A/N Hey guys! Merry Christmas! (One day later)
I know you will all hate me for this one so, WARNING read with caution
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh VRAINS but I own Himeko and Emiko!
It was morning. Himeko woke up feeling small hands nagging her. She grunted. It was that time already.
She opened her eyes "Good morning, Emiko" she said, looking onto her daughter.
Himeko still couldn't believe how happy she was. After all the things they'd been through, she and Ryouken had a child and it had already been one and a half year since her birth. They decided to name her Emiko – beautiful child.
Truth being told, the child was beautiful. It had father's white hair in her mother's shape and her mother's purple eyes in her father's shape. She was small bodied and her face was shaped like her mother's.
Himeko's little daughter had the habit of climbing out of her crib ever since she learned how to walk and she would either sneak into her parents bed and sleep with them or wake them up because she wasn't tired anymore. Today was the later.
Himeko looked at the clock on her bedstand. 6 am. Emiko's usual time. Himeko kissed her husband on the forehead, careful not to wake him up and got out of bed.
She took her small daughter into her hands and walked to the kitchen "What do you want for breakfast today?" she asked with a smile
"Pancakes!" her baby daughter exclaimed happily
Himeko laughed. It was almost always pancakes with praline. Her daughter had gotten her sweet tooth.
As she was frying the mixture she made, Ryouken came and hugged her from behind "Pancakes again?" He asked with a smile
"Good morning to you too" Himeko replied
"Good morning papa!" Little Emiko hugged his leg
Ryouken lifted her up into his arms and threw her in the air and caught her, making his little girl laugh.
The family of three ate their breakfast with smiles on their faces. Emiko saying how her mother is the best cook in the whole world and Ryouken agreeing with her.
The doorbell rang. Emiko was the first to run to the door, her parents on her steps. Emiko opened the door
"Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!" Shoichi dressed as Santa clause exclaimed
"Mama! Papa! It's Santa, like you said!" the little girl exclaimed "Did you bring me a toy?" she asked excited.
"Ho Ho Ho! I've been told you've been a good girl! Here's the biggest toy you've ever seen!" Shoichi said as he showed her the big box
"Mama, Papa! Look! It's so huge!" Emiko exclaimed and then she ran to the kitchen in order to bring back a box of cookies "Merry Christmas Santa!" she said as she gave it to him
Shoichi ruffled her hair and took the box "Merry Christmas Emiko!" he said as he left to celebrate Christmas with his brother.
The family of three walked into Emiko's room and started assembling her new toy. It was a small kitchen counter and the little girl was elated to have a kitchen of her own.
"When I grow up, I'm going to be the best cook! Just like mama!" she said
The parents looked at each other and smiled. Ryouken ruffled her hair while Himeko pinched her cheek.
The doorbell rang again. Emiko opened the door and jumped to the person she saw "Uncle Yuusaku!" she said while laughing
Yuusaku scooped her up in his arms and walked inside "Merry Christmas, Emiko" he said as he closed the door behind him and took off his shoes "What did Santa bring you?" he asked
"He brought me the biggest present ever!" the girl exclaimed as she showed him her new kitchen, which her parents were still assembling
"Well, then, good thing I bought you kitchen utensils" Yuusaku said
"Merry Christmas Yuusaku!" Himeko was the first to greet him
"Merry Christmas Himeko, Ryouken" He greeted the couple
After the kitchen was assembled, the parents gave her their own present, which, in their mind, had to be different than Santa's
"Yey! A kitchen tray!" the little girl exclaimed "Thank you mama! Papa!" she said as she hugged her parents and Yuusaku snapped a picture of them.
Yuusaku stayed for lunch as he did once a week. He observed the dotting parents. How Ryouken would play with his daughter whatever she wanted to and how Himeko would ask what she wanted to eat.
"Aren't you spoiling her a bit too much?" Yuusaku asked
"Says the uncle who brings her a new toy every week" Himeko replied
True, 95% of Emiko's toys were from Yuusaku. He would visit them almost every week and every time he would bring either a toy or a sweet for his favourite girl.
Yuusaku might have not won the competition between him and Ryouken, but he became the couple's best friend. If there was a misunderstanding, he would solve it. If there was an argument, he would calm them down and lead them back to each other.
After he met Emiko something in him changed. The moment he held the new-born into his arms he new: He wanted to protect the baby girl.
That being said, SOL technologies were still after Himeko. Her connection to both Playmaker and Revolver was known and each day they were getting closer.
