Remilia's Scarlet Equestria

Chapters

Intro
Chapter One: New Body
Chapter Three: Gungnir
Chapter Four: Maidens
Chapter Five: Run-In
Chapter Six: Brief Respite
Chapter Seven: Scarlet
Chapter Eight: Nightmares
Chapter Nine: 'Then Let It Come'
Chapter Two: Stalking the Shadows

Intro

Remilia's Scarlet Equestria
Written by Dragonborne Fox and Divine Path

I calmly sat there on my chair, sipping my red tea while I watch the full moon set beyond the glass border of my bedroom window. My leathery wings twitched a hare, but I never really minded.

Oh, you’re wondering who I am. My name is Remilia. Remilia Scarlet. Why would my last name be Scarlet, you ask? Well, I’m a vampire who owns the Scarlet Devil Mansion in dead center of the Misty Lake. The place has its brick walls and a gate which is guarded by the unreliable Hong Meiling—or was her name China?

The door opens, and a maid with short, silvery hair and eyes like ice enters. This maid was Sakuya Izayoi, who was head maid due to the fact she could manipulate time with a device called the Lunar Dial. I never understood how it worked, but I never really asked anyway.

“Mistress, I gave Reimu some more soy sauce and rice,” Sakuya reports, a faint smirk on her face. I was always overstocked on rice and sauce, so I usually let the pesky shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei have some, provided she paid me back sometime later.

“As long as she knows the deal we made way back when, I’m okay with it,” I sigh, finishing off the last few drops of my tea. Unlike other vampires, I only feed on blood when absolutely necessary, and that has happened two times in my long life of five-hundred years. In the meantime, I usually sustain myself on sweets and the occasional vegetable.

“I reminded her, as always,” Sakuya replies, her grin fading. “And as for your dress you spilt tea on earlier, I had a few maids wash it.”

“The sun’s going to rise soon. I had best get myself in bed,” I say, getting out of the chair and stretching my arms and wings to prepare for a good day’s sleep. I turn to see my maid about to walk out of the door. “And Sakuya?”

“Yes, milady?” Sakuya asks, stopping as she closes the door a bit.

“Make sure China does her job right. You know how Patchy is about that black-and-white witch,” I say, smiling a bit.

“Will do, mistress,” Sakuya answers, stepping out of the door and closing it completely. “Good day.”

I nod and crawl into the covers, snuggling up for another session of sleep.

Oh, how I soon came to regret that decision...

Chapter One: New Body

I fidget about, still sleeping, hoping to awaken from a nightmare. I see a horrid shape—more like six—approaching me with glowing white eyes like that of the sun. Around what I assumed to be their necks were necklaces of white gold, each embedded with a different gemstone of some kind. One didn’t have a necklace; rather, it had a delicate tiara made in the same way as the necklaces themselves.

I swear upon my soul they had an intention to banish me somewhere; yet they elaborated no further than that. My ability to control fate is rendered useless against them, and my body refuses to lift my Gungnir into the air.

I cannot even fly, let alone move. For literally the first time in years—perhaps a century even—I am filled with fear; yet I don’t understand. I am the proud Remilia Scarlet; why am I letting these puny creatures with their ornate jewelry dominate me?!

I slowly raise my trembling hand to the creatures and clench my fist, attempting to conjure a spellcard from it. At once, a throbbing and most unbearable pain assaults my head and I cannot help but yelp in shock. My vision goes black and my body falls to the floor numb.

Darkness covers me, surrounds my frame, concealing my sight for an uncounted amount of time. Is this a dream, or is that gap hag up to something I cannot possibly fathom?

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I shift, groaning in pain as my body aches horrendously. Much of my body is still numb, lingering with traces of fear. I cannot comprehend what had happened, nor why.

My senses, heightened from a human’s as they are, still can not efficiently inform me of my present location. If anything, perhaps I was truly dead and gone now. Why then does pain still assault me; why then does fear relentlessly attack me? Not once since my body was left to rot such an eon by a human’s lifetime ago have I felt such emotional pain and distress.

Here I believe myself to lay, in this wretched plane of darkness that has swallowed me up. Here I believe myself to lay in what I guessed was purgatory— or perhaps one amongst the less noble afterlives.

I didn’t understand why I felt this way, nor did I understand why I was rendered unable to move. I didn’t understand the vision of those six strange creatures who wore those pieces of jewelry.

I simply could not understand it at all, for this was well beyond what I was used to. I lay still, perhaps a moment further, finding my senses returning ever so slightly. Another moment or so, I am trying to make sense of all of this. When I did, an unbearable headache hit my nerves, and I so desperately wanted to scream.

A blinding light shines in front of my numbingly fogged eyes as they fluttered open, and I begin to panic. The sun, which my kind dread so much, was high upon this sky— I was beneath its cruel rays. Yet it surprised me that I had not yet started turning to steam, let alone a pile of ashes. It then occurred to me that the sky was a vivid mixture of red and purple—the sun had been receding away, fleeting to prepare for night.

