Entry 4: A Gap of Five Years

"Incidents... before the Scarlet Mist?" Marisa repeated. "Come on, Reimu. That's a bad joke."

"Is it?" Reimu asked. "Then, a question for you, Alice: When we met during the Stolen Spring Incident, you called me 'Old Friend'. Why?"

"Why? Isn't that a stupid question, Reimu-san?" Alice asked. "It's because it had been a long time since we'd last met, of course."

"Of course," Reimu replied. "Then tell me: When was the first time we met? When we all met?"

Alice and Marisa opened their mouths to speak, then froze in terror.

When was it? When had Alice First met Hakurei Reimu and Kirisame Marisa? In fact, when did Marisa first meet Reimu? Everything she could recall simply said 'You have known her your whole life', and left it at that. She legitimately could not imagine a time in which Reimu wasn't in her life.

"What... what the hell?" Marisa questioned.

"Then, another two questions for you," Reimu continued. "Marisa, do you recall the name of who taught you magic? And Alice, do you recall where you lived before settling in the Forest of Magic?"

"I... I don't..." Alice stuttered, gripping her forehead. "I don't remember. Not the place, or... or even family... Reimu-san... what's going on? What happened to us?"

It was easy to tell from Reimu's expression that she took no joy at all in this situation. If anything, she was probably sharing in both of their pains. "The gap in your memories... it spans all of five years before the Scarlet Mist Incident," she said. "Just telling you both what you've forgotten... wouldn't be enough. As of 'why', it was to protect you both."

"Protect us?" Marisa asked. "From what?"

Reimu looked them both in the eyes, and spoke one name. "Yakumo Yukari."

A chill shot down their spines. They couldn't remember... to save them from Yukari?

"Out of everyone in Gensokyo," Reimu continued, "save for the Yakumo's, there is only one other person who hasn't had their memories wiped. The main reason I was spared this was because Yukari didn't want to mess with the head of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden that much. The reason this other person was spared was because if Yukari did mess with them... Yukari wouldn't be around much longer."

Alice thought for a moment, until she reached an answer. "It couldn't be... Kazami Yuuka?"

"Indeed!" shouted a suddenly boisterous voice from outside, startling everyone except Reimu. In stepped a green haired woman dressed in red and white, carrying a parasol.

"You certainly took your time, Yuuka," Reimu said. "Didn't we agree to meet up 'at the drop of a hat'?"

"Well, unfortunately," Kazami Yuuka said, sitting down besides Reimu and placing an opened letter on the table, "that seal only breaks when you open yours, and in case you've forgotten, I'm the 'power-type', not the 'speed-type'."

"Fine, fine. You've made your point," Reimu waved off. "Now, did you bring Part One?"

In response, Yuuka placed a box on the table. Rei'sen, Marisa, and Alice, all looked at it in confusion. The box itself was quite large. Large enough, in fact, to hold a creature that was both wide and relatively flat. "I must say, Reimu-san," Yuuka spoke. "I've been waiting a long time for us to finally do this.'

"I know, I know," Reimu sighed, before looking at Alice and Marisa. "Once this seal if broken, it'll be a race against the clock. Not only with the Shade of Marisa gain more power, but Yukari will also be on to us. This is your last chance to back out, in which case, I can just seal the Shade back up and bury it in a deep hole."

The two looked at Reimu and Yuuka. They both had fixed, determined looks about them, as if they were waiting for the opportunity to break this 'seal' thing. Gritting her teeth, Marisa spoke. "We need to know," she said. "Ever since the Incident that opened up Old Hell, I've been... having these unpleasant visions. A kid that looks an awful lot like Alice, calling me a murderer. I need to know why."

Alice looked at Marisa in surprise. "Is... that why we've hardly spoken since that time?" she asked. Then, with equal determination, she gave her answer. "I'm with Marisa on this, Reimu-san," she said. "Do it."

