August Star in Autumn Sky

[wererat42]

This is a mainly Maribel-centric story. It's gone through several modifications since it's inception, and in fact the version I'm posting here is more updated than the ones that I put up elsewhere. The original was in first person voice, present tense (after the prologue) but I changed it to third person, past tense to fit in more characters and make the narrative flow easier. 

Anyway, here's the prologue.


August Star in Autumn Sky

Prologue

-Two months after the Palanquin Ship Incident-

Summer has almost come and passed… funny how time flies when you aren’t even looking. It wouldn’t be long before the color of the leaves changed and then the land would become draped in a blanket of purest white, such is the fleeting imperceptibility of time. So thought the woman with waist-length blonde hair as she walked the path leading up to a small, nondescript Buddhist temple, warding away the vicious sun with an ornate white parasol, festooned with many red ribbons.

She hadn’t made it five steps within the temple grounds that someone stepped out barring her progress with a spear. She had short, orange-blonde hair with black stripes… not unlike a tiger as she saw it, and undoubtedly possessed a ferociousness to match. The visitor’s lip curled into a bemused smile. “It’s refreshing to see not all door guards are remiss in their duties.”

“What business do you have here?” pressed the guard, not budging an inch, her yellow eyes betraying neither fear nor hesitation.

“Just come to offer my regards to your mistress,” replied the visitor, suddenly reminded of someone very close to her. “If you’ll excuse the unannounced intrusion, that is.”

“It’s alright, Shou,” a voice spoke up from behind the guard. “I’ve actually been expecting her.”

“Lady Hijiri…!” The guard turned and began to protest but quickly backed down, lowering her weapon. Appearing from behind the guard was a woman with long wavy hair of usual coloration, beginning as a dark purple at the top of her head before receding to light dark brown toward the ends. A gentle smile graced her face as she spread her hands out before her in a welcoming gesture.

“Anyone and everyone is welcome to this temple, be they angel or demon they will be granted the protection of Vaisravana,” she glanced at the guard, Shou Toramaru after saying this. “Though I must confess I had expected a visit from either you or your familiar far earlier than this, Youkai of Boundaries.”

“You know of me, then. Well, that saves me the trouble of introducing myself, so it all works out in the end” stated Yukari Yakumo with an air of indifference as she twirled her parasol around where it rested on her shoulder and did a little curtsy. “I have been somewhat… busy lately, otherwise I would have made it a point to visit sooner.”

“You needn’t worry,” said the magician in monk's clothing, Byakuren Hijiri, in an assuring tone, “I have no intention or interest in upsetting the balance of power in this world, my only purpose to provide guidance and protection to those who have lost their way in the dark.”

“In that case perhaps you can enlighten me on something, then.” Yukari said. “Certain rumors abound of late and I understand you have the means to confirm or deny them.”

“If you are referring to the recent happenings in Makai.” Byakuren said, her brow furrowing slightly. “It would be best if we moved this discussion inside. I’ve already taken the precaution of placing a protective barrier around the temple.” She led the way up a zigzagging flight of stone stairs up to the temple and pushed the screen door to the side.

Taking a folding fan from the folds of her dress and slicing it though the air, Yukari opened a rift, ten centimeters in length, restricted in space by a pair of red lace bows. It was into the shadowy, nebulous space within that she stowed away her parasol before slipping off her shoes and entering the temple.

“The ability to create and manipulate the very boundaries of reality at will,” said Byakuren, who had been quietly observing Yukari's ability, her tone relaxed yet still formal. She supposed most people would have been left in stupefied awe or stunned with terror but such a feat, but she had seen plenty more disconcerting things in her time, she herself being one of them. “What a convenient… if not frightening power. Is it with this that you formed and now maintain the barrier surrounding Gensokyo?”

“That's, well, part of the story.” Yukari corrected her, sitting down on a cushion before a long table as a velvet-haired girl in a white sailor’s outfit appeared out of nowhere without a word and set a steaming cup of tea on the table in front of them and then vanished again. “The Hakurei formed the boundary, hence the name,” Yukari continued, completely unfazed by the sudden appearance and disappearance of the girl. “I simply maintain the boundary... a rather menial task by comparison.”

“I see…” Byakuren said, sounding somewhat disappointed as the girl reappeared and set another cup before her mistress. “Ah, thank you, Murasa…” she said to the girl before turning back to Yukari. “Is there any way the Hakurei could create another one of these barriers…?”

“There is but one surviving member, not nearly old enough to perform the necessary ritual.” Yukari replied. “Though her potential is great she remains immature and… unmotivated. Why do you ask?”

“A pity…” Byakuren said sadly but not altogether surprised. “In answer to your question, Madam Yukari, you are aware that Hokkai, the area of Makai in which I was sealed, was but a sliver of the vastness that is that realm?”

Yukari nodded her head silently in assent.

“In breaking the seal that bound me to that realm, another seal was inadvertently damaged; as it is we who are responsible, my disciples and I have tried several times to repair it. However this task is simply beyond the scope of our power, and I fear it is only a matter of time before it breaks completely.”

“Nearly half of Makai's forces have been mobilized… it’s almost as if they are preparing for a war.” Yukari said leaning forward, her voice dropping its usual nonchalant tone. “Some of the races of Gensokyo have expressed concerns that they are the spearhead of an invasion force… whatever could have been sealed that they be acting in such a way?”

Byakuren paused for a moment, taking a sip of tea before releasing a sigh and answering. “Something the denizens of Makai, Gensokyo, the Netherworld, Higan… even the outside world are unprepared to face. I can only pray that when the time comes, it will not be too late.”

“Too late for what?”

“To weather out the tempest.” Hijiri said, setting her cup down and glancing out the window before casting her eyes downward with a sigh. “For this is but the calm before the storm.”   

[wererat42]

Chapter 1 ? The Uncertainty Principle

Running.

Running for dear life, through a narrow corridor of dense bamboo trees; she could see nothing on either side, but in the sky above the waxing moon hung ominously over her head like a half-closed eye watching on impassively? almost mockingly. Something was following her. She could hear it a few steps behind, the rustling of leaves, the scratching of the ground. An occasional voice piercing the silence of the night. A childlike giggling that sent a cold chill up her back. No matter how hard she ran, no matter how fast, it always managed to close the distance. It could have easily caught her whenever it desired but instead toyed with her, like a cat to a mouse. And yet still she dared not stop.

She felt something moist; hot breath on the back of her neck, and she could feel a pressure on her back, which turned her legs into lead bricks and made even lifting her feet off the ground an exercise in futility. Something roughly grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back; she flailed her arms reflexively, trying to shake it off?

---

Maribel Herne?s hand struck a plastic cup, half-full of tea, which had long since turned cold, knocking it over and spilling the reddish-brown contents all over her desk as the door behind her unlocked and swung inward. Blinking groggily, she observed as the red liquid gradually soaked into a stack of assorted documents and sketches. On the corner of her desk an alarm clock dutifully droned away, the blood red digital numbers on the front reading 14:30.

Amidst all this the door swinging open and someone enters; short black hair under a velvet fedora hat, a notebook with a host of pens slipped into the breast pocket of a white button-up shirt.

?Mary, you forgot to lock up again,? she said closing the door behind her.             
    
?Quick? get a towel?? was the most complete and intelligible sentence the awakened girl could form in the Japanese language, glancing back with a pleading look and lifting the dripping book over her desk.

The girl who had just come in dropped the plastic bags she was carrying and hurriedly opened the door to the lavatory to retrieve a handful of white cotton towels and handed then over.

?You fell asleep at you desk again?? she asks, arms crossed, watching Maribel mop up the spill. ?That?s got to be killer on your back.?

Stepping over to the sink, Maribel wrung out the towel and rinsed it out thoroughly before draping it over a drying rod. ?I don?t even remember when I dozed off.?

The dreams were becoming more vivid than ever. She could still feel where that hand had gripped her by the wrist, and that chilling giggle still haunted her like tiny pinpricks in the back of her mind. She shook her head as though the memories would fly out like moths.

?I was in a forest, Renko?? she said, switching off the still-bleating alarm and sat on the edge of her bed. ?Bamboo trees taller than a building? and there was this path that seemed to carry on forever into the dark. Someone or...  something was there.? she paused, realizing her hands are shaking. ?It all seemed so? familiar.?

?Here?? Renko said, picking up one of the dropped bags and pulled from it a can of warm coffee and pressed it lightly against the side of Maribel?s face, an action which made her jump slightly in surprise. ?I picked this up at the convenience store, thought you might want it? couldn?t find the usual kind. Sorry.? disregarding her warning, Maribel took the can eagerly pulling the tab and tipped the contents it into her mouth. Her nose wrinkled at the bitter taste, far stronger than the kind she typically bought from the vending machines behind the dormitory. Ever the one to be prepared, Renko deftly removes the can from Maribel?s hand and replaced the space it formerly occupied with her own. Taking a tentative sip, Maribel found this one, with a faint hint of vanilla flavoring, far more palatable.     

?This isn?t so bad is it?? Renko said, sitting down beside her friend, sipping from the can. ?Though I still say a caf? is preferable in the long run? no matter how hard they try or how far technology advances they can never seem to lose that all-so subtle taste of aluminum.?

Maribel smiled and wrapped her hands around the can feeling the warmth transfer to her cold palms. The season must be changing to fall? the air was becoming cooler and she could see the leaves outside her window were a beautiful shade of red? 

?They?re happening more frequently now aren?t they?? Renko said, finally confronting the elephant in the room. ?The dreams??

?And more vivid, too? it?s like I?m there. I can smell the air, feel the wind, hear the sounds around me.? She shivered slightly. ?And that presence, it?s like a darkness that?s reaching for me, trying to tear the life away from me.?

?It?s all right, Mary? it can?t get to you now.? Renko said, suddenly putting an arm over her friend?s shoulder. ?Would you like to cancel the club activity???

Maribel turned to her and smiled. ?It?s not like I?m going to be afraid of the dark from now on. We?re still going, just as scheduled.?

Renko nodded but something in her eyes said that she was still worried.

