Rumia Quest II: Widening Darkness [Complete]

[Raikaria]

>Ow. Let's go fly back to the one in green then. "I'm Rumia, I can control darkness! See?" Let's make a bubble of darkness like we usually do.

> You fly back to the one in green. You always have a dusk-bubble around you, although it's not enough to really stop others seeing you.

> Except... you don't. This is sudden. Where did it go?! You swear you were surrounded in a dusk-like sphere before. Still, when you decide to manipulate darkness, it appears.

> "Rumia?! I can't see you at all!" Cirno says.

> That's not normal.

> "She couldn't do that earlier..." Sakuya said.

> You can see perfectly well.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Whoa....So cool! I didn't even know I could do that now! Is it dark? I can see just fine!"

[Raikaria]

>"Whoa....So cool! I didn't even know I could do that now! Is it dark? I can see just fine!"

> "Yeah, we can't see you at all." Reimu said.

> "OK, why are you getting stronger so fast? I know I get stronger fast, but I have to work my rear off!" Marisa said, sounding annoyed.

> "It's not like she was getting stronger until that book thing!" Cirno said happily.

[Hanzo K.]

>Alright, let's tone it back to normal then. "Maybe it's the power of friendship! I've been helping people out a lot lately, so maybe that's why! Maybe their gratitude and understanding is turning into something that makes me stronger? I couldn't do anything like this until after just now, so maybe that's it?"

[Raikaria]

>Alright, let's tone it back to normal then. "Maybe it's the power of friendship! I've been helping people out a lot lately, so maybe that's why! Maybe their gratitude and understanding is turning into something that makes me stronger? I couldn't do anything like this until after just now, so maybe that's it?"

> "Maybe." Ran said. "I've been around for a while. I've seen people gain power many ways. Reimu does it by drawing on her natural potential. Marisa works. Alice reads and makes Dolls. Sakuya gets more powerful the more she serves her master, it seems. Sanae gets stronger the more she and her gods attune to and effect Gensokyo. Cirno gets stronger by fighting. Yuuka there gets stronger by sadistic acts. Me and Chen got more powerful by forming Shikigami contracts, and fufilling them to our best ability. Maybe you're onto something."

> "You can't be serious Ran. Why would a Youkai that used to eat people gain power like that?" Reimu said.

> "Was she strong enough to stand up to the likes of Alice's full power before?"

> "N-N-No. She wasn't even strong enough to face off with me in lazy mode several years ago..." Reimu admitted.

[Hanzo K.]

>"I've made a lot of friends since then too, like Wriggle, Cirno, Mysty, Koga, and lots more! So maybe that is why I'm getting stronger!"
>Beat.
>"I need to make more friends!"


(WARNING: The link may be informative, but don't blame me if you get sucked in.)

[Raikaria]

>"I've made a lot of friends since then too, like Wriggle, Cirno, Mysty, Koga, and lots more! So maybe that is why I'm getting stronger!"
>Beat.
>"I need to make more friends!"


(WARNING: The link may be informative, but don't blame me if you get sucked in.)

> "I need to beat up more people!" Cirno announced.

> Sakuya looks at her stopwatch. "If the time of the announcement Yumeko made was given correctly to me, we have fourty minuites left to prepare." she said.

> Reimu and Marisa are discussing the arrival of the others. "Yukari must be off her rocker if she brought Yuuka here..." you hear Reimu say.

> "Nah ~ze. I think it's past the point where we need to worry about her killin someone." Marisa said happily.

> "I can hear you two..." Yuuka said, her voice sounding sweet, but the looks of horror on their faces was the opposite of what that sort of voice would usually make.

> "S-speakin of worryin about someone killing someone, where are those Oni?" Marisa asked.

---
> Meanwhile, at the Palace of the Earth Spirits...

> "Man, arn't we lucky..." Wriggle said.

> "Yeah, right when all those monsters came, she came to help!" Mystcia said happily.

> "I was so surprised!" Kogasa said.

> "We're right here. How about you show your *hic* appreciation to us instead of discussing it like we're *hic* someone else?" Sukia said, still holding the giant Sake jug, and with a drunken blush under her eyes. Yuugi was with her, in the same state.

> You have tempoarily lost control of Rumia.

> You can now control Wriggle, Mystcia or Kogasa for the next section, choose which one.

> Wriggle: Agile, pretty tough, widespread attacks suitiable for fighting multiple foes, Wriggle Kick
> Mystcia: Night blindness, claws, highest speed, most varied danmaku
> Kogasa: Strongest danmaku, most spellcards, only the umbrella can be damaged, no Last Spell or Last Word

[Hanzo K.]

I say Wriggle, what about everyone else?

