Disruption in the afterlife. (a crossover story)

[Paul Debrion]

Ok, I have no idea if this is going to turn out well or if it's going to suck horribly.
I've given up trying to predict the quality of my writing as it appears to be pretty random from topic to topic. 

Anyway, this is basically a crossover story where I bring in a character from what is, as far as I know, an old and dead IP. I would be pleasently surprised if anyone here is familiar with it. However, this character will not be the main character, instead his presence will serve to drive the story forward.

Spoiler:

I chose this character because he'll help convey a certain "theme" or "message" if you could call it that. Yes, I do like to do bits of commentary like this because it helps get more useful criticism, but this time I use a spoiler tag since some people find it distracting.

This first bit pretty much sets things up for the story. You can probably expect more humor and less seriousness later on, but the writing style will mostly be the same.

In any case, it should give some idea if this is going to be a dud or not.


__________


Where there is chaos and unpredictability, intelligent beings will seek to impose order. As they understand more about the world, they try to make the world more understandable. Order gives intelligent beings comfort against the normally unruly nature of the universe.

Order implies control, and safety, and predictability.

However, when order that has has been taken for granted for so long breaks down, disaster often ensues.


Komachi Onozuka may be lazy, but she had never been this late.

The shinigami had been missing for at least a couple months. Dead spirits from Gensokyo needed to be brought before Shikieki the Yama for judgment, and Komachi?s absence would soon become a problem. Shikieki couldn?t decide the fate of the souls of the recently deceased if they weren?t brought to her first. In the past there have been serious consequences for Komachi?s laziness.

Shikieki Yamaxanadu was about to leave for Gensokyo to find where the shinigami had gone, when Komachi suddenly stumbled through the door to her office.

Barely able to stand, Komachi collapsed halfway towards Shikieki?s desk, sobbing uncontrollably and saying the strangest things. Shikieki ran over to her side.

?There?s? pain? suffering? everywhere. What did they do to deserve?? Komachi said, stuttering and barely understandable.

?What happened?? Shikieki asked. ?What do you mean everywhere? Who?s in pain??

?It?s indiscriminate!? Komachi shouted like a crazed lunatic. ?The evil, the virtuous, why??

Komachi refused to say any more and just lay on the floor helplessly, shaking and crying as if stricken with some form of insanity.
 
?I?m sorry. I arrived too late. The best I could do was bringing her back here.? A man?s voice said. ?She should be fine in a few days, but I?m afraid she has seen that which your kind have worked so hard to suppress.?

Shikieki looked up at the figure standing in the elaborately decorated doorway. Having not stepped into the light of the room, he was only visible as a vague outline. Shikieki didn?t need to see him to know exactly what he was.

?Why are you here? Did you do this?? Shikieki said.

?I told you, I?m not responsible for what happened, but it is why I am here.? The stranger said. ?I am here to help you with problems you may not be aware of yet.?

?How can you even be allowed to enter this place you??

??sick and twisted abomination, a blatant disrespect of spiritual law?? the stranger said as he finished her sentence. ?That?s what you people like to call us. It because we break the very laws that you hold sacred, that impose order on the otherwise chaotic nature of this universe. Indeed, the chaos that you have worked so hard to protect innocent souls, of both living and dead, from ever having to experience.?

He had a rather deep and somewhat ominous voice, though he spoke with no anger at all. He spoke almost like someone telling a story or reciting poetry.

?We? Us? You are only supposed to be one.? Shikieki said.

?Unfortunately the unruliness you any many others sought to control may be more difficult to subdue than you have anticipated. It has gotten bad enough that I have needed to train more like me. I have already taken the liberty of sending my best student to Gensokyo to assess the situation.? said the stranger. ?You may have thought us to be obsolete, a once necessary evil no longer necessary, relics of times long past. We, or perhaps more accurately my predecessors had agreed with this assessment which is why for a long time there has only been one of us, playing a much smaller role in this great stage consisting of the combined worlds of life and the afterlife.?

He paused for a moment.
 