---

The afternoon passed like a fleeting breeze on a hot day, nice while it lasts but over all too soon. The end of Maribel?s last class was signaled by the sound of the professor stiffly shutting the cover of his book and the students chair?s scraping the floor as they got up to shuffle out of the door. The sun was beginning its slow plunge towards the horizon, staining the clouds madder red.

Gathering her books and notes into a neat pile, she slipped them into the satchel on the floor next to her seat and picked it up as she stood, stretching her stiff limbs as people walked by with tired looks.

She passed through the door out of the classroom and into a hallway, down to a flight of stairs and then out a pair of double doors into the courtyard outside, where she waited on a stone bench. She was about to check the time on her cell phone display when she caught a figure racing down the cobblestone path out of the corner of her eye. Renko stopped just a little bit in front of her, her face flushed. Maribel waited for her to catch her breath before putting her phone away and said in a mock-reproachful tone.

?You are exactly one minute and thirty-two seconds late.?
   
?I?m perfectly on time.? Renko said, holding a bag containing bottled tea and packaged onigiri from the university co-op store in one hand and flashing a peace sign with the other. It seemed she?d just come back from getting rations for the evening?s expedition. ?Still feeling up to it, Mary??

?After listening to Professor Morita?s monotone voice drone on about Queer Theory for half an hour?? Maribel replied, shaking her head and placing a reassuring hand on her friend?s shoulder. ?I could use a nice walk to stretch my legs out.?

?In that case why don?t we go to that one shrine?? Renko pulled a small notepad from her pocket and flipped it open. ?The Hazama Shrine? it?s not too far from here.?   

?Sounds good to me,? Maribel said, picking up her armbag and slipped the strap over her shoulder while she watched Renko press on the keys on her cellphone as she sent a text message to someone. It was a habit she usually followed before embarking one of their expeditions.

They walked the stone path up to the campus gates and Maribel waited for Renko to unlock her bicycle before they passed through the gates and followed the narrow street left, looking back occasionally to make sure there weren?t any cars coming up from behind them. Renko walked beside her bicycle while Maribel looked up at the darkening sky.

After a while trees began to line the roadside and the road itself became a steep incline and to the side of the road Maribel could make out a single toori gate, worn with age and neglect, marking the entrance to a shrine. Sitting beneath one of the pillars was a small black cat cleaning one of its feet until it heard their approach, and it leapt into the underbrush without making so much as a sound. But before it vanished, Maribel saw something that made her stop and blink. 

?Did you see that??

?See what?? Renko asked, bringing her bike to a stop and turning to her. There was a sense of hesitation in her voice

?The cat over there?? She pointed to where it had been sitting.

?Sorry? I couldn?t see anything.? Renko shook her head.

?Oh?? Maribel said quietly and shook her head. ?Must have been my imagination?? But even though she said that, she could not get it out her mind. That cat? before it jumped away she was sure she saw something that couldn?t have been possible.

The cat had two tails.

[wererat42]

Beryl Moonsong sat on a smooth, naturally polished stone near the edge of Misty Lake, watching the sunset with an air of growing unease. The fairies had been growing increasingly restless of late, and being a greater fairy herself, she could feel the changes that had been occurring better than perhaps anyone could. She could feel it in the movement of the air, as one whose domain was linked with the air; a child of nature as her kind was often described.

Thrice a bell tolled in the clock tower of the crimson mansion on the other side of the lake as the sun sank beneath the horizon, plunging the land of Gensokyo into a cold darkness lightened only by the countless stars and the pale glow of a half moon, reflected over the water?s calm surface. The change came quickly; hundreds of tiny orbs, glowing with uncanny phosphorescence, lit up and danced lazily around her. It was a beautiful, if unearthly sight.

?Enjoy?n the view??

Beryl looked up, pulled away from her reverie, as another fairy descended from the sky and landed on the water, which crystallized beneath her bare feet with a low cracking sound.

?Cirno??

Beryl gave the other fairy a sidelong glance from her perch. Her short light blue hair, adorned with a plain green bow and her dark blue dress with its red ribbon suggested a certain simplicity about her, but behind her icy blue eyes the flames of passion burned. Her icicle-shaped wings beat excitedly on her back as she gazed upwards, hands placed firmly on her hips.

?Dontcha think it?s a little dangerous ter be play?n out at night? All the other fairies?ve run off hide?n in that mansion.?

?I know? they can all tell something bad is about to happen.?
   
Cirno smirked and caught one of the glowing orbs on the end of her finger; it froze solid instantly and dropped into the lake with a hollow plop. ?Then I?ll be here teh protect ya.?
   
Beryl smiled. A lesser ice fairy protecting a great fairy? Who would have thought? ?Thank you, Cirno? but I?ve actually been thinking about going to the mansion as well,? she saw Cirno?s sneer and quickly added. ?Not to hide; I?m going to find the sorcerer of the Voile library. She?ll know why the air feels so dense of late.?
   
Cirno thought over this for a moment before nodding. ?In that case I?m go?n with ya? but lemme get this straight, I ain?t serv?n no one no tea!?   

[wererat42]

Maribel walked the perimeter of the Hazama Shrine, flashlight in hand, casting its narrow band of light over anything that looked interesting, but aside from a few stone tablets with weathered engravings there was little worth taking notice of.

A series of audible shutter clicks informed her that Renko was taking another set of photos somewhere nearby. She shone her light in the direction of the sound, illuminating her fellow club member, who was holding the viewfinder of a high-tech looking camera to her eye. Renko looked up from the camera and waved.

?You getting hungry?? She asked, letting the camera hang by the strap around her neck.

?Maybe a little bit.?

?Well I?m starving,? Renko said, looking for the stump where she?d left the bag with their provisions. Upon finding it, she pulled out the bottled tea and tossed one of them to Maribel, who caught it awkwardly and opened it to take a brief sip while Renko unwrapped one of the onigiri.

?So, have you seen anything interesting?? Maribel asked screwing the cap back on her bottle.

?Won?t know until the images have been processed,? said Renko, after finishing her meal and washing it down with a mouthful of tea.

?I was just thinking...  This spirit photography, or whatever it is, isn't really scientific, is it?  Pseudo-science at best maybe.  But not what I had in mind for a hard-broiled physicist.

?Hard-broiled?? Renko gave out a burst of laughter as she was drinking, nearly spewing some of her tea on the ground. ?Ah-haha you think way too highly of us, Mary. Actually, we scientists may be more superstitious than anyone else on Earth.?

?How?s that?? Maribel asked curiously.

?Well, as you learn more about the processes of the universe, more aberrations appear; for every question answered, two new mysteries take their place. Ours is an existence walking the borderline of certainty and doubt, theory and probability. By our reasoning, the existence of a multiverse is within the realm of possibility.?

?Like battling a hydra in the dark, huh.? Maribel laughed to herself.

?What do you think about all of this, Mary?? Renko asked, glancing sidelong at her friend in the darkness, ?I?ve got a hard time figuring you out sometimes. You?re sort of a closed book.? 

Maribel was silent for a moment, looking down at the bottle in her hands. ?Have you ever woken from a dream only to realize you are in another dream? a dream so real you could almost believe it was real. And then you begin to wonder? was the dream you woke up from really a dream, or is it the life you think you're living now? Am I the butterfly or am I Maribel Hearne? I?m slipping Renko. Every day feels like I?m getting pulled closer and closer to the dream.?

?Mary? if there?s one thing that scares me, it?s the thought of you going somewhere I can?t follow.? After a long pause Renko took a deep breath and, grasping one of Maribel?s hands she looked at her friend gravely. ?There?s? something I need to tell you. After I graduate, my parents want me to??

She broke off in mid-sentence, looking off at something over Maribel?s shoulder. ?Mary, what?s that??

?Huh??? Maribel, taken aback by Renko?s suddenly seriousness, glanced back at whatever Renko was seeing. Behind them, hanging in the air was what could only be described as a crevice ? a six-centimeter long crevice in the middle of the air through which an eerie light was pouring out. ?You- you can see that??

?Yeah.? Renko nodded slowly. ?What is it??

?I don?t know.? Maribel said, standing up. Slowly, cautiously she walked towards it, holding her hand out, bathed in the pale light. ?It?s? kinda beautiful, isn?t it??

?Mary, if you don?t know what it is, maybe you shouldn?t get too close to it.? Renko tried to put a staying hand on Maribel?s shoulder, but the other girl was drawn towards the light like a moth. Looking through the crevice all she could see was brilliant light? pulsing? formless. Somehow she could see the silhouette of a figure walk towards her, holding its hand out to reach hers.     

For a moment Maribel wavered and began to draw back, but in that instant the shadowy hand reached forward, its fingers entwining with hers, and shortly before she slipped out of consciousness she could hear a voice speak two words into her ear.

"It's time."


That's it for Chapter 1. I always appreciate feedback, be it about style, grammar, spelling, or whatever you find right/wrong about it.
I'm working on several other stories, as well as helping out as a writer for the Visual Novel, Eastern Starlight Romance, so I'm pretty busy. But I do intend to put up new stuff as often as I can. Hope you enjoyed it! 

[1111]

Interesting, i can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter.

[MysTeariousYukari]

Very interesting... I like this I can't wait for more

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

Yeah, that end sure caught my attention. Especially since it's only chapter 1 ...

[wererat42]

Here's the beginning of Chapter 2
Right now I'm working on finishing up Chapter 3, which has a lot more Beryl (Daiyousei?) and Cirno, just in case you all were wondering what that was about.


Chapter 2 ? Fight or Flight

Everything was consumed by darkness. It felt as though she was falling.

The ground was cold and wet, and she could feel that the back of her dress had been thoroughly soaked. At first she simply tried breathing; a task that was harder than she had though at first, as that filled her lungs was dense and humid, mixed with a faint scent of smoke. Next she attempted to move each of her sore limbs, starting with the smallest digit and then moved down until she tried her legs. At last she opened her eyes and was greeted with the night sky filled with more stars than she could ever remembered seeing.

