Author Note: As of writing this chapter, the story as a whole has accumulated 4,000 views on all of it's chapters combined!
"Hmm, I wonder if Kogasa will be at the temple." Rumia said to herself, flying towards Myouren Temple.
Daiyousei's idea was that everyone would split up and look for where Rika was, or information, or even allies that could help. It was simple, but clearly the best idea anyone had when it came to finding where Rika took the reactor. Rumia had volunteered to speak to Byakuren and the other youkai at Myouren Temple, since most of them were somewhat older youkai, who were either very smart, or traveled a lot, so may know something.
Rumia arrived at the Myouren Temple, the snow not falling heavily anymore, just the occasional flake, falling to the ground. It was instantly apparent that Kogasa was not in the Graveyard, as there was a message written in the snow.
"Gone to surprise some forest fairies. You're surprised I'm gone, aren't you~" Rumia read aloud, facepalming. That girl had serious OCD.
After that, Rumia went inside the shrine, from the back door, and found an unfamilar youkai, drinking.
"Uh... hello?" Rumia asked. The youkai looked like a Tanuki, judgeing by her large, fluffy tail.
"Eh?" the glasses-wearing Tanuki grunted, looking at Rumia. "What do you want with me, if it's a loan, well, we'll talk out back..."
"I don't want a loan. I just want to speak to Byakuren." Rumia said.
"Bah. No-one ever wants to speak to me except Nue or that Karakasa anyway." the Tanuki said, annoyed, her tail flopping from side to side.
"Well... I guess I could ask you too. Do you know anyone called Rika?" Rumia asked.
"Nope." the tanuki said. "Who are ya' anyway? Kinda rude, asking me questions before you introduce yourself."
"Oh, I'm Rumia. Darkness youkai." Rumia said, extending her hand.
"Mamizou Futatsuiwa. Bane-danuki, leader of the Tanuki. Moneylender, friend of Nue, ... loose associate of this temple." she said, shaking it. "Anyway, I only came to Gensokyo not long ago, I don't know that many people yet. I guess I better get Hijiri then."
With that, the Tanuki got up, and wandered off, her tail waving around.
About a minute later, Byakuren showed up.
"Why don't you use the front door when you want to see me Rumia..." Byakuren groaned.
"Sorry... I wanted to see Kogasa. Anyway..." Rumia began, before explaining the situation.
"I'm sorry Rumia." Byakuren said, re-entering the area after checking with all of the Temple's residents. "No-one has any idea about this 'Rika'. Not even Murasa knows, and she travels a lot."
"Oh well... I guess I'll ask Remilia and Patchouli..." Rumia said.
"However, I do know someone who can help track down the reactor." Byakuren said. "She's an associate of mine, and Shou, even if she is not a full-time member of this temple." Byakuren said. "It'll take me about an hour to track her down and bring her here, she could be anywhere along the Hakurei Border."
Rumia thought. While she could go and see Remilia, the odds would be she was asleep anyway, and with the weather, it would be a tough task to make it to the Mansion, find Patchouli, speak to her, understand whatever she said, and get back in an hour. Especially if any fairies started bothering her.
"I'll just wait in the graveyard, and see if Kogasa comes back." Rumia says.
"Very well." Byakuren replies, before she walks towards the front exit of the temple, while Rumia headed out the back again.
The snow had begun to fall heavier than before again, visibility was low. Byakuren had been gone about twenty minutes already, and Rumia was bored.
"Maybe I should have gone to the Scarlet Mansion..." she groaned.
"Nyang Nyang~" a strange voice groaned. The voice sounded as if it had a lisp, and struggled with speech.
"What was that?" Rumia asked, looking towards the sound.
"Seiga Nyang Nyang!" the voice said, as Rumia saw two figures in the snow, but couldn't make them out clearly, so she moved closer.
Both of the strangers looked Chinese in origin, although they looked very different. One was standing on the ground, almost looking as if she was trying to hug the other, but failing horribly, her arms straight forward. She wore a hat with a star on it, like China. However, something made Rumia weary of this figure, that seemed playful and happy.
