Will tomorrow ever come? Will I make it through the night?

Will there ever be a place for the broken in the light?

Am I hurting? Am I sad? Should I stay, or should I go?

I've forgotten how to tell. Did I ever even know?

Can I take another step? I've done everything I can.

All the people that I see I will never understand.

If I find a way to change if I step into the light

Then I'll never be the same and it all will fade to white

David Foxfire Presents:

Touhou Lost Word: Cherries Wild

A serialization of the events and storyline depicted in Touhou Lost Word, by Team Shanghai Alice, Good Smile Company, and NextNinja

Caution! Spoilers Ahead: The storyline follows along with the game, in some places word for word, with some embellishments involved. If you don't wish to have the game spoiled, do not proceed any further.

This is a fan-work, and as such is relegated under the Fair Use Laws of the United States Copyright Code as well as the policies set by Team Shanghai Alice. Because of this, this document is available free of charge. All commercial use of this story is strictly prohibited.

While David has took as many steps as possible to keep this series as unoffensive and acceptable by general audiences, it is impossible to account for everyone. Especially when you consider that one of the characters here, even though she's not written as a Mary Sue, is an Original Character who is in a classic Isekai scenario. That alone causes people to get triggered. Therefore, it can be assumed that this work may be an effective tool in offending the easily offended, so if you're one of them, do us all a favor and use the Back button on your browser now without reading anything beyond this point. Thank you and God Bless.

All Touhou related material is © Team Shanghai Alice

All material related to Touhou Lost Word is © Team Shanghai Alice, Good Smile Company, and NextNinja

The Amber Merichello character and the Penumaria setting, with all characters, locations, and items therein, are © David "David Foxfire" Gonterman.

Special Thanks go to:

Phantom Gardener (Advice)
Christina Vee (English Lyrics to 'Bad Apple')

Anyone who shows their support or assistance or even as much as says a good word to this project may have their name listed here. Anyone who even offers corrections to spelling and grammatical errors, suggestions for improvements, and critiques that do not go toxic will also be listed here, as I show proper credits.

Edition Log

Edition 1: Dated 17 Jul 21, Initial Release
Edition 2: Dated 19 Jul 21, revisions brought on by advice
Edition 3: Dated 10 Aug 21, Made Reimu's hair black, which is the cannonized color.
Edition 4: Dated 21 Sep 21, Made a correction in the Indicia

Chapter 0: Origin

Our story begins, surprisingly enough, not in Genoskyo, but in another realm, both similar, and yet, not. It had many similar things, such as magic, and fairies, and youkai, and magicians, and a Forest of Magic. But it had none of the Eastern influences. In fact, this realm, Penumaria, could be said to be a Western version of the Gensokyo you know, resembling closer to classical high fantasy worlds, with elves and dwarves and dragons and kings and heroes…and witches.

And it begins with a witch, in the aforementioned Forest of Magic. This forest is settled a way north of a small village of Oakroot, in a patch of land bordered by five kingdoms. It was traditionally set up to be a neutral field for the kingdoms to discuss matters among themselves peacefully. They meet in private in a farmhouse out of the way within sight of the Forest. Out of the way of the major trade road following the nearby Secomber River so that nobody is aware of its presence, and those who do dare not approach, especially those who would want to take out whoever's meeting there.

Because their hatred of rulers and monarchs are eclipsed of the fear of the Witch of the Woods, who resides in that forest. She is one of the oldest mages known to exist, and just as powerful. Few who encroach on her land end up able to even consider living to tell the tale. Those who do tell of an ancient force of nature, a being of light and dark, she could assume any form, from an elegant lady to a terrible hag. They claim that she could bend people to her will, make bargains that can bind body and soul, and summon beasts and monsters to deal with interlopers.

None have seen her for what she truly is, that of an elderly elven woman named Grandmother Nalladrie, as old as the trees themselves, as she waited for an answer to her prayers. And she found that answer one day, when she was out in the evening, gathering herbs and mushrooms under the canopy, when she came across a young girl, just in her teens, huddled under a willow tree.

At first, she thought she was some unfortunate child who got lost while wandering the forest, possibly overcome with curiosity over what is told about here and her. Until the girl spoke in a language she did not understand. It was child's play to cast a spell to get the lass to speak her language, much easier than understanding how she got here.

The child's name is Amber Merichello, a girl from a place known as Indiana. The Witch didn't need much to figure out that this Indiana is not from this world. While fleeing something, being separated from what was left of her family, she came upon a carnival ride shrouded in mist. She was forced inside when she heard her pursuers, going deeper and deeper into the fog…when it rescinded, she ended up here, in a place she did not know.

The witch's heart reached out for this lost, frightened, and alone child, and she wondered what she should do to her, outside of giving her a warm meal and a place to sleep, maybe a change of clothes and hopefully take her to the temple in town so they can find someone to…that's when Amber noticed the witch's eyes. They were pretty to her, always changing color.

The witch's eyes were normally grey to the naked eye. Only two group of people could see the true color of her eyes, that of the fabled Octarine: Wizards and Cats. And Amber is no cat. The witch's prayers were answered, and fate and destiny has brought this Amber to her, her child who fell from the sky, her beloved little star…her Apprentice. Soon to be her successor. The next Witch of the Woods.

Amber took to the study of magic with relish and showed a prodigious affinity with Mana. She became so learned and practiced with it, that she was able to break down even basic spells and alter them to produce different effects, so much so that she was able to turn a single projectile…to a hundred!

Amber only told her Grammie where she got the idea from: A series of game based on the fantasy realm of Gensokyo, games that Amber called 'Bullet Hell Shooters,' which she played and loved. She always wanted to be able to create danmaku herself, and once she learned how to do magic, she had that as a goal: Colorful lights spiraling and spinning around her, more projectiles than anyone could count, protecting herself and attacking in all directions in a spectacular firework display, with Amber Merichello in the middle of it all.

Day 0, Late Afternoon
Oakroot, in the world of Penumaria

"They're still talking about that little show you gave last night, Sparky," Alister Darksmythe, the owner of the Oakroot Magical Emporium, the sole magic supply shop within a 100-mile radius, told Amber as he gathered her order together. "We never had a Founder's Day festival much like it before."

