A blue-stained shrine maiden and a mage with ripped up robes walked back into town.
The guardsman glared at the robed man, and spoke out quickly. "Hey, you! We've been-"
Hikari turned and glared at the guard. "I-is there a problem?"
'Voice, work with me…'
"Yeah! There's a problem!" The guard reels his arm in preparation for a fight. "That guy's a wanted fugitive! For all we know he's a youkai by now!"
Osamu frowned at the man. "C'mon, Hikari, let me handle this…"
Hikari shook her head tiredly. "I believe the captain told you we could pass without any trouble, right?"
"No, he said you." He pointed at Hikari. "Nothin' about that thing beside you."
Hikari groaned. "Do I have to beat you up, like the entirety of the captain's elite guard?"
Osamu double-took. "You did what?"
The guard double-took, too. "You did what!?"
...He looked around anxiously. "Is uh… is that why they were all sore the next day? Holy crap…" He scratched the back of his head. "W-well, uh, I don't buy it!" He draws his sword. "I don't care if you're that Hakurei girl's daughter! You can't just go around guarding refugees and making up tall tales!"
Hikari eyes her enchanted gohei. 'This might go better, actually…'
Osamu holds up his arms. "Oh, shit… C'mon Hikari, let's just-"
Hikari runs up to the guard before he realizes what she's doing.
SMAAAA~SH!
"Gufaa~h!"
The guard reeled back and flew into the village wall behind him. His sword clattered to dirt beside him uselessly. He looked up at Hikari, now fearful.
"C-c'mon! Don't use your holy shit on me! Look, I'm sorry! I was following orders, honest! Fuck!" He held up his arms, cowering against the wall.
Hikari nodded, satisfied. "Stay away."
Osamu eyed the enchanted gohei. "Holy shit. That thing's, like, death on a stick."
'It's death in a stick.'
They walked through the village, and as they did other guards took notice of the robed man and trailed behind the two. Eventually a gaggle of guards were trailing ten feet or so behind them.
'This is getting silly.'
…
'I should see if the candy stalls are open today.' It was a new day, after all.
She went to Keine's house, Osamu following her.
She opened the door, walking in with him.
Keine looks up at them. "Oh, hey- oh, woah, woah!"
She flinches involuntarily at the sight of Osamu. "H-Hikari, that's a wanted fugitive! Why are your clothes all ripped!?... Why are they blue!?"
'I may have made a mistake coming here…!'
Hikari held her hands up. "Okay, first… Things happened at the temple. I'm fine." 'Sorta.'
Keine folds her arms, staring with a mix of judgement and concern.
"Second, why's he a fugitive?" Hikari gestured to the nervous mage beside her.
"I wasn't told. The town guard just said he was a wanted criminal and had escaped." Keine explained. "Well, not a high-priority criminal or anything. What's he doing with you, Hikari?"
Hikari sighed. "He's cool."
Keine frowned. "Now, Hikari-"
"Seriously. He's being singled out 'cause he's a mage."
…
"Wait, really?" Keine narrows her eyes. "...That's foolish of the village if it were true. I'll look into it myself, then. Just… be careful, Hikari. Remember what I told you about strangers."
'I don't think just any stranger would fit the prophecy thing… or help me kick blue ass.'
...Osamu fidgeted nervously.
Hikari noticed his discomfort. "Let's just go."
Keine stared at the two apologetically as they left.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
'I never did spend that money.' Hikari sighed.
After that, they'd gone straight out of the village, leaving the horde of non-assertive guards in the village, and made their way towards the Hakurei Shrine.
They'd gone around to the hillside where Hikari's bedroom faced.
"Here," Hikari held out her gohei. "Grab."
Osamu grabbed it. "...How's this, uh-"
Hikari enchanted herself with wind, and jaunted up the hill.
Fwoosh!
"W-woaa~h!"
…
Hikari skidded to a stop at the top of the hill. Osamu crashed into her, and they fell over.
"Oof!"
…
'Well, we got up the hill.'
They stood up, brushing themselves off.
Hikari turned to him. "Hide in my room. Kinda weird to explain you to mom, after all."
Osamu nodded compromisingly. "Yeah, I've kinda seen what you mean before…" Osamu thought back to the times kids have put their parents through ridiculous situations, and to his past with his father.
They climb into Hikari's room.
"...Pretty bare." Osamu comments.
"Shhh…" Hikari shushes him. "Dunno if mom can hear…"
"Right, right…" Osamu replied in a hushed tone.
...Osamu sat against the wall. Hikari left the room to go see how things were.
Looking around, she saw her mother at a kotatsu in the middle of the room, like most days.
She looked over to Hikari. "Hey, Hi-iiii~ Wha~t!?"
...Hikari looked down at her blue-stained clothes.
'I keep forgetting about that part. Whoops.'
Reimu bolted up to Hikari. "What happened!? Who did this!?" Her grip tightened on her own gohei.
"It's- uh… it's a long story." Hikari started.
"Well, sit down. Let me get a change of clothes for you…" Reimu goes to Hikari's room. Hikari tenses up.
'Well... shit.'
…
Reimu comes back with a clean, undamaged shrine maiden outfit in Hikari's size, identical to the last. She's also holding Osamu by the back of his robe.
"...Do you know this thing?" Reimu looks about ready to use him as a pinata.
Hikari nods. 'This is going to get awkward…'
…
"S-so…" Hikari begins.
Reimu plops Osamu down at the side of the kotatsu. "Move and you'll be sorry."
Osamu smiles sheepishly. "Eheh…"
…
'Well, I have to say something…!'
"I- uh, I went to town with the money…" Hikari began.
Reimu's hands slammed down on the kotatsu. "Was it one of those bullies? Was it that Porky brat?"
Hikari shook her head. "No. Well, kinda, but-"
"I knew it…" Reimu sighed. "You need to speak out more. Really…"
'That's not it!'
Hikari shook her head. "I-it's not like that…"
"Well, continue." Reimu sighed.
…
"So, all the candy stalls were closed today, and… I decided to go get my gohei enchanted at the temple."
Reimu smiled. "About time you took that offer! Byakuren was worried you forgot, or something. She told you about it a few years ago, but you just kinda ignored it…"
'I don't remember that. I must've not thought it was important…'
"It was at the festival, and… whatever. Continue." Reimu waved herself off.
"...So when I got there, there was a situation." Hikari introduced her latest adventure. "There was blue paint everywhere."
Reimu tilted her head. "...So they were painting the temple blue?"
Osamu shook his head. "No, dude, like- Ah!"
He jerked her head back as Reimu pointed her gohei at his throat.
"Quiet." Reimu growled at him. "My daughter was talking."
"S-sorry…"
Thud. Osamu fell backwards onto the floor trying to avoid Reimu's gohei.
…
Hikari paused as Osamu readjusted himself. "Anyway, the paint was slathered wildly all over the grass and walls… a-and this girl named Kyouko tried to attack me…"
Reimu was puzzled. "...Sounds like things got rowdy... What do you mean Kyouko attacked you?"
'This is going nowhere. I should just explain the gist of the situation…'
"I-In, in…" Hikari paused after pronouncing the word correctly. "...In summary, this blue paint brainwashed everyone, I-I beat up Kyouko, met Osamu," Hikari gestured to Osamu, "and then we beat up more brainwashed monks, and we fought Byakuren, and uh…" She turned to Osamu.
