AN: I do not own Touhou Project, it belongs to Team Shanghai Alice, also known as ZUN. And now begins the second arc of Fugere Illusion. Perfectus Cerasis Blossom is the Perfect Chery Blossom arc, let the gates open

Perfectus Cerasis Blossom

(Perfect Chery Blossom)

(Part 1)

(Stage Start!)

It had been a few months since the Scarlet Mist incident as it had dubbed by the Bunbunmaru Newspaper. In that time not much had happened, and summer had rolled into winter. But now things were starting to become strange again for the residents of Gensokyo… for winter was not ending.

Vaati floated outside by the now frozen Misty lake, Cirno with her mentor and friend. Vaati had since recovered from getting a knife to the chest as had changed his outfit for the winter. Wearing a blue robe he had found in his shack and under that a long cleaved shirt and thick gray pants. Atop his head was a blue beanie that he had found as well, but even with his hands covered by cotton gloves, his feet remained without anything covering them.

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: Why is he barefooted in the snow? He's a sickly human in poor health.

WildMath55: I think it's because he doesn't have any proper winter footwears. If you ask me, I'll make H-Vaati British to complement Lucy's American and Yasei's Japanese status.

Sin Count. 211

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

Next to him was Cirno, who hadn't changed much at all, she was fully enjoying the long winter, and her months of teachings by Vaati and her playing with Flandre had improved her skill much, as she had amazingly managed to stay alive that entire time, thanks to her and Vaati's constant visits to the Scarlet Devil Mansion after they had run out of food.

"So… you up for a flight to the mansion?" Vaati asked Cirno, the ice fairy flashing a smile as she shot off into the distance, throwing blue danamaku back at Vaati. "Thought so." Vaati said under his breath, taking off after Cirno. He was far from agile in the air, but avoiding the light barrages of danamaku was not too much for him.

As they flew over the lake Cirno kept firing at Vaati, her shots not aiming to injure or anything, just simple danamaku. Vaati dodged, returning fire with his own small barrage of water shots, having learned his affinity towards elemental magic from Patchouli was the moon, water and earth.

"Hey Vaati you up for a Spell card!" Cirno shouted, having sped quite far ahead of Vaati, the mansion visible in the icy background. "As I'll ever be." Vaati sighed, trying to prepare for Cirno's attack. He only had one spell card, and he was still just learning so he only knew how to use water shots so far.

"Frost Sign: Frost Columns!" Cirno shouted forming a large blue orb and danamaku and throwing it, the orb spewing out small blue danamaku as it traveled. Cirno keeping her bullet count low to give Vaati a chance. Similar to Patchouli his speed and dodging were far from the best.

Vaati dodged as the slow shots moved towards him, small chutes of danamaku slowing moving on him from Cirno's position. Silently he thanked Cirno for this practice, he completely acknowledged his faults when I came to speed, but comparing him to Patchouli in that sense was right on the market.

"Water Sigil: Upstream Current." Vaati said, forming his spell card. What he had was a weaker version of Patchouli's 'Bury in Lake' spell card. Unlike her several streams of blue laser danamaku, Vaati only had two on each side, forming a path between him and Cirno, firing a few barrages of blue danamaku down the path at a time.

Cirno didn't even have to try to dodge, flipping left right and center around the small shots and avoiding clipping the lasers on either side of her. Shortly after, Vaati's spell card canceled out, Cirno stopping as Vaati floated up to her.

"I think that's enough for one day, now come on." Vaati said, panting a little bit as he flew alongside Cirno towards the mansion.

At the gate Meiling was cold, but dutiful. Still dressed in her sleeveless top and the same outfit from a few months earlier she was practicing her moves… on some fairy maids that had been plucked from the mansion for her use as practice dummies.

She had just finished punching and kicking them all into oblivion when Cirno and Vaati flew in, coming in from the sky in front of Meiling. "Hey you two, how's it going." Meiling greeted, Vaati giving a nod and smile at the gatekeeper as Cirno started to loudly proclaim something. "Things are going great; I mean look at this weather it's a winter wonderland!" Cirno showing off her inner child again.

Meiling how ever started shaking her head. "That's kind of becoming a problem now, spring should have started two weeks ago. Remilia was about to send Sakuya out to go find Reimu and Marisa and help them with finding out what's going on." Meiling said as Vaati shook his head.

