Author Topic: Specialis Libri (Read 30677 times)

Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin · « **Reply #60 on:** July 28, 2010, 10:53:21 PM »

Yeah ... Rika is an awesome addition to things.

Coin Spire · « **Reply #61 on:** August 03, 2010, 07:26:04 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 17

Makai is comprised of limitless amount of dark corners in which its denizen lurk. With the land's maddening beauty, it's easy to be entranced, to be ensnared by its unworldly beauty. It promises many sights to be seen, many places to behold.

Aside from the crystalline fortress of Pand?monium, there is another place in Makai which is also considered a seat of power. It is the great Archive of Makai, a tall crystal tower located in the middle of a bottomless chasm of the Abyss. It is suspended in the air by deceptively thin filaments, whose strength are like the foundations of Makai itself.

Yukari and Shinki landed gracefully on a violet platform atop the tower. They faced a huge blue gate, decorated with twisting designs of magical symbols and insignia. However, Yukari felt a hint of power, the ornaments were not mere pleasantries; the gate was protected by a strong magical lock.

They were immediately attended by what Yukari assumed to be as servants. They suddenly appeared from thin air, as if coming out from a teleportation spell. Raising an eyebrow, Yukari noted that they were all uniformly dressed in blue robes. The servants formed a straight line and bowed in greeting.

"I wish to speak to Sariel, at once if she could," Shinki said to one of the servants. At her word, the giant gate began to open and the servants bid them to follow. They were led to a winding staircase that spiraled down into the darkness. Yukari attended it with some curiosity before stepping down upon it.

After a minute of walking, they arrived at the bottom--a corridor that led into a large viewing chamber.

The servants invited them to take a seat upon a soft couch inside the chamber and told them to wait patiently. Immediately, a servant brought a tray of hot tea for them to sip.

Looking around, Yukari saw that the room was ornately furnished. The room was quite large, with red drapes hanging on the blue walls and paneled windows. There were golden candle stands that were alight with an eerie blue flame, casting a pallid blue light inside the room. Yukari leaned tentatively on the couch, ignoring Shinki's delightful hums as she sipped some tea.

"Makai is quite extravagant, it seems," said Yukari lightheartedly.

Shinki nodded. "Yes it does. Though I don't care much for pleasantries like these. I just like some free time from work from time to time."

"So, the Goddess of Makai is busy with work?" Yukari replied sheepishly.

"More than you'll ever know." Shinki sighed. "It's just that, everyone depends on me that I don't have time for myself. I need to sign paperwork for requests, for development, review the economical work rates of Makai, and things I didn't imagine I'd be troubled with when I created Makai. I guess I'm just using you as an excuse to get out of Pand?monium."

Yukari laughed softly. "So the Creator of Makai is too busy with paperwork?"

Shinki shrugged. "Well, the only one who has the power to do it is me, so I can't complain. And I did create Makai, I have a responsibility for it. Call it duty, if you must."

Suddenly, one of the blue robed servants appeared before them and told them that Sariel will see them in her chambers. Instantly, Yukari felt a shift in space around them as a teleportation spell was casted.

They found themselves inside a gigantic circular chamber. The room was lighted by a floating ball of blue light that drifted uneasily above them and Yukari could see mile-high bookshelves, filled with tomes of magical spells and rituals around them. There were scattered books, scrolls and quills--in short, it was a messy room.

There was a flapping sound, and blue feathers fell around them. The servant beside them bowed and disappeared as a winged figure began to descend from the darkness of the ceiling. It had three pairs of bluish-white wings and dressed in blue robes. The figure had long blue hair that waved gracefully in flight.

The figure landed in front of them and bowed.

"My name is Sariel, the Keeper of the Magics of Makai. I personally welcome you to the Gates of Knowledge, the Archive of Makai."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alice's room was a bit disheveled, but was in a relative state of neatness in comparison to the rest of her house.

"Well, it's a lot neater than your bed, I think," said Reimu sheepishly.

"I leave my bed quite neatly," Marisa told her. They were inside Alice's room, looking for Alice's Grimoire. "Hey, there's a lot of books here that I've never seen before."

Marisa was whistling as she fingered the books on the shelves beside Alice's desk. She subconsciously memorized the titles and was about to take one when Reimu coughed.

"You're getting distracted, Marisa. Remember what we're here for," Reimu reminded her. "We need to find the book first, so we can get some clue about what is happening to Alice." Reimu was rummaging through drawers, but only found clothing and everyday needs.

Marisa shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't trust Patchouli's judgment in general. I mean, I just don't believe Alice's Grimoire would be the book where a powerful demon was sealed. It's just too far-fetched."

Shaking her head, Reimu answered, "Well, we'll still need the book to find out if Patchouli was right, anyway."

"Anyway, what are you doing with Alice's clothes?" asked Marisa. "Intelligence says that the book was in her bedroom drawer."

Reimu immediately closed the drawer containing Alice's drawers and smiled slightly. "Just a little curious, is all."

Turning around, Marisa looked at Alice's study table and spotted a drawer with a keyhole. She pulled it, and was surprised to find it unlocked. However, it was empty.

"Hmm, it's not here," said Marisa. "Well, there goes my intelligence."

"Did she bring it with her?" asked Reimu.

"Not that I'm aware of. If I remember correctly, I haven't seen her holding the book since last night's attack."

"Where could it be, then?"

Suddenly, there was a rhythmical clanging sound of a bell. It was distant, but it echoed throughout the night. As if in answer, there was a choir of inhuman screams that tore the silence of the Forest.

"What was that?" asked Marisa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The human village was in chaos. Panicking humans ran around in fear as the authorities tried to restore some sort of order. A group of exterminators were trying to calm the panicked villagers to no avail. Kotohime and Keine arrived at the village square at the sound of the alarming bells.

"What the heck just happened?" Kotohime asked an exterminator.

The exterminator shook his head. "There was a group of people attacking our men indiscriminately. They set fire to some houses and we're currently evacuating them, but everyone is panicking."

"A group of people?" asked Keine incredulously.

"Yes, they are currently at the northern part of the village. They are armed, and our exterminators are trying to hold them off."

Without another word, Keine rushed off towards the North quarter of the village. Kotohime shook her head, and followed her.

The village alarms continued to ring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotohime and Keine slowed down when they heard the sounds of fighting. Turning at the corner into of a well used road, they saw a group of people fighting. Exterminators were fighting against armed villagers who attacked with devilish frenzy.

"They're humans!" exclaimed Keine.

"I know," replied Kotohime in a troubled tone.

The attacking villagers were armed with kitchen knives, farming sickles and other common bladed objects. Their eyes glowed with ferocious frenzy, like a wounded wild animal.

"Miss Keine!" An exterminator caught up from behind them. "Another group of armed people appeared at the eastern quarter!"

"Are they villagers too?" asked Keine. The exterminator nodded.

"There are also some isolated villagers that have started to behave wildly too," continued the exterminator. "At this rate the village will--"

There was an explosion at the other end of the village. The dawn sky was beginning to become painted red with the sunrise.

It promised a troubling day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Paint the sky red with fire, paint the ground red with blood
Paint it red, paint it red, paint the town red
Paint it until the blood starts to flood,
Paint it until bodies become your bed,
And make sure that the crows are fed~

Aiki was standing atop a branch of an old tree by the Kirisame estate. She was singing a song, a skill that she is proud off. As she sang, her voice resonated with the Emotion pellets she scattered within the red mist earlier, amplifying the state of fear and chaos within Gensokyo.

"Well, some humans seem to be unaffected," Aiki observed quietly. She watched the scrambling exterminators who tried to detain the rebelling villagers. "No matter, as long as they keep each other company, my job is being done nicely."

"Well, time to move on to the third part of the plan," she said to herself. She jumped down from the tree and into a gaping Crack underneath. The Crack closed, leaving no trace of her behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In front of Alice's house, a lone doll was lying quietly in the soft grass. It was the doll that hung onto Luna Child when she was too curious inside Alice's bedroom. It wore an elaborate black dress with white trimmings at the hem and sleeves.

Suddenly, it began to move. It turned its head this way first, and then that way. It moved stiffly, limited by the hard joints of it's body.

From somewhere within the bushes, there was a faint meowing sound. Out popped a creamy white cat from the bushes. It sat near the doll and sniffed it curiously. The doll turned it's head towards the cat who nearly jumped with fright.

The doll tried to stand, but it was hindered by a broken leg joint--it was probably broken from the force of its fall from the youkai attack earlier. It could only totter a bit before falling flatly once more upon the ground.

The cat watched the doll with it's ceaseless efforts. Finally gaining the courage to approach the unnatural object, the cat picked up the doll--biting it's dress and carrying it like a naughty kitten.

t.b.c

Kiyuu Note # 9

Spoiler:

swamp147 · « **Reply #62 on:** August 03, 2010, 07:37:16 PM »

Sariel ffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuu I'm so happy

Coin Spire · « **Reply #63 on:** August 12, 2010, 07:26:28 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 18

"Makai is the source of many magic spells and rituals. Arguably, it is also thought to be the source of all magical knowledge of humans." Sariel led Yukari and Shinki through the vast interior of the archive. Along the walls were ebony bookshelves filled with countless tomes of magic. Yukari ignored them, but Shinki looked at the book names and ran her finger across them.

"Most of the books here are written by you, isn't it?" asked Shinki.

"Most, but not all. Some of them were written by my apprentices as well." They stopped in front of a nearby bookshelf. "Going on to more important matters, you were looking for a specific book, correct?"

"It's the book that was used in a Contract with a human named Hakurei Hinaka," said Shinki.

Sariel nodded. "Ah, that book. It was a powerful book, no doubt. In fact, it was the only book that I believed to be able to handle that much amount of power without being consumed by itself. Unfortunately, that book is no longer in my care."

"How so?" asked Yukari impatiently.

Snapping her fingers, a crystal rod appeared in Sariel's hand which she waved about in the air. From the rod's end, a thin mist appeared which gathered up in density until it became almost opaque. Sariel began to talk, and images formed inside the mist, like a window to another time's events.

"Some years ago, this archive was broken into by a certain individual that the Mistress knows very well. Somehow, she was able to get past the security barriers of this structure and came to most guarded vault of this archive. She was able to break the seals of the vault, and came to possess the Book of Ultimate Magic, the Makai's Grimoire."

Inside the mist above Sariel's rod, they saw a young girl break through the Archive, dodge through the magical security until she arrived at the innermost part of the archive.

"That girl looks familiar," said Yukari musingly. "I'm pretty sure she looks like the doll maker in the Forest."

Shinki's demeanor became more serious after Sariel's story. "So, the book that Alice took was the Makai's Grimoire? I knew it was a book, but I didn't know it was that book."

Shrugging, Sariel answered, "I believe that you assistant, Yumeko, was the one who conspired to keep certain details about the girl's theft secret. As far as I am concerned, the return of the book would be appreciated greatly."

"Anyway, it would seem that my time in Makai was wasted," sighed Yukari. "But it's a great help now that I know where to find it."

Shinki nodded, but her dark demeanor did not settle. "If it's that book...darn, maybe I was a little too laid back indeed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the east, the sun began to rise. Aiki watched it from her spot atop the tree, and saw the fruits of her labors.

To cast unease among the citizens of this place. To turn them against each other and let their strength be thwarted by their own.

She watched the sun rise, and saw that all was good.

In the distant mountains, the sun continued to rise quietly to chase away the dawn. However, instead of the great fiery ball, the sun seemed to be stricken with a black color, like unlit coal. It continued to give off light, but it was greatly dimmed, as if it was ill with some grave disease.

To cut off this world from the astral plane, to be able to use it for our goals.

So far, so good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After hearing the great clamor around the Forest, Marisa and Reimu was alarmed by the shouts of little voices outside the room.

"There are enemies coming!"

Star Sapphire shouted like a klaxon, arresting the attention of everyone inside Alice's house. Without another word, Reimu and Marisa rushed outside, followed by the others.

The air felt heavy, and the thin fog from earlier seemed to be gathering in thickness. It wasn't enough to obscure vision, but it was more noticeable. Reimu and Marisa were looking around, anticipating danger.

There was movement from the trees, and Marisa took out her Hakkero in case of danger. Suddenly, a fairy popped out from the shrubbery and launched itself at them, teeth bared like a ferocious animal. Before Marisa can react, Reimu threw a talisman which flew straight into the fairy's face. Upon contact, the fairy screamed in pain and vanished with a pop.

However, as the fairy vanished, a dozen fairies came out of the trees, all of them gazing at them with a frenzied stare.

"Hmm, I wonder if they had breakfast yet," said Marisa. "They sure don't look happy."

"Come to think of it," said Reimu. "I haven't had any breakfast too."

From Alice's house, the others rushed out and saw the encircling rabid fairies.

"What's going on here?" demanded Alice. "Is this your doing, Marisa?"

Marisa sighed. "Why is it that I'm always the target for blame?"

"Given the history of a rat, a rat will always be a rat,' said Patchouli with sarcasm.

From within the Forest, more and more fairies came out and formed a tight circle around them.

"What's going on with them?" asked Luna. "They weren't like that a few days ago."

As they spoke, more and more fairies came out from the forest, but they did not attack.

"What are they waiting for?" said Marisa.

"Hmm, they seem to be waiting to gather enough numbers to ensure that we do not defeat or escape them. It would be wise to attack before they achieve such numbers," said Patchouli.

"That's troublesome," said Reimu as she threw a bundle of talismans in the air to exterminate the fairies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were inside a vast chamber inside Rika's hideout which also served as a hangar for her vehicle.

"Within the vast Forest of Magic, there is a small stone structure that was often ignored by the nearby denizens. It was irregularly shaped, and could easily pass of as a mere boulder by unwary eyes.

"However, this same boulder is also the entrance to Rika's Underground Fortress, home of the machine workshop of Rika!"

"Er...who are you talking to?" asked Kan.

Rika was standing atop her tank, hands at her hips as she said aloud her exposition. Behind her were Emi and Kan, imprisoned inside a wooden cage which was hung in midair. It was suspended by a wooden arm connected to the tank.

"You two, of course. Behold what genius can do!" said Rika proudly.

"It isn't much of a shop though," thought Emi aloud. "Since it looks like you're the only one using it."

Rika turned around and frowned at her two prisoners. "Well, it's because I'm the only one who is good enough to use it," she told them. "It's just that simple."

"Is that so?" said Emi with lack of enthusiasm. More importantly, I think she can be useful if I can just learn more about her. She seems to be a lot like some humans in Kiyuu's school, I think she can be very useful to us.

"Hey, when do you plan to release us from this cage?" asked Emi. "It's not altogether comfortable inside here."

Rika snapped her fingers and Emi's cage began to shake. The wooden arm holding their prison began to move in a clockwise motion and soon they were no longer above the tank, but hung around six feet above the ground.

"Hey, what the--" Emi started to say, but the wooden flooring of the cage suddenly retracted downwards and they fell towards the hard floor.

Kan immediately took flight with her small insect wings while Emi hit the floor with a loud thud. Landing gently beside Emi, Kan helped Emi to get back on her feet. Above them, Rika jumped down from her tank and landed beside them.

"Be glad that I freed you, but if you touch anything or do some funny business inside my base, then it's off to the dungeon with you," said Rika.

Emi rubbed her sore bottom, not really paying attention to Rika. "Well, I'm not really interested in your base but--"

Suddenly, there was a loud honking sound that came from the high ceilings. A metallic voice began to speak from some unseen speakers from the chamber.

"Mistress Rika, we have detected a huge number of intruders on our perimeter. They are suspected to be hostile, release of the "Type Ghost" soldiers is recommended."

"Mistress Rika?" snorted Emi. Wow, she's got some ego.

Rika ignored her and whistled loudly. At her signal, a small car began to approach them from the far end of the room. It looked like a typical car, except that it's wheels were made of wood rimmed with iron spikes, and it's body was made mostly out of wood.

Wasting no time, Rika hopped onto the vehicle and drove it towards her base interior, leaving her two former captives behind.

"What are we going to do?" asked Kan. "She told us not to touch anything, or we'll be thrown inside the dungeon."

"Well, I guess we should follow her," Emi told her. She stretched her arms and began to walk leisurely inside the dark hideout.

t.b.c

Kiyuu Note # 10

Spoiler:

Iced Fairy · « **Reply #64 on:** August 12, 2010, 08:42:12 PM »

Huh, so it was the Grimoire that Alice took. For a couple of passages I'd almost been convinced that it was a different book. And there's a fairy army just in time for fairy wars.

I'm still enjoying this immensely. Always a pleasure to see it updated.

