Author's Note: Stage three! Now this stage is drastically changed compared to the previous chapters that mostly recreated the feel of the original game. I wanted to try something new that would involve a bit different scenario, so I hope that it ended up well. Let me know in reviews if you liked it or not. Without further ado, please enjoy the chapter!
Sanae left the Mayohiga, and found herself back on the snow-covered mountains.
Thankfully, she could see the Netherworld barrier in the distance, it still was some distance away, but she would manage that much.
The wind priestess was slowly getting exhausted by the trip, it would be a different story if it was much warmer, but flying, dodging and attacking in this cold weather was tiring her out pretty easily.
She decided to land on the ground and start a fireplace to rest and warm up. Eating something wouldn't hurt either.
Fortunately, there were no fairies chasing her here, perhaps because it was so close to the Netherworld.
Sanae found a good spot to start a campfire, so she started gathering branches nearby that she would use to start the fire.
After she was done, she sat in front of the stack of branches and grabbed a pack of matches and newspaper from her satchel. She still had these matches back from the Outside World, and it was a good time as any to use them now.
The wind priestess ripped a few pages from the newspaper and used them as kindling to start the fire.
After a few tries, she managed to start the campfire successfully.
Sanae warmed herself up and ate something from her satchel to regain strength, and soon she was looking idly at the fire and listening to the crackling noise of the branches burning down for some time.
She thought about everything that has happened since her arrival in Gensokyo.
She had a rocky start with the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion with them causing the Scarlet Mist Incident that endangered the whole land, but in the end their relationship grew to the point where she could even call them her "second family."
The mistress of the mansion Remilia Scarlet, while she was a bit rough around the edges and a bit childish, she still was understanding and mature person, the vampire also said that Sanae was always welcome in the mansion no matter what, leading the wind priestess to think that perhaps the incident wasn't caused just out of some selfish matter like the vampire implied, but something else overall.
Her younger sister Flandre Scarlet, while initially the wind priestess thought of her as some kind of monster, she turned out to be a very gentle child that was generally just social awkward and didn't know how to control her power very well. Sanae promised the girl that she would visit her to play sometimes, and she kept her promise. She would visit regularly every week to play for a few hours with her, leading to Flandre calling her "sister" now and then, to the embarrassment of the wind priestess. But it was still a warm thought at which she smiled.
The elegant chief maid of the mansion Sakuya Izayoi, she was cold at first to the wind priestess, but with some time, they have grown to be good friends. It was nice to see that the maid would switch over from her formal talk to the casual one with the time. Sanae also owed a lot to her, for helping her with the training. Of course, every resident helped her with that, but Sakuya was the person that was always available if anybody wasn't in the mood.
The magician of the mansion Patchouli Knowledge, she overall acts cold to the wind priestess, but deep down inside she was always glad to see her. They always enjoyed their talks about various magical and scientific things, now Sanae wasn't really a nerd or anything, but she was always happy to learn one thing or two, so she always appreciated the chat with the magician.
The gatekeeper of the mansion Hong Meiling, she was the easiest person of all to get along with, while she was a diligent and loyal defender of the mansion, she also was a pretty carefree person with a lot of her own interests. The wind priestess really enjoyed talks with the gatekeeper about various mangas and history of the China.
She then thought about her goddesses Suwako Moriya and Kanako Yasaka, she was really devastated to hear that she would have to move from her world to Gensokyo and abandon everything that she shaped through all these years there. But in the end, she was glad that it turned out like this, because she found living here much easier in a lot of ways. Her goddesses also were supporting her during this time, while it was really embarrassing for her to admit aloud, she really did think of them as her mothers.
Her train of thought was then interrupted by the faint sound of somebody moving through the snow.
-Ah, another poor soul lost in the mountains?
Sanae glanced at the direction where the voice came from.
She saw a woman walking towards her.
She had gold eyes, blonde hair and a red band in her hair. She was wearing a light blue dress with long white sleeves and two pink ribbons, one going round her neck and another one around her waist. She also had some kind of book with her.
-Not lost, just resting for a bit. You are?
-Ah, my bad. My name is Alice Margatroid, a magician. It's a pleasure to meet you.
She offered her hand to the wind priestess.
Sanae nodded and shook it.
-Sanae Kochiya, a wind priestess of Moriya Shrine. Likewise here.
The magician then pointed at the campfire.
-Mind if I sit down here? I would like to rest my legs for a bit.
The wind priestess nodded.
-Sure, I don't mind.
