As the sun was just beginning to rise, the Scarlet Devil Mansion was mostly quiet. Its mistresses were settling in for a few hours to get their sleep. But while they slept, their servants were holding a meeting. At a table in the library sat Patchouli, Sakuya, Meiling, and Koakuma. Their faces were strained and all eyes were on Meiling as she spoke.

"Thank you for coming. Patchy. Sakuya, Koakuma. I appreciate it." Meiling began with a pained smile.

"You still haven't told us the reason why you called us here. This feels very conspiratorial; shouldn't Remi and Flan be involved?" Patchy asked.

"They cannot be involved in any way, nor hear any of what Meiling is about to say." Sakuya replied, a grim tone to her voice.

Meiling nodded. "This is about their safety, and what I'm about to say would likely be considered treason. But I have already cleared all this with Sakuya. So, before I begin: Patchy, you sought the help of the Fairies of Light, as well as casting your own soundproofing spells, to ensure we can't be heard, right?"

Patchouli paused, then nodded. "It's impossible for anything we say to leave this area."

Meiling took a deep breath, then stated "I'm leaving the SDM."

There was a long silence. But eventually Patchouli spoke up, in a cautious, level tone of voice. "May I ask why? ...Although I'm already certain I won't like the answer."

"I am going to the Dragon Palace — to defend you all, and ensure no harm can come to this household. I'm going to fight." Meiling responded darkly.

Patchouli sat back in her chair, then sighed. "I had my suspicions when Sakuya asked me to ready 'that' book. I can only assume that order came from you. Meiling, this is suicide."

Meiling nodded. "I know. It's very likely that—" she looked down at her hands. "—I won't survive this encounter. The dragons I'm up against have lived far longer than me, and have fully dedicated themselves to their combat, in the event of a war that, day by day, seems more and more likely. Frankly, I'm being selfish by just protecting the SDM; an all-out war between the dragons would rend this world to its core. But I can't protect everyone. Just the ones closest to me. The rest has to be left up to Reimu and her friends."

"What about the other powerful figures? Lapislazuli, the moon princesses, Yukari?" Koakuma piped up.

Meiling shook her head. "Meaningless. Their strength is dwarfed several times over by the creatures I'm going to try and kill. There are other reasons as well, I suspect. For Lapislazuli, it sounds harsh to say, but the more souls that are sent to Hell, the more profitable it is, for both her and Hell. Of course I'm sure she'd want to save as many people as she could; she's not a monster. But at the end of the day... business is business." She sighed. "As for the Watatsuki family, that would be a foolish ask. We're Earthlings, beings of impurity and spotted with signs of aging and death. It would give them great pleasure to watch this world burn, and frankly, the only ones they'd try to save are the Eientei crew, out of respect for Eirin. Tewi would likely be left behind. And finally, Yukari." Meiling folded her hands in front of her, gripping them hard. "She already knew this was coming. My guess is she's known for a long time. And with all her power, and all her foresight, she knows more than anyone — nothing is going to stop what's about to happen. Her plan is likely to surrender with grace and humility, and simply hope that the dragons don't wipe out Gensokyo. And, ironically, that's probably the smartest move."

As Meiling explained all this, everyone's faces grew grim. "So... there's truly nothing we can do?" Koakuma asked weakly.

Meiling scratched her head. "If they truly wanted to destroy the world, then yes. Nothing would be able to stop them, save the Dragon God. But I suspect their plan, should they go to war, is to establish a hierarchy as soon as possible, and preserve the world below. Because a king is nothing without his kingdom." Meiling chuckled bitterly. "But one thing is almost certain, and that is my death. My plan doesn't include the idea of an all-out war. It's only meant to spare you from the wrath of the dragons if, and or when, they target you specifically. Which brings me back to the point."

Meiling's gaze scanned across the table. "You all know how headstrong and bold Remi and Flan can be. And those are admirable traits. But in this case, those exact traits will get them killed. I've already said it to Sakuya, but I'll say it again." Her expression grew hard. "If they try to follow me for any reason, you are to prevent them from leaving this mansion. By any means necessary."

Koakuma and Patchouli stared at her, then turned their gaze to Sakuya. "Sakuya... are you really okay with this?" Patchouli demanded softly.

Sakuya sighed. "In order to protect those we love, we have to betray them. There's no other way. At the start of all this, we were keeping that oomukade out. But now... We have to do our best to keep Remilia and Flandre in. I hate the idea of turning traitor — but I hate the idea of losing them even more."

Patchouli was silent for a while, then said "Very well. Are you leaving right this moment, Meiling?"

