"Open your eyes."
Dutch sat up. "What the hell?"
"Come." Gentle. Soft.
Looking around, Dutch saw that he was in the vault. The state of it was poor. The walls were blackened from repeated strikes and the floating walkway had parts blown off it. The interface computer was a lump of black and the energy ball was giving of streams of energy that disappeared as they circled it.
"Come." A bit insistent.
Dutch got up. The voice was coming from one of the doors in the room. The problem was that the walkway to it was blown off, leaving a 3 meter hole to jump across.
Dutch smiled.
Running towards the hole, he jumped.
At the other side, the door opened in front of him.
"Go."
Following the voice, Dutch entered.
Inside was a bed. Lying in the bed was a figure shrouded in white light.
"This child is the heart and the soul of this artifact. She protected you. Now I ask that you do the same for her. Please."
The white light faded and Dutch could get a look at the person.
She had silvery-blue hair that flowed down to a pair of wings on her back. The feathers of the wings were crystalline and the wings gave a flap even as Dutch looked. The girl looked to be in the realm of pre-teenage, between child and young adult.
She wore a white-blue dress and a teal blouse that smoothly transitioned into white as it went down.
"Mmph." She let out as she shifted in bed.
Dutch look around. The room was empty except for the bed and it's occupant.
"Who are you?" He asked the walls.
Silence.
Leaning against the wall, Dutch rewound the event leading up to now.
A)He was learning spell card by fighting a duel.
B)The vault absorbed a master spark from Marisa.
C)Right after that, the vault called him in.
D)He was asked by what appeared to be the vault to protect a girl in the vault. Said vault explained that the girl protected him and now it's Dutch turn to do the same.
Having reviewed what has happened, he came to the conclusion.
To give up trying to understand and just keep on going.
"Missions are not timetables. Always expect Murphy to kick you in the ass. Hell, that's life in general."
"What if you get crap?"
"You take that crap and keep going. Remember, if you get shit that is down-right insane, don't try to understand it, just keep going. You will be fine."
Dutch stood up. The girl was still sleeping and he did not want to wake her up.
Time to do some house cleaning.
Walking out, Dutch phased out his glove.
Fix this. He thought.
The tendrils came out of his glove and spread across the room. Leaving what the room was before in it wake, the tendrils cleaned up the mess and returned to Dutch's glove.
As he looked at the now proper map room, Dutch saw a couple of changes that the glove bought.
The easiest to spot was in the center of the room. The computer that was the interface was now a large glass screen with a keyboard in front of it. The energy ball was now smaller and had two tower-like objects that came out of the walls above and below it facing it.
The walkway now branched out to only two doors. Where the third door once stood was a platform. The platform was u-shaped and had fins ringing the center, which was large enough to hold at least six people.
Dutch surveyed his handiwork.
"Well then, what next?" He asked himself.
The platform flashed. The fins light up and a ring appears on the floor of the platform.
Dutch curiously walked onto the platform.
Go? He thought.
The ring rose up.
"What next?" Dutch repeated.
It dropped.
Dutch opened his eyes again.
He was lying on a futon. Staring at a wooden ceiling.
"Finally. You're awake." Reimu said as she sat beside him.
"What happened?" Dutch asked.
"I should ask you the same question. You fell asleep in the middle of the match and got blasted by the final spark. The blast sent you smashing your way through the forest and stopping into a sapling. The sapling broke in half, by the way." Reimu answered.
Dutch winced. "That sounds painful. What happened afterwards?"
Reimu chuckled. "You lost the match. But you 'won'. Marisa was so shocked by the fact that you could fall asleep in front of her most powerful attack that she sat down trying to comprehend just what happened. She was still in shock the last time I checked.
Dutch smiled. "So I guess the training was called off?"
Reimu grinned evilly. "For you yes. For your companions, they have been training very hard."
Dutch could hear the sound of danmaku firing through the walls.
"So what is your name? I don't usually ask for the names of outsiders since they usually cross the border again but Yukari told me that you would be staying here in Gensokyo. Plus you did fall asleep in front of a spark." Reimu asked.
