I'm back with a new story!

*gun clicks*

HOLD YOUR FIRE, THIS ONE IS A REQUEST! …Actually, it's more of a collaboration.

This is also a sequel to my one-shot, Personal Space, so before you read this story I recommend you read that one to avoid confusion.

I want to thank Dinobot King (aka guest-reviewer Victor) for this idea, and helping me out with all the details, as well as a couple character interactions (and telling me more about the SnQ series that I did not know).

So without further ado, here is a new fic… which will also include a music number later on ;)

Sasha: I'm leaving. *runs*

Me: Get back here! You're the main focus this time! *gives chase*

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Haruyuki Yoshino; plot belongs to Dinobot King; songs used belong to their respectful artists; and I own my ideas.

~SnQ~

Sasha was in a dark room, not a single glimpse of light to be seen. Nothing but pitch black greeted him, and he saw no way out of the eternal night. What is this? Where am I? he wondered to himself. He tried to summon his scythe, but nothing came to him.

And… for some reason… he felt smaller. He looked at his hands- they were minuscule and his arms were lacking muscle. He was a tiny child again!

Then out of nowhere he starts hearing voices of a slender woman and a muscular man. "He won't survive in this life!" Said the female voice.

"I should've beat the crap out of him when he first started to walk!" came the man's voice.

Mother? Father?! Sasha thought in disbelief.

"How disappointing… he couldn't even defend anyone. Let alone he didn't even bother defending himself when Olja stood up for him!" his father scoffed with malice.

"And look where she ended up. Dead because of the little run over pussy," his mother sneered.

"Pitiful if you ask me."

"A sorry excuse for a man!"

Sasha covered his ears trying to ignore his former parents' words. This isn't real! This is just a dream! He told himself as he started running.

But the voices only grew louder and louder, no matter what direction he ran. The voices of disapproval, cruelty, and venom.

The voices of those who abandoned him at that God-forsaken facility.

"It's no wonder the next one needed a REAL MAN," the father continued to plague.

"Ha ha, and he has the weakest powers of all! Yet the brat still couldn't measure up to him!" the mother taunted with a cackle.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sasha finally shouted, though his voice was small. "You're not my real parents! You… You abandoned me! Threw me away! You have no right to say these things!"

"You've failed them… just like you failed Olja… You're a failure…! Failure…! FAILURE!" the voices echoed together, and Sasha felt his head spin. "YOU'RE A FAILURE, ALEXANDER…! ALEXANDER…!"

"No- no- NOOOOO!"

"Alexander!"

"Oi! Alexander! Wake up!"

Sasha gasped, waking up and seeing Joshua Phrygianos standing by his bed, the older Qwaser shaking his shoulder. "What the…? Get off me!" Sasha snapped, slapping his hand away. "What do you want?!"

"You were… doing it again," Joshua said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Having a nightmare,"

"Tch. Just a stupid dream. Nothing to get worried about,"

"But… you were crying this time,"

Sasha paused, looking at Joshua. He shook his head. "It was nothing! Why are you in my room anyway?!"

"You're room is right next to mine! I could hear you tossing, turning, and crying out clear as day!"

Sasha crossed his arms. "Just go back to your room, Roentgenium. It's too early for your nonsense,"

Joshua sneered. "For your information, it's not exactly early. It's-"

The door opened just then, and Mafuyu walked in. "Sasha, get up! We're going to be late-!" she began to holler, pausing when she saw Joshua. "Oh! Good morning, Joshua-senpai. I thought you were awake already. All your siblings are downstairs,"

"Oh, shit! I still need to make their lunches!" Joshua gasped, bolting out of the room. "Thanks, Mafuyu-san!"

Mafuyu shook her head, smiling. She had to admire the older-brother's responsibility towards his little siblings. She turned to Sasha, seeing he was still sitting in bed. "Well? Are you getting up, or do I have to drag you out?"

Sasha rubbed his temples, mumbling to himself. "Alright, alright. I'm up," he muttered, throwing the blankets off.