With the help of her arms, Maribel lifted herself gently to an upright position, wincing slightly as a dull pain coursed down the center of her back, and she took a good look at her surroundings. The shrine was gone? she was alone in a forest of bamboo, illuminated by pale moonlight.   

Was this just another dream? It was so real and yet everything felt so unreal?

 ?Renko??? She slowly pulled herself to her feet and began searching the immediate area for her friend. ?Renko? where are you!?? 

She started down the path, regardless of not knowing where it would lead her. It was well-maintained and easy to follow, which led Maribel to believe that perhaps someone might be living nearby? maybe she could ask for help there, wherever there was. 

With this in mind she trudged on determinedly despite her sore legs, calling out for Renko and staying mindful of her surroundings and a growling rising from the pit of her stomach. She had forgotten to eat lunch and the only thing she had eaten recently was one of the onigiri Renko had bought. From the corner of her eye she spied an orb of light moving and jumped slightly, only to realize is was only a firefly. No less than a hundred of them were dancing around her in the forest; eerie, yet strangely beautiful at the same time.

Absorbed by this light show around her she almost didn?t hear the sound of a voice further down the path? something that sounded much like a person sobbing.

?Renko??? She called out and hurried toward it as fast as her legs would allow.

What she found was not Renko but a young girl standing there sniffling, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. She was surprised at first by her hair; short and golden blonde with a small red ribbon tied at the side, but she knelt down in front of her and mopped up her tears with the back of her hand.

?Are you lost?? Maribel asked at first in English. ?Did you get separated from your parents?? But the girl simply looked up with a confused expression.

?Big Sister uses strange words,? the girl said in Japanese between her sobbing, and this time it was Maribel?s turn to be confused. ?Rumia doesn?t understand her at all??

?Are you here all by yourself?? She rephrased her question in Japanese this time and the girl?s eyes lit up with recognition. ?Where are your mama and papa?? 

?Rumia doesn?t know,? the girl said, moving slightly closer. ?It?s scary? Rumia can?t find her way through the dark.?

?Actually, I?m looking for my friend, too,? Maribel said. ?There must be a house or something up ahead. Maybe if we go there we?ll be able to find someone to help us.?

?So? what Big Sis?s saying is that? she?s all alone too?? the girl said, taking another step closer. Something was wrong; a thick, impenetrable darkness was forming around the girl. It swirled and twisted around her like a cloud of black ink that had been spilled in the air. 

?Yeah,? Maribel replied, feeling a sudden chill up her back and took an involuntary step backward.

The girl stepped into a narrow band of moonlight and her eyes glowed red like softly burning embers as she tilted her head playfully to the side, her mouth distorted into a wide grin, baring a pair of fangs crusted with dried blood. 

?So what you?re saying is that no one?s gonna come for you if you scream??     

Maribel couldn?t even find the voice to scream ? she stumbled backwards a while before finding her footing and broke into a full run, her heart pounding as though it were trying to escape, her legs screaming in protest but pushing on nonetheless. She could hear the girl?s giggling voice several feet behind her.

?Is this a game of onigokko?? she asked in a cute, sing-song voice. Maribel didn?t dare look back to see how far away she was. ?Does that mean Rumia?s the oni? Does that mean she can eat you if she catches you??

?Wake up, wake up, wake up?? Maribel muttered to herself as she ran blindly through the pitch black darkness, towering bamboo stalks flashing past on either side. ?None of this is real? it?s just a dream? there?s nothing to be afraid of!?

?Is that so~??

[wererat42]

A pair of glowing red eyes pierced the darkness mere inches from her face and Maribel felt a sickness in her stomach as she realized where the girl had been? floating upside down above her the entire time. She knew now that running was pointless yet she couldn?t stop her legs from moving, spurred forward now with thoughts of being eaten alive. Small hands took hold of her shoulders and she could feel the girl?s hot breath, the wetness of her tongue, and the sharpness of her fangs as they scraped against the skin of her neck.

Maribel screamed, flailing her arms wildly and somehow she managed to knock the girl away, only to hear a giggle in the distance behind her and broke into song.     

?Little lamb is lost in the woods, doesn?t know where to run to~!?

She saw a light up ahead; not light like the fireflies but firelight. The narrow corridor of trees widened into a clearing, and at the center of the clearing was a lone figure of what appeared to be a teenage girl with waist-length hair sitting atop a pile of bound bamboo, carving a small piece of bamboo with a knife.  Hearing the approaching footsteps she looked up from her woodwork and sighed.

?Can?t you two keep it down?? she growled, throwing her tool into the ground blade-down. ?It?s already this late, y?know.?

?You?ve got to get away from here! There?s this little girl that?s chasing me, only she?s not!? Maribel said, stumbling over her words as she ran towards the woodcutter. ?I mean- she really is chasing me but she?s not human!?  As she came closer to the light she could see that the other girl?s hair was silvery white and her blood red eyes. Maribel froze in her tracks. ?And? you?re,  you're...?

?Starting to get annoyed. You didn't think all that shouting wouldn't wake up half the youkai in this forest? You don?t put a lot of value on your own life, do you?? The girl said, standing up. ?Don?t tell me you don?t know about the rules??

?Youkai... rules??? asked Maribel helplessly, wishing nothing more than to make sense of this insanity.

?Tch, Not from around here are you? Get behind me!? she said suddenly, grabbing Maribel by the wrist and pulled her behind her back before she could so much as form a response. ?When the time comes, be sure you declare me as your second. Don?t ask any questions just do it.?

"But I don't even know your name!" Maribel cried.

"Mokou of Fujiwara!" the white-haired red-eyed girl said. "Now stay behind me if you don't feel like dying."

?What-?? Maribel began to ask but Mokou hushed her with a harsh ?shh!? and narrowed her eyes with what might have been anticipation towards the path from which Maribel had just come.

?Talk later,? she said bluntly. ?Here it comes.?

The blonde girl emerged giggling from the shadows of the bamboo trees, held aloft by a pair of black, smoke-like wings. ?Ooh, Rumia doesn?t remember ordering anything for desert.? She said. ?Not that she?s complaining, Rumia was getting sick of eating rabbits all the time.?

?Doubt you could stomach me.? Mokou said venomously, cracking her knuckles. ?You?d just end up getting heartburn.?

?Oh, is that so? Only one way to find out.? she answered, rising higher into the air with arms outstretched, her eyes falling on the girl hiding behind Mokou. ?But first? comes the entr?e!? The girl pulled something resembling a black playing card from one of her sleeves, held it high over her head.

?Darkness Sign: Demarcation!?  She declared. There was a flash, and the card appeared to float for a moment, spinning on one corner before vanishing into a black mist. Then the true darkness came. A wall of black rose up around the clearing, forming a barrier one that Maribel couldn't help but think would devour anyone foolish enough who dared cross it.

?Say it now!? Mokou hissed down at Maribel.

?M-mokou of Fujiwara will be my second!? Maribel cried out, not knowing what was about to happen.

?Aw, why?d you have to go and-?

Mokou didn?t wait for her to finish. Reaching into her pockets with both hands, she pulled out a number paper talismans like the kind one sees all over Shinto shrines; the same kind she had sewn into the fabric of her baggy red pants and tied into her silver tresses. Then, without matches, lighter or anything of the sort she set them ablaze and threw them towards the girl in a fan-like spread. The girl deftly maneuvered through the spaces between them and countered with a flurry of slashes from her claw-like fingernails, which Mokou evaded easily by simply pivoting herself in place, then responded with a savage sweeping kick that sent the girl spiraling through the air.

?Moon Sign: Moonlight Beam!? the girl shouted, after managing to stabilize herself. Doing a 360-degree turn in midair to face Mokou, she materialized a myriad of glowing blue orbs around her which fired rays of dazzling white light that arced across the clearing, cutting through bamboo stalks as though they were nothing but paper. A pair of fiery wings erupted from Mokou?s back, scorching the fabric of her shirt as she propelled herself into the air to avoid the rays, landed sideways against one of the taller trees, and then used it to catapult herself towards the girl.

Taking the fight to close quarters, all the blonde girl had to her advantage was her small stature to help her duck and weave though Mokou?s relentless attacks, still laughing as though this was nothing but a fun game. ?Old bat can?t aim, can she~?? she sang gleefully. 

?You?re tenacious, I?ll give you that!" Mokou said, holding her hands out, palms spread. "Now how ?bout some of this!??  Flames sparked and flickered around her hands and then flew out toward their mark, just barely grazing the girl but getting close enough to singe the fabric of her black dress. Mokou closed the distance once again, not letting up for a moment. Each swing of her arm and swipe of her leg was wreathed in flame, and as they clashed it appeared to be more like some kind of exuberant dance than any fight Maribel could imagine.

As sudden and inexplicably as it had appeared the wall of darkness around them shattered with a flash of light and decomposed into mist. Seeing this, the girl?s eyes filled with a mix of frustration and disappointment.

?Looks like it?s your loss,? Mokou said holding a defensive stance with a pair of talismans in both hands, watching as the blonde girl moved as though to pull another card from her sleeve. ?You chose to follow the spellcard rules. So withdraw now, or you can answer to the shrine maiden later.?

Open hearing this, the girl?s expression almost immediately changed to one of abject terror and without uttering another word she turned about in midair and vanished into the night sky, her black wings flapping soundlessly.

[wererat42]

?Doubt that?ll keep her at bay for very long,? Mokou muttered. ?That kind lives for the hunt and little else.? She turned around and slapped her hands to her sides. ?Well, that was exciting and all, but I suppose you?re just chock fulla questions right now. Something along the lines of ?where am I? or ?what was that ? to ?why'd that little girl just try to eat me

Maribel could only nod once, stiffly, her eyes fixed on the silver-haired girl.

?I?ll start with the easiest and most obvious, and we should probably start walking, the gods only know what else might come looking for a midnight snack.? Mokou said, walking around her camp to pick up a few things and put out the fire, which was already on its last legs, by emptying the contents of a metal canteen over it. She then led the way out of the clearing and back on the path, carrying a small pack on her back. ?Right so, let me break it down for you now? you?re not home anymore, you?re not even in your own world. Welcome to Gensokyo.?

