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1A completed WebSerialNovel which follows [[AlternateUniverseFic alternate versions]] of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' characters in a MagicalGirlWarrior story. Better than it sounds, with well-expressed characters and creative reinterpretations of {{Canon}} and {{Fanon}} elements. Can be read [[http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,6913.0.html here]], with [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7082391/1/Dolphin_Rider_Koishi a less complete version]] readable on Website/FanFictionDotNet. Finally completed on 24 November 2013 after three long years.
2
3In the coastal Japanese city of Gensouto, OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Koishi Komeiji has been living alone for the last few months (apart from her pet cat and raven) since her sister Satori vanished without a trace. Bullied and lonely, when she hears a rumour about an abandoned shrine that grants wishes, she begs for someone strong and brave to look after her. Instead a [[MineralMacGuffin strange jewel]] materialises out of thin air, and she's attacked by FishPeople only to be saved by a talking dolphin. The dolphin tells Koishi to squeeze the jewel, and she defeats the fishmen by transforming into the [[MagicalGirl "Siren"]] Dolphin Rider Koishi. Back at her apartment the now-human dolphin explains that she is a youkai, and a junior member of a human-protecting organisation called the Order of the White Pearl. Koishi and the dolphin (named Sango) must find the remaining six Sirens before the White Pearl's enemies, the Children of the Black Claw, can use their powers for evil.
4
5Along the way Koishi ends up as a sort of WarriorTherapist, recruiting Sirens and curing MonstersOfTheWeek by forcing them to confront their psychological issues.
6
7'''Spoilers are partially unmarked. Readers beware.'''
8
9See ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' for tropes carried over from canon, and the [[Characters/DolphinRiderKoishi character sheet]] for character-specific tropes.
10
11----
12!!Tropes in ''Dolphin Rider Koishi'' include:
13
14* ActuallyNotAVampire: Remilia and Flandre actually suffer from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeroderma_pigmentosum Xeroderma pigmentosum]], though Remilia pretends to be a vampire as a coping mechanism ([[IJustWantToBeNormal Flandre does not]]).
15* AdaptationalVillainy: Rinnosuke Morichika goes from eccentric shopkeeper to [[TheDon ruthless mob boss]]. Also [[OriginalCharacter Jozu]], who was far more timid in the (unrelated) fic she debuted in.
16* AdaptationDyeJob: Being an UrbanFantasy setting, most characters have more mundane hair colours than they did in the source material, [[PowerDyesYourHair except when they're using magic]]. The first sign of Koishi's magical potential is that she can catch glimpses of characters' "magic hair".
17* ADayInTheLimelight: While most of the Windows and PC-98 cast appear to exist in some form, the protagonist is Koishi, who has never been a playable character (in the main games, at least). Reimu only appears as a minor character, and Marisa has only been mentioned in a single line of throwaway dialogue.
18%%* AlternateUniverseFic
19* ArtificialGill: The "Rings of Breath".
20* AuthorAppeal: The writer is rather fond of the aquatic.
21** And swimsuits. Lots and lots of swimsuits.
22* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: This is essentially Koishi's power. [[spoiler: Ironically, she undergoes a more literal example while BrainwashedAndCrazy]]
23* BloodyMurder[=/=]CastFromHitPoints: The latent powers of [[spoiler:the Scarlet family.]]
24* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Characters affected by the Mindcoils.[[spoiler: These included Cirno, Tewi, Eiki, Yuyuko, and Koishi herself]]
25* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Each of the Sirens must recite a unique poem to transform.
26%%* CallingYourAttacks
27%%* CardSharp: Sakuya and Tewi.
28%%* TheChosenOne: The Sirens.
29* ComboPlatterPowers: The Sirens, who unlock their own latent powers in addition to gaining MagicalGirl powers. In order:
30** Koishi: Invoking BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind [[spoiler: and subconscious manipulation, MakingASplash]]
31** Siren#2 [[spoiler:Mokou: Resurrection, PlayingWithFire]]
32** Siren#3 [[spoiler:Sakuya: TimeStandsStill, CardSharp]]
33** Siren#4 [[spoiler:Komachi: SpaceMaster, BFG]]
34** Siren#5 [[spoiler:Youmu: DopplegangerAttack, SwordBeam]]
35** Siren#6 [[spoiler:Nazrin/Shou: PowersAsPrograms, PowerArmor]]
36** Siren#7 [[spoiler:Satori: {{Telepathy}}, ShockAndAwe]]
37* DistantFinale: As a result of [[spoiler:Koishi being in a coma for two years after the final battle.]]
38* EpiphanyTherapy: Most characters have some kind of psychological issue they must overcome before they can use their powers or be cured of a [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Mindcoil]].
39* EverybodyHatesMathematics
40* EveryoneIsASuper: Everyone ''[[HereThereWereDragons was]]'' a super. See HeroicSacrifice.
