"Ugh... how am I gonna get her attention..." Rumia groaned, floating in the forest near the Misty Lake, which people had recently begun calling 'The Forest of Dusk' because of it being Rumia's home.
"Well, if the rumors are true, you could always go to the Misty Lake and take a bath. That's sure to get her attent..." Hatate snarked, before getting a death glare from Rumia.
"Honestly, why does everyone think there's something between us?!" Rumia shouted. "And why did I wind up with you anyway?"
"Because I don't have permission to enter the Scarlet Mansion." Hatate reminded Rumia. "And I'm not gonna miss out on a chance to get some quotes from the notorious Rika either."
"You're as bad as Aya, you know that?" Rumia said.
"I take that as a compliment." Hatate replied.
Rumia sighed.
"What's between you and Mystia anyway? You two haven't met as far as I'm aware."
"We're both birds. I'm a Crow, she's a Sparrow. Her kind think they're Lord of the Sky or something, singing all night long. Hmph! Us Crow Tengu are the rulers of the sky, and lesser birds ought to now their place. You don't see Hell Crows like Utusho acting like they own the sky."
Rumia just shook her head, before she replied. "Bird logic. I figured as much. Seems petty to me. Besides, anywhere the sun isn't falling is my domain, and that includes the night sky."
Hatate puffed up, as if she was about to retort, before she exhaled.
"How strong are you at night anyway? I imagine you're a lot stronger at night than the day, being a Darkness Youkai and whatnot." Hatate said.
"Technically, I'm not any stronger." Rumia said. "I'm more mobile and elusive. I can regenerate quicker and with less energy. It takes less energy to use any of my abilities related to darkness, since there is more to use. And, of course, it takes a lot less energy to blot out what little light there is at night time than daytime. I can fight longer during the night at full power, and it's much harder to hit me or escape."
"Except, from what I understand, you're not even at your full power." Hatate said. "Tenma mentioned it off-hand while he was particularly drunk once. He said you're holding back a fair amount of your power, to suppress the evil inside you."
Rumia stopped, and turned to the Tengu, before she clenched her fist.
"You're saying, even now, after I've defeated her, and without my seal... she's still holding me back?!" Rumia said.
"Ask yourself this, was there ever a point when you felt her trying to take control again?" Hatate replied.
Rumia recalled when she was in Makai, after Shinki saved her. The other her certainly was throwing a tantrum in her head.
"I guess so..." Rumia said, before she punched a tree, knocking it over. "Damnit! I just want to be free of this past! Sometimes I miss the days when I didn't care about anything but goofing around; and didn't know who I was! I just thought I was a little, weak youkai, who could be carefree and happy."
Rumia looked back at Hatate.
"You know, thinking about it... your actions started me down that path. I got into resolving incidents after Remilia thanked me for getting her book back. I only got involved because Reimu threatened me for being in her way too. I wouldn't be this strong now, if it wasn't for you stealing that book from Marisa."
"Heh, if it wasn't for me we all probobly would have been killed by Rika, you're saying?" Hatate said, a sly grin on her face, as she took notes. "Yes, this would make a great story. 'My Role in The Rise of the Youkai Incident Resolver'. Actually, that would mean admitting to the public I stole that book, maybe not such a great idea."
Rumia laughed. "You know, I knew you weren't an awful person like Rika. You were just being too prideful to show me otherwise!"
"Oi! Who are you calling an 'awful person'?!" Rika's voice shouted from behind Rumia.
Sure enough, Rumia turned around, and Rika was in some sort of flying machine, above the trees, oddly enough, hanging out from the bottom of it, upside down, like some kind of possum, her twin-tails hanging down in a fashion that looked amusing to Rumia. The machine for once wasn't themed around an eye, it was literally a tank with some magical propellers, spinning far faster than any physical ones could, but also soundless.
"You." Rumia and Hatate said at the same time.
"I'm not an 'awful person'." Rika said. "I'm a downright despicable, insane person. And proud of it!"
"... And this is your gi..." Hatate started, before she shut herself up.
"W-What are you suggesting?!" Rika shouted. It did not escape Rumia that her tone of voice would not be out of place with blushing... although she couldn't do so, as a robot.
"Say... Rika. You didn't seem to like that Chiyuri person, right?" Rumia asked.
"Yeah. But that ain't sayin' much. I don't like anyone." Rika said.
"Good point, but... uh... you want the chance to salvage some of their tech, right?"
Rika looked shocked.
"You seriously think I'll help you youkai? I don't care if magic is drained from this world or not, it won't effect me, and you lot will all..."
"Yes." Rumia said sadly. "We'll all die. Including me. What a shame, you wouldn't be able to kill me yourself."
"... Go on..." Rika said.