?Unfortunately there are things to discuss that are far more important than your kind?s irritation at my existence. May I come in?? said the stranger.

?I suppose I should hear what you have to say considering what just occurred.? Shikieki said, helping Komachi get back on her feet and setting her down on a chair sitting at one end of the room so she could rest.

As Shikieki made her way back to her desk the stranger walked into the light of the room and became visible.

Clothing was rather modest and simple. He wore a white shirt that was somewhat worse for wear and a pair of jeans, which would have immediately gave away that he was from the outside world if Shikieki hadn?t known this already. He was bald, and his dark skin showed he was probably, as expected, of African descent.

Perhaps somewhat unnerving was that he wore a pair of dark sunglasses that only just covered his eyes. Rather than being stylish in any way, they made you feel as if he had no eyes, and that you would see two empty sockets if he were to take them off. Of course this was not the case, as he demonstrated taking them off as he took a seat.


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[Esifex]

Enigmatic. I wish I were more learned in the field of 'other stuff besides my own little world' so I could potentially recognize this guy. I trust all will be revealed, however

[Paul Debrion]

As much as intelligent beings impose their will and their rules on the world around them, there will always be those who seek refuge from those rules. No doubt there is a certain joy that can come from abandoning the order that you may have imposed on your world, and choosing to experience the world in its natural state of randomness.


Some believe that this large crack ran up the lower half of this steep secluded mountainside was created long ago by the anger of a powerful youkai. This was somewhat believable as something about it as it seemed too distinct and oddly placed to be natural. It was as if the land was split open, pulled apart from the surface.

Of course, right now she didn?t care how it came to be.

The wind was perfect, with just a light updraft coming up the mountainside.

This was a special spot. There was peaceful atmosphere and the fact that it made an excellent place to dive into the crevice below. It was high enough for a long fall but not so high that it was too cold, she didn?t like the cold.

She took two slow steps, and jumped.

There was a feeling of speed she got from falling near-vertical down this fissure faster than she ever could under her own power, with the walls just a couple arm lengths to either side. A risky and some might say juvenile form of amusement, but a very effective cure for boredom.

The foot of the mountainside was approaching fast. She slowly leveled out her flight path, her momentum sending her hurtling into the woods. The trick here was too looking ahead as far as you could so you?d know where to move to avoid the trees.  Though she lost almost half her speed leveling out at the foot of the mountain, she was still going fast enough to make a sudden stop out of the question. Not that she wanted to stop yet anyway, that would be no fun.

Suddenly she thought she could see something sitting on top of a tree branch up ahead, though she was going too fast to see what it was. As she sped by she felt something push down on her left shoulder.

Unfortunately this minor change in direction caused her foot to get caught on another tree branch, causing her to tumble upside down and straight into another tree.  The impact wasn?t too bad since youkai are more resilient than humans, but it didn?t stop it from being painful all the same, even more so when she slid down the side of the tree and hit her head on one of the protruding roots.

Wriggle opened her eyes to see Mystia sitting on nearby branch laughing.

?That?s not funny!? Wriggle shouted.

?You know, you were going have an accident eventually if you kept doing that, so I took the liberty of causing one for you.? Mystia said, still giggling.

?It?s not an accident if you do it on purpose!? Wriggle said.

By then Mystia had already flown away. Wriggle?s was still dizzy from the impact and she couldn?t be bothered trying to go after her.

Rather than try to stand, Wriggle decided to lie there for a while, at least until the pain subsided.

The sky was so clear and the stars were so bright.  The full moon seemed more pretty than usual. She must have spent at least an hour there, just looking up at the unusually beautiful night sky.

?That seems like a rather uncomfortable position to be taking a nap?. A voice said.

?Who said that?? Wriggle said.

Wriggle immediately bolted upright looked around, calling upon few fireflies to light her surroundings. She was startled to see a human calmly leaning against the tree she ran into. She took a few steps back. Why didn?t she sense his presence before?

