~Beyond the Border~ > Rumia's Party Games

RPG - Waking Up From the Dream (Story Archive - Day 1 and Morning of Day 2)

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Gappy: Forest of Magic, Amarillo's Hut, 4:57 PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier (This happened when the fighting at the border is ongoing) Amarillo Viridian, the gentle ESPer came from the Outer World for hiding, is very worried. She can feel that the nature of Gensokyo is having some strange changes that may lead to something disastrous. However, she was really surprised to see that Rainbow Spark, as a Force Spirit suddenly appeared before her. "Can you hear me? Amarillo Viridian?" "Don't tell me you are abusing your dark side of the force again...." Amarillo just finished her sentence and realized that something is not right. No one can have their projections across time and space. Even not a Force Spirit. "Now it's not the time to scold me!!" The chrono Agent shouts. "Listen, the border of Gensokyo is about to collapse! That's why I can commute to you using that form!" "Eh?" Amarillo can't believe her ears "I just moved in and settled in there for one month and it leads to a destruction?! You can fix that, don't you?" "No, I'm sorry about that, that incident is not created by NOD or FARGO, nor any party we known of in our timeline. Actually, that's the part you really want to take attention to." replied the blueish-projection. "Ok, seems that I'm thrown into some bad luck after all! And you know I hate that! Why cannot people--" she coudn't finish her sentence since the Force Spirit suddenly rose his voice. "FIRST!!! FIND LILY WHITE AND MERGE WITH HER AS YOU FINISHED LISTENING TO MY MESSAGE!!" "But--" "NO BUTS!! THIS IS A CRITICAL MOMENT!! YOU CAN TRY CALLING HER NOW, AS SOON AS YOU TWO BOTH GET OUT YOU CAN GET YOUR REST!!" "Then what about the other yousei? I mean there are still others ---" "Others will take care of them, Lily Black seems safe, and now she's with her partner fighting at the border--- AND DON'T EVER THINK ABOUT JOINING THE FIGHT! YOU'LL BE KILLED!" Seems that Spark suddenly have the ability to read other's mind (Actually, NO.) Seeing that Amarillo close her eyes and start to call her partner using Extra Sense, Spark continues. "I'll sent you to the time/space line which you all will be going into, the time is 2009, the space is "Karuisuwa,Japan" the situlation won't as bad as we got in 21XX since there is no wars. And there is enough nature for you to utilize and recover yourself. However, you'll be weakened....." As the force spirit is speaking, the Fairy of Spring - Lily White had appeared in the hut, and she seems to know what had happened since the commution of the mind is the fastest way of every methods. "You won't see me again when you arrived there. However, there are other Outer World people as well, they have the bond to residents of Gensokyo and you will have to work with them! Be careful of your condition! Stay close to nature and try to help us find out who caused all this so we can interfere!!!" "We are all ready, Mr.Spark." Amarillo opened her eyes, and grabbed the fish rod and the straw hat beside her. "Good, I hate that but I can only report the following to you as Missions. Your Missions are: Work with others, try to find the problem source and STAY ALIVE so you can with others rebuilt the world of Gensokyo. Left the rest to us, you are not suited to fighting at all so the rest is not related to you. Even you can only manage to STAY ALIVE that you have completed this mission." "So.... I know what I have to do." Amarillo replied sadly as she took the hat and wear it, covering her ponytail and makes she looks more like a 14-year-old boy. "Good, now is exactly 5PM, I'll transfer you directly to Karuisuwa. My hints had ended, good luck with you and your friends." As Spark finished his speech, Amarillo extends her hand out and grabbed Lily White's hand. The two bodies started to grow and merge. The Merged form looks more like Amarillo herself but with wings on her back. "Goodbye, Gensokyo." Amarillo muttered the words as her vision started to dim........ ***5:08 PM, ROUGHLY 20 MIN UNTIL THE COLLAPSE OF THE BARRIER, AMARILLO VIRIDIAN & LILY WHITE IS TELEPORTED OUT FROM THE COLLAPSING GENSOKYO INTO KARUISUWA, WHERE THE OTHERS WILL MET AGAIN TO START THE STORY *** [/b][/color] Amarillo Route, Pt 1, END. The border, Day 1, 4.38 PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Sho grinned. Finally, combat on an equal footing with his wife. The difference in power between them had been an annoyance, though it would have been nice to have access to it now. Still, his reflex's had been trained by danmaku. This was nothing. Letting his emotions drain out to be replaced by calm, he muttered "Ryusui Seikuken". As a multitude of enemy attacks neared him, he dodged them with ease. "Kyuu Geki Issatsu" He erupted into a flurry of motion, raining a flurry of attacks on the nearest foe, to devastating effect. As one larger opponent swung at him, he redirected the force of it's blow back at it and sent it flying into it's compatriots, yielding a nice crunch. He looked over to see his wife holding her own with a set of fans he hadn't seen before. While her previous ones had been quite effective as weapons, these had clearly been designed for that purpose, made from metal and with sharpened edges. As if from nowhere, something zoomed into the crowd of enemies nearest them. Youmu, while not, perhaps, as fast as she had been before her powers had been weakened, was still capable of moving fast enough to register as only a blur, and her swords were certainly still sharp and deadly. Sho's grin intensified. This was going to be fun. The border, Day 1, 4.40 PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "Damn it..." Hiroko grit her teeth as she swung the metal rod in a wide arc. She had recently learned how to danmaku, but if everyone else, who were vastly more experienced than her, couldn't use their spellcards, what chance was there for her? Another of the creatures rushed at her, spitting and hissing horribly. She bat it away, but it didn't go as far as before. She was tiring, and she was sure that the others were, too. Psi. The thought suddenly appeared in her head, and she looked up in confusion. What was that about? Use your abilities. The amount of mana present in this world does not matter. Use it. I've no idea what you're talking about! How do I use it? You will know. Then, suddenly, she felt...energized. All the fatigue holding her was gone. With renewed spirits, she rejoined the fray. -- Parsee had always relied on danmaku. When she found out that she couldn't use her spellcards, she felt weak. Vulnerable. Right now, she was doing the best she could with a blade. She stabbed into another creature - how many had that made it? She couldn't remember. Her status as a youkai gave her greater stamina and strength, but the waves of the creatures seemed endless. Things looked bleak. Then, she saw Hiroko fight harder than she had ever before. The human was determinedly cutting through the creatures steadily. Her morale raised, Parsee continued to fight... ...and with the roar of guns and Taihou had slashed through a building behind the shrine, which had been pulverised by a gust of wind. The two relaxed visibly. The immediate danger was finally over. A caf? in Karuisuwa, ???? PM, Day 1 Sanasan and Renko are sitting in a booth, sipping their drinks. "....Something's wrong with the other side." Renko said, with a serious face. "What makes you say that?" Sanasan asked. "Well.....when we just tried to get through the border, didn't something seem strange to you?" "Not really...I don't remember anything really happening." "That's just it. Nothing happened. Usually, we'd get at least some sort of reaction from the barrier. But this time, absolutely nothing happened. It's like.....the other side just stopped existing between yesterday and today." "Hm..."Sanasan thought to himself. "Maybe....the entry point changed?" "The point changed huh? Well, I suppose that could be possible....Since we have been using that shrine as the entry point the entire time." "Exactly. Sounds like we need another shrine." "Luckily, I know just the place. I really didn't want it to come to this, but...there's another shrine just out of town, and it's much larger than the one we usually go to." "How come you never go there then? Being just out of town, wouldn't it be much more convenient?" "Well, um....I heard rumours that it was haunted...." Renko turned away, with her face red. "Wait. So you're telling me that....you're afraid of ghosts?" Renko nodded sheepishly. Sanasan laughed. "Wow, I never would've thought that! I thought I was the only one who never grew out of that! Don't worry about it, ghosts freak me out too. That's why I never watch horror movies." Renko smiled broadly. "Well, that settles it then! Tonight, we'll face our fears and check out that old shrine! And just maybe....we'll get to the other side of that barrier!" Early morning, Day two, outskirts of town. Sanasan and Renko were both standing on a path with a burnt sign saying "Abandoned building ahead. Do not enter." Both were gripping their flashlights tightly, hands shaking. "Ready?" Renko asked nervously. "Whenever you are." Sanasan said, gripping his flashlight like he would never let go. Together, the two made their way to the old shrine. Palace of Earth Spirits, Day 1, ???? PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "I think we really should be going..." Gpop said to Koishi. "Hmm...? Is something the matter? You seem frightened and worried." Koishi replied. "Well, I haven't seen Parsee today, and I heard some distant shouting from above...the surface it seems. I recognized Remilia's voice and all that. I think we should check it out." "Well if you feel that way I guess we could surface once again. I'm bored anyways~" Gpop and Koishi lift themselves up from their bed in their room located in Koishi's Palace. They open the front door and they head towards the main gate. On their way they find Satori, Koishi's sister, watching over her pets, Utsuho and Orin, as well as others in their animal forms. She notices them on their way to the front gate. "Hmm? You're leaving? Why?" asks Satori. She turns to Gpop and tries to read his heart. "Hmm...because you heard distant shouting...from the surface...and you two want to check it out? Ah okay then. Just please don't let anything happen to my sister. I love her dearly, and I trust that you'll take care of her, despite your lack of magic." "Oh I will. I won't let anything happen to my dear Koishi," replied Gpop. And he glances at Koishi and she glances back, smiling. They turn around and continue towards the front gate. They open the front gate and started their way towards the front entrance. The border, Day 1, 4.40 PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier To Alex this was more than a battle of bodly protection it was a battle to save a land from permanant non existance dispite the loss of outside boosting that gensokyo normally gave he still had enough Inner spiritial power left to make his melee blows fair more destructive than what pure muscle power can give destructive enough to tear asunder the creatures that came towards him and lily black. "I WILL NOT KEEL OVER AND DIE HERE" has he kicks a shadow creature into a tree causing it to burst apart while giving a punch that sent one flying beyond human eye sight. Lily Black wasn't too happy about about losing a fairys main (and normally only) defense method but wasn't exactly the easy prey the shadow creatures were wanting since Alex had be teaching her bits of his style as well has more basic self defense you name it she was doing it biting scratching kicking. Still they knew that eventually they would be swamped over because those who still had left over magic ki or anykind of non physcial power will use it up and those who are physcially fighting will eventually get tired and make a fatal combat mistake or make a moment to slow without something awesome taking place in their favor they would lose and gensokyo would be doomed as well has perhaps the other Realms inhabitants and maybe even the outside world itself. Then suddenly Taihou's sudden outburst tips the scales in ther favor Alex mutters "what the... this spirit and power doesn't feel humanly based...its almost scary" After watching him take out the creatures and apparently drive off their leader who curses him..and then calls him a half demon. Alex then says "doesn't matter he's saved us and thats what matters right now we need to finish up getting out of here before we can't." The border, Day 1, 5.05 PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Everybody was battling with anything they got. Fists, weapons or left over spirit power. The strange creatures trying to invade Gensokyo kept on swarming little by little. "Koakuma! shouted Patchouli "Let us try to combine our powers. I am not going to lose my books to these idiots" "Sure my lady" they hold eachothers hands and Patchouli tried one more time to create a spell. A magical circle appeared below their feet. "It seems to be working. Now then . . . what?!" The magical circle below Patchouli's feet became instable and exploded violently throwing Patchouli and Koakuma away. "Patchouli! Koakuma!"  Reimu shouted. "Darn it. What is going on here." "Reimu! Look out" Suika alerted. The creature jumped on Reimu's back started to bite her arm. Without any hesitation Suika grabbed her gourd and smashed it into the creature. It let go and started crawling on the floor. It was total chaos at the shrine. The creatures kept on coming and coming. No matter how many there were cut, punched, smashed, they kept coming. Youmu and Kojiro were trying to protect the majority with their swords. Even though Youmu cannot use her hyper speed powers she still has the ability to swing a sword. "You think they are edible" Yuyuko asked while Youmu slashed a few of those humanoid creatures. "Lady Yuyuko, this is not the time for joking around! I am trying to be serious here." "Look out!" Kojiros quickly jumped in and slashed two creatures who took Youmu off guard. "Damn cowards!" he said. "Attacking a lady when she is showing her back." Lucky Alex, Meiling, Zei and Mitaka are somehow handy with their physical strenght. Since the Mistress, Flandre, Patchouli and Koakuma are powerless aswell as all the others who rely on their spiritual strenght, they have to use melee combat or other melee weapons. A sudden shout and scream was hearable from the frontline. Sakuya saw Suika and Reimu getting hit and falling to the ground. Youmu, Kojiros, Zei and Meiling charged in to shield them. "Quick, get them out of there! Reimu cannot be knocked out else the passage will fail!" Kojiros shouted while slashing more creatures. "I'll do it" said Mitaka. He quickly took them to safety being guided by Pichu and Shinki. But the creatures started surrounding the whole party. It was becoming too much. The melee fighters were starting to get exhausted and kept on receiving one injury after another. "Blasted things. If I only had my spiritual power." said Youmu. "Then I would revoke instant death on every one of them!" added Yuyuko "That's right Lady Yuyuko!" "For making me this hungry!" Youmu sighed Flandre clamped herself against her sister "Sister, I am scared. These creatures are evil. They have no hearts. I can see it but not destroy it." Remilia has never seen her little sister like this. She started thinking:  "what would be the possible cause this? There must be some sort of source, there must be. Every magic has a source of power. So the user must be nearby hiding. "Sakuya" she called Sakuya was sitting close to Taihou "Yes my lady?" "Try to use your scanning powers to sense any different spirtual source than ours and those of the creatures." "I'll try. . " She closed her eyes and tried to use her scanning powers but with no effect. "My apologies my lady, it seems it is useless." At that moment Suwako carried Youmu aswell to the group. She was heavy injured. Remilia saw how Kojiros struggling to protect her and everyone else. Her thoughts were constantly about him: "Please becareful Kojiros" Almost every Gensokyo girl is powerless at this moment. They all are praying for Reimu to keep the passage way intact. However she was weiring weaker and weaker. "We are going to die all here" Aya said. "Have faith!" Kanako said. "Have faith in the ones who try to protect us at this moment. For that they have been worshipping us. Now we will have to worship them for the moment." At that moment Taihou felt a bit of dizzy while using his own dagger skills to cut creatures. Sakuya noticed Taihou holding his hand against his head. "Taihou dear, are you ok?" Taihou didn't react. He dropped his dagger and fell on the ground on his knees staring at the sky.  "Taihou! Wake up! Wake up! There is a creature aproaching!" A pair of creatures rushed towards him with their sharp nails sticking out, ready to cut and slice. "Shit!" I can't help Kojiro said. He was too busy trying to cut the creatures. Especially cause Youmu was knocked out. "Come on Taihou! WAKE UP!" those words echoed around the whole shrine A mini earthquake occured. The whole shrine ground started shaking. "An earthquake? Is the border collapsing?" Yuyuko asked. "No" awnsered Patchouli: "This is something else." The ground around Taihou cracked and a dust of wind rapidly whirled around his body starting from his feet up his knees to his upper torso. The wind stretched along his arms to his hands causing more swirls. The creatures got blown away from the gust of wind being released. Sakuya saw how Taihou's eyes turned from brown to bright green. "Taihou?" He didn't react but stood up by picking up his dagger. He walked towards the frontline where all the creatures were still battling the defenders. "Woah Taihou, are you all. . . What the hell happened to your body and eyes?" Taihou still didn't awnser but stepped right in front of the frontline. "What are you doing?! Stay behind us you fool!" All the creatures turned there attention towards him and rushed. Taihou started roaring with his voice. It was so intense that everybody could feel the roar deep inside their bodies. He lifted up his dagger and started spinning it. With each spin a crackling sound was noticeable. Meiling took a few step back "We have to protect the masters. Quickly, guard them with your body." They all rapidly retreated and made a circle around the vurnible group. Taihou stopped the spin and aimed his dagger to the front as if holding a gun and stroke it down to the floor beneith him. The entire floor splitted up into several pieces causing massive explosions. All the creates in the area got instantly destroyed. With his green eyes he stared at the location behind the Hakurei shrine building. Another swing with his dagger released a gust of wind moving at high speed towards the building. The building litterally got split into two pieces as pieces of wood started flying around. "Curse you human. Or should I say half demon?" echoed a voice again. "It's the same voice again as before." said Patchouli. "I didn't expect few puny human souls would be able to stop my army of creatures but I also didn't expect one human soul to destroy my familiar. This is not over yet. This is just the beginning." The voice dissapeared in echo. Slowly all the creautres began to turn into dust and dissolve in air. Taihou's eyes dimmed and turned back to brown. He lost concesnious and fell on the ground. Sakuya rushed towards her husband: "Taihou! Taihou!" "I can feel a bit of my powers returning." said Reimu. Patchouli noticed her powers returning aswell. She could summon basic spells again. "It seems that familiar was blocking our entire spiritual source in a wide radius. We all suddenly lost our powers close to the shrine. But it is not at full strenght. The weakning of the border is also affecting it." Koakuma reported the final state of the border once more: "Patchouli-sama, The border has aprox 20 minutes life time left. We must make final preperations for passing." "Keep your guard up all" Patchouli commanded. "Whoever that was he is still watching us probably. We broke his spell, which was quite powerful so it cannot use another one in such a short time." She looked at the fainted Taihou who was showing strange behaviour ever since the scarlet mansion. "I wonder" Underground Passage to the Border, Day 1, 5.05 PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "Hey Koishi, she told me to keep you safe. Why is she telling me this now and not before? I mean, we went to the surface many times before." Gpop was puzzled by Satori's words. "I dunno. Maybe she knows something that we don't?" replied Koishi. "If she does, maybe she didn't want us to panic? She's keeping something from us, and we're going to find out what on the surface!" Gpop yelled. They pass by the bridge and Gpop noticed that Parsee is still gone, along with that other girl that's always with her. She must on the surface as well, Gpop thought to himself. Since they're much closer to the surface and all, they probably were affected by this. Then they noticed a light at the end of the tunnel. That must be the entrance! thought Gpop. The Hakurei Shrine, Yatsugatake National Park, Outside World, Day 1, 5.05 PM, Roughly 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier ".....So tell me why we're here again?" Sanasan and Renko were standing in front of an old shrine. The place was barren, looking like nobody had cleaned it in ages. "...I just wanted to see it again. I remember I was always trying to get past the border to the other side. But every time I tried, I'd always get a glimpse before the opening would close again. I just thought that maybe it would work this time." Renko sighed. "I guess I'm just disappointed that I never got past the border." "Don't worry, you'll get there someday. I mean, it's not like the other world is going anywhere right? You've got plenty of time to get there." He said. "But if it makes you feel any better, why don't we try it again today? We've got lots of time right now." Renko's expression brightened. "Why not? Another try wouldn't hurt. Maybe we'll actually get more than a glimpse this time."

