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Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!.
The story is based on the 'what if' concept in writing.
In this case, it will be 'what if everyone could have what they wanted?'.
Things won't end up like expected, either at the start or towards the end.
Edit: Forgot to mention a couple things:
Story is still being written, this is not a completed work yet. (Post will be updated when it is.)
Feedback is greatly appreciated as well.
The story begins below:Yukari Yakumo stood on top of a high building.
The strong winds blew across, shifting the cloud formations as she watched on.
She had no worries, for if she fell or lost balance, a gap could easily save her and she even had one in position, in case it was needed.
Taking in the vast sight, Yukari decided she had enough for the day and opened up a gap back to Gensokyo.
The portal opened up and the cool refreshing feel of Gensokyo's weather, as well as the power of the gap made Yukari feel young again.
Although she was going to have a long life, eternal life is what she thought of, thinking of what she could do if she had it.
Moving into the gap, the outside world faded from view and she felt back at home.
Ran Yakumo had waited for an hour, Yukari had always planned things down to the second, her precision was matched by no other.
The ground was swept clear and the preparations had been made, as Yukari had requested months ago.
Ran waited and closed her eyes, waiting for Yukari, before she felt the temperatures shifted slightly and the signs of a portal opening were felt.
Very few actually knew the feeling a portal had, and even those who had experienced it knew very little of it.
Only because Ran was Yukari's assistant was she able to finally piece together part of a mystery very few would know of.
Yukari had arrived to see her faithful kitsune having made the preparations.
The grounds were cleared and set as if for royalty and the precision Ran was able to do it with, still surprised her at times.
The trips Yukari made to the outside world were worth it and every once in a while provided her something to enjoy.
Ran bowed as she carefully handed a cup of tea, warmed precisely to the calculations Yukari had made.
The green tea tasted wonderful, warm and filled with flavor, any hotter and it burns, rather then adds flavor to the drink itself.
Placing it down, she opened another portal, back to the boundaries of Gensokyo itself.
Ran always wondered why, but never questioned the precise reasoning Yukari had behind this.
Every once in a while, she would decide to indirectly go from one location to the next.
It wasn't based on any distance, nor pattern, nor set of numbers or count as far as Ran understood.
Thinking to herself, she wondered if the weather or the temperatures could be a reason, but ruled against it as there was no pattern or sequence to it.
The gap Yukari had opened closed and Ran and Yukari found themselves in one of the boundaries of Gensokyo.
Yukari moved towards one of most comforting sights she'd see, a bed.
Ran knew it meant another 2-3 months of work, but decided to hurry along.
Always one to finish the masters tasks, she quickly started to complete Yukari's plans.
Chen slept soundly, but quickly woke up upon feeling a gap open nearby.
Ran and Yukari got out of the gap with Yukari heading back to sleep.
Chen paid her respects to Yukari and Ran and watched as Yukari went to sleep with Ran working on Yukari's plans.
She didn't get much, if any tasks at all, but she wished she would.
Her thoughts moved towards if she could be to Ran like Ran was to Yukari, always loyal and carrying out the tasks and plans given to her.
Still, without any instructions and nothing better to do, Chen went back to sleep.
Ran read the list of tasks and plans Yukari had given her.
Starting to read through the list {Visit Reimu and hand her the red letter with the purple seal, check if Marisa has 'borrowed' any books and note the types.}.
The list continued for around 750 lines more, before ending and requesting that a small envelope be opened and read for the next set of instructions.
Setting off to visit Reimu and personally deliver another message from Yukari-sama was her first task, afterwards check if Marisa had managed to borrow any books.
Reimu was sweeping the entrance to the Hakurei Shrine when Ran arrived.
Reimu preferred having Ran Yakumo come to deliver messages versus having Yukari come and visit.
The reasoning was mostly that Ran didn't play the mind games Yukari did when she visited.
"Message from Yukari-sama" Ran said as she handed over the envelope with a bow to Reimu.
Reimu had placed the broom to the side and grabbed the letter "thank you" she said to Ran.
The kitsune finished her business and went on, and Reimu slowly read the letter.
Thinking to herself, she wondered what did Yukari plan this time as she carefully read her message.
Ran Yakumo now head to head to Marisa's, to see which books she had 'borrowed' from others this time.
Heading towards Marisa's home in the forrest, she found it unoccupied, which meant that either Marisa was doing one out of four things.
Either she was 'borrowing' books from Patchouli, freeloading on Reimu or 'taking' a few youkai extermination jobs from her, visiting Alice and freeloading or trying to learn her spells, or collecting mushrooms from the Magic Forrest, which meant that she was going to be gone for an hour or more.
Opening the door to her house and getting around was a difficult task in itself, any thief trying to steal from her house would be likely deterred from the mess itself, which made finding anything an almost impossible task.
[How can a human live like this?] Ran thought to herself as the shock of Marisa's messy and cluttered home had always surprised her.
The various overflowing shelves filled with various magic or none magic items and the clutter made it difficult to find her way around the house.
Finally Ran found what she was looking for, a small bookshelf where Marisa kept her latest 'borrowed' items, until she finished reading them.
Looking at the shelves, she started writing down the names of books added to Marisa's latest collection.
[Five Element Magic, Mushroom and Stardust Magic, Patchouli's Metal Spell Note's, Gravity Manipulation] were just some of the titles Ran read, but nothing which Yukari had specifically told her to watch out for was found within the stash. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ran headed out of Marisa's house.
