A/N: So, this was something that was kind of a 'spur-of-the-moment' decision for me to try out. Now to note, I have other fanfiction ideas with regards to Code Geass. However, out of the four that I've created, I was the most interested in having the crossover with Touhou Project come out first. I'm not sure how everyone will take to this idea, but I'm willing to give anything a shot just once.
Oh, before I forget, I have songs listed *like this*, which can be used as background music while reading the story. This, and one other story that I am writing, which I may put out at some point, will use this format to indicate what song plays and when. If there happens to be an '…' or an '…!' between paragraphs, then that is an indication that the song fades out or abruptly ends. These songs can be found on YouTube (for the most part) and I recommend listening to the ten-to thirty-minute versions of some of these songs when specified with the (Extended) tag.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Code Geass or Touhou Project. All rights to Code Geass belong to Ichirō Ōkouchi and Sunrise Studios. All rights to Touhou Project belong to ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. Enjoy the story from here on out.
Chapter 1: A Fated Encounter and a New World (Part 1)
*Mystical Dream ~ Snow or Cherry – Touhou: Perfect Cherry Blossom (Extended)*
It was currently October 5th, a.t.b. 2010… roughly a month after Britannia had invaded and conquered Japan. Its people subjugated by its oppressors as they were being stripped of their rights, and their lands were being changed to suit their needs and their egos. This was happening across several different areas on the island. All of it was happening before her, and though she wished to help, her main concern would always be for Gensokyo… and she knew that doing so at the wrong time could spell trouble.
A tear… or rather a gap in space had soon opened high above the ruined city of Tokyo, revealing a dark, almost starry void filled with a numerous amounts of unnatural red eyes peering from inside. Soon enough, a woman appeared from out of this tear… this gap in space. The woman in question wore what seemed to be a short-sleeved deep purple dress with long white elbow gloves and purple shoes. In one hand she carried a pink parasol, while in the other she carried a Japanese paper fan. She had long blonde hair that went down the small of her back with some long strands tied in blue or pink bows, and she had a beautiful face with shimmering golden eyes. Finally, adorning the top of her head was a white mob hat with a little ribbon running through it. Upon completely exiting the gap in space, it soon closed behind her as she looked along the ruins of the city while hovering in the sky. As she looked upon the ruins and the various injustices that went on, the woman thought back to what caused her to come to this city, among many other areas of Japan.
Initially, what caused her to act was when she sensed that the Great Hakurei Barrier had developed noticeable cracks back in August. This very barrier was quite important, as it separated Gensokyo, otherwise known by the moniker of the Land of Fantasy, from the rest of the world. Sensing the damage had quickly spurred the woman into action as she went to inspect what had happened. The reason for the cracks in the barrier was because the Hakurei Shrine itself had been damaged… though not the one that resided within the barrier. You see, the shrine was unique, as it existed in two places simultaneously: One in Gensokyo, and the other in the outside world. This uniqueness in its existence also came with the fact that the state of the shrine in both planes was important as they, along with the wellbeing of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden in Gensokyo, were tied to the strength of the barrier that separated the two worlds. The Great Hakurei Barrier itself needed to be maintained at all costs… lest that separation between fantasy and reality collapse, which would put Gensokyo and most of its inhabitants in mortal jeopardy.
The damage to the shrine on the outside world thankfully wasn't irreparable, but as she finished inspecting the damage, she shortly learnt of the reason for why it had been damaged in the first place. Japan was being mercilessly invaded by Britannia and these Britannians were in the process of carpet-bombing sections of the land. Though most were focused upon Tokyo, from what she could gleam from the damage that the shrine had taken, it had been partially caught up in one of the bombings by the opposition… which was strange considering that there wasn't supposed to be anyone at the shrine, since it was abandoned. Though upon further inspection, there were many desecrated carcasses of Japanese soldiers that were a short distance away, likely trying to protect a base that wasn't too far from the shrine as well as a couple of nearby towns. This had angered the woman, though she knew that there was a much more important matter to tend to, such as fixing the state of the shrine, and by proxy the Great Hakurei Barrier.
Throughout the rest of that time, she had kept watch over the shrine in the outside world along with her Shikigami to prevent any further damage, while subtly providing hidden support where necessary to the towns near the shrine. Although, that wasn't to say that she hadn't gone after the perpetrators who had caused the damage in the first place, as anyone who would dare cause damage to the barrier was at the top of her 'to be disappeared' list. These people were thankfully some distance away from the shrine, and… well, no one would think twice if these Britannian soldiers were made to be 'Missing in Action' now, would they?
Upon the war's end, if it could even be called a war, the woman had decided to take the time to inspect the state of Japan. To say that she was sickened was putting it mildly, as she had seen many of these Britannians callously act toward the subjugated people of Japan. She knew that even most of the more eccentric inhabitants of Gensokyo wouldn't stoop to the acts that these oppressors have gone to. She was able to get into contact with the sages and a few other inhabitants, quickly informing them that they would be keeping a close eye out for the ongoing state of Japan and its people for the sake of protecting Gensokyo.
Back to the present, it was now her turn to inspect the current ongoings of Japan. Now, she was quite aware of what happened to many of the countries after they had been conquered by the superpower that is Britannia. She made it a point to utilize her powers to keep tabs on everything that happened in the outside world as much as she could, mostly for the sake of protecting the Land of Fantasy. Nevertheless, it still made her heart sink to see Japan being changed into something that it wasn't meant to be. To see many of the things that the island nation had, which gave it its identity, now destroyed, and left in such a derelict state was a lot for her to bear witness to. She flew through the skies, not worried about being spotted as she carefully inspected the people and surroundings. Much time had gone by as she noted everything that went on.
