[Coolshaymin]

PolarStarQuote

Reimu was in her room in the Hakurei Shrine... Taking a nap instead of doing her chores but who can really blame her this time? She's been taking care of Marisa for a while now and she finally had a break. Still, even in these breaks she was worried about another breakdown. Can she really take her with her to save Alice like this? The Hakurei girl was not sure this was safe and felt Marisa may hold her back this time. Still, nothing she could really do about it. Yukari still has not found her apparently due to Li interfering with her gaps? It was hard to tell with her admittedly. Besides, she had Gilgamesh now to sweep the yard so she did not need to bother.

"Hakurei Sensei~! A girl and her own trainee are here to greet you! Shall I wrestle up the grub with the almighty Knife of Superior Sushi Slaying+4?" Gilgamesh's voice interrupted her nap. What a time for guests.... Wait, guests? Here? ".... Sure, Gilgamesh, I will be out." Reimu gapped on a change of clothes with the border between styles and went out to see... Oh, the ghost Princess and her Gardener. "What are you two doing here?" Reimu asked, really not interested if they have some menial task for her. "Oh, just paying a visit. I heard Marisa has been staying here~. Thought I'd say hi to her while you and Youmu caught up," Yuyuko suggested. Wait, how did she know about Marisa staying here? She hasn't really told anyone. And that look in Youmu's eyes were not exactly friendly. "Oh, Marisa~! It's me, Yuyuko! Care to have a nice chat~?" the ghost princess said, floating past Reimu towards the rooms.

"Hey! Wait a minute! You can't just-" Reimu began before being cut off as she just barely dodged being intercepted by the Gardener. "Your talk is with me! Why did you do this to the border? You are a really irresponsible shrine maiden but this is too far! This is effecting who knows how many worlds! Now, you have to do something to fix this!" Youmu called out. "... Did your princess tell you that I did it?" Wait, did that mean she was aware that Marisa was the one who-... Oh no... Reimu once again tried to break away from the fight but got cut off by Youmu standing in her way. "Who else could it be? Only two people have that ability and Yukari would not ever try something like this," Youmu state defiantly. "... This is starting to become a problem. Alright, I'll just need to take you and your princess down again!" Reimu called out as she took out her Ofuda as a duel began in the hallway.

Meanwhile, Yuyuko knocked on Marisa's door. "Hello, Marisa~. I was hoping to have a piece of your time. It is awfully boring just talking to Youmu and Reimu is as Reimu as ever," Yuyuko said cheerfully as she made to enter the room. Acting as innocent as ever.

[PolarStarQuote]

What Yuyuko found in the back room was...Dreary. Something horrible was happening here. Marisa was laying, Wrapped in her Futon, hair in a knot filled, unclean mess. Plates of hardly eaten food stood in stacks surrounding her, as Marisa stared aimlessly at a Cerbal Sphere before her, which, displayed Alice Margatroid, Whom spoke in the typical voice for her. 

"Marisa, You have to eat! Im a doll, and even id eat more than that...Please? I put alot of effort into it..." Alice spoke, However this was merely an effect of Yukari, whom was effecting the sphere to tell marisa some kind of good advice, as Marisa whined, curling up. "I...I...I dont want to eat...I-i just want to h-hold you again..." She softly whined, Probably wanting to cry, But tear ducts so sore couldnt produce anything.

Marisa hardly acknowledged the presence of Yuyuko, as she kept reaching over, trying in vein to scoop Alice into her arms, But to no avail...It felt too lifeless. She needed the warmth. The blood. She wanted Alice back.

She wanted Alice back. She wanted Alice Back. She wanted Her Favorite Doll back...It was like a child pining for a toy. Marisa eventually peeked over the huge cover of the unclean futon, Looking at yuyuko. "Oh...The squishy lady...G-go away, Please..." Marisa rather uncharacteristically said-- Wait, Squishy?? Yuyuko, How much does a soul weigh?? Regardless, Marisa was in dire need of some happiness as she coughed sickly.

[Coolshaymin]

Yuyuko did not seem to listen to Marisa as she opened the door and let herself in. "Squishy? How rude a way to welcome a guest, huh? Instead how about I show you how squishy I can be~?" the oddly chubby ghost girl declared before dashing towards Marisa to get into a close embrace. "You really let yourself go, huh? I wonder what that doll would think if she saw you like this.... Hm... What's the point in wondering~? We both know what you did yet I came here with a present just for you and all I ask for is a smile, understood~?" The phantom said in... an eerily more serious way than her usual ditzy demeanor. "I know that illusion is not anything like the real thing but you recall my ability, right? I have the skill to manipulate spirits. I can bring Alice to you right now, the real Alice's spirit. Even she said she wanted to talk with you. Her dolls are still around it would appear. Now, she has given me her consent, so wish to see your precious doll for a moment? She may have plenty to say," Yuyuko offered in that same serious tone.

