Hello my lovelies here's another Fem Harry one shot and all the lyrics in the story belong to Amanda Lee and the cover belongs to whoever created it so nothing truly belongs to me, enjoy the story ~ Evil Irish Pixie
Devils and Magic
Ritsuka and her mother would wake up one day when Ritsuka was sixteen to find an injured and scraggily looking cat that her mother would later identify as a clouded leopard though how the injured cat had come into the country and on their doorstep would remain a mystery but one that Ritsuka was happy to leave unsolved considering her brother Lindo was out of the country at the moment and she was feeling slightly lonely with him gone.
Once the cat was awake and well enough to move about Ritsuka would let the animal roam in the garden with her and sleep in her room once the cat had proven it had been domesticated, partially anyways as it sought out affection and attention from the Tachibana women but would shun and make negative noises in the presence of strangers.
"Do you have a name" Ritsuka would ask two months after her mother had managed to get the paperwork through to keep the cat when the small predator had proven to be decent company and security, though the older woman found it strange no one saw the cat when it followed her daughter out of the house. The cat would moan as Ritsuka rubbed a particularly had to reach place on the cat's back, the girl taking the answer as a negative, grayish green eyes closed in pleasure. "How about Moriko since your eyes are more green than grey and your kind usually live in forests" the brunette offers as the cat mews and rubs her face against the girl's leg, leaving a little slobber behind much to the now dubbed Moriko's amusement and Ritsuka's disgust.
"Eww Moriko" Ritsuka chastises as Moriko chuffs lightly in amusement before rolling over to stand up and hop of the bed to find a higher ledge to nap now she had given the human a chance to name her, unaware that her nap would be disturbed by Ritsuka's friends, who up until this point and only heard Ritsuka talk about her, not seen pictures or been given any descriptions.
So with great displeasure Moriko, formerly Holly Celeste Potter would be woken up sharply by a loud scream and a shushing from her human, even if Ritsuka didn't smell fully human to her cat senses.
"Azuna you woke her up" Ritsuka chastises as Azuna demands to know where she had gotten the wild animal, Moriko hissing her displeasure at being referred to as a wild animal, hopping down from her makeshift ledge to hide under the bed, her tail the only indication of her annoyance.
"Someone dumped her on our doorstep bleeding and scraggly looking, I couldn't leave her in pain so mom and I patched her up best we could and took care of her...she didn't want to leave after she finished healing and wasn't hurting anyone so I convinced mom to let me keep her" Ritsuka explained as Azuna nodded slowly, mentally frowning at the explanation and going over everything she knew as an exorcist to figure out what the cat was since the kind of behavior being displayed was not normal cloud leopard behavior as the seemingly tamed wild cat let Ritsuka pull her out from under the bed to be pet and ears rubbed in apology.
"You know she's not a pet right, that she belongs in her natural habitat in Thailand right" Azuna points out as Ritsuka nods her head slightly, rubbing Moriko's favorite spot to get that little pleased moan the cat made when she was happy.
"I know but Moriko's mostly tame anyways and she wouldn't be happy being dropped back into the wild or placed somewhere behind glass, not when she's had a taste for the freedom she has here to wander around and to eat what we share with her" Ritsuka points out sensibly as Moriko sighed a cat like sigh, dozing off to finish the nap her human's blonde friend had interrupted as the two girls let the topic drop as Azuna got a good look at how happy her best friend was and how peaceful the big cat was being turned into putty under Ritsuka's hands. Both were unaware though that the student council of Shiko Academy could see the cat clear as day as Moriko wandered the halls under a minor disillusionment charm.
Moriko on her part would continue unaware of the demons, incubus, fallen angel and exorcists that could see through her magic as she slowly and sneakily got her mundane education up to date much to the amusement of Azuna who would in her spare time sit with the cat at school and treat Moriko like the human being she was, regardless of the shape she had taken. Really for the blonde girl it was nice to have the rumors that magicals could take the shape of animals confirmed and that the leopard shaped witch didn't care if she knew about her.
"I'm surprised you haven't gotten fat with how much Ritsuka and her mom feed you" Azuna commented one day near the end of the term that marked the end of Ritsuka and Azuna's first year at the academy. The snort she got and the turning around, getting all butt for the comment caused the blonde to laugh. "I'm sorry but its just a surprise all things considered...you've been keeping those that are threat to Ritsuka away too so at the same time I'm not surprised you've kept yourself in shape" she murmurs as she gently ran a hand through Moriko's fur as the animagus mewed her agreement.
"Will you ever reveal yourself to her?" Azuna asks as Moriko nods without hesitation as she spots Mage Nanishiro further down the hall and flicks her tail to indicate she was going to stalk one of her many prank victims, Azuna learning early on that Moriko was a bit of a prankster and could do discreet spells in her animal form, mostly harmless prank spells though much to the witch's irritation.
Mage could be heard shouting swears moments later after disappearing around the corner with Moriko on his heels and chasing the witch, his hair a garish pink color much to Shiki and Urie's amusement as the cat was chased into the council room, most assuming Mage was cussing out Shiki for another prank. When the blonde got close enough to grab the cat, Moriko would shift shape and slip from his grip with an impish grin only to yelp as Rem grabbed her by the back of her neck as surprised bright green met yellow, gold, blood orange and aquamarine eyes as Rem demanded to know what she was doing and why she had been sneaking around the school.
Shiki though would be the first to recognize her for who she was and speak up before Moriko could answer, freezing up even further, surprise turning into abject fear that they all could smell on her, hitting their senses like a brick to the back of the head as they took in the short pixie cut black hair, pale skin with scars here and there on her arms and hands and frail looking build though Rem could feel the defined muscles under his hand.
"What is Europe's magical savior doing in Japan when all reports state you vanished" Shiki asks curiously as Moriko at the end of the sentence snaps and apparates out of Rem's grip and out of the academy, shifting back into her animagus form as soon as she landed to stalk home and hide under the bed, knowing she was no longer welcome at the academy now that the council KNEW who she was.
"Tell us what you know Shiki" Rem stated as Urie, Mage and Rem got comfortable to listen to the fallen angel's explanation moments later, after getting over the shock that Moriko was powerful enough to apparate out of a devil's grip, even when flexing their magic like Rem had to keep a hold of her.
"Not much to tell, the stupid magicals in Europe pinned their hopes on the only known survivor of their death curse, Holly Celeste Potter to take care of that idiot who thought he could achieve immortality through horcruxes. From what most can gather the light faction left her with her mother's relatives and expected her to be well taken care of and what they got was a tiny unknowing, sometimes suicidal witch ready to be molded into a weapon/martyr. That she was able to hide the fact she achieved an animal form speaks of how much those idiots didn't see and how much Miss Potter was able to learn before making her exit, though whether she got out unharmed has me curious and why slink around when most in Japan don't care much for her title outside she took out a potential nuisance. Though personally I'm not all that surprised considering she had a lot of power at her disposal as heiress to four potentially five magical lines and a lot of down time during the summers to scheme and learn" Shiki explained with a shrug as Rem nodded while Urie frowned in slight concern while Mage grunted in annoyance.
"That she's able to do magic while in the shape of her animal form speaks of the strength of her magic though the spells were harmless yet amusing pranks is telling of whose been guarding Ritsuka Tachibana" Urie points out as Rem nodded, inwardly slightly glad for the intervention of the witch since it made his job and the council's job easier in finding the Forbidden grimoire.
