A Girl Named China

[AMZYoshio]

"How many times do I have to tell you!? Keep that witch OUT OF THE MANSION!!!"

"I'm so sorry, Sakuya-san..."

"And what's more, you've been asleep on the job AGAIN. How many times does this need to happen before you get it through your thick skull?"

"I am deeply sorry, Sakuya-san."

"Quit it with that pathetic puppy face. Moping isn't going to stop intruders, now is it? Now get back out there and do your damn job, CORRECTLY this time."

"Yes, Sakuya-san."

Meiling walked back outside of the mansion to the guardhouse. She sat down and looked up at the setting sun in the crimson sky.

"I can't possibly live up to their expectations...I try harder and harder every day, but even still I fail Sakuya-san and the Mistress...The Mistress will wake soon, and it's only a matter of time before Sakuya tells her of my latest failures...I'll try as hard as I can, even harder than I have from now on. I won't fail them this time."

Meiling had said something along those lines countless times - She was never extremely good at being the Scarlet Devil Mansion's gatekeeper. Oh sure, she kept out some of the smaller pests, such as fairies or animals, but the real threats were almost always able to get past her, either through trickery or sheer force. One of the biggest problems was that Black-White witch, Marisa Kirisame. She was always trying to get into the mansion to make off with Patchouli's books and other assorted treasures, and almost always got in at the least. This meant that Meiling almost always was beaten at the gate by Marisa, and then almost always beaten mentally by Sakuya as she was reprimanded for her failures.

However, despite all of these downing situations, Meiling had a strong heart. She always put her superiors before her, and thought very highly of them. Despite the numerous times she had been berated by Sakuya, ignored by Remilia, or used as a test subject by Patchouli, Meiling always considered those who lived in the mansion to be first. Despite all of her abuse, Meiling always blamed it on herself instead.

"If I just train harder and longer each day, then maybe that witch won't get through next time...I'll get up an hour earlier and stop my daily training an hour later. That way, I'll be conditioned even further so I can protect the Mistress..."

Meiling looked up at the ceiling in the small guard house. She tried to fight back tears, but it was no use.

"I just...I really just wish I could do better..."

The girl turned over in her bed, and then realized she was already failing at her job, despite being reprimanded moments ago. She leaped to her feet and took a post in front of the gate, fighting her own tears back and attempting to survey the landscape before her through a blurred veil.

"For you, ojou-sama..."

Meiling, her scarlet hair flowing, stayed vigilant through the night, with silent tears of her inner failure threatening to destroy her very being.

--

"Hey! HEY!!!"

Meiling felt a sharp pain as she was jolted awake.

"Don't make me throw this knife at you, China!!!"

"S...Sakuya-san...?"

"Get up!!! You fell asleep AGAIN. How many times do I have to tell you to STAY AWAKE?"

Meiling opened her eyes and looked around. It was midday, and she had no doubtedly fallen asleep some time during the night while trying to stay alert.

"Use your head, China! That witch is our primary concern right now, and she almost never comes during the night because she's HUMAN. Or did you forget that too?"

"I'm sorry, Sakuya-san. I'll be smarter next time, Sakuya-san."

"Don't just say it, do it." Sakuya walked off in a huff, putting a silver knife away.

Meiling slumped down in relief. She hadn't been stabbed this time, merely poked. Although she has survived many knives before, she still didn't like the pain. She was also relieved that nothing too important had happened while she was asleep - she hadn't failed her job yet. However, she still was slightly worried that Sakuya had picked up a certain habit as of late.

It had been nearly half a year since Sakuya had called Meiling by her real name - She had simply resorted to calling her "China". Meiling knew that this was an insult of sorts - she was usually proud of her Chinese heritage, but the way Sakuya said it made it certain that this term was used as a form of berating her. Meiling had thought of this not as Sakuya being mean, but as a punishment that she deserved.

"If I would do my job better, I would earn my name back..." Meiling would think to herself. She thought of her title as "China" to be somewhat of a status marker - she had been demoted in a way. It was her repeated failures to keep the security of the gate that had given her this name, and she was the only one to blame.

Meiling stood up and began to do her daily training. She moved in slow, elegant steps, controlling every movement of her body in a careful rhythm, making sure that no step was unintentional and that no breath was out of place. It was through this method of conditioning that Meiling hoped to strengthen her body and mind to help her do her job correctly. It also complimented her ability to control the Qi in her own body, which was her main selling point in her attacks and defenses. It was a long, rigorous, tiring ordeal, but Meiling persisted on anyway, training each day, long and harder than she ever wished to.

"It's...It's for them." She would say to herself.

Meiling, after her training, resumed her position at the front gate. She was tired, having a shoddy night's sleep and longer than average training, but still she stayed at the gate, watching for any signs of trouble. It was this sort of routine that had been going on for as long as she had been commisioned gatekeeper for the Scarlet Devil Mansion. However, never once did Meiling complain about her job - never once did it cross her mind that she should quit. Meiling was the gatekeeper out of her own free will, and wished only to be good at her job. Day after day, Meiling took her position at the gate, waiting for intruders, putting herself in harm's way in the name of her superiors.

And yet, she was ill-respected. Sakuya called her China and always critiqued her performances, Patchouli only viewed her as another test dummy, and Remilia called her "you" and treated her like an object. However, Meiling did not view all of these things as being mistreated - in her mind, she deserved it.

"I just wish I could keep Marisa out of the mansion...Anyone out, really. Fairies don't count, they aren't serious about anything. Anybody who wants into this mansion gets past me, no matter what I say. I may talk down on people as they try to gain entry, but the truth is, I'm a failure. I deserve what I'm getting, and it's because I'm terrible at my job."

Meiling looked up into the sky.

"I'd do anything to protect you guys...If only I could..."

[Blitzer]

Damn girl won't stand up for herself.

Anyways, the writing is good, but the premise I see here is the old "Meiling being a lousy gate guard". Something should happen later that would set this apart.

[Blackraptor]

Meiling should invest in anti-air weaponry since the main problem she has is all the major threats to the mansion can simply fly over the gate. Either that or she should get a new job like a bodyguard or something.

Anyway, I look forward to see where this goes.

[Smallfry]

It's a darn shame they don't have caffeine......

Great story. Instead of Meiling being a brawn-headed gatekeeper (MEILING SMASH), she's just like any other person wanting to do her job.

[Hanged Hourai]

When I first saw this, I was like, "Is Yoshio writing a new story?" And then I started reading and was like, "Yes! Yes! It's true!"
I like your writing and look forward to reading more.

[Unassuming Squid]

I'm personally not a fan of the "GRAH STUPID CHINA KNIFE TO THE HEAD" version of Sakuya, but I'm interested in seeing where you go with this. Keep it up.

[AMZYoshio]

Sorry about the wait, writer's block + AP = no story.



Meiling sat and hummed to herself as she surveyed the landscape for intruders. This sort of situation was very common - the hours of her job were endless, and the amount of happenings were quite low compared to the sheer amount of time that passed between them. Still, Meiling didn't complain, and even took this time to enjoy the scenery around the Mansion. Of course, she was the one responsible for tending to the gardens in her spare time, but even then she admired her work. However, she was interrupted by something that wasn't too unusual.

"Oh, hey there. Don't mind me, I'm just passing by, da ze~"

Meiling knew that voice anywhere. She quickly turned to see Marisa lazily flying toward the mansion. Quickly swapping her mindset, she flew up and intercepted Marisa's flight path.

"No, I think not. Unless you have been invited by the Mistress, you aren't allowed entry here." Meiling firmly told her.

"Oh, come on China, everyone knows you can't keep me out, why not just go back to your flowers?" Marisa laughed a little and continued on her path, but was met with a forceful hand.

"I said no. Now please, go along before I make you."

"Oh, I didn't want to have to do anything today, I'm feeling lazy. Oh well, if that's the way you want it, fine by me, ze~" Marisa backed up and pulled out her Hakkero, readying it.

"Then I shall teach you the power of my ancient Chinese arts!!!" Meiling pulled back as well, taking a defensive pose, ready for anything. Marisa threw some lazy shots at her, clearly simply playing. However, Meiling dodged them effortlessly, and threw a formidable wave of Danmaku at Marisa.

"Woah, easy there, don't hurt yourself! You want to that way, do ya?" Marisa grinned and gripped her broom. Meiling stayed silent, waiting for the next attack.

"Magic Sign: Stardust Reverie!!!" Marisa called out, as copious amounts of stars began to fly in Meiling's direction. The gatekeeper dodged dutifully, with the thought of protecting the mansion as her primary goal. This overall drive made the Chinese girl extremely skillful - despite the fact that her own shots weren't as hard to dodge, her sheer tenacity and will made for a valuable asset.

