"Where did he go?"
"I don't know! First he was there and gone in one second!"
"That's impossible!"
"Greg? Greg! Where are you?!"
"Anything on the cameras?"
"Nope, he may have just disappeared."
So what if I escaped the hospital? I found out what my newest ability was, it's flying! Apparently during danmaku battles, opponents fly and shoot these magical projectiles and use up to 3 spell cards in one battle.
I never followed these rules now that I thought about it, however that didn't matter.
The past 2 days I trained flying inside the toilet stall so no one could see, and I used it to escape from the hospital!
As for my injuries, ah they hurt but they are not going to hold me back, since I also got my walking stick on me!
I am now inside the abandoned human village, looking for nothing in particular. "Greg, what are you up to?" I turn around to see a pissed Reimu glaring at me.
"I can stand on my own two legs, no need for me to go back." I say to her.
"So you're not going to steal anything from the locals?"
"You think that low of me? I'm curious about the village since I haven't spent much time here."
"Suspicious."
"Fair enough, how about I leave the village then?"
"You're coming back with me Greg!"
"Nah, like I said not feeling it man." Reimu was visibly annoyed.
"Fine, suit yourself!" She said as she walked away.
Even with her gone, more will look for me for sure, if Reimu's not going to do it it's probably someone else.
I decided to walk inside the forest of magic some more, there where fairies still hanging around and shooting bullets at me.
Other than that, it was a beautiful scenery. "Hey you!" I heard from behind me.
"Why must I always turn around to meet up with a- oh you're new!" I say as I turned around for indeed the manyth amount of times.
A girl was a few meters away from me with a katana pointed at me with a serious look on her face.
She has long dark-red hair and blue eyes, she was wearing modern clothing? Because she's wearing a Metallica t-shirt!
"Damn girl you got good taste in music!" I complimented with one thumb up.
"Don't play games! How am I sure you're not like them?" She asked.
"Ah you mean Youkai? Uhhh I'm a Dutch guy who moved to the USA and suddenly ended up here? That enough?"
She had not lowered her weapon yet and still stood ready to attack me.
"Prove it!" So I stretched my body and I do what I do best.
"Carrière maken"
"Totdat de bom valt"
"Werken aan de toekomst"
"Totdat de bom valt"
"Ik ren op een agenda"
"Totdat de bom valt"
"Veilig in het ziekenfonds"
"Totdat de bom valt"
"En als de bom valt dan lig ik in mijn nette pak-"
"Yes yes enough! Point proven!" She said with her expression calming and lowering her weapon.
"Hey you asked for it! Anyhow what's your name?"
"It's Ivy, Ivy Wrightheart."
"Hello Ivy, welcome to Gensokyo, my name is Greg Hellwalker and I'll be your guide I guess."
We entered the empty local pub.
"So how have you been doing in Gensokyo?" Ivy asked.
"Pretty good besides Adve's terrorism, the locals are kind."
"They are? And got attacked by a demon child with red eyes and a black smoke following it."
"Oh yeah, definitely been there!" I tell Ivy about what happened in the scarlet devil mansion, Adve and held the topic after I won the battle against Adve.
"You are quite the guy Greg!" Ivy complimented.
"Agreed, however I recently had an adventure and got hurt and should be at the hospital now, buuuut I decided that's no fun so that's why I was taking a stroll." I explain. "I see, hospitals do get boring I know that much."
"Also they're probably after my ass right now, so if you could meet them, they'll get you to the hospital and I get to escape. Win win?"
"You sure there's no way of leaving this place?"
"Probably yes, but honestly not that I know of, talk to the residents of the hospital about it, mayhaps the injured old fossil could help you out… oh lookie here, they've arrived cya!" Greg said as he suddenly disappeared while running towards a wall.
"Hey wait!" I shouted in hopes he would return.
"Did you hear that?" A voice asked.
