Lotus Dream Tale COMPLETE

[ToyoRai]

PROLOGUE: AUTUMN BLOOMING

Autumn had arrived in Gensokyo. Where there is no youkai to indicate the coming of autumn, the nature itself showed that it was come. The green leaves of trees started to turn red, yellow and orange. To those with keen eyes can see  Shizuka Aki, the goddess of dead leaves hard at work to color the leaves. Smaller plant lives started to wither away where as mushrooms started to appear plentifully in Forest of Magic and in other places. As the autumn starts to come closer to winter, many places with a lot of plants and flowers like the Nameless Hills start to become empty due of the plants dying. However, if there is one place you can find flowers even so close to winter, it would be the Garden of the Sun.

This beautiful meadow full of sunflowers is known for the fact that the sunflowers there won't die even after the first snow falls down. Some might see this as an miracle, but there is a reason why this is so. However, this isn't important right now. What is important is who are currently in the garden.

"Hey guys! I found a really beautiful sunflower over here!" said an unknown voice.

Suddenly, bunch of faeries raised from the sunflowers and flew tot he source of the noise. It was another fairy, close to a magnificent sunflower.

"Wow, it is beautiful" said another fairy."Quite amazing that a sunflower like this can appear during autumn."

"Okay girls!" said yet another fairy, who seemed to been the boss of them all. "We will take this one back home!"

For some odd reason, some faeries carry around sunflowers with them. Most people believe that they get them from Garden of the Sun. But why do they do that? To show how much powerful they are to the other faeries? Then again, when the smartest fairy happens to be Cirno, you start to stop questioning fairy logic. Anyway, all of the faeries grabbed onto the sunflower and tired to uproot it. They kept it going, until most of the faeries stopped for some reason and then flew away.

"Hey, where are you going?" said the fairy boss. ""We haven't finished unrooting this thing. And did things suddenly get dark in here?"

As soon as the fairy finished her sentence, a hand grabbed her head. The hand then lifted her up and away from the sunflower. The fairy looked behind herself with the corner of her eye and saw the last person she would want to see: The Flower Master of the Four Seasons, Yuuka Kazami. Yuuka was the person who keeps the Garden of the Sun alive even during autumn and a person who no one wanted to see, really. Her smiling and closed eyes made people feel uneasy. She might act polite, but she loves to rub people the wrong way. Worst part about her was that if you dare to disturb her or harm her flowers, she would kill you in the spot you are standing.

"P-p-please spare me, miss Yuuka!" the fairy boss cried in fear. "I promise that I will not harm your flowers ever again!"

Even though faeries just come back then they are killed, Yuuka is known for killing one fairy multiple times. The fairy shivered in fear as Yuuka's hand was almost crushing her skull. However, something unexpected happened: Yuuka let go. She let go fot he poor fairy just like that. The fairy didn't question it, she just flew away as fast as she could. Why would Yuuka do something like that? Something she has no problem doing before? That was because there was something in her mind.

She remembers a person who she has seen long time ago. The person was a blonde girl, with a red dress, white hat and who carried a scythe with a curved handle. The girl was called Elly. Yuuka somehow remembers it from an incident involving her, where she first met Reimu and Marisa. She remembers it well, and yet, she doesn't. To her, she considered those events to have been nothing more than a dream. The Elly person who she remembers was not real, just something out of her imagination. However, she feels like the "dream" was something more than that. That the dream really did happen in some form. And that Elly is a real person. For some odd reason, there is a place in Yuuka's heart for Elly, which she cannot get rid off. And now, she would feel it more than ever before.

It was getting late. Yuuka decided to go where ever she would sleep during night, to think more about what she should do about this feeling of hers.

PROLOGUE END

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Artist Comment: Yes, this is my next writing project. I decided to alter the way I tell stories. Also, Yuuka will most likely not have any dialogue during this. Just to make this story bit interesting.

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 1: DRIFTING FLOWER

Tow weeks has passed by since the little incident with the faeries. No one has visited the Garden of the Sun after that, probably because no one would really want to go to that place during this season. Those who would decide to visit it would notice something odd: the sunflowers in the field have started to wither away. Why's that, they would wonder. Yuuka usually would make them stay alive until winter would come by. However, that's the thing: Yuuka has decided to let them die. She has decided to find the truth about whenever or not Elly is real or not and has decided to let the sunflowers to wither away so that she doesn't need to worry about watching over them during her journey. She has already left the field early in the morning.

The first person she decided to ask any information would be one of person she knows is real and that would be Reimu Hakurei. She flew forwards the Hakurei Shrine where she thinks she will find Reimu. There hasn't been any incidents lately for her to leave the shrine behind. Upon arriving to the shrine, she was thinking of just knocking onto the door, but decided to get Reimu's attention another way. From her pocket she dug up handful of coins. Funny thing, few people from the Human World just happened to fall into the Garden of the Sun. Unfortunately for them, this caused damage to the sunflowers. And even after they tried to pay for the damage, Yuuka gladly killed them. Anyway, she dropped the coins into the donation box and ringed the bell hanging over it. This caused Reimu to open the door to check on any visitors.

"What the-!?" said Reimu upon seeing Yuuka. "What are you, of all people, doing here?"

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"So, you came to me to ask when was the first time we two met up?"

The two of them had already went inside the shrine and Reimu had made some tea for them to drink while Yuuka would ask some questions for Reimu.

"To be honest, I don't quite remember when I met you." Reimu said as she sip her cup. "I know I have met up before the Flower Incident, but I cannot recall when and why. As for whenever I know this Elly girl, no. I don't remember all the people I have met up with, and even if I did, nothing rings in my mind when I hear the name Elly. And I don't know any one with your description of her."

Yuuka's normal smile turned slightly down as she drank out of her cup.

"I am sorry I cannot help you. But these types of stuff don't matter to me. Maybe you should ask Marisa, she might know something."

Yuuka nobbed to that as she drank her tea. She then stand up, took her umbrella and went out of the shrine and flew away. Reimu went outside the shrine as well to see where Yuuka was heading to.

Sometime later, Yuuka had flew into the Forest of Magic where she would hope to find the witch Marisa Kirisame. Where she had no idea where she might live in, the low population of the Forest of Magic would make it easy to find where Marisa was living. Indeed, after bit of searching around she came across Marisa's house. Thinking being bit straightforwards, she simply knocked onto the door. After getting no response, she banged onto the door with her fist with enough force to almost put a crack onto it. Marisa ran tot he door and opened it before Yuuka would have a chance to break it.

Marisa: "Hey!" Marisa yelled. "What is it you want!"

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"Hmmm.... Sorry, nothing comes into my mind right now."

Yuuka had explained the situation to Marisa like she did to Reimu. Unfortunately, she was as clueless as Reimu, if even more.

"Really, I cannot remember seeing you before Flower Incident. So this Elly person is pretty unknown to me. However, I might know who can help you. Maybe you could ask this girl called Akyuu. Or maybe another person called Keine. They seem to know a lot about history. They live near Human Village, I think."

Yuuka wasn't really glad that Marisa didn't know anything she wanted to know but was glad she would at least direct her to some one who might know. With that info on hand, she flew away from Marisa's house forwards the Human Village where she hopes to find the info she is looking for.

"I wonder why she is looking for that person." Marisa said to herself while looking at Yuuka go. "Never imagined her having some one she might care for..."

CHAPTER 1 END

[Rovert40]

Liking it.
Also shouldn't it be Prologue not Epilogue?

[ToyoRai]

Liking it.
Also shouldn't it be Prologue not Epilogue?

Thanks for correcting me on that.
Oh yeah, there will not be scedule for this project unlike my last one, so don't expect seeing chapters in any particular time.

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 2: BUD OF HISTORY

Yuuka had arrived to the Human Village. The Human Village is surrounded by a wall to keep any no-good youkais outside. Well, the gate leading inside the wall is not hard to open so any one would in theory enter the village during day time and they would probably go over the wall anyway, but its the though what counts. When reaching the gate, Yuuka pushed the doors out of her way with no problem and started heading forwards where she remembers Akyuu living.

Yuuka's reputation as one of dangerous youkais you would ever come across is known in the Human Village. As such, when she appeared in the village, every one moved out of her way, even heading back to their homes and locking the door behind themselves. The people in the streets trembled with Yuuka's presence. She didn't have to say anything or look at any one. Her being there was enough to scare every one. They knew she wouldn't attack out of the blue, but that knowledge didn't help any one's mood.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" Yelled some one out of the blue.

Suddenly, a white-haired woman with blue dress and a weird looking hat. The woman was the half-beast guardian of the Human Village, Keine Kamishirasawa.

"What have I said about you just arriving into the Human Village, Yuuka?" said Keine as she stands right front of Yuuka. "You know how people react to your presence."