"I don't enjoy being the target of those pranks you know" Mage stated his annoyance obvious as Shiki just snickered, seeing the pranks for what they were as Moriko's attempts to take Mage down a peg or two in his arrogance if the rumors in regards to her treatment of male 'pureblood' heirs was anything to go by, but that they were harmless spoke of feelings forming in the metaphorical pigtail pulling she was doing by pranking him as often as she did.
"They were harmless though and wore off quickly enough if you recall and generally before you had track and field practice" Urie pointed out amused as Mage just huffed, still not amused but conceding the point.
Moriko would stay home and not go out and wander for the rest of the week and remain close to Ritsuka's side through the summer holiday, joining the brunette on her trips and visits to Azuna though Azuna's parents never saw the witch.
"So you got caught by the council" Azuna sighs when Ritsuka was out of ear shot on a particularly hot day, Moriko lying out under the patio table to alleviate some of the heat stroke she was suffering from. She would huff in agreement and let the blonde rub her ears as she asked why it had been such a big deal.
'They know my real name and my reputation when this was my attempt to put it behind me and live a peaceful life, regardless if it was in human form or not. I wanted freedom and for that to happen I had to drop my name and disappear even though the goblins are the only ones in the know outside one trusted person who won't have access to my location till they start their schooling in a decade's time' Azuna mentally read as Moriko used her magic to write out her answer on the journal in front of the blonde, writing it out in kanji much to Azuna's appreciation and amusement.
"So you literally jumped ship to get out of Europe to give yourself some peace and quiet...I can understand that from what I've heard about the magical communities there and how far behind they are in comparison to Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas" Azuna admitted with a small smile as Moriko groaned in agreement and perked up when Ritsuka came back with a bowl of water for the animagus cutting the conversation short.
Moriko would soak up the attention and peace and quiet of Ritsuka's life, finally filling out much to both younger girls joy since the cat had always been too thin for their comfort and eventually Moriko would go back outside and tentatively explore Shiko Academy as second year began for her human and exorcist friends, aware that the council was watching her every move and that Mage didn't blow up at all her pranks on him as she expanded and pranked the others. Didn't hurt things she shifted in private and gave the blonde a run for his money on the track.
When asked why she had revealed herself to the boys her answer surprised them and left them a little wary of ever stepping foot in Europe ever again.
"I know what you are and that you could quite easily do away with me but you don't lie about what you are and what you're capable of so I feel safe revealing the fact I'm a stronger than average witch to you because I know you won't use what you know about me against me and if you do you'd all be straight forward about it...I hate liars and being used without my knowledge and say so" Moriko explained as she sat in the student council room in only a transfigured white dress and biker shorts and a breast band to keep her considerable assets from being exposed to the males of the room.
"You're a little messed up in the head aren't you Moriko chan" Shiki asks amused as Moriko pinched her fingers together to show in a sign to say just a little bit.
"Not ashamed of it either since I do have Black family blood in my veins no matter how diluted it is. Blacks are all a little unhinged in some form or another, I just choose to place my trust in non humans and those with magical creature blood in their veins instead of magicals and humans" Moriko admits with a laugh, the sound like chimes in the wind as the boys relaxed a little around her, Rem speaking up to ask if she wanted to be a silent member of the student council, the council's witch so to speak since it had been a long time since devils and witches had come together peacefully as they had.
"I don't see why not...don't expect me to change and not cause mischief though or to do any school related paper work since technically I don't go here" Moriko accepts with amusement as she sits down next to Mage on his couch in the room. When he didn't ask her to get lost Urie knew that the beginnings of some form of affection had begun to form much to his amusement, noting that Moriko was wearing a pair of yellow colored rose studs in her ears.
The peace would be disturbed though when the Tachibana household was attacked, Moriko and Maria home for when it happened, though their attackers would leave Moriko behind and injured, taking Maria hostage much to the witch's rage since the vampire and his lackeys had assumed she was a normal animal.
"Moriko" Ritsuka called out relieved as she found her injured friend buried under some of the mess in the hallway leading to her room after the police had left, getting a weak growl for the brunette's efforts as she pushed some of the mess off to see the gash on the big cat's side that had stopped bleeding before the police left and the dazed look in grayish green eyes from being knocked around roughly as Ritsuka picked her up, her bag of clothes packed up to stay with Azuna.
Moriko would finally reveal herself when the vampire and the help came back for Ritsuka, blood trickling down her side as she stood between her brunette friend and their attackers after they demanded to know where the Forbidden grimoire was, thinking Ritsuka knew what it was.
"You made a mistake leaving me alive, vampire now go away or face my wrath" Moriko hissed as a fireball formed in her hand, to back up her threat as Ritsuka stumbled back in fright of her attackers and wondering how her cat could be human just as Rem arrived onto the scene as the two lackeys charge forward to fight with the witch in their way, both crying out as her spells lashed out, hurting them and Rem using his own in sending them back to the demon realm. "Oh I am so getting too old for this shit" the witch grumped to herself as she placed a trembling hand on her wounded side as she looked to Rem and Ritsuka.
"Moriko are you alright" Ritsuka asks as the witch stumbled and was lifted into the car by the driver as she waved Rem off from asking the same or offering medical assistance.
"I've taken worse beatings before, let me get myself patched up and time to sleep it off and I should be fine" Moriko explained, her voice faint with the exhaustion of using so much magic in the fight and keeping herself on her feet, not seeing the concerned look on the brunette's face for the comment as she let herself relax and pass out so her magic could do its work in healing the damage dealt to her by the vampires.
Moriko would sleep through the rest of the conversation between Rem and Ritsuka and the subsequent meeting between Ritsuka and Rem's dog, Roen as the little dog takes a liking to Ritsuka. She would wake up with her wounds bandaged and clothes changed into something cleaner and would shift into her animagus form to follow Ritsuka to school, hissing a warning to Rem at his attempts to keep her human friend at his home. She would slink into the school unnoticed as usual and follow Azuna and Ritsuka as they talked about what had happened the night before and how Ritsuka was wrong about the council president, before looking down to Moriko when she brought up Moriko and Rem saving her.
"How did you change shape like that?" Ritsuka asks quietly as Moriko huffed and changed shape after checking that no one was paying attention.
"I'm what you would call a witch Ritsuka and a witch who was looking for some peace and quiet when you and your mom took me into your home, injured as I was and in return I've been protecting you as best I can from threats like those that appeared last night...the bastards caught me off guard and used Maria against me so that's why I got hurt" Moriko explained quietly as Azuna asked for her name, taking advantage of Moriko's chatty mood.
"Its Moriko and nothing else since I've left the knowledge of my actual name to one person in a letter as part of his inheritance...I want my homeland to leave me alone for a while and since the Japanese government has left me alone I've stayed, now I'm going to shift shape and see if I can find a place to nap" Moriko explained, green eyes hard at the question before stalking off as class began, settling in the student council room, where Roen greeted her with a friendly bark, catching the attention of the others in the room as she stalked forward to sleep under Mage's couch.
"What has her tail in a twist" Shiki asks amused as he pokes her side from where he can reach only to get swiped at with actual claws instead of the usual just a playful paw swipe since he'd poked her still healing injured side.
"Shiki enough Moriko had to step in last night and was attacked for her efforts" Rem stated as Shiki took his injured hand back with a pout as Moriko went to take another swipe at him for his insensitivity.
"Aww Kitty got her ass kicked" Mage teases as Moriko growls and spells his hair a garish looking green color, getting howls of laughter from Shiki and Urie for her efforts as she moved to sleep under Rem's desk, booting Roen from his dog bed as she did so.
