Hatate Quest Kolme

[Hello Purvis]

>"They kinda conquered us. And we kinda threw them off the mountain after awhile."

[Oldmansour]

>"They kinda conquered us. And we kinda threw them off the mountain after awhile."

>Momiji nods. "That sums it up in a nutshell."
>Ranka nods for a moment longer than she probably needs to.
>"Do you happen to know how things stand between us and them now?"
>"Which us?" Ranka inquires.
>"Sorry, I meant the tengu of this world." the white wolf explains. As she does, your eyes fall upon the red-haired oni once more. She seems to be pointing at you and your group.
>"Well, there's no conquering. I don't think. And no throwing." The wind spirit pauses. "Well, maybe throwing DOWN, I think I've seen that happen once or twice. Can't remember though."

>As Ranka speaks, the hand of the oni below you seems to catch fire, as she launches a somewhat slow moving fireball in the direction of your group.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Heads up."
>Move out of the way, then call down "Hey! We're kinda busy!  Important work and stuff!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Heads up."
>Move out of the way, then call down "Hey! We're kinda busy!  Important work and stuff!"

>Warning the others, you go evasive, Ranka and Celes immediately following suit. Momiji, however, narrows her eyes at the incoming projectile, draws her shield, then flies right at the thing. The white wolf intercepts the fireball with the front of her shield, which explodes in a cloud of flame harmlessly in front of Momiji. "What is the meaning of this?" Momiji demands of the oni.
>The red haired oni levels a challenging look at you and your fellow tengu. "This is important too. To me."
>"Important enough to attack travellers unprovoked?" Momiji almost bellows.
>The oni's grin becomes even more evil. "Got your attention, didn't I?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey Celes, mind cleaning this up? Don't wanna lose our targets wasting time here."

[Oldmansour]

>"Hey Celes, mind cleaning this up? Don't wanna lose our targets wasting time here."

>The steward of the Keep nods solemnly. "As a matter of fact, I was about to suggest that myself."
>"Are you sure?" Momiji asks, looking back at the human. "Oni can be as nasty as they are powerful."
>Celes' face is confidant and determined. "I appreciate your concern, Momiji. But I assure you, I can handle myself." She looks between you and she. "You can go on ahead. I'll be along without too much of a delay."

[Hello Purvis]

>Besides, if some punk oni thinks she can be on our mountain, she deserves to get whipped by a human.
>"Just don't let her get close enough to kidnap you."
>Proceed!

[Oldmansour]

>Besides, if some punk oni thinks she can be on our mountain, she deserves to get whipped by a human.
>"Just don't let her get close enough to kidnap you."
>Proceed!

>Darn tootin'.
>Celes rests her hand on the hilt of her sheathed saber. "The results of that could be interesting indeed."

>The steward of the Cobalt Keep descends to meet her soon to be opponent, while you, Momiji and Ranka continue along up the mountain. Your white wolf companion's expression seems almost outraged. "When we get to the border, I intend to have a word with the soldiers there. If the tengu of this world are more concerned about the affairs of the mountain, then incidents like that shouldn't happen. DOES that happen often, Ranka?"
>"I don't think so. But Honoka pays more attention to that kind of thing than I do."
>Momiji lets out a sharp breath, trying to calm herself. "You've known her a bit longer than I have, Hatate. Are you sure Celes can handle herself? I know I shouldn't be too worried, the spellcard rules being in effect and all, but I can't help it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Probably. All those keep peoples seem pretty capable. Besides, I'm betting that oni won't take her seriously til it's too late."

[Oldmansour]

>"Probably. All those keep peoples seem pretty capable. Besides, I'm betting that oni won't take her seriously til it's too late."

>"Good point. I've known a lot of youkai to make that mistake with humans."
>Despite her words, you catch Momiji glancing behind her rather frequently as your now reduced group fly up the mountain. Putting that telescopic vision of hers to use, no doubt. Not that you'd expect anything else, really, Momiji takes the safety of her friends and companions very seriously.
>The oni you left to Celes appears to be the only one out and about on the mountain, at least along your flight path, and though you make note of several more bodies in flight and in play on the ground above it, none of them impede your path. You start to look around the ground below for the nearest white wolf border post, just to see if there's any notable differences between the ones here and the ones back home.
>A couple of minutes later, your eyes do indeed fall upon the fortified white-washed building used by the white wolves as a border post. The building is identical to the ones you've seen in your own world, but the tengu seen outside are a bit different. A White Wolf, a Yamabushi and a Dai-tengu are seated around a flat tree stump, rolling dice against each other, while another Wolf leans indolently against the southern facing wall, reading a newspaper. Your newspaper, you note with a touch of satisfaction.

