The Kappa Village. Less than half an hour ago, it was a bustleing villiage filled with smiling faces. Now, it was a smouldering area filled with anguished cries.
Craters covered the area, with smouldering marks left in the snow. Buildings had been torched, put out by either the Kappa or the snow. Many Kappa either walked injured, or were being tended by those less injured. There were clearly some dead.
Within a period of twenty minutes, someone had come, and caused this level of devastation to the Kappa Villiage.
And they had stolen the reactor.
"This is awful..." Mystia said.
"It's as if whoever did this knew when the reactor would be vulnerable." Wriggle commented, looking around.
Seeing the kappa injured in the merciless attack, their homes ruined, and everything they had worked on stolen, made the normally placid Rumia's blood boil. Not even with Hatate or Shinki did she become mad, but now, she was.
The Kappa Village was burnt.
The reactor stolen.
Kappa hurt and injured.
Okku's power stolen for the use of someone clearly evil.
"Do you think Reimu would let it slide if I kill the one who did this?" Rumia growled.
Rikako was standing where the reactor was, and turned to the trio upon hearing that.
"I highly doubt you would be able to. The only ones who have ever faced the culprit and lived, the only ones who know her, are me and Reimu. She is exceptionally dangerous. Especially to youkai." Rikako said.
Rumia darted over to Rikako, not even thinking, and grabbed her by the collar. DEspite being smaller than her, she still lifted her off the ground somewhat.
"Tell me who and where I can find them." she said.
"Rumia!" Wriggle gasped.
"Calm down!" Mystia shouted, the two pulling her from Rikako, who simply got up and adjusted her glasses.
"I am not inclined to send you to your deaths, and even then, I am not aware where the culprit's hideout is. No-one has seen her for ten years, since Reimu tracked her down to her base." Rikako said, before adding, "I need to see Reimu. She's the only one who can help this situation."
"Not taking you." Rumia said.
"What?" Wriggle said.
"Why are you being so unreasonable?" Mystia asked.
"Simple. Reimu would tell us what's going on anyway. Rikako refuses to trust us with what she knows, despite us resolving incidents too. I'm the one who stopped Shinki! You think I can't handle this?" Rumia said to Rikako.
The scientist sighed. "Blackmail, is it? You handled Shinki, yes, however, Shinki was acting with an objective that was pure, the instinct of a mother. The culprit of this is acting off a desire of pure evil. She aims for nothing less than total genocide of youkai."
"G-Genocide?!" Wriggle said, the others looking at her.
"You know what the word means?" Rumia asked.
"It... means... killing an entire race. I spend enough time around Yuuka to know what that means. 'Genocide of youkai' would mean killing every single youkai. Me, you, the Underground youkai, Byakuren, the Tengu... hell, even Yuuka would be in her aim to kill." Wriggle explained.
"Killing Yuuka? She must be mad!" Rumia said.
"Not with the power of that reactor." Nitori commented, walking towards the group. "I said during the presentation, did I not? The power that reactor creates is infinite. Not even a youkai as strong as Yuuka, or even Yukari, would be safe before something akin to what attacked us, with a power source like that."
"And she is completely mad, Rumia. That's why I do not want youkai involved. She will just take your lives without mercy. At least with a human she may hesitate." Rikako said. "Especially if it is me."
"... Fine. We'll take you then. It'll be a couple of hours though, the Hakurei Shrine is on the other side of Gensokyo." Rumia said.
"I'm coming as well. I don't like fighting, but what this person has done to the Kappa... is unforgivable. I can't sit by and not fight this time." Nitori said.
"What can you even do in terms of fighting anyway? I've never hard of Kappa fighting." Mystia asked.
"I have control over water." Nitori said. "I... don't usually use it for fighting, but well... I mainly use it for testing objects being waterproof or watertight for the other Kappa, which means createing water with pressure equal to Youkai Mountain's Waterfall."
"Wait, you can create enough water to match the power of that huge waterfall?!" Rumia asked.
"Not create, control. There has to be water, otherwise I can only use a small amount, the moisture in the air." Nitori explained. "Luckily... it is snowing. Snow is just frozen rain." Nitori said.
"So the more water there is, the stronger you are?" Wriggle asked.
"Exactly." Nitori confirmed.
With that, the four youkai, and one human, set off for the Hakurei Shrine.
Reimu was at the back of the shrine, with a bowl filled with vegetables and plant material, by the pond. With her, head sticking out of the water, was a large, old turtle. The turtle was old enough to have a silver goatee.
"Genji, why are you so stubborn!" Reimu groaned. "Come inside, it's cold!"
"I've not gone inside that shrine since I was just a wee egg handled by your Great-Great Grandmother Reimu. The shrine is not for me."