Esifex · « **Reply #65 on:** August 13, 2010, 02:25:47 AM »

I'm imagining all the faeries going 'rabble rabble! rabble rabble!'

Coin Spire · « **Reply #66 on:** August 19, 2010, 04:08:27 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 19

"Well, I don't recall fairies being these annoying," said Marisa through short burst of breaths.

"I wonder if they're here for some tea?" asked Ellen in a sweet tone. "I didn't bring any tea with me, though."

"I like coffee better though," said Luna, striking the conversation. "It feels kind of more mature."

"But tea is sweeter, I think," Reimu countered. "Coffee is bitter and hard to put to taste."

"They say tea is a reflection of life," Patchouli added. "Coffee might be the reflection of tea, then."

Rinnosuke shook his head. "I don't want to sound depressing or anything, but these fairies don't look friendly enough for tea."

"They're many," said Star Sapphire. "I think all our former neighbors are here too."

The onslaught of attacks by the fairies were not life threatening, in singular terms; however, in multitudes they are like sand grains that threaten to bury you alive. As the fairies threw small energy projectiles toward Reimu and the others, Reimu chanted a prayer of purification around them.

[Dream Sign] Duplex Barrier

A scarlet globe surrounded Reimu which dispelled all the enemy's attacks against them.

"Come here!" Reimu told the others. "Just don't bunch up on me, though," she added.

As the globes of energy came closer, Marisa and the others jumped inside the globe for protection. The enemy's bullets dissipated as they came to contact to Reimu's barrier.

"You're getting better at making barriers, Reimu," noted Rinnosuke. "You're training hard?"

"Not really," said Reimu lightly. "It's not worth the trouble anyway."

Smiling, Marisa aimed her Hakkero and tried to focus once more. Gathering energy, she fired another Master Spark at the swarm of fairies around them. As Marisa finished her attack, she heard Patchouli shout the end of her incantation.

[Sun Sign] Royal Flare

Above them, a great fiery ball appeared and began to expand. Fairies were consumed to nothingness as the fireball gained size, and the onslaught was temporarily stopped.

"There's more of them coming," said Star Sapphire. "It's like they're endless!"

As if jinxed by Sapphire, more fairies appeared from the trees, waiting just out of range from Patchouli's spell.

"They are quite smart for fairies, very interesting," Patchouli noted. "I wonder if the contaminant is also giving them a higher class of intelligence?"

Alice raised her arms as numerous dolls emerged from within her sleeves. Flying in circles, they caught fire from Patchouli's spell, and Alice directed the burning dolls toward the pack of fairies. They exploded in a flurry of blasts, casting confusion in their enemy's ranks.

"Very impressive, using my spell to enhance your doll techniques," remarked Patchouli.

"You do put gunpowder on your dolls," observed Marisa. "I thought you were just joking about the gunpowder back then."

"Joke around later," said Alice as she called out a rank of dolls. Armed with short rapiers, they flew towards the confused enemies and attacked. Patchouli's spell started to die down, and she was already chanting her second spell.

"You know, I wish I could fight while holding this barrier up," said Reimu. "You three seem to be having a lot of fun."

With Marisa, Alice and Patchouli's combined efforts, the fairies started to scatter in retreat. As they retreated into the depths of the forest, Marisa audibly sighed in relief. "I was almost sure that they weren't going to stop."

"Well, they did stop though," said Alice. "But if these are just fairies, I don't want to meet a rabid youkai in these numbers."

"At any rate, your house is far from safe," Patchouli told her. She assessed the surrounding area and nodded to herself. "We need to find a place where we can rest and plan--I understand that most of us here haven't slept well since last night."

Marisa brightened up. "How about--"

"Not my library, Marisa," Patchouli sighed. "At the very least, we shouldn't stay here. Those fairies will probably come back."

"How about Kourin's house?" suggested Marisa. "Though I don't think we're gonna fit at all with his stuff though."

Rinnosuke coughed away Marisa's remark. "My house is near the Forest too, so I doubt it would make much difference to your house, Marisa."

"Rinnosuke's house is cleaner though," added Reimu. "Well, you can all stay in my shrine until we can think off something."

They all looked at Reimu, staring at her as if she said something unusual. "Er--why are you all looking at me like that?"

Marisa shook her head. "You don't usually invite people to your shrine," she told Reimu. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"It's not like we have any other choice now," said Alice. "Reimu's shrine would be far safer at the moment."

Sighing, Marisa looked at the steadily brightening sky. The sun is still hiding in the mountains.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You really have no sense of subtlety, don't you?" Kou cried out to Shiku. Shiku ignored her, as usual, and continued to attack as she shrugged off the incoming wave of attacks.

From their first encounter with the Makai soldiers, numerous dispatches of reinforcements have arrived and been taken cared of by Shiku. However, with only two of them, they were soon surrounded by Makai's military and driven to a defensive stance.

Spells rained down on them, and Kou was busily dodging through the barrage of explosions. Shiku stood her ground however, as someone immune to pain. Raising her hands, the silky 'eyes' hanging on her wings began to glow with an eerie golden light.

"Watch out!" one of the Makai captains shouted. A golden shockwave emanated from Shiku, diffusing outwards, expanding as it raced towards the ranks off Makai soldiers. As the shockwave hit the soldiers in the frontmost lines, the soldiers dropped from the air, writhing in pain and agony.

However, almost immediately, medics at the back of the enemy lines were already doing a counterspell against Shiku's attacks, curing them almost immediately, even before they hit the stone floors of Makai.

"We're not getting anywhere are we?" asked Shiku to Kou.

"Oh, did you notice?" replied Kou as rudely as she could. She was flying loops in the air, dodging the elemental festival of attacks. "And it's not like we can fight them 'two on who-knows-how-many'."

Shiku nodded calmly. "Very true, but we have to hold them off until we are relieved by our Master."

"Or get killed first," muttered Kou glumly. She did a hovering pass towards the enemies, unleashing a yellow ball from her palm and throwing it to the enemies. However, it dissipated almost instantly when it hit. "Why aren't my attacks working?"

"Your attacks are based on the concept of Fear," said Shiku. "However, our enemies aren't afraid at all, so you are pretty useless."

"Rub it in, why don't you?" Kou replied through gritted teeth. "Can't you think of something to take them out all at once?"

A bolt of energy struck Shiku at the chest. The force dragged her down from the air and momentarily impaled her on the stone floor before the bolt dissipated. There was loud cheering from the ranks of Makai soldiers.

Kou flew down towards Shiku who lay still on the ground. "Hey! Don't tell me you're going to die on me!"

Coughing once, Shiku struggled clumsily to stand. "That was a miscalculation," said Shiku calmly through coughs of blood. Her clothes were drenched with blood, and her chest wound was deep. Her face were splattered with droplets of blood from the force of the attack, but Shiku breathed normally, as if she just woke up. Blinking twice, Shiku raised her hands and unleashed another wave of pain towards the enemies. "I'm fine as long as I don't get hit like that again," she told Kou.

"You're a real cockroach, aren't you?" sighed Kou. "Just don't die on me, it's going to be a real bother explaining it to Master if you do."

"Do not worry, I have no intention of dying here," said Shiku in the same calm voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Makai captain was in shock. Her bolt never failed to miss its target, and never will, as she believed. It was a spell of her own device, made specifically to follow the beat of her enemy's heart.

It was a killing blow. She was supposed to be dead. And yet, the winged stranger who just survived a piercing blow to the heart just shrugged it off and continued to fight.

The cheering cries of the other Makai soldiers died down as they saw the resolute faces of their two enemies. The two of them can't win against the might of the Makai army--but it doesn't seem that the two intend to surrender.

"Captain, the winged one still lives after the attack," cried the captain's lieutenant. "What are your orders?"

The captain closed her eyes in thought. After a few moments, she called out her decision. "Request Sister Yumeko for help, we are unable to defeat the enemies by ourselves. We will just waste more of our people's energy if we call for more reinforcements."

"Understood, I am contacting Pand?monium as of the moment."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They flew above the treeline, flying slowly so as not to make Rinnosuke queasy. To their surprise, Ellen knows how to fly, so only Rinnosuke had to put up with Marisa's complaints about hitching him a ride on her broom.

"It's made for only one person, you know," Marisa told him. Rinnosuke sighed as she remembered the little girl that he once had to put up within the Kirisame household. "It wasn't meant for two people to ride in."

Reimu was flying beside them. "He doesn't look that heavy," Reimu assured her. "He's a bit thin and lightly built if you compare him to the farmers of the village."

"Well, you're not the one carrying him," Marisa muttered darkly.

Eyebrows twitching, Rinnosuke replied, "I know you're only doing a favor for me, but please don't talk about me like I'm some excess baggage."

Ellen flew in a zigzag motion in front of them, Luna and Star Sapphire flew around her with the same dizzying motion. "Playing around in a time like this?" said Alice. "Honestly, Ellen has the intelligence of a fairy."

Alice was carrying the still-sleeping Sunny Milk behind her, a star apple still wedged on her mouth to keep her asleep. "You still haven't told us anything about her though," Marisa told Alice.

"Really now?" said Alice smugly. "It's not that really much of a story, anyway."

Patchouli was listening in to the conversation. "Well, it's a bit of a ride towards the Shrine, so it's a good way to pass the time, is it not?"

Feeling for the eyes of curiosity on her, Alice sighed resignation. "I knew Ellen since way back before I was staying in the Forest. It was just after I left Makai." Left, huh. More like driven out.

Alice began her story, the events from long ago formed vivid pictures in her mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am desire, lost within this darkness of this world."
I heard a voice from the darkness. It was a hollow voice, devoid of any emotion and tone.
"Do you seek power?"
It asked a question, but it was like a cry of a cicada that expects no answer.

Until now.

"Yes," I told the voice. I was in a dark place, and yet it was not cold. In fact, it was sweltering hot, as if I was bathing in flames. It was unbearable.

The voice stopped for a moment, as if in contemplation. The darkness became heavier, if it is indeed possible to measure the density of darkness. But nevertheless, the darkness felt heavier, as if a whole mountain is pressing around me.

"Whose voice is it that answered me?"
I felt the voice's indignity for my insolence in answering, but in it I also sensed amusement, and maybe a little curiosity.
"It is I, a seeker of your power, that answers your call."

The voice paused again. Even without my sight, I sensed a shifting of power; a sense of genuine amusement.
"Tell me your name."
"My name is Alice. I have come from Pand?monium. I heard you, once, when I was dreaming."

The voice laughed.
"You are a perceptive girl, Alice isn't? As you can see, I am a trapped being. I am a Contractor of no minuscule power. However, because of my power, I was driven away and eventually sealed inside the book that you hold in your hands.

"However, it makes me even more curious, how did you hear me? How did you get inside the vault where they keep my book?"

I giggled with childish delight. "It was easy. I maybe just human, but I can easily decrypt spells my Mother does. It's easy, just like a puzzle."

The voice paused. "You are a smart girl, Alice. Even at your age, you just dismantled ages of sealing magic, disarmed numerous traps and reached the most protected vault of this place. Very impressive."

I frowned, I was never the one for praises. "I like your praises, but there is something else that I need. I know that I'm smart, but I'm just human. I'm weak compared to other witches and magicians. I want you to make me the most powerful magician in Makai," I said excitedly. "Teach me the Ultimate Magic!"

Laughing, the voice answered. "I see that you dream big, child. However, in my current form, I am in no power to help you. I am a mere book--what are you doing?"

I started muttering a long string of incantation, and I can feel the words of power trailing inside the moldy vault. "I'm tampering with the seals in the book so you can use your powers. It's too complex though, so I can't set you free totally, but it should be enough so you can use your powers, even with your book body."

The voice trembled. Ripples of power passed through the room as Alice finished her incantations. "Yes, YES! The power, I can feel it," said the voice. "I feel the shackles weakening, you are indeed a very gifted child."

I felt energy, power, surround my body as the being inside the book became free--partly free. "I have to thank you, child. So in return, I want you to carry me away from this vault, as far as you could."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everything didn't turn out well though.

After gaining the power of the Grimoire (I think that's what they called it, from what I've read from Mother's home library), I set forth in search of the one who defeated my Mother in battle.

To my surprise, it was also the same girl who once had the temerity to enter Makai and wreak havoc without mercy. I challenged her to a fair duel, but I was still fresh; I had no control over the book's magic. I lost horribly.

Wounded in pride and spirit, I scrambled back towards my home, the Pand?monium. However, an entire squadron of Makai's Elite Corps were waiting for me at the fortress gates.

"We are here to take you in custody for breaking and stealing from the Makai Archive. Please come quietly, Miss Alice," said the captain.

They surrounded me, closing in as they brought out shackles and chains that they sought to bind me with. I did not struggle, I was too weak from my earlier fight, and collapsed afterwards.

When I woke up, I was seated inside the chamber my Mother used for meetings about Makai's state affairs. Mother wasn't there however, only Yumeko and the other major beings of Makai were there.

"You have been caught stealing from the Makai Archive," said Yumeko harshly. "It's a forbidden act to do, and a shameful deed to be done. Have you no human shame?"

I knew it was wrong, I knew it would come to this. But, still, I wanted to make them understand why.

"I wanted the power," I told them. "The one who attacked Makai, she's powerful right? She defeated me, you and Mother, along with the other people inside this room as well. I only wanted the power so I can avenge Makai."

"In doing so, you've unsealed a great evil inside the Archive. The book you are now holding is the most protected treasure of Makai," said one of the major beings present.

"But if it's the only way Makai can redeem itself from the shame of being single-handedly defeated by an outsider, then I'm prepared to do it!" said Alice. "You were all defeated, all of you! You all sat down afterwards, not helping Mother as she struggled in Pand?monium. If I was only more powerful, I could crush my Mother's enemy with a single finger!"

However, they only looked back with cold stone gazes. And then suddenly, I understood.

They did not want me. They hated me. They feared me.

"You broke the law of our realm, child," she said. Her words cut me like swords that she once used to fight my Mother's mighty enemy, to no avail. Something that I failed in, as well. "As it is decreed, I now use my power vested by Our Mother to exile you from the place you once called home."

As she spoke the words that decreed my doom, I heard a familiar voice within my head.

"Do you desire power? Power to overcome any law that stands in your path?" It was a sweet and charming voice, a voice that sounded good in my ears in contrast to the rough, heated voices of my mother's council. "Show them the power of your magic!" it told me.

I agreed to the voice. Without thinking, I stretched out my hand towards the woman speaking before, and uttered a single word that forever severed my ties to this world.

The entire chamber was suddenly in flames.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I came to, I only saw burning conflagration around me.
"You did that by yourself," said the familiar voice. It sounded proud and full of emotion.

I was terrified.

All I remember was that I was sitting on the chair of trial inside my mother's council chamber. I was angry, because they told me that I did a wrong thing. I knew it was wrong, and I knew what I did was to be punished.

But even so, I thought it was the only way that I would ever be accepted.
Now, it seemed like a faraway dream.

I was angry then, so angry that I listened to the voice. Now, I feel afraid of everything, knowing that I did even more evil and was about to be punished for it.

I heard screams and shouts, but they sounded so far away.

I began to run.

I flew out of a nearby window of the high spires of the Makai fortress. Outside, I saw the forces of Makai closing in to investigate the earlier explosion.

"Why are you afraid?" said the voice again. "I can give you power. I can give it to you instantly, to fight for yourself, and everything you believe in. Would you just let them take that power away from you?"

I hesitated. "I don't want this power--if Makai would become my enemy, then I,... I don't want this power!"

The voice laughed. "Fool. Do you think that they would let you go now? Even if you give me back, the stunt you pulled in the chamber earlier just warranted you a death sentence. You're a young, gifted girl, Alice. Would you waste your life away like this?

"Come, I offer you power, I offer you a path that only few mortals have trodden before. Will you accept?"

I was afraid. If I accepted her offer, I shall become the enemy of Makai--but I don't want to die either.
What should I do?

Is there a right answer?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why did I take her offer? What could she possible offer me that can help me?

Everything, or nothing, that's what she told me. I could feel her chains clasped around me, weighing me down as I walked inside my home. I can feel her burning pulse radiating within me. I felt like a different person.

The deal was already done.

As far as I can remember, I was branded different from everyone. They could always do things better than I can. I was always behind or below them, looking at them from beyond the reaches of my tiny arms. They always comfort me with small words, telling me that I can do better someday.

But today, I'll be able to show them, to prove them who I am.

"You will always have something that the others will never have." Those where the words my mother always told me. Today, I can prove it to them.

I have power. She had given it to me.

The price was only a small thing to pay.

"Miss Alice!" said the captain of the Corps. "Please surrender quietly, or we will be forced to take drastic measures!"