"Well, Alister, since Oakroot has to put up with me for some time, I had to make up for it…" Amber was leaning up to the counter. She wore a deep bluish purple witch's dress, with a white frilly apron with a fluffy blouse, corralled in a like-colored vest, a big belt ducked under the large bow of the apron on the back, with various satchels and pouches strapped to it, with a good-sized purse hanging off her shoulder. A large book inside a satchel hung over her left hip. She tapped the floor with one of her Mary Jane shoes over short socks over legs that would also be covered by a pair of drawers. A series of straps and cuffs covered her wrists and forearms and long flowing brown hair cascaded down her back. On top was a large, wide brimmed, floppy hat with a large point, adorned with stars, a moon, and another bow. She had on a near constant smile, with a face that had a fresh coat of makeup, ruby lips, coral eyeshadow, and a blush of tan over her cheeks. Her voice had a chirpy songbird quality whose even her cackle sounded melodious.

"…and it wouldn't be possible without this." Amber placed the table is an octagonal wooden block with a ring of dwarven runes surrounding a recess in the middle where a round orb is set in.

"Ah, you got the Hakkero!" Alister said as he picked it up to inspect it. "From what I heard, the Dwarves make these things as a portable furnace, but then spellcasters found out that it increases their pool of magical energy. They're worth millions of gold coins to younger wizards. How'd you get it?"

"Me and Grammie took out a necromancer a month ago who was zombifying people," Amber said. "He was using this, so I snatched it." She leaned closer and talked behind a hand. "I would say that he can get it back when I'm dead, but he ended up dying first." She let out that melodious cackle, which showed more mischievous than malice. "Hyper Spark through the guts. I'm surprised there was a torso of him left."

"Oh you." Alister returned to what Amber bought. "You've got enough ink, pens, and Residuum dust to last you some, not to mention a whole pack of blank cards. That's on top of the regent jars you needed and a portable spellbook. Why would you need a second one?"

Amber just shrugged. "I always felt the need, when I have something that I find very important, such as a key or a map, to have a spare, just in case. In case I couldn't bring along the big one here." Amber slapped the large book hanging off her left hip in a satchel strapped to her hip. "I could bring along a smaller book with the spells I use most in a pinch."

"That's smart, having a backup spellbook just for that reason. But let me show you something…" Alister said as he reached for a canister behind him. "I know you're into putting large things in compact space."

"That's why I use a Bag of Holding instead of the backpack. But what you got there?"

"This is something new," Alister said as he pulled out what looked like an empty wine bottle. "You've heard of ship in a bottle. Well, this bottle can be used to store a large item, and it'll shrink into a model in the bottle. And then pop the cork out and restoring what you put in there back to normal. Imagine taking a real-life naval warship and carrying it around in your hand."

"Or my camp wagon so that I won't have to lug it around." Amber said with a smile. "This is relevant to my interests. How much you want for it."

"Allow me to make a deal for you, Sparky."

Amber Merichello, or 'Sparky' as she's known, is well liked among the villagers of Oakroot. This is despite her being the apprentice of one of the most powerful, and most feared, witches in all Penumaria. While most people fear and respect Grandmother Nalladrie, they just find Amber to be a friendly face, easy to smile and laugh, as she floats around the village on her broom, eager to do a wave and a hug when she can, passing out candy to kids and in recent months creating those dazzling danmaku fireworks displays that earned her the nickname. She was a witch, no doubt about it, but one of the good ones. And a Hero to boot. Saved the day more than once already.

"Hey there, Sparky. Loved what you did last night," one of the old lady villagers said as she passed Amber. "Did they make all those…what's the word?"

"Fireworks." Amber said with a beaming face. "From what I heard from you all, I'd do it again."

"Talk it out with the Burgomaster, he'd like to talk about it."

"I'll look forward to talking to him, tee hee." Amber gave a spin, letting her skirt twirl out, as she skipped her way toward her cart. She was about to pull out her big spellbook to get to a Summon Steed ritual, which can summon Rainbow, a horse she uses more to pull carts and wagons than for riding. Does the job well, and all the horse would want in return are apples and scritches. She's ride the horse on a saddle, but what do you think Amber has a broom for?

"Hey there, Amber!" Someone called her before she could start that ritual. She turned around to see the young strawberry blonde woman in deep blue robes holding a staff. The vestment was supplemented by chain mail and a dangling silver symbol of a sun with a yin-yang symbol in the middle. The robe looked religious enough, although not too many people in Oakroot are known to be overly spiritual, at least not beyond a 'Please don't be pissed off at me today, Holy Ones' level.

"Hey there, Daphanie," Amber said. "Just picked up Grammie's delivery. Looks like you've settled in town. Didn't expect Ama to have churches."

Daphanie just shook her head. "'He doesn't. Oakroot only has a generic temple, and they need a healer. I'm working with a Paladin of Astarte."

Amber winced. "Astarte? The one who runs Regal Care. Never expected someone who's supposed to be a love goddess to run a business."

"They got good stuff."

"Yeah, I washed my dress in their products after Grammie handed it down to me, made it look like it was just made and fits me good as new. So you're going to be a healer?"

"Yeah, it's not much, but it's a start. It'll take me half a year before I can do Raise Dead, but I can manage for smaller injuries. And Amaunator told me I don't have to sing his praises or anything, thank goodness."

Which is just about Amauantor Izayoi's speed. He considers himself as merely an angel, not a god. A high-ranking archangel that would clock up there with Lucifer before his fall, but an angel nonetheless. He chafes at being considered a deity and refuses to be worshiped. But whenever someone comes to him in need, he just can't turn them away.

"That's his speed. I think I remember what he said," Amber said. "'Freely I gave to you, freely give to others. Help them as I helped you.' Agreeable guy. I still wonder what he sees in me."

"There's some things he can't tell anyone about, Amber," Daphanie replied. "Some things just aren't meant for common knowledge." She chuckled. "Some things he wishes he didn't know himself. Nice to see you got back into your normal self after what happened last month, that Necromancer pissed you off."

Amber just rolled her eyes. "Bastard tried to do Power Word Kill on me. That spell never works. Oh, by the way, do you need new batch of healing potions? I just harvested some herbs, and I don't want them to go bad. I can whip you up a dozen or two."