"But remember, you have to promise to smile even a little~! Being all mopey is really bringing the mood down," she goes back to her usual facial expression and demeanor but did not seem to be lying that she could fulfill Marisa's wish to see Alice... While not in the blood and flesh, she could at least see the real and true Alice. That is if she was willing to take Yuyuko up on her offer as she begun to let go... Though she was not the strongest so she could of probably broke out of the embrace sooner if she wanted to.

[PolarStarQuote]

...There was something so comforting about getting hugged by someone just so...So...Cuddlable! Marisa seemed to raise a bit of a emotion as she whined, Pining quite sadly before looking up to Yuyuko's eyes with her dead looking face. "J-just let me go back to dying please...I-isnt that what you want...?" Marisa would ask, as the thought of smiling seemed...So distant. Impossible...That was, until Yuyuko reminded the rather braindead Marisa, Just what she wanted to bring. Marisa's eyes went wide, Before she pulled back from yuyuko's hug, throwing off the futon with a sudden force!

"A-alice's spirit??? I thought she was trophified, I-i...W-what?!" Marisa asked, seeming to be enraged that this hadnt happened sooner...But then, Tears welled in her eyes as this golden opportunity came to her. "Y-yes!! Yes!!! Please,Yuyuko, Please, Im begging you, do it, Please!!" Marisa pleaded needily, Having seemed to lost all social manners as she was now Crying once more, In disbelief that this was happening.

"P-please...Yuyuko...P-please...!"

[Coolshaymin]

"... Alrighty then~. I will take any gratitude after you two have your talk. I shall leave the room to watch the others and have her spirit greet you in this room. I don't know how long I can keep her here so make of your time best you can, alright? See you in a few~!" Yuyuko smiled before leaving the room to leave Marisa alone once more... That was when the room started to grow darker than even before. In the darkness however glowed a blue flame that soon took shape as a Powerful Youkai was capable of. And, true to the ghost princess's word, the spirit was undeniably Alice...


".... Marisa?... So she was actually able to pull it off. I am... relieved. It felt like it's been a long time since Yuuka devestated me..." Alice spoke up as she looked around the room. ".... Wow, you really did make a huge mess here. So this is how you would live without me?  Can't say I am surprised... No, not the time for that...." Alice spoke some more, beginning to criticize before thinking better of it. "Marisa, it.... really is a pleasure to see you again. I was so worried you met a similar fate to me.... I can't say the end result is much better though..." she said, breaking out of her cold nature for a moment. She was a bit transparent, but she was still physical similar to Yuyuko. As she promised, she brought in the real deal to try and talk some sense into the ordinary Magician. She wasn't exactly in the flesh, but it was the closest she could possibly get in current circumstance.

[PolarStarQuote]

"A...A...Alice..?" Marisa asked, Falling to her knees before the spirit before her, Caring not for how the room grew darker, as the spirit before her made her wide eyed in sadness and shock. Marisa could only think of one thing to say now. There was only one thought in her mind. "I-im..Im sorry alice...I-im so...So sorry alice..." Marisa sobbed, Tears puddling onto the floor as she felt even ashamed to look at Alice for all she's done. It was her fault Alice was in this state. It was her fault Alice got hurt...

She looked up, Her tear filled eyes looking into Alice's as she sniffled, Not crying as loudly as she once had just to hear anything that Alice could say to her. "I-i...Ill fix this Alice, I-i promise i will! Ill fix this, all of this! I-i..I just dont know what to do without you Alice...I-i dont even know where to begin..." Marisa trailed off in her sobbing, clenching her fists as she promised she would make this right and help Alice. She wouldn't be in Vein. Marisa would never let that happen. Never.

---

"Your doing a good thing, You know~" Yukari said, Appearing from a gap beside Yuyuko, watching as Youmu and Reimu fought it out, Making a mess for Gilgamesh to clean. "I can only hope Alice does equally well in helping her. She promised we would go out to find Alice's trophy soon, But, Everytime she walkeds outside she felt so ashamed she just ran back in..." Yukari explained with a heavy breath, Patting Yuyuko's Shoulder.