After a bit of warming up, Meiling decided that it was enough time to end this farce. "Strike Sign: Roc's Fist!!!" Meiling called, as she quickly weaved through Marisa's danmaku and delievered a powerful blow straight to the witch's midsection. Marisa flew back and off of her broom, loosing her concentration on her spell and hitting the ground with a resounding thud. Meiling landed next to her, at the ready, for she knew that Marisa wasn't nearly done yet.

The witch got up after a second and rubbed her head. "Ow...jeez, you aint kidding around today. Fine, I guess I'll have to step it up a bit." She pulled her hat on a little tighter, then threw up her Hakkero.

"MASTER...." Meiling dug into the ground, bracing for the incoming attack.

Marisa caught her hakkero and pointed it toward her enemy. "...SPAAAAAAAAAAARK!!!!!"

An immensely huge multi-colored laser shot directly at Meiling with such force that it shook many of the trees around. Meiling quickly jumped up to avoid it, but barely had any time to think before another came flying at her. Meiling, not having time to get out of the way, braced herself and drew her Qi to her center, effectively reducing the area in which the Spark had to hit her. Despite this, however, she simply couldn't stand up to it - Meiling was sent flying, and hit the wall next to the gate that she so desperately was trying to defend.

"Game set." Marisa smirked as she put away her Hakkero. She picked up her broom and flew up a few feet. "See you later, China."

Meiling looked up through her dazed vision to see Marisa fly lazily right over her and over the wall. She slumped down and took a deep, painful breath. A million thoughts ran through her head, most notably "How could I have failed again...", "Sakuya is not going to be happy...", and "Where did Mairsa learn that name?"

Meiling picked herself up after a minute, and dusted off her clothes. "That witch...She's the source of most of these problems, I know it. Most other people who try to get in either fail or see it pointless to get in if they have to deal with me. However, not her...She's so headstrong, and has the power to back it up. All of my training is worthless when it comes to her...Why? Why me? Can't I stop her, even once...?" Meiling moved over to the guardhouse, went inside, and sat down in a chair. "The only times I've even been able to 'stop' her, she was only playing around and left because she was bored. Whenever she actually tries though, I'm just blown away in the end, every time."

Meiling looked up quckly as she heard a great crash come from inside the mansion. "And whatever's going on in there, I'm sure Sakuya, Patchouli, and the Mistress can handle it. But at the same time, that's not the point, is it? I'm the gate guard...I'm supposed to handle it so they don't have to. All of them are so busy as it is, they don't have time to be bothered with things like Marisa and trying to defend their rightfully owned things. It's my job to stop her before she becomes a problem, and I can't do it right ever when it comes to her."

Meiling looked up at the blue sky that was so beautiful a moment ago, and resented it. "Such a calm, trainquil sky, mocking me. Through all of this turmoil I go through, it stays, not helping in any way. Where is Lei Gong when I need him to create a storm? If such storms were to occur, Marisa probably wouldn't be out here to try to get in. Besides, the Mistress is weak to the sun, a bit of bad weather would probably be better for her anyway."

Another crash sounded from the Mansion, and Marisa came blazing over the wall, a bag of books in tow, leaving a trail of stars in her wake., followed by several knives and blasts of magic. Marisa zoomed off, laughing, over the horizon. Meiling watched her disappear, and then sighed.

"I'm in for it no-"

Just then, Sakuya appeared next to her, and grabbed her by the collar. "Get over here, we're going to talk." Sakuya harshly said, as she basically dragged her into the mansion. After dragging her into an off room, Sakuya threw Meiling into a chair, and then threw several knives at her, just barely missing her head every time. They stuck into the wall behind her, and Sakuya stood silently, staring at the poor girl.

"Sakuya-san, let me-" Meiling began to say, but she was only cut off.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear you right now. Girls who don't do their job don't deserve to talk. Do you realize the amount of stress you cause the Mistress and Lady Patchouli? The Mistress is tiring of having to replace broken furniture and windows from that damned witch, and Lady Patchouli is missing some very important tomes and grimoires from her library. And do you know why all of this is happening?" Sakuya got extremely close to Meiling, and stared her straight in the eye. "Because of you." She quietly, but cuttingly said.

"If I ran this mansion, you'd be out in the street." She continued on. "But the Mistress insists that you stay, saying you're the only one that hasn't died in the process so far. So, I ask you this. Do you think you DESERVE the Mistress's kindness? I think that her patience with you will run thin eventually, and then you'll be at her complete mercy. And I know you don't want to deal with THAT." Sakuya backed up from Meiling, who was shaking with fear by now. This wasn't a fear of pain, or a fear of losing her job, but more like a childish fear of seeing Sakuya so angry - the kind of fear one gets if they are reprimanded by their parents for dishonoring their family, and the fear of what other accusations are to come.

Meiling looked down to the ground and held her heart still. She couldn't let Sakuya see her like that - it wasn't very befitting of a gatekeeper. She was supposed to be solid, unmoving, stoic, unbreakable. But the truth was, Meiling was more like a child inside - all she wanted was to be praised for doing well, for such a situation had not happened in quite some time.

"Get out of my sight." Sakuya eventually said to her. "I'll tell the Mistress of your failings, and you better hope for your sake that she forgives you once again." Sakuya held up several playing cards, and then dissapeared from the small room, letting the cards flutter down to the ground harmlessly.

Meiling sat in silence, still attempting to hold her heart still. She watched the cards slowly hit the ground, and noted that they were all cards of royalty. "Such a fitting hand for Sakuya," she thought. "I'm more like a 2, the way this is going."

Meiling slowly stood up, and then put on a mask of confidence. She didn't want any of the other maids in the mansion to know anything bad had happened - she wanted to look as perfectly normal as possible. She strided out of the room and back outside, where she began to tend to the gardens.

However, despite the guise of happiness and confidence she wore, Meiling was silently crying to herself inside.

--

"Calm, Sakuya." Remilia said as she held a hand up.

"But My Lady-"

The Vampiress stood up from her chair and put her hand over Sakuya's mouth. "Not a word," She simply said.

The lady of the house slowly walked over to a window, and looked out into the sunset at first, but then down to the grounds, where she saw Meiling quietly tending to the flowers.

"Perhaps she isn't the best gatekeeper, but she keeps things interesting at least." Remilia said eventually after watching her. "She doesn't seem to let it get her down that she's such a failure, so why not let her just keep going? To be honest, there's not a lot of people who would be willing to sit outside for the entire day who COULD stop that Witch."

"My Lady, it's not just the witch-"

"I said enough." Remilia calmly, but firmly said as she turned around. "She stays. A tool that has not lost its usefulness would be foolish to abandon - think about it Sakuya, where are we to find a new gatekeeper? You know how useful faries are as maids, imagine them being our line of defense. No, I say let the girl stay - I quite enjoy watching her try so much anyway. It's entertaining to see her so confident in herself, then falling time and time again, just to get up and try again. Somewhat like a fairy, except with slightly more class." Remilia smiled.

"If that is what you wish, My Lady." Sakuya said as she bowed her head.

Nobody in the mansion really knew about Meiling, that she was so child-like on the inside. Despite the comical game of cat and mouse that seemed to go on at the mansion between her and Sakuya, things were much more serious than anybody cared to mention. Remilia looked upon Meiling once again, and saw her watching a butterfly, and thought that the events of today were already off of her mind. The young lady deemed her as a simpleton, only worried about the exact moment she was in.

If only she knew.

[Savory]

I'm personally not a fan of the "GRAH STUPID CHINA KNIFE TO THE HEAD" version of Sakuya.

I second this.

I'd much rather have the two acting more like best friends or maybe beyond that. In a few other works, Meiling usually acts as the "strong big sister" type to Sakuya, even if being a little if not air-headed. As Squid, I'm not a fan of Sakuya "punishing" Meiling, even if for incompetence. Thinking on it, Remilia should be the one to do that. Sakuya is technically an employee and I find it a problem when an employee abuses an employee.

Plus, if you think about what Meiling's job entails, of course she'd fall asleep. And honestly, who COULD beat Marisa? The girl's insane. This is a reason why I don't like the "Raging Knife-Throwing Sakuya". Most people would understand the situation. This portrayal of Sakuya makes her seem heartless.

On another note, this is well written. A part of me hopes that there will be a bit of character improvement on Sakuya and Meiling's part, but I'm just a reader. You, the author, are in control of that.

[Phlegeth]

I really like this story.  I feel so bad for Meiling, I just want to reach through my screen and give her big hug.

[ArteShy]

This story is wonderful. Meiling is more dere than i expected, and Pad-maid is more tsun than i expected.

[AMZYoshio]

The large grandfather clock struck 3. Patchouli looked up lazily from her book, noted the time, and returned to her reading.

"I should test this out..." She mumbled to herself.

Patchouli had been reading and researching all day, but this is nothing new. She was somewhat angry that Marisa had "borrowed" more books from her, but her current studies thankfully did not call for the tomes she had taken.

"How to make a person keep their focus..."

