Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou Project.

When was it? That day I realized, what that feel was stirring up in my chest. Was it really a reality, or was it an illusion? So much time has passed since then that I'm wondering whether or not it was...

...

"Hey Sakuya-san, Sakuya-san, Sakuya-saaaa- gyah!" I clutched my forehead while sobbing. "What was that for Sakuya-san?"

"Why wouldn't I do that, Meiling?" the silver haired maid glared at me.

"Hmm," my lips pressed together to pout.

"So what is it that you want?"

"Eh? Oh um," I unconsciously twiddled my fingers. "Well, I was um, wondering if you are free tomorrow night."

"Of course I wouldn't be. Who would attend to the mistress if I'm not there?"

"Oh yeah," my eyes looked at the ground dejectedly.

"And it would seem as if you want to skip out on your duties again," the human rose a knife.

"Of course not Sakuya-san. I just wanted to... never mind," I ran off to the gates.

I felt the eyes of the sole human living in the mansion look confusedly at my retreating back. Her sigh was barely audible as she shook her head and continued to clean the mansion. "I should ask Milady if I-..."

A certain magician flew over the gates of the mansion for her daily routine of "borrowing" books from the mansion's library. "Hey Meiling. What's the matter? I see you in fetal position and very unenthusiastically guarding the gate. Although you just sleep, so really it's just unusual to see you not sleep."

"..."

"Whao, why are you depressed? By now I would've Master Sparks you."

"Go ahead and do that, distract me from the pain in my heart."

"...Meiling," Marisa placed a hand on my shoulder. "We've known each other for how how long? Why don't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Marisa-san," I sniffled. "To-Tomorrow night, I want to show Sakuya-san something, but she says she can't because she has to attend to ojou-sama. I even asked... well more like begged ojou-sama to let me have that night off."

"And you didn't bother to beg her about letting Sakuya have the night off while you were at it?"

"...GAH! I'm such an idiot!" my head automatically hit the wall repeatedly.

"Whao there, no need to hurt yourself," the magician grabbed my shoulders to stop from any further self-injuries. "So tell me, what is it that you wanted to show her?"

"I don't want to say. It's too embarrassing."

"You know my curiosity knows no bound, I'll figure it out soon enough. So please save me the trouble."

"Ugh, well..." I reluctantly whispered my plans to her.

"...that's so-I don't know what to say...Pfft- Bwah-hahah!"

"Marisa-saaaan," I whined. "Don't laugh at that..."

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry," the magician, wiped away her tears. "So does it have to be tomorrow?"

"Yes..."

"Well then," Marisa tilted her hat down and gave me a smirk. Her golden eyes gleamed under the shadow of her hat, "I might as well help you out since you're so hopeless."

"Marisa-sa-"

"Hush now," she placed a finger on my lips, "call me 'Marisa-sama'."

"Marisa-sama, will you really?"

"Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"... well, because of you stealing books, I usually get scolded by Patchouli-sama..."

"It's not stealing, it's borrowing," she retorted. "She can have them back when I die."

"That isn't really a nice thought..." That's right, I sometimes forget she's human because of her strength... Sakuya-san too...

"Hello?" the wave of the the magician's arm snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Hm?" I should make the best memories now while she's still... "So what are you going to do?"

"I'll go borrow books now. And don't worry, I shall visit again in he afternoon. Just get Remilia's permission to steal Sakuya away at night," with that said, Marisa flew to the mansion.

"Haaa," I watched the fading figure crash through a window. "Tomorrow huh?"

"I see you're not doing your job," a sigh came from beside me.

"S-Sakuya-san!" My heart leapt out of my chest, "h-how long were you there?"

"Long enough to know that Patchouli-sama will be very crossed with you."

"Gyah!" So she didn't hear my conversation with Marisa-san, did she? My eyes wondered to her scolding form, I should listen to her when she's lecturing.

"-and so you wont have anything else to do."

"...what?"

"..." her dark blue-gray eyes stared at me in annoyance. "Figure it out yourself."

"Wait, Sakuya-san," my hand instinctively grabbed her arm to stop her from walking any further away. "Tell me?"

"Talk to the mistress if you want your answer."

The next thing I knew, the maid was gone before I could even blink. "Mmm, so unfair. I can't even talk to you when you manipulate time like that." And so, since I was planning on going there anyways, I let my mind wonder while my feet guided me to the mistress of the mansion. "Ojou-sama, erm, what was it that you spoke to Sakuya-san about?"

"..." the lady of the mansion sighed. "Do you ever listen to what anyone says?"

"Occasionally," I sheepishly scratched my cheek.

"Why have I not fired you yet?" Remilia grimaced.

"Because I'm the only one who can get the job done."

"... that was a rhetorical question."