I ignored their woeful cries for peace. Stretching forth my hand, I felt the Grimoire's powers run through my fingers. I chanted a single word, and the ranks of Makai soldiers were blown away by an invisible force.

The power. It felt so good. With each swing of my arm, I can judge their lives if they are worthy of mercy. Every word I speak was Power itself, they can only squirm as they heard the words that ended their existence.

It feels so good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I smashed the Gates of Makai and ventured out into the Outside world. The world where the Strong and Mighty Enemy of my Mother lived.

However, after one step, I felt power draining out, as if it was being siphoned away.

"Your body still can't handle all of my powers, I see," said the voice. "It would be wise if you take...a...res--"

The voice trailed away inside my head. My mind went blank, as each step I took became more and more wobbly. By impulse, I casted a flight spell with my remaining power, taking me away from the Gates of the Home that I left forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was sick, sick in the mind, in the heart and in the body, when I woke up. I scarcely remembered what happened. All I remembered were fires, screams, and lots of running.

I was lying on green grass and they felt fresh on my skin. It was a nice feeling. Back at home, the ground was always dry and hard, very uncomfortable.

Home. I suddenly remembered, as tears welled up in my eyes, how everything had come to pass. I was too proud, too rash. Like a human, like my Mother's friends told me.

I sat up and saw that I was at the edge of a forest path. Behind me were bushes and trees that announced the border of the forest while the other side of the road was a downhill slope, and beyond I could see a glimmering river. The sky above was blue, cloudless and peaceful.

Was it always like this on the surface world?
I suddenly felt drowsy and tired, so I laid down on the soft grass and went back to sleep.

I found myself on a soft bed when I woke up. There was a yellow-haired girl who sat on a stool beside me. She was reading a book while humming a very horrible off-key tune. Noticing that I was awake, she closed her book and smiled.

"Did I wake you?" she asked. I shook my head, but I was at least thankful that she stopped her humming. It was a really horrible tune. It puzzled me how she can turn a simple hum into a cacophony of odd notes. I could even say she had talent.

Still, she was blissfully unaware of my thoughts. She smiled at me and drew open the curtain and flooded the room with sunlight.

My mind felt painfully clear, like a drunk coming out from his stupor.

"What happened?" I asked the girl.

"Now, that is a good question to ask," the girl said. "But that is something I can't answer, because I just found you on the grass on my way from the village."

"Grass?" But I was inside a cave. How could I have been--

"Anyway, you look weak and hungry, I brought some soup that you could sip if you can." Her smile dissipated any doubts I had.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been staying with her ever since she found me. I've been forced to stay in bed for days. She told me that I had a fever, and I should get some rest. I told her I felt fine, but she insisted. I had no choice but to acquiesce.

It was a day after she found me that she told me her name. I was still lying in bed, with the afternoon rapidly diminishing to dusk.

From what I remember, she told me that her name was Ellen, and Fluffyhead was her middle name.

I couldn't help but laugh. I laughed until my I felt like my lungs were about to burst, until I felt tears in my eyes. Still, I laughed. I've never laughed like this, as far as I can remember. Not in Makai, not since I arrived here in the surface.

After getting my composure back, I saw Ellen handing me a cup of tea. I took a sip and found that it tasted excessively bitter, and I nearly coughed it out. It took me a great deal of resolve to swallow the vile concoction inside my mouth.

"Oh, so you don't like it?" she asked. "Too bad. I was sure it was going to turn all right this time."

I handed the cup back to her and asked quite rudely. "What is this?"

"Coffee," she said simply. "It's supposed to taste good, but I've had trouble getting the brew right."

Coughing the last of the vileness inside my mouth I told her, "At least make sure it's edible before giving it to other people." Ellen looked a little down after that.

I felt bad, doubly bad to be sure, for not only did I make her feel bad, but I also felt that I was a little impetuous and mean to someone who had done nothing but help me since she found me at the side of a byway road.

Feeling contrite, I tried to comfort her. "It didn't kill me at the very least. It's just that it's too bitter. Maybe you should try adding some milk and sugar, like what you do in strong tea."

Ellen looked brightly at those words. "Maybe you're right. I'll try doing that next time." As she turned to leave, she told me these words: "You're a kind girl, Alice. At the very least, I know that you have a human soul."

She left the room, leaving a big question inside my mind.

How did she know my name?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week had already passed before Ellen let me out of the bed.

I remember the sun shining that day. It was brighter, far brighter than how I imagined it in Makai.

Ellen's house is quite compact and small. It had separate rooms for kitchen and the dining room; but the dining room opened up into the living room which also doubled as Ellen's study room. I had been sleeping in the only bedroom in the house, and my guess was that she was sleeping in her living room for the whole week.

I would be fooling you, of course, if I told you that her house was well-kept. In fact, it was very cluttered with barely any room to walk through. There were scattered books and scrolls everywhere, and I could spot some odds and ends in the boxes at the far corners of the house. The chairs and tables were spared though, Ellen must had taken time clearing them of junk so they could be used for daily life.

I found Ellen sitting on a cushioned chair in the living room, reading a thick leather book. She did not notice me. I heard a meowing sound; it came from a cat that was sitting on top of a pile of books beside me. Upon seeing me, it leapep down from its pedestal and rubbed itself on my legs and began to purr.

Picking my way through the scraps and books on the floor, I approached Ellen who was deeply immersed in her book. When I approached her, she spoke these words:

"Desire is something granted not taken; if it is granted then one becomes lesser not greater--for in desiring we come to understand the meaning of Greed; in controlling it we come to know the meaning of Order."

Ellen lifted her head and stared at me with glassy eyes.

"Did she fulfill your wish? Are you happy now? Or do you feel empty, now that everything that you cherished is taken from you, ever to be out of your reach?"

That's when I noticed that she was holding Her book. "Where, where did you find that?"

"This?" said Ellen in a monotonous voice. "You were holding it when I found you. It was a good book that I once read long ago."

"Once...read?"

"I will tell you a story, Alice. Contracts were once the lifeblood of the demons of Makai. Contracts provided souls, the source of power that is very essential to their existence. Contractors, the demons who offered contracts of power to the humans in exchange for their souls, were considered a past legacy of Makai.

"There was once a Contractor who was known for offering contracts to multiple humans, and harvesting them all at once, even if it wasn't their time for payment yet. Her 'harvest' brought such large amount of souls that it filled Makai to near infinite amount of power.

"However, there was an unseen side effect of using a huge amount of human souls in order to gain power; it was the Miasma of Makai. The miasma, the solid crystallization of souls that forms when a Contracted human soul is brought into Makai, is a great source of power; but it will weaken mortals if they are exposed to it in long periods. In concentrated amounts, it is sufficient to drive a demon to insanity, causing it to become destructive and lustful for power.

"But that's not all. Anyone who are exposed to it developed a dependency to human souls, and felt the need to consume large amount of human souls.

"The Contractor I spoke of earlier, because of her habit of bringing huge amount of souls to Makai in short periods, was often exposed to large amounts of Makai's miasma. Needless to say, she became mad and was driven out of Makai.

"Exiled from Makai, she wandered in the human world, and harvested souls and kept them for herself, becoming more and more powerful as she ate her fill of souls. However, anyone growing in power are liable to be sought out by other powerful people for their own purposes. She was sought out by numerous people for her power, bringing Chaos and Havoc to the world of Man.

"Because of this, a sorceress named Aureus went in search for her. It was easy, for the Contractor is always present were huge amount of powers resided. Aureus found her and sealed her using a book that she wrote specifically for the purpose of sealing her. However, the price of the sealing was very high, it took much of Aureus powers to complete the spell. Because of this, after the sealing, Aureus became nearly poweless--and also, the repercussion of the spell caused her to forget most of her memories as a sorceress."

I was silent after Ellen finished her story. She would not speak to me at all after that day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellen remembered nothing about what happened that day.

Well, that's not strange actually. I found out later that she forgets things...a lot. There was a time when I found her outside looking for something. When I asked her, she told me that she was looking for the door to get outside.

It turned out that she forgot that she was already outside.
Still, as loopy she may seem to be, she's a kind person.

One day, I saw Ellen doing 'Magic', or what we called it in Makai. She was waving her hands about, as if conducting music. She was outside, on top of a makeshift stage made out of wooden boxes, chairs and books. Sokrates, Ellen's pet cat, was watching her as she suddenly lifted her hands and brought them down forcefully.

I suddenly noticed the tiny little dolls on Ellen's feet. They suddenly began to float in the air as they twirled and swirled into a beautiful, graceful dance.

"How do you do that?" I asked her.

"It's pretty easy," said Ellen. "It just takes a little skill, and a lot of Love."

"Love?"

Ellen became more animated, flailing her arms about as she explained. "Love! It's the ultimate source of power of Magic. Without it, Magic is just a bunch of silly words that does nothing. It's the source of devotion that you put inside a spell, the longing and passion that drives the spell to it's fruition."

I raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "Those are heavy words coming from someone like you," I told her.

"Well, you just saw the proof," she told me. "I can make doll dance all day if you want."

I sighed in resignation. "Well, can you at least teach me how to do it?'

Ellen squealed in delight. "Yay! I can teach you everything you want to know. First of all, you have to understand that magic has seven colors--"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Er, why are you looking at me like that?" asked Alice.

Marisa gave her a wincing glare. "Seriously now, I was taking you seriously until the thing about the dolls and love thing."

"Come on, Marisa," laughed Reimu. "You didn't think that Alice was actually serious in her story now, did you? If Alice was that strong, she wouldn't had lost to the youkai from the other night, right?"

"Now that you say it," said Marisa. "It does seem dubious."

"It was an interesting story," Patchouli chided in. "Although I think something warrants more of our attention."

Patchouli pointed towards the burning Human Village.

"Isn't it too early for a roast party? asked Marisa.

t.b.c

Sei Note # 7

Spoiler:

Anunsew · « **Reply #67 on:** August 25, 2010, 06:15:40 AM »

Still can't get enough of this. :3

@Coin Spire
Anyway, I'm gonna use Aiki's picture from this post if you don't mind.

EDIT: I need to practice BBCodes.

Coin Spire · « **Reply #68 on:** August 25, 2010, 12:09:51 PM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 20

They heard a sizzle, and a crack, followed by series of explosions. It sounded faint and distant, but was near enough that it was distinctively loud.

"Hmm? Sounds like trouble," said Yukari in a light tone.

Sariel closed her eyes and brought her staff high above her head. She waved it around and whispered some words that Yukari could not make out.

The room seem to became brighter as magical light emerged from the tip of Sariel's staff. The light began to grow and within it, they saw another place, like a window.

"A spell to see something from far away?" asked Shinki. "You really don't come out much, don't you?"

Sariel nodded solemnly. "My job often takes me towards many sleepless days and nights." The images within the light began to solidify, and soon they can see faces of the Makai soldiers.

"Makai soldiers?" asked Yukari. "They seem to be in a fix."

The Makai soldiers were attacking two girls who stood unfazed by the attacks. One of the girls, bloody and wounded, doesn't seem to feel anything as she was hit by the impact of the shots and stood by as she waited for an opportunity to return fire. The other one however, seemed to dance through the shots, weaving in and out of the barrages like an eel.

"They seem to be of high caliber," Sariel observed. "They are giving the Makai army some sort of trouble."

Shinki frowned. "But they don't seem to be fighting back seriously at all. So far, my army seems to be the only one attacking."

While the two were watching the fight, Yukari's attention was diverted to the huge gaping hole behind the two girls. The hole was pitch black, and while it seemed to be deep, it's features were hard to make out in the midst of the series of magical attacks.

"What is that hole behind them?" asked Yukari pointing at the hole. Very peculiar indeed.

Sariel and Shinki looked at where Yukari was pointing. "They seemed to be protecting something," said Shinki. "It looks some sort of deep hole or something."

"A portal," said Sariel. "It is some sort of portal, no doubt. I have been studying portals myself, a while back. But how could something like that exist in Makai without our knowledge? A portal of that size would've taken weeks to prepare."

Shinki spread her wings and waved her hands. The windows of the Archive opened with Shinki's command. With a stern frown, Shinki took flight, exiting through one of the massive stained glass windows of the Archive and leaving Sariel and Yukari behind.

"Well, it does seem interesting enough to investigate," said Yukari after some thought.

Sariel nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tough as cockroaches, huh," Yumeko muttered. She gazed down at the bloody girl below. "You girl, you are very brave for coming here into Makai." The Makai army stood by according to Yumeko's orders. Immediately after arriving, Yumeko tipped the balance of the fight with her swords, driving Kou and Shiku to the ground.

Shiku ignored Yumeko's taunts. She closed her eyes in concentration, focusing on the task at hand. In front of her, a thin black line formed in the air, zigzagging along at odd angles, eventually forming a crack. She plunged her hand into it and pulled out her long halberd, brandishing it towards the enemies above her.

"Hey, don't tell me you're going serious now?" Kou said behind her. "You know our orders, Shiku."

Shiku didn't bat an eye. "Of course, I've never had the intention to kill from the beginning. However, it does seem that our lives might get cut short here." She gazed at the yellow haired girl of Makai above them.

"True, but it doesn't seem much of a loss," said Kou. "I don't mind taking a break after all this."

With a wave of Yumeko's hand, numerous swords materialized in the air in front of her. "I give you this chance to surrender now," Yumeko told the two. "If not, be prepared to receive the divine punishment of Makai."

Kou sighed. "What now? Master didn't tell us anything about something like this happening." She looked at the stern faces of the Makai soldiers above them. "If we die here, we'd have a lot of explaining to do."

Shiku ignored her, as usual. Instead she shouted to the yellow-haired girl above them, "You, can I hear your name?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My name?" echoed Yumeko. She looked at the inquisitive girl. A nameless wind blew, throwing the girl's hair around like a hapless curtain. She carried her halberd with utter certainty and resolve, her eyes not flinching from pain.

"My name?" repeated Yumeko. "You haven't earned the right to know my name, girl."

What are these two doing? Kou asked herself. Talking about names at these situation, everyone is nuts in this place.

"A shame then," said Shiku. For a moment, Kou thought Shiku's face softened into a pout, but it was gone almost instantly. Shiku spread her wings in flight and shot straight towards Yumeko. Lifting her halberd in a point in front of her, making her a speeding metal bullet.

Without wasting any time, Yumeko waved her hand. The floating swords in front of her turned towards Shiku and shot straight to intercept her. It impaled Shiku at multiple points of her body, piercing through as Shiku fell straight towards the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rika was barking orders around as her turrets and tanks formed a defensive line around the entrance of her fortress. Fairies closed in around them, hovering above as they let loose bombardments of their small magic.

"Tch," winced Rika. "They're just annoying! Open fire!"

Her tanks let loose barrages of projectiles, ranging from tiny magical balls, to missiles of metallic build that were over nine feet in length and five inches in thickness. The missiles raced towards the lines of rabid fairies, exploding into small balls of debris and shrapnel as they hit.

"Hahaha!" Rika laughed with pride. "That's what you get for trespassing on me!"

Behind Rika, another tank came out from the hidden hangar entrance she built to look like a huge boulder. It was armed with multiple barrels which spouted fireballs into the air, landing on top of the hapless fairies and bursting them into flames before they are exterminated.

"It's annoying since fairies just come back even after you take them down though," Rika sighed heavily. True to her word, the fallen fairies pop and vanish after being hit with Rika's numerous missiles, but in the distance, the fairies are already materializing from thin air, healing their injuries.

Soon, the place became filled with an acrid, burning smell. Rika stood upright, hands on her hips as she surveyed the battle safely from her turret. She was atop her Evil Eye Sigma which floated just below the treeline. Her floating vessel offered her a perfect spot to watch the battle and the mobility to move from one battle front to another.

So far, there were only fairies attacking her fort, for reasons she doesn't really care about.

"As long as they keep coming, I'll keep firing," Rika said to herself. From inside her hangar, Contained Spirits started to come out with their eerie moans.

Contained Spirits are Rika's brilliant idea of containing aimless ghosts, shrineless shinrei and other sorts of weakened spiritual beings into a special glass bottle where they can take the form of Rika's special soldiers. While they are ultimately mindless, they are easily ordered about by Rika--though their reliability is at best, barely.

The Contained Spirits hovered around Rika's fort, driving away the fairies with their cold touch and woeful moans. Even if the fairies fired on them, the spirits only dissipated and reformed. One of the fairies attacks passed through a spirit harmlessly, landing near Rika's spot.

Nearly jumping from fright, Rika pointed an accusatory finger at the spirit. "Hey, don't bring them here you idiot!"