Yuusaku didn't want to see this family fall apart and especially he didn't want little Emiko to cry. She was always cheerful and full of energy. He hadn't heard her cry ever since her toddler days.
Himeko placed Emiko inside her crib. All the excitement of the day plus her favourite food made her tired. The dotting mother kissed her baby girl on the forehead before turning on the communication device and closing her baby's bedroom door.
She walked back inside where the other two males were waiting for them. The three of them also felt sleepy after lunch.
"How is she?" Yuusaku asked
"She's fast asleep" Himeko replied smiling
The three adults sighed "Having Himeko around is fun and all but" Himeko started
"She has so much energy that the moment she sleeps is the real moment of peace" Ryouken finished the sentence
"You two were exhausted the first few months. I'm glad to see that you're getting better" Yuusaku said
"At first we thought that the hours she sleeps were our alone time, so we used to spend even more energy during those hours" Himeko said
"Now we know that when she sleeps, we either need to sleep or relax as well" Ryouken added
The three sighed again. It really was peaceful. Himeko leaned on Ryouken and they closed their eyes, Yuusaku doing the same.
Soon, they heard crying from the communication device and Emiko screaming for her parents and suddenly, there was silence. Himeko was the first one to react and run to Emiko's bedroom.
She ran back to the two men in the living room "Emiko's disappeared!" She shouted with tears in her eyes.
Ryouken and Yuusaku got up from their seats on the couches.
"Calm down. I knew this would happen" Yuusaku said. The parents looked at him shocked "So I placed a tracking chip on her earlier"
"You knew they were after our daughter and you said nothing?!" Himeko shouted
"Calm down. Kusanagi-san and I were investigating their moves. It had to be done" Yuusaku said
"What are you talking about, Yuusaku?" Ryouken asked "There better be a good explanation for this" He said, barely containing his anger
"It seems that your identity as Revolver has been revealed. And since you were seen with Emiko and Himeko all this time, you were followed back here. This house is not safe anymore. Prepare to go somewhere else after we rescue Emiko" Yuusaku explained
The parents looked at him in shock "You could have told us earlier!" Himeko shouted
"Emiko being abducted was a risk I was willing to take. We can find their base of operations" Yuusaku explained again.
"And you sacrificed our daughter for that stupid reason?!" Himeko shouted again
"It was the only way. Emiko can't get another mother. You can always have another child" Yuusaku said
"You idiot!" Himeko was about to slap him, but Ryouken stopped her.
Ryouken looked at Yuusaku with all the rage he had "Where is she?" He said as calm as he could, but Himeko knew better from the way he gripped her hand.
Yuusaku opened his phone and showed them the location of their baby on a map "Don't rush there" He told them "It's definitely a trap to capture Himeko as well. This is too easy"
"What is the plan?" Ryouken asked
"Get the necessities and prepare an other place to live. Something that won't be so easily track-able. We will rescue Emiko, but we need to make sure they won't find her again"
"Why did it have to be Emiko? Why couldn't it be me?!"
"Because once they get you it's over" Yuusaku replied to her "We will get her back, I promise" he said placing a hand on her shoulder
"My baby is in danger... How can you be so calm?" She asked, crying
"I'm not" Yuusaku replied "They're after all of us. It's going to be very dangerous. I can't come with you, because they don't know my identity yet, but Spectre will come in my place. I will be with Kusanagi-san talking to you on a radio device" He explained as he gave them their intercommunication devices "Spectre will meet you there" he said as he left the house
Preparations took about four hours. Himeko being as impatient as possible, she prepared Emiko's and Ryouken's clothes in a big suitcase. Ryouken had packed a few essentials as well and also asked Aso and the others to prepare a place to live A place that wouldn't be easy to track down. Kyouko didn't take part in any of this. They left their things to the gang and took off to find their daughter.
Spectre waited for them on an alley way. Himeko and Ryouken came running.
"Where is she?" Himeko asked, out of breath
"She's in there" Spectre showed them to an old factory "This is definitely a trap Hime-chan. We can't just barge in there"
"Yes we can" she replied as she entered the building, Ryouken on her tail.
Spectre sighed, but followed after them. They obviously didn't have a plan and even if they did Himeko just blew it.
As Spectre entered the building, the door behind him closed, as did all the doors to the other rooms.
