
"Hmm… Regardless, I don't want to take any chances. Let's keep moving."
Really know how to inspire confidence, huh? Had that first attack been more precise we would already be finished. I might be better off ditching her.
"And cut off your only clue as to what's going on or how to get home?" Satori asks, venom in her voice. "Please, be my guest. While I can still experience pain, I'm not flesh and blood; provided my other self is alive, I'll be fine. The same can't be said for your living body."
"Why help me in the first place? I would've thought you'd want nothing to do with me."
"My motivations aren't your concern. I'm trying to get you to safety so all you need to do is follow me."
This is all sorts of fishy. "She's hiding something from me."
Having just turned around to lead the way, Satori's head snaps back to look at Seija. "Hm…? I swear I just heard-"
Seija's own aggravation boils over. "You can't seriously expect me to just go along with everything you say like I'm one of your little pets. Yeah, sure, it was premature to accuse you of creating some kind of illusion that's obviously beyond your ability, but last I checked, you can give people amnesia. That's how you manipulated Youmu to dance to your tune before." She runs her right hand through her hair and sneers. "You like to play detective, right? Why don't I give you my take on that kind of deductive reasoning: first, I wake up in the Dream World with no memory of how I got her. Second, I immediately get found - very conveniently, mind - by you. Third, right after that, we get attacked by someone who - once again, very conveniently - can't be seen and is somehow able to resist your mind reading. All this, on top of you having a solid motive to screw with me given our past encounters. From where I'm standing, it seems much more likely that this is some elaborate set-up you've orchestrated using that over-inflated skull of yours."
"What?!" Satori balls her fists, clearly angered and insulted, but takes a few deep breaths. She then exhales and says, "Apologies for snapping at you, I can see the logic in your words. There's no point in us arguing. But please, I implore you to listen to me. There's more going on here than you realize."
"Then tell me instead of dancing around it! I'll reserve judgement until after you're done."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Satori says, "Okay. First, and you're not going to like this, but I have reason to believe Shinmyoumaru also got spirited away to this world."
Dang it, that's what I was afraid of! I need to find her!
"Why didn't you say that at the beginning?!" the extremely annoyed amanojaku shouts.
"Because I knew it would make you act irrationally. You were already somewhat emotional when I found you, I wanted to let you calm down."
"Oh screw off! Stop acting like you know what's best all the time! You're on very thin ice right now."
"…I'm sorry, I was wrong to do that," Satori concedes, choosing her words carefully.
"How do you know for sure she's here? Where is she?" asks Seija impatiently.
"While I do not know her exact location, residents of the world all share an innate quality: being able to tell when something is off. We know when a person with a real, physical body comes here. A little while ago, I felt two arrive simultaneously; once I found you, I realized the other had to be your partner. This area we're in right now is a passageway between Earth and the Moon that has seen many traverse through it. Normally, if any of us feel someone here, we ignore it since the visitor is gone before long. But you two stuck around and, when I came here to look for you, I heard the malevolent thoughts I've been searching for."
"Wait, back up, a 'passageway' that goes between Earth and the Moon? The same one that you can reach from Youkai Mountain?"
Seems pretty empty if this place is what I think it is. Shin and I will be able to reach the Lunar Capital no problem.
"So you're aware of it? How do you… Oh," says a mildly shocked Satori. "That's your current plan? Quite an ambitious endeavor, even for you."
Shoot! Got too caught up in thinking about it after she reminded me!
"You shouldn't worry, that information is irrelevant to me," the mind reader continues. "I don't care what you're attempting to accomplish with the Lunar Capital; to be blunt, the only time I have given that purity obsessed society a thought beyond their relation to Eientei was when I heard the news of their thwarted invasion. They do not have Gensokyo's best interest at heart and I have no reason to protect them. Even if I wanted to expose your plot, I would have to leave the Dream World, which is extremely difficult for one of its inhabitants."
Mentally cooling off, Seija places a hand on her hip. "Huh. Between you and Hatate, I'm noticing a trend."
"Well, I can hardly blame you for avoiding letting anyone unnecessary know given the potential risks."
