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Part 1 of World Crossers: Navigator
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2017-10-04
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2020-08-05
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28/?
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Far From Home

Summary:

It hit him just as hard as one of the teen’s whacks of his paper fan.

The child before him was a bloody offering.

He wasn’t sure what was more sickening. The fact that this girl’s father left her here to die, or that she was to be an offering to something far worse than what had found her.

Or:
How Kuro finds a child in a forest and brings her back to Mahiru.
(Chapter 27-Descendants of Alice pt.8)

Notes:

This was inspired by two things.
a tumblr post: http://ultramarcypan.tumblr.com/post/165591745533/word-nerds-united-are-you-an-angel-the
and the song called Far From Home by Five Finger Death Punch. This is my first work, so comments and request are welcome.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Forest of Lost and Found

Chapter Text

He’s never done something like this before.

Children were more Lust’s department, seeing as how his subclass was made up of nothing but children. Yet staring into the eyes of the small human before him, the Servamp of Sloth couldn’t help but notice the gleam in them as the child looked at him with such awe.

“Are you an angel?”

The little girl couldn’t be no more than five, in human years, her long brown hair was free of any ties which framed her already large honey colored eyes. Her hands were clasped in front of her in prayer. Nothing on her but a white slip standing out in the middle of a clearing in a forest. In mid-winter at night, he might add. As he stayed silent, her eyes grew wider before she smiled up at him.

“You are an angel!”

There she went again. What part of him looked like an angel? He was dressed in a blue jacket with four tails attached and dark fur on the hood. The bell his Eve gave him hung around his neck. His white pants were held up by a belt and his black boots almost reach his knee. Not to mention that his hair is a lighter shade than his jacket with red eyes that change shades depending on light and bags underneath them. His face was in his usual bored expression, but there’s nothing he could do about that, much to the Eve’s chagrin.

“Look kid…” he tried to find the words but the girl in front of the Servamp cut him off.

“Okaa-san told me to pray every night and the angels will hear them. And here you are!” Her eyes fell to the ground just as her smile did. “Otou-san isn’t nice like he was. He told me that Okaa-san was here, but I can’t find her.” Tears began to form in her eyes. “So, I prayed that an angel would take me to my Okaa-san.”

The centuries-old vampire looked around the forest, sweat beading from his temple. The little girl hadn’t done anything wrong. The sins that tainted most adults had yet to be planted in her soul. As he looked around, he could feel something strange in the clearing.

It hit him just as hard as one of the teen’s whacks of his paper fan.

The child before him was a bloody offering.

He wasn’t sure what was more sickening. The fact that this girl’s father left her here to die, or that she was to be an offering to something far worse than what had found her. Children might not be his forte, hell people in general, but he knew enough that all children need their parents.

If you do nothing, you’ll regret it later. Thinking simply, wouldn’t it be easier to act right then?’ The words of his Eve came back to bite him. ‘She’s alone and scared with no one. You’re right there…’ Why does his inner voice sound like his contractor? Even if he was a lazy Servamp, he still had standards.

“I’m not an angel,” He leaned down to pick up the small human, a small gleam in his eyes. “Not even close. I’m someone different.”

The little girl tilted her head as she was lifted off the ground. “Really?” Now that he had her in his arms, he could feel the small shivers that were racking her body. For such a tiny human, she was putting on a very brave face.

Kuro tried his hardest to give her a small smile as he hugged her close. “There’s someone I know. They might not compare to your mother, but they’ll be the next best thing…”

“But I want to see my Okaa-san…” the girl wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Sleep…” he whispered in her ear, adding a bit of power behind it. “You’ll be home soon.”

***___***

Mahiru was shocked, to say the least.

He was used to going on late night walks with is Servamp, he just wasn’t used to him bringing back little kids, especially small girls dressed only in a white nightgown. They were out of town for a getaway, just the two of them, since the incident with Tsubaki. Misono offered to let them stay in a villa the Alicen family owned up in the mountains. Mahiru was hesitant at first, but he knew that a getaway was what they needed. Especially for Kuro, he went through the most while trying to talk with the youngest Servamp, to reason with him. And it took its toll on him.

So he was expecting a lot of things from the lazy vampire. Bringing back a kid was not one of them. He eyed the sleeping girl in the taller male’s arms as memories surfaced. He wanted to scold the vampire, but the first words out of his mouth were, “She’s not a pet you know?”

“I know, Mahiru. But she’s got no one else…” the blue haired male held her tighter to his chest. “She was left as an offering, out in the forest. I couldn’t leave her.”

The teen shrugged out of his winter coat to cover the girl before taking her into his arms. She was surprisingly light for someone her age, so the transfer was smooth. “I’m not saying you should’ve left her. I’m just saying we can’t keep her.”

“I found her. She’s mine…” This was the first time that Mahiru heard the vampire become possessive of someone other than him. It was heart-warming and a little worrying. Mahiru was still a high schooler. There was no way he could become a parent at sixteen. But if it was what the Servamp of Sloth wanted, there must be something he could do.

“She’s a little girl, Kuro. Not a possession. There are a lot of things that she’s going to need and you can’t quit halfway.” He offered his Servamp a side glance as they began to make their way back to the villa. “I have to know that you’re in this for the long haul. No matter what, understand?”

The blue-haired male nodded his head.

“Good. I’ll talk to my uncle and Misono. See if we can’t get legal guardianship. We’ll take this one step at a time.”

Kuro gave a small smile as he came up beside his contractor. The way he looked at the girl in his arms was very much different than normal. But it was good to see that he was forming some sort of connection with the sleeping child. Mahiru was glad that this girl wouldn’t be as alone as he was. She would know the love of parents, even if they weren't the conventional type of parents. She would have someone to cook her meals, someone to play with, to study with. To walk home with. To hold her when she gets hurt and cries. Laugh and share all the good times. She would have a crazy extended family, with both the Eves and the Servamps, not to mention all of their subclasses.

“When she wakes up, we’ll have to ask what her name is.” Mahiru looked down at the child in his arms. “But I’m surprised that you want to keep her. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just pick her up and hand her off to Lily or Licht?”

“I would’ve, but then she reminded me of a troublesome Eve and I just…couldn't.” A shrug of his shoulders. A warm, fuzzy feeling began to spread all throughout Mahiru’s body. Now that he thought about it, her hair was almost the same shade as his, even by the moonlight. “You’re always saying that if you didn’t do anything, you’d regret it later. And I knew that if you were the one who found her, you would stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“I’m not that bad…am I?” He hugged the girl tighter to help warm her up. She needed the jacket more than he did.

“Worse…” his companion deadpanned. Mahiru laughed as he took it as it was, Kuro’s version of a compliment.

When they get back, things will be different. Much different, but it was a good thing. They were never too far from home so long as they had each other. And now they were adding a new family member to their ever-expanding circle. And if no one questioned how they went to the mountains by themselves and came back with a child, well it was no one’s business but their own.

It might not have been what he was expecting during their late-night walk, but Mahiru was glad. He could tell that Kuro was happy was well.

Chapter 2: Tiger in a Lion's Den

Summary:

This is the little girl's point of view as a thank you for the kudos. I'm happy that ya'll liked it and I may do more chapters if anyone has suggestions.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

She was scared.

It was dark and cold and scary out in the forest. Her bare feet touched the somewhat frozen ground, making her whole-body shiver. No matter how far she walked, she couldn’t stay warm. She wanted to go home, but first, she had to find her Okaa-san. Otou-san said that she was out in the forest looking for her.

She wasn’t sure why her mother was out in the forest. She was supposed to stay in bed because she was sick. Though she never looked like it. Little Taiga couldn’t see how sick her mother was when she always offered her daughter warm smiles and hugs when she got back from preschool. Her father was always scolding them both whenever her mother was out of bed, saying that “good girls should listen to what they’re told to do.” Sometimes, at night, she could hear them fighting. They thought she was asleep, but during those nights, she would curl up in her blankets and pray. Pray that in the morning her mother would be alright.

She didn’t know how badly her mother was sick, but she knew that her father was the cause of it. She wanted him to go back to his normal cheerful self that he was before. And when he went to take her mother to the doctor, only he returned. He said that her mother had left and that she was not returning. There was a strange look on his face, a scary look.

Which is why she prayed every night after that for the angels to bring her mother home. Or to take her where her mother was. Ever since she left, her father got worse and worse, almost as if his own sickness was making him feel bad. If Taiga did even the smallest thing, he would lash out at her. Show him a drawing she was working on, he tore it up. Cry because she got hurt, slap her across her face. Ask for a drink of water, get a glass thrown at her. And every night she prayed. Same as she was doing now.

This night, her father had woken her up, telling her that her mother was in the woods not too far from their house. That she was looking for her. Taiga should’ve known that no one would be this late out at night. But the need to see her mother again was so great that she never questioned her father. Even after he left her to wander the mountain that wasn’t anywhere near their house.

When she came across the stranger with red eyes, her first thought was that her prayers were answered and that they would take her to her mother.
“I’m not an angel, not even close. I’m someone different.” As the stranger picked her up, she saw a weird look in them, almost as if they were glowing. She tilted her head slightly, “Really?”

There was a hint of a smile on his face as he hugged her close. “There’s someone I know. They might not compare to your mother, but they’ll be the next best thing…”

“But I want to see my Okaa-san…” Taiga wrapped her arms around the stranger who was not an angel. He was only slightly warmer than the winter ground, but she shivered none the less.

“Sleep…” his voice was soft in her ear as her eyes started to drop. She wanted to protest, but Taiga was already falling asleep in his arms. She wanted her mother.

***___***

As she dreamed, she was surrounded by the strangest animals. A black lion was at her back, curled around her while a black snake with a cross on its forehead chased a pink and black butterfly. A hedgehog was sitting in her lap, laughing at the ongoing chase. A wolf and a pig were curled around each other, which was strange, even with the bat that was flapping above them. It was sunny and bright in a small field of flowers. All of them were black in some form or another, yet she wasn’t even a bit scared.

Someone had their arms wrapped around her, holding her in their lap. A tall blond boy was standing next to a smaller one who was sitting on a throne-like chair. He was pushing back another blond male who was holding a doll in his hands. Sitting next to her was raven-haired male with a white streak in his hair, he was leaning back against the lion just like the person holding her was. Taiga knew that none of them were going to hurt her. Not too far from where everyone was, a lone fox stared at them. Just stared, all alone.

As if sensing where she was looking, all the animals and humans turned to look at the lone fox. The lion got up from where he was wrapped around the trio, moving in front of them, protecting them. The others did as well, but the fox never made a move. Instead, his ears flattened against his head and he turned to leave.

“Don’t go!” The small girl called out to the fox.

Pausing in his steps, the fox turned to look back. He looked sad. The others looked at her as well. The arms around her hugged her tightly. “Please, don’t go.”

The fox didn’t say anything.

“Won’t you come play with us?”

“Can I?” The fox sat down. “Can I really…play with you all?

Taiga nodded. “Please? Stay?”

***___***

Taiga woke up wrapped in not only the stranger’s arms but someone else was with them as well. The three of them were snuggled together in a large bed with thick covers over them. The blue-haired male had one arm wrapped around Taiga and the other teen while his other arm was used as a pillow for the brunette. Taiga was clutching the brown-haired teen's shirt while her back was pressed against the man who found her. And both of them were staring at her.

“Awake, little one?” The blue-haired man looked down at her. Taiga nodded.

“Do you have a name?” The brunette smiled at her. “I’m Shirota Mahiru. The one who found you is Kuro…”

She was told not to talk to strangers, a warning both her mother and father told her many times. But they weren’t strangers, not normal strangers anyways. The one called Kuro took her out of the cold and scary woods. And Mahiru reminded her a lot about her mother. So finally she answered, “My name is Taiga…”

“Brave name for a brave girl.”

“Okaa-san said that she wanted to give me a strong name, to make me strong too.”

“And you are strong…” Mahiru hugged her close. “So very strong.”

“Are you the one that he was talking about?”

“Who?”

“Angel-san. He said that he knew someone that was like my Okaa-san. Is that you?” She looked at him with big eyes. She wanted her mother so bad. Taiga wanted to be home in her bed with her mother telling her stories about all kinds of things. She didn’t want to be there, she wanted to be home.

“I can’t replace her, but I can try. Thinking simply, I’m the best person for the job. Or well…we are…” Mahiru reached over to grab Kuro’s hand that was resting on his waist, intertwining their fingers. “We might not be the ideal parents, but we can try.”

“You mean…?”

Mahiru nodded. “Would you like to come home with us, Taiga?”

“Like she’s got any other choice, Mahiru. She’s ours already.” Kuro hugged them both close. “Plus it’s fitting that we’re bringing a tiger home to a lion’s den.”

Notes:

Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for future chapters.

Chapter 3: Children of Eden

Summary:

Introducing the Lust Pair to Taiga

Notes:

A special treat

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A pair of honey-golden orbs stared up at him.

The small girl in front of him was not what he was expecting when he and Lily arrived at the villa. Nor had he expected that the Servamp of Sloth would be the one holding her in his lap while Mahiru was sitting next to them, a children’s book shared between them. Misono would have of expected it from his own Servamp, since his subclass is nothing but children. It would also explain the brunette Eve’s strange request.

The child was dressed in one of Mahiru’s orange t-shirts, which looked like an oversized dress, and she was clutching at the blue-haired male’s jacket front, eyeing the small Eve. Lily, on the other hand, was gushing over how cute she was and how she seemed to be a smaller version of the older Eve.

“She’s just the cutest thing. Where did you find her, Nii-san?” Lily was hovering near them. Though when he got too close, Kuro let loose a small growl. Not a human growl, but something more…primal. The young girl gripped his jacket tighter as she buried her face in his chest. That was a strange reaction, even for the Servamp of Sloth. Misono had only seen him do it once, when they faced Tsubaki who had gotten too close to the Eve of Sloth.

“In the forest…” Mahiru supplied as he sent a soft smile to both his Servamp and the small child. “Kuro found her while we were walking the other night. She was out looking for angels…” he placed a hand on top her head, smoothing it down. Watching them, Misono couldn’t help but notice how attached the teen and immortal had become of the girl. “Let’s just say she found us instead…”

“She’s the reason you requested that we bring up warmer clothes fit for a child? You can’t honestly think about keeping her, are you?” Kuro turned a growl in his direction as he held the child closer to himself.

“She’s ours…” The Servamp glared daggers at the Alicen heir, which was scary. Misono had never seen the known lazy excuse of a cat so possessive of someone other than his Eve, nor was it directed at him like it was then. Like he was just daring the younger Eve to take her from him.

“We’ve already discussed this. She’s coming home with us, right Taiga?” The little girl nodded her head from her position in the blue-haired male’s chest. TaigaTiger, Misono noticed the parallel. Lions were known to be a pack-orientated animal, living in prides out on the Savannah. Seeing as how Kuro was a loner most of the time, and now he was developing some sort of pack sense, becoming overprotective of…what exactly? His mate and child, Misono’s brain supplied for him. He began to connect the dots. Kuro’s overprotectiveness of Mahiru, why Mahiru wanted to get away from it all after their fight with Tsubaki, the closeness that had exhibited while they were at the Alicen mansion the few days prior. Kuro and Mahiru were dating!

“So, you’re now one big happy family now?” For some odd reason that rubbed him the wrong way. His family was nowhere near the picture that the Sloth pair were portraying in front of him with Taiga. His father was hardly home, that bastard had left, his mother was dead. All he had was Lily, the staff, and Lily’s subclass.

“Well…” Mahiru glanced over in Misono’s direction. “Only if you’ll be her big brother…”

What? “What? Why would I do that?” That brought his brain to a full stop. Why would Mahiru want him of all people to be some girl’s big brother? He hardly spent much time with Lily’s subclass.

“I would love to!” Lily was nearly beaming with joy and bouncing too close for Kuro’s comfort, since he sent a warning growl to the younger Servamp.

“Well, seeing as how we’re one big happy family, that would include you as well…Nii-san…” The way Mahiru stretched the Nii-san in addition to his smirk, made it apparent that Misono couldn’t escape his fate.

Maybe it wasn’t all that bad.

***___***

Little Taiga was defiantly one of the cutest kids that he had seen in a while.

 Not including the twins, who were now inside the villa watching Taiga, Lily wanted so badly to hold her, but every time he got too close to her, the older Servamp would growl in his direction. Though he supposed that it was because he was known to make his subclass out of children, Lily wouldn’t do that to Taiga.

There were a few times that Mahiru would reprimand his Servamp, but most times, it was because the Servamp of Lust would get too excited and that would cause Taiga to grip tighter to Kuro. She barely left his side, or when she did, it was to cling to Mahiru. She never strayed too far from either of the Sloth Pair, though she did eye the twins with wide eyes. Right now, they were all in the large living room of the villa, the sun long since set and dinner was cooked by Mahiru assisted by Taiga. It was a simple meal, befitting the brunette Eve. Now they were reading to Taiga again, who was falling asleep against Kuro’s chest with Mahiru sitting next to them.

“Are you going to give us the full explanation of how you found her now or what?” Misono asked in a clipped tone, though he kept it near a whisper as to not wake the small human girl. It showed restraint on his part, which made Lily proud. The boy he once remembered was growing up in front of him.

“She was abandoned. Her father left her out in the forest, either for her to be kidnapped or to die. I’m not sure, but it was probably both.” Mahiru got up to grab a blanket that he had thrown over the arm of the couch after dinner. He draped it over both the blue-haired male and the sleeping child. “Kuro found her. He’s already claimed her as ours. So, I don’t see why we can’t take her back with us. It is the simplest solution.”

Lily remembered that Mahiru didn’t have any parents either. His mother dead and his father unknown, most likely dead as well, living with his uncle who was hardly ever home. So he must have felt some sort of connection to Taiga, who was much like him, and not in just coloring either. They both had somehow charmed the laziest of the Servamps.

“You can’t just pick up a kid and say she’s yours, you know.”

“I’ve already explained it to Kuro. Which is why we want your help. You can help make sure she stays with us…”

“You’ve really taken a shine to her, huh?” Lily watched as the smaller Eve sighed and slumped his shoulders. He knew that Misono was already smitten with her. Something about Taiga made even Lily want to wrap her up and keep her safe. She was much more fragile than any one of them, even the children of his own personal Eden. But he could see a type of strength in her, an innocence that was hardly touched by her experience out in the woods. She was now part of a family that was larger and more expansive that she would ever know. And Lily had no doubt that she would charm the others, including the Eve of Greed.

“Kind of hard not to. She hard to resist.” There was a warm smile on Mahiru’s face. Lily had seen that expression before. On the faces of many parents, of mothers and fathers as they watched their children. Mahiru and Kuro were too far gone.

And Lily knew that he was too. And he was okay with that.

Notes:

I'm not sure if I caught their personalities, but I did my best.
Try to guess who's next...winner gets a prize!

Chapter 4: The Giant, The Bat and The Fairy

Summary:

The Pride Pair become victims to Taiga's charms and Plot happens

Notes:

I have this headcanon that Pride had at least raised a child or two in the past, and one of them happened to be his Eve, so he knows a thing or two about childcare, which will make an appearance later on.
Also, a bit of a hint of a plot is shown in this chapter, so let me know what you think.

Special thanks goes out to KedaWrites for guessing who shows up in this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Something small collided into the back of his legs.

Tetsu looked down to spot a very miniature version of the Eve of Sloth, dressed in one of their child-sized yukatas, a familiar black cat clutched in her arms. She looked up at the tall blond with eyes filled with fear as she gripped Kuro closer to her. She had shown up a few days ago with the Sloth and Lust Pairs so that they could discuss what they were going to due to explain how Mahiru-sempai went on a trip alone and returned with a small girl child that looked almost exactly like him. The stoic teen had seen the possessiveness that Kuro had displayed over the tiny child, how she clung to either of the Sloth Pair around strangers, how the Eve of Sloth always seemed to have a soft smile for his small charge. It was interesting to see.

“Taiga…can’t…breathe…” The first Servamp wheezed out, turning his gaze to the small human that had hold of him. Tetsu noticed how she slowly backed away from him, not hearing the words of the cat. Crouching down to her eye-level, he held her gaze with his own, face unmoving.

“You must be Mahiru-senpai’s charge…Taiga, right?” He didn’t move out to touch her, knowing full well about her circumstances that led her to be in the care of the Sloth pair. While he would never show it, his blood boiled when his senpai told him of how the small brunette had come to be in their care. It didn’t seem right, leaving such a small child alone in a forest near the middle of winter. Parents should protect their children. Though the Sloth pair were turning out great parents. Kuro wasn’t as lazy as he was before the incident with Tsubaki, playing with Taiga and taking time to read to her. Mahiru-senpai even had taken to styling the young girl’s hair, mostly simple ones like a ponytail or braids, in the mornings before they entered the eating hall for breakfast.

Taiga stopped backing away to nod her head. She even released her death grip on the Servamp of Sloth which allowed him to slip free to turn back into his human form. The blue-haired male placed a hand on her head, her hair in two small pigtails near the base of her neck, a soft smile on his face.

“Mahiru’s still in the room if you’re looking for him,” Kuro said without looking up. Tetsu also noticed that the oldest Servamp seemed to smile more not only around his Eve but with Taiga as well. Even Hugh had a smile or two to offer to her, which was much different than his previous personality. He was so flamboyant and proud, much like his title, before the incident with Tsubaki. Now…now the Servamp of Pride really was like an old man. He wanted Hugh to return to normal. That was another reason that they had all gathered at his family’s onsen. To find a way to return both the Servamps of Greed and Pride back to their normal selves.

Tetsu shook his head as he stood up from his crouch. “I was actually looking for Misono-senpai.”

“He’s not in his room?”

Another shake of his head.

Ever since they got to the onsen, the Eve of Lust had been acting strangely. Tetsu isn’t sure if the others noticed, but he sure did. Whenever Taiga interacted with the Sloth Pair, there was a look of pure longing in place of his normally sour expression. When Misono caught him staring, he returned to his default expression just as he stormed out of the room they were in. There were a few times that Taiga would bring the small Eve over and ask him to read to her whenever Mahiru and Kuro were busy. He would complain about it but he would do what she wanted, reading to her one of the children’s books that Tetsu’s mother had from when he was a child.

‘Miso-Nii promised to play with me today…” Taiga mumbled from where she decided to hide behind Kuro. She looked up at Tetsu again, eyes the same honey color as the Eve of Sloth’s, full of an innocence that children seem to possess with a spark of a fire in them.

“Then we better find him then…” Mahiru came out their shared room, a look of determination on his face.

***___***

The garden of the onsen was a peaceful place to think.

It wasn’t the Mansion grounds, but it was a close second. He went there to think, to let his mind wander as he thought back to the past couple of days. Taiga’s arrival was stirring up emotions he thought that he had long buried. Things that he wished to forget.

He held nothing against the child personally, she was just as sweet any child could be, but Old Child couldn’t help but remember another child, from a long time ago. Eyes bright with wonder and hints of stubborn pride as he set out to explore the world. He was happy for Sleepy Ash, having found not only his perfect Eve but a youngling to care for and raise. The Servamp of Pride knew a thing or two about raising humans, since one of his previous Eves was a child that he had taken under his wing, so to speak. Seeing Taiga with the blue-haired male and the brunette Eve brought a bit of pain in his chest. How he wished that he could return to a simpler time.

There was a rustle of leaves near his perch, a familiar voice calling out his old name. Opening his eyes, he spotted an odd sight. The young Sendagaya was walking through the gardens with small Taiga riding on his shoulders, turning her head left and right, looking for something.

Since his perch was in the shade and he was in his bat form, neither of them would spot him. Yet honey-brown locked onto where he was hidden, almost as if they could see him. Small hands patted the blonde’s head, getting his attention before they pointed to his exact location among the shade.

“You sure…?”

Taiga nodded her head. She once again pointed in his direction, prompting the young man to walk to his hiding spot.

“Why are you hiding, Hugh?” His former Eve asked one he was close enough. It was strange to hear his old name and not feel the pull of the contract. He was used to feeling the bond between a Servamp and his Eve, now he felt nothing in its place. It was a void where it used to be and with the loss of his powers, there was nothing left but an old man in its place.

“It was such a pretty morning, I’d thought to have some quiet time to just relax…” Old Child moved out of his hiding spot to hover in front of the tall boy and the Sloth Pair’s young ward. “I’m surprised that Sleepy Ash let you take young Taiga with you…”

“We’re actually looking for Misono-Sempai. I had a few questions that I wanted to ask him but he wasn’t in his room. I ran into Taiga and Kuro as I passed by their room. Mahiru offered to help me look for him. I offered to take the gardens and Taiga followed me.” The small brunette nodded her head.

“Miso-Nii promised to play…’ She mumbled. “You’re like Kuro-san…”

“Oh…and you’re not scared, little one?’ Old Child landed on Tetsu’s head, eying the small child as she stared at him with such bright eyes.

“Umhm…” She shook her head as she gave him a bright smile similar to the Eve of Sloth. “You’re not scary. Otou-san was scary…but not you. You’re nice like Mahi-san, like Tetsu-Nii.” Tiny fingers gently stroke his head, warmth in those small hands.

A warmth that seemed to spark something in the void inside of him, a familiar warmth that he had sorely missed since he lost his powers. And the smallest hint of the bond he thought he had lost flickering in the blankness that was his contract with the former Eve of Pride.

Just who in the world was the young Taiga?

Notes:

Who's gonna show up next? Anyone wanna take a guess?

Chapter 5: Protect Your Pride

Summary:

Taiga meets Mikuni

Notes:

Don't get used to this. I'm not sure I can post multiple chapters during a single week. But this is a special treat.
This chapter is told from Taiga's and Mikuni's POVs. Also, you can see hints of Misono/Tetsu.

Again KedaWrites gets it right.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Taiga definitely didn’t like the strange blond man with the doll.

He was different than Tetsu-Nii, who she was now hiding behind, clutching his pants leg. The talking bat was hovering near them, sending glares to the weird man who showed up out of nowhere and was talking to Miso-Nii. Something about his smile didn’t sit right with her.

Tetsu-Nii was different, he wasn’t as scary as he seemed to be. The younger blond reminded her of a gentle giant from a story that her Okaa-san used to read to her. She even liked the bat who could turn into a young-looking old man her size. She liked listening to his stories about princesses and knights. Even if some of his stories had sad endings. She liked the butterfly man too when he didn’t squeal every time she did something. They were a lot like the one who found her in the forest, but she liked Kuro-san the most when he was in both forms. Taiga liked the older brunette too, he was much like her Okaa-san, and Miso-Nii could act he didn’t like being around her but the small girl enjoyed it when he played games with her. He was very smart and always took time to explain the rules of the games they were playing.

She didn’t however like the man who caused her Nii-san so much pain.

They had found the shorter male in the back of the gardens with the butterfly man when suddenly the creepy smile man came up behind Miso-Nii. She didn’t like the way her Nii-san seemed to step backward from the man while at the same time he yelled out words that her Otou-san sometimes would yell at her. She didn’t like it at all.

The younger man seemed to notice the arrival and he moved to place himself between the stranger and her Miso-Nii, Taiga also behind him.

“So, you have a knight in shining armor now, otouto…” his smile got wider as he eyed Tetsu-Nii.

“No, he’s not. Sendagaya what the hell are you doing here? Why’s the brat with you?” The purple haired male sent a glare to the blond shielding him. “Mahiru and Kuro don’t ever let her out of their sight.”

“She followed me. We were looking for you…” the stone-faced teen looked down at the smaller teen. Something flashed in his eyes as he took in the glaring teen’s appearance. When he saw whatever he was looking for, he returned his gaze to the doll man.

“Miso-Nii, you promised to play…” Taiga reached out a hand to grip one of his that was balled up. She didn’t like him like this, not at all. As she slipped her fingers into his hand, she squeezed just slightly to get his attention. His glare didn’t disappear but it did become less of a glare and more like his normal annoyed one. “You promised…” she repeated as she tried to copy his expression.

“Who’s this cutie…?” The man with the doll turned his gaze to her, his smile not once leaving his face, even if his eyes didn’t share the action. Miso-Nii’s grip on her hand became tighter.

“Don’t touch her,” both the butterfly man and the young-looking old bat shouted at the same time.

“Oh…so defensive of the child. I wonder why…?”

