"Hey, Hiroko," Yorimi said, holding her finger against the device in her ear. "You there? There's no magical field preventing our talking from across the worlds?"
"None," Hiroko replied back through the ear chip.
The Minister of Resources, Yorimi, was sent down into Gensokyo through the use of Kaiya's powers. She was naturally sent to Gensokyo in order to find out more about the Resources that the residents of Gensokyo had access to, as well as attempt to halt any resourceful progression that Gensokyo may be going through by combining them with something useless, resulting in the finished product being less than usable. She looked around her at the empty fields that had trees and hills scattered around, as she saw some large, yellow petalled flowers in the distance. She chose to ignore that direction for now, choosing to go back there later. Instead, she walked through the emptiness as a village was in sight.
"Who are you?" A voice said from behind her, which instantly made Yorimi jump in surprise as she hadn't realised there was anyone following her. She turned her head around to see a small girl wearing a black hat with a yellow ribbon tied around it. She had green hair, also. "I've never seen you around here before. Are you new around here?"
"Ah, yes," Yorimi said, bowing her head down in a polite manner. "My name is Yorimi Kawakami. Pleased to meet you."
"My name's Koishi Komeiji!" She said, which was around the same point that Yorimi noticed the strings around her that focused into a closed eye. "Were you going to the human village?"
"I don't know the place names…" Yorimi laughed, as to not seem too suspicious. "As you presumed, I am quite new to this place."
"What are you a Youkai of?" Koishi asked, tilting her head as she poked at Yorimi, which Yorimi reacted to by moving her arm slightly as it was poked.
"H-huh?" She asked.
"Everyone new who comes here is a Youkai, silly!" Koishi exclaimed, spinning around as she jumped away from Yorimi. "I'm a Satori Youkai! I can read minds with my third eye, but I closed it off a while ago. What are you?"
"I'm… a Youkai of materials," Yorimi answered, stopping to think as she did so.
"Oh? I never heard of one of those before! You must be the first one from around here then! What's your special ability?" Koishi said, excited to see something she had never seen before.
"Aha, now watch this," Yorimi said, seemingly playing along with the childish nature Koishi seemed to be showing. She walked over to a nearby tree, ripping some of the bark off. She then picked up some soil from the ground, as Koishi watched in wonder at what was going to happen. Yorimi pressed the two together, as a bright light emerged from them. What was left was a wooden sword, which seemed to have soil dirtying it. "It's a basic, wooden sword. However the soil on it can do some serious damage if you strike an already open wound with it."
"Wow!" Koishi exclaimed, grabbing the sword and twirling it around as she looked at it. "That's a cool ability! I can manipulate people's subconscious, watch!" as she said that, she disappeared from Yorimi's view. "I made it so you subconsciously don't acknowledge my existence!"
"So is that how you snuck up on me before?" Yorimi smiled, as she sat down against the tree. "That's quite impressive."
"Mhm!" Koishi said, reappearing within Yorimi's view.
"Although," Yorimi smiled, closing her eyes as she waved a finger in the air. "I know someone who can just look at you, without even looking into your eyes, from just your feet, and know everything about you. Your powers, your relationships, even key details in your past life."
"Wow!" Koishi exclaimed, crouching down to look at Yorimi face to face. "That sounds like my sisters powers! She combines hypnosis with mind reading to know what your thinking and bring out trauma from your past life!"
"It's nothing like hypnosis or mind reading…" Hiroko said through the chip in Yorimi's ear, which went unnoticed to Koishi.
"You're right, that does sound similar!" Yorimi exclaimed, as she cheerfully jumped up from her position against the tree. "Maybe the two of them could get along sometime."
"Please…" Hiroko muttered through the chip. "Please just… stop going along with this charade now that you've dragged me into this."
"Get along with my sister?" Koishi asked, as she placed a finger in her mouth and hooked around her lower lip. "I'm… not sure that's possible. Nobody other than me and animals seem to like her."
"That also sounds similar to my friend," Yorimi smiled, tilting her head. "Nobody likes her because she just knows everything about you on first contact."
"Wait, what?" Hiroko asked through the chip.
"It seems they have a lot in common!" Koishi said, as she smiled again. "I'm going now! I'll tell sis all about you and that friend of yours! Bye!"
"I hope to meet you again," Yorimi nodded, as Koishi ran off.
"What was that about nobody liking me?" Hiroko asked, her tone turning much more serious than it usually is.
"Hmm," Yorimi said, looking around as if to come up with a way to escape the conversation. "Hiroko, can I have details of the area i'm in before I walk around this place?"