"So, the answer to my question?"

"Is that how you would normally ask your mistress?"

"Geh!" Collapsing onto my knees, I bowed down, "please, please, please tell me what you and Sakuya-san were talking about earlier. I'll do anything you ask of me... And can you answer another question of mine?"

"... such an incompetent servant I have. Fine, fine, what is it?"

"Um, is it okay for you to let Sakuya-san be free tomorrow night? Please?"

"...just go. There really wouldn't be much of a difference whether or not you stay at the gate."

Is that an insult? "So can she?"

"Yes, yes, now go already. I will inform her when she bring me my tea," my mistress tiredly said while waving her hand to shoo me away. "Oh and you would have to help out with cleaning the mansion until tomorrow night if you really want that to happen."

"Of course. Thank you ojou-sama!" I bowed before closing the door. "Wait a moment, she didn't answer my first question," I realized just as I reached the gate. "Uuu, I want to go back and ask, but..."

The next day...

In the end, I didn't go back to ask, I sighed while leaning against the gate. "Should I talk to Sakuya-san myself or rely on Marisa-san?" I pondered as I sat down, looking up at the wispy clouds.

"What's up, ze?"

Oh speak of the devil... wait, I shouldn't say that since devils live here. "Nothing much Marisa-san," a sigh escaped my lips. "Ojou-sama said I could take Sakuya-san as long as I help out with cleaning the mansion."

"So you're done?" the magician questioned.

"No I forgot... ah!"

"So you want me to tell Sakuya to meet you here tonight?" Marisa shouted as I closed the distance between me and the mansion.

"Yes please!"

That evening...

"Finally," I collapsed onto my back in front of the gate. "Now... all I have to do... is wait..." I drifted off to sleep.

"... really, how is it that you call me out here and you're not awake?" my cheeks felt a series of pokes.

Slowly being awakened, my eyes opened to face her, "Sakuya-san~ I love you~"

"Gyah! Wake up you stupid fool!"

I felt a kick to the side, "uuu... I love you Sakuya-san~"

"I said Wake! Up!"

The next thing I knew, I was flip up in the air. By the time I crashed to the floor, my consciousness came back to me and a very red maid filled my vision. "Sakuya-san?" I looked at the silver-haired woman, "..." Then remembered what I was dreaming about, "...! I did not-! You never heard-! Let's go!"

"And here's my cue," a hiding black and white clothed human swiftly flew by and blindfolded Sakuya. "Have fun~" she then went off to wherever it is she wanted to go.

"What's going on?" the head maid's hand went to her face to remove the piece of cloth.

"No, don't," I grabbed her hand to stop her action. "There's something I want to show you so, please don't."

"... fine..."

"Yay!" Still having my hold on her, I floated us up, "I'll guide you so don't worry."

"Okay then."

Some time later...

"So, can I open my eyes now?" after passing over Misty Lake, the Forest of Magic, and past the human village, the somewhat fidgeting, blindfolded Sakuya questioned. She was so cute to look at since that side of her rarely shows.

"Almost there," I happily hummed as we were over the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, I searched for that one opening in the sea of trees. Ah there it is, slowly descending I held the maid by the waist with my left arm. As my feet touched the soft, moist ground, my right arm slide behind her knees, so I was carrying her in a bridal style.

"M-Meiling?" the silver-haired woman in my arms had a pink hue forming at her cheeks.

"You can remove your blindfold now Sakuya-san," I informed her.

As she did so, I gazed out at the flower filled field, "do you remember when we first met?"

"Hm? What are you talking abou-" she came to a stop as the field of white forget-me-not filled her vision. "This is..."

"It was fifteen years ago on this very day at a night like this..."

I was walking through the Human Village to buy supplies for ojou-sama, since I was a maid back then, "ah, such a nice day. At least it's not going to be a full moon anytime soon, or else I would have to come back to a wreaked mansion. Every month ojou-sama and imouto-sama always fight all out. Since it passed the full moon date I don't have to worry about that." As I got the last of the items, my ears overheard a child crying. My feet led me to the Bamboo Forest. As I came to the edge, my voice called out, "hello? Is anyone there?"

I earned a frightened sniffling in response. It sounded as if the child we trying to quiet the noise she was making, as if wanting to keep hidden.

"Just stay there, I'll get to you right away."

"No," a silent pleaded whisper was heard, followed by the rustling of bushes going further and further away.

"H-hey, wait a moment," I ran, trying to catch up to her. It was no more than a second later that I heard nothing but the sounds of nature. The noises the child made were gone without a trace. "That's strange I don't sense her anymore... That child, will she be okay?" I walked my way out of the forest while thinking, 'I'll come back at midnight, when she will be most likely asleep.'