"Hmmm…"
…While I hate to admit it, especially if she's reading my mind right now-
Satori rubs her left arm nervously.
-my gut's telling me this Satori doesn't have any ill-intent. Plus she didn't seem to hold a grudge after Shin and I lost before, at least not enough of one to do something on this scale. No reason for that to have changed. Annoying or not, I'll probably find Shin and get home faster if we work together… "What am I thinking? None of this negates how suspicious she is and she still refuses to say exactly why she wants to help me! There's no way I can trust her."
"Wha-?" The third eye shakes over Satori's chest. "Your thoughts, that shouldn't-"
"I don't need some mind reading nuisance sabotaging me!" Seija declares, a crooked smile forming.
"Seija, please, clear your mind and listen to what I'm saying."
"My mind is perfectly clear! I bet you read it earlier to find out about the plan and now you're trying to get on my good side!" The amanojaku flies backwards while shooting waves of danmaku at Satori, the latter dodging with moderate effort. "Why don't you go find a corner to hide in and pretend it's underground so I don't have to look at you again? Later!"
"Wait, there's still more…!" Satori's plea falls on deaf ears as Seija rockets off. "That attitude reversal was alarmingly swift. And if that attack was what I think it was…"
-Two Months, Ten Days Ago, Late Night-
This place reminds me of Shin's castle in some ways, but it's so solemn in comparison.
Seija, unable to sleep, strolls the halls of the Palace of the Earth Spirits. Stained glass windows allow in the only light currently illuminating the desolate mansion, painting the tiled floor in even intervals with blurrier versions of the gorgeous bird-esque patterns the windows have built into them. Bored, she makes a point of alternating where she walks on the squares, always stepping on a color opposite of the previous one. The stone pillars are the same shade of white as the walls they are built along, though higher up appears to switch to a different, multi-colored material that Seija cannot fully make out in the darkness.
Didn't give the architecture much thought before now. A wandering mind does that, I guess.
"Hey, whatcha doing?" a playful voice says behind her, breaking the silence and prompting Seija to spin around and assume a defensive stance. She relaxes her guard upon finding Koishi Komeiji. Purple cords attached to the ankles of her featureless shoes run around her green, flower-pattern skirt and end at the closed eye over her heart. Her dark golden-colored button-up, which features a green collar, has sleeves that are slightly too long for her arms; on the collar and sleeves is a trim possessing a coloration that borders between dark blue and black, with her shoes, hat, and the shirt's diamond shaped buttons all having that same hue. Said hat rests atop her bright green hair and has a ribbon tied around it that matches the shirt's primary color. She smiles, looking at Seija with wide dark green eyes, and says, "We can play if you want!"
"I don't think your sister would want me playing with you," Seija responds, looking away and rubbing the back of her head.
"Really? Why?"
Makes sense she wouldn't realize.
Managing to look the mentally shut-off satori in the eyes, Seija answers, "I'm the reason all that bad stuff happened, remember? You were forced to hurt Orin and Okuu because of me."
"I know that!" says Koishi, surprising Seija with her confidence. "But it wasn't really bad, I think. Orin and Okuu are fine now, plus Satori's playing with me more. Today we got to go above ground together for the first time in a whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile. Things have gotten more fun thanks to you!"
A variety of mixed emotions stir in the amanojaku's heart. She averts her gaze again and says, "Yeah, well, I didn't want that to happen. I took advantage of you for my own gain. And I'll do it again in a heartbeat if that helps me achieve my goals. I'm not your or anyone else's friend."
"Really?" Koishi puts a finger to her head. "But I've seen you laughing with Shinmy plenty of times before. You were even doing it right before she went to bed earlier. Seemed like you were having toooooooons of fun together!"
"H-hey, don't spy on us!"
"I told you I was there, you just didn't notice me. When you left the room, I followed you to see where you were going."
Oh. Guess she can still fall through the cracks of our perception. Hm…
An idea pops into Seija's mind. Grinning, she places a hand on her chin and says, "What you really need is to learn how to make an entrance. Ya gotta be forceful! Turn everyone's world upside down as you subvert all their expectations!"