'Three to one odds arsehole, I'd love to see you try those odds while trying to defend a potential hostage' Urie reads aloud with amusement at the British swear as Mage scowls and leaves it alone as Shiki asks why she didn't just ignore the hostage and take out the threat since humans were insignificant.
'I may not be human but that doesn't mean I'm above them considering the current human population outnumbers most of the non human and magical creature population and I'd rather live to have my own family thank you very much. Didn't suffer the idiots of Europe only to kick the bucket because of old blood values and stupidity' Urie reads aloud again with a snort of how accurate she was even though none of them really liked to think about it. She would let Mage pet her uninjured side, an absentminded habit the blonde had formed with Moriko's more frequent visits, falling asleep under the familiar stroking and would wake up when Mage gave her a slight prod at the end of the day, long after Rem and Ritsuka had left.
He would watch her change shape and stretch with a small yawn before relaxing as she reached out and tried to feel around for Ritsuka with her magic before sighing in slight aggravation when she didn't feel any of the spells she had placed on her brunette friend.
"He took her with him didn't he to investigate her grandfather's place" Moriko grumbled as Mage snorted in amusement nodding his head as he asked her if that was a problem. "Uh yeah, when she doesn't have a bloody clue what you, Rem, Shiki and Urie are and what Azuna and her cousin/older brother are for that matter. She may have accepted that magic was real with little fuss but we don't know how she'll react to the idea of demons regardless of the research her grandfather did on the subject of both vampires and demons and any species connected to both" Moriko stated as she straightened out the long sleeved shirt Rem had given her and the leggings, white and beige colored respectively though he hadn't given her any shoes to wear but that was alright with her since she was doing a lot more running around in her animagus form than human form.
Ignoring the appreciative looks Mage was giving her Moriko walked home, finding Lindo waiting for Ritsuka alone, the red head acknowledging her presence after listening to Ritsuka and his aunt talk about the seemingly domesticated big cat, recognizing the signs much like Azuna had and nods slightly.
"Thank you for keeping her safe in my absence" Lindo stated quietly as Moriko nodded, tail flicking in her agitation at the situation and would growl and stalk inside, dragging Ritsuka with her, much to Ritsuka's chagrin and Lindo's silent gratitude.
Moriko would sleep most of the next day as Ritsuka stumbled through Urie's amusement park and power induced harem and would grumble and hiss her annoyance when Ritsuka came back, sleeping on top of the younger girl to show she meant business in guarding her friend as Ritsuka kept a hand gripped on Moriko's fur coat.
"Lindo...you know putting locks on all major escape routes will only encourage her to find a way out to figure out what you revealed to her on her own right" Moriko stated out loud, having followed the red head out of the house, in human form much to the exorcists surprise as he sighed, resigned at the witch's point.
"And why haven't you tried anything" Lindo asks as Moriko snorts in amusement and annoyance, green eyes bright with suppressed power and slight anger at the accusation.
"I have, I've gone with her everywhere I can go under a disillusionment spell but the devils and vampires can see through it and are upping their game in warding me out, if I really tried I likely could rip those wards apart with pure magic but in the end it would leave me wide open to being taken out since I know for a fact that even though you and Azuna are okay with me being around, you wouldn't hesitate to let me be killed since I'm just another non human regardless of how upset Ritsuka would be if I died protecting her" Moriko stated, amusement gone from her face as she slipped on a pair of black flats. "Now lets go and pray to whatever deity will listen that Ritsuka will stay put and listen for a change" she stated letting Lindo lead the way to wherever it was he went when not in the Tachibana home.
"Bombarda" Moriko chants as she and Lindo came to Ritsuka's rescue at school hours later, multiple copies of Rem trying to attack Ritsuka. The spell would knock the duplicates back a little as Moriko muffled the noise the spell made with some quickly spelled wards only to cry out as one of the duplicates took their weapon to her exposed back, beating her repeatedly much like another was doing the same to Lindo till Ritsuka cried out for them to stop, breaking her locket in the process and in the brief chaos that followed she would slip away to tend to her own wounds and regroup.
Mage would stumble upon her in the student council room, shirt off and breast band revealed for the world to see as she used her magic to heal herself and singing out loud to herself something he hadn't heard but what was obviously an English song.
"Even if my spirit is broken into two
I swear on all that's left, that I will never cry
If there's hope still in my heart
When belief's the hardest part
That's why my song will still continue on
Happy memories
They're disappearing
Fading one by one
But one thing remains
That smile on your face
Bright like the sun
When I thought I had lost everything
And the shame and disgrace beat down relentlessly on me
It was then that I vowed simple words of resolve
For each soul, I repeated them aloud
Even if my spirit is broken into two
I swear on all that's left, that I will never cry
If there's hope still in my heart
When belief's the hardest part
That's why my song will still continue on
For all to hear"
Moriko sang to herself, having heard it on the radio on her journey across Europe and felt it fit her really well with how much her heart and soul had taken a beating in the loss of the last of her connections to her parents and most of her friends had turned against her in the aftermath of the Blood Wars as they had come to call Riddle's reign of terror.
"Who knew Kitty had a voice" Mage stated as Moriko flinched slightly but kept her focus on her magic as the last of the scratches, scrapes, bruises and fractures knitted themselves back together, her magic a brilliant gold color as it faded and revealed still scared pale skin.
"Yes well when you have to keep things close to your chest and hide your abilities like I have to avoid taking a beating then you wouldn't be as surprised" Moriko stated neutrally as she pulled her clean shirt back over her head, having spelled the blood away.
"The idiots from Europe I take it didn't appreciate your talents" Mage mused as Moriko barked out a sarcastic laugh.
"Yeah no, they were too busy trying to figure out whether to hate or love me for killing Riddle and fearing my known abilities and strength in combat" Moriko stated as she leaned back in Mage's chair at the table in the center of the room, green eyes dark with the hurt she still felt over what her former friends had said behind her back and the plans that now were null and void that Dumbledore had in place for her after the death of Voldemort. She would walk away unaware of the soft yellow eyes watching her go as Mage mentally berated himself for the careless comment, having listened to Shiki's full report on who Moriko truly was, the scars she had proof of the hard life she'd lived so far.
The next day he would inadvertently take both Moriko and Ritsuka in his quest to get the location of the grimoire out of Ritsuka.
"For the love all that is wholly please stop screaming Ritsuka" Moriko moans, her sensitive ears ringing, surprising both Mage and Ritsuka with her presence as she held onto Mage for dear life.
"Moriko how are you here?" Ritsuka asks in relief as the witch deadpanned a look at both the blonde and the brunette before going silent and along for the ride as Mage tried to and unsuccessfully woe Ritsuka into being his and revealing where the grimoire was after his demon nature was dispelled by Lindo's protections on Ritsuka.
"For your information and future reference Ritsuka, I was asleep in your school bag after I shrunk myself to fit in your bag and Lindo might have, not sure what he did connected my protections to his and with it instant teleportation for whenever you feel afraid or threatened" Moriko explained quietly as she changed into what Mage had pulled out for her, noting it was in her former school house color, a red ankle length kimono like dress with a gold dragon design on it, her hair left alone since it was kept short enough not much could be done with it and gold hoops where she usually wore the yellow rose studs.
"Well thank you for staying with me" Ritsuka says gratefully as Moriko smiled lightly, her green eyes fond as she stepped off her platform and out to show Mage and get his thoughts on the matter.
"Your welcome Ritsuka, now Mage what do you think?" Moriko asks amused as she twirled slightly to give the blonde a good look at what he had picked out and got an appreciative smile for it as she smiled and sat on the couch beside him, getting a curious look from Mage.
