David Foxfire Presents:
Touhou Lost Word: Cherries Wild
Episode 4
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, isan 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.
All Dungeons & Dragons material and references, including settings, are © Wizards of the Coast. The Fifth Edition rules are used.
The Amber Merichello character and the Penumaria setting, with all characters, locations, and items therein, are © David "David Foxfire" Gonterman.
The character Evelyn Avalona Helvig Marthain by Anna Prosser Robinson: Use was a mere mention of her name.
Special Thanks go to:
Eagleeye2809 (feedback)
Phantom Gardener (Advice)
RobertAkio (feedback)
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 03 OCT 21, Initial Release
Edition 2: Dated 08 OCT 21, Corrected an error on 'Eientei'
Edition 3: Dated 10 OCT 21, Corrected numbering of Chapters
Edition 4: Dated 01 FEB 22, Some small corrections and streamlined Amber's Spell Card Use.
Recap:
When we last left our heroes…After a stopover at two locations to gather some intel on the Soul Crystals, The Hakurei Shrine Maiden began the Usual Suspects Crawl. She does this every time there is an incident to eliminate as suspects the perpetrators she does know, starting at the Scarlet Devil Mansion and progressing in order. But instead of the usual Kirisame Marisa, Hakurei Reimu is accompanied by a new player in the game: Amber Merichello, a magician from a parallel realm known as Penumaria, who found a way to safely unlock these Seal Crystals to gain Spell Cards that she can play.
Once Reimu and Amber arrive at the Scarlet Devil Mansion they were greeted by the Scarlet Sisters, older sister Remilia and Younger sister Flandre. They too, with the assistance of in-house librarian, Patchouli Knowledge, are aware of the Seal Crystals and have taken upon themselves to dispose of them. This would become a conflict with Reimu, but Amber called for a compromise: Both Amber and the Scarlet Devil Mansion can deal with the Seal Crystals as long as they pool their knowledge with each other. Amber would also become a part-time maid in the mansion so that she can gain access to the mansion's library and keep in touch with Patchouli. As Amber would say, the more minds addressing this incident, the better.
But just because there wasn't any conflict doesn't mean the discussion was without incident. A "Code Black and White" alert sounded during negotiations. That is what the Scarlet Devil Mansion calls the discovery of known kleptomaniac Kirisame Marisa in the premises. However, Marisa got caught trying to flee, and she was forced into a punishment: She got locked inside a mouse costume that restricted her use of magic and was dragged away by Flandre as a pet for a while.
Not too soon later, Amber and Patchouli discovered that there was an arcane ritual to safely break open these Seal Crystals as an alternative to Reimu's divine track. Amber got some more Spell Cards from this, including one she already has. A way to deal with doubles is needed.
Reimu and Amber now headed to the stop in the Usual Suspects crawl, Hakugyokurou, the home of Yuyuo SaigyOujou and the Saigyou Ayakashi. They are accompanied by Remilia and her maid, Sakuya Izayoi. When we pick up from here, they had already been caught up by the Seven-Colored Puppeteer, Alice Margatroid.
Chapter 5
Day 1: Dusk
The Skies over the Road of Liminality
Altitude at around 2300 feet.
"You finally busted Marisa Kirisame?!" Alice couldn't help herself. She was laughing too much, and so were her dolls. "It was about time you caught her. Did you put her in that mouse costume you made just for the occasion?"
Remilia Scarlet just smiled like the Cheshire Cat as she nodded. She was right about one thing, the sun might have set in the Scarlet Devil Mansion, but not at the altitude she's hovering at right now. At this height, the sun was still setting in the hills beyond their destination: A series of staircases climbed up the hill until the mist obscured them.
Of course that's when the ever dependable and loyal maid stepped in. Sakuya had the parasol in place before the sun even came into view, ensuring that whatever ultraviolet rays that did reach the vampire were well within the protection of the sunscreen on the vampire. Again, Sakuya made sure she was properly coated. She even has a special spray applicator installed in the Mansion for this.
"She'll be Flan's plaything for a while," Remilia replied. "I'd like to say that this would get that rodent to learn her lesson, but this is the third time we put her in Marisa Mousie."
"And it's a well-made costume, too," Amber replied. "One of my hobbies is cosplay, and I'm known to make my own costumes at times. The modifications Sakuya made with the amusement park costume they found was a great job. Not to mention ensuring nobody's infringing on any copyrights. I wouldn't go for the jingle bells, but I digress." Amber shrugged. "You do you, Oujou-sama."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "You're calling her Oujou-sama?" She crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you agreed to be one of her maids!"
Amber just shrugged. "It was that or I turn into a book thief myself, and I've seen what they do to book thieves."
Remilia and Sakuya both gave a chuckle that.
"Oujou-sama's very curious over Amber, Alice," Sakuya said. "I'm sure we'll treat her well."
"Back on the topic at hand, folks." Reimu interjected. "What bring you here, Alice. It's not like you go for these Usual Suspects Crawls."
"I'm not, I'm here because of the Seal Crystals," Alice said turning to Amber. "I can assume that you're the one who's the major investigator in this for a change, Miss Merichello."
Reimu gave an expression that could be described as 'What the f—?'
"I wouldn't admit that in front of the Hakurei Miko," Amber replied, "but the Seal Crystal Incident is why I'm here, and that's what I'm focusing on. So I'm joining Reimu as she does this Usual Suspect Crawl to gather what I can learn from them so far. Ooof!"
One of Alice's dolls landed on her hat, with a merry "Shanghai!"
"I think that Shanghai likes you." Alice giggled. "When they heard you might be making your own dolls they even brought out a primer book I forgot I still have." She chuckled. "I thought Marisa had it."
Amber nodded. "Have you gotten any of those crystals?" Amber asked.
"Not only that, I got something out of them." Alice showed Amber her hand. It had a ring on all four of her fingers and her thumb. "To recap here, these rings allow me to create threads of mana from my fingers, each one of them can move one of my dolls." To illustrate, she willed one of them to appear, a shimmering string from her finger to one of the dolls, who waved at Amber. "I'm not called a Puppeteer for nothing, tee hee. Buuuut, one of my Shanghais is not like the others."
She pointed to the one on Amber's head.
"That one doesn't have a string or connected to my rings at all."
Reimu looked at the doll on Amber's pointed hat and gave her a raspberry.
Remilia was surprised as well. "You finally got a doll that can act on her own?"
"Not…yet. I still have to control them; I just don't need a string. All thanks to what I got from those seal crystals." She beckoned the string-free Shanghai back to her.
As the doll floated back, Amber noticed a crystal on her back. "Whoa, I am sensing an aura coming from the gem. You mind if I get a closer look on that thing on your back, little one?" She ever so gently held the doll to inspect the crystal. "Yep, there's a magic in there. We often use gems, crystals, and even some metals to hold a spell back in my world. You could even customize a spell can with minute detail in a gem like this one." Amber then let the Shanghai hop back over to Alice.
"How were you able to crack open a Seal Crystal?" Reimu asked Alice. "You got one of those books that was in the Human Village?"
"I have one of my own," Alice said. "As you know, Amber-kun...You're a magician yourself, you tend to study a lot. I've been in an incident before that had crystals like these, so I kept notes…" Alice had a Shanghai whisper in her ear. "Oh, and I had my dolls do the majority of the ritual while I was in a safe distance."
Reimu had to chuckle at that.
"Three of my dolls did not blow up in vain. I finally got one open and got that gem I mounted on that doll, and not it has what some could call a wireless connection."
"Certainly an improvement," Amber said. "Now you're not restricted to the number of fingers you have."
Alice smiled at Amber's curiosity over the Shanghais, but something pinged at her. Amber does have some magic abilities, but she thought that someone from a world like Penumaria would be more awestruck at what's Alice is doing. There's something about Amber that she's not showing, yet.
"I hope to find some more gems from these crystals. When I examined them for the first time, I sensed the powerful magic in them. I knew I could use it for my dolls. From the range of motion to reaction time to even how many I can control and how far they can be from me before they fall, everything in my puppetry craft is dictated by the amount of magic I put in them, both with the amount of mana I can draw and how I apply it. These crystals give my magic a boost."
Reimu snapped her fingers. "That clinches the theory we've having, Amber. These crystals do different things to when different people opens them. Yukari makes them explode, Alice gets doll-enhancing crystals, you get spell cards. Who knows what Patchy's gonna get?"
"Oooor," Amber replied. "Maybe they're opening to different variations of that ritual. I have to admit that I copied your ritual, Reimu. I didn't change it at all, just did an arcane version of it. I'd like to see where you did it differently, Alice. Maybe that would be the key."
"And maybe Patchy gets it different as well and out pops something new from those crystals," Remilia said. "I can't wait to see what you'll do with them, Alice. Maybe get that Goliath Doll going for more than three minutes. That crystal you have installed now never did hold a decent charge. It turns from a blue to a flashing red way too soon. And that alarm's a bit too loud."