"How do I do that?"
"Here, follow my example." Seija stands to Koishi's right and flies up, the latter doing the same. "Overturn the heavens, underworld, and whatever else stands in your way!" She flips the immediate vicinity vertically and shoots two thin, parallel lines of blue bullets. The danmaku passes through the light shining in from the windows on both sides before stopping in place throughout the hallway. "Then let the world know how we, the weak who have been oppressed, will usurp the strong and put them under our heel! Show them what life and death truly mean!" With a clench of her fist, Seija's bullets explode, lighting up all the darkened areas and drowning out the light petering in from outside. "Prove to the world how big you really are!"
"Wooooooow! That was really pretty!" Koishi excitedly observes while the area returns to normal.
Not quite what I intended for her to get out of that.
"So I gotta overturn the world and show my power? Like this?" As Koishi asks, Seija perceives the hallway distorting before it clears up to seem upside down again. The younger sister then creates danmaku that look and move similar to Seija's but are much larger. "The forgotten and oppressed shall rise up!" she yells. Her bullets explode in the same fashion, but are much brighter to the point Seija needs to shield her eyes. Once the light and distortion subsides, Koishi cheers, "Yaaaaaaaaaay, I did it!"
The amanojaku's jaw hangs open for a moment. "Uh, yeah, decent first attempt."
She made us see an illusion of a flipped world by influencing our minds. Even if she can't physically overturn stuff like me, that's quite a clever workaround. Might make an asset out of her yet.
"OI! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" shouts a voice down the hall both recognize as Orin, a.k.a. Rin Kaenbyou. "IS THAT YOU, SEIJA?! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP! I'LL CART YOU OFF TO THE FURNACE IF I HAVE TO!"
"I think that's our cue to head to bed," says Seija, stifling laughter.
"Aw, alright," Koishi replies. "It was fun overturning the world with you! We should play again later!"
Yeah, don't think that's gonna fly with your big sister.
Both go their separate ways to their rooms, neither noticing Satori rubbing her eyes in a dark doorway a mere seven meters away.
Ten minutes after forcibly leaving Dream Satori behind, Seija has yet to encounter anyone else or be attacked again. All she sees while flying through the enormous expanse, besides the rapidly growing Earth, are occasional floating bubble-like blobs; most are pink but a non-negligible amount range a variety of darker tints.
Those must be dream souls. Touching one would make me experience the dream within, I think. …When did I learn that? It's on the tip of my tongue… "Eh, it doesn't matter." If they're already in this world, they must represent different dreams people are currently having. Satori's dream self might be around, but I'm guessing the vast majority of Gensokyo is asleep right now. I wonder, if I did touch one, would I be able to interact with whoever's having the dream? "It'd be fun to mess with them." Probably not a good idea right now, though. Need to find Shin and get outta here. I think I'm a little less than halfway to Earth. Doesn't take too long to travel through this place, which ideally means Shin can't be far.
Like clockwork, a small pink and black figure comes into view very far ahead. It is hard to judge the exact distance.
Who is that? "It must be another dream self, I should avoid it." No, wait, that has to be Shin!
"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin! Over here!" Seija shouts while waving. There is no response.
Must not hear me, I need to get closer.
Seija begins closing the gap separating them; however, something small with white and light tan colors to the right catches her eye. Glancing at it, she realizes the object is her missing Four-Foot Magic Bomb. The tool is seemingly closer to her than Shin but still rather far.
Why is that here?! I guess the Dream World would be a great place to hide my tools, but for it to just be floating in a random spot? "Still, it's right there, I should grab it." But Shin comes first. Not like it's going anywhere. "Yeah…"
She forgoes the tool for now and resumes flying forward, calling out, "Yoooooooooo, Shin! Can you hear me?"
A few moments pass but soon the figure - who Seija is now certain is Shin - waves her arm and, barely audible, shouts, "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!"
"Yes!" Seija celebrates with a small fist pump. "I'm on my way!"
