Crossing the Border to Gensokyo

Renko and Maribel appeared to be normal University Students. Operative word, appeared. These two girls were far from normal, each possessing a weird ability. Renko could detect the time and her exact location by looking at the stars while Maribel could see the boundaries to everything. But that is not the only secret these girls had, they also new of a place sealed off from the outside world. A place where youkai roamed wild and free. Now Maribel, Renko, and the other members of the Sealing Club, plan to travel to Hakurei Shrine where they hope to find a way through the boundary to Gensokyo.

It was late evening, only the light of the moon keeping the area from complete darkness. A girl with a white shirt and tie with a black cap on her walked up the steps of Hakurei Shrine. She paused for a moment and looked up at the sky, 10:23... Mary is gonna kill me for being late again...

With a sigh, the girl continued up the steps. Tonight was the night they were finally going to go to Gensokyo. They were finally going to see what Mary saw every night in her dreams. Off in the distance, she spotted a girl with a dark purple hat that was shaped almost like cats ears or maybe even fox ears.

"Renko~chan, Mary-san is steamed at you for being so late again," The girl said with a cheeky grin as she bounded up to Renko. She seemed almost giddy at the thought of Renko being in trouble with Maribel, "When should we plan your funeral?"

"Never Migi-chan, Mary can't be that mad... can she?" Renko seemed to doubt it herself as her and Migiwa made their way to meet the other members of the Sealing Club.

Maribel was standing right in front of the Hakurei Shrine. She was waiting with a slightly frustrated face. The club was supposed to meet there at exactly 10:00. Only a few of them were there already. "They're already twenty five minutes late." she said with a disappointed sigh.

One of the people who were there was a girl in a sailor-type school uniform who had long, black hair and glasses. She was just quietly and patiently waiting for the others, even though she knew how late they already were. Occasionally, she would glance at Maribel and then at the stairs leading to the shrine.

Soon two girls appeared into view, the smaller of the two ran up to them with a huge grin on her face, "I found her for ya Mary-chan."

"Yeah, sorry about being late," Renko said as she walked up behind Migiwa. She was rubbing the back of her neck nervously, knowing she was about to get scolded, "I kinda lost track of time."

Maribel crossed her arms and then looked straight at Renko. "This is the day that we have all been waiting for and you choose to be twenty five minutes late! What did you do this time, Renko-chan?"

Tsuuka just stood there quietly, not paying much attention to the things around her. All that she thought about was that this Gensokyo place that they will be going to might be the answer to what's been troubling her her whole life.

"B-but, Doctor Who was on," Renko then sighed in defeat. Arguing wasn't going to get anyone, anywhere, definitely not to Gensokyo. "I'm really sorry Mary, I'll try hard not to be late ever again."

Meanwhile Migiwa bounded up to beside Tsuuka. She knew the girl from her years in high school. They have been in a way friends, early on Migiwa had learned that the girl could tell when she was lying. She didn't know how at first, so she though of it as a challenge. A challenge she was never able to win against. Migiwa rolled on the balls of her heels, waiting impatiently for the other two girls to finish talking, "Hey are you two done with your lover's quarrel?"

(No Maribel and Renko aren't lovers yet. Migiwa is just teasing them about their ambigious relationship. Also Maribel should respond to Renko before hearing Migiwa.)

"Who in the right mind thinks that Doctor Who is more important than going to Gensokyo?! Fine, I forgive you this time...." Maribel said as she relaxed a little. It was a bad habit of Renko to be late and usually all she does was to scold her. It worked sometimes but it didn't in other times. She was about to discuss the plan when Migawa made a comment about them having a lover's quarrel. Immidiately, she became all flustered and looked at Migawa. "W-W-What are you talking about?" she said in a nervous voice.

Tsuuka shook her head and looked down. She knew that Migawa was teasing them again, but she didn't want to make any comments about it. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and covered her mouth with it as she coughed. It was a usual thing for her to get simple diseases easily.

"Well you two make it look like a lover quarell" Akira budded in to conversation while sitting on Shrines roof.

"Yeah, what Akira said," Migiwa grinned placing one hand on her hip, "Really the UST around you two is stifling."

Renko instantly flushed at all the comments, "What in the world is UST? And why are you so interested in me and Mary all of a sudden?!"

"Hmm, who knows~" The shorter girl answered amigiously, giving the two her trade marked cheeky grin. "Anyway, how are we getting to Gensokyo again?"

"E-Eh?! What is UST?" Maribel said, still flustered from what's been said and what's still being said. After that, she was asked about how they were going to go to Gensokyo. She regained her composure by taking a deep breath and clearing her throat. "Ahem... Anyways, we head to Gensokyo by searching for cracks in the borders around the Hakurei Shrine."

It was basic to figure out the rest for Tsuuka. "I get it... fall into the cracks and get transported...." she mumbled to herself. It was very simple, but it just might work in her opinion.

"Sound's fun." Akira said with sheepish smile.