Suddenly, the fairy fired another bullet, this one aimed directly at Rika. Before Rika could react, a huge flying figure hovered past Rika, blocking the attack.

"Aaaaaaaaa~"

The figure dropped on the ground and lay still, smoking from the tiny flames on her hair. Following up beside her was Emi who was waving at Rika, grinning widely.

"W-wh-y di-d you have to throw me?" said the pathetic figure on the ground.

Emi laughed. "At least you saved the mad scientist from a fairy," she told Kan proudly. "And you won't die from something like that, right?"

Kan sat up, putting out the tiny flames on her hair with her fingers. "It hurt you know," she said piteously.

Rika jumped down from her Evil Eye Sigma and pointed a finger at the two. "Hey, you two clowns, what are you doing out here?" she demanded.

"Well, you didn't expect us to stay in your musty hangar now, did you?" said Emi smugly. "And we did just save your life, after all."

The tank girl laughed. "Hah! My Evil Eye Sigma has an impenetrable armor, nothing can damage it!"

"But it can't protect you if you're on top of it right?" Emi chided. Rika paused mid laugh, then proceeded to stare knives down Emi's throat.

"Well, I suppose I should thank you for that," Rika said reluctantly. "Hmph." Turning her back on them, Rika ordered her tank to lower itself so Rika can ride on it's top again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emi helped Kan up on her feet. "I learned something when I got hit, though," said Kan softly. "These fairies are under big sister's influence."

Sighing, Emi scratched her head. "So this is Aiki's doing, eh?" she thought aloud. "I should have known."

"I don't think big sister knows we are here though. She just told these fairies to attack anyone they can see," Kan continued. "Also, I can let you have this, I guess." Kan held Emi's hand and closed her eyes.

Kan seemed to glow as she whispered a few words which Emi could not hear. However, ideas--knowledge suddenly entered her mind. Suddenly, she knew how to do--what?

Emi opened her palm, and almost instinctively, formed a small fireball--exactly the same one the fairy's used. "Your ability to analyze and copy things really do come in handy, you know," said Emi exasperatingly. "But this fireball is 'fairy-size', I think."

Kan visibly drooped. "Sorry if I can't be more of help."

"Well, I do expect that you know where Aiki is right now, after getting hit like that?"

Kan nodded. "She's in a place called 'Kirisame estate' in the 'Human Village'."

"Kirisame estate, huh. Weird name," Emi thought aloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yukari flew close behind Shinki, Sariel catching up behind them.

"Why are you following me?" asked Shinki. "I thought your business in Makai was done?"

Grinning slyly, Yukari puffed, "My, is that how you greet an old lady rushing to catch up with a youngster like you?"

Shinki ignored her, only saying, "This is a state affair of Makai, an outsider like you shouldn't get involved."

Yukari shrugged the cold shoulder off. "Maybe, but it's rather interesting to see what kind of people can put up that amount of fight against the Makai army, right?"

"Is it all right for you to leave your archive, Sariel?" asked Shinki.

"Of course, it does interest me what these intruders are here for as well."

"Is that so," said Shinki bluntly.

t.b.c

Sei Note # 8

Spoiler:

Esifex · « **Reply #69 on:** August 31, 2010, 10:56:40 PM »

I saw that.

Neato

Coin Spire · « **Reply #70 on:** September 02, 2010, 04:00:44 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 21

"Grr! I'm so annoyed!"

Mai looked at her companion who was angrily stirring her cauldron with a wooden spoon. Yuki hasn't stopped complaining ever since they arrived at her house. She was still flustered about their encounter with the two strange people they met outside of Pand?monium. After that, there was an emergency call, and all non-soldiers were ordered to take stay inside their homes.

"It's your fault for messing with strangers..." said Mai quietly. She was sitting on a wooden stool beside a window. She was quietly reading a book of spells that Yuki had written. "...just forget about them."

"The more you say that, the more it becomes hard to forget," said Yuki glumly. "Grr! I'm so annoyed!"

"We can't do anything about it, we were ordered to stay inside our homes because of the danger..."

"I know already," Yuki replied hotly. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "I wonder what's with the commotion though. I heard that there's was a break in at the gates."

"...not the first time..." Mai replied lazily. "...remember?"

Yuki remembered the time when someone from outside the Makai gates attacked their world and defeated the Mother Shinki. "I wonder who is it this time though. Do you think it's the same one?"

"...not caring..." said Mai, digging deeper into the book.

Yuki stopped stirring her concoction and looked towards the window. Gazing lazily at the red terrain outside, Yuki nodded to herself. "I'm going outside to check it out, you coming?"

Before Mai could say 'no', Yuki pulled her off her chair and dragged her outside. Ignoring Mai's protests, Yuki flew towards the horizon in search of adventure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"There's something coming," said Sariel. She pointed at the two pinpricks on the horizon due west. "Hmm?"

Shinki and Yukari looked at where Sariel was pointing at and stopped in midflight. The pinpricks grew nearer and Yukari could discern them as two Makai dwellers. "Looks like it's from your people," said Yukari.

"Indeed they do," said Shinki. "But civilians are supposed to have been told to stay indoors because of the earlier incident."

"Earlier incident?" asked Yukari silkily. Shinki was talking about her break-in at the gates. "That's a light way of putting it, though."

"Indeed, the damage to the gate would probably take weeks to repair," Shinki sighed audibly. "Well, not much we can do about that, but I do wish that you won't do any sort of thing like that again, Yakumo."

"It was kind of amusing to watch the whole mess though," said Sariel thoughtfully. "It's rare to see that kind of entertainment in Makai this days."

As they talked the two figures were already near enough to make out their features. As Yukari had guessed they were Makai dwellers, immediately bowing when they saw Sariel and Shinki.

"My name is Yuki, her name is Mai," said Yuki.

Frowning, Shinki started to scold them. "What are you doing out here? Civilians have been told to keep themselves indoors, Yumeko had given the signal throughout Makai. It's dangerous to be out here, especially with the Makai military busy with the current situation."

Despite Shinki's scolding, Yuki only grinned. "Don't worry, Miss Shinki, we're not going to cause any trouble, we were just looking for some people--" Mai didn't waste any time hitting Yuki squarely on the top of the head with her fist.

"Hey! What did you do that for?" cried Yuki, rubbing her head.

"...Don't call the Mother, 'Miss'..." said Mai quietly.

Yukari laughed, amused at the exchange. "You do look like a 'Mother' when you look at it this way," she said. There was another exchange of explosions in the distance. "Well, I think it's better if you bring them along, they'll be better off under your watchful eye, 'Mother'."

They started to fly towards the crossfire of magic whose sounds grew steadily louder as they flew on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, you're still alive?" said Kou. She was standing beside the prostate figure of Shiku, hands up in the air as she strained to use her barrier. The Makai soldiers rained down on her, and Kou gritted her teeth as she pushed herself to her limits. A violet dome of energy enveloped them, protecting her and Shiku from the attacks.

"I'm still alive, fortunately," said Shiku calmly. She was impaled on the ground with Yumeko's swords. Shiku was trying to pull herself up but the swords trapped her down on the ground, plunging it deeper into her flesh. She did not feel any pain however, just a bit pinned. "My body has taken too much damage, I might not be able to hold open the Crack any longer."

Kou sighed loudly. "Well, at least they're focusing on me, and not on the Crack. They're too busy trying to kill us to worry about it." She felt the barrier recede with the onslaught of attacks from the Makai soldiers. "Anyway, what are we going to do now?"

"I'll collapse the Crack. This should give big sister enough energy to go through with the current plan," Shiku told her. "Even if we don't make it."

"Collapse the Crack?" Kou said. However, instead of answering, Shiku closed her eyes and did not move. As if on cue, the ground they stood upon began to shake violently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soldiers were still firing nonstop when Yukari and the others arrived. Yumeko greeted them, bowing before Shinki politely before reporting the full situation.

"An intruder was reported by a Makai squad on patrol earlier. After we lost contact with them, we sent another squad to check the situation. When they reported that they were being attacked, we sent reinforcements at once."

"A hostile intruder," mused Sariel. "And have you gathered any information about them or their motives for entering and attacking Makai?" Yumeko shook her head.

"Unfortunately, they haven't been keen on explaining themselves properly," Yumeko glanced at the barrage of attacks that the Makai soldiers were releasing. "If we don't stop attacking, they'll retaliate. We didn't have any casualties yet because of our healing magic."

Yukari surveyed the land below. The two intruders were inside a violet dome that shielded from the attacks of the Makai soldiers. Behind the dome was a huge fissure on the ground. It was jet black, empty--it looked terribly familiar.

"Regardless of the intruders, have you found anything about that thing behind them?" asked Yukari. Yumeko shook her head again.

"We weren't able to close in enough to study it, they seem to have control of its surroundings and we can't approach it safely. If we get too close, a weird barrier seems to stop us," Yumeko replied. "I do think it's very important to them, and from what I can observe from here, it looks like a portal of some sort."

Sariel nodded. "I see, so you also arrived at the same hypothesis," she said. Yukari observed the fight, but her full attention was at the Crack. Putting a finger on her lip, she nodded to herself, as if she finished deciding on something.

Without any further word, Yukari approached the Crack. Before Shinki could stop her, they sensed a sudden shift in the air, like a weird morning draft. And then the cliff began to shake violently.

"An earthquake?" said Yumeko in surprise. "But we don't have earthquakes in Makai--"

"This is not a natural occurrence," said a troubled Sariel. "We have to neutralize the two intruders now." She flew down towards the two intruders, following Yukari's flight. Before Yumeko could react, Shinki followed the two.

"I'm going to check those two intruders out, you take in charge here Yumeko!" Shinki yelled at Yumeko as she flew down.

"Mistress Shinki!" Yumeko called out.

Suddenly, the cliff became enveloped with a purple cloud from an unseen source. Yukari and Sariel plunged into it, followed by Shinki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oi, what are you doing Shiku?" demanded Kou. A purple cloud enveloped them and she could barely see her prostate companion behind her. "Huh?" The ground stopped shaking.

The attacks of the Makai soldiers stopped, and Kou sighed with relief. "They stopped attacking, good grief." Kou lowered her barrier and kneeled beside Shiku. Shiku's eyes were still closed, but she was whispering words that Kou cannot hear.

There was a screeching sound from behind them, and Kou covered her ears. Looking for the source, she saw that the Crack they were protecting were growing rapidly, covering the ground as it expanded, turning it into a deep abyss. The Crack branched out like tree roots, zipping through the ground in a jagged manner like a desert sidewinder. It covered the whole cliff, leaving only a patch of ground around Kou and Shiku.

"So what are you two doing?" said an enigmatic voice above them. An elegantly dressed lady landed next to them, followed by two winged beings. "You two have caused a lot of trouble in this place." The screeches began to grow louder. "And please stop that horrible noise."

"You know them Yakumo?" asked Shinki, ignoring the screeching sound. Yukari shook her head in reply.

"I'm just interested in their motive, that's all." That black thing behind them, it behaves just like my gaps, except it acts more like a living thing. Yukari observed the Crack as it grew even more.

"This is bad," said Sariel in a dark tone. "This is very bad, we shouldn't have approached too close to this place."

Yukari and Shinki glanced at Sariel who was looking up and down on their surroundings. "Whatever this thing is, it has been activate--"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yumeko gave the order to stop attacking. "We might hit Mistress Shinki and her companions," she told them. The captains nodded and passed the orders.

Suddenly, the purple cloud beneath them began to change. For a moment, it became solid--like a polished purple marble. It began to grow, slowly but accelerating. The Makai soldiers retreated as it grew faster and faster, covering the whole cliff.

From within the purple dome, there came a loud screeching sound and Yumeko covered her ears and gritted her teeth in pain. As suddenly as it came, the screech and the purple dome vanished--leaving nothing behind but an empty crater where the cliff once stood.

The whole cliff, including the intruders, Shinki, Yukari, Sariel, and the two intruders were gone without a trace.

Dismayed, Yumeko shouted at the top of her voice. "Mistress Shinki!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rika's fight was getting better, in her opinion of course. The fairies were falling like fireflies before a flamethrower, and they just keep coming for more.

"This is kind of like butchery, isn't?" said a voice beside her. Rika nearly jumped in fright, but Evil Eye Sigma jostled her slightly to remind her that she is flying nearly thirty feet in the air.

Emi was sitting beside her on top of Evil Eye Sigma. Rika did not notice her until she spoke. "When did you get up here?" she asked. "I didn't give you permission to sit on my Evil Eye Sigma."

"There's enough room for the two of us," said Emi carelessly. "More importantly, there's another bullet headed this way." True to her word, a bullet nearly hit them, but Evil Eye Sigma dodged it deftly with Rika's command.

"Not to worry, everything is under my control," grinned Rika. Almost naturally, Emi grinned back.

"Well, as long as you don't get us killed, I'm fine on top of Evil Eye Sigma," Emi put her arms behind her head and lay down.

"HEY! I didn't give you permission to stay on top of my Evil Eye Sigma!" Rika protested.

A voice called out to them. "Big sister Emi!" Kan flew up beside them. Emi glanced at her with disinterest.

"What do you want?" Emi asked her with a little bit of laziness.

"Er--, I think we shouldn't be here," said Kan quietly. "I have a bad feeling that tells me that we should get away as far as possible..."

"Why?" Emi sat up, now serious. Rika was listening in as well.

Kan pointed at the sky. The clouds were swirling around, as if disturbed from their slumber. Then from somewhere, they began to hear voices.

"I'm just interested in their motive, that's all." The voices were distorted, like someone talking through a tin can.

"This is bad, this is very bad. we shouldn't have approached too close to this place. Whatever this thing is, it has been activated."

Suddenly a purple cloud enveloped them, covering the whole surrounding in a thick purple dome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aiki felt a strange burst of energy from the direction of the forest. So far everything has gone accordingly to plan. The humans inside the village were fighting against each other, and the appearance of the rabid fairies were casting more chaos by the second.

So far, she had gathered more than enough chaos to boost her Master's energies needed for her to enter Gensokyo.

Why does she feel so uneasy? I've always had good instincts, and it's telling me that something is going to go terribly wrong.

Aiki sighed, ignoring the clamoring shouts of the head of the household. So far, her presence had gone undetected inside the Kirisame household. It was a big estate, relatively speaking, and she could move around and pass of as a servant without arousing suspicion.

"I wonder what that shrine maiden is doing now?"

t.b.c

Sei Note # 9

Spoiler:

Anunsew · « **Reply #71 on:** September 10, 2010, 04:10:10 AM »

I may just have missed it or something...

But what is a crack? Any explanations would be nice. >.<

Coin Spire · « **Reply #72 on:** September 12, 2010, 04:55:56 AM »

Quote from: Anunsew on September 10, 2010, 04:10:10 AM

I may just have missed it or something...

But what is a crack? Any explanations would be nice. >.<

To put it simply, if you remember how Akyuu explained Yukari's ability in Perfect Memento:

Quote from: Hieda no Akyuu, Child of Miare

"The ability to manipulate boundaries is a terrifying ability capable of fundamentally undermining reality.
As you know, everything is built upon the existence of boundaries.
If there was no water surface, there could be no lake.
If there was no sky line, neither mountain nor sky could exist.
Were it not for the Great Barrier, even Gensokyo itself wouldn't exist.
If there were no boundaries, everything would probably exist as a single enormous object.
Thus, the ability to manipulate boundaries is an ability of logical creation and destruction.
It essentially creates a new being, or denies the existence of a being.
Among the abilities youkai are known to possess, this is one of the most dangerous, being comparable even to the power of gods.
She is also capable of going anywhere through a gap in space, whether it be her entire body or only a part of her.
It's said that this ability is not limited to physical space, but also applies to pictures, others' dreams, and even stories.
In addition, she is possessed of superhuman intellect, and is especially good at mathematics.
Furthermore, due to her long lifespan, she has a broad range of knowledge and experience.

A Crack is a part of a Border between two objects. For example, if you have a wall between two rooms, Yukari can manipulate the existence of the wall, either:
1) Yukari makes the wall vanish
2) She makes the wall even thicker
3) She replaces the wall entirely with another object...let's say, with Marisa's hat
4) She destroys the wall, the two rooms, and other things in the process

Each action would cause a different effect on how the two rooms work with Natural Physics. However, Yukari's border ability does not affect the Boundary itself, but it has enormous effects on the surroundings, apocalyptic annihilation notwithstanding.

A Crack however, is a part of a Border. The easiest way to explain it would be, it would be the Boundary of the Border itself. It manipulates how a Border behaves. A Crack is a part of the Border which had become blurred due to excessive manipulation of different other Borders.