My wings twitch in some kind of anticipation, yet I felt myself out of proportion, as it were. I attempt to stand up, only to fall over on my face. I realized that I was no longer in bed; that I was in fact sitting in the middle of someone’s yard.

I stretch my arm out, hoping to propel myself up with it— and I scream in dread and anger. My arm ended in a rounded, flat surface in place of where my hand should’ve been, and the whole thing was a grey-pink in hue. My other arm had been the exact same way, and I glance at my body to find myself screeching further.

My body had somehow changed into that of a pink, pastel miniature horse. My wings were on my sides, pink-jointed with black membrane, and a black bat decorated both of my flanks. A blue-grey tail the same color as my hair was at the end of my rump, and it was rather lengthy. I must have screeched for but a few moments, but it felt as if a thousand years of solitude passed by as this equine form, this cursed flesh that wasn’t mine, sat there in a yard at dusk screaming her fool head off.

By a stroke of sheer coincidence, there was a mirror on a nearby fence as if placed there to mock me in my new, accursed state. It had been so long since I last had a reflection, and this is a sight that won’t ever leave my mind: there was a single, sharp, straight horn protruding from my forehead. In short, I became something along the lines of a bloody winged unicorn.

A door opened, the creaking of its hinges causing me to turn at the nearby house from which it came. Another pastel horse exited from its abode, carefully gazing at me with a sparkle of wonder in its eyes which matched those of my own. It had a grey body and a mane of light brown.

In its mouth was a wooden stake. I very nearly jumped in haste, my wings spreading wide with newfound ease. This forgotten feeling of dread encompassed me once more as the horse approached cautiously with a cursory gaze scrawled into its narrowing eyes. I seized all muscles in my face before they could contort into a blatant wide-eyed state of shock. I swallowed, standing there and trying to figure out what to do like the panicking idiot I was.

Then, the horse with the stake made the first move. It charged forward, lunging at me with the stake and simultaneously craning his head just right. I delivered a swift bite to the neck, breaking it and ending its life in mere seconds.

My body then felt weak, and I refused to let go of my catch. I sat there drinking the blood of the wretched creature for mere moments before hastily releasing the decrepit corpse.

Chapter Three: Gungnir

Tentatively ensuring that the coast was clear, I slowly crawled out of my hiding spot. I had to be careful, for one wrong step could end my life. I didn’t know this world; I had to tread with caution. Looking back on it, I would feel foolish—but had I known of my superiority my state of panic might have very well ended me all the same.

A faint, shimmering blue light broke through the forest canopy in small rays. I looked up and saw through the leaves the full moon bringing about the night.

Serene calm washed over my being, perplexing me into thinking about my earlier vision from an entirely new angle. Could the night, standing by my side, give me strength in what I believed what would’ve been my darkest hour?

I blinked a few times as I landed onto the dirt-trodden walkway of the forest, still looking at the sky. I noticed the moon had the shape of a unicorn in its crater arrangement. Oh, sweet Makai, the moon fits these horses too?! What next—

No, I need to calm down and save my anger for later. Maybe I’ll hurt the imbecile Yukari after this.

My wings snapped open, stretching to their full length. The moonlight’s rays made the joints appear a soft silver, which was a relief for me. I blinked some more and gazed at the stars beyond for a bit. Strangely, one constellation was in the shape of a pocket watch, complete with a chain. Suddenly, a spark of pain in my heart made itself known to me, and I recoiled a bit as a result.

Already, I was feeling homesick. I needed Sakuya very badly, but she wasn’t here to provide me comfort as she would always do, here by my side.

I turned around, hearing something rustle in the bushes, for the first time since this shameful event granting me anger. Without even revealing themselves, the would-be assailant had truly earned my ire.

Silence. I paused, narrowing my eyes a little as the bushes came to life once more. I smelled the air cautiously, and found a smell I didn’t quite approve of.

A male horse. A stallion.

I smelled again, finding another scent emanating off of the concealed horse and nearly choked.

He had an intention most unpleasant, which would give me another reason to have his head on my bedroom wall once I returned to Gensokyo. And yet, such terrible things were said about the noble vampire. I turned around, deciding now wasn’t the time to cleanse this world of a repulsive beast yet. I began walking away, keeping my ears upright.

My wings folded shut, and now I felt... comfortable in my new, cursed flesh. Perhaps not enough to truly consider this form worthy of such prestigious unliving blood, but enough for me to at least carry things out right when the time came.

Again, the bushes rustled with that one stallion’s scent lingering about them, putting me in another state of alertness. Perhaps I was mistaken in letting this one foul pervert live for too long now. I sincerely hoped he was an exception amongst these creatures, but his scents were telling me otherwise.

I began to pick up my pace, trotting a little bit faster now. Should I run, or should I slay? At this moment, my decision was paramount. I may be unliving, but a lady nonetheless. Unless someone evoked my wrath, which was when I disregarded almost everything, more or less. I must choose wisely; I must part with my honour if I must if only to survive this hour of shame and this impertinent disgrace to existence.

What was I to do in this seemingly peaceful place that housed its share of beasts who didn’t care for others?

