Youmu carried Renko; as Rumia carried Maribel; high into the sky. Both seemed equal parts amazed and terrified; yet remained quiet.
Rumia herself was curious; having never been to the Netherworld herself. It felt like Youmu was flying into the sky forever; until a massive wooden gate was visible in the sky; covered with a massive seal.
The Half-Ghost approached it; and the seal vanished; before the massive gates opened; revealing a beautifu night-time garden; in which spirits flew and cherry blossoms fell.
"Follow me. If you stray too far from the path you may never return." Youmu warned; as she entered the Netherworld; and began to fly up the long staircase.
Rumia followed; and she felt no different upon entering the world of the dead, except a slight chill. The gate closed behind her, as she followed Youmu up the stairs; towards a somewhat large building. It was not a palace like Eientei; but it was slightly smaller; but no less elegant. In fact; it seemed moreso.
"Lady Yuyuko; I have returned." Youmu said; as the doors flew open; and Yuyuko flew out.
"Youmu!~" she cried happily; jumping at her and hugging her. "I'll never understand why you went to her funeral with her here. You had me worried!"
"It's because I knew they would be there; Lady Yuyuko..." Youmu grunted; pushing Yuyuko off her. Yuyuko looked past Youmu; and looked first at Renko; with a blank look on her face; then at Rumia; with the same blank look, and then at Maribel.
Her face shifted to one of understanding and surprise.
"My. You do look like her." Yuyuko said; with a knowing smile, before she turned. "Yukari; she's here!"
There was a hurried sound from within; before Yukari appeared. Looking the same as she did in life. Exactly the same.
She looked at the group; and the look on her face when she beheld Maribel was something Rumia had only seen from Shinki before; towards Alice and the other denizens of Makai. Not even towards herself; who was not actually Shiki's creation.
"So... you followed the name Yakumo; as your father told you." Yukari said. "I am sorry it had to lead you here."
"So am I." Maribel said angrily.
"Mary?" Renko asked.
"Because if you were still alive; I'd probobly beat you to your deathbed myself for leaving me and my father." Maribel said; before she walked up to Yukari, before Renko held her back.
"Stop Mary! You just met her! I'm sure she had a..."
"What reason could there be?! What reason is there for a mother to abandon her newborn daughter!" Maribel cried, looking at Renko.
"Let her go Renko. I will accept whatever she has to let out." Yukari said simply. Her tone made Renko relax her grip on Maribel just log enough for Maribel to break free.
At which point she slapped Yukari in the face so hard it sounded like a whipcrack. Yukari fell to the ground. Youmu stepped foward; only for Yuyuko to stop her.
Maribel's hands slapped Yukari again and again, until she fell to the ground. Then she began kicking her. During all of Maribel's attacks; Yukari did not let out a single sound. Rumia wondered if Yukari could even feel the impacts.
"She can feel it. In this world; we are all the same. Spirits can feel attacks on their spirit; by another spirit." Yuyuko said, as if she knew what Rumia was thinking.
Maribel eventually fell to her knees; sobbing; punching the ground.
"Why! Why!" she repeated, as Yukari got up. She did not look hurt at all.
"There are two reasons. The first is that I was required in Gensokyo. No-matter how much I cared for you; I could not leave Gensokyo. My powers; my knowledge and everything I had was required to keep this world safe; and running. If I stayed with you; Gensokyo would have likely fallen apart. If that happened; then everyone there would have died. Entire species; like the Kappa; Tengu and Oni; would have gone extinct."
"But Gensokyo is fine now..." Rumia said.
"It is only the first few days; Rumia. In addition; twenty years ago; Reimu's mother died in childbirth. Only two days after Maribel was born. Without a Hakurei Maiden; the Hakurei Barrier would collapse within a week without me. With Reimu an adult now; the baqrrier will sustain itself without me... or Maribel; for a significant time. But Reimu is mortal."
Yukari turned to Maribel. "That is where the second reason comes in. Rumia; this is why I have called you here as well. Maribel is not my first daughter."
"What?!" Rumia said.
Yuyuko nodded.
"It is true. It was back when I was alive." Yuyuko said. "Yukari had a daughter; she called her Burū Yakumo; in the same fashion Chen and Ran and even herself were named."
"However; Burū took after her human side more; but still feared death. I encouraged her to find a way beyond human mortality as well; with Burū; I took the role of a proper mother. Guiding her. She made friends with another human who felt the same. Both of them became hermits; and then... Celestials." Yukari said. "The human's name is one you may be familiar with. She causes trouble as few years ago... Tenshi."
"However; the body of a Celestial is toxic to a youkai. And Burū was Half-Youkai." Yuyuko said. "It was a tragedy."
"But a Celestial cannot die except by a Shinigami or a Kishin..." Rumia said.