Alice quietly thanked the wind priestess and sat on the opposite side of the campfire from Sanae.
-So, what are you doing so far away from your shrine?
Sanae faced Alice.
-I'm working to resolve this incident, I only have a clue that there might be something in the Netherworld, so that's where I'm heading for now.
The magician nodded.
-Ah, I see. I expected the Hakurei shrine maiden to be solving this incident, though.
-That makes two of us then, but it seems she's not doing anything about it.
Alice clutched her chin in thought.
-How strange, I have met her before in the past, and she seemed to be really passionate about beating up youkai to solve the incidents. Well, at least we have one shrine maiden that is taking her job seriously.
Sanae smiled.
-Thank you. I will do my best to solve this incident as quickly as possible.
-That being said, I do have one clue that might be of interest to you.
The wind priestess perked up at this.
-Really? Every clue helps, so I'd like to hear it!
Alice chuckled at the reaction of the wind priestess.
-It seems that while people think that winter has never ended, in theory it actually has. However, someone has been gathering the spring from everywhere, making it so that in practice the winter is still here, because there's not enough spring to make it end.
Sanae was confused.
-Gathering spring? What do you mean?
-I mean in terms of the life force. They are most likely gathering it, in order to give energy to something or someone. I have no idea, who it might be, but I'm sure that this person must have enormous power to be able to do such thing on that big of scale.
So the mastermind of this incident might be collecting the spring to bring something or someone to life? This was horrible, considering that they didn't know who that person or thing would be and what they would do to the Gensokyo.
-I see. Thank you for the clue, Miss Alice, it really helped me realize the urgency of this situation. As soon as I rest up, I'll be going ahead to make sure that the mastermind of this incident doesn't do something that would endanger Gensokyo even further!
The magician waved her hand dismissively.
-Just Alice is fine. Don't mention it, I also would like to see this incident resolved, it's really troublesome to have this snow falling all the time.
They have stayed silent for a bit here, until Sanae asked another question.
-So what are you doing out here, Alice?
-Research purposes.
The wind priestess tilted her head questioningly.
-Really? What exactly are you researching?
-It's of magical nature, I would have explained it to you, but it's kind of complex, so I would have only confused you by talking about it.
Sanae nodded.
-Fair enough.
The conversation died down here. The wind priestess just idly stared at the fire, while Alice was simply looking around.
Sanae then noticed something small staring at her from behind of the magician. It looked like a doll.
Alice noticed that too.
-Oh! Shanghai, are you too shy to introduce yourself to this lady? Don't be, she's very nice, so go ahead!
The doll then hesitantly nodded and walked towards the wind priestess.
She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a black colored dress with a white apron with black sleeves. Furthermore, she had a red bow on her head.
While she didn't have any expressions, Sanae guessed that the doll must be a bit frightened of her.
She decided to take it slow, so the doll wouldn't run away in fear.
The wind priestess smiled at the doll.
-Hello! My name is Sanae Kochiya, I believe you're called Shanghai, yes? That's a very cute name!
She then slowly reached a hand towards the doll.
Shanghai looked at the hand warily, but after a while, she shook it.
Alice chuckled at the scene in front of her.
-Seems you're getting along pretty well.
Sanae faced the magician.
-I have few questions. Did you make her? And how is she walking on her own?
Alice nodded.
-Yes, I did make her with my own hands. It's a bit complicated process, so let's just say that it's magic.
-Oh, I see. By the way, can you make something else than dolls?
The magician looked at the wind priestess quizzically.
-Well, that depends on what you're asking of, exactly.
-Like, can you make a robot?
The magician was confused.
-...What is even a robot?
-Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that Gensokyo isn't that far in terms of technology.
-I'm not sure what you're talking about exactly, but if you have a drawing or picture of it, then I might be able to recreate it, if it's not something too complex.
Sanae was excited.
-That sounds delightful! I don't have anything on me to show you, but perhaps when I will solve this incident, I would be able to visit you then?
The magician nodded.
-Sure, I live back in the Forest of the Magic, just be sure to not confuse houses, because a certain black witch also lives there. My house has a lot of dolls outside, so you can't really miss it.
-Got it! Well, I should be going now, I have already warmed up and rested enough, so it's time for me to get on with this incident solving.
-That's fine. Don't let me hold you.
Sanae then collected her things and flied up to the sky, then waved at the magician and the doll and headed towards the Netherworld barrier.
Alice and Shanghai waved back at the wind priestess as she flied away.