[Darkoda]

I'm game with Wriggle too. We're going to have to kick someone before we get back to Rumia though

And Rumia's fueled by the power of friendship? Here I thought it was her seal weakening  :V

[Hanzo K.]

Well man, there you have it.

>Be Wriggle.
>"Oh yeah, guess you're right. Thanks, I guess." We aren't really good with the whole gratitude thing are we?
>"...Wonder how Rumia and Cirno are doing?"


And who's to say it isn't weakening? maybe it's all a way to regain the sealed power without being ax crazy?

[Raikaria]

I say Wriggle, what about everyone else?

I'm game with Wriggle too. We're going to have to kick someone before we get back to Rumia though

And Rumia's fueled by the power of friendship? Here I thought it was her seal weakening  :V

> You are now Wriggle Nightbug

Well man, there you have it.

>Be Wriggle.
>"Oh yeah, guess you're right. Thanks, I guess." We aren't really good with the whole gratitude thing are we?
>"...Wonder how Rumia and Cirno are doing?"


And who's to say it isn't weakening? maybe it's all a way to regain the sealed power without being ax crazy?

It's Ran's theory. The almighty GM will not comment on if Ran's theory or your theories are right or not, but feel free to speculate

> "Ah don't worry *hic* you're ya own little band of youkai *hic*. I'm sure ya coulda taken those hundred or so Evil Eyes yaselfves *hic*." Yuugi slurred.

> "I'm not so sure *hic*" Sukia said.

> "Well, we could see a fight a way away, there was that huge thing that fell over. Cirno has beaten up huge things before, so I'm sure it was her and Rumia!" Mystcia says, referring back to the incident which somehow led to Cirno fighting Utusho within a nuclear reactor. You guys felt funny around her for a few days afterwards.

> Your nightbug senses are tingleing. As if someone very dangerous has entered the underground. Dangerous to you, in particular.

> Mystica also has a similar look on her face... that of trauma.

> "Why do you two look so scared?" Kogasa asks.

[Hanzo K.]

>"...I think 'you-know-who' just showed up."
>Oh man, this is not gonna be good.

[Raikaria]

>"...I think 'you-know-who' just showed up."
>Oh man, this is not gonna be good.

> "Who, that flower youkai? I think that ghost just showed up too..." Mystcia said.

> "Who? What? Where?" Kogasa innocently asks. She only got dragged into this whole mess because she popped by to say hi before scareing Meiling, she has no clue about your traumatic events.

> Not that far from your location, you see a portal open. The portal opens in a way so as the location where the huge thing was can't see it due to buildings, but you can see it, just about, down the street.

[Hanzo K.]

>Look back to Kogasa."Oh yeah, we never told you about them did we? Well, there's this pair of really strong folks that me and Mystia here don't like one bit...Running into them wasn't exactly fun. One's a flower youkai, she seems to enjoy terrorizing me for some reason. And the other's a Ghost, I fought her before Mystia did, but she got the short end of the stick."
>Look away. "Even for Youkai like us, they're on a whole other level..."
>Let's go look at the portal as we explain it all to her.

[Raikaria]

>Look back to Kogasa."Oh yeah, we never told you about them did we? Well, there's this pair of really strong folks that me and Mystia here don't like one bit...Running into them wasn't exactly fun. One's a flower youkai, she seems to enjoy terrorizing me for some reason. And the other's a Ghost, I fought her before Mystia did, but she got the short end of the stick."
>Look away. "Even for Youkai like us, they're on a whole other level..."
>Let's go look at the portal as we explain it all to her.

> You explain the torture Yuuka has put you through several times over, and the time when Mystcia was unable to sleep for a week because Yuyuko tried to eat her. Being eaten by a ghost, that as a result has no physical form, and cannot actually eat, was quite traumatic, just the thought of it. Having a ghost bite her wings, and another ghost chasing her [reluctantly] with swords, scared the poor bird so much half her feathers fell out from shock over that week.

> "They sound scary... but if they're that strong it makes sense they're here, right?" Kogasa said.

> "I think Reimu's mentioned those two a lot!" Sukia said.

> "The flower youkai... I remember back when we lived on our mountain, she was pretty much the only one who could give us a run for our money... we could never actually beat her, nor could she beat us..." Yuugi slurred.

> You arrive at the portal, and see two figures talking. One looks like Sakuya if she was blonde and wore red. The other is in purple, and has brown hair with purple ends.

> "You're a personal freind of Shinki, over those 1,000 years. So she told me to give you the offer to come back into Makai, and be safe if we are forced to attack Gensokyo. What do you say, Byakuren?" the maid said. Something about her tone made it sound like she didn't agree with what Shinki said. You also notice she didn't call Shinki 'Lady' like Yuki and Mai did.

