Phantom of Dream

Disclaimer :

Touhou Project © Zun

Phantom of Dream © darkro90

Genre :

Fantasy, Supernatural, Spiritual, Adventure

Rated :

T


This story is based on the Touhou project, and all its canon characters, locations and events are a property of Team Shanghai Alice, ergo ZUN.

All characters and events in this story are entirely fictional and any possible similarities between them and real people and events are purely coincidental and not intentional.


Chapter 8
Necrofantasia

Nobody can tell what she's thinking

When she shows those devious smile of her.

However, as ominous and tricky it seems,

There's always a meaning behind it.


A familiar sight that I've seen few days ago. The blonde hair, the otherworldly beautiful face, and the distinct and flashy clothes she's wearing indicate clearly that she is...

Yukari Yakumo. Standing right behind me with the same ominous smile that she displays when she gives me the talisman. It was the smile that you usually gives out when you're planning something good, or when you feel satisfied after you're successfully tricked someone.

About time you got here.

And it seems you still in hobby of creeping upon someone's back.

"Kind of." I replied with a somewhat tired sound. Maybe the dream I've experienced earlier was indeed took a lot of my energy. Well, who wasn't tired after waking up in a dream where you fell off and known that you can only choose one of the two worlds you want to live in?

"Looks like you're having fun." She diverts her attention to my room, and began to look around like an estate agent that is surveying a vacant house.

"Indeed. But it wasn't fully fun either…" I replied after I stepped back into my room from my balcony.

It's fun when I get a mini-tour of Forest of Magic by Marisa, and having a thoughtful and nostalgic conversation with Flandre.

But when I was chased around by Rumia while getting shot with barrage of danmaku, that is no fun at all.

Although, I had to admit that it was exciting times. It wasn't one of those kinds that you could get by riding some lame roll coaster.

"So, I guess you knew it already." Yukari's face turns serious, and her gaze is inverted toward me.

"Yeah, in the hard way. But first, tell me… why do you invite me to there in the first place?" I replied back with also serious tone. While I was waiting for her reply, I closed the door behind me that led to the balcony, and sits on a chair near the door.

"Well, it's not exactly I invited you in the first place. Basically, you come to me by yourself." Her ominous smile returned while replying to my question. She's also sits on a chair near her.

"Come to you? What do you mean?" I replied confusedly.

"The moment you came to me for the pictures, of course. I was referring to that. And I'm sure you have noticed it by now." She continues her answer, which only made me became more confused.

Noticed what? I really did not understand a single thing she-

Wait a minute…

A surge of memories ran through my already confused mind, which was the only needed thing for me to solve the puzzle.

Now I remember. Those responses at the board,

And coupled with how the attendants of the event were ignoring her the whole time…

My suspicion was true all along this time.

I was indeed the only people who had noticed, or can see her.

But that only spawned another question.

"Why only me?" I suddenly blurted out, breaking the 5 seconds of silence.

"Before I answer your question, do you want to know an interesting fact?" She replied with a rather unsuspicious smile.

"I'm all ears."

"In this world, there are only, roughly, 1% of the total world population that has powerful spiritual energy." Her face turned into a somewhat serious, but still relaxed face.

I can already see where this is going.

"Let me guess. I'm included in that 1%?"

"Hold on. This is where things going interesting." Her smile returned, only this time, it was the trademark one. The devious and ominous smile.

"Out of that 1%, there is only 0.01% that can actually harness their spiritual potential."

Whoa. That is indeed few.

If there was roughly 6 billion people on this planet, then only six thousand out of them that could use some mumbo-jumbo magic.

"And I happen to be one?" I replied with a little excitement swirling through my questions.

"Yes. Only those with such potential can see me without problem."

"I see… then, how about the rest with that 'spiritual energy' you're talking about? Why aren't they the same like me?"

"They aren't, because of various reasons. Technology, faith, willpower, is only tiny fraction of things that prevented them for reaching their full potential." Yukari explained seriously.

"Well, you can say that I've hardly had those traits you've mentioned…"

"Be it your bloodline or some hidden potential, it doesn't matter. What matters is that, clearly, you had it. The potential. But…" Her face turned into a somewhat concerned expression.

"It seems you've encountered some trouble." She continues.