"Any amount will help." Daphanie said patting Amber on the back. "I'll let you get Grammie's packages back. Take care, Amber."

"You too," Amber replied as she waved at her friend. And then went on to summon Rainbow, who eventually materialized right in place, already hitched to the cart.

Day 0, Evening
The Forest of Magic, North of Oakroot, in the world of Penumaria

Nalladrie is an elf so old that she could pass as a hag, uncharacteristically so as elves go. Elves don't age with this lack of grace; normally an elf keeps their youthful vigor and beauty right up to the time of their passing. It was a magical accident that caused Nalladrie to artificially age to the point that she looks as old as the trees in the Forest of Magic. Winkles on winkles with hair so gray that it could be white and a back that's seen better days. But she adapted to this condition and has by now plays the role of the 'Benevolent Hag' scene chewing relish. She cackles like a loon, appears wicked and addle-brained, talks in odd ways and in general keeps up an onery act. She's not even beyond innuendos and double entendres. She'll even make deals for people desparate enough to seek her aid. While they are by no means intentionally detrimental, the results of such deals, and the price Nalladrie tolls, don't account for the fill extent of unintended consequences. Another deviation form the stereotypical Hag is that she doesn't eat children. "You're too high in cholesterol," she'd say, "I don't know what germs you have; it takes all day to properly roast you, the seasoning is going to be hit or miss, and look at you, all skin and bones! Have your parents ever fed you? I'd eat you and I'll be hungry again after thirty minutes."

But those close to her know of her heart of gold, which includes about half of Oakroot, and sees her as a Fairy Godmother. Most kids see her as a kindly grandmother figure who is known to educate kids (It's common for Nalladrie to become this to a family's first-born child instead of snatching them away outright.) or taking in a stray child she happens to come across. But none know of her kindness and warmth more like Amber, whom she raised as her daughter. The child who the Celestials gave for her. Her little star. She doesn't know when her time to pass on will come, but she could sense it approaching. Transference, elves call it. That's when an elf reaches their end of their lives. A true sign of that happening is moon shapes in their eyes. Nalladrie has yet to find those moons in her eyes, yet.

Yet.

Amber was the answer to Nalladrie's wish; for someone to take up the role of Witch of the Woods after her. She knew she found the answer to her prayers when her most recent stray, Amber, mentioned that ever-changing color in her eyes. Octarine is known to do that, an effect not unlike foil holograms on cards. Nalladrie adopted Amber right then and there and the pair has been inseparable ever since.

"Oh, you stopped by Bianca's for some tarts," the old elven woman said, the brightened expression of her face shining through her winkles. "I was about to ask you for that."

"I had to restock up on candies, Grammie," Amber replied as she set the boxes on the table. "So, I might as well get some of what you like."

"Considerate as always, my little star. Let's see if the packers had enough pride in their work this time."

Almost all magic users had to deal with regents. Finding them, buying them, growing them, and keeping them from spoiling. Amber didn't realize that spellcasting actually include canning herbs and mushrooms, complete with mason jars and a boiling pot, until she became one. Nalladrie has a good-sized pantry of these material components, in dry storage containers, in jars and for the more expensive items, in a locked chest.

Amber has by now started on her own stash of supplies, including material components for spells and ingredients for brews (including a small chest just for tea) and it was still small enough to be kept in just a few chests. It was still portable—a trait she desires at the present—so that she can take them with her when she starts adventuring. Fortunately, she a step ahead on that by snagging a stagecoach-style wagon from a bunch of bandits she took out last Spring.

"Joseph and Nigel brought that stagecoach over while you were gone. They really did a nice job on it. It's pretty much a wizard's tower on wheels there, with a library and sleeping quarters inside, a kitchen out back with a movable cauldron, a tent where you could set up for visitors. Perfect for fortune telling. And lockable compartments for all your supplies."

"I saw it, they really earned their coin. Here's your bat wings…and newt eyes, this jar's fresh, the expiry date's not for five months. By the way, how's Nigel?"

"He's smiling again, and that's a relief. He really learned a hard lesson that winter, a lesson nobody should learn before puberty. Another three boxes of tea, Amber? You don't go through all that in one go, do you?"

"You know how hard it is to get this Hibiscus blend? But yea, if he would've been allowed one more year he would've entered Strixhaven on what we call back home a 'Full Ride.' Tuition, Room, Meals, Equipment, the whole nine yards. But his parents just abandoned him and started fawning over his up-to-this-point-all-but-forgotten younger brother toby. Until the superintendent caught wind and told them off." Amber shook her head. "Poor kid was in a bad place. Oh, here's your Dust of Somnus."

"Oh, thank the celestials, I just ran out. I managed to get you some sleeping bombs while you were out."

"You didn't have to do that, Grammie! You know how dangerous that dust is if you get too much on you."

Nalladrie just cackled. "Oh come on, I'm old, not senile. All right…A pouch of Cubensis Mushrooms." Nalladrie opened the pouch and sniffed it. "Top Quality. My only problem is you finding a place to keep it safe when you're traveling. You can't always depend on a keep somewhere."

Amber just winked. "Fortunately, I have that covered." She then pulled out the bottle. "Allister found this, and I got it for a discount."

Nalladrie gasped. "Is that one of those 'ship in a bottle' artifacts that you can put a vehicle in?"

Amber nodded. "And I already got it to work. I can put the stagecoach in here and to keep it safe…" She also pulled out a box with a felt-lined compartment for the bottle. "It won't break when it's in my Bag of Holding."

Nalladrie just chuckled. "You really do know now to travel light. You're really taking your first quest seriously."

"Yeah, I am. You said that I should start questing since there's no better way to get real experience and practice with my spells." Amber leaned back. "My main problem is deciding on a good quest to start off with. It wouldn't do to be over my head right off the bat."

"But it looks like you're ready to get started any day now, my dear. I think I can get a few good words out for you. I heard that Vess is around Brayhow looking for some partners."

"That knight errant with the dire wolf?" Amber's face lit up when she heard Vess's name.

"None other. I'll see to get a message to her tomorrow morning. But for now, why don't you go through the patrol this afternoon. I have to put all this stuff away."

"Will do, Grammie. I was about to go out for a little danmaku practice anyway."

"You're just about ready to do them…what do you call them?"

