AN: I do not own Touhou Project it belongs to Team Shanghai Alice, also known as ZUN.

Scarlet Formam Diaboli

(Embodiment of the Scarlet Devil)

(Part 1)

(Stage Start)

It had been a month since Cirno had moved in with Vaati, and since then Cirno had been taught all Vaati could teach her about swordplay, swing at trees with her plastic sword as training. While Vaati knew she would never stand up to any swordsman with proper training without luck, she could most likely beat anyone else in swordplay. Cirno had seemed to have grown fond of powerful strikes, often swinging overhead to try and cleave instead of a slash or stand.

Through that time Vaati had also directed Cirno on magic pointers, to cover any blind spots she had with the shattering ice trick to cover her angles. In his opinion the shattering ice was a thing of beauty and confusion, as someone can't predict where the ice would shatter each time. While Vaati had no idea how other magic users fought here, he was sure Cirno could at least beat some of the lesser magic users, if there were any.

But Cirno's progress had come at a cost of Vaati's own health. In his own hospitality Cirno had taken his bed with he took the cold ground, Cirno's cold arua not helping with the exposure slowly causing ice to form around the edges of the room and on the windowsill. Slowly Vaati had been developing fits of coughing, like a sickness. He hoped it was just a cold.

But with his injuries combined with his poor physical health he didn't have high hopes. But it had been slow over the past month and Cirno had been developing quickly with Vaati's teaching, learning simple math and reading as well as combat. "It wouldn't do to be strong, without a strong mind as well." Vaati had said. He had been doing his best to hide his growing sickness from Cirno, so hopefully he would recover, so was so happy with him helping her.

But at the mark of Vaati's first five weeks in Gensokyo, the first of many strange events that would come to past, started to happen.

"Vaati, wake up, you need to see this!" Cirno shouted, rousing Vaati from his slumber. He coughed from the cold as he slowly got up, pain aching in his back as he grabbed his cane and walked over to the door, where Cirno was standing, looking down at his student. "What is it Cirno, it's to early for this..." Vaati said, feeling that is was early in the morning due to the lack of sunlight. Cirno looked at Vaati for a moment before pointing up. "Don't look at me, look at the sky!"

Vaati followed Cirno's finger and gasped, covering the sky was scarlet red clouds, a swirling vortex of the clouds above the mansion across the lake, thunder crackling ominously. "Well… I can see why you woke me…" Vaati deadpanned, to which Cirno just huffed at his response. "Well you're the native here, what do you think we should do?" Vaati asked Cirno, who looked at him surprised at his asking.

Cirno put her finger on her cheek, tilting her head in that way she did when thinking hard about something. She took a moment before smiling, then pointing her finger at the mansion across the lake. "I say we go see what's happening, that way I can fight them and become stronger!" Cirno proclaimed, to which Vaati sighed. Enthusiastic as always in his opinion. "Well then, let us make haste." Vaati said, walking out the door as Cirno grabbed her toy sword, Vaati rolling his eyes are her childishness. "Mind if I fly over the lake to the mansion, I'll see you there!" Cirno shouted, before taking off as Vaati turned and lifted his arm to try and stop her, but she had already taken off. Vaati chuckled and shook his head, walking slightly faster while he could, his numb pain would soon return without Cirno around him.

Marisa Kirisame, the Ordinary Magician flew over the forest of magic on her broom after having bested the Yokai of darkness Rumia. Who was just a rather dumb girl who blinded herself constantly by surrounding herself in a literal ball of darkness. Wasn't to hard in her opinion.

"Finally I can get a one up on Reimu, ze. I'll have stopped this incident while she sat in her shrine all day, ze!" Marisa shouted out loud as she neared the Misty Lake, heading towards where the red scarlet mist clouds were coming from.

From the forests below several fairies shot out of the trees, randomly firing danamaku at her for some reason. Expertly dodging the danamaku on her broom she returned fire, magic missiles from her hands hitting the fairies and making them explode into light to reform later. Pressing on she was soon over the lake, a fairy of slightly greater power flanked by other fairies firing on her, the greater fairy firing in more intricate patterns rather then the normal spray and pray style of the wild fairies.