Reimu nodded, then help up two fingers towards the box. "Once this seal is broken, we need to make for Makai. We'll have all of, say, two hours, before either Yukari notices, or Kasen reaches us. Rei'sen," she turned to face the Lunar Rabbit. "I want you, Aunn, and Shinmyoumaru to hold the fort for us. Think you can do that for us?"

Rei'sen gave a crisp salute. "Leave it to us, Reimu-san!" she stated boldly. "If anyone trying to stop you comes here, we'll hold them back!"

Reimu smiled softly. "Thanks, Rei," she muttered under her breath. Then, she turned back to the the box, and made a series of hand gestures. "Seal release, Code-01: Reiiden!" What followed was a sound akin to chains breaking, followed by the lid blowing off it, and a beam of light shooting out the room.

All that was left inside the box was... a turtle shell with a talisman on it. Reimu's expression turned sad, and she tried to place a hand on the shell, only for the talisman to unleash a small shock, knocking her hand away. "Guess it was too much to ask for an immediate win, huh?" she muttered. "Rei'sen, added instruction: Look after this old man, okay?"

"Right!" Rei'sen said, before Reimu, Marisa, Alice, and Yuuka, all quickly stood up (Alice had to brace Marisa, in case she fell over), and flew out of the room. Rei'sen looked down at the turtle shell, confused. "'Old man'?" she repeated.

Within the Forest of Magic, Sanae and Kanako stood before the wreckage of Alice Margatroid's house.

"If anything, that culprit is fast," Kanako said. "I would have thought she'd be out of steam after escaping the Mansion."

"And after this," Sanae added, gesturing at the wreckage, "You'd think she'd have even less strength left."

At that moment, something bright shot through the sky. It probably wouldn't be wrong to say that everyone on Gensokyo saw it.

"What on earth?" Sanae muttered. "That looked like it came from the Hakurei Shrine. And, that direction... If I recall, that's towards Makai."

"From the shrine to Makai," Kanako repeated. "You don't think the culprit..."

Then, as if to correct her, the two spotted four figures flying after that light. Well, three figures flying, with a fourth on ones back, truthfully, but you get the idea.

"Isn't that... Reimu-san?" Sanae said. "With Alice-san, Marisa-san, and... Kazami Yuuka-san?"

"What the hell is going on?" Kanako questioned. "As if it wasn't just one thing, now it's another?" She turned to face Sanae. "Sanae, go after them. I get the feeling they're up to something important, and if I were a betting Goddess..."

"You are a betting Goddess, Kanako-sama," Sanae interrupted. "Honestly? It's been a problem for a long time now."

Kanako gave Sanae a look of concern. "I'm not... that bad, am I?"

"Kanako-sama, you literally built an underground nuclear reactor, betting on a technological revolution," Sanae pointed out. "And let's not even get started on the Incident with Tenkyuu Chimata and the Ability Cards. That was, frankly speaking, one of the biggest cluster-fuck we've experienced to date, and you and Suwako-sama both tried to back it when, really, you shouldn't."

Kanako, at the very least, had the decency to look somewhat ashamed as she averted her gaze. "It... wasn't that bad a deal, was it?"

Before Sanae could respond, she saw two more figures, separate from each other, fly after that light. She recognised them both as the Culprit who called herself 'Marisa', and strangely enough, Ibaraki Kasen.

"Guess the Incident's following them," Sanae said, before quickly taking to the skies. "Kanako-sama! I'm giving chase!"

"Sanae, wai... she's gone," Kanako shouted. "Damn it. And if they are going to Makai, then my hands are tied. The miasma there is... unpleasant for divine beings like myself. Sanae survived it last time thanks to still being part mortal, but... why do I feel such apprehension?"

The world around them began to twist. Such was the nature of entering the demon realm of Makai.

Well, they call it the 'demon realm', but that was in name alone. Truthfully, Makai was quiet. Deathly quiet. One could probably hear a pin drop from the other side of Gensokyo there.

"Hey, Reimu," Marisa spoke up, "mind if I ask... a few things?"

"Go ahead," Reimu responded. "We're definitely ahead of schedule, so we've got time."

