Ch 2
The journey through the forest ruins was a lonely one, considering that Myon and Yuyuko weren't much for conversation. The treetops seemes to grow taller and thicker, casting their dark shadows on the ground below. The ruins themselves seemed to become a more and more dominant feature of the area.
Spotting a stream, Youmu and Myon took a short break to drink. The cool water was a refreshing and welcome feeling to Youmu. Being part human, Youmu was still susceptible to such things as hunger. Speaking of which, Youmu's stomach growled sadly. Myon, on the other hand, was content munching on grass. Looking up towards the trees, Youmu spotted an unusual fruit. Better this than nothing, I guess thought Youmu.
Roukanken drawn, Youmu focused intently on the tree. With one deft motion, she slashed at the trunk, felling it. Her body ached once more as the sword seemed to grow heavy in her hands. It took a lot of effort to chop down something that is normally easy to deal with. Whatever this place was, it was not a good place to be.
Youmu picked up the fruit and examined it. It looked like some sort of fusion between an apple and an orange. She bit into the fruit, unsure of what the taste would be. The light sweetness made her tongue tingle with delight. Yuyuko-sama would enjoy this greatly.
Yuyuko-sama...
Looking back at myon, Youmu noticed something interesting in the corner of her eye. It was a large crack in a stone cliff. With the ruins around it, it seemed more like a gateway of sorts. Light poured out of it, as though salvation was just beyond. Youmu and Myon tentativly walked through the crack.
What laid beyond was something Youmu didn't really expect. Before her lay an enormous stone bridge. Down below streched a vst plain of sand, giving way to rolling hills of grass. Off in the distance, a huge stone structure rose to the sky as if it were a beacon for the lost.
Youmu's gut instinct kicked in, telling her to go there.
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Maribel Han waited patiently by the door, eager for something to come. At any moment now, the doorbell would ring, signaling the arrival of something precious to her.
The moment the doorbell rang, Maribel threw open the door. It was Renko Usami, lifelong friend of Maribel.
"Oh, hi Renko" Maribel sat back down glumly on the steps near the door.
"Eh? What's the mat-- oh, right. 'That' is supposed to come in today." Renko sat down with Maribel. "I still don't understand what your fascination with those things is anyways."
The doorbell rang again, propting Maribel to jump up and open the door.
"Package for a Ms. Han." A man with a large box stood in the doorway
"That's me!" Maribel quickly signed the clipboard, took the box and slammed the door behind her. "They're here! The're finally here!"
You see, Maribel is an avid collector of figurines. Her latest aquisition was a bunch of figurines from a series called Touhou. What made these special is that they were made by a famous artist who went by the name Slaves. These figurines even had the approval of Zun himself, so these were pretty rare.
"Hey," Renko started, "those look like the people we met in Gensokyo!"
"Uh huh! I was suprised when I saw this for sale over the internet." Maribel went to work placing the figurines along the shelves in her room. Seeing as how there was nothing to do, Renko decided to help out.
------
After crossing that god-awful long bridge and a spiraling ramp, Youmu and Myon entered an enormous hallway. Along the walls stood giant statues made of stone, each one different from the last. Youmu walked past the sentinels of stone and stood in a large circle of light, which came down from a large hole in the ceiling.
Up a wide set of stairs was a large pedistal. Not wanting to burden Myon any longer, Youmu to Yuyuko's body and walked up the steps. As she laid her master's body on the pedistal, something began to awaken.
Dark figures began to rise from the ground. Spooked, Myon ran up the steps to Youmu. Sensing danger, Youmu instinctivly drew Roukanken, or at least she thought it was, judging from the feel ofg the hilt. The sword from the forest shone magnificently at the dark figures, dispersing them. The air became heavy as a voice boomed from the heavens.
"Thou hast the blessed sword? Curious, thou art mortal, yet detatched from the world of life."
"Wh-who are you?" Youmu asked to the voice in the heavens.
"We are Dormin, the one that dwells in the border of life and death, darkness and light..."
"Wait..." Youmu knew from the word border that it had to be Yukari. "Yukari-san, is that you?"
"Ah..." The voice continued, "so you know of the god of the boundaries? Thou is becoming more curious..."
"Well, if you are really a being that live on the boundary of life and death, maybe you can help Yuyuko-sama!"
"This maiden? She is dead, her soul gone to the world beyond."
"I know she's dead, but she isn't moving! She's no longer a ghost!"
"When the spirit has left the body, it must go to the world beyond. Should a ghost venture into this world, they are returned to that world beyond."
"Please! There must be some way!"
"Your loyalty to your master is appaudable. However, is it not the way of the world that when one has died, they cannot go back to mortality?" Youmu fell to her knees. Her promise protect Yuyuko seemed like it would have to be broken as the chances of saving her closed.
"However, there is a way to restore your master's soul." Youmu looked up, having been shown the silver lining in the cloud.
"Tell me, how?"
"Along these walls are stone idols to the gods of this world. You must remove these idols. However, there is no means to destroy them directly."
Youmu recalled how much effort it took to cut down a tree. The effort needed to cut a stone statue might kill her.
"Then, how do I destroy them?"
"Withing these lands exist the living incarnations of these idols. Fell these beasts, and the idols shall fall too."
"How do I find these things?" Youmu asked, a fire rekindled in her heart.
"Thou must raise the blessed sword, and go to where the light becomes strongest. Now, raise thy blade to the light!"
Youmu raised the sword in her hand to the light, looking towards a cliff, where the light became strongest...