"It's a thousand years to early for you to beat Marisa Kirisame!" Marisa shouted as she produced her spell card. "MAGIC SIGN: STAR DUST REVERIE, DA ZE!" Around Marisa several large stars of different colors formed and fired in all directions around her, hitting the Greater fairy and her flunkies dead on. "Danamaku is all about power, and don't you forget it, ze!" Marisa shouted as she continued on, firing at the fairies flying over the lake, she would get to the mansion and resolve this incident before Reimu, she wasn't going to let the prodigy beat her hard work and determination!

As Marisa was firing over the lake Cirno saw the flashes of light and the fairies getting shot. Gritting her teeth, she thought that someone was bullying fairies again and saw the attacker flying towards the mansion as well. Picking up her pace Cirno flew faster, drawing her sword as she flew. She had a fight on her hands!

Marisa and Cirno collided in mid air, Marisa being surprised before grabbing her broom and bringing it up to block Cirno's plastic sword in midair. The magician and the Fairy stood at a stalemate for a few seconds before both backed off, Marisa hopping back on her broom as Cirno put her sword on a sheath of ice she formed on her back.

"Nice trick, and nice sword. Where did you get it, ze?" Marisa asked, that was a nice sword, even if it was plastic it would make a nice addition to her collection of borrowed things. Cirno pointed at Marisa before shouting. "I don't know who you are witch but I won't allow you to continue bulling fairies!"

"Bullying, you mean the normal round of random fairies firing at me like usual?" Marisa said as she crossed her legs and sat on her broom, examining her nails. Cirno was getting angry at Marisa's dismissing of her, drawing her sword and pointing at her. "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A SPELLCARD DUEL, RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW WITCH!" Cirno shouted, loud enough for someone on the shore to hear her.

On the shore Vaati was walking fast, slowly feeling his pain returned when he heard Cirno's shout, looking over the lake he saw two small dots against the dark red sky. A blue dot and a black one, he knew that the blue one was Cirno and but the black one was an unknown. "That's not good, but I can't do anything. Best to make it to the mansion before the numbness wears off…" Vaati said to himself as he picked up the pace, glancing back at the two figures as the sky of the lake started to light up with magic.

Marisa didn't know why some upstart fairy with a sword was challenging her, the second best magic user in Gensokyo if she had to say so herself, to a duel. "Fine then Fairy, mind telling me your name before I borrow that blade and smack you down, ze!" Marisa shouted in a mocking tone. Cirno was growing angry but took a deep breath, looking at the magician floating across from her. "I am Cirno, and I am GOING TO BE THE STRONGEST!" Cirno shouted as Icicles formed around her and started firing at Marisa, the shots numerous and densely packed.

Marisa navigated the ice, but now without a few tears to her clothing, getting close to Cirno as she unleashed a point blank magic missile, driving the fairy back with a slight burn mark on her cheek. "I'm impressed, most fairies just explode after getting hit with one of my magic missiles, ze." Marisa said as the Danamaku from Cirno faded away, both of them slightly injured with Marisa's clothing damage and the burn on Cirno's cheek.

"Your turn witch. Use your spellcard!" Cirno shouted as she got into position, ready to dodge any danamaku fired at her. "Well try this on for size fairy! MAGIC SIGN: STARDUST REVERIE!" Marisa shouted as she pulled out the same spell card from earlier, this time an arena of Danamaku formed behind Cirno and around Marisa and waves of rainbow colored star Danamaku formed and fired. Cirno dodged and weaved and with her smaller size got in between the gaps in Marisa's magic stars, like how Marisa did to her, getting in close before not only firing an icicle at Marisa at close range, tearing a hole in her left side and leaving a bruise, she slashed at Marisa, hitting her on the head with her Plastic sword, Marisa feeling a small bump form under her hat.