He was a rather thin looking man. Hair was black, skin tone was very pale, and eyes were an unusually dark brown. He seemed relatively young, barely into his twenties. He wore a black jacket with a red shirt and black tie underneath. Pants were tan, and held up by a brown belt. He carried a metal attach? case with his left hand. It was obvious from his attire that he was an outsider.

?For your information I wasn?t taking a nap. You?re obviously not from around here.? Wriggle said. ?How did you get through the Hakurei Barrier??

?Didn?t have to.? The stranger said with a smile. ?I went around.?

?What do you mean you went around? There?s no way around it, you have to go straight through.? Wriggle said, too tired to really think of picking a fight.

?That?s only true in this world.? The stranger said. ?I died, took a shortcut and came back.?

?What do you mean you came back?? Wriggle asked in disbelief.

?In many ways death is merely a form of travel. It?s how you travel from the living world to the world of the dead. I?ve learned to utilize this form of transportation in such a way that I can go to the world of the dead and come back just as easily.? The stranger explained.

?I?ve never heard of any human with that kind of power. Besides, why are you so willing to tell me this? That by itself seems pretty suspicious.?  Wriggle asked.

?It answered your question, and I had to no reason to hide anything.? The stranger replied.

Wriggle didn?t really know whether to believe him.

He brought out a pocket watch and inspected it closely, appearing to make a few adjustments before putting it away.

?Actually I?m a bit lost at the moment as I had expected to re-enter the living world near the Hakurei Shrine and go from there, though it seems my sense of direction isn?t as good as I thought it was.? The stranger said. ?Any case, I need someone to take me to the human village. You don?t seem very busy at the moment.?

Wriggle had already figured out where this was going.

?Fine, I haven?t got much else to do anyway.? Wriggle replied.

This was the truth, as she really didn?t have much else to do. It had been a very slow and boring in Gensokyo lately. For a while she almost wished for something to go terribly wrong, anything to make life interesting again. Travelling with an outsider claiming to be able to travel to the Netherworld and back would surely be more interesting than wandering aimlessly out here, whether he was telling the truth or not.

?I apologize, I neglected to introduce myself.? The stranger said. ?You can call me Petrarch. Actually it?s James Petrarch, but most people call me by my last name since it sounds more interesting.?

Petrarch held out his hand as if for a handshake, but Wriggle didn?t bother. She immediately started in the direction of the human village, prompting him to follow.

?So what should I call you?? Petrarch asked.

?Wriggle.? She replied.

 


__________

Spoiler:

Petrarch is an original character, but his powers are based on the crossover character from the previous scene.

I'm not entirely sure where I got the idea of "Wriggle BASE jumping" but it was interesting enough and fit the theme so well that I just had to put it in.
I hope you enjoyed it. 

Wriggle will stay an important character from here onwards.

I should probably mention that unless someone says otherwise I usually "pull the plug" on fics that get hardly any views or replies after their third "chapter".

I'll probably add to this one more time. If it hardly gets any views or replies after that or unless someone really wants it to continue, you won't have to worry about it taking up first page space much longer.

[Esifex]

For a second I thought it was Aya who was BASE jumping. I kinda giggled at the thought of Wriggle rocketing along for funsies.

That is an interesting name, by the way.

[Paul Debrion]

For several millennia, humans had been at the mercy of entities and supernatural occurences originating from the world of the dead, and during that time they had sought ways to defend themselves.

Perhaps some of the more successful of these efforts were those of African voodoo priests and warriors who, several thousands of years ago, utilized their knowledge of magic to develop ways to combat these threats at their source. Over time their techniques were improved and refined, and eventually led to the existence of humans who could travel freely to and from the world of the dead, and wield magic powerful enough combat chaotic forces that threatened the world of the living.

When darkness falls, these special humans become walkers between worlds, immortal voodoo warriors, takers of souls, and protectors of the living world.

These humans became known as Shadowmen.


?So if I understand you correctly Mr. LeRoi, the Netherworld is beginning to degenerate to its natural state.? Shikieki said.

