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Monsters In Paradise Ch. 4 (Touhou/Pokemon)

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MONSTERS IN PARADISE

Chapter Four, Part One


By: Curtis Wildcat

Pokémon and the Touhou Project are the properties of their respective owners and copyright holders. Warning: creative liberties have been taken with one of the characters in this chapter. I've done what research I can on this character (thank goodness for the Touhou Wiki), and I've decided to... fill in the gaps, you could say. You were warned.

Also, another warning: not all Pokémon are benign or friendly with humans, and that means someone's going to be getting the short end of the stick.

Spot the Cromartie High School cameo in Chapter 4.5 and dish up some ice cream. It's not a hard one to find.

/-/-/-/

It had come quickly that evening as the sun was setting. The wind, the rain, the thunder and lightning: all the signs that a storm was striking a substantial section of Gensokyo. Most of the residents sequestered themselves indoors, except for those fairies and youkai that loved being out in this sort of weather. It was entirely unexpected; all the signs had pointed to clear and mild conditions, and any gossip amongst the youkai focused on the possible reasons for the change.

Whatever the cause of it was, it didn't bother Alice; her work went on no matter what the weather was. People knew her as a dollmaker and puppeteer, occupations that went hand-in-hand. For now, she was neither: instead she was a researcher, determining and testing the means for which her creations would be able to increase in size.

"...The ice fairy had been able to surpass the Titania Dolls, to say nothing of the Goliath Doll," Alice murmured to herself as she took notes. "...So not only are they inadequate against small, agile targets, intimidation and strength probably wouldn't be enough against any youkai intelligent enough to craft a Spell Card." She shuddered. "And if I used them against Marisa..."

If I used them against Marisa, the Forest would be littered with debris faster than I could blink. Why did she have to steal that attack from Yuuka?

"...Perhaps it would be best if I reserved them for opponents larger than me," she continued, deciding to wrap things up for now. "And there's still the issue of keeping the Goliath Doll intact for longer than a minute of use... a more stable source of magic is required. I'd rather not be housebound again just because it self-destructed next to me..."

That had been embarrassing. Just as well that no one was around to see it; the fairy flew off as soon as the Goliath Doll exploded. Because of the blazing backlash I was stuck indoors for two days to recover, and my dress was a complete waste... thankfully, I have seven identical outfits in my closet for such a situation. If I learned anything from that fiasco, it's that I need to fireproof anything that needs it.

Alice set her notes aside, got up and looked about her house, checking on her collection. Satisfied that nothing was out of place, she sat down in the front room with the latest copy of the Bunbunmaru newspaper and flicked it open. May as well see what the tengu has been up to, she thought, smiling a little. Mocking the half-truths in her reports is often good for a laugh... She blinked as a headline caught her eye. ...Hm? Wonder what this is...

"New Types of Youkai Sighted! Friends, Foes, or Et Cetera?"

/-/-/

Reimu, Marisa, the shikigami's shikigami, the Scarlet Devil Mansion's gatekeeper, and the moon rabbit have all been sighted in the company of assorted creatures. They are strange, and yet in some cases strangely familiar... the blue turtle brings to mind the old lizard that was ferrying Reimu to Makai when we first met. No one knows where they came from, and the only conjecture anyone has to offer is that they may possibly have come from another world altogether... but there is no true proof of this beyond their unfamiliarity with the Spell Card system. All but the youngest of those seen have their fighting abilities sharply honed, and their attacks bear only a passing resemblance to true danmaku.

Alice shook her head, smiling bitterly. This must be why Marisa hasn't dropped in for some time: the new arrivals have gotten everyone worked up, trying to discover what they can about them. I don't care that she hasn't visited- - -I'd forgotten what it was like to have true peace and quiet- - -but she could've gotten the news to me ahead of the tengu.

The boom of thunder that followed her thoughts reminded her that it was storming outside. It's too late to go anywhere now, and navigating through the storm would be more trouble than it would be worth. Yawning, she pushed the newspaper aside and stretched a little. Time to call it a night.

...

As she went about her preparations for sleep, Alice thought she detected a dark aura brushing against her house's defensive magic. She closed her eyes for a few moments and focused, but the sensation didn't repeat itself. Might have been the darkness youkai. The storm would make the perfect cover for someone like Rumia to catch her prey, whether she's successful or not. ...Of course, typically not.