As she continued to look through parts of the derelict city remains, she soon heard something. A small voice… like a young boy… he seemed to be talking to someone, in a tongue that seemed to be in Japanese with key bits of a Britannian accent. Another voice was heard, one that was an older man who clearly spoke in Japanese with no accents, and that voice wasn't too happy with the young boy. Curiosity flickered into existence, and the woman flew toward the sound of the voices.
It didn't take her long to see who the voices belonged to, as she happened to come across an older Japanese man arguing with who appeared to be a young Britannian boy with short raven-colored hair carrying a little Britannian girl with long sandy brown hair on his back. Curiosity getting the better of her, she soon opened a gap in space and went in it as another gap appeared close by and just out of sight for her to hear them talk. Though, upon getting closer, she could see that the two Britannian children were in anything but good condition. Their clothes had seen better days and, physically speaking, they seemed slightly underweight… not skin and bones, but it appeared as if they haven't been eating a lot for quite a while.
"Please, my sister and I wish to find shelter and then we'll be on our way," the boy inquired in Japanese to the man, with a hint of desperation in his voice. The Japanese man however scoffed at the young boy and replied, "I refuse to allow you kids to come in here. I don't care that you two are homeless when it was people of your kind who destroyed our homes, killed our family and friends, and robbed us of our freedoms in the first place. I'll say this one more time: Get. Lost." The young boy tried to stop him but was met with the door to the derelict building being slammed shut in front of his face. He looked down at the ground before he muttered in Britannian, "Damn it." Looking dejected, he soon walked away carrying his sister with him. The woman looked onward from inside the gap… curiosity having taken over. Why would two Britannian kids be seeking shelter within the outer edges of the dilapidated ruins of Tokyo? She decided to follow the two kids to see where they would go.
…
*Beyond the Stars – Touhou Lost Word (Extended)*
It had been nearly a month after the Second Pacific War had ended, and Lelouch had no luck in finding a place to hunker down to shelter both himself and his sister, Nunnally. It wasn't to say that he wasn't successful in finding temporary shelters for both himself and his sister, but as to finding something more comfortable, and/or a more permanent solution, has been rather torturous. He had initially been able to gain sympathy with a few Japanese here and there and the two were granted some temporary reprieve, but as things went on after the first week, the two had found themselves being turned away from gaining shelter. And today even, the two were barely able to find any sort of food from either begging or finding it on their own.
As much as he would like to ask his 'fellow' Britannians for help, it was far too soon to ask for that… much less even to trust a random Britannian to help them and/or keep their identity a secret. If either him or his sister were recognized as the missing royal children who were sent off to Japan, they would likely be brought back to Britannia to then only be used as political pawns again. He wouldn't chance that outcome coming to fruition, especially not for his sister given her current state. So, he kept to the dilapidated landscape while carrying his sister on his back… praying that no one recognized them and attempt to take them back.
With his search for comfortable temporary housing having hit another snag, and the day having shifted to early evening, all he could do now was look for any sort of passable shelter so that they'd be safe… at least for now. Lelouch kept walking until he finally came across some suitable shelter, namely a small, partially ruined empty building, for the two to rest. He glanced up at the sky and noted that it would likely rain soon given the darkening clouds coming in from overhead. He quickly entered the building and was pleasantly surprised that it was suitably sheltered from the rain. Lelouch sighed as he carefully set Nunnally down in a way that wouldn't cause her discomfort. He was thankful for how light his sister was to carry, despite his frail physique.
Looking upon Nunnally, he was still reminded of the incident that had robbed the life of their mother and had robbed his little sister of both her eyesight and the use of her legs. He was reminded of the callousness of that man for not bothering to investigate into who had assassinated their mother. Even more so when he called his sister a 'weakling' and then had callously used both him and his sister as political pawns for speaking out against him. To know that he ordered the invasion of Japan even though his two children were here had told him all that he needed to know about his so-called 'father' in more ways than one. While he was still thinking on the how and the when, Lelouch knew that no matter what… he would destroy the Britannia that his so-called 'father' had built up and find out who had killed their mother in cold blood. Somehow, someway, and no matter what it would take, he will take down this amalgamation of Britannia and find their mother's killer even if it was the last thing that he would ever do.
"Are we going to be sheltering outside again, Lelouch?" asked his little sister, which jolted the older sibling out of his dark thoughts. He frowned and replied, "I'm afraid so, Nunnally," before he tried to be positive while saying, "But I'm certain we'll find someone to take us in tomorrow." His sister looked in his direction with her expression looking as though she was scrutinizing him a little, "You said that yesterday big brother, and the day before that, and even the day before that too. You've been saying that for weeks now!" Soon enough, the first few raindrops began to fall outside as his sister began to cry. "I want to go home… I want to see Euphie… I want to see Nelly again. I want to see Clovis and Schneizel… I want to see Marry too!" before she soon began to bawl.