?Correct.? Michael replied. ?The order that you and the other yama have imposed on this world is falling apart, and if we don?t find some way to stop it the civilization you?ve built on top of it in order to sort and control the flow of dead spirits will be destroyed as well.?

?Why now?? Shikieki asked. ?What has changed??

?I don?t know.? He replied. ?However, I do know it is starting here, near where that isolated paradise you call Gensokyo meets with this world, and it?s beginning to spread.?

?So why should I trust you?? Shikieki said accusingly. ?You?ve always thought that what we?ve accomplished here was a foolish endeavor. Why would you have any reason to help us??

Michael LeRoi sat back in his seat and pondered this question for a few moments.

?My opinion on what you do here is irrelevant.? He replied. ?In the end my job above all else is to protect the world of the living from threats crossing over from the world of the dead. The people of Gensokyo as well as others elsewhere have always known that they will have an afterlife determined and governed by your kind. What do you think will happen if that suddenly goes away??

Shikieki looked over at Komachi, who was asleep by now. If what Mr. LeRoi is saying is true then the area around the Sanzu River would have been first to be affected. This was likely to be the reason why Komachi, who makes regular trips across the Sanzu River, would be among the first to fall victim to it.

?As you may already know, but perhaps you?re reluctant to admit it, your subordinates are not well suited to operating in the world of the dead in its natural chaotic state.? Michael explained. ?That is why I come here as a necessary specialist.?

?I suppose you need my permission to conduct your investigation.? Shikieki said.

?Exactly? Michael replied. ?You?re probably aware of the fact that I have no authority here under normal circumstances.?

?Fair enough, I suppose I don?t really have any alternatives given the circumstances. I have things arranged as soon as possible then.? Shikieki said.

Shikieki opened a drawer, took out a couple scrolls, and laid them on her desk.

?By the way, if the problem is from Gensokyo then why didn?t you choose to go there yourself?? She asked.

?How many people in Gensokyo do you think are accustomed to having an African man around?? Michael said, smiling slightly. ?I decided send someone of partly Asian descent instead, so he?ll have an easier time interacting with the locals.?


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Spoiler:

You've probably already noticed, but at the end I've squeezed in my excuse for why I'm not having Michael wandering around in Gensokyo.
Looking back I probably could have come up with a better reason, but I think this will suffice.

[Esifex]

That's actually a very clever handwave. I like it.

[Paul Debrion]

?You?re not going to smoke when I?m around!? Wriggle exclaimed in a rather irritated tone.

?Why?? Petrarch asked.

?I hate the smell of tobacco.? Wriggle said.

Wriggle glared at Petrarch causing him to pause for a moment while he realized his error in judgment.

?Sorry, I forgot.? Petrarch said as he put away his pipe.

Petrarch had nearly forgotten that tobacco is a natural pesticide. While it surely wouldn?t be enough to be harmful, as an insect youkai Wriggle would have found the smell especially irritating. Perhaps she would have also been offended that a human would be use a substance that is poison to insects for recreational purposes.

?Are you sure you can?t fly?? Wriggle asked again.

?I never learned how.? Petrarch said jokingly.

Wriggle was beginning to become frustrated at the slow pace they were going. She wasn?t accustomed to travelling with people who can?t fly. Come to think of it she rarely traveled any significant distance with a human at all.

Through a gap in the trees they could see a column of smoke rising in the distance.

?Do you know where that smoke is coming from?? Petrarch asked.

?It looks like it?s coming from the Forest of Magic.? Wriggle explained.

?Is it on the way?? Petrarch asked.

?Yes.? Wriggle replied.

Petrarch stopped thought for a moment. Perhaps there was a way they could at least cover that distance easily.

?Why did you stop?? Wriggle asked.

?Where there is smoke, there is fire. I think I know of a little trick that will speed things up a bit? Petrarch said. ?Help me gather a bit of firewood.?

