AN: This here, is my third Touhou piece. 11th grade was harder than I thought at first, so I had some problems before I took the year more seriously. Now I'm ok, for the most part. Though it did come at a price, as I focused a lot more on school than before, so I haven't gotten around to writing much, which is how this story came up on top of NOT updating my Code Geass ones.

Well, that, and that this story is based off of another one. It is basically my 'what-if' scenario of what would have happened if things did not go straight to hell in Akatsuki Dou's Laughing Crescent Moon.

Naturally, in order to understand the concept better, I recommend you Google it and download it, preferably from the Touhou wikia. It's a worthwhile read; I'm not joking when I say it's both amazing and fucking horrifying. It's creepy, but I loved it at the same time.

I HIGHLY recommend you follow my advice and read the original Laughing Crescent Moon doujin before reading this. Even if you don't though, this story includes most of the doujin in it, including the climax, but I believe I don't do it enough justice. You have to see it for yourself to know what I'm talking about.

WARNINGS: Graphic gore description, several character deaths.

Disclaimer: I don't own Touhou nor any of the series' settings, plot or characters. Those belong to Team Shanghai Alice—that is to say, to ZUN. I do not own Laughing Crescent Moon. It is a doujin done by Akatsuki Dou, who is awesome for doing something that managed to touch this cold heart so. This means Akatsuki Dou doesn't own Touhou either, but that's besides the point. This is a spin-off what-if story based off of his doujin, which is based off of ZUN's Touhou.

No humans, youkai, witches, miko, vampires and especially NO Yukkuris were harmed during the production of this work.

Please enjoy!

Note: I seem to be experiencing technical difficulties with the site, which says I supposedly have no stories up.

-B- -E- -G- -I- -N-

Right now, as I think these words, lost amidst a sea of white sheets, captured in a tangle, a meshed mess of pale pastel and sunny skin. As I lay out of my mourning garb, clothed by my lovers' embrace.

As I ponder how close I came to falling into madness.

As I ponder how I lost everything in order to gain something wonderful.

As I ponder how the souls of my dearly departed fare under the trials imposed by the judges of the afterlife.

I think back to that moment, when it all began, ended and began anew for me. When I died and survived, lived and perished, passed on and was reborn.

I can clearly remember my most haunting of memories, those which are cloaked in twilight...

Anamnesis ~ Remilia's Point of View

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…Tragedy…

...Such a horrible tragedy…

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...The world in flames...

"AHHHH! RUN AWAY!"

"Run run!"

"BOOM! BOOM!"

"What is happening?"

"BOOM! BOOM!"

"REMIL—! GAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"P-Patchy!"

"KABOOOOOM!"

"Ojou-sama, it's—ARRRGHH!"

"M-Meiling!"

"Ojou-sama, over here!"

"Sakuya! What is—?"

"Hehehehehehe…. Hahahahahaha… Hehahahahahahaha!"

"It's… Flan?"

"Ojou-sama, you must get out of here! Imouto-sama, she—! …! Ojou-sama, BEHIND YOU! HHHHHHHAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!"

"SAKUYA! NO! NO!"

"Guh… ojou…sama..."

"NO! This can't be happening!"

"OnEE-sAMa… HeEhEHeeheE!"

"…!"

"PlaY wiTH ME, ONEE-SamA!"

"F-Flan… FLAN! Wake up! Don't you see what've you've done?"

"So bOORing… cOmE On, LEt's pLay toGEtHER foREver... JuSt thE Two OF uS! !"

"Flandre... Flandre... you... *sob* *sob* You've... *sob* Alright then... I'll save you, imouto-chan... RAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"ThaT's MORE lIke It! Ahaha...HAHAHA! HEehEhe! AHAahahAHA!"

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...How could this happen...?

...Fire...

...Bodies...

...Blood...

...Destruction...

...It was everywhere...

...When the dust settled, when the red haze dissipated from her eyes, when the primal urge to kill that which could kill her no longer clouded her mind, Remilia at last, was able to lay her eyes upon what once was her home.

It was all in shambles. The entire surrounding area, for several kilometers, was filled with destruction. The lake was tainted red with blood, blood of her servants which had tried to escape, blood of the other youkai unlucky enough to be nearby when it all happened. The blood was all over the place. Much of the beautiful forest was gone; whenever there weren't destroyed tree trunks, it was barren of any sign of life. Large craters and cracks were strewn all over the area, some of them filled with bodies. Fires blazed across the landscape, some of it having gotten to what forest hadn't already been destroyed. Large pillars of smoke rose into the dark, clouded night sky; soon, some would come to investigate what it and the flames signified.

Lucky few wouldn't have to feel the pain of being torn apart, but even they would be shocked at the state of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

The large mansion was ruins. All ruins. The front walls were full of holes, and looked about ready to crumble. The front gate was a molten black substance on the ground. The gardens were no more, either burning away or outright destroyed by powerful magic. The mansion... Oh God, the mansion. Holes. Cracks. Fire. Her magnificent home... What a shadow... The basic structure could be seen, easily from where she stood, the mansion's supports barely keeping it from crumbling upon its own weight. Entire sections of wall were missing, and some stood, barely, on their own. The various floors could now be reached by floating through the numerous holes that were in the floor. The foyer, the dining room, the guest rooms, everything... Nothing was undamaged. Everything was hit...

The library... Bookshelves knocked over... Books strewn around... Fire lapping away at the pages and the wood. Tables and seats on the floor... Koakuma's disemboweled, headless body could be seen hanging from a veranda on the second floor. The missing head? Right at her feet, looking into her eyes. Her expression was frozen in absolute horror and fear. The primal kind of fear of one who knows they are about to die, and are completely helpless to stop it. And her dear friend Patchouli? Not even a single trace of her body. Nothing... Completely vaporized... All that she found, was her moon-shaped hairclip, blood-stained, over one of her favorite books. Voile, the magical library, was done for.