Maribel looked up with a start. Gensokyo, the land written of in legends? A regular Shangri-La as some would put it. She had finally found the world she had been striving to reach ever since she had entered college, and not a minute after something was trying to make her its snack. She'd laugh but couldn't quite muster up the nerve to do so.

?Youkai, ghosts, fairies, magicians? all those things ?n more live along aside humans. Not peacefully, no? Youkai hunt humans for food and humans hunt youkai to quell their numbers. You?re probably one of the luckier ones who fall through the border.?

?So that girl? was a youkai??

?Yeah.? Mokou shoved her hands in her pockets as she walked. ?Must?ve had you figured as easy picking running ?round aimless, shouting like that. Who were you calling for anyways??

?My friend, Renko? Maribel said. ?She was right there with me when I? Y-you don?t think she was???

?Who knows.? Mokou cut in. ?Not every road leads to the same place. Either way, we need to get you to the Hakurei maiden. She?ll get you back to where you belong.?

?Not until I find Renko!? Marbiel jumped in front of Mokou, holding her arms out, trying her best to look resolute. Mokou just looked at the girl before her with weary eyes and sighed.

?You?ve already cheated death once tonight, don?t push it,? she pushed Maribel aside and continued walking, and a moment later seemed to regret it and stopped, turning to face her. ?Sorry, I?m not really good with new people. Or people in general. Look, you?ve been through a lot. Get some rest. Sleeping outside is one thing for me, but for you... There?s a house up ahead, they?ll probably let you stay there. We?re?? she paused, searching for the right word. ?Acquainted.?

With that said she turned back to the path and silently led the way.

?What?? Maribel begin, breaking the silence after a short time had passed. ?Who are you, really??

?Me?? Mokou said with a hollow laugh, not looking back. ?Just a health nut who runs a yakitori stand.?


And so ends Chapter 2. I think I caught all the grammar mistakes but as always if anyone sees anything that doesn't look right, just send me a PM or something. I'll probably post what I've got for Chapter 3 tomorrow or something, and then that will be all of what I've got currently written.
Thanks for reading.

[wererat42]

Okay, I have no way to actually delete a post I mistakenly put here, so I'm just going to post part of Chapter 3.


Chapter 3 – The House of Eternity

The path Mokou led Maribel down did indeed lead to a house, though simply calling it a house would have been an understatement of the same scale as referring to the Versailles Palace as a small hut. It was only a two-story building, and Maribel guess the architecture might have been from the Heian era, though she had never really paid much attention in art classes. Either way it seemed to go on forever in either direction, which seemed fitting given what Mokou told her the name of it was.

“Here you have it,” she said, gesturing her arms dramatically. “Eientei, the House of Eternity. With any luck we’ll be greeted with one of the more, well, reasonable servants.”

As if on cue, a silhouette appears against the paper-screen door and slid it open to reveal a girl standing in the doorway. A red-eyed girl with purple hair and rabbit ears, wearing a black blazer over a white shirt and a pleated purple skirt. After everything that had happened tonight, Maribel wasn’t surprised in the least.

“Oh, it’s you.” The rabbit girl said uneasily. “We received a report that a battle had broken out in the forest earlier, and I was afraid someone was coming to make trouble.”

“That was the furthest thing from my mind, Inaba,” Mokou answered with a lopsided smirk. “Just some small fry youkai who let the heat get to her head. Must be the weather or something. But more importantly,” she patted Maribel on the shoulder roughly, making her step forward.. “Found this girl wandering around. From the looks of it she’s from the outside world. Could you ask your master if she could stay the night in one of the guestrooms?”

“I do have a name, you know.” Maribel said dolefully, not enjoying the prospect of being known only as ‘this girl’. “It’s Maribel Hearne,”

The rabbit girl Mokou had called Inaba glanced in Maribel’s direction and for a moment their gazes intersected. In that instant everything around her seemed to bend and distort, like walking through a house of mirrors at an amusement park, except in this case all the light seemed to sink toward the rabbit girl’s red eyes. Maribel quickly jerked her gaze away and everything returned to normal, but a wave of dizziness sets in and she staggered backwards just in time for Mokou to catch her by the shoulders.

“Woah, easy there.” Mokou said. “Forgot to mention you may want to avoid the eyes.” She made looping motions around her ear with her finger. “They’ll drive you mad, y’know?”

“My apologies,” said the rabbit-eared girl, with a bow. “Sometimes my ability activates unconsciously. Please wait here while I convey your request to my master.”

Bowing again, she took a step back and closed the door before padding off back into the depths of the mansion.

“What… what on earth was that?” Maribel asked, still feeling lightheaded.

“Heh, not anywhere close to earth actually… Lunar rabbit,” said Mokou. “Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that, too. The people who live here are from the moon.”

“Oh,” was all Maribel could say at this point, as the rabbit-eared silhouette reappeared and opened the door. 

“You may enter,” she said, and gestured though the door. “Please follow me and try not to wander off.”

Mokou stuck her hands in her pocket and nodded. “Well then, have a good night. I’ll be back around daybreak to pick you up and from here I’ll take you to the Hakurei Shrine.”

“You won’t be coming inside?” Inaba asked, looking toward Mokou inquiringly. “My master has made it a point that you are welcome as long as you do not instigate any incidents with the princess.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine outside,” Mokou asserted. "Don't want to overstay my welcome or anything." The rabbit girl nodded hesitantly before guided Maribel inside after asking her to remove her shoes, and then closed the door behind her.

“Is that really okay, Inaba?” Maribel asked, looking back. She may not have been very personable, but she had been the one person in this world who had done anything to help her when it probably would have been less trouble to not get involved at all. With that in mind, Maribel couldn’t help but feel guilty for leaving her outside. “It’s probably going to get colder out there.”

“She’ll be fine, don't worry.” The rabbit girl assured her while walking briskly ahead through the candlelit corridors. Occasionally Maribel got the feeling that they were being watched from doorways on the sides of the hall, and small faces would peek out but a sharp glance from her guide sent them scurrying away. “If anyone, she’s be the last person in the world I’d be concerned for. And if you don’t mind, please just call me Reisen… Inaba is something the princess calls us rabbits, and Miss Fujiwara appears to have picked up on it.”

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

Still good! Something feels mildly off about "Maribel without Renko," but it's pretty good in and of itself.

I really liked that end to Chapter 2.

[wererat42]

Something feels mildly off about "Maribel without Renko,"

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about her.


?Princess??? Maribel asked, her voice trembling slightly.

?You?ll meet her soon enough,? Reisen said, nodding to herself. ?She isn?t much for public appearances, though she?ll probably show herself for supper,? The rabbit girl smiled to herself. ? Not to mention it?s been quite some time since we last had a guest who wasn?t trying to force their way in for some reason or another.?

Maribel swallowed her fear and continued following until they reached a door at the end to the hallway. Reisen stops and stands at attention, her hands folded behind her back. Looking back Maribel saw a small face with furry ears poke around a corner. She waved tentatively but it disappeared with a flurry of soft footsteps and hushed voices in the distance.

?Master, I have brought the guest,? Reisen announced, ignoring the happenings behind her with what looked to be subdued frustration. ?Shall I bring her inside??

?Yes, please do,? The responding voice was feminine and wise. Reisen slid the door open and beckons for Maribel to enter, to which she hesitantly complied.

The room she walked into was, for lack of a better term, the closest thing one could approach to a laboratory without any of the modern conveniences she had grown so accustomed to. The walls are lined with shelves crammed full of every measuring, testing, and observation device one could imagine, and some that they probably couldn?t. Trays of chemical samples, test tube racks, what looks like a brass microscope with three eyepieces and lenses of various magnifications attached to arms on its sides... a model of Jupiter with all of its satellites floating around it. Maribel?s mind was spinning trying to take all of this in.

Sitting at a wooden western-style reading desk, out of place in the otherwise Japanese mansion, was a bespectacled woman with the same silver-hued hair as Mokou, worn in a single plait down to her waist, absorbed in a large book written in a language Maribel did not recognize. Over her red and blue patterned dress is a plain white frock splattered with stains of various chemicals. Hearing the door close behind Maribel, she looked up, removing her spectacles and replaced them in a black case, which she slipped into the front pocket of her frock.

?So I hear you?ve had quite the adventure in your short time with us,? said Reisen?s master with a quiet smile. ?But let me assure you so long as you are within these walls and abide by our rules no harm will ever befall you. I have also been told that Mokou will be escorting you out of the forest tomorrow morning, but until that time please accept our hospitality.? The woman said, standing up.  ?My name is Eirin, by the way, Eirin Yagokoro, a humble apothecary in service to Princess Kaguya Houraisan. And you must be Maribel. With your permission I would like to give you a cursory medical examination. Completely non-invasive, mind you.?

?Oh? okay.? Maribel said, knowing that if the people of this house had truly wanted to harm her they?d had plenty of chances to do so already.

Eirin took the black case out of her pocket and replaced the spectacles over her eyes, then studied Maribel closely, making the girl feel a little self-conscious. At least she hadn?t been told to take her clothes off. After a moment Eirin took the glasses off again and put them away. ?Well, you do appear to have a light sprain on your right ankle and some bruises on your arms and legs. Nothing serious, but you might want to have a dip in one of the baths before dinner for a while so it doesn?t swell. I?ll ask Reisen to show you the way.? 

?Was that it?? Maribel asked. ?All you did was look at me.?

Eirin smiled mysteriously and tapped the black case to the side of her head. ?I did say non-invasive, did I not? Never doubt the precision of Lunarian craftsmanship. Udonge, kindly escort our guest to the baths!?   

[wererat42]

Beryl looked up at the massive red doors of the mansion with a mix of awe and apprehension. It had been practically child?s play for her and Cirno to simply fly over the iron fence and sneak behind the simple-minded redhead gate guard, but now the first real obstacle stood in their way.

?Ah knew this was a bad ideah.? Cirno exclaimed, her arms folded in front of her, then took her fellow fairy by the hand in an attempt to pull her back to the side wall, which wasn?t as well-lit as the front. ?C?mon, let?s head back ?fore that crazy maid with the knives sees us.?