Mafuyu studied him. Something wasn't right. His eyes looked red, as if he had been crying. "Sasha, are you alright? It looks like you've been crying…"

The Iron Qwaser groaned. "I'm FINE. Probably from lack of sleep after the regime everyone put me on…" he groused.

Mafuyu sighed. "If you say so… Just hurry up and get dressed. You're punishment is long from over," with that, she exited the room.

Sasha clenched his fists. Why am I being punished, again? He thought, thinking back…

~Three Weeks Ago~

Sasha was in the chapel with the rest of the current members of the Athos of the St Mihalov Academy. In the center was Numika, also known as 'Big Ma'am', the enforcer of the Athos.

"You wished to see me Numika?" Sasha asked, albeit a bit nervous. Big Ma'am was known for her military might and strict conditions.

"Yes, Sasha. We have strict disciplinary actions we must discuss," Big Ma'am responded, calm but stern; a glint in her eye showed she was looking to bring down the hammer on someone… and since she was looking right at him, the silver-haired teen felt his blood turn cold.

Sasha looked around the room and saw he wasn't the only one present in the chapel; everyone he knew- Mufuyu, Tomo, Joshua, Jita, Hana, Katharine, Elizabeth, Theresa,Yuri, Mutsumi, Tasuku- plus many other members that were stationed in Japan, were standing nearby.

It was clear this was an intervention.

"Sasha the Martyr, iron user of the Athos, you stand on trial of the attempt at assaulting an unarmed person, unintentionally of the former Qwaser of the Adepts, without good reason. Furthermore-" Yuri was stating.

"But I was following procedure! Due to the fact that the Adepts pulled multiple attacks, I had a reason to be suspicious of-!" Sasha tried to argue.

"SILENCE!" Big Ma'am ordered, her voice shaking the room (Joshua flinched, holding Jita… who pushed him away with an annoyed look). "You hold your tongue, Alexander Von Hell, or you're gonna be getting a heaping-helping of that surname of yours!"

Sasha felt a source of anger and humiliation from the very Maria with piercing blue eyes. He could tell that Mufuyu is demanding him to behave, and stop acting like a hotheaded brat. "Forgive me Master I shouldn't have yelled nor try to rationalize my actions," he murmured, feeling a weight on his shoulders.

"That's more like it. Go ahead, Yuri-excuse my apprentice's outburst,"

Yuri cleared his throat. "You've also vowed to protect Tomo due to your emotional dedication of protecting her… as she looks somewhat identical to your surrogate sister. Am I correct?"

Sasha felt himself freeze. He looked around the room- now EVERYONE knew. He looked at Katje, a smug look on her face; Hana was arching an eyebrow; Mafuyu, Tomo and Teresa already knew… everyone else was just giving him questionable looks. Only Joshua and Jita exchanged glances, a look of sympathy on their faces.

"Answer the question Sasha. Or we'll have to resort an even aggressive punishment towards your obsession." Big Ma'am ordered.

Sasha let out a breath, head hanging low. "Yes those were my intentions." He admitted. He heard a few murmurs in the room, but forced himself to tune them out.

"I'm glad you've decided to admit the truth. It is the best way to reach closure," Yuri turned to the group. "Next, we shall hear from Tomo."

Sasha cringed. The last time Tomo spoke to him, she was biting his head off in her defense for Joshua. "I'm not Olja and I never will be!" she had shouted that day, the words piercing his heart.

Tomo took a deep breath, walking forth. "Sasha, you and I are good friends, and it means so much that you want to protect Mafuyu and I… but to know you've been looking out for me so much because I remind you of Olja… well, I just don't know how you really felt. I didn't know whether you truly cared about me, or if you just wanted to make up for losing someone you love,"

"T-Tomo…!" Sasha gasped, wincing. "That's not it! I mean… you do look like Olja… but… I still care about you for who you are. I just didn't want to lose anyone else… Please forgive me, for hurting your feelings."

"Oh, bullshit! He's just saying that to get off easy!" Hana called.

"SHUT IT, BRAT, OR YOU'LL BE CLEANING TOILET STALLS FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS!" Big Ma'am shouted, making Hana regret speaking out of line.