Yuuka didn't reply. All she did was smile at Keine while keeping her eyes closed. You think this is her being happy, but this is more a less her default expression.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" said Keine irritated. "If you don't say anything right now, I am going to-"

Keine's sentence was cut short as Yuuka punched Keine right into her stomach. Yuuka might be powerful, but she is skillful on her power usage. All what the punch did was knock Keine out without damaging her insides. With Keine laying on the ground, Yuuka lifted her up and put her over her shoulder. With that little annoyance out her way, she started walking forwards her destination with Keine.

Hieda no Akyuu, pretty much the current history writer of Gensokyo, lived inside a mansion inside the Human Village. It was probably the fanciest house in the village, even if she considers it being outdated. Then again, when you have been through reincarnation progress through thousand years, you do see things in different light. Anyway, Yuuka had arrived Akyuu's mansion. The front gate was kept open she she was able to walk into the garden, One of the servants noticed her and walked to her.

"W-what has happened to miss Keine!" said the servant. "Is there anything you have come here for?"

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Some time had passed and Keine was laying on the floor over a blanket.

"W-what happened?" Said Keine as she started to recover her conscious.

"Ah, you have awoken." said a voice.

"Huh?" replied Keine.

Upon getting up to sit down,s he noticed she was inside Akyuu's mansion, with Akyuu and Yuuka sitting next to her.

"Wait, how did I get here?" said Keine. "Last thing I remember was- Hey! Why did you punch me like that!?" yelled Keine while looking at Yuuka.

"You really should think a little bit who you re yelling next time." said Akyuu silently. "But that is now why she "dragged" you here. She has a question she wants us to answer to."

"Huh? And what that would be?" said Keine.

"She asked me if I know anything about this youkai called Elly or a place called Mugenkan." Akyuu replied. "She also wanted to know if you know anything about those things."

"Elly? Mugenkan?" said Keine in confusion. "Sorry, but I have no clue what you might be talking about. I might know a lot about history, but my knowledge is still very limited. After all, I eat and create history, not discover it."

Yuuka, who had been looking at Keine all this time turned her head at Akyuu to see if she had anything to say.

"Sorry Yuuka, but she sort of took my words out of my mouth." Akyuu said in reply to Yuuka's stare. "I myself haven't heard those words before now. And even after looking through Gensokyo Chronicles, it has nothing written about those two things. Its hard to admit, but my knowledge doesn't have answers to your question."

Yuuka's expression turned into slight anger. She pressed her fist at the floor, which started to crack the floorboard under her fist.

"Hold on a second!" yelled Akyuu at Yuuka. "I might know who might help you! You see, tengus from the Youkai Mountain has been recording events at better rate what I have been able. If there is possibility, maybe they have some information relating to Elly or Mugenkan. However, you might be careful going there. They don't take kindly forwards visitors... Wait, where died she go?"

In between Akyuu's sentence, Yuuka had already gotten up an went outside. As both Keine and Akyuu followed her, she had already started flying forwards the Youkai Mountain.

"You think she will be fine like that?" said Keine.

"When I wrote the report on Yuuka, the fact that she is dangerous is no way a lie." said Akyuu. "And if she is after something, may Amaterasu have mercy to the poor soul who might have to come before her way...."

CHAPTER 2 END

[ToyoRai]

Hello. I want to say that this project will go to a temporal hiatus. The reason for that is because I will be going to Italy tomorrow and Iwill be there for the rest of the June. As such, even if I get an Internet connection there, I doubt I will write any new chapters to this. Sorry for those who are waiting new parts, that's how it is.

PS: Can I change the title of this thread to announce that this project is on hiatus? And how?

[ToyoRai]

Just to give you people a update, I have come back! I will start writing the next chapter to this story in few days.

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 3: FALLING MAPLE: SECTION 1

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Yuuka had never actually visited Youkai Mountain in her recent memory, if at all. She knew the place as any one else, but she never bothered to take a look what it was like. However, this didn't bother her at all. All what she wanted was answers to her question, and she will do her best to find them, even of it means going to unknown locations. As she flew closer and closer to the mountain, she saw just why it was th largest mountain in Gensokyo. On its base, it almost looked like it would reach to the heavens. Though she didn't have time to admire how wonderful the mountain was. She started flying close to the mountain to get to the top. After flying up a good moment, she heard a voice:

"Stop right there!" yelled the voice.

Yuuka stopped dead on her track to look up better. From the skies, three figures started coming down. One of the figures was a white-haired woman, wearing a red-black dress, carrying around a scimitar and a shield. The said woman was the White Wol Tengu Momiji Inubashiri. WIth her were two Crow Tengus. They wore somehwat heavy armor, one carrying a spear and one carrying a crossbow. All three of them stopped upon reachin Yuuka.

"You!" said Momiji in menacing way as she could. "State your name and business in Youkai Mountain."

Yuuka didn't do anything. All she did was float in place, smiling as she always did. She only bothers talking to people she wants to talk. Due of her not knowing who to really talk to get what she wants, she just sees Momiji as minor annoyance what is trying to bark at a tree.

"Hey, do you hear me!?" yelled Momiji at Yuuka. "If you don't at least state why you are here at this moment, I have no choice to drive you off this mountain. You understand?"

All what Momiji's words did to Yuuka was annoy her little bit more. However, even then, she didn't do anything. Just floating in place like she was ignoring her.

"Grrr, fine!" yelled Momiji. "Have it your way! You two, fire at will!"

The two tengu soldiers followed Momiji's command, facing their palm forwards to fire danmaku at Yuuka's direction. At first, Yuuka did nothing. But when the danmaku was close to hit her, she put her umbrella front of her, which blocked all of the danmaku on their tracks. SHe might be a leisure flyer, but she doesn't need to dodge fast to have her butt.

"So you want to play that sort of game, huh?" said Momiji upon seeing all of the danmaku hit the umbrella. "You there! Attack her!"

The spear carrying tengu nobbed and started charing forwards Yuuka with her spear. First it seemed like Yuuka would try to block her spear with her umbrella. But when she came close, Yuuka quickly stepped out of her way, grabbed her by her hand, did a spina nd throw the tengu straight at the crossbow carrying tengu, knocking both of them tot he side fot he mountain and causing them to fall.

"Wait, what!?" Momiji yelled in surprised manner as she witnesses her comrades fall down.

As she did that, Yuuka uickly moved next to Momiji. Yuuka grab Momiji by her wrist on the hand what was carrying her scimitar. Momiji tried to shake her off, but Yuuka's grip is almost unescapeable. Slowly, Yuuka started forcing the end of the scimitar closer and closer to Momiji's eye. Momiji was paralyzed with fear to do anything. All what she could be capable to do is watch as Yuuka did her thing. Then suddenly, a bright flash came fromt heir sides. Both of them looked to the sides to see a tengu carrying aorund a camera. The said tengu was none other than the tengu journalist Aya Shameiraru

"Hello there, Momiji." said Aya forwards the Momiji and Yuuka pair. "Sorry, but I had to take picture out of this."

"Aya..." said Momiji forwards Aya in gritty voice.

Suddenly, Yuuka just threw Momiji forwards Aya. Aya, being one of fastest flyers in Gensokyo, uickly dodged out of Momji's way, who was able to rcover fron them fling. However, as Aya turned at Yuuka's direction, she was already close neough to Aya to grab her camera and crush it in her arms. She ddoesn't like when people take pictures of her, especially when the person is some one like Aya.

"Hey!" yelled Aya at Yuuka. "There is no reason to destroy the camera! Many people might not like when I take pictures of them ,but they nevert try to destroy my camera-"

Already annoyed by Aya's talking, Yuuka backhanded Aya so hard, she flew stragiht into the mountainside, leaving an inprint in it. As Aya recovered from the hit, Yuuka had already grabbed her by her neck. It didn't really choke Aya, but she knew any wrong move and she would snap her neck right there.Momiji tried to come in and save her, but Yuuka used her umbrella to shoot danmaku at her as a warning shot, stopping her on her track.

"S-so what bring you here, Yuuka?" said Aya in really low voice.


SECTION END
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Writer's Comment: Due the fact thatI haven't quite winded up on writing yet, I will write this chapter in two parts.

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 3: FALLING MAPLE: SECTION 2

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Yuuka had explained what she was looking for to Aya and Momiji. Where neither of them had answers to Yuuka's overall quest, they knew that the tengu archieve was a real thing. Knowing Yuuka would search for it herself, even it it ment tearing the Youkai Mountain in half, they decided to bring her to the place. After the three of them had climb up ext to the waterwall some time, they stopped with Aya getting next to the waterwall. Next to it were bunch of different colored rocks than what the mountain was. Aya pressed them in certain order, which caused something to crumble. Suddenly, parts of the mountain came out of it, clearing a way to a cave what was located behind the waterwall.

"I have no idea how you know about this place, but you promise us you don't tell no one about it, okay?" said Aya to Yuuka.

Yuuka nobbed in responde, though her smile almost made it sarcastic. Aya ignored it and three of them went inside the cave. After walking through a hallway, they came across a huge area carved inside the mountain. Int he room were what looked like thousands of cabinets, full of recored information what tengus had made.