Seeing his sister breaking down and sobbing before him broke Lelouch's heart as the rain began to pour down harshly. He knew deep down that this couldn't be granted to his precious sister… especially not with 'him' still in charge. Yet he still couldn't bring himself to tell her the harsh truth that their father had sent them here to Japan as political hostages. Nor could he tell her the truth that none of their siblings had done anything to help them during this whole thing. While he could forgive Euphemia and Marrybell for being too young to do anything about this, his other siblings like Clovis, Schneizel, and even Cornelia had no such excuse for not helping them in their time of need… but especially Cornelia. Nunnally just couldn't be allowed to know the truth… at least not now. Something like this would cause her more heartache and pain than it has already, so all he could do was perpetuate the lie that he had been telling her.
He went up to his sister and calmly hugged her as he said, "I-I know Nunnally, and I really wish we could see them again too. But…" He hesitated a little but knew that he'd have to swallow his vitriol hate, as he continued, "Father sent us here so that we wouldn't be attacked by those bad people who killed mother. He… had his reasons, I'm certain." What he said to his little sister seemed to partially allay the worst of her sobbing as it turned into sniffles. "I… I know Big Brother… but still I… I wish we could see them again." Lelouch looked out from the shelter that housed them and said, "I do too… but so long as those bad people are still around, we can't go back… and I don't think he'd want us to come back if that's the case."
He looked once more at his sister as her sniffling was slowly dying down. He then looked out from the shelter and said absentmindedly, "Right now, I just wish that we could go far, far away from here. Someplace where we would be safe. Somewhere where we wouldn't have to worry about those bad people who had killed mother. I don't care if it would be temporary… I don't even care if it appeared as if we disappeared off the face of the Earth just to reach it." His sister remained silent, taking in what he was saying. He continued, "Just so long as you're with me Nunnally, and we're safe, I wouldn't care if we completely disappeared from this world and ended up in another." Though he didn't say it, Lelouch thought to himself, 'Just so long as I can come back to exact my vengeance.' Nunnally listened in and found herself saying to her brother, "I don't think I'd mind either… just so long as I'm with you, Lelouch." The older sibling continued to look out from the shelter as he kept close to his sister both for warmth and comfort.
…
"I believe I may be able to help you with that," a voice called out in Japanese to the two, which had caught both young siblings by surprise. Before long the two began to hear clacking footsteps approaching them, despite the harsh rain that was pouring down in the area. The sounds of those footsteps soon came to the front of the entryway, which had the older sibling look in the direction of to see who was walking toward them. What Lelouch beheld before him was a woman that seemed to be in her early-to-mid-twenties with long blonde hair and golden amber eyes. She wore a purple dress, purple footwear, white elbow-length gloves, and a white mob hat on her head. Within her hands, she carried a pink parasol and a Japanese paper fan. By all appearances, she seemed to be a Britannian in many ways… and yet to the contrary she spoke fluent Japanese. Something like this should've made Lelouch feel at ease that there was a Britannian that could speak Japanese… and yet, something about her very presence and this situation seemed off, which was setting off alarm bells for the exiled prince.
*HADES – Touhou Lost Word (Extended)*
As soon as she entered the building, Lelouch was immediately on the defensive and quickly stated in Japanese, "Don't come any closer!" This seemed to have the intended effect, as the woman stopped approaching the two… which was a little surprising, as he was expecting her to continue toward them unimpeded.
"Brother? What's wrong? Who was that?" Nunnally asked… rather wary of what was going on, much like her brother. Now though she could understand Japanese and speak it quite well like her brother, she failed to catch what the person had said to them. However, from what she could determine that was going on was that her brother was holding her close, and that she could feel his quickening heart rate. Lelouch looked upon the woman yet again, though from how she was looking at them, he saw that her expression was showing some form of pity… yet it also looked as though she was steadily evaluating the two. Neither her nor the two siblings moved or spoke for a solid thirty seconds… until Lelouch spoke up asking semi-authoritatively, "Who are you and why are you here?"
The woman in front of them chuckled, which slightly unnerved the two children, before she opened and raised her paper fan to cover her mouth and calmly replied, "You do know that it is impolite to demand a name from someone you don't know. How about this? If you tell me your names, then I will tell you mine and why I am here. Does that sound fair?" Lelouch couldn't believe the audacity that this woman had to talk to him that way. While she did bring up a somewhat fair point about him being impolite, that was far beside the point considering that she was the one who came into the building… although if anything, she did announce herself before coming in. Despite that, something about her made him feel hesitant to say his name to her.
"My name is… Nunnally," his sister spoke up in Japanese to answer the woman's question. Lelouch quickly looked upon his sister in horror, seeing that she willingly gave her name to this unknown woman. Looking at the woman again with a wary glare, he saw that her fan was still raised to her face, though she seemed to give an inquisitive look at the two. Though he wanted to remain defiant, he knew he wouldn't get anything out of that. Plus, this unknown woman had an air about her that showed that she had a way of grasping and controlling the narrative… so if he wanted information, he'd have to play along for now. His glare softened into a wary expression before the older sibling then spoke up, "My name is Lelouch."
Her inquisitive look seemed to grow as she replied, "Lelouch and Nunnally? Where have I heard those names before?" Her eyes then quickly lit up as she asked, "Your last names wouldn't happen to be 'vi Britannia,' would it?" Lelouch's wary expression quickly gave way to shock while Nunnally let out a little gasp out of surprise. This woman… she knew of both him and Nunnally!? Lelouch knew that he was lucky that very few Japanese had made the connection that they were the vi Britannia siblings. For her to know and guess so easily just from their first names spelled all kinds of trouble for him and his sister.
