Peter stood there looking at Gray with hateful eyes, Most of his body is covered in bandages as he raises his fist to strike at Gray who was struck down by his surprise attack.
"STOP!"
A distant cry was heard from the other side of the room near the dining area.
Anna, Riza, Layla, Santos and Arthur rushed as soon as they heard the sound that was coming out from the living room .
"...tch" Peter gritted his teeth as he lowers his stance.
"...ok.." he said still filled with hate as he distances himself away from Gray
Riza, Layla and Santos rushed to Gray checking if he is alright, or if there is any severe damage he took from the beating.
"Gray you alright?"
"-g, yeah" Gray said weakly as he fumbles trying to get up.
Riza and Santos then help him get up and carries him to one of the wooden chairs in the living room.
"What was that all about?" Anna said looking at Peter clearly angry by what he just did to Gray
"keh, that coward should have at least stood his ground." Peter's bitter words came out as he recalls the event that happened last night.
"..."
Anna immediately knew what Peter meant, but she could not argue with him given the fact that she ran as well along with the others.
She was lucky to be even alive, the group she went with had an encounter with another man eating youkai that was when she separated herself from them running away she was no different from the others.
"..im sorry..." Anna lowers her head as she apologizes to Peter
She had nothing to say, she couldn't say anything that will erase Peter's anger, it was foolish for him and Jack to even stand up to the man eating youkai Rumia but it was also admirable to her.
".!?" Peter was surprised he expected her to find some sort of retort trying to prove him wrong instead Anna apologizes to him hoping that he will forgive Gray.
This angered him even more but he had no reason to lash out to her as well, unable to bear with the anger that was swirling in him he hurried his way out of the house.
"Wait!" Anna tried to stop him but her words were ignored as Peter leaves.
She couldn't help but feel powerless towards Peter's anger, she was no better than all the others who ran, who wouldn't run from something like that she thought as the memories of the incident last night start to resurface.
"no, i must stay strong" she thought to herself, Anna shook her head trying to remove that feeling of helplessness. "Reimu probably found the cave we came from by now, at the very least i hope she will let us stay for awhile" her thought of going home worried her much like a child who wanted to stay in an amusement park during their first visit Anna wanted to look at the places Marisa showed her.
"Anna!" a voice came from the dining area.
"come on its lunch time!" it was Riza, one the classmates that survived the incident last night
Anna realized she doze off in thought for a while then as after the others checked to see if Gray was alright they then went back to the dining area leaving Anna to deal with Peter awhile ago
"ahh, ok Im coming" she said with a light smile as she joins the rest of the group eating lunch.
Deep in the forest far from the human village and a little farther from the Hakurei shrine near a large mountain range that looks as though it's more like a large wall or a dam as beyond the wide mounds of jagged rock and peaks lies a vast river stretching far and wide.
A girl wearing a unique red and white shrine maiden outfit with detached sleeves and a bow accessory Reimu Hakurei flies towards the edge of the forest near the mountain ranges.
"i guess this the spot.." she muttered to herself as she hovers herself down to ground level
Placing herself firmly on the ground she takes a moment to check her surroundings.
"-!?" Reimu took a step back distancing herself from a few patches of mushrooms.
"They went down this path, then when they arrived..." she muttered to herself as she steers clear of the mushroom and traces the steps the students took when they arrived to Gensokyo.
These mushrooms were not edible nor would they be safe to be nearby, they were poisonous and can also can hallucinations, but even though they are dangerous the hallucinogenic properties of the mushrooms can help increase magical potions or powers.
This was one of the reasons why this was called the forest of magic, in addition to the dangerous mushrooms that can be toxic to humans and can induce hallucinations to them if ever they breathe its noxious gas, there are also witch's that live somewhere in here secluded from the village one of them is The Ordinary Black Magician Marisa Kirisame.
A faint smile curled on her face as Reimu remembers the mushroom Marisa gave her as a snack – I guess I should thank her for not giving me a poisoned one – it was a dark joke but Reimu found some amusement in thinking about it.
"Here it is.." Reimu says as she stands in front of a cave near one the mountains that act as a border on the edge of the Forest of magic.
She waved her gohei in a circular motion, with a flash of light an orb which had the symbol of yin and yang was formed and completed as she finished the circular motions.
The yin-yang orb hovered near Reimu as she traversed deep inside the cave from which no light could reach, the orb slowly glowed as she delved deeper and deeper inside the seemingly endless cave.
"haaa- how long is this cave!?" She said, exasperated, Echoes repeated what she said about 4 times she didn't know how far the cave could extend.
Reimu finally stops walking as she feels a change in the air , the yin-yang orb that hovered in front of her which managed to light the path ahead of her can no longer reveal the path ahead of her.
Like a black hole from which no light could escape what stood in front of Reimu was utter darkness .
"tch!.. This is hers alright..." she muttered to herself, dejected, she knew who was responsible for this, but that wasn't the reason she was sad.
She turns her back from the void like hole that was in front of her as she makes her way out of the cave and back to the Hakyrei shrine.
The portal like hole which belonged to the youkai Yukari Yakumo, stood there deep in the cave forever opened, one can travel through the cave and not tell when they crossed the portal leading to the outside world or to Gensokyo unless they are aware or more alert of that fact.
Reimu had thought the reason Gray, Anna and their friends were in Gensokyo was because Yukari "gapped" them into Gensokyo as another means for her entertainment.
Yukari was known for being able to go to the outside world anytime with her power to manipulate borders using her gaps which serve as portals between two places, she would occasionally gap people who would then cause some trouble on Gensokyo due to their selfish impulses.
This was a different case, however, Gray, Anna and their classmates were not gapped willingly it didn't matter how many they were but the purpose for them coming to Gensokyo was what irked Reimu, they were sent to Gensokyo as food, much like the Road of Reconsideration which is near the Forest of Magic there is a blurred part of the border where humans from the outside world will accidentally travel to Gensokyo and it is also where another man eating youkai will wait for them.
