Part 45: Gaiden 1 (Part 1)
Welcome back to a bonus thing, which was added to the game in one of the later patches.
As some book-keeping before we begin, remember aaaaaall the way back at the start of the LP, when I said I was using a NG+ save? Turns out we can't do this part with a NG+ save, so I'm just using an old save I had lying around.
It shouldn't matter much, but I figured I should let you know.
I didn't want to dedicate much thought to this, so I'm just rolling with the characters that were already prepped on this file from like 2 years ago.
With that out of the way, let's get moving.
We start out here, in the final chapter.
!
Eh?! What's going on?!
The energy is overflowing! It's swallowing up the surrounding rocks!
Don't tell me spacetime is collapsing?!
Before long, I'll crumble away along with my dream. Please, return to Gensokyo.
What do you mean you'll crumble away? Shouldn't you be able to stop it? ...I no longer have the power, nor any reason to. I'll share my fate with my dream.
Share your fate? No way... Now that I've lost, it's only natural for the one who doesn't fit into Gensokyo to disappear. And with my dream broken, I don't wish to dishonor myself any further.
I'm sure you think so, but-
The collapse is continuing. We can't stay here for long.
... There's no need to hesitate. This is the end I wanted.
...That's right. I wanted to meet my end there. Without my dream, I had nothing to support me... I thought I only wanted to live if I had my dream. But thanks to Reimu and her friends, both Meeko and I were saved. We were told, threatened almost, to learn of Gensokyo and find a new dream. Find a future. ...It's been months since then. I still don't have the slightest clue what my new dream might be. All I do now is watch over the scenery of Gensokyo... Touching everyone's hearts, this was the life left to me.
Fantasy Maiden Wars Special Chapter
"Dream Again"
C'mon, hurry up!
Is there really a good hiding place in a place like this? Wait, it's that boat that shoots danmaku! Don't worry, it doesn't move anymore. Now let's find a window we can-
Hey! Get back here!
They found us! Run!They run off. Side note: the sound effect here is a goofy slide whistle.
Yeesh, the moment we take our eyes off of 'em...
And they even said it doesn't move anymore. They're underestimating our mothership. Right, Palanquin Ship?
... C'mon, it was a joke. I mean, they're right, it sure ain't shooting danmaku anytime soon.
Hey, stop chatting and get back to work. These weeds won't pull themselves. Yeah yeah... ... ... I can't believe it's already so overgrown. Feels like just yesterday that we were taking it all over the place. It's already been weeks since we turned it back into a temple. The days when we were flying around every day were a special exception. And we're still a long way from those pleasure cruises we were talking about. First we need to get Myouren temple on track as an actual, functioning temple. ...This sucks.Someone walks in.
Oh, here you all are.
At least it looks like you're working enough to justify all that grumbling.
Good work, everyone. Oh, all three of you are here? Do you need something? We recieved this from Aya just now. I'd like you all to see it. Wow, a photo album?! Seems like she put together all sort of photographs. These were taken in Mugen Sekai. Wow, that sure brings back memories. Look, the peeps from the moon and the Underworld are there too. Looking back at it now, things sure were lively back then. I can hardly believe we took such a huge crowd with us to investigate incidents. ....But ever since that last banquet, we've all gone our separate ways. The Watatsukis back to the moon, Shinki back to Makai, Lady Shiki back to Hell... Even Tenshi said she was going to try working harder in Heaven, so she hasn't been coming down to play either. In the end, that's just how it goes. Once things are back to normal, all that matters is what it's right in front of you. But I'm sure the personal growth we all experienced in our journeys will continue to aid us on our separate paths. ...I know we'll see them again someday, but it's still a little lonely. It really feels almost like waking up from a dream. True... Okay, that's enough of the pity party. Let's just get these weeds taken care of and take a break. Besides, isn't the shrine crew still just drinking every day like usual? Hehe, I suppose so. They're as lively as ever. I'm sure that even today they're drinking while making the flowers bloom with danmaku and idle chatter.
BGM: Secret Mission!
...So we came into sight of the moon, and whaddya know, we bumped right into Reimu. Yeah, wasn't expecting that. Plus, you had Kanako and even Mima with you...
And then we all ended up in a big spellcard battle.
Uhya! Battle of the century!
