Touhoumon: Gray Version

by Luminous Beginnings

On a day fifteen years ago, the world as we knew it came to an end. How does one survive in this day and age, even with the monsters that the end brings along with it? Deliberately non-canon story, in regards to both Touhou and Touhou Puppet Play, also being highly AU.

8. The Great City on the Lakes

This is the Cirno News Network with a breaking news story. Whispers of news coming in from the Badlands today, as there are rumors of possible bases being set up in the old United States missile silos. Said reports are unconfirmed, but if they are true, we here wonder what purpose they have appropriated the old bases for. All nuclear warheads were said to have been removed ages ago. So, either whoever is doing this doesn't have a clue what they are attempting, or they simply don't want attention. More on this as the story develops… I f we ever receive more news on it.

Thank you, and enjoy the show. This has been THE STRONGEST! Now back to your irregularly scheduled fic.

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Touhoumon: Gray Version
Chapter 8: The Great City on the Lakes

I found myself waking up on the train, still sitting in the chair from the night before. My friend's book was perched on my belly, apparently having fallen there after I had nodded off the previous night. Glancing up, the kappa was nowhere in sight. By all accounts, she probably was up watching to see how close we are to the city. Either that, or she bailed. But the constant clicking and clacking of the car suggested otherwise.

As I finally shook myself out of my ruminations, I turned my gaze upwards to my object of worry. Who was now in a much better shape than the night before. Her arm now was completely restored, raw and pink as a new cut might appear to be. Setting down her book, I stepped forward, hand reaching down to gingerly touch the skin. Even though my eyes told me that it was there, it was hard for me to believe that it had healed.

The soft, warm skin under my fingertips told me all that I needed to know. It was real. Somehow… Whatever she was allowed her to grow back her arm. Part of me wondered if I would ever get used to this. All of this supernatural mess… This isn't something normal. She isn't normal.

Pausing for a moment, I began to chuckle. How was this whole situation normal? Before I would freak out about what she is, especially after I consider that I know the answer to that question, I should just make sure my friend is alright.

Raising my hand to her shoulder, I gave her a gentle shake. "Tokiko, are you there?" Dumb question, possibly, considering that she is softly sleeping away beneath me, but I didn't want to jar her out of it. I'd rather coax her gently. Besides, if she thinks that we're under attack still…

Another shake of her shoulder, however, did the trick. Those eyes fluttered once more, and I found myself smiling as I stared into those red depths. "Hey there Tokiko… How do you feel?"

She blinked wearily at me, before letting out a wide yawn. "I feel… fine. But like I've slept far longer than I have in a while." Her eyes lazily looking at me, she asked. "Gray… do we have any meat?"

I could nearly smack myself for not even thinking of that. She grew her whole arm back; of course she's going to be hungry. Although, I'll not think too hard on how she had enough meat on her bones to grow it back in the first place. Probably magic of some sort.

Still, I immediately turned around and began digging through the sacks. Fishing out a few pieces of that salted pork, I handed them off to her. "Yeah, I say we've got enough. Probably should stop by and find you some more to eat once we hit town though."

Most amusedly, she seemed to grab it and chew it with contentment covering her face. She had laid it on so thick, I could imagine that I could wipe it off with a napkin. "Fanks. So we're almost to that city where those people are?" As she took another bite, her eyes widened suddenly.

Nearly spitting out her food, she sat up and looked me in the eye. "Wait, what happened in the fight, last night? We got away? Did we get those bastards?"

Shaking my head, I squeezed her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. "No, we didn't. They managed to get away from us, instead. After you went down, the leader seemed to haul out some explosive launcher. He blasted the couplings that joined our car to the front of the train. The impact… launched me over the side."

"Over… the side?" Her hand shot up, grabbing the side of my face. Turning my head from side to side, she attempted to find any cut or scratch that I might have on my face. "Did you fall on some bushes or something? There's nothing wrong with you that I can see."

"I'm fine. It's a bit… more complicated than that." I hated to do this to her, but I just hoped she wouldn't overreact. Taking her hands off of my face, I held them loosely. "He waited until we were over the river to do it. Tossed me clear off the side of the trestle as we crossed."

She was silent as she stared at me. "How high… It was high, wasn't it." There was no real question in her voice, but I nodded in answer anyways. "You shouldn't have survived that fall. No matter how lucky you could be… The impact should have killed you."

I hadn't thought of that, to be honest. Sure, jumping in a lake, or the water, was next to nothing. Unless I was belly flat against the water. Now that stung. But if it hits even harder from higher up… I dread what might have happened otherwise. "The only reason I survived was because I was saved. By another youkai."

Again, her eyes widened in surprise. "Another youkai, do you say? That shouldn't be right… Who else would have left Gensokyo? And why travel here, so far away?" Hands coming up to her head, she rubbed her temple in confusion. "Who is it that found you?"

Well, I had no reason at all to hide who it was. And why would I have hidden anything from her in the first place? Besides, we wouldn't parting soon, as I still did owe her. "Nitori Kawashiro is what she called herself." To clarify, in case that she did not know her, I added, "She said that she is a kappa."

Tokiko gave a small yelp. "A kappa? The kappa hermit?" She seemed to glance around, her eyes darting about. "S-she's the one helping? That isn't good. That isn't good at all…"

"Calm down, Tokiko. What's bad about that?" Did the kappa hunt the other youkai like Tokiko? She never mentioned that a youkai did something like that to her, only the humans. But I suppose such things were possible…

She turned back towards me, headwing flapping about frantically. "That kappa tried to do a horrible thing. All kappa can do it, actually. But heard it happened to the human…"

"Wait, so she's a danger to humans? Are you saying that she's a danger to me?" Well, she certainly went out of her way to frighten me at points, but she didn't seem hostile. Just… tired, and dead. Nearly robotic. However, I had noticed the emphasis that she had used in her statement. Letting the curiosity get the better of me, I asked, "And which human is that supposed to be?"

I wonder what that small twinge inside me at the mention of another human was for.

She glanced down, eyes clenched shut. "That human… was different. Changed a lot of Gensokyo when he was in our land. Don't know why or how for the most of it… Spent a lot of time plotting after we met." She looked away from me, eyes still shut. "But apparently, that human ended going to Nitori's for assistance, and she didn't want to let the human leave. From what I know, she tried to do something worse than killing the human."

"You don't have to dance around it, you know." We both jumped slightly, and turned to the eavesdropper. Standing there, eyes droopy and with sacks under them, was Nitori. "You might as well tell him what I attempted to do. You'll never rest until you tell him as much."

Tokiko stared at the kappa with wide eyes, before encircling my wrist with her hand, pulling me away slightly. "She tried to extract that human's shirikodama. It would have killed the human, at best. And at worst…" She shivered. "Well, I don't even know what it actually is, but without one…" Turning to face me, she barely was able to whisper out, "You would die."

Looking from the girl in the purple dress to the girl in the patched dress, I sighed. Is that what would have happened if I had not agreed to go along with Nitori? "What is that supposed to mean? I don't know what these words exactly are…"

Sighing, Nitori glanced away, her arms crossing. "If you want to know… The mythical ball that is located within your anus. It is somewhat analogous to your soul, except that it isn't at the same time. The only ones who can locate it within a human are kappa."

Crossing my own arms in response, I stared down at the girl. "And did you try to extract that… Whatever it was?" I really just need to be making my own variants for these words up. They're hard enough to say, and I'd hate trying to spell them out. That must be a pain.

She nodded, more to herself than anything. "Yes, I did. I will admit I was particularly… weak at that moment. It'd been so long since I had company. Since anyone had bothered to make the trek up the mountainside and seek me out. No one had bothered ever since…" I heard her choke up, before wiping her eyes. Her hand lingered once more beside her key. "No matter. I wanted company. A friend. Someone to keep, and stay with me. And I thought that if the human left, I wouldn't have company again. So I tried to make it so that I would have company, even if another living being decided to not seek me out ever again."

I felt myself blanching, as I stepped away. "Are… are you going to attempt such a thing with me? Once we part ways, are you going to steal my soul?"

Coughing out a laugh, she shrugged her shoulders. "I considered it. Still am to be honest. It'd be so tempting to have a human who was a captive audience forever." As Tokiko's grip on my wrist tightened, she looked outside once more. "But I won't do that. Not when you're like… Like this."

We sat there in silence for a few moments, staring down each other. Finally, Nitori blinked and turned her back to us. "I'll be taking my leave now. We should be at the city soon. If you want to come find me in a few, I'll be calibrating my equipment. …Well, until then." At that, she vanished from within the interior of the caboose.

Frown marring my face, I turned back to Tokiko. I stared at her for a few minutes, weighing my words. Eventually, I said, "That doesn't particularly sound like someone who is planning to do something to me. At least, not anymore."

Blush creeping over her face, she looked away, headwing hiding her eyes "Maybe not… But she did do that. And… and I don't want to lose you, either."

Weakly smiling, I reached over and squeezed the shoulders of the winged girl. "I don't want to lose you either. Thought that after you'd lost your arm." Shaking my head, I sighed "Well, I didn't know you could heal that much, so fast."

Shrugging, the girl looked away. "Kinda have to, all things considered. Else, I'd have died long ago."