?You sound like a child.? Beryl censured her quietly through clenched teeth, pulling her arm away. ?Keep it down or someone will really come.?

?Shh! Someone's really came!?

A shadow passed over them, blocking the lamplight, and Beryl felt her heart skip a beat, and sweat trickled down her face even though the night was a cool one. She looked up slowly and let out a sigh of relief when she saw not the infamous head maid with her brace of throwing knives, but a pair of fairies. One had long red hair tied up in a ponytail, and the other with green hair, like her own, only shorter, both were dressed in elaborate black and white maid outfits.   

?What?re you two doing out here?? The red-haired of the pair asked. ?And why are you not in uniform? You should be glad that Miss Sakuya wasn?t the one who found you, she?d be super pissed, right.?

?Our uniforms are, uh, dirty right now.? Beryl said, laughing lightly, lightly bopping herself on the head to drive the point even further. These fairies must not have been from the lakeside, otherwise they should have easily recognized her. Perhaps, she thought to herself, we're in luck.

?Well, we do have a couple of spare uniforms we can let you  borrow for a while, don?t we?? The red-haired fairy looked at her partner, who nodded silently. ?But you can?t keep them, okay? You just can?t walk around the mansion like that or someone?ll think you?re an intruder.?

?Er, thanks, that?d be a big help, actually.? Beryl said.  ?But are you sure you can just lend us your clothes like that??

?Don?t worry about it!? The fairy assured her, sticking her thumb up while winking. ?Quick, follow us!?

The two fairies flew up and pulled the front doors open; then motioned for to follow them in. After exchanging a brief glance Beryl and Cirno did just that. They were led through a wide hallway, painted a deep scarlet much like the outside, and from there into a massive common room with luxuriously upholstered chairs and couches and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The red-haired fairy motioned for them to wait there while she went into another room, and the other stood guard near the door, presumably to warn them if the head maid came by.

About a minute later she returned bearing a pair of maid outfits still on their hangers, clean, ironed and complete with frilly lace headdresses.

?Come on, let?s get changed.? Beryl said to Cirno with a little wink.

?Bugger?n hell.? Cirno muttered, looking down at the outfit that as it was passed to her. She turned to Beryl. ?In the end ah?m still wear?n this crappy maid getup. Yer ganna owe me big time for this, y?hear? And ah?m still not serv?n no tea!?

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

I kind of like Cirno's "accent" there.

[Blackraptor]

Now I know I read this while wandering around in Fanfiction.net out of boredom...

[wererat42]

Maribel walked lightly over the cool stone floor as she stepped out of the changing room and to the outdoor bath, holding nothing but a clean white towel to preserve her modesty. Reisen had bowed politely at the entrance, informing her it was her duty to supervise the other rabbits as they prepared dinner and then turn about and left, walking in her precise, almost military manner. 

The air was cool against her skin, though, and the starlit sky with its crescent moon along with the bamboo shafts peeking over the privacy fence, and the hollow plonk! of the bamboo deer-scarer created a scene that in any other day would have made her feel like she was visiting any other spa in Japan.

But she had just learned she wasn?t even in Japan anymore. This was Gensokyo, where everything and everyone could be a ravenous monster that saw her as little more than a delicious appetizer. At least here, inside these, she felt as though she could relax just a little. The people here seemed kind, if not a little offbeat. But really, the moon was it? She shook her head, unsure of what to believe anymore and made her was towards the steaming water.

?Have you never entered a Japanese bath before?? A voice suddenly asked, making her jump. Through the steam she could see the shape of a girl; a slender figure, long, long coal black hair. Her arms were resting on the stone floor behind her as she turned her head towards Maribel.

?Oh? sorry, I didn?t realize someone was already here.? Maribel said, gripping the towel closer.

The girl laughed to herself; it was a refined, aristocratic laugh, and she made sure to cover her mouth with her hand as she did so. ?Oh, I don?t mind at all. But that doesn?t answer my question.?

?I- well, I have, a few times,? Maribel said looking down, aware that this black-haired girl was watching her very closely. ?But the, uh, rules weren?t very strict there.?

?Ahh? I see,? the girl gestured to a water pump with a small bowl crafted from bamboo set beside it. ?Wash yourself off over there.?   

?Wash?? Maribel looked down at the towel covering her breasts and then at the water pump. When she had gone with Renko to a spa in Kyoto they had been allowed to wear bathing suits. In fact, it had felt to her more like they had been visiting a water park than a traditional sentou bathhouse.

?If it bothers you that much I won?t look.? The girl said, sweeping her hands through the water. ?But you?re still going to have to take it off when you come in.?

Maribel felt her skin flush, and it wasn?t from the heat of the bath. Taking one last hesitant look at the water pump and the bowl she took a breath, exhaled, and walked over to the pump, pulling the towel away from her body. She could hear the playful splashes of the girl behind her as she filled the water bowl and poured it over her light skin, found a small bar of soap on the floor and quietly lathered it onto her body.

She hadn?t realized just how badly her body had been covered with dirt and mud, nor noticed the leaves and moss that were tangled into the blonde mess that was her hair, nor the bruises for that matter. After washing away the soap and watching the water spiral down the floor drain, she gathered herself and stood up turning to the bath, then gingerly lowered her leg, testing the temperature of the water. Then heard another amused laugh from the girl.

?Fuu-n, you?re an interesting one!? she said, grinning deviously, her dark brown almond eyes penetrating the veil of steam. ?Since the Inaba brought you here, I suppose you?re not an enemy, not that you would be coming into the bath if you were, but you never know. What?s your name??

?Maribel.? Maribel said, lowering her foot completely into the water, and then the other. She slowly lowered herself into a sitting position across from her companion ?Maribel Hearne.?

?Mariberu?? The girl said her name a few times, testing the sound of it on her tongue until she got it right. ?Maribel. Yes, that?s a lovely name. Ah, where are my manners? I am Kaguya Houraisan.?

Maribel knew she had heard that name not too long ago, but with everything that had happened it took a second for her to fully remember. When she did her eyes widened with shock. How could she have even guessed that she would meet her here? ?Y-you?re the princess??

?Indeed, though the title means little to me now,? she smiled, playing with a strand of her hair. ?But that?s a story for another time. Now, if you don?t mind me asking, what brings you here to my house??

?I was investigating a shrine in Kyoto at night with my friend, Renko,? said Maribel. ?There was a, well, some kind of crevice in the air. It?s not unusual for me to see things like that, but this time Renko could see it too. Next thing I knew I felt myself being pulled towards it and then?? Though the bath was warm, she felt her body shiver involuntarily, and she clutched her arms around herself. ?There was the darkness- and then that- that creature...?

The mischievous look melted away from Kaguya?s face, traded for a more somber one. ?I see?so you came from the other side,? said the princess, and slowly, without disturbing the water, she came closer to Maribel and took her into her embrace. As though a weight had been lifted off of her, Maribel felt the fear subside, replaced by warmth and peace of mind. ?That must have been terrifying. It?s over now, and for as long as you are behind the walls of Eientei, you can rest safe, I promise you this.?

Maribel nodded, and though she had no proof, she knew these words to be true. And so, in the protective arms of the Lunar Princess, her tears fell.


Finally an update for August Star! I hope the way I wrote Kaguya was more appealing than some of the axe-crazy versions floating out there. She's got a playful, flirty side while still retaining a regal air. At least that's how I'm hoping it came out. She's welcoming to guests in canon, though when I first started this, I didn't think this scene would take place in the bath (I originally had a meal scene after Eirin, but writing meal scenes is a right ass so there.) I'm not really all that satisfied with this... mainly because of the end. But I needed for someone to comfort Mari, and there weren't many candidates available other than Kaguya.

As always, comments and feedback are all appreciated and encouraged. Regarding KimikoMuffin's on Cirno's accent, I was aiming at something of a working-class British one. Thanks for the comment.

[Vicks]

I was thinking of the Orks from WH40k when I saw Cirno's accent .

Very nice story, not too fast paced, and everything seems to fall into place quite well. I take it this is after/during the events of Ghostly Field Club and Changability of Strange Dream?

[MysTeariousYukari]

I liked this update, gentle and slower paced, yet giving all the details needed. I loved how Kaguya came off as playful, flirty, yet kind and caring. So far, I am LOVING this :*

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

Yeah ... definitely another good one. And Maribel definitely needs some rest. And naked-bath-snuggles.

[wererat42]

Alright, time for some plot.
I'm probably going to focus on this story for now, since my Reisen backstory is a) proving more difficult to come up with ideas for and b) people seem to like this one.


?Sod it, we?re lost!?

Beryl and Cirno went through another set of doors and another crimson hallway. For a moment the green-haired fairy began to wonder if they were indeed walking in circles, or perhaps they had fallen into some clever trap of the knife-wielding maid, but she quickly dispelled the thought. The air in this hallway was unmistakably different that the previous one ? there was the hint of something old and musty.

?It?s just a little further, I can feel it.? Beryl assured her in the soothing, diplomatic tone she reserved for when Cirno was about to go and do something uncommonly stupid.

?Oh look, another door, and ah?ll bet behind it another effing hallway!? Cirno pointed at the large door bordered with intricate carvings. Beryl could sense that there was something particularly unusual about this door that she just couldn?t put her finger on. There was no mistaking it. They had at last arrived at the lair of the sorcerer. ?Well, you gonna open it or not??

?Right, sorry I was thinking.? Beryl said, and with Cirno?s help she pulled the door open.

?You look knackered, right.? Cirno said, as they walked through the door. ?When was the last time you got some kip??

?Uh?? Beryl tried to form an acceptable answer, more or less guessing at the meaning of the odd dialect Cirno spoke. She knew other fairies that used it, though they tended to put effort into talking like everyone else. Cirno seemed to be the exception. ?A while ago. Probably??

