As she neared Marisa's house, Reimu came across someone else in the forest. It wasn't a mysterious black-clothed person, however. In fact, the person looked very familiar to the shrine maiden, even though her back was turned. Reimu wouldn't even have needed to see the sphere of ghostly light floating around the green-clad girl to recognize her as Youmu Konpaku, a half-phantom gardener in service to none other than Lady Yuyuko Saigyouji, Princess of the Netherworld herself.
Reimu spotted the half-ghost gardener, and called out to her.
"Heeeeeeeey Youmu! What are you doing out here?"
Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!Youmu turned at the sound of Reimu's voice. Miss Hakurei. I was on my way to see you when my suspicions were aroused by an unknown individual whom I spotted skulking around. The reason Milady Yuyuko has sent me out from Hakugyokurou, you see, is because of the unusual fluctuations in the Border, and I thought that someone who looked so suspicious must surely know about something suspicious like that. You do know about the fluctuations, correct? I certainly hope that this Incident wasn't simply caused by you neglecting the rituals. Even you should know better than that.
edited 14th Feb '11 6:35:16 PM by Zudak
Ecthel finally stood up, and he started to say to Shiori, "Those gaps... Why do they keep appearing? What is inside those things? I don't want to get trapped in darkness..."
Ecthel looked everywhere to find something amiss, and he sat down again.
edited 14th Feb '11 7:12:52 PM by AttObl
Shutdown sequence initiated.Reimu waved her hand dismissively. Youmu could be so overly serious at times...
Of course I do my rituals. But you say you saw a mysterious figure? Someone was causing trouble among the fairies, and that person was wearing black as well...
Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!The shadowy figure had to move very slowly, and very carefully. Several of its enemies were just beyond the grove of trees, it couldn't just go charging by....
Of course, it could perhaps just be glimpsed beyond the trees.
-
"The gaps in the barrier?" Shiori questioned, without lowering her violin. "They are to the outside world, I'd assume. And no one wants to go out there, there's not enough music. At least for me."
She continued to play, and then she paused briefly. "Something discordanant..."
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."Reimu, who wasn't really paying attention to Youmu, noticed movement in the bushes behind her.
There it is! Get it!
Reimu flew past Youmu, grasping for a Sealing Spell Card.
Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!The figure froze. Then, wordlessly, it flourished it's cloak, and suddenly a wave of paper shot from beneath its shadowy shape.
-
"Yes... Something discordant is happening..." Shiori lowered her violin, looking mildly upset. "I don't like when something interrupts the melody, it's quite annoying."
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."Meanwhile, the fairy had finished leading Mystia to her fellows.
c/ "Fairies dancing in the light~
Night bird, night song~ The Night Sparrow idol has arrived!" c/
Reimu grasped a fistful of amulets, and neutralized the ones sent towards her.
Be careful not to let them touch you! They paralyse!
The red-white Miko started charging up a more powerful spell.
Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!Shiori nodded, and bowed. "Good luck to you as well."
With that, the music Youkai lifted off of the ground and drifted into the forest.
-
The fairies looked around in excited confusion. They had no idea what was going on, and a few of them were nervous from the random cloaked figure's attack.
"Mystia here came along to help us beat up that cloaked person if they come back!" the fairy Mystia had followed announced.
-
The cloaked figure's cloak blew back and fluttered in a nonexistent wind, as a spell card of its own hovered in front of it.
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."Ecthel watched as Shiori, the music Youkai, flew off. Ecthel was alone, but he isn't scared or anything, just... Alone. Ecthel sat down, and he is still looking at the sights. Ecthel was getting calmer thanks to the fact that he listened to Shiori's music.
edited 16th Feb '11 5:35:05 PM by AttObl
Shutdown sequence initiated.The dark figure's spell card glowed, and then split open horizontally. The split, a glowing beam of energy, stretched sideways until it became a vast, thin line of energy. Then it swung open, one part shooting upwards and the other downwards, leaving a crackling field of transparent, blue energy in front of the figure. Energy began to build up all over the field.
Each of these buildups fired a hail of danmaku, and the buildup twisted these danmaku into complex patterns.
-
Shiori continued to make her way through the forest in a highly calm, placid manner. At least until she heard the sound of danmaku being fired. Her drifting sped up considerably at that.
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."Youmu focused, and the world around her seemed to slow to a crawl. To Reimu and Patchouli, she appeared to blur and vanish — she was moving far too fast to be seen. Youmu began taking measured steps to the left and right to dodge the danmaku. Hopefully she could keep this up until the spellcard timed out — maintaining such a high level of speed was tiring.
Ecthel was sitting down, in a good mood. All of a sudden, he started to hear some faint sounds of something... It might the sound of danmaku, but it could potentially be something else. Ecthel quickly stood up, since sitting down would make him a sitting duck if a threat is near his vicinity. Ecthel spotted no threats to him nearby, but he was alone. All he could do is to prepare himself just in case if someone is going to fight him, so he gets out his sword.
Shutdown sequence initiated.

Ecthel was done speaking to Shiori, and he continued to listen to Shiori's music. Ecthel looked around his surroundings just in case if something is amiss. There was supposed to be a problem concerning about a strange gap, after all, along with the mysterious person in dark clothing.
Shutdown sequence initiated.