41* FantasticFightingStyle: Flowing Tide (a soft style used by the White Pearl), and Crashing Wave (a hard style used by the Black Claw).
42* GlamourFailure: Most youkai [[LittleBitBeastly retain some traits of their animal selves in human form]], such as Sango's dorsal fin, which they must hide by conventional means. [[spoiler: Upon death, these are the first features to fade away.]]
43* GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: Koishi gets some glasses which [[PowerLimiter block her ability to see the magic world]]. Later she upgrades to contacts which can be turned off at will. [[spoiler: Nazrin's Ghost Rat Protocol grants her a visor with a HeadsUpDisplay]]
44* HereThereWereDragons
45* HeroicSacrifice: In the backstory, [[SealedEvilInACan sealing The Ravager]] required the human race to [[HereThereWereDragons sacrifice its knowledge of magic]], and Yukari Yakumo to sacrifice her life.
46* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The Ravager was created by the Kappa to defeat the humans in the war, and succeeded with flying colors. Then it started attacking youkai, and nearly caused the extinction of life on Earth, because [[BloodKnight it just liked killing.]]
47* HowDoIShotWeb: [[spoiler:Sakuya and Komachi]] (and possibly Koishi) were initially using their powers subconsciously, unaware that they had them.
48* HumansAreAverage: Humans' magic powers are generally weaker than those of youkai, but far more varied.
49* HumansAreFlawed, [[HumansAreBastards if not Bastards]]: The Black Claw believe firmly in the latter, and not even everyone in the Pearl is especially keen on humans. Koishi believes in the former, with the added clause that "flawed" does not mean "evil." [[spoiler: This is also a big reason behind Satori's FaceHeelTurn.]]
50* IfJesusThenAliens: After running into so many youkai, Koishi immediately believes Remilia when she claims to be a vampire. [[ActuallyNotAVampire Sango has to inform her that vampires don't exist.]]
51* InTheNameOfTheMoon: The Sirens tend to do this involuntarily while transformed, much to their confusion.
52* InvisibleToNormals: Everyone has a "magical appearance" which most people can't see.
53* IRejectYourReality: Multiple characters have this issue.
54* IsItSomethingYouEat: "...What's a haiku? Sounds like a nice topping to me."
55* KarmaHoudini: Rinnosuke literally gets away with murder, by [[EveryManHasHisPrice bribing]] or discrediting everyone connected to any charge brought against him. He's not a VillainWithGoodPublicity; everyone knows he's TheDon, they just can't do anything about it. [[spoiler: until he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlives his usefulness and is shot]]]]
56* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Curing [[BrainwashedAndCrazy the victim of a Mindcoil]] leaves them with only a general recollection of their actions, erasing any information on magic. [[spoiler:Seeing the Sirens fight the rebellious youkai in the zoo jogs their memory, though, as we see with Cirno and Yuyuko.]] The White Pearl can also create this effect on purpose.
57* LightHairedSwimmer: Koishi and Sango are the characters who spend the most time in water, and both have silver hair [[LockedIntoStrangeness at all times]].
58* MagicalGirlWarrior: Every Siren.
59* TheMasquerade: Maintained in order to [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters prevent humans from destroying themselves through magical warfare]]. [[spoiler:Became in danger of being broken due to the zoo incident, and [[TheUnmasquedWorld completely destroyed]] in the finale.]]
60* MineralMacGuffin: The Tidal Teardrops.
61* MonsterOfTheWeek: Humans who have been brainwashed by the Black Claw, and given "Black Keys" ([[Franchise/{{Nasuverse}} not that kind]]) which let them transform into a OneWingedAngel.
62* {{Mooks}}: The [[FishPeople fishmen]] who explode into fish when killed.
63* MundaneUtility:
64** [[TimeStandsStill Stopping time]] is quite useful [[CardSharp when gambling]].
65** [[spoiler:Sakuya's also apparently been using to JumpScare Youmu at her dojo. It eventually lost its effect.]]
66* NearDeathExperience: Can partially awaken a person's latent magic powers. Koishi had one of these in her backstory, with the side effects of closing her third eye ([[RePower causing her powers to mutate]]) and [[LockedIntoStrangeness turning her hair silver]]. [[spoiler:Apparently, this is how she and Yukari were able to meet in the Boundary.]]
67** [[spoiler:She has another one when she shields Satori from Leviathan's attack after their fight. And just like last time, she meets Yukari again, although she has since forgotten their first encounter.]]
68* NextEpisodePreview[=/=]{{Omake}}: Faithfully recreated from its MagicalGirl anime inspirations.
69* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Several of the cast.
70* OriginalCharacter: Sango Tororetsu and Jozu Manou, dolphin and shark youkai respectively, both of whom debuted in non-AU fic by the same author (though Jozu's personality is quite different).
