"C'mon dollie! You can do better than that!" Yuuka laughed, dodging Medicine's attack. The doll's left arm was useless due to Yuuka's previous attacks after the flower youkai broke free from her fallen tree coffin.
Medicine winced in pain as she tried to whip her poison claw coated hands at the flower youaki, who simple dodged and blocked the slashes, all with a cackling laughter. "You may have beaten me once, but not a second time!" She said, grabbing Medicine's good arm and whipping the doll away.
Medicine's body bounced around as she was flung into the forest, crashing against trees and rocks as she stopped. She groaned and slowly stood up, hearing another pop and crack, falling down to a knee. She gazed at her leg and stood up, leaning against a fell tree. Her knee joint was shattered. "Dammit..." she groaned.
Yuuka calmly and slowly walked over, taunting Medicine her by making small suzurans appear under each step. "What are you gonna do now that you're crippled? Huh?" she giggled, a hint of insanity.
"Curse: Shanghai Doll!" A small doll appeared, unleashing a large, purple laser at the flower youkai. It made contact, but did nothing more that a light singe.
"Attacking me huh Alice? I would watch that witch of yours." Yuuka chuckled, snapping her fingers and wrapping Marisa's body in vines and pinning her to the floor.
Alice looked over to Marisa, summoning a few dolls, armed with swords, to sever the vines. She glanced back at Yuuka, who was in range for a powerful punch. "How did she get here so quick-" She gasped, getting cut off by Yuuka. The green hair youkai punched Alice with all her might in the doll maker's stomach. "Never take your eyes off your opponent..." She muttered, pulling back and seeing Alice grip her stomach in pain and doubling over.
"You should listen to your words Yuuka." Medicine said, hurling a poison knife at Yuuka. Yuuka spun around, but knife burying itself in her leg. "Nng.." The green haired woman said, ripping out the knife and throwing it deep into the forest. "A knife?"
Medicine panted and clutched the tree as she walked out to face Yuuka. "Not just that...no matter who I meet, I don't make them immune to all of my poisons..and that my friend is one of most deadly...you have 10 minutes to live." Medicine panted, falling on her knee. She looked up and sat down, exhausted.
Yuuka, looked at the wound, then at Medicine. "I just need one..." She grinned, walking over, limping on the cut leg. She grew closer to Medicine, tossing her umbrella to the side. "Flowers aren't just my specialty...I learned how to use them. Magic in general..my specialty." She said, grabbing Medicine by her tattered dress collar and lifting the doll to face level.
"Magic this." Medicine said, out of breath, but using the last bits of her energy to quickly make a large, poison claw and swiping the green haired youkai in the face, leaving four gashes.
Yuuka yelled in pain and dropped Medicine, clutching her face. "My face! You bitch!" She yelled, still trying to fight through the pain.
The tsukumogami chuckled and slowly sat up, leaning against the same tree before. She panted and looked as Yuuka slowly uncovered her blood covered face. "If I die..so do you..." She said. "And I swear it..."
"Wanna bet?" Yuuka yelled, cupping her hands. "Marisa needs a medium for it..but me..hehehe" She chuckled, gathering energy. "Only three of us know how to do this and Marisa is learning." She cackled quietly. The energy between her palms grew into a large orb. "Blood of Makai: Crimson Spark!" She yelled, thrusting her hands forward and unleashing a laser many times bigger than Marisa's Final and Master sparks combined. The laser soared for Medicine, who could do nothing to counter. The doll closed her eyes. "Bye...Mokou..." she said.
The laser made contact, obliterating the land around Medicine. Yuuka panted and slowly picked up her umbrella as the smoke cleared. "Told ya I only needed a minute..." she smirked, seeing something faintly glowing in the smoke. "The hell?" She yelled in shock.
As the smoke cleared, a glowing, bright orange-red pillar was seen covering Medicine. "How the hell did she find out?" Yuuka growled.
Medicine slowly opened her eyes and looked around, seeing the pillar protecting her. "Who.."
A person jumped down from a nearby tree, slowly standing up and gazing at Yuuka. "Too far...I beat you about five times in the past and obliterated that mansion of yours."
"More importantly, how did you find me now?" Yuuka asked.
"When you see the immortal carrying the doll to Alice's house with Aya running away...yea..something's happening. I'm just glad I came in time."
"Always have to be the police force here huh?" The flower youkai growled.
"I need to maintain the border and you know that." The shrine maiden said.
