It was only days before word got out that the infamous vampire Vladimir had passed. Almost immediately our little island was swamped with 'visitors.'
By visitors I of course mean thieves and looters and God-only-knew what else. They were vanquished easily by my sister and I, and we feasted almost every week. The first notable occurrence came about a year after Vladimir died --
"I am Cirno, the strongest fairy there is!" called a voice one evening.
Having already been out on the patio, I looked up from my book and around for the source of the noise. I called for my sister and we set out in search for the fool who dared challenge us, before finally finding a young girl of perhaps thirteen in a blue-and-white dress playing out in the garden.
"Who are you?" I asked, stopping Flandre from immediately killing her.
"Cirno, I said!" the ice fairy cried, freezing some more of our newly-growing flowers. I slapped her hand away and she said indignantly, "Hey! I wasn't bothering you none."
"That is Vladimir's grave you're frolicking over," I said threateningly, coming closer.
Cirno backed away and waved a hand dismissively. "Well tell him I'm sorry. I'm looking for frogs! Do you has any frogs?"
"I have no frogs, but you, do you have any sense?" I retorted, seconds away from feasting on her. I admit I had never eaten a fairy before.
"Cents? I have a few bronze pieces I guess. Will that do?" She reached into her pocket and I slapped a hand to my forehead.
"Sense!" I repeated, already frustrated. "Sense as in -- in -- Do you know who you're dealing with, little girl?"
She shrugged, but said nothing.
Flandre piped in, "You're dealing with the strongest, prettiest vampires in Gensokyo! Prepare to go kaboom!" She held out a hand to kill the fairy, but I stopped her again.
"We have just eaten, so I will give you a minute to get out of here," I warned Cirno, who laughed.
"I am the strongest!" she cried, throwing her arms in the air. "I have many friends! Daiyousei!" she suddenly screeched, turning. "Dai! Get everyone up here!"
On cue, a green-haired fairy rose up seemingly from nowhere, and seconds after came what seemed like hundreds of other fairies. Flandre ran immediately out to them, probably to 'play,' but I stared curiously at the sight. I had never seen a fairy before that night, and now I was faced with hundreds of them. We had just had dinner an hour or so earlier, but I was willing to take some dessert. Fairy blood just had to be sweet.
Quickly my sister and I had killed or scared away about half of the fairies, and Cirno called for the carnage to stop. I sent Flandre inside with her spoils to eat, but stayed outside myself to make a deal with Cirno and her followers.
"I can't believe you did that," Cirno muttered, sitting down before me on the patio. Daiyousei had gone to tend to the wounded. "Seriously, we was just playing!"
"So were we," I returned, sipping my tea. "We play a bit rougher than other people do, I suppose."
Wrinkling her nose, Cirno said, "You're mean." She stood to leave, but I stood as well and she stopped in her tracks.
"Perhaps we can come to an agreement," I started, holding out a hand. Cirno flinched at my movement, and I rolled my eyes.
"What kind of agreement?" she soon asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"The kind that benefits both of us."
"Benefit?"
"It means it'll work well for both of us," I sighed, but then continued, "Flandre and I will spare you, Daiyousei, and the rest of your friends… if..!"
"If what?" she interrupted me, rather rudely, if I do say so myself.
"If," I restarted. "You, Daiyousei, and all of the other fairies you have at your command work for me."
"Doing what?" she asked, looking surprised at the offer. "Will I get frogs to play with?"
"As many frogs as you can find on and around this island, yes," I answered, chuckling. "You and Daiyousei are to guard this island. The rest of your fairies are to work as servants for my sister and I. Is this clear?"
"What do we get in return?" Cirno asked warily, crossing her arms.
Giving a grim smile, I said, "Your lives."
I had acquired my first followers. Cirno and Daiyousei were not very smart, but they did keep the equally-stupid thieves and looters off my island. As for the other fairies, I had found several of them who were adept at sewing and sent them to the human village to fit all of my new servants into maid's outfits. A mansion's got to have maid-looking maids, hasn't it? I will not have my servants dressed in rags.
Previously Flandre and I had, in fact, been dressed in rags. We could remedy this now that we had servants who were able to walk in daylight. I sent one of the smarter fairies (which was a rare find) out to the human village again, after taking me and my sister's measurements, to buy some clothes for us. Nothing fancy, I told her, but nothing cheap, either. She returned with beautiful pink-and-red dresses for me, and some red playclothes for my baby sister.
Using the fortune Vladimir had willed to us, we filled the mansion with new, shiny mahogany furniture and thick, red glass to go into every broken window. We started up the tall clock tower again to let the world know what time it was, and we filled the biggest room in the place with books upon books for me, and later Patchouli, to read. Everything was wonderful, until a few months later when --
"I am Hong Meiling, former gatekeeper of the human village!"