Again both of them backed off, Marisa now in slightly worse condition then Cirno as both were breathing heavily from magic use. Marisa was impressed, not many had made it past her Stardust Reverie, let alone land a good hit or two on her. "Well Cirno, you've earned some respect I'll give you that, your turn, ze." Marisa said as she she got into position, her mocking tone slightly more friendly at the fairy, not that she noticed as Cirno didn't dare slack.

"ICE SIGN: ICICLE FALL!" Cirno shouted as the telltale rings of ice formed around her, she deliberately left a large blind spot in front of her for her little surprise. Marisa grinned as she noticed the large blind spot, quickly flying in between the icicles into the large box between Cirno and the icicles. Against her better judgment, and because she thought she was just facing an upstart fairy Marisa decided to taunt Cirno. "HAHAHAH, you think your going to be the strongest when your spell card has a blind spot this obvious fairy!" Marisa shouted, her slight respect for the fairy dropping at Cirno's seemingly stupid spellcard.

"That's the plan witch." Cirno said as she smirked, Marisa having half a second to question the smirk before panicking as Icicles were fired by Cirno. 'I didn't expect this! A fairy to actually form a TRAP spell card, using the expectation of being considered a stupid fairy as a strength. This fairy is quite promising, might have to duel her gain sometime." Marisa thought as she dodged icicle after icicle without the room to move in the small contained box. Suddenly Cirno stopped firing icicles as she folder her arms and floated there, Marisa raising an eyebrow as Cirno pointed behind her.

Marisa didn't have the time to turn around as a loud shatter was heard and shards of ice started tearing at her clothing and leaving bruises on her back. Flying upwards out the spell card zone, actually forfeiting that round she started thinking as the Fairy… no Cirno flew up to her level and did that smug little arm fold across from her as she thought quickly. 'This fairy is pretty good, she's actually giving me a challenge, and that trap card… Oooo I want to try making my own version so bad, that was amazing, and effective, that blind spot tricked me, ME since it was actually a trap and the icicles shattering… that was actual smarts, most fairies sure don't have that, be a shame to kill her, might rob me of an actual opponent since fairies lose memories when they are killed.' Marisa thought. This… Cirno was giving her a decent fight, either that or she was just out of shape from the new spellcard system Reimu made.

"Your pretty good Fairy, now why did you attack me." Marisa asked, this fairy was giving her trouble, and if she didn't move soon, Reimu would catch up and she wouldn't get the bragging rights! "You were attacking those other fairies, and I don't like bullies." Cirno said. "Look… Cirno can we do this later, I gotta get to that mansion and stop this mess before miss Floaty pants does it first, ze." Marisa said point at the mansion behind Cirno.

"I was going there as well witch, I was going with my teacher to see what was going on and fight some strong people." Cirno said as she hit her fist into her palm, smirking. That got Marisa interested, this fairy had a teacher? 'That would explain the swordplay and how she's smarter then other fairies, but who trains a fairy?' Marisa thought, looking at Cirno, who had taken her eyes of her and was seemingly scanning to shoreline for something.

"Why do you have a teacher?" Marisa asked, now she was annoyed, she had just got tricked by a fairy, and pretty much beaten in a duel by one. 'I blame the spell card system, Reimu literally made it so that the two of us could be beaten. But if this fairy has a teacher…' Marisa thought as images of powerful spells she could copy from this teacher flew through her head. She would have to make some of those later.

Cirno suddenly stopped scanning the beach as she saw something, turning to Marisa for a moment. "If you want to see my teacher, try to keep up witch." Cirno said with a smirk as she shot off towards the shoreline of the lake. "Try to challenge me to a race now fairy!" Marisa shouted as she shot off after Cirno on her broom, pouring extra magic into the back of it to accelerate towards Cirno. The two of them caught up to each other about halfway to the shoreline, both of them smirking at the other as each of them fired off icicles and magic missiles in return. A spontaneous duel had taken place as the two danced in the sky, dodging and weaving around bullets and ice all while returning fire to their opponent, getting the occasional hit on each other as they got ever closer to the shoreline. Unlike their duel previously, this one was more friendly, a dance with magic out of sheer excitement rather then spell cards.