Nodding to her, I attempted to think of something to say, anything else that might make her feel more at ease. But at such a blithe statement on how close she had come to death before… Well, it was impossible to say anything else. Instead, I stayed silent, my hands drifting around her shoulders into the loosest of hugs.

We stayed that way, until a shout from above told me that we had arrived. Tight grin covering my face, I reluctantly pulled myself from her side, saying, "I should go. Need to get everything together. And you might need some time to fix that dress of yours." With what, I didn't know, but there was probably something we could manage. At the least, I knew there would be one store that sold cloth in this city.

As I stood up to leave, I felt her eyes on the back of my head. Looking back, I saw the girl watching me, the slightest hint of red on her face. She met my eyes for a few moments before looking away. "Just.. just be careful Gray."

Nodding slightly, I replied. "I do try to be. See you in a bit."

---

The sight that I saw as we came into view of the city was something I had not beholden myself to, ever. Naturally, I had heard quite a lot about these cities, and had even seen them far off in the distance back at home. But I never had bothered to visit them. My family had no need to do such a thing, as we were completely content where we sat in the backwoods.

That was, assuming, that the larger cities still managed to function. Mostly abandoned by their former residents, they became little more than ghost towns, inhabited by people who were either too afraid to move outside its confines, or fatalistic enough to wait for the towers to fall.

So, it was with some anticipation that I climbed the caboose turned engine of our makeshift train. And it was with enthusiasm that I watched the horizon begin to turn, and the buildings begin to grow as if giant stalks of corn from the ground. As there are no true mountains in Illinois, there was nothing to hide the growth of the buildings as we chugged closer and closer to the old city line.

Eventually, we passed a green sign that had at one point graced the lanes of an interstate. Welcome to Chicago. A city that would hopefully contain the answers we were searching for.

Walking up beside me on the front of the car, the tired kappa glanced down at me. Shoulders drooping, and an oil stained cap covering her eyes, it appeared as if she was about to fall asleep. "Hey there. Are you doing ok?"

With a shrug of those shoulders, she plopped by my side. "I suppose. As you can tell, we encountered no other traffic on these rails last night I had imagined that they would be busier, considering how much cargo this one was pulling."

I suppose the answer to her question, implied as it may be, was a simple one. "Most people are still afraid to go out at night. Even if they're in a train, they'll wait it out in the safety of a depot or a rail yard before moving out. It's uncommon for a train to be scheduled to begin its journey at dusk, instead of dawn." Of course, considering the cargo, I doubt they had to be worried about any stray monsters.

However simple that explanation might have been, she seemed satisfied with it. "So, it is an oddity for this train to be running, but not for few trains to be running. Hrm." Yawning, she leaned back against the wood. "So, you making up with your girl down there?"

I froze for a moment at her words. My girl? I don't own the girl. Not at all. Even if that ball makes it so that she… "No, she's not mine. Nothing of that sort. She's her own person."

The kappa glanced at me for a moment before she snorted. "Not what I meant, human. Not at all." Glancing at me, she gave a tired grin. "That's why I didn't try and take you for myself. I know what it's like to lose someone. I wouldn't want to pass that on."

I couldn't help but chuckle weakly at that statement. Twisted sense of morality that one has. Then again, I would have to consider Tokiko's own actions before she became more agreeable, before I cast this one out as an outlier. "Noted. Just, uh, please leave that thing where it is, either way. I don't particularly want anything extracted." With a shrug of her shoulder, the girl flopped down on the roof of the caboose. It didn't take but a few minutes for some snores to sound from underneath her hat.

Shaking my head, I let myself watch the city as it rose up before me, black and grey towers glistening slightly in the wind. It was quite the sight. But before I could allow myself fall too deeply into a trance, I heard the window beside me pop open. Looking back at the visitor, I found myself once again looking at Tokiko. "Hey there. Feeling good enough to be up and about?"

Nodding shortly, her eyes darted over to where the kappa was laying. "Is she…"

I shook my head. "No, she isn't. Probably nodded off for a bit." My eyes flickering over, lingering on the matted hair of the kappa. "She looks exhausted. It's a wonder she was able to stay up this long."

"Mmm…" Tokiko seemed to gaze back at me, frown on her face. "So, how close are we?"

Eyes flickering back, I guessed, "I'm not sure. Perhaps… thirty minutes, by how fast we're going. Depends on how close we are to the city proper, and where we'll get off." Seeing her eyebrow raise, I clarified. "If there are people waiting for us, we'll need to get out pretty early. Don't want to be running straight into their lines, now do we?"

Nodding in understanding her eyes finally fell onto the cityscape. With a small gasp, she stared at it for a moment, before stuttering, "Y-you mean we're g-going… There? That place is huge. Like a giant forest…"

Not quite the same analogy that I used, but one that was just as accurate. Perhaps even mores. "That it is, isn't it? You can stay out here, you know. No need to stand inside the window." Still, she did not move, instead content to gaze out at the city. "Earth to Tokiko… are you there?"

"Hwah?" Shaking her head, headwing flapping from side to side, she seemed to realize that I was speaking to her once again. "Oh! Well, I could, but we're almost there. Might as well stay in here."

The slight glances from left to right as she tried to not meet my eyes gave me all the answer that I needed. "You don't want to be out here with her, do you?"

Drooping, she slowly nodded. "Pretty much…" At least she was being honest with me. "I still don't particularly care for this."

"I'm not… completely comfortable with it." Who would be, after what I learned. "But I owe her my life. And since we may share objectives, however temporarily… I'd rather work with her than against her." Considering who we were going up against, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to have yet another youkai on our side.

"Well, as long as she doesn't try anything…" Shaking her head, she turned back towards the city. "Still, it's amazing that such things could be built… And that your kind was able to build them."

Chuckling softly, I shook my head. "It's hard to imagine for me, as well. These buildings are on a scale that I never would encounter back at home. Your humans were still stuck using one or two story buildings at most, weren't they?"

She nodded slightly. "For the most part. I know that there were other buildings, but anything truly large was owned by a youkai, or constructed by one. They were the only ones that were able to engage in such massive projects."

"Hrm." I shrugged, looking at the skyline. "I suppose we can't quite be building them again, yet. I've told you how scarce resources are. Plus, considering how few remain, compared to the population before, there's no need for new ones." Eyes narrowing, I tried to pick out anything on the horizon. No matter what, though, I could see nothing beyond the tall structures. "Of course, most of the people probably don't even bother living in the city unless they have to. Considering the resources they have already…"

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if there was something different about this city.

Seemingly agreeing with me, the youkai leaned down on the window, mismatched sleeves surrounding the arms cradling her head. Letting her eyes begin to droop, she fell into a daze as the landscape passed us by on our journey.

Smiling gently at her face, I let one of my hands fall on her arm, still hesitant to believe that everything was alright. But I did no more than that. It was time for me to stay awake while my friend and acquaintance doze. We had work to do up ahead. And hopefully… some answers to be had.

---

The trip to the city proper didn't take much time at all. While I may not have been able to see anything, there were no guards along the rails, or anything else in the early morning hours. We didn't see the first signs of life until we were at the feet of the city proper, about ten minutes out. That was when we came across a group of bicyclers riding along, gawking at the caboose and cars that were now a train.

It was an odd sight, to be honest. We were pretty far out from the city itself, and there were plenty of woods around, so shouldn't there be monsters lurking about? Granted it was early in the day, so they should be about going to bed, but there were always a few looking out.

Still, I gave them a lazy wave before moving to wake my two friends from their doze. They did not want to move quickly, but they were moving soon enough. Taking out a pair of rather complicated spectacles from her pack, Nitori had gazed along the tracks before deciding that it was now the time to depart.

Seeing the hint of a rail yard in the distance, I gave her a short nod before once again heading up to turn on the brakes. Given that there was no mainline locomotive hauling the remnants of this train, I only had to turn two before it began to slow noticeably. Without further ado, the three of us jumped off the caboose. Or rather, Nitori jumped off while Tokiko carried me, wings beating furiously to slow me down so I didn't turn into mush when I hit the ground.

After landing, we quickly made the effort to look as presentable as possible. Given the poor state of our clothing, myself being the only one with a spare, this was not particularly easy, but we made do. Making sure that Tokiko's rather obvious nonhuman features were hidden from prying eyes, we began the trek towards the city.

I will say that the entrance into the city proper took about thirty minutes. But to get into the heart of the city took an even greater amount of time. Mostly because Tokiko and myself, plus Nitori to some extent, were amazed at the sheer size of the city we were entering. Tall buildings that seemed to be without end, reaching high into the sky. Now it wasn't as if I was entering a cornfield; it was as if I had fallen into mountains of metal.

What awed me more was the sheer amount of people around. Dozens lined every roadside, walking hither and thither, going about on some business or simply socializing with their neighbors. Trolleys were running up and down the street, propelled by unheard and unseen motors while metal cables dangled above them. And while certainly not a common sight, I took in a few motorized vehicles traveling each and every way, with a swarm of bicyclers in their wake.