"It was worse!" Yukari cried. Dispair flooded her face. "Burū went mad. The constant agony caused by the paradoxical conflict between her duel nature shattered her mind! She took a new name; Enkura. Me; along with the other Celestials; sealed her away in Tenkai; but with me dead, it is almost certain the seal is failing."
"It is likly that the shades were the work of Enkura. She seeks Maribel as a threat to what she sees as the inheritance she has, and they attacked the Yama since the Celestials fear death." Youmu said.
"Inheritance?" Renko asked.
"To Gensokyo itself." Yukari said. "She sees Gensokyo as hers to rule over. However; she only inherited a small amount of my power. The power to manipulate a single boundry; although it was one of the most dangerous, and to a level even I could not."
"What boundry could ressurect an extinct race?" Rumia asked.
"The Boundary of Fantasy and Reality. Specifically... Imagination. Anything Enkura thinks of; she can bring into reality. She can even bring what is in other's minds into reality. Combine this with her being insane; and you can see why she had to be sealed." Yukari said; before she looked at Maribel.
"I failed once as a mother and created a monster. I pushed her too hard; and failed to notice before it was too late. That is why I didn't intervene with you; even when the immediate crisis in Gensokyo was finished. I... I was afraid."
Renko was moved to tears at this point; and Maribel's face looked less angry; although slightly angered still.
"You were afraid? I find that hard to belive." Rumia said.
"You are not a mother; Rumia. Do you recall Shinki's fury when she thought Alice was kidnapped?" Yuyuko asked. "Now imagine the angrish of a mother... who failed to save their child. Who had to lock them away. Imagine the pain Remilia felt about Flandre; and magnify that. When you know there was something you could have done to prevent it; unlike Remilia's situation. Combine the pain of a mother and the pain of Remilia, and then you can start to understand why Yukari was afraid."
"Especially since Maribel; unlike poor Burū; inherited all of my abilities. If I was to fail as a mother again... if I was to create another monster... I wouldn't be able to stop you. I just.. wouldn't." Yukari said. She was looking into Maribel's eyes; and crying.
"Please... Maribel... understand my pain."
Maribel looked Yukari in the eyes.
"I understand. But I do not forgive you. You should have at least tried. You should have came back at some point. Your past does not excuse your failures this time. Being absent is worse than not trying at all as far as I am concerned. And as for me taking over your role as you suggested a little while ago..."
Maribel turned from Yukari.
"I'm not going to be like you. I don't want to be. I'll preserve this place... in a way that doesn't make children cry at night for the mother they never knew! I'll surpass you; I won't repeat your mistakes!"
"Mary..." Renko said.
"I figured it out. I can't leave because this world needs me. Magic does not belong outside. We always knew that Renko. There is nothing left for us outside anyway."
"If you two do not mind; I would like to talk to Rumia in private." Yukari said to Maribel and Renko.
Yukari took Rumia's wrist; and led her inside Yuyuko's mansion; where she sat down; and offered Rumia a chair.
"Yukari... Burū... I'm..." Rumia began.
"It is not your fault. Burū is dangerous; however; but she cannot leave Tenkai. The Yama knows she is dangerous; and would send every Kishin and Shinigami she has after her if she left Tenkai. As such; I must ask you. Find a way into Tenkai and stop Burū. Help the Celestials seal her again or something. If she cannot be sealed... bring her down to the ground level... and let the Yama's underlings do their work; and end her pain."
"I'm not going to kill someone Yukari." Rumia said. "Letting the Shinigami kill Burū would be as bad as killing her!"
"Sometimes; killing is a kindness; Rumia." Yukari said.
"Not in my books. I've got through other 'impossible' situations without killing. I didn't kill Yumemi. I'm not going to kill Burū; or Enkura; or whatever! There is always a way!"
Yukari stood up; looking furious.
"Damn your idealism! The world dosen't work that way Rumia! I wish you were not so naive!"
Rumia stood up as well.
"Don't speak to me about how the world should or should not work! If I start killing; I'm no better than her!" Rumia said; pointing to her head. "If I start killing; I may as well have been the one to kill you! That's what I keep telling myself to strop me feeling guilt these days! Guilt for you; Yukari!"
"Well said. But one day Rumia; you will have to stain your hands. Mark my words. One day; you will have to kill; or Gensokyo will perish."
"Maybe so. But maybe; Yukari; did you ever consider the fact that... you could be wrong?" Rumia said; before she walked out of the room.
Yukari just looked at the table.
"There is no chance I am wrong about that; Rumia. No chance at all."
Author Note:
Burū means Blue; which is derived from the same naming theme as Yukari, Ran and Chen. Enkura is derived from 'Kuro'; which is 'Black'. Also a lack of color.
There's a lot of character development in this arc. So much that I'm actually thinking of moving and increasing a significant plotline into it's own arc between 6 and 7; which would make 9 arcs overall.
And yeah; Enkura is the major OC in the story. At this point I was running out of plausible villains. Also her backstory ties in with why Yukari seems to particularly dislike Tenshi in SWR.