They continue approaching each other. By the time Seija thinks she is halfway there, another oddity floats right by her head: a dream soul with a scene visibly transpiring inside. Eirin Yagokoro sits at a table, upon which rests four tea cups and a plate of peaches, in what Seija assumes is some kind of palace. With her are three women. The first has brown eyes and long, light purple hair tied into a ponytail with a yellow ribbon; her dark red dress, which bears a loose belt with a gold and sword-shaped buckle, has a single strap that goes over her short-sleeved, white blouse's right shoulder. The second in many ways mirrors and contrasts the first. Her light blonde hair is roughly as long but flows freely, decorated by a white bonnet with a red ribbon; her golden eyes starkly oppose the first's brown ones; and her similarly white blouse is long-sleeved with the single strap of a blue dress going over her left shoulder. Even the golden buckle on the second's dress is mirror-shaped instead.
I don't recognize those two, but the third is-!
The last woman has braided, chin-length silver hair with a single matching wing, red eyes, a purple dress cut into an arrow pattern at the bottom, red bowtie, and a tan jacket. The jacket features various patterns and arrow markings on the shoulders and above the bottom trim.
Sagume Kishin! If she's there, given how opulent the place looks, Eirin - or maybe one of the other three - must be dreaming of the Lunar Capital! There's gotta be all sorts of info in here! "I know I decided messing with these could wait, but this is too good to pass up!" …But Shin comes first. "Hm, but I might lose track of this if I don't do it now!" Still, Shin comes first. "This is such a good opportunity, though! This could make or break the whole plan!" Wait, no, that's not right. The plan was always to infiltrate directly and figure out what to do from there. This could potentially be helpful, but it doesn't trump the fact I need to regroup with Shin first. "…"
Finally managing to break away from staring at the dream soul, Seija carries on with her trek towards Shin. They can now clearly see each other, Shin's bowl a plain black color after her fancy one was damaged during the battle with the tengu.
"What are you doing here?" the inchling asks once she gets close enough.
"I could say the same to you," Seija replies. "We're in the Dream-"
Shin, staring right through her partner, cuts her off by saying, "Hello? Anyone in there? Are you gonna answer me or not?"
"Eh? The heck are you talking about?"
"Um…" a familiar voice behind Seija mutters. She turns around to see Dream Satori, who is biting her lip and looking down. "I see you're unaware of your situation, Shinmyoumaru."
At this point the amanojaku's confusion mixes with anger, her face contorting into a snarl. "Hey, I told you to stay away! Shin, don't trust her!"
"Are you saying you know where I am?" asks Shin, ignoring Seija's warning.
What the…? Can she still not hear me?
"I don't know what you're doing, Satori, but I'm getting Shin outta here. This is your last warning to leave us alone." After saying this, Seija moves to grab Shin's arm and lead her away, but the former's hand goes right through the latter. "Huh?!"
"You're in the Dream World and I'm its counterpart of the Satori you know," Satori explains, similarly to before.
"Hey, what have you done?! Answer me!" shouts Seija, who goes to grab Satori by the collar but once more passes through her body.
Her too?! So they can't see, hear, or touch me at all?
Balling her fist to stop it from shaking, Satori continues giving Shin the same spiel Seija received earlier; however, she does not mention her earlier encounter with the amanojaku.
She's… nervous? Afraid? Why?
The mind reader puts her left hand behind her back and points her index finger at Seija.
So you do still know I'm here?
Satori's hand simulates a nodding motion.
We never made any sort of physical contact before; I must've already been like this when I woke up. But if Shin can't hear me and neither can touch me, what makes Satori different? "It must be a trick, she's doing something to Shin and me."
Shin continues prodding Satori questions and listening to any explanations provided, but sees, for the briefest of moments, the latter's eyes go wide. "Something wrong?"
"Er, it's nothing," Satori assures.
Hm, not only can she read minds, she's also able to detect lingering thoughts even if there isn't a person attached to them. Is it that she can't see me but rather hear me via my thoughts and get a picture of how I look and move through that? That would make sense and doesn't necessarily prove this is her fault.
"-so the exit is back where I came from, got it," says Shin. "Admittedly my curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to look around some. I'll head back now, thanks. Glad you didn't attack me, heheh."