"What are we, she wasn't going to get us, or at least Cirno?" Vaati said, the silent 'because she can keep up with Flandre' going through the minds of both Meiling and Vaati as Cirno ran to the door of the mansion and pushed it open, flying in as Vaati and Meiling followed.

"You've come here almost every day for the past couple of months, she's expecting you." Meiling joked, Vaati rolling his eyes at it. Inside Cirno had already flown off towards the library, Meiling and Vaati following while still having a nice conversation.

In the library Patchouli had her nose in a book, but noticed when the screams started, rolling her eyes at the usual response to Cirno showing up now. Remilia was sitting across from her, Sakuya having appeared with Reimu and Marisa wondering just where they were before realizing they were in the library. "That… disorienting." Marisa said, trying to find a quip and failing as Reimu took a seat at the table, Meiling and Vaati walking up as Cirno and Flandre flew overhead, already playing what everyone at the table hoped was a game of tag.

"Between Marisa and those two, I predict I won't have much of a library left within a few years." Patchouli said sarcastically as she saw Marisa trying to sneak a book off the shelf as the explosions started happening above the group. "Flan, please come down, we are busy here!" Remilia shouted as Vaati held his hand to his face as Cirno and Flandre floated down to join the group.

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: Again. That is not sarcasm. Sarcasm would be something along the lines of "My library has such a long life expectancy, now that Marisa and those other two are here."

WildMath55: Or just omit it altogether to avoid these misconceptions.

Sin Count: 212

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

"Right, down to business." Remilia said as Marisa cheekily raised her hand. "I motion that I get to take all the books in the library." Marisa said, finally getting her quip. The next five minutes were spent arguing with Marisa and ended with her tied to a chair.

"I was joking you know that?" Marisa said, trying to get out of the chair. "Marisa every time we see you, your trying to take books from here." Vaati said, putting his hand on his head as he felt the headache coming along. "Just stop we all know what she's going to say next, 'that I'm just borrowing'." Meiling said, referencing the many, many times Marisa had tried to take books from the library, not that they did much to stop her considering the place had more books then anyone, even Patchouli, could ever read.

"Alright, Marisa's kleptomania aside, why did you need us Remilia?" Reimu asked, directing her comment at the little vampire. "The winter is the problem; it should have ended a while ago." "You do recall that you did someone like this a few months ago." Marisa said, still struggling in her chair.

"Yes we are all aware of that Marisa, no need to bring it over anyone." Patchouli said, stuffing her nose back in her book as Marisa started complaining. "Well, what's the plan?" Vaati asked.

"We have no idea what's causing this, but we have a theory, Sakuya?" Remilia said, in full business mode. "Sis, why are you being so serious?" Flandre asked, sitting on her knees. Sakuya then pulled up a photo from the Bunbunmaru newspaper, showing a large amount of pink energy heading towards a hole in the sky.

"Is that normal or?" Vaati asked, still not completely accustomed to Gensokyo, having not gone past the misty lake, or into the forest of magic. "Normally it's just a hole in the sky that leads to the Netherworld, the domain of Yuyuko Saigyouji. I've dealt with her before, but only during the move of the mansion to Gensokyo." Remilia said, Vaati and Cirno both nodding in tandem. "Behind it is the Barrier of Life and Death, or the door that leads to the Netherworld, but its usually locked, so nothing can enter or exit, which makes this very unusual." Remilia said, pointing to the pink strands to energy visible in the picture.

"So this could be part of the reason spring hasn't come?" Reimu asked as Remilia nodded. "So… who's up for finding out what's happening." Almost instantly everyone raised their hands, except Marisa who couldn't but she said yes anyway.

"Flandre you can't go." Remilia said. "Big sis WHHYYY!" Flandre complained, pouting at her sister. "This is dangerous Flandre, I can't go either, it's daylight out." Remilia said. "You know if you let me go, I know someone who could also help us." Marisa said, still struggling to get out of the chair she was tied to.

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: But Remilia said two chapters ago that the sun doesn't burn vampires. So why get worried about it like that? And with what happens later, this scene gets worse.