Meiling... She didn't know to be happy about finding her body. Then she could give her a proper burial, but then that also probably meant she suffered longer before dying. Or maybe not, no one really knew nor wanted to know with Flandre. Meiling's eyes were wide open, glazed over, a look of pain and remorse in place. She was missing her right arm, left leg and right foot. Her other arm was quite likely broken, and the arm was bent, the bone piercing the skin and showing, becoming stained in her gatekeeper's blood... A gigantic hole was on her stomach. That was probably the final cause of death, she reasoned. In her left hand, she clutched the golden star that used to be on the hat that once sat atop her crimson head. It too, was covered in blood.

Sakuya... Her eyes filled with tears, and sobs wracked her body. Sakuya had given her life protecting her, taking a fatal blow from Flandre. A very deep and very large gash was on her back. It was probably what killed her, but even without it, she could spot missing skin and flesh over various parts of her body. Her braids had come undone, but she was sure she was missing hair. Much of her uniform had burnt away, revealing the pale and soft, lifeless skin beneath. Remilia clearly remembered the last time she had seen that same skin stained even lightly with blood, and that was the night they met, when she had been toying with her. Now, the same blood coated her body, this time having been shed for her.

This is unreal... I don't believe this... I don't believe this! I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!

"PATCHY!"

No response... Her call resounded...

"MEILING!"

Again, no response... Rain began to fall, but even as it stung her skin, she remained ignorant of the prickly sensation and the stinging pain.

"SAKUYA!"

Cold wind blew. It ruffled the dead maid's clothes and hair. For one flitting moment, she thought she would hear the silver-head's sweet voice calling for her, a smile in place. She almost looked angelic, lying there... in a large pool of her own blood.

What was the last thing that went through your minds as you died? Oh Meiling, Patchy, Sakuya...

Remilia fell to her knees, looking at the final body that rested against the wall in front of her. Flandre, the only visible wound on her body being her killing blow; nearly the entirety of her left ribcage and chest area was missing, the flesh brutally torn apart by her right hand and her heart pierced multiple times by her Gungnir and clutched tightly with the same hand. All done when the fear of death, the rage, the grief and the bloodlust descended on her all at once, and clouded her eyes with a red haze.

And yet, even despite all this, her sister still lived, miraculously breathed still. But as the blonde looked at her older sister, Flandre's eyes held lunacy no longer... They were full of sadness, regret, understanding and pity... Oh the pity...

"O...nee...sama..."

Remilia was completely silent, the shock of the situation having robbed her of the ability of speech.

"O...nee-sama... P-please... Kill me..."

"N-no... Flan... No... No... I-I'm sorry... I'm sorry! I... I..." She was able to speak again, but as tears made their way down her bloodstained face, all she could do was mutter in distress...

"Onee-sama... Don't cry... Its... not yo...ur... fault... It's... mine..." She was wheezing, barely holding on.

"NO! NO IT ISN'T! IT'S MINE!IT'S MY FAULT!" She screamed, clutching her own arms tightly and digging her own broken nails into her flesh.

"Don't be... silly..." Flandre said, somehow giggling, but painfully.

"Flan!"

"Onee-sama!" Her little sister called, breathing accelerating. Blood spurted from her mouth.

"..."

"Kill me..." She closed her eyes.

"...Hai..."

High in the sky, the blood red moon sat, overseeing the carnage. It was the sole witness of the sickening, fleshy sound of a death stroke...

This... is... unreal... This can't be... possibly happening...

It...

Remilia looked at her bloodstained right hand, the hand that killed her sister. The rich, bright red blood dripped to the floor.

It... It is happening... This is happening... This is real...

I...

I...

...I've lost... everything... I've lost everything I have... Nothing, I have nothing... I am nothing...

"A..."

"AAAAAUUUUGGHH!"

...and the scarlet moon, too, was the sole witness to the Scarlet Devil's mournful wail.

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Anamnesis ~ Reimu's Point of View

I was too late...

In short, what happened was that Flandre went berserk and murdered everyone in the SDM.

Patchouli and Sakuya and the others were near her and were killed.

Flandre couldn't be stopped.

In the end, Remilia put down her completely rabid sister.

When I arrived, it was all over.

I couldn't even call out to her still-kneeling form.

I was completely powerless to stop it...

But...

Reimu Hakurei stood, complete disbelief all she could feel.

To see the beautiful Scarlet Devil Mansion and its surrounding domain reduced to this...

Such a discouraging sight.

It was as if the end of the world had happened and been constrained to one area.

The black haired girl cringed at the sight of blood, having never been forced to deal with a situation where the liquid had been present before, much less in this volume. She felt the urge to retch at the stench of death that filled the place, at the sight of bodies, and at the awful smell of burnt flesh. She felt like crying at the extreme loss of life. When she came across Meiling, her pace quickened, trying, desperately, to find anyone, anything, anything that still remained of her memories of this place.

And she found it.

Kneeling in the cracked floor of her ruined abode, she found Remilia, covered in blood and crying her eyes out. In front of her laid the deceased Flandre, a contented look on her face.

Though I may have been unable to find the words to console her at the time...

The miko felt an oppressive feeling of anguish clench at her heart , an indescribably painful feeling of despair and loss that ran parallel to Remilia's pain, the pitiful sobs of the Scarlet Devil, young by youkai standards, having finally allowing her most vulnerable side out, getting to her. This was all so horrible. So unfair...

Remilia... She needed someone...

Silently, she walked. She avoided the blood completely, eventually reaching her side. She knelt next to her.

The next thing Remilia knew, she was sobbing and crying and wailing into Reimu, the miko's hug making her feel like crying all the harder. She questioned not what she did there. The miko said nothing. All she did was, hold the vampire in a close hug, rubbing her head in a comforting manner. Remilia clutched the front of the black-haired girl's shirt desperately; needing the reassurance that she was there, that she was real.

I could not leave her there... I could not abandon her...

Remilia was my friend. She had become one of my closest friends. I couldn't bear to live with myself if I had turned my back to her right then and there. So I did the only thing that came to my mind.

I went and hugged her, and stayed with her as she let it all out. I don't know how long it took. I didn't care how long it took. I just knew that I had to do something!

In the end, Remilia's exhausted body could take no more and she lost consciousness, falling asleep while she leant on me.

There is no need to say it, but there was no way I could have left her there.

So I took her with me.

