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Ch. 28: Love Coloured Spark

"Nggh…"

"How are you feeling?"

"H-Huh?"

"I said how are you feeling? Stupid…"

Marisa's vision was a blur as she struggled to raise her eyelids. Man, those vines were brutal… Oh! Marisa startled as she just realized she was lying on her back. Out on the ground. With her head resting on Alice's lap.

"Huh- A-Alice" Marisa made to get up.

"Stay down," Alice shoved Marisa back down.

"B-But" After all the pain she put Alice through… Marisa did not really think she deserved such treatment.

"Look, you still owe me an explanation, okay," Alice responded shortly, almost as if reading what was on Marisa's mind. "Plus, I saved you. So now, you're at my mercy. So…" Alice placed her hand over Marisa's shoulder. "Stay down!" Alice pushed Marisa down harder.

"Ow! Okay, okay…" Marisa resigned herself to Alice's will. For a few moments the two remained just like this, Marisa resting on Alice's lap, not moving, and Alice determinedly looking away, her expression still sulky. Save for the gradual reddening of Alice's face, nothing changed for the few moments-

"Um… Alice? I did not want to bring this up but… you've pushed my head pretty far down your-"

"Shut up." The reddening of Alice's face picked up the pace, but otherwise Alice kept still. This position Marisa's head was in felt pretty nice… her lap that was… what else?

Both girls were some distance away from the forest, Alice having carried Marisa to safe spot from the maddened foliage. The trees and vines had stopped their incessant growth and trashing, and Alice's grimoire lay silent at her side. Her cottage however, was completely overrun by the previously crazed but now still plants, and was totally inhabitable.

"…Well, at least it wasn't directly your fault this time Marisa."

"Uh huh…"

"…"

"Um… Hey, Alice?"

"What."

"Uh… about before…"

"Sigh…" Alice turned to look down at the Marisa in her lap with an expression of dislike. "Right… Where were we?"

"Well…"

"Oh, I remember! You were in the middle of rejecting me…"

"Uh… right… No! That's not it!" Marisa made to sit up again, only to get pushed down once more.

"That's not it?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"No… that's not it… but Alice-"

"In any case, I don't care, Marisa."

"… Huh?"

Alice sighed. "It's just that," she looked at Marisa seriously, "I just realized, whether or not you love me, I know I love you." She continued to stare at Marisa seriously. "I can't lose you." Alice's eyes watered slightly at the memory of what had just happened.

Marisa opened her mouth to say something, closed it, opened it again and ended up with uttering a pathetic "Ah… right…"

Alice sighed again, shut her eyes pensively and said, "So I guess what I'm saying is, I don't care what you do, or who you go out with, or even that you don't love me." Alice's eyes parted slightly so as to look into Marisa's eyes. "So long as you're safe, I'm fine with it."

"But… but Alice…"

"So go! You ungrateful pimp of a witch! Go! Do what you want!" Alice's face turned away as she huffed angrily, eyes shut tight and lips pressed in a thin line.

"Ah…" Marisa took awhile to take in that insult, before blurting out indignantly, "But Alice! I have always loved you-ze!"

Alice's eyes opened in puzzlement. "Huh?" She turned to look down at the ungrateful pimp in her lap with distrust. "You really are a player, aren't you?" She said with disdain. "First telling people that you want to just be friends with them, then telling them you love them… Which is it?"

"Heh… Alice…" Marisa smiled and reached up to touch Alice on the cheek, who scowled a little, but did nothing to remedy it. "That was what I meant. I just wanted us to continue to be friends so I can continue loving you."

"H-huh…?"

"I mean…" Marisa looked at Alice warmly, "If I had to choose between you, or Reimu, or Patchouli, then that would mean I could have to disappoint someone, right?" Marisa's eyes turned down slightly. "All of you are important to me, so I don't want that. I don't want rifts to form between us." Marisa looked back at Alice, "I just want us to be able to laugh with each other whenever we see each other." Marisa smiled genuinely.