And then what, and then what?! Who won?! Who'd you expect? Me! What are you talking about? Obviously I won.
Tee hee, they're both liars.
I could peek into their memories, but perhaps that would be tactless.
Meeko was there too, wasn't she? Do you remember that?
... Meeko...?
Meeko...?
Huh? Sorry! I got too caught up in listening!
You were everyone's pet at the time, so shouldn't you already know this one?
Yeah, but... Hearing it told like this is all so new to me...
Perhaps being in a different position now make you see it differently.
Are you sure you aren't bored, Makura? Me...?
Yeah, you. You and Meeko hardly ever come to these things, and now you aren't saying a word.
If you just hang in the back like that, we'll run outta snacks before you get any! ...Thank you for your concern. But please, don't mind me. It's pleasant enough just listening to you all like this. Hmph, that's awful meek of you... You were so forceful during the incident, but I suppose you were originally a rather quiet person?
Yup! Whenever I'm grooming the sheep, she's ALWAYS watching over me.
She just falls asleep right there after like half a day though.
That's kind of amazing, in more ways than one.
I'm surprised neither of you have gotten tired of that yet... Well, as long as you're enjoying yourselves. You're only here every once in a while, so I think it's fine to take it easy. Thank you. I like to think of this as another opportunity to learn more about Gensokyo.
So stiff! Just come hang out at the shrine whenever! But hearing that is exactly what makes my heroic tales worth telling. Anything you girls wanna here in particular? C'mon, back down to Earth, Marisa... I wanna hear about the moon! The moon? Sound good to me. it comes up pretty often, but we still don't really know what happened up there.
If you're talking about the Lunar voyage, then I'd love to hear about it myself. I must admit my curiosity has been piqued as well. Curiosity, is it? Oh right, you don't really like the moon, do you Makura? ...No, I don't feel that way anymore. It's just... seeing everyone's eyes glittering in anticipation like that made me... It's cuz we've never been there, duh! While obviously I didn't go myself, there are a number of other who also stayed behind because of their position, or for the harvest. I left Shiro behind too, so are you curious too? Huh? Well, maybe a little... I mean, who could resist the allure of a voyage through space?
I even read in a gossip magazine that the moon is the Dragon Palace! I wish I could've shown Mom the beauty of that sea of stars.
Me too! I wanna go again someday! Then why not just go? Aren't you friends with the Lunarians now? Easier said than done. In reality, it's nothing more than a pipe dream.
But that's why we at least want to hear about it, so we can imagine. ... Anyway, might as well start from the beginning. Remilia and Flan just suddenly said they wanted to go to the moon... ...A lunar voyage... (A dream that will never come true... I didn't even realize it.) (...In that case...)
That night...
Mmm.... Ugh... Where am I? I remember passing out on the floor as soon as I got home... That voice... Is that you, Marisa? Reimu? You're here too...? Just kinda spacing out though. Uh... do you remember what happened? I know this noise... and this shaking too...
BGM: Border of Regular and Irregular Days
This is...!
Yeah, the Palanquin Ship!
*yawn*
! Nnn... I can't eat another bite... Mmm... the smell of the sea... Even Nitori's here... What the heck's going on?
It looks weird outside too. It's almost like that time we went to the moon... Hey! Wake up guys!
Hm? But it's still not time for breakfast yet, is it...? Wait, what? Why are we on the Palanquin Ship?!
And the consoles and guns are here too. Didn't we dismantle these? Look! You can see the sea of stars out the window!
...Looks like we're wrapped up in something weird. It looks just like when we took a trip to the moon. Don't tell me it's some kinda time slip?The bridge door opens, and someone comes rushing through.
Mm?
Omigod! Look, Yumeko, look! Omigod!
Lady Shinki, please try to ascertain your circumstances before you scream like a child at a birthday party.
Looks like some kinda magic? We should take a look around the ship first.
What? You're all here too?! What's going on? You girls were never on the trip to the moon! Oh my, so everyone's here... Wait, moon?! So that really is the sea of stars?! Omigod, what do I do, Yumeko?! This is your mother's space debut! This is an abnormal situation. Please shut up for a moment. I don't get it! Not even time travel would explain this! Don't tell me this is...
I don't have a seperate portrait for this, so just imagine Makura's being displayed on a screen or something.