"If I can use these gems to expand the duration of that color timer, I could be well on my way to my goal. A fully sentient doll which can move, act, and live on her own, without me controlling them. It can be done, I know it." The sparkle in Alice's eyes when she said that is unmistakable. "I guess that makes us rivals in your campaign, Amber."
"Oh, on the contrary, Alice. Maybe we can get together on them. My goal is to understand how these Seal Crystals work so that I can find out where they come from and if there's anyone behind them. For right now, as I said, the best way to do that is to have as many people on this as possible. With more people putting their brainpower together, we'll get to important discoveries quicker."
"Sounds like a plan," Alice said. "Oh, Reimu said you get…Spell Cards?"
Amber pulled out a couple from the book. "I'm still learning Spell Card Battles, and I definitely need to create my defense deck."
"You've got Reimu and Marisa's favorite bombs?"
"Heavens know what else I can get out of these Seal Crystals."
"She can do my Gungnir as well," Remilia asked. "Amber's well on her way to becoming quite a mover and shaker in the Spell Card scene. I really can see her battle with just about every spell card in the history of Gensokyo. She already smacked Marisa with her own Master Spark."
Remilia chuckled as Amber just looked at Amber like 'No frigging way!'
Remilia just continued, "I look forward to having the first ever Mirror Match in the history of Gensokyo." A smirk. "Maybe I have Amber here take advantage of her cosplay and be dressed like me for an added effect. But I digress." She gave Amber a playful squeeze on her arm. "Let's go see if we can find some more crystals over at Yuyuko's to add to your deck."
"Yeah," Reimu deadpanned, "until she tries to eat one of them."
Amber raised an eyebrow. "Eating a Seal Crystal?"
Chapter 6
Day 1, Dusk
Hakugyokurou
The front gates of Hakugyokurou start at the shores at the other side of the Sanzu River. The stairs begin at a foot of a large hill. Amber thought back to memories of palaces, churches, and even ancient burial mounds, both in the Outside World and in Penumaria, that had stairs made this way. The stairs go up flight by flight, with some platforms in case someone needs to stop and catch their breath (but with everyone able to fly, that's not going to be a problem.) The stairs go up and eventually into a thick white mist, which Amber hoped was their destination and not a malevolent presence known to take the unwary and spirit them into a Domain of Dread, especially one made for someone who has just done something truly despicable.
Amber would've gulped and shuddered at the thought if it weren't for her being distracted by the many motes of light surrounding her. She even held one of them, and felt not just the tell tale icy chill of a bodiless spirit, but she could sense something akin to a dreaming consciousness in them.
"Oh great, I just forgot," Reimu said as she slowed down ahead of the group. "You can't fly over this, Remilia, right?"
That got Amber's knowledge of vampires pulled out of her head: There are two major environments that are harmful to someone like Remilia Scarlet: One is the Ultraviolet Radiation of direct sunlight, which can burn a vampire much more easily than a normal human. The other is water with a current. Especially rivers and oceans.
Such as the Sanzu. Remilia couldn't fly over it, or even walk over a bridge. She could, however, take a boat. Or a vehicle across the bridge. And the Sanzu only has a dock up ahead with what looked like a toll box. Amber squinted across the river and noticed a matching dock heading to that path up the hill.
"I got this," Remilia said as she walked up toward the toll box and dropped a coin in it. Within a minute, a skiff appeared and floated up to the nearby dock.
There was a young woman guiding the skiff with an oar. She was a red-haired girl in a flowing blue dress with a white jacket and tight waist belt. She brought a scythe with her, but she had it set aside at the side of the boat. "Oh, I thought you guys would just fly over," she said, but I didn't expect you to have Remilia here."
"Yeah, you know me by now, Komachi-san," Remilia said as she took out a coin from a purse to hand to her. "Heading to Hakugyokurou with my friends."
Komachi nodded with a smile. "Of course, come on in, carefully now…I'm sure to have a lot of spirits join ya…wait a minute…" She gestured toward Amber. "You're not Marisa."
"Neither are you," Amber replied. It was becoming quite a running joke.
"This is Amber Merichello. She's with us," Reimu said as Amber curtsied. "This is Onozuka Komachi, Amber, the ferry…you're still using 'ferryman' are ya."
"Oh come on, Reimu, you know I don't mind being called a 'ferryman'." Komachi just shrugged toward Amber. "I can think of worse fates than being woke." She then bowed. "I'm Onozuka Komachi, I'll be your captain on this ferry. Just keep your hands and legs inside the boat at all times; nobody likes a capsize in this river."
"Domo Arigato," Remilia said as she climbed on board with Sakuya holding her hand.
As the others boarded after her, Amber went back to the mote of light she had in her hand. Between the temperature and the consciousness she detected in them, only meant one thing for the Apprentice Witch of the Woods.
"We call these 'Ghostlights'," she said as she let one of then settle on her hand. "Spirits who arrive in Penumaria from other realms. Once every new moon in the Barony of Chronicla, not too far from where I call home, there's a procession of them. They appear in the woods there, they get together on the main road and then go right through Chronicla village. It's quite a spectacle, Grammie takes me there often to watch them. They then travel around a hill until they reach Castle Chronicla where they spiral up the main spire until they fling themselves all throughout the realm."
"Ghostlights eh?" Komachi said. "That Chronicla place is something I'd like to visit, does the baron judge these spirits?"
Amber shook her head. "No, he just likes to watch them as they float away."
"Where do they go," Reimu said.
"To babies still in the womb so they can reincarnate. We get a lot of that in Penumaria."
"Don't they get judged or anything," Komachi replied. "My superior, The Emma Eiki Shiki? Judging spirits is her. Does anyone do that in this Penumaria?"
"From what I've been told by the baron, there is. Have you heard of the Egyptian God Anubis?"
Komachi's eyes lit up. "I have!" She then blushed. "You've gotta excuse me if you find it morbid, Amber-san, but Death and Dying is one of my favorite topics."
"What my eyes have seen, Amber," Remilia said.
"We have an Anubis in our world," Amber continued. "He does that thing with a scale where he…"
Komachi picked up the rest. "…judges the soul by weighing its heart against a feather?"
"Yeah, If it's lighter than that feather, it is considered ready to be sent to their afterlife. If it's heavier than that feather, they get sent to a place called The Carousel, so they hold out there until they're reincarnated again."
"Do you just have ghosts in Penumaria, Amber, or do you have phantoms as well?" Reimu asked.
"Phantoms, Reimu-san? I don't follow."
"Heh, Let me explain. In Shinto, we believe that everything has their own soul."
"That's a Wiccan belief as well. That's behind a lot of my practice. There might be some things lost in the translation, but…"
"…there are similarities," Reimu said with a nod. She smiled, grateful for having some common ground with this otherworlder. "The souls of those who are sentient, like humans and some youkai, can become ghosts, especially if they have some lingering feelings or a strong will that keep them in the mortal world. Some of these souls will join us on the way to Hakugyokurou while the rest stay with Komachi-kun here. But the souls of living things that aren't? Those become phantoms, as well as some souls who are so content and ready to move on that they pass onto the afterlife on their own. These phantoms don't have anything that can reincarnate, but they're just an intangible cold mass of spirit energy."
There was a slight bump as the boat connected with a dock. Komachi managed to cross the river while everyone's talking. "This is your stop, guys," Komachi said. "Just let me know when you want to come back. Just drop a yen in that box there."
"You have to charge us both ways?" Reimu said with a groan, and a terse glance toward the vampire.
"You could have me pay for all of you." Remilia as she gave a trademark haughty smile as she gave her wings a couple beats to get airborne, with Sakuya following suit.
Amber had to mutter to Alice, 'Everyone other than Remilia can fly over the river, right?'
"I don't want to be in any further debt by you then I have to," Reimu shot back as she stepped out of the doc and returned to floating in the air.
"We'll let you know when we're ready, Komachi-san," Amber said.
"Sure thing, Amber-san. Let's meet up sometimes, I'd like to hear more about what you do with spirits in this Penumaria. Is it like another Gensokyo? Eiki told me there could be others."
"That's something I'd be thinking when I look up into the stars at night. Maybe we'll talk about it next time we bump into each other. Thanks for the lift." Amber smiled as she hopped on her broom and shot out toward the stairs.
]]]============[[[
Amber's eyes followed the stair climb up the mountain into the mist that laid between her and this Hakugyokurou place. Lined by both sides by a row of lanterns, all of them now aglow, with all the ghostlights breaking away and proceeding onward. "Just follow the stairs, right?" She decided to keep low, between the row of lanterns, so that she'd have a path to follow.
"The mists are thick tonight," Reimu said as Amber zipped past her. "Be careful."
All this time seeing her best friend fly on the broom, and Reimu didn't bother to ask Marisa Kirisame how it works. Amber, however, could tell the Hakurei Shrine Maiden everything about a broom of flying. She knows how to enchant one, has done the various formulas and enchantments used in their construction, and even tricked her broom out.