After walking one block, I must have seen a few hundred people. I had never imagined something like this. Tokiko shared my sentiments, her eyes darting back and forth as her hand sought out mine. "Gray, there's so many… Where are all these people…"

"Coming from?" I suppose they were living here, but were they refugees from the landscape? Had they actually managed to reclaim the city from disparate elements that had taken it after the explosion? Or did they grow tired of their fighting, and decide to group together and improve their circumstances singlehandedly? "I can't tell you. I have never seen so many people in one place… There must be a few thousand on the road just in front of us."

Eyes narrowed at the whole ensemble, Nitori began to mutter under her breath. "That isn't what bothers me… You see those trains rolling on the street?"

Nodding, I face her, ignoring the odd glance a passerby gives me and my gun. "The streetcars? While I've never desired to ride one, they do seem fairly normal…" As one rolled by near us, I listened again, noticing once more how quiet they were. "But I don't hear an engine. How is it they run?"

Nitori glances up at the wires, before whispering lowly to me. '"Those cars are electrically powered. They're using these overheard lines in order to send power to them."

I immediately blanch at her statement. "So these are modified, just as the trucks were. Does that mean we're in the right place?"

Nodding slightly to me, she cuts her eyes back to the streets. "That is my current supposition. The amount of magic it would require would be immense. So they've either got a really good kappa, or a veritable horde of them."

Glancing at the people that were all around, I shook my head. "I don't know if any of these people will know where to find them. They don't seem like they've seen any sort of trouble in a long time." I hadn't really bothered to take it into account, but these people were just as unarmed as anyone else I had seen. That doesn't particularly mean anything, as a pistol could be easily hidden under a jacket. But the sight of so many people with nary a gun strapped to their back or in a holster…

Well it makes one wonder. Do they not even have a monster problem at all?

Still, we had to get down to business. "Alright, before we can tackle them, we need to take care of a few things first. More things like getting a good meal beforehand, and stocking up on a few supplies. I wouldn't mind getting a few shells for my shotgun, just in case."

Hearing someone stumble behind us, Tokiko whipped around, thinking they had heard what we were speaking of. As my eyes followed hers, I saw that it was just a man dropping his briefcase. Without a word, he picked up his belongings and marched away, seemingly oblivious to the world.

Still, that was enough warning to me. If we were lucky enough that he wasn't an eavesdropper, what were the chances that the next one also wasn't? "Alright, let's take this somewhere quieter."

We took that cue to bid ourselves silent once more, as we marched along the seemingly unending streets. As we did, my eyes lingered across both the sights I had never seen before, and sights that were all too familiar. The stores packed jam-full of various gadgets, more expensive than all of our arms and legs, and the stalls packed with various foods as farmers peddled their wares. The radios that sung out through scratchy stereos beside the guitars, pianos, and trumpets that lined a few avenues.

This city was alive. Somehow, someway, it had come back to life. It wasn't to the point it was before, that much was obvious… But it seemed much busier than anything I had ever observed. And in the process, somewhat alien.

Passing through one of the open-air stalls, I reminded myself to get some grub to refill our stocks. We still had plenty, but we might as well keep them topped off. Perhaps I would even be able to live through the night and use all that I was purchasing, but best to plan ahead.

A few slabs of dried meat and jerky went straight into the bag, as the shopkeepers gave odd looks at the suddenly joyous face that Tokiko had. So close to the lakes, they even had fish to sell. Granted, there was precious little of the food she preferred the most, but this was enough to make her happy. Enough to make her munch merrily on a fish head as they continued to walk through the market.

With what I read the previous night, I grabbed a few pieces of fruit off of another stall, flipping a few coins to the vendor as we went along. It wouldn't hurt to have them, at least. With Tokiko distracted with her food, and Nitori still sullen, I maneuvered them out of the farmer's market, towards the nearest park.

Finding a bench out of the earshot of the majority of passerby, I sat down, slinging the bag off of my shoulders. Beside me, the others also took their seat. Setting the majority of our wares inside of the bag, I withdrew her knife, and set to carving into a piece of fruit.

To the side, the kappa seemed to have had enough of keeping quiet. "So, why are we not storming in there right now? We're here, so why not get it over with?"

Waiting a few moments, I answered. "Because it's near the middle of the day. Wherever those people are, they're all wide-awake. If we really want to take advantage of them, we'll go in after dusk, when there should be fewer of them there."

Raising her eyebrows, she crossed her arms and stared at me. "Hardly seems like something you'd be saying. Wouldn't you rather go in and take them all out at once?"

Wouldn't I? Of course I would. But I'm not nearly as tough as the youkai, am I? And if these guys are smart, they'll have weapons plenty… And those will take me out with one good shot. "It's best to use subterfuge. I don't heal quite as well as you and Tokiko, so we'll take it nice and easy." Under my breath, I added, "And we have to find those other versions of you, too. Right?"

Glancing at me, her eyes turned down. "…Right. Still, It is much less efficient to wait around. So what do you think we should do?"

Heh, alright. If she wants to put it that way… "Simple, we should take it easy, and do everything slowly. Rest up, which I'm sure that you need…" The short nap had done wonders for her earlier, but its beneficial effects were starting to wear off. "And we'll hit them right when they're tired, and we're in top shape."

Before we could get any further into our discussion, I looked down at my work, satisfied that it was finished. Not waiting any longer, I wiped off the juice that now coated the blade on my pants and slid it in, before offering the two pieces of fruit to Nitori.

Wordlessly, she eyed them for a few moments before taking them. Snorting softly at my crude carvings, she asked, "Cucumbers, really? now why would you be giving me any of these?"

I just shrugged and leaned back at the statement. If what I read was true, "Aren't cucumbers supposed to be your kind's preferred food? And if one gives them a piece with their name carved in, they are guaranteed safe passage?"

Beside me, I could feel Tokiko tense up as Nitori continued to look at them. "It's not like you're crossing my river, so I don't believe that is applicable." She sighed, before running a finger over the letters. "Still, why do this? You already have my word. Is that not good enough for you?"

That smile that she was giving me certainly didn't help my composure as I thought of a reply. Plastered on her face with her sharp teeth showing, she almost seemed to be daring me to disagree. Well, I'm not going to lie straight to her face, at the least. "I owe you my life, so I don't have a problem. This might make the both of us feel safer, though, so I thought I might try it." I held my hand out to take them back. "But if you don't want them…"

"I never said that!" Before I could even come within a foot, she yanked the fruit away, hiding it behind her. I couldn't help but the small grin that came to my face. "I was just testing to see… So it's not really for your sake, huh?" Her eyes flashed green once more before she finally nodded. "Fine… For the rest of this journey, you'll have your safe passage, at least from me. Now, is anyone watching?"

I look around the park, trying to spot anyone that might be close enough to pay attention. It seems that the area we were in was still mostly deserted, as the nearest person was an organ grinder a few hundred yards away, peddling for change. "Not that I can see… Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm about to eat." Glancing around herself, Nitori gave a satisfied smirk. Looking up towards the sky, She opened her mouth wide, as if preparing to eat the cucumber. Yet, , the mouth continued to widen, a slit appearing on her cheek as her face continued to split all the way up to below her ear. Sharp teeth glistening in the sun, she dropped both of the cucumbers in her mouth, before snapping her jaws shut.

I couldn't help but wince at the sickening crunch from both of the cucumbers snapping in half in her mouth. Scooting over closer to Tokiko, I couldn't help but watch as the kappa chomped on the fruit, tearing it to pieces with every bite. Nor could I look away as she swallowed the whole mess in one go, and it slid down her throat visibly and into her stomach.

Closing the Glasgow grin that she had been sporting, she wiped off her mouth with her sleeve and shot me a smile. A normal one thistle, but one that was still quite satisfied. "That was good. Always nice to have a cucumber." Chuckling at my trepidation, she turned her head. "But if we're waiting to see… I think I'm going to go ahead and take another nap. Just search the trees when you're ready to leave." With that, she stood up, and walked over to the nearest, ancient shade tree.

A few seconds after she had gone, I let out the breath that I had been unconsciously holding. "Well, I don't think I quite expected that…"

Tokiko nodded slightly. "Well, for someone who isn't used to it… Although I think talking to someone with three wings would have gotten you used to this."

Heh, perhaps. I suppose I had simply gotten used to the sparrows, and didn't think there was anyway that a regular looking girl could look even more monstrous. Well, mostly regular, I should say. The blue hair really does stand out…

Before I could think of a reply, Tokiko tapped me on the shoulder. Waiting for me to turn and face her, she asked me, "So, tell me how exactly you knew about that. I wouldn't have expected you to have heard anything about the kappa… Considering how much that I had to explain to you about youkai, and all."

Well, that was easy enough an answer, I suppose. "I pulled out your book last night, while we were headed here. Needed something to do while you were healing… So I borrowed it for a little bit. I hope you don't mind…"

The headwing seemed to be struggling within her hat to express itself as she stared at me with a curious expression on her face. "No, I don't… You didn't take the. But… how could you read it?"

I may have not been the brightest bulb in the world, but I knew how to read. Although, considering how much I exercised it at home, it might be easy for someone to assume otherwise… "I can read. I just never found it to be… worthwhile. Had more important things to do." And didn't have much at all to do on the train, for that matter."

Tokiko shook her head, hands raising slightly. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that, it's just…" She tilted her head sideways, eyes boring into me. "That book was not written in your tongue. How could you be capable of reading it at all?"

