[CANCELLED] Article of Misfortune

The sky in eastern Kyoto was a starry one this night. You could see the twinkling of stars showcase themselves, while if you are lucky, may even catch the sight of a shooting star. The moon was waning on this night, as most things would do the same in the wilderness. Maribel and Renko came from the rear view of Kiyomizu-deru, uncertain of what awaits them on this journey.

"Are you sure that you want to do this, Merry? I know you are slightly worried that this could turn into another TORIFUNE incident."

Renko stood next to her best friend, eyeing her carefully. She knew Maribel was thinking and acting much more sensibly since the incident at the TORIFUNE Ruins, but it still somewhat haunts her memory, whether she wishes to validate this or not.

"I am sure, Renko. This time, nothing bad should happen to us! Besides, I have a feeling that once we enter this mysterious world again, it will only be a matter of time before we find Ama no Iwato!"

Maribel giggled, fixing her bonnet as she began to take several more steps toward the temple, socializing with Renko once more.

"Did you know that this entire structure was created without a single nail?"

The physics major looked curiously toward Maribel.

"I am surprised that a structure like this could hold up this long without them."

Maribel nodded, before they both walked toward the back entrance, walking inside the temple. The screen doors creaked with a kiss of ancient memories. Both of them leaned their heads up, looking all around at what was inside. Although there was quite a lot of pollen, dust and the like in the temple, everything looked rather untouched. Maribel turned on one of the lamps, which allowed them to get a better image of everything around them. As she turned away from her friend momentarily, Renko looked at a table nearby her. There were two stones that had the same size and shape as one another. They both had the same shades of green and had an ancient charm for sure. Before Renko could say anything, it would seem as though Maribel would anticipate a response regarding these stones, as she would then begin to speak, looking over her friends shoulder.

"Both of those stones seem to be the same shape and size. Ah, I remember this little myth!"

"Myth?"

"They are called love stones, which lonely visitors could try to walk between with their eyes closed. Success in reaching the other stone with their eyes closed implies that the pilgrim will find love, or true love."

"Thankfully, we are hear for a adventure and not for a passionate love story."

"You should enjoy the smaller things in life some times, Renko. You may get enjoyment out of it."

Renko chuckled a bit before sticking her tongue out playfully, setting the stones back down where they were previously. Maribel walked down a main hall, looking to each side, as it was decorated with all kinds of art that seemed to depict Jishu Shrine and Ōkuninushi himself, who was a god of love and "good matches." She touched one of the paintings, feeling as though past time when through her fingers. The paintings were gorgeous indeed, and she envied the individuals talent. While she admired such a sight, Renko decided to be a bit more adventurous. While Maribel went away, Renko walked around in a circle for a moment, taking in the presence of this ancient structure. Curiosity peaked her when she saw a door several feet away from her that was in a corner of a different hall. Renko went the opposite way Maribel did, and opened the door slowly. The room seemed to be someones chambers that resembled a higher authority. The layers of dust could be seen on the bedding, the carpeting, mirror tables and everything else in sight. Two mirrors were on each side of the room, and Renko sat on the ledge of the bed, reflecting on both mirrors.

"How interesting that a structure as old as this, remains to be unseen by many within Kyoto? I do wonder why no one visits to tidy up the place."

Renko spoke to herself, before looking to her left and finding a keepsake box on the right side mirror table. The box was dangling cobwebs and layered with dust, while the lock on the box was so rusty that when Renko tried to open the box, the lock broke into two pieces. She opened the box gently, keeping her suspense held in. Within the box was multiple talismans and omikuji (paper fortunes) of all kinds. It felt like she found a treasure chest full of oddities and a big smile was on her face. Before she could react and figure out the meanings that were displayed on each talisman, Maribel yelled out to her.

"Hey Renko! Are you coming? I think the way to our opening is this way! You aren't leaving me behind are you?"