Patchouli had been researching things that concerned Meiling directly. She wished to hopefully create a spell that would force her to mantain focus and not let her be distracted. To Patchouli, Meiling's shortcomings were not in her ability - she knew that Meiling was strong to a point. The gatekeeper's fault, to Patchouli, was that she is was too free minded and distractable, that she is too whimsical to maintain her focus.

Patchouli continued to read. Koakuma came by her eventually and handed her a book - the very book that Patchouli had asked for. Thanking her, she placed her current tome on a large stack next to her, and opened up the new volume to a page.

"Ah..." Her eyes brightened slightly. "This is exactly what I need. Koakuma, deliver a message for me."

Patchouli placed the open book next to her, and brought out a piece of paper. Finding a quill and opening an ink well, she began to write. After a few sentences, she put the quill in the ink and folded the paper, giving it to her assistant. After she left, Patchouli brought out another paper and began to write much more complex things on it.

She was devising a spell.

--

"Maybe you just suck."

"H-Hey!!!"

Meiling was attempting to vent a bit of her emotions to a fairy who was passing by, but this obviously wasn't helping.

"I don't SUCK, Marisa is just too good."

"Well, get better. I don't see why this is hard."

Meiling was beginning to get frustrated with this fairy.

"Whatever, just...fine. I'll get better. Don't you have something to do?"

"Do I...?" The fairy questioned, and began to think.

"...Yeah, you said something about...meeting up with your friend before you stopped to talk to me. Remember?" Meiling replied convincingly.

"Oh yeah! I didn't forget, I was thinking of something else. See ya!" The fairy flew off lazy away from the mansion.

"Stupid fairies..." Meiling knew that the fairy wouldn't remember what she had told her anyway, which is most of the reason on why she felt like it was a good choice to confide even a little bit of her frustration with Marisa to her. However, she misjudged the stupidity of her, and found out that being blunt makes perfect sense to somebody with the intellect of a 5 year old.

From the mansion, she heard the clock tower toll out 3 bells.

"Ah...3 o'clock. Sakuya should be by soon with some food...About time, I'm starving." Meiling sat down in the chair next to the guard house. Several seconds later, Sakuya walked up with a small box containing some food, and handed it to her.

"Here. Now make sure you do your job right today." Sakuya said loftily.

"Mkay~" Meiling replied cheerily, beginning to open the box.

Sakuya didn't give her a second look before she was gone. Meiling would have noted her cold nature more, but she was already beginning to enjoy the small bit of food she was given.

"Ah...~" She said with a smile. "I love Chinese dumplings~"

Several minutes later, as Meiling was finishing up, she noted Koakuma walking toward her.

"Oh hey, what's up?" Meiling greeted her with a smile.

"Just delivering a message from Lady Patchouli." Koakuma handed Meiling the paper, then promptly left.

Meiling was a bit suprised, but opened the paper up and read it anyway.

Make sure you're actually awake at 6pm. I will be meeting with you by the gate at that time.

-Patchouli

"Huh. I wonder what for?"

--

"You what?"

"Just hold still."

Meiling was sitting in a chair, and Patchouli was in front of her, holding a book. She began to recite some strange words that Meiling didn't understand, though it was clear that she was casting some sort of spell. Meiling trusted her, however - everything she had done so far to her was with good intentions, even if things didn't always work out.

After a bit, Patchouli placed a hand on her, and then Meiling began to feel as if she was being imbued with massive amounts of energy. The world became sharper, and she felt much more lively. It was as if she could have taken on the world at that very moment - like she could accomplish anything.

Taking her hand off of Meiling, Patchouli closed her book.

"There. That should make you more alert. Now don't let the Mistress down."

The librarian walked away without another word, and re-entered the mansion.

"Thank you Lady Patchouli!!!" Meiling called after her. "Wow, I feel great! Whatever she did makes me feel like I can take on anything, even Marisa! Heh, I wish she'd come by right now so I could test this out!"

Meiling began to show off a bit to nobody, kicking at imaginary figures and jumping about. Her self-confidence was boosted immensely due to this spell cast on her, and she was able to perform like she never had before, even if it was in practice. She was surely ready for the world.

However, the world didn't come to her. Instead, for the next 14 hours, Meiling sat outside, alert, unable to sleep, and bored out of her mind. She attempted to tend to the gardens while the sun was still out, but she had already done so for the day, so it ended up with her simply looking at the flowers before noting that she should be getting back to watching the gate. For the entirety of the night, Meiling simply sat and watched the landscape. Although she had enhanced senses and could see in the dark slightly better than she usually could, nothing was coming that night. It was truly a boring ordeal.

When the clock struck 8 in the morning, Meiling was still awake. However, no amount of magic will solve one fundamental problem - sleep loss.

Sakuya came by with her breakfast, and saw what Meiling could only hope was a bad dream. The poor gateguard, although still feeling alert, looked absolutely horrid. Her face was gaunt, her hair was extremely messy, she was slightly pale, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked like she was going to keel over at any moment.

"Oh, good morning Sakuya-san. What do we have for breakfast today?" Meiling asked cherrily.

"...Just...Here." Sakuya gave the box of food to her slowly before walking away.

"...Weird. Ah well, I'm hungry~" Meiling opened up the box and began to eat. She was extremely hungry, and finished her food much faster than she anticipated - and was still hungry.

Brushing off the fact, Meiling began her daily training. However, she knew things were amiss when she fell over when attempting to balance on one foot - a feat that she had successfully done so many times before. This kind of failure bewildered her, so she tried it again. And fell.

When the clock struck 3, Sakuya was back to deliver Meiling her daily food, but was met with an even sicker-looking Meiling.

"H...hey...Sakuya-san..." Meiling attempted to smile.

--

"Apparently I need to revise the spell..."

"You think?"

Meiling was asleep, while Sakuya and Patchouli discussed her condition.

"You know, I tell Meiling to do her job correctly, but she can't if she's dead, now can she?"

"Mmm...Maybe if I just channel the energy like this..."

Neither Sakuya nor Patchouli seemed extremely concerned about how Meiling was feeling - Sakuya only cared about Meiling protecting the gate, and Patchouli was only taken by how her spell had failed.

"So, why did you curse her again?"

"I didn't curse her, Sakuya." Patchouli looked up from her books. "I simply attempted to inhance her abilities magically, mostly in the department of keeping her alert and at full capacity. However, it seems that it drained her of all of her energy, but did not let her rest due to keeping her alert. So, in essence, it threw her body into overdrive until she would eventually burn out."

"Don't try this kind of thing again. I doubt the Mistress would approve."

"Indeed. I'll continue my studies, and be sure to be correct about anything I test in the field."

"Good day then, Lady Patchouli."

Sakuya walked out of the room to continue on her daily maid-like activities. Patchouli simply continued to read.

And Meiling continued to sleep.

[Blitzer]

It's a decent break from Meiling being punished by Sakuya without derailing anybody.

[AMZYoshio]

"It's o-k if I just play here, no-bo-dy will mind a bit~"

The young vampire sang to herself as she wandered the halls of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. A fairy maid noticed her, and started to head toward the girl.

"I'm just walk-ing, please don't bo-ther, go a-way you li-ttle bug~"

Pieces of the fairy lined the hallway as the girl moved on.

"What's in here, oh how I won-der; May-be it is a big cake~"

The door to where Meiling was sleeping slowly opened, and the vampire strode over to her bedside.

"Hm? It's the gateguard...she's so nice! I wonder if she wants to play!"

She attempted to shake Meiling awake, but she was fast asleep.

"Come on, get up! Let's play Danmaku!!!"

But Meiling continued to sleep.

--

"I will defeat you, no matter what you say!!!"

"Ha, deplorable girl, do you think you are any match to me?"

"For the good of the mansion...Prepare for doom!"

Meiling stood brave and fought off wave after wave of dark minions, all heading for the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Valiantly destroying her assailants, the gatekeeper fought on. Eventually, after several hundred of the shadowy, faceless figures, a large presence presented itsself.

"Very well, I shall deal with you my self!"

The two clashed, Meiling not exactly sure of what she was fighting, but continuing on anyway. A burning desire ran through her heart; a desire to protect the mansion and those who lived within it. Hit after hit, Meiling doled out punishment, and block after block, she absorbed many blows. After a long, tiring battle, Meiling pulled back and struck one final time directly into the core of the monster - ending it's reign of terror.

Meiling landed on the ground, stood for a second, and then fell to her knees. She was extremely tired - more so than she had realized. She began to fall to the ground, but was caught at the last minute by a warm embrace. Looking up slowly, she was met with a familiar face.

"S..Sakuya-san...?"

"WAKE UP!!!"

--

Flandre threw a huge pillow at Meiling, causing her to jolt awake. As feathers in the room settled, Meiling became aware of her surroundings and looked at the girl before her.

"Oh...it's you. Nice to see you, Flandre-san." Meiling lazily said as she let a big yawn loose.