“You bastard, leave Taiga out of this!” Miso-Nii pulled Taiga closer to him by their joined hands. Since she was being pulled back, she had to let go of Tetsu-Nii in order to grab hold of the other teen’s shirt hem.

“Leave…” the younger blond said in a tone that left no room for argument. “You’re not welcome here.”

“I can see that…”

The small brunette hid her face in the purple-haired male's side. She really didn’t like the strange man with the doll.

***___***

He wasn’t expecting the kid. Both of them.

Mikuni had seen the now former Eve of Pride during the incident with Tsubaki, however, the small brunette that arrived with him was a new face. She looked much like the Eve of Sloth, same hair and eye color, a miniature version dressed in a kid’s yukata and pigtails.

When he had found out what happened to both the Greed and Pride Pairs, about how their contracts were severed by some ability that the 8Th Servamp wielded, he had to see the effects for himself up-close. Greed was a hard pair to catch off guard since their manager and the whale mascot had become overprotective of the pair. That left the Pride Pair, which was how he ended up at the onsen in the first place. When he found his oh-so-cute little brother in the gardens with no one around aside from his Servamp, he just couldn’t resist talking to him. The knight in shining was unexpected, even if it was the former Eve.

Seeing not only Misono become protective of the small child, but both Servamps and the former Eve was a surprise. When his young brother pulled the girl close to him and didn’t even flinch when she hid her face in his side, the Eve of Envy noted how the younger blond became more defensive of those behind him.

“Leave…You’re not welcome here.” There was a faint flicker of something surrounding the stone-faced teen. An aura that gave off the impression that he was willing to fight for those under his protection. It sent a slight shiver down his spine that he didn’t let show on his face.

“I can see that…” The older Eve held his ground even as the aura grew stronger. There was a connection that was forming between the former Eve and the Servamp of Pride.

“Leave…” the brunette child repeated the blonde’s order, “Miso-Nii. Alone.” Her voice was steady and full of protectiveness as she turned to face him. Her eyes held the same fire in them that Shirota Mahiru did when he arrived at his shop for answers on how to free his Servamp from his confines. She may have been scared of him, but she wasn’t showing it as she glared at him. She didn’t let of Misono either, instead, she clung to him even more, as if daring him to make a move. Tiger indeed, he thought to himself.

Raising his hands in surrender, he backed away slowly. Once he was far enough away, he turned his back to them.  Neither teen made a move to follow him as he left the gardens.

JeJe chose that moment to peek his head out from whatever hiding spot he had found within the garden.

“You backed away…from a child?” The snake slithered up to rest on the blonde’s shoulders. If he didn’t know any better, Mikuni would say that his Servamp was laughing at him.

“She’s not a normal child. You saw the same thing I did…”

“The contract between Old Child and his contractor wasn’t completely severed.” The snake turned in the direction that they had left the teens and the curious child.

“No, the bond was completely severed. Whatever that aura was, it came from their desire to protect her. Not to mention that all four of them were extremely protective of whoever she was.” As his smile slipped from his face, he became thoughtful. Misono had mentioned that the Sloth Pair don’t ever let her leave their sight. Considering that he hadn’t seen her anywhere in the brunette Eve’s file that Mikuni had on him, she must not be related. Yet the similarities were too hard to ignore. Something must’ve happened that put her in their care.

“I’ve never seen any of my siblings become like that. Whoever she is, they’ve come to see her as someone important to them.” JeJe returned his gaze back to him. “Lust I can understand, Old Child maybe.”

“When we get back to the shop, I’m gonna do some digging. There are several missing pieces to this puzzle. And I’m going to get to the bottom of this.” Because I don’t like any unknown variables messing up my perfect plans.

Notes:

I'm saving JeJe for later. But I'm glad so many people are liking this little piece of fluff.

Chapter 6: Family Means Home

Summary:

Mahiru and the others discuss Taiga's encounter with Mikuni and her future

Notes:

Thank you so much for the comments and kudos. Does anyone want to take a guess on what I have planned for next chapter?

Chapter Text

Taiga clutched tightly to Misono in her sleep.

Both the Eve of Lust and the small brunette were fast asleep on the large bed in Misono’s room. Mahiru thought it was very cute how the smaller Eve had an arm draped over the small form of the child who was holding on to him for dear life. After the confrontation in the gardens, Taiga refused to let him go. Though the older brunette is not sure why. Tetsu is not too far off, watching the two who were fast asleep while Hugh talks to Lily and Kuro. Mahiru had taken a spot next to the two, gently stroking her hair. Something in the gardens had upset her.

“What is he planning…?” Mahiru heard Lily mumbled aloud. He turned his head in the direction of where the Servamps were gathered.

“I’m not sure, but it might have something to do with young Taiga’s arrival,” Hugh answered. Since their return, Mahiru had noticed a slight change in the small Servamp’s personality. While he still acted like an old man, more of his more prideful nature was surfacing, even if only slightly.

“She’s a little kid…” Kuro growled. Another thing that Mahiru noticed ever since Kuro picked up Taiga is that she got all of those she’s met so far wrapped around her small fingers. Kind of hard to resist such an innocent face. Especially, after all, that’s happened to her before she was under their care.

“Calm down, Papa…” Lily offered the older Servamp a slight smile as he held up his hand in surrender. “No need to go all possessive. We get it, she’s yours.” Mahiru was surprised that Kuro didn’t react to the “Papa” comment. Even more so when it seemed to calm him down even if only a little.

“I want to know what he did that caused Taiga to be afraid to let Misono go…” The Eve of Slot looked down at his sleeping charge. A small trickle of tears was visible from the corner of her eyes. It broke his heart to see her like that. She was such a bright soul, and very easy to love, and didn’t deserve the heartbreak that her biological father had inflicted upon her by his abandonment of her. He reached down to wipe away her tears, a soft smile on his face.

“I’m not entirely sure, but has something to do with the Eve of Envy…” Hugh walked over to the bed, followed by his brothers. A frown was on his face. “Something about him seemed to distress her.”

“He might be planning something. And right now, Taiga is the only one of us who’s the least protected of us all.”

“No one touches Taiga…” Both Mahiru and Kuro growl at the same time, though the Servamp’s growl was much more animalistic. Something fierce filled the Eve’s chest as he thought of someone, even Mikuni, using Taiga a leverage for whatever plans against Mahiru and his friends. He would protect his cub, no matter what.

“Got the parental instincts already,” Hugh commented which caused the older brunette to turn his head towards the Servamp of Pride. “A good sign that she’ll be in good hands.”

“Huh?” Mahiru was confused. He was just protecting his little girl…oh. The golden-eyed male came to a sudden realization, feeling his eyes go wide. He already saw Taiga as one of his own, not as a sister, but as his child.

“I’ve raised a kid or two over the years, and I can say that it is one experience that I would repeat every time. Children are a gift to parents, a treasure that makes a person better for raising them.” Hugh gave the Sloth Pair a genuine smile as he let his eyes fall upon the sleeping duo. “Though there are some better suited to be parents than the bastard who abandoned such a young girl in the woods.” He let his eyes go from between his older brother and the Eve of Sloth. “And I have a feeling that you two are going to be great parents.”

Mahiru wanted to correct him, that he wasn’t a parent. But when he opened his mouth to speak, he just…couldn’t. Mahiru thought back to his mother, how warm she was with a smile and eyes that were filled with light. He couldn’t remember much about her since her death happened when he was still in elementary school, but he could still remember that much. And the raven was right. There were some people who were suited to be parents and then there were some who were not. Taiga deserved to be with people who would love her and cherish her like the treasure that she really was. And if he happened to fit the role of parent, then the answer was simple. He would be the best parent he could be.

“So, I take it you’ll help me get all her papers in order?”

“Already on it. She should be added to your registry by the end of the month.” Lily informed the Eve of Sloth. “All other papers should arrive over the next couple of weeks. Your uncle has been informed that you and Kuro-Nii are helping take care of a cousin of Nii-san’s. It makes it more plausible if he also has documents and whatnot.”

“And how are you going to explain him?” Mahiru pointed to his Servamp.

“He’s a distant relative that came to Tokyo with Taiga to get away from their hometown and for a job.” Mahiru chuckled at the thought of the lazy Servamp actually working. He just couldn’t picture it. “We’ll have all the details worked out later, but this is the gist of what we have so far.”

“I can work with that. The simpler the better.” He nodded.

After a few minutes of silence, everyone broke out in smiles as Taiga began to snuggle closer to Misono. It was a very cute and heartwarming scene.

“You make a good Mama, Mahiru,” Lily said as he tried to hide his smile behind a hand. Kuro nodded his agreement.

“Yeah well, she’s a good kid. I’m gonna make sure she has the best future possible.”

***___***

Taiga was dreaming again, only this one was different.

Standing in front of her was a beautiful woman that looked like her and Mahi-san, though her hair was in a long braid that was tied off with a red ribbon. She stood proudly among older versions of Mahi-san and the others, even a few people that she didn’t know. Like the green-haired teen who was hanging off of her and the older brunette, or the blond-haired man with the eyepatch who was hovering next to a man in a yukata and sunglasses who had a matching red ribbon tied around his wrist. There was a pink haired man arguing with an old man with red hair. Not too far off was a young blond girl with a very pretty woman with even longer purple hair. Not to mention the group of men standing with them.

None of the people with the red eyes looked like they aged a day. But Taiga didn’t care. She felt warm and safe with them. This was her family, or rather would be.

As if sensing the young Taiga watching them, her older-self looked back with a large grin on her face. “You’re not too far from home, Taiga. You never are…” The older Taiga said as everyone turned to look at her with smiles and grins of varying warmth and acceptance.

I am home.

Chapter 7: Angel with a Kick

Summary:

Taiga meets the Angel of the Eves and his Servamp

Notes:

This chapter will hold spoilers for the manga

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Stare.

A pair of crimson eyes bore into the small honey brown ones in front of him. Lawless wasn’t sure what the small human was doing in his brother’s Eve’s apartment, but then again neither he nor Angel-chan were supposed to be there either. But after everything that happened with Tsubaki and the loss of his contract, he had no more reason to stick around. It had been several weeks since their confrontation with the 8th Servamp and the loss of his contract, yet he just couldn’t leave Licht’s side. There was some sort of attachment to the raven teen that he just couldn’t shake. Not to mention that he felt somewhat…safe next to his former Eve, a strange feeling that he’s never felt before. There was also the barrier that was between him and the 1st Servamp that was lifted by not only Angel-chan but with the help of the Eve of Sloth. So, on the off chance of catching his oldest brother off guard, he and the young pianist decided to drop by unannounced. He didn’t expect to be greeted by the small form of a child. When her eyes fell onto the raven at his side, they grew wide.

“Angel-san!” She flung the door open wide to reveal the very clean apartment behind them, with a few small childish touches. The young brunette wore a smaller version of his brother’s jacket, though instead of the Roman numeral one on her shoulder, it was an orange sun smiley face with a darker blue shirt peeking out from underneath. She also wore long grey pants that were rolled up to her knees with dark blue socks with kitties on them. In her arms was a…black cat?

“Taiga, you should know better than to open doors to people you don’t know…” The voice of his oldest brother came from the black cat who turned his red gaze to the human holding him.

“But Papa…it’s an angel!” The little girl looked down at the cat in her arms.

“Papa…?” The Servamp of Greed felt his eyes go wide as he got a closer look at the young human girl. She had the same coloring as the Eve of Sloth, with long brown hair pulled into a simple braid and honey colored eyes and she held no signs that she was a subclass of any kind. “How do you have a kid?”

“You have good eyes…” Licht said at the same time as he did his signature pose. “I am indeed an angel…”

Lawless couldn’t help but chuckle at the action. There was no helping it.

“Oh…Licht-san, Hyde-san…” Mahiru came out from wherever he was hiding, wearing a simple pink apron with an orange flower in the middle of it. He was dressed in his normal comfy clothes of a white short-sleeve and grey sweatpants rolled up to near his knees. He offered the Greed Pair a warm smile. “I just finished cooking, would you care to join us?”

“Oh…umm…” Lawless looked around nervously. Ever since his contract was broken, the confidence that he normally depicted was no longer within his grasp. He wasn’t even sure why he was there, to begin with.

A small hand grabbed his, honey brown once more catching his attention. “Mama made curry.” Taiga gently tugged the Servamp of Greed into the small apartment shared by the Sloth Pair. Her hand was warm in his own, a comfort that only children seemed to give.

“When did you two become parents?” Licht asked as he walked in. The former Eve of Greed easily took off his shoes at the door, not thinking twice about the invitation, which was what surprised the blond-brown vampire.

“Actually, the official story is that she’s a distant relative of mine…” Mahiru led them into a kitchen/dining room that off to the side near the living room. Now that Lawless was fully in the apartment, he could see more touches that a small child lived there. A few toys scattered on the couch. Pictures of the Sloth Pair with Taiga in either of their arms, one with Taiga and Lily’s twins. A reluctant Misono standing next to the Eve of Pride who had Taiga on his shoulders. There were several hand-drawn pictures that must have been made by Taiga, each of them had her surrounded by strange black creatures under an orange sun. Lawless noticed one that was a pink and black butterfly very much similar to the Servamp of Lust in his animal form. There was also a very large black cat with that looked like a very fat neck. “But yeah, she’s ours in everything but blood…”

***___***

It was bizarre, watching them.

Licht watched the interaction between the Sloth Pair and the small child, noticing just how attached they were to the child and vice versa. He had overheard from his manager that Shirota Mahiru had somehow gotten custody of a young girl and that she was living in the Shirota apartment. He just wasn’t expecting someone so small and…innocent and human.

He had taken a liking to her immediately, she had noticed his brilliance that is his angel form on Earth. He watched like a hawk, seeing them easily set the table for the extra guests. Even the lazy Servamp was lending a hand, holding onto Taiga as she laid out the silverware and cups. Once all the plates were fixed, the blue-haired male helped place them on the table while Taiga carefully carried a pitcher of water to the table, handing it off to Mahiru when she reached her destination. Kuro went and fetched a kid-friendly cup for her.

“Angel-san, sit next to me!” Taiga pointed to a chair next to one with a child’s booster in it. Kuro was already sitting in the other one with Shirota Mahiru on his other side. The only two chairs open were next to each other. The child held a bright smile as she took her seat. She was clearly hoping that he would take her up on the offer.

He looked back at the shit rat, noticing that he was hesitating. Which was not normal for him, and it was getting on his nerves. The shitty bastard was supposed to be so full of himself, his ego too big for measurement. Not some stammering, cowardly rat who ran away from danger.

“Taiga, remember your manners.” Shirota Mahiru scolded his…child? That didn’t seem right, but it was the only word that he could think of at the moment.

“Sorry, Mama…Please sit next to me, Angel-san?” Licht couldn’t refuse. And neither could the shit rat apparently. Both took their seats, which made Taiga’s smile wider as she turned back to the older brunette who in turn gave a smile back at her.

“Itadakimasu!*” They clapped hands together before they began to dig into their meal.

After a few bites, Licht noticed that Taiga had gotten a bit of sauce at the corner of her mouth. He was about to comment before Kuro leaned over to wipe it away with his fingers. She didn’t protest, only giggle, as he cleaned off the curry sauce. Once she was clean, he licked his fingers clean. “Papa…” she whined slightly.

“Delicious…” He offered her a small smile before he went back to his own. It was strange to see.

“Why does she call you Papa?” Licht let his gaze fall on the older Servamp.

“Lily started it. He implanted it in Taiga’s head that we were her new parents, and we just don’t have the heart to correct her.” Shirota Mahiru paused eating as his eyes fell to the table. “It’s not hurting anyone.”

“She seems to be a great kid…” The bastard in glasses looked between the child and her ‘Mama’. “She takes after you no doubt.”

“You hear no argument from me, though I wish she didn’t pick up Kuro’s bad habits on junk food…” Shirota Mahiru sent a playful glare at his Servamp who only shrugged his shoulders.

“All the parenting books said that snacks were important in helping to make sure the child maintained a healthy weight…” The immortal countered.

“The keyword is healthy, Kuro. Junk food is not healthy. Especially when you both eat it all the time.”

“But it’s so good…”

“I’m gonna have to cut it down to once a day if you’re not careful…” Shirota Mahiru warned his Servamp. A pair of puppy dog eyes were thrown in his direction from both Servamp and child. He didn’t waver in his gaze. Seeing the Sloth Pair act as parents was surprising, to say the least. It was odd to see them like that, but at the same time, it was natural. It made Licht seem like he was intruding on something he shouldn’t. A glance back at the shit rat had him looking at a pained smile, one that looked worse than when he gave the immortal one of his kicks.

“Would you two like to stay the night? I’m sure Taiga would enjoy your company. We’ve talked about you quite a bit. Nothing bad, I promise.” Mahiru raised his hands in a defensive position, “And she’s got a sort of idol crush on Licht-san.”

“He’s an angel, Mama. Like Papa is!”

Thinking about the Eve of Sloth’s offer, he would normally refuse outright, but the look on the shit rat’s face. He just couldn’t say no. So he didn’t.

Notes:

*Itadakemasu= "thanks for the food"
There will be a special chapter for Oct. 31

Chapter 8: An Angel Watching Over Us

Summary:

Plot strikes again while an unexpected character makes an appearance and a new one is introduced.

Notes:

I've always thought that Ophelia was like a guardian angel watching over Licht and Hyde/Lawless and that she considers them to be her boys.

This is a little longer than normal but done as a special for Halloween. Sort of.
Thanks for the Kudos, comments, bookmarks, and hits.
Hope y'all like it!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

There was something warming about the small human girl.

Since sacrificing herself for her kingdoms, her soul never really left. It was held back by a force that she couldn’t explain which allowed her to roam as a ghost among the living. After spending centuries as nothing more than a phantom in memories, Ophelia could only be on the outside, watching as her knight slowly descended into madness years after her death. She never wanted that for him. She wanted him to fight for what he wanted, to be the personification of greed as his title entailed. Yet he became the opposite, never wanting for anything and disposing of those no longer of use to him. There were so many times that she wished that she could reach out to him, to call out. As the years passed, Ophelia’s sadness only grew.

When the time came for the gathering to decide the fate of the 8th Servamp, when her Romeo left, she followed. She couldn’t leave him in his grief. The former Eve of Greed learned more about the Servamps during that one meeting then she had ever known previously. She could see the conflict among the vampire siblings, and while the others had seen only the coldness of the Servamp of Sloth, she had seen something else, something she knew all too well. Romeo didn’t notice and instead chose to lash out in response to the hurt and betrayal of his oldest brother. The betrayal and the pain were evident on his face as he confronted the oldest Servamp. It pained her, even more, when they returned to their country to find it in ruins. That triggered something dark within the Servamp of Greed, and it slowly ate at him.

By the time they found Licht Jekylland Todoroki, a young pianist of German and Japanese descent, the blond-brown Servamp was near gone to his madness. When they met, he had seen her. Looked right at her, and for the first time in a long time, she felt hope. Despite his childish claims that he was an angel and his violent tendencies, the young raven was very bright and stubborn, knowing exactly what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. He was the perfect voice for her. Ophelia had explained to him that she was looking out for Romeo, then named Hyde, and hoping to bring him away from the madness that he was spiraling down into.

It had taken a few years but he had gotten through. Their capture by the subclass by of the 8th Servamp, who she learned went by the name of Tsubaki, led them to face the one thing between them that created the barriers between the two. Romeo…no Hyde, told Licht about her, about their shared time together, of her marriage and finally about her sacrifice, all the while trying to sound detached. But Ophelia had already told the young raven, at least her side of the story, so when Licht broke through not only the actual wall but the ones that Hyde had created, called him by the name that the so-called angel gave him, he knew just what to say. And his words rang true, for the both of them. And when the contract was severed, she reached out with all her strength to make sure that it wasn’t completely lost. It was still taking a lot of her strength to keep it from completely falling apart.

Another person she felt hope from was the Eve of Sloth. Even though the young Eve couldn’t see her, she could see the light deep within the brunette. He was a different kind of light compared to Licht, he was less blinding and full of a comforting warmth. Ophelia could see his warmth affecting those around him. He was a driving force in the consoling of the rift between the two brothers. The brunette may have had a simple outlook, but he held much strength in his beliefs. A strength that her two boys seemed to lack.

It only intensified in the presence of the small human girl who was curled up next to Hyde, fast asleep while Licht watched on. When they first arrived, she had been behind the young pianist and she was certain that the child had seen her, but she had only reached out for the Servamp of Greed. The smaller brunette was very much like her supposed relative, very bright and holding an innocence that only children seem to hold. As the former princess listened to the story about how they came to become her guardians, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the sleeping girl. She deserved all happiness that the Sloth Pair gave her, and more so if the looks she saw pass between the former Greed pair were correct.

“She’s a sweet kid, Nii-san…” Hyde carefully stroked her hair while she slept on. “It’s sad to think that her father was such a bastard.”

“She’s very attached to you…” Licht pointed to the younger brunette. Ophelia had noticed it as well. How easily young Taiga wasn’t even phased by the transformation that the Servamp of Sloth had done just before dinner. For someone who’s only been with them a couple of weeks, she had adjusted pretty well after such a traumatic event. Especially, for one as young as her.

“She’s done that with everyone aside from Mikuni…umm, Envy’s Eve. For some odd reason, she’s scared of him…’ the Eve of Sloth rubbed the back of his head, a look of confusion on his face. “Everyone is very fond of her.”

Taiga mumbled something in her sleep as she snuggled closer to the glasses-wearing vampire. Ophelia couldn’t help but smile at the image. How she wished that she was more than a ghost.

“We should put her to bed.” The older brunette got up from where he was sitting to walk over to the three. He easily picked up his ward, not even missing a beat as he hoisted her into his arms. Taiga nuzzled him slightly as she settled. “You two are more than welcome to use my uncle’s room for the night,” he offered up.

The ghost of a former Greed Eve watched as both pairs went about getting ready for bed. Even if she was nothing more than a glimmer of a living being, Ophelia would continue to watch over her boys, even as they sleep.

***___***

Taiga wasn’t sure what had woken her up.

She was snuggled between her Mama and Papa, dressed in her favorite pajamas, a black cat onesie, that they had found a week ago or so, with a hood and tail attached. Both were fast asleep, and she didn’t want to wake them. Just as she was going to get settled again, Taiga felt a pull. It wasn’t like when Mahi-san would hold her hand and pull her along while they were shopping, it was more of a feeling like she needed to get up and move. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around. Nothing was out of place. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her as she slowly and carefully made her way out of the bed, making sure not to disturb the others in it.

As she got closer to the bedroom door, the pull was stronger. Opening, she walked into the living area, her feet guiding her to the other bedroom in the apartment. When she opened the door, she saw the shining lady smiling down at the two sleeping boys. She had the same sad smile on her face that her Okaa-san had just before she went to go meet the angels. Taiga had seen her when the pair arrived, though she got distracted by the raven. Taiga had seen him on T.V. and liked the pretty music he played. Now that she wasn’t distracted, maybe she could talk with the sad-shining lady.

Walking into the room, the pretty woman looked up, a small look of shock on her face as she watched Taiga climb into bed with the two.

“What are you doing up?” Her voice was just above a whisper, but Taiga heard her. She had a pretty voice. She looked like she wasn’t expecting an answer, but Taiga did answer.

“I couldn’t sleep…why are you sad, pretty lady?” Taiga had stopped at the foot of the bed, looking up at the glowing lady.

“You…can see me?” She placed a hand over her heart.

Taiga nodded.

“Well now, this is a surprise. But shouldn’t you be with the others?”

Taiga shook her head. “Something pulled me here. Needed me here.” The small brunette wasn’t sure what but maybe it had to do with the sleeping teens and the sad woman. As she crawled up to snuggled between the two, she noticed a glint even in the darkened room. It came from the one that had the same eyes as her Papa. Placing her hands where she saw the flash, she felt something. It was similar to the pull, only stronger and more demanding. It was desperately asking for something. The feeling was also similar to what she felt when she met Tetsu-Nii and the young old man. It was an emptiness, trying to be filled. So, she did as she was asked. A warmth filled her hands as a light shown from them. The light was a warm golden color, like sunshine. Taiga closed her eyes as she began to fill that emptiness with warmth, as she began to mend what was broken. She barely just heard the words that the lady had said before she fell asleep in between her two new Nii-sans.

“Child, just what are you?”

***___***

A figure sat upon a throne in a near pitch black room.

The only light came from a blue glowing orb, showing the Greed Pair inside the Shirota apartment, fast asleep with the small brunette between them. It was a peaceful image, even as the contract that was barely hanging on was renewed.

The figure couldn’t hide a smirk on their face as they watched as the ghost of the former Princess became much more than a phantom. Standing up from the throne, the figure’s long black coat moved in the movement. Walking towards the source of light, a woman could be seen. She was far older than even the ones called Servamps, night personified, a forgotten goddess on the outskirts of deep darkness. Her hair was just as black as the room around her and her eyes were the brightest of rubies against pale skin as she watched the scene before her.

“I’ve finally found you…”

Notes:

Just who is Taiga? Who was the figure? Why was she searching for Taiga? What did Taiga do to the Greed contract and what will happen to Ophelia?
Stay tuned to find out.
Guesses are more than welcome along with comments.
Hope you enjoyed this latest installment.

Chapter 9: Angel Among Us

Summary:

The aftermath of chapter 8, a newish character and more plot!

Notes:

Oh, look, the third chapter this week!
Don't get used to it.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The first thing Mahiru noticed when he woke up was Taiga missing.

Opening his eyes slowly in the early morning light filtering into the bedroom, he came face-to-face with a hard chest covered in a black sleep shirt and an arm wrapped around his waist. There was no small body snuggled in-between them. As his brain began to take in his surroundings, he remembered that the Greed Pair had stayed the night. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the brunette Eve debated on getting up to start breakfast or to stay in his boyfriend’s arms.

It was bizarre to think about since it was still all so new. After the battle with Tsubaki, the Servamp of Melancholy, and before their trip to the mountains, Kuro had confessed to liking Mahiru. Not the friend like, either, but full-blown like like. Their trip was supposed to allow them to talk about it and to heal, but they ended up finding Taiga and sealed the deal, somewhat. There was nothing more permanent than becoming parents. And he was in for the long haul, they both were. They would commit to Taiga all the way, allowing her to have the family that would love her unconditionally.

Taiga’s papers would be arriving in a few days and she would officially be a Shirota, added to his family registry, and Kuro would have citizen papers in the weeks to follow. Though Mahiru wondered what kind of name would the lazy vampire go under. There were several possibilities and a lot of them were somewhat silly. Yet, at the same time, it didn’t really matter because they would all be a family.

“She chose such an excellent Mother…” an unfamiliar voice came from the foot of the bed.

Shooting up, Mahiru eyed the woman who had somehow appeared in his apartment bedroom near his door. She had long black hair that framed deep red eyes that seemed to burn against the pale skin. Dressed in a long coat over a square neck shirt and slacks with stiletto boots, all in black. Her lips were pulled back in a smirk.

“How did you get in here?” He shouted. The brunette reached over to shake the sleeping vampire, but he wasn’t waking. Mahiru that Kuro liked his sleep, but to sleep when there was an intruder in their apartment was another story entirely. A sense of panic welled up in his chest as he tried harder to wake the other.

“Well, I’m not actually here. We’re inside your dreams. It’s the only way I could talk to you…”  She walked further into the room, the smirk never leaving her face. “You keep such a tidy home. And so very…simple.” She said it with such a fondness in her tone that made the Eve of Sloth wonder how she even knew about him in the first place. He stopped his shaking to watch her. She stopped over by his desk as she seemed to survey the room. “There’s a warmth here. A feeling of home and acceptance. Not many humans can give off such feelings,” her smirk turned into a fond smile as she eyed the photos on his desk; one of him and his mom, one of him and his uncle, and the most recent one of Taiga with the Sloth, Lust, and Pride pairs. It was taken just before they left Tetsu’s family’s onsen. Everyone had a smile, save for Misono who had his signature frown on his face as he stood next to Tetsu with Lily behind him. Hugh was next to Taiga in the front. Mahiru and Kuro were behind Taiga, and next to Tetsu and Misono. Taiga liked to call it her “first family photo”. The red-eyed woman picked up that photo.

“I can see why she picked you in the first place.”

