Gensokyo Dream (Chapter 7)

"Hrn..." The blue haired woman standing at my side grumbles. 

She holds a parasol in her hands, a frown on her lips. She sniffs the air, gazing around suspiciously. "Oh... how I... missed the scent of pollution." 

"Yeah, I kind of just turned off my nose when I first came back. I never knew it was this bad before I became a youkai." I agree with a sole nod. "Would you like me to do the same for you?" 

"That... would be appreciated, yes." The vampiress huffs. 

I've already bent the boundaries of our 'normalcy'. Now normal humans won't see anything unusual about us at all. Be it me wearing a kimono in the middle of Romania, nor Remilia's wings. 

She pauses briefly. "Ah. Thank you, Suzutsu. Much better. Now. Shall we?" 

She wanders forwards, I quickly fall into line beside her, she looks over for a moment before reaching out and grasping my arm, hugging it tightly with a faint blush- all of her blushes are faint due to her general lack of blood- that causes my smile to grow. 

"So... I'm curious, why seek out the Carmilla faction first? I thought you were a Tepes?" I ask as her heels clack on the tiles, in the far distance we can see a gothic castle, sat upon a hill. Numerous wards hide it from sight... or at least they hide it from typical human sight. Those wards hold no power over supernatural creatures like ourselves. 

The blue haired girl lets out a single hum of acknowledgement. "Well. Simply I wanted my first impression of the vampires in this world to be... good. Visit those who I may not mind having as followers before I go seek out the traitors and back-stabbers of my distant relatives. I wished to have a good experience first before I am thoroughly disappointed." 

"Ahhh. I see." I note as we continue to walk up the winding stone pathways. "That makes sense." 

You'd think that the road would simply turn to dirt or something after a while... merely because the vampires seemingly want to keep this castle hidden, but no. It appears to have elaborate brick roads all the way to the front door. 

Remilia seemed to appreciate it, saying 'what use is a vampire's palace if you have to trudge through the mud like an animal to reach it? I wish Gensokyo had roads like this... but luckily it doesn't rain that much there. So, I am fated to keep my shoes clean.' 

Such a casual use of near limitless power. Truly a woman after my own heart. My eyes stray to the numerous ravens that sit in the trees, the bats hanging on branches, the glinty little eyes of the beasts slowly following us. 

"Not being very subtle in their observation of us, hm?" I acknowledge.  

"Hmm... I'll allow it." Remilia sniffs. "We are being so bold as to walk up to their front door." 

There's a faint scent of danger in the air as we stop at the gates of a large castle, deep within the watchtowers I can see red glinting eyes. A heavy mist has descended upon us. One that seems to have stopped the sun from reaching the castle. 

Shadows lengthen, a thick mist wafts around us. Our heightened senses being one of the only things to allow us to see. 

We stop in front of a large gate. 

I bring my hand up and knock my knuckles on the steel, a faint smile resting on my lips. Clang Clang Clang 

I watch the gate slowly ascend with a rattle, chains clattering in the darkness. 

I gesture within. "After you~" 

Remilia closes her umbrella, twirling it briefly as it transforms into a swarm of bats that flutters away, she steps through the threshold as I follow after her. 

we step forwards, entering the large castle's walls.  

There's a massive courtyard before us, in the distance, a keep looms in the darkness. 

"Hm. The grass is dead. This bailey is completely barren. You would think that with the convenience of magic they would have made the first impression guests have of their abode less... destitute. Grow some moss instead of grass. Perhaps a few statues. If they are concerned about using this area for battle still, just simply have them be animate statues... but it's quite ridiculous to assume any true conflict will take place on the ground." The vampire girl huffs, crossing her arms. "Any supernatural creature worth anything can fly at the very least." 

"Perhaps they're more going for a creepy aesthetic?" I suggest as we begin walking forwards. 

"Something can be lush while remaining creepy. Meiling takes great care of the Manor's hedges and rose gardens, and yet you do not see humans lining up outside my home... even if that would make meals oh so much simpler." 

We watch as bats flutter from the darkness and quickly coalesce into a single body before us. 