She stopped as soon as she entered the room. Bookcase upon bookcase lined the walls. Shelves filled with ancient tomes whose spines where marked in languages she had never seen before. The bookshelves spanned at least five tiers, towering over them up to a luminous ceiling. Bookcases floating above them, held fast by no visible rope or chain Yes, this was definitely the place. She stepped forward a few paces and leaned down to look closer at contents of one of the shelves, interested in the gold lettering, though she could not read it.

?Rats.? A disembodied voice echoed around them. ?Small rats at that, must have slipped past the traps. Sigh. I hadn?t thought to make the proper adjustment for this? always the black-white rat.?

?Who?s there!?? Cino called out, pulling an ice-blue card from her sleeve. ?Ye got some beef with us??

?The rats walk into my domain and demand I show myself to them! The audacity. Though the mannerisms of Gensoukyo may differ, is it not customary in this country to state one?s own identity before asking the same of another? You are most certainly not any maids of this mansion. Sod, effing, knackered, kip, beef? Our Sakuya would have a small aneurysm if she ever heard a fairy speak like that to her. Now, I suppose once again I?ll have to stand in for the inattentive cats.?

?Fire Sign: Akiba Summer"

The first thing Beryl noticed was the temperature of the room suddenly spike up, then the faint shimmer you can see in the air on a really hot summer day. It wasn?t until it was almost on top of them that Beryl saw the column of flame arc its way downward. And then, another drastic change in temperature - a cold snap. Cirno pushed her way in front and, holding a hand up the fire as though she could command it to stop, a shield of ice, shaped like a flower, crystallized at her fingertips in an instant. The fire licked around the edges of the shield but did not touch them.

?Such command of the elements, being able to bring the temperature down from forty degrees Celsius to four in a matter of seconds.? The voice came again. ?To halt my flame with a block of ice? could you be a great fairy??

?Nope, that?d be her.? Cirno jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. ?Ahm still th? strongest, though.?
   
?We didn?t come her looking for a fight!? Beryl pleaded. ?We came seeking the help of The Witch of Spring Haze.?

?The Witch of?? Yes, I suppose I?ve been called that, before.? A girl stepped out from behind one of the floating bookcases. A short girl with purple hair dressed in what could only be described as baggy purple pajamas, with a matching nightcap. Though normally I prefer to go by the name Patchouli Knowledge. And now that I have given you my name, I expect you in turn give me yours and promptly explain exactly why you are trespassing before I call for the maid and let her deal with you.?

?I am Beryl Moonsong, Great Fairy of the Misty Lake to the south, and this is Cirno, an Ice Fairy. I came to ask about the portents on the wind. A disturbance is coming, one that will effect us all. We came to ask what is happening to Gesouyko.?

?Hm? though it?s most irksome to hear that one of my spells was defeated my a mere fairy, I will answer your question as well as I can.? Patchouli took a breath and floated down to the floor level. ?The Hakurei Border, the border that ensures the stability and continued existence of this realm, is weakening. On top of that, a portal leading to Makai has been opened.?

Beryl was quiet for a moment. She had braced herself for the worst, but this was beyond anything she had imagined. Cirno, meanwhile, was rubbing her chin, deep in thought.

?So? what the bloody hell is that s?posed to mean??

?It means,? said Pacthouli, with restrained frustration as she walked up to one of the shelves. Incredibly, none of the books on it showed any sign of damage from either fire or ice. She picked out a tome and pulled it off the shelf. Despite her small stature she had little difficulty moving it, though a closer look revealed that the tome itself was actually floating. ?That unless someone does something soon, this entire world is going to hell. Tell me, fairies, have either of you ever heard the name Amatsu-Mikaboshi??

Cirno nodded to herself for a while before finally breaking the silence that had suddenly fallen after Patchouli opened her book.

?Mikawhat??   

[wererat42]

After getting out of the bath and drying herself, Maribel quietly put on the yukata that had been left out for her. Reisen had told her that her clothing would be washed and returned in the morning, but for some reason she?d always felt uncomfortable wearing Japanese clothes. On festivals Renko would dress up in a stylish kimono and try to talk her into trying one on but she looked? awkward in one. Like a fish out of water.

Despite these thoughts, the fabric was soft and cool against her skin.

?I wonder what sort of clothes the princess normally wears.? Maribel said aloud, looking down at herself. Kaguya had gone out ahead of her, assuring her that they would meet again at dinner. ?Probably something really extravagant. I could never wear anything like that? nope.?

?Miss Hearne, I?m here to escort you to the dining hall.? Reisen?s voice came from behind the door.

?Thanks,? Maribel opened the door to find the straight-faced, rabbit-eared girl on the other side. ?And it?s alright to call me Maribel, or Mary if you like. After all, you?re letting me call you Reisen.?

Reisen?s eyebrows furrowed with confusion for a moment, but then she smiled and curled the ends of her long silvery hair around a finger; an action that seemed somewhat strange in contrast to her stoic impassiveness of before. ?You have a point. Well, in that case please follow me, Maribel.?

?This place seems a little empty for it?s size,? Maribel said after a while. ?Is it just you, Eirin, and the princess who live here??

?No, no, no.? Reisen said, shaking her head and laughed lightly. ?There?s hundreds of youkai rabbits here as well. They do most of the chores around here, though you?ve got to keep on them with an iron fist to make sure they get their work done right. They usually tend to avoid strangers, though you might see a few during dinner.?

Maribel saw a couple of shadows from open doors in the hallway but they quickly vanished, accompanied by childish giggles.

?It?s like school is out for the summer,? muttered Reisen, clapping a hand over her face. Maribel couldn?t help but chuckle to herself. Reisen seemed to realize this and cleared her throat. ?Here we are, the dining hall is past these doors. Princess Kaguya will be attending, so please mind your manners.?

Maribel wondered if Reisen would say the same thing if she had know that shortly before in what manner she had met the princess, but thought best not to mention it. Reisen opened the doors, flooding the hallway with light and politely ushered Maribel through.

As her eyes adjusted to the light Maribel could see inside was a large tatami-floored room filled with many zataku-style tables, low to the ground with floor cushions set before them.  Sitting at one of the tables were Eirin and Kaguya, who both looked up upon hearing the door open. Kaguya was dressed in a flowing purple kimono with wide sleeves, and her hair was pinned up with a pair of kanazashi. Her choice of clothing was more modest that Maribel had expected, but the princess? otherworldly beauty more than compensated for that.

?Oh! Maribel, we?re over here.? said Kaguya, waving the girl down by curling her fingers downward towards her palm. ?You made it just in time. Here, come sit with us.?

?Have you two met, Princess?? Eirin asked, her eyebrow arching suspiciously. 

?Hmm? maybe in another life?? Kaguya replied noncommittally, winking at Maribel, covering her mouth with her sleeve to laugh while her companion let out a sigh. Maribel hesitated at first, but emboldened by Kaguya?s openness she walked over to their table and sat down. ?There?s no need to sit like that, Maribel.? The princess laughed, watching the girl try to assume the proper seiza posture with some difficulty. ?We?re all the same here, so make yourself comfortable. You too, Reisen.?

?Yes, my lady.? Reisen nodded and sat down beside Maribel. Soon after a door to the side opened and several rabbits with smaller ears than Reisen?s came out, carrying platters with food and drink, which were arranged on the table. They then bowed with respect and left - all except for one, a waif-like rabbit girl with short, wavy black hair who began pouring sake into each of their cups.

?So, I hear you were brought here by Mokou Fuijiwara.? Kaguya said, picking the lid off of on of the platters, letting the steam trapped beneath escape, revealing a bed of steamed meat and vegetables. ?She?s a, well, acquaintance of mine. Tell me, how is she doing??

?Well, she did save my life.? Maribel said, and smelling the aroma of the food wafting her way her stomach audibly reminded her it hadn?t had any sustenance in quite a while. ?Er, other than that she didn?t really talk about herself that much.?

?How typical.? Kaguya said, shoveling meat onto her plate. ?Though normally she doesn?t even talk to strangers at all.?

?Princess, don?t forget your vegetables.? Eirin said with a scolding tone.

?Why?? Kaguya muttered, looking down at them distastefully. ?It?s not like they?ll do me any good.?

?As head of this house, it is your solemn duty to eat everything on your plate??

?Eirinnnn.?

??and to conduct yourself with dignity in front of our guests.?

?It really does all look very good.? Maribel said, laughing to herself. The scene before her reminded her more of a family sitting down for dinner than a princess and her vassals. She then heard the black-haired rabbit girl move over next to her to fill her sake cup.

?So what do you think of the princess, huh?? She whispered, grinning slyly. ?Not what you were expecting, huh? Here ya go, drink up ? it?s the Gensoukyo way.?

?Uh, she?s kind and elegant, too.? Maribel whispered back, taking a sip from her cup. The effects of the sake were fast-acting; she could feel herself warm up from the inside out. ??and pretty.?

?Yeah? Well you can?t have her.? Tewi said, causing Reisen?s face to turn a deep shade of red. ?She?s all mine, y?hear??

?Here, you can have my share of vegetables, Maribel.? Kaguya said, piling food onto her guest?s plate. ?And here?s some steamed rice. Oh, what?s the matter Inaba? Did you drink your sake too fast??

?N-no, my lady. I?m fine, really.?

?Hey, Marybell, you interested in some talismans to protect you on the road? I?ll give you my discount for friends of the family and even throw in some charms for financial success in the future.?
   
?Tewi, do you remember what the Yama told you about trying to scam people during dinner?? 

?That it?s? alright??

?Wrong!?
   
?Uh, is that your f-foot, princess?? P-please, not during dinner??

?Stop being so selfish, Inaba.?

She wasn?t entirely sure if it was the sake going to her head, or the lively dinner conversation, or maybe a little of both, but while she enjoyed the best dinner she?d had in recent memory, despite everything that had happened Maribel couldn?t help but smile. Apart from her times with Renko, she hadn?t had this much fun ever since? well, ever since she started having the dreams. The thoughts of Renko, where she might be and what she might be going through brought her back down to earth, though. It must have shown on her face because Kaguya soon inquired.

?Is there something on your mind?? She asked, swirling her cup around until that Tewi moved over to refill it with a huff. ?You look a little preoccupied.?