There was more than just a big bow on the brush end. The front tip had a bend that allowed for a set of eyebolt drilled in place, perfect for tying a bag of two up front. Or a lantern that she snapped her fingers to light. There was a leather wrapping to give her more grip and burlap rolled over the shaft so she can sit in comfort.
While Reimu expected all of the modifications to that broom from someone like Amber Merichello, the last one Amber showed was something Reimu didn't: Amber reached behind and pulled out a metal armature from the brush end, it's top having a brace for her Hakkero. When she clicked the armature back down, that Hakkero is at a perfect place on the back of the broom. Where it produced a jet for some extra thrust.
Which is part of how a broom of flying works. The enchantments in the magic item generates of two forces: Levitation, where it resists gravity, and causes it to float in the air, and Thrust to move it forward. (The second thrust can go in reverse for a break.) Someone riding the broom can then steer it like you would a bike, only they can go up and down as well.
And with the added thrust of the Hakkero, Amber popped a wheelie as she booked straight toward the steps.
"Someone tell Amber she's not going to make that turn, Reimu!"
The stairs toward Hakugyokurou don't go up in a straight line, they zig zag using the platforms as corners. Corners that Amber flat out attacked. As she raced up the flight of stairs to one of those platforms, she spun her broom toward the next flight of stairs she could see. She entered the platform sliding into the next flight of stairs.
Reimu made it to the platform just so see Amber do that turn. "Wait, was that a…"
"Oujou-sama!" Sakuya gasped as she caught up. "Is that what the boys call…drifting?"
Remilia just smiled. "She's just a bag of tricks, ain't she? I have to say that slide was graceful to see. She really practiced that. I…wouldn't attempt it myself, but I digress."
Amber didn't let up when she reached the fog. She saw enough of the lit up stairs to know where to drift towards. In fact, she didn't slow down until she broke through the fog. That was when Amber made it to the uppermost part of the path, where the path was framed, not just with the lanterns, but also by blossoming cherry trees.
She slowed down enough for the others to catch up to her. "You should get into some races with Marisa, Amber," Reimu mused.
"Magnificent, isn't it, Amber," Remilia said as she glided over to the trees. "There's more cherry trees here than the eyes can see, and you're just in time too. They keep their blooms for a long time up here."
Reimu pouted with crossed arms. "W-we have cherry blossoms in the Hakurei Shrine too."
Remilia raised an eyebrow. "It isn't a competition, Hakurei Reimu. Your shrine's a lot easier to reach."
"That's why we all show up at your place for a cherry blossom viewing party," Alice added.
"And Oujou-sama brings the top-notch wine for the occasion," Sakuya said. "The Scarlet Devil Mansion is known for two things, the fearsome and esteemed mistress."
Remilia hummed at that.
"…and our special blend of Champaign du le Stomp. We even have a special blend with hints of sake in…"
Amber's jaw nearly hit the broom she was on.
"…pardon?"
"Did you just say, 'Champaign du le Stomp'?"
Remilia's eyes lit up when she saw Amber's reaction. "You know of the Wizard of Wines."
"There's such a winery in Penumaria, and it has a very storied history. I…I don't think you have heard of Barovia."
Ramilia just laughed with the requisite haughty expression on her face. "O-hohohohohohoho! My dear Amber, where do you think I get the wine from?"
If Amber's eyes were any wider, they'd be falling off her skull.
"So you have heard of a Strahd von Zarovich?"
"What kid in Penumaria hasn't heard the story of the Devil Strahd."
"Then you have heard of the challenge he gives all of his...guests." Once again Remilia gave her haughty chuckle. "This is when someone goes to Madam Eva to get their fortunes told, where she gives clues over the location of three relics: Strahd's journal, a holy symbol that originated in Barovia, and a sword made of pure sunshine. You're supposed to gather all three of these relics and then go to Strahd's Castle Ravenloft and face him, and if you're really good or lucky or both, defeat him."
Amber raised an eyebrow. "And you're telling me you actually done that."
"And to this day, the Dark Powers regret summoning the Mists of Ravenloft on me." Remilia cleared her throat. "You probably don't know that Strahd actually times how long it takes for his guests to either be successful or be destroyed. He knew that I'd eventually beat him. He just didn't know how long it took for me to do it:"
She paused for dramatic effect.
"Two days, thirteen hours, and twenty-three minutes."
Amber was in awe. "Oh. My God."
"As far as I know, it's a record that stands to this day. I've beaten the previous record holder, a paladin named Evelyn Marthain, by five whole days."
Sakuya told her the rest. "Count Strahd made a bargain with Oujou-sama in exchange for her sparing him. She can enter and leave Barovia at will, the Mists will not harm her. Also, she gets regular shipments of wine from the Wizard of Wines. Or…she used to, until she managed to get someone from that winery to set up his own winery here."
"Whoa!" And on the heels of that thought, a sense of trepidation fell on Amber. Does Remilia-sama know what happened to Strahd von Zarovich? Should she tell her?
"You should taste the sake he makes," Reimu added.
"And you should've warned me in advance if you're going to bring company on your little Usual Suspects crawl, Hakurei Miko!"
That came from a silver-haired girl wearing a green school uniform and packing two swords on her hip. She eyed the others, and especially Amber, with suspicion. With one hand, she was stroking what Amber thought was a balloon, but at a closer look as she walked up toward the group, it was actually a giant ghostlight. The other hand rested on the handle on one of the swords.
Amber got the feeling that this young lady could just zip across everyone and with a single draw of that sword slice the whole party in two.
"Ah, perfect timing, Youmu. And no, I'm not expecting you or Lady Yuyuko to be a part of this current drama, I just wanted to find out what you know about these blue cubes that's been popping up everywhere."
Youmu didn't move, she just stared at Reimu intently. "You mean those blue cubes that looked like Rubik Cubes with the stickers off."
Reimu sighed. "Don't tell me she's going to try to eat one of them."
Remilia noticed Amber's confused expression. "That would be Lady Yuyuko Saigyouji, Amber. The Ghost Princess of this place. She's known for being a black hole when it comes to pigging out. We had to ban her from all eating contests because every time she's in one she'd blow the doors off everyone else on the table."
Sakuya vouched for her mistress. "She's already pre-banned from the Outside World's International Federation of Competitive Eating because she's too good. The current record they acknowledge for Hot Dogs is Joey Chestnut, who ate 76 Hot Dogs in ten minutes."
Amber whistled.
"Yuyuko can do 154."
"I should know," Youmu said with an exasperated voice. "I was counting them," She then realized she wasn't talking to Marisa. "And who may I ask?"
"She's with me, Youmu." Amber curtsied as Reimu introduced her. "This is Amber Merichello, she came here because of those Seal Crystals, and she's helping me investigating the incident."
"Amber Merichello," Youmu said, as she did a bow. "The other phantoms here told me about someone like you. And you wowed them with the way you came up here on your broom. They said that you can get spell cards from these crystals."
Amber's curiosity got the better of her. "Yeah, I can. By the way, are those real swords."
"Of course they are." Youmu face brightened as she held out her katana. "Even before my family became human-ghost hybrids, we were a samurai clan since the feudal times." She slowly pulled the katana out halfway to show the blade. "My great-great-great-grandfather found himself here before the Meiji Restoration which banned swords. These blades have been passed on from generation to generation. Their names are Roukanken and Hakruouken. They said that there's almost nothing these swords can't cut, from matter to phantoms to even emotions." She slid the sword back in place with an audible click. "I've yet to find anything they couldn't cut. I'm well versed in several sword styles. Kyoto Shinmei-ryu, Getsuga Tensho, Shigure Sown Ryu, even a style that isn't even used anymore: Hiten Misturugi-ryu. I'm probably the only one in the whole multiverse who can successfully do the Amakakreu Ryu no Hirameki. I daren't attempt it though, it's way too dangerous."
"There's a rumor about her family is that they would kill people to test a new blade," Alice said.
Youmu gasped "D-Don't say that! Amber-san would get the wrong idea!"
Amber blinked. "I'm surprised they could actually speak, Youmu-san. The phantoms, that is."
Youmu gave a slight smile and a nod. "When you're half-phantom yourself, you can easily talk to them, and they tend to be chatty. For the record, Yuyuko-sama only has one. She ordered some of the phantoms here to search for more."
"But she didn't try to break them open yet?" Alice asked. "They'd explode if you don't unseal them right."
Youmu stepped back with a nervous expression. "E…explode?!"
"That's what we're trying to keep from happening, Youmu-san," Amber replied. "Right now we're lucky, there hadn't been much detonations since Yukari created the one that sent me here."
"Th-they can explode?!" Youmu was shaking. "That's no good! I'll have to fix all the buildings...uhh, I'm growing faint just thinking about it."
"Don't the phantoms do that for you?" Reimu asked. "I thought they did the cooking and laundry here as well."
"That's how things are supposed to work," Youmu sighed. "But I'm pretty much the only one around here with a physical body with hands."
Being that she had to deal with fairy maids, Sakuya gave Youmu a sympathetic look of, 'I know, right?' At least the human servants were marginally better.