“What’re you talking about?” Her tone was making him worried. The stranger turned to look at the Eve of Sloth, her eyes glowing like Kuro’s did sometimes. He didn’t like that look.

“It doesn’t matter right now. But you’ll only hear me say this once: I will take her back.”

***___***

Mahiru jolted awake, his dream at the front of his mind.

Not caring that he woke up his sleeping Servamp, he quickly climbed out of bed and made his way to the door to his bedroom. His need to find Taiga trumped all others, even as he nearly ran to his uncle’s room to make sure that Taiga was alright. When he threw open the door, what he saw was not what he had expected.

Taiga was indeed with the former Greed Pair, but she wasn’t the only child snuggled with them. There was another girl, in a white nightgown similar to the one that they had found Taiga in, with long, pale blond hair sleeping next to the brunette and with her back pressed up against Hyde’s. Licht had an arm wrapped around the two girls while he used the 6th Servamp’s arm as a pillow.

Mahiru was torn between shock and fondness as he watched the four who fast asleep. But his concern won out as he walked into the room. When he reached to bed, Taiga began to rub her eyes, a motion similar to Kuro when he first woke up.

“Mama…?” Her voice barely reached a whisper as she finished rubbing her eyes to reach out for him.

“Hey, sweetie, why are you here?” He leaned down to pick her up, careful not to wake the others, not that it would have mattered since the older teen was slowly blinking his eyes open.

“I couldn’t sleep. Nii-sans needed me.” She rested her head on his shoulder as she looked down at the two males and the girl. “Suzu needed me.”

“Who’s Suzu?” Though he already had a feeling. As if to confirm it, she lazily pointed to the blond girl, who couldn’t be more than a year or two older than the child in his arms.

“Obaa-san said she needed another chance…”

“Obaa-san?” It was becoming stranger and stranger. Somehow the girl Suzu had appeared in his apartment and ended up asleep in bed with the Greed Pair and Taiga. There was something that just wasn’t adding up to him.

“She was like Papa. She left Suzu here for Hyde-Nii.”

“What’s going on here…” Mahiru turned to look at Licht, who looked about ready to murder Mahiru if he wasn’t holding the small brunette. Mahiru watched as he sat up and began to take in that he wasn’t alone in the bed. When his eyes fell upon the blond-brown vampire and the child Suzu, his face became cloudy and unreadable. Not that Mahiru blamed him. He was just as curious as the older Eve.

Before either one of them could do something, Hyde and Suzu opened their eyes at the same time, blinked them a couple of times before they said in sync, “Good morning, Tenshi-chan,” with the sweetest smiles on their faces.

“Hyde, you have some explaining to do…” It looked like Licht would have grabbed the front of the Servamp’s sleepshirt if it wasn’t for the child in front of him. It made the Eve of Sloth really glad that Licht knew the reign himself in a bit with children present.

“What’re you…” When Hyde tried to move his arm, it was then that he noticed the girl that was between them. The look of shock on his face was genuine as he looked over the small blond, who was now sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

There was something in his eyes as he quickly grabbed the girl by her shoulders to face him. There was a look of hope on his face and somewhat disbelief. Suzu didn’t seem to share his feelings as she offered him a small smile before she hugged him.

“No way…its not possible.” He seemed unsure about what to do, even as his arms slowly began to wrap themselves around her small shoulders in a return hug. Mahiru held silent as he saw Hyde look at Licht.

“Ophelia…?”

Notes:

Well...look who just got a second chance!
Why did Taiga call the new girl "Suzu" and Hyde "Ophelia"? And what is the stranger's goal? Who does she want? WHAT does she want?

Stay tuned to find out!

Hope y'all liked it!

Chapter 10: Protective Warmth

Summary:

Bits of Mahiru-Mama and Kuro-Papa flare up

Notes:

This chapter had three rewrites before I managed to produce this chapter and I'm not all sure about how it turned out.
Let me know what you think about Mahiru-Mama and Kuro-Papa!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

If having one child to look out for was difficult, Mahiru was beginning to wonder how parents were able to handle two of them.

Not that he was complaining about his cub, but adding to the mix of the newest addition, it seemed that their family had grown by one. The blond girl, who Taiga had called Suzu, seemed to be an almost spitting image of one of the former Eves of Greed, a woman by the name of Ophelia according to Hyde. Said newcomer was sitting on the current Eve of Greed’s lap, drinking out of one of the kid-friendly cups and dressed in one of the few dresses that Taiga owned. While the younger brunette preferred dressing like Mahiru and Kuro, there were a few times that she would wear a dress, at the insistence of Lily and Misono. This one was a dark orange dress that had a black sash on it and the sleeves seemed to bell out at the elbows. Her hair was put up into a long French braid that Hyde had done after Suzu had gotten dressed.

Another thing that Mahiru noticed was that Hyde was back to his near normal self if he didn’t let the young blond out of his sight much. As the younger Eve watched, the blond-brown vampire’s attitude towards the girl was somewhat reminiscent of how Kuro first acted with and around Taiga. Licht didn’t seem to mind much, even if he did have a child in his lap and another sitting next to him. It was an odd sight, to say the least, even if he was trying to wrap his brain around how Suzu appeared and the stranger in his dream.

“You said that she just appeared?” Mahiru directed his question to the Greed duo. “That doesn’t make any sense…”

“Obaa-san said that Suzu-chan needed a second chance. So did Hyde-Nii…” Taiga answered instead. “Said that she had been through a lot and needed a second chance.”

“And who is Obaa-san?” Even though he knew the answer to it, he couldn’t help but ask.

“She’s the one before Papa,” was the reply. Taiga couldn’t say much about the person who dropped off Suzu, only that they must have been similar to Kuro. Which isn’t saying much.

“I’m more interested in how she renewed my contract with Angel-chan…” Hyde was looking between Mahiru and the younger brunette. That was another thing. From what the Eve of Sloth could remember, once a contract was broken, it should’ve been broken for good. That there was no way of creating a new one. But there was Hyde, back to his near normal-self playing with Taiga and Suzu.

“It shouldn’t be possible, but I can feel the contract, it’s a lot stronger than before…” was Kuro’s input into the conversation. “Whatever’s happening, its gonna attract attention.”

“And some of it won’t be good.” And that was what worried Mahiru. After their encounter with Tsubaki and now this unknown woman, he was sitting on the edge. He didn’t want anything to happen to the children, they were his to protect…whoa, wait where did that come from? Since when did he become so protective of them? Taiga, he could understand, but Suzu as well. Looking over at the Greed Pair, Mahiru could see that both of them were going to be just as fierce over Suzu as the Sloth Pair was over Taiga.

There was a knock at the door that allowed Mahiru to shake free of his thoughts. As he got up from where he was sitting, he noticed that everyone’s eyes were following him. When he opened the door, he was greeted by an unfamiliar teen. They had dark brown hair and shockingly blue eyes dressed in a thick winter coat and jeans with lace-up work boots, Mahiru was having a hard time seeing if they were male or female.

“I am looking for a Shirota Mahiru,” they said in a slightly accented voice, though it was definitely female. Looking closer, the brunette Eve could see a messenger bag strung across her shoulders.

“That’s me, and you are…?”

“My boss wants to see you,” she looked behind him into what she could see into the apartment. Then she reached into her bag to pull out an envelope with a familiar seal on it. “All of you. He’ll explain everything to you.” She handed the envelope to Mahiru, waving before she left. Eyeing the piece of paper, he couldn’t help but notice that there was the logo of Sendagaya’s family onsen on the front.

“This has just gotten more complicated…” The blue-haired vampire groaned.

***___***

Even though he wasn’t great with people in general, Kuro was coming to enjoy his time with Taiga.

Even after weeks of finding her, he couldn’t find any faults in her like he could in most humans. While he may complain a lot about his Eve, Kuro couldn’t’ve chosen any better. Mahiru was sun-bright and just as warm. Taiga too was just like the teen, and he couldn’t be happier with them. His inner demon had quieted down some he had found the young girl and he had noticed that he coming to see her as his own cub, much like he was seeing his boyfriend as his mate. He wasn’t so sure how the teen would take the news about becoming a ‘mother’ to the rest of the Servamps and their Eves.

There was more to being the oldest that what he made it out to be. As the 1st Servamp, he was also the leader of the others. Another was that he was also the Alpha of vampires, the First Servamp, and when he would take an Eve, they would also be his mate, according to their creator. The Eve of Sloth would also be the True Eve of the Servamps.

 Mahiru was just his opposite, but when it came to it, he was fiercely protective of his friends yet kind and caring to even those who were against him. The Eve of Sloth looked out for those he loved and cared for, something that Kuro was supposed to do but in recent decades, he had failed in that. Which is why he blamed himself for all that happened with Tsubaki. Yet with his brunette Eve’s help, he was coming to terms with his guilt and learning to live with it. Having Taiga around also helped.

Because of the brunette child, he was coming to see just what it means to be a parent. That it was okay to make mistakes because no one is perfect. He was learning and growing alongside her, same with his Eve. And he wanted to protect her from the darkest parts of the world, to heal the scars from the abandonment of her father. Kuro wanted nothing more than to give her happiness and love, to be a family. And the Servamp of Sloth knew that he had to fix his relations with his own family. Starting with Hyde. Thanking the younger Servamp for not forgiving him was only the first step. They were already on to spending some time together. Spending time with the younger immortal was made a lot easier with the children.

They acted like sisters already, playing with the crayons and paper, drawing all kinds of things. Taiga liked to draw animals a lot, usually in black, but Suzu seemed to like drawing castles with princesses and knights. Hyde had chosen to sit on the floor with the kids, coloring as well while Kuro watched. It brought a warmth to his chest as he watched them interact. Licht was making a call to his manager about picking up some clothes that would fit young Suzu, mostly princess-like and angel themed, while Mahiru was making lunch. It created a somewhat domestic atmosphere in the apartment. The feeling was nice, one that he hadn’t really noticed before. A sense of home, belonging, acceptance, settled into him as he watched the two young cubs play with his young brother.

He might not have wanted any subclass of his own, he didn’t mind children.

***___***

The figure was on her throne once again as she watched the children play with the Servamp of Greed in the glowing blue orb. She had a smirk on her face as two more figures materialized from the shadows to watch. One was a man with sandy blond hair that looked like a bird’s nest and caramel colored skin. He was in a long trench coat and slacks with dress shoes. Next to him was a woman with raven hair with caramel skin as well in a gothic dress and veil. They both had eyes like the woman on the throne.

The man wore a smile while the other woman remained blank.

“She looks so much like him, it’s unreal…” The man pointed to where Taiga was showing Mahiru the picture she drew. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that she is his daughter.”

“They have already claimed her as their’s…” the darker woman deadpanned.

“Young Taiga has already used her abilities for the Greed Pair.” The figure on the throne looked between the two. “I didn’t see the harm in giving them Ophelia’s new vessel as well. She’ll do more good as a human than as a ghost.”

“Are you sure it is wise to leave Taiga with them?” The gothic woman eyed the other.

“She chose the True Eve as her mother. Even if it was a subconscious decision, I will respect it, as will you.”

“And the Alpha?” the man watched as Taiga ran over to the 1st Servamp.

“He’s already claimed her as his own. He would fight to the death before he allowed anything to take his cub away.”

Both nodded.

“As you say…” they move to bow to the raven on the throne, “My Queen.”

Notes:

More about the figure and some bits of my own Servamp lore thrown in. Comments are most welcome!

Chapter 11: More Than Blood

Summary:

A glimpse at just who the strange woman is and some more plot

Notes:

Plot strikes again! Sorry for the long wait, I got swamped with work, but I'm back now!

And thanks for all the kudos, hits and comments!
Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Everything was in motion.

Crimson eyes scanned over the immense library that held books from all throughout human history. The place was a small section that once belonged to the library of Alexandria before she had her subclass salvage the works from within the great temple-like building during its destruction. The collections had soon expanded and now was nearly as grand as the original. Even if only she had managed to secret it away from prying mortal eyes. It was lit all around by candles with burning blue-white flames that cast an ominous shadow within the room.

She was sitting in one of the deep red oriental tall back chairs within the library, the glowing blue orb not too far from her as she held in her lap one of the first copies of Dante’s Inferno, a well-worn copy despite the fact that it was written in a tongue that wasn’t spoken anymore. She had quit reading it in favor of watching the goings-on in the orb. Her window to the outside world. But every now and again she would allow her eyes to wander, something setting her on edge.

“One would think that you’ve lost your edge…” A male voice cut from the shadows of the library, one that held a sharp edge of sarcasm. A tall figure came out of the shadows, dressed in a sharp suit with a wine-red button down and black tie. A rabbit mask adorned his face, much like the ones from Japanese festivals. His shock of bright red hair was the only thing that stood out against the shadows created by the candles. “Lilith.”

“Don’t call me that,” she growled as she snapped the book closed, turning to glare that the masked figure. “Hermes…or are you still going by Loki?”

“It’s actually Hare this time around. Haven’t taken on this form in a long time, so I thought it was appropriate.”

“What are you doing here, Trickster?”

“Aww…can't an old friend visit?” He moved forward slightly before the shadows seemed to come alive to wrap around him. Yet he easily dogged them as he came to stand before the woman in the chair. “After all, it has been quite a few centuries since my last…”

A dagger appeared at his throat while the red-eyed woman glared at the man. She never did like his company, yet he was one of only two surviving Old Bloods left, so she had to put up with his irritating “visitations” as he liked to call them. “I could care less about “catching up” with you. What really brings you here?”

“Come now, dear sister, did you think I wouldn’t notice what you’ve done? With the Son of the White Witch?” The Trickster smirked as he pulled back away from the dagger. How she hated that smirk. “You think that I’m that dumb?”

“You certainly play the fool quite well…” she lowered the dagger just a smidge as she didn’t take her eyes off of the man before her.

“I’m hurt, Lilith…” he feigned his hurt while placing a hand over his heart. If he had one.

“Don’t. You lost that right to call me that a very long time ago.” She warned him. His betrayal still stung even after several millennia. He played her for the fool and she paid the price for it. She wasn’t going to let it happen again. Not when she spent the last several centuries working on a plan to ensure that history didn’t repeat itself.

“I’m sorry…Your Majesty,” he gave her a bow, his smirk never leaving his face. “I forgot.”

“You always forget…” and frankly, she was getting tired of reminding him every time he came by.

“Blame old age, dear sister, and a faulty memory.”

“Oh, I blame you alright…for a lot of things,” She brought up her dagger again to point at the rabbit masked male. “You’re the reason that she’s dead and why I’m trapped in here.”

“Now, now. How was that my fault?” His smirk got even wider. It's just a game to him, her mind supplied as she narrowed her eyes.

“Because of you, my Eve is dead because you went and stabbed us in the back. She was your actual sister who sought me out to heal you. And this is how you repay both our kindness.” She raised her voice just slightly as the shadows in the library began to dance.

“Kindness?” His voice took on an icy tone as his smirk fell. “You call this a kindness? An immortal monster? Shunned by both humans and vampires alike? I never asked for it! And I’ll make sure that he never succeeds!” Hare pointed to the glowing orb where Mahiru was talking to young Taiga and the newly reborn Ophelia, now called Suzu. “I’ll make sure that he fails, as both the True Eve and as the Son of White Witch…” With his declaration, he once again became a part of the shadows.

The dagger flew from her hand before she even thought about it, but it missed its target. It embedded itself into one of the wall shelves with an audible thud. She allowed her gaze to fall upon the glowing orb, watching as the Eve of Sloth kept the children entertained while the others gathered were talking. Taiga smiled just as brightly as she showed off a picture to the True Eve, who matched it with one of his own. While Taiga may have chosen him to be her “mother”, even subconsciously, she was ever glad that she made sure that his path crossed with the Servamp of Sloth. His light was what was needed, a light that shined brightly because it was so simple.

Everything may be in motion, but the outcome was still undecided.

***___***

Kuro didn’t like the foreboding that filled the room of the onsen that they were occupying.

Pride was awfully quiet as he listened to Mahiru explain how Suzu came to be in his apartment and the strange dream that occurred before. Everyone was quite when Taiga said that the woman from Mahiru’s dream was the Obaa-san who dropped off Suzu. None of it was making any sense, and that left a dark cloud hanging over the entire room, save for where the children were drawing under Mahiru’s watchful eye.

Lily was the first to speak up, “There can’t be a 9th Servamp…can there?”

“It’s not off the table yet. But I think it might be a bit different,” Pride had a thoughtful look on his face as he brought up a hand to rest his chin upon. “Taiga mentioned that she was the one “who came before”. It’s possible that she might be the original Servamp. Our “mother” so to speak.”

“I always did wonder that…” Hyde leaned back from where he was seated between Suzu and Licht, looking up at the ceiling. “Why were we created in the first place I mean?”

“I have no idea…” Kuro mumbled. He never really questioned his existence, he just was. Unlike the others, who had memories of their former lives before becoming Servamps, Kuro was always a Servamp, the Alpha and the strongest out of all of them.

“And what about Taiga’s powers? How was she able to mend the bond and make it stronger?” Pride looked around the room, Kuro suspected that he was hoping that the others had some idea or theory. Though he lived the longest out of all of them, even he was stumped. The blue-haired male didn’t even know that it was possible to mend a bond once it was forcibly severed. But then again, Kuro didn’t even know that it could be cut like what Lila did. Or that Tsubaki had the ability to make his subclass impervious to sunlight.

“Mama, look!” The small brunette called out suddenly, holding up her drawing to Mahiru, a large smile on her face. As Kuro turned to look his eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he saw what she had drawn. An orange sun and a blue-black moon were hanging up near the top of the page watching over what appeared to be Taiga holding hands with figures that appeared to be Kuro and Mahiru, but something was off. Both of them had wings, Mahiru’s were white like the ones on Licht’s backpack outlined in the same orange as the sun while Kuro’s were black outlined in blue. Taiga had a pair of wings as well, though hers were orange outlined in black. It seemed to be how she pictured them and it held details that a normal five-year-old wouldn’t think about. Like how there was what looked like a chain that connected from Kuro’s neck to Mahiru’s wrist, or the broom next to the taller brunette.

“It’s us!”

Notes:

Hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully, I'll get back to some more fluffy chapters soon.

Chapter 12: Wings to Fly

Summary:

The reason behind the wings and Suzu's point of view

Notes:

Its kind of fun writing from a kid's POV, since they sometimes have such the simplest thoughts, but at the same time, its hard to not fall back on long words that most adults use.

Enjoy this chapter. It'll be the last plot-heavy one for a bit. I've got a lot of fluff planned for the next couple of chapters and then it's really gonna dive into the plot.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

She had a family now.

Taiga was busy coloring as the others were talking amongst themselves. They thought that she wasn’t paying attention, but she was. She heard everything that they were saying, even if she didn’t understand a lot of it.

She knew that her Mama and Papa were special. After all, they were the ones who found her in that forest after her Tou-san left her there. They saved her, just like the angels that her mother always talked about. Her Papa could turn into a cat during the day, which was cool because she could hold him close like she did her lion plushie that Lily-nii had given her. But Taiga didn’t know just how special she was in return. The way they all talked about how she mended the bond between Hyde-nii and Licht-nii made her sound much different than she felt. She wasn’t special, there was nothing that marked her like it did her Mama and Papa.

She wasn’t even sure how she did it in the first place, it just…happened. Something inside of her had pulled her to them, had mended the bond, not Taiga. As she stared down at her finished picture, she noticed that something was missing.

Both Mahiru and Kuro had wings since she had decided that her new parents were in fact angels masked as humans, Taiga didn’t have wings. Looking over at where Suzu was coloring as well, she saw that the older girl had the same idea. She had drawn herself as a princess with Licht-nii as some sort of winged knight with his being white outlined in purple and purple music notes around him as he battled with what looked like Hyde-nii who didn’t have wings. Suzu was looking around at their shared crayons, maybe looking for the orange crayon that Taiga was still holding. She looked at her own drawing before she offered the crayon to the other girl.

“Here, you can use it.”

“Thanks, I’ll make sure to hand it back.” Suzu offered Taiga a bright smile as she took it and added wings to herself and to Hyde-nii, both outlined in orange. Once she was done, looked over at Taiga’s. “I think that yours should be orange, like the sun’s.” She pointed to the one on Taiga’s page.

“But I’m not like them…I don’t have wings.”

“Not yet, but you will. You’ll learn to fly. You just need…” Suzu picked up the black crayon and added a pair outlined in black to Taiga’s drawing of herself. “A little faith is all.”

“But Tou-san said that I was a monster…” She looked down at her drawing. He had called her a monster a few times after her Okaa-san left and she didn’t know what she had done to be called that. There were times when she was afraid that Mahiru and Kuro wouldn’t want her if she ever told them she was a monster.

“You aren’t a monster Taiga…you’re Taiga,” Suzu reached over to give Taiga a hug around her shoulders. Taiga could feel the older girl squeeze her around her shoulders in comfort. “You’re Mahiru and Kuro’s tiger cub. Never forget that.”

Taiga nodded her head as she returned the hug. She was glad that Obaa-san had left behind Suzu, who was quickly becoming her best friend.  She really liked playing with the older girl, especially when they played princesses and knights with Hyde-nii and Licht-nii. Taiga liked playing the dragon as she battled the Greed Pair, as she heard Lily once call them, who were the knights who went to rescue Suzu. It was fun.

Taking the orange crayon that Suzu had handed back to her she went about coloring in the wings. Once she was done, the feeling of something missing was replaced with a sense that she had got when she was around her Mama and Papa, a warmth that made her smile brightly.

Picking up her drawing, she decided to show it to her Mama first. “Mama, look! It's us!”

***___***

Her memories were fuzzy, at best.

There wasn’t much that she could remember, save for her name and that she was six years old. There were other memories, ones that didn’t really fit with what she saw around her. A stone castle in a small valley surrounded by forests and mountains. There was a hedgehog creature that was sometimes a man, like the one called Hyde. There were fancy balls and climbing orchards with kids. Not a lot of them made sense, but she knew one thing, that the Ophelia that Hyde had called her was not her, at least not like he remembered.

Suzu had liked Hyde and Licht, they were funny and played with her and Taiga, who was quickly becoming her best friend. She liked Mahiru’s cooking and Kuro’s stories. She wasn’t too sure about Tetsu and the old man that didn’t look that much older than the two girls, but she was growing to like the tall blond. He gave both girls a ride on his back before they entered the room that they were in now. Suzu looked at her drawing that she began when they first were given their paper and crayons. It was almost done, all she needed now was the orange crayon.

When Taiga offered the crayon, Suzu couldn’t help but notice that the other girl had the same idea that she did, only that Taiga didn’t have wings of her own. She would look good in a bright orange pair in the same color as the sun that was in her drawing. When she pointed it out, she couldn’t help the sense of pain that filled her chest when she heard the young brunette call herself a monster. Taiga wasn’t a monster. She was too bright and warm to be a monster. She was much like the older brunette, but hers was more innocent while he was…she wasn’t sure how to put it. His light was…accepting maybe? No…Mahiru was like the sun after a storm, one where it had been dark and rough and the sun is just breaking through to let you know that everything is going to be okay.

Suzu wasn’t sure where that came from but it fit the older brunette best. Taiga, on the other hand, was more like the sun just as it breaks in the morning, bright enough to light the new day and soft enough to still remember the night. Both of them were warm like the sun as well, which was maybe why they were able to gather so many people around them. Taiga was very much like the angels that she saw Mahiru and Kuro as, and she deserved to have wings of her own. So, she gave them to her.

Taiga deserved to fly, to soar.

Suzu watched as Taiga filled in the wings with the orange crayon before she showed off her drawing to Mahiru. Looking back at her own drawing, Suzu used the black crayon to fill in the wings on Hyde's back. Done, she smiled as she reached over to tug on Hyde’s sleeve.

“Hyde-nii, look! It's you and Tenshi-chan!” She showed him her own drawing of the Greed pair. The smile on his face and the smirk on Licht’s were all that really mattered to her. They were her family now, even if she couldn’t remember much from before. They were her reason now to fly, much like how Mahiru and Kuro were for Taiga.

“It's very pretty, Suzu-chan. It really catches Angel-chan essence.” He patted her on the head as he took the drawing from her.

“She may just be as talented as me when it comes to art,” Licht said, which made her smile at him, proud of her work.

She might not remember, but she would make new memories with the two of them standing beside her and with all the others she would come across in time. Not to mention all the ones that she would make with Taiga and the other Servamps and their Eves.

They just need to spread their wings, that’s all.

***___***

Lilith stood before her throne, staring at something behind it. In the blackness of the throne room, only the orb gave off light.

It had taken her centuries to set her plan in motion, to ensure that what happened to her Eve never would happen again. She couldn’t let that Trickster’s hatred poison anyone ever again. The price was already high enough as is, but she was willing to pay it if it meant that she could finally correct an error that she made all those millennia ago.

Walking so that she was behind the throne, she placed her hand on the wall. The shadows on the wall began to move and fall back. They uncovered several glass orbs much larger than the one floating behind her. Each of the orbs were a certain color, two of them glowing like the orb. There were eight in total in a circle on the wall. The one at the top was glowing a pale bluish green while the one near the bottom middle was glowing a burnt orange. The order went as such; bluish green, a dark blue, golden yellow, a dark purple, an emerald green, burnt orange, pinkish purple, and a ruby red. Each color responded to each of the Servamps, including the youngest who went by the name Tsubaki even without an Eve. Inside of each of the unlit orbs were small child-like figures floating in a liquid. The only ones without figures inside of them were the ones that were glowing.

“Soon…”

Notes:

Aww...Taiga, you are a little angel is what you are! And who's in the orbs behind Lilith's throne? Who is Lilith? And what's her story with Trickster/Hare?

I'll be more than happy to hear any theories ya'll have! ^_^

Hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter!

Chapter 13: Haven for Supernaturals

Summary:

A peek at some of the residents of Mahiru's apartment.

Notes:

An extra long chapter for this week since I'll be busy in the coming days.

This chapter introduces some of the residents of Mahiru's apartment building and I'm in need of some tenants. I might borrow from other animes, like I did here, but I'm more than welcome to takings some fan-OCs.

Please note that the Americans are OCs.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

How hard is it to pick out a babysitter?

Pretty hard, apparently. Mahiru wasn’t sure what to do while he was waiting for all of Taiga’s papers to arrive and enroll her in a proper school. So far, he had been leaving her in the nurse’s office while he was attending his classes, but soon he would need to find someone who could watch her full time. There was a mental check-list in his head, running through all the different people he could ask. A surprising number came out to be residents of his apartment building.

There were the three Americans who moved in two doors down, who was supposed to stay a year, but they were now going on four years. Two of them worked with an international publishing company that had deep ties with America, one worked in the photo editing department while the other was marketing. The third roommate was a part-time editor and tutor. All three were surprisingly friendly and well-liked among all of those who lived in the building.

There was the kendo teacher one floor below, who lived with his stay at home husband and their two adoptive children. They were a bit strange, seeing as how the teacher’s husband was from Britain and yet spoke Japanese fluently and was always cooking too much food. Their oldest was in his third year of high school while their daughter was getting ready to enter junior high school.

There was also his old elementary home economics teacher who lived next door to the three Americans. She always was there whenever his uncle had to leave for his job and had taught him all that he needed to learn in order to survive on his own.

In fact, they all had taken him under their wings, so to speak, over the years. As he thought about it now, he could see it now. There were a lot of people who had become a constant presence in his life. He had never really noticed it before, but a lot of the people who lived in his building were always willing to help each other out, Mahiru included.

“It takes a village to raise a child,” a phrase that Kass, the tutor/editor, had told him one time when he asked why she and her roommates had taken such a shine to him. It was during one of the diners that he got invited when he was still in elementary school. Kass was always helpful with his science and math homework, and at times his English, and she was quite knowledgeable about many things. They all were.

“Or in this case, an entire apartment building,” Dawn, the one who worked in marketing, had joked as she looked over some work that she brought home with her. Out of the three, Dawn was the quietest and always willing to listen to any problems he had. She only spoke when she needed to.

“Kinda hard not to. He’s like a kitten, you can’t help but want to take care of him,” Lauren, the photo editor, said from where she had been setting the table for a western dinner, compliments from Kass. There weren’t many people who could pronounce her actual name correctly, so to many, she was known as Ren to those who couldn’t speak English. She was always making jokes that only the other Americans and the Brit got.