For a Border to exist, it needs some sort of Threshold Resistance to change. A good example of this is how solid objects resist changing form. Yukari, technically speaking, puts a Bypass over this Resistance, therefore she is able to overlap two (or more) Borders of Contrasting Nature (Like what she did in the First Lunar Invasion:

Quote from: Hieda no Akyu, Child of Miare

It is said that she once invaded the moon by modifying the Boundary between Truth and Lie and plunging into the mirrored moon on the lake's surface.

However, a Crack breaks this Resistance, changing the laws on how the Border reacts to other things. For example, the Crack in Makai which was guarded by Kou and Shiku manipulated the Border of Here and There. This is the Border that manipulates distances, without it, everything would exist in the same place. The Border, after being damaged and Cracked (The state of a Border having a Crack), now acted as a gate between Makai and Gensokyo which acted as a bridge so the Miasma can go across.

Strong a Crack may sound, it is particularly limited to the Border that it Breaks. For example, A Crack in the Border of Heat and Cold cannot influence anything else other than Heat and Cold. Another thing, a Crack is technically a damage to the Border, hence there is also a breaking point before a Border totally collapses.

When a Border collapses, a temporary state of chaos results. Because of the Universe's resilient nature, it will not unfold the very fabric of everything's existence, rather, it would try to correct itself by trying to repair the Border to its normal form.

A good example of when a Border collapses is when a Time paradox occurs. For example, Yukari goes to the past and kills her past self, thereby causing a paradox (because she cannot go back to the past and kill herself in the future if her past self is killed). The act of Yukari killing her past self would cause a Crack in the Border of Past and Present. The Crack would be so great that the Border would instantly collapse, and the Self-repairing nature of the Universe to kick in.

So, if Yukari tries to kill herself, the Universe would try to repair it by:

1) Yukari cannot kill herself, or rather, the natural order of things would prevent her from doing so, like something would always hinder her like being accosted by the police (if you believe in the Deterministic Universe theory: In a deterministic system, every action, or cause, produces a reaction, or effect, and every reaction, in turn, becomes the cause of subsequent reactions. The totality of these cascading events can theoretically show exactly how the system will exist at any moment in time.)

or

2) The Universe would create another timeline, where Yukari was killed, divergent from the timeline where Yukari is still living.

or

3) The Universe will not let Yukari go back to the past.

In this way, the Border of Past and Present can be repaired or preserved.

A Border must not collapse, because it also destroys the Crack that caused the collapse.

However, if a Crack collapses, The Border goes into a state of instability, causing many unpredictable results as it tries to repair itself. Like when Shiku collapsed the Crack of the Border of Here and There, the space where the Crack existed was transferred into another place.

So in summary:
Border is the natural separation of one existence from another.
Crack is the unnatural tension and blurring of a Border that is being manipulated. If a Crack becomes uncontrolled, it breaks the Border where it resides and induces Chaos. If a Border breaks, the Universe will try to repair it to preserve its existence.

Er...sorry if it's too wordy, it's just that I can't explain it with simpler words. I have a bad vocabulary with English, and I'm using a 'very' old dictionary and thesaurus when I type.

Esifex · « **Reply #73 on:** September 13, 2010, 03:00:30 AM »

Spire, I love you.

This is seriously the type of loving devotion I could only dream of putting towards my stories. Don't ever change.

Coin Spire · « **Reply #74 on:** September 14, 2010, 04:12:36 AM »

As you may have noticed, the antagonists of this story: Aiki, Emi, Shiku, Kan, En, and Kou all exhibited strange affinities to Cracks.

In a short moment in one of the earlier chapters, a character named Kiyuu was introduced. While there are only few things known about her, I shall divulge and explain what is already provided.

Aiki and the others, with all of their strange abilities and what-not, are not natural occurences of Nature. From their profile, they are called 'Creations' by Kiyuu.

To explain, it is imperative that one must understand the nature of the Cracks.

Crack is the unnatural tension and blurring of a Border that is being manipulated.

If, for example, a Border between Fantasy and Reality has been blurred, it is possible to 'create' people from one's imagination. Someone with enough latent ability to blur the Border of Fantasy and Reality can easily create an artificial person...in this case, people.

Quote from: Kiyuu Note # 4

My creations, they are my children.
No, they are closer than that. They are a part of me, and because of this, they will never betray me.

Let me tell you a little about Shiku.

Once, there was a bully who liked hurting small girls. The bully would put insects on their bags, or trip them as they walked in the school hallways. Sometimes, the bully would even steal their lunch, and make them cry.

One day, the bully came to me and told me to surrender my lunchbox. The lunch didn't matter to me, but the lunchbox...it was given to me by
Spoiler:
___mu
, and nothing can part me from it. However, the bully pried it apart from my hands, and laughed when I struggled uselessly to get it back.
In my anger, I told myself that I wanted someone who can hurt people as much as they hurt me.
And thus Shiku was born. Born from my desire to inflict pain, she herself is immune to pain. She can feel no pain, but maybe that itself is the greatest pain of all.

It is implied then that Kiyuu is a human living Outside the Border who had the ability to 'Create' beings like Shiku.

Since Aiki and the others are born from Cracks of the Border of Fantasy and Reality, they are simply not human, nor could they die permanently.

Quote from: Specialis Libri Chapter 20

Kou sighed. "What now? Master didn't tell us anything about something like this happening." She looked at the stern faces of the Makai soldiers above them. "If we die here, we'd have a lot of explaining to do."

Since Kou and Shiku were born from a Crack made by Kiyuu, simply dying means that they can be 're-created' by Kiyuu from that same Crack. It is understandable then why both Kou and Shiku take their deadly situation lightly, relatively speaking.

However, even if they were created by the same person and from the same source, they had differing abilities and personalities.

Quote from: Kiyuu Note # 7

Aiki is the second oldest of my Creations. Unlike Shiku, Aiki is full of emotions. In fact, she can easily manipulate her emotions to suit her tastes, and likewise, she can manipulate other people's emotions to her will.

As time grew on, Aiki easily became one of my most dependable Creation, as she can easily manipulate people with her charm.

Don't be mistaken, she is infinitely more dangerous than Shiku, for Aiki is my best friend.

Each of Kiyuu's creation had their own strength and weaknesses, all dependent upon how Kiyuu thinks about them. Since Kiyuu created them using a Crack in the Border of Fantasy and Reality, their existence depended on how Kiyuu thinks about them in her Fantasy. Thus, if Kiyuu believes that Shiku could not be hurt, then it is impossible for Shiku to feel pain. If Emi is unreliable, then Emi IS unreliable.

Therefore, all of Kiyuu's Creations depended on Kiyuu believing in their existence.

However a person controlling the existence of multiple people is too much for the strength of a human mind.

Quote from: Kiyuu Note # 6

This Barrier is quite a simple thing. It's pretty stupid--it only does two things; keep everybody inside, inside and everyone outside, outside.
However, simple as it is, I cannot break it. WHY?
WHY CAN'T I BREAK IT?
ANSWER ME!

If a human mind becomes accustomed to a reality it had created, one becomes unable to distinguish the reality she had created, and the True Reality where we all live. It then results to partial mental instability.

Quote from: Kiyuu Note # 8

My second Creation ever since she left me.

Another wordy explanation...:/

...Resolving from memories, I do remember a certain individual in Gensokyo who says that she is a creation of a mentally unstable girl...

Coin Spire · « **Reply #75 on:** September 25, 2010, 07:22:18 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 22

"What are you doing, Kamishirasawa?" asked Kotohime. Keine was standing beside her, eyes closed and muttering a few words under her breath.

"It's not working," muttered Keine. Sighing in resignation, she opened her eyes and surveyed the chaotic scenery. They were behind the lines of human exterminators surrounding the Kirisame estate. With the onslaught of the attacks of the bespelled villagers, they have regrouped the civilians and non-fighters inside the confines of the estate. They have barricaded the gates and established outposts to deter the attacks.

"What's not working?" asked Kotohime. Kotohime waved her hand and a wave of energy at an approaching wave of fairies. Sometime in the dawn, fairies started attacking the village in concert with the bespelled villagers. "Whatever you are planning, do spit it out."

"I was trying to hide the village," answered Keine. "But I can't manipulate the history properly. Probably because it's barely past new moon." She sighed again. "Anyway, it's better that we relieve the other exterminators so they can rest.

Kotohime scowled. "Someone is pulling the strings on this," she said. "It's too suspicious that some of the villagers suddenly became like this." Gesturing to the fighting on the other side of the barricades, Kotohime watched as an exterminator tried to knock out a rabid villager using a club. "And then there are the fairy attacks. Who could have pulled something like this off?"

Keine looked at the slowly brightening sky. "Who knows," was all that she said. The sun was shining brightly, a stark contrast to the chaotic situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reimu and the others landed gracefully (Oof!, says Rinnosuke) at the edge of the human village. Numerous buildings looked like they were broken into and ransacked. There was smoke in the deeper part of the village, a small fire no doubt.

"This has a 'Marisa was here' written all over it," observed Patchouli. "Though I doubt I can accuse the rat this time."

Marisa winced at her accuser. "Can you at least stop calling me rat already?"

"Yes, the rats would probably be offended," Alice supplied. "Regardless though, this looks like a youkai attack." Alice dropped the sleeping Sunny Milk on the ground, the star apple still on her mouth. Alice stretched casually to ease her back. "Fairies are quite heavier than I expected."

Rinnosuke looked around at the destruction and sighed. "I do wish I just stayed at my house and away from this mess." He glanced at a wide-eyed Ellen who was naturally curious at the village.

"Well, what would you pay to miss this fun?" asked Marisa cheerfully. "You should get out of your shop more and walk around the village from time to time."

Rinnosuke waved his hand. "I'd rather pass any walks like this." He sighed loudly and readjusted his glasses which was slowly sliding down his nose because of sweat. "I guess it can't be helped then."

Ellen was ecstatic upon landing. "This place looks like a lot of fun!" said Ellen happily. "Though it needs a little more grass, I think." Behind her was Star and Luna who was were also looking wide-eyed around them.

Luna looked around cautiously. "Are you sure that we're safe?"

"I feel the other fairies nearby," said Sapphire. "They're kind of...many."

"Kind of?" asked Reimu. "Well, fairies are fairies, so it doesn't matter how many they are."

The sun burst through the mountains at the east, casting its sunlight upon the village. However, Reimu's eyes widened at the sight of the sun itself.

"What's up with the sun?" said a startled Reimu. She pointed at the sun which was painted jet black in the distant eastern horizon. However, despite its blackish appearance, it still emitted sunlight and casted the morning light with an unusual gaiety, as if it was crazed.

Patchouli shielded her eyes. "Despite its black appearance, it is still bright for me." She grimaced. Not an outside person at heart, she does not like the sun one bit.

"Ha~" replied Alice, smirking. "You should get out of your bookshelves more often, knowledge of the books and knowledge of the world are two different things." Patchouli shrugged her off.

"We should go," said Rinnosuke. "I want this over with already." The others nodded in agreement.

"Hey, who's gonna carry this thing?" Alice hiked a thumb at the unconscious Sunny Milk. "I'm not going to lug her to kingdom come, people." However, everybody else were already walking ahead. Star and Luna gave her a sideways glance before flying off towards Reimu.

"So that's how it is," Alice winced. Looking at the sleeping fairy, Alice sighed and wordlessly lifted the fairy onto her back. Alice had little difficulty however, Sunny was almost weightless, she was really light.

Chuckling slightly at the little pun, Alice started into a brisk walk and followed the others.

The group started walking deeper inside the human village.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She ran. The others gave chase.

Aww~ I knew I should have stayed home today, she berated herself. She was running as fast as her feet can take her, away from the group of humans chasing her.

"Gyah! You're all so annoying!" Gazing behind at her pursuers, she brandished her Northwest rod and casted a spell card towards the rabid humans.

Defense Sign 「Pendulum Guard」

A hexagram formed around her feet as the spell card began to unravel. Behind her, five blue crystals appeared and started to spin around slowly, alternately gaining and losing distance from each other, alternately spinning clockwise and counterclockwise as they did so.

Her pursuers froze on the spot when the crystals appeared, apparently bewildered by the crystal's wild movements. Taking advantage of the distraction, the girl ran on while the crystals started spouting unnumbered bullets towards the humans.

Nazrin laughed as she looked behind at the humans as they tried to get away from her Pendulum crystals. "Serves your right!" She turned sharply on the next street corner that she saw, hoping to lose her pursuers amidst their confusion.

Before she could say anything else, she crashed into something, bouncing off before falling dizzy into the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reimu heard some shouting in the alleys ahead of them. Cocking her head in concentration, Reimu tried to discern the source of the noises. Seeing Reimu's concentration, they all stopped walking to wait for her.

Alice caught up with them. "You heard something?" asked Alice, warily gazing at the deserted houses around them.

"I think it's just around the corner," said Reimu. "It's getting a lot noisier."

Marisa sighed. "If it's another bunch of fairies, I'm going to take a hike," she told them. Feeling the piercing glares of Alice and Reimu, Marisa quickly added, "After beating them, of course."

"Not very brave, are you, Marisa?" asked Rinnosuke, narrowing her eyes at Marisa. "I thought you were more substantial than that."

Marisa replied with a shrug. "I just don't want to fight a fight that I'm not gaining anything from."

"Spoken like a true rat," added Patchouli with a shallow chuckle. "They must be proud of you."

Sighing, Marisa replied, "I told you to stop calling me rat already."

Suddenly, a black figure appeared from the street ahead, faster than any eye could follow. It turned sharply towards them.

Rinnosuke barely had time to speak before the black figure crashed into him, knocking both of them onto the ground.

"Pop goes the weasel, as they say," said Patchouli in a sly tone as she watched the collision. "Though I think it's more of a 'thud' than a 'pop'." Alice frowned at her obscure remark.

"You really need to take more evening walks, librarian," she told Patchouli.

Marisa helped Rinnosuke up while Reimu was examining the other person on the ground. It was a girl, a youkai no doubt, inferring from the mouse-like ears at the sides of her head. "You know, she looks utterly familiar, I just can't put my finger onto it." Reimu muttered.

Still a little bit dizzy, Rinnosuke took Marisa's hand so he could get on his feet. He scratched a sore bump on his head, slightly grimacing in pain. "What is that thing?"

Patchouli was beside Reimu, also examining the fallen mouse-girl. "She seems to be a distant relative of yours, Marisa." Marisa nearly choked on her remark.

"What are you talking about--" Marisa started, but she was taken aback by the fallen youkai's appearance. "She looks like a rat."

"Exactly," replied Patchouli smartly.

The girl started to stir awake. "Hey, who are you calling a rat?" The girl sat up, her tail twitching slightly as she gathered her wits. "If I have you know, I'm of a noble lineage, and a servant of Bishamonten--"

There was shouting in the distance as a group of humans began to approach them. "Oh look, villagers," remarked Marisa. "I wonder if they can tell us what's going on--" However, she was cut midsentence when a flying chisel nearly missed her cheek by the merest of inches. She felt her blood freeze when she heard its quivering thud when it hit a wooden pole just behind her. "This just isn't my day, isn't it?" she muttered nervously.

"Company!" said Ellen. "Are we going to have a street party?"

The villagers were fanning out, seeking to surround Reimu's group. They were only armed with makeshift weapons, tools that can be found inside the village proper. "Why are they attacking us?" asked Alice.

Patchouli noticed something. "Look at their eyes," she told the others. The villagers eyes were cloudy and yellowish, as if a mist had gathered inside it. "It's like they're under a spell of some sort. I've read of an enchantment--" Another flying object, this time a sickle, was hurling towards Patchouli, but Reimu deftly blocked it with her gohei. The sickle rebounded sharply, hurling upwards before dropping blade first onto the ground.

"That was unnecessary, I could have simply casted a wind spell to deter its trajectory--" Patchouli mumbled. Reimu shrugged her off.

"You're welcome."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, that went absolutely well," said Marisa with absolute sarcasm. They were running through the streets as fairies and villagers chased them along the streets of the human village. "Why aren't we fighting back?"

"Because!" said Reimu. "If I knock them out, and they remember me afterwards, I'm going to lose my benefactors!"

"Are they even giving donations at all?" asked Alice, puffing as she ran. "In any case, where is that mouse leading us?"

The mouse youkai was leading them through the streets, dodging carts, broken fences and overturned tables deftly. "I know of a safe place, just follow me," she told them. "Anyway, I didn't expect to meet you people here."

"Er...have we met before though?" asked Reimu lightly.