"As much as a mess I could make," Reimu said in an attempt to get back on track, "Yuyuko would make an even bigger one if she makes that soul crystal explode."
Youmu went back to her defensive stance. "I beg to differ, Hakurei Reimu. The last time we had an incident here…"
"Oh come on…"
Amber was sniffing the air. "Hey, gals. Do you smell smoke?"
The others inhaled and noticed the same thing. "Looks like it's coming from…"
Youmu's eyes turned into pinpricks. "Don't tell me…that Yuyuko-sama…is trying to cook?!"
And with that, she bolted up the stairs.
Amber just shrugged to Reimu and hopped back on her broom.
"I would say that's a clever way to getting past Youmu-kun…" Reimu said as she followed, along with Alice.
"But that's clearly smoke," Remilia replied. "What is that foolish girl doing?"
"We better stop her, Oujou-sama," Sakuya replied. "Before she blows up Hakugyokurou. Or worse, subjects us to her cooking."
Chapter 7
Day 1: Dusk
Hakugyokurou
The sight of the place stopped Amber in her tracks. She just floated there taking it all in.
The line of cherry trees gave way to a wide Japanese palace that seem to stretch out to both sides and reach out toward her, as if it wanted to bring her into its embrace like the forest does back home. In the middle of these two wings of the palace was the biggest zen garden she ever saw. At first, she thought that all that white space was just tiles until she noticed the rocks placed in random points and ghostlights moving over the sand, creating those evenly-spaced lines that stretch across and wind around obstacles. Amber kept on her broom so that she won't disturb their work as she floated toward what could be the largest cherry tree she ever seen. At least she assumed it was a cherry tree. The tree was barren, without a single bloom, and a large rope with several zig zag Shide dangling from it was wrapped around its trunk.
She was so awestruck over the beauty of it all—even with the tree; Amber thought was dead, but as she floated closer, she could sense it was just sleeping—that she almost didn't noticed the pink haired noblewoman in a flowing blue dress. With the veil behind her head and the triangle with the ghost symbol on the crown of her mob cap, it made her wonder if she was buried in it.
As she moved up to her, she didn't as much as walked as much as floated, Amber could sense that she is indeed a ghost, even though her body looked solid enough and much too colorful as normal ghosts go..
"The Saigyou Ayakashi cherry tree," she said in a very chipper and a bit ditzy voice. "It's actually a youkai who lures people at the end of their lives to spend their final moments resting under her branches. I get a lot of people to come here in their last moments of their lives. The sight of the tree blossoming as they expire can add a lot of sweetness to the usually sad moment." She glided toward this strange deep purple witch who was definitely not Marisa, fanning herself with an ornate paper fan. "I can think of worse ways to pass away. Something tells me that you're not here to end your life, though, but I can keep a spot for you when you do."
"Heh, I'll keep it in mind." Amber said and stepped off her broom to curtsy. "Amber Merichello…"
The noblewoman's eyebrows raised in surprise when she did that. Someone she didn't expect it coming from her. But she returned the curtsy. "Saigyouzi Yuyuko-sama. Welcome to my humble palace of Hakugyokurou. The other spirits here noticed you just pop into Gensokyo earlier today. You really impressed them with your drifting on the way up here. What brings you here, may I ask?"
Amber poked a thumb back to the staircase where Reimu was just cresting the climb. "Usual Suspects Crawl. I'm accompanying the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, but I smelled something burning."
"Oh, my," Yuyuko gasped. "I was hoping nobody would notice." She then pulled out a familiar blue cube. "That happened when I just realized that this wasn't food."
Amber flinched. "That's a Seal Crystal, milady. I was sent here by one of them from a sleeve in her flowing kimono. I've been investigating this incident ever since."
By this time Reimu approached the pair. "What in the name of the Kamis were you doing with that crystal, Yuyuko?!"
Youmu was behind her. "And where is that Seal Crystal, Yuyuko-sama? I don't think it's edible."
"That's what they're called, Youmu-chan," Yuyuko said. "I collected a lot of them, five in total, and so I did the usual things with them."
The just arriving Alice, Remilia, and Sakura gave Amber and Reimu a glance that just said, 'This can't be good.'
"I wasn't sure what to do at first," Yuyuko began, "since they're so firm. The two main options I had were to boil them or steam them whole…"
That made Amber's mouth grow dry.
"I thought that maybe steaming would bring out the flavor better, but then, it came to me…maybe I should fry them to make tempura!"
Almost everyone shouted out, "YUYUKO!"
"Bad ghost!" Reimu said as she snatched the cube out of her hand.
"That would be taking things too far, Lady Yuyuko," Remilia scolded, "and that's coming from me. Those things explode if you don't know what you're doing with them."
Yuyuko was in utter shock. "Ex-explode?! Oh my goodness!"
Youmu went to Yuyuko with a candy bar, waving it in front of her nose. "Yuyuko-sama, eat a Snickers. You're dangerous when you're hungry."
"But I'm always hungry!" Yuyuko protested while snatching the candy bar.
"But I don't want to have an explosion here, Yuyuko-sama," Youmu said as…whoosh-chooon…Sakuya was a step ahead of everyone collecting all the Seal Crystals. "Or worse, they might explode inside your stomach."
That caused Yuyuko to recoil. "Eeeeew, now that you mentioned it. Oh, go on, get those things away from me before I blow up something. Maybe even the Saigyou Ayakashi. I want to see it bloom not get launched into low Gensokyo orbit." She sighed and turned to Reimu. "I could sense a lot of youkai energy in them, and they tend to sparkle when I brought him to the palace."
"Closer to that tree?"
Yuyuko nodded. "I was tempted to just gather them around the tree…but then my stomach rumbled."
Reimu groaned. "Thank the Kamis for your black hole stomach!" She then turned to Amber. "The last time she tried to get the Saigyou Ayasashi to bloom, it plunged the rest of Gensokyo into an extended winter. Everybody else in Gensokyo were complaining like mad."
"It was a perfect backdrop to test my latest doll attacks, though," Alice mused.
"Shanghai, Shanghai!" One of the dolls yanked on Alice's collar and pointed toward Amber.
"Oh! Amber, why don't you show Yuyuko what you can get from them…"
]]]============[[[
Day 1: Night
Genbu Ravine
The Seal Crystal opened with a satisfying pop in front of the blue twin-pigtailed girl with a puffy dress with way too many pockets. She was sitting on a backpack nearly as big as she was at her workbench. "Yes! I knew I had the key in doing that!"
Genbu Ravine was created with a mountain spring spilling a bed of lava from when Youkai Mountain was still volcanic, before the Great Hakurei Barrier cut it off from the Outside world's magma. Over time it created a network of vertical and geodesical columns that give the place an otherworldly air. The water spills over a series of waterfalls until it passes through the ravine and eventually toward the Sanzo River.
The Genbu Ravine is the home of several dozen kappa, who are known for their industriousness and inventiveness. Especially one Nitori Kawashiro, who has just found out how to safely open a Seal Crystal. She celebrated her success with a pump of her arm.
But at her next heartbeat, she wondered if her victory was premature. The smaller cubes that spun around after they were released spun around in a wider and wider circle, just barely missing the kappa.
"Whaaa whaaa, what's going on? What's it doing?"
After a couple more minutes, she found the blocks swarm around her workshop, making a formation not unlike a murmuration of starlings darting about her room.
"It looks like it's looking for something!"
They were. And they found it when they reached a cylinder-shaped device with a screw on lid and a small LED screen. Nitori almost forgot that the item was even there or what it was until she saw the label: Nito-Fusion Mark 1.
"Isn't that the device I made during that incident with the Kourintower-Whaaaagh!"
It glow a bright light then a blinding flash for a few seconds.
When Nitori got her vision back, she noticed that the cylinder now had a slot that looked wide enough to slide those spell cards in.
She picked up the Nitro Fusion. "Let's see if this thing still works."
She switched it on, causing a light hum and the screen to turn on, followed by an electronic voice:
"Nitori Kawashiro Special Material Fusion Device Mark 2 Version 1 point 0, booting up. System Check…10…30…55…70…90…95…Complete. Nito System Stand By!"
Nitori just tiled her head as it looked it over. "Now why did they do that? And more importantly, what did it do to the Nito Fusion." Nitori sighed and then smiled. "Only one way to find out."
She placed the Nito Fusion on the table, pulled out nearly all of her tools from her backpack, and started to work. "Spell Cards, eh? I wonder if there's anyone who has them.
]]]============[[[
Day 1: Night
Hakugyokurou
Amber made sure she had enough room to demonstrate this particular Spell Card. Fortunately, there was plenty of open air above the zen garden. Which was good because a fan thirty feet wide started to spread behind her.
"Spell Card! Karei "Suwarooteiru Batafurai"
With a loud swoooooch! a mass of butterfly shaped bullets streaked out from the card she held. It stretched out from her in spirals, creating a near hypnotic effect as they filled the sky above the garden.
It provided a successful test for this high-powered spell card (which was still set at Easy) as well as an awe-inspiring firework display.