“Yuu seems to think otherwise,” Allen, who was the stay at home dad/husband, was there with his husband, Yuu, and their two kids, Kamui and Lenalee. They stopped by often whenever Allen got a little homesick and wanted some company that spoke English. The four of them were a force to be reckoned with among the neighborhood. They always went out of their way to adorn their apartments in the appropriate festive decorations and threw the best Christmas parties.

Yuu didn’t say anything, instead, he just went about reading whatever he held in his hands while the kids, including Mahiru, did their homework while the table was being set.

Ever since then, he took notice of how much the people in his building had looked out for each other. And how they looked out for him as well. He just had to figure out how Taiga would interact with the other residents of the apartment building.

He, Kuro, and Taiga were just coming back from shopping for tonight’s dinner when they ran into Kass, most likely on her way to meet up with her two other roommates for a dine out like they did most Tuesdays. She was dressed in a light brown zip-up coat and dark blue jeans tucked into calf high boots. Freckles were scattered all over her face, framing her forest green eyes. Her orangish-red hair was free of its usual ponytail, hitting just below her shoulder.

When she spotted him with Taiga, who was clutching Kuro in his cat form, the American woman had a bright smile on her face. “Mahi-chan! Been a while,” she greeted him. She let her eyes fall on Taiga before the smaller brunette moved behind him. “Who’s this chibi-chan?” Mahiru watched at the woman knelt down to the child’s eye level.

“This is Taiga, Kass-san. She’s a relative of mine…”

“I can see that. Mirror image,” Kass interrupted him as she waved to the girl peeking out from behind him. “Hi, Taiga-chan. I’m Kass, I live down the hall from Mahi-chan.”

“Hi…” Taiga answered in a soft voice. Mahiru had dressed her in a thicker winter coat, an orange one with a light blue scarf around her neck, black mittens grey pants and light blue snow boots. A lot of Taiga’s clothes were from Misono and Lily, mostly from the Servamp of Lust, and Mahiru was glad because he didn’t know the first thing about shopping for kids clothes aside from what he bought for himself.

“She’s a sweetheart, how long is she staying for?” Kass looked back up at the teen, her eyes sparkling somewhat.

“Forever…” is Taiga’s answer, coming out slightly while clutching his pants leg in one hand while almost squeezing the Servamp to death. “I’m gonna stay with Mama and Papa forever…” At that, Kass raised an eyebrow but for some reason, she didn’t question.

“Well, I’m glad you are.” Kass returned her attention to the child, a smile brightening her face even more in the old of the December air. The American hefted herself up, still smiling. “You should bring them over for dinner sometime, Mahi-chan. Introduce them and everything. Dawn and Ren would love to meet them. Dawn, especially. She’s great with kids…” With that Kass offers the trio a wave before she takes off in the direction of the nearest train station, no doubt meeting up with her roommates to tell them about Mahiru’s young relative.

As they watched the woman walk away, the Eve took the chance to look down at Taiga and Kuro. Taiga was still clutching his pant leg but she also had a smile on her face, soft as it might be. Kuro, on the other hand, had a weird look on his face.

“What’s wrong…?”

“She’s not human…”

“What?” Golden-brown eyes widened as they returned to the retreating back of his neighbor. In all the time that he’s known Kass, she’s never remotely done anything that would come off as not-human. Not even when they did things during Halloween, the scariest time of the year.

“I don’t know what she is. But I’ve noticed that a lot of people in this building don’t exactly smell human.” Crimson red turned up to look at golden-brown. “I’ve never really known anything other than the other Servamps and their subclass, but I guess there’s more out there than I thought.”

“Why can’t things ever be simple...”

***___***

Kass Murders, yes that was her name, was walking down the semi-crowded street of downtown Tokyo with her two roommates on their way to one of their favorite haunts, a ramen shop that they had found in a back alley near the train station. It was cheap and delicious at the same time.

Dawn Roberts was walking between her and Lauren Swan, both who were dressed in thick coats, slacks and dress shoes. Both wore messenger briefcases slung across their shoulders, Dawn’s a traditional brown while Lauren’s was a shiny black. They had just gotten off of work and had met Kass at the station before going off to eat.

The three of them were friends, though Kass has known Dawn much longer than Lauren. Kass known Dawn for going on fifteen years, having met in middle school and their friendship had yet to waver. Lauren was Dawn’s classmate from college who Kass had met and took an instant liking to. Since then, they had made plans to spend a year in Japan for a personal language immersion, but they ended up staying. They liked it too much to go back.

Dawn was a tall brunette with pale blond highlights in her hair with glasses that framed her chocolate colored eyes. She was the oldest and the tallest of the trio. Not much of a fighter, but she was one of the most protective people that Kass had come across. They joked a lot about how Dawn was like a mother hen to them, who took it in stride with her good nature. As usual, she had a smile on her face as she listened to the other two talk. It was one of the few qualities that Kass liked in the brunette, that and the fact that she didn’t care that her two friends were a part of the supernatural community. She treated them like she would a normal human.

Lauren was nearly as tall as Dawn with blond hair with brown roots and clear blue eyes. She was only a few years younger than the other two, and yet she had the energy of a hyperactive child. It made sense that Dawn would take an instant liking to the blond. She was always funny and could make a joke out of anything. Kass blamed the cat demon blood running through the taller girl. Lauren was also an otaku, having a good portion of their shared apartment covered in anime, manga, and gaming memorabilia. Though it didn’t help that the other two were also otakus as well.

Kass wasn’t entirely sure what she was, she could control the elements of nature when she had her emotions on high and she could tell if someone was human or supernatural, but other than that there wasn’t anything else special about her. Dawn was the only one of them who was human, despite her strange fascination with all things paranormal.

“I’ll have you know, I ran into Mahi-chan today,” Kass said at a random point in their conversation. “He’s got himself a chibi-chan and what looks like one of those Servamps. The oldest one, if I’m not mistaken.”

“You mean Sloth?” Dawn perks up, looking over at the redhead. Kass couldn’t fight the smirk on her face as she nodded. Out of all of them, Dawn had more knowledge of the supernatural. The older woman had several books on paranormal and supernatural, and she frequented a message board full of enthusiasts. There was one guy who went by the name of Franken_Stein who talked all the time about Servamps and vampires. Kass didn’t like him much, he sounded like a prick, to used one of Allen’s favorite insults.

“The chibi is cute as hell though. A near carbon copy of him…”

“Did he suspect you? We’ve done well to stay off of C3’s radar, getting into a fight with the Alpha of Vampires will most definitely put us there…” The older woman warned. Kass shot her a “what do you take me for” look before she stuck out her tongue.

“I’m serious, Kass. We’re here on visas remember?”

“I remember. And I don’t think he noticed, I mean our entire apartment is like a haven for supernaturals. It's hard to pick out just one scent when it’s the whole building.” The shorter woman stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets.

“Isn’t Sloth the one who turns into a cat?” Lauren chimes in, looking at Dawn. She sounded way too excited.

“He is, but his true form is a large black lion. According to his notes, Sloth is the strongest out of his siblings and the leader.” The brunette looked thoughtful as if she was trying to piece together a puzzle with several pieces missing. Kass was all too familiar with that look. Dawn loved puzzles and mysteries. “We’ll need to be a lot more careful from now on. I feel like there might be a war brewing.”

Notes:

Anyone wanna take a guess at who cameos here in this chapter?

Hope ya'll enjoyed. Comments and kudos are welcome!

Chapter 14: Dragon's Protection

Summary:

Mahiru's neighbors part 2

Notes:

I know I said that I wouldn't update much this week, but look!

I may not get to update for a while, so here's chapter 14.

Try and spot the cameos this time.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Dinner was a silent affair.

Ever since Kuro’s revelation of Kass’s so-called non-human scent, and the fact that his entire building seemed to be filled with all kinds of other supernaturals, Mahiru had been silent. As he thought back to all the kinds of encounters that he’s had with his neighbors, he had to wonder just who was human and who wasn’t.

His mind went back to Dawn, she was way too interested in things like that, so she might just be his best bet at asking who was who. But then again, she lived with Kass and might not tell him anything. There was Allen, who knew practically everyone in the building, yet Mahiru was slightly scared of the Brit’s husband, who glared at everyone and anything who wasn’t his family. Mahiru could ask the younger Kaizuka sibling who lived on the fourth floor with his sister, Inaho if memory served him right. Inaho was a year older than he was, and was silent and kept to himself. The older brunette went to a private school that took in kids from military families and was really smart. He might be able to tell him, but he thought the better of it. Inaho and he never really talked all that much outside of the parties that the foreigners hosted.

Speaking of foreigners, Mahiru remembered that the landlord of this building was part French, Fai something. He and his family lived in the building, down on the first floor, and he always hung out with Dawn. He was interested the in paranormal and supernatural just like she was. He even wrote several novels as with those elements in them.

“Mama…” Taiga’s voice pulled Mahiru from his thoughts as he looked into her questioning golden eyes that were too much like his own. He didn’t mean to worry his cub. Reaching out, he patted her on the head as he smiled at her.

“I’m fine, Taiga. Just thinking…”

“About what Papa said…” she made the connection quickly, his smart little cub.

“Yeah, I’ve never really noticed before.”

“Neither have I. It’s not like we’re widely known by the world…” Kuro paused in his eating, making Mahiru look over at his Servamp. He had thought about that before. He had met that strange group before, C3, and they only seemed to be focused on vampires, and then there was that scientist that worked with Mikuni. And that was about it, aside from the Servamps, their subclasses, and their Eves. Other than that, there was nothing. “And I mostly avoid others, so…”

“I mean…if vampires are real, who’s to say that ghosts aren’t, or dragons…” it had occurred to him that now anything was possible. There was a whole other world hidden in plain sight that he never noticed until now. And he was apart of it now.

“Who’s to say.” Kuro looked down at his food, his crimson eyes held an element of sadness to them. Mahiru had to wonder just what that was all about. But he would have to wait.

“Maybe we can figure out somethings by asking around.” Mahiru didn’t like to make things complicated, and right now, he felt like there were several pieces he was missing. He wanted to make sure that his cub was safe, that she was happy, and to ensure that she had a home to come back to. She was his world and was quickly becoming something precious that he needed to protect.

“I wanna meet a dragon!” Taiga brought the conversation back to her as she offered the two a bright smile. Mahiru returned her smile as he thought about his landlord. He was Mahiru’s best bet at the moment, and maybe the safest. Fai was an oddball, that was for sure, but he always looked out for his tenants.

“I might know someone who could help us out.”

***___***

A blond man with his hair pulled up into a high tail, dressed in a light blue long sleeve shirt with slacks covered by a pale pink frilly apron and pawprint slippers, was singing as he cooked dinner. His two children were in the kitchen with him, helping him. His oldest, Syaoran was stirring the miso soup while standing on a chair. He was careful and focused on his task. The boy’s deep brown eyes were set on his task as his messy brown hair was kept out the way with a headband. Kimihiro, his youngest and Syaoran’s twin brother, was helping Fai with the vegetables and the grilled fish. Unlike his brother, Kimihiro had black hair and one indigo eye. The boy’s other eye was covered by an eyepatch, lost in a car accident that killed their parents. Fai wasn’t sure how the boys ended up on the streets after that, but he couldn’t just say no when he found them out in the rain looking like abandoned kittens. He took them home and they’ve been with him ever since.

It also helped that his husband couldn’t say no either. Both boys were undernourished and Kimihiro had developed a fever after staying out in the rain for so long. The older man took one look at them, then at his “wife” and just sighed before calling up the neighborhood doctor and bringing them to his clinic. Kurogane may have come off as a gruff man, but he knew better than anyone the grief that came with losing your parents. Fai may never get the full story out of the dragon, but he had all the time in the world.

“Kimi-han, I think that’s enough. Will you and Inu-chan go set the table for me? Daddy should be home soon.” Fai smiled at his adopted son before he went about finishing their dinner. The young raven nodded as he and his brother went about with their task. Hearing the front door opening, Fai plastered the largest smile that he could when he heard his husband coming home. “Dinners is almost ready, Kuro-pon…”

“Fifty years, and you still insist on ridiculous nicknames…” A gruff voice came from the front hallway, where no doubt the older male was taking off his shoes and setting his kendo equipment down as well.

“Welcome home, Otou-san…” the twins said at the same time. A very tall raven comes down the hallway, his reddish-brown eyes smiling even though his mouth didn’t. He was dressed head to toe in black, even his hair was partially slicked back while a few strands had slipped free. He seemed to be very imposing, but that had mostly to do with his nature as a dragon. Fai was most surprised when the first time he stepped upon this land almost fifty years ago, that the first person he would run into was a young dragon god who still had ties to the land for which he swore to protect. Fai had been a young mage himself back then, learning the ways of the world before he settled. And he quite liked his dragon, gruffness and all.

“Any trouble while I was at the dojo?” He asked as he walked over to the blond, who just shook his head before he turned off the stove to turn around and kiss his husband. It was a light peck on the lips, but it got the boys to grimace, “Eww,” and Fai to chuckle.

“All’s good. The wards are holding up nicely, thanks to Kagome-chan’s help. Though I hear that Mahi-Mahi is working on getting custody of a relative of his…a young girl named Taiga, I believe.”

“Nothing on the cat he’s picked up?” Kurogane raised an eyebrow.

“Well behaved, but I think he’s noticed Kass.”

“That woman’s worse than you at hiding her aura…” the dragon grumbles. “And I take it that he’s going to be asking questions soon?”

A nod.

“We couldn’t keep him in the dark for much longer. Better get this out of the way now…that old fox of his tried his best, but it wasn’t going to be long before he found us out...”

“Such a softie you are…” Fai teased the taller male.

“It’s all that time I’ve spent with you…”

Notes:

Hope ya'll enjoyed!

If anyone wants to have a special cameo, please let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Also, since Taiga seems to be everyone's favorite, I'd like to see what she looks like in the eyes of the readers.

Chapter 15: Light of the Seraphim

Summary:

Mahiru gets some answers, but not all of them...

Notes:

Sorry I've been gone so long but here is a chapter to tide you over
some of my own little supernatural-freefrom makes an appearance

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Today was the day that he was going to get his answers.

Mahiru stood in front of his landlord’s door, one hand clutching Taiga’s. Kuro was in his cat form riding on the Eve’s shoulder. He looked as nervous as Mahiru felt. All of them were dressed for the cold, save for Kuro, who had an actual fur coat. He had waited until Sunday to talk with the older male, hoping that the man’s two sons would be there as well. Mahiru wanted Taiga to make friends with the kids of the apartment, seeing as how there were quite a few lived in the building. Kimihiro and Syaoran were a little older than Taiga, around eight or nine, but they were the quietest of the children. Maybe they could help introduce Taiga to the others later.

The brunette wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. He’s talked with Fai several times before, but now, it felt different. If Fai didn’t know about vampires and other supernaturals aside from his books, then it would make the teen seem like an over-enthusiastic fan. On the other hand, if Fai did know then maybe Mahiru could get the answers he was seeking. Like how was Taiga able to mend the Greed Pair’s bond. Or how Suzu appeared in his apartment like she did. The most pressing question was who was the woman that Taiga called Obaa-san. All that thinking was making his brain hurt.

Just as he was about to ring the doorbell, it opened to reveal his landlord. Fai most definitely had some foreign blood in him. Ash blond hair that he kept up in a ponytail for the most part with blue eyes like ice, but held a warmth of a fire in them. He was taller than most men, with thin arms that held a surprising amount of strength in them. Like usual he wore a long sleeve shirt with slacks, his shirt an off-white color. A smile on his face.

“Mahi-Mahi, I was wondering when you would stop by…” The older man motioned for the Eve to enter.

Taiga gripped Mahiru’s hand tightly as she looked up at him. She was just as nervous as he was, if not more so since this person towered over her. Looking down at his cub, he noticed that Kuro was glaring at the man, looking none too pleased.

“You can cut that out, Sleepy Ash. You’re in my husband’s territory, so you best be on your best behavior.” Fai still had his smile on his face, but the air around him had changed, making Taiga try and hide behind the older brunette. There was an energy that filled the air, much different from the Servamps, one that had Mahiru on edge.

“How…?” Golden-brown eyes narrow on the tall blond, becoming defensive as he moved his cub out of the other’s line of sight.

“He’s a mage, that’s how…” a familiar voice came from the direction of the stairs. Turning to look, the teen spotted Dawn walking towards them. Dressed in a black hoodie, jeans and work boots, she offered them a wave as she neared. “Looks like I made in just in time…”

“You’re no fun, Dawn…” Fai pouted, the air around him becoming normal. Mahiru watched as the woman just shook her head before she stopped a few steps away from Sloth Pair and their cub. Her hair was pulled back by one of her strange hair clips that looked like the ‘infinity’ symbol.

“You asked me to play medium, so excuse me if I do my job right.” She let her chocolate eyes fall on Taiga, who was staring up at the woman with wide eyes. “This must be your chibi-chan, Taiga. Hi…” Dawn crouched down similar to like Kass did a few days previous. “I’m Dawn, Kass’s roommate.”

Taiga nodded to the American, which was more than what Fai had gotten.

“You’re just like Mahiru, you know that?”

“I like Mama and Papa…” The girl said in a soft voice as she tried to bury her face into his pant leg.

“I’m sure you do. I can tell…” Dawn nodded her head in a serious manner. “And I can tell that they love you.”

“I love them too…” Taiga peeked out to look back at Dawn. Something in Mahiru’s chest filled his body with warmth against the cold of the day. Hearing Taiga say that she loved him was something very precious. He knew that he might not ever replace her actual mother, but hearing it now, it gave him a sense of fulfillment and joy.

“Now shall we take this inside?” Dawn let her eyes catch Mahiru’s, nodding in Fai’s direction. “I may like winter, but I don’t handle cold well.”

***___***

In her 29 years, she’s seen a side of the world that most humans don’t even know exists.

Dawn watched the three children play as Fai went about serving his older guests. When the blond mage had called her the other night to ask her to play intermediary between him and her neighbor, she wasn’t all that surprised that she was called upon, she had been expecting it actually. There wasn’t much she could do, other than make sure that they didn’t start some kind of fight that ended up damaging the building by directing them back on task.

She never really did understand how she did it in the first place, but it went along great with her ability to have any animal she came across to take an instant liking to her, supernaturals included. Maybe they tied into each other somehow, and that was why Fai had asked her over.

“She’s a cute kid, Mahiru…” Dawn turned to where the Eve and his Servamp were sitting in the chairs facing her and Fai. She was quite surprised at how young Sloth looked, not to mention the bags under his eyes. He was very different from how she imagined the great Alpha of Vampires. “I can see the resemblance…”

“That she is…she’s come a long way from when we first found her.” There was a note of sadness that entered his voice that she picked up. Curious, the woman thought as she let her gaze fall to the blue haired male.

“So, I take it that you’re Sleepy Ash, right? What’s your current name…?”

The vampire just stared at her, not saying anything.

“How do you know so much about us, Dawn-san?” Mahiru questioned her. It was a fair question.

“You know about my interests, right?” A nod. “Well, I’ve known about vampires and other supernaturals for a while now. I’ve had a run in with a few of them while I was living in America. Coming here was no different. I’ve met a grim reaper or two, really nice fellows…The one out in America is young, maybe three hundred, and he’s a stickler for symmetry.”

“But you don’t smell any different than most humans…” the red-eyed male spoke up. She could hear the inquisitive tone of his voice.

“That’s because I am human. I’m not sure why, but it seems that I have some sort of calming effect on supernaturals and animals alike. Fai thinks it’s because I don’t have an ounce of bloodlust within me.” Dawn looked over at where said man was finishing up their drinks. As he walked over with a tray of steaming mugs, Dawn offered him a soft smile. “Not many adults can manage something like that, it's more common in young children. It may be connected to the fact that they are still so innocent of the world around them. And while I know about the supernatural community, I’ve still kept that innocence well into my adult years.”

“But what I’ve come to see about Taiga is different from what Dawn is describing…” Fai said as he set a drink in front of the woman, returning her smile. As he sat the others down, he continued, “She’s what’s known in the magical community as a Seraphim.”

“Seraphim?” The Sloth Pair questioned at the same time.

“There’s a version in the bible, where a child of man and an angel is called a Seraphim, and depending on who you talk to they can be either good or bad.” The mage explained, taking a seat next to Dawn. “But for our purposes, Seraphim are humans who carry a special light inside of them. This light is very similar to magic but takes its roots from a very old ancient source. I believe that Taiga is such.”

“But I’m not.” Dawn clarifies. She and Fai had done some digging on whether or not she was one, but their findings came up nothing. They were still looking, but so far, they couldn’t find out why Dawn was like some sort of calming force. “We’re not sure what makes me like I am. But I’m human through and through.”

“You called Fai-san a mage…”

“A mage is someone who can tap into the magical energies around them through specialized runes. Some even have specialties, like mine is barriers and wind elementals.” He drew a strange rune in the air with his finger that created a whirlwind barrier around the woman’s cup. A light chuckle had escaped her. “Since we can sometimes have a direct line to magic, our lifespans can be slowed down. We are still mortal, but we just age a lot slower than normal.”

“This light that Seraphim have…what all can it do?”

“Well…there’s a number of things they can do…”

Notes:

If this chapter feels rushed, I am sorry. it took me three tries to get it how I wanted it to be.

Chapter 16: Stray in the Snow

Summary:

Taiga finds her first stray

Notes:

What's this? Two chapters in two days? I'm on a roll now!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

It’s been almost two months since Tsubaki disappeared.

He just left without a trace, not saying where he was going or when he would be back. All of his subclass was scattered in the wind, and Sakuya wasn’t any different. Belkia, Otogiri, and Shamrock were taken and he was on the run from C3. He lived like a ghost, never staying in one place for long. Yet he ended up back here again. He was in a local playground not too far from the high school where Mahiru went. It was snowing, and extremely cold, but he couldn’t really tell. Not that it mattered.

He had lost everything again. The green-haired subclass wasn’t sure why he even running in the first place. Why? The one person he loved was dead and his savior wasn’t coming back anytime soon. He had no reason to run, to keep running. So here he was, on the swings of the playground while it’s snowing with his thin tracksuit and worn-out sneakers.

A pair of childish snow boots appeared in his line of sight.

“You okay…Nii-san?” a young girl’s voice reaches his ears just as he looks up. He feels his heart nearly stop at the image he sees.

Standing in front of him is a child-sized, female version of his former best friend, down to the same hair color and eyes. Part of her hair is covered by a knit cap that looks like it has cat ears while she’s wearing a dark orange winter coat and a light blue scarf, black mittens, dark grey pants and light blue snowshoes. She looks at him with wide golden-brown eyes before she offered him a sweet smile that just added to the hurt. She was near the spitting image of one of the few people he had come to care about.

“Aren’t you cold?” she walks over to crouch down in front of him.

“Where are your parents?” He countered, looking around for them, but they were the only ones in the area.

“Mama and Papa will be here soon. They promised to play in the snow with me!” She spread her arms wide and nearly fell over if she didn’t right herself at the last minute. She gave him a light giggle.

“You shouldn’t have left them. What if I was some sort of monster?”

The brunette smiled wider as she shook her head.

“You’re not a monster”

You’re not a monster…those words rang in his mind. But he was a monster and a liar. Born to a pair of liars in a town full of them. He was a monster created by liars. How did she not see that? As he looked her over again, she didn’t seem any different from other children. She held an innocence in her eyes, in the air around her.

“Kid, I am a monster.” He leans down to show her his eyes. “See my eyes? They mark me as one.”

“Papa’s no monster! And you’re not either!”

“Taiga!” A familiar voice shouted. The subclass jerked his head in the direction of the voice, not believing it for a second. Standing not too far from the entrance to the park was the one person he didn’t want to meet face-to-face at the moment. Mahiru was dressed for the cold in a dark blue pea coat, his signature pants and knee-high boots with the pant tucked in. Standing next to him was the Servamp of Sloth in an even thicker version of his coat with the hood pulled up, glaring daggers at the green-haired male.

“Mama! Papa!” The small girl, Taiga, shouted before she got up to run to them. She leaped up into Mahiru’s arms, giving him a quick hug before reaching out to do the same with the blue-haired vampire. “I found another like Papa!”

“Papa…?” That froze him on the spot as if he wasn’t hearing correctly.

“Sakuya…?” Mahiru’s voice sounded surprised mixed with relief as they made their way over to the swing-set that he was sitting at. “Where have you been? What happened to you?”

“Mama, you know Nii-san?” Taiga’s gaze moved between the older brunette and the subclass.

“Mama…?” Now he knew that he wasn’t hearing things. His brain was running around in circles trying to figure out they could have a kid that was near the age of a kindergartner in the span of a month. It just wasn’t humanly possible.

“It’s a long story. Why don’t we go back to the apartment and catch up?” The Eve of Sloth shifted Taiga up just a little higher as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Mahiru, he’s one of Tsubaki’s, how do we know we can trust him?” The older vampire almost growled. Despite it, he did have a point. The young subclass didn’t really give them any reason to trust him. He did, after all, attack them on several occasions and put the other Pairs in danger.

“Because…” Mahiru looked conflicted, which he didn’t have to feel since Sakuya was the one to fake his way into the Eve’s life. Sakuya was about to the say something before Taiga beat him to it.

“Papa, he’s not bad!” She scolded the older male, her tone sounding much like Mahiru when he was telling him off for one of his stories as she leveled the blue-haired male with a frown rivaling the Eve of Pride. “He’s just…lost?” A look of confusion fell on her face as if she was trying to find the right word. She waited for a beat before she nodded. “Yeah, he’s lost, like I was before you found me. And I found him.”

“Taiga, this and that are two different things,” the Servamp of Sloth tried to explain.

“No, they’re not! You found me, and I found him.”

“Taiga…” The lazy vampire slumped his shoulders. The young subclass noticed a fired in the child’s eyes, a reflection of the eyes he had glimpsed during Mahiru’s fight with Tsubaki. She wasn’t going to let it go.

“You lost, lazybones. Admit it.” The Sloth Eve teased his Servamp.

“She gets it from you.”

Seeing her victory, Taiga nodded her head before turning to Sakuya again. Her smile made him feel a warmth he hadn’t in a long time. A warmth that reminded him of home.

***___***

They were back at the apartment, each of them with a steaming cup of cocoa. A kotatsu had taken up some room in the living room, but it helped warm up the humans and vampires alike. Taiga was sitting between the Sloth Pair, carefully blowing into her cup, while Sakuya was sitting across from them.

After their little confrontation in the park, Taiga and Mahiru argued that they should bring the subclass back with them. They didn’t leave much room for the blue-haired vampire to counter and so that was how he ended up in the cozy apartment. While he had only been in there once or twice for study sessions or group projects, he could see the differences between then and now. There was evidence that there was a child living there, in the hand-drawn pictures, the photos, toys, child-friendly dishware. He also noticed that a lot of it was animal themed of some sort or another.

“I take it that Taiga isn’t your actual kid?” The green-haired vampire asked to clear the tension that had been in the air since their confrontation. “I mean, I know she looks a lot like you Mahiru, but…” he trailed off as he tried to find the right words.

“No. We aren’t related by blood. But she’s our cub anyways.” The golden-eyed teen leaned down to kiss said cub on the side of her head. She giggled into her cup before she set it down. Leaning up, she placed a loud smack on his cheek.

“Umm…cub? Not kid?”

“Oh…you didn’t notice,” Mahiru’s face went somewhat red, which caused the older teen to raise an eyebrow. “That Kuro and I are dating?” The other brow joined its twin as he looked between the Eve and his Servamp. That…actually explained a lot. If what Tsubaki had once told him, the Servamps could find “mates”, though they only had one. This mate was extremely rare, especially if that mate was made into an Eve. They could have lovers aplenty, but there was only one mate. The 8th Servamp never did go into much detail, except to tell him that Servamps could get very protective of said mate and any child of that mate. Looking back on that knowledge, he could see it now. The Servamp of Sloth had claimed his Eve as his mate and young Taiga was near close enough to be a clone of Mahiru that he had claimed her as their cub.

“Oh…wow…mm wow. That’s…” He wasn’t sure what to say. Thankfully Taiga directed the conversation elsewhere.

 “Mama, can we keep him?”