Good night, everyone. Makura! What the heck's going on here? Now we're getting a transmission from YOU?! This is all your fault, isn't it?! H-Hold your horses! There's good reasons for this! Really now? Then could we skip the greetings and hear those reasons? ...After listening to your stories at the shrine, we became interested in the moon world as well. So I recreated it in a dream through the memories of those involved, and invited everyone into it. By experiencing it vicariously through you, we hope to learn more about the moon too. ...Figures. Of course it was your fault. Well, at least there's nothing sinister behind it. Actually, you say you 'recreated' it, but aren't there all these other people here now...? Oh, well, we thought it'd be better if as many people as possible could see it. I do think that might create a slightly different outcome though... Well, that's fine too, in its own way. Yup! What a sloppy set-up... Hey, look on the bright side, I get to see Mima again! Okay, I understand what's going on now. So if this is the dream world, then when we wake up in reality we'll be back where we came from? Yeah, exactly. When you wake up this'll all be just a dream, so do whatever you like! The night is still young though. I doubt you'll wake up anytime soon. We'll let you know when dawn is approaching, so until then, please enjoy yourselves. Understood. Then we'll stay in touch through this communicator. Alright, time for a dream world adventure!
I wonder if anyone else besides Shinki's group are here too.
Geez, can't I get a break, even in my dreams?
...And so, I have the following messages to convey. Next, we'd like the Watatsuki sisters to continue their mission.
... Are you listening, Lady Yorihime? Yes, I'm listening. You're talking about going to hunt down the rabbit who fled.
I thought I told them that we'd be implementing measures to prevent it from happening again? Will the higher ups be satisfied with that, though? The brass is worried that she might be conspiring with that Yagokoro and plotting a rebellion against the Moon. We should be catching her and punishing her.
A silence within a silence is no silence at all. ...Huh? Behaving yourself during peacetime isn't true calmness. Only when you keep that calm in times of crisis does it truly count. W-Well, maybe so, but- 
Therefore, it's important to act prudently, and not give in to impatience. Tell that to the higher ups. U-Understood!She runs off.
Thank you, Toyohime. I could never talk my way out of situations like you can. 
Is that supposed to be a compliment? I was sure you wouldn't lose when it comes to words though... But anyway, it seems they're trying to connect everything to Lady Yagokoro, as always. Yes, although I believe it's most likely just a vocal minority. We don't need to follow their orders. Right now, only we have the authority to deploy the emissaries. As long as we hold onto our determination, there's nothing they can do about it.
...You're right. Lady Yagokoro must still be in good health, somewhere on the Earth. One day, once she's cleared of her crimes, she'll come back to the moon and give us backing, right? 
Indeed. That's why, until then- Someone comes running in.
Lady Watatsuki, sorry to bother you again. What is it now? I thought we were done talking? We were, but just now I got a report from our comrades monitoring the barrier. It seems some flying object is approaching, and interfering with the barrier. 
What...?
...We're 10000 from the moon's surface. No obstacles in our course. Sounds good. Keep this up and we'll pull this off without a hitch. Whoa, we're already close to the moon? It took weeks in reality, but in the dream it happened so quickly. Isn't that just because Murasa is more skilled and knows what she's doing this time around? There's that too, but don't forgot that Akyu and Rinnosuke are veterans at this too now. They're a big help. It really is like a dream to be doing this all with you again.
Actually, I was always jealous of you girls. I understand that my body wouldn't have been able to handle the trip, but... But the moon as seen from the sea of stars is just so beautiful... Akyu...
It's a little too soon to be crying tears of joy. Once we land, you'll even see the ocean. Did you hear that, Minamitsu?! An ocean! Alright! Wah, get down, Nue! I can't see!More people come onto the bridge.
Whoa, nice view.
...I know this is a dream, but still. I'm speechless.
I hear they're famous for their peaches, so why don't we have an eating contest?
What a unique opportunity. I'll have to perform an inspection. So you all came to the bridge too, huh?
I'd never get tired of seeing that moment when we land! Let's go out together, Sis!
D-Don't pull me so hard, Koishi... You're all treating this like a party... This ain't the time for a touching reunion y'know.
Well, what else do you expect, given the circumstances?
Yes, we can talk after we land. For now, let's just enjoy the sight of the moon spreading out below us.
The moon below us, huh...
....