Gappy: The border, Day 1, 5.21 PM, Less than 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Since all the enemies have disintergrated at last, Kojiro finally lowered his sword, and stood awkwardly still but was exhausted. He turns behind him to see Remilia holding her frightened little sister. The site was both relaxing but very displeasing. he was happy they were safe but he was very troubled that they were so powerless, They look no different than ordinary children afraid of the dark or of a giant storm outside their homes. Koji: I'm glad....we protected them.... Hey Zei? Zei: *stands up grugdingly* ....y-yeah? what? Koji: good...job you...idiot...hehe..heheh and with that he finally loses all his strength and collapses backwards with a medium thud. Remilia watched as he fell back and scurried to his side ASAP. Half surprised that he collapsed and half surprised she got up to him so fast. Zei: I-idiot? You're the one who passed out you cirno. Remilia gave him a quick scowl and looked over her injured friend frantic. Koji: ugh....d-dam...one too many blows. i guess i over did it....!! H-how's Youmu? Remilia: The frog carried her to safety, she's recovering with her group. Koji: *sits up a bit*.....i see... *picks up his katana from the ground and stands up slowly* Remilia: *helps him up* after getting everyone recovered Sakuya and Taihou are talking together about his half demon side that she didn't know about, while the others are with mima discussing possible outcomes and whatnot. Kojiro and Zei contemplate what to do once they get to the outside world once and for all assuming this "Mysterious Voice" sucker doesn't attack them again Zei: how many did you kill? Koji: i lost count around 300 hundred but this isn't a game you know....even if we are reincarnating immortals Zei: i know but its so fucking tense right now i don't knwo what to think. Koji:........can't argue there.....*holds his chest*....dam....i think my heart took too much pressure just now Zei: lol Koji: don't lol me. what about you eh?! By now Youmu is completely healed and functional again. She was helping other recover from the battle and whatnot Zei: Hey guys i think the sky is cracking apart! The sky was indeed wearing off first. literally cracks in the sky was being made and through it showed absolutely nothing but a void in and of itself. The dimension was on its deathbed breathign its last few breaths. Everyone looked in horror and amazement at teh site of the crumbling sky. Patchouli: I don't think the boundary will last another 30 minutes Koakuma: R-really? this is....the end of our world... Koji:....indeed it is but despair only comes from a lack of hope, i don't know what that voiced being is tryin to accomplish but once i find out and find it i'll pulverize it into oblivion. Remilia: Are you okay? you was nearly pulverized yourself! I was really-*puts her head down*....worried Koji:......I'm sorry Remilia....i know, sorry to say, but i'm used to fighting by myself. Fightin along side people forces me to hold back a lot. and even more since my Monohoshizao is rather longer than normal too. Remi: excuses excuses! next time fight so that i....won't worry. you'd better promise me that or i'll skewer you myself! Koji: *sweatdrops* Yes Remilia i promise it ._.; with that she suddenly hugged him and in surprise he hugged her in return as well. Mima called everyone over along with Reimu and they made final preparations for the border jump.  Everyone headed over as they listened to what Reimu and Mima were saying regarding the jump to the outside world but Remilia was fidgeting restlessly Koji: what's wrong? Remi: Are you really going to start a spiritual link with me when we get to the outside? Koji: yes i am I said and agreed that i would Remilia. Remi: ......personally i don't want to go back there... Koji:  yeah...i know its because of Flandre that you moved the Mansion to this magical world right? Remi: Indeed...I don't know how reliable that human friend of yours is and it worries me that i'm leaving my sister to supply her with the tremendous energy that she needs Koji: lay your concerns to rest, Zei and I have already discussed an idea to help Flandre stay alive. Any other human would probably shrivel up and die very quickly if they set up a link with Flandre, Zei has somethign in him called "The Midnight Lost Child". With that he is virtually an infinite well of mana that restores itself every 24 hours. As long as a being's mana isn't drained completely it will sustain its existance and live. I'm sure Flandre will be fine with him. Remilia:....I hope so...Flan...was a tool to our father ever since she was born. Koji: what did ya say? i didn't hear you Remi. It was then that Sir Mouse asked Reimu and Mima his question on the mana sharing and everyone wasn't quite sure on how to explain it. Koji: ah you don't know then? well we don't have much time but i'll explain this to you briefly. not realizing he was holding Remilia's hand he walks to the front and she follows him but she lets go as she follows Koji: Mitaka, Taihou help Reimu speed up the transfer process alright? With that they comply and give the 2 girls their support Koji:....well you see as we know Gensokyo is over a mana spring and its been relinquished. We are jumping into the world that originally spawned Gensokyo, the reason why we outsiders are needed and us specifically, is because we have been....uhhh..."baptised" by the essence that is Gensokyo, we can feel its energy and manipulate it to somewhat. Even in the outside world there are small traces of mana that we can tap into, mana can't be taken away from any thing, live or living and we are able to set up a mana sharing link with someone. No normal person in the outside world will be able to help since they are totally unaware of this reality. Zei interuppted suddenly Zei: we could if we wanted to create multiple links with other beings as well but the more links taken the more mana one would have to allocate to the other-BASICALLY its like having a shikigami and you supply it with power constantly. The only problem is distance. Its a link and dependin on how strong it is between the 2 or how much mana the "master" supplies to the "shikigami", the recipient of the mana is restricted to how far it can move from its power source. Koji: and there you have it. *crosses arms* I've had shikigami before but not often i share a spirit link with another person, I only used to do it if the other was on the brink of death and i used my mana to keep him alive at that time. E-mouse: but how do you strengthen the spirit link? Patchouli: that depends on the party involved but its all about synchronization of feelings. its a natural thing. You are better off with someone you trust than with someone you don't am I correct? E-Mouse: fair enough....so trust is the key? Patchouli: most of the time its trust, there are some links very strong simply because people hate each other or have rivalries with each other, the persons involved must have some common ground that they both can stand on with each other, whatever is that connection they have with each other will be the strongest link they have with that person. sometimes it could be nothing though, simply a master supplying enough power to MAKE the link strong. That's why Yukari and Ran can be so far apart while she sleeps all day, however i think that trust is still the most important factor in any link. Reimu: We're almost finished with preparations! And with that everyone started to think carefully about their partners and consider how or what is their strongest bond with that person. Remilia pondered if she would be okay, she admitted to herself that she did like Koji as a friend but since she's so headstrong she wondered how it would work out....Trust? Friendship? Power? what was it that will be the stronest binding force that they would share? Everyone pondered similar questions....but dared not to say anything. Some knew flatly what was their binding link, it was simply Trust and Care, Zei: well now that the metaphysics is out of the way lets get ready to go? I'm tired as fricking hell! Flandre: Zei-kun.... Koji: *stands with eyes focused on the barrier* Remi: "Even now...he stands there like he knows he can handle everything...But...i have no choice now....i have to trust him. He was right when he said he never broken a promise to me yet....i'm sure...i can take that at his word. Zei:..........by the way Koji? Koji: yeah? Zei: i had over 9000 kills  Koji: ...SONOFA-SHUT UP!! YOU CIRNOASS! *punches his shoulder* Zei: oww! The border, Day 1, 5.26 PM, Less than 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Koishi and Gpop emerged from the underground. They find themselves near the Hakurei Shrine, and from a distance they saw a lot of people near the Border. "Huh? What's going on?" Gpop asked to no one specifically. Then he looked closely at the border. He noticed that it's on verge of collapsing. Koishi noticed this as well. "I think that group will tell us what's going on! I see the red-white there!" Koishi exclaimed, "so let's ask them what's going on." "Good idea." Gpop replied. They head towards the group and find them near the exit of the border. They seemed ready to leave in fact. Koishi and Gpop was confused by this. "Hey guys, what's going on? What'd we miss?" Both Gpop and Koishi asked. The border, Day 1, 5.08 PM, Less than 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Alex went into a medtation state waiting for the OK to tranverse to the outside as well has to unwind as much as could be done after the battle with the battle with the fiends familiars. both had several minor cuts and bruises but other than that were phsycially unharmed Lily Black was at his side behind him for the fact her outfit clearly looked like it seen much better days it was in tatter in serveral spots and the back side was gone exposing her undergarment there she was blushing. "man you know how hard it for fairys to get clothing we fairys may have technincal immortality but our clothing isn't part of our bodys you know." her face goes even more red Alex chuckled while maintaining his state "Relax i'm sure we can get you something dear." Alex mused to himself in his mind "well glad to see most of gensokyo can at  least still do decent fist cuffing when the need arises" " this place won't last another 30 minutes " says patchouli Lily Black then says with hints of sadness "i can't belive our world..our home is being destroyed for someone/something's grand scheme" Alex then gets out of his meditation and notes some other people coming out of the ground to the shrine "more people coming with us?" alex then ingored them noticing the crap at best state of his dear lily's clothing "say anyone got something Lily Can cover up with?, that fight did a number on her outfit." The border, Day 1, 5.08 PM, Less than 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier I sat down, cross-legged, and watched Remilia's husband closely as he explained the spirit link. "....well, you see as we know," Now. I thought, but remained silent. "Gensokyo is over a mana spring, and its been relinquished. We are jumping into the world that originally spawned Gensokyo. The reason we outsiders are needed, and us specifically, is because we have been....uhhh..."baptized" by the essence that is Gensokyo, we can feel its energy and manipulate it too, somewhat. Even in the outside world there are small traces of mana that we can tap into. Mana can't be taken away from any thing, live or living and we are able to set up a mana sharing link with someone. No normal person in the outside world will be able to help since they are totally unaware of this reality." I raised an eyebrow. Because they're unaware, huh? Flandre's husband... caretaker? cut in to add some more to this: "We could, if we wanted to, create multiple links with other beings as well, but the more links taken, the more mana one would have to allocate to the other - BASICALLY its like having a shikigami, and you supply it with power constantly. The only problem is distance. Its a link and depending on how strong it is between the 2 or how much mana the "master" supplies to the "shikigami", the recipient of the mana is restricted to how far it can move from its power source." I nodded. "And how do you 'strengthen' a spirit link?" Patchouli spoke up. "That depends on the party involved, but it's all about synchronization of feelings. Its a natural thing. You are better off with someone you trust than with someone you don't, am I correct?" I smirked. The usual, as usual. "Fair enough. So, the issue is trust or closeness, then?" "Most of the time it is," Patchouli replied, "but there are some links which are very strong simply because people hate each other or have rivalries with each other. The persons involved must have some common ground that they both can stand on with each other. The spirit connection they have with each other will be the strongest link they have with that person. Sometimes it could be nothing though, simply a master supplying enough power to MAKE the link strong. That's why Yukari and Ran can be so far apart while she sleeps all day. However, I think that trust is still the most important factor in any link." I nodded again. "So, more closeness." "We're almost finished with preparations!" Reimu called out. I glanced over my shoulder for a moment. Should stand up again soon, but there's still more I want to ask... The vampire hubbies walked off to be with their partners. Doesn't matter - I could just ask Patchouli. I looked at her again, rather intensely. "So, he said that other outsiders can't help with mana provision since they're unaware of its existence or functioning, right?" She nodded. "What if we MAKE them aware?" "I'm... not sure that's possible." I grinned. "Then we'll have to find out, won't we?" My madness was interrupted by a pair of new voices. "Hey guys, what's going on? What'd we miss?" They sounded serious. What. The. Fuck. I looked up to see Koishi and probably-her-husband standing near the edge of the clearing, looking puzzled. No excuse. I dramatically turned and swung an arm over towards the devastated expanses of Gensokyo, and called out, "You've been missing the fucking end of Gensokyo. Would you like to make it to the outside world before the whole place goes up in flames?" The border, Day 1, 5.08 PM, Less than 1 hour until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Alex started to said "have you been livi.." then relized these must be people from underground and may not be fully aware of whats going on. "in cause you HAVEN'T noticed Gensokyo is fucked basicly someone or something powerful snagged the very source of the hakurei barrier's power as well much of what makes gensokyo stay working as such Gensokyo is not only having a hissy fit causing various disasters across it, it will also cease to exist in less than a half hour now." Lily Black appears with a new change of cloths leftovers from little belongings what they could pack and get out before the Sanzu no Kawa flood that caused their hut to be washed away. "basicly our home land will cease to exist and its up to those who can get out to find out how to stop it and then rebuild it." lily says The border's limits, Day 1, 5.10 PM, Roughly 10 minutes until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier It was Pathouli who couldn't resist and inmediately wanted to know some awnsers. "Taihou, what did you just do while ago? Tell me right now. Because I sensed the same flow of feeling when you snapped at the SDM. Except this time it was amplified. Also you were very careless using that strange spell. You could have hurt Reimu or the border! Do you want to kill us all? Huh!" "Patchouli-sama, please he is very weakened." said Sakuya who held her hand on Taihou's back. "Silence Sakuya." Patchouli's face was never this serious. A great silence ocurred. As if the wind, the sound of the border and everything around had silenced their voices. Taihou struggled slowly on his knees. Sweat was dropping from his head, dripping slowly on the stones of the shrine. He was breathing heavy. "I- . . . I-I don't know. There . . w-was this noise. . . in my head." Patchouli's raised her eyebrows being slightly suprised: "Noise?" "I can't remember it. It almost felt like someone. . tried. .  