It's a short girl, she has long wavy blonde hair, blood red eyes, and skin as white as snow. She wears a red dress, and a strange ornamented headress. 

"How bold... walking into the middle of a vampire stronghold. But that you are capable of still standing after breaking a vampire taboo is impressive." The girl begins. "Might I know thy name, child?" 

"Child?" Remilia huffs, eyes crinkling slightly. "Hm. I am quite youthful I suppose. But to be honest, dear girl I am over five hundred years old." 

There's a small twitch to the vampire in front of us, something that I wouldn't have seen had I not been looking for it. 

Her boundary of shock swells, her boundary of fear begins slowly but steadily growing before flowing into 'caution'. 

"I am Remilia Scarlet... sometimes known as the 'Scarlet Devil', 'The Vampire', or simply 'The Mistress'. This is Suzutsu, a Youkai of Boundaries." The girl begins, gesturing to me briefly. "I apologize for dropping by unannounced. How rude of me. I perhaps should have seen a letter of some sort. However. There were simply no vampires other than myself within the lands of my home and I had grown... curious... to see what the other vampires had been doing on their lonesome. I hear you all now have united under two opposing factions and I wished to see if this was true." 

"And... if what I'm seeing is correct?" A bat seems to flutter over and lands on Remilia's fingers, evaporating into red mist. "I'm honestly a little... disappointed. How could something as asinine as gender politics divide our race so thoroughly? Especially when outside threats exist with the capabilities to wipe out your way of life." 

I can see the blonde in front of us frown slightly, eyes narrowing minutely. "The Carmilla faction didn't decide to go to war with the Tepes vampire clans. We just refused to be nothing more that servants, mothers, and simple eye-candy for those pig-headed wretches. We would still be at peace as long as they didn't try and push us... didn't try to enslave us like the arrogant small-brained lechers that all men are." 

I can see Remilia's smile grow slightly, her pupils narrowing into slits, her red eyes glowing ominously. "Oh? Are you perhaps insinuating something of my companion here?" 

A pressure seems to descend on the area.  

"O-Of course not! H-he- your- ally here... y-you're h-husband?" 

"Fiancee." Remilia corrects. 

"Your Fiancee is fully welcome here." The girl titters cringing under Remilia's stare. 

"I don't believe in that 'men over women' thing anyways. Kind of hard to as where we come from all the rulers- and anyone even slightly important for that matter- are all women." I wave off. "Besides, Remilia. I believe her statement was more a result of the venom she feels for the Tepes faction and most supernatural races. Harems are exceedingly common, after all." 

"Tch. Yes. The Tepes." Remilia scoffs but seems to realize something. "Oh my. How utterly rude of me. I let myself into your abode and yet... I do not even know your name." 

"I am Elmenhilde Karnstein, scion of house of Karnstein and diplomat of the Carmilla faction." The little vampire girl eventually speaks, somehow sounding arrogant yet reserved and cautious at the same time. 

"Oh I see." Remilia notes. "Well met, Elmenhilde of house Karnstein. Might we go inside for some tea? I would appreciate it if you could inform me of all the goings on within the vampire factions." 

"D-Do you plan on... joining the Carmilla faction?" Elmenhilde squeaks. 

"Ah. Hm... that is tough to say." Remilia tilts her head. "On one hand, your faction does seem to be the more agreeable of the two. But... I feel as if you are two sides of the same coin. That men within your faction just... won't get the same opportunities that a woman would in the same manner that a woman would be neglected by the Tepes faction... I could go to them, yet... I am a woman. They would never follow me. It would be nothing more than a den of snakes all waiting for the opportune moment to stab me in the back... even though I am a direct descendant of the great Vlad Tepes Dracule." 

There's a small shiver to the blonde in front of us. "Please, Lady Scarlet, might I show you to our dining room?" 

"Of course. I would be delighted." Remilia agrees easily, deeply enjoying how the girl seems to be walking on eggshells around her.  

She seems to enjoy being revered, feared, and in a position of power. 

