It was not usual for Remilia to request Rumia's presence. Although the two considered each other friends, Remilia was not the most social person, and was often busy with her own affairs. Rumia herself was often busy, between Rika's attempts to kill her, teaching Seiga, and working out minor incidents.

However, Rumia figured that Remilia wanted to tell her something important, due to what she had been arrangeing the last few weeks.

Remilia had decided to use Rumia's own connections, to bring the Komeji Sisters to the surface, and Reisen to the Scarlet Mansion, for the purpose of attempting to fix her sister's broken mind. She had requested that Reimu, Marisa and Rumia be on standby in the event Flandre went on a rampage as well.

Remilia, at this point, was simply waiting for Flandre to be calm. Satori and Koishi were in guest rooms.

Remilia and Rumia were sitting at the large, main table in the dining room. The vampire took a sip of blood from a glass, in a very lady-like fashion.

"You may wonder why I have asked for you here." Remilia said. "I simply... wish to talk."

"Eh? Talk? You're not the talking type usually, Remi..." Rumia said. She had a large amount of meat, from various animals, in front of her, and was eating a lot less civilized than the noble vampire.

"I consider you an ally on the mansion, and as such, I feel that you should know more. A lot of this detail was what Hatate wanted to publish, so I trust that you keep... quiet, about this information. Some of it is... sensitive." Remilia said.

"But, why do you want me to know?" Rumia asked.

Remilia just looked into her glass. "I guess it's been so long since I've had someone I've felt I can trust, that isn't in my employ. Patchouli isn't technically in my employ, of course, but she is not really someone you can talk to."

"Ah..." Rumia said. "I get it. Patchy's a shut-in, China and Sakuya are employed by you, so you don't really have anyone to talk to." Rumia said.

Remilia nodded, before she spoke.

"About 500 years ago now, me and Flandre lived in France. We were part of a noble family, but just children. However, within us, dormant, lay great power. This power came to the attention of an elder vampire. He wanted this power under his command, the latent powers within me and my sister... the power of Fate, and the power of Destruction. With that power, put simply, he would be invincible."

"Uh... question!" Rumia said.

"What is it?" Remilia asked, sounding a little irritated at the interruption.

"What's France?"

"Oh yes, I forgot you are not from Earth. France is a land very far from Gensokyo, and the culture is completely different from that of Gensokyo, which is based on Japanese culture for the most part." Remilia explained. "It's very different to here. There are no Shrine Maidens, for example. The main religion is Christianity, not Shinto, Buddhism and Taoism." Remilia explained.

She paused, before she resumed.

"The Elder Vampire attacked our castle in the dead of night, on the full moon, and butchered everyone inside except for me and Flandre. The walls were covered in blood. He killed for the sake of killing. I was fortunate. I was asleep, in my room, during the massacre, but Flandre... Flandre couldn't sleep. She had gone to see her parents... just before he killed them, right in front of her."

"How could he do that? Killing humans like that?" Rumia asked.

"Back then, 500 years ago, this was the norm for Youkai, Rumia. The bite released our latent powers, and, in Flandre's case, the transformation, combined with what she saw, shattered her mind. She went insane." Remilia said. "She was locked into the basement of the mansion once he discovered he could not control her, while I was groomed to become a weapon for the vampire."

Remilia's mouth then curled into a smile.

"Over the next fifty years, he thought he had control. But he under-estimated me. I twisted his fate, leading him towards his doom. Slowly, he lost everything. Slowly, he was driven to madness. Every misfortune befell him, and I reveled in my revenge. When he was a wreck, I paid back the pain he had put me through, for a whole week. A vampire is very hard to kill, after all. Only when he was but a husk, completely lost, and beyond saving, did I let Flandre finish him off."

"He was a monster... I'm sorry to hear that..." Rumia said.

"I was a monster too, Rumia. However, after that event, I realized what I was becoming, and resolved to prevent it. I used my powers to hide the mansion, locking myself and Flandre within. Only when we needed to feed would I come out. However, one fateful day, my victim was none other than Patchouli, a witch who was traveling the world. She was able to fight me to a standstill, using my weakness to flowing water against me, when she revealed she was looking for my mansion, and the Great Library within. We struck a deal.. and with a few twists of fate, and more than a few new books, Patchouli and I remain together today."

"So... Patchouli was the first one to join the mansion?" Rumia asked.

"Yes. Back then, she was healthy as well. Alas, I think her addiction to Voile is what ultimately has caused her condition. I daresay, that in her prime, Patchouli was stronger than I was. With her power, we were able to relocate the mansion. My feeding was drawing vampire hunters. So, I would feed a few times in each location, before hunters arrived, and Patchouli would move the mansion to another location, with a combination of her Earth and Air magic."

"She could... move an entire mansion?!" Rumia said.

"It was Patchouli, with my aid, who moved this very mansion to Gensokyo." Remilia said. "Anyway, at one point, we ended up in China, and that was when I met Hong, who wanted to flee from her home for some reason or another, and decided to come with us. She's never explained why she wanted to flee, and frankly, I do not mind. Oddly enough, I feel that must have been fate, since we only went to China once. You could say that Chinese did not agree with me, for some reason. Not long after that, I came across the legendary Gungir and Lævateinn, weapons that belonged to gods of old."

Rumia chuckled.

"Anyway, in 1,888, we ended up in London, or, more specifically, above London. Once again, this must have been fate, for when I went to feed, I found fresh bodies, brutally murdered by a knife. Every time I went to feed, there would be a body in my path. And then, one night, I saw the killer with my own eyes. It was a little girl, in rags, with glowing red eyes. An orphan, who, in anger and hatred, lashed out at others."

