Blue Blood

My next year was spent slowly enjoying the freedom of not being on the run. Every day I would talk with Aya-chan for three hours when she comes to my Inn and reads. Every other day I would talk with Alice and Marisa about magic for an hour or two. While I spent every night with Remilia and Sakuya, sparring with Meiling every week or so.

My time at Scarlet Devil Mansion started as just eating with Remilia, but as time went on I got more comfortable around her and would spend hours with her just sitting in the garden she has Meiling care for. Most of the time in silence, but every time we spoke the conversation was meaningfull. It's good to be eternally alive, though sometimes I wish I could share my gift with others. Especially since I don't think Aya-chan can live until tommorow night.

Thinking about how to spend our last day together in her current life I land next to Aya-chan's window as a raven, pecking on it loud enough to wake her up. It's currently 3:30 am and around two hours and a half until sunrise and after 45 seconds of shuffling around her window opens.

Arata:"Aya-chan, today we go on a grand adventure."

Aya:"What do you mean Arata, don't you know how early it is? You know my caretakers wont let me go anywhere."

Arata:"Just shut up and change out of your pajamas, I'm taking you somewhere."

After a few more minutes she opens her window again, though this time she isn't in cute pajamas but her normal clothes. I transform back into my vampire form and pick her up in a princess carry, bringing out my two and a half meter long raven wings even though I didn't transform. Usually I stay as a raven when flying since it's easier and takes less energy, but I'm helping Aya-chan fly today.

Leaving behind my strongest raven to shapeshift into Aya for the day, I take off directly upwards, we reach around two miles in the same number of minutes. I'm flying slow because I have fragile cargo.

Aya:"No, no, no, no, STOP! You should at least let me prepare my heart before you do something so scary!"

Arata:"Don't worry, I was born to fly. Even if I throw you at the ground, I could catch you 10 times before you hit it. We can even test it if you want."

Aya:"Absolutely not!"

She says as she holds me as tight as her fragile arms can. After calming down though she looks around at the various Youkai and Will~o~wisps lighting up Gensokyo's night life with wonder and exitement. She's never been allowed to see this.

Arata:"So how is it? Today I'll beat up anyone that tries to stop me, where all do you want to go?"

Aya:"But is it really alright? They will worry once they find me missing."

Arata:"Today is the last day I can spend with you for another 120 years at least, I won't let anyone take today away from us. I already left a fake you behind, a bunch of normal humans will never discover it's a fake."

We fly around without aim until the wonder of flying wears off for her. She then starts listing all of the places she wants to visit. We avoid the forest of magic since she's too weak to breathe the air there. We reach over the bamboo forest of the lost and I point out my house to her, she seemed to like my garden. We turn and head towards the misty lake, where I've called in a favor from the great Cirno-sama.

Reaching the lake Cirno starts her ice show with me lighting up the ice with magic, making it look like the ice is glowing in a rainbow of colors instead of having lights shine on it. Creating flowers of all shapes and shapes of fairies dancing, after a 30 minute show, even the 'strongest' person in Gensokyo is exhausted. Thanking her with praise of her being better than Reimu and Marisa, along with some sweets she asked for, we then head to the Youkai forest since she's always dreamed of going.

We tour the whole forest and she gets to meet most types of Youkai she recorded that roam at night. After dawn though we continue, since some Youkai hunt during the day. We spend hours just flying around, talking to eachother, until we've toured all of the places I can easily protect her in. I can't take her to Hakugyokurou, where the overseer of souls lives since her soul can't leave Gensokyo though.

Even though I've carried her the whole time she's starting to get out of breath, her time is coming. I start playing my flute while heading to my home, so that I can get at least a few more seconds with her. Normally, I wouldn't let her bathe in my personal hot spring since over use of it would harm her in the long run. But today is her last day, so I'm using my full abilities to extend her life. I sit with her in the bath and my ravens start carrying the books I've prepared for today, enchanted to be waterproof.

We sit together in the bath for the next 6 hours, talking about each other and the books she's reading. Eating as much sweets as she wants since the extra calories won't really matter. We spend the last few hours of her life laughing and enjoying ourselves, until I can feel her Ki start fading. An hour left. I can't take it anymore and my eyes start watering.

Aya:"Don't start crying now. If you do, I'll start crying with you, you know?"

Arata:"I can't help it, I've never felt so powerless before now, Aya-chan."

Aya:"You don't have any sort of duty to save me, you shouldn't be sad. We will meet each other again you know."

At this point, the tears haven't fallen out of my eyes, but she's full water works.

Arata:"What are you talking about!? Of course I have a duty to help a friend! Even if you didn't want it, I would still force you to take my help!"

We get quiet as we get out of the bath. We dress and walk over to the blanket I've placed on the ground, holding hands as we lay down, looking at the stars since I can't make myself look at her. I keep talking to her, making sure I can hear her voice at least every 30 seconds. We talk for the next 45 minutes, until she stops replying to me, and I realize she's gone. Her eyes closed like she's sleeping. I've held it in until now, but I activate the barrier around my home to block out sound and let out the saddest cry of my two lives. For 10 minutes, I cry.