'You could probably explain this better…!' Hikari blushed.
Osamu shook his head, pointing at Reimu.
…
"...What?" Reimu hasn't yet comprehended the words that came from Hikari's mouth.
"That's kinda why I'm all blue." Hikari finished.
'Wait for it…'
…
"Whaaa~t!?" Reimu jolted up from the kotatsu, "W-what do you mean, 'fight' and 'fought'!?"
'Mom looks ready to crack some skulls...'
"Are you hurt!?" Reimu flipped the kotatsu aside and rushed over to her daughter.
"N-no, Mom…" Hikari sighed. "I got out of it okay. I even got rid of the paint…"
"W-what about all the blue…!?"
"It's fine. I mean… I think I got brainwashed for a moment, but…"
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
After a very lengthy period of correcting hasty conclusions and calming her mother, Hikari had finally fully explained the nuances of the situation.
'Never again. The time wasted and embarrassment suffered was unreal...'
"...So you're saying you did all of that yourself?" Reimu confirmed.
Hikari nodded.
"...Without any spell cards."
Hikari nodded.
"...With that shoddy gohei of yours."
Hikari took vague offense to that, but actually somewhat agreed with that statement.
'It's enchanted now!'
"...And you sustained no injuries?" Reimu narrowed her eyes.
'...I still haven't told her about the other things. Those are even more implausible…'
"...Well, yeah." Hikari grinned sheepishly.
…
Reimu sighed. "And here you got me all worried for nothing… For all I know, you probably just walked under a ladder and came up with some insane story to cover it up."
'Hey! I-... well, that's probably better than her acting on the real story, anyway.' Hikari flared for a moment, but calmed down rapidly.
"Next time, just tell the truth, alright?" Reimu scolded. "...Your friend over there can stay, too. Don't expect me to make food or anything for him, though."
Osamu shrugs.
Reimu gets up and stretches. "...I'll get you an orange juice, though, Hikari."
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Hikari lies in her futon, staring up at the ceiling.
Osamu was in the main room. Reimu told him to sleep using 'whatever means necessary'...
'Whatever that means.'
Probably meant he had to craft himself something out of nothing… which, in layman's terms, means he'd have to sleep on the floor.
Hikari was fine with that herself.
'...That could've, uhh, gone better…' Her discussion with her mother left her embarrassed, but she supposed it was as good a cover story as any for how it ended up.
'I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow…' She had no leads on the other sanctuaries, as far as she was aware.
'...That can wait, I guess…'
Hikari slowly drifted off to sleep…
…
'...'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
"Haa~h…"
Hikari raises from a dreamless sleep, looking around her room.
'...Cold morning. The weather must be getting chillier...'
Getting out of her futon, she moves to the door, realizing she slept in her new shrine maiden outfit.
'Whatever. I doubt it's going to get that bad again. I pretty much have to throw out the stained one at this point.'
She makes her way to the main room, noticing Osamu sleeping on the bar counter her mother setup.
'Good of a bed as any.' Hikari supposed.
Reimu was polishing the counter next to him. She looks up at Hikari. "Oh, good, you're awake!"
She pushes Osamu off the counter.
Thud.
"Hwaah!?" He flails wildly on the floor.
Reimu begins polishing the space where he slept, while Hikari giggles.
"I've got an errand I need you to do today. Well, more like an errand from Marisa… and Alice… and Patchouli."
'Oh, boy.' Hikari prepares herself for an insane task.
"I need you to run down to Eientei, pick up Marisa a pack of ice, Alice's prescription of butterfly dream pills, and Patchouli's cough medicine." Reimu listed.
'...Why the pack of ice?' Hikari wondered. It'd probably be melted by the time she got back here with it, anyway.
Regardless, it wasn't as demanding of a task as Hikari anticipated… but she was sure things were going to go to hell one way or another when she got there.
"...You can take your friend with you, too, if you want." Reimu leans over the counter, staring down at Osamu.
He was awake, but he didn't want to be. "Uu~gh…"
"Get up." Reimu ordered.
"Fine, fine! Sheesh…" He sits up groggily, blinking.
"I think I'll get started now." Hikari decided.
Reimu smiled. "Getting a head start early for once? That's unlike you, but it's a good habit to get into!"
'That's unlike you, too.' Hikari always knew her mother to be pretty lazy when she wasn't caring for her. Not that she could blame her, though. 'It's not like the shrine really needs sweeping every day.'
Hikari leaves through the front door of the shrine, and Osamu hastily follows.
'Normally I'd be reading until noon, but I'm pretty sure searching for those places is more important…'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Hikari walked through the streets, smiling at an open candy stall. There was still a crowd of guards near her, but she didn't mind since they didn't seem to do anything but glare at them.
The vendor looked nervous as hell, though. "S-so… What, uh, would you like today, Hikari…?"
"Hmm…"
Things he had for sale:
Fairy Treat - 100 Yen - Food that entices fairies. Cheap and affordable, but it makes your hands smell. Not intended for human consumption, but not unsafe to eat.
Bag of Peppermint Swirls - 500 Yen - Swirly peppermint treats. Can last one a long time…
Bubblegum - 100 Yen - Just makes you hungry more often than not. Hip and popular with today's kids, much to Keine's dismay. She's beginning to find gum under her desks…
Jellybean Bag - 500 Yen - Common chewable treat. Makes a great snack.
Goldfish Bag - 1000 Yen - The snack that smiles back. Premium snack cracker 'produced' by the Yakumo and sold for high in bulk to vendors who try to cut a profit by selling it drastically lower strategically. It's smiling, so it might make a good snack.
'...I've never considered those bags of goldfish worth it until now…' It wasn't often Hikari got a whole five thousand yen to just run around with.
She took a bag of goldfish snack crackers, and put one thousand yen on the counter.
The vendor blinked. "T-thank you, Hikari…"
Hikari turned to the guards. "If you harass this stall, I'll tell Mom."
...The guards quickly went about business as usual, but a few scornfully looked back at her as they moseyed off.
'I don't like saying that, but it's true. When it comes to candy, I'm serious business.' Ironically, she didn't buy candy today, though, but she still thought herself the village sweet tooth.
Hikari stashed the goldfish bag in her new outfit's pocket.
'I should have remembered to make ofuda…' Hikari shook her head. 'I knew I forgot something…'
Osamu nodded, satisfied at the guards' departure. "...Why didn't'cha just threaten 'em with your mom before?"
Hikari frowned. "I don't want to rely on her for everything, you know…"
Osamu shrugged. "I guess…"
They continued to the village gates that lead towards Eientei. They were the same ones they used to leave to the temple.
'Actually…'
"We should stop by the temple on our way." Hikari announced.
Osamu looked indifferent. "Cool by me. Anywhere's better than this cramped-ass village."
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Hikari zoomed up the hillside next to the steps, and into the wall next to the temple's gate.
Bam!
"Oof…" Hikari winced as she was squished between the wall and Osamu again.
Kyouko jumped. "Wh-what!?"
She looked to the source of the noise. "...Oh. Hi, guys."
Osamu stumbled from the wall, as did Hikari moments later. "...Oh~ he-hey…"
'I really need to find a good way to stop earlier…'
"What brings you here today? I-if you don't mind me asking…" Kyouko frazzled herself.