"Spell Cards. I'm just a bit short on my research in making them." Amber chuckled. "It ain't like I could just go through a portal and do some studies in Gensokyo."

"You never know, Amber." Nalladrie gave a grin that reminded Amber of an old grey fox smiling at her. "The past is a book well read, and the future is a book unopened. You never know what's inside it until you crack that cover."

Day 0, Sunset
The Forest of Magic, Penumaria

Fortunately for Amber, the bottle came with an instruction pamphlet, and Amber did try it out on the cart first. The pamphlet looked like it was written by someone who only knew Common as a Second Language, (Not everyone could just put a scared and shivering girl into a trance and dump Common into her head like Grammie did Amber.) but Amber managed to understand it enough to get it to work, getting the cart into the bottle, keeping it in place with the cork, and the getting the cart back to normal by pulling out said cork. "The cork's got an air hole? Well, I don't think I'll be putting live people in there, but...heh, just in case it happens, I have some peace of mind.

She made sure that everything's in place with her stagecoach before she drew it into the bottle, making sure that the cork was on right. Once it was in its case and slipped in her Bag of Holding, she can then move on to the mode of transportation she's used to.

She held out her hand and concentrated. She heard the swooshing of something twirling her way until the broom she called out found her hand. Before she knew it, she was flitting about among the treetops with the songbirds and butterflies.

Spellcasters in Penumaria have a limited supply of magical energy, or Mana, that a spellcaster can tap into throughout the day, with a good night's sleep needed to replenish this pool. They also have a limited number of spells they can memorize at once. Over time, with practice and experience, a spellcaster can draw in more Mana and be able to cast higher circle spells and can memorize more so that they can easily cast them. Much like a muscle getting stronger with use. But no matter how strong this spellcasting muscle is, any spellcaster is limited in the numbers of spells they can cast. There are ways to get around this limit, though. Most spellcasters supplement their innate spellcasting with spell wands, spell scrolls, potions, rituals, and various other devices. Such as Amber's Hakkero.

But there are places where, if a spellcaster can connect to a location with a steady influx of mana, known as a Ley Point, a spellcaster can have unlimited power. Such is the case in the Forest of Magic, which can choose a champion to channel this unlimited power through. That person here would be known as the Witch of the Woods. At this time. That means Grandmother Nalladrie, and by extension, her apprentice, Amber.

After Nalladrie taught Amber how to cast spells, the young woman took advantage of the steady flow of mana to dive into the study on how these spells work. She learned the intricate language of spellcasting in a manner computer nerds break down a program down to their source code. She spent most of her time breaking down a spell, learning what each of the parts does, and then changing the spell to create a different effect. From a single cantrip—Fire Bolt—she was able to make that projectile form in different elements. Ice, Lightning, Acid, Poison, Radiant, and so many other elements and colors. She did the same to Lightning Bolt which she converted from Electricity to a solid Radiant light. She called that variant of the spell her Hyper Spark.

That got her thinking: What if she could do this to Magic Missile? Usually, this spell only produces three darts that home in and connect with their targets like Heat-seekers. It was the first of the big spells Amber broke down and studied. Because of that she was able to spread out the potency of the spells among more than three projectiles. She was able to make five of them with the same spell, then eight, then twelve. By now they lost the ability to home to their target, but she was able to control their trajectory, guiding them into patterns and shapes. And then she got her energy amplifying Hakkero, which allowed her to tap into a much larger pool of Mana than what she could normally draw in, and twelve became forty, then a hundred, then hundreds.

But then Amber did what she's doing now: Floating there among the trees in the Forest of Magic—a pool of Mana much larger than even her Hakkero—surrounded by a rainbow of thousands and thousands of colorful sparks swirling around her in spirals, spheres, blocks, fans, and so on as it hit her…the memories of all those bullet hell games, something she thought was lost forever when she got spirited here. They all returned, but even more so. This was much more than merely playing a Touhou game on her computer.

She has discovered danmaku herself!

Amber 'Sparky' Merichello, the Apprentice Witch of the Woods, has just become a Touhou character!

The joyous laughter she made then when she made this discovery was the same this evening, when she was part practicing, part playing, with her danmaku. In a scene not unlike the Sorcerer's Apprentice during the dream sequence, the youthful and beautiful witch floated gracefully on her broom, standing on it so that her hands would be free to yeet bullets out from her fingers and fling them out with a flick of her hand. She made them into waterfalls, cascading down through the trees, and shooting them up in the air, creating colorful and sparkling fireworks above her head. (She did remember to make them harmless though, delivering no more damage than a jolt of static electricity. She can make them pack a punch if she must, although it would more resemble a thousand beestings at this moment. One by itself is tolerable, but when they're swarming like those killer bees she heard about, they can be more than effective.) She spun around creating rows and spirals of the colorful motes of light, and even made them twirl around her like a shield.

Nobody's going to dare to go after her in her lair, that's for certain.

But as she looked up at the glittering sphere's squares, triangles, stars, and other shapes, she knew that something's missing. She can easily spit out a steady stream of bullets now, either wide or narrowed, and she can create patterns over patters to her heart's content. But something's missing. Something important. Spell Cards. The preset super attacks that all Touhou bosses have. Attacks that boggle the mind, awestruck the heart, and prove neigh impossible to dodge. Right now, all she got is no better than Cirno's Icicle Fall on Easy Mode.

"I need something to get started," Amber thought out loud as she sat on her broom. "Something for me to work with. I'm sure ZUN wouldn't mind if I copied some of the Spell Cards from the games, provided I make some." She chuckled. "Who am I kidding, he wouldn't know I'm here. I need to find some inspiration, something to start off with and kickstart my…what's that?"

A blue glint at the base of a tree drew her eye. It appeared too low for her to be a bullet she made, and she does her best not to let them drift that low, so she won't hurt any local wildlife even with practice bullets. And even then, the glint was too steady and lasted too long to be a bullet. So, she swooped down to ground level to investigate.

Resting on the trunk of the tree, wedged between two exposed roots, is a blue cube. It looked like a puzzle cube Amber remembered back in Indiana. It was translucent and had a cobalt glow from inside, solid, with little more inside it.