"I would be happy if you could enlighten me on that issue. Because me myself couldn't knew what causes it either."

"It was rather simple. Your body."

"Huh?"

"No human body was rather strong enough to traverse two dimensions at the same time. If you insist on doing so, your body could give out and get you in deep trouble."

"How deep?"

"Deep enough that you'd best not know it. But if you're curious enough, I'll tell you. Basically, when your body was weak enough that it even couldn't survive in either dimensions, your spiritual body will instantly uses all of it strength to teleport you into a dimension where your body could survive without being killed. Which, in most case, was The Void"

"The Void? That sounds horrible."

"Indeed. It portrays your original universe, but there is basically no one in there. I've only heard of it though, so I've never seen it myself."

Could The Void was the place I saw earlier in my dream?

Well I wasn't too thrilled either by the prospect of living in that dreary place for the eternity.

"But, if you knew the danger, why you'd only give me a talisman to moves temporarily between dimensions? Why you won't just take me to Gensokyo?" She was a little startled by my question, but then, she swiftly answers it.

"Snatching people away is not my type. I'm only looking to give you the opportunity to choose."

"So you're saying that inviting an outsider like me to Gensokyo was a brilliant idea?" I replied sarcastically.

"Of course! Gensokyo has become too dreary and boring. It's time for someone to make some things to happen." She replied with a smile.

I wonder what her definition of fun and interesting thing is.

"Then… I had to choose now?"

"No… well, at the moment, it seems your body is still strong enough to use the talisman I give to you. However, by the looks of it… I'd say you have a week or so before you made your choice." Yukari replied with a somewhat concerned look.

"That's a relief." I replied with a sigh.

It means I still have enough time to talk with ZUN about this and gaining much more insight on Gensokyo.

However, is that was sufficient enough for me…?

"Now then, since we are here…" She stands up and walks toward me.

"Eh?"

"Shall we take a walk for a bit?" She opens a gap that could fit a people in near her, while gesturing toward me to follow her.

"Sure." I stand up and follow her through the gap she opened.


"Whoa…"

I amazedly look at the darkness that covering both of us while walking forward. However, as the surrounding was enveloped in black, it was bright enough for me to see Yukari as she walks forward. While I was looking around, she suddenly stops. I almost collided with her back if weren't for my well-timed brake at my movement.

"We're here." She opened another gap in front of her. Through her back, I can faintly see a landscape in the gap, but my vision weren't clear enough to see it all. When she starts walking to the gap, I followed her closely while trying to see more details on the landscape.

After I was fully out of the gap, my face was greeted by the sunlight that directly shines through my eyes, making me reflexively cover my eyes with my hand. After recovering from the temporary blindness that's caused by the sunlight, my jaw dropped at the sight in front of me.

Vast forests that is bordered by a lake, beyond the lake was a big mansion with scarlet color that, although should looks out of place, was so natural in sight. Beyond the mansion were vast mountains that looked so small in my current location. I was immediately stunned at the sight, and can only admire on how beautiful this sight is.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Yukari says it while also appears to be admiring the same sight I've seen now.

"I…indeed it is." I can only reply while stuttering because of the overwhelmingly beautiful landscape I'm seeing right now.

Words can't describe this.

And the usual sight of streets from my apartment was nothing compared to this.

I could spend hours admiring this sight.

"You know, I usually spend hours while sitting here and contemplating the view." She opens another gap and pulled a parasol from there. She unfolds it and puts it beside her to cover her from the sunlight while sitting. I followed her to sit beside her while staying still and admiring the spectacular view I'm seeing right now.

"Given the chance, I would do the same too, you know. Like now." I replied to her. She chuckles after hearing it.

"Everyone usually does this while drinking sake and seeing the cherry blossoms." She saying it while closing her eyes, like reminiscing something.

They, eh…

I hope I could join them somewhere near future.

The wind breezes through my face while I was admiring the view. Trees around me were also moving slowly because of the wind breezing toward them. Faintly between the silences, I can hear the grazing voice of leaves colliding with each other and also the faint sound of gentle breezes flowing through things around me.

I take it back,

An hour wasn't enough for me.

I could spend an eternity in here, just for the serene and tranquil atmosphere…

These peaceful situations would never happen back in my good ol' apartment.

"Having a second thought now?" She smirks while glancing at me.