"It's about time, I've been trying to wake you up for an hour!!!" Flandre complained. It was, in reality, only about 5 minutes, but she was impatient.

"I'm sorry..." Meiling said before yawning again.

"Why're you so tired anyway?" Flandre asked innocently, forgetting her previous rage.

"I dunno...Just didn't sleep well last night I guess." Meiling looked outside, and noticed that it was dark. Looking at a nearby clock, she was extremely suprised to see that it said 1:13.

"It's night...was I asleep all day?"

"I dunno, but lets play!!!" Flandre span around in a circle with a smile, and then grabbed Meiling's hand and drug her out of the bed.

"Hold on, Flandre-san. Shouldn't you be in your room, like your sister asked?"

Flandre frowned. "But it's so boring in there...I wanted to come out and play today."

Meiling looked at the vampire's sad look, and couldn't stand that kind of pressure.

"Ok fine, it can't be THAT bad...Let's just try and not make too much noise, ok?"

"Yay! Thank you Meiling~" Flandre threw her arms around her. "Let's go play Danmaku!!!"

Fearing for her life, Meiling suggested that they play something a little quieter, to which after a bit of pouting, Flandre agreed. The two played together - First they wandered the halls of the Mansion and pretended that all of the fairy maids were out to get them, causing them to hide from sight and take strange detours to attempt to get places. Soon after that, they made their way to the library, and Meiling sat Flandre down in an off corner where Patchouli wouldn't notice them so she could tell her a story.

As Flandre listened to Meiling tell the story, her eyes shined up in admiration and wonder. She viewed Meiling as something of a big sister, for she was the only one who seemed to play with her. Fairies were ok, but they broke too quickly, and they didn't actually know her.

Before long, Meiling was in the middle of a sentence, but promptly stopped due to Flandre leaning her head against her, falling asleep. The gatekeeper looked at her and smiled, noting how cute she was. She closed the book quietly, set it down, and put an arm around Flandre.

"Good night, Flandre-san." Meiling said as she yawned, realizing that she was very tired as well. She started to lean her head against her as well, when she was awakened by a loud thud.

"Get up."

"Sakuya-san!" Meiling stood up quickly, waking Flandre in the process.

Sakuya was standing in front of the two, and a large book was at her feet - she obviously had dropped it to wake them up.

"Why are you here in the library with the young mistress instead of at the gate? And further more..." Sakuya turned to Flandre, "...Why are you out of your room?"

"Leave Meiling alone! She was just playing with me!" Flandre yelled.

"I'm sorry, Sakuya-san..." Meiling instictively responded.

"You know better than this, China. You should have led the young mistress to her room, as the mistress desires. Why do you continually disobey the rules of this mansion?" Sakuya scowled at her.

"It wasn't her fault, I wanted to play!" Flandre scowled in return.

"Flandre-san, this is between China and-"

"HER NAME IS NOT CHINA!!!!" Flandre screamed out before a large amount of books flew off the surrounding shelves, pages going everywhere.

"Flandre-san, please..." Meiling quietly told her. The young vampire was breathing heavily, almost growling, but refrained from destroying any more of the library.

"I've had enough of this. China, go back to where I left you to sleep. I want to have a word with you." Sakuya turned to Flandre. "Please come along, Miss Scarlet." Sakuya politely said.

"Fine...Be nice to Meiling though. She's nice to me." Flandre said innocently before following the maid out of the room.

Meiling started to walk out of the library, when she noticed a very angry looking Patchouli viewing the damages done to the library. Not wanting to stick around, she dashed out of there, heading back to the room in which she awoke. Sitting down on the comfortable bed, she took a deep breath.

"Sakuya did NOT sound happy..." She mumbled to herself.

"That's because I'm not." Sakuya said from across the room.

"AH! Sakuya-san, where did you-"

"Nevermind my abilities. I'm extremely concerned with you. Do you even think before you do ANYTHING? You know damn well that Flandre-san is not supposed to be out of her room, and you know damn well why. Just look at what she did to the library - There are no doubtedly countless books that are irreplacable that are now nothing but shreds!"

"Sakuya-san-"

"Shut up. Just shut up. I'm sick and tired of you making excuses for yourself, and I'm sick and tired of you not doing your job."

"Sakuya-san, Flandre-san was behaving well before you came into the library." Meiling stood up.

"That's not your concern, nor is it your place to try and predict what she will do. The mistress has given strict orders that Flandre-san stay in her room unless otherwise stated, and I don't know about you, but I didn't hear Remilia-sama saying anything about letting her out." Sakuya yelled.

"You're making it sound like I let her out-"

"What's to say you didn't?" Sakuya asked coldly.

Meiling stopped, and thought of Flandre. She thought of how the poor girl stays locked up in her room for so long, and how terribly bored and depressed she must be, being alone for years upon years on end. It was only recently that she began to attempt escapes on a semi-regular basis - before, it was only every few years, but now it seems to be every few months. Meiling thought that Flandre wasn't the monster that everyone makes her out to be, but simply a little girl, looking for a friend.

Meiling swallowed her pride, and submitted to her superior. "I'm sorry, Sakuya-san. It's my fault. I should have led her back into her room. I should have been smarter."

"Damn right you should have been smarter." Sakuya raised her hand, and had several silver knives in her grasp.

"Sakuya."

Instantly, Sakuya turned around and slipped her knives away. "M-My lady!"

"Step aside."

"Yes, my lady."

Sakuya took a few steps back, and Remilia strode into the room slowly, and then stood on the bed next to Meiling to get to eye level with her.

"Why are you so angry with her, Sakuya?" Remilia asked smoothly.

"My lady, she let the young mistress out of her room, which resulted in the destcrution of part of the Library." Sakuya hung her head and clasped her hands in submission - a completely different sight to what she was just a moment ago.

"Mmm, go on..." Remilia cued, eyeing the gatekeeper over.

"As you know, she was asleep due to over-exertion, however, according to Flandre-san, she has been awake for several hours, and thusly has not been guarding the gate either."

"It's night, not a lot of intruders wander in while a Vampire is awake and well."

"In addition, she has deliberately disobeyed your orders of which I have given her, even going so far as to argue them."

"Oh, it can't be that horrible, can it Sakuya?" Remilia smiled, jumping down from the bed. "Flandre wanted some fun, and it's not like the Witch doesn't destroy the library already." The vampired turned to Meiling suddenly. "Or, is that what you're wanting me to say, gatekeeper?"

Meiling's eyes widened and her heart raced.

"Umm..."

"Speak up, I can't hear you~" Remilia taunted, giving her a chilling smile.

"I-I wish only to serve and protect you, My Lady." Meiling replied.

"Mmm, then do so." Remilia stated, then turned and began to walk out of the room. Meiling sighed in relief - she'd been saved by this turn of fate.

"Sakuya."

"Yes, my lady?"

"Punish her for what she's done. But make sure she still works for today's shift."

"Yes, my lady."

Meiling's heart stopped, if but for a moment. What a cruel twist of fate.

"Well, China. You heard her." Sakuya glared before drawing out several knives.

Meiling's screams of pain could be heard from outside the mansion.

[Phlegeth]

I repeat, I want to jump in and give a big ol' hug to Meiling.  I really liked how this chapter started too.  Meiling's dream was awesome.

[Smallfry]

Sakuya deserves a slap upside the head, preferably with a large bludgeoning device with several nails sticking out.

[Blitzer]

Please tell me something that isn't usual Meiling fare (like getting stabbed on the forehead, friends with Flandre, sleeps a lot, etc.) comes up later,,,

[AMZYoshio]

Please tell me something that isn't usual Meiling fare (like getting stabbed on the forehead, friends with Flandre, sleeps a lot, etc.) comes up later,,,

Oh just you wait, I was just setting it up to let people know how people's relationships are as of now.

[Blitzer]

Oh just you wait, I was just setting it up to let people know how people's relationships are as of now.

I suspected that. Well, that's a relief.

[Savory]

Ehhh...I still hate how Meiling is treated. Sakuya is turning out to be very unforgiving. It's like she doesn't even care...or listen for that matter.

I don't like the way the fandom runs with this. Just like how Meiling is viewed as a big sister to Flandre, I'd like to see something where Meiling and Sakuya act as friends (it's, unfortunately, very rare but exists).

Don't get me wrong. Your story is well written. I just cringe at the way Meiling is treated. And it didn't help having Remilia instigate the punishment either (you'd think she'd be more understanding).

[Azzy]

I feel like I'm going to explode and give Meiling a hug, she needs one! :ohdear:

...And it didn't help having Remilia instigate the punishment either (you'd think she'd be more understanding).

Actually, I imagine Remilia to be a bit of a cold person...

[Minch]

I feel like I'm going to explode and give Meiling a hug, she needs one! :ohdear:
Actually, I imagine Remilia to be a bit of a cold person...