Hikari shook the dizziness from herself. "W-we came to shop around, I guess…"
Kyouko pouted. "Shop?... I don't know if we have many things around like that… Byakuren doesn't agree with those things, I don't think."
Osamu was in the background playing with his spark hand trick…
'Ahh…' Hikari was slightly disappointed. "I suppose we'll just go, then."
"Where're you guys headed to?" Kyouko asks.
'Nosey. Must be boring out here for her to get this nosey…' Hikari knew a thing or two about being nosey.
"Eientei." Hikari answered.
"You know how to get through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, right?" Kyouko asked them.
Osamu was interested. "Bamboo forest of the what?"
He accidentally tried PK Thunder α!
Thwaa~sh!
A portion of the newly installed and properly painted fenceway exploded.
Boom!
Kyouko flinched. "Ah!"
…
"...We just installed that, too…" Kyouko hunched over.
Hikari elbowed Osamu in the ribs.
"Ah- hey!"
Kyouko seems to get over it quick enough. "...Anyway, you might need Byakuren or Mamizou to bring you there. It's an easy place to get lost in, and there are predatory youkai in those woods. I think I speak for all of us when I say I don't wanna see you two get eaten…"
Osamu gives a cocky smile. "Eaten? Us? Pfff~t…"
...Hikari looked vaguely worried. 'I'm not sure how we might fair against respectable youkai, if they're anything like Byakuren or otherwise. But… could it really be that bad?'
Hikari thinks of her mother.
'...We don't need any help.'
After a few moments of thinking, Hikari shakes her head. "I think we'll be fine."
'After all, I-... we got to this point without any help…'
Kyouko pouts again. "...Alright. Stay safe, you two. I don't think Byakuren'd know what to do with herself if you two got hurt…" She perks up. "Say, when you guys come visit again, you should meet Mamizou! She's really nice!"
'I'll keep it in mind…'
"Sure thing!" Osamu agrees, grinning.
The two hastily and clumsily step down the hillside.
'Why do religious monuments require such harsh hillsides?' Hikari reflects.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The two teens marched through the open plain towards the bamboo.
"This place is real nice…" Osamu appreciates the greenery. "I always saw this field from the walls a few times, but like, I never thought I'd actually walk 'em, y'know? Like… wow."
'That's nice.' Hikari yawned...
On the other hand, this wasn't Hikari's first time in these fields…
'At least, I think.' She wasn't sure. She did recognize the place, though.
They continued walking down the linear path.
"Hey!"
Hikari paused.
Osamu groaned. "Fairies. Just ignore 'em…"
"Hey! Listen!"
'Right…'
A blonde-haired fairy flew in front of them.
"He~y!"
Light fairy tried PK Flash α!
Hikari shielded her eyes from the bright flash.
'Annoying…'
Osamu did the same.
"What's the big idea!?" He stumbled around, grunting in frustration.
"Finally!" The fairy grinned. "About time you idiots noticed me!"
Hikari blinked as the last of the light faded. "...Hey, come here. I have something for you."
The fairy blew a raspberry. "No way, mean shrine lady! I wasn't born yesterday!..." She put her hand to her chin. "...Well, maybe I was, but, still!"
'...Wait, then how do you know- nevermind…' Hikari sighed.
The blonde fairy girl flew over Hikari. "What's wrong? Am I a bother? Am I?"
"Yes."
The fairy freezes.
…
"Y-you…" She looks down on Hikari scornfully.
"Now you done did it, Hikari. You pissed it off!" Osamu braced himself.
"Stupid miko~!" The fairy dove towards Hikari.
Hikari braced herself, holding her gohei up to stop the fairy.
Thunk!
She was successful.
Thud.
The fairy hit the floor.
"..."
'Good job.'
…
Hikari kicked some dirt on the unconscious fairy.
"Let's, uh… go." She awkwardly resumed walking towards the bamboo forest.
Osamu chuckled.
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
"Here we are…" Hikari looked up at the tall bamboo stalks that marked the entrance to the forest.
'This thing's density goes from zero to sixty…'
Osamu tried to step into it randomly, but stepped back out when he noticed how dense the bamboo was. "Geez… Forget getting lost, how the hell're we even gonna get in?"
Hikari tried whacking it with her gohei. Sadly her gohei was not, infact, sharp enough to cut things like bamboo.
Thwack.
'Hmmm…'
Osamu tried PK Freeze α!
KaKaKoo~...
Ice crystals formed and thawed rapidly in a cluster of bamboo.
Krack!
They then exploded, expanding it outward, tearing a hole in the bamboo wall.
…
Hikari crawled inside after a ginger moment, clumsily flopping to the other side.
"Oof…"
She got up and dusted herself off. The bamboo was still very thick in here, but it wasn't a complete shell like the outside was for whatever reason.
'I don't remember Mom telling me about that part of the forest…' From all the stories she heard, she couldn't recall description of a thick bamboo stalk shell around the outer perimeter of the forest.
Osamu dove in, landing on his stomach.
"We're in like Flynn!"
'I never understood that expression.'
Rustling was heard nearby.
'...Already?'
Osamu notices it, too, pausing on the floor.
…
"Well, well, well… What have we here?"
A generic wolfman youkai steps onto the scene. "A tasty looking miko in training, and some village idiot. Must be my lucky day…"
Hikari readies herself for combat.
'Another one of these goons. I haven't defeated one on my own before, though…' She looked reluctant for a moment, but put on a brave face. 'I'm stronger now, though.'
Osamu stayed on the floor, looking up at the wolfman.
"Been a long time since I've seen one of you saps since these walls sprung up… and those damned bunnies just keep flying over them instead of actually fucking doing anything." He stepped closer to them. "...But now, I'm gonna get the fix I rightfully deserve."
Osamu tried PK Freeze α!
KaKaKoo~...
The wolfman locked up as the ice rapidly froze and thawed around him.
"Wha-"
Krack!
The blast rocked the wolfman's body, but he remained standing.
"...What the fuck was that? Magic? Since when did you human chumps do magic?" The wolfman was rattled, but otherwise unimpressed.
Now with a little more caution, he stepped towards the miko…
Hikari swung a cautionary swing, one not meant to necessarily hit anything.
At that, the wolfman lunged forward with insane force.
Hikari jerked her gohei back at him.
Whack!
Thud!
"Guh…" Hikari flew back into the bamboo wall, the breath knocked out of her.
The wolfman flinched from the gohei strike. "...Nice hit, for a human. Too bad it was still weak as shit."
'Not good!'
Hikari tried Shield α!
She was protected by the shield of light!
The wolfman observed the light shield. "Weak."
He lunged, and struck Hikari in the torso. Hikari rebounded against the bamboo again, scrambling away.
"Ow, ow, ow…" Hikari spoke under her breath, clutching her stomach.
The wolfman blinked. "...Guess that shield was useful, afterall. That was supposed to have killed you."
Osamu tried PK Freeze α!
KaKaKoo…
The wolfman growled as the ice stunlocked him again with its freezing and thawing antics.
Krack!
The blast of ice did about as much as last time.
"Shitty wizard!" He turned around, facing the mage. "Why would you ever think it-"
Whack!
Hikari blindsided the wolfman while he was busy being angry.