Satori nonchalantly crosses her arms. "Yes, well, I have no reason to do that presently. But, before you leave, it would be wrong of me not to mention: I found your partner, unconscious, not too long ago. She woke up and quickly left me behind due to thinking I was the reason she was brought here. I was at least able to tell her this passage goes between Earth and the Moon before she stormed off, but I can still feel her presence somewhere nearby. It's possible she's in danger."
"What?! You should've said that at the start! Can you point me to where she is? I'm not leaving without her."
"I… cannot say. But I know for certain she still has yet to escape."
"Great. Well, thanks for everything you've done. I'll be sure to let Seija know this isn't your fault." After saying this, Shin waves goodbye and races off to scour the Dream World for her partner, ironically leaving said partner behind in the process.
I wanna go after her so badly but-
"You wish to question me," says Satori.
"Stop beating around the bush!" Seija snaps at her.
"Your deduction was correct, right now all you are is a blob of consciousness. I didn't get a good opportunity to say as much earlier, plus it would have only bolstered your suspicions towards me. Right now, I'm the only one who can perceive you at all."
"You said earlier my 'flesh and blood' body was here! And now you lied to Shin! All you've done up to now is give me less reason to trust you!"
"I didn't lie to either of you per say. Your body is here, just disconnected from your mind."
"If that's the case, can't you tell me where it is?"
"Explaining that would be… difficult."
"And what's so 'difficult' about it?"
Satori's winching expression shows great discomfort, as if she desperately wants to say something, but cannot.
Ugh, none of this makes any sense. Satori's being way too vague and Shin can't perceive me at all. "I just want to go home." But even more than that, I want to find Shin and somehow get her to notice me so we can leave together.
That last thought makes the mind reader perk up slightly. "Then go, I can promise I won't get in your way."
"You better not."
"One more thing: I can guarantee that, if you leave this world, your mind will be returned to your body and both will be restored to reality."
"That's the first genuinely helpful thing you've said all day," says Seija dismissively before flying off.
Once she is out of earshot, Satori whispers, "I know you're there. Hasn't this gone on long enough?"
"She's doing well, all things considered, but still needs to make one more push," responds a sweet, disembodied voice.
"You could have told me more about what's going on beforehand. That would have saved us all a great deal of agitation."
"It's important that she go through this. Now that you have the full picture, I'm sure you agree the same applies for yourself?"
"Hmph."
Dang it, I only stalled with Satori for a minute, why can't I find her?!
While not truly space, to Seija the passageway feels like it spans infinitely in any direction that does not go towards Earth or the Moon. She cannot measure her progress, assuming she is even making any.
"Shin! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" she repeatedly calls out.
"It's no use, I saw earlier she couldn't hear me even if I was right next to her." But I'm not gonna give up!
Again and again, Seija shouts her partner's name while flying through the endless expanse as fast as she can.
"If I go home, Shin will likely do the same eventually. We both know where the exit is." But she knows I'm here and thinks I could be in trouble; she won't rest until she finds me. No way I can leave her like that! Can't believe I let myself consider otherwise for even a second.
Her search continues for a long time, slowly taking her back the way she came and closer to the Moon.
Now that I think about it, I didn't see the bomb after turning around. Same for that dream soul. "Must've drifted away, annoyed I didn't take the opportunities when I had the chance." Well, not that annoyed. I wasn't counting on finding stuff like that here so it's not like I lost anything. If anything, what I'm annoyed at is how all over the place my headspace has been. The fatigue must be getting to me.
Interrupting that thought, she hears Shin's voice yell, "SEIJAAAAAAAAA!" The amanojaku immediately pinpoints the source and finds her partner quickly looking around. Cupping her mouth to help direct her voice, Shin again calls out, "SEIJA! ARE YOU HERE?"
"I'M OVER HERE!" Seija shouts back, but it is no use. The inchling starts moving along, but Seija, ever determined, follows her and rapidly catches up. Everything she tries from noises to hand signs go unnoticed. "There has to be a way…"
What can I do that she would perceive? "Nothing I've tried works so it might be better to leave for now." …No, there is a way to do it. Earlier, both Satori and I felt some of that danmaku and I was even able to flip our position with it!