"Of course Reimu..of course." Yuuka said, looking down at her leg.
"I see Melancholy did some damage to you huh?"
"She poisoned me..or so she says..I have about six more minutes left to live." Yuuka sighed.
Reimu looked over at Medicine. "And you did that why?" She asked.
"She attacked me, Mokou, Doll Maker and Love Witch..of course I'll defend Mokou." Medicine explained, the barrier around her vanishing.
Reimu nodded. "I see...well, you shouldn't have done that either way..we need her for some things."
"See Medi. I'm more useful than you." Yuuka chuckled, soon clutching her chest.
Medicine chuckled lightly. "Oh well..who cares for her now?"
"Get the poison out of her Medicine..." Reimu said.
"Why? She attacked us for no reason!"
"I know..but still without her the balance in Gensokyo will be ruined. I still have no true reason why we need her, but we do."
Medicine sighed, weakly snapping her fingers.
Yuuka fell to her knees, her body convulsing until she suddenly threw up the sickly green poison. "Ugh...really?" She asked, wiping her mouth with her sleeve and slowly standing up.
"Either that or just rip it out of you..." the doll replied.
"True..but sorry to do this." the green haired woman said, aiming her umbrella.
"Enough Yuuka..." the shrine maid said, standing between the two.
"Move it Reimu! I'll kill you with her!"
"You can't...without me, the border will fail and let's just say you don't wanna see what happens next." Reimu informed the sadistic youkai.
Yuuka growled and dropped her aim. "Fine..but next time don't think she'll get off this easily." Yuuka grinned, a large flower engulfing her and vanishing into the ground.
Reimu sighed and looked at the damage. Medicine was still panting against the tree. Alice was finally up, but over Marisa to make sure she was alright; Mokou was very slowly coming back into reality. "You all okay?" She asked.
Alice looked up. "Thanks Reimu...she was going crazy." Alice said.
"I had a feeling." the miko said, picking up Marisa and walking her inside, leaving Alice with Mokou and Medicine. The doll maker walked over to Medicine. "I told you that you shouldn't fight." She said.
Medicine turned her head. "I was still able to fight though, wasn't I? Just my joints are damaged is all. I can repair them myself."
"I doubt it." Alice said, looking at the ones in Medicine's left arm. "You wrist, elbow, shoulder, and fingers are all shattered and barely hanging on." She informed the doll.
"I'll find new parts..." the tsukumogami replied, still not looking at Alice.
The blond youkai sighed. "If you say so."
"And..back!" Yuuka's voice rang out from the woods, a large bamboo spike suddenly ripping through the trees and impaling the wooden doll. Alice gasped, backing up.
"M-Medicine..Reimu! Get out here now!" She yelled, hearing the shrine maiden's footsteps hurry next to her.
"What? What's...Yuuka" She said, seeing Medicine. The doll was still alive, the shoots shattering whatever joints left and missing her chest, neck, and head.
Medicine sat there, unable to form any words or expressions.
"Oh god..." Alice said, stilling looking at the doll.
Yuuka's insane laughter rang through the forest as she slowly appeared in the same spot she left in. "You are as idiotic as anything! You really think I wouldn't attack when your guard is down?"
Reimu eyed the youkai. "Alright..screw the balance we can find a new person like you." She said, hurling a few homing talismans and a swarm of needles.
Alice ran over to the immortal and tried to shake her awake. "Mokou! Mokou get up!"She yelled, seeing the gray haired immortal slowly open her eyes. "Mnn...wha..." She muttered.
"It's Medicine! Get up!" Alice said, panicked and turning around to see Reimu and Yuuka in the midst of a fight, Yuuka not giving an inch.
"C'mon maiden! Did you get soft or something?" Yuuka asked, putting her arm up to take the throwing needles. "Simple little maiden." She laughed, ripping them out and hurling them back at Reimu.
The miko quickly put up a barrier to block the returned attack. "I swear you're going to get killed doing this." She said, warping out of sight.
"I thought I would too." Yuka chuckled and spun around, blocking Reimu's kick with her umbrella.
"C'mon Mokou! Get up!" Alice said, still shaking the immortal.
"Oh stop it..I'm up..jeez.." Mokou groaned sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Where's Medi?" She asked, following Alice as she pointed her finger. "I don't see anything Alice. Just some bamboo and a do-" she said, shaking. "Is..is that?" She asked, seeing Alice nod slowly.