Sighing, she was in a tight spot uncertain of what to do. In the heat of the moment, she took all of the talismans and omikuji from the box, putting them in one of her skirt pockets, leaving the box on the bed, and running down the main hall Maribel went by. They were now both standing near a flight of stairs that lead downward to the Otowa Waterfall, where three channels of water fall into a pond. Maribel and Renko looked at each other for a moment, before they head down the stairs.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, Merry. Now, what were you telling me about the waterfall down here?"

Maribel smiled, as they both began to walk down the stairs together, taking a few minutes to chat amongst themselves.

"The is the Otowa Waterfall. It creates three channels of water that fall into one pond. It was said that visitors can catch and drink the water, and if they did, it would grant them wishes. I feel in this case, this unique area has a passageway to the world you and I always speak about it, Renny."

Renko thought to herself for a moment.

Could walking through a waterfall really lead to the world that she describes? What about this temple gives Maribel the certain feeling that it leads to the mysterious world? I do not have a reason to doubt her judgment, as she has proven me wrong time and time again, however, some of the time she makes remarks that have no solid ground, and later on when she is correct, it irks me that we were unable to figure out the beginning of a said situation, and only the end.

The two girls made their way down the rest of the stairs, opening another screen door, before listening to the sounds of water pour out into the pond. They were back outside again, this time, in a rock garden of some sort that has the Otowa Waterfall as the center piece. Maribel put her hand in the water, and shivered a bit.

"The water is cold, but our passion for finding these objects should warm our hearts. Would you agree with that statement, Renko?"

"I am following your lead and what you lead us to is at your own discretion. I dislike the feeling of cold water, however, if it leads us to whatever it is that you and I are searching for, then it was not a worthless cause."

They stood next to one another for a moment, admiring the sight of the waterfall. Maribel felt excitement course through her veins and it reminded her of how she felt when her and Renko were about to visit TORIFUNE. Renko cracked a bit of a smile, and Renko thought to herself for a moment.

"Maribel, I want you to know that no matter how I have ever felt in the past when it came to your visions, dreams and your nightmares becoming reality, I have always supported you and your claims. I did question as to what reality I should have let you believe at first, but now I am set. Do you remember when I said that outside of subjectivity, there is a believable objectivity? Well, there is an absolute truth that still lays in a dormant state. Our job is to find it. With that being said Merry, I am ready to go on this journey. Are you?"

Maribel turned to her best friend, her facial expression seeming rather shocked. She had a bit of a tear in her eye, and suddenly blinked, smiling widely as she nodded her head.

"Yes, Renko! I am ready to do this! For the fun of the Sealing Club, let's find Ama no Iwato and excavate some Izanagi Objects in the other world!"

Renko nodded, as they held each others hand. They walked into the water with one another, not letting the coldness of the water get the best of them. As they walked under the waterfall, the gap to the mysterious world began to open.

Maribel and Renko were floating within a boundary of some sort. There were many blurred and black and white openings, and you could see different things happening in some of them, while none in others. Maribel floated with Renko, moving her with her, as they pushed through one of rifts that were closest to them. As they pushed through, they would step on the ground with their feet, and land into Muenzuka, a graveyard for those without relatives in Gensokyo.

Although it's a small area enclosed by trees, this is one of the most dangerous place in Gensokyo for both the humans and youkai. Muenzuka is along the Road of Reconsideration, and a gate to the entrance could be seen from farther away. Maribel and Renko had stood right in the middle where tombstones and a large amount of purple cherry blossoms bloom. Renko and Maribel looked around at the environment, and then looked to one another, making sure to not step on any tombstone or burial marks.

"Where are we?"

"I am unsure, however, it is most certainly a graveyard."

Unsure of what to think, they stood in the center of Muenzuka momentarily, not causing a commotion for the time being, quietly speaking amongst one another for several minutes.

Renko leaned up against a purple cherry blossom tree nearby, uncertain of what they should do next. The sight of all of these tombstones and burial grounds made her feel at ease. The area was so silent and nothing but the flow of whispering winds touched this landscape it seemed. While Maribel was looking at her, speaking to her in regards to what this place could possibly be, she heard what seemed to be the sound of a camera going off. Maribel also stopped speaking and sensed the interruption, before being pulled by the arm from Renko unexpectedly.