Amber tried twisting it when all of the sudden, the cube popped open to smaller cubes that sparkled and sparked around her, spinning around her, faster and faster, until she was blinded by a blue flash. She managed to grab onto her bag and broom before…

The bright light receded, and Amber could see the block in her hand again. She looked around, trying to get her bearings, and immediately had red flags go up in her mind. The trees have moved, or rather, they're not where they're supposed to be. Amber would swear that she didn't walk or move during that flash. She put two fingers to her head and closed her eyes.

"Grammie! Grammie? Are you there, Grammie? Grammie!"

She was trying to get in touch with her Grandmother Nalladrie, due to the link she shares with her as apprentice and master. But no response. In fact, she could hear static in her mind.

That produced more red flags in her mind than all of China.

"Great!" Amber muttered through clenched teeth. "I did it again." She glared at the blue cube. "Thanks a lot, you. Why don't you summon that bald jerk with all the nails on his head while you're at it?"

If Amber wanted to get a response out of that cube, she was disappointed.

"Well," Amber sighed as she stood up. "I might as well look around and find out where I stumbled into. Grammie always says that I end up going where I'm needed for whatever purpose there is. Sooner I find out the better."

And with that, she walked along the path, grateful that she was able to see a white house so quickly…

Chapter 1: Prologue

Day 1: Noontime
Alice Margatroid's House, Forest of Magic.

Contrasting against the wild green forest in all directions in this clearing stands a white house, brightly painted and pristine. It appeared unassuming at a distance, and remains so even as someone would approach, and lived in to boot, with plenty of light with well-kept furniture, flowers in the windows, and a patio in the back, where two young women are setting a table. One was a blonde with blue eyes wearing a blue dress with white frills and red sashes, and the other a long purpled haired girl wearing a flowing pink pajama-like dress with moons and stars either patched or pinned in place with a frilly mob cap.

Both are surrounded by a small platoon of small dolls about a foot tall, some walking on the table, some floating on wings, all appearing to be acting on their own. Most of them were blonde with blue apron dresses and red bow ties, though a few wore red.

"Oh, there's just so much to do. Right, Patchouli?" The blond mused as several of these dolls flitted around her. "There's not enough time to do everything!"

"Yes, Alice, we are rather busy," said the purple haired one, the one called Patchouli, replied. "You still seem to be enjoying yourself though."

"I do?" Alice, the blonde, said as she blinks her eyes. "You must be imagining it."

"Well, if you say so," Patchouli replied. "Where should I put the teapot?"

"Right on top of that table. Oh, but we have to put down the tablecloth first!"

Patchouli's command was answered by a bunch of high-pitched voices crying out a chorus of "Shanghai! Shanghai!" as a set of the floating dolls took care of the tablecloth. The girl smiled when they did that. "Your Shanghais really do come in handy, Alice."

As if to acknowledge Patchouli's validating their existence, the small army of dolls yelled out another "Shanghai!"

"Are there any doubts?" Alice said with a smile as she patted one of the dolls. "I need to bring out the sweets too, I'll go get them. Oh, there's still so much to do." She ducked inside the house, leaving Patchouli to herself for a while.

"There's no need to rush," Patchouli said with a sigh. "Honestly, that girl," she mused to herself. "I know it's been a while since our last tea party, but she's getting carried away." She closed her eyes and hummed. "She should try to be more collected, like me…Tee Hee…"

Her reverie was broken by some rustling and footsteps. She opened her eyes. "Hmm. About time you showed up, Marisa. I almost expected you to take the chance to get in my library again, since I'm…"

She had to blink at the figure walking into her view. She was dressed familiar to her, but…then again…not. The aproned dress had a style that was familiar, with an aproned skirt, puffy sleeves, buttoned vest, pointy witch hat and a broom she was carrying. But she was expecting that dress to be black and white, not a deep purple like the one walking up to her. And she had a dark brown hair that flowed down her back with lighter brown eyes.

"You're not Marisa," Patchouli said.

"Neither are you," the new girl replied. "This house wasn't there when I looked five minutes ago. And you're not the one going 'what in blazes is going on here..."

Patchouli raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that, dearie? Alice Martagroid's house has always been here ever since she's been around. But it appears we're as confused as you are, since I've never seen you before."

The brunette girl blinked. "This isn't the Forest of Magic north of Oakroot?"

The pink pajama-dressed woman blinked. "This is the Forest of Magic, no doubt, but what's a Oakroot?"

That made the girl's sigh. "Great. It's not the first time that…"

"Oh, there's so much to do," Alice exclaimed as she returned from the house.

"Good timing, Alice." Patchouli said as she gestured over to the new girl. "Your guest has arrived."

"Huh? Alice replied. "I don't remember inviting anyone."

A dozen of the dolls that floated around her whipped out lances and swords, pointing them at the new girl, who just threw up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, I come in peace. I just stumbled my way to whatever this place is."

"She isn't your guest?!" Patchouli asked.

Alice stared intently at the new girl. "You don't seem to be a threat, though…can you sense it, Patchy? She's got an extraordinarily strong aura, she's a Magician."

The girl just smiled. "I prefer the term 'Witch,' but I digress."

"Witch, Magician," Patchouli said, "the proverbial rose by any other name. I'll vouch for you on the Magician part, having detected your aura. There's as much Mana in your aura as mine."

Alice sighed. "Not unlike a certain 'Ordinary Magician,' whom I think you being here is her's doing."

"Who?" The girl asked.

"Marisa Kirisame," Alice said, with a groan this time. "That girl's always making new friends everywhere she goes. No doubt she's been in this…Oakroot place."

The new girl just rubbed her head. "If I ever met this Marisa, I would've told you." She sighed. "I guess I'll hold off my introduction until she arrives." She then went into a curtsy. "My name is Amber Merichello, by the way. You need help with anything."

"I'd appreciate it, Miss Merichello." the Blonde with the dolls said, hoping she got the last name right. "I am Alice Martagroid, The Seven-Colored Puppeteer. Welcome to my house." She looked over to one of the dolls. "You can stand down, Shanghai, I doubt she's a threat."

"Shang…hai." The floating doll lowered her weapon but kept her gaze.

Amber's face lit up when she saw the Shanghai float over. "Oh, is that a doll you animated? I was thinking of getting into that. They're very well built."

Alice beamed a smile. "Thank you, Amber. Made them all myself. They're excellent little helpers. Great company too."