Welcome Azzy!
I share that thought of Remilia too. So I don't really mind of this Remilia. Its just Sakuya thats being a turn off. So cruel. Pity for Meiling.

[Blitzer]

I don't like the way the fandom runs with this.

You'd think she'd suffered head damage or have died by now.

And I don't think Meling and Sakuya being friends is all that uncommon. Although I don't look at very much fanworks anyways.

[AMZYoshio]

Pain was all she could think of. Sakuya surely spared no expense when it came to punishment, and although Remilia's orders were followed, keeping the post at the gate was an extremely taxing ordeal. Meiling simply sat in a chair and wished that nobody would come by, because she knew that she would not be able to fend them off if they did. Every minute that passed seemed like an hour, for the soreness of Meiling's body was a force to be reckoned with.

"You ok?" A voice asked the gatekeeper suddenly. Meiling looked up quickly, attempting to be alert, and noticed that it was Alice. Looking up so quickly hurt, however, so she quickly sank back into her chair.

"Yeah...Just...Lady Patchouli doesn't mind you coming in, so go ahead." She replied before closing her eyes.

"You sure? Marisa didn't do this to you, did she?" Alice asked, with a bit of worry in her voice.

"No, just go. It's none of your business." Meiling replied a bit more coldly than she was intending.

"Fine, whatever you say." Alice entered the gate of the mansion and was on her way.

"Owwww...." Meiling sat, and any major movement she made was met with searing pain. She would most definitely not be able to do much today.

However, the real trouble was not from intruders on the outside, but turmoil on the inside, for at that very moment, a table flew through one of the upper floor windows. Meiling would have done something about it, but seeing how she knew Alice was heading to the library, she decided not to, as Alice was doubtfully the culprit.

--

"Miss Flandre, please!!!"

"Flandre, get back here!!!"

"MAKE ME!!!"

Remilia and Sakuya were confronted with an enraged Flandre, who continued to destroy countless objects within the large room.

"Flandre, I swear I'm going to kill you!!!" Remilia charged a bit of energy, then created a large Gungnir in her hand, She took aim and hurled it at her sister, who tossed a cabinet in the way to diffuse the energy. Simply becoming angrier, Remilia dashed after her in attempts to deal with her physically - however, Flandre met her bluff with a blow of her own, sending Remilia flying backwards and creating a large crack in the wall.

"THE WORLD!!!" Sakuya called out, sick of these games. Before Flandre had time to react, Sakuya had her by the collar, and was sure that while Flandre was angry, she at least would not majorly harm her.

"Miss Flandre, why are you so angry?" Sakuya asked firmly. Flandre attempted to struggle free, and did for a moment - however, Sakuya simply caught her again within seconds. Finally giving in a bit, Flandre stopped struggling.

"Why'd you hurt Meiling? I told you to be nice!!!" Flandre screamed out, tearing up slightly.

"It was an order from the Mistress; your sister. Besides, China deserved i-" Sakuya started.

"Her name is NOT CHINA!!!" Flandre scramed, as she spun around and delivered a powerful kick to Sakuya's stomach, sending her flying into the opposite wall. "IT'S MEILING!"

Remilia, regrouped from her previous defeat, confronted her sister. "If you're so worried about that gatekeeper, confront me about it. Sakuya is right, she was only listening." Remilia said cooly, attempting to distract her insane sister's attention off the maid. Remilia knew that although Sakuya was powerful, she was not nearly as strong as a vampire and could become easily hurt or killed in this situation.

"So you told Sakuya to make it so Meiling would scream that loud? Why would you do that, Onee-chan!?" Flandre screamed out, tears of rage beginning to flow down her face.

"I simply told her to make sure she was punished, and that she could continue to work. She seems to be out there right now, and no intruders have entered, so does it matter?" Remilia asked, attempting to diffuse the situation with logic.

"I don't care about that!!! You treat her worse than you treat me!!!" Flandre yelled as she took an offensive position once again. She was so caught up in her emotions that she was beginning to lose all rational thought, even as such to begin to disrespect her sister.

"I keep you safe!!! I make sure nothing bad happens to you!!! All of the countless dangers in this world, all of the people and animals that can harm you, all of the troubles and worries of maintaining a mansion - I do it so you don't have to! I keep you in that room for your own good! Just look at yourself, you wouldn't be this worked up and upset if you would have just listened to me!!!" Remilia screamed back, beginning to break her own charisma. Although the vampire was cool to everybody else, dealing with her sister seemed to strike a nerve with her.

"All you do is abuse people! Why can't I ever play outside, or with Meiling!? Why do you treat us all like dirt!?" Flandre just screamed back, not really listening to her sister.

"If I was abusing everybody, Sakuya and the gatekeeper would have left long ago, and you would not have what you do! I keep you fed, keep you in a warm bed, with clean clothes, everything!!! And you know the sun is dangerous, don't be an idiot!!!"

The two sisters yelled at eachother for a good chunk of time while Sakuya was regaining her senses. After standing up finally, she saw how heated the situation was becoming again, as Flandre was screaming at the top of her lungs with tears streaming hot down her face, and Remilia was screaming just as angrily back, clenching her fists tightly. Seeing this situation, she decided to intervene.

"Please, mistresses!!! Stop!!!" Sakuya yelled out between them. The two vampires looked over to Sakuya quickly, both looking extremely angry.

Sakuya was a bit unnerved, but continued on anyway. "If you want to settle this, how about a duel? You would get farther than simply destroying the mansion..." The maid suggested.

Remilia looked her sister in the eye, who returned the stare. They both nodded, then flew out of the broken window, leaving Sakuya to clean the mess they had made.

"If I win, you have to treat Meiling and the rest of us fairly!!! Stop telling Sakuya to hurt her!!!" Flandre screamed out at her sister.

"Mmm, and if I win?" Remilia asked, not entirely sure of what she would want other than Flandre to simply stop.

"If you win...If you win, I'll do whatever you say without question for 100 years!!!" The young vampire replied. She knew what kind of sentence this was, but she was absolutely positive that she could beat her sister at a duel. Despite being older, Flandre was more powerful afterall.

However, although being slightly weaker, Remilia was more cunning and charasmatic, knowing how to effectively fight without straining herself too much. The two began to exchange waves of Danmaku and powerful blows - Remilia throwing Gungnirs and slashing at Flandre, while she was met with swipes of the L?vateinn from Flandre, as well as several crushing physical blows.

The battle was extremely heated, and each sister knew the other well enough to anticipate eachother's moves. However, neither of them could anticipate what was going to happen next.

"I have to stop them!!!" Meiling yelled, standing up. She was still in pain, but she simply clenched her jaw and seethed through it using her ability to control her Qi. Meiling saw the two sisters battling so fiercely, and thought that not only would they both end up very hurt, but that the mansion would end up being damaged as well. Also, more importantly to her, she couldn't stand to see the two sisters fight - she admired and respected both immensely.

Jumping up, she took flight over the wall and headed to where the two sisters were dueling. However, unbeknownst to her, this was a DUEL. Meiling believed the two were simply fighting - after all, a table had been thrown through a window, and plenty of yelling was going on as far as she could tell. Not having any direct plan, Meiling simply did what she hoped would end the fight - she aimed a powerful blow right for both sisters just as the two came into contact.

The force of the resulting reaction sent all 3 of the girls flying in different directions. Meiling was plowed into the ground, and lay in immense pain. The two vampires, however, were simply angered - the wanted to know who would interrupt their duel. Flandre came upon the gatekeeper first, and then suddenly realized what she thought had happened.

"Meiling tried to help me..." Flandre smiled, then turned around. "I WON THE DUEL, ONEE-CHAN!!!" She yelled out. Remilia flew over to where Flandre was and landed on the ground next to Meiling as well.

"You did not, the stupid gatekeeper interfered!" The older sister retaliated.

"You're just jealous that I won!!! Now stop calling her stupid, you promised!"

"You CHEATED is what you did. And besides, I'm not even through all my spellcards!"

"Want me to end that right now!?"

"My lady...Flandre-san..." Meiling said finally, beginning to sit up. "Please stop fighting..."

"It's called a duel, of course we're going to fight." Remilia replied.

"Yeah, a duel that I WON." Flandre snarked back to her sister.

"Duel...?" Meiling questioned, but then instantly realized her mistake.

"Yes, a duel. Are your ears broken? And if I remember correctly, you broke the spellcard rules by intervening with a formal duel."

"This duel was as much hers as it is ours, and you know it."

"Maybe you two should just comprimise, if I may say so?" Meiling suggested innocently, attempting to refrain from being hurt more. The two sisters looked at eachother, then at Meiling. Meiling smiled nervously, and could only wonder what the two were thinking.

"Yes...A comprimise." Remilia smiled with her usual charismatic smile. "I'll stop 'mistreating' Meiling."

"Good! Looks like I won then!" Flandre smiled confidently.

"Now hold on, a comprimise means I get something as well." Remilia turned to Meiling. "I want to have a meeting, gatekeeper. I have a task for you."