Yuuka blew the black haired shrine maiden away and looked at Mokou. "Aww, gonna cry? Did Yuuka break your doll?" She chuckled, firing a small laser at the already disabled doll.
Mokou slowly stood up and clenched her fists. "The third time I see her like this..." She growled, her body slowly being engulfed in fire.
Reimu backed up and smirked a bit. "Hey Mokou...Yuuka's gonna hurt Medicine some more." She said, getting a twisted idea.
Mokou suddenly dashed at Yuuka, her wigs fully extended and larger than ever before. "I'll kill you!" She yelled. pinning the flower youkai to the ground.
Yuuka chuckled, even in the most deadly situation she's ever been in. "What are ya gonna do?"
"This!" Mokou yelled, suddenly exploding. She used the maximum capabilities of her powers, revive right after and looking at Yuuka.
Reimu and Alice backed up as they saw Mokou slowly get off the green haired Youkai. "Is..she dead?" Alice asked.
"Who knows and who cares." She muttered, turning and hurrying to Medicine. The shoots had withered and sank back into the ground, leaving gaping holes in Medicine's body. "Alice...fix her up please."
The next day, Mokou woke up in Alice house, quickly sitting up and panting heavily, thinking the previous nights events was nothing but a horrible nightmare. She looked around, her breathing slowly returning to normal. "Medicine?" She asked, hearing the doorknob turn.
"You rang?" the doll giggled, walking in. Her body was completely repaired, save for a few burn marks and nicks.
Mokou sighed heavily, relived. "You're fixed, finally." She smiled.
"Yep! Doll Maker fixed me up, and look!" the doll said, showing Mokou her joints. Each joint was covered in a thin, yet flexible metal. "She made sure I wasn't gonna break like last time."
Mokou slowly got up and hugged Medicine tightly. Her clothing was singed, but not as bad as Medicine's was. "Don't do that again..okay?" she said.
Medicine smiled lightly and hugged back. Alight..I won't."
Alice peeked into the room. "I see you're up finally." She said, Mokou suddenly jumping up.
"Um..yea!" She chuckled nervously.
"I didn't say anything Mokou. But..you two look cute together." She giggled, spying Mokou blushing again.
"Didn't Keine say that too?" Medicine asked.
Mokou chuckled nervously again and walking out into the living room, Medicine directly behind her. "Thanks for everything though Alice."
Alice smiled. "It's no big deal. Just seeing you and Medi happy is fine by me." Alice said, sitting down on the couch as she walked out of the bedroom.
"Well, what did you do fix Medicine up? And where's Yuuka and Marisa?" Mokou asked, sitting across from the doll maker with the tsukumogami sitting nearly on Mokou's lap.
"Marisa is with Reimu at the shrine. Yuuka's gone. And with Medicine. It was a long job, but I just had to use some spare doll parts, shape them, and make sure that they worked. Her core though was the hardest. I had to patch up wood to make repairs, but she's back to normal. And with her joints, I tried to disguise them." Alice explained, pointing to each joint. "Her wrist and finger joints are like fingerless gloves, from there up to her shoulder I made them look like arm warmers. Her ankle and knee coverings now look like knee socks. Her waist is a large belt and her chest joints are a corset." Alice said.
"Wow..you sure went through a lot of trouble to make sure she's fine." Mokou said, looking at the visible coverings.
Alice nodded. "I care for dolls. They're like children to me." Alice smiled.
Medicine looked at Alice. "Like..children?" She asked, seeing Alice nod. "...I didn't know. I just thought you used them as weapons. I'm sorry for attacking you before Doll Ma-...Alice." She said.
Alice giggled lightly. "I understand Medicine, don't worry one bit."
Mokou chuckled lightly. "Well..we got this all settled. Wanna go see Su-san, Medicine? Bet she misses you."
The doll smiled and nodded happily. "Yes I do! I miss her too!" She said, quickly running out the door.
Alice followed the doll outside and smiled. "Have fun you." She said, looking over to Mokou. "Good luck."
Mokou looked at Alice, confused. "Huh?"
"When I was fixing her..the reason why I don't do much to her chest and ribs is that it was fleshy. Seems like she's adapting to become a human." Alice said.
"Wait, really? How long will it take?" Mokou asked.
"Who knows, just make sure she doesn't get hurt that much." Alice informed the immortal.
"Alright...thanks Alice." Mokou said, running after Medicine. "Hey! Wait up!" She yelled after her.
Alice smiled, walking back inside. "Those two are gonna be happy, I know it."