The woman's inquisitive look soon vanished and was replaced with something of a mysterious knowing smile. "Ah, so your full names are Lelouch vi Britannia and Nunnally vi Britannia? Interesting… very interesting to meet Britannian royalty here of all places. I may have to inquire more about you two later, I suppose." Her eyes widened briefly as she realized what she was supposed to do now, considering the two had willingly given her their names, and gave a light laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry, I almost forgot to give you two my name." She soon closed her paper fan, revealing a gentle, yet mysterious smile on her face as she replied to them warmly, "My name is Yukari Yakumo. As to why I am here, I wish to help you with your plight."
Having recovered from the shock, Lelouch looked upon the mysterious woman, now known as Yukari, with a guarded expression and carefully asked, "Our plight? What are you talking about?" Whatever she knew, he needed to know and to gauge how much of a danger she could be. How she hadn't attacked either him or Nunnally was beyond the young boy, but any information he could glean at would be beneficial.
The mysterious woman before them gazed upon them again with that mysterious knowing expression, before she replied, "Well, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation that you had with that man earlier. At first, when I had faintly heard the conversation, imagine my surprise to hear a Britannian, much less a young one at that, know fluent Japanese, much less asking for shelter from someone whose nation had been subjugated not long ago. Such a thing was rather intriguing, and I had wished to know who was speaking." She opened and raised her fan back in front of her mouth before she closed her eyes and her expression shifted to one of pity. "Though, once I got to see who was speaking, I was surprised to see you and your sister in the condition that you were in. When you two were denied sanctuary and had left, I followed you two carefully here… though I will admit that it was partially out of fascination and pity." She opened her eyes upon them once more, with that same pitying look and replied, "I will admit that I heard you talking to each other… My understanding of Britannian is a little rusty, but I was able to understand parts of what you were saying to each other. Although, what truly caught my attention was what you two said near the end."
This immediately clicked for the two children as Lelouch's expression became heavily guarded, before he asked slowly, "And that would be?" Yukari closed her fan showing an inquisitive look as she replied, "If my understanding of Britannian is correct, it was that you wish to go somewhere far away from those who had killed your mother… that even if it was only temporary… that even if you had to disappear to find it, so long as you two were together, you would go to that place." She paused to great effect giving that same inquisitive and mysterious look to Nunnally and him. He looked upon her with his gaze slowly turning into a fierce and defiant glare as he said in an accusatory tone, "So you wish to 'help' us disappear? In that sense, do you mean to say that you're going to do away with us!? That you're here to kill us!?" This outburst from him had upset his little sister, if her quiet whimpering was anything to go by. Yet the young boy was almost convinced that this mysterious woman was going to do them harm.
Upon hearing his accusation, the woman seemed… hurt by what he said to her, and yet despite his outburst, her expression stayed sympathetic towards them. Yukari closed her eyes and replied calmly, "I have stated no such intentions. I would gain nothing from inflicting harm upon either you or your sister… to be honest, I'd rather not have the death of innocent children weigh upon my mind." Her response to the young boy's accusation caused his glare to change into something of a wary form of interest. She then reopened her eyes, with the sympathetic light in them remaining strong. "However, I am here to offer you something… namely a choice for that which you seek." Nunnally's whimpering had died down enough to where she piped up a little as she asked, "A choice? For what?"
Yukari looked upon the two with her pitying expression shifting to one of whimsy. "I can offer you to live in a place to relieve you of your troubles. A place of fantastical wonder… one where all common sense is to be left behind. A place… that I have come to love with all my heart… and that I have called home." She gave a warm smile as she opened her fan and brought it up to cover her smile. "This place is not far from here, yet it is the furthest place away from those who would wish to intentionally cause you harm. I offer you the opportunity to live in this wondrous place, for however long you wish to stay."
Lelouch couldn't help but ponder her words as he replied, "You make such a tantalizing offer…" before he looked upon Yukari with a scrutinizing gaze, "And yet for all we know, this is nothing more than pretty words meant to deceive us. You are being deliberately vague with this location, which doesn't give me a reason to trust you. How do we know that you're telling the truth and not luring us into a trap?" The woman closed her fan, revealing a small frown upon her face as she replied, "To be honest, you don't." That admission from her was… not something that Lelouch was expecting to hear. He thought this woman was going to play up how amazing this place was, while remaining vague about it, or say something else in a languish attempt to convince them… but certainly not this.
Yukari closed her eyes as she continued solemnly, "While my words may very well be true, neither of you know for certain. Both of you are far from unwarranted to hold such caution." She proceeded to open her eyes, giving the two a mysterious gaze. "While I may offer this opportunity to you both… I will allow you two to come only if both of you want to. You are free to decline if you so wish, and I will not force the issue if either of you do not wish to come to this place." She let her words sink in for the two children.
Hesitantly, Nunnally spoke up as she asked, "What will happen if only one or both of us chooses not to come?" Lelouch looked a little unsure himself, until Yukari had calmly replied, "Should neither of you wish to come to the place that I've described, then I will take my leave and never return again. I will act as if this conversation had never happened between us, and I will leave you two be for good. The same shall also apply if only one of you wants to come, but the other does not." Looking at the two once more, she let a light smile appear upon her face as she stated, "However, should both of you wish to come to this place, then not only will I take you there, but I solemnly promise to ensure your safety during your stay."