"Are you ignoring me?" Hiroko asked, before she eventually sighed and gave up. "There's a flower field to the south west, with that village you see in the relative centre of the area. They're both barely in your field of vision, so I estimate about a six mile difference between the two of them, depending on your eyesight."
"Was that your way of condescendingly questioning my eyesight?" Yorimi asked. "Because if so, you failed."
"Near that village is a lake with a mansion looking over it," Hiroko continued, ignoring what Yorimi said. "Following the river west will reach a mountain where there seems to be a shrine there, and following the river east will reach a forest, where there seems to be a shrine located within that at the edge of this place. A bit below the shrine, and to the south east, there seems to be a forest of bamboo trees. You should be able to see it if you turn around a little. To the very south is a rather large hill with what appears to be a temple situated on top of it. It's up to you where you go first."
"Those fly familiars of hers do come in handy when you catch some, huh?" Yorimi said, as she looked towards the bamboo forest, then towards the temple. "I think i'll visit that temple first. Seems like some sort of important structure."
And with that, Yorimi proceeded south with the intent to find more about the land, or about any strategies they may be conspiring within the temple against the possible Martian invasion.
Meanwhile, Marisa Kirisame flew down in front of a house within the forest to the east, before walking in without any prior warning of her arrival. "Alice! I need to talk to you about something very important."
"Gah- Marisa, knock before coming in next time, please," Alice said, as she held the centre of her chest in fright. "How important is it?"
"Reimu may kill me if it isn't done properly," Marisa answered, putting her broom against the wall.
"Oh, so not particularly important then?" Alice asked, as she looked towards Marisa.
"It is important," Marisa sighed. "Listen, long story short, a bunch of Mars people took over the moon and seem to be threatening the fate of Gensokyo. Yukari wanted Reimu to go spread the word to get everyone into fighting action, and Reimu wanted me to spread the word to get everyone into fighting action. Now I want you to spread the word to get everyone into fighting action."
"Not a chance," Alice said, sighing at Marisa's story. "And why should I believe you?"
"Because Yukari told Reimu and Reimu told me. Now i'm telling you," Marisa smiled, sitting down on a chair next to her. "Now you're going to tell everyone else while I train."
"Not. A. Chance." Alice said, spacing out her words for more impact. "So, what you're saying is that you want me to train? Or are you telling me that Yukari wanted me to train so she passed it on to Reimu who passed it on to you who is now passing it on to me?"
"I dunno, I was just told to spread the word and get everyone into fighting action by Reimu who was told by-"
"Okay, okay. I get the point," Alice said, holding up one of her dolls as she looked at it. "So, Yukari is arming our forces up and getting them stronger for a possible invasion of the Martians? Although, it seems likely that they would invade if they targeted the moon."
"Is thatta yes?" Marisa asked, tilting her head.
Alice sighed, placing her doll down as she stood up. "If they beat the Lunarians, they must be extremely powerful. I don't know how much I can help in the long run, but if it's an order coming from Yukari, refusing would result in a more undesirable scenario."
"...Is thatta yes?" Marisa asked, narrowing her eyes this time.
"Yes, Marisa. That does mean I will train for the possibility of a Martian invasion," Alice said, sighing. "Although, if such a thing does not occur, I will be quite disappointed that I wasted my time getting ready for something that does not exist."
"Alright then!" Marisa exclaimed, grabbing her broom as she walked out of Alice's house. "Goodbye Alice. Don't let me down." she said, without letting Alice respond and flying away.
"You don't need to worry about me," Alice muttered to herself, looking down.
Marisa flew over the Human Village, as she landed inside the gate to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, avoiding a sleeping Meiling. "One down, three more places to go." she said, as she walked in uninvited to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
As she walked in, she found Sakuya Izayoi appear in front of her, as a knife was pointed to her face. She lowered her hand down upon seeing Marisa more closely. "What is it that you want here?"
"I wanna speak to Remilia," Marisa said, walking past Sakuya. "Urgent business. Something you'll never be able to help out with."
"Excuse me?" Sakuya asked, as she seemed to teleport past Marisa. "You'll have to tell me of this urgent business before I let you speak to the mistress."
"Sakuya~" A voice said, as Remilia walked into the main hall. "What's all this commotion about? Can't you just defeat her quickly if there's a burglar?"
"I'm not here for burg-"
"Actually, there is a burglar here," Sakuya said, as she walked over to Remilia. "However it's Marisa. And she says she has something important to talk to you about."
"Oh?" Remilia said, as her interest seemed to spark up a little. "What's it about? Care to discuss it over some tea?"
"Some tea would be nice after my flights," Marisa said, walking through. "I'll go sit at the table outside."