"...Boy, Your gardener and My student seem to be going at it, huh?" Yukari asked, Eyes watching the event as she Gapped herself and Yuyuko a plate of Takoyaki to watch this event with.

[Coolshaymin]

Yuyuko took to watching her servant and the Shrine Maiden continuing to duke it out, neither really gaining much ground on the other. All was going according to her plan it would seem... Now all she could do was wait and hope Alice managed to talk some sense into Marisa. "Hm~? Oh, if it isn't my old friend. I was wondering where you hiding~," Yuyuko replied cheerfully as she did not really comment on her deed at first. "It's beneficial to all of us if Marisa was helped out of that state. Nothing beats the real thing. No one is quite as good at deep frying Youkai~" Yuyuko stated in a seemingly nonsensical matter though there was hidden meaning in her words. "Oh, yes, the fight. I may of told Youmu that Reimu could bring us home. Of course, how could she when even you can't~? Still, it's nice for her to have a playmate like Marisa so they don't get lonely, right~? I'll explain the misunderstanding to my servant later. Right now, let's just have this nice reunion, shall we~?" she continued, seemingly childish to most, Yukari could probably see that her true intent was to keep Reimu and Youmu distracted so Marisa could have time alone with Alice. Well, that and eating some Takoyaki gracefully given to her by her long time friend.

"You still fight pretty well for a slacker but I won't let this incident go unpunished!" Youmu declared as she took a dive at Reimu who disappeared and reappeared to kick the other girl in the head. "That's my line!" "I am not a slacker!" "That's the part you choose to get stuck on?"

---

Alice watched Marisa with a blank expression, this was... more painful to watch than she expected. Yuyuko told her it was bad... But not this bad. "... You really are a helpless idiot, aren't you? You really need to lighten up," Alice said simply as she walked to, Marisa and leaned down to... hug her with what she could, despite lacking a proper body. Really, it was a miracle she was strong enough to take shape at all. "Marisa, listen to me. Stop being so hard on yourself and stop apologizing. I don't blame you and you shouldn't either. It's not your fault. You couldn't of known Yuuka was there and I had the perfect opportunity to flee before that was no longer an option. You have it all wrong. I didn't die because of you, I died for you. I tried my hardest to protect you, something I've never even considered let alone do with so little thought. Don't you think being all dead inside like this is in vain in itself? Just show me a bit of that cheerful idiot Marisa I loved. You can't fix this if you won't even feed yourself. You did not sacrifice your humanity and I don't want you to, so you still need to feed yourself so you have the strength to do what I couldn't, alright?" Alice reassured in a softer tone.

"I prepared my own gift for you since Yuyuko invited me. Just show me a bit of that loveable goof, even if you really have to force it I don't mind. It'll make the trip worth it enough," Alice suggested, apparently having something for Marisa... Though what a spirit could bring with them was a mystery.

[PolarStarQuote]

Marisa's teary face turned into a wide eyed awe as she listened to Alice intently. She...She felt dissapointed with the scolding she was getting, but she understood it...She choked on her tears as she rubbed her eyes, Nodding in understanding the mistakes she had performed, as her stomach growled in hunger, her weak body shaking as she tried to think of something she would say if she were happy. if this had never happened. Ultimately Marisa would take a moment to pull her sobbing back, And look at Alice's face. "...I...If...If i f-fix this...A-and get better F-for you. Will..W-will you let me s-steal your heart again...?" Marisa asked, Though less in a Flirtatious tone such a request would normally posess, and more of a request for things to become normal between them again.

There was no treasure marisa valued more than Alice. And nothing she wanted to steal more.

[Coolshaymin]

"Hm..." Alice listened to Marisa and seemed to ponder the other's words before speaking. "Why make it easy for you? Want to make stealing my heart a challenge right?... I'm kidding. In truth, I have had feelings for you for a long while. Maybe the spirit is just more honest... Regardless, I'm happy with the effort. Thank you, now, close your eyes and hold out your hands, alright?" Alice suggested, taking a moment for Marisa to wait before she used magic to create a doll, but not just any doll, a doll completely made in Alice's own image. It may seem a little vain and ironic for a living doll but she felt it was the best she could offer.

She handed the doll over to Marisa. "This doll I made just for you. It's made from part of my own magic so it can even behave like me. And like the dolls I gave you back in the Amaterasu Incident I can contact you through them... If I am not trophified. Just go breaking it, okay? This doll would be near impossible to replace..." Alice stated as she took out a Marisa look-alike doll to hold in her arms. "I made this one from your magical energy by accident back then. So, in a way, it's thanks to you I can do this at all.." she went on before looking down.