Yukari stopped to let this information sink in for the two young siblings. Lelouch seemed to be at a loss on what to make of the offer that this mysterious woman was making. Her vagueness on the identity of this location still left him rather distrustful, and her promise to ensure their safety didn't mean much without his skepticism getting in the way. However, given that she has thus far been nothing but amicable with them, this made him want to believe her deep down… and yet this also makes her more dangerous, if it turns out that she's lying. Soon Nunnally tugged on her brother's arm, bringing him out of his thoughts, and asked, "Brother, what do you think?" The older brother took a bit to contemplate things and replied, "I… I don't know. Most of me thinks that this is nothing but a trap. That her words could be a lie… and yet… some part of me wants to believe that this is true, for better or worse."
The woman in front of them spoke up once more, "Take your time. Think over my words for however long you wish. Remember… I am merely offering, and you are free to decline if you so wish." Lelouch looked at his sister with uncertainty and stated, "It sounds almost too good to be true. I want to believe that she's being sincere, but some part of me knows that she's hiding something from us, which is keeping me from saying yes."
His sister gave a slightly contemplative look. The woman seemed serene in her offer, but neither could really discern if she was trustworthy or not. Then, an idea popped into Nunnally's head. Ever since she became blind, she felt as though her other senses were much more attuned… namely her sense of touch. Several months prior to the Britannian invasion of Japan, Nunnally seemed to be able to tell when someone was lying through the sensation of touch, and she was often able to catch Suzaku several times in the process of lying. Even Lelouch wasn't immune to this… especially after all this time after the invasion, despite how well he's masked it. However, though she knew her brother was actively trying to keep up a lie toward her, she wasn't going to press him on it, at least until he was willing to talk about it. She looked at where her brother was, and asked, "Could you bring me closer to Ms. Yukari, Brother?" She felt her brother tense from this before she quickly added, "I want to touch her hand to feel the truth of her words." He still felt tense from what she could feel, but after a few seconds, he relented and replied to her, "Alright. I don't like this idea, but… I'll trust you, Sister."
With that, he carried the blind girl on his back and walked up to Yukari, as the woman quirked an eyebrow out of intrigue. Nunnally soon asked the woman, "Ms. Yukari? Would you mind if I touched your bare hand with my own?" The woman seemed intrigued, if her quirked eyebrow was anything to go by, and replied, "Very well," before she soon removed the white elbow glove from her right hand and placed her slender hand on top of Nunnally's small hand. The sandy brown-haired girl then proceeded to ask while her hand was clasped with Yukari's, "Do you truly mean to offer us a place to stay? Somewhere that's far away from those bad people where we will be safe. Do you truly mean it?"
The woman looked at the blind girl in surprise for a moment… before her expression shifted to one of pleasant amusement. "That is quite an interesting way to check the truth of my words," Yukari started, before a small warm smile came upon her, "But yes… I fully intend to bring you to this place for your safety and to ease your burdens, should both of you wish it. You have my word that I will ensure, to the best of my abilities and of those who live in the place that I will take you to, that you will be safe there. This is my solemn vow."
Hearing what the woman had to say as she held her bare hand, Nunnally couldn't feel any deviation in her demeanor. She couldn't sense any form of a lie in the woman at all… while Yukari may have been vague with details about the location, Nunnally couldn't sense any form of ulterior motive… no lie… nothing that she could discern from the woman as being untruthful. She gently released the woman's hand and looked in her brother's direction. "Well?" Lelouch asked steadily… evidently still wary of the woman. Nunnally then gave a smile and replied, "She's telling the truth. I don't sense anything that indicates that she has a hidden motive. She… Ms. Yukari really wants to help us… and… I trust her."
This surprised the young boy… not only that Nunnally could discern no lie in the woman's story, but that it appears as though she's genuinely willing to help them in their time of need. Part of him still couldn't believe that this woman was doing this out of pure goodwill… and yet his sister's statement had made any act of defiance out of self-defense crumble. He asked his sister softly, "Just to be sure, are you absolutely certain about this Nunnally? Are you sure she can be trusted?" His sister looked at him with her closed eyes and gave a resolute and firm nod to her big brother. This truly surprised Lelouch: For his sister to put her trust in this woman, right after gauging the truth of her words, had left him rather astonished.
Now even with his sister's reassurance, Lelouch still had plenty of doubts, as his experience in the royal court had taught him to seek out any ulterior motives that the other party might have. However, if his sister was this confident in this wo-… Yukari's word, then he should at least extent some form of trust. Looking at his sister, he replied, "Alright… if you trust her, then I shall do the same." He turned his attention to the woman in question who was sliding back on her elbow glove, "I still have my doubts… but if my sister is willing to trust you, then so will I. Though I have but one question… if someone that we know and trust comes here looking for us, or when we feel ready to leave, will you allow for us to return?" Yukari looked upon him and nodded, showing that she would if they wished it. "Alright. Then we accept your offer and will accompany you back to this place that you're allowing us to stay at."
…
Yukari's smile grew warm, if also a tad mischievous, as she replied, "So you have placed your trust in me. Very well, then we shall depart immediately to the land of fantasy… the land, of Gensokyo." She stepped into the building with the two children and walked into a corner of the room. Lelouch quirked an eyebrow at this and asked, "Gensokyo? I've never heard of a place like that… also hold on, if we're departing immediately, why are you walking further into the building instead of outside?" The woman gave a light, playful laugh as she replied, "I mentioned earlier that this was a land where all common sense is to be left behind. Well, you shall see for yourself, right now."
