Marisa woke up this morning a bit tired, but she was happy about today. Today was Valentine's Day, the day of love. The witch was really excited about today. She had this day planned for about a week in advance. First, she was going to meet Reimu at the shrine, visit Patchouli and Flandre at the mansion, and most importantly visit her closest friend and neighbor, Alice, maybe even a surprise visit for a certain someone. She had gifts in mind for all of them, she just had to find some first. Sure, Marisa could just find items in her stocked up piles of junk she had in her shop, but it didn't really feel right for a Valentine gift, so the magician had to go take a trip to the place she tries to avoid the most, the Human Village.
Marisa got herself dressed, tied a part of her hair into a braid and put it down her left side with a heart bow on, grabbed her broom, threw on her hat, and got a bag to carry her presents and left her house. She arrived at the Human Village after a couple of minutes, it wasn't that far away after all. Marisa went to the card shop to get Valentine cards first, she went inside. A man stood at the counter greeting her, Marisa walked up to the counter greeting back. "I need four Valentine cards, what section can I find them at?", she asked. "They are down the isle, in the way back. "Perfect, this will be easy to steal some then." Marisa headed toward the back and swiped four cards, dropping them in her bag and started to head out the store, but the man caught the thief, so she thought. "Um, Ma'am weren't you going to get some cards?"
"That's ok, I'm going to get them presents instead, you had very sweet cards by the way, bye!" Key word "had". Before the man could respond, the thief bailed. "Alright, for Patchy's present I'll just get her some magic book." Marisa went to several book stores before she could find the one with spells in them, she spotted a book stand that had a sign saying "New Books". Oddly, there was nobody at the stand, so she thought they were for free. Marisa walked up to the stand, but somebody popped up from behind, a person in a hooded cloak. "Hello...", the mysterious figure said. "Hello, say, what's that book there?", she pointed it out. "This is a book called "Elemental Magic 1st edition..." Marisa knew Patchouli loved Elemantal magic, it was some magician intuition the with had, so she says, how could she resist not getting it? Marisa picked it up and examined it. "I'll take it!"
"Your going to pay for it, aren't you...?" That stopped the witch right in her tracks, so Marisa decided to put on an act. "Oh, right...I guess I can't get it then. I'm really sorry, I'm really poor and I wanted this one special person to have this book because she really loves elemental magic, but I guess I can't give her anything now..." The lying witch created fake tears, putting the book back in it's place as she started to walk away. "Hey...don't leave, get back here." Marisa returned to the stand. "Look, I know how it feels to fail someone, not able to give somebody a Valentine gift...I been there, so, you can have it...free of charge."
"Really? Thanks so much! ~ze" With that, Marisa went off to find Flandre a gift. All she did was went to a toy store and "borrowed" a random stuffed toy. She had to find Reimu a gift now. "I guess just some flowers should satisfy her." She walked to the flower store and again, "borrowed" some roses while the clerk wasn't looking. Now, Alice was left, Marisa already had her present at the house so she rode home on her broom. Marisa arrived and went inside her house. She dumped everything on the table, hung her broom and bag by the door, wrote messages on the cards and signed them, put the gifts in their own box and wrapped them, not the flowers, they were just wrapped in plastic, shoved the gifts in the bag, grabbed her broom and headed out again, all in a flash. Marisa decided to first arrive at the shrine, when the witch arrived Reimu spotted her and came out with a robe on. "Oh, Hello, Marisa.", Reimu said as she waved.
"Yo, Reimu, I gotcha something~ze."
"Oh, let me guess, flowers, right?" Marisa's moment was ruined that the shrine maiden already knew the gift.
"How did you know...?"
"Common sense, I guess. It's just too original of you."
Marisa got off her broom, leaving it on the ground and reached into her bag, tossing the flowers to Reimu, she caught them. "Oh? A card, too?" Reimu took off the card that was taped to the plastic and read it.