Spirited away is what they were called, outsiders who are carried away by some mysterious force like, magic, there is a rule in Gensokyo wherein no youkai was allowed to eat a human residing in the human village, that rule was meant to keep the balance in Gensokyo that contrasted to how the outside world functions, the outside world where Gray and Anna came from is dominated by humans with their use of science and other technological advances youkai and myths were already being dismissed as mere tales meant for children, in Gensokyo however youkai dominate the land and there are only a handful of humans that reside in Gensokyo but youkai must eat in order survive even if they were to live for a 100 years or more they must feed at some rare times, that is also how Yukari's gaps work, the gaps are placed in the darkest or uninhabitable places in the outside world where no one could tell if you had disappeared, the outsider would then unknowingly wander into Gensokyo to be eaten by some of the youkai waiting for them.
"Kuh! I don't want to deal with this... Im going back home" Reimu said in frustration, there was nothing she could do for them, they were meant to be food, but they were lucky enough to survive, now that they live and are somewhere in Gensokyo they might threaten the balance if they learn how to unlock their powers.
Reimu closed her eyes as she tries to calm herself down while flying back to the Hakurei Shrine.
"If they plan on going back home then i will help them but if they decide to stay..." Reimu cuts her thoughts as she clears her mind hoping that the students will make the right choice.
Back in the human village a man filled with hate wanders aimlessly around the village trying to clear his mind, "we outnumbered that girl, why did they run!?" still thinking about the incident Peter thought that their chances of winning the fight against the man eating youkai Rumia were supposedly high for them.
He was angry, a person as stubborn as him could only think about the past endlessly filling himself with more hate and regret, at some point he would feel happy to be alive at least along with his classmates, but he couldn't let that anger go and the scene of Gray leaving him to die kept replaying across his thoughts that he can't help but clench his fist and grit his teeth each time he thinks about it.
-bump-
"oomf!"
With his constant brooding Peter Cruz paid no attention to where he was going and accidentally bumped into someone.
"Byakuren sama, are you ok?" Peter could hear a voice near the person he just bumped into but he could not tell who it was as he kept his head down hoping the person he bumped into did not get angry.
This was not the place he was born into, he did not know how people would react if they would get mad, from what he could tell most of the people that lived in the village were strong youkai hunters, he can still remember the hunters from the village that came to save him in time from the youkai Rumia, he felt indebted to them and hold them in high regard because of this.
"I—I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where i was going." Peter said, lowering his head, trying to avoid looking at the people in front of him.
"You should watch where you're going mo—"
"-its ok Shou chan"
"..Byakuren sama.." the gentle voice dismisses the harsh one that was directed towards Peter.
A woman with long light brown, multicoloured, wavy hair stood up in front of Peter, she gave a feeling of a warm and gentle person, Peter looked at her in awe as if he was looking at a saint, she was no ordinary woman he usually saw back in their world, but then so was every other person he saw in Gensokyo, she looks as if her age is about twenty years of age but she gives off a feeling of an elder, at a glance she looks like a simple pious woman.
Byakuren Hijiri, the chief priest of the Myouren temple, situated near the human village, she was in the middle of preaching or gathering more followers to her faith until Peter inadvertently bumped into her.
Beside her was a high priest of the Myouren temple Shou Toromaru, from a glance she did not seem like an ordinary human, she was not a human to begin with she is actually youkai but from the pattern of her clothing she appears to have an affiliation with a tiger, she kept her calm composure as soon as Byakuren assured her she was ok.
"you poor thing, great anger dwells within you.." Byakuren said looking at Peter
"kuh!?.." Peter was surprised to hear her say, "how could she know?" he thought he was already stressed as it it but with this he got so confused that he could not even think of a comeback or to pick himself back up to run away.
He slowly raised his head gathering the strength to at least tell her to back off but what he saw caught him by surprise.
Byakuren, much to Shous suprise extends her hand to Peter.
"Byakuren sama? What are you doing?" Shou said in response to Byakuren's gesture to the human who bumped into her earlier.
"If you wish, I can help you.." Byakuren said with a sincere smile she could feel Peter's anger and genuinely wished to help him let go of it if he was willing to.
"..ku-!?.. w-whhy would you be willing to help me?" Peter said with his voice trembling unable to understand the woman's kindness to him, an outsider.
Byakuren did not say anything instead she just gave Peter a sincere smile while holding her hand out to him.
She of all people should know why outsiders are not to be trusted, there were many times back in the past of how outsider flaunted their abilities for their own selfish reasons, but even while knowing this she still wanted to help him, she could feel his anger towards youkai, specifically the youkai Rumia and to an extent a fellow outsider, his classmate Gray Cutter.
Peter accepted her offer, as he places his life on her hands hoping that he can find meaning to her kindness.
"Shou chan, i think its time we go back to the temple"
"Yes Byakuren sama" the two girls exchanged a few words as Byakuren holds Peter's hand tightly
"agg—whats the? Whoooaaah!"
"ah you are not used to flying yet, im sorry but please hold on"
Peter wrapped his arms around Byakuren's waist as soon as his feet started to float above the ground
how do these guys fly?- Peter said in his thoughts panicking while holding on to Byakuren's waist as if his life depended on it.
"Byakuren sama" are you sure about this?" The woman named Shou said as she flies near Byakuren who is holding Peter firmly near her waist, she felt worried that the outsider will be a danger to them if Byakuren brings him to the temple.
"it will be alright Shou" she said without hesitation as they fly towards the Myouren temple
Shou was worried that Byakuren's kindness will get the better of her, she has always been kind to both humans and youkai which is also the reason why she got into trouble and was sealed away years ago, The humans years ago thought she was some kind of demon, coercing and helping youkai instead of exterminating them, thinking she was a demon in disguise they sealed her away.
Her kindness paid her back in the end, as Shou and other youkai that Byakuren helped in the past combined their efforts to unseal her along with the help of Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame and Sanae Kochiya.
"..."
Shou kept quiet telling herself that she must trust Byakuren's judgement, as they finally arrive at the Myouren temple.
They hovered down landing firmly on the temples stone path.
Peter frantic to touch land again jumped back the moment he felt he was at least a meter from the ground.