to pos. . " With those last words Taihou's eyes slowly closed. A slight panic appeared among the group. Sakuya quickly checked his pulse. "He is alive but unconcious again." "There is no way he could draw such power out of nowhere. Even with my magnificant magic combined with Koakuma it was not enough." The border's limits, Day 1, 5.15 PM, Roughly 10 minutes until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "How are things?" Reimu asked as Mitaka came up to where she was standing, her arms outstretched towards the gateway. Final preparations were underway and all they could do was try and reinforce the gateway for the final breakout. The sky was a fiery orange and red. Gensokyo's final sunset was making a desperate fight to shine through the withering weather, creating a blotchy, violently-coloured sky criss-crossed by lightning. "...terrible. The fight left everyone exhausted to the bone." Mitaka sighed, shaking his head. "They're all resting and recovering now. The thing is, we have a bit of a trek once we get outside...and I don't know what the situation's like either. For all we know, that....thing..." He shuddered mentally at the memory of the disembodied voice, "....is waiting for us on the other side." "I hate to have to do this...." Reimu sighed. "But we have to get everyone up and moving. The barrier will collapse completely any time now. We have to be ready to make a dash for it." "All right, I'll round everyone up." Mitaka said. "More people arrived, by the way." "....how are we going to support them all?" Reimu gasped, looking aghast. ".....we'll have to stretch ourselves, I think." Mitaka said, scratching his chin. "Taka-kun! When you arrived you were an utter weakling, far below the average for even a human child in Gensokyo! Even after a few months here....you're still barely up to par with your average Gensokyo adult! And you're saying you'll be able to support more than one?!" "I'm saying I'll try it." Mitaka said. "....I mean, now that they're here, we can't turn them away, can we? Tell them that the lifeboats are full? We have to try, Reimu....I know I have to." "You said it." Kojiro said, coming up to them and slapping Mitaka on the back. "Said like a man! Yeah, Reimu-chan, don't worry, leave it to us outsiders!" "Yes, your people have shown us great kindness in welcoming us strangers to Gensokyo." Sumire said. "Allow us to repay the favour." "...I...it isn't your fight...." Reimu murmured. "It's already selfish enough for me to ask Taka-kun to supply me with mana while I try and restore Gensokyo....but to save everyone else...." "Hey, it's not like it's a chore." Zei said. "We love everyone here." "We do it because we want to." Hiroko nodded in agreement. "I hate to rain in on your empathy parade..." Jeremy said as he strode up to them. "But we really must get the group up and ready. We can't afford to slack off now. Those things could strike again at any time. From what I know of people like that disembodied voice, that wasn't the last we'll hear from her." "You're right." Alex said. "This isn't the time to be resting." "We've just been filled in on the situation by Patchouli." Gpop said as he, Pichu, Myon, and Sho came up to the others. "The Youkai mountain group has arrived and is fully accounted for." Myon reported. "The Makai contingent has arrived. Shinki's briefing them on what we're about to do." Pichu said. "I just spoke with the fairies and youkai of the forest and lake. They're a little fatigued from the journey here, but they're ready for the dash." Sho said. "And the people from the ancient city and the palace of earth spirits have also arrived." Gpop added. "...that leaves Yukari." "....where on earth is she?!" Jeremy muttered. "5 minutes." Patchouli said, coming up to them. "Reimu?" Reimu nodded a silent response. Above them, the sky continued to rumble painfully, as if it was finally giving away under the strain. Stress and shatter marks criss-crossed across the border, threatening to give in at any time now. "Reimu?" Nitori sauntered up and handed her a megaphone. "The honours?" "...thanks, Nitori." Reimu said, taking the megaphone. "...shouldn't Yukari be doing this?" "She's not here so go ahead." Mitaka said. The group cleared a path for her as she strode up into full view of the entire clearing. Everyone's weary, fearful eyes turned to look at her, the symbol of hope for all Gensokyo. She raised the megaphone to her mouth, hesitated for a moment, before handing it back to a confused Nitori and facing the crowd once more. She cleared her throat before shouting "Clean out your ears and listen up! You're all idiots, you know that?!" The others behind her gave each other bewildered looks. It wasn't exactly the most orthodox way of beginning a speech. "You're all idiots for fighting your way up here, hanging onto what is an inconceivably small hope of survival! But so are we! So am I! I'm hanging onto that hope even now, like the idiot I am. But you know, it takes great courage, great strength, and great foolishness to hang onto such small slivers of hope! And we all have them! Because we're here! And we're alive! I see fear and uncertainty in every one of you! You have to be an utter fool to not give into such overwhelming fear! Such deep despair! But we're not! We're here because we overcame that fear! We overcame it with foolish hope! And that's why we're still alive!" "Tonight this realm will end! It will be destroyed!" Reimu shouted, tears brimming in her eyes. "But I tell you this, Gensokyo won't die! It'll live on! We are Gensokyo! And we will survive! As long as even one of us survives, Gensokyo lives on! And there'll be hope to one day restore our home!" "I have fought every one of you at least once before, and I know your strength, your courage, your spirit....it isn't one to bend and fall, even in the face of this disaster! The outside world isn't an easy place for us. That's why we came here to Gensokyo centuries ago. But now we must return to where we came from. But we aren't alone outside. There are people here, outsiders, complete strangers to us, who have offered to risk their lives to help us. There is hope! There is..." "....foolishness...." The voice boomed across the clearing. "And so the rats gather in the drains, ready to jump ship." "You again!" Kojiro shouted up at the sky. "Show yourself, if you're man enough!" "I seem to have underestimated you all. You're all as stubborn as cockroaches. I like it. It's just a pity that I don't plan on letting any of you out." "The gateway!" Koishi gasped. Everyone turned around to see the gateway they had worked so hard to create and defend buckle and bend under some strange new force. "You have all entertained me greatly. Now, goodbye. Oh...and Reimu....isn't revenge...sweet?" "What?! What was that?! You know her?!" Jeremy shouted up at the voice before turning to Reimu. "Reimu...?" But Reimu was already running towards the gateway. She clapped her hands together before slamming them into the substance of the barrier. A violent hissing sound filled the air as her hands began to give off smoke. "Reimu!" Mitaka shouted. "Taka-kun! Everyone in the gateway! NOW!" "It's not stabilized enough! We won't..." Patchouli began. "It's now or never! MOVE!" Zei shouted, pushing Patchouli through. "EVERYONE! THIS WAY!" "Tch...looks like we're not done yet...." Sho smiled grimly as more purple miasma curled into the air before them. "What?! Again?!" Pichu gritted his teeth. "Wait, it's bigger this time!" Sumire shouted as she gestured for the smaller fairies and youkai to go through. Sure enough, the miasma gathered together into something colossal this time. "....friend of yours?" Suwako asked Kanako. "Hell no, none of my friends are THAT ugly..." Kanako muttered, nodding at the giant snake-like thing that was now tearing through the clearing. Screams and cries broke out as it tore through the helpless refugees. The border, Day 1, 5.15 PM, Less than 10 minutes until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Turns out Reimu wasn't quite as ready as she'd said. I wasn't expecting that voice-thing to give up, but I expected we'd have at least a few minutes of downtime. I intended to make use of them, and pinned Patchouli for interrogation. I also multitasked and chipped away at a pointed rock to try and make it resemble a drill while we talked. "Okay," chip, chip, "I'm still looking for loopholes. Assuming it's possible, would it help at all to recruit new outsiders to help with the mana sharing once we get out there?" "It... would, in theory, but..." Chip. "But?" "I believe that those from Gensokyo would be unable to last more than a few hours in the outside world, without a sharing link." ... chip. "Too short to be worth trying, then." "Very." I looked up, and noticed a swarm of panicked fairies wander into the clearing, huddling together in fright. "... even the fairies are showing up, now? Maybe we won't need to worry so much about people being left behind..." Patchouli shook her head. "Kojiro-san already mentioned that it's more draining the more you try to provide for." Chip. "... and if you try to provide too much?" I could guess the answer, but... "Death." she replied, bluntly. "A bit of all-or-nothing, I suppose..." Chip, chip. "... can multiple people provide mana for the same recipiant?" "Wh..." "The contract isn't exclusive the other way, is it?" Chip, chip. "... that... might work." "Only after we're out, though." Chip. "And assuming people can avoid being jealous to the point of fighting instead." We both glanced over at Parsee, and turned away as soon as she noticed. "... that would be difficult." "Delicious monogamy." Chip. Sakuya's apparently-half-demon husband stirred just then, and Patchouli silently... excused herself to yell at him for being dangerous. I guess that was enough answers for now, anyway. I regarded the rock I'd be chipping at critically. It didn't look a thing like a drill. It was barely conical. Oh, what the hell. God Needs Faith Badly. I got up and climbed into Nitori's fallen airship. ----- I found the captain quickly enough. "Hey." Nitori looked me over, slightly puzzled. "Uh, hello. I was going to..." "Can I just do something stupid real quick?" "... what?" "Could you show me a spot on the control console that wouldn't be disasterous if it got punctured?" She stared at the 'drill' in my hand for a moment, then shook her head. "You DID say it was stupid." "Pointless, even. In both senses of the word." Nitori rolled her eyes, and motioned for me to follow. She led me to a piloting station and patted a seemingly arbitrary spot on the controls casing. "Knock yourself out." She headed elsewhere in the airship, leaving me to embarass myself alone. Stabbing at the console with my 'drill' didn't even leave a dent. I hesitated, and tried turning it like a key regardless. Nothing happened. So much for getting my hopes up. I sighed, grabbed the rock-drill again, and headed back out. I think we've had enough of a break, now... ----- I headed over to pester Reimu, and walked in on a short display of heartfelt concerns and comforting over the prospect of future mana sharing. Charming. Appropriate for what'll need to be done, I suppose, but... I stepped into the conversation. "I hate to rain in on the empathy parade... but we really need to get ready to leave. That voice or whatever has cut us plenty of slack after that first attack - she's going to be back sooner or later, and that first match was troublesome enough." Alex seemed to agree. Good to have a dedicated warrior around for emergencies... Several 'hitched' outsiders walked up and reported about who'd made it to the border. I was surprised - it seemed like almost everyone, all the major regions were accounted for... "... except Yukari." Koishi's boyfriend pointed out. I grimaced. "Damnit. Where on Earth is she..." "Five minutes." Patchouli noted, grimly. "Reimu?" "Five minutes?!" I hissed. If Yukari's powers had been weakened, then how could she possibly get here in that sort of time? No - she could still be within sprinting distance. Or empowered, but hiding. But the importance she held to the restoration of Gensokyo... I decided that I'd try to wait until the last second to find her, and bring her through alive. It was too important not to... Reimu cleared her throat, loudly. I looked up, along with... apparently the rest of Gensokyo, if the size of the crowd was any indication. "Clean out your ears and listen up! You're all idiots, you know that?!" I blinked. "You're all idiots for fighting your way up here, hanging onto what is an inconceivably small hope of survival! But so are we! So am I! I'm hanging onto that hope even now, like the idiot I am. But you know, it takes great courage, great strength, and great foolishness to hang onto such small slivers of hope! And we all have them! Because we're here! And we're alive!" I couldn't help but laugh. Beautiful. Well played, Reimu. Well played. "I see fear and uncertainty in every one of you! You have to be an utter fool to not give into such overwhelming fear! Such deep despair! But we're not! We're here because we overcame that fear! We overcame it with foolish hope! And that's why we're still alive!" "The border between a fool and a hero is narrow indeed..." I mused, and attempted to pick out Cirno in the crowd. My eyesight failed me thoroughly. "Tonight this realm will end! It will be destroyed!" Reimu shouted, tears brimming in her eyes. "But I tell you this, Gensokyo won't die! It'll live on! We are Gensokyo! And we will survive! As long as even one of us survives, Gensokyo lives on! And there'll be hope to one day restore our home!" Seems like I'd been on the right track, eh? But... but these tears of joy won't listen... "I have fought every one of you at least once before, and I know your strength, your courage, your spirit....it isn't one to bend and fall, even in the face of this disaster! The outside world isn't an easy place for us. That's why we came here to Gensokyo centuries ago. But now we must return to where we came from. But we aren't alone outside. There are people here, outsiders, complete strangers to us, who have offered to risk their lives to help us. There is hope! There is--" "....foolishness...." that goddamned voice spoke up again, "And so the rats gather in the drains, ready to jump ship." "Fuck you too, lady." I yelled at the sky. She ignored me, probably in favor of the challenge Remilia's husband had drowned me out with. "I seem to have underestimated you all. You're all as stubborn as cockroaches. I like it. It's just a pity that I don't plan on letting any of you out." I opened my mouth to quip back - like hell another shadow-thing attack would slow us down with Nitori's airship on standby - but then Koishi pointed out that the border exit was under attack instead, through forces unknown. I should have switched to complaining about villians developing brains, but any thought of doing so was drowned out by blind panic. "You have all entertained me greatly," the disembodied voice said, cheerfully, "Now, goodbye." "Oh...and Reimu....isn't revenge...sweet?" I could feel my eyes bulge. "WHAT?! What was that?!" I turned to glare at Reimu, "You KNOW her?! What..." The miko was currently preoccupied trying to save all our lives by stabilizing the exit. I decided to leave it for later. But who could it be? Someone with such a harsh grudge against Reimu that they'd destroy Gensokyo? Someone with the power to do so? I should have SOME way to try and explain this, I just can't think of... Screams from the crowds stopped my train of thought, and I looked up to see a giant, shadowy snake attacking the hapless fairies nearby. Damnit, if it isn't one thing, it's another... "Nitori! Do you have any ammo left?!" I cried. Thought again. "Damnit, no, that's too much collateral damage!" I frowned. Actually, did she remember to seal our magic again? Meh, I wouldn't have useful surprise value. ... time was getting short. I had two main options, and one crazy one that's important but probably impossible. Get the hell out of here now, to make sure there's another outsider for whoever gets out, help fend off the snake so others could do so... or look for Yukari. ... can't come back from the first one. Second is my best bet. Now I needed a weapon... I realized that I was still carrying the rock-drill. Useless. ... well, I'd give it one last try. I stabbed it into the dirt, and turned. Nothing seemed to happen. I wasn't surprised, but I still sighed. "... So. Any suggestions on how I can be useful against that thing?" The border, Day 1, 5.18 PM, Less than 10 minutes until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Zei noticed a large weapon dug deep into the ground. He took out the large weapon, which turned out to be a scythe, and flung it at the mysterious creature. He then casted a spellcard right onto it, "Death Sign 'Twin Scythe'". The scythe broke into two, endlessly slashing at the mysterious creature. "...if you think you're trying to stop us, then try to. We will never give up until we restore Gensokyo. There is nothing you can do to stop us.", Zei said. Flandre added in, "Zei-kun is right. Nothing you can do to stop us from our goal." She then try and attack the mysterious creature before Zei grabber her arm. "NO. You will not attack him. You're already powerless and so are the others. I'll try and stop it, you just go on and wait.", Zei said. "But. ." Zei interrupted, "I SAID MOVE IT, FLAN.", he shouted at her. Flandre looked at him but walked at least 30 ft. before advancing. "To think you...attack us at the very last moment... haha. Try and see if you can defeat me.", Zei said, then pulled out Lunar Scythe and charged at the mysterious creature, not knowing if it'll affect it, or whatever the fuck it is. The border, Day 1, 5.18 PM, Less than 10 minutes until the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "I've really starting to get pissed off now" Alex said with bitterness towards the voice at that moment Alex's shirt seems to explode off his body he then starts walking towards the shadow snake creature "I won't forgive you for causing us so much pain and trouble." Alex says "THE SPIRIT OF GENSOKYO WILL NOT BOW DOWN TO YOU" he adds "HEAVENLY BODY DEFENSIVE STANCE" Alex shouts while getting into a stance "EVIL SHADOW CUTTING WAVE" Alex says unleashing a surge of ki at the creature the voice summoned he's using killing arts here because the time for spellcard rules are over if all of them want to get out of gensokyo in time. Lily Black is hanging back she may have been able to defend herself from the voices shadow mooks but chances are this thing will be too much to deal with her greatly reduced power. "Alex..." she says softly "please help us win this and..be careful...." The border's limits, Day 1, 5.20 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier The border's limits, Day 1, 5.20 PM, a little bit before the collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Koji: reimu you must hurry!  we'll use what abilities we have now to hold them off! We can destroy this thing in 3 minutes i'm sure. YOUMU! Youmu: Hai! Koji: you remember the move i taught you? Youmu: Of course! Koji: well now's a great time to use it so lets go we need to cut down as much time as we can! Youmu: Affirmative! they both raise their swords sideways and concentrates their minds and bodys Koji and Youmu: Sword Sign[Tsubame Gaeshi]!! Their sword skill is unmatched and in 1 strike 3 slashes are simultaneous. Their unison attack continues  for as long as they can sustain it.