Dear Reimu,
I'm glad I got to meet you,
if we had never had that fight back then, when I worked for Mima.
I probably would of never knew you like I do today.
Your my best friend Reimu and I hope we can be forever until we die.
Love, Marisa Kirisame.
Reimu almost made into tears, her eyes just got a bit watery, but she was strong and held them back as she opened her arms. "Come here, Marisa!" Marisa put down her bag and gave Reimu a warm hug. "I love you too, you trouble making witch." They let go as Marisa got her bag, picked up her broom and hopped on it. "By the way, as long as we're friends, those flowers will never wilt." She flew to the mansion after that. "Hm...I guess you weren't so original this time, Marisa." A voice called from inside the shrine. "Heeey, Reimu, I'm getting lonely, what's taking so long?"
"Coming, Yukari!", she replied as she ran inside the shrine. It was around noon now, so Meiling was napping as usual at the gate. Marisa sneaked by and barged in the library. "Patchy! I'm here!", the younger magician called out. "Come to steal more books, thieving rat?, the elder magician said in a cold voice. "Actually, I came to give you the best book ever!~ze
"Marisa giving me a book instead of stealing one? Please, don't try to make me laugh." Marisa walked to the desk Patchouli was sitting at, put everything down and got out her present, dropping it on the table. "Quiet and open it. ~ze" Patchouli unwrapped the paper and she couldn't believe her eyes. "Elemental Magic 1st Edition, how did you get this!"
"I know a guy." Patchouli read the card that came with her wonderful present.
Dear Patchy,
You are the smartest magician I know. You are a great ally and everything, but more importantly, you are a good friend of mine and I'm sorry I keep bothering and stealing your books. I'm glad you are apart of my life.
Love, Marisa Kirisame.
Patchouli gave a smile after she read the letter. "Thank you, Marisa. I'll start reading this right away." Marisa got another present from her bag and went into the basement to visit Flandre. Patchouli was so distracted by her new present she didn't notice Marisa anymore. "Hello?" Just then, Marisa got glomped from behind, but she managed to keep standing on her feet as she laughed. "Marisa-San!", the young cute voice shouted. "Hello, Flan. I have a surprise for you, if you get off me." Flandre did what she was told and waited for her gift. Marisa handed her the box. "Go ahead, open it." The excited vampire ripped off the paper and threw the lid off, taking out her present. "Yay, a doll! My other ones got ripped in half...what's this? Flandre held up the card. "That's a card, read what it says."
"Can you read it for me, Marisa?" The witch couldn't resist and nodded, grabbing the card.
"Dear Flan
You are the cutest vampire I ever met, you are also the funnest person Love, your playmate, Marisa-San.
I ever met, also fun to play with when I get bored.
In the future, when you finally can get out of the mansion,
I'll show you every place in Gensokyo, that's a promise!
"Awww, Marisa-San that is so sweet, I love you, too!" Marisa handed the card back. "You keep that somewhere safe, alright?" Flandre nodded as Marisa headed upstairs waving good-bye. She got her things and rode off to an old friend's house. "I guess I can visit her...it has been a long time since I have seen her." Marisa flew past the shrine as she arrived at a boarded up house, but the door wasn't, a little back behind the Hakurei Shrine. She got off her broom and walked up to the door, opening it. "Still dark and creepy as ever, just the way I like it." Marisa went inside. "I never thought you would come back to see me, my young witch student..." Marisa remembered that voice, the voice that raised her to what she is today. Marisa looked over at the corner as a figure came out from the shadows. She dropped her things and jumped into her arms. "I missed you so much, Mima, even though I left you, I felt so bad..." Mima smiled. "I did raise you like my own daughter, after all. I was afraid you were going to be old enough to leave me someday and when that day came...I thought I would never see you again. I knew I couldn't keep you forever, you had to move on..." They stopped hugging, Marisa got her things and headed outside, hopping on her broom. "Don't worry, Mima, I promise I'll visit you often now!" After that, she raced towards the place she couldn't wait for the most. Mima watched out the window waving. "You've grown up well, Marisa, your mother is so proud..." The Sun was setting, it has been a long day. Marisa finally arrived at her destination and pounded on the door, jumping up and down. The door opened and she smiled at the familiar face. "Alice!"