"Behold, the grand archieve of the tengus!" Aya said in a proud voice. "So you seriously are planning to look through all of these?"

Aya hadn't finished her sentence before Yuuka had already started working on checking the cabinets.

"*Sigh* Come, Momiji" said Aya to Momiji. "We better help her. I think its bad idea to leave her here all alone."

Momiji nobbed and the two of them started checking the cabinets with Yuuka.

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It felt like multiple hours had passed as the three of them were looking through the cabinets to find the info Yuuka wanted to no results. As the informations started to feel like they predated Gensokyo, Yuuka started to have enough. By slamming one last cabinet into its place, Yuuka started walking forwards the exit with angered expression in her face. Aya and Momiji stopped waht they were doing and started following Yuuka.

"Sorry for being unable to find anything about Elly" said Momiji.

"Yeah" said Aya. "But you were able to look through the tengu archieves, right?"

Yuuka started to get pissed at that point, resulting her to smack both Aya and Momiji in the face with her umbrella.Taking a running start, she flew away from the cave and away from the mountain. Aya and Momiji looked behind her as they noticed rain clouds forming in the skies.

"I don't understand" said Aya. "How come no one, not even us, has been able to give her the answers she is looking for? Heck, I wonder who can give her the answers."

"I don't know" said Momiji. "But I hope there is that some one out there. Because I am afraid what she might do next..."

CHAPTER CLEAR!

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Astist's Comment: Here's a uestion to you all: Who do you think Yuuka will meet next?

[ToyoRai]

Just some updates:
1: I am terribly soory for not having anything new to write. I have the next part planned, but my desire drive hasn't fully filled up to write it.
2: What do you think about this series so far? Mainly because I don't want this thing to turn into "One guy rambling about a story no one cares to post opinion upon" :v
3: TO give you a hint what's to come; We are close to the truth of the matter, but not close to the end yet.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

I think this story is quite nice so far. I wonder how it will eventually end. 

(I couldn't think of anything else to add, so sadly that is pretty much all I have to say about this. :V Meh, at least you now have an opinion about this piece of work despite it not being a lengthy one.)

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 4: FOR A NEED OF CATNIP
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The stormclouds were piling up nicely. It hadn't been raining for a long time so a strong rain was bound to happen once it does. Yuuka didn't really care though. She decided to walk in a small forest area since she didn't know where to go. She has lo leads to where to go next so at this point, she was looking for something which would help her cause. Not only that, but her usual smile has gone down a bit, with her trying to keep her frustration to herself after all the failures.

 On the forest path however, she soon came to see some one. The person looked like a young brown-haired girl with red dress. The unusual thing about her were her long finger nails, two tails and cat ears on her head. The said girl was none other than the Black Cat of Bad Omens, Chen. The two of them moved forwards eachother without batting an eye to the other one. Even once the two passed eachother, they didn't say anything. However, Yuuka quickly stopped in her track. Chen quickly reacted to this and turned around as Yuuka herself turned her attention to Chen.

"Listen, I have no time to spend with you" Chen said to Yuuka. "Besides, I know how dangerous you are, so even if I had time, I wouldn't spend it on you."

Chen seemed to know how powerful Yuuka was, most probably from her masters. As such, she quickly turned her back on Yuuka and started moving on wards. However, Yuuka didn't allow this. Pointing her arm forwards Chen, she shot couple of flower danmakus at Chen's feet. However, Chen's reflexes allowed to quickly dodge the flowers.

"I guess there is no escaping this" Chen said to herself in quiet voice. "If I have to drive you away, then fine!"


After saying that, she drew a spellcard out of her back and hold it in her hand."

"Cat Monster "Chen"!" she yelled.

A lot of Chen's spellcards focus on zipping around the field while scattering danmaku everywhere. Cat Monster "Chen" is no expection, as she seems to like to charge forwards the opponent while periodically shooting danmaku. She though some one like Yuuka, who usually moves somewhat slowly due of her being a long-living youkai, would be an easy target to such a technique. However, as she charges forwards Yuuka with her speed, Yuuka easily dodged her. Chen quickly stopped, fired bunch of danmaku forwards Yuuka and charge forwards her again, but even now, Yuuka simply dodged both of the hazards smoothly. Yuuka's movement was elegant, allowing her to dodge fairly straightforwards stuff. This went on a while, with Chen trying to speed herself up and increase the danmaku which she shoots, but in no avail. The battle had at that point taken to the skies, and soon enough Chen started to get tired, with her spellcard wearing off.

"*Huff* How can you be this good?" Chen said.

As usual, Yuuka gave no response. Instead, Yuuka pulled out a spellcard of her own into her hand. Without saying a word, she activated the spellcard, which started creating a field full of danmaku patterns shaped like flowers behind herself. With a simple motion of a hand, she started commanding the flowers to move on wards at Chen.

"You think its that easy?" Chen said.

Where Yuuka was all about smooth but slow movement, Chen was all about the speed. The flower, shaped danmaku patterns came in packs, but their slow speed made them easy to dodge for Chen. Yuuka tried to increase the speed and the amough of the flowers, but it still wasn't enough. Eventually, Yuuka ran out of the flower-shaped danmaku patterns, ending the spellcard at that.

"Are you trying to play with me?" said Chen. "I guess it is my turn."

Once again, Chen drew out a spellcard out of her back.

"Oni Sign "Red On- Huh?"

Before Chen would announce her spellcard, the sound of thunder rang through the skies. And with that, small droplets started to fall down from the skies.

"Oh no!" Chen yelled. "Not now!"

In panic, Chen started diving forwards the ground. As a bakeneko, her strength can greatly drop down if she gets wet. As such, she needs to find cover for the rain if she wishes not to power down. However, she forgot one person. As Chen flew down, Yuuka quickly started to fell down with her. Before the two would get back to the ground, Yuuka grabbed Chen on back of her neck and as the two came down, she held Chen up in the air.

"L-let go of me!" yellow Chen.

However Yuuka didn't let go. Instead, she waited for the rain to pick up, causing Chen to get wet while Yuuka kept herself dry under her umbrella. Where Yuuka didn't keep her in the rain long enough to make Chen turn into her cat form, it still was able to power her down, with Yuuka then deciding to throw her under a tree.

"Ouchhh..." Chen slowly said.

As she opened her eyes. she saw Yuuka standing front of her, looking very menacing at that angle. Yuuka stared at her with her closed eyes, without giving a hint what she would do next. Then Yuuka raised her closed umbrella up, ready to smack Chen with it. Chen prepared to block the blow, before a voice rang across the sky.

"Leave her alone!" the voice said.

Looking into the sky, Yuuka saw a woman, who had blonde hair, white dress what a blue print on it and had nine tails sticking back of her. She was Ran Yakumo, Chen's master...

CHAPTER 4 END

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ARTIST COMMENT: Oh man, it has been a while. Anyway, hope you enjoy this new chapter. This is the point where the action begins.

[ToyoRai]

Just to leave a small update, I will aim to write a new chapter. Also, there will  be atleast 10 chapters left, including the next one.

EDIT: I am really sorry for not sticking to what I said. Hopefully I get the motivation to update this story this week.

[ToyoRai]

Motivation go!

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CHAPTER 5: ODDLY DANGEROUS WOOD SORREL


The nine-tailed fox lady floated in the skies, without caring about the heavy rain making her wet. Both Yuuka and Chen looked at her, without moving at all. Eventually Yuuka broke the tension by opening her umbrella and going into the rain to get close to Ran. Meanwhile Chen knew it was best for her to get away before something happened. Upon reaching the height where Ran was, the two of them stared at eachother for a while.


"So what are you doing here?" said Ran with serious face at Yuuka. "You spend most of your time in that sunflower field, only leaving it for a short time. However, as far as I know, you have been out for the whole day, traveling all around Gensokyo. You know that people will react to this in bad way, right? Also, why did you attack Chen? If it was to have simple danmaku battle, then fine, but you clearly had intention to harm her. So I ask you to answer me."

Aside of the rain, the air went quiet as Ran waited her answers. However, Yuuka, as usual, didn't want to say a word. It would be a miracle if she would actually reply to any one."

"If that is how you want to play, then fine" Ran said after receiving no answers. "As much as I hate to act without my master's commands, I cannot let you go around anymore. Time for you to return where you came from."

Using those as her fighting words, Ran slipped a spellcard into her hand out of her sleeves.


"Shikigami's Shot [Unilateral Contact]!" Ran said to announce her spellcard.

