"SO NATURALLY I HAD TO ACCEPT HER OFFER OF HELP, AS WE ARE IN NEED TO ADAPT OURSELVES TO THE SPELL CARD RULES"
"Just yesterday I had to fight a blondie youkai, I don't find myself yet capable to fight with "danmaku" "
"You fought Rumia? How was the fight?" Yukari asks.
"I never knew such a small thing could pack such a punch" I responded.
"Well it's great both of you are adapting to the rules, but I do suggest training with your "inner" potential, You never know when tools are bound to fail, especially modern weaponry." Yukari assures us.
"I've met AKs In much worse states and kept running lead, firearms have really taken a leap on reliability and quality." I debated, after all: Live by the gun, die by the gun
"Violence is never the answer, and must rarely be used for anything." She argued.
"Rarely? What are your justified "uses" " I asked.
"Youkai are shaped by how the human mind reacts to their fears, and sometimes we have "brave" individuals who want to separate from the rest and fight us. When nothing else works, it's when violence is justified."
"What about people who just want to see the world burn?"
"Well, they won't have the commodity to live by a loving family and reach old age." She nonchalantly concludes
Jeez…
"HOWEVER WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A WORRYING SITUATION MISS YAKUMO." Ven says to her.
"Oh?"
"OUR FUEL IS RUNNING LOW FOR OUR GENERATOR, AND GIVEN I DOUBT GENSOKYO HAS A REFINING FACILITY FOR ITS NATURAL RESOURCES"
"What type of fuel does your generator take?"
"Kerosene." I respond to Ven.
"Luckily for both of you, the owner of Kourindou also has a Kerosene generator. I will provide him with some I grab from the outside."
"THAT IS NOT MY CONCERN…"
"hmm?" Both Yukari and I grunt.
"I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIMENTING WITH THE MATERIAL THE LINK NODE IS MADE OF, AND THAT HAS GOTTEN ME TO THE SPECULATION OF SOMETHING: IF MAGICAL ENERGY EXIST WITHIN GENSOKYO, THERE IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT CERTAIN MATERIALS EXIST IN GENSOKYO THAT CAN REACT WITH IT, BASICALLY, CREATE A 'MAGICAL' BATTERY TO ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR LIQUID FUEL."
Interesting solution…
"Intriguing conclusion you came to! Yes, certain materials in Gensokyo can store magical energy, but how would you artificially store it in the first place?"
"YOU WON'T KNOW SOMEONE WHO COULD AID US APART FROM MISS KAWASHIRO? SOMEONE ADEPT IN THE FIELD OF 'MAGICKA'?"
"Patchouli could help you." I suggest.
"Yes, the house librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion is more than qualified in magic, she could consider it." Yukari backs my answer
"PERHAPS I COULD PAY A VISIT LATER TO-"
"Hey hold it wires! You're helping me find trees." I objected.
"I beg your pardon?" Yukari asks perplexed
"I got about the end of the week to find some trees, and unfortunately it's not prime season for firs apparently"
"Ah, those. Well you best get moving, I heard that Kanako takes her punishment seriously." Yukari says with a grin as she looks at me
"Figured"
According to Venetian, we woke up at 10:45 in the morning, plus 20 mins after my breakfast, and we had the morning to look for Fir.
Nothing so far…
12:02 PM
"LOWER SECTOR 2 OUT OF 13, NO SIGN OF FIR TREES" Ven
"Are you sure about that? It's like a pine tree, pine trees are common in mountains"
"FIR TREES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN PINE, IN STRUCTURE AND SHAPE."
"Oh you a tree expert now?" I mock him.
"BECAUSE THAT IS A PINE." He points to a tree to his right side, and yes, that's definitely pine.
"..." I stood silently.
"DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW A REFERENCE AS WELL? ANY PICTURES ARE HELPFUL TO FIND FIR."
"Well, Sanae gave me this drawing, it's as close as it gets". I respond as I hand Ven a scroll, Sanae had given me one of Suwako's personal scrolls where she stores general info on the shrine.
"ANYTHING MORE MODERN?" Ven asks.
"Take it or leave it."
2:38 PM
"Nothing here! How can a mountain with lots of vegetation not have a single Fir in sight?"
"SECTOR 5/13 CLEAR, NO SIGHTINGS."
"Why don't we ask someone?"
3:10 PM
"I-I…I heard some tree d-ddo happen to stay around the middle, But I know nothing else more!" A Moriya follower hesitantly says.
"Thank you, anyone who happens to know more?" I asked.
"Go ask the Wolf tengu, I'm late for my prayers!" He exclaimed as he rushed up the hill, catching up with the rest of his group.
"DO YOU THINK WE SCARED HIM?"
"That's what happens when you pop out of the bushes out of nowhere and approach strangers, learn human interaction." I said to Ven.