The bushes rustled again, and I found myself pushed into the ground by what I assumed to be my pursuer. Truly, he was proving to be a greater nuisance than I could think possible for such a lowly creature.

“Oh, my. Such a lovely mare, and a batpony to boot,” he cooed, his voice reeking of most horrid malice.

“Leave me alone!” I yelled before finding my face pushed further into the ground. I began experiencing a great headache not from his hoof, but from my horn. In response to my increasingly agitated mood my wings flickered and I felt my scarce blood flushing through the flesh. I had still forgotten my superior physical strength and thought not to overpower my current captor.

Yet I felt him screaming and flying in the air away from me, as if my wings alone had pushed him away despite their delicate frames. I swiftly pushed myself up onto my hooves, shaking away the dirt on my face.

There before me was what I needed most: a spear with a long, red shaft and overly large triangular blade. The entire thing radiated red and golden electricity, and I grabbed it with my front hooves, realizing how easy it was to stand on two legs once I did.

I swiftly pulled it out of the ground and turned around. My unseen pursuer emerged from the bushes, and he brandished another wooden stake.

I flung my impromptu weapon at him and grinned as his body was sliced in two pieces. The spear—my Gungnir—landed in a tree not too far behind him. The perverted cadaver fell to the ground and his wound splattered a portrait of gore all around him, my body included.

I walked over to it on my hind hooves and kicked its wretched face as a final means of mocking the horse for its blatant stupidity. A joy—a great, wondrous joy—washed over me then as I kept walking until I reached my weapon and pried it out of the tree.

I smiled as I knew now what I needed to do.

Chapter Four: Maidens

The knowledge of my own capability flowed through me. Given the circumstances in which my brain had been working for once, I wanted to kick myself so much. I had decided against it, though. I am positive these hooves would damage myself more efficiently than with my vampire strength alone.

I held my Gungnir in one of the crooks of my forelegs, noticing how comfortable it felt to be wielding it once more. I saw a soft, red tint on the tree before me, and it did not come from my spear.

I looked up, crossing my eyes in the process. My horn was the cause of the faint light.

A thought hit me. I held up my other hoof and, in a bit of red mist, a spellcard had appeared there at the end of my appendage.

I pulled the card close to my face and read the inscription it had.

Scarlet Gensokyo.

I smiled wickedly as I read the name of one of my favorite forms of danmaku. Sure, the bullets produced by said spellcard weren’t lethal to anything (I tried this with Reimu a few weeks ago. She kicked my butt.), and sure, they were one color. But I did have the ability to move every single bullet in a vast array of directions, making it much easier to confuse my enemy. It should definitively be enough to destroy my enemies within this colorful world.

How I needed to destroy. Perhaps I could find a gap in my little rampage and return home. I would like to add some of the blood I spill, but such an event was neither here nor there. I would love to add the blood here to my next cup of delicious tea back home.

The bushes came to life again. I smelled the air carefully and froze stiffer than cardboard.

The damned shrine maiden had followed me. I turned around to greet a tan mare with a black mane and brown eyes. Two red bands were in her mane, and a much larger, red bow on the back of her head. She had her body angled, so I saw a red-and-white yin-yang orb plastered onto her hip.

“Yeah… I did see the stallion jump you, so I’ll let it slide,” she sighs, a look of annoyance apparent on her face.

At last, someone whose human-like habits remain unchanged, even within this equine flesh. Reimu was an enemy I knew well, but one whom I can deeply respect had I been in the right mindset.

“A stallion jumped me too. It’s an understandable reaction,” the shrine keeper says, blinking a few times. “Next time, please try not to go overboard.”

I nodded, unable to say anything from the pure shock of having a familiar face show up without warning. I poised my Gungnir under my wing and reverted to all fours.

“Let’s be grateful it isn’t Rinnosuke running around jumping us.” Reimu sighed again, a small smile on her face. I couldn’t agree more; had that shopkeeper been here, I wouldn’t hold myself back. That half-breed youkai was far too lecherous for his own good.

“So, how’d you get here?” I dared to ask, raising a brow upwards.

“To be honest, I’d ask the same thing,” the girl with the red bow in her mane replied, shrugging her shoulders to the best of her abilities.

“Great, we’re both in the same boat,” I said sarcastically. The shrine maiden nodded.

“This form doesn’t feel right,” the maiden complained, sitting down and rubbing the back of her head.

“Same here,” I added, feeling my tail twitch ever so slightly.

“Well, I’m off to find us both a way outta here,” Reimu sighed before jumping impossibly high in the air and flying off to Sariel knows where.

I sighed, glancing at the high moon again. I could’ve sworn I saw another shape with wings flying overhead, and I knew it wasn’t Reimu, for she lacked wings with which to fly.

Chapter Five: Run-In

I was not pleased. Beasts had forced themselves upon me, my noble flesh was stolen away; a display most unbecoming of one such as I had taken place here. I had no recollection of skill, I had no power here, for it was all so new, so perplexing. Yes, ‘pleased’ was certainly not an accurate description of my current mood, much less a prospect I’d hope to achieve soon.