?Oh? Sorry, I was just thinking about my friend.? Maribel sighed. ?If she?s here in Gensoukyo. Whether she?s safe or not.?

?I?ll send a few rabbits out to gather information tomorrow.? Eirin was the one to speak this time. ?Also, if you?re traveling the road to the Hakurei Shrine, your journey will take you past the human settlement. Reisen was to make her rounds selling medicine soon; I?ll have her accompany you. If we learn anything she will be the first to hear about it. Can you do this for us, Udonge??

?Of course, Master.? Reisen replied, chewing on a steamed carrot Kaguya had sneaked onto her plate.

?I don?t understand.? Maribel said. ?Why are you all going to this much trouble for me??

?Because,? said Eirin with a sad smile, ?We, too, are strangers here in the strange land. Exiled from our home. Isolated from our friends and our loved ones. And believe me, we have been here in this land much longer, my dear girl. Much, much longer than you can imagine. Despite all of that we have found friends? it took time, but we may have finally found a place for ourselves in this world. But so long as you have a way to return to yours, we will do what we can to help you return. Does that answer your question??

?Thank you." Maribel said, and nodded, feeling the tears well up once more.

?Hey, don?t do that,? Tewi said in a mock-reprimanding tone. ?You?ll get it in the sake.?

?No?? Maribel said, quickly wiping her eyes and smiled. With both Mokou and Reisen at her side she felt that even in the dark there would be nothing for her to fear. ?I?m through crying. Now, what?s that dish over there??

When dinner was over the rabbits came to clear up the dishes while Maribel put on a pair of slippers and joined the princess for a quiet stroll through the moonlit garden. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that she could probably find true peace here in this house, perhaps for eternity. But Eirin had said it best. She had a home to return to, and so long as she had a way back she had to take it.

When they returned, Reisen showed her to the guestroom with the futon that had prepared for her. A soft breeze was blowing through a cracked window and the sound of cicadas chirping outside was enough to lull her to sleep.

And so the dreams came again. Only this time they were different.


And so ends Chapter 3. Longer than most of my chapters, but I do hope everyone enjoyed it.

Spoiler:

There's probably going to be a little surprise next chapter. Hopefully I won't get flamed for it.

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

Another good update.

And your note at the end has gotten me curious ... :3

[wererat42]

Time to kick things up a few notches. There's a pretty big reveal in this installment, though not the main one. Enjoy.


Chapter 4 – Chekhov’s Gun

She walked up the stairway with a sense of purpose, an almost enlightened air that resounded with the click-click of her high heels. Her long ashen hair swayed with every step she took, the dim lighting revealing the faint hint of red in her bangs and at the tips. Her clothing was a crisp black pantsuit over a white silk shirt - practical, businesslike and inconspicuously modern. Truth be told, she looked no different from any other person you might walk past on a busy street if it weren’t for her ears, which curved upward and tapered off in a sharp point. Or the black, leathery bat-like wings that protruded from a pair of slits cut in the back of her suit. In her hands she held a long length of chain which, at both ends, had a long straight blade attached. She was swinging one of the ends around in circles as she climbed the stairs.

Slam.

At the top of the stairs, a door flew open, neatly splintering around the hinges, sending up a cloud of dust that had been sitting on the walls and floor. She stood in the doorway for a moment, surveying the room. At the opposite wall stood a door flanked by a pair of guards. They too had pointed ears and wings, though their wings were covered with jet-black feathers. Both had been slowly nodding off, but the woman’s boisterous entrance effectively woke them up and they grabbed their pikes, holding them at the ready.

“Right, looks like I made it,” the woman said, looking at the door. “According to my map, the boss should be directly past these doors. Oh well, time to get this over with so I can finally get some shut-eye. Hey, you, Nameless Guard A, I need to see this Lord Tenma guy, so could you kindly get out of my way?”

“Who are you!?” demanded the guard, shaking his pike at her. “There were fifty men stationed downstairs, how did you get past them!?”

“Oh? Those generic canon-fodder guys were supposed to be guards?” The woman laughed. “Ahaha... you Tengu really need to raise your standards a few notches. Not as though any of that matters anymore. Now, since you’re obviously not going to move I’ll let you go join them.”

There was a blur of motion as the woman’s hand moved, and the chain that was originally in her hand was now reaching across the room. It took one of the guards until he looked down to realize that a blade was sticking through his torso, and was lodged in the brick wall behind him.

“Oops, hand slipped.” The woman said with feigned surprise, then the other end went flying and skewered the other guard before he could even react to seeing his partner’s fate. “Now… GET OVER HERE!”

The woman jerked back on the middle of the chain, lifting the two guards off their feet and flinging them across the room, where they smacked against the wall behind her  with a very loud, sickening crunch. She chuckled to herself as she wiped the fresh blood off of the blades with a cloth. “Ahaha… I’ve always wanted to say that.”

She then marched up to the doors, threw them open, and walked into the room beyond. Sitting on a large stone throne was a tall tengu with graying hair and a well-trimmed beard. His clothing was regal and yet not excessive, but it fit well on the man, who had the build of a solider, and the eyes of a general who had seen many victories. He gripped the arms of his seat and leaned forward, opening his mouth to speak. But it was the woman who spoke first, cutting him off.

“Let me save you some time and answer all of your questions,” she said. “My name is Chloe and I came from Makai to kill some people, including you, and no, there’s no way you can persuade me not to kill you, as I have no interest in money or baubles. Huh, well that didn’t really save you time so much as shorten what you have left. Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Does your mistress Shinki realize,” The tengu said, his tone severe. “That this is an act of war?”

“Uh, yeah, like we hadn’t thought of that.” Chloe said, idly twirling the blade around on her chain. “Sucks to be you, I guess. Oh, I almost forgot… if you tell me where your daughter is I’ll make sure it’s quick and sort of painless.”

“What are you talking about, I don’t have a-.”
   
“I possess the ability to see the weakness in anything and anyone.” Chloe said with a sly grin. “Physical or mental… an illegitimate daughter born and hidden away in plain sight. That’s grounds for a scandal, I’d say. And would definitely cause a big mess with succession. I can see why you wouldn’t want anyone to know about her. Too bad I’m gonna have to kill her, too.”

“I won’t let you!” The tengu’s face contorted with rage and he pulled a leaf-shaped fan from his belt.

“Now that’s a nice expression!” Chloe smiled and with a flick of her wrist the chain flew, and the blade cut clean through the center of the fan and straight into the tengu’s heart. The last thing that passed over his face as the bat-winged woman pulled the end of the blade out of his chest was a look of mixed shock and outrage that a tengu would be beaten to the draw. Chloe simply shrugged, pulled the fan off the end of her blade and wiped the blood off onto its previous owner’s own clothes, and wrapped the chain around her left arm. “Ooh, scary, scary. Lord Tenma, huh. Don’t see what the big deal was.” She took a pen and notepad out of her breast pocket and scratched a name off of the first page. “Well, guess I’m gonna have to do this the hard way. What the hell kind of name is Hatate, anyway?”

She glanced down at the fan she had plucked off the end of her weapon. She smiled.

“Hm? Wonder how this works.”

[Esifex]

Ooh, scary scary.

I giggled.

[wererat42]

To everyone who has been following this, sorry for the late update. I've been pretty occupied with a number of things. Things like work, BlazBlue, and more work. Hopefully this will make up for it.


?NO!?

Maribel shot upright, awake, breathing heavily, her sheets soaked with sweat. She looked around frantically, trying to get her bearings in the dark, unfamiliar room, her thoughts jumbled.

?Calm down, you?re safe.?

The voice was firm but level, and it gave her something to latch onto, like shelter in a storm.

?Renko???

?Guess again.?

Maribel blinked several times, trying to make out the seated figure in the corner of her room holding a plate with leftovers from the night?s meal. Long white hair that cascaded over her shoulders and spilled onto the floor, big red bow, baggy pants with talismans randomly sewn in, tattered shirt discolored from heat, snappy red suspenders.

?Mokou...?

?Sorry to disappoint.?

?No? I?m just surprised to see you here. Weren?t you were going to sleep outside.?

?Uh, yeah, I lied. Eirin let me in here after tucking the princess into bed.? Mokou said with a mouthful of steamed pork. ?Don?t want Kaguya to think I?d- agh, just forget about it!? She sighed and set the plate down on the floor in front of her. ?So, you have a bad dream or something? You kept going on like someone was try?n to kill you.?

?Oh.? Maribel shook her head. The dream had been so real; all the sights, sounds, and smells - especially the smell, the smell of blood. She felt her stomach turn just remembering. ?Yes, I had a dream. And actually I?d really rather just forget it.?

?Suit yourself.? said Mokou. ?Trust me, I?m good at keeping my nose out of other people?s business.?

?I? I didn?t mean it like that.? Maribel pulled the covers of the futon up around herself, like a protective barrier. ?If it?s okay, could you please stay in here a while longer??

?What? You?re not scared of me??

?Why would I be?? the girl from the other world looked across the dark room, where she could now see Mokou more clearly, looking back at her with incredulous eyes. ?I feel safe when you?re around.?

?You?re a strange girl, you know that??

?I guess? I probably am.? Maribel laughed to herself.

?You?ll do just fine then. It?s the ?normal? ones that don?t last long around here.? Mokou stared at her silently for a while, as though sizing her up, then finally said. ?We?ve got a long day tomorrow. Go back to sleep.  You?ll want to be well rested in case we meet trouble on the road. And I?ve got this nagging feeling you?re going to be one hell of a trouble-magnet.?
 
?Well, excuse me!? Maribel said, lying down only to scowl at the ceiling.

?Ha! Don?t worry about it.? Mokou chuckled to herself a little and stretched her legs out before going on. ?I was just starting to get bored.?

?You?re welcome?? Maribel rolled over. ?Anyways, aren?t you going to go to sleep??

?Eventually.? The silver-haired girl said indifferently, putting her hands behind her head as she reclined backward onto the floor. ?You don?t have to worry about me that much.? 

