Marisa threw open the doors to the mansion's library, a reluctant Sakuya in tow. Before her laid the largest collection of recorded knowledge in Gensokyo. A private collection, she had often been told and then subsequently ignored. But this time, rather than borrowing books, the sticky-fingered magician had her eyes set on their custodian, Patchouli Knowledge. An apt name, since Marisa would need to borrow that knowledge to find out what happened to Reimu.
"H-hey, treat those doors with respect!" A devil girl reprimanded, flying up to them. "What are you even doing here? And with Sakuya too? Don't tell me you've teamed up to take over the library!" Her hands started glowing with arcane energy. "I'll stop your mad plan here!"
Marisa shot Sakuya an incredulous look, and the maid stepped forward. "No one is taking over anything, Koakuma. We are here to see Lady Patchouli."
Koakuma stared down the maid for a few seconds before dismissing her magic and backing down. "Fine, but only because you scare me. Lady Patchouli is at her desk. Wait here, I'll wake her up," she said, flying off.
As Marisa waited, she started browsing a nearby shelf. Sakuya shot her a look and she shrugged. "What? I'm just looking," she said defensively. Though even as she said that, she grabbed a random book off the shelf and sat down at a table to read it. It turned out to be a book on avian flight.
Sakuya sighed. "If that's all you need, I'll return to my duties. Please try to behave yourself," she said, flashing a knife as if to say "or else." With that, she turned and disappeared.
After a few minutes of reading, another girl joined her at the table, this one dressed in a purple nightgown. A handful of spellbooks floated behind her. As she sat down, she let out a yawn which devolved into a short coughing fit. "Marisa," she greeted with no particular emotion, "this is an unexpected visit." She eyed the book Marisa was reading. "Thinking of going bird watching?"
The human magician quickly closed the book. "Ah, no. I was just waiting on you. You were sleeping?"
"Alice was here earlier. We were sharing notes on a project. She brought some new herbal tea she found, but it turned out one of those herbs was a sedative, so I dozed off," Patchouli explained. "It seems she's left already." Marisa suspected there was something more to it, but should she pry?
Maybe a little. "You were having a sleepover and didn't invite me? Why not?" She faux-whined.
"Because you're a rat," the librarian answered, "now why are you here?"
Well fine, be that way. Marisa set her elbows on the table and bridged her hands together, setting her chin down on them. "I'm conducting an investigation into a disturbance, and I figured the two of us together could crack this thing wide open."
Patchouli fixed her with a scrutinizing stare. "Is there an incident going on? Why are you here and not helping Reimu?"
Marisa sat up and crossed her arms. "Well that's the thing. She never asks me for help. Well now I've gotta save her sorry butt, and I need your help to do it."
That was enough to get her attention. "Save the Hakurei shrine maiden?" After getting a recap from Marisa, she seemed to think for a moment before pulling over one of the books to her. She started flipping through the pages. "This is highly unusual. I'm not saying I don't believe you, but... I can't imagine any youkai would attack the shrine directly and win. Even the Moriya Shrine didn't try that."
"Oh yeah, one more thing," Marisa interrupted. Time for the ace in the hole.~ She pulled out the stick she salvaged from the wolf. "I brought a sample from the wolf I exterminated. Dunno how much magic is left in it but you might be interested in studying it anyway."
Patchouli's expression didn't change, but her eyes were drawn to the stick. She held out a hand and Marisa gave her the stick. Her eyes lit up as she examined it. "Marisa, do you know what this is?"
"A stick?"
"A stick made of a wood not native to this world. I'm not just referring to Gensokyo, it's alien to this planet." She closed the book and snapped her fingers. Koakuma quickly came to collect the books. "You have impressed me for once. Very well. Because of your discovery, and for the sake of keeping you from hurting yourself, I shall assist in your investigation."
"Yes!" Marisa pumped her fist in the air and jumped out of her seat. "Come on then Patch! We don't have any time to lose!" She grabbed Patchouli by the arm and dragged her out the door, ignoring the youkai's protests. "Hey, I'm borrowing this!" She yelled on her way out, much to the dismay of Koakuma.
The inside of the shrine was very unlike the outside. It consisted of three small rooms, connected by a central hallway. In the first room, a small altar sat against the wall. Reimu's stick was propped up against it, and she placed her two orbs on it as she passed by it. There were some mats on the floor and a small bell hanging in the corner. The second room consisted of a living space with a table that used cushions as chairs and a kitchenette, along with a back door. The third room was her bedroom. There was also a storage shed out back.
Lyra and Bon-Bon took a seat at the table as Reimu prepared a kettle of tea. Or she tried to at least. Her movements were slow and clumsy, more than once she stumbled and nearly knocked something over, and she was constantly swearing under her breath. Lyra glanced at Bon-Bon, who tilted her head towards the other earth pony. Lyra took the hint and stood up. "Hey, uh... Reimu, was it? You need some help?" She asked, going over to her side.