"Dutch. Dutch Kotozaki." Dutch introduced.
"Reimu Hakurei. I am the shrine maiden of this place and of Gensokyo in particular." Reimu returned.
She adopted a thoughtful face."I met a Koto. Once. A certain Kotohime."
"What was she like?"Dutch asked.
Reimu grinned."Crazy. She thinks she is a princess who is a police officer. But that kind of crazy is common here in Gensokyo."
Dutch chuckled.
Reimu got up. "Well then, I have to check on the progress of your companions. You can just stay and rest. Come out when you feel fine."
She left the room and Dutch was alone.
…But not really.
"Fufufu~ That was the funniest thing I seen all week. You are just full of surprises." Yukari said as her head appeared in Dutch's futon.
Dutch cocked an eyebrow. "At least pop out of somewhere less personal."
Yukari landed on top of him. The 17? year old youkai smiled.
"Is this less personal?" She asked, inches away from his face.
"It would be but you're not exactly a feather." Dutch breathed out.
Yukari huffed and got off.
"So any reason you are here other than to invade my personal space?" Dutch asked.
Yukari smiled. "It seems that you have a dinner arrangement to attend. Ran informed me that the Scarlet Devil Mansion has sent a letter requesting the presence of the outsiders that Mayohiga is currently hosting for a dinner tonight."
"Scarlet devil? That doesn't sound exactly safe for the three of us to attend, don't you think?" Dutch answered.
Yukari chuckled. "The name is just a bit of grandstanding. At the festival, did you happen to meet a maid? One with silver hair perhaps?"
Dutch shook his head.
"Oh well, you will probably have to meet them sooner or later. Better sooner." Yukari said.
"So what will we be going there in? We can't possibly be going there in our every day clothing." Dutch said, indicating his forest pattern combat fatigues.
Yukari smiled. "It will be fine. Here in Gensokyo, the dress code is very causal. You will be fine going there in your current clothing."
Dutch nodded.
"Are we going right after the training? What time is it anyway?" Dutch asked.
Yukari laughed. "Heavens no! You will go back to Mayohiga to change to fresh clothes before leaving. Going right after training would be just plain rude, and it's only mid-afternoon."
"Hmm, I was only out for a short while." Dutch noted.
Yukari smiled and stood up. "You seem pretty fine."
She gapped out of the room.
Dutch stared at the place where Yukari stood and got up.
Outside, he watched Renko and Maribel fire shots at moving targets.
Noting the increased rate of fire from both of them, Dutch sat down to watch them. As he watched, a thump indicated some else sitting down next to him.
"That was absolutely the most insane thing I have ever seen ze. Falling asleep in front of my final spark. That was really awesome daze." Marisa said as her usual energetic self.
Dutch chuckled. "Good to know that it has not scarred you for life. For the record, falling asleep was completely intentional. It was the vault's fault."
Marisa laughed. "Planned or not, that was still freaking awesome. As in you got serious guts kind of awesome ze."
Dutch laughed as well. "My friends would agree. I do believe we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Dutch Kotozaki."
"Marisa Kirisame. The Ordinary Magician." Marisa returned.
The two watch the training. "For outsiders, they are learning pretty fast ze." Marisa noted.
"Oh, they had years of experience in the outside." Dutch answered.
"So what is it like in the outside world?" Marisa asked.
Dutch chuckled. "It's a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces in the wrong places but all still managing to fit together. Look in the right place and you will find memorable things. Things that reminds you how life is beautiful."
"But as always, there are also places that show you how life can get ugly, ugly enough to question your point of existence." He said as his own words brought up old memories. He chased his memories with his eyes.
Marisa glanced at his brooding face and looked away.
"But that's why there are beautiful things, aren't there? To counteract the ugly." Marisa answered.
Dutch smiled.
"Alright, That's enough for today." Yukari said.
Renko and Maribel groan in relief as they leave the sun and enter the shrine.
"That was just hard." Renko said as she lay down on the floor.
Reimu folded her arms. "Those are only the first few steps to surviving in Gensokyo."