"Yes, my lady." Meiling said shakily.

--

"You called, ojou-sama?"

"Yes Sakuya, come have a seat."

The five main tenants of the Scarlet Devil Mansion all sat at a large table. Patchouli was reading a book as normal, and Flandre was sitting closely to Meiling, paranoid that Remilia was going to do something drastic. Remilia sat at the head of the table with Sakuya taking her seat at her right.

"Now, as you all no doubtedly know, there has been turmoil within the walls of this Mansion." Remilia began, speaking to the group. "Much of this turmoil has not come from our staff of fairy maids like it normally does, but instead from what I believe to be torn relationships. You." Remilia gently pointed a finger.

"Yes, my lady?" Meiling spoke up.

"You seem to be the center of much of these recent problems. While I will not blame you directly as being the source, almost all of the recent disasters in this mansion can be linked back to you. You have repeatedly failed your job at keeping intruders out of the mansion, and while I understand Marisa is a powerful foe, she makes it in time and time again without so much as a scratch on her." Remilia paused a moment to sip from her teacup, then continued. "It is as such that I have decided to send you on a journey to strengthen your skills."

"A journey?" Meiling asked.

"Indeed. Patchouli here is in need of research, and sadly the library lacks the information needed. Since you fail to keep Marisa out of the library, she has no doubtedly stolen what Patchouli needs. What I require you to do is not obtain the books back, but instead write a new one."

"I am in the need of knowing about a particular location in Gensokyo that I have not researched to my fullest potential." Patchouli said as she put her book down. "As I am busy with other duties, I will not be going myself. You're going to go for me, and you're going to take this book and document what you see." Patchouli slides a leather bound book across the table to Meiling.

Meiling opened the book and flipped through a few pages. "As you can see," Patchouli continued on, "I have labled out things of which I require you to write about. All you have to do is go there, and fill in the blanks. I have also left a number of blank pages at the back for any additional notes you think would be interesting."

"Excuse me for asking, Patchouli-san, but where are you asking me to go? I don't think you've told me." Meiling asked poiltely.

"She requires you to travel to Makai." Remilia answered for her friend. Both Meiling and Flandre's eyes widened, while Sakuya smiled.

"Isn't Makai really really scary and dangerous!?" Flandre yelled out.

"Mind your tounge, Flandre. We're trying to have a civil meeting here." Remilia cautioned.

"Besides, this will teach China a valuable lesson." Sakuya added.

Flandre glared at Sakuya. "I thought I told you that her name is not China..."

"Mmm, yes, why DO you call her that?" Remilia turned to the maid. Sakuya was slightly taken back, not expecting Remilia to side with Flandre.

"My lady, with all due respect, she is hardly worthy of mention, being of little use that she is. Is it not ok to call the rest of the maids in this household simply 'maid' or 'fairy'?"

"While you're correct about the fairies..." Remilia paused again for another sip of tea.
"I do have to say that Flandre has a point in being angry. You forget Sakuya - no matter what you may think of Flandre, she is still my sister, which means she is your superior. So, by that logic, recieving an order from her, as long as it does not overrule mine, should be taken as obediently as if it were I that said it. Don't you think?" The vampire smiled and took another sip from her cup.

"Yeah, that's right Sakuya!" Flandre cut in. "And I got a good idea!!!"

"Oh, do tell." Remilia added.

"Meiling shouldn't go alone. Sakuya should go with her, and learn a lesson too!"

Sakuya's expression changed from one of calm to a bit of fear, while Meiling's turned to one of shock.

"Oh no, no, Flandre-san, that's very nice of you, but..." Meiling began.

"Actually, I think that's a wonderful idea." Remilia decided. "Sakuya is overworked anyway, isn't that right?"

"M...My lady...!" Sakuya stuttered.

"Mmm, is there something you wish to tell me?"

"I simply cannot leave, there is so much work to be done, and the fairy maids hardly get anything done, and with-"

"Are you saying that your idea is better?"

"N-no, I wouldn't ev-"

"Then it's decided." Remilia put her tea cup down and turnd to face Meiling. "You shall be accompanied by Sakuya. Sakuya, since you are so critical upon this poor girl, perhaps you can find a way to teach her how to improve herself that doesn't include simply punishment after punishment. I believe that she can also teach you as much as you teach her, if you keep your mind and heart open." Remilia smiled at the group she had before her.

"...Yes, my lady." Sakuya grudgingly said.

"I will do my best for you and Lady Patchouli, my lady." Meiling affirmed with a smile.

"Then be gone - the sooner you two get back, the sooner Patchouli and I can resume our daily lives. Do not dissapoint us." Remilia stood up from the table and left the room.

"Good luck Sakuya and Meiling!!!" Flandre said cheerily. She gave each of the girls a hug, then followed after her sister.

"Ladies." Patchouli simply said before getting up and departing for the library.

Sakuya and Meiling stood in the room looking at eachother for what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality but a brief moment. The ticking of the clock in the room seemed to coincide with each of their heartbeats, and it was getting louder and louder to Meiling as time passed on. As Sakuya stared at her, she could only think of the things that would be going through her head - one thing was for certain though: she definitely did not look pleased.

"Well then, let's go." Sakuya said before leaving the room.

Meiling followed after her, and the two were seen leaving the mansion gates from a high window.

"I hope they stay safe..." Flandre said as she watched the two walk down the path away from the mansion.

"Oh, they'll be fine, Flan." Remilia assured her. "It's more of a matter of if they can stand eachother. That's what I'm not as sure about."

[Smallfry]

MEILING & SAKUYA: PARTNERS IN CRIME

[Savory]

Ah, dear Flan. I'm glad you're defending Meiling.

(Also, Sakuya and Meiling make a great team...you know, when "punishments" are left out.)

[Azzy]

Makai? heard it's lovely there this time of the year.

I could just imagine Flandre with a smirk on her face implying 'ouch'.

[Aba Matindesu!]

Interesting to think about what they'd find in Makai...

(R> Chibi Sariel)

[AMZYoshio]

The two ladies walked down the path away from the mansion in silence. The summer air was nice, yet there was an extremely uncomfortable stagnant atmosphere about. Sakuya simply looked ahead at the path, walking at a steady pace, a nearly blank look on her face. However, Meiling could tell that she was anything but pleased - the way she reacted to Remilia's order was not what she would reguard as a willing action. The gatekeeper looked around as she walked, and noted several butterflies fluttering by.

"I love butterflies~" Meiling broke the silence. Sakuya, however, did not pay her any mind. Meiling thought that she'd try to lighten the mood - after all, if the two were going to be traveling for a bit, they might as well get along.

"Do you like butterflies, Sakuya-san?" Meiling asked curiously.

"Be quiet." Sakuya replied. "If you don't stay focused on your job, you're bound to fail. Let that be your first lesson."

Meiling looked at the ground as she walked. "Sorry, Sakuya-san."

It bewildered her, how Sakuya was so curt with her as of late. The two used to be on slightly better terms in years past - they weren't exactly best friends, but Sakuya would at least smile to her. However, those were years before the Scarlet Mist incident - before the frequency of Marisa's visits. Meiling knew that due to Marisa, her rate of keeping the gate secure had dropped dramatically, and thusly she wasn't too suprised that Sakuya was mad at her. However, it still was puzzling to think that Sakuya could be mad even at that moment - the sun was shining, it was a bright and early morning, birds were singing, the trees were green, the air was fresh. It was truly a beautiful day, a day that one reads about in story books and is sheer perfection in itsself. Yet, despite all of this, the maid looked on ahead, and didn't pay attention to any of the nice surroundings. All she was intent on doing was getting this job done as quickly as possible, Meiling determined. And apparently that meant that small talk was out of the question.

Maybe it's her job as a maid... The gatekeeper thought to herself. Maybe since she's so used to serving on a whim instantly without question, she doesn't want to mess around at all on this journey. Still...it wouldn't kill her to be a little nicer.

Then, Meiling's expression changed. No, what am I thinking? Sakuya is the correct one here - she's most likely trying to teach me something, like she already said. To be focused would be to be successful, to not waver in your will for perfection in your goals is to persevere. Sakuya knows how to do that, and apparently I don't enough. She's the one correct here...

"Snap out of it."

Meiling did so, and looked at Sakuya, who had stopped in the middle of the path.

"You're extremely distracted. Did I not tell you to focus? I am your superior, do not forget that. You must do as I say, as well as obey the orders of the mistress. We're to go to Makai, and you're to write out observations in that book. We're not here to look at trees, or play with birds, or frolic in flowers." The head maid glared at Meiling for a moment, then turned back and continued on her way.

"...Why can't we do both?"

Sakuya stopped once more. she clenched her fist, then took a deep breath, and eased her grip. "Fine, do whatever you want. I'm getting this job done. I'll just tell the mistress that you'd rather sunbathe than listen to her."