The cold winds lashed at her, her clothes being ruffled by the strong gusts, but her flight remained unimpaired. A stony expression was on her face, the shock of the grim event having taken its toll. Right now, all that went through her mind was that she needed to return to her shrine.

And in her arms, she held the shivering, still-sobbing and bloodstained mess that was Remilia Scarlet.

- - - - - - Hakurei Shrine Grounds ~ Reimu's Point of View - - - - - -

"Reimuuuuu! Reimuuuuuuu!"

I sighed, putting aside my broom. I wasn't really putting any effort into it anyway... Marisa sure had a penchant for her timing. But this one time, I wasn't sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate.

"Over here," I called demurely, not really in the mood for raising my voice. And I'm sure a certain someone would have appreciated that...

"Reimu!" she breathed, looking at me in amazement. I'll admit I didn't really make for a pleasant sight, what with my ruffled clothing and disheveled look. I suppose the blood staining my clothes and some of my skin didn't help either.

But that couldn't be helped.

"Hai?" I asked bored, already knowing what she had come here for.

"Did you hear— Oh wait, I guess the blood means you do, huh?"

"Hai..." I answered, my tone reflecting how tired I felt despite not really having done any exerting physical activity.

Marisa looked uncomfortable, and I couldn't blame her. The both of us knew that we would probably have to deal with a situation involving actual loss of life at some point, but we never expected this... And the one who came out suffering the most, was Remilia...

I sighed again. Might as well get on with the pleasantries...

"Tea?" I offered her, the two of us having chosen to sit down on the Shrine's front steps.

"Thanks," she said.

We spent a while in silence, mulling over the events of the previous night. Or rather, I'm sure she was. All my mind kept doing was going back to Remilia's distraught face...

"...So, how did it look?" she asked after a while, looking at the ground. Idly, she was messing with her witch hat.

"Like a scene straight out of a deranged butcher's sick fantasy..." I told her, grumbling.

"Shit..." was all Marisa could afford. Interestingly, that one word was more than enough to describe the situation. Such a simple word that could express so many things...

Personally, I would have said something stronger.

"Remilia's here," I said all of a sudden.

"You mean she survived?" she asked amazed, having probably expected a complete wipe-out.

"She did," I confirmed, making a move of my head towards the shrine, somewhere inside being a slumbering Remilia, "What do the actual rumors say?" I asked.

Marisa bowed her head. "The news going around is that the entire area went straight to hell, that everything and everyone in it died horrible deaths. Just overlooking the area, you know. No one's dared to actually put a foot in the place yet. Sans you, that is."

She shuffled where she sat, rubbing one arm.

"...What happened?" she asked at last.

"From what I can tell, Flandre lost it," I informed, having reached this conclusion after witnessing the brutality and magnitude of the destruction. I knew that Flandre, in her heart, was not an evil person, so her happy smile tipped me off to the truth.

"Double shit. If Remilia's alive, then that means she stopped Flandre, right?" Marisa asked, looking rather sad. She and Flandre got along well, but I suspect that she also felt sad for Remilia having to kill her own beloved little sister.

If I had a sister, I would be feeling like shit too if I had to kill her.

"She did. She was covered in Flandre's blood when I found her,"

"And she didn't—?" she asked, looking scandalized. I realized my mistake.

"Of course she did! She was sobbing like there was no tomorrow, right there in the middle of the rain!" I yelled, making clear that Remilia was not an unfeeling monster. I would never condone anyone calling her that.

"O-Oh... Sorry," she apologized, looking away in... shame? I sighed. Marisa and her unrealized feelings...

"No, I'm sorry. It was my mistake there for not saying it clearly," I placated, looking at the sky. The night before had been so dark and bleak, and yet today was so bright... It was as if the sun itself was celebrating for Remilia's loss. That was a discouraging thought...

"So... Just Remilia?" she asked after a while.

"Hai, just her. No one else was alive when I got there," I confirmed, a glum expression on my face.

"Not even the fairies?" she asked surprised.

"Nope. Guess Flandre must have actually destroyed their souls rather than just taking their lives. I think some managed to escape though." And I was very sure of that possibility. Remilia had so many fairy maids it was not even funny. For all of Flandre's great power, I doubt even she could have gotten to them all before some fled.

Marisa's expression became even more downcast. In a far corner of my mind, I wondered how sadder she could manage to look.

"...Meiling, Patchouli, Sakuya? None of them?" she asked quietly.

"I only came across Meiling... It was..." I was unable to even begin to describe it. One look was enough.

"I see..." she said, taking her hat off again.

Silence rose again. I took a sip of my tea, which had cooled off a little in the span of our conversation. I felt so uncomfortable in these clothes. The blood had long since coagulated, my skin becoming crusty in places where it had been, my clothes tight and sticking to my body. I really wanted to take a nice hot bath to get it all off me, but the thought of Remilia needing me kept me waiting.

I feel so sleepy...

Marisa must have noticed, because she decided to comment on it.

"You look tired, Reimu. Why don't you bathe and then go take a rest?"

She must have read my mind or something.

"I can't. What if Remilia awakes and she needs me?" I said, my brow creasing in worry.

"I can take care of her. I didn't really have anything better to do today anyways," she said, a very small grin showing. At least she knew how to be reassuring.

"...Thanks, Marisa," I said sincerely. Remilia would need all the help she could get. As for me...

I stood up and stretched, and the cracks of my bones were just the start of my following routine. I thanked Marisa again before entering the shrine, casting a glance in the general direction of where Remilia was sleeping. Closing the sliding door, I headed for the bathroom, where I would stay in for nearly an hour scrubbing off the caked blood off of me before drying up, dressing myself in a white yukata and then going to sleep.

- - - - - Hakurei Shrine Ground ~ Marisa's Point of View - - - - - -

"Triple shit," was all I could say after I was sure Reimu could no longer hear me. For all my bravado, I wasn't really confident on my ability to play bedside nurse, much less for a vampire. Hey, I'm a magician, not a demonologist!

Still, I made the promise, and I suppose looking after Remilia wouldn't hurt.

Indeed, for some reason, thinking about her made me feel sad. Gotta look into that later...