"I've gotta learn how to make dolls like them. I'll promise not to exactly copy Shanghai here."

Alice breathed a sigh. "I'd appreciate it."

"And I am Patchouli Knowledge," the purple haired one replied, which Amber didn't know was right up toward her looking right into her eyes. "Librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. I'm one of Alice's friends and often visits her for tea. Alice, do you think you could…"

"Way ahead of you, Patchy," Alice said as she fetched another cup and plate. I always assumed that Marisa would bring someone here. And of course, she's always fashionably late."

"Tell me about it," Patchouli rolled her eyes. "Now that you mentioned it, she made friends with that jizou from the forest too."

Alice gasped, "Wait, what am I doing? There's still so much to do!"

Amber was about to ask what a 'jitzowhatsis' is, but then she caught herself up on the situation at hand. "You mind if I help you?"

Alice smiled. "Oh, thank you, Amber. I had to take all morning to make all the sweets, even with my dolls helping, that I didn't have the time to set up the table by now."

Amber chuckled. "Well, you got a couple extra hands on this one. Just because I'm realizing that I fell into another realm doesn't mean I can't be courteous. I'll gladly bring you up to speed, but I'd prefer to have everyone together so I can tell my story to all of you at once."

"That would be must reasonable, Lady Merichello." Patchouli was still up close, making Amber lean back a bit. "Alice, do you see her eyes?"

"Patchy! Don't stand so close to her, we've just met."

Patchouli just blinked for a moment before backing a couple steps. "Oh, my apologies there. I sometimes get curious when I find something interesting. I couldn't help but look at the glow in her eyes." She turned to Alice. "It's unmistakable. Her aura's Octarine."

Alice nearly dropped a plate. "Octarine?! Are you sure?" A second later, Alice was just as close. "Oh my goodness, it is Octarine! The Eighth color of Magic! I've never seen it in someone's eyes before!" She backed away. "You must excuse me, Amber. I can access about every color in the rainbow, but Octarine has always eluded me. Ulp! I shouldn't be so distracted; I need to find which tea to use."

"It just so happens that I brought some tea from Sakuya," Patchouli said. "We can try it together. Oh, Sakuya Izayoi is the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Amber. I'm sure you'll meet her when you visit there."

"I'll keep it in mind. I'm sorry I didn't know I was going to have tea with someone, I would've brought some…wait…maybe if I?" Amber brought her hands together and muttered a couple syllables of an unfamiliar language. The area between her hands started to glow, and when he brought them apart, a bag materialized. She jiggled it to reveal what sounded like candies inside them. "I never leave home without this. Every time I run into an unfamiliar person, especially kids, I hand them some candies. Helps break the ice and gets them thinking I'm one of the Good Witches." She opened them up to reveal an assortment of hard candies, taffies, and licorice.

"Shanghai!" One of the dolls replied, its face brightening up, when she saw that.

Amber pulled out a peppermint one and handed it to the doll. "Here you go. I can easily put out a plate of them."

"You're so generous, Amber. You've probably gone through a lot of teatime."

"I do. Grammie always make sure I take breaks in my studies." Amber paused. "I'm referring to Grandmother Nalladrie,

Alice chuckled. "We magicians tend to get lost in our studies, so it's a nice escape from that."

"And tea helps me come up with new ideas," Patchouli added, "since it let me unwind a bit. Oh, what a lovely cushion! I want one for the library."

"Those tea leaves smell amazing too," Alice added. "I'm always impressed by how Sakuya manages to find such exotic teas."

Patchouli sighed. "Marisa is becoming more than fashionably late. This always happens, so there's no point being bothered by it. It must be hard for you, though."

Alice sighed as well. "It's fine. You don't have to say anything. Patchouli, you have it tough too, don't you?" She shook her head, and then turned to Amber. "Marisa never returns the things she borrows, and she always makes such a mess!"

Amber rolled her eyes. "Oh, one of those people."

Alice snorted a chuckle. "She doesn't have an ounce of principle in her."

"You can't really call what she does 'borrowing,' Alice." Patchouli had the same expression. "Marisa can be quite a rat at times. Every other day I find her snooping in my library without asking for permission first and just goes 'I borrow Ze!' Which in her mind means, 'I borrow this til I'm dead, Ze!' Ugh! You know, just the other day, she actually surprised me by returning something to me, but…" She had to laugh. "It was one of your book's Alice."

Amber smacked her head. "Oh, jeez!" She then opened one eye toward Patchouli. "At least I have the common decency and moral high ground to ask for a library card first. I get the sneaky suspicion that I might need to do some research, since I don't know how I got here."

Patchouli had to blink at that. "Private library notwithstanding, emphasis on the word privateI'll keep that in mind."

Alice just waved her hand. "It happens all the time, Amber. To say I'm used to it would be an understatement."

"Oh, come on, you two! I did return it, did I?"

All three turned around to the voice from up above to see the more familiar blonde girl in the black and white witch outfit float down on her broom. At least familiar to Alice and Patchouli.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late," the black and white witch said, showing a wide smile and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Mar-is-a-Kir-i-SA-ME!" Alice yelled out. "We've been waiting forever for you!"

"And that's why I said I'm sorry!" Marisa said as she walked up to the table. "I found something cool in the forest, so I had to pick it up, kaze."

"I don't want your excuses," Alice shot back. "You were so late that we started without you. We've been entertaining your..."

"Hold it, Patchy. Time out." Marisa turned to Amber. "Who's your guest?"

"I thought she was your guest," Alice said.

"Honesty, Marisa, you can be so…" Patchouli added.

Marisa just blinked at Amber. And Amber was blinking back.

"Her name's Amber Merichello, from a place named Oakroot. I doubt it's anywhere near Gensokyo." Alice said. "This is Marisa Kirisame, by the way."

Marisa's snarky smile returned. "Marisa Kirisame, Ordinary Magician, at yer service, ze!" She helped herself to the teaset. "Oh, the tea and sweets are so good! I guess Patchy brought the tea, and Alice made the sweets, as usual, right?"

"Amber brought the hard candies, for the record." Patchouli said.

There was another swooshing sound, as if someone was flying, and a black haired, brown eyed girl in a red Shinto shrine maiden dress with a large red bow tie on her head appeared overhead. "Oh, all of you are here," she said as she floated down to a soft landing. "Mind if I join you?"