"wew! That was sort of fun" he said trying to hide his fears from them, Peter was scared of falling down and flying isn't exactly what could be called normal in the real world.
"fufu you will get used to it" Byakuren said covering her laugh with her hand "this way if you will." She then shows Peter the way to the temple.
The Myouren temple, it was situated near the outskirts of the human village, unlike what he saw in the human village where most of it appears to be an old fashioned eastern village the temple was extravagant with stone pathways leading to its main door and the stair leading up to the temple, it was large situated atop platform like structures made from stone and with a garden.
"-!?" to Peter's surprise there were a youkai situated in the temple courtyard.
"you have nothing to fear, they are devoted to not seek violence" Byakuren said whispering to Peter but even then it was not enough to lower his tense feelings.
The encounter with Rumia last night was traumatic for him, he almost died, he would have died if it were not for the youkai hunters who made it in time, the bandages he wore was proof for him that youkai are dangerous but he couldn't say anything to her.
From a distance near the shrubs of the temples garden one of the youkai could a faint presence of fear and anger, this feeling excited him, he had thought he would not get this kind of sensation after devoting himself to the Myouren temple but the youkai did, he looks at the stone pathway near the grand stairway that leads to the temple.
*a human!?* he said in his thoughts as a great sensation of hunger starts to overwhelm him "haaa-, haaa- graaa-!" unable to control his urge he charges toward the human Byakuren and Shou is escorting, the youkai became a mad beast and obeyed his basic desire to feed.
"Byakuren sama! Look out!" Shou who lingered behind to take a look at the temple's gardens calls out to Byakuren who is in the way of the mad youkai charging towards Peter.
*shit!* Peter said in his thoughts as he sees the youkai getting closer to him but then.
*stomp*
*pow*
Byakuren stomped the ground and attacked the charging youkai, delivering her elbow at the youkais abdomen sending it flying towards the temple courtyard walls.
*whoa! what kind of girl is she?* Peter said standing perfectly still trying to understand how the woman was able to repel the youkai.
"..how repulsive..." Byakuren said her voice containing bits of sadness, "Ichirin!"
"yes?, Byakuren sama" a girl carrying an largering around wearing a nun's headdress came forward along with an unusual purple coloured cloud floating near her.
"please take this youkai away, it seems he has fallen"
"Yes! Byakuren sama.. Unzan!" the girl wearing a nun's headdress named Ichirin complied and started talking to the purple cloud
"Yes!"
Peter was surprised as he heard the purple cloud talk in a booming voice as its clouds start to form a pair of hands and lifts the unconscious youkai and carries it out of the temple courtyard.
"I am very sorry, the youkai here truly do wish avoid hurting humans" Byakuren said lowering her head apologizing to Peter after seeing Ichirin and Unzan off.
Byakuren Hijiri will accept taking in Youkai and humans to join her faith, her reputation among youkai has managed to earn her plenty of followers but its also because of that her followers are composed mostly of youkais instead of human, because of her affiliation with youkai many humans are afraid to join despite her genuine desire to seek harmonious relations between the two species. Many youkai that do join genuinely wish not to seek violence and there have been those who join her to avoid conflict with other humans.
Peter did not care if they came he hated youkai, the death of his friend jack from last night is what cemented it for him, but he saw an opportunity to learn how to fight back.
"please.. teach me!" Peter said as he bowed in front of Byakuren "i want to know how to fight back, i don't want to be a weakling who cant fight for himself" he pleaded to her to teach him how to fight, the image of Jack dying and being unable to fight back the man eating youkai last night filled his thoughts as he pleaded.
"I cannot" she replied immediately, she could feel Peter's hate and worries how that will cloud his judgement, there was a time she had used her powers for personal gain, but in due time she learned how to use her powers so that it could benefit others.
"..."
*this human* she thought to herself *for the same selfish reason he wants to learn how to fight*
"that is enough!, Byakuren sama said no" Shou spoke out as she takes Peter away
"no, wait!" Byauren spoke as Shou forcibly tries to get Peter out of the courtyard, "i will train you, but on two conditions: you must devote yourself to our faith and you must not seek to harm anyone, human or youkai unless it is necessary"
*is she serious? What good would it do if you teach me but forbid me to test them on someone?* Peter was annoyed he wanted to learn from her because he wanted to get his revenge on the man eating youkai Rumia and Gray his classmate that abandoned him.
*kuh!, she will never teach me if i say no, but as long as she doesn't know i think it will work* he thought to himself as he thought of a way to get her to teach him how to fight like "Alright i promise"
"very good, before we begin you must learn the teachings of Buddhism"
*kuh this is gonna be rich* Peter said in his thoughts as Byakuren starts teaching him about the five precepts
Its still raining, it is still pouring, each day it gets heavier, trees sway haplessly at the mercy of the wind, branches break and litter the ground, the haunting howls of the wind fill the cave with an uneasy chill.
"those guys are taking to long!"
"calm down Micheal, it must be a deep cave"
"Are you fu**ing serious!?"
"just calm down and be quiet, you might wake Lisa and the others" Russel said while rubbing his hands near the bonfire
"too late, you already woke me up!" coming from the side of the cave Lisa woke up because of Micheal's rambling.
"sorry!"
"sorry!"
"quiet you two" the girl named Lisa shuts them up as she slowly gets herself up,.
The wound on her stomach which was stitched up by Layla managed to help her but if things don't get better she will probably die.
"whoa!, take it easy" Micheal said as he rushes to help Lisa get up.
"ssshh you two, i hear something" Russel interrupts them as he hears footsteps coming from inside the cave.
"their back?"
"their back?"
Micheal and Lisa said in unison as they run to look deep in the cave expecting to see the others.
"wait, isn't that?"
The figure looms slowly from the darkness revealing only one person.
"wait? Aren't you?"
"where are the others?"
Without answering their questions the dark figure snapped his fingers.
*PUNTURE*
"g-!" Russel grunted as he felt something red and hot somewhere in his abdomen, "—g!" what he saw was something he never thought he would ever see, a dark tendril like tentacle pierced right through him.
"RUSSEL!"