***___***

He was humming on his way back to his apartment, the ingredients for dinner within the shopping bags on his arms.

Though it was snowing, he wasn’t all that bothered. He once had to brave a Russian winter when his guardian got the strange idea to visit when he was fifteen. They had to stay until the spring thaw, and they couldn’t get out fast enough. Ever since then, he’s never been as cold as he had been then. His snow-white hair was pulled away from his face with a pair of star hair clips that his daughter had bought for him as a Mother’s Day present. Why Mother’s Day he blames on the three Americans in the room above his. Steel-storm grey eyes watch as people pass by him, eyeing the strange scar over his left eye, something he’s had since as long as he could remember. According to the resident magician, it is a curse that allows him to see all kinds of ghosts and demons that walk among humans.

Suddenly arms wrapped themselves around his neck in a very strong glomp, taking his mind away from whatever train of thought he was on as he righted himself with the added weight. There are very few people who can actually sneak up on him. Namely his husband, but Allen has a very good idea about who has snuck up on him this time if the small bits of silver streaked with red is any indication. Turning his head ever so slightly, the Brit sees the Nekomata that normally hangs out around their building.

“Natsuki,” he gently scolds the cat demon. Though she flashes him a very feline grin, she loosens her grip from around his neck. Out of all the people in the building, there are very few for which she will interact with.

“Is it true?” The question doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, it's not every day that a Seraphim takes residence with a Servamp and his Eve. Allen heard from Kass who got confirmation from Dawn.

“It's true. We’ve got a chibi Seraphim in our flock. Not to mention the father/son duo that just moved in on the fourth floor.” He smiled as he patted her on the head, careful of the shopping bags as he also brushed some snow off of her head. “You’re more than welcome to see at the Christmas party…”

“Will there be plenty of fish?” A tilt of her head, slit-pupils dilating just slightly at the thought of a fishy treat.

“I’ll make sure to add it to the menu…”

“Then I’ll be there.”

Notes:

This has to be one of my favorite chapters so far.
Hope y'all enjoyed!

Chapter 17: Under One Roof

Summary:

A peek at some of the tenants and some introductions

Notes:

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas
I thought that y'all could use a gift, and this is only part 1 of the Christmas party.
Please note that this is meant to be in a sort of scattered viewpoint because it's showing some of the people within the apartment complex.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Since quite a few foreigners lived within the walls of the Suwa Apartment complex, a lot of the national holidays were celebrated in big fashion. This year’s Christmas dinner was no exception. Allen, Fai, Kass, Mahiru, and several others who were able to cook spent a good amount of the day in their respective kitchens before all convening within the landlord’s apartment for a very large feast.

The youngest of the Kaizuka siblings showed up, carrying a large plate of mini egg custards. He was one of the youngest residents, but he kept mostly to himself. He offered the plate to Fai before entering the apartment, a blank expression on his face and his one good eye unreadable. The other was covered in a black eyepatch. His outfit was a nice dark blue sweater with khaki pants and black dress shoes.

Next to follow him was the Namikaze-Uzumaki family that lived down the hall from Fai. Minato’s a bright genius goofball that worked in the lower part of the government as a secretary in the educational department. His wife’s a fiery redhead who works at a local gym running women’s self-defense classes. They had two children, Naruto and Karin. Naruto was just like his father in his coloring, with his mother’s temper and a senior in high school. Karin, on the other hand, was actually a distant relative who they adopted some years ago when her mother died. Out of all of the tenants in the building they were among some of the oldest. Both Minato and Kushina wore matching long sleeve shirts that said “I am an adult and still believe in Santa Claus” and jeans and sneakers. Their son wore a bright orange turtleneck and jeans while their daughter, with red hair that framed her pinkish red eyes along with her red-rimmed glasses, wore a light purple turtleneck with a pair of black shorts and white stockings. All four of them were carrying an assorted of Japanese side dishes.

The three Americans were the next to arrive all decked out in Christmas Cheer. Lauren was dressed up like a reindeer, down to the red nose. Dawn had on a felt elf hat and a deep green sweater with ripped jeans and bells on her shoes. Kass was dressed in a Mrs. Claus outfit and carrying a large wicker basket full of sweets and a fruit salad that was Dawn’s specialty. All three offered warm smiles to Fai as they began helping him set up the apartment for the remaining guests.

The Sloth Pair, Sakuya, and little Taiga were next to arrive, the young Eve having a large bowl of a simple potato salad. Mahiru had on a simple button-down shirt in a festive green and slacks. Kuro was dressed like normal, though he had on a black dress shirt instead of a t-shirt underneath. The Servamp seemed to stick close to his contractor, not knowing how to interact with the residents of the complex. Their charge was in a pretty white dress with an orange ribbon tied around her waist and one in her hair. Taiga easily went over to the young Suwa boys who were quizzing the Kaizuka boy and the Namikaze-Uzumaki siblings. She kept close to the twins, though she seemed to be warming up to the blond teen. Sakuya seemed to not know where he fits until Dawn pulled him over to have him taste something Fai was cooking in the kitchen. The green-haired subclass was in a red flannel shirt that was two sizes too big with a green t-shirt underneath with a pair of slacks that were just a bit too short in length.

The Kanda’s were next to arrive with Natsuki trailing behind them. Allen and his family were dressed in simple Chinese garb that was all of the Christmas green and red. The Nekomata was decked out in all white. As if by some unspoken rule, their two kids went over to where the rest were creating their own corner while the adults, and some of the teens, were converging into the Suwa’s kitchen. Natsuki seemed to want to play with the kids, so she joined them in their conversation. They were having an animated discussion on the different people who lived within the apartment complex. Taiga listened with rapt attention.

“You know everyone?” The young brunette asked from her position on Naruto’s lap, directing her question to the twins.

“We kind of have to since our parents run this building,” Kimihiro said in a solemn voice. “And we like meeting new people.”

“A lot of the people living here are friendly…” The blond teen rested his head on top of Taiga’s. “There’s a mix of all kind’s of supernaturals and humans here.”

“Like Papa?” Honey brown lifted up to the cerulean blue of the older boy.

“Not all of them are of the vampiric kind…” Inaho called attention to himself, pointing to the older Suwa male. “Kurogane-san is a dragon god whose shrine is run by a very powerful Miko and her half-demon husband. Fai-san is a very powerful mage in his own right.” He turned his finger to Kass.

“Kass-san has control over the elements, though they are tied to her emotions.” Next, he moved on to Lauren and Dawn. “Ren-san has bits of cat demon blood in her. Dawn-san is human with an uncanny ability to make anyone like her.”

He moved on Allen and his husband, “Allen-san was cursed with an eye that allows him to see those who walk among humans while Kanda-san is a reincarnated warrior from the Heian period.” He nodded to the two who just came through the door. A young man, maybe no more than twenty, with dark chestnut hair and deep emerald green eyes dressed in a white dress shirt, a black sports coat, grey slacks and well-worn dress shoes. He was standing in the doorway with a toddler in his arms. The child couldn’t be no more than two, with the same color hair yet with a reddish tint to them and eyes of a that were of a dark ruby color that was different than the Servamps. He was dressed in a white parka with a rabbit-eared hood. “Klein-san and his son are Seraphim.”

“Like me?” Taiga turned her head back to the Kaizuka teen.

“It is possible. I’ve never really met any Seraphim aside from you three.” He looked at the young girl who was gripping the blond’s arm with her small hand. “Kushina-san, Naruto-kun, and Karin-san are related to a demon god fox. Minato-san is a normal human. There’s also a magician and a Curse Eater on the floor below me. There’s also a celestial summoner, her fiancé who’s descended from a line of Eastern dragons, and his cousin, a girl who has healing abilities.”

“You forgot about me, Nao-chan…” Natsuki complained, giving the teen a slight pout. “I’m a Nekomata, little one. I’m a full-blooded cat demon…” Several of the children jumped at the sound of her voice, aside from the brunette boy. Inaho just gave her a quick nod before he returned his gaze to the young girl. “You can see me hanging around here all the time…”

“There are several others, but they like to keep to themselves…” Dawn walked over with a plate of snacks for the kids, Sakuya not too far behind her. “This place is one of few havens for supernatural beings. So, it stands to reason that those who fear persecution will avoid others as much as possible.”

“What’s persecution?” Syaoran turned to look at the American as she set the plate down in the middle of the group of kids and teens. A look of sadness filtered across the brunette woman’s face as she reached over to ruffle the boy’s hair.

“It means having to face people who fear something they can’t understand and they lash out…” She gave all of them a soft smile. “It’s a response most have when they face something different than themselves.”

“Why,” Young Taiga asked the American woman, her voice soft. Dawn just barely caught it.

“Who knows, Chibi-chan…” She turned to look at where the new arrivals were heading in their direction. The older Klein seemed just as nervous as the subclass if his strained smile was anything to go by. His son on the other hand just watched them all with wide eyes. Naruto was the first to offer them a warm smile, next to Lenalee and her brother Kamui. The twins were more reserved in their smiles, though they were none the less warm. Karin, Inaho, and Natsuki kept neutral faces, sizing up the young father and his toddler.

“You must be Taiga…” the emerald-eyed male smiled at the brunette girl, crouching down to allow him and his son to look at the Seraphim girl-child. “I’m Teito and this is my son Kaguya. I’ve been told that you’re a Seraphim…”

***___***

Deep blue eyes watch over the gathering within the Suwa apartment complex. Dressed in all black with a high popped collar that showed off just a bit of chest, this grim reaper had been looking after a pair of souls for a long time now. With each new world they crossed over into, their lives were his to oversee and to claim when their time was up. In his journey across worlds, he had come across several of his kind, each with their own unique way of soul gathering.

This new world was different than most since he could count the numerous World Crossers, souls that have been reincarnated from one world into another from different times and places. It was very rare to find so many under one roof, from several different worlds to boot. As this Shinigami watched, for a split second, he thought he locked eyes with the American called Dawn, but he saw that her attention was on this world’s version of Teito. Then there was a strange feeling that he knew the young child called Taiga.

There was an energy about this new dimension that reminded him of his old world, only this one seemed to be on the verge of a war.

“I wonder what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into now, brat…”

Notes:

Hope y'all enjoyed part 1. I'll have part 2 up within the next few days

Chapter 18: The Heart of Christmas

Summary:

The second part of the Christmas party

Notes:

The song used in this is what lends this chapter its name... and its extra long this time around.
"The Heart of Christmas" by Mathew West
Also, know that the song is sung in English which is in bold.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

She was happy.

Honey golden eyes looked around at all the people gathered within the tall blond’s apartment. Some were familiar faces that she had met before, like the three women from down the hall, and others she was meeting for the first time, like the bright-eyed blond boy who lived on the first floor or the one with the still face. Taiga watched as they all sat around a large table filled with all kinds of foods, from all kinds of places. Everyone was talking about anything and everything. The Suwa twins were kind enough to include her in their talks, same with Naru-nii.

Everyone was very accepting of Sakuya, even if he was what her Papa called a “last minute addition”. Dawn seemed to be the one who made sure he wasn’t alone, she kept him by her side most of the night when he wasn’t with her and her parents. He did talk with Teito some, even holding little Kaguya a bit while the older Klein went to help Fai-san.

“Naru-nii…” she tugged on the older teen’s sleeve to get his attention away from his sister. When his bright blue eyes landed on her, she pointed over at the Christmas tree that was in the corner of the apartment. She and her Okaa-san used to put up a small tree in their own small apartment, it was plastic and not all decorated with a mix match of handmade and store bought. It was mostly handmade decorations.

“You want a closer look?” He asked as he picked her up to walk over to the tree, everyone else following as well. Sakuya was still holding the toddler, who was gripping the front of his t-shirt. “Do you like it,” Naru-nii put a hand near the tree, the different colored lights lighting up his hand. There was a mix of white and colored, with a pale blue string of what her Mama called “garland” wrapped around it.

Taiga nodded as she too reached out a hand to the tree, touching a crystal snowflake what was a peach pink. “That one is Okaa-san’s favorite,” Syaoran stood next to the two. “Tou-san found it two years ago at an antique store and gave it to him.”

“This one is mine…” Kimihiro pointed to a pretty bird that had outstretched wings in a pretty silver that were slightly mixed with a dark blue. It was very pretty. Her eyes fell to a painted egg not too far down from it, white with green vines that looked like a dragon.

“That one’s a gift from Ren-san…” Karin pointed to the egg. “She found it in Germany last year while she was away on a business trip.”

“And this one…” Naru-nii reached up to pull off a handmade knitted tiger decoration to show to Taiga. “Fai-san made just for you.” Her eyes went wide as she looked up at the older male. He had a soft smile on his face as he looked down at her. As the small brunette looked back at the tiger, she noticed that the stripes were white instead of black and the eyes were a pretty chocolate color. Around its neck was a neat little bow the same color as her Papa’s coat. Slowly she reached out a hand to touch the decoration, eyes full of wonder as she touched it. It was very soft. Taiga petted it a few times before she made to put it back on the tree. Naru-nii put it back for her.

“You guys sure do have a lot of ornaments…” Turning her head to look, she saw Sakuya have a sad smile on his face as he too eyed the tree. She didn’t like it.

“Well, for some odd reason, this complex is full of foreigners or returners, so they get Christmas decorations as souvenirs for our parents instead of things like chocolate and knickknacks…” the younger Suwa twin smiled softly at the taller boy. “Okaa-san says that Christmas is a time for family where he comes from…and that each ornament is like a piece of our family.”

“Time to eat…” Several voiced called from the kitchen. All at once, the large table that took up most of the room in the apartment was filled with people, with the tall raven at the head of the table.

After everyone had enough to eat, they all cleaned up after their meal everyone began exchanging gifts, Taiga noticed that a lot of them were handmade and seemed to fit each person. Even Sakuya got gifts, mostly warmer clothes, which caused him to cry on her Mama’s shoulder while smiling. Everyone tried to console him, but they were smiling too. Well, save for the one with an eyepatch, the twins’ Papa, and the elder Kanda. They had smirks on their faces, though their eyes were smiling. Kaguya got a lot of clothes too, yet his were of the rabbit theme, and he got a handmade rabbit from Allen.

Taiga’s presents were mostly art supplies and a few clothes, and a small backpack with cat ears and a tail attached. Allen had smiled as he handed it to her. “For when you start school,” he said as returned her hug. When she was done, she once again walked over to sit in Naru-nii’s lap, causing the whiskered teen to laugh. She never did ask him about how it got them, but it didn’t make him any less bright to her.

She was happy, among her family and their friends.

***___***

The younger children were just beginning to doze.

Taiga was nestled closely with Mahiru, who was sitting on the couch with Teito. His son was also nestled against his father’s front, gripping his shirt tightly. Everyone was being considerate of the children, their voices not raising that much above a whisper. The teens and the twins were on the floor, talking amongst themselves while the adults chatted in the chairs from the table. Kuro had opted to take a seat on the floor in front of his Eve, resting his back against the brunette’s legs while Sakuya seemed to have been taken under Dawn’s wing, asking her all kinds of questions about her job and her home in America. Every once in a while, she would say something in English that would have her roommates, the Brit, and the landlord in stitches.

“I never knew there was so many out there,” Kuro’s voice reached his ears, making him look down at the vampire.

“You couldn’t’ve known…” Mahiru placed his free hand on top of his Servamp’s head, feeling how soft it was. “I didn’t know and I’ve been living around them near my whole life…”

“That’s saying something…” Teito chuckled slightly, calling attention to himself from the Sloth Pair. Mahiru was a little wary of the young father. According to Fai-san, he’s half Japanese and half German, much like Licht-san, but he came to Japan to raise his son away from the boy’s maternal grandparents, who were against their daughter having the child. Mahiru wasn’t sure about all the details, but he could see just how much Teito had come to care for his son. “There are dozens of worlds alongside this one, so it’s not surprising that you didn’t know.”

“Just how many are there…?” Mahiru questioned the older brunette, tilting his head to the side just a tiny bit.

“Well, I’m not really sure, but someone once told me that there are infinite worlds…each with their own versions of ourselves…” Teito looked down at his sleeping son.

“Let’s not get into that heavy stuff just yet, Teito-san…” Kass called out to the older Seraphim. “It’s Christmas, a time to spend with family, not bring up theories of alternant universes and doublegangers.”

The American’s raised voice roused the sleeping children, who scrunched up their faces at the loud noise.

“Geeze, Kass. Not so loud…” Dawn scolded the younger woman. She giggled as the woman looked somewhat dejected before she started to hum a strange tune. Hearing it, several of the others picked it up before the glasses-wearing American began to sing softly, in English “I’m gonna make a wish this Christmas…I’m gonna say a little prayer.

Lauren picked up the next few lines. “I’m gonna stop here for a moment…before the moment disappears.” A few seconds a soft beat of a piano filled the air. Mahiru turned to see that Allen had brought out an electric piano, most likely Fai-san’s. He was playing the same tune that Dawn had started humming. The Americans sang together, “The world’s in a hurry this December, city streets and shopping malls. I wish we could slow down and remember…the meaning of it all.

Soon Fai-san and Allen joined in as well in the singing, filling the apartment with a sort of mixed harmony of voices, “Wherever you are, no matter how far. Come back to the heart, the heart of Christmas. Live while you can, cherish the moment…The ones that you love, make sure they know it…Don’t miss it, the heart of Christmas.

A string of a guitar could be heard as Minato and Kurogane had somehow got up to grab the instruments to join in the soft singing of the foreigners, adding to the lulling of the younger children, including the Suwa twins. Fai-san took over the next few lines, “Let’s make it feel the way it used to. Let’s find that wonder of a child.” He hugged his twins who were by his feet, placing a kiss on each of their foreheads.

Kushina and Kass sang together, their voices a nice soprano, “You can see the magic all around you. Come on and open up your eyes…You can find it in the warm embrace of your family…or calling up a long-lost friend.”

Allen picked up where the women left off, “You can even find it in the eyes of a stranger when you reach out a helping hand.” They all once again joined together to sing the chorus. “Wherever you are, no matter how far. Come back to the heart, the heart of Christmas. Live while you can, cherish the moment…the ones that you love, make sure that they know it…Don’t miss it, the heart of Christmas.”

Naruto and Karin picked up the next verse, smiling at each other, “In the shadow of a steeple, in a star that lights the way…you will find Him in a manger. The heart of Christmas has a name…

Dawn once again sang her part, “I’m gonna make a wish this Christmas…I’m gonna say a little prayer.” Mahiru watched as the all of the children had slowly fallen asleep to the singing that was filling the apartment. Taiga had begun to nuzzle her face into Mahiru’s chest as a soft smile adorned her sleeping face. While English may have been his worst subject in school, here among his neighbors and his somewhat extended family, he joined in on the second passing of the chorus of the song. “Wherever you are no matter how far. Come back to the heart, the heart of Christmas. Live while you can and cherish the moment. The ones that you love make sure they know it…

Kuro soon joined as the others finished up the song. “Wherever you are, no matter how far. Come back to the heart, the heart of Christmas…live while you can, cherish the moment…the ones that you love, make sure they know it. Don’t miss it…the heart of Christmas.

Notes:

My last somewhat fluffy chapter for a little bit...I promise that there will be more soon.
Hope y'all enjoyed!

Chapter 19: A Fresh New Start

Summary:

New faces and a birthday for one special tiger cub

Notes:

The end of a 19 chapter prologue and the start of my first Arc-Descendants of Alice
Which will be my take on the Lust and Envy arc in the manga.

Enjoy an extra long chapter for the New Year!
Happy New Year!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Everyone was supposed to meet up at the old Suwa shrine to offer prayer into the next year.

“Does it even work since we live with the actual god?” Sakuya questioned as he straightened the jacket over Taiga’s kimono that she had received as an early birthday present from her new ‘aunts’. The three Americans had pitched in together to buy a nearly pure white kimono with an alternating pattern of dark orange suns, pale blue moons, and pastel purple stars along the hems. The obi was the same blue as Kuro’s normal coat. All in all, it was very beautiful and simple.

The Eve of Sloth was a little bit surprised, as he looked over Taiga’s papers that now listed her as Shirota Taiga, that her birthday happened to be on the first day of the New Year. He only had a week to plan something for the little girl, so he enlisted the help of his now extended family. Fai was in charge of food, the Americans in charge of decorations, and Kushina was put to good use in making sure that the party that they had planned for later that day remained a surprise. A good role for the descendant of a fox god. He really didn’t want to seem like he was depending on anyone since he wanted to rely on his own strength, but Kass had scolded him when he told her about Taiga’s fast approaching birthday.

“Your strength can only get you so far, Mahiru…and it’s not too bad to ask for help once in a while.” The redhead gave him a slight scowl as she and her two roommates dropped off the child’s kimono. How they had known about her birthday before them, he’ll never know. He watched as his cub slowly pulled the garment out of the prettily decorated box, her eyes wide with wonder. Dawn explained how they found the garment in a shop for one of their clients as Lauren helped the child try on the kimono. Kuro and Sakuya were standing next to them, both wearing smirks of varying degrees. “It just means that you know how to lean on people instead of running yourself ragged.”

After that, the women also dropped off their otoshidama* for Taiga. The small brunette hugged each of the women before they left to change into their own kimonos. Both Eve and subclass helped Taiga into her new kimono, smiling all the while. Sakuya ended up doing the small cub’s hair in neat little buns shaped like cat ears on the top of her head. It was nice to have another pair of hands helping out with Taiga, and soon the green haired vampire would be rooming with Klein’s since they had offered to share their extra room with the young immortal. It might also have to do with how attached that Kaguya became of the vampire during the Christmas party.

“I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.” Mahiru shrugged into his own jacket just as Kuro, in his cat form, jumped into the attached hood. Once Taiga was dressed and in her coat, the subclass went for his own coat, a nice thick, forest green that didn’t clash all that bad with his hair. “We could ask Kurogane-san when we reach the shrine, or maybe Higurashi-san since she’s the Miko of the shrine.”

“How far is this shrine?” Kuro asked, peeking out from the hood.

“About half an hour if we’re walking. Not all that far. I’ve got a few stops to make before then. Mostly the clinic a few blocks from here and the florist shop near the market…” Mahiru did some mental calculations in his head on what would be the simplest route to take between the three places to make the best time.

“Doesn’t sound too bad…” the green haired male gave a soft chuckle as he opened the door for the small family to exit. Mahiru followed the small child out, locking the door behind him.

***___***

The clinic was the first on their list.

Run by a pair of old high school classmates who went into medical school, one under pediatrics and the other under general medicine. They moved to Tokyo around the same time that Mahiru moved in with his uncle and a lot of the residents of his apartment complex were regulars at the clinic. Ishida Uryuu and Kurosaki Ichigo ran an efficient and family-friendly environment inside their clinic to reduce the stress on their patients.

Mahiru wanted to drop off some papers for Taiga since he had a feeling that one of them was there with a small staff in case of emergencies. As they neared the two-story clinic that read ‘Masaki Clinic’, the small group could see the lights on the first floor. Once they were inside, they were welcomed by one of the nurses, a young woman by the name of Inoue Orihime who had long reddish-orange hair braided neatly and pushed to the side while part of her bangs was fastened out of the way of her grey-brown eyes by two little snowflake hairpins. The clinic entrance was just like a smaller version of a hospital waiting room, done in crème and sky blue. Orihime was behind the nurse’s station, arranging files from what it looked like when they walked up to her.

“Mahiru-kun, so glad to see you,” Orihime welcomed the four, her eyes near sparkling as she spotted Taiga. “Who’s this little princess…?”

“This is Taiga…she’s my ward that I’m looking after with a friend of mine.” The older brunette placed a gentle hand on the smaller’s head, careful of the cat ear buns. “This is a classmate of mine, Sakuya, who is just moving into my building.” The Eve motioned to the green haired vampire behind him. “Guys, this is Inoue Orihime-san, she’s one of the nurses here.”

“I take it you’re here to drop off some papers for her medical file?” the nurse eyed the teen, her smile never leaving her face. She was one of the nicer nurses working at the clinic. “Ichigo-kun would love to meet her if he wasn’t back home right now. Karin-chan finally convinced her boyfriend to spend the holidays with them, so he’s doing his big brother duty and checking the kid out.” A small chuckle escaped her as she took the papers from Mahiru pulled them out of his messenger bag.

“So, I take it that Ishida-sensei is here today…”

“It wouldn’t be proper to leave the clinic closed for a long period of time.” A voice came from down the hall to the left. A raven male, a few years older than Mikuni, wearing glasses and a doctor coat over hospital green scrubs, his ID hanging around his neck off of a blue and white lanyard with paw prints on it was walking towards them. “But since it’s the New Year, we’re keeping a skeleton staff unless there’s some emergency. Plus, Ichigo is due back later tonight.”

Ishida Uryuu may have looked like some sort of typical cold-hearted villain, but after years of coming to the local clinic for colds and scrapes, Mahiru knew that it was just the opposite. Unless someone was playing an idiot or some such. Then the doctor let his temper steel his words and he let the other person have it. Unlike his pediatric counterpart, who was all smiles and easy-going attitude until someone pissed him off. Then it was just a matter of time before Kurosaki-sensei ripped that person a new one, to borrow an American phrase.

Taiga hid behind Mahiru when the man stepped up to them, peeking out to stare at him. Without his partner, he did indeed come across as cold. The doctor eyed both the child and the Immortal teen, his face not once betraying what he was thinking.

“Ishida-sensei, slow day?”

“For the most part. Is this the one that Fai-san was gushing on about when he brought the twins in for their exam last week?” The raven nodded to the small child hiding behind the teen Eve.

“This is Taiga…she’s mostly shy around new people…” the teen chuckled as he peered down at the girl. It was true in a sense. The only ones that she warmed up to besides Mahiru and Kuro were the Pride, Lust, and Greed Pairs, Fai-san, the Americans, Naruto-kun, Sakuya, and the Klein’s. Not to mention the Suwa twins and Suzu. Other than that, she stayed close with the Sloth pair when they went shopping or errands like today.

“I take it that you’re on your way to the Suwa shrine soon?”

“After my next stop, yes. I wanted to drop off her papers before I forgot.”

“A good thing too. Set up an appointment soon with Ichigo so he can meet her.”

“I will…”

***___***

The flower shop wasn’t too far from the clinic.

A small corner shop next to an open-air market, it was run by a redheaded man with the most expressive emerald green eyes that Mahiru ever saw. The man, who most people called Kurama, was always full of smiles and easy conversation. He always had an opening for the brunette Eve during the summer holidays for part-time work or odd jobs around the shop when it became busy. Mahiru was stopping by to pick up some flowers for his family grave and to introduce Taiga to the shop owner.

Though the shop was closed, he saw a familiar figure walking among the flowers on display. A short raven dressed in a long black sleeve shirt and black slacks with a white headband covering a part of his forehead and a bandage on his right arm. The young Eve had only met the raven a few times in the shop, who Kurama claimed was his ‘partner’, and the man came off as abrasive and unapproachable to most, even to the Eve of Sloth.

Mahiru knocked on the glass door to get the raven’s attention. Blood red, near a ruby crispness, flicked over to the small group. His face held a scowl as he walked over to open the door for the four. “What do you want, brat?” The raven was only a few centimeters shorter than Mahiru, but he seemed to tower over him ever so slightly as he glared at the teen.

“Hiei, don’t be rude…” a familiar voice came out from the back room of the shop, most likely Kurama’s office. Said man stepped out dressed in a chocolate sweater with a lighter brown woven in and dark jeans. His red hair was pulled up into a hightail. The shop owner offered a welcoming smile to them. “Mahiru-kun, glad to see you. Here for your usual order?”

“That and to have you meet someone.” He pulled Taiga out in front of him so that the older males to see his cub. Both of them reacted differently upon seeing the smaller brunette. Kurama’s expressive green eyes widened in surprise while his partner’s narrowed. Mahiru didn’t like that.

“How in the hell did you come across a Seraphim?” The raven, Hiei, turned his eyes to the older brunette. “Not to mention a Servamp and a subclass?”

“How…?” Mahiru’s own eyes also widened as he took in the older male. The redhead let loose a weak chuckle that made the Eve turn his attention towards the florist. Only now he wasn’t a redhead with emerald eyes. A silver-haired male with fox ears atop his head with piercing golden eyes was in the other’s place, wearing a strange white outfit not meant for winter as a bushy white tail swung out from behind him. “You’re a kitsune…?”