"Welcome, Kaneko Himeko! Kogami Ryouken!" a voice from the speakers installed in the room said "We've been expecting you"
"Who are you?" Himeko asked
"I am Queen, my dear princess and I am here to take everything from you. But let's get it over with shall we? Let's play a game. If you beat me in every round, I'll give you your precious baby back. But if you don't" The sound of a gun being loaded could be heard and Ryouken was shot "Dear Revolver and Emiko-chan are going to pay"
"Ryouken!" Himeko shouted as she ran to him
"I'm fine, they missed my vital spots"
"Well then, here's the first riddle: I start with the letter E and end with the letter E. I contain only one letter, yet I'm not the letter E! What am I?"
"This is not a game!" Himeko shouted
"Oh but it is! You have 10 minutes. The clock is ticking~" Queen said and she cut off the communication
"The answer must be the way out of here. Search the room!" Ryouken said in a hoarse voice
"But, Ryouken, you're-"
"Our daughter's life is in danger. Show them... What an angry mother can do" He said
"Ryouken-sama, here!" Spectre shouted "There are two buttons"
Himeko and Ryouken walked closer. One button had an eye engraved on it and the other had an envelope.
"What happens if we press the wrong one?" Himeko asked
"Let's just assume that the place blows up and Emi-chan is left with no parents" Spectre said "Starts with the letter E, ends with the letter E and one letter in between. It has to be the eye" he added
Himeko nodded and was about to press it but Ryouken caught her hand "Wait. She didn't say one letter in between. She said it contains one letter" He said as he pressed the envelope and one door opened "Don't be in a hurry. Remember what Spectre told you. One wrong move and Emiko will be left with no parents"
Himeko nodded "I'm sorry... I just really need to hold her right now. I need to bring her to safety"
"And you will" he said as he put a hand on her shoulder "We will" he said looking at the opened path with angry eyes "I swear they're going to pay"
As they entered the next room, the door behind them closed.
"I guess we have no choice but to move forward then" Ryouken said
"Good job solving the first riddle" Queen was heard from the speakers "You almost fell for it Himeko"
Himeko looked to the ground and clenched her fists "I swear I'm getting my daughter back! Even if it's the last thing I do!" she shouted
"Well then, on to the next riddle, shall we? I'm the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every place (E) (Death). You have 7 minutes" the Queen said as she closed off all communication.
They looked around frantically. There was a pistol, a knife and a blackboard with a chalk. Ryouken picked up the pistol and checked if it was loaded. It had one bullet.
"Is she trying to tell us that we need to kill someone?" Ryouken asked and a monster-like creature appeared.
"The end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every place" Himeko said "It's death! We have to kill it!" She shouted as she dodged its fist
"It shouldn't be that simple" Ryouken said "We only have one shot. One bullet"
Himeko picked up the knife "We also have this" she said
As the two were busy dodging the monster's attacks, Spectre wrote on the board all the words "There has to be a reason this is here" he said "Keep it busy you two!"
Spectre looked at the words but he couldn't figure it out. Then, Yuusaku was heard from the intercommunication device with his voice altered "E! It's the letter E!"
The three looked around
"2 minutes" Queen said
"There's no button with the letter E!" Spectre shouted as the couple kept dodging the monster's attacks. Then it downed on him. The monster was wearing a necklace with a golden letter E.
"It's the necklace! Hime-chan! Cut the rope around its neck!" Spectre shouted
"one minute"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" she said as she swiftly dodged another attack and cut the rope. She threw the letter E to Ryouken
"Half a minute"
"Ryouken ran around the room searching where to put the damn letter but he couldn't find it
"10"
"Here!" Himeko shouted but Ryouken was at the other side of the room
"9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2-"
He barely managed to put the letter in the engraving on the wall. He panted. Spectre was on his knees expecting defeat and pulling his hair. Himeko had put her hands on her ears, not wanting to hear the last number. Ryouken fell on his knees as well. It was a close call.
Another door opened and they barely managed to walk through it and it closed.
"Good job finding the answer to the second riddle" Queen said "Time for the last game, don't you think?"
Nobody answered her. None of them had the energy to.
"Well then, I'll give you an opening. You can follow whichever path you want. But! No lights!" Queen said as she turned off all the lights of the building and they fell on absolute darkness. "The switch for the lights is on the wall next to where I've left your daughter. Good luck!" Queen said as she cut off the communication again
Himeko was about to start moving when a hand caught her. She recognised it. It was her husband
"Don't move on your own. They want to split us up" he told her "We'll find her. Together" he said as he started moving forward. Never letting go of her hand.
"Mama! Papa!" they heard from somewhere
"Emiko!" Himeko shouted "Keep calling us! We're here honey!"