"RUSSEL!"
Micheal and Lisa could only look at him in shock
"don't worry you will be joining him" the dark figure said mockingly
From the darkness inside the cave patches of eyes started appearing and opening staring at the helpless student
"ru—"
*PUNCTURE*
Micheal's attempt to flee was cut short as another dark tendril came out from the darkness at frightening speed aimed piercing his through, with each tendril came another and another as a massacre ensues, tendrils coming from every dark part of the cave spawned and pierced every single student that was there.
"Micheal!" as Lisa screams the massive wave of tendrils pushed her aside.
Blood splatters everywhere as the figure was not content with simply killing them but to eviscerate every last single one of the students to pieces.
The rocky floor starts to dye the colour red as blood splatters and piles up, pieces of skin and bone scatter everywhere as the dark tendrils dance inside the cave using the six students that were left behind as a ragdoll with each swing the bodies became smaller and smaller.
Pieces of skin, entrails scattered, bloody bones with skin still attached to them, eviscerated heads that can no longer be identified as something that was once human were all that's left, and weeping in the corner of the mound of rock cowering away from the carnage was Lisa.
*...he didn't see me.. i have to get away* she thought to herself as she can see the sun's light shining signifying the storms end.
"ugg-!"
She could no longer run, she could not feel her legs, the nerves that let's her control her legs are precisely severed,
"hic...hic" Lisa started to cry
she could not crawl away, her right arm and her left leg were forcibly taken.
"hic...why?." Lisa asks while sobbing painfully with no hope left she starts to lose her strength.
she will die there's no doubt about that, she was lucky enough not to go in shock given how her arm and leg were forcibly taken but from the sadistic smile the dark figure has looking at her, she will wish she was dead by now.
"aaaahh...AAAAHHHH!" the dark tendrils wraps itself around her right leg as it forcibly pulls her back
"kehehe, that was no fun... but i bet you can entertain me a little more i didn't save you for last without a reason.." the dark figure laughs as he set his sights on the last student inside the cave, Lisa
"NOOOO! HELP MEEE-!" Lisa cries for help as she is dragged deep into the cave by the shadowy tendrils.
A quiet night enters the land of Gensokyo the stars glitter and shimmer across the vast clear dark blue sky.
The human village activities begins to subside as the evening begins, the residents take up their post in guarding the village perimeters and the children sleep soundly inside their homes.
On the northern section of the village where the large house the outsiders are currently lodged two of the outsiders a girl and a boy spend a moment near the balconies overlooking the neighbourhood.
"you know Gray, this place is kind of beautiful" The girl said gently leaning leisurely on the rails next to the boy looking over the village.
"yeah, if only there weren't any more of those that want to eat us" Gray said in response, half jokingly, he had never been in a place where electrical goods and appliance were not present to make things comfortable, he had always been accustomed to being able to relax on an air conditioned on a comfy bed watching tv or doing his homework but despite the inconveniences and the bits of culture shock he experienced while in Gensokyo, he found the place beautiful too, the fresh clean air uncorrupted by pollution, the sound of birds chirping, the absence of motor vehicles sounding their horns it was a bit tempting for him to forget going back to the real world but-
"we still need to get back home Anna, our parents are probably worried about us.." he still wishes to return home, it was hard for one to just abandon their family and everything they are accustomed to.
"yeah, I know, but Peter is still missing"
"he hasn't come back yet?"
"not since this morning after—"
"—I see..." Gray stopping her from finishing began to sink in a gloomy state as he continues to blame himself; Anna concerned tries to comfort him.
"it's ok now, Reimu probably found the cave we used to get hear"
"but—what about the others who can't go home?, they are dead because of me"
"You can't blame yourself for something that you had no control over, nobody could have predicted what would have happened, at the very least we are still here"
Anna said with gentle voice, she did the best she could to counter Gray's self deprecating words, it has always been that way for them, back then Gray would always go out of his way to help others but whenever he fails or falls short on his promises he would sink in a depressive state, Anna would always be there to cheer him up. She admired his desire to help others, but she is usually the person he looks up to for advice when something is bothering him and for answers during tests, they grew up together and overtime she began treating more of a brother than just a friend.
stop acting like that, be strong—she wished she could say this to him, she then looks up into the night sky but as she was left with nothing more to say Gray utters a weak thank you to her.
"Thanks Anna..."
Gray has always been grateful to Anna, being by his side whenever he is down, helping him get back up on his feet, even until now, she was like a sister to him but he never had a female relative the word *sister* had a different meaning for him, Anna has always been there for him, her gentleness, faith and virtue, even the way she talks appears so beautiful to him.
"hey you two!"
"oh, Layla, any news?...Gray!"
"...huh? eh?"
Layla came barging from the door about to tell them something, Gray for the moment was lost in thought as he stared blankly into space as Anna snaps back his attention.
"nah! We still haven't found him, i did manage to gather some herbs and got some medicine from a girl with... bunny ears hehe" Layla said showing them her bag filled with herbs and bottles.
The girl with bunny ears came across Layla asking around the village for medicine supplies, when the girl knew what Layla was looking for she approached her and offered to help her.
"naturally i was like uuuu~~ those ears!" Layla letting out a high pitched squeal as she recalls what took place.
"She was a little shy though, she kept avoiding eye contact with me, what was her name? Hmm Raisin? Haha noo~l, hmm ahh i remember, Reisen"
That name didn't ring a bell to Gray and Anna, they stayed inside the house for the whole day, Gray didn't have a choice seeing as he took a beating from Peter when he arrived, both of them just nodded and smiled as Layla continued.
"Anyway, here you go" she hands the bag full of medicine supplies to Gray
"huh? Why me?"
"because you are the only one of us who knows where the Hakurei shrine is, and I need Anna to help me with something." Layla says as she drags Gray out of the house
Anna did not object to what Layla said, she was curious to what Layla wanted to tell her, still, it was cruel of her to just let Gray go all the way back to Reimu all alone at night especially considering what could be waiting for him outside the village, but she remembered what Marisa told her on their way to the village.