"I forgive you, Sasha… but I don't want you comparing me to Olja anymore. I should apologize to you- and everyone- as well. I didn't say anything about Joshua-sa- er, senpai, because of his relation to the Adepts, and I was worried he would be hurt before anyone gave him a chance," Tomo said, having a sad look in her eye. "…worried that YOU wouldn't give him a chance,"

"I'm sorry…" Sasha whispered.

Joshua cleared his throat. "M-May I say something?" he asked, albeit cautiously so not to invoke the Wrath of Big Ma'am upon himself.

"Speak up, Successor of Hermes-Trismegistus," Yuri permitted.

Joshua walked forth. "I want to say… I'm not angry at Sasha for his actions- granted I'm still sore, but I know he had reasons to act the way he did. Having younger siblings myself, I wouldn't exactly trust someone from enemy lines around them either, and Akari-"

"Tomo," Tomo whispered.

"-sorry- is right, we should have spoken to Athos right away, rather than keeping it secret for so long. Honestly, we only met up so Tomo could tell me how Jita was doing,"

"(Dumbass)," Jita muttered under her breath.

"When I found my sister was in good hands, I was relieved. As for Tomo… well, I knew she was a friend I could count on since the beginning. She was willing to die just to protect her friends, she saved my sister from execution, and… well, that's when I decided this was the side I should be on- that I didn't have to fight the Adepts on my own. …Again, I can understand Sasha's actions- he didn't get to know me the way Tomo did, and with our secret interactions he had a right to be suspicious."

"But he had no right to attack an unarmed person without question," Yuri stated.

"Well… he wasn't the only one. Mafuyu hit me pretty hard, before asking me questions- but, again, as an older sibling I can understand her reasons!"

"Yeah, 'cept she didn't try to decapitate you in blind fury," Big Ma'am threw in. "What's the point you're getting at, Phrygianos?"

"I just want to say, whatever Sasha's punishment is, go easy on him. I should have been more up-front about my actions and proven my trust, so I share the blame."

Sasha looked at Joshua. Just the other day he almost killed this guy, yet he was speaking on his behalf? Is he just trying to get on my good side? He wondered.

"Joshua Phrygianos, I admire your speaking, yet you are still under surveillance alongside your sister until we see how sincere you are about joining us. The rest of your siblings will be allowed to stay and have their educations funded here at the Academy, so long as you show no signs of deception. As for punishment-"

"Oh! May I suggest something?" Tomo spoke up eagerly, then whispered into Yuri's ear.

"Really? Hmm. Very well, I suppose that's fair. …At Tomo's request, Joshua, your punishment will be to prepare meals for your hosts for a month."

"Seriously?! How are we sure he won't poison them?!" Katharine sneered.

"Did we ask for your input?! No! If anyone else speaks outta line, you'll ALL be on kitchen-duty until graduation!" Big Ma'am hollered. She turned to Joshua. "As for the whole 'poison' risk… If anyone drops dead, you'll be the first suspect, Phrygianos!"

Joshua shakily gave a salute. "Rest assured, I'll prepare the meals so no one even suffers stomach-aches!" he promised. "Like I said, I'm with Athos now, and I'll do whatever it takes to help you all defeat the Adepts and provide safety for everyone,"

"Now that that's settled, let us get to Sasha's punishment." Yuri spoke up, turning to Big Ma'am. "Numika, you said you already had something in mind?"

Oh, shit. Sasha thought, bracing himself for the worst.

Big Ma'am grinned. "Sasha the Martyr, for the next month you are ineligible for any future missions- Katje, Tasuku, and Elizabeth will be taking your place for patrols. You'll be grounded under the household of Mufuyu Oribe and take up chores- such as sweeping, cleaning, and whatever else she assigns to you, and you are to oblige without argument. After you're done with your daily routines, you will train for two hours under Teresa's supervision, and meditate for five hours after breakfast. And finally…"

Sasha stood there, waiting for the worst…

"You are not allowed to take any soma until the end of the month."

