~Author's Note~

Barely a month after I finished remastering all my stories from the last one, a new Gensokyo Festival has begun, this time with thirty-one prompts because it's March. I'm not going to remaster my entries this time, unless I specifically want to expand on some; all of them are going to be published as they are when first completed.

For my first entry, witness the beginning of Reimu and her legend.

~Red and White Dawn~

"Aaaagh… Gods, I don't ever want to do that again." The Shrine Maiden of Paradise had faced countless challenges, but she had never struggled so fiercely nor felt so much pain before that day. Her body had felt like it was being torn apart, but somehow she was still lying there in one piece, drenched in sweat and aching from the waist down.

"She's beautiful…" Takumi was crying as he cradled the baby in his arms. "You did it, Akari. You did it! Oh, she's perfect!"

Akari propped herself up on her elbows and smiled wearily. "Got any ideas what to call her?"

The baby stared up at her father, completely dumbfounded, but there was already something familiar in her sparkling red eyes. Her mother's power was definitely inside her.

"We'll call her Reimu," declared Takumi. "I don't know why, I just have this feeling."

"Reimu Hakurei… A beloved companion revealed in a dream…" Akari's gaze drifted to the half-open door. It was a warm summer morning, too early for most people to come visiting, but she caught a flash of blonde hair and a glimpse of purple fabric disappearing behind the wall. "A name that starts with Rei and ends with Rei. Yes, that'll do just fine."

Fourteen years later, it rained. Reimu's feet skidded in the mud as she ran through the Forest of Magic. She was glad of the waterproof hair-dye SinGyoku had found her last week, but every other part of her was soaked, leaving her shivering in her kimono.

Reimu wanted to get home, but the path to her shrine was treacherous in the rain, so she slowed down as she came to the mountains. A few hundred steps carved into the rock were between her and home. For the three thousand, four hundred and seventeenth time, Reimu wished she could hurry up and learn to fly.

At the top of the stairs, Reimu stopped in her tracks. Her jaw dropped. A damp, smouldering pile of wood was all that was left of her shrine.

"Wh…" Reimu fell to her knees. "Why? What happened?!"

"It was a ghost." SinGyoku materialised beside Reimu, wearing their red-haired aspect. "A vengeful spirit clad in blue, just like the one we saw with that little witch at the flower-viewing. I tried to stop her, but she ransacked the shrine and made off with the sacred orbs."

"I… I don't believe it…" breathed Reimu. "She took everything!"

"I'm sorry." SinGyoku couldn't think of anything else to say.

After a few seconds, Reimu abruptly stood up. "Oh, well, I'm sure she'll give them back if I ask nicely!" she said brightly.

"Wha…?" SinGyoku goggled at her. "Reimu, you can't just-! She'll kill you!"

"Nothing can kill me!" said Reimu fiercely. SinGyoku realised with a sinking heart that she meant business. "Did you see where the ghost went?"

"She went to Makai, but-"

"Then take me there! Quick!"

SinGyoku folded their arms. "I promised Akari I wouldn't let any harm come to you, and I don't plan to. Now come on, be reasonable! You have no weapons, you can't fly, you can barely use any of your powers… I won't let you go to your death."

"Wanna bet?" Reimu reached inside her kimono and pulled out a yin-yang orb.

SinGyoku's eyes narrowed. They took a step back and sunk into their fighting stance.

Reimu smirked and spun the orb on her finger. "All right, then, be that way. I warn you, though, people who get in my way always regret it!"