"Gray if you go to the history school at the eastern section of the city, there might be somebody who could help you just go south until you reach the village square then turn left."
"oh and if you see buckets or wells don't go near them" Layla added
"why? Am i going to lose my head if i do?"
"..."
Gray retorted in a mocking manner but as he said those words Layla gave a grim expression
Tch! Is everything trying kill us? – Gray said in his thoughts as he makes his way downstairs to get out of the house, but as he nears the door leading outside in the first floor of the house, a rope suddenly sprung up and sent Gray dropping to the floor on his face
"ouch" he hit the floor hard but he lessened the impact of the fall by using his hands upon reflex to land firmly on the floor, as he lets out a sigh of relief he could a little girl laughing behind one of the chairs
"heeheehee"
"that kid!"
The child has always been playing tricks on everyone in the mansion, the others don't mind because most of her tricks are rather harmless, they even went as far as to give her a name, Lily.
That was a weird name to give a Japanese looking child, there was no doubt about her origin, a child wearing a kimono, an old fashioned bobbed haircut with flawless straight hair, according to what Layla and the others said she was already inside when they first got in almost as though she was the caretaker, when they asked the villagers who was she, they merely said she was a Zashiki-warashi, they bring good luck and fortune.
Fortune huh? – Gray scoffs at the idea of them bringing fortune considering how she endlessly played tricks on them the entire day "hey! What's the big idea?" Gray said calling the girl out on her tricks.
"hehehe where are you going oni-san" came her reply as she skipped happily near Gray
Oni-san - The little girl they named Lily frightened him, there was no denying her appearance she looks exactly like what an innocent little girl would look like but like a replay from last night he can see Rumia moving closer to him asking him if he was from the village, Gray couldn't help but back away from the little girl Lily out of fear.
"oni-san you're not leaving are you? I want to play~"
oni san she called him, Gensokyo is no doubt Japanese, Japanese culture, Japanese names, Anna's ethnic root, he never got used to using honorific like chan, san, kun, sama, back then in the real world during lunch break Anna would occasionally call him kun but it bore no meaning to him seeing it as just her playful gestures.
"ahh, I'm just going out for awhile *oni san* will be back" Gray said as he pats Lily on the head, that was the first time he ever used an honorific.
"okay~, i will be waiting~" The little girl says cheerfully as she picks up the rope she used to trip Gray and ran off to the storage room.
Gray was thankful to the fact that she didn't do anything that borders on eating them, the pranks Lily keeps pulling off grew on him, even if it was just for a day, the little girl called Lily treated them like how a child would treat his/her family.
Heh time to get going Micheal and Russel are probably thinking we died or something – thinking stupid joke Gray let out a faint smile as he leaves the house and out into the village.
The atmosphere of the village is very different at night, the howls of the wind can be heard as soon as he exits the house, a cold chill runs up his spine when he sees the deserted path leading to the village square over the horizon in front of him is nothing but a dark end with faint glitters of light on the far end, there were no signs of life, the villagers are sleeping in their homes and the harmless youkai who were selling goods, or just playing pranks on humans are nowhere to be seen.
"Sigh. Ok, south and then east in the village square" repeating Anna's directions so that he would not forget, he musters the strength to move forward.
Each step he makes moving across the dark quiet village fills him with dread as he looks left and right the fear inside builds up with each passing moment, following Layla's advice he promptly avoided getting near any bucket or wells he came across, the cold air gives him the chills, the mist continues to slightly obscure his vision as his mind frantically thinks of every possible thing that could come out and eat him right then and there.
In addition to all his fears popping up in his mind, there is also a stinging feeling of being watched, no matter where how much he looked there is nothing there nor is there anybody looking at him, all he could see was the mist, he wanders forward but soon Gray completely forgot where he was, was he still at the northern residential area of the village or at the square?.
"tch! This mist!" Gray said exasperated, he didn't expect to be lost in a simple village, but the mist began to grow denser as each minutes pass.
He continues moving forward trying to find his way across the dense mist, but stops as he hears something from out of nowhere, the sound was eerie, it was as if something was slowly opening and closing between those he could he dozens of things screeching or itching in the distance but it slowly disappears as he hears the eerie sound of something closing, Gray looks around as he hears footsteps coming from his right, before he knew it a voice calls out to him from where the footsteps were heard.
"My, isn't it a little too early for you to take night walks?"
The mist starts to dissipate as lanterns start to light up revealing a woman sitting on a wooden bench.
"There, that's better, i trust you are enjoying your stay in Gensokyo Gray kun?" the woman asked, her dark golden eyes stares sharply at him.
As Gray looks around the now lit area he realizes he is already at the village square, now he only needs to turn left, but the woman's sharp stare could not be ignored
"...who are you?"
Gray has never seen nor has he met this woman before, yet she knows who he is.
"Ahh, where are my manners my name is Yakumo, Yukari"
Yakumo, Yukari, Gray felt a chill as she said her name, there was nothing ordinary about her, from her purple chinese-style tabard worn over a pale pink dress, to her cold dark golden eyes, an otherworldly aura emanated from her.
She is probably a youkai – that was Gray's deduction but it already seems obvious from the start, even as she just sat there, the lanterns around the village square lit up, there was no doubt about it but she was different, unlike the ones he saw last night and today who all look like girls below the ages of twenty or fourteen she had the appearance of a woman in her mid twenties
"It is rather admirable you and your classmates made it this far considering what you all went through last night" although her tone was soft there was an implicit meaning outside of it, mocking Gray and his classmates.
"you!?, how did you know about that?"
"fufufu, don't you remember the *bus* that almost crashed with the one you were all on?"
"-!?"
"I did this, It was a hassle but it turned out well enough fufufu"
Without feeling remorse or pity Yukari chuckles at Grays question as she proudly declares it was her doing.
"You and your friends were supposed to be youkai meat by now, how fortunate you all must be, to have made it safely to the human village."
"..."
Gray was grinding his teeth because he could not vent his anger nor could say anything against her out of fear that if he makes any rash decision he will probably be killed right on the spot, he could feel the woman's chilling aura emanate throughout the village square as if a crowd of eyes were staring at him.