Were I certain of the equines’ cognitive and intellectual competence, perhaps my fate may have ventured down a different road. My nature as an aristocrat became my most valued asset, as it were; had I but the knowledge I so sorely lacked, this nature would surely surpassed the evident simplicity of the feral species in this new world.

“A skilled hawk does not show its claws.”

Inadvertently, I ended up speaking that particular line; that the black witch would come to hear as my first, albeit unneeded opponent in Gensokyo. That memory of my battle with that shrine maiden surfaced in in immediate flow, and I feel content for a single moment. A memory of losing to a human, but nonetheless one I held dear at this instant, for it was profound evidence that I was once one to be feared. I would do anything to relive that moment, or perhaps to reenact that glory in a scarlet halo of my equine audience! The mistakes I have made here will be surely eclipsed by my achievements!!

No, this would not do. These beasts would be given their retribution soon enough, but the time of my revenge is not one when I let my anger drive me. To lose control another time would be my death—it would be a far less preferable fate than that which my noble blood craves.

Whether by divine grace or simply bittersweet irony, the end to my tirade appears in the form of a small battalion of a mere dozen ponies, a few clad in pristine white armour that seemed to glister as though graced by the sun, fewer radiating a darkness of the night sky above from their dusk-colored armour shells. In the case of the armoured ponies, I found to my perplexion that their scents seemed faint, as though an act to conceal it was made upon them. Of this, I was wary.

“Protect the citizens at all costs!”

“Vanquish the beast without fail!”

It seemed that I was branded a monster. These hypocrites demanded my death so swiftly with little regard for a respectable vampire such as myself. The thought sickened me; they reminded me so of the type of mortal I always prayed to never meet again.

I knew at that moment that the time was ever so near for battle, though not yet. I had no intention of allowing Hakurei Reimu, the miko who bested me, to have reason to stand against me.

Was I going to slay some more wretched equines and protect my honor, or was I to flee and forever be branded with the mark of a hunter’s target? I noticed that, unlike the pony I had split in two, this battalion consisted of stallions with either wings of feathers or horns like mine. Only one other, in fact, had wings matching mine in structure.

I had no idea why, but a peculiar interest for him sparked in me. In a world where I am from—with only one known lecherous male—I guess that is something to be expected; that is, finding interest in one so much like you in the form of a foreigner.

I broke out of my stupor, however, when he rose onto his hind legs brandishing a set of metal claws attached to horseshoes. The unicorns held javelins with points of silver, and the pegasus stallions brandished swords in their mouths.

I needed to act now.

My wings spread, and I began flapping them with such haste I felt like a hummingbird for a minute or so. The skies gave my solace as I soared unto the opposite direction while I was lifted off of the ground, shooting well beyond the forest canopy like a rocket. The dumbfounded ponies, caught by surprise, looked at me with terrified wonder. I arched my body sharply, turning my attention towards a mountain in the distance. "Perhaps I could hide there," I thought as I swerved to align myself properly before racing away—out of sight, out of mind of the ponies.

At least, for the time being. That was, until I saw the pony with claws tailing me with a vengeance of a hungry beast. He was shouting something I dared not make sense out of, instead keeping my eyes on the mountain.

That was a mistake on my behalf, for I felt a great jolt of pain in my backside like a knife was plunged into my spine. I was then shocked with most horrid electricity, and I couldn’t contain a scream as I plummeted to the ground…

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... I found myself surrounded by the guards again, and this time we were all in the middle of a village. The world around me seemed to float by in an instant, and I found that I was positioned on my read end, hind hooves chained as if I were about to be paraded in the streets. My sight was troubled and painful to utilize.

Quick as lightning, I found myself scooped up in familiar, tan hooves. I saw glimmering strands of black hair on the head of my benefactor. The shouting of the guards was far gone now, and I felt my wings shut tightly around my body, unable to move for some reason. My tail was probably wavering in a breeze of some kind.

The shouting returned, only to once more fade in the distance. The world around me darkened, and I knew now I was in an unlit place of some kind. I was laid down onto my backside, and my unlikely savior removed the chains on my hooves. I was still dazed, but still able to recognize Reimu Hakurei as she removed more chains that I found were pinning my wings shut.

The one thing I could make out from her words before my world went black once more was, “They really did a number on you.”

Chapter Six: Brief Respite

I really must find the peace to recover. These frequent bouts from consciousness seemed to weaken me, somehow. Under normal circumstances, my species would prove possession of both strength and superiority; I didn’t understand why, nor did I understand why it was Reimu of all people who cared for me in these accursed bouts of walking between waking and sleeping. Perhaps she had respected me? Or was it... something more? That, I didn't know.

Regardless, I felt as though I lost much of it with my recent blunders. More often do I find the anger to obliterate this world than ever before.

During my sleeping sessions, I would have terrible nightmares of the pony I dared take interest in for a moment or two. He would do things most unspeakable, and yet, he allowed me to live. While I was awake, my vision was blurred and all words spoken to me—save for a few on occasions—would be garbled and incomprehensible. It hurt for me to speak and move, like I was a blithering drunk ninny who had stumbled into the wrong alley over the course of one horrid night.

