Rumia Quest VI: Succession [Complete]

[Raikaria]

>Okay, now how's that make us feel?

> Hearing the word Yakumo makes your blood boil, but, you don't know what a Shikigami is, and you doubt the kitsune is exactly a blood relative.

[Hanzo K.]

>"....What exactly is, a 'Shikigami'?"

[Raikaria]

>"....What exactly is, a 'Shikigami'?"

> "We are creatures that have agreed to serve under the whims of a powerful magician, and do their every whim. In exchange, we are granted power. It is like a familiar, except we are not summoned and forced, we submit of our own accord, and the relationship is symbiotic. I am powerful enough in my own right to have a Shikigami of my own, and to have a Shikigami, you must be many times stronger than the Shikigami is." Ran explains.

> "So imagine, to have a kitsune as a shikigami, how powerful Yukari Yakumo was."

[Hanzo K.]

>That's....Wow. To think that our mom was able to bring one under her control. Gotta give credit where credit's due I guess.

[Raikaria]

>That's....Wow. To think that our mom was able to bring one under her control. Gotta give credit where credit's due I guess.

> Inside you note that maybe messing with your mother isn't such a good idea.

> "Keine, I believe it is a good time to break the news to the humans. I highly doubt Aya will hold herself back much longer anyway, and it is better that you break the news, then have the Tengu break it, and you accused of hiding things." Ran says, in a way that sounds like advise in words, but in tone sounds like a command.

> "Now then, Maribel Hearn, would you like to hear why Yukari left you, right from the mouth of her direct follower?" Ran says. This tone indicates it is a legitimate invitation, not the same tone she used with Keine just then.

[Hanzo K.]

>"...As much as I don't like her, I won't get to the bottom of things and get back home otherwise..."

[Raikaria]

>"...As much as I don't like her, I won't get to the bottom of things and get back home otherwise..."

> Ran puts her hands together, as if praying, and then releases them.

> You feel a shift in the boundries.

> "Look towards the horizon... with your boundary vision." Ran says.

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's do so.

[Raikaria]

>Let's do so.

> You do so, and suddenly, the horizon vanishes, and there is a gigantic border, like a dome, creating an area miles in size.

> "The Great Hakurei Barrier, the border between Dreams and Reality, and inside the border, is Gensokyo, where things that have faded into legend and myth, like youkai, go... to avoid fadeing away, as magic that sustains us dwindles due to a lack of belief on the outside, or persecution at the hands of humans outside."

[Hanzo K.]

>"With how she behaved, it's no surprise."

[Raikaria]

>"With how she behaved, it's no surprise."

> "Humans dislike anything strange. When confronted with something they do not understand, their reaction is generally violent. Look at human history of meeting other civilizations, even of humans. The outcome, more often than not, was war. Even today, people do not understand each other, and there are still wars between humans and humans. Now imagine that hatred, tenfold. That is what happens to Youkai." Ran explains. "While the most powerful youkai can kill a human without a second thought, due to the faith in magic dwindling, even they become weak to the extent that a large effort by humans could kill them."

> Ran pauses.

> "As such, to protect youkai from extinction, the Great Hakurei Barrier was formed, and maintained, by Yukari Yakumo. If she stayed on the other side of the border, she would have died from her loss of connection to magic, or her nature being found out. Even if those two circumstances did not happen, Gensokyo would crumble over time, and all youkai, and magical humans for that matter would die. Indeed, it is at the stage now, that if the barrier collapsed, everyone within Gensokyo would die."

> "In short, Yukari left you to save the lives of everyone in Gensokyo." Ran says. "However, she never abandoned you. Who do you think gave you your dreams of this land? Who do you think was behind all the little unexplained things that happened to you? How do you think I know your full name? What Yukari did is no different to a father that works abroad."

[Hanzo K.]

>Little unexplained things? Is she referring to the Torifune incident, and the Izanagi Objects?

[Raikaria]

>Little unexplained things? Is she referring to the Torifune incident, and the Izanagi Objects?

> Probably both, and probobly other little things that you found odd, little things that you wrote off as good fortune, such as when you got your much-loved hat as an anonymous gift.

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's take our hat off and get a good look at it. "...People said that it looks just like hers. So does that mean she gave me this..?"

[Raikaria]

>Let's take our hat off and get a good look at it. "...People said that it looks just like hers. So does that mean she gave me this..?"

> You look carefully at it.

> You note the tag's brand.

> Yakumo. You never paid attention to that, yet today, it stands out like a sore thumb.

> "Yes. Yukari knew you'd like it."

[Hanzo K.]

>Well, this is definitely a surprise. But how's this make us feel?

[Raikaria]

>Well, this is definitely a surprise. But how's this make us feel?

> To put it in a way less in character, if Kogasa was here and told you that, she'd be squeeing.