[Split] 

"So?" I ask slowly. "What'd you think?" 

"Hm. Their distaste for men is annoying. But I do see some potential." The blue haired girl admits. "there were some notable... issues that I have noticed, however." 

"Yes?" 

"Most of those trivial weaknesses that you mentioned..." The girl frowns. "They had a fair number of them." 

"Yes. You and your sister are quite... abnormal as far as vampires go." I nod twice. 

"No. I am not speaking of the sun. I am aware that my sister and I are quite unusual being resistant to its effects. But stakes, running water, the inability to enter a place without first being invited. They expected me to grovel under my own weight upon entering their castle without express permission." 

"Perhaps you are more... advanced vampires." I suggest. "Greater vampires? Vampire Lords?" 

"oooh. Vampire Lord sounds quite nice." Her lips quirk upwards. "Yes. Flandre and I are... Vampire Lords... in comparison to the typical rabble of vampires we are practically an entirely new species!" 

"Now. Should we ruin your current mood and visit your direct relatives and collect your cousin?" I ask, folding my arms behind my head. 

"Not quite." She shakes her head. "There is one thing I feel as if we should do before we go and... aggressively adopt... my relative." 

"Oh? And what's that?" 

"When we go off to collect little Valerie, she will likely be scared. I will need time to speak with her. To calm her. She is fated to accept us, Flandre and I, as her new family but it will take some time. Time of which I will be beside her teaching her how to be a proper vampire. One who is noble, prideful, and reserved. Not like what she had faced in her current home." 

"As such. I will likely not leave her side for a time... which is why I feel like I need to do this other thing first." She continues. "One thing that absolutely cannot wait." 

"And that other thing... is...?" I ask slowly. 

"I want to meet your family." She shoots me a fanged smile, eyes glinting. 

I flinch slightly. "Uh... that may not be the best idea." 

"And why, pray tell, would it not?" 

"They think I'm dead, people will probably try and attack the family of the boundary youkai in response to whatever nonsense I may inevitably be forced to do, they've moved on." I list with a small grimace, looking away from the short blue-ette. 

"I only hear one true valid explanation among your bellyaching." The vampire girl huffs, arrogantly tilting her head back slightly. "Tell me, why would you wish to deprive your family of the knowledge that you are alive? Isn't that needlessly cruel? And I sincerely doubt that they have just 'moved on'. Have some faith in yourself. You are their child. They no doubt miss you every day." 

"I... can't really explain why I've been gone for the past like... seven months. Everything points to me being forced to reveal the supernatural to them... and, well... I feel they'd be more at peace just not knowing that a god could sneeze and vaporize our entire town." 

"Hm." She hums. "Your brother is a devil now, correct? Don't you think that he revealed it to him?" 

"No... I sincerely doubt it." I shake my head. 

"Irrelevant." She huffs, crossing her arms. "The only mildly sound reason you have to keep away from your family would be others targeting them to get back at you... however... they are not fated to be attacked as a result of your actions." 

"Did you just-" 

She proudly smirks. 

"..." 

"If they are not fated to be attacked. Shall we go see them, then?" She continues, that proud smile becoming a victorious grin. "if it comes to it, I'll even hide my wings if I have to." 

"Y-You'll hide your wings?!" My eyes widen slightly, causing the red-eyed girl to nod once. 

She must be really eager to meet with my family. She's already spoken of her distaste in hiding her wings. 

"Suzutsu." She begins, eyes narrowing slightly. "I spent the last several hundred years avoiding my sibling. That has probably irreversibly damaged our relationship. I wouldn't have been surprised if Flandre said that she never wanted to see me again... I wouldn't have blamed her. Yet you? You were taken due to actions beyond your control. You were not at fault. You have no reason to feel guilty." 

"But." She sighs. "You WILL be guilty if you put this off anymore... and while your brother may be a devil... your parents are not. They will age. They will grow older, and eventually... it will be too late. Do you truly want that?" 

I cringe under her stare, a long sigh leaving my lips. 

"Fffff-" 

"Fine." I relent, shoulders slumping. 