“I’m actually a reincarnated kitsune, but yes. My demon name is Yoko Kurama, named after the demon fox god.” The silver-haired fox leaned down to the child’s level, folding his arms across his bent knees. “I’m a cousin of the Uzumakis.”

“Naru-nii?” Taiga eyed the man’s tail. The Kitsune nodded his head.

“This is my partner, Hiei. He’s a fire demon…” Yoko Kurama pulled said man over towards him by his bandaged hand.

“Fox…” the other warned, a growl in his voice. He didn’t try to pull his hand away, though. Taiga seemed to shrink at it, just as Kuro let loose a growl of his own. Mahiru looked back at his Servamp to see the small black cat on his shoulder, growling at the fire demon.

“Don’t scare my cub…” the Servamp of Sloth warned the raven.

“Make me…”

“Please don’t fight in my shop…” Kurama was back to his normal appearance, as he pulled on his partner’s hand again. “I have your order in the back. I’ll go get it while you talk with Hiei. Play nice.”

***___***

Taiga had fun, more so than any other birthday that she could remember.

They had visited the shrine, where Mama’s Okaa-san was buried, leaving the flowers after cleaning the grave. Meeting so many new people today made her almost forget that today was her birthday. She liked the pretty lady at the doctors and the fox-man at the flower shop. The man with the red eyes scared her, somewhat. She didn’t like the dark thing that clung to the man’s covered arm, looking almost like a transparent black snake.

When the got to the temple, she met another man with animal ears, but without the tail, wearing a red kimono-like outfit. He was talking with the twins’ father and Kanda-san, both were wearing shrine priest outfits, though Kurogane had on a black jacket-thing that her Mama called a haori* with a circling dragon on the back. Taiga learned that the man with the ears was a half-demon who had married the head priestess of the shrine and helped out at the dojo that Kurogane ran in an attached building on the shrine grounds. They called him Inu-yasha, and he reminded her of the scary man from the flower shop. How he spoke, with a brash attitude like some of the heroes did on her shows.

After they had said their prayers and got their luck-papers, her paper said good, they spent a little while talking with the head priestess, a woman named Kagome. Once they were done, the half-demon led them to his house, where a surprise party was set up for her with all the people that she knew from the complex and the Servamp Pairs, plus Suzu. Fai had cooked all of their food, with help from Allen. Her American aunts had decorated the living room of the house with a mix of New Years and birthday decorations while Kushina-obasan had kept them all under wraps. A pile of presents was wrapped neatly next to the table full of food.

She was given a lot of things, a good amount of them were things she would need when she started school, and a photobook that was already half full of pictures that Lily had taken along with some from the Christmas party that was taken by Ren-san. Licht-Nii had even gotten her a small child’s electric piano and some lessons with him when he wasn’t on tour.

All in it was a good birthday.

***___***

It was another of those strange dreams, with the black animals all around her.

The only difference was that there was a blond woman with golden eyes like her and her Mama, in a long white dress that didn’t have any sleeves. She was making a flower crown out of the ones surrounding them, a mix of pinks, blues and yellows. She was humming a soft tune as she moved her hands. Taiga sat across from her with her Papa, in his cat form, in her lap, watching. The old man bat was resting on her shoulder while the butterfly man was flying around them. A snake was curled around the golden woman’s shoulders with the pig and wolf at her sides. Hyde-Nii and the fox were at Taiga’s sides, eyeing the woman as well.

She wasn’t sure who the woman was but she felt like she should know her.

“It’s fine, little cub. You don’t have to know me just yet,” the lady smiled as she held up her crown, looking it over. Her voice was soft, a bit like a melody in how she spoke. “But for the sake of proper manners, I should tell you my name.”

Looking down at her Papa, she saw that he didn’t act like he did with most other people. So, she made the decision to trust her Papa and introduce herself. “I’m Taiga…”

The pretty lady let out a soft laugh, like the sound of a windchime, as she covered one hand over her mouth. “I already know, cub. I’ve known for a while.” She removed her hand to lift the crown upon the small brunette’s head, placing it gently.

“I’m Pandora, but you can call me Obaa-san.”

Notes:

*otoshidama-money that is given to children on New Years in decorated or red envelopes.
*haori-a kimono-style jacket, more like an overcoat.

And that's a wrap, folks! Now we'll get into the plot-heavy chapters in the coming weeks.

Chapter 20: The Queen and the Magician

Summary:

The beginning of the Descendants of Alice Arc

Notes:

Now we get into some really plot heavy chapters and the wheels of fate are turning, if ever slowly...
This will be my take on an arc from the manga since it was too good to pass up.
Try and spot all the cameos in this chapter.
Thanks for all the Kudos, Comments, Bookmarks, and Hits

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

She was once again in her library, sitting in that same chair but with a different book in her lap, a first edition of Romeo and Juliette, well-worn and loved as she watched in the crystal. Seeing the Sloth Pair with the young Taiga, a small family that wasn’t tied by blood, made her ache for the ones taken away from her. There was a good chance that someone else would’ve found Taiga that night. Yet she was found by none other than the Alpha of Vampires and the True Eve, the ones who held the key to everything she had worked for. Though finding out that Mahiru was under the protection of the Suwa Dragon was a nice surprise. The American woman, Dawn, was an unexpected piece. One that she hadn’t planned for, but she could work around it. The fact that the young Seraphim wanted to take home the green haired subclass was warming if a little sped up, but it worked out for the best.

There was also the added element of Taiga subconsciously choosing to make the True Eve, who was also the Son of the White Witch, her mother figure. It wasn’t a given that he would even remotely consider becoming a mother at sixteen, let alone to a five-year-old girl who wasn’t related by blood. Yet he had done so, without even batting an eye. He was even showing signs that he was started to mother the other Servamps and their Eves, and their subclass on occasion. Lilith wondered how Wrath would take it since she was also called “The Mother”. It would be interesting to see.

A sudden presence entered the room, changing the candle flames from whitish-blue to a warm orange. There was only one person who would do something like that. She sighed as she turned to look at the intruder. “What do you want, Magician?”

A young man, with blond-brown hair similar to the Greed Servamp, dressed in a pale green overcoat white slacks and brightly colored sneakers came into her line of sight, his customary orange headphones around his neck. Rich brown eyes locked on to hers as he offered her a bright smile while putting his hands behind his head. “Can’t an old friend say hi?”

“The last one who said that nearly got a dagger in their throat…” she growled. This man was a strange one, who somehow found his way into her small pocket in-between worlds, and never seemed when to take the hint to take a hike. “I take it you wish to borrow more books on Curse Eaters…”

“Got it in one, Queenie…” He brought his hands out from behind his head to give her a mock bow as he winked at her. When he straightened, his smile never left his face. “It seems that my little bunny-chan is starting to break. If I can find some way to help, why shouldn’t I?”

“Removing the Curse Eater will only backfire on you, I’ve explained this to you at least a dozen times by now.” Lilith sighed, setting the book to the side as she stood up to go to one of the shelves near the far back, the blond-brown man following her. “And yet you still cast the Immortality Curse just to give him something to eat…knowing full well that particular curse can’t be lifted, even by a Curse Eater.”

“What can I say, he’s just too adorable to leave alone…” the magician just shrugged as he eyed her collection of books. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she picked out a thick tome that was very old and decorated with gold leafing along the seams. It was one of many spell books that she kept within her library, this one dating back to the rising of Merlin, who still walked the Earth, waiting for his King to once again rise. The young man could match the Dragon Lord easily in terms of wits, but this blond-brown male couldn’t just hold a candle to his powers just yet.

“Dealing with a Curse Eater is serious business, Nagachika.” She turned to face the man, narrowing her eyes as she tucked the book under her arm. “Your lucky he’s survived as long as he has without breaking. I’ve seen stronger men break after a week of being a Curse Eater.”

“Yet they aren’t like my Kaneki.” An edge of possessiveness entered the magic-user’s tone even though he kept a happy-go-lucky mask on his face. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him from becoming a monster like that bitch who made him into a Curse Eater.”

“I think that having you around is what’s kept his humanity intact…”

“And yet he drives me crazy with his adorableness.”

“He’s not an actual bunny, Nagachika. Nor is he a pet for you to keep. He’s still human.”

“I don’t see you complaining when I bring him by to borrow from your collection.”

Lilith sighed once again as she held out the tome for the magician. She could identify ever so slightly with the young magician. Though her precious person was lost as a consequence of her actions. Maybe she saw bits of herself within the young Immortal if they were only slight. Plus, she had become somewhat attached to the young Curse Eater. It was hard not to. And since he came as a matched set, she would have to put up with his brighter other half.

“This is a tome that I recovered from a hidden library during the Great Fire of London. It once belonged to a witch who was killed during the fire. She did a lot of research on Curse Eaters. This book was given to her by Merlin when he first encountered a Curse Eater back when he was still a youngling. I’m sure that his notes will be of some use.”

The heavy tome was lifted out of her hands. “Thanks, Queenie. I’ll make sure to return it in a few weeks.” Playful brown eyes once again scanned her shelves. Most likely looking for something else. “You wouldn’t happen to have any information on Seraphim, would you?”

Her eyes widened slightly. She should have known that he would’ve picked up on the light energy that Taiga gave off ever so slightly. He wasn’t stupid, not by a long shot. “Why would you want to know about that? They are outside your area of interest.”

“Yeah, well. I’ve noticed that a few of them have moved into my building. A pair of them I think are World Crossers, a father-son duo that moved in a few months ago, and a young cub that Mahi-Mahi has taken under his wing…” He gave her a sideways glance, watching her for her reaction. She kept her face neutral of any expression and tried to keep her body from giving anything away. Yet a Cheshire grin appeared on his face, one that she didn’t like. “This wouldn’t have to do with those keys you keep hidden behind your throne now would it?”

He knows, she narrowed her eyes at the magician, not sure if she could entirely trust him. He was truly loyal to one person only, and so long as she supplied him with information on what he wanted, the magician would remain somewhat steadfast in his loyalty to her. There was a major gamble she could take with the blond-brown Immortal, but she wasn’t sure if she should take it.

“Come now, Queenie. You’ve known me for twenty years now…” He faked hurt if she was reading him right. But he wasn’t one of her books, she couldn’t just take his words at face value. Besides, he was known for being a silver-tongued charmer. How else had he’d been left alive after his first encounter with the Old Blood? It also didn’t help that she had found his so-called ‘bunny-chan’ adorable. Kaneki was very pure for one whose life had been filled with such tragedy, even when he became a Curse Eater and could no longer live like a normal human. Lilith opened her library to the both of them in the hopes that she could see the strong will that lived deep inside humans prevail over even the darkest of tragedies. She had to believe, to have hope, that what happened all those millennia ago could be set right.

Words can have a lot of meanings, Lilith…I just choose to believe in what’s inside a person’s heart…” an achingly familiar, if somewhat faint, voice echoed in her mind. A person’s heart, huh? Lilith weighted her options before she took a leap of faith, her first on in several centuries.

“Can you promise to protect and guide them?” She pointed to the Sloth Pair and their charge within the glowing ball. Crimson eyes watched as the magician eyed them, his own rich brown reflecting a tinge of warmth as he watched the small patchwork family play out in the snow with the green-haired vampire. “Can you promise that you won’t allow them to go down the wrong path and make my mistakes over again? Can you promise me…” a hint of metal entered her voice as she watched his face become a mask of grim determination, “that when the time comes that they should ever fall that you will pick them back up again?” The shadows of the library danced with the flickering of the flames as they grew brighter with each promise she asked of the magic-user.

“Can you promise me this, Nagachika Hideyoshi?”

***___***

It shouldn’t be possible.

Mikuni stared long and hard at the computer screen in front of him. He had checked and double checked all those who lived within the Suwa complex. Only now that he was looking hard enough, bits of information he never knew before was coming to light.

During his first couple of checks, the Eve of Envy had noticed that a good portion, a near 67% of the residents had some connections to foreign lands, some of them not even of this Earth or ties to the supernatural community. That’s not including the ties to vampires. How had he not notice it until now? Something wasn’t adding up.

He listed several of those descended from the Japanese bakemono*, a few minor Kami, two Greek-Roman demi-gods, a magician, a Curse Eater, a mage, two dragons, an Elementalist, a woman with an unknown lineage, a summoner, a healer, and now three Seraphim. Since his digging into young Taiga’s background, he found out more than he ever thought to know.

Born to a Kijima Kanata and a Yamada Aoko on January 1, she weighed a bit less than normal. Since her mother wasn’t in the best of health, some sort of heart condition, it was a given. Yamada-san was only seventeen when she had little Taiga. Kijima was only twenty-six at that time, a family friend who took in the young teen after her parents died…the blond Eve narrowed his eyes. If fate wasn’t cruel, it was now. The Yamadas were killed on the same day that Shirota Mahiru’s mother was, across the country. She was thirteen when that happened. Then around the early May of 2017, Yamada Aoko disappeared off the face of the Earth. How Taiga ended up in the woods in early winter was still a mystery. That was all that he could find from public records. The rest he obtained from a very odd source. A chat room that seemed to cater to those of the supernatural variety.

It was there that he a large treasure trove of information. The user information was protected very well, behind levels of firewalls that had him drooling somewhat. The only way he could ever get past would be with a supercomputer and maybe twenty years to decode everything. Thankfully a lot of the users were more than happy to talk to the newbie and test the waters, so to speak.

He noticed that one of the oldest members went by the name Shadow1412, no doubt a take on the most famous magician thief of their time who went by the popular moniker Kaitou KID. Their knowledge was the most extensive, aside from another member whose username was BigKittyMamaFai. Both of them were kind enough to explain some things to him, even about some things that even he didn’t know about Servamps. As he talked to them, the pieces were starting to fall into place, though now he only had a good half of the picture. There was something that he was missing out. He didn’t like having missing pieces.

“Just what am I missing…” He asked the empty air of his office within his shop. That wacko scientist was no doubt holed up in his lab working on his latest invention/creation, and his Servamp was napping in his snake form in the shop. So, no one was going to answer him, or at least he thought so.

“Don’t you ever take a break?” A voice, male, came up from behind him. It was one that he didn’t recognize. When he turned around to see who had entered his office without waking the Servamp of Envy, the first thing that caught his attention was the bright red of the stranger’s hair. Next was the oriental rabbit mask that covered the intruder's face, which seemed to bleed into their hair, a stark contrast to the other’s suit of black pinstripe that reminded him of the old American gangster movies.

“A pleasure to meet you, Eve of Envy, descendant of Alice, I am Hare…your guide into Wonderland.”

 

Notes:

*bakemono-a class of Yokai, or monsters, in Japanese folklore.
Hope y'all enjoyed!
Can't wait to hear what some of your theories are!

Chapter 21: The Lonely Prince

Summary:

Part 2 of my Descendants of Alice Arc
Misono visits the Suwa apartment complex and gets some answers.

Notes:

I tried to keep Misono in character, but if he sounds off, I'm sorry.
This is an extra long chapter compared to normal due to a sudden strike of plotbunnies with sledgehammers and staying up late doing some research.
Try and spot the cameos this time.

Please note that I mixed up Seraphim and Neiliphm in earlier chapters, so I might go back and fix them but I did correct myself in this one.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

What was wrong with him?

Misono was staring out of the window of the limo, not really caring about the buildings and people who were passing. Ever since Taiga came into their lives, he began noticing all kinds of thing that were missing in his own family. His home may be full of children and staff, but there wasn’t the same warmth that filled up the Shirota apartment. In fact, his felt more cold and lonely despite all those who live there.

After their meeting at the onsen, watching how both the Greed and Pride pairs acted with the children, it made him somewhat bitter. He wasn’t all that good with children, yet he envied them their attachments to the adults around them, even if some of those so-called adults were no older than him. He pushed people away because he wasn’t sure how to interact with them. There was always an air of formality among the staff at the mansion, his Servamp was nice to him on principle, and his father was hardly home anyways. Yet for some odd reason, Misono wanted to connect with the Sloth Eve, to be friends actually. When they first fought the subclass of Tsubaki, Misono acted on his own instincts to protect the brunette Eve. And Shirota Mahiru didn’t seem to mind when he pushed, rather he allowed the Alicen heir to set his own pace and wasn’t bothered much by how spoiled he acted. As of late, Shirota kept a sort of motherly air about him since he and Kuro took in Taiga.

He was in fact on his way to talk to Shirota Mahiru. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his head, one that was pushing him towards the Suwa Apartment complex. It was already dark outside, so he thought to bring along the twins to play with little Taiga, while the Pairs talked. What he didn’t expect to see in front of the complex was a very busty blond woman in a pale pink winter coat and slacks laughing as she dogged snowballs thrown by a pink haired male who was in a black track jacket and jeans with a bluette teen in a tea green pea coat and slacks. The man had a jagged scar on his cheek, making his broad smile stand out as he and the teen threw their snow weapons at the blond, who was laughing all the while.

The twins watched with unmoving faces, dressed in reverse coats of red and white on black. Misono knew that the strangers were residents of the complex, the second floor. The blond, according to his research, was a famous novelist who wrote adventure stories with strong female leads and somewhat simplistic male counterparts. Lucy Heartfilia, age 26, of English and Spanish descent who was engaged to the pink haired man, a Natsu Dragneel, also 26, of Spanish and Japanese descent who was a world traveler and a classmate of Lucy’s. His cousin Wendy Marvell was only twelve who had come to live with them after her parents died in a car crash eight years ago.

Misono had never met them, but watching them reminded him of Shirota and the Sloth Servamp with Taiga. He could feel his frown deepen as he watched them play in the snow, his mind elsewhere. At least until he got a face full of snow that neither Lily nor Dodo noticed until it was too late.

The blond, Lucy, came running over with a look of concern on her face. “You okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” the Eve of Lust snapped, whipping off the snow from his face. He could just feel the suppressed laughter from his Servamp and the driver/bodyguard.

“You okay, kid?” The man called Natsu jogged over, his smile somewhat toned down. “You took quite a hit…”

“I said I’m fine…” he sent the pair his best glare, not that it did anything.

“There’s no need to bite our heads off, we were just worried,” Lucy’s concern turned into a frown. Misono blinked up at her. Why was a complete stranger worried about him? She never met him before, and he only knows her name because he had background checks done on everyone in the building.

“I’m so sorry, milady.” Lily bowed somewhat, his clothes slipping with his motion. “Will you accept my apologies in the form of a kiss.” There were several groans, an embarrassed squeak, and a very animalistic growl from those in the snow. Natsu moved in front of Lucy, who gently rested her head on her fiancé’s shoulder while Wendy hid her face in her hands. The Eve of Lust watched as the woman had her shoulders shaking as she wrapped her arms around Natsu’s waist.

“This is why Fai told you not to play in front of the building…” a new voice called from one of the landings above them. Lifting his head to see who had spoken, he noticed that it was one of the Americans on Shirota Mahiru’s floor. The redhead Kass, who was dressed in a dark green flannel shirt with a black t-shirt underneath, was smiling as she waved to the gathering crowd in front of the building. “It’s a good idea to play in the park.”

“Kass! Are you coming down the play?” Natsu called up, waving one of his arms frantically, careful of the blond.

“Not right now, fire-breath. I’m still helping Taiga with her studies along with Teito. Raincheck.” She rested her arms on the railing, her smile never leaving her face. Misono wasn’t sure if he liked being looked down upon or not. He didn’t even like it when it was his own Servamp. He hated being treated like a kid. “Who’s the brat?”

“I am not a brat!” The purple-haired teen shot back automatically. He could feel his anger bubble to the surface, somewhat hot despite the cold of the winter air around him.

“I’d beg to differ,” she winked at him.

***___***

Something was definitely wrong with him.

When the Lust pair plus twins walked up to Shirota’s apartment, the redhead explained that the Slot Pair were running a few deliveries for his part-time job. Taiga was staying with women while she was getting some basic lessons from what he found out was a Seraphim, someone who had similar abilities as the young Sloth cub, along with the green-haired vampire. The other two women were playing a game of chess, the blond-brown woman looked to be in the winning. The brunette looked up from their game to offer the Lust Pair a wide smile.

“You must be Lust, All of Love.” She got up to welcome them into their apartment. The glasses wearing woman had on a dark purple knitted sweater that hung off one shoulder, showing a scar on it, most likely from a gunshot, and wash worn jeans that were frayed around the bottom hems. The third woman was in a plain grey t-shirt with the British flag fading on the front with a pair of skin-tight jeans that barely reached her calf. Looking around, Misono could see just a bit of a foreign touch in the apartment; 90s American boyband posters, a folded American flag on a shelf with a mix-match figurine collection of wolves, eagles, owls, foxes, horses, and bears. There was what looked like a circle with a web woven into it with a small opening in the middle and black tipped beaded feathers hanging from the bottom. So that’s a dreamcatcher, he eyed the decoration that was hanging from the ceiling. He also noticed that a few hand-drawn pictures were scattered among several anime, gaming, and manga memorabilia.

“Please call me Snow Lily…” Just as the Servamp of Lust was about to make one of his signature flirty, semi-strip tease, the American woman giggled as she held up a hand.

“I would be flattered if I was interested. So please keep everything suited for children, thanks.” She stated simply, catching both the Eve and his Servamp off guard. It wasn’t all that often that Lily was outright reflected. The young Eve was about to tell off the ash-blond when Taiga spotted them.

“Miso-Nii!” The young brunette shouted just as she got up from the table where she was working on simple worksheets with a brunette with emerald green eyes. He was dressed in a long sleeve, black turtleneck with grey slacks, a toddler in his lap dressed in a white rabbit onesie. Taiga had one a black zip-up jacket over an orange t-shirt and sweats. The jacket had cat ears and a tail attached while her sock was orange and black striped, almost like a tiger. The small girl ran over to him to wrap her arms around the teen. That was when the subclass came out of the kitchen carrying a kid-friendly cup on a tray with a few steaming mugs. He wasn’t wearing his signature tracksuit. Instead, he had on a deep green t-shirt underneath a matching jacket similar to Taiga’s with dark blue track pants with a strip of orange running down the sides. The older teen looked like he had seen a ghost.

“Taiga, get behind me…” Misono moved to place the small girl behind him, but he was stopped when the man with the green eyes moved between him and the subclass. Going by his deductions, this man was the older Seraphim, Teito. There was an air about him, that radiated similar to him like with Taiga but on a smaller scale. The Eve tensed his body to get ready for a fight, but the atmosphere of the room was flooded with a warmth and calming force that eased his body.

The last time he felt something like it was in his mother’s arms, when she would read to him or when they toured the gardens in the back of the mansion. He could feel a prickling in the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, there was a wetness running down his cheeks. Was he …crying?

“Oops…was that too strong?” Dawn’s voice filtered through his mind, making him stare wide-eyed at her. How? She couldn’t be a subclass, her eyes weren’t red, yet Lily had made no move against her, so she wasn’t an enemy. “Sorry, I’m still not good adjusting the levels. I can never seem to get them right.”

“Ake-obachan is a Beast Master!” Taiga exclaimed, making the young teen look down to see her large smile on her face. Freeing one hand, he cleared away his tears as he returned his gaze to the older brunette.

“She’s talking about me, Akeru is a nickname I earned at work among my Japanese co-workers.” The tall female raised a hand to scratch the back of her neck. “Beast Master is the current term for those like me. I met someone similar in Shizume-cho who has a similar ability two years ago. So far, that’s what he’s stuck with the past couple of days. Unlike me, he’s got better control.” Dawn walked over to the other Immortal, taking the tray from him and handing the bottle to Teito. “Must be all that practice keeping his pups under control.” She didn’t miss a beat as she moved with confidence like she wasn’t caught between two former enemies.

“How did you…?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it? It's just an ability I’ve had for a long time now. Got me into a lot of trouble in the past.” She went back over to the blond-brown woman, handing her a cup. “Made some interesting friends along the way.”

“Is that how you know so much about us?” Lily questioned carefully. That was one of the few times that he heard the Servamp speak like that. Usually, he had only two modes, flirty or angry-hiding-behind-a-smile. The teen Eve wasn’t sure if it was an effect of whatever the glasses wearing woman did or not. This was the first time that he’s ever came across mentions of other supernaturals aside from Servamps and their subclass.

“I’m one of the oldest members on a supernatural online chat room that runs internationally. I happened upon it by accident and been apart of it since. We share all kinds of information. It helps.” She shrugged her shoulders as she handed the redhead another cup. All the while, the Eve noticed that Teito had moved the subclass to the table where the Immortal was feeding the toddler, careful of the child in his lap. It was…a mix of surprise and anger. It brought forth memories of that bastard of a brother doing the same thing with him like he actually cared. “There’s a few message boards on Servamps and vampires in general. Also, our resident Magician has a few handwritten notes on the subject.”

***___***

Somewhere in one of the upper floors, a certain Immortal Magician sneezed, scaring his white-haired partner who was dozing with his head in the blond-brown male’s lap. The smaller male looked up at the magic user, concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine, Kaneki.” He soothed, marking his place in the book that he borrowed from Queenie. “Someone must be talking about me, that’s all.”

“As long as you aren’t developing a cold.” The Curse Eater settled once again against his partner, nuzzling in nose against the young Immortal’s stomach.

“I’m fine, promise.”

***___***

“If you don’t mind me asking, what is a Seraphim?” Once everyone was seated with drinks, Misono turned his question to the brunette male, Teito. Both he and the toddler were sitting on the floor in front of the couch where two of the three American women, Kass and Lauren, were sitting. The purple-haired teen was sitting in one of the few chairs in the living room, it was comfortable in both texture and color, a nice sky blue trimmed in white to match the couch, with Taiga and the twins at his feet while Lily was sitting on the arm. Dawn was also on the floor, watching the children. The subclass, Sakuya, was between the two brunettes.

“Well, unlike what’s in the bible, Seraphim are humans with a connection to what is most commonly referred to as The Light among some circles,” Teito explained as he shifted the small brunette in his lap. “And not the offspring of angels and humans, which we are sometimes confused with. Those are Nephilim and are rarer than we are. There are a few Seraph angels that walk the Earth, but they tend to keep to themselves mostly and we human Seraphim are mistaken for them also.”

“You mean to tell me that angels actually exist?” Misono had his doubts, if they were real then why didn’t they rescue Taiga from that forest instead of the Sloth Pair. He didn’t believe it for one second.

“Well, for the most part anyway.” The American redhead shrugged her shoulders before stretching her arms above her head. “We met one a few years ago who was working alongside a group of American hunters, which was right around the same time that Dawn had a run-in with the American Grim Reaper. One of our more memorable summers, if you ask me.”

“We agreed to never talk about our college senior summer, Kass,” Dawn warned the younger woman. “I, for one, don’t like to remember.”

“Case in point,” The older Seraphim cleared his throat. “We are very different from our biblical counterparts since our abilities stem from a source much closer to magic than divinity. A lot of what we can do depends on the strength of our connection to The Light and some even have specialties. Like mine, I can absorb and purify taint in a person’s soul, and Kaguya is similar, though he may develop more so as he gets older. Taiga has the ability to mend, from physical wounds to scars on a person’s heart.”

“That actually explains some things,” Misono turned his gaze to Sakuya, who had spoken up for the first time since the Lust Pair’s arrival. “She was able to mend the bond with the Greed pair with her Seraphim abilities, right?”

“Well, not only that, but I think because she’s much stronger than either me or Kaguya, she re-forged it into something much more durable.”

“Suzu held on to it though…” Taiga chimed in. “She was the one who kept them together. Obaa-san was the one who gave her to them.”

Notes:

Depending on the context, obaa-san/chan/sama can mean either grandma or aunt. If I spell it with two 'a's then it means grandma, one 'a' is Aunt.

Hope y'all enjoyed!
Comments are more than welcome!

Chapter 22: Down the Rabbit Hole

Summary:

The appearance of Misono and Mikuni's Father

Notes:

Sorry for the long wait, RL decided to bite me in the butt big time. But, here's an extra long chapter to make up for it.
Try and spot the cameos this time.
Hope y'all enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The moment they got back, he could tell something was up.

Misono wasn’t sure how he knew, but he just did. Something was sinking in the pit of his stomach, just by watching the staff rush about the mansion. There was only one reason as to why they would be running about. His father had come home. For some odd reason, it brought about mixed feelings of elation and dread. The young Eve hadn’t seen the older Alicein in several months, and the last time they had talked it was…when he was injured protecting Shirota Mahiru.

