To Those Who Serve, a touhou project fanfic

Title: To Those Who Serve
Fandom: Touhou
Pairing: Hong Meiling/Sakuya Izayoi (MeiSaku)
Rating: G/K+
Prompt: Folktale #13) The Tiger & The Dragon—Sparks fly between two spirits who are opposites yet linked together by destiny.
Language: English
Word Count: 600
Content Notes: Deals with a bit of implied child labor/slavery in the middle, for anyone uncomfortable about that.
Author Notes: The second I started this challenge, I knew I'd use Touhou for a least one of the 15 prompts in the Folktale Trope Challenge. 2021 and still a mega fan of this ship.
Summary: Izayoi is but a weapon, meant to only shed blood when her mistress orders her to—so why can't she help but have a soft spot for Hong? (Or, a introspective of Sakuya and her feelings on Meiling.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou, nor am I or will I ever profit from this work.

To Those Who Serve

By Lumiere de Venise

SINCE THE MOMENT YUKIKO AINO became Sakuya Izayoi and her hair went from the darkest of black to a shade of gray not so far from white, she vowed to spent the rest of her days without any traces of intimacy or submissiveness to another person. She was to be celibate, and only bow her head down to the requests of protection and bloodshed by Mistress Remilia.

That is the way of a human under the will of a supernatural being.

Izayoi once told Shikieiki Yamaxanadu that, as a maid of a vampire, she was but a knife with no humane blood. This is something that she's kept in her mind for years, and has engraved it into each and every thought and action. A tiger always in the stealth position, and never hesitant once a prey has been located.

So…why? Why can't she help but have a secret soft spot for her redhead coworker?

The two Asian women were so different from each other, Patchouli would constantly bring it up as a defense whenever Sakuya made a snide comment about Marisa barging into the library.

Meiling is an extroverted, mighty spunk of energy that sees even humans as beings to protect regardless of status and prefers to mingle around and create friendships and allies instead of instantly standing her ground as a high class youkai. Like a gentle dragon, she sees things as if they're all jewels and spreads her power-wielding arms and attacks around like wings that are no different from a human's yukata or meager weapon.

A true youkai of Meiling's status should be a mistress themselves, sitting on top of their throne as they order reluctant lower class youkais and fearful humans to do their every being—for Meiling to instead take a role as degrading as a housekeeper and take lectures from lesser youkais and a human such as Sakuya was something that Sakuya should hate Meiling for.

Yet, it is something that makes Sakuya's feelings for the other female grow only stronger. It was almost like Meiling was the "human" Sakuya could have been, if her life before being a maid of Remilia was better. If she was not sold by her parents into the field of child assassins, forced to learn to throw knives in weak points and know what type of wood is most effective to permanently defeat a vampire.

Hong's a sunshine throughout bloodshed, and a diamond amongst the sinisterness that is the youkai race. The Chinese woman, to Sakuya, is a contradicting piece of the Scarlet Devil Mansion that she can't help but (secretly) admire despite.

"Are you ready, Sakuya?"

Sakuya snaps out of her daydreaming and looks at Meiling. Enemy youkai have managed to somehow enter the library, and as Remilia and Flandre are at the Hakurei Shrine, Koakuma is out on the other side of the village, and the fairies aren't working today, it is up to the maid and the gatekeeper to protect the sickly librarian.

Despite the teasing Patchouli had done to Meiling a few days before about losing a game of chess to Cirno, the Chinese redhead was strongly right in front of the witch, her stance strong and threatening to anyone that dares to step even one step close to the purple-haired frail women.

Sakuya looks at Meiling and gives the cockiest smirk she can, something that has the other woman bulge her eyes—"Has Sakuya been replaced?" Patchouli asks Meiling—and raise her eyebrows as high as possible.

"I've been for years, Meiling, I've been for years."

Sakuya presses on her watch, and everything goes still.

[FIN.]

[ENDING AN:] I will never stop loving this ship, even years later. It's one of the best yuri couples I've happened to come across.