Meiling nodded. "Not now, but shortly. Before the sun rises. After noon, the mistresses will be up and about again, and I need to leave before then. But it was important that I meet with you all about this, so that there's no miscommunication. And I want to ensure all the appropriate measures are taken to protect them."

At this, Patchouli gave a small smile. "Oh. I see. You'll be watching me like a hawk while I work, I assume."

Meiling's eyes widened and she laughed. "Haha, no, it's not like that, Patchy. I trust you, promise." She smiled. "I appreciate everything you've done for me. All of you. And that love is what's going to push me forward in my final hours." She stood up and stretched, then noticed the sky turning a golden color. "Ah. It seems our time is almost up."

"I'll start making the necessary preparations." Patchouli announced. "Koakuma, you're with me. Sakuya—" She sighed. "I hate to do this to you, but you be the one to break the news to them. I don't have the strength."

Sakuya nodded. "Of course." She turned to Meiling. "Meiling... I know you think you're going to your death, but I have to insist anyway." She narrowed her eyes. "Please be careful. There's always the chance you can make it out of this alive."

Meiling smiled wider. "Fair enough. I'll do what I can. And thank you again for doing this." She lowered her cap over her eyes, and then chuckled. "I actually... feel really confident right now." Without another word, she left the library, whistling an upbeat tune. The other three watched her go, then turned to each other, nodded, and strode off in different directions.

---

Remilia yawned and stretched, sitting up in her coffin. "That was the best sleep I've had in ages." She murmured. "I guess I'll go see what's for breakfast." She stood up, and put on a pair of slippers, and then, still in her nightgown, headed out into the hall and down the stairs. She took a sniff, and then smiled "French toast? And bacon and eggs. Wonder what the occasion is." She walked into the dining room and took a seat, glancing out the window. As she did, she did a double-take, noticing the gate was unguarded.

"Good morning, Mistress." Sakuya called cheerfully, bringing out several plates of food and setting them before Remilia. French toast, pancakes, bacon, eggs and several links of sausage sat on the plates, fresh and hot. Remilia, however, was unconcerned with the food at the moment.

"Sakuya." Remilia said suspiciously.

"Yes, Mistress?" Sakuya asked.

"Where is Meiling?"

The sounds of the fairy maids in the kitchen stopped, and several worried faces peered around the doorframe. Patchouli, who had just started to enter the dining room, silently turned around and walked away as quickly as she could.

"Ah—" Sakuya's voice cracked, then she cleared her throat. "Ah! I just sent Meiling out for a couple of errands. She'll be back shortly."

Remilia stared at her, her eyes narrowing. "You are the one who does the errands, Sakuya. And there's good reason for that, given your abilities. You're quick and efficient. What would possess you to send Meiling out for errands?"

Sakuya paused for a second. "Ah, well, um. Meiling is usually sleeping at the gate, so I thought getting some exercise would be good for her and help keep her awake."

Remilia's eyes trained on Sakuya. "You're sweating."

Sakuya chuckled. "A-am I, mistress? The heat must be getting to me. If you'd give me permission, I should go and lie down—

"Sakuya." Remilia interrupted quietly. "It's not like you to lie to your mistress."

The fairy maids' eyes widened and they quickly returned to the kitchen, the pots and pans clinking together again, perhaps louder than they should have been.

Sakuya tugged at her collar. "Lie? I would never lie to you, Mistress. My loyalty to you is unshakable, you know this. Why would you—"

Remilia pounded her fist on the table, and Sakuya fell silent. "Sakuya." Her tone was dangerous now. "I'm going to ask you one final time, and this time, I expect the truth from you. Is that understood?" She demanded sharply. "Where. Is. Meiling."

There was a long silence. Sakuya gulped, and then whispered "Meiling— Meiling is—"

Remilia stood up, a red aura around her, and Sakuya choked out "Gone! She's gone. I'm sorry, Mistress. Meiling is gone."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

She turned to Sakuya, and desperately grabbed her collar, her face turning from one of anger to one of anguish. "Where. Where is she?"

"The Dragon Palace." A voice spoke from the doorway. Patchouli stood there, a book glowing and floating in her hand. "She's gone, Remi. She went...to fight."

Remilia knocked her chair aside and quickly flew to the main entrance, reaching for the door — only to get an unbearably painful shock to her hand before she could reach it. She stared up at the door, and noticed it was lined with blue runes, lines crossing between them. She slowly turned to Patchouli. "What is this, Patchy...?"

"It's for your own good, Remi." Patchouli responded. The book in her hand shone brighter, and Sakuya drew three of her knives from their sheath. Koakuma floated down from the ceiling, her palms glowing red.