"Now how did that little tune go again..." Alice 'hmm'ed to herself. "~Shadow, shadow you idiot, watch out for that tree...~" A soft chuckle. "...Or words to that effect... ah, that was a classic act. Maybe I could use it again during my next performance at the village... I was told that it was fairly popular amongst the children..."

Her eyes drifted to Shanghai, sitting peacefully on a shelf near her bed. "And here I go talking to myself again... maybe I ought to get out more. What do you think?"

Shanghai didn't respond, which was to be expected. Alice, however, sweatdropped as if the doll had actually spoken. "What do you mean, 'mad as a hatter'? Is that some sort of joke?"

Again with the silence.

"No, I'm not going to any tea parties anytime soon," Alice answered, her voice heated. "I've been very busy recently. Now if you're finished teasing me, I'd like to go to sleep now..."

Alice had been facing away from the window, so she didn't see the shining blue eyes that had been looking through it at her. Her danger sense suddenly flared, and she whirled around... right as a field of blackness surrounded her.

The void descended, with Shanghai as its only witness. Naturally, she was speechless.

/-/-/-/-/

At the back of her mind, Alice knew she had been attacked. Some small part of her- - -possibly a white blood cell- - -tried to keep this thought in mind, to wake her up to the reality that all was not well in the city of Margatroid. Her dreams squashed that outspoken voice, subjecting it to so much strangeness that it finally threw its hands in the air and stated that they were all weirdoes.

The ridiculousness of it all unnerved her. There Alice was in a field, taking part in a game of some kind. But she, along with everyone else on the field and in the audience, was staring in shock as Marisa prepped her Master Spark. Did she not realize that it was not needed for her to win, or did she just not care? Just what in Gensokyo was going on here?

Marisa's mini-hakkero released its power, striking not only its target but also Alice and several hapless kedama, blasting them away. The flash of light had made Alice squeeze her eyes shut, so she didn't see where the target went. But over the Spark's roar, she could hear Rinnousuke shout a single word:

"GOALLLLLL!"

Light became dark.

/-/-/-/-/

It entered the room through a puddle of darkness, desperate for escape. It was unnerved, seeking sustenance and a way to fight back... against what, it knew not. It had been violently transported to a land it did not recognize as its home, where the order of things was so... different.

It did not want any of this. It did not want someone to bring out its strengths, for it was already strong. It wanted to eat, to go home, to live in safety away from humans who would use its power for their own objectives. That was all.

Darkrai hovered over Alice’s unconscious form, feasting on the immaterial energy that only a person's nightmares could provide.

It really should have been more aware of its surroundings.

/-/-/-/

A steel titan, painted blue and patterned with flames, raised its foot over the building. Drums were beaten, and guitars were strummed.

“No! No, wait, not my house- - -!”

Ignoring her cry, the titan stomped down on the house. Repeatedly. This was closely followed by repeated pummeling from a pair of metallic fists, and a high-intensity volley of energy beams. Almost unheard over the ruckus, someone cackled with glee.

Rooted to the ground and filled with despair, Alice missed the “DMV” sign- - -"Department of Magical Vehicles"- - -that was blown at her.

/-/-/-/

Shanghai didn’t move, didn’t visibly react to the threat... all the better to keep herself unknown to the enemy. It was impossible to tell with this doll what her nature was; when she wasn't being controlled by Alice, she never seemed to do anything.

But she had eyes. All the dolls had eyes, and they had ears. They were imbued with a spot of magic that made it easier for them to be manipulated, to be used for any purpose their controller deemed necessary... including surveillance. Because of this, nothing in the house escaped their notice. And what one saw, same with the rest.

Alice loved them, took good care of them all, and sought a way to give them true life. What she didn’t know was that in their own way, they already were alive. Not in the sense that they could truly think or feel, but in the sense that their loyalty to their creator knew no limits. That was the seed, and one day it would sprout into something much greater... but for now, this would do.

They knew right away that their master, their mother, was in danger. They saw. They heard.

And they responded.

/-/-/

"Alice? Alice dear? Please wake up."

...Shinki? ...I'm back home...? Dear sweet mother of Makai, I've been gone too long...

"Alice?"

"I'm awake, I'm awake..."

Or so she said, but her eyelids felt really heavy. She strained to open them, grimacing.

"It's been a long time, Alice. My, you've certainly grown, and not just in appearance."

