Tengu Reporter Quest (Touhou) (World 7 - Wheel of Time)

Sneak into the palace.


"... You may be right," you begin, and Hatate sighs in relief. "But if we abandon our journalistic duties at this important juncture, such a mystery might remain unresolved in the eyes of the masses for all time. Consider," you continue as Hatate starts to roll her eyes, thrusting a finger toward her face, "Mallow. These seem to be his people, and he seems to be cut from much the same cloth. Do you think he would countenance the storming of the palace on the off chance that this Valentina is truly wicked? Or do you think he would acquiesce, hoping that the King – who has yet to be confirmed as his father regardless of physical resemblance – remains unaffected by the violence of insurrection?" Hatate stares at you for a moment, then sighs again.

"I think you're stretching things … but, fine, we'll do it your way. You're in charge, after all." You smile as she mutters grumpily, and after a quick glance at the focused Garro you slip out of the shop. You look toward the palace and rule out a direct intervention. The people here don't seem like the type to support you should the guards not accept your credentials; the public doesn't seem to know they have a right to know what's going on with their leader, and they're passive enough that the chances of successfully rabble-rousing look low. True, the guards at the front entrance might be confused enough by your bluster that they let you in, but that would also pretty much set you on a direct confrontation with Valentina, and that … maybe isn't the best thing right now. Once you've learned a bit more about her, maybe. Once you can suitably flatter her and pander to her ego without misstepping too awkwardly.

You turn and walk around Garro's shop, toward the side of the palace. There are probably other entrances you can use, after all. After a few minutes of walking, you come to the edge of the cloud and simply continue on, flying a bit lower than 'ground' level to keep out of obvious sight, but you continue to only see smaller windows that you can probably fit through if you retract your wings – assuming that they open the way you think they do. There are a few flat areas on the upper levels, and some even have doors or trapdoors, but all are locked. You finally make it all the way to the back of the palace and find a single unobtrusive door, leading to a tiny step of cloud, that isn't locked. You and Hatate both look around, but there's … nothing. Clouds below you, sure, but there doesn't seem to be anything that would necessitate a door here.

Oh well. You shrug and enter the palace, finding yourself in a long and empty corridor. The inside architecture isn't quite as dessert-looking as the outside, and plants hang from the walls at regular intervals. Naturally, you and Hatate check each door you come to – a bath, reading rooms or offices, what looks to be a long-disused combat training room, and that's another hallway …. You shake your head and Hatate closes the door. No sense getting turned around already. You continue along the hallway you started in, checking doors as you go and not really finding anything interesting until you come to the end of the hall, and a door. You open it silently, listening for sounds of life, but it doesn't sound like anything is in there, so you pull it open a little more and peer through. It's as empty as it sounded, and looks like some kind of audience chamber. No chairs or thrones, but it is quite clean and the plants are fresh and crisp – unlike some of the ones in hallway – so someone's been taking care of it, at least. You walk down the steps, shaking your head at the statues of Valentina, and pause at the other door, but there is very obviously something on the other side of the double doors. You smile authoritatively and, before Hatate can do more than sprint toward you, pull the doors open.

The thing you heard was another of the large red winged shells, although this one has an enormous turtle's limbs sticking out – what you heard was the creature's breathing. To the sides of the doors are two bird-warriors, although these are dressed in blue instead of red. Hatate stumbles to a halt next to you, a glare on her face, and one of the bird-warriors notices your arrival. "H-Halt! Intruders!" His companion joins him in readying their spears as the large koopa cranes its head back to look at you. You look back into the room, but of course there isn't anyone there. An expression of confusion creeps across your face as you turn back to the bird-warriors, then flowers into outrage, and you make your voice as intolerably shrill as you can.

"What? You mean us? How dare you!" Left hand on your hip, you step forward and slap the nearer bird-warrior across his outfit's protruding beak, spinning comically as you turn toward his companion.

"Er, uh, you're – you're not … not one of the Shy Aways, and you're not Valentina or Dodo, so -!" He flinches away from your striking hand, but you catch his beak anyway.