The snow that landed on her did not melt. The heat of her body was not even enough to melt the snow. Combined with the tag over her forehead, and things Meiling had told her before, folk tales from China, Rumia had a vague idea that this figure was a type of undead. This was confirmed when the other figure spoke.
"Oh, my cute little Jiang-Shi... you must be cold in this weather." she cooned, patting the corpse on her hat.
The floating figure was, simply, a beautiful woman. She looked in her late twenties or early thirties, and had blue hair, tied into two Chinese-like hair loops. She wore a blue dress, with a belt which had a flower on it, as well as a white vest, with blue markings. In her hair, was some kind of large hair-pin, ornate. Floating in the snow was some kind of silken veil, wrapped around each arm.
Rumia moved closer to watch what was happening, before the woman stck up a finger, and flung something from it at Rumia. It was a small sphere, a small, black sphere, crackleing with dark blue energy, that caused a somewhat large, compared to it's size, hole in the snow where it landed.
"Please do not come any closer for a few moments, youkai. As interested as I am in you, I am replacing my Jiang-Shi's instructions, and there will be a moment there when she acts on basic instinct. She could easily see you as a threat to me nd attack in that moment, if you are too close.
"That was..."
"Please do not bother me right now." she said, pulling a talisman from her left leg, before she ripped off the one hanging off the forhead of the Jiang-Shi, and placed the new one, chanting something in Chinese, as an inscription formed on the talisman.
A few moments passed after she finished chanting, before the Jiang-Shi blinked.
"Nyang Nyang!" she chanted again, returning to attempting to hug her.
Rumia guessed the stranger's task was done, and moved closer. The stranger did not react.
"That was Dark Energy." Rumia said.
"Yes. I'm not surprised you know what it is, you can use it too, after all." the stranger said.
"How do you know?" Rumia exclaimed.
"I know a lot about you, Darkness Youkai. I've been looking for you for a while now, because you are of use to me, and I can be of use to you." the stranger said, before she shook her head.
"I forget my manners. I am Seiga Kaku, the Wicked Hermit of Taoism. I am the tutor of Toyosatomimi no Miko, the one who raised this Jiang-Shi, Yoshika Miyako, and, as you saw, a user of Dark Energy." the stranger said.
"I call her Seiga Nyang-Nyang!" Yoshika piped up.
"You must excuse her. She was dead for a while before I raised her, and the poor thing's brain rotted a little." Seiga said, rubbing Yoshika's head.
"You sound like you want to do something with me, but why should I trust someone who introduced themselves as wicked..." Rumia said.
Seiga smirked.
"My my, you catch on quickly. I propose an exchange of knowledge. You see, I know a bit about your seal, it is based on a Chinese seal. I happen to know a... shortcut... that can help you regain your powers quicker. After all, you need more power, the more you become involved in the affairs of Gensokyo. All I ask is that once your power and knowledge returns to you, that you return the favor to me." Seiga explained.
Rumia thought. It sounded like whatever this Seiga wanted, she would be holding up her end of the deal first, which drastically reduced the chances of the wicked hermit betraying her.
"So.. what is this workaround?" Rumia asked.
"The seal works by returning power and abilities sealed, along with any negative factors, as the alternate personality can withstand the old personality. However, if one should regain some of those powers by other means, that is a section of the old self that need not be overcome. The seal will prioritize other things, and you will return to your full power quickly, as there is less evil to suppress." Seiga explained. "I propose that I teach you what I know about Dark Energy, at a time that is convenient to you. In return, when your powers return to you, you will teach me."
Rumia thought. There didn't seem to be a catch, and if the 'Wicked Hermit' seemed too shady, she could always just not teach her, after all, she was confident that her full power would be more than a match for the hermit.
"It sounds good." Rumia said.
"Shake on it?" Seiga asked, holding out her hand.