Having told myself this, I nodded to myself while picking up the tea cups Reimu had left out. After entering the shrine and placing the tray with the tea set in the kitchen, I went in the general direction Reimu looked at when she had entered earlier, probably were Remilia was.

As it turns out, I was right. In the center of the room was Remilia... and she had made a mess of the futon. Covers strewn about, she was thrashing in her sleep, sweating profusely and mumbling lowly. Even straining my ears, the only coherent things I could make out were pitiful "No"s and the names of her dead friends...

Well girl, you sure look like you went to hell and back. I thought you couldn't be any paler, but here you are, proving me wrong. If Reimu finds her like this, I'm going to get it good... Not to mention that I don't like the thought of sitting her doing nothing for her...

"Haaa... What a piece of work, aren't you now?" I mumbled to myself, half-joking. In truth I found it just as sad as it really was. Seeing her like that made me think about all the trouble I've given her since we met her, what with sneaking into the SDM constantly to make off with their stuff... I suppose I could make amends, starting now.

I stood in the room's entrance for a few minutes, just observing Remilia. It may seem cruel of me to let her roll around in a nightmare, remember, I don't like the thought of sitting with my arms crossed, and even Reimu may call me out on it, but I knew Flandre better than Reimu did, and I realized something about Remilia in the process; if she were to experience extreme trauma, there was a possibility that she would descend into madness, just as Flandre did eventually. And what else but extreme trauma she got. A mad Scarlet Devil was the last thing Gensokyo needed at this moment.

No, if I woke her up in the middle of a nightmare, she'd have difficulty immediately distinguishing reality from her dreams, and that would probably end badly for me. Better to wait for it to finish before making the rest of her sleep as comfortable as possible...

Hell. I've been reading way too many of Eirin's and Patchouli's psychology books. Guess it goes to show how much free time one gets around here in Gensokyo...

Anyways, it took me a moment to realize that Remilia had ceased to thrash in her sleep, instead heaving breaths. I decided this was the moment to act. Kneeling at her side, I carefully picked her lithe frame up and tried to place her back on the futon. Tried being the word here. Remilia clung to me with a death grip I've only once experienced from Flandre. A small noise of pain escaped me, but I was pleasantly surprised when Remilia frowned in her sleep and slacked her grip, but still did not let go of me.

Quadruple shit. There goes my plan of playing bedside nurse. Guess I'll have to improvise...

...

I can't believe what I'm about to do. I hope Remilia lets go of me eventually, because if Reimu sees me, I won't be able to live it down.

...Well, I wouldn't mind if she didn't let go. It's kind of nice, actually...

...Eh? What's wrong with me? Y-you know what, ignore me. Alright, so...

...Slowly, I moved so that both Remilia and I laid down on the futon. We barely managed to fit onto it, but I managed. Yes, that's right people, I'm lying down with the Scarlet Devil in the same bed, in a hug I'm sure looks plenty intimate, under the Hakurei miko's roof. Did I mention she was covered in blood? Well, I just did. Hardcore, right?

Yeah, anyways, I blushed somewhat at the position, not really used to holding someone so close to me like this. I used my free arm to grasp the covers and draped them over us. Girl was sweaty as hell, and she smelled like death, but at least her hair was soft, and her face was so angelic when she was peaceful... Gah, I'm not falling for her all of a sudden, am I?

...Ahem, I can't say much happened after that. I'm happy to say I was of some help, at least. She got the makings for more nightmares several times, but I employed the one true tactic I found worked that first came to my mind; hold her, shush her, whisper sweet things in her ears, rub her head and back, that kind of mushy romantic shtick I don't like... Though I guess it was kind of nice doing it for Remilia... Unconsciously, my grip on her tightened slightly, and I pulled her closer. I only realized this once I found my face close enough to hers to feel her breath on mine.

...Quintuple shit. I am falling for her all of a sudden, aren't I? How in the world? Am I that weak for girl's in need? Did I grow that lonely? I mean sure, most girl's my age have learnt how to mitigate those feelings and needs on their own, but still... er, and I'm not that far off from the appropriate marriage age... Gah, what am I saying? She's old enough to be my great great great great grandmother! ... Although she's a vampire, and that's young for vampires... And she's pretty cute to—!

...Shit. I'm not even going to bother any more with multiples.

Okay, Marisa, calm down and analyze the situation carefully and patiently. You've got plenty of time. Reimu will be sleeping like a log for some time, after all.

Yeah, hours and hours with Remilia in bed... Gah! There I go again!

Argh... Alright, breathe in, breathe out...

First, there's no point in dwelling on what happened over there; it happened and that's the end of it. We've got to focus on dealing with the aftermath... that is to say, Remilia.

Remilia was always the more stable of the two. Of course, given that she can be pretty bratty when she wanted to, that's not as much as one would think. Gotta give it to her though, she dealt pretty well with Flandre for five centuries before the girl snapped. Makes one wonder what went wrong now...

Alright, two, I'm confused right now with the recent news and loss of friends... Naturally you'd reach out for comfort too, if you were in our shoes... Be more vulnerable, ya know? But still, that doesn't explain why I'm focusing so much on her now... Oh sure, I'll admit she did quite catch my eye when I first met her, and she acts so mature sometimes one sometimes forgets how she looks... She can be bratty sometimes, but that's kind of her charm. I guess I wouldn't have minded playing maid for her if she asked me... And...

Aw, who am I kidding? This little crush of mine has been long since coming. It just took me this long to realize it. Damn, I really did grow lonely, living in that shack in the forest all those years. Shame it got blasted to bits though. I still have some books I wanted to read in there. Thanks, Flan!

Well, that and seeing her in need of help. Just our luck that it had to happen like this...

I sighed.

Alright, three. So I like Remilia. As in, like like. Does Remilia like me? (Oh Gods please let the answer be yes). I can honestly say I have no idea. Sure she's fooled around with the idea a bit, seeing as she's acted a bit intimate with me, as in, a hug here, a wink there, a little kiss in the cheek over yonder, but that was just joking. You know, just friends fooling around. But then again, she's done the same for Reimu...

Oh man. Does Remilia like Reimu? I mean, sure, I don't see why not, I mean, those good sized breasts, that sweet smile, those armpits of hers and then there's the possibility of a miko fetish but—

...Do I likeReimu too?