"Well Mary, you're our expert on boundaries, so lead the way," Renko said now calmed down from her previous flustering. She placed a hand on Mary's shoulder and gave her a confident smile.

"UST~" Migiwa said in a sing songy whisper that only Tsuuka could hear.

"Alright then..." Maribel said as she started walking towards the inside of the shrine. Through her eyes, she could see thin cracks that seem to spread in a pattern like that on glass if it starts cracking. All of the gaps seem to come together in a single area in the shrine. "Be careful... if you stray off you might fall into one accidentally and who knows where you will end up..."

Tsuuka was still outside when they started to all go in the shrine. Migiwa was whispering something to her about UST. "... Yes, I know what it is... Why are you whispering it to me? It sounds suspicious of you..." she said to her in still a particularly quiet voice. She doesn't usually talk that much to others. Migiwa was a different case, though, since they have known each other for a long time. "I'm going in..." she said as she entered the shrine behind the others.

"H-hey wait up!" Migiwa said running after the taller girl, "Mou, you're no fun, Tsuuka-chuan. Don't tell me you don't notice something going on between those two?"

Meanwhile, up ahead next to Maribel and out of ear shot of the others, Renko kept in step with the blonde, "So Mary, see any where we can slip through?"

"Wait, I need to pick a good spot, Renko..." she said while she kept looking around. There were just small gaps around them but the one in the middle seemed like the biggest one, where all the gaps would meet. She assumed that it was the best one to go through so she stepped just a few feet in front of it. "The one right in front of me right now is the largest gap... I guess this would be the best one."

"... Hmph... You still act like a child..." she mumbled as she went with the group. Once Migiwa got there, she faced her to give her a warning. "... Do not do anything unnecessary unless told to do so..."

"So walk through the same spot you walk in? correct? Shall we form the line?" Akira suggested.

Before Tsuuka could give her warning, Migiwa had already charged forward ready to head right into the area Maribel indicated. Luckily,Renko was faster, grabbing the girl by the collar before she could get any further.

"Don't just charge in, it could be dangerous," Renko warned, pulling the girl back before releasing her, "Look, I'll go in first, if you hear any painful, agonizing screams, then you'll know it's not safe." She tried to make it sound as if she were joking, but it didn't come out exactly as she had planned.

Renko took a step toward the place Mary had pointed out. She breathe in deeply before turning to Maribel, grinning, "See you on the other side, Mary."

And with that, she reached out toward the crack. Suddenly there was blinding flash of light that made Migiwa instantly avert her eyes. When she looked back, Renko was nowhere in sight.

"Okay, everyone! We have to go through the exact same area where she jumped in, okay? One at a time." Maribel said as she waved at the others, entering the crack herself. After that, Maribel also vanished from sight.

Tsuuka was next to get in as she calmly walked towards that area. "... Don't do anything stupid to hurt yourself..." she said as she reached her arms out and fell into the crack as well.

Akira inhaled and jumped in area where other's vanished "Banzai!" He exclaimed as he also vanished in flash of light.

Migiwa noticed she was all alone. The dark creepiness of it all, made a chill run down her spine, "Hey guys stop leaving me behind!!"

She charged into the crack head first, vanishing like all the others.

---

The bright light of the sun light caused Renko to open up her eyes. She squinted up, and low and behold, the first thing she saw was an agitated Shrine Maiden. Not exactly what she expected to see in Gensokyo, if she was in fact in Gensokyo that is.

"Ah, you're up now," The Shrine Maiden said tapping her foot against the wooden floor, "Good cause I'd like an explanation as to why I wake up to find a bunch of girls... and a guy passed out in my shrine."

"Darn, my back is killing me....." Akira groaned rubbing his back when he sat up.

Maribel slowly came back to her senses as she saw herself in what seems to be the Hakurei Shrine, but with something a little different about it. They were all on the floor and Renko was laying on top of her. It was a little embarrassing, but what she was worrying about was that she couldn't breathe. She tapped Renko's arm and then spoke in a very stressed voice. "H-Hey, I give up, please get off of me..."

Tsuuka, on the other hand, woke up a few feet away from the others. Her head was slightly aching and she rubbed her temple as she sat up. She looked around to see that everyone was fine. However, there was that single shrine maiden whom she has not ever seen before. "... Pardon me for intruding..." she said as she stood up and gave the shrine maiden a polite bow.

Ceres stared at the spot where all the sealing club members had disappeared from sight. She wondered what happened and how they all disappeared, but then her musings her interrupted by a nervously pacing Toru.

"Will you quit it?" she asked in irritation.

"I can't help it," Toru mumbled, chewing on his thumbnail. "It was so weird that they all disappeared. What if they got sucked into a black hole? Or what if they were disintegrated? Or what if-"

Ceres walked over to Toru and promptly smacked him on the back of that head. "Stop talking," she said as Toru winced. "They probably found that place they were going to." Ceres had overheard some members talk about meeting and going to a place called Hakurei Shrine. Since she wanted to join the club, she decided that sneaking off after them was a good idea. She met Toru along the way and despite the young man's jittery assumptions, she dragged him along.

"Ooh, I don't like this one bit," Toru said. "It's all so... strange..."

Ceres raised an eyebrow at him. "You can 'see' people's emotions while I can practically do anything physically possible without any training whatsoever. Who knows what other abilities the Sealing Club members have, so you better get used to the strange."

Toru sighed, knowing his companion had a good point. And besides, her aura was a mix of silver and red, which meant that despite her excitement at the situation she was also very annoyed, no doubt at him. It would do no good to aggravate her further unless he wanted another smack on the head and who knows what else.

"Well, what're we standing here for?" Ceres said suddenly, making Toru jump. "Let's go then!"

"Wait, what?!" Toru exclaimed.

Ceres sighed and rolled her eyes. "That Maribel girl said that all we have to do is walk straight there." She pointed at the spot where the club members disappeared. "So unless you want them to get away from you, we're are going in!"

"Can't we just wait for tomorrow?"

"Nope! Now come on, it'll be an adventure!"

Toru tried to protest again. He was not a person who went on many adventures and his anxiety sometimes got the better of him when it comes to excitement. But when Ceres pushed him forwards, towards the invisible gap, he suddenly felt himself falling far longer then he thought. Right behind him was Ceres, who was grinning like a loon. He was soon regretting ever having met the blonde.

Renko flushed, stuttering out some form of apology as she got off of Maribel, "S-sorry, Mary."

"I'm still waiting on an explanation, you know," The shrine maiden said, a tinge of impatience in her voice as she tapped the gohei on her shoulder, "And could you tell your friend here to stop looking up my hakama?"

Migiwa stumbled back, grinning sheepishly at the others, "I just wanted to see if what they said about shrine maidens not wearing panties were true...."

Maribel finally got up and shot an annoyed look at Renko before going back to her normal expression and looking at the shrine maiden. She cleared her throat and then started explaining. "Oh, well... you see, we are from the outside world and we fell into a crack in the boundaries of the Hakurei Shrine right there. It's actually a pretty funny story."

It was a strange sight for Tsuuka. She looked at Maribel's wisp beside her and it was flickering constantly between black and white. She knew that Maribel was trying to concoct some kind of excuse to avoid getting into too much trouble. She hoped that she was going to stick with the truth. After looking at that, Tsuuka walked over towards Migiwa and crouched down, getting into eye level with her, her almost expressionless face staring straight into her soul. ".... You did not lie that time.... but please do not do such indecent things..."

"Ah, so you're outsiders," The shrine maiden said partially to herself. Her previous agitated expression relaxed, it wasn't uncommon to get a few outsiders every now and then.

Renko, meanwhile, got a good look at the shrine maiden. The girl appeared to be a little older than them with brown hair and golden brown eyes. Her shrine maiden garb was kinda odd from what Renko was used to seeing. It was a little frilly with detached sleeves that gave you a good view of her armpits.

"Aw.. fine,," Migiwa pouted slightly, then as instantly as it came her expression changed to something a bit more curious, "Hey Tsuuka-chuan, is it just me or does Renko and that shrine maiden look kinda similar. They even got that same red design thing on the sleeves."

Maribel nodded in response to the shrine maiden and bowed respectfully to show that she meant no harm. "My name is Maribel Han. I believe that we're in Gensokyo, right?" she said with a little certainty. She was sure that they were in Gensokyo. She was sure that the boundary that she saw was the right one.

Meanwhile, Tsuuka looked over and got a good look at the shrine maiden and Renko. It was true that they had some resemblance. She nodded in response to that question and then shrugged it off. "It's maybe coincidence...." she said before standing up. As she stood up, she took out her handkerchief and started coughing again. This time, it seemed to be worse than it was in the outside world. Maybe... the border travel worsened my condition....? Hmph... it's not that bad...

Renko suddenly shook her head, realizing it was rude to stare at the shrine maiden like that.. She then heard Maribel introduce herself. Deciding to take the cue from the blonde, she spoke up, "I'm Usami Renko, pleasure to meet you."

"Hakurei Reimu," The shrine maiden, Reimu, introduced herself, "And yes, you're in Gensokyo, though I'm surprised outsiders know about this place."

Meanwhile, Migiwa got up and tugged on Tsuuka's sleeve, "Hey you okay?" She asked with genuine worry in her voice.

"Hakurei Reimu... so you are the miko of the Hakurei Shrine, right?" she asked with curiosity. It was a little obvious, but Maribel just had to ask it. When Reimu talked about outsiders knowing of Gensokyo, she nodded and then began to explain. "See, I've been to Gensokyo a few times... although it was just in my dreams. I had one where I got lost in a bamboo forest, that was the one I remember the most."

Tsuuka looked at Migiwa and put the handkerchief back in her pocket. "... If course I'm okay... I had this condition back in high school too, remember?"

Akira groaned as he stood up dusting his clothes a little before bowing to Reimu. "Yamaki, Akira. I'm truly sorry for the intruding" He said head down.