"I'm afraid mama! It's too dark" the baby cried
"Don't worry sweetheart! We're coming to get you!" Ryouken shouted "Just keep talking!"
The little girl shouted as much as she could. She kept calling her parents and the parents kept shouting back promises for the future. They were asking her what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go so that the little girl would keep talking. Soon they were close.
"Mama! You're here, aren't you? I can hear you!" Emiko asked
"I'm here honey! Don't worry" Himeko replied as she let go of Ryouken's hand
"Wait! Himeko! Don't walk off on your own!" Ryouken shouted
"It's a trap, Himeko!" Yuusaku was heard from the intercommunication device on her ear
The dotting mother scooped her baby up and held her close.
Suddenly, the lights turned on and they could see clearly. Himeko was on one side of a devider, while Ryouken was on the other. On the same side as Himeko was Queen who walked closer to her as some jail door started closing from above.
"Himeko! Emiko!" Ryouken shouted
Himeko ran to the doors as she realised there would not be enough space to save herself. She threw her baby from the small gap that was remaining and then the door was fully closed.
"Himeko! Himeko!" Ryouken shouted as he held his daughter close.
"Mama!" Emiko shouted
Himeko gave them a teary smile "Run! Take her out of here, now!" she shouted
Spectre ran to Ryouken's side, shocked. Ryouken gave him his baby girl and shouted for him to take her out of there. Spectre didn't lose a moment and started searching for the exit with the help of Yuusaku.
Queen was angry. She hit Himeko on the head with the back of a pistol and inserted something with a syringe on her body "Soon, she'll be dead! She shouldn't have given you your daughter back! Her parents wanted both of them!"
Ryouken shot Queen with the one bullet of his pistol and she fell unconscious on the floor.
"Get out of here" Himeko said with a hoarse voice "Emiko can't lose... Both of her parents" were her last words as she too, lost consciousness.
"Himeko!" Ryouken shouted as he tried to break the steel bars with his bare hands. A futile effort.
"The building will blow up! Get out of there!" Yuusaku said through the communication device
"I can't leave her here!"
"It was her last wish! Emiko can't lose both of her parents!" Yuusaku tried to reason with him
Ryouken shed a tear "I'm sorry, Himeko" he said as he started running for the exit, where Spectre and Emiko were waiting for them in Kusanagi' s van. Kusanagi started driving once Ryouken was inside and they left, Emiko shouting for her mother.
It had been thee days. Three long days. Emiko was having nightmares every time she fell asleep and Ryouken... He couldn't sleep. His mind couldn't be put to ease. He felt as if his every move was monitored and that he had to stay alert at all times.
Yuusaku felt responsible, but he also felt that he was the only one who could bring Ryouken back to his normal self. Emiko needed him more than ever now that Himeko was gone.
They had gone back to find whatever was left of Himeko, but they couldn't find anything of her or Queen. It was weird, but Ryouken couldn't think straight at the time. He only mourned for his wife at the spot until he decided he had enough and returned to his daughter.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" Yuusaku asked Ryouken, who was at the control centre of the boat. They had decided that a boat was the best solution in case they had to run away again.
Ryouken looked at Yuusaku "Why aren't you with her? Last time we left her alone she-"
"She's going to be fine. More importantly, she needs you more than ever. What are you doing? Getting drunk and mourning all the time. What about Emiko? She's still here. She needs you to be there for her"
"I am here"
"You're going to collapse if you keep this up. Who will take care of Emiko when you do?"
Ryouken looked at Yuusaku and drank another sip of wine "I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay here and make sure nothing happens to her"
"There are better ways of doing that" Yuusaku said as he took the bottle of wine from him and kissed him
Ryouken was too drunk to even ask what he was doing, but his face told Yuusaku everything
"Remember that time she told us: From tonight you two are gay. Yuusaku will be the uke and Ryouken will be the seme. I'll be your uke. I'll be Emiko's mother. I'll be the one you can lean on. So, wake up and take care of your daughter properly!"
Ryouken was shocked. He didn't know how to respond, so he leaned on Yuusaku and cried "You're never going to replace her" were his last words as he cried himself to sleep, Yuusaku never leaving his side. He carried him to where Emiko was sleeping and the three were fast asleep.
A/N So, yea... I know you all hate me for this but like I promised! There will be a sequel!
Sorry for the sad ending, this is one of the reasons I didn't post it yesterday.
Leave a review and tell me what you think of this chapter
See you next year!