"…" Alice had never thought of it that way before… but then again…

"Heh… Haha… Hahaha…" Alice chuckled.

"Uh… Alice?" Marisa inquired. What was so funny? I was being so serious-

"Haha… hah…" Alice looked down at the loving witch resting on her lap and gave a small, sad little smile. "Sigh… Marisa, Marisa, Marisa…" Alice shook her head a little solemnly.

"A…Alice…"

"Well… if you put it that way…" Alice smiled and shook her head again. "Sometimes, I don't know whether to love you or to hate you, but really!" She looked deep into Marisa's eyes, "You can be so innocent and pure sometimes… You! Of all people…" Alice failed to fully repress a snigger at the kleptomaniacal, trigger-happy trickster of a witch.

"T'ch… I really meant it-"

"I know you do," Alice placed a hand over Marisa's lips. "It's just… ahhh… how should I put it?" Alice brought her face closer to Marisa's. "I'm glad you do love me, but it's just not the kind of 'love' I have in mind… Do you understand?"

"I-I know what you mean but-"

"Do you?"

"I-It's all that couple stuff right? Like kissing and going out and staying together and-" Marisa felt flushed being slowly cornered between Alice's face and thighs.

"Mmmm… Something like that…" Alice placed her fingers delicately under Marisa's chin and tilted it slightly upwards as she bent down all the way to cup her lips over Marisa's.

"…!" Marisa quivered a little, but accepted the kiss. Alice, her eyes opened slightly to study Marisa's expression, found herself delighted by the sight of a cute, blushing Marisa screwing her eyes tightly shut.

"Heh…" Alice closed her own eyes and forced her tongue into Marisa's mouth, intertwining it with Marisa's. This time, Marisa made a motion to resist, but remained obediently where she was. Alice then proceeded to trace her fingers on Marisa's body-

"Hah!" Marisa literally leapt out of Alice's lap, her eyes wide with shock. Alice, instead of being irritated by Marisa's reaction, felt highly amused.

"Hehe… I sometimes forget you really are still just a kid, aren't you?" Alice snickered as Marisa looked away with all the embarrassment her heart could offer and all the blood it could pump into her face.

"Wh-What was that?" Marisa demanded softly.

"That? Well that…" Alice smiled. "That is the sort of love I had in mind. The sort you can't share as a group. Get it?" Behind her, two dolls were locked passionately in a deep kiss, providing a pictorial aid to what Alice was referring to. "Or are you really the harem type, hmmm?" Alice narrowed her eyes in mock disgust as four more dolls joined the already present pair.

"Ah… I- I am most certainly not!" exclaimed Marisa, face deep crimson as Alice giggled at her reaction. "I mean… what is this daze…" Marisa pouted, "Teasing me like this…"

"I get it, I get it…" Alice giggled. "Sigh… Still, I guess it's better this way huh? A pure an innocent Marisa, for the most part… I too, just wish for you to be at my side. I can't imagine a day without you Marisa," Alice held both of Marisa's cheeks in her hands.

"S-So… this means we can still stay the closest of friends, can't we?" Marisa blushed again, and grabbed both of Alice's hands away from her cheeks so as to hold them in her own.

"Of course," Alice and Marisa hugged each other. "I already told you didn't I? I love you, and I just want you to continue to be a part of my life," Alice said.

"Me too," Marisa reciprocated.

"Then maybe after a few more years, when you've matured a bit more," Alice's voice suddenly changed tone. "Maybe then, I can continue to try to pursue that 'special sort of love that can't be shared' with you…" she breathed foxily into Marisa's ear.

"Gah!" Marisa pushed Alice away playfully. "Stop that!" Marisa started running away.

"Haha!" Alice gave chase. "Come back! I was just kidding!" Alice lied. Partly…

Marisa stopped to turn around and stuck out her tongue. "Well then, come get my love-daze!"


"Oh! By the way Marisa? I have no where to stay for now…"

"…Uh… If this is going where I think it's going…"

"Mind if I share your love nest for now?"

"GAH!" "Hehe…"