He stumbled back, but reeled back towards Hikari, who was ready for further aggression from the youkai.
Thwack!
"Grrh…" He leaped back, colliding with a thick brush of bamboo stalks. He turned to them and grappled them, tearing them from the ground.
'He should be tuckered out, now… or pissed.'
Hikari tried Hypnosis α!
Energy rippled around the wolfman…
…
His eyes fluttered, and with a final guttural moan, he fell asleep, flopping into the dirt, dropping his assortment of bamboo.
The leaves rustled loudly…
…
Hikari casually walked up to him.
"...Sorry about this."
Whack!
Whack!
SMAAAA~SH!
Hikari beat the shit out of the sleeping wolfman, smacking his face until it was bloody.
'O-oops… that's a little... too much…'
She smiled sheepishly. "U-uhm… I-I overdid it…"
Osamu got up off the floor, dusting himself off. "First try, right?... Yeah. First try."
'Pfft…'
They crept through the forest slowly, trying to get their bearings...
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
"...Maybe we can like, climb the bamboo or something." Osamu contemplates.
The two have been wandering for the entirety of the morning.
'I never really wanted to fly that badly before… but I really really really do now!' Hikari was getting antsy after yet another hour of aimless forest wandering.
"Well, well, well… What-"
The two turned to their fifth generic wolfman today.
Osamu tried PK Thunder α!
Hikari tried Hypnosis α!
Thwaa~sh!
A poor, defenseless bamboo tree was struck, exploding into fluttering, harmless bamboo shards and bits.
Energy rippled around the wolfman, and he staggered a little.
"-have we… here?" He turned to the bamboo tree lethargically, and stared at it. "The fuck…?"
In his drowsy state, Hikari was able to run up to him and inflict violence.
Whack!
"Grrh!"
Thwack!
"Damn you!"
Osamu smirked. "No, damn you."
Osamu tried PK Thunder α!
Thwaa~sh!
The wolfman struck a pose as he was stricken by the bolt of electricity.
"Wazazafaa~h!"
SMAAAA~SH!
Hikari finished the job, sending him sprawling.
…
'I really wish that thunder attack stopped missing every other time he uses it.' Hikari was slowly finding more reasons to be frustrated as the day progressed.
"How many of those douchebags are in this forest? They shoulda called it freakin' douchebag woods, instead!" Osamu joked. "Right? Ri~ght…?"
Hikari sighed. "Sure."
"Yeaa~h!"
They wandered a bit more, and heard more rustling from nearby brush and bamboo.
"For fuck's sake!" Osamu readied himself again. "Look, you're like the sixth or fourth or whoever fucker we're gonna toast today! Just get out here already!"
...A woman with long, white hair and red sweatpants that looked like a cross between pajamas and overalls stepped out.
"Toast, huh? The only one who's gonna get toasted here is you, if you don't shut your trap." She grins at Osamu, her hands in her pockets.
'She's different…' For one thing, she wasn't a generic wolfman.
Hikari readied herself for combat.
The woman noticed her getup. "...Oh? You the daughter of Reimu?"
'What.'
"The hell're you doing here at a time like this?... Stupid question, I s'pose, but I expected someone... taller." The woman seemed more relaxed now.
"H-how do you… know me?" Hikari was vaguely annoyed.
She tilted her head. "How wouldn't I? Reimu wouldn't shut up about you! I mean, shit. Shit, I shouldn't swear around you. Oh, shit…"
Osamu grinned. "Good fucking job."
"Hey, fuck you."
Hikari didn't know what to say about that exchange.
"...Name's Mokou." Mokou extended her hand. Hikari took it and shook it.
"You lost?"
"Wh- No!" Osamu blurted.
…
"...Yes." He hung his head in shame.
"Not a big surprise. This place is tricky if you don't come here often." Mokou started walking. "Come on, keep up, you two. I don't have all day."
Hikari vaguely recalled this woman from her mother's stories.
'If she were actually immortal, I'm sure she'd have more than all day…'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
It was in less than thirty minutes that they reached Eientei.
'Excuse me?' To Hikari, it was like they did multiple three-sixties and one-eighties back there, yet somehow they got through the forest flawlessly.
Mokou turned to Hikari and grinned. "...Yeah, trust me, everyone's surprised by that."
"Fuck me…" Osamu shook his head in exasperation. "I mean… Dude…"
Mokou stopped in front of them. "...Normally, this'd be the part where I let you guys go in on yer own, but some real weird shit's been going on lately… and I'm pretty sure Reimu'd seal me for the rest of my immortal life if I let anything happen to you."
'Hnnngh…' Hikari hated the feeling of riding off her mother's reputation.
"If the inside's even a bit like this forest, we'll be just fine... aside from the mazey bit…" Osamu added the last part reluctantly.
"It's worse." Mokou assured him, stepping forward.
They walked into Eientei. The lights were off.
"...This place always this creepy?" Osamu was bugged out immediately.
"Ye-... No." Mokou restrained the urge to mock the clinic.
Hikari looked around the dark interior of the clinic. No one stood at the desk, and all the hallways had their doors thrown open, endless darkness the only thing visible in each.
The sterile walls combined with the dark lighting all of a sudden made the place feel like it was abandoned longer than it probably was.
"...What're you here for? Maybe I can help you, or somethin'..." Mokou cautiously looked around.
Hikari eyed her antics. "Bunch of prescriptions for mages."
"...Shit. Gotta find the doc, then. I'm no good with meds and bottles and all that crap." Mokou scowls. "...We'll just have to look for her, then."
A door swung open, slamming against the wall. Mokou's hands lit on fire.
...What looked like a fairy girl stumbled out, with long blue hair and a pink dress. She was missing a few things though, like an arm and an eye. No blood poured from its wounds, though. Gensokyian fairies didn't bleed tangible liquid. Rather, they bled magic, which usually wasn't very visible after leaving a fairy's body.
"U-Uuuhhh…" The debatably healthy fairy moaned, shambling towards Mokou.
Mokou thrust her arms forward, a jet of flames shooting at the undead fairy.
Fwoom!
The fairly flew back into the halls, smoldering for a few moments...
Pi~chun!
The fairy exploded into magic.
"...Mmm." Mokou cracks her neck. "Here we go…"
"...What was that?" Hikari hadn't seen a fairy that gruesome looking before. Usually they died far faster than that.
"Zombie fairies. Fuckin' doc…" Mokou scornfully looked down the hallway. "Stay close, kiddos. You saw how that door swung open, and I'm pretty sure the two of you can't defend yourselves very well, no offense."
'Jerk.' Hikari took offense.
Osamu got closer to Mokou. Very close to Mokou, as a matter of fact.
"...Not that close." Mokou elbowed Osamu away. "Just two things: I'd accidentally barbeque you, and you're a fuckin' perv."
...Osamu folded his arms. "Killjoy."
Another door slammed open. A red haired fairy fell out.
Thud.
Mokou torched it with a stream of fire instantly.
Fwoosh!
Pi~chun!
'I didn't even get a good look at that one.'
…
"...So. Zombie fairies…" Hikari tried to make small talk.
"I don't even fucking know. Something about the doc trying to find out why fairies blow up so easy. Next thing you know, she's tryin' all kinds of stupid shit… I heard about most of it from that receptionist, Reisen." Mokou rambled.