Yuyuko just stood there with a goofy smile on her face. "I knew my spell cards was beautiful, but to see them from the Attacker's point of view…Do you think you could get all of my spell cards and I could have a Mirror Match?"
"That's exactly what I was hoping, Yuyuko," Remilia said. "I want her to get as many spell cards as she could because of that."
"There's just one problem though," Amber replied as she floated down, pulling out a pair of 'Spirit Sign: Fantasy Seal (Easy)' cards. "I need to find something to do with duplicates. I doubt I want to have a whole shelf full of copies of Easy cards."
"We'll be looking into that as soon as we can, Amber," Reimu said. "Youmu, do you have all the Seal Crystals collected?"
"Sakuya-san beat me to them, Reimu."
Yuyoko nodded. "If you see more of them, then, let's drop them off at the Hakurei Shrine. Reimu and Amber here knows what to do with them more than I do. The last thing I want is to have them explode in my tummy."
"Of course, Yuyuko-sama," Youmu turned to Amber. "I really appreciate you getting them away from Yuyuko." She sighed. "She really did try to eat one. I'll keep any new ones from her until I can get them to you."
"Arigato, Youmu-san."
"The next stop's Eientei, but…" Reimu started to yawn. "We can do that tomorrow, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Amber responded. "I'd like to check to see if my stagecoach is camp anyway."
"I heard that Mystia's bringing her lamprey cart over by the Forest of Magic," Alice added. "We should stop by. You should try some, Amber. They're good."
"I'll stay for a while more if you don't mind," Remilia said. "I want to touch base with Yuyuko some more, and besides, I have to take the ferry back across on the way home because reasons." She shrugs, giving everyone a wry smile.
"I'll let you know when I have your uniform ready, Amber," Sakuya added. "I'd like to have it fitted on you before you can get properly orientated."
As Amber nodded, Reimu just shook her head.
Alice's eyes widened a bit. "Don't tell me she…"
Chapter 8
Day 1: Night
Kourindou.
Gensokyo has two food carts that travel outside the Human Village. One was a ramen cart, operated from the noodle resturaunt in the Human Village and ran by their son. The other is a longer running lamprey eel cart owned by Mystia Lorelei, a Youkai Night Sparrow. That's the one Reimu, Alice, and Amber found while she was just outside of her while she was going into the Magic Forest, but when she saw the pair, with a new friend, she decided to set it up just outside of Kourindou. Rinnosuke Morichika just finished with having dinner there and was headed back inside to call it a day when Mystia saw the trio float down toward her. So she didn't bother breaking things down and just welcomed them in.
Amber hadn't tasted Eel until tonight, but Amber always was the kind of girl who go, 'I'd eat anything once, twice if I like it,' so she's willing to try anything new—at least to her—just to see if she something surprises her.
Like Mystia's fried eel Kabayaki. If the sizzling grill bringing out the aromas was good enough, so was the taste. "I've gotta get the recipe on this," Amber said with a smile and stars in her eyes.
The sparrow youkai just wiggled her nose. "Family secret I'm afraid. I've gotta keep my customers coming."
"No argument from me," Amber said as she dropped a couple coins. "Keep the change."
"Oh, domo arigato, Amber-san. I'd stop by more often so you can get more."
Reimu told Amber that Mystia knows a lot of youkai through her business, so she's picked up more than her fair share of secrets, so she made it a promise not to spread any rumors. 'I'll leave that for that Papergirl Kengu,' Mystia says.
That reassured the otherworlder magician when the discussion segued to Amber's backstory.
"So you were born in the Outside World," Alice said, "and you ended up in Penumaria where you learned magic there, I can understand why you're keeping it a secret."
Mystia just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't blame you," was all she said about it.
"I have to tell you, you being from Earth, it's not much of a secret if people here recognize that you talk like a…what's the word…hoose head?"
"That would be 'Hoosier'." Amber replied. "I was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. I found myself in a 'gap,' I believe that's what you call them here, that took me to Penumaria's answer to the Forest of Magic. That's when Grandmother Nalladrie found me and took me in as her apprentice. I consider that forest my real home."
"That's probably why, if I were to try to send you back to the Outside World, the Great Hakurei Barrier wouldn't as much as budge," Reimu said. "I won't be able to send you back to an Outside World you didn't come from. That's a first for me."
Amber nodded. "You've didn't expect there would be alternate Gensokyos, Reimu-san."
"Especially ones that more resemble Medieval Europe instead of Medieval Japan, if your style of magic is of any indication," Alice said. "I take it you study your magic a lot?"
Amber nodded. "When I found out that I can do magic, it opened up a huge world for me. Ever since I started to cast a spell, I was focused on how these spells work. I want to do to a spell what some people do to a toaster; take it apart to see how it works so that I can tweak it to do different things. I'm already figuring out how to do danmaku, and you saw what I was capable of with my Hakkero."
"I noticed," Alice said. "Does other magicians where you're from study magic like you do."
"Of course they do. There's plenty of schools and philosophies when it comes to magic in my world. From the Ivy Tower Scholar researching high powered spells, to the hedge which so in tune with a single cantrip that they find new affects from the spell nobody else found. There are volumes of things still being written on Prestidigitation alone. We have a college in Penumaria about a couple days away from my home, Strixhaven by name, that focuses on magic as if it were science." That caused Alice, Reimu and even Mystia to blink. "They even write papers and keep academic journals on this stuff. I know the magicians here take magic seriously…well, at least you take it seriously, Alice."
Alice had to giggle at that.
"But we take it to another level in Penumaria." Amber sighed. "I get the feeling that Strixhaven would want me to write a report on all of my findings here in Gensokyo. But I won't be doing that right off the bat when I get home. I want to wait til I understand things enough for me to feel Penumaria's ready for it."
"And that's still further down the time stream, wouldn't it, Amber?" Alice said. "You have plenty on your plate now."
"Yeah. Right now, I'm focused on these Seal Crystals. All three of us can open them, and I'm theorizing that if the ritual is done differently, the Crystals produce different results." She turned to Alice. "I'd like to see what you did differently."
Alice nodded, but then she saw a quartet of Shanghais float over to her, each with a crystal on their backs, carrying a book. "Oh, looks like my dolls brought that book we talked about. Let's take things to the Hakurei Shrine so I can show you it."
"Yeah," Amber replied. "And I already have a home base set up too, with a place where we can talk about it."
Day 1 Night
Hakurei Shrine Grounds
"Whoa," Alice said as she saw the stagecoach off to the left. "Is that yours, Amber? And where did you get it from, I didn't see you come here with it."
Amber nodded. "I kept it in a fairy bottle until I needed it."
Alice nodded. "Oh, a fairy bottle. That makes sense."
"And speaking of fairies…" Reimu said as she pointed to what Amber first through were large wasps hovering around the wagon. But then Amber focused her ears as she quietly approached, making out the trio who was bussing around the open tent heading to the wagon's front door. The tent that had a table with some chairs, perfect for a private moment with tea.
"You can't get that door open, Star?" said the blonde with ringlets on the sides and the white dress.
"I've seen less tighter drums, Luna," said the brunette with the blue dress, who was doing what she could to pick at the lock with a needle.
Amber chuckled to herself, knowing that not only would it be so futile to such a novice, but they haven't realized that they triggered any traps. Traps meant to be non-lethal. Which means that they wouldn't be aware of them until way too late. Like that glowing circle on the mat lining the floor of that tent.
"Someone must've heard of Kirisame Marisa before they brought this wagon here!" said the redhead with the red dress. "The wards on this place is like nothing I've ever seen."
"Do you think it came from that otherworldly witch we heard about, Sunny?" said the blonde.
"Has to be." Sunny, the redhead, said. "I just hope she's the friendly type. I hate to be the one put in a stew."
That's when Amber let the three fairies know she's there. "Now why would I want to do that?!"
All three fairies turned around saw what they first thought was Marisa, but Marisa never wore a deep purple dress or had a hat that weird. They all gasped. Especially when Amber started to act like a hag. In fact, while she was listening in, she cast a spell that made her resemble a hag, with winkled skin, a beak-like nose, yellowed eyes, and more teeth than she should have in her head. In this guise, she hunched over, rubbed her hands, and gave a wicked smile. "You're much too skinny, I don't know where you've been, it would be a bitch to cook the three of you, and you'd no doubt taste terrible."
All three fairies screamed out a GHAAAAAAA! And tried to bolt out of the tent.
Only to end up bouncing around inside the tent like Tinker Bell getting yeeted into a wild bouncing ricochet trajectory, complete with pinball sounds, all thanks to that Magic Circle Amber set up and they triggered when they picked at the lock. After about twenty seconds of this, all three of them plopped on the table half-unconscious and seeing stars.
"Told you she got it rigged!" Another tiny voice from behind a tent flap bellowed out, a blonde fairy that wore a jester's motley styled like the American Flag. She took one look at Amber, who was still putting up the act. "Ulp! Eff Tee Ess I'm out!" And she bolted for an opening under the shrine.