Repeatedly no less. I pray, the time of my revenge must be soon. I fear I cannot bear to lose my dignity once more.

Once more, I felt powerless. It was a feeling I hated, but I had to grin and bear it in this current circumstance. At least Reimu isn’t trying to murder me, which is a plus.

“Reimu…” I choked out, my voice harsh and ragged. Oh, gods in which I have no faith; I hated the weakness emanating from my brittle tone. How I despised the unseen tears flowing through my unliving eyes. I felt like the child I appeared to be.

The blurred, brown form instantly turned to me, having taken notice of my beckoning to her. The form came to me, this time her words loud and clear, “You need something?”

Were I truly this childish, perhaps I would stammer and prattle on like a pathetic mortal; “I need help.” “I need my mother.” “I need you…” Instead, I merely bobbed my head up and down, my vocal chords aching beyond all comprehension.

“Alright, I’ll see if I can get you some food and water,” Reimu says, her words still clear. She sounded as if... she truly knew I had been in danger. If only I could honor her appreciation with a more sophisticated mannerism of the Scarlet household. My stomach growled viciously, and I felt weaker than ever in this instant. I was pondering what those guards did to me, but at the same time, I felt better off not knowing any and all possible atrocities they committed.

I felt... broken inside. Yet I had no idea as to why. Was it this accursed pain, was it my inability to regain my senses properly, or was it, perhaps, what the stallions did to me as I was wandering in a bleak world of darkness? Surely, the reason for my nihilism must lie in one of these options only, for it could not have been anything else, right?

And so I sigh.

Reimu’s blurred form returns, clearly carrying something in what I assumed to have been her front hooves. I allowed myself to linger on that thought. Surely, beings who did not walk on two legs should simply stick with carrying objects in their mouth. It would be far less irksome than to hold them in the feeble grip of two stumps that protruded from one’s arms.

Ah, yes. I did indeed carry that spear in my hooves. At least the questionable laws of physics granted me a distraction from my state of sniveling and moping.

I wanted to move my limbs, but the pain prevented me from doing so. I considered ignoring it and wanted to simply arise, though I soon settled on at least lying down long enough to recuperate, rather than regret that decision as well.

“Relax, you need to rest some more. At least I found some sweets for you,” Reimu coos, helping me onto my front hooves so I could eat. I will allow this treatment for now, though had it been anyone else they would drown in a pool of their own blood. I feel something soft and flaky touch my tongue, and it tasted of sweet, spiced apples. I chewed slowly to savor this moment. I swallowed the food and found a glass of water offered to me. Having no choice for now, I drank it greedily.

“They hurt you worse than I thought,” she commented as she kept feeding me my meal. At least now, my stomach could be kept quiet for once.

“Thank you,” I managed, and I noticed that my voice sounded less like than that of a dying rat. This could be a good sign. That, or this bleak world had gotten to me after all.

“You’re welcome,” Reimu replies as she finishes feeding me. Once finished, the shrine maiden walks a few feet opposite, spying off into the distance before returning and helping me to lay down again.

Now I’m starting to think that my visions of the stallion are telling me something. But what, I do not know at this time.

“Normally, I would shoot you down for a bit and ask what you’ve been up to, but really, you don’t look so good. Besides, those stallions went overboard.” Ever, the blunt maiden, Reimu pierces my ego further still with her words. She sighs, and I feel something in my head click.

And then a most horrid scene registers in my mind. One I will never let go of until my revenge has been fulfilled.

Chapter Seven: Scarlet

Seven hundred years, the prime age of my household even as it was lost to fantasy. Seven hundred years, five hundred of them of which I had lived to see pass. I have stained the earth crimson time and time again, and I have witnessed it happen by other hands. The roses in my garden have once been vivid red only from the blood of my adversaries. My very name inspires terror where I have once walked. Yet in all of these five within seven centuries dare I say there were no things to ever grace my sight so ghastly, so dreadful, so offensive as the one transpiring in the face of Remilia Scarlet at this moment.

I had lost. I had lost, not to the equines; but my very own self.

All I saw was Gungnir. Then I saw beloved red. Then anger. Then fear.

I saw night and day. I saw health and ending. I saw bliss and glory. All of it vanished in moments. I think all was only anger at this point in time.

I remember the age of old. Not many youkai who lived to this day can in fact recall the times before the Hakurei shrine maiden’s Spell Card rules, not even the dark times graced by violence and brutality. This was the times when battle had only ended with blood covered lands whose black skies were pierced with constant howls of pain from myriads upon myriads of souls.

And yet, none of that was anything compared to what the equines had done. I had been weakened with electricity that came from the very horns of those ponies some days, while others I had been chained up to a dungeon wall and tortured so during interrogations regarding the murders I had done. At one point, one of them even snapped the bones in my fragile wings with his bare hooves, and I could’ve sworn he was grinning as he had done so.

I was repeatedly bruised, battered, and tortured by those ponies day in and day out. For how long, I didn’t know; time was but a blur for me at that point. It would seem that the god who had thrown me into this world willed my very pain as punishment for my murdering of those two ponies. I could not even begin to fathom why that was so, but something in my mind told me I was better off not wanting to know.