"Well I can't stop Yumemi. You see, she could fight the Watasuki Sisters to a standstill, which I couldn't do. She would kill me without help. Even then, I don't know anything about technology. I don't think you'd like me causing a huge explosion and killing myself, right?" Rumia said.
Rika hung upside down, thinking. She grabbed one of her pigtails and begun to swing it around.
"Damnit! My desire to kill you with my own hands is conflicting with my overall programming directive. ERROR." Rika said, her tone becoming more and more robotic.
"... What's happening?" Rumia asked Hatate.
"How would I know? Do I look like a Kappa?" Hatate asked.
Rika's eyes flashed blue for a moment, and she went limp, before she returned to her upside-down posture, her eyes back to normal.
"Mode Restored to R.I.K.A Operational Mode from Plan Mode..." Rika said, in a tone that was becoming less and less robotic, before she shook her head. "Sorry. That happens when I have to think something over for a while. I can think something over a lot faster when I dedicate my whole being to processing. Like new tank designs! Anyway, all youkai dying wouldn't be any fun unless I'm the cause of it, and besides, I really want to kill you myself, and I really hated those do-gooder scientists anyway. I had half a mind to backstab them. Or back-spanner. Either one."
Rika fell out her her tank, and flipped right-way up before floating in the air, small flames visible from under her feet. The tank flew away, before it vanished.
"The enemy of my enemy is my freind." Rumia said.
"Nah. The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy. I'm just gonna make sure you don't get yourself killed. If I see a chance to kill you myself, I'll take it. Watch your back." Rika said.
"Brutally honest, aren't you?" Hatate said.
"Yeah. She's like that." Rumia admitted.
"It is not often you come without the Darkness Youkai." Remilia said, looking at Mystia, Wriggle, Kogasa and Daiyousei with one eye open. Despite being smaller than any of them except Daiyousei, who she was only slightly larger than, due to having the body of a child around nine, it still felt like she was looking down on them.
"S-sorry Lady Remilia. She's busy with other matters. You see, there's an incident, and she sent us to see if you wanted to help her..." Wriggle said, nervously.
"If you are going to speak to me, do so confidently, or I shall not consider you worth my time." Remilia snapped.
"Have you by any chance noticed the fairy maids being weaker, and more tired compared to usual?" Mystia asked.
"Yes, I have." Remilia said. "Or more accurately, Sakuya has."
"You mean the fairy maids are usually faster and more active, sis?" Flandre asked.
Remilia answered Flandre with a nod, before she turned back to the group.
"Well some mean lady is taking magical energy and it's effecting the balance of magic in Gensokyo!" Kogasa said. "It's effecting the fairies first, but if it keeps going, it's probobly gonna start effecting everyone else, even strong youkai like you!"
"Intriguing." Remilia said. "But why, may I ask, you have come to me instead of someone such as Reimu?"
"Because the one responsible claims she fought the Watasuki Sisters to a draw. Rumia figured you'd want a shot at her. After all, if you could beat someone they couldn't, wouldn't that prove you superior?" Daiyousei said.
"That youkai is sure getting full of herself, thinking she can manipulate me." Remilia said, before she grinned. "That said, can you call an honest request manipulation? It's not like she's pulling strings behind me like Yukari would. Tell me what you know about her fighting power."
Mystia explained about Chiyuri and Yumemi, and everything they knew.
"I see why you didn't go to Reimu then, if that is the situation. A weak willed, mere human would likely back away from such a situation, where either way, the lives of an entire populous are at stake." Remilia said. "I see now why Rumia specifically asked you to come to me. I also see the other reason. The Spacial Distorition she summons her powers through. Sakuya may be able to help restrict that."
Remilia clicked her fingers, and Sakuya appeared in the room.
"We're going out Sakuya. We have an incident to resolve." Remilia said.
"Ah, it's been a while since we have gone out to resolve something together. Since that incident with the false moon..." Sakuya said. "Very well, Mi'Lady, I always am pleased to fight with you by my side."
"It won't just be me." Remilia said. "Flan's coming along too. Now is as good a time as any for Flandre to see Gensokyo, and see an incident first-hand... and to practice if it comes to a fight."
Flandre's eyes lit up, while Mystia and the others looked at each other apprehensively.
"OK, Keine's found Mokou." Reisen said, "As I asked her to. You should be able to sneak out now without Mokou trying to kill you again. Or vice versa."
"Thank you Reisen. While I may be an immortal, I don't have endless energy reserves, and keeping up my manipulation of Eternity and the Moment uses quite a lot. You don't know how much of my energy I am always using to keep Eientei preserved in the Moment, so the building never succumbs to time."
"How much, Princess?" Reisen asked.
"I'd say about... 30% of my energy is constantly being used to keep Eientei pristine." Kaguya said. "Maybe less these days; I have gotten stronger over the years of fighting Mokou. Time Manipulation is a tiring thing. Especially on the level I can use it."