71* PhantomZone: Watery ones are used by magic-users for duels.
72* PlayboyBunny: Koishi and her allies are forced to dress up like this to infiltrate a casino.
73* PotHole: Freqently used to link to pictures, [[VirtualSoundtrack background music]] or trope pages.
74* PowerDyesYourHair: To the color it had in canon; and even if this trope isn't currently in effect, odds are the girl(s) in question will still have artificial highlights.
75* PrecisionFStrike: [[spoiler: When Komachi frees Ran from Mamizou's seal]]
76* RankInflation: Nitori has a confusing set of power ranks for magic-users which includes "B", "S+" and "XS+++".
77* TheReveal: A few pretty big ones: [[spoiler:The Masked Woman being Satori, Iku being Leviathan, Aptera needing magical power from either humans or youkai...]]
78* RousseauWasRight: Koishi believes that humans ''aren't'' monsters, but rather that circumstances beyond their control sometimes drive them to do terrible things. The story goes to great lengths to illustrate that idea, and [[spoiler:the finale, which has humans and youkai living peacefully again, further drives her point home.]]
79* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:The blade Aptera was created by Yukari to destroy the Ravager, but requires an entire race's worth of magic to use. Draining either the magic of all humans or all youkai would seemingly lead to disaster in either case. Koishi works out how to TakeAThirdOption.]]
80* SingleIssuePsychology: Played straight by most characters, though Sakuya has at least two unrelated issues.
81* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Ultimately leans towards idealistic. See RousseauWasRight above.
82* SoulJar: [[spoiler:Teardrops can act like them, as in the case of Shou.]]
83* SuperpowerfulGenetics: All humans have latent magic powers which can be guessed from their heritage.
84* TakeAThirdOption: When someone is Mindcoiled, normally the choice is to leave them BrainwashedAndCrazy or [[MercyKill kill them]]. Koishi instead chooses to engage in a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind to destroy the Mindcoil. [[spoiler:Though Nitori believes that attempting this on the wrong person could get Koishi killed.]]
85** [[spoiler:Powering Aptera without draining an entire race of magic... by using the {{Masquerade}} instead.]]
86* ThereAreNoTherapists: Iku, the school nurse, sort of acts as one, but there are no actual therapists in story. [[spoiler:All things considered, you probably wouldn't want her as a therapist, anyway.]]
87* [[spoiler:TheUnmasquedWorld: The result of using the masquerade to power Aptera.]]
88* UnPaused: When Ran visits the Komeiji house to warn of [[spoiler:Mamizou's attack on the zoo]], Sango, thinking her to be malicious, runs up to attack her, leading Ran to put a stasis field around her so she can talk to Koishi peacefully. Once she leaves, she gets rid of the field, causing Sango to hit nothing and run face-first into a wall.
89* UtilityMagic: Exists, but isn't used much.
90-->"Koishi-san, let me get this straight. You humans have invented a system that lets you cut spare keys to any door. No fuss, no pizazz, no evidence. You’re telling me that you’d rather I had to go through a lockpicking charm every time I wanted to get in here after hours? Jeez, and you say that I’m crazy."
91* VillainousBreakdown: Pretty much all of the Mindcoil victims when they're about to be defeated. [[spoiler:The Ravager as well, once the Sirens start doing to real damage to it.]]
92* VirtualSoundtrack: Used for {{Transformation Sequence}}s or battles, and Rinnosuke's trial.
93* WalkingTheEarth[=/=]AndTheAdventureContinues: [[spoiler:During the finale, Koishi and Sango decide to travel the world and do good while their friends take care of things in Gensokyo.]]
94* WaterIsAir: "And of course, all of this fire was being lit underwater. Sometimes Koishi wished magic could at least make the tiniest bit of sense."
95%%** HeroesPreferSwords: [[spoiler: Satori, Koishi's [[MidSeasonUpgrade Ocean Princess form]]]]
96%%** BareFistedMonk: [[spoiler:Mokou]]
97%%** DeathDealer: [[spoiler:Sakuya]]
98%%** HandCannon: [[spoiler:Komachi]]
99%%** [[spoiler:DualWielding: Youmu, Nazrin]]
100%%* WebSerialNovel
101* WeNeedADistraction: [[spoiler: During the fight between Nazrin, Mamizou, and Komachi, Nazrin was the distraction]]
102* WeirdnessCensor: See HeroicSacrifice.
103-->"And what's life like in the real world? Well, imagine [[EveryoneIsASuper everyone you ever knew had some sort of superpower or magical ability]]. Everyone in your class is some sort of {{magical girl}}, and they all look like it as well - crazy hair, [[TechnicolorEyes weird eye colours]], and in your case [[ThirdEye an extra eye on top of the two you've already got]]. But again, no-one realises it, so all of that magic just goes to waste."
104* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Rinnosuke]]

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