Maribel sighed, having gotten the impression that trying to learn anything new about Mokou tonight would be an exercise in futility. She closed her eyes and felt as though she was sinking into her futon as her conscious slipped. When she opened her eyes she saw herself.

She was standing high - somewhere on top of a mountain, it seemed. The air was thin and she could see wispy clouds float around her. Then she saw what she was wearing? it wasn?t the sort of thing she would normally wear. It was a long white dress with a purple stripe down the center, and over the stripe was something she recognized as a trigram... actually two of them, one on top of the other. The trigram on top was three solid parallel lines and on the bottom was three broken parallel lines.

She was not alone, either. To her right stood Mokou, her hands shoved into her pockets and a piercing look on her face. To her left was Reisen looking up at something dark that was forming in the heavens. Behind her stood others whom she did not recognize and could not see clearly. She looked up at the thing forming above them. A solid mass of dark clouds, churning and boiling like a massive storm cell, except the skies around it were perfectly clear. She normally thought she would feel apprehensive about it, but for some reason the Maribel standing there on the mountain face looked on with a sense on calm composure.

She then seemed to catch sight of the Maribel floating somewhere between here and there, looking on with bewilderment. She smiled.   

[Alfred F. Jones]

I just read (and re-read, in the case of everything before chapter 3) this entire thing.

Please update, I must have more of this. :ohdear:

[wererat42]

Oh look, an update.


Patchouli Knowledge sat at a large desk, pouring over a musty volume with a pair of brass-rimmed spectacles. Everything and anything could be found on the shelves of the Voile Library from priceless grimoires containing ancient magic long forgotten by anyone else, to poorly written romance novels of no redeeming literary quality. She narrowed her eyes at the print on the page before her; the pages were discolored and the lettering was faded. If only it weren?t for the horrid humidity of Gensokyo, her collection wouldn?t be in this dreadful condition. She could always use restoration magic, but there was no telling what side effects that might have - a grimoire with inherent magical properties could easily be rendered powerless. If she had her way she would devote her time to developing an persistent climate-control spell that would make the libraries of the outside world feel inadequate.

Unfortunately, that was not on her agenda. Remilia Scarlet, the lady of the house and her longtime friend had tasked Patchouli with researching a particular issue that had recently come to her attention. Not only that but she was still expected to continue her regular duties of tutoring Remilia?s younger sister, Flandre, as well as prepare spellcards for the defense of the mansion.

Her train of thought was briefly interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open and Sakuya Izayoi, the silver-haired head maid, pushing a cart laden with a silver tea set and a plate of madeleines, into the library.

?Good morning, Sakuya,? Patchouli said to the enigmatic maid as she stopped her cart beside the desk and proceeded to fill three cups with tea from the kettle.   

?Lady Patchouli.? Sakuya replied cordially, setting one of the cups on a saucer and placing it on the desk within Patchouli?s reach, her movements fluid and elegant ? the tea in the cup was undisturbed throughout the duration of its trip. Perhaps that was just Sakuya?s time-manipulation abilities at work. ?Darjeeling, as you requested.?

?Merci.?

?Lady Patchouli? if I may ask, are we to be expecting company today??

Patchouli gave the head maid an inquiring, sidelong glance. Oh, she must be asking why she asked to bring more than one cup this morning. She looked back down at the book. ?I?m always expecting someone to appear without warning. The Black-White one, or even the Red-White one. It never hurts to be prepared.?

Of course she was talking about the magician who lived in the inconspicuously named Forest of Magic, Marisa Kirisame and her partner-in-crime, the shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei. For a fleeting moment the head maid?s elegant demeanor was broken by a look of restrained disapproval. Her eyes shifted downward momentarily as she bit her lip unconsciously. Patchouli wasn?t sure if Sakuya was against Remilia accepting guest or if she merely wasn?t keen on inevitably cleaning up after them ? whatever it was she hid her true feelings with an almost frightening proficiency.   

?I see.? Sakuya replied, recovering her normal posture. ?I also have a message from my lady. She has requested your presence today to bring her up to date with your current findings.?

?I?ll see her when I see her.? Patchouli said indifferently, much to Sakuya?s chagrin. ?There are a few things that I need to finish here before I go, so if you?re finished I could use some quiet. Oh, and you can leave the cart here, I?ll have my familiar bring it back up later.?

?As you wish, Lady Patchouli.? Sakuya said, bowing slightly before excusing herself. The magician released a sigh of relief when she was gone.

?Merde? you two fairies, it?s safe to come out now. The scary maid has gone away.?

The pair of visitors from last night emerged from behind a bookcase, the more boisterous of the two rubbing the small of her back. ?Ooh, my back! That is th? last time ah?m sleep?n some bloody bookshelf!?

?You get used to it after a while.? Patchouli said without looking up from her book. ?The books don?t complain much.?

?Yer josh?n me.? The Ice Fairy who had exuberantly introduced herself as Cirno said incredulously, in that odd accent. ?So. What crawled up her arse ?n died??

?Do you mean Sakuya?? Patchouli thought over a suitable answer for a moment. ?If you were in her shoes, I imagine you wouldn?t be in a very good mood most of your waking hours, either, little fairy. She has to take care of all the cleaning in this vast mansion, cooking for the entire household, and fending off all the intruders who get past our ineffectual gatekeeper; such as yourselves.? 

?Oh, I guess the other maids don't help out much, then?? The green pony-tailed one called Beryl made a nervous laugh. Despite this one apparently being a Great Fairy, the Ice Fairy seemed to defer little to her in the way of authority, putting Patchouli?s longtime understanding of fairy social dynamics into question. ?We appreciate you providing us with a place to stay for the night, though you really didn?t have to go to the trouble.?

?What are you talking about?? Patchouli?s eyes lifted from the page. ?How could I not provide my two new helpers with at the very least room and board? Now come, help yourself to some tea and a madeleine before they get cold. Je vous en prie.?

Cirno didn?t need to be asked twice she was already wiping the crumbs off of her mouth and slurping down a cup of tea. Beryl, on the other hand, was more guarded than that. ?Excuse me, Miss Patchouli? if I?m not mistaken, I believe you said ?helpers???

?That?s correct,? Patchouli set her teacup down and removed her spectacles to look at the green-haired fairy. ?There is a project of great importance that I need assistance with. I would do it myself if I could, but I can?t pull myself away from my research.?

?Actually, we should probably be?? 

?I don?t really have any reason not to call Sakuya back in here, you know.? Patchouli said.

?I-I see.? The light of comprehension, mixed with a look of resignation dawned in the greater fairy?s eyes.

?There is someone I need you to bring here.? Patchouli said, beginning her explanation. ?I have yet to discern their location, but finding them and getting them to a safe place will be an essential step to maintaining the Border. And when the time comes, I will have something to give to you. Hopefully you won?t have to use it, but as I said before it never hurts to be prepared.?

Saying that, she looked down again at the passage she was reading before. The passage that had kept her up most of the night, thinking.

        The Great Hakurei Border requires at least one living member of the Hakurei and Yakumo Houses to maintain.
        So long as there is one who carries the blood of the Hakurei and Yakumo the Border will remain.

[Alfred F. Jones]

I don't think I mentioned this before, but Cirno's accent is great. Patchouli's smattering of French is nice, too. :3

That last passage makes me wonder. I'm wondering if you left it ambiguous in one minor detail. Ah well, I'll find out with further updates.

[wererat42]

Maribel had awoken early the following morning, finding herself alone in her room. Had Mokou’s visit been just another dream? No, in the corner where she had been sitting there was still a plate with scraps of food on it. She sighed and got up, stretching her limbs, favoring the busied ones, just as a knock came at the door.

“Maribel? It’s Reisen.” The rabbit girl’s voice came from the other side. “I was sent to see if you were awake.”

“Uh... I just got up.”

“In that case I have your clothes cleaned if you’re ready to join us for breakfast.”

Maribel imagined how she must look. After the dreams she’d had last night she probably had been tossing and turning, and her early morning disheveled look was not exactly how she wanted to present herself before the princess. She brushed down her hair as well as she could and opened the door to Reisen, who was carrying the clothes she had been wearing before; thoroughly cleaned and mended in a few places where they had been torn during her frantic flight through the bamboo forest last night.

After getting herself dressed, assuring Reisen through a crack in the door that she didn’t require any assistance, she followed the rabbit girl through the halls, which now seemed a little more familiar to her, until they reached what looked like the same room where they had dinner. Kaguya was waiting there, and to Maribel’s shock her hair was even more mussed up than her own, and she wore a pink shirt with a blanket on over it when Maribel came in, the princess lifted her hand feebly, and spoke through a delirium.

“Eirin… the light, it burns.”     

After breakfast was sorted Eirin started stuffing various packages into a leather rucksack strapped to Reisen’s back, along with whatever rations she felt they would need to last them through the trip. From what she understood they would be passing through the largest human settlement in Gensokyo on their way to the Hakurei Shrine, where Reisen would peddle medicine, and they would also have a chance to gather information. If Maribel’s friend had been seen, Eirin explained, news of it would undoubtedly have come to the village.

With that in mind, Maribel followed Eirin and Reisen toward the front of the mansion and out the front door, feeling as though the events of that morning were moving very much like a blur to her. Mokou was standing there outside, waiting for them with her hands stuck in her pockets and the bent end of a lit cigarette held in her mouth. When she saw the group coming out she put it out with her thumb and index finger and tossed it on the ground, evoking a look of disdain from Reisen.

“Aw, so the princess didn’t come out to see us off,” Mokou said, starting forward. She put a hand on Maribel and Reisen’s shoulders and grinned. “What a shame. Well now, shall we get going? Youkai aren’t really that active, ‘specially in the early morning, but that doesn’t mean we got time to just stand around.” She glanced at Eirin who was starting to look hesitant about this arrangement. “Oh, and don’t worry doc, I’ll do my best to bring your precious bunny back to you in one piece.”

And then, with a little nudge from the back from Mokou, they set off.


Here's the end of Chapter 4. Sorry for the wait.
To anyone who read this before, I've removed the part with Reimu because it doesn't really fit well into the time frame, and because I honestly don't really need it.