WildMath55: Inconsistency with one own's stories... This is why world-building are a massive undertaking.

Sin Count: 214

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

"You mean Alice, don't you?" Reimu said. "Who else?" Marisa quipped. "The Dollmaker magician, if our hunch is wrong her dolls would be good to help cover ground." Patchouli stated, remembering who she could about the Dollmaker. "I never understand how you know these people Patchouli, you only recently started getting out of the library" Meiling said, scratching her head.

"I have a self updating copy of the Gensokyo Chronicles, when ever the original is updated the copy is as well. It has details and notes on people in Gensokyo." Patchouli said, holding up her book, the title 'Gensokyo Chronicles' on it.

"Nevermind, forget I said anything." Meiling said as she started walking. "You all coming?" The others followed behind her, Marisa still strapped to the chair. "Umm is someone going to let me out?" Marisa complained, a knife appearing above her and cutting open the ropes before disappearing, Marisa jumping on her broom and shooting after the others, leaving the vampire sisters alone.

"Can we have cake?" Flandre asked out of the blue. "Cake sounds good." Remilia said, the two sisters leaving the library to indulge in sweet cake.

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: This is foreshadowing to the role that vampires will have in future events.

Omega E The Reader: Which is doing absolutely nothing.

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: Exactly.

WildMath55: Foreshadowing is fine and all, but I prefer to be direct. That's why I created Yasei as OC/Author Avatar Hybrid. That way, I can truly do world-building using double perspective (Narrator/Character).

Sin Count: 215

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

As the rather large group shot over the frozen lake, Marisa split off from them to fly over the forest of magic, she was going to the find Alice in this mess. Flying over the white forest she looked for Alice, trying to spot anything that could lead her to Alice.

The sounds of danamaku fire drew her attention. Marisa turned towards the sound seeing a large amount of danamaku spewing over the trees. The sounds of explosions also present.

Flying towards the battle Marisa caught sight of a girl in a dress, surrounded by several dolls being attacked by fairies, led by… a cat girl? "What?" Marisa said to herself, seeing the little girl directing the fairies into attacking Alice, Alice's dolls get shot down as she was forced into dodging, unable to return fire.

Omega E The Reader: Seriously no Stage 1 again?

WildMath55: I think we already addressed this as something to be expected.

Sin Count: 216

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

Marisa came in hot, firing a narrow spark through the crowd of fairies, the cat girl and Alice turning towards her. She couldn't resist making a quip as a smirk grew on her mouth. "Never fear, Marisa Kirisame is here!" She yelled before laughing like a loon. The catgirl and her fairies all looking at her like she was crazy as Alice put her hand to her face and muttering something.

After her quick cursing of Marisa, she threw out more dolls from her supply, the puppets firing danamaku as her personal doll Shanghai orbited around her, firing barrages on Alice's command.

Marisa's moment of heroism faded as the fairies were quickly cut down, the catgirl forced on the defensive. Marisa flying down to Alice's side. "Hey Alice, how is it going?" Marisa said, acting oblivious to what had just happened. "Ha ha, very funny, now help he with this." Alice deadpanned as she started directing her dolls to fire on the catgirl.

"Who is this girl?" Marisa asked, adding in a few magic missiles to help with the bombardment. "Her name is Chen, and she just started attacking me for some reason, I don't know why she was with all those fairies though." Alice stated, acting casual as they kept firing. "Attracting people to you and them attacking you, gee Alice that's my thing." Marisa quipped, Alice frowning.

Omega E The Reader: The entire stage 2 was removed including the location as well. Seriously what is with the removal of some stages?

WildMath55: I wonder how H-Chen will react... She already got 'Yakumo' surname, by the way.

Sin Count: 217

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

"At least I don't have Kleptomania." Alice said, referring to Marisa's issue with stealing everything. "Hey they'll get what I borrowed back when I die." Marisa said, the two of them now in a verbal debate as Chen had been sent spiraling by the dolls, flying away and whining about getting someone, not that Marisa or Alice noticed.

"At the rate your going that's either not very likely or going to happen soon." Alice said. "What are you referring to, I'm me, if I became a youkai Reimu would exterminate me." Marisa said, bringing up her human life span. "I wasn't talking about becoming a magician, if anything I was referring to a certain someone, you know?" Alice said, Marisa suddenly getting very angry.