"I'm fine!" She snapped. "Look, the tea is done, see?" She tried taking the kettle's handle in her mouth, but because it was made for hands, her head was tilted at such an angle that it made it difficult for her. Sure enough, she stumbled and nearly dropped the hot tea all over Bon-Bon. Lyra was quick on the draw however, and the kettle was enveloped in a golden glow, saving her friend from another trip to the hospital. Reimu sighed as she righted herself. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine."
"Have you suffered a head injury lately?" Bonnie asked, "I got a concussion about a year ago, messed me up for a while after."
Reimu shook her head. "No. I'm still getting used to this... Nevermind. It's not your fault." She took a seat and watched with curiosity as Lyra poured the tea. "Interesting magic. What kind of magician are you?"
The ponies shared a glance, then Lyra laughed. "Me? A magician? Ha! No, music is my specialty, not magic."
"I see..." Reimu went quiet, staring at her cup. The sudden silence from the mare made the other two ponies uncomfortable.
"Bon-Bon makes candy for a living," Lyra blurted out, "you haven't lived until you've had one of her New Moons."
"Candy?" Reimu looked up with a curious expression. "Can't say I've had any. Not very common where I'm from."
The two roommates shared a concerned look. "Okay, forget about sharing your batch with me. This mare needs an emergency sugar infusion, stat!" Lyra stood up, gulped down her tea, then threw open the door and bolted out of the shrine.
"What was that about?" Reimu wondered as the unicorn left a literal smoke trail in her wake.
Bonnie merely watched her go with a bemused expression. "Three... Two... One..."
She pointed back at the door as Lyra bolted back in. "Bonnie, where do you keep your keys?"
The candymaker gave a sly grin. "Nice try Lyra. I don't think her sugar deficency is that bad." She took a drink of tea and turned to Reimu. "If you'd like, you're welcome to come by our house tomorrow. I'll make lunch and we'll get some sweets in you."
"What's the big deal with sugar?" Reimu asked.
"Sugar is an important part of our diet," Bon-Bon explained, "I'd expect it to be the same for Neighponese ponies too. Which really begs the question..." She flashed Lyra a look, to which she nodded.
"Yeah, I was wondering that too. We just got through a disaster that came from this forest. Most ponies wouldn't dream of being near it after this. Even the shaman that lives in the Everfree had to flee. Yet here you are with a pristine Neighponese shrine smack in the middle of it. How?"
Reimu shrugged. "I have no idea. I just woke up in the middle of the forest a earlier today. I would have thought it was a certain youkai's doing, but I don't think that's the case anymore since the shrine came with me. There's also the matter of..." She sighed. "Nevermind."
"What is a youkai?" Bon-Bon asked. "Are they a kind of creature, or a monster, or..."
"I know," Lyra spoke up, "youkai are like evil spirits, right?"
The shrine maiden shook her head. "That's a common misconception. Youkai are spirits, yes, but that's not all they are, and they aren't all evil too. A lot of youkai are based on and created by our fears and beliefs, but there are many more that are just representations of natural or supernatural forces. And there are plenty more that are just creatures given supernatural power. Youkai is a very broad term, really."
"So like Timberwolves or Windigos then," Bon-Bon deduced.
"Or Discord," Lyra jokingly added. Bon-Bon nodded in agreement anyway.
"I... don't know what those are," Reimu said, looking lost.
"Timberwolves are vengeful forest spirits who reside in the Everfree," Bon-Bon explained. "They are ambush predators who attack anything that disturbs their territory. It's said anypony killed by a Timberwolf becomes one. It's also said they reproduce by 'infecting' other trees. Thankfully they usually keep to their own territory. Windigos... You'll hear more about them around Hearths Warming."
"And Discord is the spirit of chaos and disharmony," Lyra added. "He's been a real pain, even after his 'reformation.'" She made air quotes with her hooves.
"Ah, so those wooden creatures that I saw earlier were youkai?" Reimu wondered. "I saw them lurking around the shrine, so I might have scared them off."
Well that explained a few things. "How'd you do that?" Lyra asked, "with those orbs of yours?"
"Yep. Youkai hate them. As the Hakurei shrine maiden, they are attuned to me, so I'm the only one who can use them," she said proudly.
"That's pretty sweet. So, where are ya from? Must be pretty magical." Lyra asked, but Bon-Bon nudged her. "Yeah, what's up Bons?"
"Lyra, as pleasant as this has been, we really should get back before the sun sets. We still have to finish cleaning Tavi's house, remember?"
Lyra jumped up as she did in fact remember. "Oh hay, you're right. Sorry Reimu, we have to cut this visit short. Feel free to stop by tomorrow. We're the only confectionery in town, so it's hard to miss us."
The two said their goodbyes and left the shrine, each tossing an extra bit in the offering box on their way out. Reimu watched them disappear into the trees, a ton of unanswered questions on her mind. They were nice and all, but I still don't know where I am, how I got here, or what I'm supposed to do next. Maybe I should visit the Pony Village. I might get some answers. Hell, they might even be accepting of me. She shook her head to clear that last though. She shouldn't get so attached to that idea, not when she needed to find a way back to Gensokyo.
She let a smile cross her still unfamiliar lips as she collected their donations. Oh well, at least the money is good.