"Alright, then. What was up with that turtle, first off? You seemed... attached to it."

Reimu's expression turned sad for a moment. "He was... the one who looked after me for all those years after the last Hakurei died. He was one of my first teachers, and helped my fly until I could do it on my own."

"You... had trouble flying at first?" Alice asked. "That's a surprise. Isn't your whole ability about floating to the extreme degree?"

"That's because most of Hakurei-san's teachers were rubbish at teaching," Yuuka interjected. "I sat in on one of those training sessions with Yakumo and Ibaraki, and let me say, their ideas of the 'right way' to train a Shrine Maiden? Totally messed up."

"So, how many teachers did you have, then?" Marisa added. "That's Yukari, Kasen, the turtle... any more?"

"Just one more," Reimu answered. "Well, she was less a 'teacher', and more a rival and frenemy. In fact, she was more your teacher if anything, Marisa."

"Oh my god," Alice muttered. "You were study-buddies."

"Don't say it like it's scandalous," Reimu said.

"My... teacher," Marisa muttered. "Why was she among those to be forgotten?"

"The same reason my gardener and gatekeeper were," Yuuka spoke. "Or the numerous small-time youkai and the residents of Makai: There is no reason. At least, none either of us can think justified."

Alice fell silent for a moment. Something about the phrase 'residents of Makai' seemed to strike a cord with her, yet she couldn't quite pin down why. Marisa seemed to notice this, partly due to her being on Alice's back (which she would, normally, be freaking out about, were it not for the fact that she was more focused on answering the questions at hand).

At that moment, Yuuka seemed to notice something off to the side. "Reimu-san," she called out. "That spot over on the left. If I recall, that was..."

Reimu looked at the spot in question. Generally speaking, Makai was a dry, barren land. The word 'desert' quite easily came to mind. You couldn't easily tell one crater apart from the next. This spot, in particular, looked to be just another collection of old wounds on the ground. Reimu, however, seemed to recognise it immediately. "Well, that's certainly nostalgic," she said. "As I recall, that's where we first met you, Alice."

"Wait, that spot?" Alice asked. "Specifically?"

"Wait, so that means..." Marisa spoke, "that Alice is a Makaian demon?"

"Actually, she was a human the first time we met," Yuuka said. "Second time, not long after that particular Incident, she had already gone youkai."

Alice's expression turned sombre. "So, that means... this is my home?" she asked, looking around. "It's... strange. Now that I look at it like that, it all feels... familiar."

At that moment, a storm of stars shot past from behind. The group quickly scattered, and turned around. Behind them was, much to their mixed surprise and expectations, was a purple-clad witch with red hair.

"Well, took your sweet time," Reimu commented. "Gotta say, that's quite the nostalgic look you've got."

The Shade who called herself 'Marisa' scoffed. "Please. Need I remind you who the bitch that sealed me away was?" she questioned, before looking over at Alice and Marisa. "And you. You damnable cowards. It's bad enough that you evaded me after the Mansion!"

"So, that premonition was right," Alice muttered. "Why is your clone so rude, Marisa?"

"Well, I was a pain in the ass when I was younger, I'll admit," Marisa shrugged. "Still, this... Shade, was it? She's a whole new level of bitch."

"Oh, don't you fucking start!" the Shade yelled. "We could have had it all! We could have been the most powerful! But you, you damn coward, had to go and get attached to that princess carrying you like a child!"

Marisa and Alice shared a confused look. "Are you... following any of this?" Alice asked.

"Ya got me," Marisa responded. "Guess we'll have to wait a bit for answers?"

"You think I'll let you just walk off like that?!" the Shade shouted. "I'll... I'll take your power... take my rightful place as...!"

The Shade was cut off, however, as she was bound by a combination of vines and talismans, thus proceeding to fall to the floor.

"My word," Yuuka said, "she knows how to run her mouth. Rather nostalgic, in my opinion."

"Seconded," Reimu replied. "Gather her up, Yuuka. Can't afford to have her dying here."