There were a few gasps from the others… though Tasuku gasped the loudest. "A whole month without soma? I wouldn't even last a day!" he whispered.

"Damn, talk about rough," Jita agreed.

"He's going to crack- someone be sure to get it on tape," Miyuri snickered.

"Then it is settled. Sasha will do all this for a month. If we hear any negative reports from Mafuyu or Teresa, his sentence shall be extended." Yuri said, and the meeting was adjourned.

Sasha at the moment only stood there in shock. I can't take part in missions, I can't have soma, and I have to do chores…? He thought, feeling lightheaded, and groaned as he walked out. He looked over at Joshua and Tomo- the purple-haired girl linked her arm with his, smiling up at him, and the silver-haired teen felt his chest grow tight.

This is all your fault…

~Present~

Sasha, as his punishment went, ate his breakfast; afterwards he did the dishes and went to meditate while the others went to school, Teresa only staying to keep an eye on him.

His only worry was how Mafuyu and Tomo were faring without his protection.

"Joshua-senpai!" Miyuri exclaimed at the front of the school, running up to Joshua. "Katje, Hana and I loved that dessert you made the other night! It was wonderful!"

"Oh, thanks Miyuri," Joshua said, blushing a bit. Since his coming to the Academy, Miyuri had been quite hospitable towards him and his siblings.

Actually, hospitable was an understatement. Upon hearing that he and his siblings lived in poverty… well, her first action was to go out and buy new clothes for them all, and treating them all to a nice meal (that is until she learned what a good cook he was). It was nice, but he assured her she didn't have to give them charity.

His only request: she be nice to Tomo and Mafuyu. "Tomo's my Maria, and Mafuyu is her sister, which makes her my friend as well. As your senpai, I want you to treat them with as much respect as you'd treat yourself." He had said.

She obliged, though he didn't know whether it was because he was older than her (as students in Japan were to give their senpais proper respect, he heard), because he used to live with the Adepts and if she did anything to upset him he could turn the tables, or if she just pitied his humbled living… or maybe she just loved the desserts he made.

In any case, Miyuri treated him as a good friend, and- as the dean's daughter- promised to make sure his siblings were properly cared for.

"Joshua is a great cook," Tomo beamed. "Ever since he started cooking for us, our taste buds have been dancing!"

"Easy on the compliments, Tomo," Mafuyu chuckled. "But I must admit, it's been nice having someone else do the cooking…"

"And Sasha's left with the cleaning," Miyuri said, having a sly kitty-grin on her face. "Gosh, maybe if more Qwasers fouled up, you'd have a house full of servants!"

"Very funny, Miyuri."

"Oh? What's that?" Tomo asked, looking ahead at a poster by the door.

ST. MIHAILOV PRESENTS:

~MUSIC OF SPRING~

-Food-Dancing-Karaoke-Games-

Come partake in the annual Spring Event! Sing your heart out! Dance till you drop! Win prizes! Enjoy a banquet of the finest cuisine! Formal event, be sure to wear your finest attire!

STARTING NEXT WEEK!

"SURPRISE!" Miyuri exclaimed at the top of her lungs, startling the others. "Daddy put me in charge of arranging the Spring Break festival this year! I decided to go all out, and help lift everyone's spirits. It starts next Monday! There's also going to be a Poetry Reading on Wednesday, in order to add a little class."

"Oh! Mafuyu, we should sign up for that one!" Tomo said, seeing a sign-up sheet for certain events. "Writing poetry is one of our favorite hobbies!"

"I-I don't know, Tomo…" Mafuyu said, blushing. "I mean, next week is the final week of Sasha's punishment, and I'll be busy making sure he-"

"Bring him along!" Miyuri cut in. "He has to do whatever you say, right? You can drag him to it, and he can't make any comments!"

"It does sound fun," Joshua said. "My siblings never got to attend anything like this before…"

Miyuri beamed. "I'll rent a bounce-house too! I'll make sure your siblings have the time of their lives, Joshua-senpai!"

"Er, thanks…?"

"What time does it start? I don't want it to interfere with any training," Mafuyu asked, looking at the time.