Seija flicks her wrist and suddenly Shin finds herself facing the opposite direction of where she was going.
"What the…? That felt exactly like-" Shin is cut off by her body flipping again, this time vertically. After orienting herself, she says, "Seija! Where are you?! Why are you doing this?"
Yes! Okay, next let's try…
Flying in front of her partner, Seija shoots bullets and has them hover in place so they form the words, "I'm right here."
Ugh, I'm not used to manipulating danmaku quite like this. It's trickier than I thought. My answers will have to be simple.
"You're here?" Shin asks. "Those bullets came out of nowhere. Are you invisible?"
"Yes," the next wave of bullets reads.
"And I can't touch or hear you?" Once the bullets confirm this as well, Shin adds, "That's… different. Do you know how this happened?" The bullets deny it. "How about any details on how we got here? Cause I'm drawing a blank." Another denial. "Hmmm. This is definitely up there on the list of strange situations we've gotten into. But I'm relieved you're okay, er, relatively speaking."
A mutual wave of relief washes over Seija.
Took some doing, but we're together. Now we can get the heck outta here. "…Wait, behind me!"
Out of nowhere, a volley of danmaku - shaped and colored like Seija's - blindsides the duo. Seija manages to evade most of it somehow, but Shin takes a major beating on her right side.
"Agh!" The inchling scrunches over in pain, gripping her right arm. "Those are the same kind of bullets that spelled the messages!" She unsheathes her needle, utterly furious. "Coward, how dare you pretend to be Seija! Show yourself!"
What?! No! That wasn't me!
Shin slowly rotates in place, maintaining her defensive posture while scanning for an enemy. Without a word, she shoots bullets from her position at all angles; Seija is far too close to dodge them all, but she quickly realizes that any that should hit her instead pass through harmlessly.
Huh? But that last attack and the one from earlier both got a few stray hits on me. Why could I feel those but not this?
Once the attack clears out, Shin is nowhere to be found.
No! Did she shrink down and run off?!
The immensely frustrated Seija yells into the silent void. She frantically searches anywhere and everywhere nearby for her partner but comes up with nothing.
Where did that attack come from?! Now Shin won't trust any of my messages even if I find her again! What do I do?! "Should… should I just give up?"
She falls back and lets herself float in place. Up to now, the dull headache she has continuously felt was successfully pushed aside thanks to raw determination. Now, however, it starts to fade. A serene peace of mind takes its place.
"If I go home, I can rest and rethink this situation. There's no way Shin wouldn't eventually try to leave. Staying here is pointless." Yeah… But what if Shin doesn't? What if she stays here, looking for me? "I can always come back and continue searching." By that point, though, she could be anywhere. Maybe a part of the Dream World that isn't this passageway. At that point, I'd never be able to find her. "It's her choice if she stays here, I shouldn't kill myself trying to fix that. An amanojaku being alone is natural anyway." That's… not wrong. But things are different now. Being Shin's partner is fun. She's important to me. "That won't last and I know it. It isn't who I am." I… I…!
Seija propels up with a jolt, a fire in her eyes and heart. "I don't care! I'll find Shin and get us both out of here somehow! No amount of negative feelings will stop me!"
"That's reassuring," says Satori behind her.
"Wha-?" Seija turns around. "Ugh, what do you want?"
"She's such an annoyance!"
Narrowing her eyes, Satori asks, "Don't you find those intrusive thoughts strange? They always try to push you in specific directions."
"I don't get your meaning," the amanojaku answers, rubbing her temples.
"I think you do, at least subconsciously. Your mind has been a battleground for weeks now and it's hitting the breaking point."
"A 'battleground'…?
…That's right! Something screwed with my head before, back at the shrine. How could I have forgotten? "It must've been her giving me amnesia! Reading my mind is the only way she could've known about that! I'm best off ignoring her. After all, messing around with her won't get me any closer to escaping."
"What about Shinmyoumaru?" Satori asks, piercing right through Seija's muddled thoughts.
"The hell are you getting at? Of course she's my top priority!" Seija shouts back.
