"Yukari?" Rumia asked, shocked.
"That's my name. Well... that's not really true, but whatever." Yukari said.
"Why didn't you come and help with Flandre? Surely your border manipulation would have helped..." Rumia said.
Yukari looked shocked.
"I don't like to interfere in events I do not need to interfere in, and besides, I doubt me messing with someone's mind would make them more sane." the elder youkai said. "Anyway, that is not why I am here. I'm here to take you to a little meet-up I'm arranging. I'm taking Remilia too."
"Uh... Remi's busy..." Rumia said.
"I said I'm taking you~" Yukari said, a warm smile on her face, as it dawned on Rumia to start flying too late, and she fell through a gap.
"DAMNIT YUKARI!" Rumia said, as she landed face-first on a wooden floor.
"Told you she'd say that." a voice said.
"I'm the only one who won't... aren't I?" another voice said.
"There's still the vampire." the third, male voice said. All three were familar to Rumia, as she sat up, and saw Yuuka, Byakuren and Tenma.
"W-what? I never thought I'd see you three in the same place... what's Yukari up to?" Rumia asked.
"Sit down and you'll find out." Yuuka said simply.
Rumia looked around the plain room. It looked like she was in a traditional Japanese house, complete with sliding doors, marked with purple clouds.
"Where..."
"Yukari's house." Tenma said, as a gap opened.
"DAMNIT YUKARI!" Remilia shouted as she too, landed face-first.
"Four out of five. Shame you didn't react like that, Byakuren. Still, my guess was right, four of us screamed Damnit Yukari when she brought us here." Tenma said, as another gap opened.
"DAMNIT YUKARI!" Yukari said as she did the exact same, before she got up immediately, sticking her tounge out at Tenma.
"You did that just to make me wrong, didn't you Yukari..." Tenma said, looking annoyed.
"I just wanted to see what all the fun was about~" Yukari retorted.
"Are we here just for you to waste our time?" Yuuka said, sounding irritated. "It's annoying enough you dragged me into this little truce."
"Truce?" Rumia asked.
"Ah yes, you don't even know why we're all here." Tenma said, as if he forgot. "Think about what is similar between al five of us other youkai here, and yourself, in fact!"
Rumia looked. Yukari... Tenma... Byakuren... Remilia and Yuuka. What did they all have in common?
"You're... all old?" Rumia asked. Everyone sighed, except Byakuren, who laughed.
"We're all powerful and well-known." Byakuren said.
"We also each have the power to cause chaos in Gensokyo. In fact, a serious fight between us and our allies could very well destroy Gensokyo." Yuuka said.
"Which is what this little group is. It's an agreement of sorts. If one of us starts getting in over our heads, and poses a threat to Gensokyo, the others will band together to stop them before any real damage is done. As strong as each of us is, they cannot beat the combined force of the others." Yukari said.
"Eh? So... if Yuuka starts sparking everyone, you guys would stop her together?" Rumia asked.
"Yes." Byakuren said. "Another example would be if Tenma and the Tengu start to take over everything by military force, of if Yukari fools around too much."
"I wonder if you've figured out why you're here." Remilia said.
Rumia thought.
"You think I should join this agreement... right?"
"Indeed. Four of us do, at least." Yukari said. "Each one of us youkai are well-known, and incredibly powerful. We also hold sway over a large amount of power in the form of followers, or allies."
"Allies?" Rumia asked.
"My power is high, but when I'm with Patchouli, Sakuya and Meiling, I'm a lot stronger." Remilia said.
"I have the entire Tengu and Kappa villiages under my command." Tenma said.
"The Myouren Temple are a capable fighting force themselves." Byakuren admitted.
"Ran and Chen, as well as my allies, such as Reimu, Yuyuko and Youmu." Yukari said, before adding, "But you likly have the largest pool of allies that would back you up out of any of us, even if their individual powers are low. You have your freinds, such as Cirno, and Mystia. When push comes to shove, Marisa would probobly take your side over any of us."
"Don't forget Satori and her pets, as well as Eientei." Remilia said. "Indeed, I myself would be inclined to support Rumia over any of you lot if it came to a fight."
"There are also the Taoists." Byakuren said.
"I am unsure if the Shrine Maiden of the Moriya Shrine would choose to support Rumia or myself." Tenma admitted.
"And of course we can't forget Rika wouldn't let us kill her!" Yukari said, before she smiled in a teasing fashion.
"You too Yukari..." Rumia said sadly.
"Anyway, as well as being powerful in your own right, you have a lot of people would would take your side. As such, four of us think it is prudent that you join this agreement, not only so you can deter the rest of us, but so we can deter you from going too far with your powers." Yukari explained.
"Wait a second." Rumia said. "What about Yuuka? She doesn't have any allies, right? So what's she doing here? I know she's strong, but surely she's not so strong she would be a danger to any one of us, plus our allies... right?"
Yuuka chuckled.
"I have one underling. I only require one." Yuuka said. "Quality, not quantity."
"In truth, Yuuka's underling is probobly strong enough of her own accord to be among us." Tenma said. "She is... frighteningly strong."
"Except she's not really a youkai, Tenma." Remilia said. "Although it baffles me as to how Yuuka commands a..."
"Let's be quiet about my Elly." Yuuka said. "She is not why we are here."
"Yes." Yukari said. "We're here because of Rumia... and because you don't agree with her joining us. As per usual."