"It all starts at 7 pm, so it won't interfere with our schedule," Tomo said with an eager grin. "Come ON, Mafuyu-san! Sasha has been putting up with his punishment with no problems, he can tag along!"

"Oh… alright. But only for one night,"

"YAY! Let's go shopping for outfits after school!"

"Hold it!" Mafuyu tugged her back when her sister almost sprinted off in excitement. She lowered her voice. "(Keep in mind, we only have a little time in the afternoon to do our own training while Sasha is busy,)"

"(What if we gave him an extra task to do? That way we can do our training, then go shopping),"

"(Like what?! We'd be lucky to stall him for five minutes before he got suspicious!)"

Joshua, having eavesdropped, leaned in. "(I could help),"

"EEK!" Mafuyu yelped, punching him by accident. "…Don't do that!"

"…sorry…"

"Are you okay, Senpai?" Miyuri gasped.

"I'm fine- I forgot, never sneak up on a kendo-student."

"What are you three being so secretive about, anyway? Let me in on it!"

"It's our own personal business, Miyuri-san. You don't need to know everyth-" Mafuyu began to say.

"No, Mafuyu, it's okay." Joshua cut in, turning to Miyuri. "We were trying to figure out a good time to plan a nice dinner for you, Miyuri. Since you've been so hospitable, I wanted to find a way to say thank-you, and Mafuyu and Tomo have offered to help me prepare, but we can't seem to agree on a good time or place."

"Oh! Really? Well… how about Saturday night at my house? I'll be busy helping set everything up so I'll be in need of good nourishment then. And if you want to know what my favorite food is, it's…"

As Miyuri went on, Joshua snuck a wink to Tomo and Mafuyu. Once Miyuri was finished listing her favorite appetizers, meals, and desserts, Joshua nodded and assured he'd do his best to prepare a good meal.

After that, they entered the building, heading for their classes. "Thanks for helping us dodge a bullet, Joshua… sorry you have to cook for Miyuri, though…" Mafuyu said, feeling a bit guilty.

"Well, she's been helping out my siblings and I, so it's the least I could do anyway. Plus…" Joshua looked around, making sure no one was listening. "(I didn't want her spreading rumors about my idea),"

"What's your idea?" Tomo asked.

"In order to buy you guys some extra time…" Joshua whispered to them.

Mafuyu's eyes widened. "W-What? Are you sure?! He's still pretty pissed at you…"

"Exactly. He'll have a hayday and won't even notice how long you've been gone. Don't worry- Teresa will be around, so I'll be alright."

"Okay… but if he gets too rough, you come to me immediately!" Tomo said firmly. "I may not be Olja, but he wouldn't dare get on my bad side unless he wants to go another month without soma!"

Mafuyu and Joshua both smiled; Tomo had grown much stronger since her training began. "Dang, Tomo, any fiercer and you'd be as gruff as Big Ma'am!" Mafuyu chuckled.

Tomo giggled. "You think so?"

"Er, speaking of which, unless we want to risk running laps for a week, we'd better get to class!" Joshua said, pointing at a clock.

…seeing they had 1 minute before the bell rang!

"Yipe!" the trio exclaimed, then shot off to class.

~SnQ~

That afternoon, Joshua put his plan into action.

He walked into the backyard, where Sasha was doing training techniques; Teresa stood nearby, watching him. Sensing another, she turned and looked at Joshua curiously.

"*ahem* …Alexander?" Joshua spoke up, trying to keep his nerves under control.

"I'm busy, Roentgenium." Sasha sneered, not even looking his way.

"I know… I was wondering… ah…"

"Spit it out. I don't want to waste my next two hours listening to your stammering,"

Joshua took a deep breath. "Sasha the Martyr… I want to train with you,"

Sasha paused, his back to the older Qwaser.

All was still a moment. Teresa's puppy-eared locks perked up in anticipation, though her face remained stoic.

After a moment, the Iron Qwaser turned to the Successor of Hermes-Trismegistus. "Is that so…?" he said, and from the tone in his voice, Joshua felt he may regret his decision.

END OF PART ONE