"Then why did you think only about leaving just then?"
"I…"
She's right, why do I keep thinking about leaving first? "It's natural to think about self-preservation, that doesn't change what we want. She's trying to psych us out!"
"Oh?" Satori tilts her head. "'What we want'? 'Psych us out'? What is this collective these intrusive thoughts refer to? Or maybe that was a panicked slip of the tongue?"
That's… What's going on? I feel like I'm on the verge of remembering something, but my mind's getting foggy. So tired… "This has to be a trick, every story she's told me has been full of holes. I need to get away from her!"
For the first time, Satori cracks a smile. "Let me fill those 'holes' right now, intruder. I previously referred to you, Seija, as being here in the flesh. To quote myself directly, I said, 'your body is here in the flesh' while your mind is currently outside of it."
"Which has to be your fault!" Seija retorts, not entirely of her own volition.
"I would like to pose a question: if the mind goes to the Dream World when it falls asleep in reality, where does the mind go if it falls asleep already in the Dream World?"
Where is she going with this? "No, don't listen to her!"
"No response? Then allow me to elucidate. There's no trick to it, the answer remains the same: your consciousness simply drifts to another part of the Dream World. But that poses a different question: how does the dream self factor in? Normally one uses that body while here, but in your case you seem to be missing it, which is why Shinmyoumaru can't perceive you. Honestly, need I explain any further? I would hope the truth of this is obvious now. Now then," says Satori as she points right at Seija's face, "you've lost your gamble. Face us!"
Seija holds her head with both hands as the umpteenth headache she has experienced these past few weeks swallows her senses.
"How did this nuisance even find out?! She's ruined everything! Of all the stupid luck." I… I remember now!
Six Hours Ago
"Seija! Stop!" Shin yells as she flies after her partner in the dead of night, high in the cloudless sky.
Seija, in a trance-like state, does not respond, instead repeatedly muttering, "That's where I have to go."
The chase continues all the way to Youkai Mountain Lake, above which the crescent Moon shines. A weak pulsation exactly like the one Seija saw the previous evening emanates from the waning crescent; she flies to the very center of the lake, Shin right behind her.
"Why -pant- are we here?" asks Shin, winded by prolonged high speed flight. "Could you just -pant- not wait to scope it out? And why aren't you answering me?!"
Her questions go unanswered as Seija ascends into the pulsing light. A dark gap appears in the middle when she gets close, less than half a meter from her head.
"Oh no you don't! Not without me!" The inchling, with a will that eclipses the size of her body, grabs Seija's ankle and pulls the amanojaku down with sheer power. She puts a hand on each of her partner's shoulders, looks her dead in the eyes, and says, "The heck's gotten into you? We do this together or not at all! And if someone's in your head, forcing you to do this, then they have to get through me!"
Seija blinks once. Then twice. Then thrice. Her glazed over eyes light up. "…Eh? How'd we get here?" she asks.
"You just up and left, unresponsive to anything I said. You're lucky I wasn't asleep yet and heard your door open. It kinda reminds me of what happened at Hakurei Shrine."
That's… concerning.
While they try to figure out what happened, an arm with a gold bracelet creeps out of the black gap above and seizes Seija by the back of her collar.
"What the-?!" Seija does not have time to finish the thought before being pulled inside, Shin grabbing her leg and being dragged in as well. A moment later, they open their eyes and see the entirety of Earth in front of them. "Whoa. I guess we're inside the passageway?"
"Looks like it," says Shin. "But why does our mystery friend want you here so badly? We were gonna head this way eventually anyway."
"Well, when all else fails, you do what you gotta do."
"Why are you answering for them?"
"That wasn't me," Seija says nervously.
The Dream World has counterparts of everyone. Fantastic, this was one thing I wanted to avoid.
The inchling glances at her partner, incredulous. "Excuse me? That was definitely your voice."
"C'mon now, princess, can't you trust your partner?" the soundalike asks behind them. The duo spins around to find a perfect double of Seija. "Surprise! Or maybe not, I'm sure at least one of you figured this out."
"Oh this is gonna get annoying to keep track of real fast," laments Shin, shaking her head.