“Is... is something wrong?” Reimu asked, snapping me out of my stupor and sending me hurtling back to what was—I dread to say it—my current reality. I rose my head, though weakly.

“How long... did the ponies... have me?” I asked, my voice akin to a dying rat again.

“I found you after searching for weeks on end,” Reimu answered. “You need to sleep.”

Reimu was right—sleep was needed for me, taking into account the decrepit condition in which I lay. I lower my head, resting it between my front limbs. A yawn escaped my throat, and I soon closed my tired eyes, waiting for sleep to embrace me.

I was embraced on terribly short notice.

Author's Note

Sorry this one's short. Haven't updated this as much. Will hope to get future updates out.

~Dragon

Chapter Eight: Nightmares

I am accustomed to pain. One does not simply live to a century or two without a single moment of exquisite flesh torn asunder, perhaps a bone in twain for a moment. Particular is the risk of wounds to a person who is not human. As such, my agony was no more even as I awoke to a world of shade and ill will. I had simply come to gaze into the night, the beautiful shade I once walked in full without fail. Now, I rest beneath. I feel so foolish and so weary of my plight. I could sense the sun somewhere. Laying in a flawless reminder of my weakness, I felt as though the celestial body was mocking me. It was frolicking in my defeat. Quoth I; “Let it.”

Living was unpleasant. I had no reason to believe I would ever prove my might to these unholy beasts. So lost in their selfish desire.

Questions raced through my aching head; how long had I been resting? Was this place still a haven? Were there others in this hell, apart from the shrine maiden who had taken it upon herself to aid me in my plight? And where in this dreaded plane of pastel horses was that damned gap youkai?!

I had been aroused again by Reimu, who for a moment looked worried. And that was putting it very lightly in these circumstances. Her face was redder than it usually was, and looked as if stained by tears or perhaps sweat, given that her bangs clung tightly to her forehead. What she said then would have made me start panicking, had I the strength to do so.

“We have to move elsewhere. They’ve found our hiding place, and are coming quickly.”

The maiden-turned-horse hefted me onto her back, as slowly and gently as she could. I winced a few times, but dared not utter a word of my pain. In this particular occurrence, there had simply been no need to bemoan the blatant obvious.

And then, my impromptu sanctuary began to whirl by me as my makeshift caretaker flew like the bloody wind, not once letting me slip off of her speeding form. She darted here and there like the crow youkai news reporter, albeit a lot slower. I heard shouting masculine voices, whence then I knew Reimu hadn’t been lying—we were indeed caught, found out like animals who had fallen right into the traps of crafty hunters.

The shouting stallions would have sent my rage spiraling into an uncontained fury had I not been as crippled as I am now. I could only attempt to cling onto my saviour for dear life as the maiden flew out of the caverns and into the bright blue sky. Fortunately, the sun was covered by clouds, but I still felt it was jeering at me nonetheless.

Next thing I knew, we were in a dense thicket of woodland. A thicket so dense not even the sun could penetrate it. Near-darkness surrounded me and Hakurei, but this was a good thing on our behalf.

Unless, of course, the horses found this thicket and brought bloody lanterns with them.

The maiden had found another cavern, this one covered a great deal in moss. She carried me in there and laid me upon the damp floor, and I shivered as the touch graced my form. It was considerably more comfortable than the previous resting place, and darker too. I’d have a chance of recovery, away from the laughing rays of the sun for once in my stay of this hell.

“You need anything?” Reimu asked, her question causing me to snap out of my stupor. I looked at her and nodded.

“Blood. Give me blood…”

Chapter Nine: 'Then Let It Come'

“Are you sure?” she asked. I nodded again. I needed to drink some vibrant crimson at this point; to feed on anything but would render my recovery slower and perhaps even stunt it entirely. And sadly for us both, there was only one source of it close to me.

The maiden nodded. She let her hoof stray to my mouth, and I bit down once it was within my pitiful reach. The succulent liquid dripped into my mouth and I felt a slight ecstasy, a heaven in this hell I had fallen into. Gradually, I felt some of my strength returning with the ire of yet another defeat.

There came a point, though, where Reimu had to pry her hoof away. She had not let off a single whimper or scream of any sort during both the process of me taking some of her blood and after, as her hoof had retracted. Truly, she had been more formidable than I had first thought, even in this candy-colored world of equines that I somehow wound up being a part of.

Reimu Hakurei, the shrine maiden of paradise. She was the first human I met in Gensokyo, or at the very least, the first human who I came to see as a person. A friend, someone who was close to my equal. We fought valiantly, each seeking her own ends; the safety of the night through the day, and the end of a terrible inconvenience. In the end, I hadn’t felt ire upon defeat. She had truly bested me in ways I could not initially comprehend. She had not only bested me in battle; she had bested my deathly, unbeating heart.

Not to misunderstand; I was not in love with the girl, though if I were being honest with myself I felt more than relieved that she was here at my side. She began to wrap her wound, which was but a minor infliction, using the bow in her hair. I’d have done the same with my wounds and garments if nothing else was available, but that was both a scarcity and neither here nor there.