With her spellcard activated, Ran pointed her hands forwards, firing multiple lines of butterfly bullets around herself, while scattering around blue kunai bullets into the air. In the first look, it looked quite easy to dodge, as Yuuka easily dodged the butterfly lines and maneuvered around the kunais. However, it wouldn't be something from a fox without a trick hiding behind it. By stretching her hands on her side, Ran turned the kunais by their side what made them move. Yuuka was bit shocked by this as the kunais started move in inward going spiral forwards Ran, forcing her to dodge multiple kunais going in her way. Even after dodging huge mass of kunais, the kunais formed a circle around Ran after which Ran fired the same kunais in outward going spiral, giving Yuuka more trouble. Yuuka was able to dodge the kunais again, but Ran surprised her again by firing new sets of kunai bullets amongside buttefly lines into the mix. As the old blue kunais vanished, Ran repeated the pattern with the new red kunais, though Yuuka was now able to know what Ran was doing, even if the kunais moved in different direction.

"Urgh, fighting Yuuka like this is almost pointless" Ran thought to herself. "Still, if I keep this up, hopefully she will get tired enough so that I can take her on with brute force."

Where this sounded like good idea, little did Ran know what Yuuka herself was thinking. After starting to launch the red kunais from the circle, she prepared to fire new sets of danmaku, but Yuuka had other plans. She quickly pulled out a spellcard of her own and activated it. With this, Yuuka pointed her hand forwards and started to fire bunch of large yellow bullets forwards. Not only did these bullets clear out most of the kunais, they eventually turned white, and then explode firing bunch of smaller bullets all around. Ran had to stop her assult so that she can create a yellow barrier front of her, what would allow her to absorb the bullets.

"That was close!" Ran thought to herself in panic. "Still, there is no way she can stop me like that..."

However, Yuuka had no intention to stop her like that. When the white bullets started to clear out, Ran quickly saw Yuuka charging forwards her a lot faster than many had seen her. The barrier only has effect on danmaku, so Yuuka was able to pass through it and punch Ran right in her gut. The punch was enough powerful to knock Ran away, right into the forest. Yuuka wanted to finish the fight fast, and this was the best idea she had. Upon looking where Ran would finally land, she followed after her to "finish" the job...


CHAPTER 5 CLEAR!
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Artist comment: Holy crap, it has been a while since I wrote the last chapter. Still, hope you enjoy this one.


Trivia: Originally I was planning to use Shikigami's Shot "Ultimate Buddhist" as Ran's spellcard, but looking at it in action made me change my mind.

Quiz: 1) Can you guess why I pick wood sorrel to be in the title (it requires bit of bilingual knowledge)? 2) Can you guess the plant inspiration to Yuuka's bomb?

[ToyoRai]

Artist Comment: So last week I decided to read Seasonal Dream Vision. I liked the stories in it, though I was surprised that Yuuka didn't appear even once during the whole thing, even though almost all of the stories had something to do with plants. Oh well.

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CHAPTER 6: VIOLET WHICH SPEAKS THE TRUTH

The blow what Yuuka delivered Ran made her fly long way back into the forest. Even after she hit the gorund, she started sliding across it, only stopping by a tree. Ran was really tough though, so she was able to survive it alive. However, the injury was noticeable and she had hard time getting up.

"I- I should ahve seent hat coming" Ran said to herself in agony. "I- I need to get away before-"

Speak to the devil, as before Ran can get up, Yuuka had already reached her. Overshadowing Ran, Yuuka stood before her. The two of them stared at eachother in the rain for a while, before Yuuka took up her umbrella to smack her. However, as Yuuka swang her umbrella, something happened: the ground below Ran opened, revealing weird rigt filled with "eyes". The rift swallowed Ran, just barely saving Ran. Yuuka was first shocked, but her expression turned into a smile right after. Looking behind her into the sky, she saw a person. A person she was looking for.
The woman had long blonde hair, wearing a mob cap on her head with pale pink dress with purple tabard, carried a pink umbrella and rode on an edge of a simial rift what swallowed Ran. The woman wouldn't been none other than the gap youkai Yukari Yakumo.
Yukari decended from the skies on her boundary to get to the ground next to Yuuka. Upon landing, she took fott as she closed the boundary behind her. The two stared at eachother before Yukari broke the tension.

"I am guessing I am the person you are looking for, right?" said Yukari at Yuuka. "Attacking Chen to draw Ran's attension,t hen attacking her to draw me out... I guess there really is no other way you would have contacted me. Though you could have done it during daytime. I really hate up."

Yuuka tried to open her mouth but Yukari stopped her.

"I know what you are going to ask." said Yukari. "You want to know whenever Elly is real or not. I have been spying on you a little bit, so I know everything. And well, the answer is bit complicated."

Yukari opened up a boundary to drop her umbrella in and then opened up a small one over her arm.

"You see, Yuuka, long ago you were in a sleep for a long time" said Yukari. "I mean, even I don't sleep that long. Anyway, while you were sleeping, you created a world for yourself, 'Mugenkan' as it is called. Its nothing special really, every one does it while they sleep. And with Mugenkan, you created Elly and few other youkais to keep you company there. So Elly is just a creation of your mind. At first.

After saying that, Yukari opened another boundary at her other arm."

"Now normally the real world and the dream world is seprate to eachother" said Yukari. "Nothing from the dream wold can enter the real world and only people's minds can cross to the dream wold. That is, before this one incident."

Yukari then opened thrid boundary between the two previous one, conecting to eachother.

"Its hard to explain, but your long sleep started causing Mugenkan to draw closer and closer to the real world" said Yukari. "Because of this, it reached the point where real world and dream wold connect, opening a gap between two worlds. As you can guess, it was solved by our two dear friends, and Mugenkan returned back to the dream world, the gap closed and you woke up."

With that, Yukari close two of the boundaries expect the original one.

"Now normally when some one's dream ends, the world they created dissapears. However, due of Mugenkan crossing the boundary what keeps real world and dream world seprate, it still exists somewhere in the dream world. As such, where Elly was creation of your mind, she does exist in some form."

After Yukari, explanation, Yuuka started thinking about what she heard.

"And now you mist be wondering 'Why can't I return there'" Yukari said. "You see there actually exists two youkais who observe over the dream wold. And let's just say they didn't like what you did, especially since our dear friends decided to beat them up. So to punish you, they made it so you cannot enter Mugenkan.

While Yukari said her last line, she closed the boundary on her hand. She then turned around and started walking away.

"So that's the story" Yukari said. "I hope this enlightened you-"

Yukari came to a sudden stop, as Yuuka grabbed her by her shoulder.

"...So... you want to enter Mugenkan..." said Yukari quietly. "And I am guessing something bad will happen if I say 'no' right?"

Yuuka nodded. What was surprising was how serious her expression had come. She wanted to enter Mugenkan, no matter what. She would bust some heads of it ment getting there. Yukari understood this.

"Fine, have it your way. "Yukari said.

Yukari opened a large boundary front of her, as Yuuka let go of her to get next to her.

"Enter this gap and you will reach Mugenkan." Yukari said. "However, I must warn you that you will be attacked when you get there. And I doubt you will have easy time in there. Then again, I doubt you care what comes across you, right?"

Yuuka looked at Yukari for a moment, cleaned up her clothes a bit and dived into the gap. The gap closed after her as Yukari stood there.

"... And now begins the waiting game." Yukari said to herself. "I hope that everything will go fine. If not, then too bad."

CHAPTER 6 CLEAR!

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 7: BLOOD ORANGE:

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The boundary is a weird place. To best describe it, it is a purple void, with bunch of "eyes" sticking where ever they want. There is no up or down, left or right or anything. How would any one navigate in there? Especially Yuuka, who never has been in there. However, she knew that there has to be a way out. After looking around, she found something. It was an blank "eye" floating among the other ones. Yuuka figured that this had to be the way out and she stepped inside it.


Once she stepped out, she found herself in a new world. To her, it was bit of a strange place. The area was a large lake tainted violet with mountains surrounding the place. There were bits of land seen around the lake, but not by much. While Yuuka was looking at the scenery, the portal she had come through closed. She had no choice to see if anything was living here. Looking around, she suddenly saw two shadowly figures in the distance, flying at her direction. Yuuka started flying forwards the two figures.

After getting closer at them, one of them stopped while the another moved forwards Yuuka. Looking at her at closer distance, the girl was wearing green dress over a yellow dress, had a yellow hat, long red hair and carried a baton. She was spinning her baton while pointing at Yuuka.

"Go, my minions!" the yellow dressed girl yelled forwards Yuuka.

Suddenly, bunch of lights orbs zoomed around the yellow dressed girl and formed to create these buzzsaw-like things. The things shot forwards Yuuka, while the girl covered them with bullets. Yuuka was in bit of a shock for a girl to suddenly to come to her and fight her, but it didn't matter. Yuuka reached her arm forwards and shot bunch of bullets forwards the saw things, destroying them instantly. While the girl was approaching her with bullets, Yuuka dodge the bullets and when the girl was closed enough, she grabbed her by her wrist, squeezing hard enough for her to be paralyzed by the pain.

"Oooowww!!" yelled the girl in agony. "H-help me!"

