Oh look, a fandom I'm totally in love with with tons of history that I wish I could've gotten in sooner. A fandom with a character I really love to the point that I write fanfiction for, doesn't happen all the time. I mean, isn't it something to procrastinate the entire outline of a story in the middle of exams? (don't worry, they're over.)

Oh I also tried a new a new technique on this one: Writing an outline/first draft, and I think it went well. I already have a big chunk of the story written, and the main story beats are already figured out. Yay!

The original concept for this story was Flandre is almost always drawn in a cute style, or always smiling, being cute. So I thought: What if she wasn't?

What if Flandre Scarlet was genuenly sad? seething with rage? And not the "unstable and psychotic" kind or the "cute pout" kind, but closer to a "I hate you so much I'm gonna kill you and make you suffer" kind.

I apologize in advance.

PROLOGUE

Family [What we gained]

As the sun is rising, right before the usual bedtime of the vampires, Flandre gathers everyone in the dining hall while she gets a 'surprise' of some sort. The residents chatter about while they wait, keeping each other awake, coming up with different ideas on what the surprise may be. Koakuma was there as well, even though she wasn't particularly invited.

"Ah, this better be worth it." Remilia gracefully yawned "I have a party to attend tomorrow…"

'You mean tonight." Sakuya said, also missing some sleep, "I'm sure it must be, my mistress. After all, it is an unusual request from Flan." It was then that Flandre came into view, flapping her colorful wings with her arms behind her back. Sakuya thought about a joke, but felt it would sound lame and corny considering–

"Ah, speak of the devil," Remilia casually said, causing Sakuya to cover an unexpected cough, Meiling to giggle to herself and Patchouli to hide a sudden puff from her nose.

"Oh, you're all actually here!" Flandre said. "I didn't actually expect that."

"What do you take us for? Of course we would, Flan! We wouldn't miss a strange request like that!" Meiling said, as she started getting excited. Unlike the others, she isn't that sleepy.

"Is that so~? I better make more strange requests then." Well, if by strange she means things like that, Sakuya wouldn't mind listening. She shouldn't push her luck though. "Anyways, for the surprise itself… Ta da!" Flandre revealed what was hidden behind her back: 4 pieces of papers that she handed to each of them (not counting Koakuma.)

On those papers were cute drawings of each one and Flandre, recreating a past scene they'd been together.

"These are so cuuuutttee!" Meiling was this close to squealing. Her drawing was that of herself playfully stretching her Flan's cheeks, with some stray colors representing her bullets.

"I'm, actually quite surprised." Sakuya looked at her own paper. Hers was Sakuya delivering food while a happy Flan cheered, with a few knives floating in empty space. Sakuya, unlike Meiling, tried to keep her fawning on the inside. She instead took it out by patting Flan's head." Since when did you become so good at drawing?"

"Ehehe~ Praise me more!" She replied while Meiling waited for her turn.

"I'll be sure to frame it on my desk." said Patchouli with a smile on her face. Her drawing had Flandre helping her out with books while she smiled at her. " Look, you even drew Koakuma here."

"Really? Yaaayyy!" The little devil cheered when she found out she wasn't entirely forgotten. A tiny Koakuma She was drawn tripping (in midair,) dropping the books that Flandre caught.

There was someone who hadn't said a word, though. They looked at that person and they quickly looked away.

That's right, what does her dear sister think?

"Remi? Don't you have anything to say?" Patchouli inquired. Everyone went around her to see her face…

"I-It's nice, I guess…sniff"

"Ah, you're crying!" Meiling points a finger at Remilia who was, indeed-

"I'm not crying! I just caught something in my eyes." She was clearly crying out of happiness, her pressed face doesn't lie.

"Both of them?" Sakuya jokingly pressed, and Flan internally wonders if it was really that good.

"Say, Flandre, what made you draw these all of a sudden?" Patchouli began. "It is a rarity for you to do something like this. Making us tokens and gathering us in one place." Meiling wonders if she did that before.

"Hmm, I dunno. I kinda blacked out…" She points a finger to her chin. "I was bored, I guess?"

"Eh- That's it?" Meiling lifted her hand, "So it wasn't because of our familial attachment?"