"The redhead's Sunny Milk, the blonde's Luna Child, and the brunette's Star Sapphire," Alice told Amber as she turned off the illusion and returned to her normal pretty face. "They're called the Fairies of Light and they're notorious pranksters. But not as much as that jester in the Stars and Stripes. That's Clownpiece. You'll see more of her. She crashes under the shrine, after all."
Reimu had to chuckle. "I think they've heard of you."
Sunny woke up first and she looked at Amber as if she were a mouse about to be worried by a cat. She went on her hands and knees and bowed profusely. "Please-don't-eat-us-please-don't-eat-us-please-don't-eat-us."
"Didn't I tell you I wouldn't eat you?" Amber said with a cackle.
"We got caught in a magic circle," Luna managed to mutter. "It must've switched on when we tried to pick that lock."
"We're sorry, miss otherworldly witch, we didn't mean to break into your house."
"You're apologizing?" Amber said as she used a pin to deactivate the Magic Circle. "I was the one who was having too much fun watching you three a-dor-a-ble little pranksters." She only tapped at the lock and it popped open on its own, much to the trio's surprise. "And I do feel bad about pranking you back. If I give you three some sweets, would you…ahem…restrain yourselves from any more testing the Marisa-proofness of my stagecoach."
"Marisa-proofing?" Sunny said. "What make you think that you're going to…" Then she saw a couple books in locked glass cases on the inside walls. "Oooooooooh."
Luna gave her an elbow. "Told you she had it Marisa Proofed."
The other two fairies giggled as Amber reached into another cabinet. "I have something special for little cuties like you three. I have this stagecoach for when I have to do any traveling, and I have all the supplies I need. And that includes something we call Lembas. My Grandmother's an elf who knows the recipe. A good bite'll keep you going a whole day, and their leaf wrappings keep them fresh for a long time." Amber pulled out a triangular shape covered by a leaf with a waxy appearance. "I got them in several flavors, but this flavor I keep just for this occasion," Amber then unrapped the leaves to reveal what looked like a cookie with multicolored candy bits. "I call it Fairy Nip."
"Oh my gosh!" Star gasped.
"Is that...sprinkles?!" Luna added.
"You really know how to get to a fairy's heart," Sunny said as she salivated.
Amber tore off half of it and rewrapped the half for the fairies. "Just a little bit will do ya, and be sure that Clownpiece gets some. I can hear her sniff from under the mouse hole in the floorboards."
"Thanks, missus!" Sunny said.
"And good job on that hag mask, witch lady," Star replied. "That really got us good."
"Thanks," Amber nodded as she watches the trio flutter way. "After a few good nibbles they'd be snoozing it off, she told Alice as she showed her inside. Cupcakes with sprinkles are like weed to a fairy."
"That's something I had to do myself. I take it you know he recipe yourself?"
"I might need to get an oven to make more. One of the few things I don't have in here. To the left is the bed, where I can go to crash." Said bed was a plush, if not overly cramped, mattress, which Amber flipped up to reveal a cabinet for clothes. There was a central ally that had enough space for a chair that…
"And my study deck is to the right, where most of the magic happens," Amber said as she flipped down the tray of a Secretary's desk she had installed on the right side. All of the desk's compartments and shelves were filled with pens, papers, inks, jars and vials of regents, and a locked bookshelf—Alice could see three locks and sensed one glyph; Amber really did plan ahead—at the far wall and another under the table. "If I need to make a scroll, do some note keeping, or just to have a place to get my thoughts together, it'll be done here," Amber said as she fidgeted at a couple locks under the table, "The tent up front is for guests, I have a kitchen at the back, and when I need to move it, I have a ritual to summon a horse."
Alice had to whistle at that. "You really planned ahead."
"Well, I was about to go on an adventure or two. I had some time to plan ahead and figure out what I need for a traveling home base. I got this stagecoach after taking out a bunch of bandits; it's quite a godsend." Amber pulled out a notebook. "I wanted to start my adventuring with some style. I just didn't count on starting it in Gensokyo." She showed Alice the notebook. "Here's what I got as far as doll design which I want to use for minions. I'm calling them the Swallowtails."
Alice gave her a smile. "And already I'm saying 'good for you,' for making your dolls different. I was afraid you'd just clone Shanghai."
"I take it you had people who tried to do a blatant copy of you before," Amber said.
"You don't even know, Amber-kun." Alice sighed as she looked down on the drawing of a doll with strawberry blond ponytail hair, a short skirted apron dress, and butterfly wings. It was in contrast with the Shanghai that was pondering the picture alongside with her puppeteer, with long flowing blonde hair, long skirt, and a shawl over her shoulders. The doll cooed out a "Shanghai" with a smile as she pointed at the model name: Swallowtail Mark 1.
"She approves," Alice replied.
"The only thing I think I'd have to duplicate is how you get them to move."
"That's where this book my dolls brought comes in," Alice said as she placed that book on the table. "I'm surprised it wasn't under some pile of tomes gathering dust in that hoarder's dump Marisa calls her house. It contains everything you'll need to set up a doll like how I normally do it. You'll be needing a ring when you get your doll assembled. Do you have sewing experience, Amber?"
Amber nodded. "I used to make my own cosplay costumes. I have a small sewing kit, but I didn't have room here for a machine."
Alice hummed, knowing the limitation of space Amber had to use. "Maybe I can let you use mine until you find your own. As for supplies, I frequent a couple businesses in the Human Village, a carpenter, a seamstress, and a jeweler. Those three always keep a supply of parts left over from other projects that I can make into doll parts, and I'm sure they'll do the same for you. We just have to make sure we both don't send out orders to them at the same time. But I have enough supplies stocked up to hold me for a while. What kind of metals do you have with you?"
"I have a vault on the roof, hidden by a panel. About two pounds of silver and three pounds of mithril."
"Mythril," Alice raised an eyebrow. "That should work. There's a jeweler next door that would make bands for you. All he needs is the materials and to measure your fingers. You'll need to get them custom made, and preferably one for all ten fingers."
"Got it," Amber said. "The worst I might need to do is worry about getting the yen to pay them."
"I doubt that would be the problem, Amber-san. May I come in, or are you and Alice-san busy?"
That came from a very mature woman's voice from just outside the tent. Amber walked out to find a short hair blonde woman with a mob cap with two triangular points on top, with a flowing white dress with purple hems and a blue tabard, but what was really catching Ambers eyes was the tails behind her.
All nine of them.
There are two things in the world that would make Amber Merichello's heart skip a beat: Wings and Tails.
"Just to let you know before we do anything else," Amber said with a sheepish grin. "I'm really resisting the urge to just pounce into that fluffy brush behind you."
The kitsune just chuckled and rubbed her head. "I appreciate your restraint, Miss Amber Merichello, is it?" Amber nodded. "I'm Yakumo Ran, Yukari's Shinigami. I believe 'Hail and Well Met' is a proper greeting to you."
Amber chuckled. "You've done your research."
"In case you're wondering, yes, I'm a kitsune. And yes, I'm sensitive toward people going for my tails. Besides, they're usually occupied by someone who's more amenable to scritches." She gave her tails a shake. "Chen, come out here, someone wants to take a look at you."
There was a couple growls, but then an inquisitive meow, as what looked at first was a child appearing out of all that golden fluff. But then she noticed the pointed ears in her brown hair and a pair of slender tails floating out from her red dress. She acted more catlike as she moved closer to the girl in the witch's dress. "You're not Marisa," she said as she sniffed at her.
"Neither are you," Amber said as she got to her knees. "You must be Chen. You friendly?"
Chen just meowed again, tilted her head and sniffing ahead, trying to figure this stranger out. But then Amber let out a murrrrrrrrick with her throat that just drew the cat youkai closer. It proved inviting to Chen because within seconds, she was getting petted on the head, purring loud enough to register on the Richter Scale.
"Hi there, Ran," Alice said. "Is your mistress talking with Reimu now."
"Yes, she just returned to this woman's Mistress."
At first Amber went "My Mistress, what do…" but then it connected in her head.
And her eyes went wide.
"So she wasn't just joshing with me…Yukari…she and my Grammie, they're…"
That was when she heard Yukari's voice. "Why yes, my dear…we're friends."
Whispered from behind her ear.
Day 1 Night
Inside the Hakurei Shrine
About two Minutes prior
Yukari couldn't help but laugh at what was going on with the Fairies of Light. "She must've really have fairies buzzing around her constantly back in her Forest of Magic," she mused, "having that she knows how to deal with them." She raised an eyebrow. "Cupcake Lembas with sprinkles. That'll get them good and stoned for a while."
The two sat on a table across from each other, Reimu with her teacup in her hand. "So you really do know Amber's Grammie, this Nalladrie."
"You don't sound surprised, Hakurei Miko."
"Not really. If I knew that there were alternate Gensokyos, even alternates as way out there as Penumaria, I should've known that you, of all youkai, would do some mucking around in any of them."
"And would you believe me if I told you that there were alternate Gensokyos?"
Reimu just gave Yukari a very non-plussed expression.