"Excuse me, this isn't your house," Remilia said, holding out her hand to stop Marisa walking. "We'll go sit at the table outside and wait for Sakuya to bring us some tea. Sakuya, straight to it."
"Yes, Mistress," Sakuya sighed, as she walked to the Kitchen. Remilia and Marisa walked to the balcony, as they both seated themselves at opposite ends of the table. Remilia looked inquiringly at Marisa, waiting for Marisa to speak up, who was busy looking over the balcony.
"Ahem," Remilia said, catching Marisa's attention. "What did you want to tell me about?"
"Oh, yeah," Marisa said, as she quickly remembered her reason for coming. "Yukari told Reimu who told me to go tell everyone to train for a possible invasion from Mars people that took over the moon. Wait, if Mars people take over the moon and the moon people come down here, does that make them Mars people or Moon people?"
"That's not important," Remilia said, narrowing her right eye. "So, the Mars people beat the Moon people, so the Mars people are in the Moon people's home. Now the then Mars people now Moon people want to take over Gensokyo and become used to be Mars people then Moon people then Gensokyo people?"
"Pretty much," Marisa said, sighing as the tea came out.
"And so Yukari wants us to train for an invasion that comes from the Moon again, however this time it's from Mars people… from the Moon?" Remilia asked. "I'm in. Sakuya, you and Patchy are helping me train for the invasion of the Mars-Moon people."
"...What?" Sakuya asked, looking inquiringly at Remilia.
"Martians beat Lunarians in a war, apparently. Now they want to take over Gensokyo and Yukari wants me to train to beat the Martians back to where they came from," Remilia explained.
"Actually, she wants everyon-"
"They're not important," Remilia said, narrowing her eyes at Marisa. "So, Sakuya, training starts in an hour. Go tell Patchy for me."
"E-Excuse me, Mistress," Sakuya said, holding the tray she brought the tea out on up to her chest. "If they beat the Lunarians, that means they beat that Yorihime girl. Do you know what training to beat them would therefore mean?"
"Yes, Sakuya," Remilia said, smiling. "I'll just get stronger to beat them! The two of them are here in Gensokyo now, according to what Marisa said about the Moon people coming to Gensokyo. Once i've trained a bunch, i'll go fight both of them at the same time! Then the Martians won't stand a chance against me!"
"Mistress…" Sakuya said, sighing. "How do we know that these Martians exist?"
"Because Yukari told Reimu who told Marisa who told me," Remilia said, smiling. "Besides, if there's no invasion, all that training will mean I could beat even Yukari! So, Sakuya, get Patchy ready."
"Y-yes Mistress…" Sakuya sighed, as she walked away from the table. Marisa picked up her broom as well as her cup of tea.
"Next stop, Myouren Temple! Thanks for the drink," Marisa smiled, as she flew off before Remilia could say anything.
*Spell Card!* Character Insight!
Koishi Komeiji: A Satori Youkai who shut off her third eye, preventing her from being able to read minds like a normal satori Youkai would typically be able to. Due to her closing her third eye, she has become incredibly excitable and cheery all the time, which is reflected in how she acts around everyone. She has the ability to manipulate a person's subconscious, allowing her to appear invisible to the person, or make anything that is related to the subconscious stop, such as breathing.
Alice Margatroid: A magician who lives in the forest near the Hakurei Shrine, as well as close to Marisa Kirisame's house. She allows anyone who may be lost in the forest of magic to seek shelter within her house, however, since her house is littered with dolls, the people she helps are quick to flee. She's often indoors, and while she offers hospitality to lost passer-by, she is not eager for conversation. Being a magician, Alice has the ability to use magic, however she specialises in dealing with dolls, often using them as her primary method of offense and defense. She also reportedly stuffs gunpowder into her dolls.
Remilia Scarlet: A bratty, self-centred vampire who is the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, as Remilia herself is often referred to as the 'Scarlet Devil'. She often comes across as polite when people first meet her, as despite her usual self-centred nature, she is rather mature for someone who looks about eleven. Vampires must also sacrifice growth and maturity, making her polite demeanour even more showing. She supposedly has the ability to manipulate fate, however there are no known instances of her using this ability.
Sakuya Izayoi: Maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, as well as being one of the few humans that inhabit Gensokyo outside of the Human village. She serves as Remilia's maid, often being loyal to her and typically goes with whatever Remilia tells her to do, even if she may disagree with what the act may entail. She has the ability to manipulate time, often pausing time to gain an advantage in battle, as it looks like she is constantly teleporting with knives appearing whenever she uses this ability in battle.