Yuuka flew down to ground level, and reached to pick up the tied-up Shade. "You know, I've wondered this for a while now," Yuuka said, "but I was right; you do look better tied up."

"Go fuck yourself," 'Marisa' stated bitterly.

"What's that? You want me to make it tighter?"

Fear quickly overtook the Shade. "No I'm sorry please don't."

Back up in the sky, as Yuuka hefted the Shade over her shoulder, Marisa let out a shiver. "Jeez, I felt that from here," she said. "So, what's her point, anyway? She's just kinda... going around, causing trouble?"

"Powers went seriously out of control once," Reimu answered. "Had to separate a large portion of it from you and seal it away. Only reason Yukari and Kasen didn't wipe you off the face of Gensokyo back then."

Marisa looked suitably horrified. "What? They... would've killed me?"

As Yuuka flew back up to the others, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Quickly, she opened her parasol, and held it up as if a shield, as a barrage of bullets collided.

"Oh, come on!" Marisa called out. "If it's not one thing, it's another!"

The smoke dissipated, and both Yuuka and the Shade were unharmed. In the distance, a pink haired figure dressed in brown, off-white, and green, and atop her hair was a pair of white bun-caps.

"Oh, what fun," Reimu commented sarcastically. "Kasen's here."

Ibaraki Kasen looked at the scene before her with a feeling of exasperation. For a Hermit like her, two decades was a mere drop in the bucket of time.

The sight of Alice Margatroid with Kirisame Marisa on her back, Kazami Yuuka with... a second, more purpler and red Marisa slung over her shoulders, and Reimu at the head of it all, did make for a rather fitting sight, to be fair, but because of the context of the gathering (aiding in part by the location), she was less than willing to enjoy it.

"And here I thought you'd finally moved on," Kasen sighed. "Honestly, Reimu, I'm disappointed in you."

Reimu, for her part, fixed Kasen with a flat, defiant look. "You're not my real mother, you know," she stated. "Your disappointment means nothing to me."

Kasen looked unamused. "Really? You're going there?"

"Of course she's going there," Yuuka spoke up, flying up to Reimu and handing 'Marisa' over to her. "After all, you and Yakumo were the main reason both of us lost many dear friends."

"And I always did think you should have been among them, Kazami Yuuka," Kasen said. "Youkai like yourself get in the way of the Hakurei keeping the balance of Gensokyo. The Shrine Maiden's job..."

"Is to 'keep the balance', like you just said," Reimu pointed out, shifting 'Marisa's' weight. "I'm not suppose to wipe out one side or the other; I'm suppose to punish troublemakers. Who I make friends with, I've decided, is my own damn business, and both you and Yukari and piss off."

Kasen's brow twitched. "You know, Reimu, if you put that sort of mindset into your actual work, you might have more followers."

"Might be nice, but I'll be the judge of that," Reimu retorted, before waving Yuuka over to her side, and whispering something into her ear.

"... Really?" Yuuka asked, surprised. "And that'll work?"

"It'll at least let you get a good hit in," Reimu answered. "Plus, I plan to make good on that threat anyway. So, can I trust you with this?"

"For them? Of course," Yuuka said. "Now get going. You've some old friends to meet."

Reimu nodded, then turned to Alice and Marisa. "Let's go. Yuuka has the fort."

Alice and Marisa looked back at the flower youkai, whom merely gave them a polite wave, before they flew off after Reimu.

"So, you're planning to stop me alone?" Kasen asked. "Really? One youkai against one of the Sages?"

"You and Yakumo weren't able to seal me back then, and you were working together," Yuuka pointed out. "Now, you're alone, I'm older, and if you try to get out of fighting me, I know where to find your 'husband'."

Kasen looked both surprised and fearful. "You're bluffing."

"Shuten-douji."

Kasen began to sweat slightly. "Alright, then. Not bluffing," she concluded. "You must understand, though; we did it for the good of Gensokyo."