The smudges before her eyes slowly solidified; she recognized Shinki's general shape and appearance, blurry as they were. Alice hung her head, feeling disappointed in herself. "I've never succeeded, mother. In catching up to them..."

"I take it that's why you left in such a hurry?" Shinki sounded amused. "I had wondered where you had gone..."

"The four of them struck like lightning. I remember they hadn't taken your "tourism" idea well..."

"Well, yes. I suppose I should've asked first."

Alice stared down at the floor. "I wanted to get back at them in some way, so I unlocked the grimoire... but by the time I had expended all the energy it was willing to give me, they still stood triumphant." Her vision clouded up again. "I thought you would be angry with me for going so far, and I had difficulty living with myself for my failure... so I fled, keeping myself hidden from Reimu and the others when they returned to Gensokyo. I didn't feel I could face you again without feeling ashamed..."

Shinki sighed. "My little daughter, where did you get such ideas into your head? Why did you think that I would be upset with you for seeking to restore my honor? I might doubt your actions, but never your motivation." She knelt and took Alice into her arms. "No matter what you think, you will always have a place here. That has not changed, and it never will."

Alice never felt so thankful towards her mother figure in her entire life. She was willing to forgive her actions? To take her back into Makai, if she allowed it? She thought about what it would be worth, living under her wings again...

"And aside from that, you look kinda cute when you're cryin'."

Her eyes widened. That wasn't Shinki!

"...What? Did I say something wrong?"

Alice yanked herself free and scooted away, her vision clearing up fully, and for the first time she got a discernible look at the woman's face. The puppeteer was right: she might have been dressed like her, but this person wasn't Shinki. Her face reddened out of mortification and anger. "MARISA! What are you doing here?!"

Marisa grinned and tipped her hat. "Usurping your dream, Alice. What did you think I was doing?"

“ARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!”

/-/-/

They had no auras for Darkrai to sense, no energies that it recognized. For all it knew, they shouldn't have been able to live, never mind flying. And yet they did.

The door to Alice's room slammed open, and a blistering barrage of danmaku billowed forth. Caught by surprise, there was no way for Darkrai to dodge them all; while some of the bullets kept it hemmed in, the rest struck home and exploded, smacking it into the wall. Each bullet had been weak individually, but together they distracted the Pokémon enough for it to reflexively dispel the Dark Void.

A dozen dolls in assorted dresses and costumes, armed with weapons ranging from lances to bows and arrows, flew into the room and formed a screen around and above their master. A tiny bit of smoke, which vanished as their hands stopped glowing, proved that they had been responsible for the bullet wave.

The sight of twelve faces locked in a permanent, unyielding stare would've unnerved the average human, but Darkrai wasn't bothered. Floating away from the wall, it darted around and made a variety of sharp turns so fast that it resembled little more than a black blur. The dolls' faces turned left and right, trying to keep track of it. It was to no avail as Darkrai flew in from their blind side, intending to sweep them away with a single Feint Attack...

Three fingers twitched.

A red energy shield, a triangle positioned in the center, manifested directly in Darkrai's path. Committed to its attack as it was, it was unable to change course; it struck the shield at full speed and rebounded off, flipping end over end and smashing into the magically-reinforced wall. The shield disappeared immediately thereafter.

"... ..."

Alice slowly stood, not saying a word as Darkrai freed itself from the wall again. Her body quivered with silent rage as she got her breathing under control. Her eyes, which had been blue before, had turned an eerie yellow. She pivoted a fraction, meeting Darkrai face to face. It was only when a Spell Card materialized in her left hand did she finally speak.

"I do not know who or what you are. Really, I can't bring myself to care. I never bothered you or otherwise antagonized you in any way, shape or form. And yet here you are, not only intruding on my home territory but striking when my guard was down. Normally I would not forgive you for your offenses, especially in light of your unwarranted attack on my subconscious. However, the hour is late and I am tired; I would like little more than to regain my strength without your interference. So I will give you the chance to leave this place. I suggest you take it and go, or else you will learn what it means to anger a youkai."

Darkrai was not intimidated by her words, or by the malevolent aura she was emitting (which, unbeknownst to the Pokémon, had caused every fairy within a one kilometer radius to pass out from an unexplained fear). It knew that it was capable of dealing with far worse than the dolls were churning out, and if pushed could come out on top in a fight. Yet it remained still, trying to determine whether it should stick around to do so or retreat. There was plenty of easier prey that it could find, and it did need to siphon energy somewhere if it was to live.

