The Ultimate Life Form in Project Touhou

[Chapter 10 - Victory?]

Location - Hakurei Shrine, Gensokyo

8 YEARS AGO

It was a late night at the Hakurei Shrine. A younger Reimu wearing a more bit version of her Shrine Maiden outfit. Had been taking care of the shrine by herself all day ever since her mother left four years ago, to cope with the fact that her mother is possibly gone forever, she's taken up the mantle of shrine maiden. Something she wanted... Something she has trained tirelessly for.

She lets out a little sigh, taking a look around at her shrine. Seeing as it was clean, she nodded before setting the broom against the wall of her home and taking a break, sitting down on the porch of the shrine, looking up at the twinkling stars in the sky, and wondering a lot of things. Mainly if her mother will ever come home, if she'll lose a fight against a Youkai, if she'll die doing this... Or even If choosing this was the right cho-

Instantly when that thought came to mind Reimu shook her head before stopping putting a hand on the side of her head with a dreadful expression on her face. "What am I thinking?" She muttered to herself, slowly adopting a more determined look, her red eyes shining bright with resolve.

"This is what I wanted... And now I gotta deal with it, whether I like it or not. After all what kind of Shrine Maiden would I be if I gave up?" She sighed to herself, resting her head on her palms with a tired, pouty look on her face.

She lets out some adorable tears escaping out of her eyes as she does so, which she wipes away with a small breath, standing back up. "Time for a nap." She groaned out, stretching and yawning some more before wiping her eyes once again and walking groggily back into her shrine.

"LOOK OUT BELOW-ZE!"

That was until she heard the familiar yell of a certain blonde w̶i̶t̶c̶h̶  magician friend of hers, she quickly spun around with a surprised and confused look on her face. Normally Marisa would be asleep at this time... Actually, now that she thought about it, Marisa never shows up at this time.

"Why is she here?" She wondered, stroking her chin before her eyes widen realizing something.

"Also is she about to crash into me!?" Reimu yelled out in her mind with wide eyes as Marisa was indeed sent flying into her. Reimu felt air leave her lungs as Marisa flew into her. The both of them tumbled all the way into her shrine before collapsing onto the ground.

They both were breathing heavily on opposite sides of each other, and just like Reimu, Marisa was wearing a more bit-sized version of what she calls her "magician's outfit", when really, she looks like a witch, but anytime Reimu says that the blonde just calls her a blasphemer or outright ignores what she says, or just changes the subject.

"Ehehe... S-sorry about that, Reimu... Don't really have good control over flying with a broom yet." The blonde giggled nervously as she sat up with a bright smile on her face.

Though she was breathing heavily Reimu eventually recovered rubbing her aching chest thanks to Marisa. "Ugh... What are you doing here, Marisa!?" She asked the blonde with a small glare.

"Eh... Well, I came over to ask if we could have a sleepover... Since my house sunk underground and its gonna take me a while to get it back to normal." She explained, scratching the back of her head with an awkward chuckle.

Reimu getting over the soreness in her chest, gave Marisa a look wondering if the blonde was serious or not. "Then again knowing her, she probably would do something like that..." With that thought in mind, Reimu sighs she may not like this but... It won't be so bad right?

"Haa..." She lets out a frustrated sigh pinching the bridge of her nose, wondering if she was really about to agree to this.

Marisa seeing her expression and detecting a possible no incoming, quickly did her amazing new powerful technique.

Convincing Sign "Puppy Eyes"

She makes her eyes more vibrant, adorable and pleading... Like a puppy... That's basically it. "No way this doesn't work-ze! It worked on Alice... It can definitely work on Reimu!" She thought with a triumphant expression in her mental space.

"Pwease!" The blonde asked in a slightly higher pitched voice.