"Watch out!"

Renko yelled out, as she pulled Maribel away, noticing someone jump out of a tree about a mile away from where they were, in the sky and onto the ground in the spot where Maribel used to stand. The girl that stood in front of Maribel and Renko had a pigtail hair style, brown eyes and a very odd way of dress, as opposed to how Maribel and Renko dress. Before the two could say anything to this person in regards to why they too were out in a place like this, they were given a question as to why they were out here.

"Why are two humans like us out here? It would seem as though you as well are a human."

Maribel spoke softly and intelligently. She moved Renko's grasp off her arm, and stood by her, keeping their distance from this person.

"We are from the Outside World, are you?"

Renko did not lose focus on this individual, taking in as many details as possible about them. They had what looked like a modern cell phone, with a camera piece on the back of it, with a yellow/dark yellow checker pattern, a heart on it, and a brush hanging from it like a charm. Maribel looked to Renko for a moment, before folding her hands in front of her, keeping herself civil.

"My friend here is correct. We are from the Outside World. I am able to see boundaries, and take my friend as well myself into different worlds. I am not able to explain how I see all of the boundaries, I just do. It would seem as though this world has many. We came through a passageway from the Outside World, and opened a rift in this world in order to make our way into where we are now."

Renko turned to Maribel and whispered quickly.

"Merry, why are we explaining all of this to someone we do not know? This could be a life or death situation."

"It is better to be honest and speak the truth, as opposed to spreading a lie and making things more stressful, Renko."

Renko went back to her normal position, although not satisfied with the answer Maribel gave her. Tilting her hat a bit, Renko would say one other question.

"You do seem human. Why do you relate to humans in a context?"

Maribel looked to Renko and nodded in a curious manner, looking back over to the person in question. They were worried but adventurous at the same time. Would their journey already end as fast as it started? The sky was tainted in red, the two unsure if it was night or day in this world. They stood patiently, keeping their calm and making sure to not create a scene.

Maribel and Renko seemed very deep in thought. The girl in front of her was not human, although she resembled one? Perhaps she is a doppelganger of someone from the past? Before they could respond to anything that she said, they noticed her reaction was in a bit of a shock state. Maribel asked her what was wrong but did not receive an answer to that. Instead, the girl in front of them said she had to leave and began to fly! The small tremor the girl created caused Maribel and Renko to become unbalanced on the ground.

"Gah! She can fly, and create tremors within the earth?"

"Merry, I believe it is just the force that she leaves with that allows her to create the tremors, due to the amount of strength she pushes into the earths atmosphere."

Maribel nodded, looking up into the sky as the girl they had encountered began to fly away. They both stared into the sky until she was out of view, and then looked to one another, unsure of what to say.

"Do you believe she may have been someone that could threaten our life?"

Renko asked, tilting her hat, as she moved off the tree and began walking through one of the columns of tombstones.

"Perhaps. If she wanted to harm us, however, she had the opportunity right then and there. I have a feeling she may be a enhanced human.."

"Enhanced human?"

"You know, a test subject of some sort that may have either escaped or has been left out which has abilities that no one else does. Although it has not been toyed with in our world as we know it, Renny, it is still plausible."

Renko narrowed her eyes, understanding her best friends point of view. Maribel sighed, as did Renko, while they both walked through the columns of tombstones together. They were still not sure where they were in this world and it gave them the feeling other people may have been watching them. The girls stood close to one another, going through the long columns of tombstones still. They could distinguish that this was indeed a graveyard, but it seemed ominous and eerie to them. Some of the purple cherry blossom trees rustled and made noise, while echoes of youkai screeched in the night. After about an hour of walking through these burial grounds, Maribel narrowed her eyes and could see a gate from afar.

"Look, Renko! There is a gate that leads out of this place! Perhaps we will find a new area to explore."

Renko stopped Maribel in her tracks before she could walk any further.