Gappy: The border's limits, Day 1, 5.23 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "Keep that line moving!" Pichu roared over the commotion of the mad scramble for the exit. Only a mere handful had made it into the gateway....to what fate, nobody yet knew but themselves. But it was better than sitting here waiting for imminent destruction. "Sanae!" Reimu gasped, noticing her fellow miko next to her, sharing half the burden of keeping the gateway open. "You should be marshalling the Youkai Mountain group!" "I can depend on Lady Kanako and Lady Suwako, at least in times like these!" Sanae shouted over the din. "Eyes forward, Reimu! We'll get through this!" "Kojiro! Take Remilia and flank it from behind! Youmu! Momiji! Cover Taihou and Sakuya's retreat! Mitaka, keep throwing rocks at it! Yes!" Alex shouted as he ran towards the beast with Lily Black in tow. "I'll provide a distraction!" "...with what?!" Lily Black shouted incredulously. "Your evil shadow cutting wave was just swallowed whole by that thing!" "....fast food." Alex said simply, before picking up speed and running right under the monster's nose. He succesfully enticed it to dive after him, its snout crashing into the ground violently, missing him by inches. He managed to draw its attention away from the Eientei crew who were now running at full dash towards the gate. "Mitaka! Myon! Stop being silly and help us!" Gpop shouted at his new comrades who were tossing stones rather uselessly at the maddened serpent. "What on earth....?!" Mitaka stopped for a moment to look back, just in time to hear... "TIMBEEEEEEEER!" Myon and Mitaka leapt out of the way at Sho's shout as a huge piece of timber crashed before them. "....I see...." Myon nodded in understanding as he picked up a conveniently placed sword. "I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK!" Mitaka sang as he too picked up a huge heavy-handled saw. "Sumire!" Hiroko shouted, tossing one end of a long rope to her newfound comrade. "Got it!" Sumire shouted back, as, together with Aya, she pulled the rope towards the edge of the woods. "....even in the face of such despair, these people still hold onto foolish hope...hah, just as Reimu said." Jeremy chuckled to himself, tossing the small drill bit up and down in one hand. "Oooh! Is that what I think it is?!" Kaguya gasped, seeing the drill bit catch a glint of the fiery sunset. "....what? This?" Jeremy asked. It was a bit unreal. Just behind them, a giant snake was rampaging through the forest after a crazy martial artist with a fairy sidekick in tow. Two outsider girls were pulling a rope across the clearing, perhaps to set up some sort of trap with those now crazed lumberjacks who were singing the lumberjack song as they brought deforestation to a whole new madman level. And all around them, the little secluded world they were in was about to collapse! And here he was, wondering what to do, chatting idly with the local NEET. Well, there wasn't much to do. The gateway was a little crowded. The snake was occupied by the elusive martial artist, a vampire, and a...samurai? And everyone else seemed preoccupied with a sudden woodpecker obsession. "...nah, just an imitation." Jeremy shrugged as the snake cruised past, this time after another madman with a lunar scythe and a crazed little vampire with multicoloured crystals dangling from her wings. "Doesn't work, you know. I tried." He added. "Really? You really tried it?" Kaguya's grin widened, making Jeremy feel a little silly for having said that. "Here, you're just missing this." Kaguya said, tossing him a bolt. "You know, for a base." "Eh?" Jeremy caught the bolt and gave it a quick inspection. "...what?" "Believe in the me who believes in you!" Kaguya added, pointing at him with a look of mock determination. "Princess! Why are you back there!" Eirin shouted from the queue. "Oh, sorry, Eirin!" Kaguya shouted back. "GATTAI!" She shouted to Jeremy, rather randomly, before running off to join her servant. "I see...." Jeremy blinked. "Heh, not like there's much I can do while I wait for the queue to thin..." He climbed the airship once more, noted the lack of ammunition in the machine gun, shrugged, and sauntered up to the console once more. "...hmm, believe in the me who believes in you, eh?" He slammed the new drill into the hole he had made before and turned it. There was silence as the snake cruised back across the clearing, this time chasing a ghost, a tengu, and a horde of lumberjacks. "You can't be serious!" Nitori gasped, totting a machine gun as she ran past. "Well, I thought...." Jeremy began....but he never got to finish the sentence.... ....meanwhile.... "Everyone, Pull!" The lumberjacks skid to a halt by the ropes strewn across the clearing, ready to spring their trap.... ....but decided not to in the face of a snout with a full set of serpentine teeth and fangs, big sharp fangs.... "Everyone, RUN!" The order was given, and the lumberjacks scattered as the snake ran through their unsprung trap. "We'll have to wait until it makes another pass!" Sho shouted. "Gpop, you're the bait!" Pichu shouted. "Why me?!" "Because your name sounds like candy!" Pichu replied. "What sort of messed up reasoning is that?! And Pichu sounds like something you buy out of a vending machine!" Gpop retorted. "I and Aya'll be the bait!" Sumire shouted back at the group. "Just be ready this....huh?!" The snake was rushing towards something..... ....and that something was rushing towards the snake.... .....at breakneck speed.... "It's a bird!" Cirno cried. "A plane!" Tewi lied with glee. "Actually, it's a...." Eirin began, before she was bowled over by an over-excited NEET. "No, it's a giant airship powered up by SPIRAL energy that is in mid-transformation!" Kaguya shouted, completing the sequence. "UWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jeremy roared as his airship cruised across the clearing, leaving a huge wave of upturned earth in its wake as it sped towards the snake. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I...." The snake opened its snout wide....chomped down....and gulped.... "...." Everyone in the clearing gaped with jaws wide open. Even the people crossing the gate stopped to turn and watch. For an instant, the entire clearing was frozen in utter disbelief. "....he was eaten...." Mitaka finally managed. "....he was eaten...wasn't he?" Zei repeated. "...WHAT THE HELL DID HE COME HERE TO DO THEN?! JUST GET EATEN?!" Pichu shouted in utter exasperation. "WHAT THE HELL WAS ALL THE DRAMATICS FOR THEN?!" Sho roared alongside him, sharing in his exasperation. "...that looked yummy..." Yuyuko said. "It's not time for those sort of comments, Yuyuko-sama!" Youmu protested. "....wait...." Mitaka added. "EVERYONE! SPRING THE TRAP!" He shouted abruptly. An airship-shaped bulge was running along at high speed along the length of the snake before finally reaching the tip of its tail like a serious, serious case of painful-looking indigestion....but it didn't let the snake's backside stop it. It continued running across the clearing, dragging the snake's tail and the snake along with it from the inside towards the site of the trap. The others pulled with all their might, causing a huge net with many upturned trees with sharpened ends intertwined in it to rise up from the ground, all the nasty sharp bits pointing straight at the incoming snake's buttocks... "....AM!" Jeremy's roar filled the clearing once more as the snake struck the trap, causing Jeremy's airship to rip out of the snake and burst through between two bits of timber that was just wide enough to let the airship out but not the rest of the snake, much to its unfortunate pain. "If you become a wall that stands in my way, I'll tear open a hole and break through you every time! That's.. MY....DRILLLLLLLLLLLLL!" He roared passionately. ".....uh....Jeremy?" Everyone's eyes turned from the snake writhing painfully, impaled on the wooden spikes, to Jeremy's airship that had crashed straight through the stone face of the nearby mountain, leaving a....humanoid-shaped hole? "ah, it transformed ze." Marisa said. "Did you build that in?" She asked an awestruck kappa. "Nitori? Nitori?" She waved her hand in front of the kappa, to no effect. ".....hmmm...." The border's limits, Day 1, 5.28 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Zei just stared at the humanoid-shaped hole. "...ok. If the trap worked, why did a HUMAN get attacked instead of a snake?", he then turn his attention to Marisa, "..Marisa, know why it transformed?", he asked. "ZE?! Actually, I don't.", she replied. "I see.", he then turned his attention towards the rest of the group, "Anyone know what's the back-up plan incase the trap failed? I'm planning to kill this mother fucker." Flandre covered her ears, not sure if she should learn anything new for quite a while, "...sorry. Didn't mean to hurt your ears.", Zei apologetically said. The border's limits, Day 1, 5.26 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Alex remembered the all the times he had in his stay of gensokyo from his sudden entry to being able to get keine to let him out of the human village to wander on himself and him finding a lovely partner in Lily black. "these times just make me feel all the more willing to do what ever i can to restore this place to its former glory" he says. For Lily Black it's like having to leave the one and only home you've had for your entire life. "i'll miss this place for sure...but this needs to be done to help save it and those who can't we save directly" Lily then turns her train of thought to about Alex and the enjoyment he's brought to her life he quirky at times but he's a really nice fun guy with good heart even the Yama thought they looked good has a couple. "for my dear Alex i will also do my part to try my best to help save this place" she thinks Alex notes Zei's question "who cares right now we need to get the heck out of her ASAP we'll worry about that once we get through" Alex notices 4 other fairys one who everyone calls Daiyousei the other 3 were star sapphire luna child and sunny milk who collectivly were known for being 3 prank causing fairys who weren't particually good at pranks the were lagging behind so Alex scoops them up "i'll give you guys a hand" alex says they then proceed to exit gensokyo. The border's limits, Day 1, 5.26 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "ok lily we need to get going NOW!" Alex said "but what about..." lily black started in protest "they are giving the rest of us the time we need to get as many as us to get out we need to go now while we can we done all we can here..." alex stared at lily "....fine..lets go" lily relented knowing that she must. Alex and lily black get to the gateway to whatever awaits them on the outside "Good luck Everyone regardless of what happens we will always keep you guys in our memorys." alex says "Thank you all of you" lily adds with a kiss and tightly held hands Alex and Lily Black take the plunge thru the gateway A forest outside Karuisuwa, Day 1, 5.26 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier (So this is happened just as others are finishing the fight and crossing the border.) "So we arrived safely, eh?" After the de-fuse had taken place, Amarillo asks Lily White, who is just appeared beside her. "Guess so." "Seems Mr.Spark did some effort to land us into a forest instead of landing us in the town itself." Amarillo looks across the forest to the not-so-small town. "And it's 2009, right? It feels kinda strange that I traveled from 21XX to Gensokyo and to 2009...... And especially that I'm not fond of that..." "And my power of commuting to you have greatly weakened, isn't it? So try not use it often from now." After telepathy ending her words, she sit down on the ground. "So how we can start our new life there..." Asked the Fairy. "First thing first is to make our steps into this town, and we'll got a map, and find a place to stay, and try to left others a message about us and this town. We are here early so we must take the corresponding actions..." "Never thought you can be this cool." Claimed Lily White. "Eh? M-Me?" Amarillo is a little stunned. "From your reaction, I withdraw my words, you can continue..." "Well... That's all we will do for now, but before we started..." Amarillo take off her coat and made Lily wear it, however because of the height difference it seems too awkward. "What are you doing??" "From my experience in 21XX there are few human who is used to see kids have wings. Before I can make you something better to hide that wing that's what I can only think up. If I'm really that cool like what you say then I should bring a cape there..." "A Cape? I never see you wearing one of those things! I mean, Mr.Spark wears it because he said he is a...." Lily White seems can't remember what she is gonna say. "Well, he thought he is a Sith Knight, so he wears that and using a double-edged lightsaber and doing crazy things like charges at Youmu even though he's wounded from her in a friendly duel."Amarillo lets out a sigh, "Too much old-timer films. " "You haven't changed at all, we should worry about what we ARE Going to do. I'm not familiar with this place at all!" "Oh, sorry. So Let's go, then. By the way isn't you that started the topic of coolness and capes?" Amarillo stood up. "It's so strange that Gensokyo is collapsing and we are here talking random things. Or maybe it's just the way of overcoming the sadness that a beautiful place, our homeland,  had been lost..." She thought as she looks up to the big sign that has the word "WELCOME TO Karuisuwa" on it. And a big digital plate which have the numbers "0527" on it. "What's these numbers mean?" As Lily White is following up she asked. A:"That's a way to represent time. That kind of screens will be more and more popular as times go by, as in 21XX these screens are everywhere. Taken away the original job of books, paper and handwriting." LW:"So there will be no libraries like those in the SDM?" A:"There will be but it's only for a exhibition. " LW:"So the numbers means..." A:"Yeah, our friends are still fighting at the border, including your sis, they have about 3 minutes to end their fight and ends up here, exact place unknown." LW:"I can sense Lily Black, though." A:"It's lucky that you have your power working mostly, I cannot sense any other fairies than you now." LW:"......" So as they are randomly talking, avoiding the fact that Gensokyo is collapsed, Amarillo noticed a shop that's called "Tourist Helper". "TOURIST HELPER, seems it's the place we need to go now." Amarillo smiles. "Why?" "Grabbing a PMiSS." "W-What do you mean???" Since she can't fly right now, she can only runs after Amarillo, who suddenly starts to run towards that shop. "We must be quick before our friends become confused!" "Wait!! I said Wait for meeeeeeee------" Tourist Helpers Store, Karuisuwa, Outside World, Day 1, 5.28 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Amarillo opens the door and a ring rang. A old man slowly walks out from the inner room of the shop. "Woah, you are the first costumer of this week!" the old man exclaimed happily. "How may I help you?" "We are the tourists who comes here for a special social activity." Said Amarillo. "As full of energy as ever heh, you junior school students..." The old man slowly walks to the counter and hands her a book. "So they still use books here!" Lily White finally bumped into the shop. "You don't remember what I just said, I said that in 21XX that books are disappeared." Amarillo waves her hands at Lily, singals her to come beside. "Your partner?" The old man asked, "You can't go any school activity without a partner these days. isn't it?" Amarillo took the book, it is called "The Complete Guide & Map Book to Karuisuwa", seems like the usual type of a compilations of Maps and short descriptions of the popular spots. "However, I have some news for you and it's not a good one:" The old man looks at them. "There are two places to stay here, a hotel and an Inn. However, they are all out of rooms." "Eh?" "Somebody who wears a big cape went here last night, and spoke with the managers of both place, it seems 80% of the rooms are ordered  by this guy." "What?" "So we get nowhere to stay?" exclaimed Lily White. "Well, that's your problem. And I have a problem now," the old man sighed. "There is no people coming to my shop even though this shop is the best of them. Being an old and big-mouthed old man didn't help much with the image of the shop." "The tourists are only caring about the surface, what they see is most important." Replied Amarillo. "In my opinion if you got this place a little prettier seems lots of people will come." Lily White said. "Correct. So I prove you with a chance. If you can help me with my problem, I can offer you the shop for you to live in, thus solving your problem. As far as I know the school activities may take months and god knows when there will be rooms again." "Wow." Lily White smiled for the first time. "Excuse me, why do you offer us this chance?" Asked Amarillo, "We are just met." "Because you reminds me of my grand-daughter, now she is in high school abroad so I live here alone, since I'm alone so there is no people visiting the shop now. Look," he points to a picture on a shelf behind him. "That's her." The photo showed a girl with a ponytail riding a horse, she have almost-white hair and looks like 15-year-old. LW:"Hey, Amarillo..." A: "Yeah, I know, but this is merely a coincidence." Then she said: "Maybe your feelings are correct." As she speak she removes her straw hat and reveals that she has a ponytail and her face shape are very much like the girl in the photo. Except that her hair color and skin color are much deeper than her. "So it must be fate then." The old man smiled "You can call me Jason. And Do you accept your