"Now why are you going along with this, considering your with the exorcists in protecting her?" Mage asks, tone suspicious as Moriko just smiled in amusement, knowing that Rem would likely come to the rescue but unwilling to end the fun and getting to know Mage in his natural environment and out from under Rem's thumb.
"Because I know I can get away anytime and that Rem will likely come in like a stoic, emotion idiot knight in shining armor to come to her rescue so why fight it and just enjoy myself since its been a long time since I got to dress this nicely and not have to pay for it" Moriko points out in quiet amusement as Mage just snorts and ruffles her hair, neither noticing the small smile Ritsuka had on her face at their interactions. The witch would eat in silence as she listened to the pair argue over Rem and his intentions towards Ritsuka and would keep quiet right up until Ritsuka stormed off towards the bathroom.
"You really know how to charm a girl..." Moriko sighs as she put down her fork and stood up, dusting the skirt of her dress off as Mage demanded to know what that meant.
"She doesn't feel anything other than resentment and fear right now for you taking her and with how fond she is of Rem your setting yourself up to be hurt now lets go because knowing Ritsuka she'll have found a way out and away into more trouble than she can handle" the witch explains patiently as she mentally berated herself for growing fond for someone who had feelings for someone else, unaware Mage could see that his actions had hurt her for some reason and would lead the way out to find Ritsuka. He would leave figuring out how he had hurt the witch later when he was alone.
Moriko would find her first and get between Ritsuka and the thugs that wanted to hurt the younger girl while Mage demanded to know why Ritsuka had run away from him.
"Not the time Mage" Moriko growled as she punched the first thug out, the male trying to cup a feel of her person in her minute of being distracted and would watch impassively as the blonde drained the thugs of their souls, apparating away to follow Ritsuka. She would find Rem had already found her and was already setting things up to send the younger girl home, keeping her silence right up until Mage scooped both of them away from Rem as Ritsuka demanded to know whether or not she was a pawn, Rem answering in the positive.
"Ritsuka is not a pawn" Moriko hissed in annoyance, reminding them all the witch was there as Mage whisked them away, the witch comforting Ritsuka gently, being conscious of Mage's presence.
"What's up? Finally decided to give up on the screaming?" Mage asks as Moriko sighs tiredly at the dark mood around them, her clothes having gone back to the default white long sleeved shirt and beige leggings as she kept herself attached to Mage's back, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around the blonde's shoulders as a steady weight and warmth against him, reminding him he wasn't truly alone with Ritsuka.
"This is depressing" Mage states as he snaps his fingers and changes the scenery around them to a beach sunset, standing mid air above the water. "Better? this is the kind of thing you humans like looking at" he asks of Ritsuka as Moriko eyes the water warily.
"Ah I don't get it, so Rem's a devil. Big deal its not worth getting upset about" Mage points out as Ritsuka speaks up, beginning to cry as Moriko tries to wipe away the tears without falling.
"No its not that at all" Ritsuka admits as Mage asks if she was crying and wipes away some of the tears Moriko misses and gets flustered enough that they all fall into the ocean below, Moriko letting loose a yowl that was all her animagus form's response to water as Mage dove to their rescue, having dropped Ritsuka to begin with.
"Hey, I'm sorry...Damnit moments dead now" Mage curses as he portals them back to Shiko, Moriko clinging tightly to his back as she shivered from being drenched in ocean water.
"Lindo stop, Mage didn't do anything other than drop us in the ocean" Moriko called out weakly, the exorcists spell hurting her much to Ritsuka's surprise as the red head misinterpreted their state of dress for Mage taking advantage of Ritsuka and revealing his secondary nature to her and Mage as he lost his temper.
"Ritsuka stop" Moriko cried out as she knocked the brunette out of the way physically and then spelling a shield spell around the girl as she herself got between Lindo and Mage's fight as both sides stopped in time from hurting Moriko as Ritsuka cried out for her witch friend as the witch stumbled to her feet and away, cold and tired from the whole day. She would collapse onto the floor of the student council room and roll onto her stomach so she could cry in peace over the hurt she felt in regards to Mage's feelings for Ritsuka having apparated away from the scene.
"C'mon Kitty up you get" Mage sighed seeing the strain his actions had put on the witch for a change as Moriko put up little resistance to being picked up and wiped her face of the last of her tears and burrowed into Mage's warmth and into sleep.
The blonde would ignore Shiki's words for a change when he remembered Moriko was sound asleep in his lap and that before lifting her up, he had scented tears which indicated she had been crying much to his chagrin and confusion.
"You really put Moriko through the ringer today" Shiki noted once he realized he wasn't going to get a rise out of the blonde with the witch in his lap as Mage frowned.
"The exorcist's chants hurt her" Mage noted out loud as Shiki hummed, hiding his surprise at that bit of information, knowing it bore some investigating at a later date.
"You know her scent is just as appealing as Ritsuka's" Shiki mused in hopes it would get a reaction and would smile slyly at the raised hackles of Mage, both stopping when Moriko mumbled in her sleep and buried her face further into Mage's stomach shamelessly, getting Mage to flush slightly. "She has quite the grip on you doesn't she" the fallen angel continues amused as Mage flipped him off.
The next day Moriko would slip into the school in human form, dressed in a resized set of Ritsuka's uniform though she wore a pair Maria's boots instead of the pair of loafers her younger friend wore and would walk the hallways, smiling slightly in amusement when some of the male students heads turned at her looks, and would giggle lightly at the disappointed looks on their faces as she slipped up the stairs towards the student council room.
"And you're looking at the true snake in the room Shiki" Moriko announced with a laugh, startling them all into silence from the topic of the grimoire as Shiki stormed out after attempting to stab Roen with his clippers. "By the way the only reason she hasn't revealed anything other than the lack of bloody trust is because she truly doesn't know where it is" the witch continued to say, walking up towards Rem as he sat behind his desk, green eyes glowing slightly with power as she glared down the Alrond heir.
"And you would know how? Lindo doesn't trust you" Urie points out as Moriko looked over her shoulder, a knowing smile on her face as green eyes made contact with yellow on the second floor, ignoring the incubus as she turned back around to answer.
"I know because I would sense the magic of any key leading to the grimoire or have you forgotten I'm a witch and a descendant of Ignotus Peverell, a family known to walk hand in hand with the darkness and with death if Shiki did his research" Moriko stated bluntly, Rem flinching slightly at the implications since Ignotus had been known to dabble in all forms of magic, including demon purification and sealing.
"So you've had access to Ignotus' journals" Rem stated resigned since the witch held all the cards at the moment, her smile getting wider as green eyes stopped glowing in recognition of his standing down.
"Mhm my ancestor had a lot of interesting things to write about, especially about demons when he wasn't writing about his family and the alliances he was making with the Potter's through his granddaughter but that wasn't the most interesting thing he had to say. You see he had made connections with some devils and they left behind their notes, especially about how to seal powerful demons...I wouldn't be surprised if someone in the demon realm had managed to pry that information out of Ignotus' connections since when I went to see if I could revive them all of them were reported to me dead, even descendants that had slipped through the initial cracks" Moriko explains, buffing her nails against her shirt in a show of nonchalance and not really caring when in reality she was furious and she knew who had taken the information if Rem's stiff posture was anything to go by and now Rem knew she could unseal the previous king if it was asked of her since she had the power to do so.
"You let us see you" Urie muses as Moriko shakes her head in negative at his statement, amusement clear as she leaned over the railing of the second floor having moved upstairs in her little rant so she didn't lash out at the blonde while Rem pulled some books of a shelf.
