Reimu Quest (Part 8)

[Hello Purvis]

>"Lead the way."

[日巫子]

>"Lead the way."

> Orin touches down on the earth again, and speeds off.  The entrance to the Nuclear Reactor is to the left, but she's going right this time.  As she rolls her cart down a small hill and towards an ivy-covered tunnel, she yells out to you:
> "This way!"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow that felis!

[日巫子]

>Follow that felis!

> You follow Orin through the tunnel.  At first, it just seems to lead through the garden and around the house, but then it takes a sudden dip underground.  If that's even possible, given that you're already underground.  You follow the sound of Orin's shoes and wheelbarrow clacking against the stony ground.  It's dark and damp down here, and a bit cramped: the ceiling's low.  You make twists and turns, struggling to keep up.  Orin seems to be able to see in the dark, but you're having some trouble.
> This goes on for a while.  Eventually, you see the faintest of lights above you.  You're at a dead end, with the tunnel leading up to a small opening.  You hear water coming from inside the walls.  Orin turns around and makes her way up the rocks backwards, dragging her cart behind her.
> "Just a little further, sis," she says in an attempt to cheer you on.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, give me a minute."
>Catch up, and keep going.

[日巫子]

>"Yeah, give me a minute."
>Catch up, and keep going.

> Orin is halfway up the tunnel by the time you catch up to her.  She disappears through the opening just as you reach it yourself, and you find yourself back in a familiar cave.  Stalagmites and stalactites surround you, dripping with icy water.  The bridge is some distance to your right, and the tunnel leading to the surface is to your left.  Orin flexes her fingers against the handles of her wheelbarrow and looks around.
> "Phew."  Her breath comes out in a puff of air.  "Chilly."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah. Was it like this before the whole reactor thing happened?"
>Look around. Does anything catch our interest?

[日巫子]

>"Yeah. Was it like this before the whole reactor thing happened?"
>Look around. Does anything catch our interest?

> "Nah.  It's usually just a little bit cool Underground," Orin explains.
> You take a look around.  If you listen closely, you think you hear voices coming from the bridge.  If Orin's twitching ears are any indication, she hears it too.  You don't notice anything from the tunnel side, however.

> _

[Sect]

> Lean over the side of the bridge.

[日巫子]

> Lean over the side of the bridge.

> You walk to the side of the bridge and lean over.  You see Parsee and Yuugi, sitting at the riverbank with fishing poles cast into the water.  Rumia is nowhere in sight.
> Orin wheels her cart over next to you.  When she sees Yuugi, she beams and waves to her.
> "Hey, big sis!" she calls out.  Yuugi returns the wave.
> "Hey, Orin!"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey! You guys seen an Nekomata?"

[日巫子]

>"Hey! You guys seen an Nekomata?"

> "No," Yuugi says.  "What'd she look like?"
> "I didn't see one cross the bridge, if that's what you're asking," Parsee says.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Uh...short. Has two tails. Might be carrying some white box? Probably lost and scared."

[日巫子]

>"Uh...short. Has two tails. Might be carrying some white box? Probably lost and scared."

> Yuugi and Parsee look at each other.
> "Didn't see anyone like that," Parsee says.
> "And you think she's around here?" Yuugi asks.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's what I hear."

[日巫子]

>"That's what I hear."

> "Let's go ask the earth spiders," Yuugi says, reeling in her line and setting the rod aside.  Parsee shakes her head.
> "I can't leave the bridge."
> "Then I'll be right back."  With that, Yuugi flies up to the bridge and starts off towards the tunnels.  Orin wheels her cart after her.
> "Hey, wait up sis!"

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Fly after those youkai!

[日巫子]

>Fly after those youkai!

> You follow Yuugi and Orin into the tunnel.  Their voices echo as they talk about this and that.  When the reach the bottom of the tunnel, where the light from the surface shines down, they go quiet and look up at the ice-encrusted walls.  Yuugi cups her hands to her mouth and bellows,
> "Heyyyyy!  Is anyone up there awake?"
> "If they weren't, they'll be now," Orin complains, covering both sets of her ears with her arms.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Listen for telltale sounds.
>Also have a look at the flood damage.

[日巫子]

>Listen for telltale sounds.
>Also have a look at the flood damage.

> You listen.  Various sounds you don't recognize echo throughout the tunnel.
> You look around at the damage wrought by the flood.  Some rocks have definitely been dislodged by the water, and are on the ground now.  However, it looks like all the water is frozen for now.  It looks like a tunnel of ice now.  You even see a tsurube-otoshi drilling a hole into the ice, far above you.  Maybe the entrance to her house or something was behind that.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Are they coming?"

[日巫子]

>"Are they coming?"

> Yuugi points upwards.  "Look."
> From the ice above the tsurube-otoshi, an earth spider emerges from a space behind the ice.  A few more crawl out but don't approach.  One of them, a blonde one who looks vaguely familiar, leans in to whisper to the tsurube-otoshi.  She then lowers the bucket down towards the three of you, climbing down the rope as she goes.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Let them approach.
>"Hey there."

[日巫子]

>Let them approach.
>"Hey there."

> The tsurube-otoshi and earth spider come down to your level.  The former has green hair and ducks into her bucket after coming to a stop.  The earth spider hangs onto the rope and grins.  You feel a tickle at the back of your throat.  Next to you, Orin sneezes and rubs her eyes.
> "Hey there," the earth spider says right back.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>Try not to sneeze. Or at least not sneeze on anyone.
>"Let's make this quick. Any of you guys seen a nekomata around here? Possibly with a white box of some kind?"

[日巫子]

>Try not to sneeze. Or at least not sneeze on anyone.
>"Let's make this quick. Any of you guys seen a nekomata around here? Possibly with a white box of some kind?"

> You try not to sneeze, but fail.  You cover your face with your sleeve and sneeze.
> "We have," the earth spider says.
> "Then bring 'er out," Yuugi says, crossing her arms.
> "Sheesh."  The earth spider starts to climb back up the rope.  "Okay."

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Huh, okay. Good!"

[日巫子]

>"Huh, okay. Good!"

> The earth spider continues to climb up the rope.  "Yeah, well, I'll be right back."
> The earth spiders on the wall retreat into niches and holes in the ice, as the earth spider crawls back into the cave.  She reappears a few moments later, followed by a familiar nekomata in a red dress and green mob cap.  It's Chen!  She's holding something in the skirt of her dress, and climbs down the rope very carefully.

> _

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey there you are! Ready to head back to Ran?"

[日巫子]

>"Hey there you are! Ready to head back to Ran?"

> Chen leaps from the rope and backflips to the ground, landing perfectly on her feet.  The earth spider reels the tsurube-otoshi back in, and they disappear into a hole in the ice.
> "I'm ready," Chen says with a smile.
> "Well, I'm going back to Parsee," Yuugi says, putting her hands in her skirt pockets and walking off.  Orin looks around drumming her fingers on the handles of the cart.
> "So, uh, am I done here sis?" she asks you.

> _