"That's not Greg's voice! Who else could it be?" Ivy was a bit suspicious about them, it's only because of the fact that Greg was one of those people you get along with quickly that she dropped the idea of him being hostile.
The 2 people went inside the bar only to find Ivy with her katana pointed at them. "Woah easy easy! Lets not do anything bad now, my name is Meiling and this is Sakuya. We're one of the search parties made to look for a guy named Greg, he has an mechanical arm and he is one of the only males in Gensokyo, have you seen him?" Meiling asked.
"Meiling I don't think she's native to Gensokyo." Sakuya said while glaring at me.
I take a step or two back from the two.
"Wait, it's not safe out here! Please let me help you." Meiling said as she went on her knees.
"You can trust me, here I happen to have a snack on me if you're hungry." Sakuya handed her a bag and she pulled out a rice ball from it.
"Come, I'll tell you all about Gensokyo. I'll answer as many questions as possible if you want."
I put my weapon away and slowly came forward to take the food she was offering.
"Y-you don't have to kneel, I'm not a kid you know!" I pout.
"Still, it's quite a shock suddenly appearing into Gensokyo, have you met an aggressive youkai before coming to the village?"
"I have met a human eating youkai, and I met Greg."
"So you did see him! Where is he now?" Sakuya asked.
"He went in the wall and disappeared!"
"Oh that Greg, it's obvious he does not want to be found, let's just head back for now." Meiling said.
"Wait hold on! Can't I return back to earth? Greg mentioned an injured old fossil could get me back!" I ask in desperation.
"Oh he means Yukari, yeah I think so, but you still have to get to the hospital because that's where she is right now."
"Alright I'll come with you." I concluded and finally eat the rice ball.
Following Meiling and Sakuya we talked along the way, talking about anything and everything.
"So Greg already taught you some stuff about this world right?" Meiling asked.
"I guess, but I don't understand half of it, plus there's no need since I'll be going back soon anyway."
"Yes that is true, come on. The hospital is so close!"
And they call this a hospital? In front of me stood a heavily fortified building with turrets and bunkers surrounding the area. I began to walk behind Meiling, despite my age I'm still shy especially if I'm meeting youkai of all people.
"Are you shy Ivy?" Meiling asked.
I began to blush. "S-so what?" I said quietly.
"Alright then, walk behind me and I'll quickly walk to the elevator, so you don't even have to look at anyone."
"H-hey I'm not a kid!" I quickly tell her.
"Alright, have it your way then. Just follow me."
As we entered the hospital I immediately could feel stares coming at me from multiple corners of the reception, I quickly followed Meiling and Sakuya to the elevator and went inside, Sakuya pressed the button for the 2nd floor and luckily the door closed. "Phew!" I exhaled. "You're the shyest person I've ever met." Sakuya said.
"Good for you, stop mentioning it." I almost yelled.
Meiling was giving Sakuya an angry stare.
As the elevator reached its destination, I followed the rest to the last room where this 'old injured fossil' was getting treated.
As we walked inside there were only two others in the room, the fossil in bed and witch. "Sakuya, Meiling what's going on ze?"
"We found an outsider wanting to go home, we figured you could help us Yukari?" Sakuya explained.
"Oh? How come an outsider appear? Had someone put her here?" Yukari asked. "No, no I was first at home and suddenly I was in a forest." I replied.
"That's strange, I'll sent you back don't worry." Yukari said while a gap appeared in front of me.
"That gap takes you home, have a nice journey!" Yukari said.
"Goodbye Ivy, it was nice to meet you while it lasted!" Meiling waved.
"Likewise, thank you!" I said while hopping in the gap.
I was on the ground, I arrived somewhere but not home.
Looking around it seemed like I was in a forest of bamboo.
How is this possible? I thought she would get me home?
I heard someone approaching me, so I unsheathed my katana.
"Who's there?!" I shout at whoever's nearby.
Suddenly a fireball came at me from the right that I slashed with my katana.