"Remi?" A groggy voice came from the stairs. Everyone's eyes turned, and Flandre stood at the top of the steps, holding a teddy bear. She rubbed her eyes. "Whas' goin on? It's really loud up here."

"Flandre, Meiling is gone." Remilia cried desperately.

Flan's eyes widened, and she responded "What? Where did she go? Where's Meiling?"

"The Dragon Palace. She's going to go fight the other dragons, we have to stop her!" Remilia shouted.

Flandre dropped her bear, and she spread her wings, flying towards the door, only to get shocked, similarly to Remilia. "What?! Ow!" She cried, rubbing her arm. "What's happening?"

"Miladies." Sakuya spoke up, in a low tone of voice. "I'm afraid we're placing you under lockdown. We cannot allow you to pursue Meiling."

Remilia and Flandre stared at Sakuya. "Sakuya..." Remilia's eyes widened. "You're what?" She whispered. "You can't do this. I'm the mistress of the SDM. You can't impede me like this. Release these spells at once!!"

"We won't." Patchouli replied. "This was Meiling's choice. And we're going to respect her wishes."

Remilia clenched her fist. "Let us out, right. Now. I won't suffer this treason any longer."

Patchouli shook her head. "Sorry, Remi. You're not going anywhere.

Flandre looked at Sakuya. "You're trying to stop us from helping Meiling? Sakuya... what's wrong with you? Why are you being like this?"

Sakuya's gaze softened. "Because Meiling asked me to, Flan."

At once, the Scarlet Sisters began to glow red.

"You're traitors." Remilia hissed. "You're betraying this household. How dare you?! One of our own is out there, heading to her death, and you're blocking us from helping her. It seems I must punish you, thoroughly."

"I want to help Meiling. And you're not gonna stop me." Flandre growled. "If I gotta beat you guys up to get to her... I will."

Patchouli, Sakuya, and Koakuma took a stance. Laevateinn and Gungnir shimmered into the hands of their respective owners, and Remilia and Flandre's eyes narrowed to slits.

There was but a moment's pause. Then, Remilia and Flandre launched themselves at the others.

There was the sound of a clock ticking, which promptly slowed to a stop. In an instant, everyone was frozen in place, save Sakuya. She grabbed Patchouli's hand, and Patchouli came to life, looking around. "Sakuya—"

"No time. I can't keep this up, the strain on my body is immense. Cast as many binding spells on them as you can, NOW!" Sakuya yelled.

Patchouli started, then began reciting spells as fast as her tongue would allow. Sakuya groaned, and began to sweat. "Damn it. Damn it! This useless body of mine! Patchouli!"

"Almost done!" Patchouli yelled. She recited a few more verses, then slammed her book shut. Sakuya gasped, and the world around them roared to life, the sudden sounds assaulting the two. In front of them, Remilia and Flandre dropped to the floor, their arms and legs stuck tightly to their sides as if by some invisible rope.

The sisters' eyes widened and they thrashed and struggled as much as they could, but the magic on them was far too great. All they could do was scream and cry out in anguish, cursing the three of them, tears and spit pouring from their face and leaking onto the floor.

"Sakuya! Sakuya, she's going to DIE!" Remilia screamed desperately.

"How COULD YOU?! You're letting Meiling DIE!! I HATE YOU, SAKUYA!" Flan sobbed.

Patchouli and Sakuya bit their lips and looked away, and Koakuma put her face in her hands, sniffling.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Remi, Flan. Please understand." Sakuya whispered, covering her mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

---

Remilia and Flandre continued screaming long into the night, long after they had been placed in their respective bedrooms. Koakuma, Patchouli and Sakuya sat at the very same table they had that morning, massaging their temples and covering their ears.

"I can't bear to keep listening to this." Sakuya murmured. "Patchouli, please."

Patchouli opened her book and cast a few spells, and the screaming fell silent. "There. I soundproofed this area."

"Can we sleep here tonight?" A voice came from behind them. It was one of the fairy maids, a fairy with long blonde hair and glasses.

Sakuya's gaze softened. "I suppose so. Gather round, come in." She patted the floor next to them. The fairy maid smiled, and dozens of fairies followed her in, putting various pillows and blankets on the floor.

"Still... To hear the Mistresses in such anguish. I've never heard Remilia or Flan scream like that before. They're going to be hoarse by tomorrow." Sakuya sighed. "I'll have to make them some honey tea, I expect."

"This is horrible." Koakuma mumbled. "I feel horrible that we did this."

Patchouli patted Koakuma on the shoulder and reassured her "If we didn't do what we did, Remi and Flan would likely be gravely injured by now. This will hurt them for a long time, but they can recover from this easier than what the dragons would do to them."