> "I must refuse. I cannot stand by and watch Shinki unravel all the work I did to save a lot of the inhabitents down here. I cannot allow my unsealing by my followers to lead to their deaths. I cannot stand by and watch while my world gets slaughtered. I'm sorry, but if Shinki wants to go through with this, she'll have to go through me. Before I was content to sit on the sidelines and treat the wounded, but she has stepped over the line."

> The maid broke into a slasher-smile. "Well well, Byakuren Hijiri. Shinki won't have to go through you, because she never said anything about what to do if you refused. Seeing as it would be emotionally painful for her to kill you personally, I'll save her the trouble! I've been waiting for the green light to do this for a thousand years!"

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Hey! Don't be mean to her!"

[Raikaria]

>"Hey! Don't be mean to her!"

> You, Mystcia and Kogasa pop out from around the corner you were watching from.

> Byakuren sighs, but dosen't look away from the maid.

> "I could have used without others around to worry about." she said. "She's not being mean... she's doing her job. She knows nothing else. That is the nature of Yumeko, the Doll of Misery." Byakuren explained.

> "How do you know that title?" Yumeko asked.

> "Shinki told me about you. Includeing your nature." Byakuren said, not sounding particually interested.

> "Well then... this isn't just me doing a favor for Shinki then... it's personal."

> Sukia and Yuugi are sitting around the corner you were watching from. They made it clear they have no intention of getting involved in the 'preacher's' business.

> "It's been over a thousand years since I'll have fought to my full power... don't underestimate me, even as a woman of faith, Yumeko." Byakuren warned.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Go over to the oni.
>"Why aren't you helping her?"

[Raikaria]

>Go over to the oni.
>"Why aren't you helping her?"

> You fly over to the pair of dunkards.

> "It's not our business. We don't know her. We don't owe her any debt. This seems to be a personal matter anyway. Not gonna stop you three gettin involved, but, frankly, me and Sukia arn't drunk enough yet to fight demonic Makaispawn and whatever else. Besides..." Yuugi began, before Sukia grabbed Yuugi's arm.

> "That explosion before injured Yuugi and me. Her power backfired for some reason, and the portal exploded. Us Oni are tough... but not invunerable." Yuugi's arm has several large cuts in it. Sukia seems to have a few large bruises.

> "We need to rest and drink. Then we'll recover. Oni biology." Yuugi slurred. "Those few Evil Eyes were no problem, but Shinki's right hand maid? We're in no state."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Um... um..."
>What should we do?
>"Um..."
>Wait!
>"Let's find Reimu, and quickly! She'll know what to do!"
>And she can protect us from the ghost and the flower-lady.
>Send as many insects as we can out to search for Reimu. Pick whatever direction seems most likely and head that way ourselves.

[Raikaria]

>"Um... um..."
>What should we do?
>"Um..."
>Wait!
>"Let's find Reimu, and quickly! She'll know what to do!"
>And she can protect us from the ghost and the flower-lady.
>Send as many insects as we can out to search for Reimu. Pick whatever direction seems most likely and head that way ourselves.

> "I dunno!" Mystcia says.

> "We could try and help..." Kogasa adds.

> "Find Reimu? Yeah, she can't be that far!" Mystcia says, after thinking for a moment.

> You don't carry insects around, and here are not as many down here as you're used to, but still, you send a message to the insects to find a miko dressed in red and white.

> Meanwhile, Byakuren and Yumeko begin fighting... without using danmaku, which is unusual. Yumeko is using what appears to be two shortswords, while Byakuren is using her bare hands. Despite Byakuren's lack of weaponry, they seem on level ground.

> "Tch, I almost forgot about your own previous title; Superhuman." Yumeko said.

> "Well, I've not been called that for a while, seeing as I'm a Youkai now." Byakuren said, before the two went at it again.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Oh, man, they're not even using danmaku."
>Crap, this is way beyond our level.
>Any word from the insects? If not, pick whichever direction we think Reimu's most likely in and head that way.

[Raikaria]

>"Oh, man, they're not even using danmaku."
>Crap, this is way beyond our level.
>Any word from the insects? If not, pick whichever direction we think Reimu's most likely in and head that way.

> "I guess they're both better at physical combat than danmaku!" Mystcia said.

> "Yeah... the drunken brawls I get into aren't danmaku fights." Yuugi said, before adding, "Although that dosen't stop us using danmaku as part of our attacks."

> Maybe if Cirno and Rumia were here, or the Oni were able to fight, it would be different.

> As you check with the insects if they've found the miko, you get a positive answer from some of them, the miko is with a massive group, includeing Rumia and Cirno! They're a fair distance from this battlefeild, however, and Yuyuko, Sanae and Yuuka are there amoung the others too, each one of them causing bad memories in one of your group.