"Maribel, are you sure you want to continue? We already have encountered one individual, and we were both lucky that they were not hazard to us."

"Stop worrying so much, Renny. You are sometimes too analytical and paranoid about situations."

Maribel put a hand on her best friends shoulder.

"I know that you care about our well-being. However, we can not be afraid of what lies ahead of us. Take the example when you and I went to board the The Hiroshige. Do you remember how you told me not to worry about going under Mt. Fuji because it was considered a volcano? Although I was frightened and did not believe you, we made it out together. I know we can make it through this together."

Renko made a faint smile, nodding, as they both walked straightforward. Eventually they would make it to the gate, where the sky color was now in resemblance to an ordinary night time shade. Maribel and Renko were now on the Road of Reconsideration, although they did not know that themselves, nor did they know where they were beforehand. Looking to the left, Maribel noticed a bench, and sat down, breathing.

"Perhaps we should take a break. We need as much strength as possible to continue progressing."

"I agree."

Renko sat next to Maribel, leaning her head on Maribel's head. They smiled together, looking up to the sky as shooting stars flew in the air. The only thing they questioned before they fell asleep, was what lies ahead next, and where do they plan to go in order to find the Ama no Iwato Cave? Unsure, they calmly slept through the night, unsure of what to expect for the next day.

Mima floated in the shadows of the day, letting fresh afternoon air fill her lungs even though she don't need to breathe, although she still thinks it is rather nice to take in some oxygen every now and then, even though it exits at the same speed. The vengeful spirit took the opportunity the night before to venture in front of the Hakurei Shrine, noticing a paper had been plastered on one of the pillars that held the structure up. She could tell that it was a news article of sorts. She took it and awaited until this day to take a gander at it.

"Now, what is this exactly.."

At first, Mima looked at the picture before she looked at the title, with disinterest, but then her eyes opened a bit more when she saw the title: "Outside World finds Portal to Gensokyo!"

Her grasp on the paper was a bit weak at first, but she grabbed the paper out of the air before it unceremoniously hit her in the face. She was rather embarrassed about this, feeling the need to burn it.

"'Outside World finds Portal to Gensokyo!' Eh? Hmm...Interesting..."

A wide grin spread across the vengeful spirit's face as she read even more. The spirit took the opportunity to look at the photo while she read the headline. What made her confused is that the information provided relates to the oh so similar gap youkai, however, the picture implies that assumption in itself is false. They could not be that youkai.

"A human that can see boundaries...? That sounds oddly like-No no. It can't be the Lady of Gaps. That's impossible. But I wonder...if I can find them. It would be real fun to toy with the intruders after all! I haven't been participating as much as I should in this world lately, anyway...I believe the evil spirit Mima needs to return!"

Mima looked up to the sky, watching the clouds go by for a moment as she would then be a bit stuck in what to do.

"...Right, I just need to find this Muenzuka place..if they are still there that is."

While that was troubling in the fact that Mima had no clue where that was, she was determined to find them! Mima put the paper in her hat, and began to float slowly and silently into the back woods of the Hakurei Shrine, unsure of where she was going, but certain of what she was looking for. She smirked heavily, turning her phantom-esque floating structure into two feet that were pure white. It almost looked like she was wearing long socks, which could trick the girls into thinking she is a helpful phantom.

"This will be a simple execution. I will find these girls, earn their trust and tell them that they will be safe with me and warn them what has been going on, and tell them that they are in danger. I will then lead them into the woods far enough to where no one would possibly be, beat them down and throw them into Makai. That will show these kids to never cross boundaries that they can't handle!"

Mima laughed out loud a bit, then stopped considering she was only feet away from the shrine and she did not feel like being sealed into the hokora again only to try and break out of the seal again. That would be a waste of time for her and especially for Reimu. Sighing at her own outburst, the spirit looked toward the sun, blowing a kiss towards it for good luck while heading in the direction of it. She hoped to see the moon later on in the night, as it is her one good luck charm that guides her through her journies.