...

...Sextuple shit.

...You know what, I'm a bit tired to make sense of all this nonsense thoughts of mine. I'm going to sleep... Yaawwwnnn...

- - - - - Location Unknown ~ Reimu's Point of View - - - - - -

...As the Hakurei shrine maiden who watches over Gensokyo, I was completely unable to stop it. I was utterly stunned when I heard about it.

I could hear the flap of her wings... I heard her touch ground. I felt her behind me...

"I'm sorry," I said after a while, putting aside my broom, "I... couldn't do anything," I continued, unable to turn around and look at her in the face. I felt so ashamed. I couldn't find the will to turn around...

"No... That's alright," she said.

...Yet I turned around at this. Her face looked so sad... Her eyes looked so empty...

"It was all over for her... The only thing I could do was to stop her from killing," Remilia said lowly, looking at her hands, "At least... She met her end at my hands,"

I wonder... Was blood all she saw covering those small hands of hers? I could say nothing. Nothing at all...

"Hey... Reimu," she called out after a while. I waited for her to continue.

"My mansion... My friends... My servants... Even my own sister... I've lost everything," she said, her voice sounding rather hollow. I could feel tears coming, but I held them back. I knew pity was something Remilia would have despised.

"What... should I do now?" she asked at last, turning around to gaze at the clouded sky, facing the Shrine's entrance. Again I could say nothing. I honestly had no idea what to tell her.

Suddenly, a blur of motion sped at me. A few moments passed before I realized it; Remilia was hugging me, her cap having flown off her head. I could feel a bit of dampness on my clothes; she was crying. Looking down at her, I saw she had quickly stopped herself from crying, but a truly tormented look was in place instead.

And I could hardly believe what she said next;

"Reimu. Kill me," she begged.

Kill... her? Kill... Remilia? Me...? I... I couldn't... Not her...

"I am nothing anymore. So at least... Make me yours and yours alone," I understood; for vampires, yours is whatever you kill. If I killed her, for Remilia, that would be synonymous as making her mine. Mine alone, for all eternity. And because Remilia wanted me to kill her, to make her mine, then that would mean she... loved me.

I could hardly grasp it, and yet the realization was there.

She loved me...

Remilia loved me. I managed to not wobble on my feet. This knowledge...

It gave me all the more reason to deny her.

"...I can't do that. I only take out those youkai that are harming Gensokyo," I said, taking a breath, "I can't kill you..."

She looked forlorn, closing her eyes, "Yes... I thought you would say that. Someone as kind you surely wouldn't do it." She gave me too much praise. I wouldn't kill her, even if she asked me.

Because I loved her too.

"So... There's one more request... I'd like to ask..." she said, looking somewhat anxious. I wondered what it was. I hoped my intuition was wrong, because she made it sound as if she was about to do something terrible.

My breath caught in my throat. At first I thought it was because the thought of her committing suicide passed through my mind.

But then I realized...

SPALT

...It was because I could not even heave a breath. I was disbelieving as an incredible pain blossomed in my chest.

Remilia had run my body through with her hand. I could feel her hand sticking out from by back.

Slowly she raised her head... And a crazed look was on her face.

The pain was incredible...! I could feel my blood flowing, dripping to the stone floor... Why... Why was she doing this...?

"Re...mi...li... a... a..." I could barely wheeze out as I felt my body fall. Remilia caught me.

I could not move, barely twitch. I could only hear as the girl I loved spoke, pain still racing through every fiber of my being. She looked and sounded so calm...

"Hey, Reimu," she began.

"I'm not a big eater... And I can't drink enough blood from humans to turn you into vampires," her voice was beginning to crack... I managed to arch with a sudden violent move when she removed her hand. This time she let me fall to the floor, but she had me fall slowly... She loved me... Why... Why...

"And so I thought..." I dared to look at her face.

And was faced with a sight far more terrifying than anything I'd ever seen before. The demented look on Remilia's face was so haunting...! Her eyes looked so red, so hollow, so... psychotic! I had never seen her like this before...

Why... Why...

"I should suck their blood... After I've let most of it out!"

"What do you think? Isn't it a good idea? Hehehehe!" she laughed madly. No, what are you doing... Stop it... Please... I could feel myself crying, the fear and despair gripping me tightly...

"Reimu," she said, sounding normal again, "You have relationships with many others." But they're only friends and acquaintances... I only love you...

Why... Why...

"But I..." she sounded so desperate, the madness slipping in again... She straddled me, leaning over me. "I have only you now." She looked so desperate... She looked as if she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time...

Oh Remilia... Why...?

She pushed up my body with her blood covered arm, coming closer... "And so..."

FOREVER

She was so close... For one moment, her eyes were not mad... They looked so happy...

FOREVER AND EVER

The tears fell harder and my breathing grew heavier, even as she licked the blood off my face, mouth and tongue... She was kissing me...

FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER

The crazed voice resounded in my ears... Both of us were breathing heavy as we parted, a string of saliva connecting our mouths... My vision was growing... clouded...

FOREVERANDEVER ANDEVER ANDEVER ANDEVER ANDEVER ANDEVER ANDEVER ANDEVER

She kissed my neck...

"Reimu... I love you..." was the last thing I heard from her...

I felt her bite my neck... I tried to reach out to her...

BE MINE AND MIND ALONE

...I felt so cold...

...So cold...

...Remilia... why... I... loved... you...

... I los...t my... strength... can't... hold... hand... any... long...er...

...

... ...

... ... ...

... ... ... ... ...

... ... ... ...

... ... ... ... ...

... ... ... ... ... ...

... ... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ...

...

...Warm...

...Warm...

...So warm...

PLEASE?

...Please...?

...The two of us will be together forever...

...Forever...?

...Forever yours...?

...Forever and ever yours...?

...Forever...

...Forever yours...

...Forever and ever yours...

...Always...

...Flap... ...Flap...

- - - - - Hakurei Shrine ~ 3rd Person View - - - - - - - -

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed the miko, flailing in desperation to untangle herself from the covers.

Minutes of trashing passed before she finally realized it had been a dream... All a dream...

Remilia...!