The figure who stayed behind heard her cry and reacted to it. Suddenly, bunch of lasers started coming from her direction what looked like they would go past Yuuka. But when they got close enough, they started exploding into bullets, forcing Yuuka to dodge them with the yellow dressed girl on hand. Irritated by anotherperson, she placed the yellow dressed girl tightly under her shoulder and used her umbrella as a shield to charge forwards. Yuuka was fast enough to dodge bullets what exploded and the umbrella blocked the lasers which hit her. The figure tried to fry the umbrella with even more lasers, but it didn't stop Yuuka. Instead, Yuuka rushed at the figure with her umbrella, knocking her away.

After Yuuka came out of her cover, she took a good look at the figure. It was a girl, with white shirt, black dress what was her up by suspenders, had long yellow hair and spotted bat wings on her back.The winged girl recovered from the blow.

"Ha!" the winged girl just yelled. "You think that will beat me! You are weak and-"

As one can guess, Yuuka didn't waste any time to punch the girl in her face for trying to talk trash at her right now. It wasn't strong by her standards, but she planned to follow this up with another punch. However, the winged girl placed her hand front of her to block Yuuka from coming forwards her while looking scared.

"P-please, miss Yuuka!" the winged girl said. "Don't harm us any further! It's me, Kurumi. And that girl there is Orange. Don't you remember us?"

Yuuka looked at the girl called Kurumi and then at the girl called Orange. It took we seconds for her to put the pieces together, but she remembered them. She remembered the two of them from her dream. From Mugenkan. After figuring this out, she let Orange go and she flew forwards Kurumi for cover.

"We apologize for attacking you." said Orange at Yuuka. "We don't want to fight you. Its just that some one forced to fight you."

"She speaks the truth." said Kurumi. "We were forced to fight you by-"

"Now now there. Do you really want to spoil the surprise?"

A voice rang through the air, saying those words. Yuuka looked around in confusion as Orange and Kurumi squeezed at eachother.

"So, Yuuka." said the voice. "You have finally arrived back. I have no idea how you were able to accomplish that, but I guess its too late to think about that. But what I know is whyyou are here. You are here to meet p with your little Elly, right? I guess there is no stopping you then."

Suddenly, some of the mountains started to move over, revealing a path somewhere.

"Move forwards that path and you will reach your wanted destination." the voice said. "But just be careful. You might just die in there. And well, I doubt you want that. I'll see you later."

The voice wasn't heard any more. Yuuka now knew what to do. Looking at the path, she flew forwards it, hoping it will take her where Elly is.

"So you think she will be fine?" Kurumi said to Orange.

"I don't know" Orange said to Kurumi. "She might be considered one of strongest youkais in Gensokyo, but here in Dream World, things are different..."

CHAPTER 7 CLEAR!

[ToyoRai]

Holy crap, how long has it been since I have even visited this site? I try to get new chapter done by the next week.

[ToyoRai]

Sweet freakin lords, I cannot keep a good update schedule to these.

CHAPTER 8: ROTTEN APPLE
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Yuuka was tired. with everything what had been happening to this point has worn her out a lot. Its bit of a surprise she doesn't just take a break to regain some energy. But she had no time for that. She knew her destination and she did not want to stop for any one. She flew across the long and wide path, hoping that what she was looking for was there.

Eventually, everything payed off to her. After what felt like a hour, she saw something in the horizon. A huge mansion waiting there. This was the thing she has been looking for. The Mugenkan mansion. Yuuka smiled as she picked up her speed, getting closer and closer to the main gates to the mansion. Upon arriving, she took a good look at it. The mansion looked like she vaguely remembered it. She moved forwards the gate, but then it opened all by itself. From there a girl came out. A girl with yellow hair, pink hat, dark red dress and who carried a scythe with a curved handle. Yuuka was on shock. Would this really be... Elly?

"Welcome home, mistress." Elly spoke. "It has been a long time since you left hasn't it?"

Yuuka was in joy, but something felt odd. The way Elly spoke was really... dark. It felt rather spooky in a way.

"So, why did you return here." Elly said with her head down. "Did you decide to move back here? Or was it because of me? Tch, how pitiful."

Where it had been a long time since the two had seen eachother the last time, it felt weird for her to speak like that. Yuuka had to step back.

"But then again, when you are some one like you, who are you going to get company from?" said Elly with a grin. "'Crazy sunflower lady' I have heard some people refer you. And to be honest, I don't blame them. To be honest, I didn't like working with you."

Elly stepped forwards with a sinister manner. She started gripping onto her scythe with force.

"In fact, I think its best for all of if you would just DIE!"

Elly jumped forward with intention to attack Yuuka with her scythe. Yuuka reacted and tried to defend herself with her umbrella. Elly missed hitting Yuuka, but was able to get Yuuka's umbrella between her and her scythe. She then pulled her scythe back to her, with the scythe's blade cutting through the umbrella like butter. Yuuka was shocked that she would just cut through it.

"You should have just stayed int hat sunflower field." said Elly. "You are lot closer to them than to others. I guess I will make you into compost when I am done with you."

Elly started to wind up her scythe and then threw it forwards Yuuka. Yuuka dodged the scythe, but then saw Elly shooting danmaku at her. Yuuka dodged the bullets, but then noticed that the scythe was heading back at her. Meanwhile, Elly was starting to charge up a lot of energy into her fist and started flying at Yuuka.

"You are going to die, Yuuka!" Elly yelled.

She was in a bad place. One direction had a scythe flying at her and the other had a crazy lady flying at her. She had to react right, or else some one was going to hit her. And even if she dodged both of them, Elly was still going attack her. She had no choice. Before either of the two would reach her, she dodged down. It made her dodge Elly and gave her a moment to grab the scythe from the air. In a smooth motion, Yuuka got up and swung the scythe, hitting Elly in the side of her head with the tip of it. Everything went silent. The moment was frozen. But when everything moved on, something happened: Elly started to turn into red pedals. Slowly the girl was nothing but an image made by pedals which went away with the wind. Yuuka didn't know what to say.

"Good job there." rang a familiar voice. "You were able to kill the person you came here for. Okay, I am lying, that was not the real Elly. Just a clone I created you to fight. Nice, huh."

Yuuka didn't even react. She dropped the scythe from her hand and walked to the broken umbrella. She picked the handle of it and started focusing. Due the fact that her umbrella is actually a flower, she regrew the flower from the handle alone.

"Okay, fine." said the voice. "The real Elly is waiting somewhere in the mansion. Don't worry, I won't trick you in the same way has here. That's a promise."

As usual, she didn't react. All she did was walk tot he opened gate and entered the mansion...

CHAPTHER 8 CLEAR!

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

Well, things are certainly intensifying in this...
Keep up the good work.

[ToyoRai]

Great bump of justice. And yes, I am still writing this. I hope I can get something this December.

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 9: RED ROSE, BLUE ROSE, DEAD ROSE.

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Walking through the hallways of Mugenkan Mansion, Yuuka was in a hurry. Not because she was in an actual hurry, she was sure she didn't have to worry about Elly's safety. It was more because she was irritated. Her usual smile was few steps down from usual, her eyes were down and had a tight grip on her umbrella. She wanted to end this soon and she wantedtomake sure it would happen. Even if she wanted to take a closer lookat Mugenkan Mansion, she didn't have time for that.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

A voice came from thedirection which Yuuka was heading forwards. As she looked closer, she noticed two figures standing. At first glance, she though thesetwo were Reimu and Marisa. But looking closer, she noticed that they were different. Reimu dressed in a traditional hakama and Marisa's outfit was purple instead of black. oth of them looked down with an imitating look.

"The great and powerful Yuuka, yes?" Reimu said in a mocking voice. "Hah, to think that this flowerhead is one of oldest living youkais. You figure some one would have already killed her."

"Now, now, Reimu." Marisa said to Reimu. "We don't want to piss her off or she will kill us. Then again, not making her mad is as hard as putting a weight into a hanged ricepaper."

The insults which they threw at Yuuka got her mode irritated than she already was. However, instead of trying to attack, she walked forwards them in an attempt to ignore them.

"Oh look, here she goes, trying to be all like 'You people don't matter'" said Reimu as she made some insulting motions. "Just because you are old as the dirt in your dumb sunfield doesn''t make you any better than others."

"'Ultimate Sadistic Creature' they call you" said Marisa in the most snarky way possible. "Yeah, quite a honor. Oh wait, should that be an insult."

"Sitting in your little sunflower field with no one to talk than those dumb flowers." Reimu said. "Yeah, you are reeaal social person."

Yuuka knew that these two weren't the real Reimu and Marisa. But as much as she tries to ignore their insults, she is getting madder and madder. She picked her pace to just leave them behind. But suddenly, four different colored orbs rose from the ground to surround Yuuka. The four orbs created a square around Yuuka and shot a beam at her to make her stuck. She tried to struggle out of them but it was no use.