On the shoreline, panting in pain was Vaati, who was barely standing by the lake, nearly a third of the way to the mansion, but both in pain and tired from his extreme lack of exercise. 'I hate my own bones sometimes…' He thought as he looked up slightly, seeing the two figures getting closer to him as stray shots started to land near him, leaving burn marks and shattered ice on the shore. "O… bollocks." Vaati said out loud as more stray shots started to fall around him. unable to run he choose to duck, getting down and hiding his head as he heard blasts and ice land all around him. A strong pain hit him in the back as he winced. It wasn't an icicle, but rather a stray shot that hit his back. it itself didn't hurt to much, but it set off the pain in his back as he kept his head down. The slight breeze on his back told him the blast had taken off a good bit of his shirt.

Above in the sky neither Cirno or Marisa noticed Vaati cowering as several fairies had shot from the lake into the middle of their impromptu duel and started firing at them randomly. Cirno dodged the bullets from the fairies and Marisa and returned her own fire on instinct, the ice hitting the still fairies as they plummeted before righting themselves and flying off.

Marisa was nowhere near as delicate, her more numerous shots going wide and hitting fairies, causing them to explode into light as her and Cirno's fighting died down. When all the fairies that had attacked them either had flew off or exploded the two combatants examined the other. Marisa had lost one of her sleeves to ice as several tears in her shirt and skirt aside from a few bruises she was no worse for wear from the front, but Cirno's surprise spell had left several small tears and bruises on her back. Cirno likewise had several tears of her own, as well as bruises all in all the two were fine, if a bit tired from all the rapid fire flying and fighting.

"Your *pant* pretty good fairy." Marisa said as she held onto her broom, she was less exhausted then Cirno due to her broom, but she still flew under her own power and her powerful magic missiles. Cirno herself was panting as she floated in the air. "You *pant*as well, witch." Cirno turned away from Marisa as she turned to the shore, and her eyes shot wide as she saw the cowering figure of Vaati on the beach, even from her distance away from him she could see the burn on his back from his torn off shirt. Ignoring Marisa, she shot down towards Vaati as Marisa reached out to stop her before looking down herself, seeing the injured figure on the beach Cirno was shooting towards, before shooting off herself towards him as well.

On the beach Cirno landed next to Vaati as Marisa landed a moment after, Cirno rushing over to him and helping him up, the injured teen coughing as he looked at Cirno and the witch. Ignoring the stinging pain in his back, thanks to Cirno's presence starting to numb him again he looked at the magician, and then at Cirno. "You two need to be more careful where you shoot." Vaati deadpanned, playing off his own injury, it was nothing worse then normal, just some pain and a slight burn, he would need to replace his shirt later though.

Cirno looked down at her feet as she observed the beach, seeing the littered ice starting to melt and the blast marks from Marisa's magic missiles as well. "Sorry Vaati." She said sadly as Marisa looked skeptically at Vaati. 'THIS is her teacher?' she thought as she looked the teen over, he couldn't be any older then her and he didn't seem to be in any condition to even go out of the human village, let alone be this close to the action. 'Well can't judge a book entirely by it's cover, Cirno is proof of that.' She thought.

Walking up to Vaati, Cirno took her place at his side, swinging her arms slightly as he placed his cane in front of him to support himself. Marisa looked at him, the beach marred by melting ice and burn marks. "So, you are this fairy's teacher?" Marisa asked as her eyes scanned him for any valuables to borrow, but other then the cane, which was simple wood there wasn't anything but the clothing on his… well not on his back anymore thanks to her stray shot. She recognized the mark, he had been hit by one of her magic missiles right in the back.