Double groan.
Yukari chuckled. "Danmaku is not learnt in one day, at least by outsiders."
She stood up. "Well, we have to take our leave. The three here have a dinner to attend by a certain devil."
"Her? What does she want?" Marisa asked.
"Oh, just a simple dinner to get to know them, nothing special~" Yukari answered.
She opened a gap. Renko and Maribel stepped through. As Dutch was about to go through, Marisa stopped him.
"A word of advice, she does not attack humans but you have to watch out for her sister. She is extremely dangerous. Avoid her sister at all cost." Marisa whispered.
Dutch nodded. "I keep that in mind." He answered and stepped into the gap.
Yukari smiled. "Don't worry, he can take care of himself. He is that special."
She stepped through the gap and it disappeared.
Marisa and Reimu were the only ones left. Reimu took a sip of tea. "They will be fine. I sensed no ill intent from Yukari."
Marisa dipped her hat, mounted her broom and took off.
Evening
500m outside the SDM
A gap opened above the road. A red mansion could be seen down the road.
Dutch, Maribel and Renko popped out of the gap.
Dutch was wearing his forest pattern combat fatigues, Maribel was wearing her purple dress without her mob cap while Renko was wearing her white suit and brown dress without her hat as well.
"You should be able to see your destination down the road. Just follow it and you will be fine." Yukari said through the gap.
"Oh and by the way, they are immortal. Feel free to cut lose~"She said and the gap closed.
The trio gave a quizzical look to the closing gap.
"What do you think she meant?" Maribel asked.
Dutch phased out his rifle. "I'll stay on the safe side."
The trio continued down the road.
After about a hundred meters of so, the trio came across a child on the road.
"Hello?" Maribel asked as she approached. The child had black hair with a large green and blue bow in her hair along with a green dress that has frills on it . Her wings would was block-like in shape, kind of like something that has been heavily pixelated, with green square outlines overlapping a black backdrop.
"Are you okay?" Maribel asked. She reached out to touch the child.
Just when her fingers touched the child, the child spun around and shouted. "Boo!"
Maribel jerked back in shock. The child flew up on her wings. Her green eyes flashed like a camera. "Now!" She yelled.
Around them, the forest exploded into multicolored bursts of danmaku.
"What the heck?" Dutch shouted as he returned fire. Renko ran to Maribel and pulled her up. The duo added their danmaku to Dutch's rifle fire.
The child that shouted the cue fired a burst of danmaku at the trio and flew to the left towards the forest. Dutch fired a burst at her.
Before the bright danmaku could reach her, the child motioned with her hands. Her eyes flashed and another child flew out of the forest and intercepted the bolts.
The bolts smacked into the child. She jerked and dropped into the floor. Her body started to dissolve into streams of energy that flow around the spot for a few seconds and entered the earth. Dutch stared in horror at the sight.
"A child. I shot a child." He said, lowering his rifle in shock.
Renko saw his actions. She ran up to him and grabbed him.
"She was the enemy. Dutch, snap out of it." She shouted as she shook him.
Dutch looked at her with shocked eyes, then focused on Renko face. He nodded and lifted up his M4.
Renko breathed in relief. She pulled Dutch along. "We have to get to the mansion!" She yelled at Maribel.
Maribel nodded. The two ran for it, Dutch following, returning fire to any danmaku coming from the forest..
Around them, Danmaku bolts of different colors flew. While the shots were practically everywhere, they were not particularly aimed at them and the trio were not hit by the shots.
As they ran, the mansion came rapidly closer and closer. Soon, they could see the gate.
In front of the gate was a tall women. She had long, straight scarlet hair with two braids tied with black ribbons. She wore an olive green cap with a bronze star in the middle and a decorated olive green dress with a white blouse underneath.
As the woman saw the three running towards them with danmaku, she ran out to help them.
The woman reached inside her dress and pulled out a spell card.
Flower sign "Gorgeous sweet flower"
As multi-colored danmaku flew out from around and into the forest, the volume of shots started to decrease. By the end of the spell cards, it had stopped altogether.