"But anyway" said Marisa. "You think she would be exterminated? I mean, she is way more trouble than sheis worth. No one will miss her. In fact, people will thank us for killing her."

"Good idea" said Reimu.

Reimu slapped her ahnds together. As she started seprating her hands, she created an yin.yang orb between her hands. As she brought her hands away from eachother, the orb grew larger and larger. Eventually the orb was bigger than Reimu. he hold the orb above her head.

"Any last words, youkai?" said Reimu at Yuuka.

Yuuka stayed silent.

"So be it" Reimu said.

As Reimu started to get ready to drop the orb at Yuuka, she hold her umbrella in a way that its tip pointed at Reimu. Quickly, she shot a single bullet at Reimu. When it hit Reimu, she lost her balance and fell down. It caused her to lose her hold on the yin.yang orb, causing it to fall top of Reimu. It was made out of pure enrgy, so it slowly cause her body to dissapear. Once the orb had dissaperared, all what was left of Reimu was bunch of ofudas shaped like a person.

"You tricky girl." Marisa said as she saw what was left of Reimu. "I guess I have to finish you myself-"

As Marisa looked at Yuuka's direction, she was standing right front of her. In her hand was one of the magical orbs, cracked. The other three were just fragments shattered to the ground.

"Uuuhh, too late to take my words back?" Marisa said while being nervous.

Yuuka, angered so that she was visibly glenching her teeth together slammed the orb at Marisa's face. Due of being made out of magical energy, it exploded at her face, causing her to blow up in a flurry of stars. After a moment of silence, Yuuka continued her journey.

"So, you defeated two more challengers." The mysterious voice rang. "Well done! Never imagined you would get this- H-hey, where are you going? Are you even going to listen to me?"

Yuuka was so irritated to listen, she decided to fly just to get away as soon as possible from the voice."

"Aren't you mad at me." the voice said to itself. "Then again, that is the point..."

CHAPTER 9 CLEAR!

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 10: DOUBLE SUNFLOWER

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Yuuka was tired and irritated. It felt like some one was playing with her. She is so close to her goal, but it felt like everything was thrown into herway to prevent her from reaching it. The usually smiling face had a frown on it. She walked forwards as fast as possible, ignoring everything around her. Eventually the hallway ended to a door. Yuuka frankly felt like blasting the door open. But she calmed down and decided to just open it slowly. She was thinking that some one was behind the door so she braced herself.

Upon opening the door, she walked into a room. It was round and completely white. It hardly had any decoration. Heck, it lacked a light source. It felt like it would lit itself up by its own. In the middle of the room was a small table and two chairs on it. On the table was a tea set. And on one of the chairs sat a familiar looking figure,

"Oh, you finally came." said the figure. "Please take a seat."

The figure looked like Yuuka. Well, almost. Her plaided skirt was replaced with plaided pants and her hair was longer, with it covering one of her eyes. It was obvious that it was just a clone of Yuuka. But unlike the other dopplegangers, she didn't look hostile forwards Yuuka. Quite the opposite. She seemed really friendly.

"Huh, are you in a hurry?" Dual Yuuka said. "If not, then please, take a seat. I prepared this tea for you."

It ahs been a long time since some one has shown kindness to her in such a direct manner. She couldn't refuse her invitation. She walked to the table, took the second chair and sat down. Dual Yuuka poured tea into her cup and Yuuka took a sip from it. It was delicious. The two of them started drinking their tea, not talking to eachother. The room was quiet. Until...

"Yuuka, have you even sat down and though how times have changed?" asked Dual Yuuka.

The actual Yuuka was shocked to hear such a question. It really felt like she wanted to ask it for such a long time.

"You are an old youkai, Yuuka." Dual Yuuka said. "You have lived a lot longer than most youkais. You are used to the ways that most youkais acted long time ago. But times have changed. But I'm afraid you haven't changed with them. Even after danmaku was invented, you still feel like solving fights with force. That's why you created that one thing. To end battles quickly. That's what I assume, of course. These times, youkais don't absolutely need to male humans fear them. But even if you do it jokingly, you still want them to fear you."

The room returned back to silence. Yuuka looked bit sad after what she had heard. Such harsh words in such a polite manner.

"Even if you try to be polite, others know what lies beneth that smile. You are so projective to your flowers, people think that's all what you care about. And is that something you want people to think about you? Do you really want people avoiding you like you were the plague? Do you wish to be completely alone?"

Yuuka looked down, questioning herself. She has heard a lot of bad things before, but this is the first time it really ment something to her. She never though about those things before. But now...

"But..." said Dual Yuuka. "You can still change. Even small changes can change the way people view you. You can still adapt to the changing world. And maybe then you aren't as bad as you look"

Dual Yuuka raised her hand and pointed it to a wall. Suddenly, it dissapeared, showing a pathway.

"Go ahead." Dual Yuuka said. "I am not stopping you. You have come this far to get back Elly. A person special to you. But maybe after this talk you understand why is she special to you. And maybe why she shouldn't be."

Yuuka stood up and started walking to the newly revealed hallway. She looked behind, just in case Dual Yuuka would do something. She slowly walked away from the room, as Dual Yuuka sat there, drinking her tea...

CHAPTHER 10 CLEAR!

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 11: HAREBELL THAT RINGS DEEP IN DREAMS

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Something in Yuuka's mind felt that this was it. After such a long journey, she was close to her destination. The things what Dual Yuuka said to her still was in her head but as of now, finding Elly was her top priority. She started running, feeling that she was close. In a end of a hallway she ran into a large door with plants carved into it. She felt something behind that door. The door was heavy, but she pushed it with all of her might. The door gave up and opened up.

Going trhough the door, she was outside the mansion. And what lied ahead was a massive field of sunflowers. She could see them as was as eye can see. But what truly caught her eyes was a small pathway leading to a patch of land what wasn't covered in sunflowers. On that spot sat a girl on her knees. Strawhat, blonde hair, red dress, curved scythe, there was no mistaking it: this was Elly. Elly lifted her head up and looked into the direction of Yuuka.

"Y-yuuka! I'is that you!?" Elly said in gleeful voice as few tears fell on her cheek.

Yuuka was in joy. After all this time, she met up with the real Elly once again. She shed few tears in joy as she started running forwards Elly. But then, something happened: A bright white orb fell down from the skies rgiht top of Elly. The orb engulfed Elly with itself and as soon as it raised up and flew away, Elly was gone! Yuuka was first shocked, then sad, but finally angry. After finally meeting up with Elly, some one dares to take her away from her.

"Now now, Yuuka." a mysterious voice rang in air. "Nothing is never that easy."

Yuuka looked into the skies and saw a figure. As it started coming down from the skies, Yuuka was able to get a better view on it. The figure was a girl with short blonde hair and a lue maid's uniform. Yuuka had never recalled seeing her, so all what she did was wait until she would come close to the ground.

"... Oh." the maid said. "I guess we haven't really met eachother."

The maid bow down before Yuuka like a proper lady.

"I am Mugetsu. The Maid of Dreams and the ruler of Dream World. And maybe the person why hates you most."

Yuuka was confused why was that. But then she recalled something what Yukari said to her. That there were two youkais observing Dream World. This Mugetsu must ahve been one of the two she was talking about.

"You do understand what you did all those years ago?" Mugetsu said in a ahrd but polite way. "You almost caused the Dream World to crash with the true world. And now you are back, even though I made sure that you couldn't return back here. And even after I tried my best to stop you, you still were able to get here."

Everything started to make sense. She was behind all those attacks on her before now and one who kept her away from Mugenkan. Yuuka finally found the culprit. And she was mad.

"Ahem. Sorry for getting so angry at you." Mugetsu apolizied to Yuuka. "But you leave me no choice. I must make sure that you will get a proper punishment."

Mugetsu suddenly dissapeared into the thin air. Yuuka looked around confused, trying to look for her. She looked straight up, and saw her floating above her. Mugetsu lifted her arm up and swing it around, releasing bunch of yellow danmaku at Yuuka. Yuuka dodged the danmaku and fired back at her. However, once her danmaku hit Mugetsu, she vanished. At first, Yuuka though she ahd just teleported, but all of a sudden, she was surrounded by multiple Mugetsus!

"Ahaha, did you think it would be that easy?" Mugetsu's voice echoed in the air. "I am in control here. I am pratically a god. You cannot defeat me here."

All of the Mugetsus then raised their hands and started firing waves of star danmaku at Yuuka. She had hardly any room to dodge them. She flet like Mugetsu was toying with her.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Mugetsu's voiced echoed in the air. "Are you unable to defeat me like this? Tell you what, I will let you attack me once. Let's see if you are able to figure out who of us is the real one."

Yuuka felt like she was insulting her. But she knew she had to make sure her next move had to count. She was thinking to herself a surefire way to find the real Mugetsu. Then she got an idea. She raised her umbrella high into the sky and then casted a purple circle around one of the Mugetsus.