Are the great sinners of the moon feeling a little uneasy about this? ...True, if it weren't a dream then setting foot on the moon again would be unthinkable. But for tonight, this is but a game. Let's leave our sins behind, in reality.
While I haven't changed my mind about leaving, I feel strangely nostalgic about coming back like this... ...Indeed.
Well, it's great that you're fine with it, Master, but what do we do about these two?
Seriously, this is such a problem! ... Hey there, everyone. Quite a view, isn't it?
Um... Is it alright for them to be here? Isn't it going to get weird when we get to the moon and you show up in front of yourselves? Don't ask me! It's not our fault we were caught up in this! Well, whatever happens, happens.
Anyway, I'm just glad we could all meet up again!
Yeah! Even in the same situation as last time, I feel so relaxed!
Good grief, how carefree of you all. We're heading to the moon, you know? A little wariness seems appropriate. There is no need to worry. There was a chance that the dream world would connect to the real moon, so I eliminated that possibility in advance. This is outside the Kaian corridor. I'm sure you won't be discovered by the guardian. I see. You seem to know what you're doing then. Now that the spectators are here too, it's about time for us to make our landing. Finally!
Allow me to take a photographic record of this historic occasion! I'll leave the helm to you, Murasa. Right, Hijiri! Watch over me, please. ...Huh? What's wrong, Minamitsu? Um, when we really went to the moon, what happened after this part again...? Now that you mention it, I don't remember how how we landed...The screen shakes violently.
Hm? What's that awful shaking?Alarms start blaring.
! The ship's altitude is falling? Something's wrong! The controls aren't responding!
What do mean they aren't responding?! Wasn't it all going according to plan?! Oh, I remember now! We crashed after entering the moon's barrier!
Yeah, I remember that! We made such a big splash on the way down! Pfft! You brought us along on such a dangerous trip?!
But it's a dream, right? Can't we change things a little?! Makura, you're controlling this, so do something! Unfortunately, it's difficult to a nightmare into a pleasant dream on such short notice. Hmm, what to do, what to do... I brought your tea, Lady Makura!
Well, SOMEONE's laid back! This is an emergency! Forget it! Everyone grab something! We're about the hit the water!
Clench your jaws, everyone! Namusaaan!More shaking.
! Huh? Did we stop falling?
Look outside!
BGM: Our Hisoutensoku
Huh? But that's...!
Is this a dream? Well, obviously it is, but...
It's Hisoutensoku!
! But how?! Wasn't he caught up in the collapse after the final battle?!
Don't tell me Makura did this too? I did, although I'd intended to manifest him after you'd reached the moon. So was he recreated from our memories, like the rest of this dream? Uh uh. He lost his body, but Hisoutensoku's mind was scattered all over Mugen Sekai. So I gathered up all the pieces and granted him a new body. So this is the genuine Hisoutensoku himself!
Yay! We got to see each other again! ! Still, to think you'd do something like that when you hate science so much. Was this just a whim, or a change of heart? ...There's no particular reason. Please just think of it as atoning for once using him. ... We can talk later, we still need to land on the moon. There's your cue, Hisoutensoku! Take us to the moon! !
Gaiden 1: Dream on the Moon
This is an obvious play on Chapter 47's title "Fantasy Maidens on the Moon". In fact, in the files, this chapter is even stored as "Chapter 47D" where the D stands for dream.
BGM: The Gensokyo That Floats in Outer Space
It's the sea!
The sea, huh!
Heeey, everyone!
Stop being shy in a place like that, and let's go plant some sweet potatoes!
Alright! Let's invade the moon with fresh produce! Planting crops on the real moon would be strictly forbidden though...
It's a dream, let them have their fun.
Yeah, exactly! Just for today, please?
Good heavens, looks how quickly they've adapted to these strange circumstances.
But the ship's alright, so it's alright to play, right? I wanted to play on the beach with you, Miss Ran! Chen!
So it's looking like a beach party then?
Tada! Swimsuits! Oh my, how bold...
No way! You think I can wear something like that?
I dunno, I bet you could fill it out in certain places. Why not just throw it on? Well, YOU'D wear anything, Yuugi. Then would you care to wear it, Byakuren?
M-My body serves Buddha. I could never embarrass myself with such a shameless- ...I'll pass too.