Alice smiled. "Of course, we don't mind, Hakurei Reimu."

"Hey there, Reimu," Marisa said. "Fancy meeting you here. Did you need something?"

"Well, I do, but first…" Reimu helped herself to the teaset. "It's nice to have tea every once in a while, the sweets are delicious too. And it seems you found a new friend." She turned to Amber and bowed. "I am the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, Hakurei Reimu."

"Is this everyone," Amber said, looking around. She saw a nod then. "I was waiting for everyone to come so I can introduce to you all at once," She then performed a curtsey. "I am Amber Merichello, Apprentice Witch from the village of Oakroot. I'm very honored to meet you all, and yes, don't bother wracking your brains, I doubt Oakroot's anywhere in this realm."

Marisa and Reimu looked at each other. Patchouli took stock at the etiquette Amber showed. She gave a nod, but nothing else.

"Yeah, I know," Amber smiled. "It's weird for me to say either. At least it's better then 'I come in peace take me to your leader' and all that."

That produced a good amount of chuckles.

"You're not the first person who found herself here from another realm, Amber-san," Reimu said. "It's the Oakroot part that's throwing me off."

"You've didn't come all this way for tea though, Reimu," Patchouli said. "Did something happen?"

"Something did." Reimu said as she pulled out something from her sleeve. "Would you take a look?"

She placed the item on the table, it looked like a blue crystalline cube. Amber's eyes went wide: it looked exactly like the cube she found before she ended up here.

"I found that in my donation box. How it got there when you can only put coins in there is beyond me."

"Wow, it's beautiful," Alice said. "Is this a jewel?"

"I've never seen that kind of crystal before!" Patchouli said in between munching. "I must know more about it."

"If it were just one, I would've forgotten about it," Reimu said. "But there was twelve of them around the shrine."

"Wait," Marisa said as she pulled out another identical crystal cube. "This is what I picked up from the forest." She placed that on the table. "They've been scattered around the Forest too."

"They look exactly the same," Alice said as Patchouli held them both.

"They have the same size, weight, and material. What could they possibly be? Would you know about this, Amber?"

"Well," Amber said as she reached into a pocket in her skirt. "Before I found myself here, I was flying around my Forest of Magic, and I found this."

Amber placed down a third such block.

"Of course, I had to go and touch it, and when I did, there was a bright flash, and next thing I knew, I ended up here."

Reimu nodded, there was a ping in the back of her mind. Something about the way she casually calls it. And her accent, her mannerisms of speech, all too familiar. But she has already sensed her aura. A strong Magician aura. Ranks up there with Patchy. There's something more to Amber than she's letting on. But she'll save that for later.

Reimu sighed. "Great. It's not contained to just Gensokyo?" She shook her head. "Looks like this incident is more than I expected."

"I've heard about alternate worlds, guys," Marisa said. "I've even been in some of them. Not this Oakroot of yours, Amber. I'd bet it's a fascinating place."

"Remind me to tell you more about it sometime."

"If it's affecting more than just here in Gensokyo then…" Alice mused, her face in shock.

"I'm at a loss of words," Patchouli said.

Amber gave the three blocks an intent state. "One thing you should know about me. I'm not going to claim that I know everything about these blocks, but I do know that I'm just as much roped into this incident as all of you." She looked up to all the others, "And if there's one thing I'm known for, when I find myself stumbling into something like this, I set myself to see this through. I've been in more than my fair share of incidents." She glanced toward Reimu. "We should work together on this."

Marisa called time again. "Waitasec," She pointed to Amber. "If you've dealt with incidents…that means you can…you…oh, you're a magician, so you could do…"

"Heads up," Alice called out. "Faries at North Northwest!"

A dozen of small butterfly-winged pixies shot out of the trees, producing a giggle as they swarmed toward Alice's house. A swarm of Shanghais rose up to meet them, weapons drawn.

"Must've followed me here," Marisa moaned as she reached for her Hakkero.

Reimu pulled out a fanned hand of ofuda scrolls out of instinct.

"Reimu, these fairies," Amber asked, "they don't die when you bop 'im, they just go back to whence they came, and come back the next morning good as new?"

"Yeah, that's what happens," Reimu said as she tried to hold Amber back with her shilde purification rod. "I have to do this every now and then."

But Reimu had a hand block her in turn: Amber's. "Then it's just like in my woods then. I got this."

"Nani?" Reimu protested as she saw Amber walk in front of him. "Amber, you need to know how to deal with them."

"That's just it, Reimu-san," Amber chuckled as she hopped on her broom, standing on it just like Marisa would. She then looked over her shoulder. "I know how to deal with them."

She then turned to face the Fairies, while Reimu and Marisa looked at each other and Alice and Patchouli just stared at Amber, wondering what her intentions were.

Amber reached at her wrist and touched a leather strap: "Mage Armor!" Before the quartet's eyes, Amber had a shimmering border to her figure.

"She knows her stuff," Alice commented.

"Protective Magic," Patchouli said. "And in a Vancian Arcane style at that, I've never seen this in a long…Amber!"

Four of the fairies drew a bead on the stranger, thinking she's an easy mark. Each sent a stream of bullets her way. They thought they had the jump on Amber when she held up her hand. "Shield!"

A sphere of reflective energy formed around Amber in that split second, absorbing all the danmaku and dissipating them into glittering dust.

Before the pixies could recover from being blocked like that, Amber pulled out from a pocket in her skirt a familiar looking eight-sided block.

Marisa's eyes went wide when she saw it. "Waitamunite, is that a Hakkero?!"

Marisa's questioned was answered when the device powered up and produced a holographic circle in front of it. This close to her she noticed that what Amber did held was a Mini-Hakkero like Marisa is known for, but it was different. It was made of a different kind of wood and some mystical metal. Was it Hi'irokane or something else? She filed that for later. Also, instead of the Taoist Trigrams that Marisa's had, Amber's was adorned with runes in a strange language—strange to Gensokyo, that is—with a weaved border and knots that looked more Celtic than Chinese. Even the magic circle it produced had more of these runes along with other arcane glyphs around a seven-pointed star.