"Nope didn't have a clue you could see through my spells but once I found out you could, I did some digging, rather be in the know then a unknowing victim or pawn as Rem so bluntly labeled Ritsuka" Moriko sighed with a shrug, Mage snorting in amusement at the witch's show of power. She would go to say more but would close her mouth and narrow her eyes in thought before stalking off, feeling her magic pull her in the direction of Ritsuka, sensing the girl's distress and fear and ignore the calls of her name as she went before letting the magic pull her to where she needed to be.
"Azuna, Ritsuka its time to go" Moriko called out, grabbing a hold of both girls and apparating out before Shiki's attack could do any damage to the blonde, both shocked that the witch had made an appearance at the art gallery in time before Shiki could deal any real damage to Azuna. "Good lord you are going to be the death of me Ritsuka" the witch mumbled into the grass as Azuna rubbed her back, knowing that Moriko had likely apparated them right back to the school as Shiki appeared only a slight distance away before disappearing again as Rem walked onto the scene.
"Why is it you are the only who doesn't treat me like a pawn" Ritsuka asked Moriko, the witch having shifted to try and take a nap in her animagus form from the long distance apparation.
'Because I've been the pawn and I hated every moment of it and what being the pawn entailed. Now I'm just the knight in this game and a willing one since it means keeping you alive and safe' Moriko answered with her magic as Ritsuka frowned at the answer, not at all happy at the idea that like Lindo and Azuna, Moriko was willing to throw her life away to keep her safe.
Azuna and Ritsuka would leave Moriko behind at the Tachibana home the day they went shopping for the cultural festival, leaving Moriko to decide where she would go that day as the witch stepped out of the house and looked around before deciding to see what her boys were up to even if she was still miffed with Rem and to corner the puff ball known as Roen after reading through her ancestor's notes the night before. A demon had given her ancestor the information on the possibility of Lord Maksis getting his hands on a Cerberus as a loyal servant. The fact Rem had a dog fitting the description of the Cerberus' mundane disguise didn't sit well with her.
What she found was a mostly empty student council room with a unconscious and injured Rem lying on a couch and Shiki, Urie and Mage along with the dog conspicuously absent.
"You know you could just ask and I could put your father in his place" Moriko muses quietly as she healed most of what was obvious a beating for failing to find the Forbidden grimoire, the blonde coming back into alertness as aquamarine met bright green, tinged with gold as she used her magic to heal.
"Why aren't you guarding Ritsuka" Rem asks as Moriko raises a black eyebrow, unamused at the statement.
"No thank you for healing me huh? As for Ritsuka she is with Azuna right now or is supposed to be anyways shopping for supplies for the cultural festival and just so you know the other three are out and have been since before I got here" Moriko explained before standing up and heading in the direction of the curtained off room, as if sensing that Roen and Ritsuka who were discussing her being the Forbidden grimoire were behind it in the maze.
"Ritsuka stop" Moriko called out as Rem grabbed a hold of the younger girl's hand to stop her from taking off the ring of protection Lindo had given her as she gently grabbed a hold of the brunette and moved out of the way of Rem and Roen.
"Oh my what would dear old dad say? Those scratches are nothing compared to what he'll do next" Roen says out loud as Moriko wrapped protective arms around Ritsuka and pulled her into her chest.
"Why Roen? I never thought you would start working for that fiend Maksis again. You owe the Arlond family after we took you in" Rem stated as Moriko frowned, her magic bubbling underneath her skin at the danger in front of her.
"Do I? Those are petty words coming out of the mouth of the Arlond heir. Tell me more about my obligation and why I should be grateful to be your loyal dog" Roen says sarcastically, not at all impressed with Rem's words.
"Loyal is the last word I would use to describe a rat like you" Rem shouted, losing his temper and lashing out with his magic as Moriko cried out in pain and Ritsuka screamed in fright as Roen took the brunette hostage while Moriko laid on the ground in a ball, bleeding from where Roen had scratched her deeply across the right eye, only just barely pulling back in time to retain the sight in the eye.
"Get your hands off her" Rem demanded of Roen as the Cerberus held a clawed hand to Ritsuka's throat as Ritsuka looked blindly to where her witch friend lay, hearing the pained noises Moriko was making, having been knocked into a nearby pillar after having her face clawed.
"And if I don't? How tough do you think it would be to carve out her heart? You are the Forbidden grimoire's precious vessel. I wouldn't dare give away such a treasure to just anyone" Roen admitted after clawing off the bow and buttons to Ritsuka's uniform. Moriko hissing in rage as she stumbled to her feet at what the overgrown dog was doing to her friend.
"You will pay you overgrown mutt for drawing her blood" Moriko growled, her voice deepening courtesy of her animagus form's vocal cords as Ritsuka pleaded for Roen to stop just as she lashed out with the power within her, freeing herself from Roen while Moriko stepped forward to heal what Roen had done just as Lindo appeared on the scene.
"Lindo enough" Moriko shouted, effectively snapping Lindo out of his rage after he knocked Ritsuka to the ground as she tried to get between the potential fight, taking another scratch to the face as she stood between Ritsuka trying to shelter Rem from Lindo. Her magic would lash out and knocking the half vampire backwards while Rem demanded to know if the red head would destroy Ritsuka too.
"Moriko are you okay" Ritsuka demanded as the witch glared at Lindo, one eye shut as blood dribbled down her face and three visible claw marks on the other cheek for all to see for the witch's interference in the battle.
"I'm fine, just scratches and I'll still be able to put him over my knee when I can see out of both eyes again for letting his bloodlust get the better of him. Now we are going to be civilized beings and talk this out or fight like toddlers because I will just seal the power in Ritsuka so no one can have it of you're just going to continue to fight" Moriko growled as the world around them faded back into reality. She would let both Ritsuka and Lindo fuss over her after they got home, letting Ritsuka bandage up the scratches on her cheek and cleaning the cuts of her right eye, letting Lindo stitch them since they were deep enough to scar and need stitches. She would curl up and sleep with Ritsuka that night after Lindo revealed the rest of what he knew in regards to Ritsuka being the grimoire and how she would die if the power was ever removed from her.
"The overgrown mutt has been driven off and warded from the room thank you very much" Moriko hissed as she stalked into the room, stitches removed and band aids off the reveal the three claw marks over her right eye and scar free cheek and would keep her silence at Rem's very creative but obvious to her lie in regards to the location of the grimoire as it became clear to her that she would have to step up placing protections around those she cared about from the dark hands of Rem's father and family and the vampires as Rem boasted that the world would be the Arlond family's and everything would belong to them with the grimoire in their hands.
"Yeah no, not everywhere or everything Rem, not if your father wants to live to see the conquest of the humans" Moriko stated, green eyes steady as all the males in the room look to her surprised as Rem frowned but remembered her comments from the other day in regards to the Peverell journals and what she had revealed to know about the sealing of the previous Devil king or how it was done anyways and let slip just how powerful she was.
"You would stand up to the Devil king all on your own Kitty?" Mage asks amused as Moriko nods, green eyes confidant as she let a ball of white light dance around her fingers, Shiki the only one to truly recognize it for what it was in pure light magic, magic that could purify just about anything with a bit of darkness inside it that came into contact with its light.
"Mhm if it meant protecting the right we all have to what life provides and gives us, sure I would stand up to the devil king and I would win because I have a few things the devil king doesn't" Moriko states amused as she follows Mage, Shiki and Urie outside to track down Ritsuka.