"This is not the front of the palace, you idiots! If we were intruders, that is where we would have come from! Is this what Valentina has to put up with, day in and day out? Stand at attention! Don't you backtalk me! And you! Don't you stare at me like that, fatso!" The massive turtle withdraws into its shell with surprising speed, and you whip your head back and forth, but the bird-warriors maintain their frightened postures, not daring to meet your eyes. Finally, you sniff dismissively and stalk down the stairs.

"... Um, sorry about that," Hatate says after a moment, then hurries after you, barely managing to catch the flung-open door before it slams into the wall. Once she slinks in and closes it – gently – she turns to you, frowning. You interrupt her with a hefty coughing fit and generously clearing your throat. She stares at you, and you shrug.

"If I change my voice too much, I start croaking." She blinks confusedly, then shakes herself and glares at you.

"Really, Aya? We make a big point of sneaking in the back way, skip however much of the palace is still back there, and you have to make a big fuss over things? What was the whole point of that?" You smile and rub your throat, clearing it one last time.

"This is probably the smallest area of the palace. Back there is all the private royal stuff and probably things like servants' quarters and such. Which means that Valentina is probably back there, enjoying luxuries. And not over here, which is where the normal people used to have access." She frowns contemplatively and you turn to examine the room. Gold statues again, although these are of the bird-warriors and not Valentina, so despite the tacky nature of the things, they're still easier on the eyes. More importantly, there's a side door with a note attached to the wall beside it. "'King Nimbus is resting in bed. Absolutely no running in the halls. Queen Valentina,'" you read, then quietly try the door. Locked. The odds of a quiet coup having taken place here are rising.


What do you do?

[ ] Break into the King's room.
- [ ] Just interview him, if he's not too sick.
- [ ] Try to get him out of the palace, if he's not too sick.

[ ] Ignore the King for now, and explore the front of the palace.

[ ] Go back and yell at the blue bird-warriors some more.

[ ] Other?

Break into the King's room.
- Just interview him, if he's not too sick.



You study the door a bit, but it doesn't look that sturdy. You push against it, testing its resilience, and smile at Hatate. "You don't really think he's actually sick, do you? With a note like that, in this part of the palace?" She shrugs, and you snort and turn back to the door. Now, how best to get in there …? You grin; the door doesn't seem to have a deadbolt, so the lock is just keeping the handle from turning, and that kind of lock is much easier to break than a deadbolt. Hatate preemptively winces and turns away as you set your shoulder to the edge of the door, and you slam into it. Wood snaps and the door pops open, and you step back to pick up your bag before pushing it all the way open. Two cloud people - neither looking particularly unhealthy - look at you from the bed, and you wave. "Hello! Would you happen to be the King and Queen here?"

"Well, I say! Are you here to rescue us? Have you forced Valentina to mend her ways, or perhaps kicked her right off the clouds of Nimbus Land?" The Queen rolls her eyes at her husband's response to your entry, then frowns as you close the door once Hatate is inside with you.

"Rescue? Eh, no, not really. We're reporters. I don't suppose, seeing as you're still stuck here, you'd mind giving us an interview?" For several seconds, the royals don't respond, only stare at you as Hatate claps her hands over her eyes. Then they look at each other, and the Queen shrugs.

"Oh, why not? I don't see how it could hurt." The Queen nods silently, agreeing with the King, and you snap a picture before taking out your notebook and pen.

"Alright, first – how would you describe Valentina? And did she suddenly change, or do you think this is something she's been planning for some time?" You aren't going to do a general interview – not here and now, at least. Maybe later, but right now you're more interested in the build-up to the current situation.

"Hmm. How would I describe Valentina? Well, she's … uh, quite pretty," the King begins, ignoring the Queen's eye-rolling. "A little vain, always worried about how she looked. Never … usually didn't let that interfere with her work. She was an accountant here, you know." The Queen nods.

"Vain, and a bit of a spoiled brat. And I think she was planning this, or something like it, but I only came to that conclusion recently. After being locked up in here for a while, I started thinking about it, and some things she's done over the years … easily overlooked or forgiven when looked at individually, but with her recent actions, I think she was seeing how much slack she had." King Nimbus frowns at his wife, but doesn't contradict her.

"I see, I see. So, do you think she intended to move when she did, or did something push her into moving sooner than she had originally planned?" Now King Nimbus nods emphatically.

"Oh, certainly – I was sick a couple months back. Nothing too serious, just a cold of some kind, but I must have sneezed out all my magic power! Thunderstorms raged when I got the sniffles, and rooms I entered would suddenly start getting cold. And then, just as I was starting to get better, Valentina said I should stay isolated, just to make sure it really was done."

"And we haven't been out of this room ever since. We've heard some things – some that Valentina has told us directly, and other things that we've simply overheard – but we haven't been able to leave. Really, we should have seen it coming when she insisted on a room that couldn't be opened or damaged magically, even if it did make sense." The Queen sighs and shakes her head, but then smiles.

"But now that you've opened the door, we can leave!"

"Hm, have your magical powers recovered, Your Majesty?" King Nimbus smiles and raises his hands, then claps them together. They stick together a bit, like tarry palms, and as he pulls them apart bolts of blue lightning spark back and forth. His smile fades.

"Bah! Not very much, it seems. In a few more days, perhaps, I'll be strong enough to deal with Valentina if she refuses to leave peacefully, but … not right now." You keep your pleasant expression carefully neutral; what he just did may only be a parlor trick among magicians, but it still requires a fair amount of power. When fully recovered, he could be quite dangerous to the unprepared. Which brings another point to mind – Mallow. You haven't seen much of his skills, but you did see those lightning bolts before you met him the first time. And the Magikoopas … perhaps this place could be interesting.

"Hmm. Have you heard anything about a Star falling anywhere nearby?" The Queen nods.

"Yes, some of Valentina's guards were talking about a star that fell into Barrel Volcano. Valentina wanted them to get it for her, but …." You nod – it's a volcano!

"The dreaded Czar Dragon that lives in that volcano. Hinopio keeps an eye on it, but since he reports to us, and we've been a bit out of communication, so if that star has done anything to change its activities …." King Nimbus shrugs, and you nod again. Right, the fact that it's a volcano isn't what kept the bird-warriors from going after the star, it's the fact that it's home to a dragon. Well, at least it's dealt with your idea that Valentina already has the Star Piece. If, of course, that is a Star Piece. It might not be, and could be a regular shooting star, or even a different kind of special star that does things.

Still, you're probably going to have to go into that volcano at some point if you want to get your hands on a Star Piece to get that interview with Smithy. Or to bring it back to Gensokyo and see if magicians there can use it for something …. Hatate clears her throat quietly and lowers her camera when you look at her. "Mallow?" she whispers, the word not said loudly enough for the royals to hear it. Ugh. Bring up the possibility of their son being found, and you're liable to start something unnecessarily. You'd probably be better off trying to sneak them out of the palace and letting them talk to Garro!


What do you do?

[ ] Keep interviewing the King and Queen.
- What do you ask them about?

[ ] Bring up the possibility of Mallow having been found.

[ ] You've had your interview, now it's time to leave.
- [ ] See what's in the front of the palace.
- [ ] Go and see what's in the back part of the palace.

[ ] Try to get the King and Queen out of the palace.
- [ ] Noisily.

[ ] Maybe go see that volcano?

[ ] Other?

Bring up the possibility of Mallow having been found.


… If anything goes wrong, you can explain to Hatate that this is why interfering too closely in your research materials' lives is a bad thing. And, of course, you have discretionary powers over what constitutes 'wrong' in this case. "Ah, there is … one more thing. I understand you have a son, Mallow?" The royals stiffen and stare at you, eyes wide with hope.

"Mallow … our son. Is – is he alright? Have you seen him?" The king leans forward eagerly.

"... Maybe," you begin, but probably saying anything would have had the same effect. King and Queen bound out of their fluffy bed and skid to a halt in front of you.

"Is he alright?"
"Our boy, is he taking care of himself?"
"Where is he?"
"Hasn't fallen in with any of the wrong sort?"
"Doing good -"
"Seeing the world -"
"Meeting people -"

Words don't merely spill out of their mouths, don't just trip over each other – you're certain you're hearing words being murdered by other words trying to get out, to be heard before the following words can erupt from one throat or another, and you adopt a very strained smile as you hold your notebook and pen up as a feeble shield. Eventually, the words fade to silence, and you actually look at the married couple to see nothing more than a pair of very worried parents. "Thank you. Now, we don't know that the Mallow we met is actually your son." You study their countenances, then shrug apologetically. "I can't tell from sight, and he didn't advertise himself as a prince, if he even knows. He is virtually identical to a statue that Garro has that he says is of Your Highness when he was younger." They heave relieved sighs and slump against each other, worry exhausted. You smile. "He seemed to be well, and is quite powerful magically. And currently he's traveling with Mario."

"Mario?" King Nimbus looks confused for a moment – then sparks light his eyes. "You mean – the Mario? Super Mario. Jumping Mario. That Mario? And Mallow is – Mallow is traveling with him, and …."

"Dear," the Queen says, patting her husband's shoulders gently while trying to keep from crying. "Do – do you know where he is now? Where did you last see him?"

"At a place called Seaside Town, although he might not have returned there – or they may have come back and then left again." You explain, briefly, about Smithy and the Star Road, and why Mario probably explored the ocean near Seaside Town.

"Then, the Star Piece in the volcano …." The Queen's thoughts are disrupted by her husband's exuberant laughter.

"Haha! Seaside Town! We'll have to send Valentina packing, then! Get the royal bus fixed, pick up Mallow – whether he's still at Seaside Town or if he's left, and then …."

"YOU IDIOTS!!!" You and Hatate both twitch at the shout, much too loud to have passed through more than one door on its way to your ears. It's also shrill enough to make a bat fall over dead. A good thing you have this door … but the King and Queen heard it, too, and their faces darken angrily.

"Valentina," King Nimbus mutters. Furious but understated ranting from the other side of the door gives you enough warning to skip out of the way before the poor object slams into the wall, and you have your first look at the nemesis of Nimbus Land. Your first thought, uncharitably, is of a wide-headed, bald, sunburnt Yukari with a parrot on her head. As if sensing your uncomplimentary thoughts, the bird gives you a look as Valentina – over a head taller than you even with your geta – glowers snootily at you.

"So, this is the little birdy who's been causing trouble in my palace? And bothering the poor King when he's bedridden, too! I'm sure it will take me quite some time to decide what to do with you. Dodo!" You smile innocently up at her, wondering which defense you should use, then stare at the enormous – and enormously fat – toucan that waddles into view behind Valentina, flanked by over a dozen bird-warriors of each color. "Take these … guests … somewhere out of the way while I make sure the King is well." The giant bird takes a waddle forward – then heaves itself to the side as a gold-and-blue lightning bolt blasts through the doorway. Valentina somehow manages to dive to one side, too, without either falling out of her dress or dislodging the poor beast on her head, and she actually looks up with no small amount of worry. Considering that closest bird-warriors are simply not there anymore, and there are three walls that need replacing, she's probably fairly smart.

"Valentina! No longer shall you -" King Nimbus's command is cut short as he sways, and although the Queen holds him up, and after a second he seems to recover, it's enough to let Valentina gather her wits.

"See? The King is sick. He needs his bed rest." Her voice is sickeningly sweet, but the refreshing overlay of hostility keeps it from being too unpalatable. The air around her chills, and two huge snowflake-shaped bits of magic loop around her once before shooting toward you. You raise your camera – but another, smaller bolt of lightning blasts through the incoming attack.

"Ha!" You step back and glance at the panting King, still supported by his wife. "Don't count us out yet, Valentina! You – reporter! Escape! Get to Garro – tell him our wishes!" Your first thought is, of course, that you're hardly going to simply flee when there's a royal rumble going on and you have free front-row tickets! On the other hand … you turn back to the doorway. The mooks seem to have dispersed, unwilling to get that close to the fight, but Dodo is still there, more or less blocking the doorway with his bulk, and looking a fair bit angry. Or hungry. Hmm ….


What do you do?

[ ] No way you're going to miss this! Stay and watch the fight between Valentina and the King.
- [ ] Make sure the King wins.

[ ] Fine, you'll obey the King. But you're not making a habit of obeying royalty!

[ ] Tell Hatate to time you, and hope that Mario is done with his little undersea adventure ….

[ ] Other?