"Oooh! Nyang-Nyang's serious about this!" Yoshika commented. "Usually you shouldn't trust Nyang-Nyang but when she's doing this she can't possibly backstab you!"
"Thanks for making me feel really secure about Seiga's trustworthiness, Yoshika." Rumia said.
"No problem friend of umbrella person!" Yoshika said loudly. It only just occurred to Rumia that this was the 'zombie' Kogasa kept talking about.
"Ah, my cute little Jiang-Shi~" Seiga said, using her non-offered hand to pat Yoshika on her head again. The Jiang-Shi seemed to like this petting.
"Well, I don't see why not... I'm busy now, but maybe after I've fixed the mess going on." Rumia said.
"Once you shake my hand, there is no going back." Seiga said.
"Why would I back out of a deal?" Rumia replied, grabbing Seiga's hand.
At that moment, a searing heat ran down Rumia's very bones, as Chinese text wrapped around both Seiga and Rumia's hands. The pain lasted but a moment, before the text vanished, and Seiga released her grip.
"Apologies about that, but there is a little something I do when I make a deal. It's an unbreakable magical contract, you see. Neither of us can forget the deal, and if either of us goes back on their word, the magic will claim their lives as forfeit. I did tell you, there would be no backing out."
Rumia looked at the hermit angrily. "There was no need for something like that..."
"On the contrary, there was. You see, it could take you millellia after I teach you what I know to return to your full power, by which time not only you would have forgotten, but also me. It is not that I do not trust you, but it is so you can ensure my trust, and so that neither of us forget this deal, as long as it will take to come to fruition. Of course, if either of us dies for whatever reason, or becomes otherwise incapable of meeting their side of the contract, the other will be released from the magic. Likewise, if something beyond your control makes you unable to fulfill your side of the contract, you are safe. Only intentionally breaking the contract will kill you." Seiga says.
"I told you that you could trust Nyang-Nyang this time!" Yoshika said happily.
Seiga then looked into the sky. "Well, Yoshika, I just go before Hijiri returns. You know she doesn't stand me here unless I am tending to you, and I finished."
Yoshika looked sad. "Bye Nyang-Nyang..."
Seiga lifted up Yoshika's head. "Don't worry, you can play with Umbrella Lady while I'm gone. Don't forget to do your exercises to loosen those stiff joints."
"Yoshika never forget! Yoshika just bad at them!" Yoshika said noisily, causing Seiga to chuckle, before she sat on the snow, and took a stance as if she was in a state of meditation.
Then, with a flash of light, and a whisper of "Senkai." she vanished. Yoshika lost interest in Rumia almost instantly and hopped away, and no less than a minuite later, Byakuren landed next to Rumia.
"I see Yoshika wandered over. I trust she wasn't any trouble." Byakuren said.
"No trouble." Rumia replied.
"Well, this is Nazrin." Byakuren said, indicating the small mouse youkai next to her. "She has the power to find valuable objects, which I assume the reactor is. While I doubt you can tel her enough to allow her to know what she is looking for, I'm sure that either the kappa or the scientist can give her enough information to use her powers to track down the reactor."
"Nice to meet you." Nazrin said. "I don't usually find lost objects without anything in return, but since it was Hijiri asking, and this is an incident, I'm happy to help!"
Rumia grinned. The mouse youkai was only as tall as her, making her quite a small youkai, despite not seeming that young.
"Well then, we should go and meet up with the others. We agreed to meet back up near Marisa's place." Rumia said, before she tanked Byakuren, and told her to thank Mamizou as well, as she flew off with Nazrin.
Author Notes:
I intend the Yoshika/Seiga relation to come off as somewhere between mother/daughter and owner/pet.
Byakuren doesn't stand for Seiga or her practices, but likewise doesn't want to condemn Yoshika back to death, so allows Seiga to tend to Yoshika, and no more. If she catches her doing anything else, she would attack and chase her out by force. Of course, Seiga is VERY slippery and *hasn't* been caught doing other things.