"Thank you." Renko said.
The woman nodded. "My name is Hong Meiling, Gate guard of the Scarlet Devil Mansion." She spoke.
"Dutch Kotozaki. My companions names are Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn. We are here at the request of your mistress." Dutch answered.
Meiling nodded. "The outsiders?" She asked.
Dutch nodded, and she smiled. "Welcome to the scarlet devil mansion. I'll open the gate for you. The head maid will be expecting you inside." She said before turning and opening the gate.
Dutch nodded his thanks and entered with his companions.
The gates closed behind them as the trio admire the grandness of the mansion. And grand it was. In front of them was a large garden, filled with flowers of different colors. The garden was lit by floating lamps which looked like bats. The entrance of the mansion had a large intricately designed door.
The mansion itself was large by outside standards. It had two floors, with a large clock tower to the left of the entrance. The clock tower was four stories tall and the fourth story clock face had black burn marks around it, as if fighting took place regularly around it. The third floor was a sheltered balcony protruding out of it which seem to have a view of the mansion's entire front, at least from the angle of the garden. And the whole mansion was red.
The trio proceeded down the garden. Dutch simply walked, admiring the scenery while Renko and Maribel got a closer look at the flowers. Pointing out flowers of special mention in the garden, which was already of special mention, the two women went from one end to the next and back again.
Dutch watched the antics of the two women; chuckling at their antics as he called out to them. "I think it will be rude to leave our host waiting, don't you think? Come on ladies, the flowers will be here tomorrow."
Both women reluctantly stopped the actions. But as the two move away from the flowers, a flower from a tree falls onto Renko's head. Renko raises her hand to brush it off but Maribel moved to fix it onto her hair properly. Admiring her handiwork, she turns to ask Dutch, "What do you think?"
Dutch smiles and gives her a thumbs up. Renko blushes at the compliment and Maribel laughs. "Shall we?" Dutch asks.
His two companions nod and Dutch opens the door.
Inside, the mansion was large. The room they were in was large, easily capable of holding the garden they were just in. It was illuminated by bat-shaped chandeliers with red light bulbs that cast the room in a red glow. There were four different doors on the other end of the room, two on the bottom floor and two in front of a second floor stairway.
"Hello?" Dutch called out. His voice spread out but did not echo which was strange when one considered the size of the room. "That's strange, it didn't echo." He noted.
"Milady wished that first impressions did not include echoes."A voice behind them said.
For the second time in a day, Dutch jumped, but this time he was joined by Renko and Maribel.
Dutch turned around to see a silver haired woman, dressed in a traditional French maid uniform, standing as if she was there all along. She had a long braid on each side of her face with green bows at the ends. She also wore a pink and dark blue French maid's outfit with long sleeves, and had a white maid headband on her head.
She bowed. "My name is Sakuya Izayoi. Chief maid of the Scarlet devil mansion. I welcome you here."
Dutch bowed in return. "Dutch Kotozaki. My companions are Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn."
"The mistress is still in preparation. Do you wish to head straight to the table or wait in a lounge first?" Sakuya asked.
Dutch looked at his fatigues and Renko's and Maribel's clothing. They all had signs of their run through the forest.
"We choose the second option. But first, we had a rather harrowing journey here and our state of clothing is unpresentable at the current moment. Is there a lavatory somewhere for us to freshen up?" Dutch asked.
Sakuya nodded. She snapped her fingers and a pair of young girls dressed in maid uniforms with wings flew out. "Guide our guests to the nearest lavatory. Once they are finished, guide them to the guest lounge."
The girls nodded.
Sakuya bowed and disappeared. The trio was surprised by the sudden disappearance. After looking around for a few second, they shrugged and followed the maids.
As he followed the maids, Dutch remembered the girl he shot earlier. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get over the sight of the body disappearing from his mind.
After a short walk through the red corridors, the trio can upon a pairs of clearly marked doors indicating a lavatory.
Dutch entered one of the door and closed it.
Inside, he walked up to the sink, turned the faucet and splashed water onto his face.
"She is alright."