Oh. "Oh." Well, now that was a sticky subject. What could that mean? Was she not the only one that had been… affected by that ball? But how? "…Perhaps the book is magical, and allows whomever looks at it to read it?" I was grasping at straws here, as it could possibly just be a coincidence. Hopefully.

Either she believed that idea had some degree of merit, or she was in the same boat that I was. No matter what the case may have been, she nodded shortly to me. "That… could have been the case. I wouldn't have put it past whoever made the book."

Neither of us made a motion to retrieve the thing, in any measure. Instead, we both made the conclusion to just leave it be. I knew that if things went poorly tonight, it wouldn't matter anyways. So, I leaned back on the bench and rested my eyes once more, content to let the hours slip by. And it didn't take long for the downy head to rest on my side as she joined me to sleep the remainder of the day away.

---

By the time night was falling, we were walking along the streets once more, pointedly ignoring every other person that was still out and about. The electronic lights cast sharp shadows, so unlike the flickering flames I was used to seeing.

As distracting as the stillness was, I wouldn't let the three of us go astray from our objective. We sought out an old factory a few rows in from the waterfront. It didn't take us long to ask around after we began moving again to discover where the trucks were originating from.

The residents of the city, it seemed, were smitten with whoever ran the factory. Those who were old enough to remember before were amazed that someone had been able to rebuild their past, and bring back the conveniences they once had. And those that were too young, such as I… Well, they couldn't believe the things that were happening.

As such, it was not hard to get directions to where that band of murderers was hiding out. We hardly mentioned that little tidbit to those we questioned, as I do not believe they would have trusted a single word that we said. And do be honest, who would? Three odd strangers with odder accents showing up out of nowhere, and claiming their local heroes had killed their family?

So, we let that dog lie, and made our way in the general direction of the building. Drifting in and out of shops, making the appearance that we were merely travelers lingering about, we made the odd purchase here or there. Still, the coin that we had weighed down the sack quite nicely, so there were no worries about running out of money. All that I had to worry about was running out of lives.

All of which led us to our present situation, staring at the nearest entrance. Glancing at each of them to make sure they were ready, I swung the gun down from my shoulder, hand placed on the stock. With a grim look on my face, I ducked into the alley nearest the side of the old brick factory. Finding an empty trashcan that didn't have too many flies in it, I tossed my bag in. I had all the shells that I would ever need on my belt and in my pockets. The only other thing that stayed with me was the bag of balls, as it was too valuable to lose. A somewhat disgusted look covered Tokiko's face as she tossed her own in on top of mine.

Giving her a pat on the shoulder, I whispered, "The books should be fine, don't worry too much." My words managed to cheer her up slightly, but only just. No smile broke upon her face as she gave me a nod, removing her concealing hat and coat. Wings free once more, she flapped them a few times before looking at me.

"We ready to get this over with?" Well, she certainly seemed to have lost any skittishness. Somewhat depressing to see that go, as it always had. It was so much easier to think of her as just a girl when she wasn't in this state.

Looking over at Nitori, who was waiting for us to finish, I nodded to her. "Let's get this started, then. Ready to breach?"

Reciprocating my own actions, she glanced back out of the alleyway. Seemingly satisfied that there was no one watching our current location, a mechanical arm extended out of the backpack and onto the door handle. A quick twist later, and I heard the metal inside snap and give way.

Immediately afterwards, Nitori slid inside, casing the interior. I followed in behind her, my shotgun falling further into my hands, pointing low at the ground. As I cleared the doorway, my birdie of a friend following behind me, I got the first good look at the interior of this factory.

It was rather plain, I suppose. And old. Before this gang, or whatever they are, moved in, it probably hadn't seen heavy use in decades. Still, there were small dim lights lighting the entire hallway, just enough for me to see down its entire length. Fortunately, there seemed to be very little in the way of guards yet, so we hadn't tripped any sort of alarm by our sudden storming of the building.

As Tokiko shut the door behind us, wedging it closed with a chair, I began to look about for the way into the interior of the factory. There were plenty of doors to choose from, but which way would be the quickest?

Before I could make any decision myself, Nitori beckoned me forward. "Come on, this way looks the best." Without waiting for an answer, she began walking forward, nearly strolling down the halls as the two of us flanked.

One eye glancing back to ensure nothing was following us, I asked out of the side of my mouth, "Why this way?"

She gave me a sharp looked that seemed to tell me to mind my tongue, but answered anyway as she led us about a corner. "There are rather deep grooves along this floor. Something used to be carried along here, something heavy." She paused for a moment, as she glanced at a wide set of doors. "Or something heavy still is. Look here, quickly."

Without a word, I sidled on up next to where she was standing, peeking through two oversized swinging doors. There beyond were a few dark shapes, lit only by a few yellow lights running the length of a platform. As my eyes struggled to adjust, I spotted rectangular shapes appearing out of the dark. Rather familiar rectangular shapes, at that.

"There are the trucks…" Well, if there was any doubt now, we've found where they are located. Grimace on my face, I resisted the urge to bust through and pour lead into the sides of the vehicles. Instead, I just turned to Tokiko and nearly growled in satisfaction. "We've got them. Go the bastards…"

A grin covered her face as well. "Good. Then we can pay them back for what they did to your family." I take back what I said earlier. Maybe it wasn't so sad for her to be in this state. Because right now, she looks like an angel. One of death, I'll grant that, but still.

Apparently, the two of us were grinning at each other like maniac far too long, as Nitori has to grab both of our shoulders to shake us out of our stupor. "Come on you two. You can grin like madmen once we're done."

Yeah, there would be that, wouldn't it? Still, there would be plenty of time to celebrate, however that may end up being, after we're done. "Yeah, right. Sorry."

Tokiko immediately glanced away at the words of the kappa, before we continued along our merry way down that hallway. After a minute of silence, slowly passing door after door of unlit offices, I whisper, "So, what makes you think that they might be new?"

Nitori doesn't even turn this time to acknowledge my remark. "Many things. I just hope that I'm wrong…"

I don't get the chance to ask what she means, because at that moment we heard footsteps echoing down a side corridor. Freezing, I slid up against the wall, looking about for a nearby pillar or support beam I could use to hide myself. The others did the same as well, although Tokiko took the opportunity to cling to the ceiling instead of the wall.

As I inched closer to the nearest column, I saw a beam of light shine through the hallway. Thinking of the old electric lanterns I'd heard of, I made myself as small as I could. The footsteps drew closer and closer, until the echo seemed to fade away.

The first indication that the guard had crossed into the hallway was the bright light that would have blinded me, if I had looked directly at it. The light stayed shining down at us for a few moments, before it vanished and pointed the other way. I nearly let out a sigh of relief as the guard started to move away.

With catlike tread, I snuck out of my hiding hole, bayonet at the ready as I moved closer and closer. Before I could get within twenty feet, though, a purple and red blur flashed past me, and knocked the guard to the ground. The light, strapped to a gun that he had been holding, fell to the ground as he collapsed, either killed or knocked out from the impact.

Approaching him, I saw no movement, no chest rising as he struggled to eek out a breath. I waited a few moments to see if he would wake back up, but no breath fell from the man's mouth. Waiting, I hoped that I would feel some sort of vindication at the man's death, some sort of satisfaction. But instead, I felt nothing.

Casting out the questions that began to arise in my mind, I rifled through the pockets in search of anything that might prove to be useful. Finding nothing at all, I sighed and instead moved to grab the man's gun, only to find that it wasn't there.

Immediately jerking my head up, I searched for where it could be, only to find it in the hands of the kappa. Glancing at the oblong object, she regarded it with a keen eye, as if attempting to decipher its inner functions merely by looking at it. Of course, given how she probably could build a better one after looking at it, such an assumption probably wasn't unreasonable.

As she placed a hand on one of the pistol grips to test it out, I couldn't help but to ask, "So, are you going to be using that instead of your fists? Didn't think you'd need something as mundane as a gun to kill anyone." Why would a youkai who could easily pull over five hundred tons need a gun in the first place?

To that, she shrugged. "Most because I want to try it out. No harm in doing so, correct? A smile gracing her face as she stroked the gun gently, she continued. "Besides, I'm a bit of a sucker for things like this. Why would I bother to use magic when I have a perfectly acceptable substitute?"

Granted, I could think of plenty of reasons, but if it really satisfied her to just use a gun… "Alright. Just don't get yourself killed using it, alright?" A quick nod was my only answer as she removed the drum magazine, before inspecting it and slamming it back into place.

Checking on Tokiko to make sure that she was still in one piece, even if there shouldn't be any reason that she was not, I patted her on the shoulder before standing up and preparing to move. Nitori moving into the lead once again, we followed her down the empty hallways.

Either out of sheer dumb luck, or by a distinct mismanagement of manpower, we encountered no more guards on the way into the facility. We didn't want to alert them to our presence, after all. We'd just sneak up on them just as they had snuck up on us. At least we were giving them the benefit of being awake and being armed, instead of killing them in their sleep.

However, the deeper we went into the building, the brighter it was becoming. At first I thought it was merely my eyes adapting to the light, but instead it did appear to be that the overhead lights were becoming brighter and brighter, and nearby rooms also had their lights turned on.

