The Price of Your Smile

Heey! I'm back)

Today I brought you a Touhou-story again, but this time it's surprisingly not about Marisa and Alice)) I remember I promised to show you something not about my main OTP. That's why I suddenly decided to write a story about Remi and Sakuya. I still don't know why, 'cause I actually prefer MeiXSaku as a couple.. But I just REALLY wanted to do it - and I did it. And - please don't tell that anyone - I like it.))

I tried to write it in a slightly angsty way, but you know me)) For sure, it's a romance with good ending X) And there's Remilia's POV here.

So.. You're welcome to enjoy and critisize, as always! =)

P.S.: I don't own Touhou Project

Chapter 1

Sakuya never smiles to anyone. Her unexceptionally considerate face, her thoughtfulness, her calmness in the extreme situations, her attentive eyes when she listens to my orders – these are the only emotions she shows to the inhabitants of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Surely, there is always a polite smile on her face, which a servant should have for their master – but that's not all I want to see from our Sakuya. Nevertheless, her lips never curve into a sincere contented smile. She is like a closed vessel.

It's been six months since I took this – oh, what a joke! – vampire hunter as a maid.

Her possibilities make me curious. She captivates me. How can it be that a human possesses such power? Even though it's only the Lunar Clock which allows her to manipulate time, it seems to be much more useful in her hands than in someone else's. And the way she throws her dazzling countless knives is also quite.. unique. The greatness of her skills can be compared with my own abilities. It's interesting but somehow sad. Something in this thought makes me nervous, though I can't understand exactly what it is. Something inside me always wants to find out the limits of her power.

And one night I call her out of the mansion.

– Well, Sakuya! Let's play danmaku, – I say. Her deep blue eyes widen for a moment, I see she's curious. Nevertheless, she answers immediately: – As you wish, Lady Remilia.

Before we begin, she utters doubtfully: – My Lady.. I guess it won't happen, but.. I'll truly regret if you're hurt because of me somehow.

I snicker. – There's nothing to be scared of, my dear maid. Let's play our game.

We fly up high above the mansion. Our fight begins. She's quick, but I'm quicker. She's powerful, but I'm more powerful. She's talented, but I'm a half-a-century-aged vampire after all. So I avoid all of her attacks though it's not always that easy.

But I also can't win.

When she was a vampire hunter who came to take my life, she was weakened and mentally broken. I gave her home and the will to live – and she's been gaining power. The new life. The new name. All of this turned her into the person who she is now.

I'm more than glad for her, but at the same time I feel something strange inside me. Somehow I'm angry, I'm furious. There aren't many creatures in this world that I can't beat in danmaku. What the hell is that I can't win against my own maid now? With this thought my composure breaks down completely. I flick out one of my strongest spell cards and throw the Gugnir into Sakuya's shape. At this moment Sakuya happens to be only several meters away from me. The last thing I see before my spear reaches the goal are her wide open blue eyes filled with dread, and her Luna Dial which she tries to use but not makes it in time because of my closeness to her. She cries in pain and after that red smoke appears around her through which I can't see a thing. At this moment I finally come back to reality and understand what I've done and with whom. If the smoke appeared, then it means that my spell has reached Sakuya. And if Gugnir reached Sakuya, then.. DAMN IT!

I turn my gaze down immediately and notice the falling body shape. I don't have even a second to think what to do. I just fly down there as quick as lightning, praying to make it in time. I'm so fast that my wings hurt, and I catch her body only several meters from the ground. I hold the unconscious girl desperately, looking in dread at what I've done. The flesh on her left hand and half of her chest is seriously burnt. I can see the blood flooding down from her wounds and various scratches on her face. She's smashed with a blow of enormous power, so her ribs are definitely broken in couple of places. Oh no.. It was me, who ruined this fragile and delicate body. Me, her master. It was me who couldn't restrain myself. I can't believe I foredoomed myself to the existence without this elegant, devoted, beautiful maid whom I've known for several months only, but who somehow brought so much harmony and peace to the chaotic life of the Mansion.

– Hey, Sakuya. Sakuya! You'd better be alive, you know! Please, be alive.. Sakuya Izayoi, the Chief Maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, this is an order from your mistress! – I don't even realize I'm screaming it out loud. I touch her pulse dreading to know the answer.

Thanks all the gods of Gensokyo.. She's breathing slightly and irregularly – nobody will ever know how relieved I am to find it out. And then she suddenly half opens her eyes and whispers, panting on every word: – You.. caught me.. my Lady.. Thank you. Please, don't be s.. so frustrated.. I'm fine..

After that her head falls down to my chest weakly, and she passes out clutching Lunar Clock with her blooded fingers.

I feel something hot on my cheek. A drop of clear liquid falls down from it to Sakuya's face, making the path between the traces of smoke-black and blood on it, and I understand it's a tear.