Ellen was squealing with delight behind them. "Are we playing tag? Who is 'it' then? Are we--" suddenly, Ellen's voice was dampened into a voiceless whisper. She still opened her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out,

"Thank you, fairy, she was beginning to get on my nerves," said Patchouli gratefully. Luna blushed slightly at Patchouli's approval.

"Er~ There's more of them ahead of us though..." said Sapphire nervously. Almost prophetically, numerous humans appeared in the street ahead of them.

"We're boxed in!" Rinnosuke grimaced. "What are you guys going to do?"

Before any of them can answer him, a yellow light blazed forth in front of them.

Light Sign 「Demon of Purification」

A voice boomed out. "Sinful humans controlled by the mist of Makai, bow down before the fury of Bishamonten!" The villagers who were caught in the light were thrown in the air and landed painfully upon the ground.

"Hey, don't kill my benefactors!" shouted Reimu at the voice. "Whoever you are, show yourself!"

As the light died, they saw the silhouette of a young girl who was older than mere centuries. She carried a small bejewelled object on her right hand and a spear with her left which she brandished towards Reimu.

"You are the scrawny human from before. I did not expect to meet you here," said the girl to Reimu.

The mouse youkai ran towards her. "Master Shou! There are wild humans and fairies everywhere!"

Shou sighed at the mouse youkai. "That's why I told you to stay at the temple, Nazrin. Still, this is really much worse that I thought."

"Hey, you just called me a scrawny human," said Reimu. "And haven't we met before?"

There was a shout behind them as the fairies and humans began to regroup themselves.

"Hurry up, shrine maiden and...her friends," said Shou. "We can't stay here, unless you want to fight a battle you won't win." Shou marched off ahead of them, with Nazrin following behind her. The others followed, except for Reimu who watched the reforming fairies behind them.

Sighing, Reimu shook her head in resignation, and ran off to follow the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hijiri temple was more peaceful than the human village, but there was tension in the air. However, the slightly noticeable red mist in the air was absent around it. Within its walls were humans and youkai alike who were lying in hiding from the mist. The temple was protected by Byakuren's most powerful prayers, and no unworldly impurity can penetrate its defences.

"Shou just arrived, Byakuren," said Minamitsu. "Nazrin is with her, along with...some others."

Byakuren was sitting inside her room, meditating and praying. "I see," she said after some thought. "We need all the help we can get, even if it is an uneasy one."

"Have you, by any chance--" asked Minamitsu. Byakuren nodded.

"I have discovered the enemy's whereabouts," Byakuren sighed. She got on her feet, gathering herself with regal grace. "Our enemy lies at the Kirisame estate."

t.b.c

Ki~~yuu~~[20:4e:6f:74:65] # 1[31:]

Spoiler:

Yakumo Note # 8

Spoiler:

Sei Note # 10

Spoiler:

Iced Fairy · « **Reply #76 on:** September 25, 2010, 04:37:54 PM »

Alas, poor Ellen. Her commentary stifled. Well, at least Shou got a nice entrance.

And everything seems to be coming to a head. Probably.....

Anunsew · « **Reply #77 on:** October 26, 2010, 02:38:04 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 23

"So, anybody cares for an explanation?" asked Alice with exasperation. Alice, Reimu, Marisa and Patchouli were sitting around a low stove on the floor. On top of it was a smoking clay teapot.

"We are all that's left of the sane Gensokyo," said Shou. "Or at least, that is what I believe it to be." Shou opened the lid of the teapot and poured her guests some tea onto prepared bowls using a wooden ladle. She handed them the bowls quietly without another word.

Ellen and the fairies were staying in the room next to them, but they could hear noises as the fairies romped around in mischief. In the silence that had sunk inside the room, the noises from the other room seem to echo.

"You may already know, but most of Gensokyo had become like the humans in the village; under the spell of some sort of magician, the humans were attacking those who were not influenced by the spell," Shou said after a moment of silence. "Master Hijiri was able to detect the spell when it activated, and made a Zone of Purity around the temple. That way, we were able to make this a sanctuary that prevents the spell from influencing the people here. I was looking for others that escaped the influence of the spell, and bringing them here for safety."

"That's pretty neat," Marisa remarked. "But did you find out who was causing all this?"

Shou shook her head. "As we speak, my Master Hijiri is meditating, on what we should do next."

"Well, that's pretty simple, we just find out who is causing this and stop her from continuing the spell," replied Reimu.

"If it was that simple, I would've done it myself," Shou told her calmly. "However, apart from humans, youkai had also been wild."

"We know that already," Marisa chimed in. "It's been like that for days already."

"However, it would also seem that the youkai that had turned wild were working together with the humans under the spell." While the youkai may not be harmed by violent efforts, it would certainly be fatal to humans," Shou told them, the sides of her mouth twitching. Her face was calm, but Reimu and the others could sense the anger brimming just beneath her calm exterior. "Men, women, children, they are all under the influence of the spell, trying to kill each other without any remorse. Even if we could stop the spell, what will happen afterwards? Both the humans and youkai would be confused, and panic would surely ensue."

"That would be a problem, I suppose," remarked Alice. "But that kind of panic is certainly better than this."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fighting was becoming fiercer, but now they were on the streets. During the respite of the fairy and rabid human attacks, Keine and Kotohime directed their small band of humans to push the barricades outward, until they were well out of the Kirisame estate. They put up makeshift walls using overturned carts and tables around the walls of the estate and used them as cover from the attacks.

"Looks like we're somehow pulling this off," said Kotohime. "They're pulling back.more often now."

"I suppose so," Keine was breathing heavily from exhaustion. The combination of a sleepless night and the fatigue from directing the defense of the attacks were taking a toll on her body. Keine was shrugging it off, but her knees were already shaky.

"You should take a rest," Kotohime suggested.

"No, I think I can handle myself," Keine replied. Kotohime shook her head.

"You should know better than most, that a tired exterminator is a dead exterminator. You won't be fighting anything until you get some rest." When Keine started to protest, Kotohime replied, "I'm not stupid, of course I'll call you when we get another fierce attack. But there's nothing like that now. Get some rest."

Keine sighed and went back into the estate were the other relieved defenders were resting. On her way though, she met a young lady wearing a black long-sleeved shirt paired with a long scarlet skirt that seemed to shine amid the thin fog. Her hair was long and was tied in an odango covered by a red cloth] and tied with a black ribbon.

"Excuse me, but could I have a minute with you, Miss Kamishirasawa?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Master Byakuren, are you sure about this?" asked Minamitsu. "The Shrine maiden and the others are certainly powerful, but can they be trusted? I mean, if they are under the influence of the mist, then--"

"Minamitsu, you must not be fooled by the enemy. The mist itself is not our real enemy," replied Byakuren. "It's only an enemy's weapon usedagainst us but certaintly not the only weapon." Byakuren looked around the spacious room used for her meditations. "Do you not see the brilliance of her plan, Minamitsu? The enemy used a spell to turn people against each other, but not only that, she also used that to cast suspicion among the people who have escaped the influence of the spell."

"I kind of understand," replied Minamitsu with frustration. "But I'm still confused."

Byakuren stood up and started to leave the room, Minamitsu following her closely behind. "The enemy wants us to doubt each other, so that we cannot mount a steady resistance. Certainly the only thing to do for us to succeed is to do the opposite."

"Even so, are you sure that they can be trusted?" asked Minamitsu.

Byakuren answered without skipping a beat in her springy step across the temple halls. "Sure enough to do it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few minutes, Byakuren Hijiri and Minamitsu Murasa were sitting in the same room with Reimu and the others.

"So you think the enemy is at the Kirisame estate?" asked Marisa.

"Oh don't be shy, little princess," Reimu told her. "We all know that it's your house. Well, formely, at least."

"Why am I not surprised that Marisa is somehow involved in this?" said Alice.

Marisa scowled. "Hey, I haven't been around my folks for a long time, so I don't know anything about this."

Byakuren coughed to get their attention. "I do not think that the humans are directly involved in this, fortunately. I do believe that the origin of this spell is at the Kirisame estate, but it is more possible that the estate is only being used as a focus of the spell. And also, no human in their sane mind would think of something like this."

"However, fact remains that the estate is in the depths of the human village," stated Patchouli. "We cannot simply go charging inside the village, especially if we want to minimize casualties."

"Well, we could ask the people hiding here for help," suggested Alice. "We need all the people here to help us stop the rabid humans and youkai. Not to mention the numerous amount of fairies."

"I can take care of the fairies," replied Shou. "That's one problem down."

"The humans and youkai would still be a problem," said Minamitsu. "We can't hurt them, since they are all just under the spell."

Reimu shrugged. "Well, it won't hurt the youkai if we go hit their heads with something hard so they'll go unconsious right?"

Patchouli coughed. "I envy your simplicity, Red-white maiden." Reimu winced at her remark but Patchouli ignored her. "The problem would be the mist, can we be sure that everyone that will help will not become like the rabid humans?"

"How were you able to resist its influence in the first place?" asked Byakuren. "I do not understand its nature, but I do know that those who were not influenced by the mist stayed uninfluenced, even after spending some time outside of the temple. Nazrin and Shou are a prime example of that."

"I can't argue with that," replied Marisa. "And it's better than doing nothing."

Alice shrugged. "Well, that's the best thing I could think of, so I can't say anything else."

Nodding, Byakuren said, "I agree to Alice's plan. I shall ask those staying inside the temple for help. That also means all of you." Byakuren eyed each of them intensely.

Marisa yawned. "Well, it's kind of boring staying around here for long, so I'll go."

"I'd like to get some peace as soon as possible," said Alice. "And I won't certainly get any with fairies and youkai circling around the forest."

"This is a splendid chance for observing first-hand the full effects of the spell and the mist, I will not miss this chance for any reason," said Patchouli.

Reimu shrugged. "Well, if they're going, I'm going. It's bad for my reputation if a couple of magicians solves this case without the help of the local shrine, right?"

Sighing, Byakuren told them, "They're certainly not the best motives, but I guess I do need all the help I can get." She got up and started to leave the room. "I shall ask the others staying in the temple to join our cause. I shall send someone to call you when we gather our forces--no matter how small it is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellen sat, eyes closed. She ignored the fairies as they flew around the room playing tag on the ceiling. Sunny Milk was asleep at the corner of the room, arms spread out like an eagle.

"So it's almost time then?" she thought. "I could feel the seal weakening, I wonder how long I have left?" Luna Child's silence spell still hasn't worn off, but Ellen could still think.

"I have lived a long time, and Ellen doesn't remember all of it," Ellen thought. "But I, Ellen Fuwafuwaatama Aureus certainly does."

t.b.c

Yukari Note # 7

Spoiler:

Esifex · « **Reply #78 on:** October 26, 2010, 05:49:37 AM »

I love Ellen's full name.

Hanged Hourai · « **Reply #79 on:** October 30, 2010, 12:14:42 AM »

It took me 4 days in my free time to catch up with the story. And it was worth every minute.

Anunsew · « **Reply #80 on:** November 02, 2010, 06:21:14 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 24

After a long wait, they heard a knock at the door. Without waiting for a reply, the door slid open and Nazrin told them to follow her.

"Byakuren has finished talking to the other people inside the temple," Nazrin told them as they walked. "We had a few humans and some youkai who likes to join our attack at the village."

"Humans and youkai, huh?" muttered Marisa. "Well, as long as they don't get in my way, it doesn't really matter much."

Nazrin led them through the maze of corridors, until they exited out of a door leading to the wide area in front of the temple. The area was surrounded by high temple walls, and inside were rows of people lined neatly in ranks in front of Byakuren.

The 'people' were a mixture of humans and youkai, but unlike most youkai, the youkai looked humanish, just like Patchouli and Alice. However they counted less than twenty and they all looked a little shaken and tired.

"Well, so much for the army," said Reimu. "If I remember, the number of humans in the village numbered around a hundred or so, not counting the fairies and youkai."

"Wow, Reimu, I didn't know you could count," Marisa replied with mock surprise. Seeing Reimu's frown, Marisa added, "It's not like you to worry about numbers, anyway."

Turning serious, Reimu replied, "I'm not worried about numbers, I just don't feel like working together with this much people."

"Hey, we don't have time for chit-chat," Alice reminded them. Alice and Patchouli were already following Nazrin to the lines of youkai and humans. Tipping her hat slightly, Marisa followed them leaving Reimu behind.

If I could only do it before they reach the village--

Reimu felt a strong headache, and two golden orbs suddenly flashed within her mind. They looked familiar but--

"Hey Reimu, are you all right?" Marisa was kneeling beside her. Reimu realized that she was already kneeling on the ground, with a hand on her forehead.

Reimu took a deep breath and stood up, shaking off the bouts of dizziness. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You were crying for help a second ago--" said a puzzled Marisa.

"I'm fine," Reimu told her with a smile. She left a puzzled Marisa behind as she walked on while whistling a happy tune. ?Let?s go, they?re going to leave us behind.?

Byakuren called out to them. Shou approached them. ?We?re going to have a brief meeting inside the temple before we head out. Nothing like going with a plan in a middle of this mess.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was shining brightly, and the exterminators had a chance to rest. As the morning dragged on, there were fewer and fewer attacks upon the estate and Kotohime took the chance to order the strengthening of the barricades. She was in the middle of her orders when Keine told her something important.

"So you say that the one causing this chaos is at the Hijiri temple?" asked Kotohime. She raised an eyebrow as Keine nodded, begging Keine to explain herself.

?A few exterminators were performing a divination while we were resting. We all got the same signal from the Hijiri temple; the source of this disaster is definitely from the temple.?

Kotohime bit her lip. ?It doesn?t make any sense why Hijiri would be doing anything like this,? she told Keine. ?Are you really sure it?s her??

Shaking her head, ?I am as shocked as you are, but all the other exterminators got the same result in their divination spells,? said Keine. ?Well, the only thing I can think of right now is asking Byakuren what is going on.?

Nodding in reply, Kotohime started shouting orders to the active exterminators.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

?Well, so far, so good.? Aiki sighed in exhaustion. ?It?s really hard to keep a low profile at this rate.?

After giving Keine and the other exterminators a simple ?suggestion?, the exterminators decided to do a divination spell in order to ascertain why the some of the villagers and youkai were going mad.

Using various techniques that were very much alike fortunetelling, the exterminators were able to say with certainty that the source lies at Byakuren?s temple. Aiki watched them from afar, pretending to help out in the distribution of food among the exhausted exterminators. The members of the Kirisame estate decided to offer food and beds to the exterminators in exchange for their defense all throughout the chaotic night.

?But it?s easy to fool humans, especially when they?re very much agitated,? sighed Aiki. ?This is no fun at all.? She fingered the small violet marble in her hand. Taking it up to eye-level, she looked at the hazy image of the Hijiri temple inside.

?They all should be tired and stressed by now,? Aiki chuckled. ?They?ve been up all night. I guess it?s time for me to move seriously.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

?So this is all we?ve got?? asked Nazrin. She looked down from the temple roof. With her inhuman senses, she found it easy to balance herself atop the roof tiles. Ichirin Kumoi was sitting beside her, along with her companion, Unzan.

?Afraid so,? Ichirin told her. ?Don?t worry; I?m pretty sure Byakuren will pull us through.? They skipped the meeting, as they already knew what they had to do. Shou told them the details of the plan beforehand.

Nazrin gave Ichirin a sideways glance. ?I?m sure glad for your optimism; I guess I?m as dark as a sewer rat.? Unzan, Ichirin?s cloud-like companion nudged Nazrin, who replied by gently stroking Unzan above the brow. Unzan gave a comfortable sigh as Nazrin continued to pet him.

Giving Nazrin a slight shrug, Ichirin told her, ?I can?t say I?m not worried, but worrying won?t get us anywhere.?

Suddenly, a black figure landed next to them. Marisa slid down on the roof next to them, slightly dislodging the older tiles. ?Hey, Shou?s is going to kill you if you break one of those tiles,? Ichirin told her. ?What are you doing up here, human??

?Nothing much,? replied Marisa. ?I?m just killing time until we get to shoot stuff. I?m not really good with those stuffy rooms and people.?

?You?re a feisty one,? said Nazrin. ?I do hope everything goes according to plan.?

Ichirin laughed. ?Well the plan is pretty simple; we?ll all just fly together towards the Kirisame estate, and shoot enemies in the way, right??

Grinning, Marisa replied, ?That sounds pretty simple.? And then Marisa added in a half-whisper,?I do hope I can find time to get new stuff.?

?Get new stuff?? asked Ichirin, puzzled.

Marisa laughed it off. ?Don?t think about it too much, it?s a human thing.? Suddenly, they all heard a small squeak from behind them. A small field mouse was frantically trying to get atop the roof. Clambering atop the edge of the old tiles, Unzan flew below it and gave it a helping nudge.