The teen looked Marisa over before looking at Cirno, then back at Marisa before responding. "Yeah, I've been teaching her, but it's been more giving her pointers then actual teaching, but you can't say we don't try what with my lack of magical knowledge." That surprised her, this guy didn't know anything about magic? 'Explains why he's on the beach instead of flying or something, but how did he ever survive out here without magic?' Marisa thought. She lived in the forest of magic, which most would have to be crazy to do, and being honest, Marisa was crazy.

"So wait, you don't know ANY magic and you taught her that trick?" She said, referencing the shattering ice trap. Vaati nodded as Cirno smiled, putting her hands on her sides. Marisa's mouth dropped slightly. This injured guy was teaching a fairy, and he had no knowledge of magic what so ever, and had taught her that trick. 'Great another prodigy for me to contend with.' Marisa thought bitterly. Why did everyone just seem to be good at magic these days, no hard work at all…

Vaati noticed her bitter look and decided to say something. "Any reason your giving me that look?" Marisa snapped out of her inner grumbling to look at Vaati before slightly scowling. "What ever prodigy, how did you teach her that trick." Vaati caught the slight growl in the word prodigy, he knew what it meant, meaning that someone was just very good without the hard work put into it. "Don't call me that, I'm no prodigy, all I did was observe her original spell and think up how to use the original blind spot as a trap, the shattering ice was just a bonus." Vaati admitted. Being smug would get him nowhere with this magician, so better to be honest.

"So what you've never had to do a day of hard work in your life, other then walking?" she said, looking at his cane. Now Vaati was scowling as Cirno backed off, this was a battle of words between Vaati and Marisa, and she didn't want to get involved in this one. "Don't you dare speak to me about not having to do hard work. Before I got to Gensokyo I had to deal with idiots all day, constant threats and getting several injuries that I won't recover from any time soon. I worked to get things right, and I sure as hell didn't take the easy way out and act like the idiots that populate Earth now." Vaati said in a calm yet strong voice, slamming his cane down for good measure.

Marisa was slightly taken aback by his proclamation, but recovered quickly with her own retort. "What did you get right, how to walk across the street or being an ass?" She said smugly. Vaati scowled as he started his next retort. "Listen here witch, I have never been the best at anything, but that doesn't stop me from trying to be, even with my injuries. I only gave up when there was no way foreword, no answer to find, nothing but pain and suffering in my path, but now here I stand, in Gensokyo and this time I am going to get it right, and if have to work for it, SO! BE! IT!" Vaati yelled before descending into a fit of coughing, to which Cirno ran to his side to help him stay up as Marisa stood still at his retort, thinking about how her own family didn't want her to study magic, to try and be the best and to just take over their business, to be boring. She ran from them and now here she was a magician of great power, second only to the Shrine maiden prodigy Reimu in raw power out of everyone she had met so far. But looking at the teen.

It was like looking in some sick mirror, what she could have been if she had fallen down to the very bottom only to be given a second chance, someone who had fought until he had no more fight left to give, until all the pain caught up to him. He was suffering but he still wasn't letting that stop him. And even if the fairy didn't she could see his worsening health. He wasn't doing well but he wasn't letting it stop him. 'Reminds me of me in a way.' Marisa thought, her scowl dropping as the teen slowly stopped his fit of coughing and stood back up, trying to stand tall, but his pained face said other wise.

"Cirno said something about how you were going to that mansion right." She said, pointing behind her at the mansion near the edge of the lake. Vaati nodded as Marisa hopped on her broom. "Get on and hang on old man, you want to prove your worth, show me." She said, leaving a bit of room on the broom for him to sit and hang on. The duo of Vaati and Cirno looked at each other as Vaati walked over and sat on the broom, siding on it sideways as he held on with both hands, his cane now on his back. Cirno floated next to Marisa as she took off.

"Try to keep up Cirno." Marisa taunted as she shot foreword, Vaati hanging on with all his might, which there wasn't much of as Cirno shot after them. They were heading towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion to find the source of the scarlet mist. And this would only be the first of the adventures under taken by the new trio of allies, not yet friends.

An: That was longer then I thought. Well leave a review if you want, any criticism is welcome.