"I'm sorry, Sakuya-san, but I meant why can't I enjoy the scenery as I walk?" Meiling asked with a childlike curiosity.

"Because, China, delaying your duties is not unlike telling the mistress that you'd rather do something later. Now let's get going." Sakuya continued to walk.

Meiling followed her and looked down at the ground. She didn't want to enjoy the day anymore - she'd feel too guilty.

--

"So...you just crack it open like this...and...KYA!!!"

"Are you having trouble, Remilia-san?"

"Oh...Sakuya used to do this for me, and she was so good at it."

"Are you regretting sending the two?"

Remilia was standing over a stove in the lavish kitchen of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and she had egg all over her dress. Patchouli was in the room as well, for she thought that she'd at least attempt to help out around the estate now that Sakuya was gone.

"I don't regret anything I do." Remilia replied casually. "Regrets only diminish will. I learn from the mistake."

"So you're saying it was a mistake to send them?" The librarian asked, picking at the vampire's brain.

"No, I think it was a mistake to hire fairies in place of maids. They're so useless..." Remilia took a nearby cloth and wiped herself down.

"Maybe we can have something simpler then. Until they return." Patchouli suggested.

"Indeed. Eggs are disgusting before you cook them." Remilia agreed as she wiped as much of the sticky whites off of her as she could. "I wonder how the two are doing, anyway."

"Sakuya has probably already done her fair share of yelling, no doubt about that." Patchouli casually said as she turned a page in the book she was reading.

"Most likely. The gatekeeper probably is acting too cheerful for her tastes." Remilia hopped off the chair she was standing on and wandered over to a nearby cabinet and opened it, looking for something else to eat.

"Indeed. Sakuya is a bit touchy with her."

"Mm, yes." The vampire looked around in the cabinet, but then noticed a fairy maid enter the kitchen. "You there, make us something to eat. I don't care what you were doing before." She commanded. The fairy nodded then went around, looking for things to cook. "It has been worrying me, how much Sakuya has taken a turn in her personality. She's always been loyal to me, but she seems to have had less and less patience with others, especially the gateguard."

"Perhaps she simply cares about the mansion." Another page flipped.

"It's possible. However, I think Sakuya doesn't have to act so rashly in any case."

"Why did you not simply command her to be nicer? If she is so loyal, it would make sense that she would obey you." Patchouli looked up from her book and into the vampire's eyes.

"Sakuya would take the order with a grain of salt." Remilia replied as she and Patchouli walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room. "I know that she would try to act more appropriate, but in reality she would simply wish she could punish the gatekeeper all the same." The two sat down in the fancy chairs around the large dining table. "I hoped that by sending them on this quest of sorts that they would learn to work with eachother, if even a bit better."

"Mmmmm, that sounds like a plausible plan." Patchouli noted as she put down her book. The fairy whom Remilia commanded earlier came out of the kitchen holding two plates and placed them in front of the girls before bowing and leaving off into the mansion. Remilia looked at her plate and saw that she had been served shoddily cooked eggs. They were slightly burned, and hardly seasoned at all.

"Ehhh..." Remilia groaned slightly.

"At least you got your eggs." Patchouli smiled.

"Stupid fairies..." Remilia mumbled as she forced herself to eat.

--

Sakuya and Meiling had arrived at the Hakurei Shrine, for they both knew that the resident Shrine Maiden, of all people, would know where the entrance to Makai is.

"Mmmm, sounds like your problem." Reimu said casually as she swept the front of her shrine. "And besides, I don't know why you'd want to go to Makai anyway. There's nothing but trouble there."

"We've bee-" Meiling started, but then she was cut off but a harsh glare from Sakuya.

"My mistress has sent us there on personal business. It is none of your concern. However, we would be grateful if you would show us to the entrance, or at least give us the correct directions." The maid told Reimu politely.

"Well, as long as you're not going to release demons or anything, I guess it can't hurt anything." Reimu said casually. "Besides, whatever you end up doing will hurt you as much as it will hurt everyone else, so at least I'll have a target to go after."

Meiling looked around her while the two were conversing and noted how the Shrine looked so peaceful, but then remembered what Sakuya had said and looked back down at the ground. However, when she did, she saw a small black cat with large green eyes staring back at her.

"Oh...hi there." Meiling said to the cat before bending down to pet it. The cat began to purr and rub it's head into her hand. "You're a nice kitty, aren't you?" The gatekeeper smiled. "What's its name, Reimu-san?"

Sakuya and Reimu looked over, Sakuya with annoyance and Reimu with indifference.

"I dunno. I guess I never bothered to name it. Why would you name a tool anyway?" Reimu looked at Meiling as if she were supposed to know something.

"China, we're trying to get to Makai, not play with cats." Sakuya said before turning back to Reimu. "So, a one spellcard duel? If I win, you will tell us where Makai is, and if you win, we have to return to the mansion empty handed?"

"Yes." Reimu confirmed. "Although, I will put a limit on the duel - don't use your strongest cards."

"Fair enough." Sakuya stated. As she began to reach a hand for her knives, however, she stopped due to an unforseen event.

"I'll duel her! You don't need to strain yourself anyway, Sakuya-san." Meiling stated confidently as she walked up next to her.

"Please, just play with your cat." Sakuya brushed her off.

"Not like she can." Reimu smiled. She raised her gohei and swung it down in a swift motion, which caused the cat to polymorph into a pair of Ying-yang orbs, which flew to Reimu and began to circle her. "Now, which one of you will it be?"

Sakuya simply looked at Meiling, who's expression showed no fear. "How about this, shrine maiden - If the gatekeeper beats you, you take us personally. If she fails, I'll duel you, and if I beat you, you'll tell us the directions. You can have two cards, we have one each."

"Fair enough." Reimu smiled, before taking to the air.

"I won't fail you this time, Sakuya-san!" Meiling announced with confidence as she took to the air as well.

"Sure." Sakuya remarked as Meiling flew off, already condemning herself to the fact that she'll have to make up for Meiling's loss.

Meiling looked over her opponent and began to collect her Qi. She attempted to read everything she could from her adversary, trying to figure out what to be ready for. Reimu, on the other hand, was hardly thinking about any of that - she was just going to go with the flow, for she saw Meiling as not much of a threat.

"I won't fail, Sakuya-san..." Meiling repeated to herself quietly. Reimu, getting bored of waiting, decided to make the first move.

"Duplex Barrier!!!" Reimu declared, as a large amount of danmaku began to flow from her. As the danmaku began to fly toward Meiling, she prepared to dodge - however, it seemed to dissapear, and fly out and different angles from completely different places. Confused, Meiling decided the best course of action would to be to get inside the invisible barrier that caused the change in direction of danmaku. Weaving through the field, the gatekeeper began to close in on her target, who did nothing more than thicken the field with even more shots.

"Fluttering Petals and Falling Leaves!!!" Meiling declared out, as she began to send powerful kicks in Remiu's direction. With every kick, even if it was a miss, danmaku flew out and laced the area thickly, causing Reimu to have to be on guard as well.

As the two duelled it out, Sakuya watched on from the ground. "I'm suprised she hasn't been defeated yet..." She commented. "Then again, it doesn't look like Reimu is trying that hard."

In fact, Reimu was indeed not serious about this duel. She had been casting the easier version of her spell, for her losing did not mean much. However, just as she was beginning to truly enjoy herself, she was struck in the side by one of Meiling's kicks - causing her to break her concentration on the spell.

Reimu flew back a bit, but caught herself midair, and faced Meiling. The gatekeeper was at the ready yet again, with a very determined look on her face.

"Ah...you don't play nice, do you?" Reimu asked casually. "I'll return the favor." She smiled.

"Fantasy seal!!!" She yelled out, as many colorful orbs flew out and circled her, before flying at Meiling at high speeds. Meiling dodged the first wave, but came extremely close to a second wave. Reimu smirked and set loose yet another barrage of danmaku, which the gatekeeper just barely avoided by delivering a high-powered kick to one of the large orbs, diffusing the energy. Meiling charged at Reimu, seeing this as her only chance to strike.

Sakuya was watching the duel with a knife in hand, for Meiling came crashing down at her side, having taken a full blow to her direct center. However, right as Sakuya was about to take flight, Reimu landed in front of her, and was laughing.

"Oh, I haven't had such a kick out of seeing someone think they can win in a looooong time!!!" Reimu continued to laugh. Sakuya kept a knife at the ready, just in case, but it seemed that the Shrine Maiden was being genuine.

"Here, here, I'll just say you beat me maid. Here's how you get to the entrance to Makai..."

Meiling lay dazed on the ground, somewhat aware of what was going on, but mostly disoriented.

[Savory]

Gee, Sakuya needs to lighten up...

And woo for Meiling! Great job!