"(Hah, she picked the wrong one)" Mugetsu though to herself. "(I guess even an old youkai like her is unable to see trhough simple illusions)"

But all of the sudden, the purple circle started to close on the fake Mugetsu and starting to shoot danmaku all around it. Meanwhile, the tip of Yuuka, umbrella started shooting waves of danmaku around. The sky was covered in danmaku, which started to take down the illusions one by one. Eventually Mugetsu couldn't keep her act together and had to start dodging.

"(What!? Did she just trick me there?)" Mugetsu though to herself.

Yuuka noticed the real Mugetsu trying to dodge her danmaku. This was her moment. With a swing of her umbrella, she fired bunch of cross-shaped danmaku at Mugetsu to give ehr room to pull out one of her spellcards. She casted it and started firing bunch of large yellow danmaku at Mugetsu. Mugetsu had to dodge the cross-shaped danmaku first, but once the yellow ones came, they exploded into smalled white ones around Mugetsu, which was too intense for her to dodge and was hit multiple times. Once the danmaku ahd dissapeared, Mugetsu started to fell down slowly.

"Well then." Mugetsu said to Yuuka while taking breath. "I guess you cain't half bad in danmaku when it comes to brute forcing your opponent."

Mugetsu gracefully landed in her feet.

"But I will not lose today. I, no, we, will make sure you fill fall! Gengetsu!"

Mugetsu yelled as loud as she could for a name. In a moment, another figure started coming from the skies. In closer look, it was another girl with long blonde hair, white skirt with a red vest and pair of angel wings. Was this the said Gengetsu? Who ever it was, she landed beside Mugetsu.

"You called me, sister?" the angel said.

"Yes I did." said Mugetsu to the angel before looking at Yuuka. "Yuuka, meet Gengetsu. My sister and the other ruler of Dream World."

Yuuka looked at Gengetsu. This must have been the other person observing Dream World. She didn't look that dangerous, but Yuuka knew not to judge others by how they looked.

"Now then, Yuuka!" Mugetsu yelled. "With us two together, we will-"

"Now is it really fair to go against some one two versus one?"

All three of them looked to their sides. In the skies was Yukari, sitting in the order of one of her boundaries with a fan focering her lower face.

"Yukari!" Mugetsu yelled." Let me guess, you were the one who let Yuuka here, right?"

"Oh, what led you think that?" Yukari said back almost as a joke."

"Gengetsu, can you deal with Yuuka for oth of us?" said Mugetsu. "I want to have a few words with Yukari."

"Sure thing, sister." said Gengetsu.

Mugetsu and Gengetsu nodded to eachother and Mugetsu started flying forwards Yukari. Yukari dropped back first back into her boundary and Mugetsu followed right after her. The boundary closed itself, leaving only Yuuka and Gengetsu behind. The two fo them glared at each other, determent to defeat the other.

"You might have been giving trouble to my sister, Yuuka." Gengetsu said. "But don't think I will go easy on you! I am Gengetsu, the Angel of Nightmares! And I will be the one who will defeat you!"

CHAPTER 11 CLEAR!

[ToyoRai]

So suddenly my writing got proper spacing... Okay.

CHAPTER 12: PLUCKING AWAY PEDALS
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Gengetsu and Yuuka stared at each other. They both knew what was at stake for each of them. Both of them were waiting for the another to make the first move. With Gengetsu clenching her firsts and Yuuka holding tight to her umbrella, they were ready to do battle.

"Alright, here I come!" yelled Gengetsu.

Suddenly, Gengetsu disappeared into the thin air. Yuuka sort of expected her to do so, after seeing how Mugetsu fought against her. But the question was where would she appear? Yuuka braced herself from anything.

Suddenly, Yuuka felt something behind her. As she looked behind her, she saw Gengetsu behind her. She tried to do a roundhouse kick at Yuuka, but she was able to dodge it just in time. Gengetsu seemed to want to deal with Yuuka in hand-to-hand combat. Yuuka so to speak, accepted her challenge.

Now normally you think the last thing you want to do is get to a hand reach from Yuuka. But this was different. When Yuuka tried to punch Gengetsu, she was able to catch her punch with one hand.

"What's the matter, Yuuka?" said Gengetsu mockingly. "I though you were mend to be really strong. I guess I was wrong."

Gengetsu started to outpower Yuuka as she had hard time trying to push her fist forwards. Eventually Gengetsu pushed Yuuka way from her and quickly followed her. She tried to throw few punches at Yuuka, but Yuuka was able to dodge the punches. When she tried to return the favour, Gengetsu was able to dodge Yuuka's punches really well. It went for a while before the two of them started to get tired of it.

"*Heavy breathing* So after all that and nether of us have been able to even hurt each other?" said Gengetsu in shock. "I guess I took the wrong approach with you."

As she said that, she started to fly up into the skies. Yuuka patiently waited in her spot, because she knew she had something prepared just for her.

"I guess the playtime is over now!" yelled Gengetsu. "I will show you why you should fear me!"

Gengetsu held her hand up in the skies. As sun shined bright, she gathered energy to her hand. And from that energy started shooting out massive waves of danmaku! Yuuka quickly pulled out her umbrella to block the danmaku, which was a good thing, as the sheer quantity of them was overwhelming. She was unsure if there was even a way to dodge such array of bullets. All what Yuuka would do was wait and hope the array would end soon. It did thankfully end at one point, at which point Yuuka peek from the side of her umbrella to check if the coast was clear.

"Hello there."

Suddenly, Gengetsu was standing right front of her! Before Yuuka would properly react to it, Gengetsu grabbed Yuuka by her face and lifted her up.

"Now, let me show you your greatest nightmares." said Gengetsu in menacing tone.

Yuuka tried to struggle out of Gengetsus hold, but it seemed to be ineffective. Eventually Yuuka had to result on blasting Gengetsu at point-blank range with a danmaku. It was enough to get out of Gengetsu's hold, as it send her away from Yuuka. Yuuka was on her knees with her having a headache. She wasn't able to see anything for a moment, but when she could, she wouldn't believe what she was seeing.

Suddenly, the entire sunflower field they were fighting on was on fire! The sky was red like blood as Yuuka looked around in shock. All of those precious flowers were put ablaze. She tried to use her powers to somehow save the flowers, but it was no use. Normally trying to put her own sunflower garden would piss her off, but seeing it having been completely set on fire was something she didn't want to see ever. She looked up, and saw Gengetsu looking at Yuuka with a menacing look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Gengetsu said. "Are you scared to fight me more? Is sight of the only things you care for burning away right front of your own very eyes?"

Suddenly, something started to raise from the ground behind Yuuka. It was a giant bud of a flower of sort. It quickly opened up, showing that it was a giant lotus-like flower with large antennae sticking out of it. Inside the lotus was also a fairy in a yellow dress. Before Yuuka would react to either of them, the lotus flower grabbed onto Yuuka's arms by its antennae and the fair grabbed on her around her shoulder, holding on her place.

"Oh look. It looks like your friends don't like you that much." Gengetsu said. "Maybe you are not the greatest friend to flowers as you hoped for."

Why would a flower attack Yuuka? And why can't Yuuka cause it to stop? She felt powerless against everything what was happening around her. She looked at Gengetsu once more, and saw her charging up for an another attack.

"Now, let us end this." Gengetsu said. "This will be your end for good!

CHAPTHER 12 CLEAR!

[ToyoRai]

CHAPTER 13: FLOWER MASTER YUUKA KAZUMI

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Hopeless, defenceless, Yuuka looked at Gengetsu as she was charging up her attack. Would this be really it? Has Yuuka come this far only to meet he demise? At this point, Yuuka felt like she should just give up as there would be no way that she wouldn't make it out here alive.

"Now, be gone." said Gengetsu.

Gengetsu pointed her arm forwards Yuuka and fired a long row of blue danmaku at her. She had no way of dodging it. All what she would do was look down on her feet and wait for them to hit her. She heard them hitting something, but yet, she felt nothing.

Yuuka raised her head up and saw some one standing front of her with her arms raised to the person's side. Yuuka quickly realized that the person was the Dual Yuuka from before! Did she just save her life? And why?

"So you decided to help her, illusion?" Gengetsu said.

Dual Yuuka stood there for a moment before falling down on her back. She had a vertical line of holes from the danmaku at her body. After seeing it, Yuuka got both surprised and angry. Her anger gave her the strength to tear the lotus antennae wrapped around her hands and then grab and throw the fairy wrapped around her neck. She sat on her knees and put Dual Yuuka's head on her lap.

"Did you think you would see the last of me?" asked Dual Yuuka. "To be honest, I didn't think I would come to help you, either. But I guess in the need of help, you can only rely on yourself, so to speak."

Dual Yuuka laughed in a low voice, ignoring the pain.

"I am sorry if this is the last time we meet each other. Take care of you. And of others if you would be so kind."