"Don't bring her up, just don't we lost her to Makai and now I can't get her back, and if anything it was your mom's fault." Marisa yelled, angry at Alice bringing that up. "It was much more violent back then, but now is not the time to reminisce on the past." Alice deadpanned, recalling her dolls as Shanghai floated around her, alert.

"Alice, sometimes I miss being like that, but only recently I broke the spell card rules because someone else did, she hurt a friend of mine and while I don't care for my sake, I can at least care for his. And everyone, even him sees the problem… except his own student." Marisa said, referring to Vaati, not that Alice knew who he was.

"Someone going the same route as her, I'm surprised you didn't jump at the chance." Alice said as Marisa started flying towards the sky, Alice following behind her. "That's what honestly worries me, I see a lot of myself in him, what I could have been if she hadn't helped me. And now he's teaching someone how to get stronger with hard work, and what scares me is that we might lose him, no that we are going to eventually." Marisa said, actually sounding concerned for Vaati, not that she'd ever admit it to anyone but Alice.

"Why did you look for me?" Alice said, changing the subject abruptly, things were getting hard for Marisa, and even her reminiscing on the past and on the present. "Noticing the snow and lack of spring, I'm working with Reimu and some others to find out where spring has gone, and I wanted to bring you on board, it's been a while since the last time we worked together." Marisa said, going back to her usual self.

"Might as well, after all you'd be hopeless without me." Alice deadpanned, even as a small smile formed on her face. "You take that back." Marisa said. "Make me." "Fine then we duel, right here, right now!" Marisa yelled, the situation heating up quickly.

BGM: (Switch between depending on who's spellcard) Marisa: Magus Night/dBu Music Alice: Demetori – The Grimoire of Alice

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: That format of BGM is very impractical.

WildMath55: Yeah, I tried once. Doesn't feel right to me. I think only Xover and Omega E that can pull it off reliably. It depends on the writing style, really.

Sin Count: 218

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

"Then let us begin." Alice said as Shanghai went on the offensive, firing rainbow shots of danamaku in a large spray. "I'll make you eat those words." Marisa said, firing an array of lasers as Alice, both of them dodging the other's shots, both of them falling into a rhythm, and neither holding back.

"I'll make you eat your words and blow up your puppets! Magic Space! Asteroid Belt!" Marisa shouted, bringing out the first spell card of the duel, and certainly not the last. As Red and Blue stars surrounded Marisa she started sending them out in a massive spiral, making more and more stars in alternating colors of red and blue in each wave in the spiral, even adding in some small yellow and green stars to try and catch Alice off guard.

Alice weaved between the stars, gracefully dodging each shot of the spell card, this was far from the first time she and Marisa had fought, and it seemed she had chosen to go with an all out approach. And so would she. Sending Shanghai to fly though the field to Marisa she lost sight of her little doll in moments, but saw her personal doll falling from the sky and then righting and returning to her. Alice rolled her eyes, she should have known Marisa wouldn't have fallen for that twice.

"Magic Sign: Artful Sacrifice." Alice said, throwing out four red glowing dolls, sending them plowing through the field of star danamaku at Marisa, each of them exploding into danamaku next to her as her spell card was canceled out from the explosions and danamaku, dodging the exploding dolls just barely as she smiled, Alice giving her not time to respite.

"Puppeteer Sign! Maiden's Bunraku!" Alice shouted. Several dolls surrounded her, firing lasers that Marisa dodged around, Alice adding her own trails of red and blue danamaku shots. Marisa was kept on her toes in the sky as the lasers from the dolls tailed her.

Checking behind her Marisa hoped up from her position of riding her broom to surfing on it as the lasers closed in on her, firing magic missiles at the dolls firing lasers, the simple dolls unable to avoid the attacks and exploding in a cloud of dust, but Alice didn't let it faze her as she canceled her spell card and sped at Marisa, the two passing each other at high speed before stopping.

Both stood still for a moment as Marisa's sleeve fell off, exposing her arm to the chilling winter air. Alice on the other hand had gained a large tear in her dress, both of them turning to face each other once more.