*Necrofantasia [Orchestral/Symphonic version | Melodic Taste] – Touhou Perfect Cherry Blossom*
As soon as she got to the corner of the building inside, Lelouch heard something of a ripping noise in front of the woman. Within the next second, he saw what looked to be a starry void appear out of nowhere in front of her, which soon had several upon several red eyes peering out from inside it. This cause the young boy's eyes to almost bug out of his head and for him to sputter incoherently at what he was seeing before him. He thought in his mind, 'W-what the?! What the hell is that!?'
Hearing his sputtering, Nunnally asked, "Brother, what's wrong?!" Seeing this, Yukari gave a light, playful chuckle as she replied, "I never expected to see such a reaction from anyone bearing witness to me opening up one of my gaps. Though I suppose this would have been inevitable." She turned to the two with her fan opened and covering her playful smirk as she calmly said, "I didn't mention this until now… but my name is Yukari Yakumo, and I am what is known as a Youkai, though more specifically a Gap Youkai. And I have power over all boundaries of any kind, and the ability to create gaps in space and time to anywhere that I wish to go."
Lelouch's mind was able to jumpstart as he panickily exclaimed, "W-w-wait, a youkai!? But… that's impossible! Such things are a myth, a made-up tale. Nothing like this should exist in the real world." Yukari gave a warm laugh and replied, "I can assure you that youkai, much like myself, are very much real, and there are others that exist only in Gensokyo." The young boy's earlier bravado and defiance had completely eroded, as he looked upon her once more out of fear with even the young girl looking frightened as well. Giving the two a warm smile as she slowly closed her fan, she said calmly and warmly to them, "Do not worry. This gap that I've created here will take us all directly to Gensokyo, though more specifically near the human village that resides there. I gave you both a solemn vow that no harm would come to you two for however long you wish to stay, and it is a vow that I shall not break."
This seemed to calm the two a little before the woman continued and said, "A word of caution, there is nothing in Gensokyo that is technologically-advanced, so I hope you do not mind going without most of the conveniences of the modern world." The children looked at each other and Lelouch shakily sighed and replied, "I don't know what we're getting ourselves into, but I really hope that the trust we've given you is not misplaced. As for going without technology… I guess that's a necessary sacrifice that we'll just have to take… though if I could get my sister a wheelchair, I would very much appreciate that." Yukari gave a light smile and replied, "I'll see what we can do to accommodate for your sister. Now come… let us go to Gensokyo. Though be forewarned… you may feel a little nauseous after going through one of my gaps the first time around."
Though scared of the prospect of the unknown yet to come, the young boy steeled himself both for his and his sister's sake. Now while he could back out of this and maybe get away with his sister, he just had a feeling that if Yukari had wanted to hurt them, she would've done so already. Since he and his sister had already placed their trust in her, Lelouch slowly, while carrying his sister, walked into the gap filled with eyes as the woman followed suit behind them. As soon as Yukari entered, the gap in the building had quickly disappeared.
…
Location: Gensokyo, near the Human Village
A loud rip was soon heard a short distance away from the Human Village… seconds later, a gap in space appeared. Walking out of the gap was Lelouch as he carried his little sister Nunnally. Shortly upon exiting, Lelouch almost mis-stepped due to the nausea that he was feeling. His sister was evidently fairing a little better than her brother was from the looks of things. Soon enough, Yukari herself exited the gap, and the moment she did, the gap immediately closed and sealed itself. Lelouch groaned from the nausea that wracked his body, "That was… surreal to put it lightly. Are you doing O.K., Nunnally?" His sister gave a hum to confirm that she was alright, for the most part. Fortunately, the bout of nausea Lelouch was experiencing was wearing off, and he began to take in his surroundings.
*Sky of Scarlet Perception – Touhou: Scarlet Weather Rhapsody (Extended)*
"Whoa," he muttered as he took in the landscape of the untouched lands around them in the early evening light. Many of Lelouch's initial doubts that he had about Yukari being truthful quickly melted away upon seeing the beauty of this place. Nunnally on the other hand, since she couldn't see, smelled the air around her and felt the breeze upon her face, which made her give off a pleasant hum at the experience. "Beautiful, is it not?" said the woman who soon stood next to them. Lelouch absentmindedly nodded his head and replied, "Yeah, it is," until he and Nunnally realized that something was off. "Wait a minute," he turned to Yukari and asked, "When did you start speaking Britannian? You were speaking Japanese a moment ago."
Yukari gave a mirthful chuckle as she replied, "That is true, but here within Gensokyo, any language that is spoken will adjust itself to the user's natural spoken language. So, by me speaking Japanese, it will sound naturally like Britannian to you and vice-versa. Your natural language of Britannian won't decline… although, you will also become steadily more knowledgeable and fluent in the Japanese language the longer you stay here." Lelouch looked as though he was thrown for a loop, quite at a loss of what to say to this absurd situation. Nunnally on the other hand seemed to be amazed… so much so that, if her eyes were open, they would be twinkling brightly right now. Seeing the look on the two children's faces, Yukari replied, "I did say that this was a land where all common sense is to be left behind. Now, if you may give me a bit." Walking forward in front of the two children, she extended her hand and exclaimed, "Ran, Chen! Come forth!"