"What now?" I muttered, going to my red stained-glass window and looking outside. Down on the path leading to my front door was a tall, redheaded girl in green, kicking and punching aimlessly into the empty air around her. At the time she meant nothing to me, but once I got a good look at her, I remembered that she was the one who tried to keep Flandre and I out of Gensokyo so long ago. I dressed out of my nightclothes and hurried downstairs.
I had a fairy servant open the front door but stayed far away from it in the shadows of my home, not wanting the noontime sun to hit me. Hong, later nicknamed as China, was still practicing her martial arts, kicking and generally missing the couple of fairies who had come to apprehend her.
"Who are you?" I called from inside, vaguely hoping she would remember me.
"My name is Hong Meiling!" she shouted, hands on her hips. "I have been sent her by Keine, half-beast eater of history, to vanquish you! And -- hey, come out here where I can see you!"
"Can't," I called, shrugging. "I'm afraid the sun doesn't treat me well. Why don't you come inside? We'll make you some tea."
After spending a few moments thinking, Hong shrugged and walked inside.
We sat her down in the long dining room table, her at one end and me at the other. I ordered a nearby maid to serve us some tea (candied blood for me, and jasmine for her), and once we were settled, I opened my mouth to speak.
She cut me off immediately: "Hey, aren't you that one girl? You know, the girl, and you had a sister, and --" Eyes wide, she suddenly stood up and backed away. "I remember you! You broke my wall! Hey, hey, I don't want any trouble -- I didn't know it was you I was after. C'mon, let me leave? I'll tell Keine I killed you or something, okay? I don't want any trouble. I'm just a little Chinese girl -- didn't do nothing to nobody!"
"Sit down," I ordered, stirring some sugar into my tea. "You must be thirsty after traveling through the forest and across that big lake we have. Take a seat and enjoy the tea I had made for you."
At a loss, Hong sat down and took an experimental sip of the tea, as if expecting it to be poisoned. When she realized it tasted fine, she gulped the rest of it down and asked for more.
When my maids accommodated her again, I began, "I see Cirno and Daiyousei did nothing to keep you out."
She shrugged, drinking more jasmine tea. "They were tough, but no cigar. There was also some girl called Rumia with them -- her manipulation of darkness was shit."
Rumia? The name sounded familiar, but to this day I have not met her personally. I now know her to be a friend of Cirno's and Daiyousei's, who had been recruited to help guard the mansion with them.
I nodded, pretending to know who Rumia was. "Ah, yes, she's not very strong, is she? But she and the fairies are all I have to guard this lovely estate."
"Where's your sister, anyway? Is she going to 'kyu' me? 'Cause seriously, I'll leave and never come back if you want me to --"
"No," I cut in. "As for Flandre, she is currently playing in the basement, probably destroying that calf I had one of the maids bring in for her. Neither of us are starved at the moment, so you needn't worry -- that is, if you're willing to cooperate."
"Starved?" she repeated, staring at me.
"Oh yes. We're vampires, you see. Didn't Keine tell you this?" I smiled a little, wanting to gain her trust. "It sounds as if you've been sent on a death mission."
This caused Hong to think a moment, and she soon nodded. "It does, doesn't it?"
"Well, I wouldn't bother with her," I said, shrugging before sipping more tea. "Instead, why don't you live here? We've got a lovely servant's quarters -- none of my servants are in need of anything." I turned to a nearby maid: "Don't you agree?"
The maid quickly nodded -- I don't know if she was afraid of defying me or if she honestly liked working for me, but she nodded and that was what I needed.
Apparently I wanted to be assured that the maids did like working for me, so I continued, "Tell Hong what you like about living here."
Looking surprised to be told to speak, the maid softly said, "We are given nice clothes to wear and good food to eat. I am friends with everyone here and we all get along."
"Doesn't that sound nice?" I asked Hong, smiling widely.
"Yeah, but…" Hong looked wary suddenly, as if scared to go against me. "I don't want to be no maid. I came here to fight, and -- and I'd like to fight still if possible. B-but not you! And not your sister! Maybe -- intruders?"
After a moment of thought, I nodded. "This sounds doable. Will you be our gatekeeper? You saw the tall, long wall surrounding this place, and the iron gate in it, but you were easily able to get over it, I notice. You can guard the gate and fight anyone who tries to get through."
Looking pleased, Hong stood up and punched the air before her, crying, "Sounds good! What's my pay? What are my hours? Can I have something to eat?"
"I will arrange for a small house to be built outside the gate -- that will be your house. While it is being built you can live in the servant's quarters. As for food, if my sister left anything behind, we will have veal for lunch."
Hong gave a happy battle cry and I sent for two maids to lead her to her temporary quarters.