It didn't want to be here. If only it knew how it had gotten here... then it could've been able to do something about it! But no; here it was, stuck in a strange land where even inanimate objects could fight back. This was not what it bargained for. No, it would not stay here and garner any more of this odd girl's wrath.

There will be... another time.

Coldly furious, Darkrai sunk into the floor and disappeared; several dolls started to drift towards the door to find it, still operating on the instinctive command that made them attack the intruder to start with, but a motion from Alice's fingers made them remain. Less than half a minute later, a flash of lightning illuminated its shady form through the window as it fled deeper into the Forest.

/-/-/

Alice waited a while after her assailant passed beyond the range of her senses before doing anything. She wanted to make sure that it would not be returning, and it allowed her to ensure that her mental faculties were still at full strength.

Had this youkai, or whatever it was, just chosen poorly while out on the hunt? ...No. It was new to her personal territory to be sure, but she could both see the intelligence in its eyes and sense its power. Such a stupid mistake should never have been considered...

Unless it's one of those new breeds that the newspaper was talking about, and it is unfamiliar with Gensokyo's own little rogues gallery. The average resident is not one to be underestimated, and if it was locked into a Spell Card duel without any Cards against someone of Keine's level or higher, victory would not come easy. The moon people especially would have a field day with this one.

Her eyes returned to their normal blue color, and she dispelled her Spell Card. Still, I have the feeling that I'm missing something important... something terribly, terribly important- - -...

"Nghh!"

The muscles in her legs gave way. Alice fell on her knees, struggled back upright but then collapsed back-first against the side of her bed, the rush of adrenalin from her anger dissipating. "...It was draining my energy while I was asleep... of course I'm going to feel fatigued," she grumbled. She looked up at the squad of dolls that were floating nearby, now that she'd managed to get some strings connected to them, and smiled. "I wish I could make it up to you somehow... you might have just saved my life a minute ago."

Her pleased look shifted into confusion as she turned to stare at Shanghai, and from there into a sort-of panic. "What... wait... you said 'Dogpile on the dollmaker'?! What does that- - -AAH!"

The collection of dolls dropped their weapons on the floor and dived at Alice, pressing her into the side of the bed. Her feigned fear gave way to merriment. "So, that's how you want to play?" Struggling a bit, she was able to loosen one of the dolls' grip on her, only to immediately return the embrace she'd just experienced. "The youkai of hugs has invaded! Counterattack, my little legion!" she ordered, sure of the knowledge that this wouldn't be reaching the public's ears.

There was a time for anger and worry in every day, but she had already experienced those; now was a time for joy and amusement. She always regretted her loss to Reimu and the others at Makai, but her hobby, her creations, her way of life were jewels to be treasured. By the time she finally gave in to exhaustion, a dozen lifeless dolls all but smothering her under their weight, the surrealism of her prior nightmares had been forgotten...

And unseen by Alice, Shanghai's expression shifted into something contented for a few seconds before reverting back to its standard neutrality.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Darkrai's moveset: Dream Eater, Dark Void, Feint Attack, Nightmare
Approximate level: 85

Alice's Notes: To humans, youkai are nightmarish creatures. Even I, one who associates with humans of my own free will, can be frightening if sufficiently angered. But as the expression goes, there's always a bigger fish...

I confess, seeing my assailant for the first time scared me on some level. Which makes me wonder: as the dark monster fled, I could feel its fear and anger... not at me for ordering it out, but at something else. Eirin Yagokoro suggested that maybe it attacked my subconscious out of self-defense, but what could've scared such a force enough to do so? And do I dare to seek the answer to that question?
I was sitting around for a bit recently, and from out of nowhere: "Say, maybe I'll get back to uploading what I have written to Deviantart." So, here I am again.

In 4-1 we get a glimpse of Alice, her nightmares, and a certain kind of loyalty.

The story's music playlist can be found below; this part's tracks are #10 and #11.
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=…
© 2016 - 2024 CurtisWildcat
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neogoki's avatar
and the first Lengendary-class Pokemon appears
poor Alice has meet with the maybe worse first impression she could

nice MEGAS insert, for you can not spell "Overkill" without M.E.G.A.S. XLR