Hikari looked in the dark room the red fairy had came from as they passed it. She contemplated exploring, but Mokou grabbed her arm.
"Don't. There's more around than ya think. Like, a lot more. That room's probably got ten fuckers just waiting on the ceiling."
'Huh.'
Osamu looked weirded out. "These fairies we talkin' 'bout?"
"Did I stutter?" Mokou snarks.
"Alright, alright, sheesh…"
…
They uneventfully travel many bland corridors. Pale blue and white furnishings decorate the halls, only a few disturbed. Once in a great while, there were signs of a struggle in a hallway, furniture smashed and overturned.
"I gotta say, those bunnies are awesome at hiding and doing fuck-all." Mokou complained. "Would it kill them to grow some balls and get out here?"
"Why's everyone so scared of fairies? So what if they take a few more hits?" Osamu smirked.
'That one we met earlier wasn't very intimidating, to be honest.' Hikari never had a problem dealing with fairies.
"'Cause they're not as stupid as they used to be. Sorta. It's weird…" Mokou pauses, thinking of how to explain it. "...They, like, don't want to do whatever it is they're doin'. They're also not acting like fairies, and some of them are even attacking the less maimed, more behaved fairies. Also, there's a lot of fuckin' fairies here for just no reason."
'Here we go again…' Hikari gripped her gohei tighter. 'These days are just getting weirder and weirder…'
Bam!
Another door slammed open behind them. The three whirled around only-
Bam!
Bam!
-for two more doors to swing open around them.
Bam!
Bam!
"Oh, shit!" Mokou's arms lit up. "Ahh, fuck… Look, you two…"
Fairies shamble from the doors, missing various extremities or sporting grisly holes. A red mist flowed into the air from some of the holes and gashes…
"Uuuhhh…"
"A-ah…"
"K-kill… m-me…"
They slowly shambled from the rooms, even more stumbling out behind them. The moans and groans intensified.
'Oh. Mokou was right. That's… a lot of fairies.'
Mokou began shooting streams of fire at them.
Pi~chun!
Pi~chun!
Most of them were only ignited, though.
"Shit…" Mokou winced, noticing they were coming from both ends of the hallway. "There's too fucking many!"
Osamu tried PK Freeze α!
KaKaKoo…
'Like that's going to help…'
Krack!
Despite the icy explosion, the fairies didn't budge. The one affected was frozen solid, though.
"This should be safe to use…"
Mokou tried PK Fire ß!
Krooo~...
Flames cackled as a line of flames formed in the hallway.
Kroaah!
A blast of flames wiped out a row of zombie fairies.
Pi~chun!
Pi~chun!
Pi~chun!
'...That didn't do a whole lot…'
Mokou growled. "Damnit, damnit, damnit! We were only here for like, ten fucking seconds!"
Hikari looked tense as the fairies on her side began nearing…
She closes her eyes… 'No time like the present, I guess…'
Hikari tried PK Fantasy α!
The dark atmosphere was thrown away in exchange for a technicolor shitstorm.
Fizzle!
The zombie fairies would never know what the hell happened, either.
Fizzle!
Hikari opened her eyes.
Bwaa~sh!
Pi-Pi-Pi-Ch-Pi-Pi-Pi-Chuu~n!
…
Mokou blinked. "...What. The fuck… was that!?"
Hikari smiled, satisfied by her reaction.
Osamu clapped. "Wish I knew that spell! Damn! Gets 'em every time!"
...Hikari stumbled a bit, lightheaded. 'Really...?'
More zombie fairies began pouring from the doors.
Mokou grabbed the two by the back and began pushing them forward. "C'mon, we gotta go…"
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
The three eventually made their way to one of the staff break rooms. Mokou closed the metal door, and welded it shut with her flames.
"There…"
...Hikari looked around the room. "...There's no uh, no exit…"
…
"Oh, right. Fuck." Mokou facepalmed. "...Well, at least the fairies are going to have a fun time with the door."
The door starts clanging quietly, the fairies walking against it.
Cla~ng!
A more forceful attack hits it, but it doesn't budge.
"As far as I know, welds're the way to go when it comes to securing places. Can't break 'em easily, if at all." Mokou nods, satisfied.
"You locked us in, though, genius. Now what the hell are we gonna do?" Osamu sat on the counter at the edge of the break room. "There's not even any windows in here!... We're gonna die!"
Hikari looked up, and saw vents. '...Nah, we'll be fine.'
"You fucker! You got us killed!" Osamu flung himself at Mokou.
Mokou punched him in the face.
…
"T-thanks… I needed... uh, needed that…" Osamu rubbed his nose.
"Anytime."
Hikari looked over to Osamu, then at the door.
'...I wonder…'
"Can you do that thing you did with me?" Hikari asked him.
...Mokou looked incredibly awkward all of a sudden.
"...I dunno. Whadda you mean?"
Hikari forgot the word for it… "You know, like, that." She tapped her forehead.
Mokou blushed. "L-look, can you not do that with me here? I mean, I know we'll be here awhile, but… fuck, at least wait for me to go delirious first!"
…
Hikari remembered the word! "Telepathy!"
Osamu bobbed his head quickly in realization. "Oh, right! Yeah, I think so… I dunno. I gotta try…"
Mokou punches herself in the face, reeling against the wall.
…
"I dunno how to try, it just kinda happens. Friend or, uh, whoever the hell you are… Wherever you are, we like, need help. We're trapped in a welded room with no windows, so if you don't get here right the fuck now, our ass is grass. Hurry the fuck up!" Osamu begins yelling.
Hikari shook her head. "Osamu, look…" She pointed up.
Osamu looked up and saw a vent.
…
"What!?" He resumed panicking.
"It's a vent." Hikari tells him.
"And!?"
"It filters fresh air into the room. It's a staple of large buildings, to prevent that exact situation you're thinking of."
…
"Oh. Wo~w, do I feel like a jackass…" Osamu looks up at the vent, scratching his head. "Huh."
Mokou sat in the corner of the room. "I'm goin' to bed. G'night. Wake me up if we're dead or something. I don't care anymore."
…
"Rock paper scissors?" Hikari proposes.
"Sure, what the hell."
==== GENSOKYOBOUND: ?'S VIEW ====
'Friend or, uh, whoever the hell you are… Wherever you are, we like, need help. We're trapped in a welded room with no windows, so if you don't get here right the fuck now, our ass is grass. Hurry the fuck up!'
…
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
A straight-haired, blonde magician girl sat up in the dead of a snowy Gensokyian evening.
'That dream…'
The wind blew softly against the window of her small, scarlet-clad bedroom.
She sat up, pulling her covers off. Climbing out of bed, she shivered at the room's low temperature.
'...That couldn't have been… just a dream… right?'
She walked up to the window.
'It's snowing…'
That was inconvenient.
She looked around the dark room. Multiple beds were arranged along the walls of the long, almost hallway-esque room. Her fairy maid companions always joked with her that these kind of rooms were the 'fairy barracks' because of their very economic layout.
Under her bed was a box of tools, and around it was various metal parts she fooled with in her spare time.
'I'm probably either going to have all the spare time, or none at all, depending on how things go.' It all started yesterday, when her more studious mother decided to test her on her magical ability again. Like the previous few times, she aced the theoretical part, but couldn't actually apply any of the skills to her mana.