A quick checked revealed that they were all empty, for the good that it did our objective. No monster kappa were to be found, or other type of monster, or even human for that matter. So, we continued to march, following the grooves carved into the floor.

Eventually, we seemed to come to a large set of swinging double doors. However, parked right in front of it was a girl. With an odd red shirt and pink dress, she looked completely out of place. Especially considering the red hat that she wore, that had an odd squiggle on the front.

Glancing at Tokiko to see if she recognized her, I met nothing but a blank face. Nitori was the exact opposite of the other youkai, being nearly livid, with her hands tightly grasping the rips. And her eyes were clenched nearly shut, squinting at the girl from under hat. A hat, which had a remarkably similar squiggle of a symbol on it.

Cautiously, hand on the trigger of gun, I moved forward, to see if this… person would let us pass. However, as we quietly stepped closer and closer, I found myself running into an invisible wall. Reaching my other hand forward, I tried to push against the invisible barrier, but found that it would not give against the pressure I exerted.

To my side, Tokiko seemed to be having the same problem. Her hands bashed against the wall, but it gave not to her pounding. As she stubbornly continued in her efforts, I looked up towards what was now obviously one of the monsters. "Let us pass. We have business with those within."

Shaking her head, the monster replied to me with an eerily familiar voice. "Negative. Access is forbidden by those unauthorized."

Her statement went unheeded by Tokiko, as she continued to attempt to force her way through. I ran my hands over the invisible wall once more, attempting to find any indication that there was a weakness. But nothing gave way. As the monster girl continued to repeat her words at our faces once more, I feared that we might have to find away around.

During this whole time, though, our other companion had just been standing there, staring the monster down. Eventually, as our fruitless efforts ceased, she took a step forward, walking through the wall as if there was nothing in her way.

Steadily walking forward to the guard, the kappa stared up into her eyes, studying for a moment. "…You are not her. A copy. Just another copy." Shaking her head, she raised her free hand towards her, two of the arms in her backpack extending out. "Move aside, and I will not do anything to you."

The monster seemed to step back a bit out of fear, before trying to steady herself. "N-negative. Access i-is forbid-den b-by those unauthorized…" As she spoke, her own hands began to rise upwards, even though her expression became more pained by the second.

Sighing, Nitori stepped even closer, seeming to dominate the other girl even though she was looking up. "You know you are unable to stop me, copy of Mitori. Why do you keep insisting to the contrary?"

The monster took another step back, as tears formed in her eyes. "M-must forbid all access… Orders are m-my orders…" She gulped as she stared down at my companion. "No choice…. Can't not try to stop you."

"That's what I was afraid of." Giving another heave of her shoulders, Nitori seemed to smile sadly at the monster. "Forgive me, copy. I had hope there might be a way to avoid it."

The monster sniffed once more, before taking a deep breath. A calm settled onto her face, even as tears dripped down her cheeks. "Better than this life that I've been forced into… Go ahead, sister."

Shaking her head, Nitori raised her hand above her head. "No… I'm not." Before any more could be spoken by either of the pair, the two arms shot out, grabbing the monster about her own arms, just below the shoulder. Held up against the door, the girl whimpered as Nitori advanced forward to her, taking her chin in the palm of her hand. With one sad look towards the girl, she gripped hard, and twisted.

I could only watch as the now lifeless body slumped to the floor. Wordlessly, Nitori pushed open the door, stepping over the body of the girl as she slumped to the floor. I glanced at Tokiko before turning to follow her, wanting to think of something to say.

But there was nothing I could have said, was there?

So, we continued on through the halls, slowly but surely. We seemed to be getting further and further into the heart of the factory, as the level of light seemed to be high enough to pass off for sunlight. It worried me that we would be easily spotted as we snuck through the building, but other than the two encounters we had, there was nothing that crossed our path.

The object of greatest concern, though, was our kappa partner, who seemed to be jumping at every shadow we passed. After the third or forth time, which resulted in a free hand reaching out to smack the wall, leaving pieces of brick to fall to the ground, I felt it had been enough.

Trepidation souring my stomach, I walked forward, ready to spring away if she did make an aggressive movement towards me. But as I laid my hand on her shoulder, there was nothing of the sort. No angry swing lashing out at me. Only tense trembling muscle. "Nitori, you need to calm down. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't who you think it is. We just need to move along, and find your copies…"

"And then what?" She spun around, angry look on her face. "And what can I do? You saw that one. She wouldn't even stand aside for me. Even though she wanted to, she couldn't." Sighing, she kicked at the floor, chipping of a spray of stone. I don't know what I'll do if the rest are the same." I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off. "Don't say it, Gray. Let's just get this over and done with, and we'll figure something out."

Acquiescing, I let her go, even if I was reluctant to do so. In the state that she was in, I don't know if she would make good decisions… But I suppose that given the predicament, you go to war with the allies you have. Hand falling back to my shotgun, I fall into step behind her, at the ready in case we run across any armed opposition.

---

It didn't take much more searching through the deserted halls to find our destination. The twisting tracks dug into the ground seemed to finally come to an end right in front of the latest large door. And just the same as the others, it was rather plain and nondescript. However, before I moved to open it, Tokiko staid my hand. "Shh… Don't you hear something?"

I froze in place, ears straining to hear beyond the metal object that separated one side from the other. As I waited for the sound to come into focus, I could hear not but the whirring of gears with a faint line of music just in the background. Nodding to Tokiko, I was about to say something before I heard the door slam open, with Nitori running straight ahead of us.

With a few utterances of unutterable words under my breath, I sped along after her, feet stomping on the floor as I gave up all vestiges of stealth. Behind me, I hear Tokiko's feet join me for a few seconds, before a whoosh of air signals me that she has taken flight. Even though she should have overtaken me, I am glad that she still remained behind to watch my back. One less thing to worry about as I try to keep up with the fleeing kappa.

All the while, the sounds become louder and louder in my ears. Eventually, the sounds grow into voices, as if a ghostly band was singing along.

"Ka-pa-pa Ka-pa-pa Nitori…"

Eyes widening, I begin to run even faster, darting around another corner as I encroach upon a large room, much larger than any of the others.

"Ka-pa-pa we're your pal Nitori…"

There standing there, observing the entire scene before her, is our Nitori. I approached her, hoping that she was just waiting there for us to enter in behind her. But as I come up behind her, the hard soles of my shoes slapping against the stone, I realize she is paying no attention to us, but only the sight before us.

"Angels that we adore, that we want to help…"

Walking up beside her, I can hear the teeth grinding in her mouth as she stares at the scene before us. Steam seems to be rising off of her skin in a cloud as her face slowly turns red. Receiving no acknowledgement from her, I find my head turning to face the scene in front of us.

"do not worry way to much now friend..."

She had found her copies.

Dozens of smaller Nitori's, no bigger than the sparrows that I knew, were lined up along a large factory floor. It wasn't quite as far as the eye could see, but there were hundreds lined up against a line, each seeming to sing as they worked on something unseen.

"Leave your body, in our small hands..."

I sighed in satisfaction. At least we had found one of our objectives. Turning to Nitori, I tried to shake her out of her current stupor. "Nitori, are you there? We found your copies… They've just been put to work on the electricity junk that is all over the city…"

At this Nitori shook her head, almost drawing into herself. "No, there not just working on creating electricity." She started to curl up, as if the backpack she had was her shell, and that it and her hat would hide her. "They've… They've gone that far. They dumb, untrained, not using my methods. They're using…"

"So remember when you go up, to…"

Worried, I glanced around to make sure there were not any guards, before kneeling down. "What do you mean, they've gone that far? Aren't they just using that magic that you have to make electricity work?"

She simply stared ahead, before laughing darkly. Turning her face towards me, a rictus grew upon it. "You don't get it do you? With magic in the air, your electricity needs to be just as alive to work… And there's a hard way to do it, which I have always strived to do…"

As she paused, I heard a squelching noise rise above the din below us. My head turning in spite of myself, I watch as one of the small kappa thrust a hand forward into what they were working on. Biting her tongue, she seemed to be searching for something, before a bright grin covered her face and she ripped her arm back out. Dripping with a thick red liquid, she thrust her hand up into the air. A sanguine mess covering her dress, she seemed entranced with the prize she had found. Shining in her palm was a bright blue orb of light. And behind her, a bloody foot dropping out of the shroud that covered it.

"Heaven above thanks to Nitori…"

My stomach immediately churned as the realization hit me. As bile forced its way up my throat, I heard Nitori finish her explanation. "And there is the easy way… Why do you think the kappa are so advanced? We figured out how to make it work centuries ago…" Suddenly, she burst out laughing. "But of course~ How else would they have done it? No, they couldn't have used the elegant method. Instead, they use my face to go the brutal, bloody route~"

Before she could continue in prattling inanities, I turned back towards her, wiping the foul taste from my mouth. "What is wrong with you? Is this all a game to you? Those could be innocents in there! Those could be…" My eyes widened as I realized who exactly could be on those tables.

Nitori shook her head. "Not likely. It's been a day since they've gotten here. If they were being efficient in any manner, then they would have already been extracted~"

The urge to shout at the heavens was rising in me, as was the urge to shout at Nitori. "So? Still, let's stop this! We need to get those people off." At her continued laughter, I grabbed her by the shoulders. "What is so damned funny?"

She grinned widely at me, now showing those oh-so-familiar sharp teeth. "Everything. You don't know how much I've done to change this. I've spent ages trying to heal relations with your kind. Ages. And at every step, I've been thwarted. First by the damn bridge princess… Then with the fallout from that human…"

She threw her head back, staring blankly at the ceiling. "So what if that was my fault? Stick that one in a cave for centuries because you're a rutting loon for thinking that you are allies with the humans! After I damn well had one for a husband!" She turned back to the kappa, finger beginning to twitch over her trigger finger. "And now, these… Doing the absolutely worse that a kappa can do to a human, for a process that I solved years ago. And to top it all off, they are using my face."

Nitori lunged at me, pressing her face into mine. "Look. Does this look like the face of a killer? Does this look like the face of someone that hates your kind?" Well, frankly, the answer to that first question was yes, but I had neither the facility nor the willingness to inform her of that. "No. But they are destroying what I've worked for. What little progress I've accomplished. And for what."

Orbs of light began to appear around her as she turned back towards the factory floor. "So, I'll just stop being nice kappa. I'll do this the nice, easy way. And now… I'll start with killing ever one of those that gets in our way." With that declaration, she ran through the railing that separated the catwalk from the floor below. Landing with an audible thump, she drew the attention of every single other Nitori on the factory floor.

My legs began to pump, preparing to jump towards the bottom of the facility. If not to stop her, to keep her from getting killed in her rampage. But before I could leap off the side, a hand lashed out and grabbed the scruff of my neck.

As I shouted for whomever it was to let me go, the light about Nitori shone brightly, before disappearing. Seconds later, a latticework of energy covered the factory floor, burning through the old machines as if they were made of tissue paper. The kappa on the bottom were more fortunate that it only burned through their clothing and into the skin, but they all began to panic and tried to run, only for them to fall over their own feet.

Glancing back, I saw that it was Tokiko that prevented me from falling into that insane magic crossfire. Muttering thanks under my breath, I took off along the catwalk, shotgun shouldered and prepared to fire. Looking up, I almost swore I saw the figure of a man through one of the windows lining the factory, before doors slamming open distracted me.

At the other end of the catwalk I was on, it seemed that there were finally more guards with red letters on their chest appearing from the innards of the building. Either they had too much trust in their monster security, or they were simply crazy. No matter what, it didn't take them too long to spot us, and to raise their own weapons at us.

Fortunately, I had my gun at the ready. All I had to do was to snap it up, and its roar echoed above the noise of carnage echoing below me. The first guard took the entire load in the chest, knocking him back into the one behind him. Cycling the action once, I launched another round at the two, putting them down.

However, the one who ended up below the meat shield still had enough life in him to dig into his pocket. Bringing up one of his balls, he tossed it in my general direction. As he fell into unconscious, the ball landed on the metal walkway, before a gap appeared in the air.

Raising my shotgun up, I waited for the familiar shape of a Mystia or Chen to fall from it. But neither sparrow nor cat monster appeared before my eyes. Instead, a pink blob fell out, blonde hair covering its face. It slowly stood up, as large wings unfurled behind it. As it grinned at me, two prominent fangs showing, I realized I should be firing instead of waiting for it to gain its bearings.

The third shot rang out, but it was too late for me to catch it. Just as my trigger finger scratched its itch, the shape leapt from the walkway, circling around to my side. It moved to quickly for me to track it. Behind me, Tokiko leapt up and into the air herself, in order to try and catch the monster.

Knowing that it would be useless to try and shoot something moving that fast, I moved my hand to my belt, taking shells out to reload. Two shells made it in before more people appeared in the doorway. Seeing their dying comrades before them, and an armed person in front of them, they immediately went for their balls, tossing them forward before following with their own weapons.

At least, they attempted to. By the time that the last one had fallen from my shotgun, they had managed to throw only four more balls into the fray. Of course, it had taken all four of the shot I had left to put them down for good.

Knowing that I'd be at a complete disadvantage if I attempted to retreat, I instead moved towards them, my hands working as quickly as possible to load shells. Cocking to put one into the chamber, I slotted two more in before the new arrivals had become completely aware of their surroundings.

A dive-bombing Tokiko, whose claws were already streaked with crimson, though, took out the one closet towards me. The three other monsters turned and hissed at my friend, as they seemed prepared to chase after her instead. Taking advantage of their distraction, I leapt forward, stabbing with my bayonet.

The injured monster immediately screamed at my action, her high voice piercing the air. Her claws lashed out at me, in an attempt to pay me back for what I had done. It was fruitless for it as I jumped out of the way, before darting forward so that steel met flesh once more.

As the other two turned their attention towards me and leapt to the air so that they could advance, I moved to end the first. With a quick pull of the trigger, a good portion of her midsection was torn to shreds at the onslaught of lead. Not willing to let up on my fire, I pumped again and fired, widening the gap. A third shot finished the job, as the monster dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Whirling about, my entire front now covered with blood, I faced the nearest monster. And once more, I could only watch as Tokiko also intercepted that one, knocking it out of the sky. I exhaled in relief as there was one less target for me to take care. Turning to find the last of the monsters, I realized that I could find it.

But the hand on the back of my shirt told me that it had found me.

Deciding to take advantage of my distraction, the monster yanked me over the side of the railing, dragging me off the catwalk and sending me into a freefall onto the floor below. I could only helplessly flail about as I fell, calling out, "Tokiko!"

But there was no birdie to catch me. Instead, right before I hit the floor, the monster grabbed me out of the air, halting me before I became a splotch of red paste on the floor. As it laid me on the ground, it looked over me for a second. "Mmm… You look absolutely delicious… Kurumi like…" And, with that little statement, she leaned down, and bit my neck.

I waited a few moments, resigned to the fact that she would be tearing it away and ending my life right there. It slowly dawned on me, though, that the monster wasn't gnawing on my flesh. It was sucking something. As I felt a pull on my blood and a flutter in my heart, I realized that this was a bloodsucker. A damned vampire.

Panicking, I tried to grab at her hair with my left hand, as my right attempted to whack her with the butt of my shotgun. Still, all of my efforts were insufficient, unable to dislodge the monster from me.

My impending death was put on hold, though, by a burst of fire from right near my ear. The top of the monster's head caved in right before my eyes. The body slumped against me, muscles spazzing a few times before all the limbs became still. After waiting a moment, I pulled the fangs of the vampire from my neck, before tossing it to the side. Looking around, I saw Nitori standing right above me, grin still on her face.

"See? A lot easier to just go ahead and do this. But it's a bit messy. You missed a spot, by the way." Without even waiting for an answer, she looked back up at the catwalk. "Oh, more of them are coming in~ I'm going to go introduce myself to them!"

At that, Nitori sped away, leaping up to the catwalk. Turning my attention from it for a moment, as the youkai certainly had the attention of everyone nearby, I looked instead at the wreckage of what had been the factory floor.

Rather, it might be more accurate to call it a scene of the apocalypse. Upturned machines littered the place, as her fists had torn apart everything she came in contact with. What was worse were the remains of the other Nitori… As I could not honestly call them bodies. Torn to pieces, burnt by her magic, eviscerated… There was little that was not done to them. A few seemed to have been boiled in where they stood, as their remains were still steaming.

In all of this, she seemed to have restrained her aggression, as there was movement along the line. A few humans seemed to be unlocking themselves from their restraints. Rather, they were tearing apart the nonexistent locks on them. Some took the opportunity to run towards the nearest exit, but there were a few that stopped to help out the next person in line.

Giving no more heed to them, I turned instead towards the upper catwalks. More doors were opening, as more and more guards flooded in. From the slouches they had, and the lack of urgency in which they entered the factory, they seemed to have been just woken up. Still, I cared little for it, as I idly fed more shells into my gun. Fully loaded once more, I fired.

Beside me, Tokiko landed, her dress frayed in a few more places, but none worse the wear otherwise. Glancing up at where I was shooting, she summoned her own orbs of light. The purple streams danced around her, before shooting up towards the upper entrances to the facility. Between our combined fire, we appeared to have locked down any entrance to the upper platforms. I can't help but grin, thinking that we had finally accomplished something. Give it enough time, and we may even be able to push back.

Any thoughts of future victory were erupted by yet another set of doors slamming open, to our sides. I immediately whipped around, looking for the new intruder, but my eyes only found a black blur speeding by. A sudden gust of wind slammed into me, knocking me off of my feet as I skid into a nearby machine. After shaking my head, I glanced up to see what had hit me. Instead, the only thing that I saw was red wood as it descended into my skull.

---

War drums beat through my head as I woke up, throbbing with each pounding the sticks gave them. A small groan passed my lips as I struggled to open my eyes, the blood pulsating in my forehead not making it any easier.

I suppose I was lucky to have any blood in me, after the earlier attack from that vampire. Not to mention the adrenaline beginning to wear off, and leaving my body feeling weak and exhausted. Still, at least I was alive, although for how long, I knew not.

Eventually, my eyes did indeed open, allowing me to look around. I was seated in an old wooden chair, surprisingly not tied down. Of course, given the state that I was in, I would hardly be a threat to anyone.

Beside me, though, was the still, winged form of Tokiko. Just as I had the pounding on my head, there was a rather obvious lump on the side of her's, where something had hit it. What little blood remained within me began to boil, as I looked about for who could have done it. Who had done it to my Tokiko.

The answer, I assumed, was a seated right across from me. An obvious monster, but exceedingly large for its kind, with wings oddly small for its frame. It sat perched on the side of a desk, preening its hair underneath an odd box-shaped hat. As it looked up and saw me staring at me, it gave me a satisfied smile, buffing its nails on its chest as it crossed its legs. One hand trailed across an odd fan on the surface of the desk.

A door opening on the far side of the room cut off any further examination. A man strode through, clad in a dark suit and gazing at the two of us with beady eyes. Glancing back, he spoke a few words to someone on the other side of the door, before shutting it.

He quietly strolled across the floor, stopping beside the monster as he approached his desk. He reached up to stroke it, a smirk on its face. And, oddly enough, it eagerly returned the gesture, falling into his hand as a pet would have. Letting his hand linger for a few moments on its cheek, he stepped around the desk and sat down, turning his attention back to me. "Well, if this isn't a surprise. A whelp shows up in my factory and makes a grand mess, turning free numerous subjects. And, in the process, brings me two originals."

Leaning forward, the man places his hands a few items laying on his desk. It takes me but a few seconds to realize that it is my shotgun he is staring at, along with sister's knife. "And with such simple arms. I'm amazed you've gotten this far, boy. I'd ask you why, but I care little."

Even though he wasn't asking, there was no way that I wasn't telling. "Those men… They killed my family. Every one of them. I survived, and I wanted to hunt them down, and pay them back."

At that, the man grinned. "Oh, is that all? Simple revenge? I had hoped it was some noble quest to save the poor people down there, being extracted. Or a journey to save your family before they were killed. But all you thought was that they were killed." He stroked his chin. "At least that part of the plan was working as planned. Although, I never thought it would inspire someone to come all the way here…"

"Wait, so you're the one behind all this? The one who set this up?" So, this was the leader of the group? He didn't seem quite the kind to go out and take care of business personally. His skin was too white, as if it hadn't seen the sun in far too long.

He gave a small, mocking bow. "Guilty as charged. Although, what did you expect?"

"Frankly, I just expected to come up here and kill some people."

Laughing, he shook his head. "Honesty, boy. That honesty will kill you, one of these days. Be glad I'm not one to take offense to it." Shaking his head, he turned his attention to Tokiko. "But sadly, you're not the one I'm interested in. Instead, it's your little birdie of a friend I'd like to talk to." With a snap of his fingers, he brought the lounging monster by his side to full attention. "Now, Aya, go wake our little friend up."

A blur flashed through the room, and the monster was now standing on one leg next to Tokiko. Raising its hand, it slapped Tokiko, slamming her head into the back of the chair. The monster gave a high, shrill laugh as it watched Tokiko's head lolled from side to side, as she woke up. I found my hand raising unconsciously to return to her the gift, but the subtle cocking of a gun staid any action.

"Now, little youkai, I want to talk to you." A small thunk echoed across the room as he set a pistol on the desk. "Now, would you like to know that I have a way to free you from your confines? A way to rid you of that ball?"

Still groggy, Tokiko shook her head a few times, flapping her headwing around. As his words registered in her skull, she nearly jumped in her seat. "What? You can get rid of that ball? Get it out of my head?"

I found myself instantly shaking my head. Don't do it, Tokiko. She'll only regret it… This guy certainly wasn't on the straight an narrow. Still, he leaned forward, smarmy smile on his face. "Yes, I can get it out. It's unheard of to find one of the originals… Even this prized specimen beside you is just a copy… Although a very fine copy."

Tokiko glanced at the monster beside her, a frown growing on her face. "Wait a moment. What do you want from me? You want something, I can tell." She muttered under her breath. "They always want something…"

The man nodded to her. "Yes, I do want something. I want you to come and… work, for me. Isn't the thought of being free enough pay for you?"

She stirred once again at his words, wanting to be rid of the damned ball. Still, before she said anything, she turned to me. Now was the only chance to tell her what he had told me only moments before she woke. "Don't do it. He's the one in charge of this place. The ones that killed my family." To really to make my point clear, I reached over and grabbed her hand. "Our family."

Still, that thought stopped her in her tracks. At the thought of what we had both lost, she immediately looked back at him, a snarl on her lips. "There's no way in the three hells that I'd work for you!"

A slight frown crossed his face as he leaned back in his chair. "Oh, really? Pity. It was worth a shot." Waving his hand towards the monster, he said, "Aya, go ahead and dispose of her. Have some fun in the process, though."

The monster grinned, before leaning down to whisper in Tokiko's ear. "You look like a fun one… Just remember to scream loudly." Looking over at me, it winked. "And I'll be back for you later…" With that, it grabbed Tokiko by the armed, and vanished down a corridor to the left.

Staring blankly at the door they had just shot through, I turned around and shouted at the man. "Who do you think you are, to kill all these people‽ And for what?"

Smirk plastering itself back on his face, the man stood up and began to stroll over towards the left, where large windows looked out. "Who I am? Why, not that you'll live long enough to know, but my name is Giovanni. But I do these things for progress."

Seeing nothing to stop me from approaching him, I rose to my feet, wobbling slightly at blood still pulsing in my head. Walking over to the window, I could only growl a reply. "So, you'll kidnap all of these people, just for the sake of progress? What kind of progress could be worth that?"

"The kind that saves lives." Looking back at me, he said, "There is an invasion coming. Someone that cannot be stopped. Instead, they offered me tools to help speed the integration, and a way to control the monsters that still litter this land. Who would I be to deny that?"

I made my way over to the window, looking out onto the floor below. It seemed that a lot more of the guards had shown up, and were using their monsters to try and corral Nitori. The kappa was still on a rampage, as there was little that remained in a fifty foot radius about her that wasn't in rubble, but she seemed to be moving slower as she was attacked by more and more of the monsters. There were dozens lining up, waiting to take potshots at the kappa whenever they could.

Above them, there was a blur flying about the room, running circles around Tokiko. Every time the blur dashed from place to place, bullets of energy would shoot out at the girl. They were relatively easy to dodge, but the look on the monster's face in the few moments that it stayed still showed me that it was just playing with the girl.

Tired of the sight before me, my eyes turned to the man as he stared down at the sights before us, a cruel grin on his face. "So, why kill off people? I know there's another way to do what you're doing."

Shooting a look out of the corner of his eyes, he just tsked to himself as he explained. "Because there were people going to be killed anyways. Either that army comes down and kills most humans, or we thin out the population ourselves, and I the process get the people dependent on their devices once more." Turning towards me, he stepped forward, looming over me despite being only a few inches taller. "This way, we make the populace dependent upon them, showing them that we can still be useful."

His presence weighing down on me, I look away, back onto the scene before us. I can't help but to wince as Tokiko is rammed by the blur, apparently becoming impatient with her game. I look back up, and the man is suddenly grinning again at her pain. "She's taken out plenty of the monsters herself. She'll come out on top."

"Really? What have you fought? Roadside pests, like the sparrows and cats? Even the vampires that are down there right now aren't truly that special. They're just easy to keep up, with all the corpses we have. And it's not a loss if a bunch of them die, anyways."

I frown at his words. Throwing away the monsters just because you can? Sure, most of them have been bloodthirsty creatures, but that Mitori still flashes through my mind. "So, you just… drive out to the woods and catch some more?"

He looks at me for a second, before breaking out into chuckles. "Of course not… There are much easier ways to get more. Such as breeding them."

If there was anything else in my stomach at this point, I'm sure it would have chosen that moment to vacate the premises. "Wait a moment… Are you telling me that you…" Ok, that was truly sick. Truly sick.

Not that he agreed with me in the slightest. "But of course! What better way? Of course, you have to break them in… But you see that tengu out there? Such a bitch to bring to heel… But she's so worth it. Don't you think?"

I immediately reel from the prospect. "Evil…" Well, there was a lot of other things I could call him, but that got the point across quite well."

Even if he was more amused by it than anything. "Guilty as charged. I will say, that it makes for more profitable business. And by the time they come, we'll have our fingers in so deep that everyone will listen to us, and only us."

Unwilling to look at anything, either in this room or in the factory, I close my eyes in frustration. "So, you're just prattling on about all this progress stuff, are you? You just want power.'

Seemingly amused, he reached over to pat me condescendingly on the head. "Got it in one, boyo. I just like to think of it, that way. So once the truth does eventually come out, I'll be able to spin it just the way I like it. Too bad that you won't have anything to say about it."

Foot stepping away automatically, I gulped as the man looked down at me. "Going to kill me, then?"

"Nothing so simple!" He laughed quietly. "First, I'll make you watch your little birdie die. Then, you can watch as we break your little kappa friend. And once that's done, we'll stick you on the line so that she can extract you." He clapped his hands together. "An excellent idea, don't you say?"

Ignoring his statement, as he'd just twist it whichever way he wanted to, I tried to ask, "So, is the whole thing a scam? This whole, invasion thing?"