"YOU'RE THE MOST HUMAN HERE"
"In a body of smoke, it's not gonna work too! Lucky for us he obliged."
3:30 PM
"I do help Moriya in the time to harvest the wood, but it's not prime fir season, You'll have to be blessed by the dragon god to even find a lone tree around here." Momiji says as she sharpens her sword.
We sat around her in her tent outpost around the middle of the mountain.
"But is there a chance? You wouldn't happen to see one around"
'Last time I saw one was around a month ago, but I highly doubt I can remember the place I saw it."
"CAN WE TRUST THAT TESTIMONY?" Ven asked.
"Look, you either have faith in that or leave empty handed." Momiji sounds slightly annoyed.
"The problem is that I need it ASAP. They have a ceremony by the end of the week and I need at least 2 trees for it."
"That sounds like a YOU problem," she responds, " Think twice before messing with divinity."
"If you excuse me now, duty calls." Momiji said as she stood up and flew downwards the mountain.
…
"What other options do we even have?" I hopelessly said to Ven.
"PERHAPS WE COULD DISCUSS IT BACK AT BASE, i MUST MEET WITH NITORI." He responds.
"I am getting hungry… let's head back and see what we have on the table."
4:00 PM
"I know about the firs, but as you may know, is not prime season." Nitori said as she took a look into Ven's innards.
"any thoughts" I asked Ven
"..."
"Ven?"
"I asked him to turn it off, I don't wanna be electrocuted."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Nothing… You really messed up Mr. Canmoore."
…
She's right…
I really brought it hard like anvils.
"Imma go get some air, leave him as you found him."
"Will do!"
I exit the pillbox, I didn't close the door, I haven't found strength to even do it, the overwhelming sensation of not being able to do anything drowned me like steam in a sauna, if said steam was made from hemlock. I walked around the front yard in circles, zig zags and suddenly stopped by realizing…
Kanako's punishment was so mundane and idiotic, I would not get out of the well ever again…
No one will ever take me seriously again.
I reach for my pockets, to find my…
Smokes?
"Huh?" I scrambled around every pocket.
I never leave without them, I had them all this whole time!" I thought.
"Smoke?" A feminine voice is heard in front of me.
I look up, and find Sakuya standing relatively close to me, handing me my box of smokes.
"... what are you-"
"You forgot them at the mansion, I figured you'd want them."
"Thanks… Does your mistress know you're here?"
"Oh I never missed a day at work, I've got paid leave like candy in a jar!" She explains "But never told her who it was for."
"Thank you."
I checked the box open, not a single one was lost…
She learned quickly!
"Sorry If I appear a bit down," I said as I took a smoke out, "Not the best of times at the moment."
"What appears to be the problem?" Sakuya asks.
"A task I gotta carry for Moriya, Simple yet so far."
"Is it the censing ritual?" she assumes
"Great, who else knows about it too?" I sarcastically exclaim.
"My mistress goes to witness it every year, even Reimu is present."
"So.. it's a big deal apparently?"
"Quite, yes"
I don't respond to that answer, I just take a big hit on my smoke, observing how the embers consume a third of the paper and tobacco and exhale deeply.
"You seem to be in quite a stressful situation…" She says
"I don't NEED to be reminded, thank you." I said as I fan the smoke in front of me away.
"Rude…"
"Sorry, It's just not a good time…"
"I see, I believe I must get going."
"Wait! mind staying a bit with us, Nitori is tweeking something on Ven, would love a bit of convo."
"Sure, Ladies first!" Sakuya says as she gets to the door waving at me to get inside.
I give her a small chuckle in response.
"Do you think you've done wrong by taking the boards?" Sakuya asks me as she sits on the sofa.
"I like to think not, I would've frozen if I had not." I respond as I walk around the room.
"Well, you had to see it coming, stealing from Moriya was a big mistake for you pal, consider yourself lucky they allowed you to repay them." Nitori responds.
"I had no idea. It was my second day in Gensokyo and I never had the idea that gods lived among the land." I responded.
"I do have a question however, how did you come to know about the existence of Gensokyo in the first place?" Sakuya asks
"You know that other outside girl? Renko?" I say to her.
"I do remember seeing her with us in the meeting we had here."
"She has an ability, perhaps you know about it, what was intriguing is that she possessed a link."
"A what now?" Nitori asks.
"A link, a connection to this realm, I've seen connections before but never one possessed by a living person, usually is just doors."
"I see."
"The thing is that, we happened to cross paths in the outside, we met somewhere in Kyoto, she seemed intrigued in me and we exchanged a bit, we shared a hotel room because at the time I had nowhere to sleep, It was when she slept that the Node glowed, thus showing a link on her."
"Wait, she invited you to her room?"
"I saw it weird too, I just met a stranger and offered me hospice, I recall she told me that she felt something within me that she felt before."