"Don't get me wrong here. The reason why I didn't want to move here permanently now was because of things I should do first on the other side. You'd know that I'm willing to do anything for this opportunity." I replied almost instantly to her.

"And those things are…?" She moved her face close to me, with the looks of a curious people. I almost lost my composure due to her sudden movement and extraordinary face.

Calm yourself, Noru. Calm yourself…

"Hmph. Not telling." I turned my face to the other direction, partly to regain my composure and also to hide my blushing.

"How cruel~." I can feel her face moving away from me. However, the cute sound of her makes me can't resist on turning my face toward her again. When I do so, I was greeted by glum face of her that is overwhelmingly cute.

Hngh. How cute.

That almost made me hitches a ride to Sanzu River.

Staying here any longer will be very dangerous.

"T-then, are we going to sit here for like the whole day or what?" I turned my face away from her again reflexively.

"You're right. There is one more place we should visit now." Even though I didn't see her directly, I can hear the voices of her folding the parasol and standing up.

"Huh?" I turned my face back to her again to see what she's going to do. Turns out, she was opening another gap that could fit a whole man, and she's gesturing at me again to follow her.

"Come. There's still another place we'll visit." She enters the gap she opened after finishing her sentence. I followed her closely before the gap closed shut and made me stuck in that place for god-knows how long.


After I entered the gap, the same sight greeted me inside it. The same darkness and strange atmosphere. While seeing into the seemingly eternal void, I closely followed her behind while also keeping a vigilant eye on her, so that I could anticipate it when she's stopping out of nowhere without warning again.

After only about seven seconds of walking, she suddenly stops again and opened another gap in front of her. This time though, I was already prepared for it and also stopped walking the moment she does it.

Seriously, Yukari-san. You do know there's someone following you behind,

And you didn't even go through the trouble by saying something like "We're here." Or something?

Then again, most people were like this isn't it.

She enters the gap she opened without a word, and I followed suit without asking any question. After I entered the gap, I was greeted by a rather unusual sight. By the looks of it, it seems I was in roof of a tall building somewhere located in some busy streets below the building. She moved forward and leaned to the fence in the edge of the roof.

I looked around to determine our location, and the big screens displaying some advertising in Japanese languages gives out that I was somewhere in Japan. Maybe, it was Akihabara by the looks of the surrounding.

Although it was clearly mid afternoon, the weather was cloudy enough to block the sun from mercilessly fry me in this roof. And to top of it, since this month was October, the air and breezes that moves past my face was chilly.

"Why here?" I asked Yukari out of curiosity.

"To show you how different Gensokyo and here is." She said it with a straight face while seeing the streets below.

She got a point.

These spectacles here are no match to the previous scene I've seen before.

Those moving cars, pedestrians walking here and there…

Are pale in comparison to the beautiful scenery that I just saw earlier.

But why she's showing me this?

Haven't I made it clear that I would move to Gensokyo soon…?

"Seriously. I can't guess what things you'll do here." Yukari breaks the one minute of silence. She lets out a sigh while looking at me.

"Well, to be honest, I was also kind of impatient to move to Gensokyo soon. But since those things I need to do is a must, I need these remaining time I've had before I was… uh, getting thrown to the Void." I try to break the awkward situation, which is successful when she chuckles after hearing my last sentence.

"Ah, it's time for us to go back." Yukari moves away from the fence and opened a gap behind her. When I was about to follow her, a huge headache suddenly strikes me, making me almost fell if my hand didn't support my body by holding the ground.

Ugh!

W… what the hell…?

I hold my head tightly while trying to hold the overwhelming pain that my head gives out. Everything around me became monochrome and I can only hear faint sound from my surrounding. Before I black out completely, I can faintly hear Yukari's sound calling out for me.

This sensation was entirely different from when I was about to get back to the outside world from Gensokyo. This one was very overwhelming and coupled with a very painful headache.

Crap…

Don't tell me… I'm going to…

But this is… too early…

Yu…ka…ri…

My last of consciousness disappear, and everything blacks out after I fell to the ground.


Wow.

A fifteen minute walk with Yukari and you've already blacked out.

I wonder what happen if you were walking with Sakuya for like an hour.

Rest assured. You're not going to die.

Yet.

Chapter 8 Ends.

-To be Continue-


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