A bright light had appeared before the three, almost blinding Lelouch, before it died down revealing a young woman and a young girl. The young woman quickly took notice of the woman in front of Lelouch and stated, "Lady Yukari, you're back. Were you able to gain any more insight about the current state of the outside world?" Yukari turned her attention to the young woman in question and replied, "I was. Japan is still in a very derelict state, while Britannia…"
As Yukari was talking to the young woman before her, Lelouch looked carefully at her and the young girl that had appeared. The young woman in question wore what appeared to be a white dress that had a purple collar and cuffs with an indigo tabard at the front with white inscriptions and wore blue/white footwear of sorts. She appeared to have yellow eyes and short blonde hair covered by a light pink twin-tailed hat with tassels at the ends, which were covered with strange papers with inscriptions. However, what was most striking for the young boy was that behind her were a total of nine fluffy fox tails, which caused him to silently mutter, "So… many." This didn't go unnoticed by Nunnally, though she was rather confused by his statement and said nothing in reply.
Lelouch then quickly turned his attention to the little girl next to her, and it was clear that she had already taken notice of both him and his sister. Looking at her closely, he noted that she wore a long, white-sleeved red dress with white socks and black footwear. She had light brown eyes and short brown hair with a green hat adorning her head. However, after noting her hat, he immediately noticed that she had a pair of black cat ears poking out atop her head, with the left ear having a gold loop earring. Looking down, he noticed that she had two tails which seemed to be coming out from behind her. Before he could say anything, the young girl piped up asking, "Lady Yukari, who are these two?"
The conversation that the two women were having soon came to a halt as they turned their attention to the young cat-like girl, and then to the two children. The woman, or rather fox woman as Lelouch decided upon, quirked an eyebrow and quickly asked, "Lady Yukari, why are these two children with you? I thought you said that you would only bring in-" {Thwack!} "Ow!" Whatever she had to say, Yukari had cut her off by thwacking the fox woman on top of her head with her closed parasol.
"I am aware of that, Ran. However, these two are a special case," Yukari replied before she gestured her hand to them, "These are Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia, and I have offered them to come live here for however long they wish to stay." Lelouch paled a little, realizing that Yukari had revealed this information to the fox woman, known as Ran. The fox woman in question rubbed the top of her head, before she looked at the two to evaluate them and said, "Vi Britannia? Lady Yukari, doesn't that make them Britannian royalty? Why did you specifically bring these two here?"
Yukari was quick to answer as she replied, "Well, before Chen addressed the two, I had mentioned that after I had arrived in Tokyo to survey the situation, I had heard the boy here conversing with a Japanese man. Now, I wouldn't have minded such normally… however, the boy was a Britannian that was speaking fluent Japanese, something that had caught my attention, in more ways than one." Ran and Chen seemed to be listening in intently as the Gap Youkai continued. "When I saw him and his sister in the condition that they were in, especially after they were refused comfort and shelter, I had followed the two discreetly utilizing my gaps. I had heard a good amount of their conversation, but the last bit that they said was that they wanted to be somewhere safe… even if they were to disappear to a new world."
The young cat girl, now known as Chen, exclaimed excitedly, "So when you heard them say that they wanted to go to a new world, you helped them out by bringing them here!" Yukari chuckled a little and replied, "Yes, but all I did was offer a choice for whether they wished to come here or not. Admittedly, I was being deliberately vague on the details, since I doubted that they would've believed such a place like Gensokyo would exist. However, I had promised that if they decided to reside here willingly, that I would ensure that no harm would come to them for the duration of their stay." This caught both Ran and Chen by surprise as soon as they heard this. Yukari then turned to the two children and said, "Their plight had both piqued my interest and made me feel sympathy for them. If this were any different, I doubt I would've intervened to extend such an offer to them."
That first bit where she said that their plight had piqued her interest… somehow, Lelouch couldn't help but latch onto that sentence, though he dared not reply to it. The Gap Youkai soon turned back to her companions and stated, "Now, I suppose with explanations out of the way, I will head back to the outside world to get something for Nunnally." She soon opened up a gap to the left of her, before she continued, "Ran, I want you to take these two to the Human Village and locate a family that will be willing to take them in. Chen, I want you to spread the word to all youkai that both Lelouch and Nunnally are under the protection of one of the Sages of Gensokyo."
"Understood, Lady Yukari." Both fox woman and young cat girl replied in a polite and enthusiastic tone respectively. With that, Yukari stepped into the gap in space before it closed and vanished, leaving the two children alone with Ran and Chen. The young boy looked at the two warily, before the fox woman bowed to the two and calmly stated, "It is good to meet you, Lelouch and Nunnally. My name is Ran Yakumo, and I am the Shikigami of Yukari Yakumo, the Gap Youkai." Ran then nudged the young cat girl to introduce herself, to which she stated giddily, "And my name is Chen, and I happen to be the Shikigami of Lady Ran, who is the Shikigami of Lady Yukari."
"Shikigami?" Nunnally started off a little, as her expression held a mild form of contemplation, before she continued, "What's a shikigami?" Noting his little sister's confusion, Lelouch quickly answered, "From what I remember being told before the invasion, shikigami are known as familiar spirits that are summoned by powerful practitioners of the arts of Onmyodo. Such beings are subservient to their master, and usually come in the form of animals, humans, and youkai."
Ran proceeded to give a light smile and replied, "It seems that you are versed in the legends and folklore of Japan." Lelouch seemed to relax a little as he shook his head and replied, "Not really. I only know of a few bits thanks to a cousin of a friend of ours who kept referring to me as an oni."