"Had enough?" Marisa asked. "Have you?" Was Alice's retort. "BLACK MAGIC!" "WHITE SIGN!" "EVENT HORIZON!" "CHALK-WHITE RUSSIAN DOLLS!"

Marisa formed a border in a large area around herself and Alice, as Alice herself threw out a large amount of white dressed dolls. The white dolls began firing as Marisa's magic Barrier of rainbow danamaku formed around her, the danamaku shooting in ten directions all around Marisa, Alice being forced to dodge as her dolls kept getting shot down. But they kept getting up as Marisa flew out of her barrier, now both of them in the thick of it as the barrier kept firing danamaku in all directions as Alice's dolls fired at it. The battlefield now a colorful arrangement of dolls and star danamaku as Alice and Marisa danced around the field in the sky, each of them having to dodge their own spell cards at the time as they shot at each other.

The sky itself seemed to explode as both spell cards canceled out, Marisa and Alice still going at it for one final time as they chased each other in the sky and fired at each other, even while chasing or being chased. Alice eventually reserved direction, gathering some magic into her palm, Marisa doing the same as they connected in midair. The resulting shockwave of stars and rainbow bullets a sight to behold as the two old friends stayed connected in midair, Alice's palm sparking with magic as Marisa's hand did as well before they both backed off.

"You've been improving." "I've had to to keep up with miss floaty britches, I can't very well be the second strongest in Gensokyo if I can't keep up with her." "Settling for second place now." "No, because one day I will surpass her, and when I do I'm going to rub it in her face!" "Good for you, now then shall we make haste?"

"I never even told you where we were going." Marisa said, finishing their impromptu conversation. "It's pretty obvious." Alice said, pointing behind Marisa. Marisa turned around and saw a large battle taking place near the hole in the sky, Reimu seen among to combatants as the rest of the group was fighting… some one?

"So then… what are we waiting for?" "It's about time we got this show rolling again isn't it." "Yes." "And I wouldn't have it any other way." Marisa and Alice said at once as they flew towards the battle, neither noticing as Chen had been watching them, waiting to report back to her master about what had just happened… as soon as she recovered her wits and found some fresh pants.

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: And how was the reader supposed to do the BGM when Marisa and Alice both used their spells at the same time, anyway?

Omega E The Reader: Is it even possible to switch two different theme songs while in combat?

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: Dunno, but both at once would just be cacophonous.

Sin Count: 219

Omega E The Reader: So it would sound bad if both played at once?

Lunatic-Over'9000'Lord: Have you tried playing two musics at the same time? It's a loud cacophony.

WildMath55: Coming from a music appreciator like myself, I concur. Unless it's a remix that intertwined both songs, I don't think it will work.

Sin Count: 220

Sue Cirno Count: 35 (unchanged)

(Stage Clear!)

AN: And that is the first part of the Perfectus Cerasis Blossom arc. This first bit focusing on Marisa and Alice, the next part will focus on the rest of the group, picking up from the bit where Marisa left them. Leave a review if you want to, and I'll see you next chapter.

Omega E the Reader's Afterword: Now then to respond to Lunatic's review. Yep I do agree with him. Goku Syndrome has been a prevailing problem in SO MANY fics. Like seriously what is the point of including characters who are considered as "fighters" but are very useless to the plot and don't change at all. This fic is one of them, and another fic that does have other side characters not improve is the Tale of Rumia with Reimu not improving at all in the slightest in that one alongside Sakuya and the SDM Crew. Like seriously what is the point of adding brand new characters if they aren't going to get stronger?!

WildMath55's Addendum: When I first see this story, I'm naturally enamored with it since it shows an interesting premise. I do have some basis of Touhou canon that time, but not much. After Omega E re-posted this story, I take a look back and realized that yes, it is written as Wish-Fulfillment. Something similar happens with Fantasy Blitzkrieg series, in which Lt Colonel Summers acknowledged in his EWW. Thus, I'm truly fortunate to stumble upon The Outsider by Savato93. I might be biased about this, but I truly do think it's a hidden gem. To address the Goku Syndrome Omega E stated above, I decided to implement Sengoku Gensokyo mechanics. That way, it also answers what Gensokyo will do if Spell Card Rules are not followed. At the very least, that will be a non-issue in my head-canon.