"Reimu?"
"I'm thinking about it. Just so you'll know, even though you did want them all over here to be disposed, you should know that Amber's playing a different game."
"I noticed. Nalladrie did tell me she wants Amber to learn from as many people on these Seal Crystals as possible, something me and the other sages would appreciate. I heard she already got in touch with others who already found how to safely open them."
"You should've expected that, Gap Youkai. She's a Magician,not a Shrine Maiden. And not the ordinary kind."
"And a shikigami to boot."
Reimu raised an eyebrow.
"It was part of Nalladrie making Amber her apprentice. She has it so that she could 'install' certain things, like languages, the local culture, and some of the spellcasting basics. Stuff that would get her going in the right direction."
"Something tells me that you were the one who showed Nalladrie how to make Amber a Shikigami."
Yukari just looked up at the sealing, noticed a crack or two.
"Yukari?!"
Yukari just gapped away.
Reimu's eyes widened. "Don't tell me she's gonna."
Her fears were concerned when she heard Amber's scream.
Day 1: Night
Amber's Stagecoach, Hakurei Shrine Premises
Amber had to swallow her heart back down before turning around. "Are you going to do that to me every time you show up?!"
Yamiko Yukari just smiled behind her fan, only giving Amber fox like eyes. "Maybe. I'm supposed to be a youkai, after all." She had on a white dress with matching mob cap and a tabard similar to the one Ran sported, only purple and had different markings: Trigrams, much like in Marisa's Hakkero. With her other hand she held a parasol over her shoulder.
Amber growled at the concept of her gapping in at will right behind her back. Every single time.
"Oh, don't frown like that, Amber-chan, your face would freeze that way. Besides, I came here with a message from your Grandmother." She pulled it out of under her tabard to hand it to her. "She said she left a care package for you."
Amber made one last huff before taking the letter. It was indeed from Grandmother Nalladrie, thanks to the wax seal she recognized. "At least you didn't open this before you gave it to me."
Yukari showed mock incense. "Why would I do that, Amber? I do have my standards."
Amber opened the letter to read it, while Yukari winked at the just arriving Reimu.
I'm so glad that my dear friend Yukari showed up to explain what happened to you, Amber; I was getting a bit worried. It might come to your surprise that we do indeed know each other. I'm surprised you didn't ask. All you had to do is ask me whatever or not this world you only knew in your 'video games' actually existed. Within a week you'd be meeting a real good friend of mine and taking a dive into her shikigami's tails and snuggling up to her shikigami.
"Oh yerf," was all Ran could say as she rolled her eyes. Chen just giggled as she snuggled against Amber's knee.
Who knew that your first grand adventure would concern Gensokyo of all places, but here we are nonetheless. It's always the things we don't expect that always happens, doesn't it?
Yukari told me about the Seal Crystals, and I've found three more of them in our forest…
That part made Reimu gasp. "There's more of them in your world too?"
"Apparently so," Amber replied. "This is a bigger incident than all of us are used to."
Yukari suggested I dispose of them when I find them. Unfortunately, that means taking them over to that barren plot of land and smacking them with a Fireball. My, do they pack such a blast. I shudder to think what's happening to others who found them here.
While Yukari would insist that they all be gathered up and destroyed before they cause too much damage, I know you too well. I can bet that you already found others and are pooling their knowledge. You might even found ways to safely open these crystals without causing such a mess. That's what you should do, I say. As little we know about these Seal Crystals, I'm certain that these things didn't appear out of happenstance. Something, or someone, had a hand in these things. There's gotta be a cause for scattering these blocks throughout not just Gensokyo but all over multiple realms, I know it.
I would not be surprised if one is found on Gaia. (If Yukari is looking loo-ing over your shoulder, that's what we call the Outside World.)
Yukari just nodded.
I need you to gather as much intel on this as you can. Find your allies and keep them close to you. Ask all the questions you know and then look for the questions you don't. Be as thorough as you can in your search, and then look for the areas you haven't discovered yet. Just as I told you over and over again. You can do it, my little star. I have faith in you. Get to the bottom of this incident. And I just know that you'll come out stronger because of it.
From what Yukari has told me, you would have already picked up a treasure that would be such a boon to our homeworld. It can be used for good or for ill. I don't think I need to tell you what you should do.
I'll be able to help you out from time to time. I've already sent you a care package in our Secret Chest. I made sure that it should still work even through you're in a different realm. If not, don't be afraid to let Yukari know.
Good luck, Amber. And you'll be in my mind and heart the whole time.
May we Merrily Meet again.
Grandmother Nalladrie Emerisle
Amber smiled and sighed as she folded the envelope back up, sliding it into her vest, and pulling out a small red chest from a pocket
"She must really care for you, Amber," Ran said. "I can tell you miss her."
"She means a lot to me," Amber said as she held the toy chest in front of her. "She took me in when I was lost and alone when I appeared in her forest. "She wants me to be the next Witch of the Woods when she finally passes on, and I want to make her proud." She looked at Yukari. "Do you know that she set up a shikigami link with me."
"I noticed it." Yukari nodded. "And if there's anyone who knows about shikigami, it's me." She nodded toward Ran and Chen.
"She did it so that she can speed up teaching me. She might not get computers, but I could get my head around her 'installing' knowledge in me. Especially when you put into account the many languages her books are in."
"Of course," Ran replied. "What is a Secret Chest, may I ask?"
"It's a special magic spell that takes some preparation, but I found it near invaluable. Ever had too much stuff to carry? While I do have a Bag of Holding, sometimes what I really need is a chest that you can call up anytime you need it and stash it somewhere." Amber held up the small chest. "That's where Secret Chest comes in. You take a large chest and make a matching miniature. You then can either put the chest in the Ethereal Plane or in a secluded place where it won't be disturbed. You can now use the smaller chest to summon it to you."
Amber flipped the small chest open and in a swirling puff of smoke a much larger red chest appeared in front of her.
"Ah, it still works! Great, that'll make things easier for Grammie. I have a chest to set up a Secret Chest myself. I just need a good place for it," Amber said as she opened the larger chest. "I need to find a place where it won't be disturbed. I hope I can find a spot here in the Hakurei Shrine, although I fear that some Youkai, fairies, or that drunken loli Suika..." She looked over at Ran and shrugs. "I think I'll find something. Looks like she brought me some extra material components and ingredients." Amber pulled out several jars of various substances and then four to five more square loaves wrapped in tree leaves. "More Lembas Bread. And two more Fairy Nip flavors. She must've known I'm going to need it."
Amber nodded toward a patch of hillside beyond the shrine, where four fairies lied on the grass looking up to the stars, and all four of them were high enough to float among them.
]]]============[[[
"She said she's got more of this birthday cake Lembas Bread," Sunny Milk said.
"We like the mooooooon," Luna child muttered half in a dream, "cos it is clooooose to uuus."
"Tee hee hee hee! I think we all know who our new supplier is!" Clownpiece managed to say in between giggling fits. "This is some good stuff."
"Yeah," Star Sapphire replied. "This is great, everything is greeeeaaat."
"We like the mooooooon...but not as much as a spoooon."
]]]============[[[
"All right, more morning brew mix. You'll never know how hard it is to have this preserved. I'll make some for ya, Reimu. It's good stuff. Fruit juice, tea, yaba mate, and green coffee. Wakes you up like you'd never be—whoa!"
Amber then picked up a bag of assorted gold coins. With a note that reads. 'I picked the ones that were certified solid. Yukari told me that there's a bank in the Human Village that would convert them to yen. Hopefully you'll get a good rate.'
Amber took the bag and ducked inside the stagecoach to throw the bag of gems inside one of the many locked drawers. "I should go to that bank in the Human Village to deposit this. I might need to have it sooner or later." Amber then closed the new emptied chest and, touching the miniature version of said chest to it, caused it to vanish. "I'm already thinking I might need a bigger base camp than just my stagecoach. I'm going to be here for a while, after all." She looked over at Reimu. "But that will come later. We still have the Usual Suspects to deal with."
Reimu nodded. "There are some others that I think are a bit too dangerous for you right now. You'll need stronger spell cards to deal with them, but Eientei and the Moriya Shrine'll be something you can do, and hopefully Marisa'll be let go by then so she can take ya."
"Marisa?" Amber asked. "Would the Scarlet Devil Mansion let her go?"
"They know she's needed for this incident, so they'll hold back." Reimu rolled her eyes. "This wasn't the first time Marisa got stuffed in that mouse suit. It's almost like a game with those three, Marisa and the Scarlet Sisters. By the way, good idea on those wards."
"Well, I had to deal with worse people than book thieves," Amber said then turned to Yukari. "Thanks for relaying this letter to me, Lady Yakumo. It was probably asking a lot."
"Oh, that's all right," Yukari said. "Me and your Grammie, we're friends after all. Like a said, if you need any help. Let me know." She opened up a gap and was about to step through it.
"One moment there, Yukari," Amber said as Ran and Chen hopped in. "How can I get in touch with you?"