Dual Yuuka closed her eyes. After that, her body started to turn into sunflower pedals which slowly got blown away in the wind. Yuuka looked down. A tear dropped from her eye. She was about to cry. But she braced herself, stood up and looked at Gengetsu's direction with a determent look on her face.

"Grr, what does it take to kill you at last?" growled Gengetsu. "Why can't you be a good flower and die when some one wants it?"

Yuuka opened up her umbrella, pointed its end forwards Gengetsu and started to spin it around.

"I've had enough of you!" yelled Gengetsu as she raised her arm over her head. "Why can't you just die already!?"

Gengetsu pointed her arm at Yuuka and fired a thick laser beam out of her hand. Yuuka didn't flinch that there was a laser coming at her. She stood there, spinning her umbrella. However, before the laser would come close to hitting her, Yuuka opened her eyes. Those green eyes showed that she was done. And such she unleashed her most powerful technique she had: Master Spark.

From the tip of her umbrella fired out a large laser beam, much bigger than what Gengetsu just fired. It engulfed Gengetsu's laser and flew straight forwards Gengetsu. With an immense shock on her face, she couldn't do anything else but take the laser right at her. The only sound what filled the skies was the sound of Master Spark. Eventually Yuuka stopped firing the Master Spark. After which Gengetsu, having suffered major damage started pummelling down from the skies, as the flaming sunflower garden turned normal. It was an illusion by Gengetsu to scare Yuuka. When Gengetsu hit the ground, Yuuka slowly walked forwards her. As Gengetsu would raise her head, she was Yuuka glaring at her with her open eyes with her hand clenched into a fist.

"...Please forgive me!" Gengetsu yelled as she burst into tears. "I am sorry for my and my sister's behalf for doing everything we have done to you! I'll do anything to make up for you! Just don't kill me!"

Yuuka looked down on Gengetsu. Inside her mind she really wanted to hurt her more for everything she and her sister has done to her. But at the same time, she thought to herself that what is the point? Has she suffered enough already and that they are just children? Should Yuuka be the better person and let her go? Whatever it was, she loosened her fist and patted Gengetsu on her head to make her stop crying.

"Oh, what is this? Are you showing actual sympathy forwards some one?"

Yuuka looked behind her. The voice came out of Yukari's mouth. Yukari was carrying Mugetsu on her hand, who seemed to have been beaten up by her. She let her go and Mugetsu ran next to Gengetsu and helped her to get up.

"We are so sorry for everything we have done." Mugetsu said to Yuuka. "Please forgive us. If there is anything we can do to us, please tell us."

Yuuka stared at both of them. She didn't know what would she said to them.

"Isn't it obvious?" Yukari said in the side. "She want both of you to release Elly. And I guess it would be nice if you didn't try to block her from entering her own dreams, if you would be so kind."

"Yes, of course. " Mugetsu replied. "We do it right away. Come on Gengetsu. Let us get out of here first."

The two of them flew up into the skies a fast as they could. In the sky, they disappeared into the sunlight. After that, a bright white orb fell down from the skies. Upon landing, it turned into a bright flash of light, from which Elly came into existence.

"M-miss Yuuka?" said Elly.

Yuuka's face was filled with joy upon seeing Elly. She ran to her and gave her the tightest hug she would give to her. Elly did the same to Yuuka. neither of them said a word to each other. They just hugged each other, crying how they can finally see each other after so many years.

"How lovely." said Yukari. Now that the two of you have finally been reunited, how about we continue this reunion in your world, Yuuka?"

Both Yuuka and Elly stopped hugging and looked at Yukari's direction. Yukari opened up one of her boundaries next to her and pointed her hand forwards it.

"This way please." said Yukari.

Yuuka grabbed Elly by her hand the two of them headed forwards the boundary. Yuuka went in first, but when Elly was about to enter it, something repelled her back. She fell onto the ground and grasping her hand in pain.

"Hmph, as I feared." Yukari said in a concerning way.

Both Yuuka and Elly looked Yukari, not knowing what she mend by that.

"You see..." Yukari said, being hesitant about what she was going to say. "...Dreams cannot exist in the real world."

Yuuka looked at her in shock. Elly on the other hand, didn't, like she knew that as the case.

"To tell the truth, dreams don't have a real psychical form.  As such, dreams are unable to exist in almost any dimension but its own. Because of this, unless some one triess to connect dream world into an another world, they cannot go anywhere. Sure, I can maybe get Elly to your world, but then what? Will she just disappear after a while? I know these news must be hard on you, Yuuka, but this is the harsh truth. I am sorry.

Yuuka stared at Yukari at first and then Elly.

"It must feel really hard to know those news now." Elly said. "But I can take the risk. If you want me to go with you, then I-"

Yuuka hugged Elly, interrupting her. When she let go of her, Yuuka smiled at her in a warm tone. It was clear that even if her journey was for nothing, at very least, she was able to see Elly once again. She didn't care if their reunion would be short, she didn't mind in the end.

"Yuuka!" yelled to voices.

Orange and Kurumi suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ran to Elly's side.

"Even if we must depart now, it doesn't mean we won't see each other again." said Orange.

"I am sure that Mugetsu and Gengetsu have removed the barrier which prevents you for entering here." said Kurumi. "So you can visit us anytime you fall into sleep."

Yuuka looked at them in delight. A tear ran over her cheeks as she started heading forwards the boundary gap. She looked behind herself and saw the three waving at her. She waved back while smiling and she enterted the boundary.

"Well the." said Yukari. "Take care of yourself."

Yukari entered the boundary as well and closed the entrance way with her.

CHAPTER 13 CLEAR!

[ToyoRai]

Do you know what? I am on a writing roll, so let us end this!

EPILOGUE: WITHERING FLOWER
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Finally, Yuuka had returned back to Gensokyo. Yukari had just dropped her to the Garden of the Sun. Since her department, the sunflowers on the field have been withered and died due of the cold autumn weather. However, Yuuka never liked to have the garden be dead before winter. She placed her umbrella into the ground and focused.  With her power, she is able to bring all the withered sunflowers back alive.

Yuuka stood between all the sunflowers, going trough everything she has experienced across the few days. Everything what was said to her ran in her mind as she considered what she should do now. Suddenly, she hears a voice coming somewhere. When she comes to take a look, she sees a fairy trying to unpluck one of her sunflowers.

"Come on now." said the little fairy. "I must get this sunflower before-AH!"

The fairy noticed Yuuka next to her. Yuuka had returned to her shut-eyed look as she was smiling at the fairy.

"Uuhh, please forget that I was here!" said the fairy. "If you don't want to take your sunflowers, then I- huh?"

Suddenly, Yuuka kneeled down on the sunflower the fairy was trying to take. She snapped the stem of the sunflower in half and gave the sunflower to the fairy and patted her head.

"T-thank you, miss Yuuka!" said the fairy with her face full of joy. "I will not  forget this!"

The fairy took off with the sunflower, singing happily as she goes. It was such rare sight to see Yuuka just let some one take one of her sunflowers, let alone having her be the one to give one out. Yuuka felt a warm feeling inside her. She was happy to help some one for a change. That she doesn't need to make every one fear her. As she stood there, she was wondering if she might encounter any one else today.....



"So, I guess the plan was successful."

Over the Garden of the Sun was Yukari, sitting in the edge of one of her gaps looking down on Yuuka. Next to her was Mugetsu, who kept her up by placing her hands in the edge of the gap.

"You know, you didn't really have to hurt like that." said Mugetsu who still had injuries. "I mean, in our part, is was just an act."

"Oh, but then Yuuka might have though there was something fishy going on here." said Yukari sheepishly.

"*Sigh* Anyway..." said Mugetsu. "I am surprised that the plan actually worked."

"And I am glad that it did" said Yukari. "When I saw Yuuka going around Gensokyo, I started to fear what if she would just snap. Keeping an youkai so powerful and bit uncontrollable like Yuuka can be dangerous to the wellbeing of this land. So I wanted to know if she can become a calmer person. And its all thanks to you. Even if you wanted to kill her all this time, you were able to make her not so sadistic as she would have been otherwise. And even if she wasn't able to bring Elly back, she was fine with that, especially when you did promise to remove that barrier, am I right?"

Yukari looked at Mugetsu to remind her of that, just in case.

"Say, what would have happened if your plan ended up failing?" said Mugetsu.

"Well, lets just say that I would be a hypocrite if I said you wanting to kill her would be wrong" said Yukari. "Now should you be going back to Dream World? I mean, I know you are an actual youkai and not a dream creation, but just in case."

Mugetsu nodded her head and fell back to the boundary to return back to Dream World.

"And with that, I guess this is a sort of happy ending." Yukari said to herself. "*Yawn* It has been quite tiresome this thing. Back to bed finally."

"Yukari fell back to the boundary to return back home and closed the boundary behind herself.

THE END

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And that is the end! It has been long time since I began this, but its finally complete! So any last opinions on the story as we close off?

Hoe you all enjoyed reading this as I say "Good bye. Seeya some other time."