"What, so I have you to thank for the weird memory issues and that episode at the shrine?" Seija asks. "Don't see how hurting yourself gets you anywhere. Do you wanna replace me or some garbage? If that's all, let's get this over with already."
Dream Seija shrugs, her sly smile steadfast. "Hey now, do you both really think I'd be so predictable? Y'all should know me better than that!" The duo, already prepared to fight, exchanges an uncertain look. "Well, I'm happy to subvert your expectations! I've always been satisfied with how you've done things, me. We've continued to be a menace that does our best to overturn society. There really is no greater high than seeing someone strong or arrogant get the rug pulled out from under them."
"If we're on the same page, what's your reason for hindering Shin and me?"
"Ah, y'see, that's the issue right there: the ever-present Shin. It's always 'Shin' this and 'Shin' that," says Dream Seija, hamming up her forlorn tone. "That's not how amanojaku work. We don't form connections."
"I'm plenty fine with where my life is going," Seija counters, trying to put aside Shin's worried expression in the corner of her eye. "And that should mean you are, too. Even if you're some exaggerated version of me, we share that belief."
"You're right! But another thing you and I share is our fear. And right now, you fear you're losing your edge."
"I-I don't know what you mean!"
Shaking her head, Dream Seija lifts her nose up at the duo and says, "I'm literally the one person you can never lie to, but I respect the attempt. Or I would if it wasn't such a weak-willed denial!" She flips positions with them and then flies over to put her head between theirs in an instant. After an initial shock, both try to hit her with close-quarters bullets, but she slips away easily. "Oh sure, it's not like we've stopped doing what we do after partnering up with the little princess, but the small things start to accumulate. How many people have you acted chummy with in the past two weeks alone? Mamizou, Mokou, Sumireko, Hatate, even Sekibanki, and those are just the indisputable ones!"
"Three of those fought against or used us initially!" Shin says, finally speaking up. "Sumi and Hatate are cases where it was in our best interest to work together."
"I'm not talking to you, princess," says Dream Seija, rolling her eyes. Even if Shin knows that is not how the real Seija acts, seeing the image of her partner talk to her that way is painful.
The real Seija glares at her opposite number. "Where do you get off? If I care about her, so do you!"
"True, luckily for me I'm not held back by the idiotic inhibitions that entails. Further discussion isn't necessary when, deep down, you know what I'm talking about. You've really become a pathetic excuse for an amanojaku; I'm going to set us straight."
"And how do you plan on winning this two-on-one?"
Knowing myself, which I do, she must have a trick or three at the ready.
"I see, I need to help you find your way and your vision," says the dream amanojaku with a hand on her chin. "Koishi! It's time to play some more!"
A very guttural sense of unease paralyzes the duo when they hear that name. They go back-to-back to cover their blind spots while searching for the green-haired youkai.
How did she get Koishi to help her? No, scratch that, why did she enlist Koishi?!
"You don't think a denizen of the Dream World can just assume direct control of their real world equivalent at will, do you?" Dream Seija asks, clearly enjoying herself as everyone's perception of the world distorts and flips. Two lines of blue danmaku appear on either side of the duo; one between them and Earth, the other between them and their opponent. "I'm the personification of your unconscious mind. You could call me a backdoor to your consciousness."
"You had Koishi's dream self influence me through you?!"
"Woo, I knew I could figure it out! Good job, me!" says the dream self with a mocking, toothy grin. Following that, the bullets explode, blinding the duo.
"Gah!" Shin grunts.
This attack is…!
"Gotcha!" says a cheerful voice. Two hands from baggy sleeves reach out from the light and touch both Seija and Shin's heads. "I win!"
I have to act fast!
Seija roughly pulls off her necklace, but it is shot out of her hand by a single precise bullet.
NO!
Dream Seija holds her left hand forward in the shape of a gun, one eye closed and the other staring down the imaginary sights right to where she got Seija's hand. "I see why Reisen likes to mimic this pose so much, it's got a fun feel to it," she muses. As Seija and Shin lose consciousness, all they can hear is her laughter, Koishi innocently joining in before the end.