When the star-filled night came, I obtained permission from my mistress to go out and by some things I "forgot" to get. Of course I was scolded, but at least I could go. "Alright, I just need to stay quiet and search for her that way... wait, I could have asked Keine-san if she knows anything about the kid... Argh! Whatever..." After trekking through the bamboo thicket for about an hour or so, I came across a field of white, five-petaled flowers. Sleeping, while curled up in the middle of the field was a silver-haired human girl.

"It's not my fault..." the child mumbled in her sleep. "I never chose to be born this way... it's not like I ever want to be this way..." a trail of tears came from her closed eyes. "I hate myself for being this way..."

Walking closer to the sleeping figure, my legs bent down to kneel next to her head, and I carefully lifted her head up to place on my thighs. "Nobody ever chooses what they want to be born into. It's what you think and do that decide what you are. So don't hate yourself for something you can't change. Like what you were born with, and use that to your advantage. I don't know what you have gone through, but know that I won't hate you."

Her tiny hands clutched the white fabric of my apron, "okaa-san..." she whispered. "I miss you..." Her eyes started to slowly open, revealing dark blue-gray eyes. "E-eh?" she quickly tumbled away from me.

My hand went to cover my mouth as I chuckled, "you okay?" Puzzled, scared eyes looked at me. "Don't worry, I may be a youkai, but I won't hurt you." Lowering my hand down, I introduced myself, "I am Hong Meiling, head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. What is your name?"

"..." her mouth opened and closed, the she shook her head. "I... I don't want to use that name..."

"Oh? Why not? You can tell me."

"... bad memories... I..." the silver-haired girl hesitantly looked at me. "My mother died in an accident. The village I was in knew I wasn't... normal. They blamed her death on me. They also blamed my father's death on me, even though I have never met him. It is said that he died right after I was born due to something unknown..."

"I see." 'And she's only a kid.' "Have you been out here the whole time?"

She nodded her head, "one moment I was hiding out in a forest near home, and the next I was here, this bamboo forest. It's been about sixteen days, I think."

"Hm," I closed my eyes. "I have taken a liking to you. Why don't you come with me to my mistress' place?"

"Huh? But-"

"I won't let you object my offer," I grinned in her direction. "My ojou-sama my be a vampire, but she has a kind heart. I mean, come on, she even let me, someone who can't clean the mansion properly, stay there for so long."

"But-"

"Ah I know now!"

"Eh?" she was obviously confused by my sudden outburst.

"Your name will be Sakuya. Izayoi Sakuya." I earned a wide blinking eyes in response. "On a night like today for 'Izayoi'," I pointed at the moon. "And 'Sakuya' since you are still growing. You will learn new thing, whether you like it or not. This is your life that you will lead, no one else."

A smile formed upon her lips as she chuckled, "and yet you give me a name. What a way for me to lead my life."

"Awww, how cute," I pinched her cheeks. "What a cute laugh you got there. Come on," I let go of her soft cheeks and held out my hand, "let's go home..."

"And then you happily took my hand and followed me like a baby chick. When you first met ojou-sana, you hid behind me until she practically forced you to show yourself," I happily sigh, receiving a slap to the forehead.

"That was because Remilia-sama was covered in blood from playing with imouto-sama. I- I don't even know why I trusted you back then," Sakuya pouted as she turned her head to face the flowers. It wasn't enough to hide her red ears though.

"And I don't even know why I came to you back then," I giggled, reminiscing on how cute she was, sleeping in the middle of the flowers. "I was so glad though... Sakuya-san," my voice gently called out to her, wanting her full attention. "The one thing I would never regret in my life, is taking you in. I never knew that you would become a significant part of my life."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" she uneasily shifted in my arms.

"I have watched you grow up, but at a certain point, you change. Well, of course you changed, but," my eyes looked at the night sky, then slowly closed. "I saw you as not a kid who used to follow me around like a lost child, but a woman, who I would want as my lover."

"But..." I could practically hear her heart beat rapidly. "Even if I return your feeling... I'm still only a human, and you, a youkai..."

"So what?"

"Can't you realized it on your own?" she placed her face against my chest. The material of my clothes soon became soaked with tears, "I will die before you. And you will live on... you'll eventually forget about me..."

"Ah," I rubbed my cheek atop of her soft silver-hair. "Of course I will be very sad when that happens, but I assure you that I will never forget you. So, does this mean that you will return my feelings?"

I lifted my head off of hers after feeling a slight movement from it. Her eyes met mine, "yes, of course I do. Ever since I was little, and got used to being a maid at the mansion, I've always wanted to be your bride when I surpass you on the maid duties." A long sigh escaped her lips, "but I found out from ojou-sama that I was already better than at that then you one the first day. So I decided to change it to when I grow up... but how can you be so sure that you won't forget?"