"Don't you think she "felt" something else?" Nitori smuggly replies
"Keep working of tin can here"
"Sorry"
"But yeah, When I touched the node to inspect it, I fainted, when I woke up, I found myself in Gensokyo. Don't remember much of the other details."
"Node?" Sakuya asks.
"THAT'S CLASSIFIED"
We all startled to the sudden voice, a monotone voice. Nitori fell butt first to the ground as we turned to see Venetian turning back on.
"What the?!" Nitori exclaims.
"Don't do that!" I exclaim to Ven.
"SO PLEASE REFRAIN SHARING DATA TO ANYONE"
"You could've shocked me!" Nitori says.
"MY APOLOGIES" Ven says as he stretches his hand to Nitori to lift her back to her feet.
Nitori gets back up.
"You must be the rube who jeopardized my mistress' safety." Sakuya says in a serious tone.
"I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT AS WELL."
"What is wrong with sharing Info, perhaps they could help us as well."
"OUR OBJECTIVE IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE, AND WE COULD JEOPARDIZE IT IF SOMEONE TRIES TO HIJACK OUR RESOURCES"
"Do you have the node?"
"YES"
"Then no one is getting through us! cut me some slack."
"You said that the node reacted to a link, could I see it?" Sakuya asks.
All eyes turn to Ven. He appears hesitant.
"Can I, 'mom'?" I mockingly ask him.
Ven obliges and opens another compartment inside him, reaches his hand inside him and pulls out the Node.
"HAPPY?" Ven tries to sound annoyed.
"Thank you." I said as I grabbed the Node and showed it to Sakuya, Nitori got closer to us to get a peek.
Both get a nice look around it, Sakuya just looks, Nitori gets a feel of the surface.
"You said that brought you to Gensokyo?" Sakuya asks.
"This allows me to enter realms, usually it glows when in the presence of one."
"Have you found one yet?" She asks
"Never thought of a realm… inside a realm…"
…
…
Could it be…
"Are you ok?" Nitori asks.
"Mr. Canmoore?"
"I think I know where to find fir, excuse me ladies but this one is between Venetian and I." I responded.
"I understand, I shall get going too." Sakuya says as she stands up.
"What is it?" Nitori asks.
"I BELIEVE YOU MUST GO, THANK YOU FOR WORKING ON ME TODAY." Ven responds to Nitori.
"Let me get the door for both of you."I said as I went to the door and opened it.
Sakuya and Nitori thank me both as they exited the pillbox.
"Hey Sakuya!" I exclaimed before she left.
"Yes?"
"Tell Flandre I will come by soon."
"Will do!" She responds.
"THAT SOUNDS RIDICULOUS."
"It has to be there! It makes sense in a way!
"YOUR EXPLANATION DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER, IMPOSSIBLE THAT A TREE DISAPPEARS LIKE IT HAS GROWN LEGS."
"There is no common sense in Gensokyo. Think about it! Gods walk among the land, monsters from the Edo period coexist with humans, magic, a landscape beyond natural law, It's nothing for some trees to hide at a certain time of year."
"HOW DID YOU EVEN CONCLUDE THEY MIGHT BE IN THE MORIYA REALM."
"Suwako once told me, legends say they hide somewhere until their right time, fir has a strong spiritual connection with the shrine, It could be that they share a link to the realm, if they go somewhere, it should be there!"
"THEORETICALLY, THE COULD BE IN THERE, BUT HOW DO WE ENTER IN THE FIRST PLACE WITHOUT BEING NOTICED BY THE SHRINE TENANTS."
"It'll be quick, late at night, In 'n' out, we'll be back before sunrise!"
"WE BEST BE, YAKUMO MIGHT SUSPECT SOMETHING IF WE ARE MISSING FOR FAR TOO LONG."
"At least it's a good chance we find the tree-"
"DON'T BE SO OPTIMISTIC, I ESTIMATE A 70 PERCENT RATE OF FAILURE."
"Shove those statistics up your shiny metal ass."
"MAKE ME."
Moriya Shrine, 11:40 PM
We take small steps, tread as quietly as we can towards the main entrance and try to make ourselves as small as possible. Surprisingly, Ven is moving at a quiet pace, for a robot he really does not squeak too much.
Past the torii, then the main yard and finally standing atop the gigantic twirled rope ornament. I take the lead to climb up the wooden platform to avoid Ven's weight creaking the boards, and stand by on the sliding shoji.
"Ready?"
Ven only nods in confirmation.
"Go" I quietly say as I signal him to open his abdomen compartment, the node is exposed. Naturally, it glows its golden light, to which Ven sees coming and turns around to direct the light away and cover it with his body.
The only thing left… opening the door.
Once more the realm appears as if taking place inside the shrine, I signal Ven to come first, this time a bit more roughly and not so quiet, but once he's inside, I swiftly and quietly shut the door.
And the light drowns off the door.