She glanced around, ears perked to attention as if sensing danger. I rose my head and imitated the motion, though I was a bit sluggish about it.

Silence greeted us both. I began hating the silence. Was it jeering at me too? Laughing at me like the sun which my kind could not stand for a single moment? Under other circumstances I wouldn’t mind it as much, but now it was putting me on edge—dangerously on edge. All this world had thus far to offer was pain, humiliation, and defeat. I did not care to encounter more. This silence was only adding fuel to the burning flame that was my pent-up rage and desire for vengeance.

Reimu sat down on her rump, wiping her bangs away with a front hoof before continuing to mend her injury. She looked back and forth again, as if expecting something to jump out from the darkness and lash out at us both. I did not feel fear this time, however. I felt at ease with this girl, though trepidation and annoyance coursed through me still. It was akin to diving into freezing water; the first time it would sting and render you helpless, then another time you would be prepared for it.

Again, only the silence answered to us. "Oh, gods of Makai, please spare me from more pain and defeat," I found myself muttering inaudibly.

“How are you holding up?” Reimu questioned as she finished applying her makeshift bandage.

“A little… better,” I replied, the corners of my mouth cracking up ever so slightly. “Hakurei shrine maiden… Thank you, Reimu.”

“You’re welcome,” the maiden replied, a smile of her own adorning her muzzle. The expression felt grotesque, yet the person—or pony if you must be precise and so nitpicky on this issue—wearing it gave that expression a far more fair appearance.

Without warning, a wretched armored horse leapt at and then pinned Reimu on the spot. He wore a ghoulish grin, one that betrayed his intentions to any within sight of it. I felt my legs shift, and rage boil over in my undying blood.

"What'cha doin' out here in the Everfree, girls?" the horse taunted, his grin widening. His hooves shifted up Reimu's neck, as if intent on choking her.

"It's none of your business! Buzz off!" Reimu cried, and when the horse had the gall to hit her in the temple, I felt my rage amplify tenfold and my wings spread wide.

"You… coward!" I cried in an angry hiss—I was beyond fed up at that point. My legs ached, the nerves protesting as I rose onto my hooves and jumped at the assailant without a second thought. The aching, the pain, and my state of weakness only served as fuel to my fire as I bounded over in an angry gallop, snarling as the stallion smacked Reimu again.

I shoved him off the maiden, my fangs sinking into his exposed neck. He howled in pain, galloping around and trying to shake me away, yet I would not—could not—afford to let go. The risk of releasing him was too high; I had not an inkling of what he would do to the shrine maiden, and I wouldn’t let him bring any harm to Reimu so long as I had a say in the matter! As I drank his foul blood, his attempts to throw me off grew weaker and weaker until he could no longer stand.

"You… fucking… bitch," was all he managed to gurgle out of his wretched mouth. I continued to feed, barely paying heed to his words. I also heard a cough from Reimu, and a form shifting on soft grass, and merely averted my eyes as the shrine maiden rose to stand. I forced myself to bite my quarry's neck harder, cutting off his primary means of breathing as I spotted forming bruises blemishing the face of my savior.

Normally, I relished in a small amount of blood, but here this bastard was drained as thoroughly as a glass of milk after I used a straw. Not one drop went to waste; not one drop stained the forest floor. Once the carcass was drier than a desert under the scorching sun, I let go. I then laid down, the pain in my entire body overwhelming me yet again. I stared at my handiwork; the carcass had shrunk a bit and its skin clung tightly to dehydrated muscle and bone, looking a little more like a skeleton than anything.

Reimu trotted up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. I looked at her just once, and she nodded. She then looked at the corpse and began kicking it in its now-useless… for a lack of better words, something that neither she nor I possessed.

Can’t say I blame her. What kind of carnal desire drove these stallions to deliberately seek us out when they should’ve known they were messing with ponies whose powers they could not begin to comprehend? But then again, I found myself incapable of blaming them, no matter how much I wanted to do so—those that saw what we were capable of were few, far in between, and the rest were dead to the world.

I began to giggle with a sick sense of mirth as Reimu kept beating the dead horse, so to speak. At least, until she collapsed from exhaustion. I dare say, a good thing this hell had provided me with a most amusing sight, and the satisfaction of a monster’s just end in one sitting.

“I hope that’s the last of these guys,” Reimu sighed. I could not help but nod in agreement. "Do you have any idea where they're coming from? They just keep popping up."

I shook my head to answer her inquiry, my lips pulled into a tight, small frown. “Then we better move. I don’t care for my health to deteriorate again because of a few wretched hooves,” I stated, getting up onto my hooves a second time.

The pain was less noticeable now, since the second drainage of a deranged horse was already healing me, making the act of hauling myself up considerably easier. My companion got up again, making sure to deliver one final kick to the corpse before we moved deeper into the thicket. “Let us hope the gods are with us presently.”

We trotted for a good while—by that, I mean a few hours or so. It was no easy task to keep time in this thick forest—wandering aimlessly in the woodland for a time before suddenly stopping. The both of us found the unmarked edge of a clearing, with a pond in the center and the sky in as optimal a view as it could be.