"I found you in a field of forget-me-not. How can I ever forget?"

"Thank you Meiling," the maid's soft lips brushed against mine...

...

Really, how can I question myself on that? Sakuya-san... I stood by the stone grave in the the mansion's back yard. The name that was carved onto the stone faded away from the weather. The owner's lunar dial was hanging on it like a necklace. Surprisingly it was still intact, as if time had not affected it.

"Still here Meiling?" my mistress' voice came up from behind me. "How many centuries has gone by since then?"

"Too many to count. I don't know how you do it ojou-sama..."

"It's because I was never in love. Besides, human lives are always short compared to ours."

"I know... I know..." tears trickled down my cheeks. "I know, but I was never ready to take this pain."

"But you do have the memories the two of you shared. So it's like she's never really gone," milady walked up the the stone with her parasol in hand. "You're not the only one who has had memories of her. Everyone in this mansion does. After all, she is the only human that I would ever accept in our family."

"You were sure reluctant to take her in at first," I chuckled at the memory. "You didn't want her in, so you attempted to scare her off by throwing danmaku at her, but-"

"-she kept clinging on to you, causing you to get hurt in the process."

"Not, really... I wanted to protect her from a scary devil like you. But I know, along with Sakuya-san that you are very kind."

"Yeah, to my subordinates of course," Remilia gave a toothy grin. "Ah, speaking of subordinates, I have a new one that I would like you to train."

"Eh? Right now?" I looked at her in confusion. "You even gave me a day off since it's her death anniversary..."

"Now, now, I've been giving this day off for how many centuries?"

"Too many to count..." I repeated my words from a few minutes ago.

"Yeah, yeah," the scarlet devil grabbed my arm and pulled me across the garden and in the mansion. "Wait right here," she pointed to the ground and walked out the door.

"Okay ojou-sama," my feet obediently went to where she pointed. Although I wanted to spend more time at the grave... I looked at the floor with a pout.

"Meiling!"

My body quickly turned around to meet the vampire... well, at least her feet with a human next to her. She wore the same maid uniform as... Sakuya? My eyes widened as they looked up at the teen.

"Go on, introduce yourself," milady gave her a nudge.

"M-my name is Izayoi Sakuya," the silver-haired human, whose hair was braided in a similar fashion to mine, shyly bowed. "P-please take good care of me."

All I could do was stare at her with wide eyes with my mouth gaping like a fish. So I did the only thing I could do, stare at milady while pointing at the maid. "What?" she questioned as I dragged her off to the other room, leaving the confused human.

"She looks exactly like Sakuya-san and has her exact name," I managed to choke out.

"Yeah," Remilia said as if it were common like air.

"But- she- I- ...!"

The vampire just looked at me as if I were a fool, "why do you think she looks like her?"

"...was she reincarnated?"

"Who know? But that child's fate is to be my personal maid just like her, many centuries ago. What will you do Meiling?" Crimson eyes looked into my equally colored ones, "will you guide this on as you have done with her?"

"... of course ojou-sama," I placed a hand on my chest and bowed. "Although I may be incompetent on my job, I shall do my best to fulfill your will. Hey that last part rhymed," my comment earned me a smack to the head.

"Just get out there already."

"Yes ma'am," I saluted and went back to the awaiting maid. "...so um... hey, my name's Hong Meiling..." my awkward feelings got the best of me. "Err... um..."

"Am I bothering you?" the silver-hair teen looked at the floor dejectedly.

"No. It's not you, it's me." Wait a moment, it sounds as if I'm breaking up with her. "What I mean is... you look a lot like someone I knew a long time ago. So... uh...yeah..."

"Well," she walked close to me until our noses were touching. "What if I told you, I am the Izayoi Sakuya you knew."

"Eh?" my cheeks reddened as our breaths mingled.

"Just kidding," she backed off and patted my head. "Remilia-sama said I should do that to tease you a bit since she said the previous maid from centuries ago looked exactly like me. But," dark gray-blue eyes looked at the floor. "There is something in me that says you are important to me. That is one truth I know of for sure."

"S-Sakuya-san," I smiled and ruffled her hair. "Thank you, for being here. Come on, I'll show you around the mansion. And don't worry about our mistress, she's a very kind devil. She even let me, someone who can't clean the mansion properly, stay there for so long."

The maid chuckled, "I know I have heard that before, but I don't know where."

Taking her hand, I led her through the devil's home, I know for sure you are her reincarnation because that side of you is the only one I get to see. Not even ojou-sama or imotou-sama could see it. I hope this life of yours will be as good as the last one, or even better.

A/N: Ahaha, I put it under romance, but there doesn't seem to be much, huh? I hope it wasn't too rushed towards the end. Thank you for taking your time to read this fic. :3