"My turn." Amber's brow furrowed with concentration, and a stream of bullets shot out of her Hakkero, it started out wide, poofing the four attacking fairies away in a fan-like stream of starry danmaku.

All four of the other ladies just stood there with jaws agape.

Amber didn't miss a beat, willing the stream of bullets into a narrow steam of needles that she swung from right to left, making the remainder of the fairies disappear. Their next conscious thought would be in the next morning in their fairy homes staring at the sunrise blinking and wondering just what happened.

Once Amber lowered to the ground, blowing the smoke off her Hakkero, she returned to Alice, Marisa, Patchouli, and Reimu. "As I learned how to cast a spell, I focused my studies on how to tweak the spells I cast. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found a way to turn a normal missile spell into a danmaku spell. Add this dwarven-made Hakkero, and I can hold my own against…well, fairies…I haven't had to fend off a jizou yet. I might not as good at it as you guys are, maybe I can learn more and get better at this while I'm here."

"It's almost like you're like one of us, in your world," Patchouli said as she walked up to Amber, with the same lack of respect of personal space, her eyes locked on the Hakkero in Amber's hand. "A Dwarven Mini-Hakkero. I haven't heard of the mountain folk in decades, they're not the kind of people we find here in Gensokyo." Amber let her hold it for a second or two. "Ah, this is clearly mithril, and the crystal inside is infused with primal elemental fire, safely contained to…this isn't wood. In fact it looks like…some sort of hard fungus."

"Zurkhwood Fungi," Amber replied. "Grammie has a lot of furniture made with Zurkhwood. And they're good insulation material for various magic items."

"Facinating," Patchouli handed the Hakkero back. "I've heard of such worlds and their Mana based Vancian style before."

"You have?" Amber said, eyes blinking, "You've visited one before."

"Long ago, before I met Lady Remilia. I must consult my notes. I'm sure it's hidden deep in my library over at the Scarlet Devil Mansion," Patchouli glared at Marisa, "Unless a certain rat got to it first."

"The only book I have of a world like that is Lord of the Rings," Marisa protested.

That produced a blink out of Amber, to hide the glint of recognition. She never heard of someone having that book since she came to Penumaria.

Reimu smiled. "At first, I was curious, Amber-san. Now you have my attention. Let me take you to the Hakurei Shrine, though, just to be safe. Even if you can defend yourself, I don't think you know how the youkai here are like." She picked up the collected crystals.

Amber just tilted her head. "Something tells me I'm going to get introduced."

"Yeah, I'm curious as well," Marisa said, "I'm tagging along!"

"What? No, Marisa," Reimu protested. "Just enjoy your tea party."

Marisa let out a goofy grin. "Oh, come on, Reimu! Don't' you think it'll be good to have a magician with you?"

She heard a a-hem!

"A magician who doesn't need to be taught the ropes, that is."

Reimu just rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. Do what you want. Alice, Patchouli, thank you for the tea and sweets."

"Me too," Amber said as she curtsied. "I appreciate the warm welcome here, considering my circumstance. I'm sure we'll run into each other again."

"I'm sure we will," Alice smiled, as Amber hopped on her broom.

"I'll give a good word to Lady Remilia, Amber," Patchouli. "There's a change that we might need to discuss some things. I'll tell the gatekeeper to let you pass…provided she isn't napping, of course. Although I would recommend having Reimu with you when you do."

"Appreciate it, Patchy," Amber said as she took off, floating up toward Reimu and Marisa.

"There she goes, Patchy, that Marisa. Always flitting here and there, going from one incident to another. Sometimes I wonder if she ever slows down."

"Oh, never mind her," Patchouli replied. "We can just enjoy our tea together. So, what's your verdict on this Amber Merichello."

Alice looked up to see a Shanghai tilt her head. "There's something about her she's not showing. You recognized her accent?"

"Midwestern American, yes. That's not an accent from someone who was born and raised in a world where dwarves, elves, dragons, and sorcerers exist."

"Yeah. But did you notice it? She didn't miss a beat when she heard 'Gensokyo.' Almost as if she already knows this place."

"That's a Meiling-sized red flag," Patchouli said as she returned to her tea. "But as least she's not acting like one of them. She would've been the third one this month."

"Don't remind me! I'm still shuddering over the one I had to feed to a youkai just to get him to stop fawning over me. I heard that Remilia has it bad herself."

"So bad she converted Flan's basement bedroom into a dungeon just for the occasion. I don't need to tell you how unsavory they can get."

"You think Reimu would find this out about Amber, Patchouli."

Off in the distance, the pair can hear Marisa yell out, "Busted!" from the distance.

"I think she could figure it out, Alice."

Liner Notes: Amber Merichello

Some would say that Amber-kun is my Touhou persona, but she's a lot more than that. She more of a representative of her home setting, Penumaria, which some would claim is a Western European, high adventure, D&D Forgotten Realms take on the famous realm created by ZUN. Only…she's a lot more than that.

You'll find out more about her history in the next chapter, and before you ask, yes, ZUN gets mentioned. But the heroines and Yokai here would be pleasantly surprised that Amber's not your typical fangirl who got isekai'd there. (I mean, honesty! How many people dream of ending up in Gensokyo and wish to meet their wifu? Only to be sorely disappointed at the reception? Assuming they live to feel that?)

At least Amber avoids that pitfall by getting isekai'd to a world where she became a magician on her own first before ending up here. While at Penumaria, she learned magic and found a way to emulate bullet hell using the mana-based magical energies from her homeworld, in effect bringing danmaku to Penumaria. Some will like the homage, some would think she's a rip-off, there's no middle ground.

I figure having her in place with the amnesiac player character—talk about your cliches—in Lost Word would make an interesting twist on the storyline and keeping things from just a direct copy paste of the game. Another twist that would be different from the game is how the Seal Crystals work.

If you want to know more about Amber, see her in a story set in the Penumaria universe, or hear more about Penumaria (which will become a D&D 5E campaign setting,) feel free to get in touch with Dave. The contact information is down below.

Preview of Chapter 2

Amber pays the visit to the Hakurei Shrine, where a certain 800-pound Gorilla in the room with the name of ZUN gets addressed. And just what's in those Seal Crystals, anyway? (Hint: They won't be like they're in the game.) And are they appearing everywhere in Gensokyo?