chance?" (Don't ask me why an old man appearing in a Japanese Tourist Shop have an English name, I don't know.) "Well, if it's fate that do we have another option?" Amarillo smiles. "Basically what you do is help look after the shop for me, and as your partner said, make this place as pretty as it can. As my thanks the room of my Granddaughter and her computer with Internet are free for you to use, your job starts now. I'll be inside the room and if you have any thing to ask just ask. Or do you want to rest for a while first?" "Guess I'll first put down my things in the room then, thank you. Jason." Quote SYSTEM MESSAGE: AMARILLO AND PARTY GOT ITEM : MAPBOOK! AMARILLO AND PARTY NOW IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SHOP TOURIST HELPERS! "Now got away with that System Message, it blurs my view." "Who are you trying to telepath to?" Lily White seems confused. "Nothing, maybe i'm having visions." "You really need to have some rest, partner. Leave the decoration to me." Looking at the excited fairy, Amarillo left out a sigh."Now we are ready, let's hope others and Gensokyo good luck." END OF Amarillo Route Pt2 The border's limits, Day 1, 5.28 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "It's still moving!" Mitaka shouted. "Everyone! Hold onto the ropes and keep pulling! Keep it down until the evacuation completes!" "It's no use!" Sho shouted back as his feet slipped under the snakes' monstrous pull on the trap's ropes. "RUN!" A pulse of energy exploded from the snake, sending all the sharpened timber flying out at the surrounding defenders. Kojiro, Zei, Youmu, and Komachi slashed straight through the ones that came their way, while the others just scattered as sharp bits of timber crashed into the ground around them, threatening to impale them. "We just need about 2 more minutes!" Suwako shouted from the gate. "We've almost got everyone through!" "That's a 2 minutes I'm afraid we don't have!" Mitaka shouted as the snake thrashed, the ropes that had bound it now whipping through their ranks like an extension of its serpentine wrath. As if in answer, the mountain behind them exploded as something burst out in a great stream of dust and debris. It landed violently in the remains of the trap, sending smoke billowing up everywhere, obscuring the entire clearing. "GAAATTAIIIII!" A roar came from within the smoke. "...wait, what?" Kojiros asked. "....why am I on this infernal thing?" He asked, crouching atop one of the trap's logs that had now somehow merged with what looked like an airship-turned-giant robot. The logs had become a giant set of wings spread across the robot's back, set around a circular wreath made of the discarded rope. "....wait...why does it feel like this robot is mocking me....?" Kanako muttered from a safe place by Sanae. "...." the snake coiled itself up and reared up high, noting that it was now up against a formidable foe...one that took up the form of the goddess of snakes.... "Eh, why not?" Pichu shrugged, from atop another log. "Even when trapped by karma's cycle...." He began. "The dreams we left behind will open the door!" Sumire continued the chant from atop another log. "Even if the Universe itself stands in our way," Hiroko added, getting caught up in the rhythm, from her position atop the robot's shoulder. "Our seething blood will determine what will be!" Sho shouted, before he could stop himself, from the robot's other shoulder. "We'll break through time and space!" Pichu shouted, not knowing where on earth that came from. "...ummm...and cause you indigestion?" Mitaka suggested, feebly, from the region of the robot's chest. "Whether impossible or laughable, we continue to walk the path of men!" Gpop roared from atop the mecha's head. "When there's a wall in our way, we'll smash it down!" Aya shouted. "If there isn't a path, we'll carve one ourselves!" Kojiros added, finally going with the flow. "The magma of our soul burns with a shining flame!" Flandre and Remilia shouted. "We embark on the winding spiral path! The paths of man and youkai intersect!" Youmu shouted, rather uncertainly. "Nice, Youmu!" Yuyuko nodded with approval. "And devour all who would stop us to grab hold of our path!" "Pierce tomorrow with yesterday's foe!" Koishi joined in. "And carve that path with these two hands!" Shinki shouted. "Together, the ultimate jealousy-inducing combination!" Parsee shouted. "Unmatched in Heaven and Earth! One body, one soul, equal to the GODDESES!" Suwako cheered. "Ultra Raijin HARTO!" Shinki shouted. "....what?" Sho asked, looking around at Shinki. "GREAT SAIYAMAN!" Koishi shouted cheerfully. "...hey, I thought we're calling it SUPER GALAXY EXPRESS!" Aya shouted. "....From Gensokyo with love!" Remilia suggested. "ULTRA KABLOOIE!" Flandre danced up and down. "No, no, you got it all wrong, it's...." Mitaka began. "SHUT UP!" Jeremy shouted. "And stop ruining the moment, you ameteurs!" "...." "Ahem..." He coughed, clearing his throat. "We're gonna show you the power... of the GENSOKYO! ULTIMATE COMBINATION, GENSOKYO BURNING LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" And with that the mecha leapt forwards at breakneck speed. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Everyone raised their respective swords/laevatein/lunar scythes/sticks/rocks/drills/chewing gum and paperclip.... ....ka-smash.... "....can this thing do anything other than kamikaze charges?" Mitaka asked as they sailed through the air, propelled forwards by the force of the crash. "Oh well, at least we're not him." Gpop said, pointing at the giant robot that was now sailing over the edge of the Hakurei Hill towards Gensokyo with a raging snake coiled around its front. They all landed in varying states of grace. Some landed with poise. Some landed with huge bumps on their heads. Some landed with their heads stuck in the sand. And one didn't land at all. "Where's Jeremy?" Mitaka asked. "....still on the mecha...." Pichu noted. "....." The border's limits, Day 1, 5.12 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier After finishing the combo attack with Youmu they broke apart and let the diversion take care of the snake, The managed to sever parts of its body to slow it down which seemed to work well at least. However, as they were moving back to the party they were struck by its large tail and sent flying into a tree. Koji: augh!! Youmu: mya!! Before hitting the tree Koji held Youmu to avoid a head injury, instead he hit the tree with his back and youmu's body only added more injury to the insult. A loud crack was heard but those who watched couldn't tell if it was the tree cracking which it did or koji's body under the force of pressure from that blow. Yuyuko: oh no Youmu! Remilia: *wide-eyed and shock* N-No! Youmu managed to get up slowly and rub her head but Koji  could only cough up blood. Koji: *cough* o-ow....*stands up and holds stomach* that...hurt...... Remilia tackled him softly and he fell back down again from being a little weary Remilia: *blushed*....... Koji: I'm fine, i've hit my fair share of rocks in my lives. Xan: dood are you okay? i couldn't tell if the tree cracked of if you broke every rib in your body! Yuyuko:......ribs..... Koji: heheh....*coughs* I-I'm fine no worries. they watched quietly as the others were distracting the snake and as it ate the plane rather suddenly. Koji: O_O Xan: O_O Reimu:O_O Zei: O_O Everyone down the list: O_O Suddenly he found himself on top of the giant fail(?) trap turned robot. Everyone started to do Sailor Moon-ish phrases and altough he found it corny... Koji: "Oh what the hell"-If there isn't a path, we'll carve one ourselves!" Remi and Flan: "The magma of our soul burns with a shining flame!" surprised to see that they were up here to he jumped over to their location and squatted down. After having the worst kamikaze run he ever seen and landed safely with Remilia in his arms he sighed horribly and tiredly while no one was looking them Remilia took the time to quickly lick his cheek of the blood he had on his that was coming from his forehead and hugged him. Koji:...wha?...that was...sudden Remilia:.... I want to get out of here immidiately Koji: *looks at Reimu and Sanae who are holding the barrier open*....Affrimative, we shall make our escape now. Koji held Remilia in his arms and ran to Zei. Koji: Dood if we are to get the hell out of here NOW is the time to do it. Zei: eh?-yeah sure sure lets leave this rock. Zei: *picks up and holds Flandre* Youmu, Yuyuko and Xan where going to the gateway as well. Koji: Youmu you did a fine job protecting everyone here. I'm sure your dad would be proud of you. Youmu:....*slight blush* thanks senpai... Remilia felt a tinge of jealousy at that point for the first time and when she realized that she was being jealous she blushed a bit herself and held on tighter to him. She could have helped out in teh battle since some of their powers were restored. But why didn't she? Was it because he told her to stay back as he did his best to protect her? How was that right? She's not used to being told what to do so why did she not do as she wished to ensure her and her sister's survival?  As they ran towards the boundary she felt an even stronger desire to leave so she could think straight. Koji: go on ahead through the barrier and out of this world. *looks back* everyone hurry up! we don't have too much time left First Xan, Yuyuko and Zei left out of the barrier then Zei, Flan. Koji: alright Remi...we're leaving. only to return later. I'm making too many promises here but i promise to restore your home. Remi:........ All she could do was squeeze his shoulders in response with her eyes closed. At last they jumped through the barrier.

Gappy: The border's limits, Day 1, 5.15 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier , this takes place from the start of the snake battle until a few minutes after the battle ends -Jeremy Nezu- I watched, silently, as the husbands of the army flew into battle with the shadow snake. No one seemed to be handy to answer my question. I chuckled, just a little. "....even in the face of such despair, these people still hold onto foolish hope...hah, just as Reimu said." "Is that what I think it is?!" someone asked from behind me. I turned to see Kaguya. Blinked. Noticed her looking at the 'drill' I'd spun into the ground. I pulled it back out, and presented it. "... you mean this?" She nodded eagerly. It struck me just how bizzarre it was to be idly talking with a fellow NEET about anime references while a massive battle for all of Gensokyo raged in the background, which somehow included lumberjack songs. I shook my head. Not like I could help much with that part anyway. "Nah... it's just an imitation. Failed one, at that - didn't work when I tried..." Kaguya's grin widened. "Really? You really tried it?" I wasn't sure if she was making fun of me or fangirling. She pulled out a bolt from somewhere in her robes. "Here, you're just missing this." She tossed it at me. "You know, for a base." I managed to catch it, and blinked at it a few times. "Eh... what?" Kaguya shot a finger at me, grinning even more. "Believe in me, who believes in you!" I stared. A shout came from the queue to leave Gensokyo. "Princess! Why are you back there?!" Kaguya turned, and shouted back, "Oh, sorry, Eirin! I'll be right there!" She grinned at me again and clenched a fist. "GATTAI!" I stared at her back as she ran off, bewildered. Looked down at the bolt and rock in my hands. Smiled. "Never expected Kaguya to pull a Kamina..." I muttered, working on making them into a more proper drill. And heading back to Nitori's airship. ----- The kappa was rather exasperated with my repeat attempt. "You can't be serious!" I blinked at her. "Gotta try, right?" I stabbed the drill at the ship's control console again. This time it worked. ... and I... can't clearly remember what happened after that. ----- Insanity. Mania. Drills. Drillsdrillsdrillsdrillsdrills Ah... I'd forgotten how good it felt to go mad. My memory of most of that first outburst is hazy. I remember acting like an incredibly cheesy idiot, drilling through two or three things, upgrading the airship-mech with... something, everyone else wasting the TTGL speech on a scrub (and doing a poor job of it), and flying off with a giant snake wrapped around 'me.' It got a little clearer there. At that point, the fight was basically mine - flying from the airship thrusters moved to the mech's feet, the injury to the snake's tail, and of course drills left it a bit of a one-sided fight at that point. I tore the snake off of 'my' body - can't remember if it was still in one peice after that - tossed it into the air, and laughed madly as a properly-sized drill charge split it to shreds from end to end. I pumped a fist at the sky. "You hear me, you spiteful bitch?! Deny us one source of strength, and we'll just make another! Whatever your needless revenge, whatever your purpose, whatever your power, YOU WILL NOT DESTROY US!!" I was answered with silence, and sat for a moment, panting. It was about that point that I think I came back to my senses. ... oh god. What just happened? What did I just do? Where am... I noticed I was sitting in the cockpit of some sort of machine, hands clenched on some sort of 3D motion sensors following my arms. Did it... did it work? I looked down at the control console. The back of the bolt Kaguya had given me greeted me, surrounded by a spiral-ridged monitor hovering at about half-lit with green. "Hahah... hahah... AHAHAHAHAAH!!" I threw my head back and laughed, once again. Finally, I had power! I don't know how, and I'm not sure I deserved it, but I had power! I guess the Spiral energy overflowed somehow, leaving us all acting like idiots for a bit. But it was stable now. ..... now what? I looked up at the view to the outside. I could see the exit to the border, with people still evacuating.  I could see... all of the ruins of Gensokyo, spread all around me. I'd flown almost to the center of it. But the place definitely wasn't healthy. The border was fading fast, and... ... and Yukari was still missing. I had hoped to wait until the last second, trying to find her and get her out of here. Conveniently, now I had a way to actually track her down. I needed some sort of searching engine. Heat scanner, magic tracer, anything that could show me where to look. Obligingly, a new viewscreen popped up on one side of the mech's external view. A single blinking dot was on there, close to my current position. Convenient. I went there. ----- And from above the ruined forest, I could see nothing. Bullshit. I looked at the viewscreen again. Oh, underground. Of course. Getting down there was, naturally, trivial with a drill-based mech. I soon arrived in a decently large cave, though it had shrunken considerably from fallen rocks and other rubble from the endless earthquakes. The walls looked... odd. I'm not sure if they were natural. I didn't have any reason to suspect it, either. Whatever. More importantly, in the center of the room there was a rectancular box of the same sort of purple energy that had made up those shadow creatures we'd been fighting. Inside was a slightly battered-looking Yukari, curled up asleep alongside a two-tailed black cat and a block of tails attached to a fox. "Hey, Yukari! Time to go!" I called, though I didn't expect her to hear me, or even be able to reply. I reached for the box with the mech's hand, and tried to lift it up, or pry off the top, or something. Didn't work. I glanced at the 'core drill' in front of me. "It's like the universe is making these references for me," I muttered, and knelt the mech close to Yukari's box. ----- I jumped out of the airship-mech's open mouth, and was greeted by some new shadow creature leaping out from the far side of the box. The mech promptly punched it into paste. "Gotta love auto-pilot." I muttered, running up to Yukari's little prison and jabbing at it with my imitation drill. The box hissed. Not in the "opening seal" sort of sense, but the "angry cat that's pissed at you" sense. I twisted the drill, hard. There was a screech, and the box vanished. Yukari was rudely awakened by the floor. "Ow!" I grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Good morning, Yukari, I would love to chat, but we really need to get going before Gensokyo decides to collapse on itself." She blinked at me. "We still have a few hours, I was..." "Kidnapped somehow." I interrupted, gesturing at the cave walls. She swore under her breath. Ran and Chen looked up at me curiously. "I'm guessing your powers got sealed, too. Now come on, I don't think we even have a minute at this point." "... what. How did I..." I tugged at her hand, pulling her towards the mech. "Doesn't matter. We just need to get out of here alive." She resisted my pull, and I looked back to see her scooping Ran up into her arms. I picked up Chen, and let her rest on my shoulder. Yukari stared at the mech as we boarded. "What IS this thing?" "The combined madness of me, Kaguya, Nitori, and Gainax." I replied, turning the drill-key. ----- Me and Yukari had a few seconds to talk as we flew for the border. I glared at the screen, trying to will it to go faster. Almost everyone was evacuated at this point. I wondered if the mech would fit through. And whether anyone had taken my laptop through yet - I couldn't see, at this distance. "... so, has everyone made it?" "Just about, it looks like. You were the only ones missing." "Good. I wanted Ran and Chen to get through this, and see the outer world..." I looked at her. "... while I admit I'm a bigger fan of your shikigamis, I was mostly looking for you." She laughed, sadly. "Don't be silly." "You're one of the most powerful in Gensokyo, and probably the biggest hope for restoring the Hakurei Barrier when the time comes. Why the hell would I leave you behind?" "Because I'm pretty