Koakuma sat on the floor and drew her knees in. "That doesn't make it any better."

Patchouli gazed at the ceiling. "...No. No it doesn't."

Sakuya's gaze turned to the lantern on the table, and she said "I know it'll be hard, but let's try to get some sleep. Those spells won't hold forever, and we'll need to redo them in the morning. I'll need my strength to do the same thing I did today."

Patchouli nodded, and waved her hand over the lantern, putting it out. "You're right. If you'd like, I can put some spells on you all that will make it so you don't have any dreams tonight."

Sakuya laid down and shook her head. "No. Whatever we dream of tonight, I'll accept it as penance for what we did today. Even if it was the right thing to do, we still deserve some kind of punishment for turning traitors."

Patchouli was about to protest, but Koakuma grabbed her arm and shook her head. Patchouli sighed, and responded "Very well. Sleep tight, everyone." Various "good night"s and "sleep well"s resounded quietly throughout the library, before all was silent.

---

As the sun rose the next morning, Sakuya yawned and stretched. She rubbed her head for a bit, then sighed. "I suppose I'd better go check on the Mistresses. Patchouli." She shook Patchouli's shoulder.

"Mmm." Patchouli grumbled.

"Patchy, get up. We have to check on the Mistresses and make sure they're okay. I don't hear them yelling anymore; maybe they got tired and gave up."

Patchouli groaned and sat up. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." They quietly left the library, taking care not to wake anyone. They strode up the stairs and headed down the hall to Remilia's room.

Sakuya knocked on the door several times. "Milady? Are you alright?" No, that was a stupid question. Sakuya chided herself. After receiving no response, she announced "I'm coming in, Milady..." She gradually opened the door and stepped inside.

There was a shriek from in the bedroom, and Patchouli's eyes widened, as she swiftly stepped inside as well. "What? What's wrong?" But the answer was clear as soon as they laid eyes on the bed. "Oh my gods."

Remilia's coffin lay on the bed, but it was completely empty. "No. No, no no no no!" Sakuya yelled. "Patchy—"

"Koakuma!" Patchouli yelled, coughing from the effort.

"What?" came the response.

"Go check on Flandre, now! Hurry!"

There was a faint flapping of wings, and a pause, before a scream pierced through the air. Sakuya and Patchouli looked at each other, before dashing down the stairs. When they arrived at Flandre's room, they were met with a similarly empty coffin — along with a giant hole in the wall.

"They're gone!" Koakuma shrieked. "They escaped! Flandre must have broken out and then took Remilia with her!"

"Patchy, deactivate the spells around the mansion and send every fairy maid we have available out to Gensokyo. Tell them to ask if anyone's seen the Mistresses or if they spoke with anyone." Patchouli ran up the stairs and out of sight.

"Koakuma, check every room in the mansion. It might seem like they're gone, but they could be waiting for us to deactivate the wards so they can escape. Leave no stone unturned, understand?" Koakuma saluted and flew off.

Sakuya punched the wall nearby, then kept punching until her knuckles began to bleed. "Damn it! DAMN IT!" She shouted. Her head rose, her face growing solemn. "I need Hakurei's help." She flew up the stairs and pushed open the main doors, heading for the Hakurei shrine as fast as she could.

---

"You let Meiling GO?!" Reimu yelled.

"An' Remi and Flan are out in the sunlight, I assume?!" Marisa demanded. "What the hell are you guys even doin'?!"

Sakuya shot back "We don't have time for this! Three of our members are going to their deaths, but there's still time to save two of them. We need your help!"

Reimu growled, stomping her foot. "Why is it always like this with your crew? Every time you show up the world is ending! Why do we have to clean up your messes, every single time?!" Not waiting for an answer, she retrieved her purification rod from inside, and growled "Let's go, Marisa."

"Aye." Marisa responded, getting on her broom and kicking off. Sakuya pushed off into the air, and flew back to the Scarlet Mansion to check on Patchouli and Koakuma. When she got there, Koakuma was pacing the floor. Upon seeing Sakuya, she urgently said "They're gone. I've checked every closet, every bathroom, bedroom, the garden, the clock tower. They definitely escaped."

Patchouli emerged from the library and stated "The fairies are out now. They're moving as fast as they can, but each one that's returned so far has said that nobody's seen Remi or Flan. Depending on when they escaped, they could already be—"

"On their way to the Dragon Palace." Sakuya finished for her. "The only advantage we have is that they don't yet know where it is. But they're going to find out...and we have to get to them before that happens." She sighed, and turned toward the door, drawing her knives.

"Meiling is going to kill me when she comes back."