Chapter 3

Weekend Incident of the Dusk and Dawn

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Even though Patchouli had taken care of her problem with the black-white rat, something in the air didn't seem right for reading. She had scanned Voile through and through, but couldn't find the source of this problem. She didn't realize she was about to be visited by her.

As patchouli turned around, she saw a majestic figure of a woman behind her, dark-skinned and in a long, dark blue robe, whose sleeves were attached to the bottom of the dress. Her hair was wrapped neatly in a bun and tied in with what seemed to be five gold pins arranged in a star. What floated around this woman were stone structures, one in the shape of a moon, and one in the shape of a star, although it could just as easily be mistaken for a sun. It seemed that she was a youkai, but something was odd about her, something that made her less frightening and more kind.

"Ah," spoke the woman, without the wierd omni-layering in her voice, but instead with a calming, deep, feminine voice, "I am suprised to see that you haven't left yet. Not once in my life had I seen someone pay no heed to one of my visions."

"You," Patchi spoke, her asthma creeping in on her voice, "don't seem to belong in my study. Who-Who are you?"

"I must have forgotten to introduce myself. I am Azura, the Queen of the Dusk and the Dawn, although I am suprised I was able to physically manifest as easily as I did in this hidden land."

"You mean in Gensokyo? Why is that, blue-grey?"

Azura seemed to flinch at this last comment, "So it's true that you call people out by their costume. Why have you not left yet, Patchouli?"

"This is my study, why have you intruded?"

"A shrine maiden to an unknown deity has entered the gate leading from your realm, Patchouli."

"Are you a psychic, like Satori?"

"No, but your name was in the Moonshadow."

"I see."

Azura took a step back before bringing her moon in front of her face, "As I was saying, a maiden to an unknown deity has crossed into my realm. She has already caused trouble in Tamriel, Patchouli.

"You mean Reimu?" Patchouli inquired, "The red-white?"

"Precisely. I would also predict that soon after a little fairy is going to intrude upon Tamriel, as well. Even your Scarlet Devil's maid has aquired a youkai ally in order to investigate the scarlet gate."

"I see. However, what does this have to do with me?"

"You're a magician, are you not? Magicians, like my maiden, seem to have a knack for understanding such phenomenon."

"I'd have to go see the phenomenon, then, if Reimu is already investigating."

"Even if she has lost to a summoner?"

"Especially so," After saying this, she grabbed precisely 5 books, "If she lost, then the black-white will win for sure."

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"Yo, Mehrunes," Marisa called, knee deep in dirt looking for Patchouli's books, "Are ya just gonna sit there all day, ze? I didn't cripple you, did I?"

"No," Spoke Dagon, his voice less demonic than before, "However, I have a feeling my sister has come. You may be in trouble if she sees me defeated like this."

"Oh, will you just get up already, da ze? I, uh, need your help in finding some books!"

"There's something wrong with how you said that."

"Do I have to smack you with my broom?" As Marisa said this, she drew her magic broom towards her for emphasis.

"I don't fear a little stick with furs on it. Now let me recover from that infernal laser."

"Oh, so waiting for your Onii-chan was just an excuse, ze?"

"Will you shut up if I told you a secret?"

"Depends, do you know where Patchi's books are at?"

"No, but I do know where thousands of other books and scrolls of power are."

"Eh, do you now?"

"They're through that Oblivion Gate, on the other side of the Deadlands, the plane that gate leads, is a blue doorway that leads to Tamriel. There you will find countless scores of knowledge written on flimsy little paper."

"Now that IS a secret!" Marisa exclaimed, jumping out of the hole she dug. Her black-white witch's outfit covered in dirt, "Mind guiding me, da ze?"

"After my sister gets here."

"Oh, alright, fine."

It wasn't shortly after until the pair saw Patchouli and the other woman walking towards them. One of them seemed to be smirking, obviously at Mehrunes for being weak.

"I am suprised Hermaeus thinks of you as a Deadric prince, despite his low standing of you," the taller of the two spoke. She seemed to be relishing Mehrunes's defeat. "Defeated by a witch? As if a simple Dragon-born wasn't enough."

"Azura, do you have to scold me?" Mehrunes asked in submission. "I'll have you know that 'witch' had enough power to defeat me without some flimsy amulet."

"Marisa, did you see the red-white come through here a moment ago?" Patchouli asked, wondering about the maiden.

"No, Patchi, I was busy looking for books," Marisa cooed, "Why would she come over here in the first place, da ze?"

"Probably to investigate the scarlet gate," the woman known as Azura assured, "She may have believed the blodd sky it produces was an incident and went to solve it."

"It'd be easy enough," snickered Mehrunes, "if there was a sigil-stone hold the gate open, but this one seems to be powered by something else."

"Probably a gap in the Hakurei border, ze" Marisa explained, "Besides, I'm through looking for books here anyways. I know where there's a lot more, da ze?"

"Just don't 'borrow' anything else," Patchouli ordered, her violet eyes staring the black-white down. "There is such a thing as a theft crime, you know."

"Oi, I know that, Patchi!"

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Sorry for this one taking forever, but Azura was kind of hard to get down, and since my recent vacation, I had to get back in the loop. Next chapter will be Cirno and Mjoll centric, and I already feel sorry for Riften's defender, since she's the one taking care of the 9-ball. Hope you enjoy it though, and with that...

Deuces!