She didn't even know what manipulating mana felt like.
'...Probably more free time. I think. I hope, anyway.' The reason such was relevant was because her mother, Patchouli Knowledge, would either reinforce her efforts to teach her or fall into a slump again.
Marigold Knowledge was hoping for the latter, to be honest.
'Those theories are interesting and all, but I can't actually apply any of them.'
Crawling under her bed, she pulled out her toolbox.
'These theories, though…'
She opened it up, taking out a protractor and a ruler.
'I can actually do something with these.'
Pocketing them both, Marigold got up, walking around the room.
...Next to her friend's bed was a stack of gift boxes. Each one was very large but very light, for whatever reason.
'I still don't know why she insists on keeping these around. Infact…'
Taking her ruler, she readied herself to open one.
…
'Should I really?... Well, it's just one.'
Riiii~p!
Marigold dug through the packaging peanuts, and eventually found a single cookie.
…
Marigold took a bite from it. 'Chocolate chip. Meh…'
…
She backed away from the rest of the presents. 'I don't think opening the rest are worth it, if they're anything like this. It would have been a different story were they sugar cookies…'
Marigold decides to take a moment to get dressed. She slips on a fairly frilly yellow-and-cyan top, where the frills were cyan and the primary color of the fabric was yellow. Buttoning it up so it was on snuggly, she took time to appreciate the fact that the buttons were as easy as they always were to do.
'I've said it many times before, but I'm so happy Mom made this for me…'
She was referring to her more preferred mother, Alice Margatroid. She custom-made the outfit for her not too long ago for her seventeenth birthday.
A cyan skirt with yellow frills slid up her legs. It was a long skirt made to be for all-around temperature coverage, yet to also still be a skirt. Its color scheme was purposefully to compliment her top.
She slipped on her brown boots, very similar to her mother's, and put on her eye-glasses.
'There we go…' Now she could actually see things more than ten feet in front of her.
Marigold equipped Swirly Glasses and Custom Dress!
Now fully dressed, she began heading for the doorway to the hall.
'That couldn't have just been a dream…' It was more real than the rest of her dreams, to be certain, even if she wanted them to be.
Shuffling came from the bed behind her.
'Ah…'
"Ma-chan…?" A cyan-haired fairy rubbed her eyes. "What're you doing up so late…?"
'Drat. Ha-chan always had a sixth sense for when I was up and about…'
Marigold turned to Hana, the cyan-haired fairy.
"W-well…"
'What do I tell her?'
Pausing, she realizes something.
'I don't even know exactly where it is I'm going…'
…
"I don't know." Marigold tells her. "I've got to get out of here, though."
Hana tilts her head. "...You never go through with these run-away things, though. You usually just wait for Alice to pick you up every other week..."
'It's different now.'
"I need to get out of here." Marigold asserts.
Hana yawns. "...I don't know where you're going, but I'll help you." She hops out of bed, in a mismatched pair of pajamas.
…
'Good 'ol Ha-chan…' Of all the fairy maids at the manor, Hana probably knew Marigold the best.
Marigold swings open the hallway door as Hana catches up to her.
Hana puts a finger to her lip. "Shhh…!"
Marigold smiles. She replies in a hushed tone, "Yeah, I know…"
There was a loose curfew in place for the fairy maids at the moment, mostly for the chief maid to have an easier time preventing nighttime destruction caused by the few fairy maids who actually did that sort of thing.
'Although, I've never actually been caught in all my years here…' Marigold was pretty sure you'd have to be demolishing a wall with a sledgehammer or something to actually make enough noise to be caught.
Marigold also saw plenty of other fairy maids still roaming the halls at night, getting busy with boxes of crayons.
An orange-haired fairy maid turned from her sketch on the wall to greet her. "Hey there, Mary! Booking it again?"
'Mmm…' "You could say that."
The fairy maid giggles, returning to her sketch.
Marigold blinked at the not entirely appropriate sketch. '...The chief is gonna be pissed tomorrow. Now I'm happy I'm getting out of here while I can.'
Hana quietly giggled at the drawing.
…
Marigold and Hana continued through the dark manor halls, occasionally traversing one with windows allowing them to see the mild snowfall outside.
Hana noticed said snowfall. "Uhh… How're you going to deal with that, Ma-chan?"
'Good question.'
"I'll find a way."
Hana tilted her head, but didn't say anything.
'I'll need some things before I go, though…'
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Marigold stepped into the Voile Magic Library, and was greeted by many shelves.
Immediately, she took a left turn and kept walking along the edge of the library. Before long, she reached the very left corner where she stashed various odds and ends. There was also a work table back here, and some shelves for her tools.
She also had some lockers that were key operated. They used to be code operated, but the librarian's assistant kept guessing each code she set, so she decided to just do away with the combination system all together and do it the old-fashioned way.
Reaching into her skirt's pocket for her key…
...she realizes it's not there. The pocket, rather, because she also realizes this skirt doesn't have pockets.
'I'm too used to wearing things that actually have pockets…'
Luckily for her, her shirt did.
She checks the left pocket…
...but comes up short.
'Maybe the other one…'
…
'Come on, really?'
Marigold was frustrated her key had disappeared just like that.
'I never even take it out of my pocket. Where could it have-...'
She heard the soft clack of heels against carpet behind her. Hana and her turned to see Koakuma leaning against a bookshelf, smirking.
"Looking for something?" She was super smug.
'Of course.' Marigold mentally facepalmed. "...You have it, don't you?"
"Have wha~t?"
"My key."
"Oh, your key, huh? Yeah… I have it."
…
Marigold sighed. "I'd like it back, if you would be so kind."
Hana was less reserved once she realized what was going on. "Give it back, Koakuma! That's hers!"
Koakuma pouted. "Awh… well, if you insist."
She took the key out, and tossed it at Marigold, who fumbled to catch it.
Marigold took a good look at it…
It was bent at a ninety degree angle.
She looked back up at Koakuma. "What did you do!?"
"I bent it. Obviously." Koakuma began walking off. "Have fu~n, little magi…"
Marigold gritted her teeth as Koakuma strutted off. Hana glared at her as she walked off. "That no good succubus! She's always up to… no good!"
Shaking her head at her friends' ineptitude, she looks at the key. The key lock she implemented was very crude, as she was trying something she only heard spoken of loosely by the shopkeep of the Kourindou. Small, ridged keys that fit into a tiny slot…
'I didn't anticipate the fact it wouldn't work if bent at a ninety degree angle, however…' Marigold rolled her eyes.
She sat down at her work desk. 'Maybe I can fix this…'
Alternatively, she could just dismantle each locker one by one, but she'd probably be here until tomorrow morning.
She furrowed her brows at it. 'Would conventional lockpicks even work on what I made?'
...She tried to bend it with her hands, as if it'd do anything.
'Yeah, no…'
Hana pouted at the sight. "...I'm sorry about your key. I knew it meant a lot to you…"
...Marigold took a hammer from a shelf, and returned to the key.
'Here goes nothing…'
Bam!
…
Bam!
…
Bam!
Ch-chink!
She broke the key in two.
'All that hard work…'
…
'I have an idea.'
She got up and looked on her shelf.
'Rotors, rotors, rotors…'
She eventually found a small wooden wheel that was once used for a toy car.