"I should be the one asking the questions." A voice said.
"My name is Mokou Fujiwara state your name and business!"
"I-Ivy Wrightheart, and I just want to go home!"
"And why can't you just teleport home huh!?"
"I was meant to go home but I ended up here!" I'm suddenly feeling a major dose stress making me drop my weapon and breath heavily.
"Huh? Ivy?" Fujiwara shouted and ran towards me.
"Calm down, breath slowly deep breaths, in- and out- and in- and out." I did exactly that, I was in shock I think it wasn't stress? I just want to go home.
"My apologies for before, because of your sudden appearance and timing I thought you had malicious intent."
"I-it's fine." I said in a quiet voice.
"Hold on I'll bring you to the Hospital, I'll tell you more later."
"Wait I'm still in Gensokyo?" "You were here before?"
"Oh no no no!"
Fujiwara Mokou escorted me to the hospital and back to Yukari where Meiling and Marisa where still present.
"Huh, Ivy I thought I got you back." Yukari asked in surprise.
"Well she got sent to the bamboo forest instead, care to explain?" Fujiwara demanded with her voice raised.
"I did not temper with my gaps!" Yukari countered.
"Wait, let me scan you for magic!"
Maria said as she observed me closely from top to bottom.
"I think I see the problem. Ivy, someone bound you to Gensokyo therefore you can't leave."
"What! I can't leave?! But what about my family? My parents will miss me, or my younger brother! And my important stage performances I need to do! M-m-my h-home?" I couldn't take it much longer and tears started streaming down my face.
"I j-just want to go home!" Meiling came forward and gave me a hug.
"It's going to be alright; we will find a way to get you back home I promise!" Meiling said with a determined look on her face.
She turned to the others in the room, and they gave a reassuring smile back.
"Okay, I'll trust you." I say while wiping away my tears.
"But first let me treat you to a meal from Mystia!" Meiling said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me back towards the elevator.
"Hey! Be gentle." I yell at her. "Whoops."
If you're wondering what Greg is up to, say no more because I'm back narrating baby! "We'll help too, once I'm better anyway." I say. "Agreed." Alice who was sitting next to me responded.
We had one of Alice's dolls equip a camera to see what Ivy was up to from Alice's couch back in her house.
"Hey Alice, I just wanted to say thanks for letting me stay here at your place."
"No problem, however, Greg, you seem off today. Tell me what's going on inside your nut of a brain." She said while poking my head.
"Hey heyyy stop!" I waved my arms in front of my head to make her stop what only made Alice laugh. "Alright alright, okay Alice, I'm just tired.
Heck I've done nothing but train for most of my days here, other than that I've been stopping villains and stuff and I want to rest for a bit now." I explained.
Alice had a concerning look on her face.
"Hey, you shouldn't push yourself too hard, even when there's an evil maniac running loose, you still got to take care of yourself!" She said while she took one of my hands and held it.
"It's alright, you can take a break. Now come on, I'm getting sleepy, which is probably because we're both very busy, but I want to sleep in the bed instead of the couch." She got up and was already walking towards the bedroom.
"H-hold on! You mean we?" I stutter making Alice look back at me then suddenly grabbing my hand and pulled me with her. "W-w-what?" I continue to stutter.
Too late however, she threw me onto the bed, and she jumped on top of me. My face is as red as a color of red and constantly try to say something, but everything came out as stutters. "Shhhh~" Alice held her finger on my mouth and lied down beside me. "There, not so bad right? We've technically done this before so we should be fine." "Alice" "ah don't Alice me, I can see right through you, you like this just like me!"
I pulled Alice closer and went for an embrace.
"Alice, you're the best person I've ever met in my life!"
"Oho, thank you Greg. I feel the same way." Alice said as she embraced me back. With our arms wrapped around each we made ourselves warm in bed.
We stayed in that position not saying a word until we drifted off to sleep.