I fly to Aya-chan's house where my raven is, she asks to be alone and once everyone leaves and no one is watching I place Aya's body down and look at her one last time. I fly off and fly around towards nowhere. Thinking about my time with her until night falls. I head towards Scarlet Devil Mansion to see if my other friend in Gensokyo can say something that will take my pain away.

Reaching the mansion, Remilia is about to have breakfast and I fly into the window to join her. I sit next to her instead of across the table like I usually do, maybe because I want to feel some warmth.

Remilia:"Looking so beaten, so it happened then?"

She tries to sound casual when she says it, but she can't hide her worry from me. Not after a year of knowing her.

Arata:"Yes, though I knew it would happen since I met her, so I will quickly get over it."

Remilia:"You shouldn't try to act strong at such times, trying to do so will only make your heart brittle."

Arata:"There's nothing I can do at this point other than tell myself that I'm over it. Unless someone as socially awkward as you knows how to comfort others?"

Remilia:"Don't look down on me! If anything, you should worry about whether or not you'll fall in love with me after my gentle care heals your soul!"

She says as she leans on my shoulder, hugging my side for about 5 seconds, until I say.

Arata:"I've already started falling for you since about 2 months ago though? What should I worry about now?"

I say, semi-serious, as Remilias face takes the smallest of pink tinges for a handfull of seconds. So small, unless you have freakish vision like a vampire you wouldn't see it. Her teasing backfired this time. Seeing my smug look, she huffs, releasing the hug and says annoyed.

Remilia:"You still have the chance to back out you know? If you fall completely, there will be no hope for you."

Arata:"Maybe I want to fall for you though? It's even started getting harder to resist my urges since I've started wanting you more, even without my instinct being involved."

At that point her cheeks get just red enough that Sakuya could notice if she weren't behind Remilia. I bet I look super smug right now. After talking to Remilia for a while and poking fun at her, though my sadness is still there, I feel happy talking to her all the same.

Remilia:"Enough joking around from you, do you want to enjoy the west garden or the south one today?"

Arata:"I've already told you though, I'm not joking around. It doesn't matter what garden we visit, I just want to talk to you more."

We go to the garden and talk for 3 more hours, until I seperate from her to make the desserts for lunch. Reaching the kitchen, Sakuya has already started prepping her ingredients while I start making peanut butter pie. I'm glad I brought at least two of every plant I saw from outside, I don't think Gensokyo has peanuts. After all of the food gets done though, Sakuya stops the small talk and looks at me.

Sakuya:"Unlike Mistress Remilia, I will admit I don't understand how to comfort others. So this is the most I know how to do."

She says while letting her concern and care slip through her stoic maid persona for an instant. She gives me a quick hug, the kind a girl would give a guy she 'friend zoned.' Though after what she did to me during stopped time last month, I know I'm not friend zoned. The hug lasted a total of 1 second, and by the time I realized what happened, she was already out the door pushing food carts. Hiding the slightest blush by walking ahead of me.

I smile, maybe I will recover quickly with those two socially inept people trying to figure out what to do. I walk after her while thinking of what Sakuya did while she thought no one was looking.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I had been playing a game with Sakuya for the past few months, seeing who can wake the other up. She takes her maid duties seriously and after seeing that I woke up before her one day, I could tell she was slightly peeved. After that, I made it my duty to wake her up for her duties when I could by knocking on her door a few seconds before her alarm. It always upset her a good amount. Though she started waking me up just as often as I got her. I really started sleeping more often once I befriended the only awake vampire in Gensokyo.

After 3 months of it though, she started waking me up from beside my bed instead of knocking on the door. So I did the same to her. Last month though, I never thought last month would happen when I pretended her ability stopped my time.

I woke up to the sound of my door opening, even though the clock in my room wasn't ticking. Sakuya walked to my bed slowly, but instead of waking me up, she crawled next to me on the bed. Laying down beside me without touching me, she stared at me for a whole minute. I almost moved and let it slip that her ability doesn't work on me.

Sakuya:"It's really unfair, isn't it? A vampires charm. I had no problem resisting Remilia-sama's charm, so why is yours so different? Why do I think of you so often when I already have my mistress?

...I can't have you, since my Mistress is becoming fond of you, but at the very least I will take this. It didn't happen since time isn't flowing afterall."

She plants a quick kiss on my lips, just an instant of contact. She slowly gets back up and stands beside my bed for a few minutes, probably to get rid of her blush. Then she releases her ability, waking me up with a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

Arata:"Sakuya, what's wrong? Blushing so hard, do you have a fever? I know you take your duties seriously, but you shouldn't overwork yourself. Remilia will get upset you know?"

I say as I place my hand on her forhead to feel her temperature, she isn't actually blushing but I'll be damned if I don't see it happen after what she just did. It worked like a charm as well.

Sakuya:"N-No, Arata-dono. Maybe it's because I just exited the bath? You should wake up soon if you want to help fix breakfast."

I was aiming for a slight blush, but I didn't think I would get a stutter as well. Jackpot!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________How was the romance/comforting? It was hard for me to do while sticking to Sakuya and Remilia's character you know? The most he's done with Remilia so far is one hug, while with Sakuya it's one kiss and one hug. Though Sakuya's 'secret' kisses will increase in frequency as she feels Remilia is taking Arata from her.