> That and you're confused. It seems Yukari was there for you, she just... had to protect her own home too.

[Hanzo K.]

>"...So...She really was there..."
>It's kinda like those kids we knew about who had a parent away with work almost all the time.
>"...Wouldn't have killed her to visit though..."

[Raikaria]

>"...So...She really was there..."
>It's kinda like those kids we knew about who had a parent away with work almost all the time.
>"...Wouldn't have killed her to visit though..."

> "Think about it. If she visited, you would have grown attached to her, and wanted to go with her. Until the last few years, through the actions of a few, such as a monk, Keine, a miko, and Rumia and her allies, Gensokyo was far from a safe place for humans. Youkai preyed on humans, like the old days outside. If you came with here with Yukari before these days, you would have become a tasty morsel for some youkai."

> Ran pauses.

> "Either that, or she has to leave, and break your heart, and her own. She cannot break a bond that never existed, that was her opinion. The pain of her death is less when there was no bond to be broken, no?" Ran says.

[Hanzo K.]

>"...But would it have been any more painful? Do you know what my mind's like right now..?"

[Raikaria]

>"...But would it have been any more painful? Do you know what my mind's like right now..?"

> "Have you ever lost anybody you have been close to?" Ran asks. "I know. I was with Yukari, every day. Her death caused untold pain onto me. I still cannot sleep, I still cry at night, even with her going me some of her power to manipulate boundaries before she passed, I cannot ease the pain of the loss."

> "You are confused, and it hurts, but the pain of losing someone you loved is multiple times worse." the kitsune says.

[Hanzo K.]

>"...Looks like we both have a lot of thinking to do.."

[Raikaria]

>"...Looks like we both have a lot of thinking to do.."

> "Yes, so you understand better now?" Ran says.

> Suddenly, a miko in red and white shows up, holding talismans in one hand, a gohei in another, and with two ying-yang orbs, for lack of a better description, floating around her. She gives off an aura of power, yet, unlike the youkai, doesn't give you a feeling of unease.


The maiden looks around, floating just off the ground.

> "So, who's the problem here, and why does Yukari look like she halved her age?" she says.

> Keine's jaw drops.

> "Ran showed up and handled Mokou, who got angry and attacked this girl. By the way, she's not Yukari. I'm not sure how you of all people don't know, but Yukari died a couple of days ago. This is her daughter."

> The miko laughs.

> "You're kidding. That's impossible. Is it April 1st already?"

> "No, it's May, Reimu." Keine says.

> "You're still kidding. You have to be."

> "If she was kidding I would have corrected her." Ran says.

> Reimu keeps chuckling, and mentioning it's impossible.

[Hanzo K.]

>"....As mad as I am at 'That Woman', it's the truth.."

[Raikaria]

>"....As mad as I am at 'That Woman', it's the truth.."

> "Oh god this is too funny. Come out now Yukari, real funny." Reimu says. "I know you always were age-conscious but this is taking it too far."

> Keine sighs.

> "She's in denial."

> "Yep." Renko says.

> "Figures, she was Yukari's closest living friend, and Yukari was probobly her best friend, besides Marisa." Ran says.

[Hanzo K.]

>Look to Renko. "...Please tell me I wasn't like that when I found out."
>We've been to that place 'she' was at, so we should be able to open up a path for her to see for herself, right?

[Raikaria]

>Look to Renko. "...Please tell me I wasn't like that when I found out."
>We've been to that place 'she' was at, so we should be able to open up a path for her to see for herself, right?

> "No, you went mad and started beating on her instead." Renko says.

> You doubt it, the seal was very powerful, and even then, you're too far away. You wouldn't want to damage the barrier between the land of the dead and the living. That could end with something like a zombie apocalypse or something.

> Suddenly, you see a massive power in the air, one that commands authority and attention. You turn to the direction, and see a newcomer. You note everyone does, including Ran, and even Mokou.



> "If you do not belive even the Shikigami, belive the Yama, who cannot lie. Yukari Yakumo is dead." the newcomer says.

> Reimu falls to her knees.

> "If even the Yama is saying so..." she says.

> "Y-Yama?!" Renko exclaims.

> "I am here to invite you to my reading, at the Myouren Temple, due to happen shortly, to close Yukari's life." the 'yama' says. "I apologise for the short notice, but I have had other pressing matters to attend to."

[Hanzo K.]

>Aren't the Yama supposed to be angry old men or something..?

[Raikaria]

>Aren't the Yama supposed to be angry old men or something..?

> Evidently not.

[Hanzo K.]

>Well, this has definitely been one hell of a day, hasn't it? Nobody back home's had a day like this, that's for sure.
>Come to think of it though, how'd we end up meeting Renko? Could 'she' have somehow been behind it too...?