The sky was also turning violet, with shades of red dotting the darker clouds.

Night was soon to grace the world. And yet, I felt my body tense. It was as if my makeshift solace could no longer comfort me.

Then, I heard bushes distantly rustling, followed by a wail from something I couldn't care to comprehend. The wail sounded more bestial, burning with anger, and it rose and echoed into the coming night.

"Reimu, we must move. I think there's something else in this forested area that wishes to fight us," I warned, and the shrine maiden turned to me.

"Then let it come," Reimu replied. "We can take it—I can fly and kick like no tomorrow, and you can summon your Gungnir."

Chapter Two: Stalking the Shadows

After disposing of the cadaver in a fitting location—a nearby bush—I threw a gaze across my surroundings, scanning it for any possible witnesses lurking in their homes whilst waiting for their chance to strike.

This feeling, understandably, shocked me into a state that was something very alert. Had I, the Scarlet Devil, felt fear for these equines? As implausible as it would seem, this grass-eating livestock had shoved me into a sensation I had only felt when I was still human, fearing that man which would feast upon my maiden flesh…

So it seemed that the evil god wishing upon me this curse had given me a modicum of leniency; I faded into the shadows and lay in wait. I had not an inkling of what to expect, but I waited nonetheless, for I had no intention of facing those bearers who frightened me so within my inexplicable nightmare.

I allowed my mind to drift away from the mortal plane. I knew for a fact that those equines were hostile, hence the possibility of a most unfitting end by the wooden stake. More importantly, I had not the slightest clue where in hell I was—which it would certainly be, given the nature of what is surely my banishment—and my ignorance could pose a substantial threat to my well-being. Worst of all, I could not bring myself to refrain from despising this humiliating form of which my unseen adversary had determined to be my retribution.

I had to clear my head of such disturbing thoughts, for I was in no place to dillydally. Eventually, the corpse of the equine I had slain was discovered by what I assumed to have been a mare. She recoiled and screamed, and I knew I had no need to stay any longer. Fortunately, there was a nearby woodland for me to dwell in, its leafy branches providing me with a safe cover from the cruel sun.

Behind me, I heard shouting describing the horrendous murder that had only occurred moments earlier. I found a large hole in a tree and flew up to it, my wings barely supporting my tired frame. I peered within and smirked.

“The perfect hideaway,” I murmured to myself as I crawled within the tree. It was a bit cramped and not to mention painful to hide in, but it was otherwise the thing I had wished for in such an event of dire need.

I heard soft beats of wretched hooves pounding the ground rather frantically. This was accompanied by more shouting, and another feeling of dread washed over me. What if I was caught? What would happen then?

My body tensed up and I could not seize the muscles fast enough to prevent my face from shifting in horror.

Something occurred to me: I was alone, a stranger in a foreign land. I was left to fend for myself, without China or Sakuya or Patchouli to help me. Not even my insane, destructive sister Flandre could’ve conjured something like this; she’d only kill for fun.

I hated this feeling of dread; yet I couldn’t do anything to stop it. The shouting got closer, making me much more unbearably nervous. I began to shake a bit in fear, hoping I was still sane enough to not do anything life-risking. With their perspiration an acrid stench of anger was exuded off their irate bodies.

As a vampire, I would sense such things a human couldn’t have been able to perceive— and this served only to further push my mind into distress as I hid myself like a child soon to be orphaned.

“Kill the vampire!” cried one irate voice.

“Burn it!” yelled another.

A helpless victim, of circumstance no less. Were I more sound of mind I would scoff and feel shame over this pathetic display on my side. As I weren’t, I huddled within my impromptu hiding place, hoping that these creatures would not find me.

“Dispose of the ashes!” wailed a third. Images of equines holding torches, pitchforks, and the like soon played in my mind.

They did unspeakable things to me in those horrid images, things I cannot bear to discuss at all. Pain rattled my nerves once more, and panic resumed its chaotic course.

I was wondering where my Gungnir had been all this time, for I so desperately needed it right now. Fangs and wings alone were not enough to fend off those beasts from me. I was hoping the tree could provide shelter and fully conceal me from the wretched horses at this point. If only I remembered my ability to control fate sooner.

“I heard that the vampire was a mare!” called a fourth voice, and as if Yukari had stowed the owners of the mob away, all was quiet. Much too quiet for comfort.

I dared to look out, keeping my head just low enough to hopefully avoid being spotted. Indeed, there were many horses carrying various makeshift weapons; pitchforks and torches being the prime choice. Unlike I, they lacked wings and horns.

“The vampire was a mare?” one asked, its eyes wide in disbelief.

“Yeah,” replied a second with a nod.

“It’s getting late, boys. Let’s head home before the timberwolves show up,” said a third, and all looked at it with agreeing nods. They began walking away from my hiding tree and towards the yard where the murder took place.

I silently thanked my lucky stars for having avoided such a horrid fate. I snuggled back into the treehole and took some much-needed deep breaths. I needed to calm myself in order to think rationally.

The things I was about to do that night….