The final request, based off
this comic based off
this post. Will the requester please stand up.
Mima cackled to herself. For a record-breaking eighty-seventh time this month, everything was going to be a disaster, and it would all be her doing. She flew through the gates of the underground shrine, brushing off the sparks of warding magic that stung her as she passed. There was a light coming from inside the shrine, but only one of its occupants was inside. The other, a small, purple-haired girl, was outside kicking a soccer ball around.
Without waiting another moment, Mima swooped down and grabbed her. The girl laughed and squirmed as Mima carried her off, making it difficult to keep a hold on her. Trying her best to ignore her, Mima looked at her surroundings: the tunnel in the distance, leading out of the cavern; the city, a blur of light; the wastelands, nothing but rock for miles; right ahead, a bronze orb floating a few meters off the ground.
?What are you doing?? asked the orb as Mima approached. Inside the orb was a woman, who looked as calm as someone who was witnessing a kidnapping attempt for the umpteenth time. Mima grinned broadly.
?Babysitting,? said Mima. ?She was home alone, thought I?d keep her company. Teach her a few magic tricks.?
?Liar,? Kikuri said. The child in Mima?s arms reached out and made grabby hands. Mima leaned over to allow her to slap her little hands against the glass.
?Kiki!? the girl cried.
?Kikuri, dear,? she corrected with a gentle smile, and then made a much less pleasant face at Mima. ?You really should put her back.?
Mima smiled. ?Nope.?
?Konngara will be mad??
?NOPE. Shhhshhshh.? Mima clapped her hand over Kikuri?s mouth. At least, she would have if the orb wasn?t in the way, so she just settled for covering the glass in front of Kikuri?s mouth.
Kikuri frowned deeply, but merely sat back in her orb and sighed to herself. As Mima flew off, she wondered why her friend didn?t bother to stop her beyond scolding. Just as she was thinking this, she heard the door to the shrine open. Konngara wandered out into the front yard?but really, Mima only called it that for convenience?and looked around. Evidently not noticing Mima, she looked down at the abandoned soccer ball and frowned.
?Reimu?? she called. Kikuri made a slight coughing sound. Konngara turned around and muttered something, and Kikuri jerked her thumb in Mima?s direction. Konngara looked up at Mima, who was unable to keep from laughing.
?Later, jackass!? Mima called out to her, before speeding off towards the city.
Meanwhile, at the shrine, Konngara took out her sword (?Oh my god.?) and raced off after them. Kikuri sighed another long, drawn-out sigh and ascended back to the cave ceiling. There was nothing she could do but wait for them to return.
The city was bustling. It was early evening, the end of a workday, and the oni were going home or having dinner. The streets were packed, and if Mima were to drop Reimu here she really would be in trouble. She kept along the rooftops at a fast pace, not stopping even when Reimu pulled at her hair and struggled to get out of her arms.
?Pu? me down,? Reimu demanded.
?Hush,? said Mima. Seeing an opening beneath the rooftops, she dove into a narrow back street. She didn?t have much of a destination in mind, so she figured she might as well enjoy the scenery. The walls, untended to in these parts, were covered in vines and creeping plants that reached to the roofs and dangled in the air. Mima pushed them aside and kept going.
At the end of the road, there was a bright light and many loud voices. Mima pulled her cloak over Reimu and soared out into the main street. A few oni jumped back, some cursing at her for her sudden entrance, as she zoomed out into the open. Thrilled at her precarious situation, Mima rushed back to the rooftops while cackling.
Farther away, Konngara was roaming the streets with her sword unsheathed and fully aware of how visibly worried she looked. Perhaps sensing her distress, people nearby moved out of the way. Seeing her, Yuugi or Suika running around like they were headed somewhere and looking that upset was kind of like seeing an ambulance. Someone yelled out ?where?s the fire?? and she ignored them and kept going.
Five minutes turned to fifteen, and Konngara was getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of evil spirits she was seeing. She started to contemplate asking for directions.
Have you seen a three-year old girl about this tall, purple hair, no horns?no, I?m not saying that.
Just then, a lightbulb went off?well, more like a candle being lit. Konngara had never actually seen a lightbulb before. She approached a nearby oni, who had to have been almost nine feet tall and carrying a club.
?Have you seen an evil spirit with green hair?? Konngara asked.
?Hrm?an evil spirit with those features?? The oni scratched his head. ?I saw one headed for the bridge, if yer lookin? for evil spirits?huh??
Konngara was already running off, not bothering to listen to the rest of his thought. Impatient with the crowded streets, she rose into the air and flew away as fast as she could.