'Good enough.'
...She took a small, flat piece of metal from the shelf.
'I could make another key… but that's so much work…' It took her an entire day of antics to make the last one.
… She dug at the wheel with the small steel plate until it was slightly embedded in the wood, which only took a good few minutes since wood abrades easily.
'Hmmm…'
She took another small steel plate, and tried to think of a way to join it with the other one…
'Oh!'
She took the crude 'plastic measurer' she tried to replicate previously with a long sheet of thin cloth, and began wrapping it around the two steel bits. After much struggling with the dynamics of such an endeavor, she found that something like that wasn't going to work very well.
'...I should try it like this…'
Instead of leaving the plates perfectly adjacent, she let them overlap, which allowed the cloth wrap to actually hold them together, if only loosely.
...She laid it down on the drafting table.
"Ha-chan," she began, "I want you to super-charge it enough to melt the cloth."
"You got it!"
Ha-chan poked the metal.
…
"Oh, right…"
Marigold pulled out a small packet of sugar. "Open wide."
"Aaa~h!"
She poured the sugar into Hana's mouth.
…
Zazazaa~p!
Ssss…
The cloth sizzled as the electricity fried it onto the the metal. Marigold looked away to avoid making her eyes worse from the bright light.
…
Ha-chan quickly calmed down, since the sugar-infusion was only minor. "Yayayayayeea~h!"
...Marigold looked at her device.
The wheel was stuck to the steel, too, having been burnt on. The metal probably hadn't attached at all, but the cheap cloth easily melted into a chemical paste that did the attaching for her.
…
She tugged at it, and ripped it from the drafting table. A black and red stain was left where the cloth burned onto the table.
"Eheh…" That was what drafting tables were for, she supposed.
...She takes her machine to the closest lock.
Inserting the end of a plate into the lock, Marigold furrowed her brows.
'Now what?...'
She took it back out. 'How do I go about doing the ridges?'
Hana leans over next to her. "I have an idea!"
'Of course she does.' Marigold turned to her slightly impatiently.
She pulls out some of the packaging peanuts from the gift box Marigold had ripped open earlier. "Think these could come in handy?"
'What.' She didn't even see Hana grab them…
…
'Wait…'
She grabbed another wheel from a shelf, some thumbtacks and string, and more packets of sugar.
"Open up." Marigold grinned.
In a few moments, she'd managed to attach a second wheel by thumbtacks and string for spinning the first one. She'd attached the packaging peanuts to the bottom of the second, farthest out plate, and one to the closer plate. Finally, to spin the new wheel, she planned to just rotate it with her hands.
She stuck it into the keyhole.
'Now…'
She spun it, and it stuck. She rotated it back, and kept trying…
…
The locker swung open.
"Yes!" Marigold cheered.
…
Inside the locker was this doofy brown hat.
'...Thanks for that one, mom.' She'd received that one as a birthday gift from her least favorite mother, Marisa Kirisame. It didn't go with her outfit at all, and it looked ridiculous to her.
'Maybe I could rip it up and use it as material or something…' She took it from the locker and placed it on the drafting table.
That locker only had other, more precious materials and things in it, like various silvers. She even had some of the chief maid's knives stashed in there…
'Hopefully she still hasn't noticed those five missing.'
She moved onto the next…
Cli-click, cli-click, cli-cli-click…
Click!
It swung open…
Inside was a backpack and a fruity colored gun.
Marigold equipped the Pop Gun!
She smiled at the toy gun. 'I remember this old thing… It's been awhile since I last looked at it.'
It was created for her by all three of her mothers back when she was really young, and all it did was shoot simple, round danmaku particles of random colors. It was mostly to entertain her at the time, but she got up to some serious hijinks with it.
'I've had to have Hana recharge the catalyst more than once, but the thing still works like new…'
She shot it at the side of a bookshelf a few times.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
It also made a cartoony popping noise.
'That's still great…'
Hana looked back at her from a book she had found to keep herself busy. "Oh, hey! It's that thing!"
Marigold almost double-took at the sight of Hana reading a book, but she noticed it was upside down.
'Phew… Almost thought Ha-chan was growing a brain on me, there…'
She returned to the locker, and pulled out a backpack.
"Now we're talking…"
Another relic of sorts from the Kourindou, it had a lot of zippers and things.
'I should probably let mother make me another one.' Her preferred mother, Alice, had studied it a bit and told her she could make her one once this one stopped working out for her, although so far Marigold has guiltlessly abused it.
She slipped her Pop Gun into the mesh holster on the side, and put the doofy hat into the main bag portion of it.
'And now…'
She went to open the last locker.
Cli-click, cli-click, cli-cli-click…
Click!
She swung it open.
Inside was the broken components to a new armament she was trying to create.
'It's supposed to work by a method of internal wind-elemental casting, but I can't seem to get it to work…'
The barrel would create a generic grey danmaku pellet with ambient magic, and the wind was supposed to shoot it out. She was still working out the wind part, though…
'My mother here refuses to lend me any wind stones since she's short on them herself. I wonder if Mom has any…' She referred to her preferred mother.
…
That was everything.
"...This book doesn't have any pictures…" Hana pouted, finishing her escapade into the tome about-...
'Actually, that's a dictionary. A very old dictionary.' Marigold dislikes how dated many of these books are… and how most of them strictly talk magic theory and the likes. There was also quite a number of ones that Marigold couldn't read, having been written in archaic or dead languages only Patchouli herself ever bothered to study or decipher.
…
"Let's go." Marigold announces.
...Hana nodded. "Okay…"
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
Marigold and Hana stepped out the front door, and onto the manor's front porch.
"...I still dunno where you're going, and I know you won't tell me anything, bu~t…"
Hana flies out into the snow, and up to the manor's gate.
"Come on, Ma-chan!"
Marigold dashes out to her.
Hana lifts Marigold by wrapping her arms in under hers, and carrying her up and over the manor's gate.
She lowers her down in front of the gate, on the other side.
Hana floats in front of her. "...I'll miss you while you're gone, you know."
Marigold dashes back up to her and hugs her.
The north winds blow softly…
…
Marigold breaks from the hug. "I'll come back some day. I can promise you that, Ha-chan…"
Hana smiled. "Be safe out there."
With that, she floated back over the manor gates. Fairy maids didn't have as much out-of-manor liberty this day and age. The mistress of the manor had found a way to cull fairies who had strayed too far from the manor without permission. It was a system worked into the uniforms.
…
'Now what?' Marigold hugged herself, watching the faint blue glow of the world as the snow fluttered around and headed for the ground…
"...Shouldn't you be in bed?"
Marigold froze.
She turned to the gate guard, Meiling.
"...Not that it concerns me at all, though…" Meiling sighed. "Making me work on a night like this… Sakuya's really gotten cold recently."
Marigold cringed at the pun. 'Definitely worth freezing my buns off out here for…'
Meiling smiled at her. "...For that, I don't think anyone needs to know I saw you escape. In fact, here." Meiling tossed her a small box. "Deck of cards for the road. Betcha the fairies won't even notice it's gone."
'Hah.'
"...By the way, I think this goes without saying, but don't die out there. 'Cause if you do, I'm probably going to die, too."
'Huh?'