...Sure, the moon is such a rare sight to everyone.
Well, you gotta have at least this much fun with it, or it was a waste coming here.
Wow! Wow! There's so much water! Yuuka! Alice! This is aaall salty!
Tee hee hee. How adorable, seeing you enjoy your first trip to the ocean so much. It's dangerous here Medi, so don't go too far, alright?
Those of us who can't handle the saltwater will be with Hisoutensoku.
He's gonna carry us over there on his shoulders. !
Hmph, amateurs. Let's show them how a master plays.
Are we the masters just because it's our second time here? One must be 'fabulous' and 'gorgeous' while enjoying oneself at a lunar resort, or so I'm told. Hm, is that how it is?
Ain't nothing wrong with kicking back. Western style. Want another cocktail, Lady Shiki? ...It seems safe enough outside. Should we go out too? Sure, but I'd like to confirm one thing first... Last time everyone landed here, what happened next?
Hm, why? I mean, you lost control of the ship in reality too, right? So doesn't that mean whatever happened after that will happen here too?
Oh, now that you mention it... In that case, next we were found by the defense corps... Wait, doesn't that mean...?!
Moon Rabbits pop in from all sides.
Th-They're here! There really were intruders! Is that a wooden ship? Did they fly that here? Uwah! It's the defense corps rabbits! Just like last time!
So even if there are some differences, the events that happened in reality will also happen in the dream. Meaning we're gonna end up with a danmaku battle with 'em? Get back to the ship and prepare for a fight, everyone!
Same enemy formation as Chapter 47.
Geez, we were just about to go swimming too! We all just changed too, what the heck? Looks like to defense corps rabbits showed up. For now, we should gather up for safety. Speaking of which, it took a while for Shinki and Hisoutensoku to get back... Sorry about that. I nearly drowned... Why'd you even get in the water if you can't swim, Mom?! Set her adrift and she floats on her own. You too, Hisoutensoku. You almost sank! I guess writing him as unfit for ocean combat was a bad idea then. We've gotta make him a propeller for underwater movement then! ...
...Hmm, even in this situation there isn't much tension, is there?
Well, nothing's gonna happen if we don't do something. How about Yorihime and Toyohime go out and talk to 'em? Us...? In reality a battle broke out, but maybe we could avoid it if you two manage to convince them. ...I understand. To be frank though, it doesn't sit quite right with me... You there, rabbits. Sheathe your weapons. Bwuh?! Lady Yorihime?! We'll handle these people on our own. You may return to your patrols. And Lady Toyohime too?! What's going on here?! But something's not right about this... didn't we come here on Lady Yorihime's orders? And wasn't Lady Toyohime supposed to be in the Lunar Capital doing something? Which means maybe these ones are fakes! Yeah! Lady Toyohime would never wear a swimsuit! Not even Lady Toyohime would wear something as easygoing as that! Oh. My oh my oh my.
...What an unfortunate misunderstanding. Pretty loyal minions you got there. This is thanks to all that training you give 'em, right? ...I'd never imagined we'd have to deal with a situation like this. Bring it on, fakes! We only need to hold out until reinforcements show up! We'll protect the peace of the moon!
Victory: Defeat all enemies.
Defeat: The Palanquin Ship is destroyed.
Bonus WP: Clear the chapter in 5 turns or less.
Yep, it's literally just Chapter 47 again.
No point in holding back on SP, so we're just spamming spirits from turn 1.
If nothing else the backgrounds are pretty.
As a minor point, I'm mostly sending units that can handle themselves underwater to the northern parts of the map.
Marisa and the rest, meanwhile, are heading south.
This is not a particularly hard chapter.
Ahh, Mokou and Kisume. Lifelong partners in my old playthroughs.
Huh, I forgot these rabbits could parry. Pretty rude of you, cutting up Mokou's amulets like that.
Can't parry fire!
Apparently Yorihime can parry slow moving missiles, though.
Yorihime doesn't really have much of interest to say about these rabbits she's roasting.
Pretty funny, though.
On turn 2, we pretty quickly hit a kill threshold, which leads to...
A whole 6 new enemies.