She quickly stood up, almost slipping up and falling twice with the covers, racing as fast yet as silently as she could for the room where the vampire slept. Opening the sliding door, she was relieved to see Remilia sleeping comfortably... in.. Marisa's... arms...

...

...Huh?

"Huh?" she echoed outside her mind, a mild bout of jealousy striking her.

But she killed it as she noted that Marisa was not only awake, but staring at her with a haunted look. In worry, she knelt next to her, being careful not to wake Remilia.

"Marisa?" she asked, unsure.

Marisa managed to sit up, Remilia no longer holding onto her tightly. The vampire's arms slid off of her. This went unnoticed, for Marisa had confusion, disbelief, anger and torment all over her face in a jumbled mix.

"Marisa...?" Reimu repeated.

"Uh. Reimu... I had a... incredibly strange nightmare," said Marisa, taking a pause in the middle.

"...To tell you the truth, so did I..." confessed Reimu, looking away. The dream had been so vivid, so real...

"What was it about...?" Marisa asked, breathing heavily, calming herself.

"I dreamt that I left Remilia at the ruins... That she came... She was mad... Crazy... She... killed me and turned me into a vampire... I woke up at that point..." she said, looking shaken. She palmed her chest, where Remilia had pierced her in the dream, and her back, where her wings had sprouted in the dream.

Marisa looked even more confused, "I think I had the second part of your dream..." she said, disbelieving.

"What?" asked Reimu, not sure she heard correctly.

"Yeah..." Marisa said, looking down at Remilia. Forgetting for a moment Reimu was there, she let one of her hands rest atop the vampire's head, threading her fingers through her hair. Reimu looked in confusion, but decided to play Marisa's game and used her hand to play with a lock of Remilia's hair.

Their gazes met.

"...You were saying?" asked Reimu, rather uncomfortably.

"Ah... I dreamt that I went to the ruins of SDM... I found Remilia in a room... I felt... so angry... so sad... so hurt... I felt like killing Remilia, yet also like crying for her at the same time... She really looked like she had lost it... And you were there, right there with her... You were a vampire," Marisa retold, recalling the dream. Too vivid, too real...

It could not possibly be called a simple dream.

"...It's too much like a premonition," Reimu stated, as if continuing Marisa's thoughts. The witch nodded, agreeing with her.

"Yeah... They felt too real. On top of that, we dreamt the same dream in two parts."

"Is that what's going to happen...? " Reimu wondered, looking sadly down at Remilia. Would she have to kill her...? Could she...?

"We can't let that happen, Reimu," said Marisa with newfound conviction. She couldn't. She wouldn't let it happen.

Reimu smiled, slowly. Marisa was right. "Hm. We know what could happen, so we can prevent it."

The question was: how?

"Alright, in order to figure out how, we have to know why, right?" said Marisa, the both of them having sat down back at the front steps of the shrine. It was nighttime, a cool breeze flowing. The sky was not clouded on this night, and the moon was no longer full, waning.

"Right. Guess that's my part," Reimu said. Indeed, her part of the dream was the longest one and likely contained the critical component they needed.

"Huummm... I think it's because of the loss. Remilia has always been surrounded by people who love her and praise her. I mean, anyone would likely become a little no-so-right in the head after going through what she did, but damn..." said Marisa, coming off with her own theory.

"I suppose you're right," said Reimu after going over the dream in her head, "Remember that one thing Remilia said the other day? She disliked being without company. As in, absolutely loathed being alone," she said, recalling one of their last conversations with Remilia before it happened.

"I guess we can work with that. So if it's the loss, then how do we counter it?" wondered Marisa.

A bulb lit up in the miko's mind. She smiled. Such a simple concept with potentially beautiful results.

"Simple," said Reimu, who drew a curious eye from Marisa at the choice word, "We do it."

"I don't get it..." said Marisa, a bit confused.

"We will help Remilia cope with the pain of loss. If remaining alone would eventually drive her to madness, then how about having her live here?" said Reimu, smiling at her own idea's prospect.

"...She would call this her new home, and we..." said Marisa understanding and smiling as well.

"...would become her new companions," finished Reimu.

"That sounds like it could work," said a voice behind them.

Reimu and Marisa gave a small jump into the air, turning around to be met by none other than the subject of their conversation. Remilia looked at them with a demure air about her, her hands placed over her lap and a miserable expression on her face. The blood still clung to her body, the dirt and grime still present over her being. At the least, her wounds had all healed, so no more blood seeped out. She looked a little wobbly on her feet. The waning moon's light shone off her pale skin, making her look almost ethereal in contrast to the dark wood she stood against.

The same shine also highlighted the dark blotches of blood that marred the skin.

But to their relief, her eyes reflected not an ounce of madness. Torment, yes, but no craze.

"Remilia... Hey there..." said Marisa, offering a slightly shaky smile. Did she hear everything...?

"I did," Remilia answered Marisa's thoughts, almost as if reading her mind.

"Well, shit. If the cat's out of the bag, then I guess we'll just have to ask you directly..." said Marisa, looking aside.

"Remilia..." began Reimu softly, advancing and taking Remilia's smaller hand into both of hers, "You don't really have any place to stay in... And we don't know if leaving you alone now would be the best idea. So, would you like to live here, with me?" she ended, smiling at her.

"Live here...? Me? A vampire, living in a sacred temple..." she sounded more than a bit disbelieving, even with her claim that she had been listening in on them. Reimu guessed she couldn't blame her; vampires were often touted as being amongst those whose existence couldn't be any more sacrilegious—their very being, youkai or not, was often a claim of misfortune in the world. Her shrine's lack of visitors would pale in comparison to the ostracizing that she would probably suffer if she housed Remilia here.

She swatted away those thoughts. She didn't care.

"We know it sounds ridiculous, but we only want the best for you," said Marisa, taking Remilia's other hand into hers. She put on her most confident smile, trying to look as reassuring as possible.

"But I... I would cause you... so much more trouble than before..." she said, making excuses. She looked like she wanted to cry all over again, but this time, a small smile was growing on her face.

"Shush," said Reimu, before both she and Marisa pulled the vampire into a hug.

"You can count on us," comforted Marisa.