Wriggle had no idea what he could possibly have in mind, but if Petrarch was going to work some magic she definitely wanted to see it. He hadn?t done anything remarkable since they started this little trip to demonstrate that he was anything more than an ordinary human. They gathered together a few branches into what was little more than a pile of sticks. Petrarch explained that they wouldn?t be there to put it out so there shouldn?t be too much fuel.

?Ok, now for the interesting part.? Petrarch said.

He seemed to pull a strange object out of nowhere. It appeared to be a rattle of some kind consisting of a human skull at the end of a short rod. He pointed the face of the skull at the pile of sticks. Suddenly it shot out a ball of fire that ignited the wood. The ?skull rattle? disappeared from his hand almost as suddenly as it appeared.

?I?ll be heading rather quickly to wherever that smoke is coming from.? Petrarch explained. ?Try to keep up.?

At this point Wriggle was still somewhat confused.

?How will you?? Wriggle said.

Before she could finish Petrarch picked up his attach? case and stepped into the small fire. Seemingly unharmed, he muttered a few words and immediately burst into flame and disappeared. In his place a fireball appeared that floated up a short distance into the air and hurtled towards the source of the smoke in the distance. Wriggle immediately gave chase.

This fireball that Wriggle assumed to be Petrarch in some form was travelling very quickly and she could only just barely keep up with it. She wondered whether anyone would see them at this altitude and whether anyone would wonder why she was following some mysterious ball of flame.

As they came closer to the source of the smoke, the forest opened up into a small clearing, which revealed the source of the smoke. It was a decently sized two story house that was covered in vines and had what appeared to be a garden of mushrooms in front of it. An unusual amount of smoke was pouring from its chimney. Wriggle came to a landing nearby and watched as the fireball flew slightly past the chimney, did a small loop, and flew straight down through it.

Wriggle didn?t know whether to laugh or to be concerned, as this turn of events may or may not turn out well for either of them. This was the house of the eccentric magician known as Marisa Kirisame, and who knows how she would react to a stranger suddenly appearing at her fireplace.

She thought she could already hear shouting from inside the house, though she couldn?t understand a word of what was said. No doubt Petrarch had just arrived. Wriggle slowly and cautiously approached the front door the house. She instinctively disbanded the small group of light emitting fireflies that usually followed her so she wouldn?t be easily spotted, though in all honesty she didn?t know what she was trying to hide from. She hesitated for a bit, and then knocked on the front door.


__________

[Paul Debrion]

Ok, to explain why this hasn't been updated in quite a while, I'm stuck.

To go into a bit more detail than that, just about every way I think I can proceed with the story doesn't seem like it will turn out as well as I want it to.

The root of the problem seems to be that I'm not accustomed to working with this kind of source material.

You may have noticed that my writing seems rather dry and dull so far. Normally I would rely on providing constant intrigue and thought provoking ideas to compensate for this. To put it bluntly, I keep your brain working so you won't notice that I can't make my words pretty. Usually this approach works for me, I'm good enough at making things unusual and interesting enough to keep it going.

Unfortunately, I'm finding that this approach doesn't work as well in a fantasy setting like Touhou. I'm finding that Touhou's kind of "suspension of disbelief" makes a lot of things seem less interesting.

In fact, the whole reason I brought in the Shadowman crossover to begin with was to provide some seriousness and depth to the story that I could utilize later, but unfortunately that fell flat on its face as the crossover doesn't fit well enough to be used that way. Needless to say I didn't think this through as well as I should have.



In short, I'm going to have to put this on hold for now. I might come back to it later if I can figure out a way to make it work, but right now I'm not sure how I'd be able to continue and keep it as interesting as I would want it to be.



Anyway, if there was anyone following this, I really appreciate that you were interested in this attempt at a story.

[Esifex]

Heeeey, don't give up. :C

A few of my stories are flopping about like fish out of water, so I know what you're going through. If you have another project in the works, though, that usually helps. Go back and forth.

In fact, my current crossover story is such a side-project; I have an attempt at a silly story in hiatus while I do LhB, but I think it's about to be the other way around. Either way, I'm terrible at silly stories. ...might end up sending that plot to someone else to do...