"It wasn't..."

"Yes. It was Sakuya. And she attacked me too, but I subdued her, and took her in. Sakuya's unending loyalty comes from the fact I gave her life a meaning, other than ruthless murder. She still hates humanity, who knows what happened to her before I found her to make her hate humans so, but one thing is clear, she is no human herself. I have my theory, but that is not something I wish to share, for Sakuya's sake."

"But... how is Sakuya over 100 years old then? She looks like a young woman!" Rumia said.

"Not all races have a finite lifespan. I am over 500, my body does not age." Remilia said. "Anyway, since that time, we have moved from place to place, and noticed the magic dwindling. Thankfully, the collected magic in Voile kept us able to be in the outside world for far longer than most, as well as the fact humans still had some belief in Vampire stories. However, when I found out about Gensokyo, me and Patchouli prepared for 5 days so we could enter, forcing our way through the Hakurei Barrier. And, well, from there, we made the Scarlet Mist Incident, so Gensokyo would know who I was."

Rumia smirked.

"You guys are just like one big family! I sure wish that one day I get something like what you guys have! Friends are nice and all, but I don't really have a family of any kind!"

"Heh. I guess you could say we are like a family of sorts." Remilia said. "I never thought about it that way."

At that point, Sakuya entered the room.

"Mi'lady, Flandre has calmed down. It's now or never. Shall I get the rabbit?"

Remilia stood up.

"Yes, get them, and while you're at it get Reimu and Marisa."

"That will take even me a short time, not to mention them traveling here." Sakuya said, before she bowed. "I will be as swift as I can be."

Sakuya vanished, and Remilila smirked at Rumia, a mischevious smirk.

"I don't know... you and Rika could be a cute couple~"

Rumia blinked.

"What."

"Well she's highly protective of you. You didn't see her when she thought Yorihime killed you. And her attempts to 'kill' you seem more like a cry for attention. I mean, she's not exactly getting anywhere, and she's trying more and more often." Remilia said, in a teasing tone.

"You're nuts if you think there's anything between me and Rika..." Rumia said.

"I'm just kidding." Remilia said, before she walked out of the room, making one last remark as she left.

"Although I've seen enough Tsunderes in my time that Rika's behavior isn't completely irrational."

Rumia just facepalmed as Remilia left sight, before she sighed.

Remilia hadn't been the first one to suggest Rika may have some feelings for her. Sanae teased her about it too at one point, and Marisa had tried to give Rumia advice on dealing with Tsunderes at one point, which she quickly shut up about when Rumia retorted about her and Alice.

The basement was dark. There were broken objects strewn about, scattered around the little sister, who sat in the middle of the room.

"Remmmi~? Who are these people?" Flandre asked. Her voice showed no sign of sanity, slipping from a happy tone to a sad one.

"They are my friends. I'll play with you later Flan if you behave and do as I ask now, OK?" Remilia said.

"Hehehehe... Friends? Are those something you break?" Flandre asked.

"No, they're things you don't break." Remilia responded, as Satori and Koishi moved to the sides of Flandre, and Reisen moved in front.

"Be ready for anything." Sakuya warned Marisa, Reimu and Rumia.

"Yeah, I guess this could end up making her even worse..." Marisa said, sounding a little worried.

"Look into the rabbit's eyes, Flan." Remilia said. The younger vampire did as she was told, and instantly seemed to enter a trance, as Satori and Koishi began to focus. It looked as if Reisen and Flandre were having a stareing contest.

Nothing changed for about twenty minuites, until the three suddenly broke off Flandre, and gasped together, falling to their knees.

"There is nothing more we can do." Satori said. "If we manipulate her mind any more, it will cease to function altogether, and she will die."

"I think we did enough, but she may still have some issues." Reisen said.

Flandre shook her head, and looked around.

"Remi? Who are these people?" she asked, her tone stable.

She shook her head again.

"Wait... wings... you have wings..."

The vampire looked over her shoulder.

"So... it wasn't a nightmare." Flandre said.

Remilia juddenly embraced her sister, and started to make sounds as if she was crying, although actually doing so was impossible for her.

"Eh, seems like everything is alright!" Marisa said.

"I didn't need to be dragged here after all~" Reimu sighed.

"Ehhehe... isn't it a happy sight though Reimu?" Rumia asked.

"The happiest sight for me is a filled donation box, and I'm only seeing that in my dreams." Reimu retorted.

Sakuya ushered everyone out of the basement, stateing that Remilia would want to be alone with Flandre. She moved Rumia out last, however, someone blocked the way.

"Why, hello there!" Yukari said.

Author Notes:

I ended up re-writing this a few times, because the 'Flandre regaining her sense' part ended up being far, far too short, so I added the part about the SDM's back-story.

In case the back-story isn't clear, Sakuya *is* Jack the Ripper in this back-story. I thought that Remilia seemed... fancy enough, as well as proud enough... to be linked to Nobility, and I chose France for no real reason. I don't know enough about vampire legends to pin a name onto the Vampire that bit Remilia and Flandre, however it certainly wasn't Tepes.

Also, at this point, the two 'major ships' of the story should be pretty clear. Of course, it doesn't mean they float.

Anyway, MAJOR PLOT next chapter. But isn't it always major when Yukari shows up?

Also, apologies for the slower rate of updating, my Uni semester has begun. The initial fast rate was me attempting to get as much out before Uni.