"Indeed. We're your friends. You're not alone, Remilia. We're here," whispered Reimu, rubbing the smaller girl's head.

"But I've already lost... so many friends... I couldn't bear it... If I..." she whispered.

"Please," said Marisa with a small scoff, "Forgetting who we are? We won't be biting the dust anytime soon, you can trust me on that."

"She's right. Remilia. Stop being so hard on yourself for once. Just let go..." requested Reimu.

"Is... Is this real...? This is real... isn't it? It isn't... an illusion... is it?" Remilia said in between gasps, barely holding back sobs.

"We're real. This is real. It's not an illusion," confirmed Marisa, squeezing Remilia's hand.

"No matter what happens, we'll be with you. This is happening. It's not a dream," said Reimu, squeezing Remilia's hand as well.

The vampire smiled. Truly smiled. Such a sight it made, after what she'd suffered... Tears freely made their way down her face, but this time, of joy...

Reimu let out a small sigh, "What are you crying a about now? Honestly..." she said, resting her chin on Remilia's head.

Remilia could not say anything coherent anymore. She let go completely, sobbing in the duo's embrace and letting her friends share her pain, the pain of loss, of loneliness, of regret; all the surviving girl's sorrows released, after centuries of keeping her most buried thoughts and feelings to herself.

The three stood under moon's light for a time. They would stand there until Remilia finished crying. It would be a while, for the Scarlet Devil had many a tear to shed...

Thank you... The both of you... So much...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Fondness and Sadness ~ Remilia's Point of View

...Last Thursday of the fifth month of the year. That is to say, six months... six months have passed since it happened. Six months since the night I returned to my home at the sign of fire in the distance, only to find it and the entirety of the surrounding area in absolute chaos.

Flames. Destruction. Death.

Loss.

Oh, the loss... I lost everything that night. I lost my home, the mansion that contained and also reminded of my family, a once great and feared clan of vampires. I lost my fairy maids, the hundreds of servants who had all sworn fealty to me after I showed pity. I lost Meiling, my part-dragon youkai gatekeeper, with whom I would chat with as we toured the mansion's wide gardens. I lost Patchouli, the hundreds-years old witch who was my best friend, with whom I would spent many a quiet night in companionable silence as we read together in her library. I lost Sakuya, my head maid and one who was very close to me, she who was so much like a second sister to me, she who would tend to my every whim and need by simply calling for her, she who gave her whole life for me...

I lost Flandre... Flandre, my beloved little sister; the little sister who was a reminder of why my clan disappeared, the little sister who was the sweetest child in the world cursed with a power far too great and dangerous to control for her, the little sister who was victim to so much fear and ostracizing, the sister who reminded me of what I once was, of what we once were, the little sister I was ashamed of having, the one I was guilty of not caring properly for, the one I hated to have, and the one I would always, always no matter how much I told myself I shouldn't and that she did not deserve it, the one that I would always visit and give a good-night kiss, always after she went to sleep, after she was too gone into the land of dreams to notice my visit.

The little sister that took everything I had. The one I was unable to save...

I couldn't save her. I could never do anything. I always argued with myself that it was because I didn't have enough power. Reimu and Marisa were often a step ahead of me in danmaku duels. There were several individuals who boasted more raw power than I did. I did not like duels very much, thus my patterns were often not as strong as the other strong youkai.

I was just a vampire. A vampire with a reputation and with riches and servants. I had power, greater power than most other vampires to have lived. But there were many others stronger than I was. There were many others smarter than I was. If I couldn't even control my own sister, I wonder, how did my mansion survive all this time under my leadership? Perhaps my mansion was never really mine, perhaps I was just an honored guest who had called herself the owner whilst the true leadership was in Sakuya's or Pathouli's hands...

But in Gensokyo, it always came down to that. Power. Skill could only do so much in danmaku duels. Always power; the one thing I could hardly overcome Flandre in...

I don't know. I don't know anymore. I don't want to think about this anymore...

There is no point in thinking about this. My mansion is gone, a vast area surrounding it gone with it. My home, friends and family, all gone. Only my memories and whatever I could salvage from the ruins are what remains of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. And me. Good old me, the Scarlet Devil. Always me, the one thing that remains, because Flandre never quite was Flandre after she killed the other Scarlets.

Heh, I must sound so pathetic right now, right? You must all think I'm wallowing in too much self-pity. I don't really care what your opinion is. I know I've suffered, that I've lost too much, too quickly. You know I did. But you never knew the pain as I felt it. So when the same thing happens to you, come back here and see if I care, like you cared about my loss. Because only those who have also known loss should have the right to tell me I'm being pathetic to my face.

Speaking of pathetic... My reputation hit the dumps. Did you know that? Well, after Reimu and Marisa helped me salvage whatever we could, the rest of Gensokyo followed in our wake. First it was someone too curious for their own good. Then came the Tengu, ever-so-nosy annoyances flitting to and fro over my ruined domains. After the particularly sensationalist trash finished writing their lies (coughAyaShameimarucough), well, it was little surprise that the scavengers came next... The greedy vultures that would desecrate the resting place of all I had grown up with, the tombs of my family and servants and the tomb of my old self.

We made sure that everything of worth that could be recovered was kept safe and secret. In this regard I would come to owe Yukari a great deal, for she was generous and sympathetic; for once she did not come bearing the intention of amusing herself. She appeared before us with the express purpose of helping me. Now I understand why she is one of the Youkai Sages even when she normally demonstrated lack of dedication; any wise person is aware that a leader's quality is to know how to be merciful.

Yukari stored all the items in separate pocket gaps contained in several items that I now keep with me at all times; Meiling's star insignia, Patchouli's moon brooch, Sakuya's stopwatch and a crystal from Flandre's wings. These four now bear all of the combined weight of the hopes, dreams and memories of those who lived in the Scarlet Devil Mansion before its destruction. No one would take them away from me.

As for the scavengers... Well, after I decided that I didn't particularly like the looks a few had on their faces, I supposed no one would miss a few of them... The others? Well, there is more than one reason I often said that Prince Vlad Tepes III of Wallachia was a fun human...