"Boys behave please and Shiki no molesting Ritsuka otherwise I will purify you, it might just return you to the Host if I do" Moriko states with a laugh as Shiki stepped back and did as asked not wanting the witch to carry out her threat as Ritsuka smiled slightly appreciatively.
"You look better Moriko" Ritsuka says as the witch nods with a sly smile as she flicks a bolt of electricity at both Urie and Mage to stop butting heads as Azuna came onto the scene with holy water, the blonde careful not to hit the witch with any of it only for the witch to burst out laughing as the student council's fans carried them away in the middle of their arguing with Azuna and Lindo.
"Well I have a dress to pick up and a few odds and ends to wrap up before tonight so I'll see you later" Moriko says lightly as Azuna giggled knowing what the witch was talking about, having seen a picture of the dress Moriko had commissioned from some fox youkai and accessories pulled from the Peverell vaults.
All males in the ballroom that night would be rendered speechless and mouths go dry as Moriko stepped into the hall as Azuna's guest, black hair still as messy as ever but sat on top of her head made from silver and steel with various jewels set into it sat a flower crown and to go with it a long sleeved dress in white, the bodice covered in lace and yellow spinel sown into places here and there, the sleeves sheer lace, the skirt of the dress touching the floor as the light tapping of heels echoed in her wake as she approached Azuna and Ritsuka with a bright yet knowing smile of the effect she had on most in the room as the exorcist caught the infamous Peverell ring sitting on the witch's middle right finger.
"You really like to put on a show" Azuna teases as Ritsuka complimented and praised Moriko on how pretty she was.
"If you had said that three years ago I would have scoffed and stated that no I don't enjoy putting on a show but since coming here I don't seem to mind as I've finally grown into my magic and heritage. I also did it to catch the attention I wanted from the far wall" Moriko states with a small laugh, green eyes bright with mischief as Azuna snorts in laughter.
"Well you got more than just the attention of who you wanted, you got the attention of most of the school's male population Moriko" Azuna states dryly while Ritsuka peeks around, noticing that yes Moriko had brought most of the room's attention on them with her entrance and state of dress.
"Well I think you look really pretty and it shouldn't matter if you were trying to get their attention or not" Ritsuka states as Moriko hugs her friend, smiling contently at the praise.
"Yes it has been a long time since I've felt this nice about myself, now lets enjoy the party and hope I don't get mobbed" Moriko states, taking a glass of orange juice, sipping it slowly as she eyed the other students in the room with amusement, Ritsuka downing her drink to find she had gotten the queen's crown of tradition in her glass. She would outright laugh at the disappointment of Shiki, Mage and Urie when they didn't get the king's crown.
"And Rem got the king's crown" Moriko stated in amusement as Azuna and Lindo both tried to argue against it, the witch pulling the blonde back gently so the crowd didn't hurt her. "Don't fight with tradition, not with this many witnesses alright, it seems that Ritsuka has the same shitty luck I do in these instances" she continues as Azuna sighs, resigned to the fact the witch was right.
"You have one dance in you for me?" Moriko asks Mage teasingly, the blonde accepting the challenge for what it was and would lead the witch out in a small dance, getting a bright smile for his efforts that took him slightly by surprise.
"She wore your colors tonight Mage" Urie notes amused later that night to the others unaware that Lindo, Azuna and Moriko were fighting for their lives and the life of Ritsuka against a group of desperate vampires, the half vampire and witch having teamed up while Azuna had taken the role of protecting and getting Ritsuka to safety.
Lindo's only warning for when the protections broke and Ritsuka tapped into her power was when Moriko cried out in pain and grief, the feelings Ritsuka were feeling and ignoring the pain the witch would go after the only remaining vampire in the area, the one who had taken Maria with a vengeance she had only felt once before.
"You hear me you worm, you and your lord will not touch Ritsuka, not as long as the last Peverell, the Mistress of the Hallows protects her. You and yours will pay for ending the exorcists life before her time because death is how everything ends, even for vampires" Moriko hisses as she banishes the hooded vampire with her magic before slowly creeping towards Ritsuka and the body of Azuna. Ignoring the pain the grimoire's power was causing her until she placed a gentle hand on Azuna's wounds to heal them shut.
"Ritsuka...she's gone, let her go, let her soul rest in peace and remember her as she would have wanted you to remember her" Moriko soothes as she gently cleans away the blood till Azuna only looked like she was sleeping before moving on to comfort Ritsuka who clung to the witch, crying in agony over the loss before passing out as Moriko carried her while Lindo stepped forward to retrieve Azuna after casting a spell over Ritsuka.
"Lindo grab her cross as well...we don't anyone tracking us with it" Moriko stated quietly, an eerie calm around her as she apparated them away.
"How can you be so calm" Lindo asked quietly once Moriko had gotten Ritsuka changed and in bed at the Exorcist societies sanctuary.
"This isn't calm Lindo, this is quiet grief and numbness...Azuna isn't the first person I've lost and she won't be the last till this fight can be put to rest. You have to remember this isn't my first war, mind you this one I willingly stepped into but I've fought and lost many for the sake of peace and I will continue to fight for those I love and care about and you and Ritsuka just happen to be on that list as well as a few devils no matter how much you may dislike me for liking them because in the long run you and those devils will be all I have if we live through this" Moriko admitted quietly as she settled on the bed, moving Ritsuka's head into her lap as Lindo left to talk to his superiors.
"Try with all of your might
But none can hide from this unforgiving moonlight
Bear your scars like a prayer - Another wish lost to the night
Every step I take, every fallen tear
Weaves another lie, a curse I will bear
There's a part of me, struggling to break free: It lives within the dark
Will tomorrow come at last?
In a million shards of broken glass
Fate is bleeding through my resilient soul,
Dyeing it a pale and fragile blue
There is beauty in the lie, spoken like a bittersweet goodbye
Still that brilliant light is beyond my reach
Maybe I belong here – beneath the light of the moon
Praise your palette of lies
For it's a masterpiece that you have created
All of your promises, bleeding in flawless harmony
Sing another spell, paint another dream
We could bring to life a new reality
All of my mistakes, gathering like storm clouds
Will soon rain down on me
Are we dancing in our chains?
Blinded by the by pride inside our veins
I once feared the end, praying for my life
Now I greet that darkness as a friend
There's one thing I will protect,
It's the innocence they all neglect
I can hear a voice, like a melody, rivaling the silence
For once I feel I am free
Maybe there's a chance, a way out of this cruel and deadly dance, but at what cost?
Again the full moon is lost to the night
Will tomorrow come at last?
In a million shards of broken glass
Fate is bleeding through my resilient soul,
Dyeing it a pale and fragile blue
There is beauty in the lie, spoken like a bittersweet goodbye
Still that brilliant light is beyond my reach
Maybe I belong here – beneath the light of the moon"
Moriko sang out loud quietly, her grief palpable in the air as she tried and soothe Ritsuka's nightmares away with little success as Lindo settled on the chair beside the bed, having come back into the room near the beginning of the sad farewell to Azuna and the release of Moriko's grief as the witch wiped away her tears.
"I'll give you both some time alone...I need to wash up and change anyways" Moriko whispers quietly before slipping out of the room before the red head could say anything or do anything to stop her. She would come back an hour later to find Ritsuka had gone back to sleep after talking with Lindo and crying over her loss of Azuna.
"She asked for you and wanted to know if you were alright" Lindo admitted as they walked out, Moriko silently spelling the room to let her know when Ritsuka woke up next and would sit in the hallway outside the room of Lindo and the exorcists tried to cleanse the red head of his vampire side.
