I'm irritated because I've been building up an idea for an epic story for a couple of weeks now, but I don't honestly think I'm good enough at writing to make something of it.
In short, the main plot is this: Since their appearance in Gensokyo, the Moriya Shrine's thirst for faith and power has gone unquenched. They turn to any and all means necessary to convert the local youkai to their faith, 'exorcising' any who would refuse (read: witch hunting). In self defense the Hakurei shrine has had no choice but to resort to similar methods, and as a result Gensokyo descends into a crusade between the two Shrines, each one attempting to destroy the other.
The story starts with a dazed Momizi waking up to see Sanae looking down on her. Sanae wants Momizi in particular to join the Moriya Shrine officially, claiming her exceptional sight would allow her to be an excellent scout against potential Hakurei insurgents. Momizi asks what would happen if she refused: Sanae points out the chain bound to her leg and the metal ball being held precariously above the lake by some nameless fairies. Momizi knows exactly why they've chosen her, though - they know her connections to Aya, an underground journalist who shows up the lies in Moriya propaganda. She refuses, and unsurprisingly Sanae tells the fairies to drop the ball and leaves Momizi to drown.
Trapped at the bottom of the lake, all hope seems lost for Momizi until a kappa appears in the nick of time and jams some sort of breathing device in her mouth. Picking the lock on the chain, she leads Momizi to her grotto in the hope of keeping her away from the Moriya squads. She introduces herself as Nitori, a local engineer who never saw an interest in any sort of religion and disapproved of the Moriya's methods. After hearing about Momizi's imminent execution she thought it only right to come to her aid.
The two discuss the situation for a while, angry that they are so powerless against the system. Suddenly, someone knocks the door - enough to shock Nitori, since she usually never gets visitors. Opening it slowly in case it's an intruder, she is surprised to find a maid offering her an invitation to a social gathering at the distant Scarlet Devil Mansion. Not exactly the most social person Nitori refuses, but a knife held at her throat immediately tells her it's not optional. The maid comments that she knows about Nitori's work against the Moriya shrine, and that's why the mistress asked for her personally. Reluctantly Nitori agrees, but Momizi insists that she comes along as well - given that she's supposed to be dead she can hardly stay around Youkai Mountain. The maid agrees, saying 'An enemy of Moriya is a friend of ours'.
On the trip to the SDM, Nitori and Momizi ponder whether they've just been enlisted by the Hakurei shrine. Taking a boat across the lake where the mansion is located, they find themselves fellow passengers alongside a young swordswoman and her kimono-wearing, fan-wielding mistress. Momizi attempts to start conversation with the samurai, considering herself somewhat skilled with a blade, but the girl is too absorbed in polishing her weapons to notice.
On the island, a fight has broken out between a girl in suspenders and a useless-looking rabbit, and the arriving crew have to break it up so that there's still a mansion for them to visit. The maid who invited them to the mansion leads them all to the dining hall where they will meet with the mistress of the house.
On their arrival, the group are confused to be welcomed by a young blue-haired girl, introducing herself as Remilia Scarlet. Mokou, the girl in suspenders, begins to laugh uncontrollably, thinking she's the target of a practical joke. Ignoring her, Remilia thanks the remainder for arriving and proceeds to explain why she called them all together.
Remilia, too, is tired of the war between the two shrines of Gensokyo, but it isn't normally possible to interfere without picking some sort of side. However, she's come up with an ingenious idea - play the role of two separate groups, each one helping one of the two shrines. The intention would be for mutual destruction from both sides, with both groups having almost telepathic knowledge of the other's actions and striking at their weakest points. One group would be represented by Remilia herself, and the other by the kimono-wearing noblewoman, Yuyuko Saigyouji. Obviously, the members of these groups cannot be revealed for reasons of privacy (or at least, that's their excuse).
Each of the invited members has their own specialty:
Nitori: Master engineer, and also relatively unknown
Youmu: Greatest swordswoman in Gensokyo
Reisen: Long-range specialist, trained in a variety of firearms
Mokou: Demolitions expert
Momizi: Excellent scout
Where necessary, the denziens of the Scarlet Devil Mansion will provide the team with whatever support they need. Aya also shows up now and again to give them any useful info she comes across, because 'you guys give me something fun to write about'.
So the plot basically revolves around the SDM and Hakugyokurou screwing both shrines over, but all the while looking like the two greatest mercenary groups ever invented. Too bad I'm a pretty crappy writer and this is too complicated a piece for me to ever handle...>_>