?Hey, thanks a lot, Unzan,? said Nazrin. The mouse rushed towards Nazrin. Stretching out her hand to it, the mouse climbed on her palm, over her arms and onto her shoulders. It made a couple of squeaks before climbing down her. Nazrin nodded at the field mouse, as if to dismiss it. Without any further word, the mouse scampered away.

?What was that about?? asked Ichirin. ?A friend of yours??

?Kind of,? answered Nazrin. ?Anyway, we have to tell Byakuren some news.? Nazrin jumped down from the roof and landed neatly on the stone tiles below. Ichirin followed suit, and Unzan followed her.

?Hey, wait up,? said Marisa. Taking out her broom, she followed the two youkai towards Byakuren.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hmm?

?So, I think you know how everything would go,? she told her.

?An interesting plan, but I want to get some reassurance that I will be able to get out of this accursed seal.?

?Of course, breaking the seal is my top priority,? she answered back. ?But I want you to do that thing first. I need to stir that much chaos before I can do anything more.?

?I guess that is agreeable. I lose nothing by following, and I might gain freedom in the small chance that you succeed.?

?Don?t call it small,? she sighed. ?It?s a fair bet, and you know it.?

?But you know my problem. I cannot act as long as the contract holds. As long as it stands, I cannot take her over. The accursed witch practically rewrote the whole contract.?

?Which witch? The one who sealed you? There are a handful of witches in Gensokyo, you know.?

?Regardless, I cannot act as long as it holds. What can you do about it?

She smiled at her. ?Lots, my little devil. Lots.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

?Reimu?? Alice called out. ?What is that shrine maiden up to?? she muttered under her breath.

After the brief meeting with Byakuren and the other ?volunteers? to break towards the human village, Reimu told her to wait for her by the temple gates. All the other people in the temple were resting a little bit, youkai and human. They were grabbing all the rest they can before heading out.

?Over here,? said Reimu. She was sitting outside the gates. Her back was turned towards Alice, and she was busily looking at the sky. Alice frowned and walked slowly towards her.

?What do you want?? said Alice with a frown. ?You said it was something urgent, I hope you?ve got some explaining to do.?

?Well, it?s kind of urgent,? Reimu shrugged. ?I just want to ask how you feel lately.?

?How?I feel?? replied Alice. ?What are you up to, Reimu??

Reimu laughed. It was a cold and empty laugh, and Alice ran chills when she heard it. Nervous and worried, Alice ran towards Reimu, but her feet suddenly froze when she saw?

?Where?How did you get that?? asked Alice in a half-whisper.

On Reimu?s hands was the Grimoire.

t.b.c

Anunsew · « **Reply #81 on:** November 04, 2010, 06:33:24 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 25

?It kind of feels lonely here,? Rinnosuke told himself. He was alone inside a room reserved for his use, and Rinnosuke felt a little ill-treated. Shortly after arriving in the Hijiri Temple, a girl named Ichirin showed to a room reserved for his use. It was a small, bare room, furnished only with a low table and an airy window.

?No sharing of room between men and women while inside the temple,? Ichirin told him apologetically. Leaving him a tray of tea and snacks which Rinnosuke barely touched, he was left alone inside the room with his thoughts. After a long time of quiet meditation inside the room, Rinnosuke brought out a notebook secreted within his robes, along with the ?ballpen? he used before.

Deciding to kill time by writing, he started to write down his thoughts and observation about the present incident. However, he barely finished a paragraph before he was disturbed by a knock on his door. Rising from his notes, he opened the door and was greeted by a woman with long, wavy hair. She had a long, brown dress which she carried with regal elegance.

?Good morning,? the woman greeted. ?My name is Byakuren Hijiri, the keeper of this temple. May I come in??

It took a moment for Rinnosuke to recover from his surprise. Stepping aside, he politely let Byakuren inside the room. When they were both seated around the low table, Byakuren began to talk.

?I must apologize if your lodging were a bit poor,? she told him. ?The other rooms were occupied, and they?re all females.?

Rinnosuke felt a little embarrassed and said, ?I don?t mind, I guess there are some customs you have to follow even at times like this. My study at my house is a little bit cramped too, so I?m used to it.? Then Rinnosuke?s face became stern, and he frowned meticulously at the temple keeper. ?Anyway, you?re certainly not meeting me just for apologies, so while you may consider it rude, may I ask what brings you here??

Byakuren nodded in reply. ?You are a perceptive man,? she answered with a chuckle. ?As you already know, Gensokyo is already in chaos with the rabid youkai and humans attacking indiscriminately. With my abilities as the keeper of this temple, I was able to track down the source of this disaster.? Byakuren paused for a moment as Rinnosuke poured her a cup of tea. Handing it to Byakuren, Rinnosuke folded his arms as he waited for Byakuren to finish her speech.

?Unfortunately, even if I do know where the source of the mist doing this disaster is located, I do not have enough people to stop it,? Byakuren continued between the sips of her tea.

Understanding the direction of the conversation, Rinnosuke sank into deep thought before answering. ?I cannot fight. I?m not a youkai hunter, and I certainly won?t fight against the humans inside the village.?

?That is understandable,? answered Byakuren with a sigh. ?But it was an offer I make with all the people currently staying in the temple; including your companions.?

Rinnosuke?s lips curled into a smile. ?I assume they all agreed??

Byakuren can?t help but smile back. ?Yes they did,? she said with a laugh. ?Though I was hoping you?d join the cause as well,? she added a little wistfully.

Shrugging, Rinnosuke replied, ?I won?t be much help anyway. I?m just some reclusive man living just outside the village.? A little cautiously, Rinnosuke added, ?Can I ask about the source of the mist, if you don?t mind??

Putting down the cup of tea, Byakuren replied, ?I sensed the source coming from somewhere within the place called the Kirisame estate in the village.?

Rinnosuke?s eyes became wide with surprise, and Byakuren gave him a questioning look. ?It?s just that I knew the Kirisame family from way back,? he told her. ?I hope that they?re all right.?

Before any of them could speak another word, there was another knock on the door. Minamitsu opened the door and went to Byakuren. ?Byakuren, it?s time to plan about our assault on the village. Shou is already waiting for us.? Byakuren excused herself and left Rinnosuke alone with his thoughts once more.

Rinnosuke felt a little uneasy after Byakuren?s sudden visit. Unable to find the concentration to continue writing, he decided to take a stroll outside. Returning his notebook and pen within his robes, he stepped out of the room and started walking down the corridors of the temple.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nazrin ran through the corridors as fast as she could. Her tail flailed behind her as she searched for her master?s room.

?Hey, wait up you little rat,? Ichirin called out. She flew behind the running youkai rat, with Unzan and Marisa following closely behind. They swerved left and right as they avoided the bystanders walking down the corridors who shrieked in surprise as they passed by.

?What?s the rush?? asked Marisa when Nazrin skidded to a stop in front of a huge door. Without knocking, Nazrin entered the room. Ichirin and Marisa exchanged puzzled looks before following her inside.

Byakuren, Minamitsu and Shou were sitting around a wooden table and in the middle of a serious conversation. They attention was suddenly diverted by the youkai rat who entered the room without any warning. Nazrin ran to Shou?s side and whispered a few words to her master?s ear. Ichirin and Marisa also approached them, and Byakuren offered them a seat and prepared them a cup of tea.

?Byakuren, we have a problem,? Shou said aloud and Minamitsu gave her a questioning glance. ?Nazrin tells me that a band of humans were approaching the temple.?

Taking a quiet sip from her cup Byakuren asked Nazrin, ?Are they armed??

Nazrin nodded. ?One of the field rats from the rice paddies spotted humans, more than twenty of them, armed and slowly making their way here. The rabid humans and youkai avoided them; I think they are exterminators.

?Exterminators?? repeated Marisa questioningly. ?What do they want from this temple??

?That?s not all,? continued Nazrin. ?They seem to be in some sort of trance, they all looked dazed and unconscious while they walked, unlike the others.?

?Trance?? Byakuren settled into deep thought, thinking of what to do next. ?Then I suppose we shouldn?t be planning an attack.? Turning a serious glance at the small group around the table, she then said in a stern voice, ?Ichirin, Minamitsu, ready the volunteers and tell them to get ready for a fight.?

?You think they?re trying to attack us?? asked Marisa. Byakuren nodded in reply.

?We should always prepare for the worst,? Byakuren told Marisa. ?Shou, Nazrin, and you??
?It?s Marisa, and don?t you forget it,? Marisa told Byakuren with an impish smile.

Shou couldn?t suppress a slight chuckle. ?I heard a lot of stories with that name,? she told Marisa. ?Most of them are quite interesting.?

?Anyway, you three are going to help me direct a defense that must withstand a storm unlike others I?ve faced before,? finished Byakuren.

Suddenly, an explosion tore through the morning calm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

?Very interesting indeed,? muttered Patchouli. She was walking around the temple walls, running her slender fingers across the structure. ?Spells within spells, a very complex thing indeed.?

She continued examining the walls with full interest, as if trying to find something elusive on it. ?Spells are enmeshed within, and serves as a suitable output against the mist,? she continued to mutter. Closing her eyes, she whispered a short incantation.

Suddenly, a golden magic circle appeared on the wall. It floated slightly away from the wall facing Patchouli. Stepping back, Patchouli began memorizing the ethereal image in front of her. After a few moments, she completely etched it inside her memory and dismissed the symbol with a wave of her hand.

?What are you doing, magician?? said a voice behind her. Turning around, Patchouli saw Rinnosuke walking with his arms folded inside his robe to ward off the morning chill.

?I am currently investigating the structure of these walls,? Patchouli answered curtly. Returning her attention back to her work, she placed both of her palms on the walls and whispered another incantation. A different magic circle appeared and Patchouli began to examine it as well. Just like the first one, it took only but a few moments for her to memorize the symbol before dismissing it with another hand wave.

Sensing the curiosity emanating from Rinnosuke, Patchouli began to explain, ?I?m trying to memorize the spells that the temple nun used to protect this place from the effects of the mist, as well as keep out the rabid humans and youkai from this place.? Patchouli placed her palms on the wall once more, and after whispering another incantation, another insignia appeared. Patchouli also memorized it within a few moments and dismissed it just like the first.

?I have memorized the spell, or at least, I think I can recreate this spell just in case the situation calls for it. With it, I can devise another spell that can utilize the effects of this temple barrier in order to cancel out the effects of the mist on the humans and youkai outside the temple,? Patchouli finished.

Wincing at the explanation, Rinnosuke replied, ?I really do not understand magic, but I guess it?s a good thing??

?A very good thing,? corrected Patchouli. ?If I am successful, I can reverse the effects of the mist and end this incident for good.?

Suddenly, an explosion tore through the morning calm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alice defended herself from the onslaught of attacks. With a single flick of her wrists, she manipulated a dozen dolls using her magic to block the barrage of talismans that came from the shrine maiden.

Some of the talismans almost hit her, but Alice?s inhuman dexterity took her safely away from danger. ?Reimu, what?s wrong with you?? shouted Alice over the attacks.

Reimu only answered with a gentle smile before throwing another barrage of talismans. Jumping towards the air, Reimu summoned her yin-yang orbs into battle. The dichromatic orbs began to shoot needle-like projectiles towards Alice below. The talismans flew towards Alice, dancing in the air as the faster flying needles overtook them on their way to Alice who deftly dodged the attacks with relative ease.

Alice glanced upwards and saw Reimu holding her gohei in her right hand and the Grimoire on the other hand. Seeing an opportunity, Alice returned fire using her magic dolls. The small, elegant dolls shot beams of light from their palms towards Reimu who only smiled back, as if thinking that the whole fight was a mere game. The lasers were deflected by an invisible barrier around Reimu, and they reflect off the barrier in an obtuse angle towards the distant horizon.

What is happening to her? Someone is certainly controlling her, thought Alice. But who and how are they doing it? Reimu is the last person I expected to be put under the spell of the mist.

And how in the world did she get my Book?

Reimu released another wave of needles and talismans. Sidestepping the attacks, Alice dodged with clear precision as the attacks missed her by mere inches. The projectiles embedded themselves on the ground with the force of Reimu?s attacks.

I should go back to the temple and ask for help, thought Alice. This is a futile battle, and I can?t win this. Spinning at her heels, Alice released a dozen of her dolls from her magical strings. They flew towards Reimu, and Alice did not waste any time.

[Demonic Control] "Return Inanimateness"

The dolls began firing bullets of energy towards Reimu, but the bullets dispersed as they hit Reimu?s barrier. Unfazed by the futility of the attacks, the dolls accelerated towards Reimu as they continued to fire bullets.

Wasting no time, Alice began to run towards the temple. She whispered a quick apology to her dolls as they sped towards Reimu without any doubt or uncertainty. Alice did not look back, not even to see the spectacular explosion of dolls and magic against the shrine maiden.

t.b.c

Sei Note # 11:

Spoiler:

Iced Fairy · « **Reply #82 on:** November 04, 2010, 09:36:13 PM »

Quote

Spoiler:
And now everything is going down, spiraling into a chaotic finale...

Indeed it is. Hm... I'm wondering how it will all tie up.

Coin Spire · « **Reply #83 on:** November 19, 2010, 08:43:53 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 26

The explosion literally woke the whole temple. As alarmed faces started poking out of the doors and windows to find the source of the explosion, they saw Alice puffing as she ran towards the temple interior. A grey cloud of smoke was painted on the sky behind her, with some bits of debris falling slowly like leaves in the morning wind.

“Hey, what the heck happened?” Marisa asked Alice as she approached. Byakuren and her two followers came up to meet the running girl. Alice was panting heavily, and it took several seconds to get her breath back. However, as they waited for Alice’s reply, there was splitting sound that resounded throughout the venue, as if a lightning struck close by; but there was no apparent source, like it was an illusion heard inside their heads.

“Someone is breaking into the temple barrier!” Byakuren told them. Closing her eyes, she started to chant in a low, monotonous voice as the crackling noises became more frequent. The other denizens in the temple were coming out of the temple.

“Everyone, gather around me,” shouted Shou to the people and youkai inside the temple. With a bitter grimace, she directed the people to defensive positions around the temple as Byakuren continued her chants. As the people scurried around to their places, Alice sat down on the ground and sighed heavily.

“Hey, care about telling what happened?” repeated Marisa. Alice was still breathing heavily, but she seemed more composed than before. She looked at the sky; the grey cloud of her doll’s explosion was gone, but Reimu’s eerie smile was still etched in her memory.

“It’s Reimu, something’s controlling her,” Alice told Marisa. “She attacked me outside the temple gates.” Marisa gave her a skeptical look. “Look, I’m serious. I think what has gotten into the villagers has influenced Reimu as well,” Alice said frantically. “But I think the three of us can fight Reimu off.”

Marisa’s face hardened into a grimace. “Well, not if the whole village is behind her.” As if in reply, they vaguely heard a rhythmic noise in the distance. There was the unmistakable sound of feet striking the ground, a rhythmical march that sounded closer and closer by the second. “Reimu really has no concept of timing.”

“Quite a fix, I see,” said a voice behind them. Patchouli and Rinnosuke approached them in a slightly leisurely pace. “Even the shrine maiden has succumbed to this incident,” Patchouli continued. “At this rate, this temple will probably fall.”

“So even Reimu isn’t on our side anymore,” said Rinnosuke grimly. “I knew I should have stayed indoors at my house.”

“Nice inspiring words,” said Nazrin who overheard them. Ichirin and Shou were already casting spells to reinforce the temple’s defense, aided by the other youkai. The humans were readying their weapons, ranging from kitchen knives and makeshift clubs to purifying talismans. “It’s a good thing that most people here don’t really care for pessimism.”

There was another crackling sound and Byakuren went down on her knees, her face visibly in pain. However, she continued to chant in that same monotonous voice with steel-like will and concentration. “Now what do we do? I’m out of plans as of the moment,” Alice said.

Patchouli waved her off. “Do not worry; I have devised a spell that can turn the tables against the enemy,” seeing Marisa and Alice’s frowning expression, Patchouli added, “Rest assured that it does not involve roasting any of them alive.”

The crackling sound came in more regular intervals, like thunder rumbling in a drum beat. With each ripping sound that tore through the air, Byakuren would cry out in pain, and Shou would take over her chanting. They each took turns in continuing the barrier of the temple against the magical attack from the outside.