*sigh* "If that's what you want…" someone murmured.

And then, a snap. "Meiling, your turn is over." Flandre blinked, as Meiling backed away, not noticing the other vampire walking to her place.

Sakuya, Patchouli, Koakuma were joined by Meiling to look at the scarlet sisters, apparently having a staredown. It's not often they see Flandre out of her room, and even rarer to see the sisters interact, so this was a golden opportunity to burn whatever happens next into their memories.

"You don't have to pat me, you know?" Flandre said. While she admires her older sister, she still feels neutral about their relationship as sisters, not too strongly, but not too bitter either

"Yes, I agree. Remilia answered, "You deserve better." And then she did something unexpected to both sides.

Flandre's eyes widened when Remilia suddenly hugged her. She wasn't ready for this display of affection as it hasn't happened in years, and she didn't know what to do. But what she felt was warm. Comfortable. It was a feeling she had been subconsciously missing, that her body wanted before her mind. It was nostalgic, and it felt just right.

The residents quietly gasp. Patchouli opens her mouth slightly, Koakuma covers her mouth as her and Meiling start to squeal, and Sakuya's heart skips a beat and she covers her red face (minus her eyes), trying to keep it together. It's a rare sight indeed.

Remilia's hand slid to the back of her sister's head and caressed it gently, taking the silky blond strands of hair between her fingers. This melancholic feeling of days past was enough to choke on her tears. "Good grief, I guess you are my little sister after all."

Flandre tries to lift her shaky arms to try and hug her back, but, she's finding it difficult. To hug someone, doesn't that mean wrapping both her arms around them? Like she does to her dolls? She wants to do it, like a good little sister, but doubts cloud her mind.

She hasn't hugged a living being in years. What if she accidentally breaks her sister? Audibly crush her bones? Listen to her screams of agony? She'd still survive, but her sister wouldn't want to hug her anymore. No one would.

This feels nice.

She wouldn't want to disturb it.

She wouldn't want to ruin a good thing.

Again.

For that, she shouldn't do anything.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Unlike...-

Remila whispers whispers softly in her ear, something no one else could hear, something private reserved just for the little sister. It was something her ears hadn't heard in a time long forgotten.

She lifts her arms once again, and this time, they connect behind her big sister's back. No crackles were heard, no deafening screams, or desperate twisting to be set free.

It was pure bliss.

At this point, the residents were overflowing with adoration, as they could do nothing but stare at the vampire sisters, not daring to lift a breath that would disturb their peace.

Flandre may have truly forgotten what made her draw those pictures, but what she got out of it more than made up for it.

Eventually, their bodies remembered what time it was, that they should be resting for the party tomorrow. And so, they begrudgingly had to obey their needs and they each dispersed to their bedrooms for either a short nap or a deep sleep. Though Meiling went back to her post, with the passing humans and Youkai noting her bright mood (of course, that doesn't mean she'd let them in without a reason.)

.

.

.

As the mistress was getting ready to sleep, Remilia looked at the drawing again, taking in all the details: It was the sisters sitting under the moonlight. Their clothes were different, from a time before they adorned their current outfits. From a much simpler time, before they even went to Gensokyo. When it was just the two of them left. Though as she recalls, her sister didn't have those wings during that time. Or any wings, really.

Hm?

She flipped the page, to find a short message directed towards her. She read every word, taking in their crimson red color and childish handwriting.

Her eyes relaxed, and her heartbeat sped up, almost pushing a few tears. if her body didn't scream at her to sleep, she would be crying on the floor. She wiped her face instead, and held the page dear to her chest,

That girl… No matter what happened in the past, or what happens in the future, between all the ups and downs, the fights they find themselves in, Remilia could not have asked for a better sister.

Remilia loves her little sister very much, and she would continue to cherish and protect her to the very end.

Awww, what a wholsome and happy family! I actually enjoyed writing this more than I thought. It was nice seeing the SDM residents as a family, right?

By the way, this chapter and the next were originally a single chapter, but I really wanted the story to be posted because the next would've taken a while longer. Well, 5 chapters sounds better than 4 anyways. It was also a good dividing point between the events here and the events...later...

And yes, the next chapters will be longer.

I hope you enjoy this ride with me!