Naturally, the deaths brought outcry and decrying from the humans, but a few solid arguments from Reimu, Marisa and Yukari silenced most of them. Of course, that is not to say I didn't get a scolding either, but honestly? It was worth it, every single moment, and I am sure they would have agreed with me.

No one cared about the remaining few who disagreed still. At last I was free to rebuild myself.

Yes, myself. That night, Remilia Scarlet as the Scarlet Devil died too; she died the moment Flandre died, the being of violence known as Queen of the Night finally accompanying her demented sister, hand in hand, to hell, like they were supposed to. All that remained then was just Remilia. The Scarlet clan gone, the drive for battle and chaos gone as well. Even when Marisa suggested going to beat up Aya in a physical battle to let off some steam, I felt no pleasure when I thoroughly worked the Tengu to the bone, no joy, nothing. I simply acknowledged I was punishing her for insulting my lost ones.

Any rush I got from fighting was gone. Whatever pathetic appetite I had for blood got smaller. I was no longer fit to call myself Scarlet Devil.

Not that anyone would bother with that now. I don't even wear scarlet or pink clothes anymore. Marisa took me to her friend Alice, the puppeteer. I had always heard she was always alone because she was coldhearted, but that day I made another friend, for Alice was quite sweet and felt sorry for my loss. At my request, I had Alice make me black clothes so that I could dress for mourning.

Nowadays I spend most of my time in those mourning dresses. It would take some time for me to let go of that habit. The clothes are a bit on the baggy side, so I often feel like I've been stuffed into an oven thanks to all the black soaking up the heat, but I don't mind it too much... usually. A little bit of heat doesn't really hurt, especially since my skin is normally cold to the touch. Comes with being technically dead I guess.

Marisa and Reimu, may whatever higher being there is bless them, have tried hard to help me cope with this pain. For the most part, I can say they are succeeding; day by day, I can feel the weight lightening just a bit.

One day... I know one day I will be able to let go. When that day comes, I will brave the sun head on and overcome the greatest weakness all vampires have; I will learn to live in the light. For the moment though, I live in the shrine, helping Reimu keep it in shape. It looks a lot better now than it did before. Superhuman strength and speed are quite useful when applied properly. Marisa helps out too, of course.

The three of us now live together on the shrine. Marisa's house got caught by a stray blast from Flandre that night. She was lucky to have been out at the moment. So she also took up residence in the shrine. We had planned to get her built a new house, but after some time, we sort of ditched the idea.

After she told me she liked me, I had some trouble believing it, given how she seemed to have quite some fans of her own. But she indeed liked me, and now I know she loved me, so we gave it a chance. I knew bliss for two weeks before Reimu blurted out the same three words one rather hot day. Some chaos ensued, and amidst the admittedly entertaining events, Yukari popped in and proposed the unthinkable.

"Hey," she said, "If you all like each other, why not simply share?"

After all, we are all girls, we were friends, and we saw each other as equals. So why not?

Truth to be told, I thought it would go about as well as one would expect from attempting to pacify the tension between Aya Shameimaru and her various detractors (of which she had many, believe me)... Of course, I did not expect Marisa and Reimu taking to the idea with relative ease and speed. Soon it was only I who had doubts, and even those vanished quickly.

Of course, the thrice-damned Tengu we all know and hate came into the picture at some point to try to make a scoop. That evening was our first time triple-teaming against someone. I take it you can guess we did not really like voyeurs, right? 'Sexy photo shot' my foot...

They say "Three is a crowd," yet I don't feel as if any of us is anywhere where they shouldn't be. It feels so right. What place is the world to judge us? What gives other people the right to say what is right or wrong for us? Sometimes these questions plague my mind. At their insistence, I keep forcing myself to not think about that. They are right after all. What matters is that we are together, and that we are happy.

We were the happiest trio of lovers. We still are. And I know we will remain together.

Right now, as I think these words, lost amidst a sea of white sheets, captured in a tangle, a meshed mess of pale pastel and sunny skin. As I lay out of my mourning garb, clothed by my lovers' embrace.

As I ponder how close I came to falling into madness.

As I ponder how I lost everything in order to gain something wonderful.

As I ponder how the souls of my dearly departed fare under the trials imposed by the judges of the afterlife.

I know.

I know it, because I see it, I taste it, I feel it, I live it.

This is not a dream. This is not an illusion. This is real.

I am not alone.

Not anymore.

No more sorrow.

No more suffering.

No more pain.

No more anger.

Only...

Bliss.

-The- -End-

AN: Does anybody here know about the concept of catharsis? That's pretty much the whole reason for this story. Seriously, Remi needed a hug so freaking bad, things went FUBAR because she didn't get that hug.

As any who read the doujin before this shoud have noticed, I left out the ending part where Marisa went to confront Remi and the newly-vampirised Reimu, only mentioning it in passing. This is because, in accordance to my portrayal of Marisa, the clash of feelings of love, rage, hatred, loss, betrayal, grief, etcetera, would have been quite... titanic. So much that, were this one to attempt to write it, it would probably detract from the whole point of the story and doujin;

It sucks to be Remilia Scarlet. But we love her because she is.

Anyway, I took liberties with Reimu and Marisa's relationships with Remilia. The threesome decision was pretty much a "Sure, Why Not" moment from me, and it's not like I've ever seen that one before, so I figured I might as well be the first one to jump on the wagon.

So yeah, not much I can say... Er, the story's title is a clear play from the original doujin to illustrate the outcome? Yeah, not very original there...

Ah yes, I've read that vampires are like zombies (living corpses), but different in certain ways, so I figured I'd give Remilia the feel of a corpse. She is, after all, the 'Dead Princess', as her leitmotif indicates. Also, "Anamnesis" means 'to recall,' 'to remember,' or 'recollection.' That is to say, "reminiscence".

Fun Fact: the vampires from the original lore are not the human-like ones we all know and love in this day and age; they were, in fact, horrifying, disfigured monsters that reviled the sun's light and fed on flesh and blood when night fell. They also did not have that fatal weakness to light; rather, that one is quite a lot more recent than most people think.

Yeah, anyways, please read and review... If anyone bothers, at least. Seriously, THE TOUHOU SECTION NEEDS MORE LOVE!.