>Despite her earlier statement, Momiji does not seem to slow when she comes within range of the guard house. "Didn't you want to stop?" Ranka asks the wolf captain.
>Momiji shakes her head slowly. "No. No, I don't think that's really necessary. Hatate's right, we probably shouldn't get too distracted by these little side trips. It's true I'd like to know more about oni activities on the mountain, but I can find that out from my counterpart just as easily as I can here. Assuming she's as on top of things as I try to be." Glancing over at you, she adds, "Unless you'd like to stop for a moment, Hatate?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Let's find 'em before they run off. We can bother these guys later if we need to."
>Onvard!

[Oldmansour]

>"Let's find 'em before they run off. We can bother these guys later if we need to."
>Onvard!

>Leaving the tengu below to their own amusements, you and your merry group press on into tengu territory proper. The air here feels a bit different than home. There's always been a bit of a distinction between the air on one side of the border and the other. That distinction seems to be less pronounced here. There's still a noticeable difference that says 'tengu turf', but the air here seems to flow more freely in this world. It takes you several moments to adjust to the difference, but you find it to be a rather nice sensation.
>The racial diversity that you saw in the village below doesn't seem to have spread to the cities in the same way, but you do see more kappa than usual as you fly over white wolf territory, and an occasional human and youkai as well. Even though you've been told that this was the reality of this world, seeing it with your own eyes is something else. Despite your desire to meet your counterpart farther along, you can't but slow at the sight of a human merchant haggling with a White Wolf brewmaster, or a young girl sitting outside a wolf's house brushing the hair of a young Wolf. Or in the air above, a rather young Crow and Dai-tengu chasing after a red-haired fairy, flying with all the skill of a pair of drunken bumblebees, big smiles and laughter on the faces of all three, as well as the older Dai-tengu following them at a discreet distance.

>Momiji, it seems, has been struck by these sights even more than you. For what may be the first time you've ever seen, her face is one of sheer wonderment. You can see her mouth move slightly now and then, but precious little sound emerges from it. Ranka, being the incorrigible flirt that she is, grins at the captain lasciviously and drawls, "You wouldn't be inviting-"
>"How long?" Momiji finally blurts, interrupting the wind spirit.
>Ranka blinks. "Is that a yes?"
>"How long has it been like this?"
>The blonde pouts. "What, you mean me?"
>"I mean THIS." Momiji extolls, spreading her arms out wide. "Humans and fairies and youkai and kappa, here, it's...." The ranger captain slows even more, almost to a crawl, slowly turning her head around to take in the sights of the changed tengu world around you. "It's unreal." she finishes at last.

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's like coming home and finding a stranger in your front room. Even if you didn't mind them showing up, it's still weird and unsettling, and you wish they had just politely waited outside or something..."
>"And since it's her job to keep intruders out, I'm gonna say it's probably worse for her then for me, and I'm uncomfortable enough already..."

[Oldmansour]

>"It's like coming home and finding a stranger in your front room. Even if you didn't mind them showing up, it's still weird and unsettling, and you wish they had just politely waited outside or something..."
>"And since it's her job to keep intruders out, I'm gonna say it's probably worse for her then for me, and I'm uncomfortable enough already..."

>Ranka gives you a supportive smile. Well, as close as she can get, since it still seems a bit on the flirty side. "You'll get used to it."
>"You know what though, Hatate?" Momiji asks quietly. "It's.... It's not so bad, really. I mean, I kind of imagined what it might be like if things were, well, like this. But I never once imagined I'd actually see it, not with my own eyes." The wolf manages a faint laugh, then tries to grin. "It's a lot to take in."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Really, huh? I never would've though you'd be the kind of person to imagine what it'd be like to let someone slip through."
>Glance back down.
>"Are they even being escorted? How shameless can you get?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Really, huh? I never would've though you'd be the kind of person to imagine what it'd be like to let someone slip through."
>Glance back down.
>"Are they even being escorted? How shameless can you get?"