Elsewhere, things had taken a very different turn.
Patchouli knew that feeling, the feeling she was being watched, she had that feeling for over an hour and she knew why.
Marisa had to be close by, waiting for Patchouli to doze off, so she could 'borrow' a few books again.
She kept thinking of how easily she could beat Marisa [if only I didn't have asthma and anemia, I'd stop her] she thought.
Thinking carefully, she calculated that her asthma and anemia were doing slightly better [I can put up a good fight for a while, if I don't push it].
Marisa had watched from a corner, which was close by one of the massive bookshelves.
Muttering to herself "she should be asleep by now, da ze" before noticing Patchouli slumped over her chair with her face in one the books she had recently written.
Noticing it wasn't a magic book, Marisa quietly laughed to herself "must have been so boring she fell asleep", before placing a few books in her dress pockets.
[a little more won't hurt] Marisa thought, before pulling out a cloth bag and stuffing around ten books inside it.
Signaling her broom, she watched as came to her and she got on, preparing to make a quick exit, before hearing Patchouli say"Stop right there" as she floated close by her with an unamused expression and a spell book in her hands.
"it would be a shame to let these poor books go unread" Marisa grinned back to Patchouli.
Patchouli's expression darkened at the words as she prepared to challenge Marisa to a danmaku battle...
Suddenly Marisa added "well, I guess if you're not going to do anything, I guess I'll just leave" before she shot upwards and attempted to make a run for it.
[She's simply making a run for it, damm it, Marisa must have realized I'm doing well today] Patchouli thought to herself before giving chase.
Weaving through the large complex of bookshelves, light fixtures and occasionally a random fairy maid made for a complex maze, one easy to get lost in.
As Patchouli was keeping up with her, Marisa added a bit of speed and rushed ahead, the wind almost pulling her hat off her from the speed.
Watching as the distance between her and Patchouli grew, Marisa smiled to herself and took a few turns to lose Patchouli, realizing she had lost her.
[maybe I'll 'borrow' a few extra books for the trouble] Marisa thought, before being slightly shocked at the sight before her.
"Don't think I don't know a few shortcuts around here" Patchouli's said slightly in front of her with an opened spell book.
Patchouli enjoyed seeing the sight of shock on Marisa's face, it was something not often seen, but amusing when it was.
Marisa's expression quickly switched to one of slight agitation and a bit of a mockery as she said "guess I'll have to beat you at danmaku to take these books".
Patchouli smiled as she said "Wood Sign: Sylphy Horn" and the sign of wind-blown autumn leaves began to appear.
"That's easy, Magic Sign: Milky Way" Marisa countered as the both of them began to dodge through each others danmaku patterns with ease as they had both done them for years.
Patchouli quickly declared "Spell card, Earth Sign: Lazy Trilithon" as the energy slowly dissipate from both of their spell cards.
Marisa watched as the spell took form and replied with "Magic Sign: Stardust Reverie" and watched as her spell took form and energized.
The magic energized the air and both watched as the danmaku now started to move into a test of resolve, one of which required the will and the drive to last against the barrages.
Patchouli knew that her anemia would begin to effect her if she prolonged the fight for long and possibly risk having an asthma attack.
"Metal & Water Sign: Mercury Poison" was the next one she called as one of her more powerful and complex spells began to energize.
"wait, what" Marisa replied in shock, as Patchouli wouldn't normally bring in such patterns that early.
"Love Storm: Starlight Typhoon", Marisa countered, as she worked to counter Patchouli's spell, thinking of how 'The Great Unmoving Library' was stepping up her game a bit, in order to prevent the theft of books, before deciding to when to try to make a break for it, as Marisa thought [there is no need to waste so much magic here].
The barrages continued and Marisa wondered if Patchouli had passed out by now, due to the length of time spent in the danmaku battle.
Slowly the barrage started to lighten up and cclear as it came to a halt, with Marisa exhausted by the amount of effort, but even more surprised that Patchouli was okay.
Although she seemed barely able to stand, she looked at Marisa smiling, before murmuring a final sign, "Fire Water Wood Metal Earth Sign: Philosopher's Stone", before dropping to the ground, trying to catch her breath.
Marisa's reaction time had been delayed from the shock of seeing Patchouli using one of her most powerful spells in her state of exhaustion.
By having to rapidly prepare a counter, it caused Marisa to drop the sack of books she was going to 'borrow', before grabbing and aiming her Mini-Hakkero towards Patchouli as she made her counter, "Magicannon: Final Master Spark", before both spells collided in a powerful burst of energy.
After what had seemed like an eternity, both spells energies had begun to run dry and their energy quickly started to dissipate, leaving behind an exhausted and coughing Patchouli and a tired-out Marisa.
Marisa smiled slightly, as she summoned her broom and flew off into the distance.
"I wish Marisa would stop stealing my books" Patchouli muttered to herself, before noticing that some of her books were lying on the ground.
[Doesn't seem too bad though, looks like she only got away with a third of the books she was originally going to get] she thought.
Resting for a minute, she called to her familiar to have her bring Sakuya to help her up and to bring the books which had not been borrowed back into the library.
Patchouli as she was being helped into the residence, she noticed that some things were changing, but she couldn't place her finger on it.
Sakuya noticed that Patchouli deep in thought, but decided not to ask about it, but she still wondered what Patchouli was thinking.