Chapter 21: Ten Desire Part 1
It was the summer of 2011 in Gensokyo, and near the peaceful shores of the lake, the warm sunlight bathed the land in a golden hue. A 9-year-old Chris stood in the shallow water with a wide grin, holding up a fish he had just caught. Beside him stood Cassidy, Kaguya, and Kagerou, who were all waiting for their turn at the day's peaceful task.
Chris looked at the fish in his hand, his grin widening. "Hey, I got one!"
Cassidy walked up, her arms crossed and a teasing smile on her face. "Nice, now let's see how big it is."
Chris proudly held the fish out for them to see. "Yeah, Le—"
Before he could finish, the air around them seemed to shift. With a pink blur, Chris was snatched from the ground and disappeared before the girls could react. The others stood still, eyes wide in shock.
Kaguya blinked and then turned to the others. "Did… Chris just get kidnapped?"
Cassidy immediately summoned her wings, a determined look on her face. "Fuck it, I'm getting Reimu and Marisa."
With a powerful flap of her wings, she soared into the sky, her figure quickly disappearing in the distance. Meanwhile, by the lakeside, Kagerou stood frozen, looking at the spot where Chris had vanished, her mind racing with thoughts.
---
Meanwhile, high above in a hidden realm, Chris was floating in mid-air, held by a powerful magic circle. His limbs, along with his wings, were bound by glowing strands of magic, preventing him from moving. His eyes flicked around as he tried to assess the situation. Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, a soft voice called to him.
A woman with red eyes and shoulder-length pink hair stepped into his line of sight. She had her hair styled in Chinese-style double buns, and her right arm was wrapped tightly in ribbons, as if wrapped in bandages. She wore a white shirt and a green skirt, over which she donned a brown front panel adorned with a thorny vine motif. At her collar was a large rose-shaped ornament, giving her a unique and mystic appearance.
The woman sighed, casting a glance toward Chris. "Will that one problem dealt with"
Chris blinked, looking at her with confusion, his mind racing to place her face. "Do I know you?"
The woman smiled, a calm expression crossing her face, as if this situation were nothing out of the ordinary. "I am Kasen Ibaraki. You've probably heard of me".
Chris blineked looking at her. "Ok, I now know you names, but um why did you kidnapped me".
She pointed as she spoke. "Because if I let you free, you will undo all the plans by sending the souls back".
Chris spoke as he sighed. "I got kidnapped because of my Job as Sprite Guide correct?".
Kasen's eyes softened as she looked at Chris, but her tone remained serious. "Indeed. Your role as a spirit guide is quite troublesome for those of us who want to shift the balance in Gensokyo."
Chris, despite the situation, crossed his arms, his wings straining slightly against the magical bonds. "So, what's the deal? You want me to stop being a spirit guide? Is that it?"
Kasen's smile deepened, though it wasn't a friendly one. "Oh, no. I have no interest in stopping you from doing your job. That would be too simple. But, you see, there are new desires rising in Gensokyo. The world's balance is shifting, and the souls you send back to their resting places are not the ones who need guidance at the moment. There's a... more urgent matter to attend to."
Chris raised an eyebrow, his young face still full of determination despite being held captive. "And that's where you come in, right? You're the one causing all this chaos."
Kasen chuckled softly, the sound eerie yet strangely calm. "Not quite. I'm merely… redirecting things. You could say I'm dealing with the misguided desires of others, desires that have become too overwhelming for the natural order of things." She stepped closer to him, her eyes glinting with something deeper than just mischief. "It's an opportunity, Chris. A chance for you to see the world as it could be, not as it is. There are those who would rather let their desires run wild than settle for peace."
Chris clenched his fists, his thoughts momentarily spinning. "And what do you want from me? I don't have time to mess around with this… new god nonsense."
Kasen tilted her head, almost as if enjoying his resistance. "I'm not asking you to join me, not yet at least. But I need you to understand what's at stake. You have power. You could help me control the tides of desire, keep things from spiraling further. You could even reshape Gensokyo. But I can't allow you to simply send spirits back without understanding the bigger picture."
Chris stared at her for a moment, trying to read the true depth of her words. His spirit guide instincts screamed at him, telling him that there was more to this situation than what she was letting on. "I don't need to be a part of your grand scheme. My job is to make sure spirits don't get lost. I don't want any of this power play. Gensokyo doesn't need that."
Kasen's smile faded slightly, but there was no anger in her gaze—only something more calculating. "You underestimate yourself, Chris. This isn't about playing god; it's about balance. Desires, unchecked, distort the very fabric of Gensokyo. I'm simply one of the few who can prevent an even darker fate from unfolding."
Before Chris could respond, the air around them seemed to ripple, and a crackling energy filled the atmosphere. Kasen's eyes narrowed as she spoke softly to herself, her expression darkening. "But we don't have time for this conversation, it seems."
Suddenly, the magical bindings that held Chris loosened for just a moment, and he quickly seized the opportunity. With a burst of strength, he broke free of the restraints, his wings flaring out behind him as he landed lightly on his feet. His golden magic energy surged around him, instinctively prepared to defend himself.
Kasen, unfazed, took a step back, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Impressive. But you won't be able to stop this easily, Chris. You're not the only one with power here."
Before Chris could react, a wave of ethereal energy crashed down on him. He narrowly dodged, but the force of it pushed him back slightly. Kasen's figure shifted in the air, glowing faintly with the power of her own desire. "This is where your journey truly begins, spirit guide. The desires are growing stronger. The choices you make now will have consequences far greater than you realize."