>"I imagine that all the time. That's one of the ways you improve security." Momiji grins ruefully. "Remind me to tell you about a woman named Suishou, she taught us a thing or two about imagination."
>"But that's not what I mean. I've spent the past few hundred years keeping non-tengu out of our territory, except the odd kappa inventor, and even then it's only on Dai-tengu terms. But even now and again, when I was younger, I've wondered, is it really necessary? Would it be too terrible to relax the guard a little bit?" Momiji gives her head a little shake. "I haven't really thought that in a long time. I'm a solider, I have my duty. But seeing this, here? I wonder..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I think this is the part where Celes would tell you that you're letting the place get to you. As for me, it's pretty plain, because it's kind of uncomfortable to just have outsiders wandering around our mountain as they please. Maybe I'd get used to it? But... I dunno if I'd want to."

[Oldmansour]

>"I think this is the part where Celes would tell you that you're letting the place get to you. As for me, it's pretty plain, because it's kind of uncomfortable to just have outsiders wandering around our mountain as they please. Maybe I'd get used to it? But... I dunno if I'd want to."

>"Why not?" Ranka asks with surprising gentleness. "Isn't it better when everyone's happy? Every tengu I've seen lately's been happier than I've seen before. And everyone who lives on the mountain's been happier for being closer to the tengu. I may not live on the mountain, but it's plain even to me that things have been better this way, for everyone."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It...wouldn't work quite like that, where I'm from."

[Oldmansour]

>"It...wouldn't work quite like that, where I'm from."

>"It'd take some work." Ranka says with a nod. "It took some work here too." Then she smiles. "Work's worth it though, sometimes."
>"A lot of work." Momiji agrees. "Where we come from, this sort of thing.... Whew, I can't even begin to tell you how many people would have apoplexy at the idea."
>"Apowhat?" the wind spirit asks.
>"Never mind." Momiji says with a shake of her head. "Maybe you're right, Hatate, maybe I'm letting this place get to me. I just.... Can't help but wonder." she says quietly, smiling a faint smile.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm just wondering what we'd gain from it. Not like we can't go mingle with people down off the mountain as it is, anyways."

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm just wondering what we'd gain from it. Not like we can't go mingle with people down off the mountain as it is, anyways."

>"But not invite them home." Momiji replies. "Not without clearing it through the proper channels."
>"Downside of living in buildings." Ranka says with a grin.
>The White Wolf blinks, glances over at Ranka, then bursts out laughing. "I.... I never thought about it that way before." she gasps, prompting a rather bemused smile from the wind spirit. After a moment's chuckling, Momiji wipes her eyes. "Ah hah.... Sorry for the hold up here, Hatate." The ranger captain straightens herself. "We should probably get a move on. If we're supposed to be famous here, we might get flagged down if we hang around up here much longer."
>"And thanks." she adds after a moment. "For keeping my feet on the ground. So to speak."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Don't worry about it. And besides, you can visit their houses as it is. Well, except for Ranka, since she's a hobo."
>Onvard.

[Oldmansour]

>"Don't worry about it. And besides, you can visit their houses as it is. Well, except for Ranka, since she's a hobo."
>Onvard.

>"The prettiest hobo around." Ranka says with an inviting little smirk on her full lips.

>Momiji's concern about being waylaid by any admirers seems a bit off, as Ranka leads you due east. Although you spy quite a few heads turn to look your way, the vast majority of the looks on their faces are confused rather than anything else. Their confusion keeps them from interrupting your flight, so more's the better at the moment. Means you can focus on the task at hand.
>Ranka leads you towards a broad field which, in your world, is used for larger scale sporting events, usually baseball or the occasional soccer game. Judging by the sounds coming from up ahead, today it's being used for a brawl. The sharp cracking sound of wood on wood strikes a counterpoint to the sounds of steel clashing against steel, mixed at points with the twanging of bowstrings. You can pick out the sound of a guitar and flute as well, but the ruckus of weapons and shouting fairly well covers the tune. Her face slightly concerned, Momiji accelerates a bit.