In no time at all, she had reached the cavern that lead to the bridge. Mima floated along at a leisurely pace. Reimu squirmed in her arms, and Mima was so busy trying not to drop her that she didn?t notice the footsteps rapidly approaching until they had almost caught up to her. Mima spun around and flew backwards to avoid the sword slashing through the air.
?Well, well, well,? said Mima. ?It took you ten minutes longer than usual to catch up to me. You?d better be faster than that if you don?t want me to run off with lil? Reirei.?
Then, she added, ?But it?s not like I was keeping track or anything.?
?What did you do with her?? Konngara growled, waved her sword at Mima.
?Ohhh, touchy, touchy,? said Mima. Reimu popped out of her cloak with a giggle, and Konngara sighed. ?I went through the liberty of hiding her while flying through the city. You should be thanking me.?
Konngara shook her head. ?Give her back.?
Mima put a finger to her chin and pretended to think. ?Hmm?I don?t think so.?
If it were anyone else, Mima?and most likely Reimu?would be intimidated or even scared of the angry oni, but Mima had totally done this on purpose. So she did what all evil spirits would do in that situation: lord it up.
?You think you?ve been doing such a good job of protecting lil? Reirei here, but if you can?t even keep her safe from me then you?re doing something wrong. In the first place, humans don?t belong underground. They need their fresh air and Vitamin D from the sun. Last time I checked, there?s no sun down here,? Mima said, laughing a bit as she watched Konngara?s expression change from angry to hurt. ?You can?t keep her down here forever, you know. She belongs with her
own kind.?
Reimu, who was busy chewing on Mima?s cloak, slowly stopped and looked up, appearing puzzled.
Konngara began to lower her sword, but hesitated. Her hands trembled and she said, ??You don?t know anything, Mima.?
?Ohh, really?? Mima flew higher into the air and threw out her arm. A knife materialized in her hand. ?Then prove it!?
With those words, she pointed the knife and fired off a round of danmaku. The cavern was suddenly filled with bright lights and the underwhelmingly quiet sound of bullets hitting rock and colliding with each other. With a flick of her wrist, Mima sent a stalactite falling to the cave floor. As more rocks fell, black tendrils shot out and pierced them, turning them into harmless rubble. They retreated back to Konngara, and she shot a laser at Mima. Mima held out her knife and deflected it with the blade, where it collided with some stalagmites.
?Careful, careful, you don?t want to hit Reimu, do you?? Mima taunted. She was still holding Reimu, who was huddled in Mima?s cloak. Konngara made a loud, frustrated noise.
?Oh my god, Mima,? she groaned as she dodged another deflected danmaku wave. ?My shoulders ache?? A stray bullet hit her ankle, and she tripped. ??I missed the bread sale at the market?? She hopped from stalagmite to stalagmite, cornered by Mima?s attacks. ??and now this.?
She gasped as the stalagmite she was balancing on crumbled, and she almost lost her footing. Mima floated above her and cackled.
?Looks like I?ve won this time,? Mima said. Konngara was quiet, but gave her a look as if to say ?you really don?t like to play fair, do you??
Of course, when you push someone far enough, they?ll stop being fair, too. Konngara picked up a boulder that was sitting nearby and threw it at Mima as she was starting another villainous monologue, catching the evil spirit completely off guard.
?Whoa!? Mima pointed her knife at the boulder and shot a spray of danmaku at it. In the process, her cloak flew open and Reimu went flying. Unfortunately, Reimu couldn?t actually fly, so she started to scream instead. The tendrils went out to catch her, but then stopped. Konngara realized that she would not be able to catch Reimu with them.
?Reimu!? Konngara raced across the cavern. She reached out her arms, and somehow barely managed to catch Reimu before they went tumbling across the ground and coming to a stop against the cavern wall.
They both sat there for a few moments, completely disoriented. Reimu clung to Konngara and shivered in terror, while the latter slumped against the wall, the fight leaving her.
Suddenly, a huge laser struck the wall right above their heads. Konngara?s eyes widened in shock and, unable to do anything else, slid further down the wall to avoid it.
When the light died down, Mima scoffed and put her knife away. ?Oh well. I lost, even though you were the one losing.?
Konngara stood up and walked away at a brisk pace, taking Reimu with her. Mima flew after her, but more because the only other way out was to the surface. When it was evident that she was going to be left behind, Mima slowed down and continued at a steady glide.
Later, Reimu watched the activity in the streets as she was being carried from rooftop to rooftop. They were passing over the part of town where all the food vendors decided to open shop for the day, and all sorts of delicious scents passed by her. However, there was one thing that she wanted above all else. She tugged on Konngara?s sleeve.
?I wanna snowcone.?
??Okay.?
-Epilogue-
?You?re back!? said Kikuri, but Konngara just kept walking past her. ?Um???
?Next time,
you stop her instead,? Konngara said, pointing to her in accusation.