"Why?" Marigold asked. "Surely you wouldn't be blamed for-"
"Oohhh~, no. You bet I would, missie. I'm responsible for what crosses these walls, after all. But I wouldn't be fired, likely. Punished, yes, but not fired. No, the one who'd kill me'd be Alice. She really cares about you, you know."
Marigold already knew this. "Y-yeah…"
"So, for both of our sakes…" Meiling winks. "Don't die."
"I'll try…"
…
Stashing the deck of cards in her backpack, Marigold sets out into the snowy evening…
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
"Achoo!"
'I-I need to get to Mom's house…'
She was really glad her boots were at least partially resistant to frost and slush.
'First snowfall of the year…and it has to be now…
"Arrf! Arrf!"
'A-A dog? Out here?' Marigold knew that meant trouble.
A snow-speckled dog bounded towards her in the snow, showing no signs of stopping.
Marigold drew her Pop Gun.
Pop! Pop!
The dog made no effort to avoid the danmaku. It flinched from each shot.
"Aau! Aau!" It began whining.
Pop! Pop!
"Grrhh…"
Pop!
…
Thud.
The dog fell over after enough danmaku shots struck it.
'T-that was way too many…' Marigold knew that the gun shot even weaker than normal danmaku pellets, but she didn't know they were that weak.
…
She looked into the distance, seeing a bright light near the nameless forestry near the lake.
'Let's not go there…' It was definitely not a fire's light, so Marigold's instincts told her it'd be a very bad idea to approach.
She continued moving along the lakeside. Eventually she reached the path that lead to the shrine and human village that also deviated towards the Magic Forest.
'S-so cold… What was I thinking?'
She heard loud footsteps in the snow, and drew her Pop Gun again.
'Just come out already…'
From the mist, a large goat sauntered in a straight line towards her.
'A-a goat!?' Gensokyo had goats!?
She aimed at it.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
'Hopefully that dissuades it…'
The goat began charging at her faster than she thought it would.
'O-oh, no! Stop!'
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The goat seemed to be ignoring every shot.
'No, not good! This can't be happening!'
Pop! Pop!
"Grrhhh…" The goat trailed off to the side a bit, and Marigold dived to the side and into the snow to evade a passing headbutt as it ran by.
"Aaaah!"
Poof. She landed in the snow, and aimed at the goat again with her Pop Gun, her adrenaline flaring.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Only one of those shots actually hit, her arm shaking wildly.
"Just leave me alone, damn it!"
Pop! Pop! Pop!
She stood, shivering violently from the cold that suddenly infiltrated her body's heat balance.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The goat started stumbling, but still galloped towards Marigold.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
"Grrrhhh…!"
Shhhh…!
The goat fell and slid to a stop in the snow, ceasing movement.
…
Pop!
'Stay dead...'
"Hahh… hahh…"
…
Achoo!
'S-stupid… snow…'
Marigold continued her ragged shambling towards her favorite mother's abode…
==== GENSOKYOBOUND ====
END OF CHAPTER 5
Protagonist: Hikari Hakurei, Disciple of Paradise
-Inventory-
Weapon: Magical Gohei - Ability to whack stuff really hard. Amplifies whacking power, too! Able to deal magical damage. Critical hits enabled.
Arms: Iconic Hakurei Arm Sleeves - Keeps arms warm. A Hakurei tradition. How they stay on is a Hakurei family secret.
Body: Nothing
Misc: Nothing
-Skills-
Attack: Quickly! Swing your gohei at them for massive damage!
PK Fantasy α, β - Bombards the enemy with pain in the form of flashing colors. Deals magical damage. Heavy mental strain that increases with each tier.
PK Flash α - A bright flash that distributes very random status effects to enemies. Usually makes people cry.
PK Hypnosis α - Puts weak enemies to sleep for a short time. Works better on tired or exhausted foes.
Shield α - Halves damage the target takes. Only works against physical attacks, and enough strikes, or powerful strikes, will dispel it.
PSI Lifeup α - Heals target a little.
PSI Healing α - Heals basic status ailments.
Ofuda Toss - Throw a holy ofuda that does massive holy elemental damage to youkai and dark elemental foes. Effect lessens the more holy the thing you're attacking is, to the point of healing holy things. Only works if you actually have ofuda, though.
β-β-β-β
Mage: Osamu Katsumi, the Wannabe Mage
-Inventory-
Weapon: Fisticuffs!
Arms: Nothing
Body: Worn Magician Robes - An old robe from the days when the village respected the medium of magic. Well past its due date, but still comfy!
Misc: Nothing
-Skills-
PK Thunder α - Very random thunder attack that deals limited damage.
PK Hydro α - Gets everyone wet. Usefulness with PK Thunder and PK Freeze depends on whether you hit yourself or not!
PK Freeze α - Generates ice crystals at the target's location. Low damage and effect; may freeze wet targets.
Fireball - Manipulate mana to make a shoddy fireball. Low damage and effect.
Static Hands - Not a real spell. Result of a very undercharged PK Thunder that can accidentally go off.
PSI Telepathy α - Speak to friends you haven't met yet! Unstable connection and only works if they have the skill or are asleep.
PSI Shield α - Halves damage from magical and psychic attacks. Thunder spells fry it instantly, and harder blows dispel it.
β-β-β-β
Inventor: Marigold Knowledge, the Tri-Magi Love Child
-Inventory-
Weapon: Pop Gun - A toy, very much harmless danmaku pellet gun. If you lay into something with it, though, it's still going to inflict some serious stunning and stopping power.
Arms: Nothing
Body: Custom Dress - A custom dress made by Alice. Provided slight defense against magical and psychic attacks.
Misc: Swirly Glasses - Lets Marigold not be blind.
Backpack - Allows extended inventory. Aged relic from the Kourindou.
Unnamed Lock Opening Device - Opens locks very precariously. Made with steel, burnt cloth, packaging peanuts, thumbtacks, string, and wooden wheels. Don't even ask…
Ruler - Lets you measure the world around you!
Protractor - Lets you find the angles of anything ever. Totally overpowered.
Doofy Ass Hat - Marigold thinks it looks completely retarded.
Broken Air Gun - It's freakin' broken.
Deck of Cards - Allows Marigold to play Strip Poker with the party. Just kidding… or am I?
-Skills-
IQ Haste - Learns quickly.
Master With The Plaster - Marigold knows how to use plaster sculpting tools. She's never seen one before in her life, so this will never help her.
Duct Tape Wizard - Neither will this.
M18A1 Claymore Proficiency - Unfortunately, Claymores do not exist in Gensokyo.
Author's Note:
one of the MOST HYPED THINGS TO WRITE
i put a lot of thought into writing marigold knowledge, probably moreso than i did with osamu by far, and even moreso than hikari. hikari just kinda clicked with me, i thought about her before even thinking about writing a gensokyobound fanfic; she was just part of a personal fantasy of mine that this fic'd exist
osamu's just A DUDE that i thought fit well enough; always gotta have one of those
marigold, however, has been in planning since the previous stages of the story because winters is one of the most easily fleshed-out sections story-wise in earthbound 'cept for the end, which isn't saying much
...also her skills are all jokes, by the way. she doesn't actually have any skills.
...the only thing she will be getting is SWEET EQUIPS and a HUGE ASS INVENTORY
SUCH IS THE WAY OF REAL MEN
as always, see you all next time!