Chris's mind raced as he gathered his energy. "I won't let you control Gensokyo. Whatever you're planning, I'll stop it."
Kasen's expression became stern. "Then you'll have to face the truth of desires—of gods, spirits, and souls—and understand the cost of your actions. Whether you like it or not, Chris, the balance is shifting."
straightened up. "How quaint. But this is beyond the shrine maiden and the magician. It's about desires—something even they can't fully understand."
Chris stood tall, his golden magic energy flaring around him. "I don't need to understand everything. I just need to protect Gensokyo."
Kasen's eyes flickered with a glint of recognition. "Very well, spirit guide. The game has just begun."
Meanwhile in that Reimu Shrine, as with Reimu, Marisa and Sanae were present together.
Reimu screamed. "What do you mean got kidnapped".
Cassidy covered her ears as she spoke. "Yeah, Chris got kidnapped".
Marisa then spoke. "By who?".
Cassidy looked as she spoke. "I don't know ok, I just saw pink blur".
Sanae then spoke as she sighed. "Just what we needed, just as we are seeing new Diving Spirit the one most helpful person is missing".
Reimu took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, though her expression remained tense. "Great. Just great. Chris gets kidnapped, and we don't even know who took him." She rubbed her temples, frustration evident in her tone.
Marisa crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "A pink blur, huh? That ain't much to go on, but it narrows things down a little." She glanced at Cassidy. "Did you sense anything? Any weird magic? Anything at all?"
Cassidy shook her head. "No. It happened too fast. One second, he was holding a fish, and the next—bam! Gone."
Sanae sighed, gently placing a hand on her stomach. "And this just had to happen while we're dealing with the new Divine Spirits… If we don't act fast, things could spiral out of control."
Reimu groaned. "We don't have time for this. If these Divine Spirits keep appearing and Chris isn't here to help, things will get worse."
Marisa smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Well, no point sitting around. If Chris got snatched, we're getting him back. Simple as that."
Reimu stood up, her eyes narrowing. "We need to track down whoever took him. Cassidy, you're with me. Sanae, you stay here and keep an eye on the shrine."
Sanae sighed but nodded. "Fine. But be careful. We still don't know who we're dealing with."
Marisa grinned, adjusting her hat. "C'mon, Reimu, let's go crack some heads."
With that, the group sprang into action, determined to track down their missing Spirit Guide before Gensokyo fell into further chaos.
Reimu and Marisa wasted no time, taking to the skies as they made their way toward the source of the Divine Spirit outbreak. Their goal was twofold—find out what was happening with the sudden rise in spirits and, more importantly, track down Chris.
Cassidy flew alongside them, scanning the landscape. "So, what exactly are these Divine Spirits?" she asked, keeping up with the pace of the shrine maiden and the magician.
Reimu sighed. "They're spirits imbued with divine power. Normally, they don't just start appearing in large numbers like this. Something must be causing the disturbance."
Marisa smirked. "And that means someone's messin' with the balance of things. Again."
Cassidy narrowed her eyes. "And you think whoever kidnapped Chris is connected to this?"
Reimu nodded. "Most likely. Chris has always been deeply connected to spirits as a Spirit Guide. If someone wanted to stop him from interfering, now would be the time to do it."
As they flew, a large pagoda came into view—Myouren Temple. This was their first lead, as the temple was known to be closely tied to spirits.
Landing at the entrance, the group was immediately met by Kyoko Kasodani, the yamabiko, who was sweeping the temple grounds. She looked up at them, blinking in surprise. "Oh? Reimu, Marisa, Cassidy? What brings you here?"
Reimu crossed her arms. "We're investigating the Divine Spirits. Any idea where they're coming from?"
Kyoko hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah, they've been swarming around here. The others went off to investigate further, but I stayed behind."
Cassidy stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. "We're also looking for Chris. Have you seen him?"
Kyoko blinked, then suddenly took an aggressive stance. "Sorry, but I can't let you through!"
Marisa raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"
Reimu groaned. "Of course we have to fight. Fine. Let's just get this over with."
The battle began, with Kyoko launching waves of sound-based danmaku at the trio. Reimu effortlessly weaved through the patterns, while Marisa countered with her signature laser attacks. Cassidy supported from above, dodging and returning fire with light-infused projectiles.
Despite Kyoko's best efforts, she was ultimately overwhelmed. As the last of her attacks faded, she slumped forward in defeat.
"Huff... huff..." Kyoko looked up at them with a sheepish grin. "Well… sorry, girls, but your angel is in another castle."
Reimu and Marisa both deadpanned.
Cassidy sighed, rubbing her temples. "Oh, for the love of…"
Marisa smirked. "Lemme guess—someone paid ya off to slow us down?"
Kyoko awkwardly laughed. "Maybe… a little?"
Reimu groaned. "Figures. Kasen, I swear, if this is your doing…"
Kyoko waved her hand. "Hey, no hard feelings, right? Just doing my job."
Reimu rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We're moving on."
Leaving Kyoko behind, the trio continued their journey, now even more determined to track down Chris and uncover the truth behind the Divine Spirit outbreak.
Meanwhile, at a hidden location, Chris struggled against his magical bindings, looking at Kasen with an unamused expression.
"Seriously? You paid someone to slow them down?"
Kasen smirked. "I needed a bit more time to prepare. Can't have them interfering too soon, now can we?"
Chris sighed. "You're lucky I don't hold grudges… much."
Kasen chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll understand soon enough."
Chris narrowed his eyes. "Yeah… I really doubt that."
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones sorry for not uploading Yesterday