"A pity, but it doesn't matter; sooner or later you and your friends will discover them in no time"
"Discover what?"
"Your powers..."
"What? How?"
Powers? Is she serious? – Gray scoffed at the idea of him having powers, but the thought excited him, if he had power he can actually be able to protect people, he and his friends won't have to be afraid of any man eating youkai, and He won't be forced to run away out of fear, just as he was pondering about the possibilities of what he could do with his powers the woman stood up as a portal open slowly opens up from out nowhere near her, the air began to fluctuate as a huge gust of wind blows from the portal looking at the portal was like looking up into space, it had eyes staring blankly at him, each end of the portal had a red ribbon tied to it much like the ones on her hair
"Like I said, you will discover them soon enough then the real fun will begin.." she said as she moves inside the portal now slowly closing.
"-?"
The portal vanished as soon as it closed like a wormhole to another dimension the air began to calm down, but just Gray was about to give out a sigh of relief that the woman named Yukari has left, he felt a change in the wind behind him, a thousand little screeches accompanied it as if a there was a swarm of insects behind him then the voice of Yukari whispered to him as she peeks out from the portal that suddenly appeared behind Gray.
"In the meantime, try to focus on staying alive, if you can hehehe."
"-g!?"
Gray turned around as soon as quickly as he could but there was nobody there.
"tch! I got no time for this" Gray said as he remembered he has to go back to the real world and give the medical supplies to Micheal and Russel, he gave out a sigh as he moves to the eastern part of the village.
"There, I think that's the school"
The building was rather small it had the same feel as the house he and the others were staying at, a giant signboard near the two wooden door entrance was written in kanji there was no way he could understand the writings but deduced that this is the school, following Anna's directions and being the only building to have a giant signboard this has to be the one.
Gray then opens the door but as he tries to go inside to check if anyone is there, suddenly a woman's voice spoke from behind him.
"Usually people knock before they enter."
"I-Im sorry I didn't mean to, I needed help"
"Hmm? I was expecting you to be a thief"
The woman clad in a dark blue dress with short white sleeves was surprised to see Gray apologize to her, she had thought Gray was some lowly thief trying to steal something from inside the school.
"Very well, then what are you here for?" she asks intently
"I'm looking for someone who can help me reach the Hakurei shrine"
"Ahhh, I see"
Looking at Gray's clothes as if she was scanning something she finally understood why he wishes to go to the Hakurei shrine.
"You must be one of the outsiders then?"
"Yes..my name is Gray Cutter I need to get this supplies back to my friends in the real world"
"i see, very well come with me, my name is Keine Kamishirasawa."
Keine Kamishirasawa, at a glance Gray could tell she was not a normal human, from her silver coloured long hair to her clothes, much like Yukari she had a certain aura that emanated around her, but unlike Yukari, hers was more of a warm one.
As she bowed to Gray who also bowed in turn they set off to the Hakurei shrine.
The way towards the Hakurei shrine was dark and treacherous during the night, no normal human would dare travel alone without a group, what scared Gray the most was the chances of coming across Rumia the man eating youkai of darkness, the one who took Arthur's arm and took the life of one of his classmates Jack.
Keine notices Gray shaking and looking left and right as if something was watching him, she knew about what happened to them, and wanted to at least make him feel comfortable.
"Dont worry, no youkai will attack you if Im here"
"huh.. you must be really strong then"
Gray had never seen any of them fight youkai, he remembers catching a glimpse of what Reimu did to repel the youkai that was about to devour him last night but that was all he could remember, after seeing just what a little youkai could do, he wouldn't be surprised if he knew Keine could do something more amazing.
"Not really, but I am strong enough to protect the village" she said modestly, letting out a calm smile as she adds to her sentence "There are many youkai hunters and incidents resolvers who will go to great lengths to protect the village".
"incident resolvers?"
"incidents are events where in the balance or stability of Gensokyo is threaten one such disaster was during the Red mist incident when the a vampire plotted to cover the skies with a red mist, that is where the incident resolvers come in they are the ones who bring balance in Gensokyo whenever somebody or something threatens its stability, the best of them would be Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame."
Incident resolvers would then be what Gray would call heroes then; he was excited at the fact of being able to meet heroes in real life, those that would protect the weak while battling monsters and all sorts of creature.
"really? Cool! Are you one of them?" Gray asks intently
"no, I protect the village as its guardian if an imminent threat comes up i can at least the entire village until the threat is gone—" as Keine was about to explain her powers as the protector of the village, she noticed that they are already in front of the stairway leading to the Hakurei shrine.
"—ah so we're here already, better get moving then Cutter san"
"a—ah yeah thank you"
"Yes, goodbye for now"
The two bow to each other as they say they part ways, as Keine travels back to the village, Gray looks back seeing her off on her way as she disappears into the thick mist.
"heh i remember running for dear life up these stairs" Gray can still remember the feeling he felt when he ran up these stair to escape that giant youkai that was about to eat him, this time he gets to climb up all the way and walk right up to the shrine
"Hello?, Reimu are you there?"
There was no answer *maybe she is sleeping* Gray thought, he can't go back now just because she is sleeping he needed her help and she is the only one who can get him back to the real world.
The Hakurei shrine in the night looks eerily creepy, unlike the places he has been to in the real world, there is at least a lamp post to shine some light on a building, but the shrine did not, the place looked like from a horror movie, the Hakurei shrine did not look like a grand building from the start, unlike the grand cathedrals, churches or other places of worship that were made from stone, the shrine had signs of being old with wear and tear it's a wonder how it is still maintained by its only occupant the shrine maiden Reimu.
"hmm, does anyone ever donate to the shrine?" taking a peak at the large donation box situated in front of the shrine, the box is supposedly for donations to the shrine but there is barely anything inside, except for a few coins, looking beyond the large box a large he sees a large wooden door but thinking that's not where Reimu could be sleeping.
"I don't remember seeing this part of the shrine when i woke up, maybe she is somewhere at the back of the shrine"
There was nothing for him at the front of the shrine, he needed to find Reimu to be able to bring the medical supplies back to his friends in the real world, walking past the right side of the shrine, a storage warehouse was situated near the shrine.
Making his way to the back of the shrine he managed to find familiar sliding doors that he remembered from this morning when he woke up, the back of the shrine looks like a pretty nice place to sit back and look at the sky or the groves, but at night a rather creepy chill kept bothering him, even with the constant feeling of being watched Gray could only try and fight back his fears and keep moving.
"huh, it took you guys long enough to come here" a familiar voice spoke to Gray as he was about to look back and check to see if Reimu was inside "so where are your friends? The faster we do this the better" talking in irritated tone, cranky from having Gray wake her up in the middle of her sleep, she wanted to return them back to their world as soon as possible.
"they are not with me yet-"
"-what?"
Reimu was clearly mad, she had expected them to try and leave Gensokyo after their unfortunate encounter with the youkai who reside in it, but hearing Gray tell her that they are not with him made her snap, Gray tries to explain the situation hoping she will understand.
"please, I need to get these supplies to my friends back in the real world, Anna and the others are still looking for one of our friends who split up from the group, Im sure they will come here to get back home when they find him."
Reimu furrows her brow as Gray explained the situation to her, but seeing the bag with medical supplies Gray carried with him she agreed
"...alright" Reimu said as she grabbed hold of Gray's arm not wanting to waste anymore time she skipped right to the point and prepares to fly.
"Hold on!"
"Hold wha- ahhh!"
Gray let out a panic as Reimu stomps the ground and flies up into the sky holding Gray's arm as they fly towards the cave where Gray and his friends came from.
"g-!"
The whole experience was far different from flying on the broom with Marisa and Anna, Gray could feel the air pushing him back trying to stop him from flying the direction they are headed, Gray struggles against the cold heartless winds pushing him, it's like riding a bike down a steep hill only this time he has no control over it.
"just try to slant your body towards the direction we are heading and try not to look down" Reimu said noticing that this is Gray's first time to ever fly.
What? - Gray could barely hear her the wind howling near his ears deafens him as he can only see Reimu's mouth flapping trying to tell him something, he could only nod his head then close his eyes and hold on to Reimu's arm as tight as he could hoping he will reach the cave soon.
Just then moments later Gray could feel Reimu's speed slow down as Gray opens his eyes to see a cave near the outskirts of the forest below them.
"We are here, you can open your eyes now" Reimu says as she hovers down below near the cave a few meters away from the forest
The place was like a nightmare relived for Gray, he could still remember him and his friends walking down the path down in the forest trying to make it to the smoke leading to the human village.
"Gray-san come on, the cave is this way"
"a-ahh, yeah coming"
Gray watched as he see's Reimu twirl her gohei, the purification rod she held in her hand as an orb with a yin and yang symbol forms out of thin air and hovers beside her, glowing with a bright light that lights the way inside the cave as she moves forward with Gray.
Traversing deep inside the dark cave they look for the portal that Reimu found which leads Gray back to the real world, but as they kept moving forward they found themselves stuck in their tracks as they see three ways into the cave ahead of them.
"..."
"umm i thought you knew where to g—"
"—i know where to go!...Im just a little tired" Reimu exclaimed her flustered face gave away the fact she is also lost having forgotten where the portal was located, she had already gone inside and found the portal but she didn't pay attention to the other two diverging paths inside the cave
"Let's just rest here for awhile until I rememb- rested enough"
"...alright i guess" Gray sighed while Reimu sits down rubbing her chin with her fingers trying to remember which way was the portal located.
Reimu then created three yin yang orbs sent them to light the three paths if one of them leads to the portal, in the mean time she just sat there thinking.
The yin yang lay on the ground and lit the place like a bonfire, Gray had nothing to do except sit down and wait for Reimu to lead him out, but there were things he wanted to know from her.
"Reimu, can i ask you something?"
"Eh? Sure, about what?"
"If youkai are rampant throughout Gensokyo, why won't you do anything about it?"
Reimu sighed as Gray asked the question, the villagers probably asked her about this then – Gray thought, but Reimu gave her answer shortly after
"Gensokyo is fine the way it is, despite what happened to you and your friends Gensokyo is peaceful, and many of the youkai are friendly.
friendly? is this what a shrine maiden should say? isn't exterminating youkai her job? so why is she saying this? Gray couldn't understand why Reimu would think of youkai as a good thing, Gensokyo would have been better off without them Gray thought.
"Gensokyo already has a set of rules that enforces its balance, youkai won't go after people from the human village unless a villager wanders away alone, one of the rules is the *spell card rule* in that rule everyone has an equal chance of fighting, as long as you have a spell card youkai must follow the rules and duel you if they win they may not eat you, if they lose they will acknowledge it, in this way Gensokyo can remain steady and peaceful."
"but.." even as Gray tried to interrupt her to ask something about the youkai he met awhile ago in the village, Yukari Reimu continued with her explanation.
"unfortunately, I cannot assure the safety of outsiders, some youkai know of a way to bypass the Hakurei border just like how you and your friends got here, if an outsider were to encounter any of the youkai in Gensokyo there is a high chance the outsider would be eaten."
It didn't matter then, the rules were made to protect people from the village, unless the outsider had powers or a spell card the outsider will no doubt be killed and eaten.
Maybe that was why the villagers let them stay in that big house and treated them as though they were hotel guest, they are probably thinking the outsiders would either leave Gensokyo or be eaten - Gray thought but as he was about to add something to say Reimu still continued
"That's why you and your friends must get back to your world"
Unknown to Reimu the chances of them surviving back in the real world are pretty slim given that they are stranded somewhere in the unknown parts of their country, if they hadn't found their way into Gensokyo they wouldn't be able to find food and shelter as well as medicine and bandages for their wounds.
"Can't we stay here? Maybe if you help us find a way to get some powers to defend ourselves then staying wouldn't be a problem."
"No, you and your friends should just go home; if you all get powers what do you think will you and your friends do with them? You think your friends will just accept having powers and do nothing with it?" Reimu spoke anger can be felt with every word she said.
Were there other outsiders before them? Chances are there were, if so, did they also gain powers and what did they do with them?, Reimu's anger was clearly showing, the outsiders before him and his friends probably did something that caused lots of pain to her and to the humans and youkai in Gensokyo.
Reimu is right, there is no reason for us to stay, maybe the driver came back with help and with the supplies Layla gathered we could probably last a week inside the cave until help arrives – Gray thought as he nods and agrees to what Reimu said
"you are right, this place is not for us i guess"
"hmm? I expected you to whine or at least look for a reason to stay"
Gray did not want to stay, even if the place was full of girls with powers the place is too dangerous for him, besides he still has a life in the real world heck they all do as a student there are still things they can do and he did not want to leave his parents without saying a word.
"It's tempting, but after all we've been through I think staying in our world is better hehe."
Reimu smiled as Gray said that, believing he has made the right choice.
"hmm? I think it's this way" Reimu said as she felt a sudden wave of energy coming from one of the passageways.
"..!?, stay here!" She said stopping Gray from getting up, that wave of energy, she had never felt it before when she went inside the cave this morning.
She went to the right most passageway, exploring deep inside the passageway she could feel the wave of energy getting stronger and stronger, the feeling was intense as if trying to bear the burden of several negative emotions, in time she found the portal leading back to the real world.
"Something is not right." Reimu mutters as she sensed something coming from the portal, she walked closer trying to get a closer inspection of the portal.
"!"
Coming out from the portal several figures came out running towards Reimu, the figures had rotting flesh, sewn together by black liquid, the eyes are either hanging out from their sockets or completely removed.
"what the aaaaa!" Reimu screamed as she ran from the zombie like monsters chasing her.
Back in the crossroad inside the cave Gray sat there near the yin yang orb glowing like a bonfire waiting for Reimu, he was slowly dozing off about to fall asleep until he heard someone yelling from the passageway Reimu entered.
"Runrunrunrunrunrunrun!" He hears a faint sound coming from the passageway but he could not make out what it means.
Just as Gray was wondering where the sound was coming from, Reimu came out from one of the passageways running and screaming.
"MOTHEROFHAKUREI RUN!" She didn't even bother to look at Gray she was just running as fast as she could away from the monsters.
"what's that about?" Gray muttered to himself what's gotten into Reimu she seemed okay awhile ago, but as he wondered what was Reimu doing, he could hear moans and screeches coming from the passageway she came out from
"Whaaaaa!?" Gray saw the zombie like creatures charging towards him from the cave.
"ahh!, ouch!" backing away as Gray was about to turn around and run away he tripped and fell to the ground.
Like a hopeless victim in a zombie movie Gray just closed his eyes as he prepares for his imminent death from the zombie like creatures.
"SEALING NEEDLES!"
The voice calls out of nowhere as flashes of light move towards the creatures striking the creatures at the head, the creatures fell down one by one the needles embedded in their skull or where their heads are supposed to be.
"Huh?" Gray said slowly opening his eyes; he was expecting a cruel death being eaten away piece by piece by the monsters.
"Well that takes care of them" Gray looks back as he heard a voice from behind him, it was Reimu he really thought Reimu ran away the same way he did to his friends last night.
"hehe sorry about that, they spooked me" Reimu apologizes lowering her head to Gray, The monsters just came out from the portal and came running towards her, looking at the monsters coming towards her at such a pace caught her off guard and spooked her so much that she just opted to run away.
"!?" Gray was at a lost for words, looking at the zombie like creatures covered in a black goo like ink that slowly dissolved revealing the bodies that were possessed like a puppet.
"Micheal?, Lisa?, Russel?"
The bodies were like patches of meat stitched together by the black goo, looking closer he recognize their faces, deformed, bloody, eyes missing or hanging from their sockets.
Gray couldn't say anything, what happened to them? He wondered as he tightly grasps the torn uniform that belonged to them.
The pieces of meat stitched together that were chasing Reimu were his friends, the other who stayed behind in the cave because of their injuries, they were dead, Gray could barely tell who is which except for Lisa as the faces were torn beyond comprehension.
Gray breathed heavily, as Reimu watches from behind, unable to bear the site any longer Reimu placed her hand on Gray's shoulder.
"..I'm sorry.."
Reimu could only offer a few words, she knew it was not enough to comfort him but it was the only thing she could think of, for the moment.
The bodies begin to dissolve, skin and bone evaporate into the air as the black goo that piece them together disappear.
"Gray.. Let's go"
"What about the portal?"
"There might be more coming from it, so to prevent them from coming here I must close it."
She went inside the passageway once more and seals the portal using her using an amulet.
With that there is no way for Gray and his friends to return to their world unless she can find the right ritual that will send them back to the cave in the real world.
After the sealing the portal Gray and Reimu walk back out of the cave, Gray notices Reimu being silent probably because she has no choice but to let them the outsiders stay in Gensokyo and risk the chance of the outsiders causing harm and threatening the balance of Gensokyo.
"..I'm sorry..."
Gray's voice was dry and coarse, he apologized to Reimu because now he and his friends have no choice but to stay in Gensokyo, he didn't want Reimu to be mad at him.
"it's ok, there's no choice in the matter" Reimu sighed as she said those words, there is still a way to send Gray and his friends back to their world, but that would be a cruel thing to do still, even if they were to cross the Hakurei border and into the real world they would be stranded in an unfamiliar place still.
Gensokyo is from Japan, so if ever a person would cross the border from Gensokyo they would no doubt be in Japan, unless the outsider knew how to read and speak Japanese they would just be stranded on another nation.
"Don't worry, my friends are good people, they won't cause trouble"
"Hmph we'll see" Reimu scoffed at what Gray said, she wanted to believe what Gray said was true but from her experience, the chances are slim.
Making their way out of the cave, the two notice something was glowing from over the horizon.
"How long were we inside that cave?" Gray asked thinking that the sun was probably coming up
"..."
But Reimu had something else in her mind, the sun would have risen from the east, the glow was coming from the west, as she locks her gaze she saw a several large clumps of smoke rising from it, Reimu knew what was beyond the forest, it was the human village, and it was burning.