Dutch turned around to see Yukari, her gap placed strategically so it seemed she was leaning out of the toilet bowl.
"By now she would be alive, flying around and totally forgetting what happened. Her kind tend to have intelligence akin to or even less than children." Yukari said.
"What are they?" Ditch asked.
"Fairies, The most numerous magical being here in Gensokyo. They know simple danmaku, and are pretty stupid by any standards and are all immortal. Kill them and they will regenerate a few minutes later. You were escorted by one as well but that was a fairy maid. Slightly higher levels of intelligence but still pretty stupid." Yukari explained.
"So I should stop feeling guilty?" Dutch answered.
Yukari smiled."You should. Feeling guilty for something that you killed that can't die is pretty stupid, don't you think?"
"Alright. Right now I want to relieve myself. Unless you came here to spy on me; I suggest returning back to where ever you came from." Dutch answered.
Yukari chuckled and entered her gap. The gap closed and Dutch was all alone in the toilet again.
"Crazy ass personal space invading power bending youkai." He said while smiling.
Scarlet Devil Mansion
Guest lounge
Dutch looked around the lounge.
It looked cozy. One could probably sleep in the lounge if the mansion ran out of room and still be very comfortable.
At the other end of the room was a fireplace, occupied with a fire. Facing the fireplace were a series of chairs, forming a rough semicircle. To the left of the fireplace was a bookcase stacked full of books. At the centre of the room was a table, it's top occupied by a plate of sweets. As usual, the room was red.
Dutch walked to the bookcase. Examining the books, he came across one that was rather accurate of his current situation.
"Neverwhere. Pretty much where I am now." He said.
"Well, you are after all is the same situation as he was in the story."
Dutch turned around to the speaker. Her hair and eyes were purple, and had many ribbons tied to her hair and other body parts. She wore pajama-like clothing and a night-cap. She also carried a book.
She smiled. "Patchouli Knowledge. Librarian for the Scarlet Devil Mansion and long lived magician."
"Dutch Kotozaki." Dutch introduced.
Patchouli smiled. "So you are the outsider that Sakuya talked about. Welcome to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. It's been a long time since the mansion ever had any guests. It's a breath of fresh air."
"Do people fear coming here?" Dutch asked.
Patchouli coughed."Mukyu! To be more accurate, guests that it actually invited."
Just then, Renko and Maribel came through the door, guided by another fairy maid. Renko was supporting Maribel, who looked woozy. They got to a chair and Renko set Maribel down.
"Are you okay?" Dutch asked.
Maribel nodded. "It's just that the boundaries of this place has been changed to a certain point such that that looking at them makes my head spin."
Patchouli walked up to Maribel and look at her. Nodding, she opened her book and read off a sentence in a strange language while placing her hand in front Maribel. A pair of light globes appears from her hand and entered Maribel's eyes.
Maribel blinked. "That's better. What did you do?" She asked Patchouli.
Patchouli smiled. "Your problem was something that was common among new magicians. The cure was a simple spell, which I administered directly to your eyes. It won't be a problem anymore. Patchouli Knowledge." She introduced.
"Thank you. I'm Maribel Hearn and my friend is Renko Usami."
Patchouli smiled. "Please, make yourself at home. Wanted guests should feel comfortable in a host's home."
The four sat down at the table in the middle of the room.
"May I ask how did this dinner arrangement come about?" Dutch asked.
"Sakuya, the chief maid, was at the human village during the human festival. She saw your battle with the spirit and what happened during the battle. She rushed back to inform the owner of this mansion, Remilia Scarlet. Remilia was interested by you and sent a request to host any outsiders that was currently staying in Mayohiga. Yukari accepted and that's basically what happened." Patchouli explained.
Goddamn Yukari. Dutch thought.
A fairy maid walked in."The mistress awaits you at the dinner table."
Patchouli stood up."Well then, you wouldn't want to keep a vampire waiting."
The trio stood up and then turned to the door, and froze.
Vampire? They collectively thought.
Lunar Capital
Lunar Palace
"HE SHOULD BE PURIFIED! TO THE LAST ATOM!"
Toyohime sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Issues in Lunar society were handled like this. When the issue comes up, houses with ideas relating to the issue would step forth to present them. Other houses could either back the ideas or abstain from the issue. The final verdict would come from a judge that would listen to all ideas and select the idea that seems the most fitting. In rare occasions, they could reject every idea and form one that seems the most fitting.
To prevent the judges from being under any house's control, the judges are kept separate from mainstream lunar society. Their servants are usually lunar rabbits picked from the lowest class of lunar society and then trained in the ways. Training is harsh and dropouts are common. If the lunar rabbits pass the training, they become servants to the judges. It is a great honor to have a lunar rabbit in the family as a servant to a judge.
So for obvious reasons, lunar rabbits families eagerly await the selection process. To prevent any spies under the control of the lunar houses from entering, the candidates are only selected from lunar rabbits families that have no affiliation with any house, hence the selection from the lowest class. Even then, the servants-in-training are watched constantly to weed out any spies.
So the only time the lunar houses have any sway over the judges is during when they present their ideas. Which means that they will try their hardest to prove that their idea is the best one. Which usually leads to impassioned speeches, table banging, and other such displays.
But this issue wasn't the usual kind. The news that a Lunarian device having actually bonded with the soul of am impurity sent the lunar elite into a uproar. It is so earth shaking that the highest lunar judge of all, the lunar emperor Tsukuyomi, is residing over the proceedings.
"Lord Takaru, the device has bloodied its way through impure history. What makes this one impurity any different from any other?" Toyohime asked.
"The device has never bonded with the soul of any impurity before. If I recall correctly Princess Toyohime, it is recorded that it's shape has never changed for any of the impurities that touched it. The fact that it has changed for this impurity means that he should be cleansed." The impassioned Lord Takaru returned.
"Not only that but the message comes from the traitor Yagokoro, who we all know takes refuge in that detestable land, for which the Yukamo resides. What happens if she were to give control of the impurity to the Yukamo? Will you be held responsible for another invasion of the moon?"
Toyohime resisted the urge to jump over the table and smack some sense with her fan into Takaru.
"The same traitor provided information that prevented an invasion of the moon. I think she is trustworthy enough to prevent that from happening." Toyohime answered.
Usually issues concerning impurity ended in two ways, leave it or kill it. But since it was a Lunarian device, it added a layer of problems.
Toyohime's idea was simple. Take the impurity to the capital and evaluate him. Since the device chose him, test him.
Of course the lunar elite balked at her idea. Impurity have never been anywhere near the lunar capital. Even the first invasion of the moon was stopped at the outlying settlements. The impurity that could channel the gods was held at an outlying settlement, never anywhere near the capital. Now she wants to let an impurity enter the capital? Insanity.
But the outlying settlements simply did not have the facilities for testing and that only left the capital.
The other idea was to simply purify the shit out of the impurity then purify the traitor for good measure.
Of course Toyohime could not stand for it. She owned pretty much everything she had to Yagokoro and her training.
Which pretty left the proceedings at an impasse.
Watching the proceeding, High Lord Tsukuyomi spoke. "Normally, on such an occasion, we have always taken the purification stance to be the best solution. This time, despite the Lunarian device, we are simply still dealing with an impurity. Our stance remains the same."
Takaru smiled.
"However, because of the bonding of the soul to the device, we cannot be so hasty to destroy. Therefore, I decree that Princess Toyohime to be to have the better judgement. The impurity shall come to the capital to be evaluated."
To say everyone was stunned was like saying the moon is far away.
Toyohime stood up and bowed. "I thank the High Lord for your decree."
Stunned beyond words, the rest of the lunar houses dumbly rose up and did the same.
Well then. So ends the 10 installment of our adventure.
If you hadn't read Neverwhere, i highly recommend it. Its like a western gensokyo.
Special thanks again to sweebation for proofreading. And to answer your question, yes, she will be a recurring character.
A story is 40% Inspiration 60%Motivation. Reviews form 70% of Motivation. So review. or get purified. your choice.