The smirk on his face faded, but he still managed to chuckle at the question. "It's no scam, whelp. After all, why else would I name my organization after rockets? It's coming… And the reason it's not already come is because of a few of them decided to stonewall. For what reason, I don't really know, but I don't care. I am just taking advantage of the situation."

My eyes glance out the window once more, before a grin manages to grow on my face. "Just remember, you've not won quite yet."

"What do you-" Whatever he was about to say was cut off as a large object hit the window with a thud. He turned in shock, as the body of his monster slowly slid down the window, facing through the window and staring straight at Giovanni with large, watery eyes. As its wings fluttered once more, it tried to get away, until Tokiko grabbed its hair and forced it into the window.

Her dress in tatters, with plenty of bruises beginning to show over her exposed skin, she glared at the back of the creature's head. Raising one hand as its fingers slowly shifted into claws, she struck with one swift strike. A few moments of silence passed, before the head of creature fell away, followed shortly by the rest of its body.

Tokiko flashed another glare at the man, before she spun in the air, and darted for the nearest opening. Said man seemed to be goggling at what had just happened, his composure slipping at the death of his monster. "As I said, you've not quite won."

At that, he turned to me, his face slowly turning red as it contorted. "You've become quite a pain. I'll just have to take care of you before your bitch gets-"

A wet thunk sounded as Giovanni stilled, distracted by the noise. I couldn't tell what was going on, but as thunk after thunk emitted from the man, and blood began to dribble from his mouth, it became more and more obvious to me. Eventually, the man couldn't take it any longer, and he collapsed as a giant oak would, slowly falling over to the side.

From behind him, a small figure stepped forward, wiping a blade on the hem of her shirt. "Hello, brother. You look like you're doing well."

I freeze at her words, just staring dumbly at the girl. Grin covering my face, I leap forward, wrapping her in a hug. "Sister! You're alive! How…?"

She shrugged in the hug, before backing away to raise the knife and inspect it. "I was released a few minutes ago. Whoever did it said there was an attack. I figured that I would have a few words with the people in charge, but you had already committed to a discussion. I just decided to interrupt when he raised a point I disagreed with." She blinked, and looked around. "Tokiko is to be her soon, correct?"

Just as she spoke, my friend burst out from around the corner. She looks between the two of us for a moment before launching herself at my sister. "Joy! You're alive!" She looks between the two of us for a second, before asking, "What about…"

"No, they're not." She looked up at me, face grim. "They were processed ahead of me. I saw all of the survivors from ahead of me. They were not… in that group."

"Dammit. Dammit to hell." There were sometimes where invectives were the proper choice of words. And this was one of those times. "So, we screwed. But what do we do now?"

"Simple. We strike them at their heart." Both Tokiko and I looked at her, my eyebrow raising. "If what he is saying is half true, there is more to this operation. And since we've taken out him, the only way to go is up. Is that not right?"

Slowly, I nod. "Makes sense. Not like I planned to live after this anyways." Out of the corner of my eye, I see the fighting that is still going on the bottom floor. They seem to be running out of monsters, but our friend is running out of steam. "But we need to get Nitori out of here. She's still stuck down there."

Tokiko looks back at me, before her eyes snap down to her, too. "You're right, but how? I don't think I can take on much more, as weak as they are."

"You're right. Considering there are probably reinforcements on the way." Sister looked at me, before sighing. Her forehead knitted as she slowly said, "There… there seems to be only one good way. Use the balls."

Tokiko cringed at the very thought. "Are you sure? We could always try to run down, grab, and run out…"

I sigh and pinch my nose. There was no good answer… But what was the best one. "Tokiko… we're already going to try and free you, right?" At her nod, I paused for a moment before reaching my hand into the sack of balls that was still at my side. "That will just mean we'll have to add her to the list." I raise the brass and iron ball to my face and sigh. "I'm sorry."

Tokiko just nods, eyes flickering between the two of us. "If… if you are sure Gray." But she offered no more than that. I walked over to the desk of the former boss, and grab my gun from it. Chambering the last round, I aim it towards the glass and pull the trigger.

The glass immediately shatters, showering the factory floor far below with a hailstorm of crystal shards. Before they can react to the sound, I've already slung my gun and taken the ball in hand. With one great heave, I toss it towards Nitori.

Whether by either the greatest luck imaginable, or by magical assistance from the ball itself, it falls directly on top of the worn out kappa. As the guards begin to realize what just happened, I ducked into the nearby ledge, so as to avoid any nearby gunfire.

Waiting a few seconds, I stare at my hand, hoping beyond hope that it comes back. Seconds tick by, as I imagine her trying to bust out of it. And just when I think it failed, the gap in reality opens up above my palm. And out falls the brass ball. Only this time, it looks a bit different. Right above the trigger lies a small image of a key.

Sighing in relief that we were successful, I leapt to my feet and follow Tokiko through the nearest door. The three of us make our way down the halls, Sister leading the way at each junction as we maneuver through the brick maze.

After a few minutes of searching, where we once again run into no guards, she finally leads us down a flight of stairs. Exiting near the vehicle depot, she kicks open the door, looking about for anyone that might be there. With that quick glance, she strolls over to a nearby wall, grabs a key, and waltzes on over the nearby truck.

While sister busies herself with the keys, Tokiko and I work on opening the back of the truck. A quick blast of shot is enough to shoot off the lock, and the door opens easily from the point. The truck is empty, with a small window leading to the cab. Satisfied, Tokiko goes on and sits down inside, while I stand on the bumper on the back of the truck. Looking up at sister, I yell, "Stop on the corner outside! Need to grab something!"

Wordlessly, she opens the door and climbs inside. The truck roars to life moments later, and we inch towards the closed door. Which soon becomes a broken door as sister plow through it and into the streets. After a momentary stop which allowed me to pick up a trashcan and toss it inside the back of the truck, we were gone.

Settling in on the inside, sitting across from Tokiko in the back of the truck, I pulled out the two active balls. One with a brass key… and the other now with a red feather. Already I've forced two… And it now seems like whatever adventure I was on before is now just getting started.

How deep of a mess had I gotten myself into?

---

A/N Finally, we're at the author's notes. Sheesh, the third chapter was my previous longest chapter ever, and I beat this one by about 5k! Talk about crazy. Granted, I could probably split this up, but I wrote it as one chapter, and I'm cuh-razy about it! So it's going up like this.

Anywho, lot's happening in this chapter. Getting to town, learning more about Nitori, resting, storming the factory, Nitori going full yandere, meeting the head of Team Rocket, and sister kill the head of Team Rocket. Can I get a heehaw? Anywho, not too much to say. Team Rocket, while obviously inspired by the actual one, was never intended to be a major threat. So I built them up, just as I cut off their heads in the same chapter. I imagine now that they'll be around, but more as grunts than anything else.

But of course, there's someone else behind everything, as should be obvious. And we'll be finding out soon enough, if you haven't guessed it already. And the reason I brought sister back? Because I had a blast writing her, and hated having to kill her off. Besides, every group in Touhou needs someone who wields sharp implements, right?

Anywho, if you're wondering why I'm treating poor Nitori so roughly… It pains me to do so much to her. I try to build up those I don't like, and make them better, and tear down the ones I do like. Both to improve the characters, and so I don't dip too far into favoritism. And since I love the character, I'd have to do so much wrong… Fortunately, though, it's mostly uphill here for her, as she officially reached rock bottom right here.

Speaking of Nitori, if you want the full lyrics to the song the chibi's were singing, here they are:

---

Luminous Beginning's Kappa ~ Candid Fiend

Lyrics for Nitori Kawashiro's theme, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's Kappa ~ Candid Friend

Chorus

Ka-pa-pa Ka-pa-pa Nitori

Ka-pa-pa Ka-pa-pa Nitori

Ka-pa-pa Ka-pa-pa Nitori

Ka-pa-pa we're your pal Nitori

Verse 1

All the day, we work on the humans

that lay on the moving tables.

Angels that we adore, that we want to help

to ascend to heaven if we're able.

Verse 2

Rolling along, legs held up high,

human's feet are moving by.

Hole is exposed, humans prepare.

Our old ally,

we're here to help. So

do not worry way too much now friend.

Just keep your rear low,

and you will become one of us.

Verse 3

Leave your body, in our small hands

join us within our small band.

Although you'll not stay long with us;

please understand.

You'll thank us soon. For

we have given you brand new life now.

Better than before.

So remember when you go up, to,

Chorus 2

Heaven above thanks to Nitori.

A gift given freely from Nitori.

Ka-pa-pa Ka-pa-pa Nitori

Ka-pa-pa Your old friend Nitori.

Shi-ri-ko Shi-ri-ko Da-a-ma

Extract the shirikoda-a-ma

Ka-pa-pa Ka-pa-pa Nitori

Please don't forget your friend Nitori

---

Chorus should be obvious, verse 1 is the slower part of the song, while verse 2 and three are based on the faster part. Yes, it was a bit wrong to write this, but I felt it did help the chapter as a whole… And it kept me from just using random lyrics off the top of my head. Which wouldn't rhyme.

Anywho, this chapter is long enough that I've probably forgotten a few things. So, I'll be leaving off for now. If there is anything else to ask, please don't hesitate to ask me in a review or a pm!

Digressing, please read and review as always, and until next time!