A bright smile crosses her lips as she steps forwards and takes my arm in her own. "YES!" 

"Come on, then... but only my brother... for now..." I grumble, reaching out and grabbing the air itself. 

"I'll take it. We will meet your parents the next time we travel to your hometown!" The blue-ette beams. 

I pull downwards, unzipping a boundary that will take us a great distance. 

This is going to be... painful. 

[Split] 

Issei Hyoudou is not having a good day. 

Well, to be fair, he hasn't necessarily had a 'good' day for a long while now... 

A little over six months ago... his brother just... 

Vanished. 

Completely. 

They sent out a missing person's report... 

But nothing came of it. 

About three months after that, he was beginning to lose hope... and... he heard about this 'occult' club thing at school. 

So he... may have come to them with his case, and shockingly... they made the most progress out of anyone so far. 

The supernatural was real. 

Now he REALLY wishes that he listened to his brother when he said that if he wanted to pick up girls he should get buff, because... as it turns out he has some sort of special power that some humans are born with called a sacred gear. 

Anyways, he hung around the research club as they looked into his brother, one thing led to another and, well... he may have agreed to join the club leader as a pawn- which sounds worse than it actually is. 

Turns out the club were all devils. Just like the student council- he should have known on that last one, Sona Shitori is EVIL- but regardless. Now. Here he is. Devil pawn to his SMOKING hot boss. A cute little junior, some pretty boy, and a flirty big-boobed girl. 

Everything was fine. 

They figured out that there was more than likely something supernatural at play, they found out that his super special human item was ACTUALLY one of thirteen that are said to be able to slay gods, Rias broke into his house and tried to sleep with him, but as it turns out some weird stuff was going on as some white haired maid showed up shortly after and glared at him like he was less than dirt (It was really hot). 

That leads to here and now, where he grits his teeth as some flamboyant peacock fuck plays with Rias' hair despite the fact that she's clearly disgusted with him. 

It's her Fiancee or something, and apparently they are now unable to break off the engagement unless Rias beats this dude in something called a 'rating game'. 

"Is this all of your peerage, my love?" The IRRITATING blonde dude- his name was rising or something- stands from his spot on the couch with all the exaggerated swagger of some sort of preening bird. 

"And what if it is?!" The red haired girl, his king and the leader of the Occult Research Club, Rias Gremory growls back. 

"Hmph. Then this won't be a challenge at all, then... after all, Riser has a full set~!" He proclaims, causing Issei to glare pointedly. He seems awfully keen to speak in the third person. 

With a flash of fire fifteen girls appear on the other side of the room. 

w-wait... does he- N-No! That can't be! 

Riser saunters back to the girls, swinging his arms around two of the girls and groping them shamelessly, one of the two cat girls- crazy that ACTUAL cat girls exist- and some girl in a French maid outfit. 

"NOOOO! This smug prick can't have a harem! This is completely unfaaaaair!" Issei cries. 

"Heh, are you jealous of Riser, pawn of Gremory?" The man smirks. "Jealous of something you won't ever gain?" 

"Ew. What a barbarian." A blonde with drill-twin-tails scoffs. 

"In what world can a fucking loser that speaks in the third person get an entire harem of fifteen girls yet I can't even get a girlfriend!" The brown haired wielder of the boosted gear cries many tears of rage, injustice and, well, totally not envy. 

"You!" Some blue haired girl with hair that makes her look a bit like an axolotl growls as she points a bo staff at him. "You take that back you worm!" 

"Hah?" Issei rubs his eyes. "Who are you supposed to be, tiny?" 

"T-TINY?!" That seems to have pissed her off even more as the blonde behind her begins making out with the blue haired cat girl he was groping. 

Her outfit is so slutty as well. It's like a Japanese sailor uniform with the top that stops like... just past the nips showing an incredible amount of underboob. 

Man. He wonders if her tits will pop out if he so much as jumps once- hey is that a stick heading for his fa- 

He narrowly tilts his face out of the way of a jab from the bo-staff girl's attack, he ducks back, raising his fists. 