> Byakuren seems to land a strong blow on Yumeko, you even feel a slight buffetting from the wind on the impact, but Yumeko blocked it with the flat of one of her blades.

[Byakuren for next fighting game]

[Hanzo K.]

>"Whoa...they're really something else huh?"
>"Oh yeah, I think we have a situation. Yuuka, Yuyuko, and Sanae are down here. And Rumia 'n' Cirno are with 'em. I just hope they're okay.."

[Darkoda]

>Yuuka....going there might be more dangerous than staying here.
>"Kogasa, could you go get everyone and tell them that Yumeko and Byakuren are fighting?"
>Show her where Reimu and company are.

[Raikaria]

>"Whoa...they're really something else huh?"
>"Oh yeah, I think we have a situation. Yuuka, Yuyuko, and Sanae are down here. And Rumia 'n' Cirno are with 'em. I just hope they're okay.."

[Side note: I just realised I got the description of Byakuren's hair coulor the wrong way around. Bah, who cares she used magic to swap it D:]

> "Yeah... they're kinda scary" Mystcia said.

> "Why do they have to be there?" Kogasa groans. Her fear of Sanae is semi-irrational, compared to your fears, after all, Marisa and Reimu beat her up as much, if not more than Sanae did. It's just that no-one besides you lot belive Sanae's treatment of Kogasa, and take her for a liar.

>Yuuka....going there might be more dangerous than staying here.
>"Kogasa, could you go get everyone and tell them that Yumeko and Byakuren are fighting?"
>Show her where Reimu and company are.

> It might indeed be.

> "Uh... it's either Sanae... or these two... Sanae of the... oh OK!" she says, looking a little unwilling, but after hearing Mystcia and your own reasons of fear, she decides she probobly is in the least danger.

> You point in the general direction. Insects are not good at relaying exact directions.

> Yumeko knocks Byakuren away, and unleashes a fan-like wave of danmaku, penning Byakuren in, before chareing at the monk. The pair recoil off each other. Despire using no weaponry, and blocking Yumeko's blades with her hands, the worst Byakuren has is a small cut.

[Hanzo K.]

>"....I have got to learn how to do that."
>We'd jump in but...There's no way we'd be able to last in a clash like that.

[Raikaria]

>"....I have got to learn how to do that."
>We'd jump in but...There's no way we'd be able to last in a clash like that.

> You imagine how powerful your Wriggle Kick would be if you could shrug off swords. Especially since they say kicks have three times the force of punches...

> "Well, if we see an opening, I guess we could try and help, but, I think we'll just get in the way otherwise." Mystcia said. You guess she's thinking the same as you.

> Byakuren and Yumeko are moving faster and faster, and their blows look stronger and stronger, more and more vicious. It's starting to get a little difficult to follow their movements. It's pretty clear the intentions of both sides are to kill now.

---

Meanwhile:

> "Kogasa!" Rumia says, noticeing the karakasa flying towards the group.

> "She looks worried about something." Reimu says.

> You can control Kogasa in addittion to Wriggle

[Hanzo K.]

Kogasa
>"You guys, Byakuren's fighting some maid in red! Wriggle and Mystia sent me to find you guys and bring you there!"
>Fill them in on what all's going on as we bring them along.

Wriggle
>"Whoa...I, uh, I think we'd better stay back. These two are definitely on a whole other level. And when they've got even me intimidated on the melee angle, you know it's serious stuff."
>Let's, uh, back away now. Pull Mystia with us too.

[Raikaria]

Kogasa
>"You guys, Byakuren's fighting some maid in red! Wriggle and Mystia sent me to find you guys and bring you there!"
>Fill them in on what all's going on as we bring them along.

Wriggle
>"Whoa...I, uh, I think we'd better stay back. These two are definitely on a whole other level. And when they've got even me intimidated on the melee angle, you know it's serious stuff."
>Let's, uh, back away now. Pull Mystia with us too.

> You explain the situation, while waving your arms up and down.

> "Red maid?" Sakuya asks.

> "Yumeko, the right hand of Shinki. Byakuren's fighting her? Well, seems like we know who's side she's on then!" Reimu said.

> "We should go help ~ze" Marisa said.

> "Take us there Kogasa please!" Sanae said.

> "Are Wriggle and Mystcia OK?" Rumia asks.

> You start leading the group to the battlefeild.
----

> "Y-Yeah... this is getting scary." Mystcia said, and you two back off.

> Just as well, because at that moment Byakuren is sent flying backwards, and crashes where you two were, although she's up again virtually instantly, Yumeko is upon her just as quickly.