Yuuka's expression turned dark. "The 'good of Gensokyo'?" she repeated, aiming the point of her parasol at Kasen. "That's a funny way of saying it was for 'your own end', isn't it?"

The sounds of battle raged on in the distance, and Reimu led the way forward. Over her back, the Shade of Marisa let out an irritated sigh.

"This is just fuckin' dandy," she muttered. "17 years, I've waiting for the chance to get out of that damn book, and now I'm all tied up and bein' thrown around like an old mattress."

"You think you had it bad?" Reimu asked. "I've been waiting for this chance for all those years with both Yukari and Kasen breathing down my neck. All you had to do was wait around."

Off to the side, Alice and the real Marisa watched the two in bewilderment. "So, she's been planning this... all this time?" Alice asked.

"You know, it makes a strange kind of sense," Marisa stated. "Reimu's been kinda bad at remembering peoples names lately. Guess her heads just been full of 'overthrowing the status quo and flipping off Yukari'." Marisa looked down, briefly remembered that she was still on Alice's back, and blushed slightly. "Hey, I... think I might be able to fly on my own, yeah?"

"Denied," Alice stated plainly. "With the Shade literally a stone's throw away, I'm not taking any chances that it might have negative repercussions on you."

"O...oi, careful there," Marisa hesitated slightly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were falling for me."

Alice cast a glance backwards, and the look in her eyes made it seem like she wanted to say something, yet seemed to keep quiet.

"There it is!" Reimu called out. Before them stood a large, door-like structure, which Marisa couldn't help but think looked similar to the one that connected Makai to Hokai, where Hijiri Byakuren was once sealed.

The group landed, and Alice gently let Marisa off her back. She was still slightly wobbly on her feet, but certainly better than she was earlier.

"So, what happens now?" Marisa asked. "We get this open, and that's it?"

"Not that simple, sadly," Reimu said. "This is the 'Kioku no Tobira', the Door of Memories. Deeper within it is the 'Regashi no Tobira', the Door of Legacy. That second one is where the others are sealed."

"And what? The memories are sealed between the two?" the Shade asked. "What idiot designed that?"

"Just a little something I slipped into the ritual back then," Reimu answered. "Even as a kid, I wasn't just going to bend the knee to Yukari's every whim."

"So, what happens now?" Marisa asked. "We open this, go through, and that's it?"

"Not that simple, unfortunately," Reimu said. "Here, catch." Then, she tossed the Shade over to Marisa, whom managed to catch with a bit of trouble. "The Door of Memories can only be kept open from this side. I'm sure you both know what that means."

"You'll have to keep it open from here?" Alice asked. "But, what about the other one?"

"Easy enough to open," Reimu answered. "The Door of Legacy was designed to keep things in; this one to keep things out. You two will have to go though it while I hold things here. Just..." she looked over at Marisa. "It's going to be hard, especially for you, Marisa."

"Me? Why me?" Marisa asked.

"Ain't it obvious?" the Shade shouted. "Because 'I' exist. She's gonna use this chance to put us back together. Ain't that a risky gamble; what makes ya think I won't come out the dominant one?"

"Simple, really," Reimu said, making a series of hand gestures, which caused the door to glow ominously, and slowly open. "It's a matter of faith. Now, get going."

Marisa and Alice looked concerned, and with a clear amount of hesitation, walked through the Door of Memories.

Once they passed through, Reimu slammed her gohei into the ground, causing it to stick end up, and erected a barrier between her and the open door.

"Well, you certainly took your time," she spoke, not turning around. "Guess I shouldn't have expected more from you, Yukari."

Behind her, stood Yakumo Yukari, looking very, very displeased. "Hakurei Reimu," she spoke. "I never thought I'd say this, but... I'm somewhat disappointed in you."

A/N:

This chapter was... a little messy, I'll admit. But then again, trying to write two instances of the same character can do that.

Well, now we're getting to the meat and potatoes of the story: the quote-unquote 'adaptation' of the PC-98 era.

How will that turn out? Find out, next time!