"Surprise...it's only you Marisa." Marisa didn't feel very welcome with that greeting, but she went in anyway. Alice wasn't usually the one that celebrated holidays since she never had anyone to spend them with, except Marisa. "Who did you expect? Only I come here. Let's go to your room, I have some things for you." They both went upstairs and sat on Alice's bed. "What are they?" Marisa grabbed two things out of her bag, she handed the bigger one to Alice first, the doll youkai opened it. "A photo album?", "Yeah, you have all those picture of us that we took together after I borrowed Aya's camera." Alice had forgotton about those pictures she kept in her closet because she didn't have something to put them in. "Oh yes, that's right, next present please." Marisa handed her the other one with the card. She opened the second gift, this one made Alice's heart jump. It was a perfectly detailed Alice doll, like she had one of Marisa. "I hope you like it, I made it myself.~ze" Alice placed her right hand on Marisa's. "I love it, Marisa..." Alice read the card that had a long message on it.
Dear Alice,
You are simply my closest friend ever and the best youkai I ever met, even though I met you as a human first. I know you hate holidays, but that's why you got me, to spend time with you every day, it hurts me when I don't see you. You started as a neighbor, but then we grew to friends, maybe even more than that, almost like sisters, your more like the responsible older sister while I'm the young one you have to look out for. I know you probably think I'm an annoyance, but even if you do, I'll still come over no matter what. No matter how hard you try to push me away, I'll reach your heart one day and make you the happiest youkai alive, as long as I live and breathe, I will protect until I draw my last breath, actually even when I die, I'll still protect you. I love you, Alice Margatroid, don't you ever forget that!
Love your younger-like sister, Ordinary Sorceress, Marisa Kirisame.
Happy Valentine's Day!
P.S: Can I move in with you?
After Alice read that, Marisa noticed some tears fall. "Alice? Are you crying?" Alice looked up at Marisa. "Shut up and hug me, of course you can, you dummy..." Marisa gave her smile that Alice loved so much as she embraced her with a warm loving hug. "Happy Valentine's Day, Alice. I love you.", "I love you, too...Marisa, Happy Valentine's Day..." After a long hug, Alice placed the doll of herself next to the Marisa doll, she got her fifty photos from the closet and spended with Marisa all night putting them in a certain order. It was now almost midnight and the girls finally finished the album. The two layed down with the album between them. "It has to have a title now, Marisa." Marisa couldn't think of one, instead she decorated it with stars and hearts. "I'm sure we'll think of one later. ~ze" The girls put the album under the dolls and went to bed holding hands together. Years later, Marisa died of old age due to her short life-span of being a human. Alice lost the love of her life on that Valantine's Day. Alice and her dolls buried her in the graveyard. Everyday Alice would visit and pray to Marisa. Every holiday, save Valentine's Day, she would sit by the grave the whole day. However, every Valentine's Day, she would sit in front of the grave and look at the album while crying the whole day. One Valentine's Day, she was looking at the album, sitting by the grave. "Marisa...I finally came up with a title for our album.
"It shall be called "The Grimoire of Marisa and Alice". I hope you like that name..." A ghostly figure sat by Alice. "Yes, that's a perfect title for the album, I'd love that title. Good thinking, Alice." Alice's eyes widen."M-Marisa..! Your here?" The ghost giggled. Silly, Alice, like I said no matter what, even if I am gone, I'll always be there with you..." The wind kicked in and the ghost faded away with the leaves twirling around Alice as the voice echoed. "...I'll always be there with you..." After the wind stopped and the leaves fell Alice replied in her quietest voice, "I know, you dummy...I know."