sure no human could keep up with the amount of mana I need." she replied. I turned to look at the border exit for a moment. She could have a point. Taking her out would be risky, and she could always return when the border is restored. ... but she's also one of the best hopes of GETTING the border restored. Could I possibly... ... well, gotta try, right? I smirked, and turned to face her. "What the hell do you think I am?" The border's limits, Day 1, 5.30 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Zei landed into the ground, head first. "To be honest, that was a st--", he then felt a large bump on his head. "OW. I mean, that was a very smart idea. Mitaka, you think Jeremy will be ok? I mean, it's a fuckin' LARGE  mecha against a snake. What are the odds, huh?", he asked. He noticed a large rift in the sky and instantly looked up, "...if we're not in Gensokyo, why the fuckin' hell someone's trying to screw up something again?", Zei asked. Flandre heard some of his language and kicked his head, then walked off. "! Flandre... I didn't mean to say that near you. I was on the ground the whole time and I didn't even yell. Give me a break..", he sighed and walked off after her. The border's limits, Day 1, 5.31 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Zei noticed about everyone before a portal(?), shows up. "Ya know what. If we prepare for this damned event, then where the hell are we going right after we jumped through the barrier?", he asked. Flandre, who was being held in his arms, fell asleep due to the fatigue. Everyone else down the list, was already preoccupied. "Dammit, I just wanted to know a simple answ-", he then noticed something unknown. "..? Again?", he asked. The border's limits, Day 1, 5.32 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Gpop, where's Satori!?" Koishi yelled. "I don't know! But we don't have time to go back! This is our only chance! We have to go now!" Gpop yelled back at Koishi. "But you're still worried about me it seems..." said a mysterious voice from behind Gpop. Gpop noticed Koishi's face brightened up. Gpop then turned around to see Satori and her two pets, Utsuho and Orin. "Wait, when did you get here!?" Gpop asked "No time for questions other than the fact that we wanted to make sure that my sister is okay. I wanted to make sure that you kept my promise, and for that I'm glad," Satori replied calmly. "Well now's not the time to thank me! The border is gonna collapse ANY SECOND NOW! We're going now!" Gpop exclaimed. "All right," Satori said calmly, "we'll leave immediately." Then Gpop, along with Koishi, holding her hand, as well as Satori, Utsuho, and Orin, proceeded towards the opening where Reimu and Sanae were holding the opening from closing. As they went through they suddenly felt limp, and became unconscious. A dojo in the outside world, Day 1, 5.32 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier the trip to the outside world to alex and his fairy "troops" was more of psychodelic rush of colors eventually getting dumped off rather rough on the ground "oof" Alex and co say in near unison. Alex then goes "everyone here in once peice has he gets up and helps the fairy girls to their feets "More or less goes...but were are we?" goes Lily Black "yeah i thin... wait my wings are gone" says Daiyousei "all of ares are gone as well" says the Star sapphire Lily reachs behind herself and finds that her lovely set of angel wings have also vanished "mine too.." Alex "maybe a side effect of being removed from Gensokyo's rich spritial presense perhaps?" Alex checks them out more closey just to make sure nothing more majorly crtical is amiss but can't find anything else wrong   "but your bodys don't seem to have any real ill effect..so far infact if we need to contact more true outsider humans for supplys its probably a good thing your wings are gone so they won't freak out." he  says "has to were are we stay here for a moment i'll look around who knows were we dumped off and if any one else was dumped off with us." he orders next Alex notes that they appear to be in what looks like a courtyard of a castle complex or something that looked like it could have such a thing but by the looks of the structure itself it hasn't been used in some time but it still looks mostly intact has he looks around it becomes more clear to him what it is..a old large fighting dojo he can see marks in the ground were students for ages apon ages stomped in once place leaving a dents in the stone as well has abandon training equipment he heads back to the now wingless fairy girls. "this appears to be the ruins of a old fighting dojo judging by the leftover equipment it hasn't been used at least a few years odd that the former users didn't take it the equipment with them" Lily black suddenly senses something Alex notices her expresson change "what is it my dear?" he says Lily black responds "i..i can sense sis lily white shes gotten out of gensokyo thank heavens." finishing it with a smile Alex laughs "see i told you she get out and if she got out i'm sure the others will follow anyways we camp here for now since it appears no one watchs our entry and wait to see if anyone else will follow" "Right" the fairys responded unpacking all the spare clothing and other provisions they could carry out from gensokyo Alex grins at the amusment of the location of his party's drop off "I'm gonna have a look around the complex to see if theres any thing here of use to us do what ever it takes to get my attention if you need me" "ok" says lily Black as alex looks around the complex he finds a probably the reason they bothered making a dojo this large a large spring of water..he stops by it and smells and does a taste and spit test of its water. "tastes and smells ok enough to pass has drinkable so this isn't why this place is abandoned" he then walks out side and sees where he's at he's at a large hill looking over a town and notices a old dusty looking "YOU ARE HERE" map on the enterace to the dojo reading it says its one of a few dojos in the area around the town of Karuisuwa. alex then knows were he is at apon hearing that name "so were are in the area of a town called Karuisuwa heh so i'm back to my home town...this dojo was the one i start my quest at years go ..i wonder what happened while i was gone?" alex heads back in to the girls tired they rest here after all they been thru a world shattering experince and need to rest. when he gets back he notes they all changed into lovely looking but aged looking Kimonos "where you get those? i don't remember seeing it in any of our stuff" Lily black responds "we also did some looking around and we found these and figured if we go into town sometime soon we'll at least look a bit more in place than our gensokyo attire" Alex relented they were right sorta "well that will do for now but we'll need to get alot more fitting clothing later for now lets rest theres a fresh water spring a short walk north from here the exit from here is to the south and the town is a quant walk down the hill oh and welcome to the Heavenly Dragons Dojo" he says "Heavenly Dragons Dojo?" the fairys say in near unison "This Dojo was my home away from my hometown we are in the area called Karuisuwa the town i mentioned was my birthplace but this was my home for years until i left on my fighting style perfection quest that got me into gensokyo somehow anyways i'll explain more in the morning but i'm dead tired from all that lets get some rest and we'll go to town come morning" "Ok" said the fairys Lily black asks one of those annoying close to heart questions "are you parents still alive?" Alex looked at her and responded "no idea the masters of the dojo who raised me found me at their door step has a baby we can't take care of our baby because of tough times but don't want to just coldly abandon it please take care of it well  message to the cradle or what not stereotype and all" Alex wondered if his old teachers who trained him are still alive because he finds it strange for the dojo to have apparenly fall into disuse so fast he also wonders if they would belive his storys of were he ended up. "heh maybe my birth parents might have known more about my powers than even my masters did." Alex goes into a flash back "AGAIN" says a old looking bald foreheaded trainer of alex A young Alex with slightly blood stained hands and forehead is seen doing training that causes the bones to have there full human potental you know the stuff like being able to headbutt a brick wall and not wind up killing or maiming yourself the process and breaking bricks and what not he doing the first until he knocks himself out from simply tiring himself out but not before causing the wall to shatter "uggh can't go...on sensei hurts...too much ..tired..ahh..* Alex collapses in a heap which worrys his sensei a bit at first because has anyone knows doing these kind of training wrong can kill a person at worse and cause other nasty things if it doesn't but relaxs when he checks him over "Heh Alex-san wore himself out again man of all the students i've trained none have trained this hard for this long before tiring out or calling it quits this boy has some serious potental to be something some day" alex's sensei cleans alex's hands and forehead and then puts him in a bed "yes that potental of yours is something special that hope you use well" he finishs flashback ends with alex musing over that last two lines of his sensei "heh sensei you may be right on that my potental might just help save gensokyo and maybe even other realms and hell maybe even this world from the plot of that voice" he then heads back to the girls to turn in for the night because its now getting dark and they have much to do like getting more fitting clothing and trying to locate the other who left gensokyo. The Hakurei Border Portal, Gensokyo, Day 1, 5.33 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "hm... such bright colors. Am I still out?" McWallace murmured. "Finally awake?" Eirin asked. "That cured my headache, just wee bit of a side effect such as an insignificant case of exploding head." "We have to leave Gensokyo. That portal's our way out." McWallace gets up and surveys the area. "Och, those critter's seem endless. Well, I've had oatakes harder than them" "Not now, our proirity is to ensure that as many escape." ... Near a graveyard, Outside World, Day 1, 5.43 PM "Well, seeing borders is indeed a useful ability, let's see what make you tick" Ghandi pulled on his gloves. "Isaac, note that I begin with an electrograph reading and video. The subject has been prepared to be fully capable of sight without being able to move. I will turn the subject toward the graveyard and see what happens." The machine silently records information. The videoshows only a graveyard. "It appears that placing a camera in the subject's eyes does not allow us to record the borders. We will begin the operation to extract on of her eyes in one minute. Actually, the lab is already sterile isn't it, we'll do it now." "Isaac, mark that subject 1 has had an eye removed. We'll take out the one without the camera." Maribell Han could only sit there in horror. She had been going to meet her friends Renko and Sanasan when some government men accosted her. She lost consciousness and awoke in this strange lab. The phone rings. "How are the fairy injections coming? What? Oh dear. Hallucinations? Well are they using any magic? Remind them that they signed up for this and we'll ensure that their families are comfortable when the halluinations stop. Mutations? How bad? That's bad." sigh "well on with the operation."

Gappy: Abandoned Hakurei Shrine, Yatsugatake National Park, Outside World, Day 1, 5.39 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "Hey you, wake up! There's no time to be sleeping, especially outside on the ground." Gpop opened his eyes and saw Sanae just standing right beside him. He found himself on the ground, lying on his back. He had a good look up Sanae's skirt. "...th...the colour of those...are..." Sanae smacked Gpop in the head before he had a chance to finish. "Ow!" Gpop cried. He looked up at Sanae and saw that she was blushing from his response. "Well anyways, no time to fool around!" Sanae exclaimed, "And you're 'friends' won't be of much help at the moment..." She pointed at the girls lying on the ground beside him, also facing up. Gpop quickly recognized them as Koishi, Satori, and her two pets. "No! Koishi!" Gpop yelled. He quickly crawled towards Koishi. He tried to shake her and Satori, but none of them would even flinch. "What's happened to them?" "Don't ask me. They're probably just unconscious like you were for a bit." Sanae replied, "I had to drag you and the others up the staircase to this place." "Huh?" Gpop realized that he doesn't even know where he was at the moment, so he took the time to get up and scan his surroundings. He saw a shrine similar to Reimu's, except it seems empty and abandoned. Behind him was the torii, looking almost exactly the same as Reimu's, except in off-red, as in it's losing its colours from being abandoned for quite a while. He also noticed that the ground he's standing in is full of stone tiles, exactly like Reimu's. Beyond the torii was a long staircase. As looked around he noticed that they seem to be in high altitudes, as he found it somewhat difficult to breathe a bit. "Is this Reimu's Old shrine or what?" Gpop asked, still located near the unconscious girls. "I don't think so," Sanae responded, "but we landed below those steps. It's wasn't very fun, but luckily I still have my abilities here since I came from the outside world as well." She began to hover a bit to prove her point. "That's a relief. So I guess we're going to sleep in the shrine for now?" "Yeah, but hopefully those girls will wake up by then. Help me drag them in." Gpop and Sanae started to drag the girls towards the mysterious shrine. As they went in, they noticed that it's completely empty and abandoned. "Well, it seems that whoever the Shrine Maiden was must've been even worse than Reimu," scoffed Sanae, "It's hard to believe actually." They proceeded to drag the girls and placed them in the middle of the empty room. After they finished Gpop said, "I guess we're done here. I think I should keep watch tonight. You seem tired after the previous events. Also, I'm quite awake after you woke me up." "Well...ok sure. But if you spot anything, you alert me right away. You're still as powerless as a normal human, so you better let me handle it." "Alright, sure," Gpop agreed. Then Sanae went back into the Shrine and lied on the floor as Gpop sat on the steps to the shrine and gazed the stars as he kept watch. Abandoned Hakurei Shrine, Yatsugatake National Park, Outside World, Day 1, 5.39 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Renko and Sanasan continued along the old path, using a flashlight and Renko's STAR GPS? to guide the way. Silently, the two walked on, until they eventually reached a set of stone stairs. The stairs were quite large, and seemed to go on all the way up the mountain, where a torii could be seen. "Well.....here we are. Think we'll get in this time?" Sanasan asked. "Of course we will! We almost got in last time, didn't we?" Renko said. "Although, it's strange.....Usually the border isn't that relaxed. It's almost like it was breaking..." "Maybe the other world WANTS you to go there. You've spent so long trying to get in, after all. Maybe it's finally giving you a break.  Personally, I would never have been able to climb this huge set of stairs more than a few times." "Well, that's awfully kind of it." Renko smiled. The two then began to walk up the stairs. In the Yatsugatake Forest, Yatsugatake National Park, Outside World, Day 1, 5.42 PM, collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier Sakuya's face was extremely worried. She kept looking from left to right. "Where are we? Where is everybody else? Why did we got seperated?" She knew it was bad to stay around on this open field. A small set of trees and bushes on her right was an excellent location to hide. Taihou was still unconscious, she had to drag him which was quite hard. Sakuya felt extremely weak and tired. It was unlike in Gensokyo. With some struggling they managed to hide between the bushes and trees. She folded her legs and put her head on her knees. Thinking what she should do. But Sakuya couldn't do anything. She has no idea where she is, where everybody else is. Without Taihou she is lost in this damned world. Her eyes shifted towards Taihou whos eyes were closed. His mouth still open, breathing. Occasionally she kept checking his pulse just in case. His heart was beating but relative slow, as a normal sleeping person would. "Too many weird things going on. Some evil women sending out strange humanoid creatures and demons to attack us. Then Taihou's weird behaviour since the mansion. ** "Taihou! Are you alright?" "No. . stay. .  