Rather than putting off seeing his father, the purple-haired teen instead went in search of the older male. It went against his better judgment, but he knew that if he didn’t speak with the man, he’d do something drastic.

“You were out late…” a voice called from the top of the stairs. Turning his gaze, the Eve of Lust spotted the one person he was looking for. Alicein Mikado, the current head of the Alicein family, a high-ranking businessman, and Misono’s father. Dressed as usual in an expensive suit of dove grey with his gold-rimmed glasses covering his somewhat lighter purple eyes. His long brown hair was tied away from his face as he stared down at his son. There was a sharp glint in them that put the boy on edge.

“I thought you were still in England, Father. Aren’t you really busy with work?”

“I was able to finish up early and decided to head home. The Earl understood.” His footsteps barely made any noise on the carpeted stairs as he made his way down. Once he was at the foot and standing in front of the Eve, the glint was gone and he was soon being checked all over. “When I told him you were in the hospital, injured, he noticed that I was worried about my boy.” He was soon wrapped up in a bone-crushing hug. “Are you all healed up now? Were there any problems? Did the nurses give you lewd looks?”

“Father! No, they didn’t.”

“Your papa was so worried…”

“Papa will always worry about you…” Kuro said to Taiga as the small girl gripped the Servamp’s pant leg. She had accidentally got a paper cut and the Sloth Pair were quick to treat it. “It’s a parent’s job to worry about their children.” Mahiru applied a band-aid to the young girl’s finger, a dark blue with orange pawprints. Misono watched them with a sort of envy, they were the near the perfect family.

Why had that memory popped up? Why was he suddenly comparing the Servamp of Sloth to his own father?

“Misono…” the Eve caught the difference in tone, his eyes looking up into his father’s. The glint was back, more so than ever. The feeling in his stomach intensified, he felt like he was going to be sick at the older man’s next words, “You mustn’t leave this house again.”

Misono pushed back, not really understanding why.

“It's too dangerous. I don’t want you meeting with another Eve ever again.”

“But Father…”

“Be reasonable, Misono. So long as you are here within these walls, you are safe.” Shadows fell on the man’s face, obscuring his eyes. It was hard to read his expression. “Please, Papa only has you left. I can’t lose you too.”

The young Eve could feel his shoulders shaking. He wanted to protest his father’s plea, but he knew that he couldn’t. Not when he knew that there was nothing he could say that would get him to change his mind. I don’t understand…his mind ran that thought over and over as he slowly nodded his head. He would comply with his father’s wishes.

Even if he had to give up his first friend that he had made.

***___***

Dinner was lively as ever, especially since Sakuya, Teito, and Kaguya joined them at the ramen shop.

Dawn was laughing it up with the owner and cook while Lauren and Kass debated with Teito on getting Kaguya more clothes of the animal-theme variety. Like the boy doesn’t have enough from his Christmas presents. Sakuya was quiet for the most part, only talking when someone asked him a question. Yusuke, the owner, pointed to the green-haired Immortal, “What’s wrong with the kid?”

“Don’t know…Sakuya, what’s on your mind, kiddo?” The brunette American looked over at said teen, worry in her voice. She didn’t like seeing him like that. Dawn didn’t want to make him feel left out of anything. It wasn’t in her nature to do so.

“Why are you guys nice to me? I mean…” He looked down into his ramen bowl, not meeting her gaze. I should have guessed, the woman let her face soften as she reached out to gently cuff his ear.

“Kiddo, I’m not being nice.” The boy’s reaction was priceless. He turned his head with his eyes near bugging out of his head. If she was actually a mean person, she would’ve laughed at his expression. Yusuke, on the other hand, was. The raven-haired male had let loose a loud, obnoxious laugh as he clutched at his sides. She sent a playful glare at her somewhat friend as she directed her words to the vampire, “I’m just being me. In case you haven’t heard, I don’t have it in me to be mean.”

“She can be protective as hell though…” Kass spoke up from beside the brunette. “I’ve seen her scare off guys who were twice her size with just a look.”

“Oh, let’s not forget that time she stopped that fight back in college, earning her the nickname Peacekeeper.” Lauren let loose a chuckle of her own.

“Or what about that time she scared off some of the bullies for Naruto and Karin?” Yusuke added once his laughter had subsided. Gods, why do my friends have to bring up my embarrassing past, she shook her head. What she really wanted to do was bury her head in her arms, but she was an adult. She could face a little bit of embarrassment.

“She can’t be that bad, can she?” The single father paused in his eating, sparing a glance at the redhead beside him at the counter. His son was in his lap, sharing his bowl and eyeing everyone around him.

“Oh, she’s nothing like Papa Tiger back home…” Kass smirked, poking the older woman in the ribs, knowing full well that Dawn was somewhat ticklish there. The brunette swatted at her, sending her a playful smirk of her own. Oh, man was he worse than her. Kotetsu Kaburagi was the father of one of their oldest friends, and a were-tiger to boot. He mostly worked in New York as a bodyguard for the CEO of their publishing company, not to mention his bond-mate. He was like a second father to the two older Americans. Always sticking his neck out for them, especially during that one college summer.

“Compared to him, she’s much tamer,” Lauren added.

“We should send him pictures of Taiga. He may like seeing another tiger cub.” The redhead returned back to her bowl.

“Aside from the two he’s got at home?” Dawn rolled her eyes, her smirk never leaving her face. The twins were a handful, the last time they had seen them. The small family of five had visited during the kids’ summer break. It had been a fun four weeks with a lot of catching up and running around with two seven-year-olds. Huh, now that she thought about it, the boys were around Taiga’s age.

“You guys are weird…” Sakuya gave them a weak laugh.

“Thanks!” The three women echoed each other, causing the cook to once again to burst out laughing. It soon became infectious.

The chorus for Clock Strikes by ONE OK ROCK began playing on her phone. She had programmed that ringtone for a certain professor over in Shizume-cho. Making her excuses, she went outside to take the call.

“Moshi moshi*,” she greeted the caller. “How are you Isana-hakase*?”

***___***

On a certain island campus, one of the seven Kings of Shizume-cho was seated at his small dinner table while his “vassal” was in the kitchen with the young illusionist while he made his call.

Isana Yashiro, formerly known as Adolf K. Weismann, chuckled at the greeting that the American had given him. She had a go-with-the-flow attitude that matched well with her strange ability, much like a certain young man within the Red Clan. It was no wonder those two hit it off so fast two years ago. He was dressed in a black button down and white slacks, a white ribbon fastened around his neck with a red jewel, a gift from the young Strain Anna, attached. His white hair framed his amber eyes as he watched the goings-on in the kitchen.

“It’s good to hear your voice, Dawn-san.”

I take it that you didn’t call to catch up, did you hakase?

“Now, doesn’t mean I can’t do both.” He couldn’t help but smirk. Out of the many people that he’s met, she was one of the few who didn’t seem to mind his teasing nature.

Shiro…” the American laughed into the connection. “Are you really becoming an old man?

“Well, I am near eighty years old…”

And yet you look like a teenager. The perks of being The Immortal King, huh?

“I wouldn’t call it a perk, more like a curse.” He couldn’t help but sigh. If he had known that the Immortality Curse was attached to the tome of Seven Kings…he shook his head. Nothing could change the past and he rather liked where he set down roots. Not to mention he rather liked some of the other kings. “Anyways, I was able to find out some of that information that you posted on the forum last week. I contacted some professors I know over in Germany, they did some digging for me and guess what we found?”

Please tell me you’re not joking. Please, Shiro…” he could hear the pleading in her voice, an unusual sound since she was such a bright woman.

“If you go down this rabbit hole, I afraid you’ll be caught up in the oncoming war.”

Shiro, I’m already smack dab in the middle of it. I can’t back out now. Not when there are kids involved.

Sigh. “Think you can visit in the next few days? I may be able to set up a video call with the Elric brothers.”

Will this Saturday work? I’m off that day.

“It will.” As an afterthought, he felt his smirk widen as the Immortal King watched the young clansmen in the small campus apartment scuffle over the food. “And bring Kanda-sensei with you. I think that my wife is getting rusty in his swordsmanship.”

Another laugh on the other end. “Only you would call the Black Dog your wife. Anyone else and they’d be in a world of pain. I’ll make sure to bring Kanda along.

“I’ll see you Saturday.”

See you then.

Notes:

Moshi moshi-a standard and informal greeting in Japan that stems from an old folk tale that has it where most demons and ghosts cant say or pronounce moshi.
hakase-used mostly for people who have PhDs, mostly doctors/professors.
Now we're getting somewhere! Just what is going on with Misono? Will our heroes make be able to free our favorite bratty prince from his lonely tower? Stay tuned and find out!

Comments are welcome.
I'm thinking of doing two different fanfics for this AU-one is snippets and one-shots featuring the tenants of the Suwa Apartment Complex before and after Taiga gets there and the other his a Detective Conan/Magic Kaito story set within this universe and crosses over with Far From Home characters.
Let me know what you think in the comments!

Chapter 23: The Seven Kings of Shizume

Summary:

An introduction of characters as well as some fan favorites

Notes:

This is just a somewhat filler chapter before I really get into some plot heavy chapters.
Next chapter I promise will answer some long-awaited questions.

Hope y'all enjoy!
See if you can guess who the characters are! Winners get a special treat!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Explain to me again why I’m coming with you?”

Kanda Yuu eyed the American woman standing next to him on the train. He would’ve rather spent his Saturday training solo, yet when his moyashi* asked him to accompany the woman, Kanda couldn’t say no. Not sure as to why she was making the trip to Shizume-cho, he didn’t want to leave the human trouble magnet alone, especially since she was bringing with her the Shirota brats and the cat.

“Shiro thought it would be a good idea to bring you along to train with Kuroh, his second.” She took a pause to add, “And you can’t say no to your cute “wife”.”

The warrior couldn’t help but groan. The woman had a point, he could hardly say no when Allen got it into his mind to help out someone. It was his greatest weakness but also what made him selfless. And besides, Kanda knew of the Seven Kings that ruled the district’s supernatural Clans. At the very top was the Immortal King and the supposed hermit of the seven, also called the Silver King. Next to follow was the Gold King, the one who made the most public appearances on behalf of the Silver King and the others. The Red and Blue Kings were a bit trickier, since both policed other supernaturals in the area, one as an actual branch of the police force called Secpter4 and the other was more like a gang called Homura. The Green, Grey, and Colorless Kings were somewhat of a mystery that only made public appearances two years ago due to an incident for which the American woman was caught up in along with a member from Homura. Dawn didn’t talk much about what happened, but from the encounter, she had a few friends from the different Clans. He never really met any of them, but he knew of them because of the American.

“And we’re bringing the brats because…?” He eyed the two. Ever since he saw Taiga with Mahiru, he couldn’t help but notice how she was a damn near carbon copy of the teen despite not being related to him by blood. Same brown hair with the honey-golden brown eyes full of a bright fire. They were even wearing matching outfits that Allen no doubt picked out for them. Black jackets over a white and orange striped shirt with jeans and white and blue sneakers. The only differences were the cat backpack on Taiga and her hair in a ponytail similar to Kanda’s with an orange hair-tie instead of red. Kuro was watching the train pass by with the small girl from the hood of the teen’s jacket. Kanda had on a dark blue jacket with red trimming along the sleeves with black, long sleeve turtleneck underneath and black slack tucked into combat boots, his katana hidden in a baseball bag. Dawn had on a dark grey hoodie under a tan canvas jacket with multiple pockets with jeans that had black roses embroidered on the sides tucked into white boots with fake fur. Her hair was put up in one of her weird hair things, this one was of a sun and moon.

Both Kanda and Dawn were standing in front of the two Shirotas, though Kanda was on edge because he couldn’t help but feel like they were being watched. There was a presence just on the outskirts of his senses that held a whole lot of hatred that would be hard to mask. He could tell that it was directed at them, but from where was hard to pinpoint.

“nda…Ka…da…Hello, anyone home?” Dawn’s voice cut through his thoughts as he waved a hand in front of his face. The male slapped her hand away, though not as hard as he would’ve because he didn’t want to actually hurt the woman, she was his moyashi’s friend after all. “Good, you’re back among the living. I was afraid I was going to have to call you Yuu-chan…”

“Call me that, and you’ll see what happened to that stupid rabbit…” he growled a warning at her. The only ones allowed to get away with it were his foster father (only because he couldn’t stop the old man anyway) and Allen (not that the moyashi ever used his name outside their bedroom). Anyone else would be given a painful reminder of why.

“Well whatever works…” the brunette woman shrugged her shoulders like she didn’t really care. “Anyways, as I was saying, the reason I’m bringing them along is because it seemed like a good idea to get Taiga outside more and Mahiru wants to ask about the strange woman.”

“The one who you think is connected to Taiga and Suzu…?”

A nod. “I’ve told you before that I sense a war brewing, and the side with the most information often times is the one most prepared. If we figure out who she is, then the battle is only partially won.”

Kanda couldn’t find fault in it. War had not changed from his previous life. While the weapons have been advanced so far that one didn’t even need to be within striking range, the application of tactics and strategy were not. Had she not have been born in the modern age, Kanda had a feeling that she would’ve made a great general. Though, now that I think about it, she’s way too softhearted to even hurt a fly. So why is she sticking her neck out on this?

***___***

It was such an odd gathering of people who were waiting just outside the train station.

On one side were people dressed in blue uniforms similar to what he could only see as old Spanish Armada-style with swords strapped to their waists while on the other side were a mix-match group of people who looked more like delinquents than anything. In the middle of them, all were a smaller group of people with a white-haired teen that reminded Kanda somewhat of Allen, dressed in a long white coat over a black button down with a ribbon around his neck fastened with some red jewel and white slacks and dress shoes carrying a…red traditional parasol? On either side of the teen were two others, a raven that looked somewhat like Kanda himself (though he was dressed in a black coat over a white button-down with a black tie, slacks and dress shoes) and a big chested girl in a school uniform of a black long sleeve trimmed with maroon with a skirt of similar color and dress shores. She had long pinkish hair with heterochromatic eyes of blue and green, a bell hung from one ear.

Among the small group in the middle were several adults; a redheaded man with a thick black coat with fur that trimmed the hood, a man with dark blue hair that framed his glasses in a uniform similar to those to one side of the station, a blond man dressed in a sports coat over a white button down and slacks with brown dress shoes, a woman in the blue uniform, and a man with light brown hair who was walking up to the four, a soft smile on his face. Something about the man reminded him of Dawn, though Kanda wasn’t sure what. There were several strong auras that he could sense among those gathered, namely from the one with the white hair, followed by the redhead and the glasses guy in the uniform. The brunette walking towards them, though, didn’t have much of an aura like the others.

“Did we really need all of this for a simple visit, Totsuka-chan?” Kanda watched as the American woman tilted her head to the side, a smile matching the other. “Did you really need to bring along the pups?”

The man, Totsuka, laughed as he came to stand in front of their small group. “Well, Neko-chan told Anna that you were coming and Anna told me. Since I’m not allowed to be by myself anymore within the city, this is the result.” He motioned to the large gathering behind him. “It’s been two years, yet they won’t let up.”

“The price of being loved.” She nodded, her smile wider.

“Sorry about the crowd, if I had known then we could’ve met at the school.”

“It’s okay, Totsuka-chan. Why don’t we introduce everyone there and then we can get this show on the road, huh?”

“Of course.” The two of them lead Kanda and the Sloth Pair plus cub to where the group was waiting. Kanda watched the whole thing from behind the Pair, seeing mostly how the younger brunette seemed to hide behind Mahiru for the most part. Though she did warm up to the one called Totsuka. It was something to see, for the most part. From what he saw of the small girl child, she was shy around new people for the most part until she deemed them trustworthy. He could understand it, she had been abandoned by her own blood only to be picked up by strangers who loved her more than the bastard who left her in the woods. Allen was similar to the young cub, and it had taken years for him to even open up about his own childhood.

Taiga was opening up, if ever so slightly to those around her, but having her in their lives was something special (not that he would admit it out loud to anyone who wasn’t his moyashi), and changing things for the better.

***___***

She felt sick to her stomach.

They were all playing happy family, which just outright disgusted her. Humans were outright liars, promise breakers, who didn’t care for anyone besides themselves. As she watched the Sloth Pair leave with the mixed group of the Silver, Red and Blue Clans, none of them noticed the pair of eyes that watched them leave. Why her master wanted her to tail them, she’ll never know nor begin to understand. She hated humans with every fiber of her being. They were tainted creatures, easily swayed by the slightest desire. Killing everything and anything that didn’t fit in their neat little boxes. Her kits were no exception.

She had no doubt that the two who were somewhat leading the group, the American woman and her Japanese counterpart, would easily succumb to their darker emotions. Same could be said for the child as well. The small girl may be innocent now, but as she grows up, she’d be just like every other human.

As she watched from afar, she noticed that the tall, longhaired raven seemed to have sensed her presence despite her best efforts to cloak it. A warrior no matter the era, she narrowed her eyes as the Clans exited the station with the Sloth Pair and co. in tow. She debated on whether or not to follow them out when a darker presence reached her senses.

“Well, now. What do we have here?” A male voice reached her ears. A scythe appeared at her throat, freezing her body just slightly as she turned her head to see who had snuck up on her.

A blond man with deep blue eyes that had pupils like a cat’s, dressed in a high-collar jacket with a black choker with a metal plate and a strange cross. He had a large smirk on his face that showed off a sharp canine. She glared up at him, narrowing her amber eyes at him.

“What’s a pretty kitty like yourself doing around here?”

“I could ask the same of you, Reaper.” She snarled at him, not liking the fact that he had snuck up on her. She had been too focused on the humans that she failed to notice a Grim Reaper until it was too late. Her master said it was one of her flaws, but he didn’t seem to mind so long as she did her job and reported back. “You’re out of your jurisdiction.”

“Actually, I’m doing this for a friend. That’s his student with them, and he’s very attached to that little girl.” The Reaper nodded to where the group left, “And I’d hate to see him cry because something happened to her.”

“Then you’re weak…” she growled once more, steading her body just before she teleported away, leaving the foreign Grim Reaper to stare at where she had been.

***___***

Frau stared wide-eyed at where he had the strange woman captive, just before she teleported away. He may have done this as a favor for the brat, but now something just wasn’t adding up. I think its time I pay the other reapers a visit, he thought as he swung the scythe up over his shoulder.

“Speaking of reapers, where’s that brat they saddled me with anyway?” The blond man looked around for his said partner. When he had visited the Council of the Dead, made up of mostly Death Gods from all worlds, to let them know where his current assignment landed him, the God Hades said that since he was going to be in that world he might as well work with a partner so as to not arouse suspicion among those working in the Japanese branch. Not that he saw any value in having one, but when a High God gives you an order, you obey.

“Over here, Frau.” A familiar voice called from over the human crowd. A head of ash-blond hair stood out from all the darker colored ones. A teen, at least when he had died, walked over wearing a simple white button-down under a dark blue blazer with tan slacks tucked into combat boots made his way through the throng of people, not really paying attention when he walked through some. He had amber eyes that were somewhat narrow and a large scar that ran from his chin to just below his cheek that looked like a cross.

“Damn it, kid. What were you doing?”

“I was making a call to the local Shinigami. Lord Hades said that we had to abide by his rules while we’re here. That includes letting the others know that we’re in the area.” The kid stopped by the taller blond, pulling out a smartphone and making a few clicks. He was much better at all that technology anyways. “Why’d you take off?”

“I ran across the most interesting kitty…”

The kid groaned, which caused Frau to laugh.

Notes:

moyashi-beansprout. A nickname that Kanda uses a lot in the Japanese version for Allen.

Oh, boy! Our first boss makes an appearance! Who is she? Who's her master? What does she want?
Hope y'all enjoyed!
Comments are welcome!

Chapter 24: The Red-eyed Goddess

Summary:

The story behind Lilith and Trickster is revealed...somewhat

Notes:

We finally see the relationship between Lilith, Trickster, and Pandora! And introduce some characters that will be crossing over into another fanfic I've got in the works!
Sorry if this feels a little rushed, my plot bunnies didn't want to sit still.
Kudos go out to all my readers, especially those who are my main commenters!
1MCHawthorn3, Quite Ryter, Natsuki_14, JustAnotherCuriousKat and KedaWrites, thank you for sticking with me so long!

Hope y'all enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

He wasn’t sure what to make of all the people gathered.

Mahiru watched everyone who was seated in the large classroom that they had borrowed from the island school. It was very different from the class he was used to. This one was a lot more modern with rows of tables and benches rather than traditional desks with a large projector instead of a white/chalkboard. The two who were introduced as the Red and Blue Kings were in the front row, Munakata Reishi and Suoh Mikoto respectively. Munakata was the head of Scepter4 and the current Blue King. According to Shiro, the Silver King, Scepter4 acted as a police force that handled cases of supernatural elements, which they called Strains. Suoh was the Blue King’s counterpart; where the Blue Clan couldn’t go, the Red could. Which turned out to work best for the two clans, so long as the Silver or Gold Clans worked as mediums between the two.

The Silver Clan, again according to Shiro, consisted of only three members; the king himself, his “wife” Kuroh, and “daughter” Neko. It didn’t really make sense to the Eve because the Silver King was a teen like Mahiru until Shiro explained that the body he was in was his second one because the Colorless king had stolen his original body and destroyed it. “The price I had to pay in order to save everyone. I don’t regret it, not one bit,” the Immortal King told him when he asked.

The Gold Clan had just lost its King and were on the lookout for his successor. In the meantime, they were under the temporary rule of the Silver Clan. Green and Grey didn’t really mix well with the others, something Dawn told the Sloth Eve, not since the incident two years ago with the Colorless King.

Mahiru had decided to take a seat on the second row just behind the two Kings, with Taiga in his lap. Between the two leaders was a small albino girl dressed in a goth-Lolita outfit that was a deep red. She held up a red marble to her eye as she stared at the Eve and his cub.

Shiro, Dawn, and the man she introduced as Totsuka Tatara were at a computer working on getting the video call function set up on their end.

“Can you hear us?” a voice was soon blasted through the speakers in the room, male and very young.

“Loud and clear, Edward…” Shiro chuckled as he pushed something on the side of the podium that made the projector light up and a pair of faces showed up on the screen. Both of them were male, with golden blond hair and eyes the color of rich honey, a shade lighter than his own.

“Oh good. I wasn’t sure if y’all could hear us or not. Though I’m surprised that you contacted us,” The one called Edward had longer hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail.

“You two are the best in your fields, despite your young age. And this is just up your alley, is it not?” Shiro waved his hands around somewhat to emphasize his point. Mahiru couldn’t help but notice that the one called Edward spoke in near perfect Japanese.

“Well, it did catch Brother’s attention alright,” the blond with shorter hair chuckled. “He spent the better part of two days trying to get us access to the Royal Grandia Library here in Grandia*.”

“It paid off, didn’t it?” Edward sent a glare at the other.

“That I would say so…” Shiro brought the conversation back to him.

“If you don’t mind,” Dawn interrupted, getting the two to focus on her, “Would you mind if I ask just what it is that you two study?”

“And you are…?”

“I’m Dawn. I’m the one who asked Shiro for his help.”

“Both my brother and I study mostly the sciences, but we also have a fascination with history as well. Namely mythologies and legends,” the other blond answered. “My name is Alphonse Elric and this is my brother Edward.”

“Just what is it that you’ve found?” the Blue King leaned forward in his seat. The action alone gave Mahiru pause. The brunette Eve could see that with the slightest movement brought attention to the Scepter4 leader, even as he voiced the question that they all wanted to be answered.

“Well, what do you know about Grandia in the first place?” Alphonse posed his question to the Blue King.

“It is a small kingdom between the border of Russia and Kazakhstan that prides itself on the medical sciences. On the surface, anyway. But its actually a country full of supernatural beings. It also still has its royal family intact. If I’m not mistaken, a Princess Lorelei is set to be crowned Queen upon her eighteenth birthday.”

“Her older brother, Vladimir, was supposed to be crowned king but he was killed in action some years ago during the war in Iran.”

“I remember that…” Mahiru spoke up, making all eyes turn on him. It made him feel awkward to be the center of attention. But he did remember hearing about how a prince of a small country was killed in a roadside bombing several years ago. The guy saved the lives of his unit and several children who were playing nearby when it happened. Made him a hero. “What does it have to do with our situation though.”

“Because Grandia has the only copy of the Legend of the Red-Eyed Goddess,” Edward held up an old scroll that was red with silver linings. It was tied off with a black cord. “And according to this, it's about the Queen of Vampires and her Eve.”

***___***

Kuro didn’t know how to process it.

He didn’t know of any other vampires aside from his siblings and their subclass, he had always thought that they were the original vampires. Yet as the two began explaining the legend, he couldn’t help but wonder, why was I born in the first place?

“The legend begins with thirteen different beings, called Old Bloods, who were the beginning of everything supernatural. Some of these names might sound familiar; the fire mage Ra, the water mage Lir, Gaea the earth mage, Fei Lian the wind mage, the dryad Yggdrasill, the vampire Queen Lilith, Kuninotokotachi the Light, the first Druid Pwyll, the anima magi Fenrir, the Naga Yulong, the Mother Witch Trivia, and the Curse Eater Ahriman. These were some of the names that we were able to decipher from the scroll. It hints at a thirteenth one, called the Guide, but we’ve yet to find out more.”

Lilith, the Queen of Vampires…the one who came before. Those words repeated over and over in his head, dark tendrils of doubt taking root deep in his mind. He never heard of Lilith, nor about any other of those names the brothers listed off.

“Those names come from the different pantheons and myths the world over…” Dawn’s voice cut through the swirling thoughts in the vampire’s head. Kuro turned his attention to the woman, his mind somewhat calmer as he reached over to grasp one of Mahiru’s hands in his own. The feeling doubled when Taiga placed one of her hands atop of theirs, giving the Servamp a small smile in return. As if sensing his discomfort, the Eve of Sloth scooted closer to rest his head on the blue-haired male’s shoulder. The act seemed natural, as if on instinct, and it steadied the Immortal as he listened to the American. “Norse, Egyptian, Chinese, Celtic, Gaelic, Roman/Greek, Japanese and if I’m not mistaken, Christian and Persian religions as well.”

“You would be correct…” the blond with short hair nodded his head, offering a small smile to the woman. “I’m impressed you figured it out so quickly. It took us several days to figure that out once we saw the pattern.”

“The efforts of long summers without much to do in a small town. You get bored very quickly.” Dawn reached up to undo her hair and fix it before she continued. “Not to mention that my two best friends have ties to the supernatural community and I’m somehow a trouble magnet.”

“Anyways, back to the scroll,” Munakata directed the conversation to the task at hand. “You said that the scroll tells of the “Red-Eyed Goddess”, I’m assuming that it speaks of the Vampire Queen Lilith?”

“Yeah…Lilith is said to be the first vampire and the Queen, and out of the thirteen Old Bloods, she shied away from humans. It’s said that she created several vampires, what you might call a subclass, and these are the bases for a lot of vampire lore we know today. Though crosses to affect them and holy water only burns them. Like what we know from most vampire lore, she did take blood from humans, but according to what we’ve read only from certain people…”

“An Eve, right?” Mahiru’s voice piqued up, drawing the attention of the two brothers. Kuro wanted to hide the brunette away since the two were staring at him like they just seen him for the first time. “She could only take blood from a person called an Eve, right?”

“Yep, but according to what is written in the scroll, she only had one Eve, a descendant of Trivia, the White Witch Pandora Rhianna.” Edward unrolled the scroll to show them a hand painted picture of two women. One looked very much like the woman that the Sloth Eve described just after they got Suzu. She was dressed in all black with hair the color of night and eyes the same color as his own. The Queen was facing a woman with blond hair but with eyes the same shade as Mahiru and Taiga, dressed in a sleeveless white dress. Stretched out between them was a chain linking the raven’s neck to the blonde's wrist. Very similar to how his connection with Mahiru was. “Pandora was the only Eve that she took, in exchange for her brother’s life.”

There was a tight squeeze of his hand. Looking down, he could see that his cub was gripping his and the older brunette’s interlaced fingers as she stared at the picture of the two women.