They're here! The invaders from the surface! Prepare yourselves, we're the coastal rabbits! Watch out, everyone! They've got reinforcements! Um... what do they mean by coastal anyway? We've gathered the most motivated rabbits from those that guard the coast. The incident isn't happening in the Lunar Capital. It's happening on the beach! Oh, right... there were these girls too. Really getting into it, huh? Looking at them now, isn't it almost charming? But these rabbits' attacks sure mean business. Looks like they've leveled up since we fought them before. If so, perhaps it's because of how you imagine them.
What do you mean? As I mentioned before, I relied on the memories of those who'd been to the moon to reconstruct this world. If they felt threatened at the time, that could affect their mental image, making their opponents stronger. What a convenient explanation for this pain-in-the-butt dream. But if they weren't any stronger than back then, they wouldn't be worth our time. Is that all? Let take care of 'em real quick!That's the explanation for why these rabbits are at an appropriate level for us, by the way.
Doesn't really change that they're not a threat to a properly trained endgame team, though.
These rabbits also get sliced,
and
And with no trouble at all, really, we're done with them all by turn 2.
I guess I'm skipping a bunch of attacks, but I promise, you're not missing anything important.
Ugh, these girls are strong～. I give up. We tried our best, so this counts as doing our job, right?! Whew, it's finally over. Easy as pie. They're no match for us now. ...They have an overwhelming lack of real combat experience. Eh, they just picked the wrong oppenents. Please forgive us, we mean no harm to the moon. I think going easy on them was good training, in its own way. Thank goodness we didn't let them see Eirin or Kaguya though. Even if anyone saw us, I doubt any of them would recognize us. It's still better that we weren't seen though.Sidenote: there's very slightly different dialogue here if you deployed Eirin or Kaguya.
But the real problem is what comes next. Next...? Oh. Right.
Hm? What are you talking about? If this dream is repeating what happened in reality, it's about time for HER to arrive. Yeah, HER! Who are we talking about? You all look like you've seen a ghost... Hwah?! ...What's wrong, Meeko? I-I dunno why, but I just felt the biggest chill down my spine.
She'll burn my wool again!
Meeko's acting so weird... did she eat something she found on the ground? It seems the approaching aura triggered the trauma deep within her heart. And she's not the only one. This spiritual power has made a strong impression on a lot of you... Yeah, we know. How could we ever forget?!
...It's just as the reports said.
Yorihime pops in, flanked by her crew.
!
Reinforcements, huh? Then the commander in the middle must be...!
...L-Lady Yorihime...! I never imagined the lunar barrier would be penetrated so easily. But now that I, Watatsuki no Yorihime, am here, this little charade is at its end.
And that's it for this one, see you next time.
...
...
...
Ok before you go, I didn't realize this while I was recording this chapter, but there's some bonus dialogue you can get here.
If you've got Reimu equipped with the Genji item, and take her out to the ocean, you get this:
The sea, huh? I didn't get a chance to relax, so maybe I should go have some fun.
...Is it finally time for this old man to shine? Hm? That voice... While you may be able to swim through the sea of cloud, Master, it is not so for the sea. But I? I am a turtle. My flippers part the wind and the waves just as easily. Now is the time! The time for you to once again stand atop my back and-
Guess it was just my imagination? Wait, wha...? You really can't hear me?! ...So be it. I am but a reminder of an older era. Someone from the past, destined to return to the past... I suppose I'll remain silent for a while longer then...---
Additionally, this part says it's supposed to fire during the second player phase, but I never saw it before now. It's also located in a weird part of the script, which makes me thinks it was dummied out for some reason? Not sure why, but regardless, here you go:
So this is the moon, Lady Makura? Indeed it is. What a beautiful place. Crossing the sea, I expected to see all sorts of sights, but all of it has surpassed my expectations. Does it interest you then? Toyohime... I'd heard you hated the moon, but thank goodness you're enjoying it. I believe you were wary of our advanced technology and culture? ...Indeed, I was. I thought progress could only lead to ruin. But that's not true for Gensokyo. Although I still haven't confirmed it...
It sounds like you might be changing your mind, at least.
I mean, if you hadn't you'd never have resurrected Hisoutensoku. ...I'm not so sure about that... Isn't it pretty admirable to do that for someone who betrayed you? ...As I said earlier, there was no particular reason for it. And while you say he's resurrected, Hisoutensoku is still a being that can only exist in a dream. I may as well let you spend some time with him, if only for a brief moment. Hmm...