"You're not a wee egg anymore Genji! You're 150!"
"And that's still young!" the turtle protested.
"No it's not! Turtles usually live to 100! You've lived so long you learnt how to speak and fly without being a youkai!" Reimu shouted.
"I'm a turtle who has spent his entire life around the Hakurei Orbs! I am hardly a *normal* turtle, young maiden!"
"Wow, if it wasn't for the turtle, I'd have never guessed that this brunette was Reimu." Rikako said, landing with the others.
Reimu turned. "Nitori? Rumia, Mystia, Wriggle? What brings you lot here? And who are you, Purplette?"
"Who are you calling Purplette?! You're purple-haired too!" Rikako shouted.
"What are you going on about Rikako? She's clearly a Brunette." Nitori said.
"She wasn't when I met her 10 years ago." Rikako protested.
"We've met?" Reimu asked, tilting her head.
"Young Maiden, may I remind you that you even forgot that you met Alice before you used that hair-dying magic that went awray?" Genji said.
"Hair dying magic?" Rumia asked.
"She naturally has purple hair." Rikako said.
"What are you talking about Genji... you senile old turtle..." Reimu said, laughing nervously. "I'm a natural Brunette... certainly not a purplette..."
"I am not senile. She is Rikako Asakra, you fought her in the magical tournament that was actually a trap set up by Yumemi nine years ago."
"Ah ha... ha... ha..." Reimu said, looking down. "I wish you guys would stop talking about my purple hair."
"I wish your memory worked better when it came to events before you dyed it." the turtle retorted.
"Reimu, we're here because someone just attacked the Kappa Villiage and stole the Nuclear Reac-"
"Bother Sanae then." Reimu said.
"You've fought her before." Rikako said.
"Bother Sanae then."
"It's Rika."
"Bother Sa... wait, who?"
"Rika." Rikako said.
"I remember that name..." Reimu said slowly, thinking.
"For crying out loud Young Mistress! She is that girl who attacked the Hakurei Shrine in a tank shortly after you learnt how to use the Ying-Yang Orbs. Then, after defeating Mima, you tracked her down and fought her in some flying contraption."
"It looked like an eye, right?" Reimu said.
"Yes. Evil Eye... Sigma, I recall." Genji replied.
"... Excuse me for a moment." Reimu said, before she started sobbing and rocking in a fetal position.
"... Reimu?" everyone asked.
"Never... again. Never... again. Never... again..." Reimu chanted.
"Oh dear. She's still not over that battle." Genji said.
"What do you mean?" Nitori asked.
"Well, when we fought against Rika in her base... we made a horrible mistake going there. We almost died. To this day, me and Reimu consider that day our toughest battle. Tougher than even Shinki, or any of the incidents anyone else seems to remember these days."
"Wait... she almost killed you and Reimu?" Rumia asked.
Reimu got up, and cleared her throat.
"Bother Sanae instead." she said.
"Young Mistress!" Genji shouted, causing her to jump.
What is it turtle?" Reimu asked.
"I for one, see this as a ripe opportunity to right past wrongs. We shall redeem ourselves! You have grown much stronger since the last time you fought Rika, after all. Besides, even if you will not face her, I for one see this matter as personal, and I wish to reclaim a little of my pride!"
"Genji, you're too old..." Reimu said.
"Are you going to deny me one last adventure, Reimu?" Genji asked.
Reimu looked at the turtle, and sighed.
"... Only if I can ride you again."
"Lazy..." Genji sighed, crawling out of the pond, before he started to levitate. "You'll probobly keep me warmer anyway."
Reimu jumped on top of Genji, and sat, with her legs folded, as if meditateing. Then, two Hakurei Ying-Yang Orbs formed at her sides.
"Besides, when I don't have to fly myself, I can focus more on the Ying-Yang Orb's power." Reimu said.
"This is just like old times, eh?" Genji said. "You, me, and a villian."
"Yeah, just like old times turtle." Reimu said, before looking to Rikako.
"How do you know Rika anyway?"
"She and I used to work together, as scientists, fifteen years ago. However, I found out eleven years ago her true objective, youkai genocide. I fled from her, and few weeks later, for some reason, she attacked your shrine." Rikako explained. "I still don't understand why she attacked your shine though."
"Nor do I. She never explained." Reimu said. "I'm not a youkai."
"Well then, now what do we do?" Rumia asked.
"What do you mean?" Reimu said.
"Well... no-one knows where her base is. We need to find it." Rumia said.
"Yes... unless you know Reimu." Rikako said.
"If I knew, it would already be ruins." Reimu replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"Then how are we gonna find her?!" Wriggle asked.
"If I may... uh... I have an idea." a quiet voice said.
Daiyousei floated near the shrine's lake, looking very shy.