“What happened to the brother?” Shiro sounded curious, but Kuro couldn’t really care. Something was wrong with his cub. She looked a shade bit paler than normal.

“He had been dying, some strange disease was killing him. Nothing any of the others could do to save him. Not even Trivia, in all her abilities with magic. She had yet of prefect the Immortality Curse at the time. The only one who had yet to try was Lilith…and she only helped after Pandora became her Eve.” Edward pointed to the chain. “Once the contract was sealed and the brother saved, everything was fine.”

“I hear a but in there somewhere,” Dawn pointed out.

“But that was only on the surface…” The long-haired blond pulled the scroll out farther to reveal several figures battling the raven-haired woman from before, two red streaks running down her face as she brandished a bloody sword and a broken chain behind her. Taiga turned her face into the teen’s chest, her shoulders shaking. “Something happened that caused Pandora’s death, resulting in the contract breaking and Lilith going on a rampage. She destroyed everything in her path, and even her subclass couldn’t do a thing to stop her. It took nearly all of the Old Bloods to finally seal her away but at a heavy price.”

“Several of them were killed after the sealing because it took all of their powers to do so. Kuninotokotachi became the Light that the Seraphim have a connection with and Yggdrasill became the World Tree that watches over the seal. That left many of their descendants in charge of watching over the world. Many of them became the pantheons we now know today. They are considered to be High Gods…” Alphonse continued for his brother.

“What happened to Pandora and her brother?” Shiro placed a hand on his chin, looking thoughtful. “And what of the thirteenth Old Blood?”

“Not much is said about what happened to the brother…” an unfamiliar voice broke from behind the two on the other side of the video chat. The blonds turned around to reveal a young teen girl dressed simply in a long sleeve V-neck t-shirt in a pale purple over a dark grey skirt with a leather belt with white crochet on it. At her side were two very large wolves, a pure white one and the other white with gunmetal grey patches. The girl was a pale blond in a simple braid with a hair clip of a dragon pulling her bangs away from her face. “But he later appears across the different pantheons as the Trickster God and Pandora was split in two; one her body and the other her soul.”

“Princess Lorelei…” the Blue King adjusted his glasses at the sudden appearance of the teen.

***___***

She knew those two women almost instantly.

When Taiga saw her Obaa-sans in the picture that the golden-eyed man shown on the large screen, she knew them. But what the stranger was saying didn’t make sense to her. The one like her Papa wasn’t like what the second picture showed her as. She wasn’t the monster that was in that rolling story. The small girl wasn’t sure how she knew that it was like that feeling she got when she healed the bond between Angel-chan and Hyde-Nii.

Taiga hid her face when that second picture came about. She didn’t want to see the wrongness of it. The Obaa-san she saw was kind, with tired eyes, who kissed Suzu’s head as she tucked the small girl into the bed between her and the blond-brown Servamp.

“Princess Lorelei…” when Taiga heard the glasses man, she lifted her head to see the one he called a princess. She didn’t look anything like the ones in her picture books, but there was something about how she stood spoke of a royal air about her. “How long have you been listening in?”

“Until the part about what happened to the Old Bloods after sealing away Lilith.” She offered them a soft smile as she and her large dogs took a seat between the two darker blonds in the screen. “I’ve been helping the Elric brothers when I can. Very few people here in Grandia can read the old scripts, so I offered my translating services to the professors.”

“Their old language looks like a mixture of the old runic script, ancient Chinese, and Sanskrit. If we didn’t have the princess as a reference it would’ve taken us a lot longer to decipher what’s in this scroll.” The long-haired man held up the rolling picture book.

“You asked about the last Old Blood, correct?” The teen turned her attention to the glasses man in the strange clothes. When he nodded, she continued, “No one is really sure about what happened to the one called the Guide but we assume that they’re still alive.”

“What do you mean?” Taiga’s gaze moved to Ake-obasan, whose voice sounded weird. It didn’t sound like normal, a touch deeper just the tiniest bit.

“There’s hardly anything written about the Guide in anything within in our library. But I’ve developed the theory that this Old Blood is much like the Trickster God, that they jumped from religion to religion but kept some of the same attributes…” The princess reached over for something off screen. When she grabbed what she wanted, a very large book, she flipped through several pages before she stopped on what it was she wanted. Turning the book around for those on the other side of the computer, there was a picture of a cloaked figure with withered arms holding a paddle as they stood on a boat on the water. “I believe that the Guide is none other than the ferryman of the dead.”

The one who guides souls into the afterlife, and the first God of Death…” The words that came out of her aunt’s mouth were not Japanese, but she understood every word.

***___***

She stood before her throne once more, the light from the orbs the only thing visible in the darkened room.

Lilith rested her hands on the wall, looking at the sleeping forms of the children inside. They were the embodiment of all her hard work…her hope that had been left in tatters upon her sealing. Five hundred years it took her to gather enough power to traverse the two worlds without alerting Trickster of her plans outright. She had found it within a loophole in the wording of her bindings. One that she fully intended to exploit if it meant she could get back her Eve.

Beast born of a Broken bond, thy soul be imprisoned between the worlds. Thine blood be the key.” She repeated the words that sealed her away. “Thine blood be the key, huh? You were always the dramatic one, Trivia…”

Lilith pressed her hand harder to the wall, the light began running down the wall from the two lit orbs to the floor of the throne room. Once they reached the center just before the throne, a woman dressed in a sleeveless white dress was shown laying in an orb much larger than the ones behind the throne. In the center of her chest was a large bloodstain, the only mar on the pure white of her dress.

“Did you know about her firstborn, Trivia?”

***___***

She stood within the Alicein mansion, the hair on the back of her neck on end.

She may have been new to the staff, but even she could see that something was wrong. The young master had shut himself up in his room soon after the master asked him to not leave the premises. The look of hurt on the boy’s face didn’t go unnoticed by her. No way, no how. The maid saw how much livelier that the Eve of Lust had become since his contact with the others. There was also the strange presence that she sensed within the mansion, very much different than the two she was used to. This one was darker and held a tinge of malice.

Oh, how she wished she could tell the young master’s Servamp, but after hearing the blond’s conversation with the master, she couldn’t. Not when her employer outright ordered the vampire to ensure that Misono-sama* never knew the truth, to keep him sheltered here in the mansion. That really boiled her blood. How can you expect him to grow up if you don’t let him learn things on his own! He’ll become ignorant of the world around him! The woman steamed as she made her way back to the room where the subclass children were waiting. The keys she snagged from the unsuspecting Immortal hidden in her apron pocket. If they weren’t going to support the young master, then she would!

It was the least she could do for the boy’s mothers.

Notes:

*Grandia is a made up country for the sake of this universe. It does not exist in real life.
*sama-a horrific used to mean master/mistress/lord/lady. Something along those lines to show respect.

Oh my! Things are heating up, aren't they?
Just what is Lilith doing? Who's the woman in the floor?
Let me know what you think! Comments are welcome.

Chapter 25: Welcome to Wonderland

Summary:

The game of cat and mouse begins in this Wonderland that is the Alicien Mansion

Notes:

Our first boss appears in front of the Eve of Lust!
The Descendants of Alice arc is finally in full swing!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Mahiru could feel that something was off.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head that was nearly screaming that there was something wrong. He watched the match between Kanda-san and the Silver Clansman. It was a sight to see, where they exchanged blows like they were merely dance moves. There were a few times that the Eve thought he saw sparks fly from their swords on several of the hits.

He…lp…a small voice in the back of his head made him turn around, looking for the source. It sounded like a child’s voice, but there were only two of them here, both of which were watching the two swordsmen in their practice match. Plea…hel…pa…ne…ma… the voice sounded like it was in pain, causing the golden-eyed teen to wince just slightly. There was something about the voice that sounded a bit familiar, even if he couldn’t quite place the name to the voice.

Where….? Honey-golden eyes kept searching for the source of the voice that he didn’t notice his Servamp call his name several times.

“Mahiru!” The blue-haired male’s voice near shouted next to his ear. The teen felt like he jumped a foot in the air at the sound of the other and if it wasn’t for Taiga in his lap, he just might have of. “You alright? You spaced out there for a while.”

“Huh?” Taking a better look at the others, Mahiru noticed that everyone was watching him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to space out…”

“What’s on your mind?” Dawn walked over, taking a seat next to the younger brunettes. “It’s not like you to space out like that.”

“I don’t know…” I’m not sure what I’m hearing, “Something just feels off to me.” Taking out his phone, he noticed the time, a little past four. Huh, that was odd. Normally, Misono would’ve called or texted by now asking about the meeting. Or he would’ve asked about Taiga. It was odd indeed. “I need to make a call. Excuse me.” Taking his cub off of his lap, he transferred her to his boyfriend. The small girl gave him a questioning look, clutching at the vampire’s jacket.

“I’ll be right over there, cub. You don’t have to worry…” Mahiru pointed to one of the upper levels of the gym that they had borrowed from the school for the sparring match. Yet because there were a lot of supernaturals within the gym, a barrier was surrounding them to ensure that there was no damage done to the building. It was thanks mostly to the pink-haired girl and the white-haired little girl, they created the barrier with surprising ease. Goes to show that they’ve done this a number of times.

When she didn’t respond, he placed a hand on her head with a soft smile on his face. “I love you, you know that right?” That a wide-eyed reaction as she quickly nodded her head. “Then you know that I won’t ever leave you alone. You’re my cub now.”

“I think you mean ours…” Kuro hugged the girl to his chest, reaching down to nuzzle their cheeks together. That caused the younger brunette to laugh as she returned the gesture.

“Whatever you say, lazybones.” Mahiru laughed at the two. He wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world. He might not be able to replace Taiga’s real mother, but in every which way it counted, she was theirs now. Nothing was going to take her away from him. Nothing was going to take them away from him.

Wait…’them’?

He shook his head as he went up to the upper levels, a fond smile on his face as he dialed the Eve of Lust’s number.

Please, let me be wrong.

***___***

The purple haired teen glanced down at his phone.

Mahiru? He felt his eyes go wide as he read the caller ID. Why…? Oh, right. He had that meeting today. He had forgotten to call and check up on the progress of whatever research that the American’s friends had done in search of the origins of the Servamps. Normally he would call around this time regardless of whatever he was doing. Not sure as to why, but he had taken a liking to the charge that Mahiru had taken under his wing. She was very bright, just like the Eve of Sloth, and she easily picked up any games that he showed her, though she did have some trouble understanding the basics of strategy.

His time with Taiga helped him with Lily’s subclass as well. He didn’t snap at them as often as he used to and he could take time to enjoy their company, which he was doing right now. He was in the room that many of the staff liked to call the ‘Nursery’, with several of the children vampires and their new tutor/maid. She was an odd one, always looking off into space and talking to herself when she thought no one was around. She had mousy brown hair that she kept up in a braid and thick glasses that hid her eyes from view. She dressed like all the other maids, yet he noticed that she had a small mouse embroidered on one of the pockets of her apron.

“Everything okay, Misono-sama?” Her voice caught broke through his thoughts, having not noticed that he was staring at her. Her face was close, he could almost see the color of her eyes (a near dark purple) through her glasses.

“I’m fine.” He scowled at her, not liking that she was so close in his personal space. Kobayashi Mayura was a strange one, he had to give it to her. She didn’t even flinch when she found out that her charges were vampires or the fact that she had to take orders from an Eve that was just a few years older than the subclass.

“You sure?” The woman nodded to his phone, still out, though it had a missed call. “Shouldn’t you have taken that?”

He looked at his phone. He wanted to call the other Eve back, but if he did then he would be breaking his promise to his father. No matter what he did, one of them would be disappointed in him. “It's better this way. I can’t disobey my father.”

“Even if you know him to be in the wrong?”

He felt his eyes widen. What was she talking about? She was just hired help. But somehow, he couldn’t voice it. Maybe there was some truth in what she said. What if his father was in the wrong?

“Now, now. Don’t go putting strange ideas in the prince’s head…” an unfamiliar voice caught him off guard. Turning to where he heard the voice, he felt his eyes nearly bug out of his head. A woman dressed in a sleeveless striped top of pink and purple with jean shorts that were cut too short and frayed. Black high heeled sandals were on her feet. Her dark red hair was cut short, with a pair of furry ears to match and a long tail flicking back and forth. Her amber colored eyes were narrowed on Mayura. “He has to listen to his papa like all good children must do.”

“How did you get in here?” The brunette moved the children behind her, glaring at the stranger. “How did you get past the mistresses?”

The other just smirked as she folded her arms across her chest, moving it just enough that her it pulled down. Misono didn’t like where this was going. Just as he was about to take a defensive stance in front of the other children, the glasses-wearing maid moved beat him to it. She pushed him behind her.

“Those poor souls are no longer here.” The strange woman laughed. “I locked them out so I could play with this cute Alice”

“Damn cat…”

“I’ve never seen a mouse like you stand up to this damn cat before.”

“That’s because this mouse was raised by wolves…” the tone of the maid’s voice changed as she suddenly had several kunai in between her fingers. “They taught me how to use my fangs.”

“Oh, this will be so much fun…”

Notes:

And there we have it!
A short chapter, I know, compared to my latest updates, but I have a plan for the next one!

Anyone wanna take a guess as to who our first boss is?

Chapter 26: A Game of Cat and Mouse

Summary:

Things are set in motion as the characters begin to move towards the climax

Notes:

I'm not gonna say anything (except sorry, but poor Misono really needed this reminder)

Hope y'all enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

She was doing everything she could to protect the children under her care.

Mayura may have been raised by werewolves, but nothing could compare to the gracefulness that was the cat demon in front of her. Her pack-siblings were taught to fight mostly with brute force while she had to have a handicap in the form of her kunai. She hated that she couldn’t beat them in terms of strength or cunning, but with her natural speed and somewhat silent steps, she could get a few sneak attacks on them before they overpowered her. (Their fights usually ended up with her on the floor laughing and crying as they tickled her senseless.) But this stranger was far different from her siblings, and it was pissing her off.

“Come back, little mousy.” The cat demon purred as she made another swipe at her head. This caused her to duck and fling one of her kunai at the redhead, who swatted it out of the air. Damn it all, this is why I HATE cats, she screamed in her head.

“Like I’m going to let you catch me, you damn cat.” She leaped up, twisting in the air as she let loose her sharp weapons at the other woman. Once they landed in their set positions, Mayura drew a pentagram with her fingers in the air, making a makeshift seal appear. “I’m the one who’s going to be doing the catching.”

“What’s a filthy human mouse like you doing with a demon seal?” The redhead snarled as she tried to move from what Mayura had created with her limited knowledge of sealing. The cat demon couldn’t escape. The seal basically restricted her movements for a short amount of time, making it easy for the maid to catch her breath.

“I told you, I was raised by wolves.” The brunette did her best impression of her pack mother’s wolfish smirk while she held up another kunai. “I was taught how to use my fangs. I never said it was these babies.”

Just as she threw the knife at the cat demon, a loud clang resounded as it hit something else entirely. A dagger came flying at her, making the maid jump backward as it hit where she had been standing. Looking back to where it had come from, there was a man dressed in what looked like an old German military uniform, black trimmed with red. A heart with the English letter ‘A” was placed over his right breast pocket and an old dual sword strapped to his waist. His strawberry blond hair was slicked back revealing a bullet scar on his forehead and crimson eyes. The man had a deadpan look on his face as he stared at the brunette woman.

“Damn it, Ace! I can take care of myself!” The first intruder sent a glare back at the newcomer.

“My lady thought you may need help…” the blond, Ace, had a thick-accented monotone voice as he drew his sword, glimmering in the light of the mansion. “How could a human have trapped you, Cheshire?”

“She’s a sneaky one. I underestimated her,” Cheshire began her struggles anew. Not that it was going to do anything. Mayura was confident that her seal could last a few minutes while she dealt with the man.

“Misono-sama, take the children and hide…” the brunette woman called to the young heir, not once taking her eyes off of the pair.

“But…” She could hear his hesitation in his voice. Without his Servamp at his side, there was nothing he could do on his own, only get in her way while she protected them.

“No buts, Misono-sama! I can’t look after you while fighting them at the same time.” She sent him a pleading look at him to understand. She might not have worked in the mansion as long as some of the others, but she had come to genuinely care for all of the vampire children in her care and their naïve Eve. There were a few things that she would like to say to the Lust Servamp, but that would have to wait. She just had to hope that the twins, Ai and Yu, made it to their destination.

***___***

She was scared.

When strangers began showing up in the mansion, her Sire* began ushering her and Yu away as he began looking for their Eve. Just as the twins were about to run into a closet, strange red ghost-like things came rushing into the mansion. Several of the older servants began fighting them, but their attacks weren’t doing any damage. That was when the two girls noticed two different ghosts that were glowing much similar to the lady that used to follow the Greed Pair. They were trapped outside the mansion, banging on something that sparked an angry red against the window.

It was Yu who thought it was a good idea to follow them to help. The shorter haired twin was soon followed by her younger sibling as they exited the mansion. The strange red ghosts followed them all the way from the mansion, and she had gotten separated from her twin. If it weren’t for the pretty lady that looked like Miso-Nii, Ai was sure that the scary things would’ve gotten her a lot sooner.

“Hurry, little one.” The ghost lady prodded gently, keeping the red monsters at bay with some strange near-white barrier. Her long purple hair was blowing in the slight winter wind; her eyes were near the same shade as the Eve of Lust’s. “I know you’re scared but Misono needs you to be strong, okay?”

Ai didn’t question the pretty, floating lady. The small subclass was just glad that she wasn’t entirely alone. Nodding her head once she began running down the street towards the one place she knew that she could find help.

I can bring back help! I can bring back Mahiru!

***___***

He hated feeling weak.

Misono herded the children back to his room, noticing that the mansion was soon flooded with formless red ghosts that were attacking the servants and children alike. He couldn’t stand it, watching his charges try to outrun the red blobs that invaded his home, but he had nothing that he could fight back with. He was defenseless as they were without Lily at his side. He didn’t even like PE when he remembered to attend. Yet watching as the children were attacked hurt far worse than when he took the blow for the Eve of Sloth.

Why am I so weak that I can’t protect the children under my care!

Do you wish for power? The voice was very different than his own, freezing his body on the spot as the children ran to his room. Tell me, young Alice, do you wish for power?

Time seemed to slow down around him, greying the world as he turned his head to find the source of the voice in his mind. Something caught at the edge of his vision. A man dressed in a pinstripe suit of charcoal grey, a red button-down with a matching charcoal grey tie. He wore a mask similar to those of Japanese animal masks, this one with rabbit ears attached and red markings that seemed to run into his hair. There was an off-putting feeling that came from this man, an aura far stronger than that of the Servamp of Melancholy. At his side was a woman dressed in a simple, elegant ballroom dress in a blood red, a heart-shaped ruby hung around her neck on a string of white pearls. Her black hair was curled around her ebony skin on her shoulders with a simple circlet with a tear-drop ruby was on her forehead.

The two were the only spots of color in the grey world. Even the red ghosts had lost their color compared to the two standing in front of him.

“Do you wish for the power to protect, young Alice?” The man asked once again, a smirk on his face as he held out his hand. “I can grant it to you.”

The Eve of Lust took a step back, eyeing the rabbit man skeptically. Deep inside of him, an even smaller and faint voice was calling for him to run. That his man couldn’t be trusted.

“Do not run, child. My master offers you that which your Servamp fails to provide.” The woman spoke for the first time, rich and soothing in comparison to her companion. He wanted to believe them. Misono really wanted too, but instead, he shook his head. An image of Mahiru popped into his head, smiling like he always did with Taiga on his hip. “You aren’t weak, Misono. After all, you jumped in to save me from Sakuya’s attack.The brunette reached out a hand, a white knight chess piece in his hand. You can fight back, you know.” The purple haired teen closed his eyes as he reached out for the chess piece, a fond smile on his face. When he opened his eyes once again, the world was back to normal speed and the grey was gone. The man and woman were gone, but Misono still had the knight gripped tightly in his hand. Words began to form in his mind, his mouth soon speaking them aloud, “In the name of your Sovereign, as a descendant of Alice, protect the innocent! Advance forward, my knight!” The piece in his hand grew hot as a bright white light began filtering through his fingers. As if his body moved without him telling it to, he lifted the glowing chess piece in line with his shoulder as he shouted out a name, “Beowulf!*”

Notes:

*Sire-since I'm not sure what the actual term is for the Servamps that their subclass calles them, aside from master, I went with Sire since it seems to be popular in modern vampire-themed literature. Basically, Sire=creator/master.
*Beowulf- one of the oldest heroes in literature, from an old epic poem similar to the Epic of Gilgamesh but from old English.

Having fun yet? Let me know what you think about Misono's new ability. Comments are welcome!

Hope y'all enjoyed!

Chapter 27: White Legion

Summary:

Misono gains allies and Lily meets the Boss Lady

Notes:

The battle has begun!

Words in bold are English

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Finally! Took you too bloody long!

The image of a knight was the farthest thing from his mind as he looked over said “knight” that he had summoned. He looked like a taller, darker, buffer version of Sendagaya wearing a black leather jacket, ripped jeans, and worn combat boots. His hair was dark brown slicked back, making his storm green stand out against his tanned skin. A large scar ran from above his left eye to just below his right cheek. He had a wild look about him as he slashed at the red near-transparent figures that had been attacking the children with a large claymore.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for you,” the stranger, Beowulf his mind supplied, sent a smirk in the Alicein’s direction. He had a rougher accent than Allen did, “I was wondering if you were ever gonna summon us.”

“Who…?” the Eve of Lust didn’t understand what was going on. So many questions were floating around in his head, but the most important was the safety of the children. They were defenseless against the intruders and the only one who seemed to be making a dent was the “knight”.

“Seriously, kid? You summoned me without knowing?” The wild man swung his sword and sliced three ghosts in one go, eyes wide. “Bloody hell! Miyaka’s crafty.”

Miyaka? Great-grandmother? Misono never really heard much about his great-grandmother, except that she was half British on her mother’s side and that she married into the Alicein family. What did she have to do with his strange new summoning ability? And why did Beowulf look like a rougher version of Sendagaya? He looked at the frightened children who had somehow ended up behind the taller male. They were huddled together, several of them had cuts and scrapes on their faces, but none of them were badly injured like some of the staff. They were having a hard time fighting off whatever the red ghost-like monsters were. It was as if their attacks were falling through, not landing a hit. Unlike the man called Beowulf. As he looked over those in the hallway, he noticed that the twins were missing. They were with Lily when all of this started.

“Miyaka looked a bit like you.” The taller male brought Misono’s mind back to the present as he stood in front of the children, protecting them. “So, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you have her talent.” He paused slightly to plant his sword in the floor of the hall, “I am Beowulf, First Knight of the White Legion, Slayer of Demons.”

“White Legion?”

“Those who aid the White Sovereign, those who carry the blood of Alice Liddell.”

“Like the story Alice’s Adventures?” That caught his attention. It was a well-known children’s story, Misono even read it a few times himself. The purple haired teen had felt a connection with the main character, Alice, but the boy never would’ve guessed it was an actual blood collection.

“That one is a bit watered down version of what actually happened. But right now is not the time to get into it. These Card Soldiers have a nasty habit of reviving.”

“What can I do?” Misono looked around at the red blobs, the Card Soldiers. He had to fight. Fight to protect his charges.

“You could try summoning one of the Rooks, or a Bishop.” Beowulf offered as he once again swung his large sword, cleaving the Soldiers left and right. He didn’t seem to be tired but he was only one man. These Card Soldiers vastly outnumbered him, and they had taken to attacking him instead of any of the staff or the children.

How do I summon? He looked down at his hands, once again noticing that they both held chess pieces, a white rook and bishop, glowing similarly to how Beowulf’s did before. Same as before words filled his head as he lifted the pieces, “In the name of your Sovereign, as a descendant of Alice, guard the defenseless! Cerberus! Heal the injured! Jeanne d’Arc!”

A large, three-headed wolf-like creature materialized just above Beowulf and the children, all three of its heads growling at the Card Soldiers. Next to them was a woman who was dressed in a mixture of knight’s armor and a simple white dress. At her side was a sword in a dark blue sheath. She looked very much like the woman Lucy from Mahiru’s building, but her hair was longer and curled slightly. She smiled softly at Misono, “A pleasure to meet you, Sovereign.” She gave him a small curtsy before she took a survey around the hall. “I see the Red Queen is back.”

“Don’t I know it, lass.” Beowulf heaved a sigh as he kept fighting with the red figures. The knight moved with more speed than Misono thought possible with such a large sword, and his strikes always hit their mark, slicing two or three at a time.

“Gather everyone in this room,” the blond pointed to Misono’s room, the same one that he had tried to herd the children into. “Cerberus and I can form a barrier.”

The staff were hesitant to do as the stranger said. The Eve of Lust could see it in their eyes. They weren’t sure if they could trust these people even though their own young master had somehow summoned them from chess pieces.

I’m not going to back down! These are my people! They are under my protection! I have to do him proud! Keeping those words in mind, the young Eve gathered his courage from deep within. He steadied his nerves, let his face fall into his usual frown as he began issuing orders to the staff. In the back of his mind, the image of Mahiru smiling at him steeled his nerves.

***___***

Lily wasn’t sure how it all came about.

He and Mikoto were in the older Alicein’s study, discussing what to do about keeping the young Eve within the confines of the mansion. The Servamp knew that Mikoto was just being protective of his youngest son, having lost both his wife and lover and his eldest running off with Lily’s brother. The blond vampire just wanted to keep his Eve as innocent as he could, not tainted by the world. But at the same time, there was an ache in his heart. He didn’t want to betray the purple-haired teen’s trust. Knowing full well that Misono wanted to experience the world and make friends, he just couldn’t let the boy get hurt.

When he ran into the maid outside the study, she gave him a dark glare from behind her glasses. It didn’t fit her mousy demeanor, neither did her words at the time, “I will kill you if you hurt Misono-sama”. While he was sure that he couldn’t be killed, the Servamp of Lust had the feeling that if the new maid put her mind to it, she could and would do it.

When the strange woman in red came up behind him while he was on his way to Misono with the twins at his side, he felt his whole-body freeze at the sight. The last time he had seen her was on the night that Misono’s mother died, both of them.

“Ai, Yu, run.” He whispered to the girls as he pushed them behind him, never once taking his gaze off of the woman in front of him. Even though he wasn’t anywhere near the teen, he could still summon his scythe. Standing before the woman, he noticed that she hadn’t aged a day since that horrible night eight years ago.

“Such a caring soul, aren’t you?” She said in her soothing voice, a voice he had come to understand hid poison in her words. “You take in lost souls and give them solace. But does that make you Peter Pan or the Pied Piper?”

“Why are you back?” Lily eyed the woman with his best fake smile as he took a defensive stance against her.

“I came to bring young Alice to the side of my Master,” the woman returned his smile with one of her own as the red ghosts began materializing behind her. Her eyes were a sickly purple, full of a dark madness that had filled the eyes of Mikado’s wife, on that stormy night. “You will not get in my way, All of Love.”

“Alice?” He tilted his head to the side. There wasn’t an Alice in the mansion…unless she means Misono! A small childish voice shouted in the back of his mind, it sounded much like his demon’s voice, the small fairy-like child sounded worried, scared even. Feeling his eyes go wide, he couldn’t help but think of Miyaka, the wife of one of his late Eve’s. The woman who held the Summoning contract for the White Legion of Wonderland, an heirloom she inherited from her mother, the First White Sovereign Alice Liddell. Nononononononono. Panic set in his mind as he flashed back to that night that changed everything.

Notes:

Just to make things clear, Misono will have a full roster of chess pieces.
So far he's summoned:
Second Rook Cerberus-Hades's Guard-dog
First Bishop Jeanne d'Arc-Maiden of Orleans
First Knight Beowulf-Slayer of Demons

Chapter 28: Update and Hiatus note

Summary:

like the title says

Chapter Text

Sorry that this isn't the update you were expecting. I lost my flash drive with all my notes and planned chapters. When I find it, I will post the longest chapter in this story's history as a proper apology. Until then, please check out my other story. I did it for a friend of mine who just recently lost her furbaby.

Notes:

Let me know what you think. If the characters are a bit OOC, it's my fault. But I hope you enjoy it.

Series this work belongs to: