"What do you mean you don't know where the device is?!" Remilia shouted at Rika.
"I didn't exactly leave my base while they were here. I didn't care what they were up to. I was busy using the tech they gave me to make my weapon of youkai genocide!" Rika shouted back.
"I'm starting to think bringing both Rika and Remilia along was a bad idea." Rumia said.
"Wow. It took you that long to figure that out?" Hatate said.
"Well, that just means we'll have to find the device the old fashioned way." Kaguya commented. "We know Yumemi does not want to fight, even if we find her, I doubt she would attack us unless provoked. And three of us are pretty much immortal anyway."
"We're not completely immortal..." Flandre said.
"Yes, Flan, but Kaguya is. Even you wouldn't be able to kill her with your power."
Flandre looked a little confused upon hearing that, but didn't try to find out.
Daiyousei, Wriggle, Cirno and Mystia had decided to stay behind, Cirno only because she was feeling drained, although Kogasa was insistent that she come along. As such, Kaguya was happily holding Kogasa in her umbrella form. Rumia guessed it could make a decent surprise attack if need be.
"So, I guess the best idea is for Flandre and Sakuya to go with Remilia; Kaguya to go with Kogasa; I can go alone and use my powers to search an even wider area; while Rika goes with Rumia." Hatate said.
"I'm not going with Rumia. I'm going on my own accord." Rika said.
"What? And let you sneak up on me and attack me or something?" Hatate said.
"She will come with us." Sakuya said. "I am not a youkai. The Lady and the Sister are not at threat from her. She could backstab Rumia as well."
"I agree with Sakuya." Remilia said.
"Sakuya is so smart!" Flandre remarked.
With that, the group split up, and began to search the mountain ranges.
It was not long, however, before Rumia found herself nearing the Nuuydou's mountain, and remembered last time she was near it.
"Nope, they don't like people nosing around their mountain... I doubt Yumemi's device would be there. Better not waste tim..."
"Darkness youkai!" a voice boomed. Rumia turned, and there was a small group of Nuuydou, who had chosen to make their forms small. They were all like storm-clouds, deep black.
"I'm not going near your mountain." Rumia said. "I know, you don't like people going near your mountain."
"That is not what we wish to address." one of the Nuuydou said. "We wish the opposite. The Lady of the Mountain wishes to speak with you."
"Aren't Nuuydou all male? Don't you mean Lord of the Mountain?" Rumia asked. "Besides, I'm busy."
"The Lady is not a Nuuydou. She is, however, our ally. She may be able to help you; and when the Lady wishes something, you do not refuse. All we ask is that you keep this a secret. The Lady would rather remain unknown."
Rumia looked, and noticed more Nuuydou surrounding her. It seemed like they were serious about taking her to see the 'Lady'.
"Very well then. I won't tell anyone." Rumia said.
The Nuuydou took Rumia to their mountain, which; to the untrained eye, looked like a mountain surrounded by a beautiful swirl of differently colored clouds, when, in actuality, it was resting; dormant Nuuydou. The storm-cloud Nuuydou led Rumia through a gap between the resting Nuuydou, and into a cave near the peak of the mountain.
"Go in. The Lady will speak to you. We will resume our patrol." the guards said, before the flew off.
As they left, Rumia felt something. Inside the cave was something powerful. Then, she heard a fit of coughing, and the feeling of power faded.
"Come inside; Darkness Youkai. I cannot speak too loudly." a weak voice said.
Rumia went deeper into the cave, until she reached a small area, which looked like a basic home. There was a bad, which didn't look too comfortable, being made of plant cuttings and stone. There was some food stores, and sake.
However, what was most interesting was the withered stranger sitting on the makeshift bed. Even with her clearly infirm form, clad in what amounted to little but rags, it was obvious what she was. Even without the broken chain links drangleing from her wrists.
It was an Oni. An Oni with Three Horns.
Rumia had heard the tale. It was told many times throughout the youkai. Youkai Mountain used to be ruled by the Oni, but; for some reason, they left, apparently having been overwhelmed by the more numerous, and more disciplined, Tengu. History only recalled a few things about two of the Deva, who went into hiding. Yuugi the Strong and Suika the Mist were well-known, and still active in Gensokyo, but the other two, even their names had been lost.
But one thing was still known about the leader of the four. The strongest of them.
She was the only Oni to ever have three horns.
"... So... I find myself before a legend, eh?" Rumia asked.
"A legend... is that all I am these days?" the Oni said weakly. "I would have thought my name at least would be remembered better, even after this time. I am Kanakuma [Note: Origin: Beautiful Shadow Bear]"
The Oni wheezed, and coughed.
"Are you... alright?" Rumia asked.
"It is nothing. I have a rare illness, genetic. My body has issues dealing with the thicker air of lower altitudes. Only the air near the peak of youkai mountain is agreeable with me. Even at this altitude, I suffer breathing issues at times. I am but a shadow of my former self these days, years of struggling with my illness have taken their toll."
"So... that's why you're hiding away, and no-one's seen you."
"Yes. If I fled underground like the other Oni, I would have suffocated. It pains me to be apart from my people, but the Nuuydou took me in after I left Youkai Mountain. But this is not why I called you here." the Oni said. "I requested of you for two reasons."
Rumia looked at the Oni.
"The first, is to think you for stopping that Rika. I would have gotten involved, but in my current state, I was probobly weaker than you were back then. Indeed, I would wager you could easily kill me if you wanted to do so."
"I doubt that. I felt a great power from you. You're under-estimating yourself." Rumia said.
"You claim to have felt power, when you should have felt fear. Oni can give off a strong intimidation. The fact you only felt someone strong, and didn't feel terror shows just how weak I have become." the Oni responded, before coughing again.
"You know, I know someone who might be able to help you..."
"It's genetic. There is not a cure for who I am."
"I'm not sure. This person can make people immortal, I'm sure she can fix you." Rumia said.
"It would be marvelous if she could, but going to her would kill me." Kanakuma wheezed, before she entered the largest coughing fit she had so far.
"The second thing is I have seen people in the mountains, when I sit at the peak and look out. A person in red. I am no fool. I know you are here because of her. Her re-appearance and yours at the same time? Too much to be a co-incidence. She has been headed for a small area of flat ground, between three mountains to the North-West. There are about 6 mountains in the path between here and there. I am fairly sure you will find who you are looking for there." the Oni said.
There was silence between the two for a few moments, before the Obi wheezed.
"By any chance... do you know how the other three are doing?"
"I only know of two. Yuugi's fine, she lives underground leading the Oni down there and guarding the palace down there, drinking all day. Suika raises mayhem wherever she goes, and either lodges with the Hakurei Miko; or in some place she won in Heaven in a bet."
The Oni smiled.
"That sounds like Suika and Yuugi. Just as well you don't know about the third. Hopefully she's dead."
"Huh?" Rumia asked. "Why would you want one of the other Deva dead?"
"She's the reason we are not on Youkai Mountain anymore. I do not wish to go into details, but she was the one who stirred up the Tengu. We could not bring ourselves to fight the Tengu seriously, we saw them as cousins, so we just gave them what they wanted when there was no other way to avoid a bloody conflict." Kanakuma said.
"Tenma said he fought all four of you at once though..."
"Tenma is exaggerating. He fought Yuugi, me and Suika as we were leaving the mountain anyway; but all four? Never." the Oni croaked, before she suddenly vanished.
Rumia felt something behind her, and a tap on the back of her neck by a long nail.
"You're pretty fast." Rumia said.
"Eh. I still got some power. And even then, my greatest asset is still intact. Oni with one horn have physical strength as their main boon. Oni with two have their powers as their main strength. I alone have three horns, a sign of the strength of the mind. This is why I was the Oni's leader, and my mind hasn't decayed over the years like my body." Kanakuma wheezed.
She paused, before her tone became clearer; as if she wanted this to be heard above all else. "I can also tell you this; a new age is coming for Gensokyo. It is imminent. I am one of the few who can see even part of the intentions of the Youkai Sage; Yakumo. Even cut off from most of Gensokyo; I can figure out what is coming. All I can tell you is two things. Trust Yukari; and... there is nothing you can do to prevent what she has already set in motion."
"What's coming?!" Rumia asked.
"If I told you... you would attempt to prevent it. Anyone would. But it cannot be prevented; trying to do so would only make things worse. Just... trust Yukari." Kanakuma said, looking Rumia right in the eyes. The youkai could see in the Oni's red eyes the passion that her words could not carry from her weak lungs.
"... You don't know me very well, do you? I trusted Yukari anyway! I owe her my life, after all! Now then; is there anything else you wish to tell me?" Rumia asked.
The Oni shook her head.
"Then I shall go and stop Yumemi. Thank you for your help, and don't worry; the only one I'll tell is someone who is sworn to confidentiality anyway."
"It cannot be cured."
"But there may be a way around it." Rumia said, before flying off, out of the cave.
Kanakuma laid down on her bed, and coughed.
"Good kid. I can see now why you decided to spare her and give her a second chance; old friend." she said quietly, before a single tear rolled down her face.
"But why must she go through what is to come? Yukari..."
Author Notes:
Oh no; it's an OC. Well; there's only two known Deva, and one speculated, [And I guess one Wild Mass Guessed one, but she's a ghost]. So I made one to fill in the gap. The events around the Deva, of course, will be developed; just not now. Just as a heads up; Kanakuma is one of two major OC's in the story.
Her name origin was mentioned in the story; Beautiful Bear. When she wasn't in her ill state, Kanakuma was pretty elegant for an Oni. She was strong and fierce; like a bear, and unlike other Oni, actually tended to not punch, but instead use long nails as weapons, slicing and stabbing with tremendous force, like a bear mauling it's prey.