Moriko would run as soon as she sensed Ritsuka leaving her room, her magic lashing out all that got in her and Lindo's way as they came to Ritsuka's rescue from being killed by the older exorcists, cutting into the old man's rant on protecting the world by upholding their oaths to cleanse the world of darkness.
"You forget in taking that silly oath old man that you are messing with the balance in the world, you may help maintain it by killing off the rogue demons and vampires but you also in attempting to cleanse Ritsuka ruin that balance since the light will always need the darkness to thrive and for the world to remain in harmony" Moriko stated, placing herself protectively in front of Ritsuka and Lindo, green eyes glowing with her magic in the darkness of the room as some of the order revealed Lindo's dhamphir nature, cutting in once more much to the annoyance of the order. "And again you discriminate, Lindo has obviously given a good chunk of his life to this order, in protecting humanity from the true darkness and yet this is how you repay him, by trying to turn his own family against him...its disgusting to see when the purebloods of Europe are proven right, that you humans can't be trusted not to turn on those who wield more power than yourselves" she continued only to step back and let Lindo lead the show, in attacking the order and starting a fire before they all made a run for it, some of the younger exorcists on their heels.
"Keep going, I'll hold them off" Moriko shouts to Lindo and Ritsuka as she turned around the face their pursuers, lightning sparking from her finger tips as she prepared to fight only for Urie, Shiki and Mage to come to her rescue. "Boys focus" she barks out, zapping all three of them lightly and stepped back to let them do the fighting, still tired from the fight with the vampires earlier that night.
"Are you alright" Urie asks for the sake of asking since the witch had been a lot of effort in protecting Ritsuka while Mage silently remained unsure what to do as Moriko smiled weakly at the group, slapping Shiki's hands away with a little more force much to his amusement.
"I'm fine, just a little tired from all the fighting I've had to do tonight and being exposed to Ritsuka's power didn't help things either" Moriko admitted quietly knowing they knew now about Ritsuka, she being the sole reason they were out this late.
"The grimoire hurts you?" Shiki asks intrigued as Moriko grunts in annoyance, blasting the fallen angel with a little magic, fully aware that Lindo and Rem were fighting in the distance, the ambient magic tapping into her own courtesy of Lindo's spells and protections on Ritsuka.
"Its not compatible with my magic, not since I accepted the rest of the Hallows into my possession by accident last year and accepted my fate as their master in recent months. I'll see you later" Moriko says quietly before walking away to where she sensed Ritsuka and Lindo, retrieving the queen's crown from the pond when Ritsuka wasn't looking after seeing the brunette drop it out the infirmary window. She would slink into the school quietly and settle at Ritsuka's side, the brunette accepting the warmer slightly bigger yet more frail looking hand into her own.
"I'll keep us safe for now Ritsuka, just rest for a while" Moriko promises softly as she took her post by the infirmary door, keeping a wary eye on the windows and expanding her senses out so he could sense any threats beyond the wards she had up around the school grounds. "Don't go too far Ritsuka" she calls out after her friend as the brunette leaves to search for food for when Lindo woke up. The witch could sense the brewing storm of power outside the wards, sense the fight the four student council members were in the middle of even if she didn't know what it was about, she knew it would determine the fate of Ritsuka and herself in the long run.
Ritsuka would knock Moriko unconscious, coming up from behind the witch before saying good bye to Lindo before leaving with Jek to see what the vampires wanted and to see her mother. She would learn of her heritage and why everything that had happened to her happened unaware Lindo would come to with her absence and see Moriko laid out on the floor unconscious from a blow to the back of the head if the heavy book on the floor was anything to go by.
"Moriko where is Ritsuka?" Lindo asks shaking the witch awake as Moriko sat up with a gasp, looking around wildly before cursing and getting to her feet, helping steady Lindo as he pulled on his jacket before leading the way out of the infirmary.
"She hit me from behind...Ritsuka must have run into someone in the school, someone who knew how to shelter themselves from my wards" Moriko explained, green eyes frantic for the red head to understand as Lindo nodded.
"You kept us both safe for this long, it just means someone a little stronger than you in devil or vampire magic took Ritsuka" Lindo stated as Moriko pulled his free arm around her shoulder and wrapped the her other arm around his waist as they walked out of the school.
"We're going to need help to get her back" Moriko muttered as they hobbled along the hallway of the school, the witch straining slightly under Lindo's weight to the student council room, taking a moment to heal Lindo.
"Don't leave me behind boys" Moriko states with a fang filled smile that spoke of the malicious intent as she grabbed onto Rem and Lindo as they all left the school to rescue Ritsuka from Lord Nesta after Roen came to them all to tell them where Ritsuka was and who had her.
"You have business with me Jek for hurting Maria and for killing Azuna" Moriko cackled as launched forward, her skirt and the half skirt she wore as a belt flaring out behind her, the black silver fabric glowing in the moonlight, her inner animal roaring its pleasure when the vampire finally died.
"Lindo snap out of it" Moriko called out, her magic lashing out at Lord Nesta and giving the vampire king a true taste of fear as Lindo snapped out of it to lash out and deal the vampire king a death blow. "Its not done, he's not dead" she stated much to the surprise of the others as they reunited and the only one to stay standing protectively in front of the others.
"They'll live as long as I live, as long as I am master and as long as they don't give up they'll have my power" Moriko yelled out, just as the clock struck midnight as Ritsuka made her choice and strengthened her resolve, tapping into the power of the grimoire and stabbed Lord Nesta's hidden heart having used the grimoire's power to find it. She would collapse, being caught by Mage as Rem caught Ritsuka.
"You did good Kitty" Mage states proudly as Moriko chuckled weakly watching the confession happening in front of them as the witch relaxed into Mage's warmth.
"That's high praise coming from you...You know the only reason I pranked you as often as I did was because I enjoyed your reactions and the resulting chase" Moriko muses as Mage looked down at the head of black hair surprised before snorting and remembering Urie's mutterings.
"You would settle for a demon" Mage comments amused as Moriko turned around with a small pout, but green eyes bright with joy and amusement seeing his statement for what it was as his own confession.
"Its not settling when I actually liked you from the first few times I saw you...will you come back for me?" Moriko asks softly as Mage placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before leaving as well with the others.
Moriko would go home with Ritsuka and Lindo, things finally settling down but not completely whole with the missed presence of the student council as she went back to spending her days in her animagus form following the brunette around as Ritsuka and Lindo to school, keeping Lindo generally company in classes since he understood to a point her pain and loneliness as the only non humans in the building.
A decade would go by in this manner though Moriko aged slowly only looking 21 by the time Lindo and Ritsuka turned 28 and 27 respectively when the witch's past finally caught up with her in the form of her eleven year old godson Teddy Remus Lupin who had made the choice to leave Europe behind after reading the journal and letter his godmother had left behind for him and go to school in Japan where Moriko had made her home.
Maria would answer the door to the turquoise haired pre teen late one evening and be surprised when the young boy asked for Moriko as the witch in question helped Ritsuka with her university homework, the brunette having decided to go to school to be an art teacher.
Lindo on his part would smell the magic and the werewolf in Teddy when Maria led the young boy into the dinning room, motioning for her nephew to go get Moriko as turquoise met amber shrewdly before doing as asked.
"Moriko there is someone here to see you, Maria has him sitting in the dinning room" Lindo explained as Moriko stood up and headed downstairs the white floor length skirt she was wearing swishing lightly as she did so as she fixed the sleeves of her yellow sweater over a black tank top.