"She didn't agree with me or Hijiri joining this group either..." Remilia said.
"Quality over Quantity. I don't believe in someone's power just from words and hearsay. You know my terms. I'll only accept someone who can put up a fight against one of you guys." Yuuka said.
"Yes... those are the rules." Yukari said, before she turned to Rumia. "That's the deal. Otherwise I wouldn't have called everyone here, and would have just explained this all to Rumia. Rumia has to choose to spar with one of us, to convince Yuuka."
Rumia blinked a few times.
"What."
"You have to spar with one of us." Remilia said.
"Ugh..." Rumia said. "I don't get to refuse, do I?"
"No, not really." Yukari said. "Not when four of us consider you a potential risk to Gensokyo if left unchecked."
"It's kinda mean to put it like that, Yukari..." Tenma said. "I voted for her because I thought she'd be as good as the rest of us at making Yuuka not go overboard."
"Me too." Remilia said.
Byakuren said nothing. Rumia assumed she wasn't going to stand up for her, due to her association with the Taoists.
"OK... just, tell me something before. You said Yuuka always does this... so who did Byakuren and Remilia fight?" Rumia said.
"Hmm... interesting." Tenma said.
"Remilia chose to fight me. The fight went on all night, but Remilia had to retire when it became day." Yukari said. "Byakuren chose to fight Yuuka, to which Yuuka said she would accept Byakuren if she landed one blow. Byakuren instantly punched Yuuka in the face, before she could react, taking advantage of Yuuka under-estimating her."
"Well if she couldn't take advantage of that opening I left on purpose, she wouldn't be any challenge for me." Yuuka said.
"Me, Tenma and Yuuka were the founding members, as such, we didn't fight anyone." Yukari added.
Rumia thought.
"Well... I don't wanna fight Yukari, or Yuuka. So that rules those two out. Remi's my friend, so I don't really want to fight her. I know Byakuren dislikes fighting in general... so that leaves..."
"Ohohohohoho!" Tenma laughed. "I didn't expect this!"
"Tenma." Rumia said.
"I'll just check that you know what you're getting into." Tenma said. "Remember, I am the one who liberated the Tengu. I fought the Four Devas to a standstill! Are you sure you want to fight the legend?"
"Yeah. I've not had a chance to try my full strength against Yuugi since I was unsealed. So testing it on you should be just as good, right?" Rumia said.
"Eh? What do you mean, try your strength on Yuugi?" Tenma asked.
"Yuugi lets people she's interested in have a free shot at her, with their best punch. I managed to move her a little before I was unsealed."
Tenma laughed heartily, before he took a swig of sake.
"This might be a better fight than I expected! However, it wouldn't be fair to fight as we are! I know about your power, but you don't know mine!"
"There he goes again... honor before reason. Idiot." Yuuka said.
"It's natural for a Tengu. They hate fights where they have an unfair advantage." Byakuren said.
"Having more knowledge isn't unfair, Hijiri. Knowledge is just another form of power. If you let your abilities slip to your enemy, it is your folly." Yuuka said.
"I am aware that knowledge if power Yuuka, or do I need to remind you of our fight, where your lack of knowledge of my own power proved your loss?" Byakuren retorted.
"... Patchouli would agree with you so much Yuuka." Remilia said.
"Anyway, my power is over Air Pressure!" Tenma said. "If you think what Aya can do with her fan aiding her is impressive, you've not seen what I can do!"
The large tengu hybrid got up, bending down somewhat so his head did not go through the roof.
"We'll need to take this outside." Tenma said. On que, Ran opened the door from the other side, and Chen opened the one past that to reveal the night sky.
Everyone went outside, and Rumia gasped.
Yukari's house was in the sky, seemingly on a false sky, so it was impossible to see from below. Rumia did not doubt that the other sides were blocked by borders as well, to prevent others finding the place. Rumia could see the plains below, which were more or less the central point of Gensokyo.
"... Talk about a view." Rumia said.
"The only way to my house is by invitation. It's a nice view, of all of Gensokyo." Yukari admitted.
"Are we gonna just look at the scenery or fight?" Yuuka said, sounding bored. "I want to get back to my flowers..."
Tenma took a fighting stance, and it dawned on Rumia just how much the Tengu leader dwarfed her. He was about one and a half times her size, and much broader as well. His body was muscular, and seemed well-trained.
"I warn you, my Tengu pride will not allow me to go easy on you." Tenma said.
"Then I'll just respond in kind." Rumia replied.
'But there is one thing that worries me... Yukari... if this is the Five becoming Six you meant before... what happens to make it not last for long...' Tenma thought.
Author Notes: So now we know why Yukari was talking to the others.
The group is, of course, mainly to keep Yuuka in check, although any of the group are dangerous to most of Gensokyo, an a conflict between two factions would be very dangerous, due to the allies of the youkai.
As mentioned, Elly is very powerful in her own right. That said, Ran in her own right is probobly as strong as the others of the group as well, except, obviously, Yukari. [And maybe Yuuka] Elly's very existence isn't common knowledge, however, as evidenced by the fact that Rumia, who knows Wriggle, who spends a fair amount of time as Yuuka's victim, doesn't know of her. [Because Elly is at Mugenkan, not the Garden of the Sun]
You'll hear more about Tenma's legendary fight with the Deva later in the story.