>Coming into view of the field, it looks almost as much as sounds like a battle. Almost a hundred individuals cover the grounds below you, weapons in the hands of nearly all of them. They seem to have been grouped together based on the weapons they're training with. The most populous seem to be those swinging wooden practice sticks at each other, but there are also a group firing off arrows at distant targets, flailing with blunted spears and hoisting shields of various sizes. Only twice do you see a pair of combatants going at it with sharpened weapons, and those four- three white wolves and a Crow- all seem to know their stuff. Standing off to the side are a pair of white wolves in the garb of nurses, conversing idly with a labcoat wearing kappa with a rather dubious looking device slung on her back. The music is being produced by a pair of tengu seated on the other side of a white-haired youkai with a short puffy tail.
>Adding to the rather alien nature of the scene before you is the fact that practically everyone sparring with each other appears to be enjoying themselves. The feel of the air is almost casual. The number of grins and laughs outweighs by miles the number of scowls and fierce yells.
>And walking through them all, observing and advising as she goes, is Momiji. Outwardly, she seems all but identical to the Momiji floating next to you. Her hair is just a bit longer, but apart from that, she could be your Momiji's twin. Even her clothes seem to the same, apart from a silver necklace from which dangles a multicolored collection of feathers. She's also being flanked by a pair of somewhat stern faced tengu, a Yamabushi and a Dai-tengu, both in clad and armed in the style befitting bodyguards, the type usually reserved for the elite Dai-tengu.

[Hello Purvis]

>Well, she's definitely been upjumped...
>"So, she's your doppelganger, how do you want to go about doing this?"
>Look around while speaking, any sign of our double?

[Oldmansour]

>Well, she's definitely been upjumped...
>"So, she's your doppelganger, how do you want to go about doing this?"
>Look around while speaking, any sign of our double?

>Evidently.
>"I, uh..." Momiji stammers, seemingly at a bit of a loss for words. Coughing quietly, she takes another glance around the field. "We should... probably head down and introduce ourselves. It won't be long before they see us anyway. But not too quickly, not if those Windwalkers are as serious as they can be in our world."
>A cursory glance around doesn't reveal any sign of your counterpart, but a short flight away to the southeast reveals a danmaku duel in progress. In and of itself this would not be remarkable, but the purple talisman danmaku pattern you see looks very familiar. In fact, you have no doubt that it's your danmaku.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Alright, let's go."
>Descend. When they notice us, give a cheery wave and say "Hey there! Need to talk for a couple minutes!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Alright, let's go."
>Descend. When they notice us, give a cheery wave and say "Hey there! Need to talk for a couple minutes!"

>In fact, the other Momiji notices you straightaway as you and Momiji begin to drop out of the sky. She seems a touch confused herself. "Hata-" She gets as far as the second syllable of your name before her gaze falls fully upon the Momiji descending next to you.
>"We definately need to talk." your Momiji says quietly. The Wolf with the bodyguards simply stares for a moment more before nodding faintly.
>Among the crowd around you, however, the mood appears to be changing a little. The sounds of weapons drops away slowly as, in twos and fours, the various tengu and youkai in the field cease their activities to turn and look at who is dropping in on them. A murmur starts to run through the crowd, and it isn't a very friendly sound. The two bodyguards flanking the Momiji on the ground, both of which have very unusual eyes, both are aiming very hard looks at the Momiji you came in with. Said Momiji, however, simply looks curious. Idly she points at her counterpart. "You, I can tell, are going to have a story." Turning her eyes and her finger on you, she asks, "And for some reason, I'm guessing you didn't just leave here a couple of minutes ago with an oni woman, did you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Right on both counts. To keep it simple, we're from another Gensokyo, and it looks like we'll be stuck here for a little while. So, we figured it'd be best to come and introduce ourselves before any real mistaken identities started up, and get ourselves situated at home."

[Oldmansour]

>"Right on both counts. To keep it simple, we're from another Gensokyo, and it looks like we'll be stuck here for a little while. So, we figured it'd be best to come and introduce ourselves before any real mistaken identities started up, and get ourselves situated at home."

>"From what we were told about the tengu here, we knew it would only be a matter of time before word got back here about us." your Momiji adds. "So, like Hatate said, we thought we'd come up here before any rumors got ahead of us."
>"That a fact." the dai-tengu to Momiji-2's right states flatly. The rather dark look in her eyes echoes the looks many of the people in the crowd seem to be throwing at you and your Momiji. The Dai-tengu definitely has the edge on them, though, in terms of dirty looks. Her eyes are completely colorless. "Pretty out there story."