“Hey, there’s something flying above us!” one of the youkai pointed upwards. All of the looked up and saw Reimu flying lazily high above them. She raised one of her hands, as if to gather energy for an attack. Bringing it down, countless talismans appeared in the air around her; talismans covered with prayers of extermination and purification against the youkai inside the shrine. However, the talismans rebounded harmlessly on an invisible barrier around the temple, but Reimu’s barrage of attacks did not stop.

In retaliation, some of the youkai began to return fire at the shrine maiden, but she deftly dodged the bullets without breaking off from her attack.

Patchouli gazed briefly at the invisible barrier enveloping the whole temple. “I have invented a spell based on this temple’s barrier. It would reverse the flow of energy embedded within the mist, thus creating a negative energy signature against the mist. Using the temple as a focus, I can unleash a wave of energy that would create a negative resonance upon the mist, thus cancelling its effects on the people, and presumably, the shrine maiden.”

Wincing at the explanation, Marisa said, “So in short, you made a spell to fix all this?”

“Yes, that would sum it all up in a nutshell,” Patchouli told them.

“Then what are you waiting for?” asked Marisa. “It’s a good time as any to do it now.”

Patchouli nodded, and closed her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aiki sighed.

“Well, this barrier is pretty resilient, even if it looks a little sketchy.” She raised her hand towards the Hijiri temple and clenched her fist. A great crashing sound tore through the air as invisible waves of energy rebounded against the barrier around the temple. Directing her thoughts towards the shrine maiden flying above the temple, she told the shrine maiden her instructions to attack.

“It’s getting hard to manipulate someone like her,” said Aiki. “She’s pretty stubborn for her looks.”

Aiki, whose specialty is manipulating people’s emotions, can use her ability to control the conscious thoughts of people. However, it was a touch-and-go thing, and it only works at certain times.

“Good thing that Shiku is maintaining the mist from Makai,” she chuckled to herself. “It really is helping me a lot. Not to mention it helps me keep the humans and youkai under my control in check.”

Using her ability, she spread her emotion manipulation powers through the seeping mist from Makai to control the conscious thoughts of the people in Gensokyo. She started little by little, patiently waiting as she went on for bigger kill. She began with the weak youkai and a small amount of fairies, turning on their aggression little by little. Youkai are pretty basic creatures, in Aiki’s point of view. They’re little better than most intelligent animals, since they mostly think of themselves, and their survival.

“Manipulating their hunger, and their fear of exterminators, the weaker youkai were easily overcome by my abilities and began destroying the balance of Gensokyo,” she sighed. “But I guess that wasn’t enough was it?”

Soon after the youkai began to attack indiscriminately, she moved on to the human village. Disguising herself as a household servant of a well-to-do family, she went about the village, spreading her influence through the mist.

“The good thing about this mist is that it can only be seen by those who pay close attention to it. It’s very hard to see, but once you see it, it’s very hard to miss. I wonder if it’s part of Makai’s magic?” Aiki mused.

When the villagers began attacking each other, Aiki seized control of the whole village, putting everyone in a dream that they were all being attacked by rabid villagers and youkai. Putting them under her spell they all went about the village as commanded, routing the very few that weren’t influenced by Aiki’s spell. Aiki tended to those people personally, no simple human can withstand her ability with the boosted power from Makai. However, some people have certain resistance to her abilities, and a considerable amount of villagers were unaffected by her powers. Those people (and youkai) needed to be close to Aiki for her powers to work.

“But it’s easier to do with people with utmost dedication to their job.” Aiki remembered exactly how she manipulated the man named Gyo to lure out some of the exterminators for her personal affairs, including the two ranking guardians of the village. Aiki was especially pleased that the women named Keine and Kotohime held some position in the village. “As long as people are distracted by more serious affairs, I can easily slip my spell inside their minds.”

After influencing Keine and Kotohime without anybody noticing, she let the two go about their affairs as if nothing has happened. Aiki’s ability works like a bomb; it can be planted inside a person for a long time, like in Reimu’s case, until Aiki decides to take control of the person’s mind using their emotions. She let Keine and Kotohime go around the village, directing the defense, while Aiki was actually directing the other ‘rabid’ villagers to pin the defenders to the Kirisame estate.

Aiki was lying there in wait, posing as a servant. However, she was already at work, implanting her spell on everybody in the estate, including the hiding youkai inside the Kirisame warehouse. After doing that, the whole village was perfectly under her control.

“But the problem was that some people escaped from the village,” Aiki said musingly. She easily sensed a barrier within the territory of the mist, and located it at the temple. Wasting no time, she manipulated the thoughts of the people under her control, making them believe that the source of this calamity was at the temple itself, and they had no inkling that they were being manipulated.

However, there was something she did not count upon, and that was stumbling accidentally on the Grimoire.

It was back when Reimu was searching Alice’s room with Marisa. Reimu, under Aiki’s influence, had found the book and held it; in doing so, Aiki became exposed to the entity sealed inside the book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who are you?

Aiki did not answer back then of course. She wasn’t stupid, and she generally knows when it is best to leave things be.

I smell the stain of Makai upon you.

She must be referring to the mist, Aiki thought. Well, I’m pretty much drenched in it right now, but more importantly, she can sense me even if I’m not fully in control of the shrine maiden’s actions, yet.

Answer me, I really hate this silent treatment.

Aiki answered in thought through Reimu’s mind. Well, I generally don’t talk to books. I usually read them, but that’s another thing. But, I know some people who like reading books alou—

The voice inside the book audibly sighed, and Aiki stopped in mid-senten—er, thought. Without wasting anytime, she made Reimu hide the book within her robes, which was a tight fit within Reimu’s clothing. After Marisa and Reimu heard the screams from within the forest, Aiki continued to talk with the Grimoire through Reimu. Reimu acted normally in the outside, but Aiki was fully controlling her thoughts.

You’re not human, I can tell. But neither are you youkai, or a demon. What are you? asked the Grimoire.

Aiki chuckled in answer. That depends on how you make of me.

You are a shrewd being. You are manipulating someone to handle me, so that I cannot directly sense who you are.

More of an accident really, Aiki thought to herself, inaudible to the Grimoire.

Regardless though, why do you seek me? The book continued to inquire and Aiki sensed an opportunity.

Say, if you are a sealed being inside a book, correct? asked Aiki.

Yes, that is apparently obvious, the being inside the book answered dryly.

Anyway, it is then obvious that someone like you who was sealed inside a book is a being who was considered dangerous by the people who sealed you, right? Aiki pushed on.

Spit it out before you choke, said the book. I’m listening intently.

It is then possible that if I unseal you, you can create a massive amount of chaos in this place…or something like that, can’t you?

The entity inside the Grimoire did not answer at once. You seek chaos? An interesting being indeed. But as I can see from my view, all that is happening around this place is your doing. Why do you need more chaos?

That is easy to answer. That is because I need it, Aiki replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The barrier began to weaken little by little with Aiki and Reimu’s repeated attacks. However, Aiki could feel Reimu struggling within her grasp each second that passes.

“It’s hard to control a free-spirited person,” sighed Aiki. “It’s almost by luck that I was able to gain an opportunity to control her.”
Suddenly, the temple barrier began to withdraw, shimmer, and then it began to crack. It was an invisible thing, but Aiki sensed the crack like a stain on black cloth.

“Well, luck is still on my side,” Aiki chuckled.

t.b.c

Sei Note # 12

Spoiler:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many thanks to Anunsew who took over writing (and going through my draft) while I was unable to write.

I really need more peons like you.

Sect · « **Reply #84 on:** November 19, 2010, 09:03:49 AM »

Aiki kind of pisses me off. A lot.

And it's kind of weird, because she's a lot like

Spoiler:

from BlazBlue, whom I adore. It's probably because she's not as hammy or doesn't make as much of an effort to be a troll.

No, Aiki just kind of pisses me off.

Coin Spire · « **Reply #85 on:** November 19, 2010, 09:10:50 AM »

Quote from: Sect on November 19, 2010, 09:03:49 AM

Aiki kind of pisses me off. A lot.

Just as planned. Mwahaha~

Iced Fairy · « **Reply #86 on:** November 21, 2010, 06:06:27 PM »

Quote

Rest assured that it does not involve roasting any of them alive.

Ah Patchouli. You think of everything.

And it's interesting to finally see how the plan fell into place. Of course it'll be more interesting when it all falls apart...

Anunsew · « **Reply #87 on:** December 17, 2010, 07:07:43 AM »

Specialis Libri
Chapter 27

Yukari gracefully covered her cough with her fan. She was surrounded by a purple mist, a concentrated version of Makai's miasma. It's harmful to humans, and acts faster on inexperienced non-magicians. However, it amplified magic power to horrifying levels, and Yukari could felt very warm, like after drinking a lot of sake in one sitting.

"Yakumo, don't breathe too much of mist. It might make you feel a little funny," said a familiar voice.

"I don't think saying that now would do any good," said another voice. "Only Makai dwellers would be unaffected by this concentrated amount of mist."

Yukari felt a little giddy, but she tried to regain grasp hold of her thoughts. Looking around, she saw Sariel and Shinki staring at her with concern.

"She looks a little off," said Sariel. "I do believe she's intoxicated by the mist."

Yukari giggled. "A little bit, but I'm still fine. It's not like it's my first time drinking sake," she told them in a slightly slurred tone. "Let's switch topics for a bit, does Makai have refined sake by any chance?"

Shinki paused for a moment. "Er...right. We have to get out of the mist to get our bearings." While Makai dwellers aren't affected by the mist since they practically live with it almost all their lives, youkai like Yukari who aren't used to living with it are affected by its magic enhancing power—with the same effect like one of drunkenness.

Uttering a few words, a golden ball of light appeared on Sariel’s palm and the mist surrounding them began to dissipate. She flew upwards, followed by Shinki who pulled Yukari by the arm. They shout out from the dome of mist, stopped, then hovered just above it.

They were in the middle of a thick forest, above a large clearing. Shinki looked around and saw a black sun in the horizon. She threw a glance at Sariel, who looked equally puzzled.

“This isn’t Makai,” said Shinki. “Is this Gensokyo, then?”

Before Sariel could answer, Yukari stirred from Shinki’s grasp. Shinki released her from her hold, and Yukari floated back, clutching her temples with a hand.

“Er…my head feels like I’ve had a little too much liquor,” said Yukari. She opened up a gap behind her in which she took a seat on its edge, like a girl on a swing. It took a few silent moments for Yukari to compose herself.

“Looks like the effects of the concentrated mist are wearing off,” said Sariel. “You have great recuperative powers, Yakumo. Most youkai should be unconscious with the amount of Makai’s miasma you were just exposed to.”

“It comes with the age,” said Yakumo in a resigned tone. She looked around and saw the horizon’s sun. “Hmm, looks like we’re in Gensokyo—and a certain shrine maiden is having trouble doing her job.” A black sun, huh. Someone is messing with Gensokyo’s borders—who isn’t me.

Yukari’s face hardened and the two Makai dwellers noticed the change. “What is it, Yakumo?” Shinki asked her, but Yukari shrugged them off.

“It’s nothing. I still have something left to do, so I should be going now,” Yukari answered in a rush. She slid inside her gap, and vanished. Before Shinki could say anything, the gap closed, leaving them behind.

“Well, that’s not very polite,” said Sariel. “Leaving us to fend inside an alien world like that.” They suddenly realized that they weren’t alone in the skies. Sensing an aggressive aura, they saw fairies gathering in the distance in the horizon towards the west. “Very impolite indeed. A casual traveler would think that Gensokyo is a land of barbarians,” Sariel continued.

“Oh well, I guess this should do,” Shinki flicked her wrists, summoning a tremendous amount of magic which hurled themselves towards the fairies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, are you still alive down there?" Kou was crouching beside Shiku.

"I believe so, but my position is most uncomfortable," Shiku replied curtly. She was still lying on ground, near the edge of the black Crack that they were protecting. However, she was still impaled by Yumeko's swords, pinning her on the ground and rendering her unable to move.

"What did you do this time?" asked Kou. "I can barely see anything past my barrier."

The two of them were surrounded by a violet dome of energy created by Kou. Outside were purple clouds that enshrouded them like a very thick blanket of fog.

"I collapsed the Crack in Makai, thus temporarily combining this Crack with another Crack in Gensokyo. I gathered some of Makai's miasma in the process, and they are now being released in Gensokyo for big sister's perusal," replied Shiku without any hint of pain. "Now if you would kindly pull these swords from my body, we can report back to Master."

"So we failed, huh?" asked Kou. Standing up, she started to pull one of the swords impaling Shiku, ignoring the stains of blood they caused on her clothes.

"Yes, that is so. Master will not be pleased, but I hope that big sister would be able to do her part of the plan."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emi coughed. “What the heck?” She looked around her, and she saw a purple mist covering everything that her eye can see. She suddenly noticed that she was on her knees, and not a little disoriented. She tried getting on her feet while she looked around for Kan.

“Hey, Kan! Where are you?” she shouted. She suddenly sensed danger, and she jumped backwards without thinking. A rabid fairy suddenly appeared in her field of vision, charging towards her. Emi took a deep breath, and threw a sucker punch at the approaching small youkai. The fairy careened off from the force of her punch, flying away into the purple mist. However, Emi felt her knuckles becoming sore, and she rubbed them, wincing in pain.

Well, this sucks a lot, Emi thought. She walked around inside the mist aimlessly, calling out for Kan. After a minute of fruitless efforts, she was rewarded by small cry in the distance.

“Help!”

Recognizing the voice immediately, Emi pointed a finger towards the direction of the voice. Black lines appeared on her finger, enveloping themselves on her hand. Emi opened her palm, and the black lines became more animate, zigzagging outwards as they lifted themselves into the air. They flew in a jagged pattern towards the direction the voice.

Emi closed her eyes. However, instead of seeing darkness, her vision was filled with different images. Her perspective became distorted, but Emi only smiled. She felt her body meld into the Cracks she had created from her hand, and she traveled along its jagged patterns, as they cut along the Dimensions of Space itself. Letting her mind wander across the different images that she saw, she spotted the one that she was looking for, and focused her will towards it.

She saw Kan surrounded by a dozen fairies, and Rika was unconscious behind her. The image was hazy, because of the mist, but Emi didn’t need her eyes to see while she is inside a Crack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kan was struggling not to cry. There were times when her Master told her scary stories of monsters that like to eat people, but Kan never actually believed in them. However, now as she was surrounded by fairies that were just barely taller than her, she didn’t feel so confident about it.

The fairies were flying above her, circling around like buzzards before they strike for the kill. Kan remained motionless, too afraid to make any move. Everything happened too fast for her. A few moments ago, they were on top of Rika’s Evil Eye Sigma, and then suddenly, everything was covered with a purple mist. Suddenly, the Evil Eye Sigma took a series of hits, and they crashed on the ground. Rika was unconscious, and Emi was thrown off into the deeper part of the mist during the crash. Before Kan could do anything, she found herself surrounded by hostile fairies.

The rabid fairies looked at her with red eyes, and snarling at her with utmost frenzy. Kan took a step back and tripped on Rika’s outstretched figure on the ground. She landed squarely on her bottom and screamed for help. As if on cue, the fairies began to attack.

However, before Kan could flinch, a series of black jagged lines shot through the air, impaling the fairies one by one. The lines travelled in a cruel, zigzagging motion, chasing the fairies trying to attack Kan. The fairies that were impaled by the edge of the Crack disappeared with a burst of light, leaving no trace behind.

“Big sister!” cried Kan, sighing in relief.

The black lines began to thicken, now gathering together to form a large black rectangular window floating in mid-air. Emi stepped out from the Crack, and landed neatly before Kan. Snapping her fingers, the black window undulated into black lines which flew towards her hand where they disappeared.

“Ah, it’s been a while since I used my Crack seriously like that,” said Emi. She glanced at her teary-eyed companion and grinned. “Well you’re not hurt, aren’t you?”

Kan shook her head and pointed at the unconscious Rika. Emi snapped her fingers and the black lines appeared on her hands once more. “I think it’s best to hang out around her place for now.”

The black lines struck towards the ground where they spread out and covered the ground like a black, messy puddle. It spread across their feet, and the three of them began to sink, and eventually vanished into the floor.

t.b.c

Due to some events outside of Coin Spire's control, Coin Spire had requested me to update this fanfic in his stead. If you haven't noticed already, I filled in for a little bit in some of the earlier chapters.

As a personal friend of Coin Spire, I shall take this fanfic as a responsibility, and though writing isn't exactly my forte, I'll try my best in continuing this work...even if I can't update it regularly. XD

Despite me filling in as a writer, Coin Spire still provides feedback for each chapter I write. So strictly speaking, it's like he's still the one making the story, but making me do the hard work. That lazy cheater.