Ziiiiiiiip 

His eyes widen slightly as he looks past the girl, it's... 

It's like a zipper unzipped reality itself. 

'Move.' A deep voice in the back of his mind seems to echo out, compounding even more on his confusion at the world being unzipped in front of him. 

His distraction allows the girl to slam her staff into his stomach, causing him to drop with a grunt. 

As he writhes on the floor for a moment he abruptly freezes. The hair on the back of his neck raises. The pain in his gut becomes secondary. 

'Oh? What even is that?' The deep voice hums in interest. 

"Oh hey, I'm back from being kidnapped." 

His eyes widen, head shooting up. 

"S-SUZUTSU?!" He shouts, eyes almost popping out of his head. 

His- his brothers eyes slowly stray the room, a frown on his lips... then he vanishes. 

Suddenly he and that intense maid are both in front of him, the maid grabbing his wrist as his hand rests inches from the face of axolotl girl. 

"Oh? Come now. I wasn't going to hurt her... much." The blue haired girl shivers and shakes, eyes wide, a cold sweat pours down her head. 

His fingers curl, then with a flicking motion the world ripples slightly. Her head snaps back like she got punched in the forehead, she rockets across the room, leg clipping into the arms of one of their sofas, shattering it with a puff of fuzz and causing her to spin rapidly into the wall just beside the group of Riser and his fourteen other girls. 

She smacks into the wall, the plaster cracking, the building rumbling, dust briefly raining from the rafters as paintings fall off the wall across the entire room as she thuds to the floor, letting out a cry of pain as she writhes. 

With a spray of blood Suzutsu pulls his arm free- no he- HIS ARM! IT- is... completely fine? H-huh? But? Didn't he just tear it- 

"See?" He hums. 

"YOU BASTARD!" The blonde man snarls. "HOW DARE YOU!" 

"Silence." The maid demands, the temperature dropping cold enough that his breath begins to mist up. 

"What is your purpose here, youkai?" The scary maid growls. 

"I live here." He deadpans. "I've lived here, I was born here, and I will continue to have a place here. As for why I am here today... I came to reunite with family... only to find some... gnats... harassing the person I was here to see." 

He walks over to the rift in reality and takes a small hand that briefly protrudes from it. 

A short blue haired girl steps down, being a good head and shoulders shorter than Suzutsu himself. The first thing he notices would probably be the fact that she has wings... wings and is holding Suzutsu's arm to her rather small chest- 

Wait... 

Is- 

Is that Suzu's girlfriend?! What the heck?! Lucky bastard! She's so cute and pretty. 

Her red eyes briefly sweep around the room, her pupils are slanted and cat-like. 

A small smile appears on her lips, he can faintly see... fangs? 

She- holy shit that's a vampire. 

Vampires are real?!  

"Oh my, how interesting." The girl notes her eyes seem to narrow at the maid. "I've never met a devil before... I'm... frankly a little unimpressed."  

Said woman turns to Riser and his group of girls. "You. Leave. Now." 

The pompous dick seems to wilt under the white haired woman's glare as a massive magic circle appears underneath him.  

With a pulse of magic, the group is dragged from the room. 

"S-Suzutsu?! Wha- you- where have you BEEN?!" Issei growls as he rockets to his feet, pain briefly forgotten. "We were looking EVERYWHERE for you!" 

"It... wasn't really in my control." He shakes his head slowly, a slightly saddened smile on his lips. "Like I said. Kidnapped." 

He turns, walking over to the couch with a destroyed arm, the pieces of fluff, leather and wood float up from the floor and reconstruct themselves. "I suppose I should explain what I've been doing the past six months." 

"Oh... and I did promise to introduce someone." He takes a seat on the now repaired couch the short vampire girl makes her way across the room, smiling at the scary maid as she walks by... it's not a very nice smile, kind of menacing, actually. She then takes a seat at Suzutsu's side. 

He gestures to her. "This is Remilia Scarlet. Mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the one known as the 'Scarlet Devil' or just simply 'THE Vampire' and, well, she's also my Fiancee." 

"Fucking WHAT?!?!"