Nunnally chuckled a little and replied, "Only because you went and scared her brother. Although, if you hadn't, she might not have treated Suzaku better afterwards." The older brother merely shook his head with a smile, while his sister cutely laughed. Once Lelouch's sister finished laughing, she turned her head toward the direction that she had last heard the two shikigami and stated, "Anyway, it is a pleasure to meet you both, Ran and Chen. Yukari already introduced us, but my name is Nunnally, and this is my brother, Lelouch." When the older brother looked at Ran, it appeared as though her face had turned red for a moment, before she recomposed herself and replied, "A pleasure to meet you as well. I suppose with proper introductions out of the way, do either of you have any questions before we get started?"
Lelouch looked at her and Chen's tails and proceeded to ask, "Well, I guess the immediate one is… are those tails behind you two… real?" This had both Ran and Chen perk up from this. The fox woman proceeded to smile as she replied, "Yes, my nine tails and my dear Chen's two tails are real." She closed her eyes while keeping the smile, "And in case you're wondering, Chen's ears are real, and I do have fox ears underneath my hat. That is what makes the two of us Beast Youkai."
Lelouch quirked an eyebrow as he asked, "Beast Youkai? So, I take it that from this, it generally means any youkai that have animalistic traits?" Chen gave a wide smile as she quickly replied to the exiled prince, "Yep! Although, that doesn't include certain groups like Tengu, which are partially made up of Crows and White Wolves." Before either could continue, a growling noise made itself known to everyone. Both Lelouch and Nunnally looked at each other and realize that neither of them had eaten anything since being found by Yukari and then being brought to Gensokyo on such short notice.
Ran gave a light chuckle as she replied, "I think we'll have to move without further delay. Chen, go and relay Yukari's message about Lelouch and Nunnally to the youkai around Gensokyo." The cat girl gave a very enthusiastic affirmation to the fox woman. Chen turned to both him and his sister as she stated, "It was nice meeting you two."
…
"Wait," Lelouch called which caused Chen to almost trip. As the young girl turned to meet the young boy's gaze, he stated, "Please, only give out our first names. I'd rather not have our last names spread around here… at least until I can think up of a new last name." The cat girl looked a little confused at first before the young boy clarified, "Your master told us that we could stay for as long as we wished, but if and when we do return as she had stated, I want both my sister and I to have a different last name to use so that the bad people who know us don't come looking for us." She gave Lelouch a little smile and replied, "Alright, I can do that for you." In the next moment, she leapt off the ground and… began floating in the air!? "I'm off Lady Ran! Sayonara Lelouch and Nunnally!" She said once more before she flew off into the distance.
Lelouch looked completely dumbstruck at what he saw before he looked at Ran with a completely bewildered expression. Ran saw this expression and closed her eyes muttering, "I guess Lady Yukari hadn't yet explained the intricacies of Gensokyo or of youkai in general. I suppose I'll have to explain, but after I've shown you the Human Village, and find you two something to eat first." The young boy merely nodded dumbly before the young fox woman turned toward the village. "Anyway, let us-"
*Longing of Forest – Touhou Lost Word (Extended)*
"Um… Ran, was it?" called out a little voice belonging to Lelouch's sister, Nunnally. Turning to meet the young girl's 'gaze' in her general direction, the fox woman replied, "Yes? Is something wrong Ms. Nunnally?" The girl seemed to blush a light pink, looking rather embarrassed at what she wanted to ask. After a good ten seconds, the blind girl proceeded to ask, "Would it be okay if I could… touch one of your tails? Please?" Lelouch looked at his sister a little in surprise, before he looked at Ran, whose face seemed to flush a deep pink. For but a short moment, the young boy could've sworn he heard her mutter something along the lines of his sister being 'almost as cute as,' but he couldn't really make it out.
After a minute give or take, Ran had composed herself to a light pink blush as she replied, "I-I… suppose you can feel up one of my tails, if you want." Nunnally gave what was possibly the brightest smile that Lelouch had ever seen as she thanked the fox woman. Ran then gestured for Lelouch to bring his sister over to her. Nunnally extended out her hand and Ran gently moved one of her tails over to the little girl's waiting hand. The instant that the young girl's hand met with the fox woman's tail, the little girl cooed warmly as she said, "Your tail… it feels so soft. Brother, feel her tail." Deciding to humor his sister, he also proceeded to tentatively feel the fur around Ran's tail. He couldn't help but smile from feeling how soft and fluffy Ran's tail felt, being completely indistinguishable from a normal fox tail. It was then that the fox woman had cleared her throat, which prompted the two to stop, as she moved her tail back to the other eight that she had.
Looking at the two once more with a bit of a blush, Ran stated, "Not that this wasn't enjoyable, but we do need to get a move on. Now, are you two ready to go?" A light confirmation was given from both children present, as the fox woman smiled and said, "Alright then. Let us proceed… the first thing we'll do is find a good place for you two to eat." With that, she strode ahead of the two children as Lelouch followed closely behind, while carrying Nunnally on his back, into this Human Village that Yukari had spoken of.
…
*Melody of Guidance – Touhou Lost Word*
Post A/N: And so, begins the tale of where an exiled prince and princess are brought into the lands of Gensokyo. To note, yes Chapter 2 will be the second part of this chapter. Now I would've had both parts as one chapter, but I didn't want to potentially go over 12k words on what is only the first chapter of this story.
I should warn you, yes to you the readers who have taken the time to read this chapter, that I will likely be on and off in terms of putting out story chapters, as do have things to deal with IRL. Though what I just put forth was from a spur of the moment decision, I am interested to see what I can make with this story as I go along. In any case, I did what I could to clean up the chapter and to try to keep characters… well, in-character for the most part. Let me know what you all think of the set up with this story.