"Oh, that won't be a problem, Amber," Yukari said behind her fan. "I tend to show up wherever and whenever I'm needed. I'm sure I'll be around."
"No doubt behind my back," Amber said with a lowered brow.
"Careful, girl. You're face is too pretty to be stuck like that." Yukari giggled as she hopped through the gap, closing it behind her.
Amber sighed. "I suspect a running gag."
"Stick around," Reimu deadpanned. "Gensokyo's full of running gags."
Liner Notes
A little something about how I do research here. You might catch me doing a bit too much worldbuilding while writing this—or, to be honest, any—story, which often includes filling in the spaces I find in Gensokyo. I doubt ZUN has thought of every business in the Human Village, and leaving things blank will completely irks the shit out of me. Therefore, with some major apologies to Team Shanghai Alice, I had to do some small scale worldbuilding in Gensokyo to fill in the spaces. I promise not to do any more than I absolutely have to.
I cannot promise, however, that there would not be an Gensokyo chapter of Acquisitions Incorporated, but that's beyond my control.
Of course, these additions should not be considered cannon by any means. However, it would not be in here if I didn't believe that it would be plausible that it would be here. If it wasn't possible that it be there, I wouldn't even consider it. As a rule of thumb, I try to get my head inside the local environment of the setting and try to figure out what would be a proper addition of the world that the people there would consider it natural for it to be there. In other worlds, my additions is 'based' in the reality of that world.
You'll see a lot of this in the LostWord Cherries Wild OneNote book, where I have all my notes gathered and updated with each new episode, and some items are in there that might've been touched at one point in the writing, but never made it to Fanfiction dot net. It also contains a lot of decent stuff that I come up with when I get bored.
One example being Remilia Scarlet's full stat block. They'll eventually be some maps of various places. Or maybe a detailed business in the Human Village. Every one of these will have a detailed explanation on why I believe it belongs there. (Oh, I think it should be safe to say that there'll be a lot of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition material. Some of my worldbuilding uses that as a catalyst. Fortunately, you can get the basic rules for free from the Wizards of the Coast web site.
This really comes into play in items like what I recently talked about on Reddit: Remilia's human butlers and maids. While they're present in LostWord Cherries Wild, they're not canon in the games. You'll never see them in any of the games, and good for ZUN over that. So, I knew I needed a very reasonable explanation for Remilia to have human butlers and maids in this story. Fortunately, I keep extensive notes on my train of thought on subjects like this, and the logic should be easily to understand.
The Great Hakurei Barrier, like just about any other inter dimensional barrier, is not 100% perfect. The barrier ebbs and flows and in some places it gets weakened. A perfect example would be between Gensokyo's Hakurei Shrine and its Outside World counterpart.
It is during these weak points where someone would fall through from the Outside World to Gensokyo. How else can you explain the Human Village?
Thanks to ZUN, it isn't if whether or not someone who knows the Touhou Project would end up stumbling in Gensokyo, but when. We all can agree that this possibility would be inevitable.
And we also all know how some Fans can get at times. We all know what we're talking about, the ones who plays the Touhou games religiously and would easily confuse Gensokyo with heaven. Bonus Points if they look, act, and smell like the stereotypical fanboy, or worse, never seen the outside of their parent's house since the Obama Administration. There's a reason why they call those people who actually show up in Gensokyo 'Otaku.' More often than not, they're an annoyance. Until they run into a hungry Youkai.
The Scarlet Devil Mansion is known to snatch unwary humans to feed off them. Therefore, it is logical that Remilia Scarlet would capture a good number of these Otaku, much more than what Remilia and her sister, Flandre, needs for subsistence. In fact, that's why Flan's no longer in the basement. She had to be moved in order for the Scarlet Devil to find a place to imprison new captures.
Which brings us to what she's going to do with all those excess dudes. The Scarlets never drain enough to kill, which means they can keep those Otaku alive for some time. Well, if they're just going to hang around there waiting to be bit, why not put them to work? So, she has them trained to become maids and butlers to supplement the hired servants, using her natural Charisma to influence their actions.
You will find other such proofs in the OneNote so that you won't be saying that I'm just pulling crap outta my arse. I make sure that it is possible for it to happen or exist in Gensokyo before I even consider putting it in. I'm sure to have to make more explanations in the future.
The Carousel
I tend to incorporate a lot of fantasy and science fiction in the creation of Penumaria. One such sci fi story is the earliest one that had an impact with me: Logan's Run. This story takes place in a futuristic and hedonistic world where nobody's allowed to be older than 30 (that's from the movie; the cut-off age is 21 in the book version. I'm focusing on the movie here.) Those who have reached 30—as measured by year and zodiac sign—must undergo a ritualistic contest known as 'The Carousel' where they could get 'renewed' as babies. Of course, nobody actually survives the Carousel; it's just bread and circuses to add to the debauchery to distract everyone from realizing that they live in a dystopia that is phobic against getting old.
Logan's Run is what inspired the Reincarnation mechanic in Penumaria, but with a more noble goal: To grant souls a chance to enter their afterlives—regardless of what that afterlife may be—without regrets. Some souls that are so hesitant of being judged that they were too afraid to go to the afterlife and would linger as ghosts, but a couple lifetimes in Penumaria, and they'd be able to enter the pearly gates with their heads held high.
That's where the reincarnation mechanic Amber mentioned comes in: Those recently departed souls that doesn't pass muster (that is, not yet worthy of their eternal reward, and haven't yet became too irredeemable) get sent to Penumaria's Carousel, which appears in a hollowed out mountain in that world's Shadowfell (which is the common name for a netherworld in D&D) where all the souls—which appear as what Amber calls Ghostlights—spin around there like a tornado, until they are plucked out and put into a just-conceived baby to be reborn.
Discord…scratch that…Guilded Server
Part of the reason behind me making Cherries Wild is to get new people to get into my work, and eventually get them interested in Amber's homeworld of Penumaria, which I'll be making a Substack of. That means forming a community where we can get together, chat about stuff, brainstorm ideas, maybe even role-play some scenes, and in general just hang out with like-minded people who could actually be friends.
But there's a problem with that in the current year: Gone are the days where you can have a presence on social media without having to worry about having your whole life ruined over the slightest of things. You might not even have to have tweeted anything, it could be something that occurred thirty years go, or even in grammar school, and the next thing you knew the bank has canceled your account, you're fired from your job, have family and friends disown you, and even get chased around in the streets or even arrested for trespassing and pretty much be dismissed as a bigot wherever you go. All over mere words on a screen. That might not even be yours.
In the current year, that actually happens. Cancel Culture is a thing.
It left me very wary over using the internet, something I thought I'd never say. Who wants to even consider using any platform that someone can take all the hard work you made in it away from you over something as insignificant as a word of less than four letters? Who wants to live walking on so many eggshells? I wouldn't.
And I'm not saying this out of anything political. My views are rather purple and I steer clear of the extremist territories, but we live in a society that is tearing itself apart and run by people who would declare you a second class human if you are one inch away of what they deem acceptable. And everything must be put in line with Current Year Politics or else! Like I asked, who would want to live in this kind of world? I wouldn't.
So I am very selective when it comes to social media. You will NOT see me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google. You might not even see me on alternative Social Media like Minds or MeWe. If I'm on any social media platform, it will only be on those who I'm assure won't ban me at a drop of a hat.
At first, I was using Discord a lot. Discord has become a well-known platform that has instant messaging, voice chat, and digital distribution through servers that you set up and control. It started with a program that can be used for Video Games and branched out to any kind of community. It's become very well used in my game of choice, Dungeons & Dragons. However, I have the need for more than just what Discord offers. I need message boards, I need image boards, I need a place to store documents, and I need subgroups for Roleplays and other things.
So I switched to Guilded. Guilded is Discord on steroids. While Discord only has text messages and voice chat, Guilded has other features, such as a message board, an image board, channels dedicated for announcements, subgroups, a calendar and to-do lists, and a lot of other features, some being added every day.
Like Discord, Guilded can be run on the browser as well as in its native app, and you can get in it for free. I do strongly recommend activating two-factor authentication. It gives you that added peace of mind, especially when people are still working on the security.
As per the policies in fanfiction dot net, links to the Guilded server as well as other places are typed out without any hyperlinks. The address of the server is at:
.gg [slash] r [slash] zzJjJQmD0E?i=0mqw38X4
Other URLs:
For more information about Touhou LostWord, a good amount of the notes made, and insights on the way I veer away into my own stylized take on things, check out the Microsoft One Note Book at:
[slash] u [slash] s!AjNYReLtj6OInR4_WHvAq_ifEVYy
And you can access my main web site, Foxfire Studios at:
[slash] main
Preview of next Episode
Marisa returns to guide Amber through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Turtles and Rabbits and Firebirds. Oh, my.
"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha I caught ya, Marisa. I caught ya napping! You should've known you…wait…if you're Marisa…who do I have in my tiger trap? And…why is she looking at me…like she's hungry…eep!"
And also, Nitro Fusion 2.0!