back. . Sakuya." "What?" "No! NEVER!" "What is wrong? Are you in pain?" "Leave me alone!" "! ! !" ** Her hand moved along his cheek whispering: "What happened to you Taihou?" Slowly her eyes felt heavy aswell. She took him on her knees and leaned against a tree. With the birds chirping nearby she felt asleep. . . . . . A crack of a twitch made Sakuya instantly wake up. She quickly put Taihou down and stood up drawing a set of knives from her thighs. With no hesitation at all she threw them towards the bushes. A voice shouted in pain. "Who goes there?!" she quickly drew another set of knives. "As usual, you are quite skilled Sakuya." said a girl with long silver hair, dressed in red what seems like a gardener pants. "Mokou-san?" "Oi, Keine. I found two of them." she pulled the knives off her body which stabbed her in the arm, lower belly and right leg. "Mokou! You shouldn't wander off like that rapidly. You do know we are no longer in Gensokyo." "Hmpf, so what. I'll beat anyone who tries to hurt us." Keine raised her voice: "Ah! You are hurt! The bleeding! Quick, bandage. Bandage! We must apply bandage!" "Keine, what the hell you think I am? Mortal?" "Oh, that is right. I forgot. Sorry." Sakuya put her knives back under her skirt. She was reliefed to see some known faces. "Why is Taihou asleep" Mokou asked. "I don't know." she walked over to Taihou and sit next to him. "He has been like this for half an hour. He has a pulse and he is breathing but he won't wake up. "Maybe we should beat him back to senses." "What?" Mokou opened her palm of her hand. She stared at it when slowly a small flame appeared. "Darn it. I guess my power is still weak for this. But it should do it." "What are you planning, Mokou-san?" She walked over to Taihou and turned him on his belly with his rear facing up. Then Mokou pressed her flaming palm against the bottom of Taihou. It didn't take a several seconds before Taihou rapidly opened his eyes noticing Mokou burning his rear. Shouting a pain cry he roared: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING MOKOU?" He looked at his rear. "Put it off! Put it off!" Mokou slapped as hard as she can at his bottom. Taihou got a bit catapulted flying over in the bushes. "Ha ha ha ha ha, that was funny! I didn't expect that to work" she laughed. Keine was not quite amused and put up a serious face "Mokou, would you please stop causing more damage to Taihou?" While Mokou was laughing, Sakuya rushed towards Taihou: "Are you allright Taihou?" "Yea, somehow. Blasted Mokou. She still has that inhuman strenght." He stood up wiping off leaves and dirt of his cloths. Sakuya still kept looking worried. Taihou looked at her. Their eyes met. He could deffiniately see she was extremely worried. She felt unpleasent and looked away. But Taihou turned her head back towards him. "Sakuya. . . " For a moment Taihou didn't say anything. Mokou was still rolling on the floor laughing while Keine was standing near her lecturing. "Thank you. I am sorry for making you worried." "Tai.." He interrupted her by placing his finger on her lips "No, please don't say anything." In the mean while Mokou was done laughing and together with Keine they stared at Sakuya and Taihou. "Isn't that nice" Mokou mumbled. Keine raised her eyebrows "What do you mean?" "She got someone to protect her." "Ah. You mean that." "I used to have someone like that aswell. But the pain I endure is the price for immortality." Keine felt bit sad. "Don't worry Keine! I haven't forgotten about you. I am glad you and me found eachother." Mokou smiled at Keine making her blush a bit. Taihou and Sakuya walked over to Keine and Mokou. "It seems we are in the real world" Taihou said. "So I will have to find us a place to hide. Lucky for me I know this place, there is a shrine nearby where we can stay. After that we can go to the nearby Town. But that is located a few miles away. Therefor it is currently  impossible to reach, night is falling and most of the humans are asleep." "So? We wake them up?" Mokou replied. "Impossible Mokou-san. This is not Gensokyo, night and day is extremely important for the humans. And generally during the night it is dangerous to wander around." Mokou felt a bit annoyed and looked away sticking out her tongue "Boring." Keine was taking it obviously more serious when she said: "Mokou, we can only rely on Taihou for now. He is much more knowledgable about the human world." "Fine fine. But don't think you can just order me around." "Mokou!" Taihou gestured towards Keine: "No it's ok Keine-san. I am not going to order anyone around. I am just asking you co-operation and strenght. And I will give you mine." "Yes" Sakuya added: "During Taihou's weakened state Reimu stated that everyone has to share a bond with a male. Thus in this case we are bound to Taihou" Mokou rapidly turned her head "WHAT? Me? Bound to him?" "Didn't you notice you couldn't use any powers Mokou?" Keine asked. "Well. . . yea, somehow I could use it to burn Taihou's bottom." Mokou had to giggle again a bit. "So as long as we stay close to him we can use our powers." "No" Sakuya corrected. "If you don't, you will die." "I can't die. I am immortal" "You can." Sakuya once more said. "Dying as in dissolving. Our entire spiritual forms are vurnible now. You can't die from getting stabbed or shot perhaps, but you can die from losing your spirit. Reimu stated all this clearly." A moment of silence fell among the group. Keine was drawing some circles with a twig in the soil. Taihou stared at Mokou. "Please Mokou-san. Trust me" She stood up and started walking. "Where are you going?" Keine asked worried. "What do you think" she said while turning around. "To find shelter at the shrine. Now lead the frikken way Taihou, before I punch you." Sakuya and Keine felt reliefed and a smile appeared on their faces. Taihou sighed: "A real tsundere indeed. Near Lake Suwa, Yatsugatake National Park Border, Day 1, 5.42 PM After a period of time the three groups (Xan Zei and Koji plus the girls and others who jumped in with them) finally gotten to the outside world at last. He was still conscious and landed near a lake. Koji: "odd....we should have been transferred at the other Hakurei Shrine.....tch i guess the distortion screwed up our landing point....where is this....a lake?.....good this is lake Suwa" He looked at Remilia and noticed that her wings were gone. Koji:...."I see a side effect of no magical existance in this world." He started to talk to Remilia who was still concious during the time but she suddenly started to twitch and was in sudden pain Remilia: !! aaa..*cough*.....i-i feel so dry! I'm so hot....my body...aches all over! Koji: !? OH! I have to set up a link with you immediately *sets her body face-down and sits on his knees next to her* Remilia: *cough* my body feels so weak... Koji: don't worry it'll be all over soon.... He takes a dagger from his side and cuts his finger and starts to chant a spell Koji: In the Name of Kojiro Celadon Hiragumi, i now thus bind this being, Remilia Scarlet to my Soul, ye shall be as me as I shall be as thee. With that he releases a drop of blood onto her bare back and it spreads into an "X" shaped symbol.  Remilia's body is then lifted up and after a small flash is set back down. The binding spell was complete Remilia:......*gasp*..."Its...complete...I'm now bound to a human being...while bein no different than a useless human myself..." Koji: there with that our link is now established. he helps her up to her feet but she isn't very happy at all.  Soon after Youmu finds her way to him as well but she is barely able to walk. Youmu:  Sen...pai? Where is...Yuyuko-sama...ahh. she collapses. Koji:  Youmu?! *rushes over to her and holds her a bit* come on Youmu get it together Remi: *runs over* Is there a way to save her? There aren't any one else around here. Koji:........ *takes his dagger again* Remi: !! what your going to bind her to you too?! Koji: yeah! without a link residents of Gensokyo won't even live too long  out here. I was hoping humans from Gensokyo would be fine still but i guess because Youmu is only half human she's not affected too much but she still won't last without a link Remi: But can't we find someone else? Koji: we could but i don't want to risk putting Youmu in anymore danger. At Max a being can hold up to 7 spritual links. I can handle at most 5 thanks to all my reincarnated lives. He begins the spell again and places the "X" symbol on Youmu's left hand After a while Youmu gains consciousness Youmu:...uugh.....*covers her mouth*....I feel...terrible Koji: I know Youmu don't worry your fine now *he stands up and helps her up too*  I know its sudden but we have to continue looking for the others. *tries to contact Zei via Telepathy* Koji:....Zei? are you alright?............I see good......where are you?......Forest?.....oh okay i see that's behind the other shrine right?.....alright we'll head there *30 minutes pass* They started to walk near the lake until they see Patchouli and Koakuma nearby Remi: PATCHY!? *shocked* Koji: where?! Remi: over there near that tree The 3 of them dash towards the tree Patchouli:....it seems....like i can't move at all. I miscalculated one important detail...that i don't have a partner to link with...*cough*...so stupid Koakuma who was reliant on Patchouli for energy was already borderline death. She was unconscious and her body was fading away to nothingness Remi: K-koakuma! *hands up to her mouth with tears* Patchouli: its nearly...over for us Remi...you look so different now...without your wings are red eyes....do your best to restore Gensokyo...kay? *pulls right hand out to hold Remi's Remi: no! hand in there please! They didn't realize it but Kojiro was already performing the Destiny Bond Spell. He drops some blood on her right hand and it spreads into the "X" and he does the same to Koakuma on the side of her neck. Patchouli: !! What?! Did you just- Remi: Yes he did...he set up a link with you and Koakuma just now. just as he did to me and Youmu. Youmu: eh?! senpai you set up a link with me? Koji: ughh...*holds head* dizzy. *falls to ground a bit and is supported by Youmu and Remilia* Sorry. I never set up so many links before is all I'm fine Patchouli was getting Koakuma up as her body was being restored Patchy: come on wake up Kuma Koakuma:....ahh.....M-master? *sits up*...i...thought i was dead. Patchy:...2 corrections...I'm no longer your master, Kojiro is and no your not dead and neither am I luckily. Koakuma: what? why is that....!! You don't mean that- Patchy: yes, if you understand than lets be off we have much to do *she stands up* Koakuma: but what about your anemia master? PAtchy: again...i'm not your master now. And in regards to the anemia....I'm fine. My body doesn't feel weak at all anymore. Remilia: what really?! Koji: yeah probably because of the link with me, anyone who links with me shares some of my bodily perks. Its a Destiny Bond afterall. Lets move girls its nearly 8pm and I want to get to my mansion before long, Remi: So you know where we are? Koji: yes. *starts walking and everyone follows* This is lake Suwa of Karuisuwa *points to the lake nearby* that is the very lake Suwako is named after and this is the country she established eons ago, I have been going back and forth between Gensokyo and here because i live near here. i have an estate that i acquired over many years of reincarnations that we can use to stay in, i normally use it when i want to hold a big event but this is definitely a good enough reason to actually live in it Remi: you never told me you had an estate on the outside, I can't wait to see it! *suddenly eager but composes herself again because of the reality of the situation* Koji:....hehe after 10 more minutes of walking into the forest they find someone nearby. Koji: SHOW YOURSELF!! *hand on nadachi hilt on his back*  : *cries*....h-help....h-help please? To everyone's surprise Minoriko drags herself out from the brush. Minoriko:my sister...my sister she's gone...she's gone and i can't find her... Koji: Minory? *they all approach quickly* Patchouli: the goddess of harvest and fertility. i didn't know you were here too Koakuma: milady she's disappearing too. I can see her mana flowing quickly away from her Minoriko: P-please...help me. I don't want to die here, not without onee-chan *cries* Koji:.......*performs the spell yet again* Remi: *doesn't say anything to protest* "He's sacrificing his own being to save us all...I've never seen such a selfless human..." The spell is placed on Minoriko's cheek and the link is established. Minoriko:...w-why...do i feel better? Patchouli: Koji set up a link with you, do you understand what that means? Minoriko: ! R-really? I-i heard the details of it when i was with Kanako but...sis and i didn't have anyone to survive with....we thought the best we could do is die together since we has few contacts.....*pouts* Youmu: so how do you know senpai? Minoriko: he stopped by us a few times before...oh! thank you for saving me! *hugs him gratefully* Koji: so...dizzy.....@_@.....*shakes head*..yeah its no big issue...if your here i bet my friend Zei or Xan found your sister. But we have to continue going now. It gets really dark in the forest and my estate is only a a few stepping stones beyond the forest preserve. After getting themselves up and ready they all comply to make haste and leave the forest. the sooner they meet up with Zei the better. Rest was a highly desired experience for each and everyone of them. Abandoned Hakurei Shrine, Yatsugatake National Park, Outside World, Day 1, 5.42 PM Zei noticed Koji trying to talk to him telepathically, "Yeah. I'm alright. Head hurts a bit, but I'm ok. Flandre seems to be ok as well, since I already set a link with her 1st minute we're outside of the border.", he sended a message towards Koji, then he hears a knock on the door, "...shit, now I wonder who can that be?" He then walked up to the door and opened it, "Hello?" It was the same old man from the Tourist Shop, "...you again? What do you want?", Zei asked. The old man asked him, "Sorry to bother. Know these 3 girls?", he pointed at them. Zei rushed towards them, still listening to the old man, "Yeah, they..fell from the sky. wonder why..", the old man said. "If you can shut up for a minute, maybe you can help me.", Zei said and started to carry the 1st person into the shrine, which happened to be Reisen. The old man didn't hear, "...sorry. No can do.", he then walked off. "Maybe you should try asking your girlfriend/little sister/wife or whatever in the shrine. She thinks she's some help. god knows how she landed in the forest.." Flandre heard the old man and rushed up towards him, causing him to fall back down the steps. Zei, on the other hand, carried the 2nd person into the shrine, which happened to be Mystia. "Oi. Sorry for that misunderstand, Flan. Now can you please help me carry the last person?", he asked her. Flan didn't notice him, she just carried the last person into the shrine and closed the door. "They...fell in the forest, right?", she asked Zei. "Of course they did. How the hell would you think I found them anyways?", he said. Flan shrugged and walked off, "OI! Flan, your face is a bit red.", Zei warned her, then try to set up links with the other 3 that seems to be unconscious. "-sigh- Thank god I'm a Midnight Lost Child. Other than that, I'd already be dead. Ahaha.., he quietly laughed to himself, completing the 1st link with Shizuha. Seems this will be a long day for him. In an open clearing, Yatsugatake National Park, Outside World, Day 1, 5.49 PM, Keine stared at the full moon during the walk. Mokou noticed the worried face. "Keine, you cannot transform into your demon yokai form remember?" "I am actually somehow happy I don't have to. It always scared the Gensokyo human villagers. This way I won't draw much attention" "Ya, we are perfectly normal." Mokou grinned. "Sure you are." Taihou said with a dull face. "Dressed in pants with straps. With weird amulets on them and in your hair. And a ribbon on top of your head. We should get you new cloths when we are either at the shrine or the town." Mokou felt insulted. "Do you want me to punch you, Taihou?" "Mokou-san, I have respect for you as the person who has the power of the phoenix. But if you continue to keep making threathful comments on Taihou, I will be forced to hurt you." "Hoo? You want to fight Sakuya?" Mokou stopped in her tracks facing towards Sakuya. She cracked her knuckles a few times. Sakuya slowly lifted her skirt on the side slowly reaching for her knives. From both their eyes electricity sparked. Any moment hell could break loss between those two. It was Keine who grabbed Mokou from behind in some form of heimlich technique. "What are you doing Mokou! Cut it out" "Let me go Keine!" Taihou grabbed Sakuya's hand aswell who was about to throw a few knives.  "Calm down Sakuya." Mokou was resisting heavy "Who the hell do you think you are threathening me." "Mokou-san!" Taihou shouted. "Stop it. I don't care about you want to punch me or abuse me. As long as the rest doesn't has to suffer. So go ahead, punch or hurt me." He showed his cheek towards Mokou. She closed her hand forming a fist. Her breathing was quite noticeable. But then she relaxed her hand. Keine was reliefed that Mokou calmed down. "My apologies." Sakuya said. "We are sorry too" Keine replied. "Aren't we, Mokou?" "Yea yea, what ever." she mumbled and started walking again. Suddenly three strange persons appeared in front of them holding sticks. They were dressed in black weiring weird helmets. Their faces could not be seen. "Freeze, you are all under arrest" the first man said as he grabbed Keine by the arm. The second on grabbed his walky: "We found four of them, over. We'll deliver them." Mokou inmediately snapped by performing a flying kick at the man who was holding Keine. He got hit hard and fell down on the ground. "You're coming with me lady." The third man said and started dragging Sakuya by her hair. "Suspect turned hostile and violent" shouted the 2nd man again through the walkie. "Need ba. . . " a crack could be clearly heared as Mokou kicked the man in his back. He was instantly knocked out. "Taihou! Help me!" "Let her go." Taihou shouted And jumped on the man. They started struggling on the floor. The first man got back up and started melee combatting Mokou. "Inferior human, you think you can handle the eternal flames of the phoenix?" She formed a fist which bursted in flames. The man froze as he saw a shiluette of a flaming bird behind her. He started to flee but Mokou's fist was too fast and smashed the man in his back. He got propelled atleast a few meters and landed against a tree. The man who was struggling with Taihou took a knife and tried to cut Taihou's throat. "Taihou! Here!" Sakuya threw a knife at Taihou who grabbed it mid air. With his legs he pushed the man off him and spinned 360 around cutting the man's legs. He shouted in pain as he tried to swing his own knife. Taihou evaded it swiftly and made a counter attack cutting the man's legs once more. Mokou dealt the finishing blow from behind by kicking him in the head. Both Taihou and Mokou were panting. Exhausted from the fight. But Taihou was sweating extremely and felt dizzy. "Mokou-san *pant*  When you fight *pant*, please do not use your powers. Because we share spiritual force. It will strain us both" "We kicked their asses didn't we?" "Who were they." Keine asked. "And what did they mean with 'we found them'. It almost looks like they were looking for us" Taihou recovered from his dizzyness and stood up again: "I don't know but it seems like something or somebody knew we were here. We should hurry to the shrine. I have a feeling more people from Gensokyo might have reached it. We will have to warn them for these strange persons dressed in black armours and helmets." "I'll frikken kick their ass if they touch us again." Mokou said in anger. The party swiftly moved towards the shrine leaving the injured man's behind. "Did you kill anybody?" Taihou asked. "Nah, just critically wounded or disabled them. I don't kill like that. Don't compare me to that bitch Kaguya." Taihou was slightly shocked "Woah, easy Mokou-san. I never even mentioned her." We are here at the shrine. Let us investigate the location first incase they are expecting us. (( End of event PArt I next part occurs after MTG's post )) They started checking the outside area of the shrine. "Nothing here" Keine whispered. "Let us check inside." Mokou softly said. The door Taihou tried to open didn't barge in first. "Seems like this one is locked but looks like nobody's in here" Just about when he tried to walk away the door flew open "Taihou?" Zei gasped. "Agh! Made it!" Taihou collapse in a heap at the shrine's doorway. "That...staircase...is infernal!" "I feel you bro." Zei nodded in understanding. "...you're all..." Renko came bounding into the room, pushing Taihou and Zei aside. "Hey, who is she?!" Sho gasped, getting to his feet and rougly dislodging an annoyed Yuyuko. "Sorry, sorry for barging in!" Sanasan apologized as she came up behind Renko. "She was too excited about coming in here." "....you're all from across the border?!" Renko breathed. "Oh my...oh my...wait until Maribel hears this..." "They led us here. Met them at the bottom of the stairs." Taihou explained, leaning against the door frame as Sakuya, Keine, and Mokou appeared behind him. They all rounded up in the middle of the room looking extremely serious. "Listen up all. We are not out of the woods yet. On our way here we got assaulted by strange men dressed in full black." "Yea, those bastards started to assault Keine and Sakuya." Mokou added. "I had the full pleasure of kicking and punching them in the face. I just imagined them as Kaguya and BAM" A sigh was noticeable from both Taihou and Keine. "Anyway." Taihou continued. "We were somehow expected by someone." The border's limits, Day 1, 5.45 PM, complete collapse of the Great Hakurei Barrier "....how longs do you intend to wait heres?" Marisa asked them. The clearing was now empty, save Marisa, Reimu, Ruukoto, Suika, and Mitaka. Everyone else had managed to leap through the gate. Sanae had offered to stay with them to keep the gate open but Reimu had refused, pushing her off roughly into the gate. "...we'll wait until the last minute. Yukari might come at any moment." Reimu said. "And that outsider, Jeremy, as well..." "Hmmm...." Marisa nods in understanding. "Then I'll waits too ze." She said, sitting down crosslegged on the ground. "Marisa!" Alice groaned, not knowing what to do with her friend's whims. "It's...difficult to imagine that this is Gensokyo..." Reimu murmured. Huge, jagged monoliths had burst out of Gensokyo, towering hundreds of meters into the collapsing heavens. The sky was a fiery red, blotched with angry black as the sun sank for the last time on Gensokyo. The ground was shaking, as if in fear of Gensokyo's impending demise. Nothing at all resembled the Gensokyo they once knew and loved. "...it's difficult to say goodbye..." Reimu sighed. "Reimu, take these with you." Suika said, passing her rucksack to Reimu. "You might as well." "...Suika? But..." And then it dawned on Reimu what Suika was thinking. "....you can't be serious! You can't stay here!" "But I can't go out there either." Suika shrugged, matter-of-factly. "I'll die without a source of mana...a slower, longer death. I might as well have a quick one here with my home." It surprised Mitaka how mature Suika really was inside. "She's right, Reimu-sama." Ruukoto nodded in agreement as she offered Reimu her rucksack. "So why on earth did you pack your rucksacks then?!" Reimu shouted at the two in exasperation. She didn't want to face it. She had glossed over the issue, convincing herself that everything will be fine when the time came to leave. But....it wasn't fine. It wasn't fine at all! Ruukoto and Suika never had any hope for survival. They are going to die. She wasn't only parting with Gensokyo...she was parting with her family, the one thing she had, to this point, taken for granted. Suddenly the shrine and everything that it had contained didn't matter anymore. Gensokyo didn't matter anymore. It was them, her family...the one thing she never wanted to lose, ever. Suika and Ruukoto opened their rucksacks in answer and displayed the contents to Reimu. They were more of Reimu's prized possessions - the comb and bowl she had received from Mayohiga, her photo album, her collection of Bunbunmaru newspaper clippings, and her personal summarized copy of Perfect Memento, made for her by Akyu herself, among other things. They had never planned on leaving at all....they had just come along to make sure Reimu made it to the gate... Reimu fell to her knees, grabbed them both around their shoulders and pulled them into tight hugs. "WHY?!" She cried, tears running down her face in uncontrollable torrents. "Because we know you won't forget us and Gensokyo. Because your memories of us will live on." Suika said, calmly, patting Reimu's back. "Because we know you'll restore Gensokyo one day and us along with it...so we can live together again, be a happy family again." "We'll wait, Reimu-sama, no matter how long it takes." Ruukoto said fervently. "Suika-san said we should pack you everything that would remind you of your home." "..." Mitaka turned away, cursing himself for his weakness. He wanted to help them. He really did. But he didn't have anywhere near enough mana, being a simple, scrawny little weakling of an outsider. If only he had powers like Taihou, Zei and Kojiros, or had trained himself hard like Alex, perhaps a demonlord like Pichu....if only he had worked harder in life... If he tried....he could try, couldn't he? But then what? If he failed...not only would they die slow protracted deaths....he'll jeopardize Reimu's chances at survival too. He suddenly turned towards Marisa and Alice. "...no...not you too...?!" "Ooh, busted, daze..." Marisa's grin grew brighter. Alice looked away, unable to look at Marisa. "....you two...were never planning on leaving either, were you?" Mitaka muttered, darkly. "Well, I'm not as luckies as Reimu to have a good outsider friend like yous, ze." Marisa shrugged nonchalantly. "I and Alice are stayings." "Not you two as well!" Reimu was sobbing. "Why?! WHY?!" "Hey, Reimu." Marisa said, kneeling down beside her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It takes more courage to lives on, ze, especially for those who were lefts behinds." "As long as you live on, we live on too." Alice said. "We have faith in you." However, as if giving into some inner struggle, they all fell on Reimu, hugging her close. They all swayed to and thro a bit, in complete silence, relishing this last moment of togetherness. "...the gate's closing. The barrier's collapsing." Suika said, helping Reimu to her feet. "It's time to go." "It's not goodbye, Reimu-sama! It's...till we meet again!" Ruukoto said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she forced a brave smile. "Good lucks, ze." Marisa slapped Reimu on the back for luck. "And you, take care of my best friend for me!" She shouted, pointing at Mitaka. "If you make her cry, I'll hunt you down and haunt you, ze!" "What are you, her father?" Suika laughed. "Hey, a toast! I still have a little bit of sake left in my gourd! Looks like the magic wore off but it left a bit behind." "For Reimu and Mitaka!" They all called out, raising small cups of sake. "Kanpai!" "....for Gensokyo..." Reimu proposed, wiping away her tears. "KANPAI!" Everyone joined in. "OUT OF MY WAY!" Their little gathering was rather rudely interrupted by... ...an incoming speeding airship? "WAAAH!" ...and everything went black.... A little way outside the Hakurei Shrine, Yatsugatake National Park, Nagano Province, Day 1, 5.52 PM, "Ugh..." Mitaka groaned. His vision swam before him. As things slowly slid into focus, he realized he was in a forest. He checked himself for any injuries. None. Save perhaps this pounding headache, a hammering heart, and a weakness in his limbs. His vision wouldn't stabilize, despite him trying to focus on a distant tree. "Ah...the contract must have activated then..." He decided, realizing the reason for his weakness. He must already be expending mana at an inhuman rate....but at least that meant Reimu was alive...and that they were in the outside world. He got up shakily and stumbled around a bit in the dark, before hitting what felt like a squishy sack. He fell over, barely managing to break his fall with his arms. "Jeremy!" He gasped, noticing who it was he had tripped over.  "....hey man...ugh...got the number of that speeding train?" Jeremy muttered. "Oy...someone turn on the lights?" "Y-you can't see?" Mitaka looked around wildly...and found the reason why lying just a few inches away from him. "...y-you didn't...not Yukari..." "...oh yeah....and Ran and sweet little Chen...." Jeremy mumbled, his eyes still wild and unseeing. Mitaka looked around and noticed the other two, lying in an unconscious heap by a bush. "You're going to die!" Mitaka gasped. "No way an ordinary human can support a youkai like Yukari! Much less the entire Yakumo family! Ran's a powerful Kyuubi for heaven's sake!" "Yeah....you're telling me...heh, take it from me....I know..." Jeremy slurred on. "H-hey...mind finding my drill...?" "What?!" "The drill man, the drill, the drill that pierces the heavens!" Jeremy said impatiently. "....err, right...." Mitaka looked around, feeling a little silly for attending to a not-so-sober man's whims, but still, it looked urgent... "Here it is...but the bit cracked." Mitaka said, finding the drill on the ground and handing it to him. "Doesnt' matter...the bolt...that's what matters...." Jeremy muttered, flailing feebly for the bolt. "Uh....yeah, thanks..." He finally grasped it. "Yeah, don't mind me...I'll be up...in a bit...." He muttered, before falling silent. "....ok, I leave that to you then..." Mitaka said, a little bemused, yet relieved to see that Jeremy's chest was still rising and falling, signifying life. He stood up once more, wobbled, before setting off in search of Reimu. She must be out here. The contract was drawing power so she must be alive and nearby, at least within 3 meters. He was careful not to go too far in case he severed the link. And then he found her. ...and it wasn't just her... "Oh no..." Mitaka ran over to the group. Reimu seemed to be in dire pain, but it was nothing compared to what the others were going through. Ruukoto seemed to have fainted, though from the marks on the ground and how she clenched her apron, it must've been from pain. Marisa was gritting her teeth, biting down on whimpers of pain, as she lay curled up, holding onto Reimu and Alice's hands for support. Alice was twitching perceptibly, her mouth open, gasping, as if trying to scream but not being able to. And Suika seemed to have suffered the most. Her horns had disappeared. She seemed to be tearing at the hair where her horns had been, her eyes bloodshot and bulging, her mouth open in a silent scream. "....I'm sorry...I'm sorry...." Mitaka fell to his knees, his eyes closed shut. "I can't help...I can't help....please...somebody...help them...help them!" He muttered to himself, over and over. "Why can't I take their pain? Why can't I help them?!" ....it was obvious. There was no other way. He would die. But at the very least they would have a bit more mana to survive on. Perhaps it would buy them more time, enough time for somebody else, maybe Sho, Pichu, Zei, Kojiros, or any of the others with greater power, to come save them. "...I promised, Reimu, to protect you and your people...to restore Gensokyo together with you...but I won't be able to fulfill that promise...forgive me..." Mitaka whispered to Reimu, who didn't seem to hear him from all the pain. Perhaps it was for the best. He didn't even have enough mana for Reimu...how foolish was he to think he could have supported her. She would be better off in the hands of one of the others. "This is my vow to thee, that binds my destinies to thine own. Let my life be thine, and your hearts mine. My heart in yours, your souls in mine..." He chanted a vow Yukari had taught him to form a forced mana-share. "Kirisame Marisa, Alice Margatroid, Hakurei Ruukoto, Ibuki Suika...may the heavens bear witness to this solemn vow, and make this contract binding eternal." It was an eternally-binding contract, the only one he knew how to preform. But he felt it didn't matter. He would die now anyway, breaking the contract almost immediately. It wouldn't matter...it wouldn't...matter... ...a shock ran through his entire body. It felt like every part of him was being sucked out through his pores. But it was over in an instant.... Inside the Hakurei Shrine, Yatsugatake National Park, Nagano Province, Day 1, 6.10 PM, "...are you alive...?" Mitaka blinked at the voice. "...well, either that, or we're both dead." Mitaka muttered up into the innocently curious face of Flandre. "Though I have a feeling nothing in the universe could kill you, so I must be alive..." He gritted his teeth as pain flowed back into his mind. "AGH!" "Oy, stop straining yourself." Zei said, coming up to him. "We're in enough trouble as it is, tending to the others. Don't add more to the heap." "Ugh....why? ...not dead...alive?" Mitaka managed. "Gpop found you while he was on watch." Zei said. "He and Pichu hoisted you in. They also found Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Ruukoto, and Suika...and judging by the fact that they haven't gone up in smoke, I suppose you made a contract with them, huh?" "But...how...?" "You showed great courage there, Mitaka." Yukari said, from where she sat up against a wall, seemingly weakened, but conscious. "That's a strength as well, you know. You developed more spiritually in the last half an hour than you ever did in your entire life." "...ah...so they're...alive?" Mitaka sighed in relief. He didn't know how, but as long as they were alive...that was fine. "Yes, but only barely." Yukari said. "Even the courage of a lion could only go so far. You'll have to train hard to be able to support all 5." "Ah..." Mitaka nodded weakly, before realizing the full extent of the situation. "WAIT! That contract was eternally binding! If I don't die..." "Yep, you're stuck with it. Congratu-ma-lations." Yukari said with a grin. "But...but...that vow..." "It wasn't the only vow I knew." Yukari shrugged. "Y-you...you...demon!" Mitaka gasped. "...yep, synonymous with 'youkai'." Yukari's grin grew brighter. "So, are we all here?" Sho asked from a corner where he sat with Yuyuko sleeping on his shoulder. "Most of us are...we're missing Taihou, Alex and Kojiro's teams, I think." Myon said from where he sat with a sleeping Suwako in his lap. "That's to say, those of us who are outsiders are...the rest of the refugees...." Sumire's voice trailed away into nothingness. "...we all got separated...we should've kept an eye out for them....we left too late..." "It wasn't your fault." Aya patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. "We were defending the gate, remember? We saved far more lives that way." "...but...those who don't have partners...." Hiroko began. "...." Sho punched the wall in frustration. "....we have to go look for them. Save them..." "We're all too pooped to move." Jeremu pipped up from his corner where he sat beside Yukari and the Yakumo family. "So how do you propose we do that? Plus, we have no idea whether or not we've heard the last from that woman and her army of little wretches and the snake and...." A sudden loud banging on the door caused them all to jump. They all remained vigilantly silent, ready for any intruders... "...looks like nobody's here..." A voice came from outside. "Taihou?" Zei gasped, throwing open the door upon recognizing the voice. "Agh! Made it!" Taihou collapse in a heap at the shrine's doorway. "That...staircase...is infernal!" "I feel you bro." Zei nodded in understanding. "...you're all..." Renko came bounding into the room, pushing Taihou and Zei aside. "Hey, who is she?!" Sho gasped, getting to his feet and rougly dislodging an annoyed Yuyuko. "Sorry, sorry for barging in!" Sanasan apologized as she came up behind Renko. "She was too excited about coming in here." "....you're all from across the border?!" Renko breathed. "Oh my...oh my...wait until Maribel hears this..." "They led us here. Met them at the bottom of the stairs." Taihou explained, leaning against the door frame as Sakuya, Keine, and Mokou appeared behind him.

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