"Teddy" Moriko says tears forming in her eyes as the young boy threw himself at his godmother, the witch beginning to cry slightly at what his arrival meant and the joy of seeing him healthy and happy to see her as she hugged back just as tightly.
Once the tears were done and everyone settled Teddy would explain why he was there and what had happened in Europe in Moriko's absence and how the magical government of Japan had rebuffed any who had tried to force themselves into the country to retrieve Moriko and how they had protected the Mistress of Death.
"Grandma passed away two years ago...She made sure to leave me in the care of Bill and Fleur in her will till I could access the trust vault and things you left for me after learning what Molly, Ronald and Hermione tried to do to you and made it clear I wasn't to be left with anyone else unless you said otherwise" Teddy explained quietly as Moriko sighed, looking older and resigned for a moment.
"Andy was always the sharpest of the Black sisters of her generation" Moriko sighs, amusement clear on her as Maria spoke up to offer a place to Teddy till Moriko could a place for herself and Teddy to live since things were getting crowded in the Tachibana household.
"Thanks Maria" Moriko says with a smile as she adjusted her grip on a dozing Teddy as the young boy fell asleep in his godmother's lap as Ritsuka asked why Teddy had come to them now instead of when his grandmother died.
"He still needed her protection till he could and was legally allowed to acquire a focus similar to my own and the legal age in most countries is eleven years old, when magical cores for the most part stabilize for usage...the reason I didn't take him with me though when I left was because I couldn't take him away from his grandmother who had lost her husband, daughter and my uncle, her son in law to the fighting that was going on. I didn't want to hurt Andy that way so I left Teddy in her care to love and care for and I was going to go back eventually once Teddy contacted me so him coming on his own is a bit of a surprise" Moriko admitted as Lindo sighed but got up to prepare a futton for the young boy knowing things would change and settle again with his presence.
Ritsuka would join Moriko and Teddy when they eventually moved out and found a place of their own, closer to Tokyo and where Teddy would begin his mundane and magical education having spent the summer with the help of Lindo catching up on what he had missed.
It would be as Teddy was in classes and Ritsuka at her new teaching job that Rem and the others returned, having been pointed in their direction by Maria after checking to see where Ritsuka had gone after moving out of the Tachibana household. Rem would be the one to find the small traditional looking Japanese home where Ritsuka and Lindo had moved to with Moriko, so they could help take care of Teddy Remus Black, Moriko having changed his last name so he could access his maternal heritage.
"As if the petals become the wind
The water shakes with every breath
Yeaah, Oooooh
Dive into an abyss
Search the night, for a single trace of light
And unaware, I close my heart
We'll reveal the truth at last, with the key to shake our reality
With only touch of fleeting words
But if there was only one thing I'd keep forever
It would be that memory
And the color of the sky before me
I would give my pride and courage
But I'll never be discouraged
Burn it all to the ground
Tonight at last, set it free for the dream we will unleash
As if the petals become the wind
I can finally fight along your side
Even if I fall, till my last breath
Unto the end, I will forever shine
Our salvation has become my only wish
I will see it come to life
With your hand in mine, I will, leap into the world you see
And if you believe, we'll make it there
It's the promise of our bond"
Moriko sang softly to herself, washing the breakfast dishes as Ritsuka went to work and Lindo walked with Teddy to school having taken up a teaching assistants job with the school to teach some of the exorcist spells and protections to a new generation of magical children.
A knock on the front door would catch her attention though as her song ended, snapping her back into focus and on alert, having been warned at the start of Teddy's first day of school that some of the more frantic members of Europe were still trying to take her back even though she had moved her vaults and Teddy's vaults to the Japanese branch of Gringots. So with a ball of fire in hand she approached the door, sliding it open only to let the fire ball go in shock as she took in Urie, Shiki, Rem and Mage all standing on her doorstep, having gotten older looking but no less attractive looking.
"You haven't changed a bit Kitty, still hiding your talents" Mage teased as Moriko inhaled sharply at the nickname before she tackled the blonde to the ground while Shiki cackled, Urie and Rem letting themselves inside so they didn't see the resulting blow up. Mage wouldn't even get a chance to speak as Moriko kissed him.
"I wonder who the kid is" Urie muses picking up a picture with all four members of the household in it, Moriko having decided to take Teddy to the beach for the first time for them both, the blue haired boy smiling brightly up at his godmother as he sandwiched between Moriko and Ritsuka, Lindo standing behind them with a small amused smile, face more relaxed than any remembered the dhamphir being.
"That's my godson Teddy" Moriko answered having come up for air and dragged Mage inside, the blonde slightly dazed from her actions.
"He's from Europe then" Shiki mused as Moriko nodded and headed into the kitchen to get some tea prepared as she let the four settle at the dinning room table she had pulled from Grimmauld place.
"Yes and the last of my family through my werewolf uncle. He's at school right now along with Lindo while Ritsuka is teaching a middle school art class at one of the mundane schools in the district over from this one. Its generally a half hour train ride so they'll be home in about four hours from now" Moriko explains as she set up the tray, green eyes amused as Shiki, Urie and Rem's eyes lit up at the mention of Ritsuka.
"Why a teacher? And I thought Lindo disliked your people" Mage asks as Moriko snorts in amusement as she walked into the room moments later with the tray, the pot of tea steaming slightly as she set it down, handing each a plain white tea cup.
"Ritsuka wanted to do something involving her hobby and that was painting. Unless your really good painting and selling your work doesn't make money and she didn't want to live off the household funds I bring to the table so she went to university and got a teaching degree while Lindo got offered his spot when it became clear he was a master in exorcism and the spells related to them. I helped him tap into the innate magic he has at his disposal as a dhamphir and it reinforced the power behind the spells he already knew so they wanted him to pass on that knowledge to the next generation of magic users in Japan" Moriko admitted with a small smile before placing herself in Mage's lap.
"So you've kept busy" Shiki says amused as Moriko hummed slightly getting lost in thought.
"For the most part we have kept busy, Teddy made it easier with having to take care of him and keep a regular schedule. I've had to add more spells to my arsenal after a few attempts by the fanatics from Europe to try and force me back...Lindo and I sent them backing after the last attempt tried to use Teddy and Ritsuka against us. I'm surprised though that Roen hasn't tracked me down" Moriko muses with a small laugh at the darkening expressions around the room and the tight arm around her waist.
"The mutt has been laying low the last ten years" Mage grunted as Moriko shrugged, green eyes amused as she met Rem's aquamarine while putting her empty cup down letting Mage hold her down.
"Roen has to come to you if he wants Maksis free" Rem states as Moriko nods with a vicious smile that said volumes about how she felt about the subject.
"Yes the mutt has to come to me and he knows that if he wants the former demon king free that it will come with a heavy price I don't think he's quite willing to pay me so Maksis will remain sealed for as long as your father doesn't piss me off" Moriko admits amused as Urie, Mage and Shiki laughs amused as the group fell into easy chatter of what the others had been doing in the demon world right up until Ritsuka came home.
"C'mon Lindo will be home a little later and I want you to meet Teddy" Moriko says amused as she drags Mage out the back door and away from the coming pissing match between Rem, Shiki and Urie over Ritsuka as the remaining blonde and brunette finally reunited.
"You just don't want to be the there when Lindo loses his temper Kitty" Mage says amused as Moriko laughed brightly letting Mage sweep her off her feet and use his demon magic to get them to their destination, both content and assured over whatever the future would bring them that they would weather the storm as partners.