[AMZYoshio]

Meiling and Sakuya stood in front of a large cave. The scenery in Gensokyo is normally lush, but in a gradual radius around the entrance, things seemed to die out and wither away, until at the mouth of the large opening there was not a single plant growing. In fact, inside the cave, it looked as if there was an immense chasm that had no end.

"Well, this is where Reimu said the entrance to Makai would be." Sakuya noted. "Let's go."

Meiling looked into the cave with a bit of fear at first, but then quickly dropped the thought as she realized that she must continue on her mission for the Mistress. However, she then remembered the book.

"Oh, wait Sakuya-san! Maybe I should look to see if there's a place to write about the entrance in this book here." Meiling pulled out the book and began to thumb through it. Sakuya simply continued to look into the cave and around a bit.

Indeed, there was a page about gaining entry to Makai, and about the surrounding terrain. Meiling pulled out a pen from the small bag she was given to hold the book, and began to write.

"Let's seeeee....The entrance to Makai is in a big cave where everything dies around it. It looks like there is a huge pit inside the cave, so flying is a must if one is trying to get in. There, I'll leave it at that for now." Meiling smiled and put the book and pen away. "Alright, Sakuya-san, let's go!" Meiling said before entering the cave.

Sakuya was silent and let Meiling go first, trailing behind cautiously. Although she was confident, she saw her self as smarter than Meiling, and being on guard in a strange new place was a much better idea than going in head first to her.

After a small bit of flying inward, the two came across what looked like a sort of magical portal. It was surrounded by floating candles, and the design floating in the air was an obvious denotation of a magical seal. The air around the place seemed to glow, and there was an eerie feeling about the air.

"You two - stop!" A voice suddenly called out. A girl wearing a red dress with white sleeves, complete with pink eyes and hair, flew into the way of the two.

"You're not allowed entry into this land!" She said with confidence.

"We simply wish to do some sight-seeing, and we'll be gone before you know it." Sakuya cooly said, holding several knives behind her back.

"I have told you already, you are not allowed entry!" The girl proclaimed again.

"What's your name?" Meiling asked out of the blue.

"...wait, what? It's Sara, wh-" She was suddenly cut off by a knife being thrown to just barely miss her head.

"Sara...Ok." Meiling continued to write in the book. "You'll meet a gatekeeper named Sara, and she will deny you entry no matter your purpose."

"Hey!!! Don't make me beat you out of here!!!" Sara yelled out in retaliation to Sakuya's attack.

"Go ahead and try." Sakuya smirked.

"Despite all of her confidence, however..." Meiling continued to write. She looked up from the book just in time to see Sakuya dissapear into the air, with several dozen knives appearing around the portal's guardian an instant later. "...She is easliy defeated in combat." Meiling closed the book once more and put it away.

Sara began to fall into the chasm, but caught herself in midair. She slowly floated back up to the portal, and faced the two yet again.

"F...fine, you may pass...but only because I can't...go on..." Sara managed out, obviously wounded from Sakuya's overpowering attack. She then seemed to dissapear from the area, leaving Sakuya and Meiling alone once again.

"She didn't look that powerful, Sakuya-san, why did you go all out on her like that?" Meiling asked.

"Never let your guard down. If you knew that, you wouldn't be such a failure as a gatekeeper, like Sara here." Sakuya bitterly said as she approached the seal.

Meiling followed her, her previous good mood yet again crushed by the maid. The two floated above the seal, and the area began to glow brighter and brighter until the light was almost blinding. As the light faded, the two were in what looked like outer space - there were bits of light falling everywhere, as well as chunks of what appeared to be ice. It was dark everywhere, however, they could see a definite light in the distance. Without a word, Sakuya began to fly toward the light, and Meiling followed suit.

Even to other people's gatekeepers... Meiling thought as she flew alongside Sakuya. She noticed how Sakuya didn't have a single bit of happiness on her face - even after the brutally quick defeat of Makai's guard, she didn't seem confident, happy, amused, anything - all she seemed to be feeling was annoyance. To Meiling, Sakuya's expression was one of somebody grudgingly doing something against their will, as if she simply did not want to be there. It worried the gatekeeper, because she really did care about Sakuya. If Sakuya wasn't happy with what she was doing, then she would only be more stressed, which Meiling did not like the thought of.

"Nice job dealing with that Sara girl, Sakuya-san." Meiling said after a bit of flying.

"You're losing your focus again, China." Sakuya replied without even looking at her.

"Sakuya-san, there's nothing here to focus on."

"So says the gatekeeper who can't keep anything out."

Meiling sighed. It was impossible to try and talk to her - Sakuya was simply too intent of being shut off from her. Meiling once again tried to rationalize why Sakuya would be acting so cold, as to save the image of the perfect and elegant maid in her own mind. However, she noticed that it was becoming harder to do so - Without the veil of puppy-like obedience that Meiling had to her, Sakuya was being a real bitch.

--

Flandre sat in the darkness of the basement, the only light available being the moonlight shining in from a high window. She could have had a few candles lit, like it is normally when she is awake, however she felt like she needed the darkness tonight. The vampire sat on her bed quietly and looked out the window up at the moon.

"I miss Sakuya and Meiling..." Flandre quietly whispered. She saw the silent stature of the moon - that object she would never be able to reach. And yet, she liked it so much. She was never allowed to try to make it there - her sister had been there, as had Sakuya, that much she was sure of. The futility of staying in her room frustrated her, and yet she held her sister in high reguards, and reasoned that she probably knew what was best, despite what she wanted to say.

"The food is terrible..." She whispered yet again, noting at a half-eaten tray of badly-cooked pastries. She missed Sakuya for she had had daily contact with her, if but for a moment, nearly every day since she was put in her room. Sakuya was also the one to make her food, and she always made it just the way she liked it. Flandre sighed and curled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around them.

"Poor Meiling...I hope Sakuya is nice to her..." Flandre buried her head into her knees. Although she had absolutely no control over the matter, it really bothered her that Sakuya was so mean to Meiling. Despite Remilia, she knew this very well - Flandre and Meiling had spent time together quite a lot, or at least a lot as far as being locked away for about 500 years goes. When spending time with her, Flandre would sometimes ask where Meiling would get some of her scars or cuts - the answer was almost always that Sakuya had punished her. But Meiling was always sure to tell Flandre not to worry, because to Meiling it was always her own fault.

Flandre stretched out on the bed and looked outside. She really did like the moon, and wondered if the stories from her sister were true, about the rabbits and the lunar capital. How the young vampire's mind wandered, from subject to subject, but it always fell back to Meiling and Sakuya.

"If Sakuya and Meiling were to be nice to each other, I bet they would be great friends. And then we could all play together~"

Flandre sighed and rolled over in her bed. She was bored. Just then, she heard some noise outside her door, so she ran quickly over to it and decided to listen to what it was.

"...and I bet she's not even gonna come back." She heard a voice say.

"Yeah, that stupid girl is probably gonna screw up everywhere and make the head maid kill her or something." Another said. Flandre didn't know who these people were, but she instantly didn't like them.

"Hey, I'm just glad they're gone - we can just do nothing and the head maid can't yell at us!" A third voice said.

Flandre's eyes narrowed and she began to wear a sour frown.

"Yeah, we're a lot luckier than that idiot gatekeeper. What did the boss call her? China?"

Her fist clenched.

"Yeah, China~"

Her teeth gritted.

"Stupid Chinese idiot, can't do anything right~"

Her hand raised.

"China! China! Chi-" Suddenly, the fairy maid stopped in mid sentence and a look of shock spead over her face.

"...Rain?" One of the fairies asked cautiously.

The remaining two ran for their lives as their friend became the new wallpaper and the horrors of the last look on her face was etched into their minds. Flandre grinned a sinister smile and laughed.

"No more fairy~" She said to herself, reveling at her work.

--

Sakuya and Meiling flew along the brand-new landscape they found themselves at. The ground all around was red, and there seemed to be an extreme magical aura about - so much so that it was almost choking, and yet extremely empowering. Meiling seemed to be able to make due in standing the change in surrounding, but as she looked to her side, Sakuya had a different inflection. She was breathing heavily, but somewhat restrictively, and she seemed to be struggling to keep her flight sustained.

"Sakuya-san?" Meiling began to ask, worried about her.

"Be..Quiet...Just keep going..." Sakuya said between breaths of air. Sakuya then began to drop slightly, but caught herself in midair shakily.

"Sakuya-san, maybe we should stop for a minute..." Meiling suggested, becoming more and more concerned as the seconds passed.

"No, we're.....we...." Sakuya trailed off slightly, then began to fall from the air. Acting quickly with a shock of horror, Meiling flew under the maid and caught her just in time to have her avoid hitting the ground - they weren't that far up, after all. The gatekeeper landed with Sakuya in her arms, and quickly looked around. She noticed a large rock formation, and decided to lay Sakuya up against it.

"Sakuya-san...Sakuya-san...!" Meiling called out to her. "Oh great...Sakuya-san...Please..."

The maid lay motionless, barely breathing.