At Rest Beneath the Blossoms

"Today was kind of a bust. I'm starting to feel a bit tired." Mahiru voiced, slightly antagonized by the outcome of their latest 'hunt'. "Good work today, Itsuki. You're off the hook for now."

Standing before her, eyes slightly glazed over but not overly so that it would be immediately apparent, was her partner in crime for the morning. Tugged along without much time to ease himself into the situation was one Yuge Itsuki.

In her scheming to find a way out of the strange world of Granvania in which they'd been cast into, Mahiru had begun a 'hunt' of the 7 wonders of Star God Academy. And so the first mystery was in fact solved, but it was nothing more than a failed experiment of Mirei's which left the magic scientist in a laughing fit that sounded quite eerie from the halls while heard without the proper context. So Itsuki's mind was yet only slightly tuned in after the mania which had swept through his life continuing to today. There was little he desired more than to return to his home so he could crash into a catatonic state. Rushing through dungeon corridors and fighting the abominations that were 'Impurity' sure did take a lot out of one. Yet it seemed as ever Mahiru was none the wiser, or perhaps not even considerate of such fatigue.

"Alright. I'll go back to my dorm to catch up on some sleep then."

So she began away with a small, casual wave. Yet Itsuki was less than energetic or glowing with a purpose as he stood and rubbed his aching shoulder. Though he wished to be on his way, the road to his home was a bit of a walk to take. He sat dreaming that he could simply teleport there. With all the magic in this land, couldn't there be an instant 'go home' button he could press just like how Narcisstes had teleported him and Mahiru to the castle promenade on his first day in Granvania?

As he yet remained, his eyes left blurry by sleep deprivation were swept over to an approaching figure. Red and white clad, a dress not unlike a Japanese shrine maiden's from his own world, it didn't take too long for this person's identity to light up in his mind… But there still was a second's lapse due to his rather sluggish head.

"Itsuki? You're here rather early." Ruka, the Cancer Maiden, greeted him.

"It's a bit of an odd day already, isn't it?"

"If I would guess, Mahiru has taken you to investigate whatever it is you two have been skulking the halls and questioning others for. Am I wrong?"

"No. You've got it down to a 'T'. We were able to figure out one of those 'rumors'. But nothing so far with uncovering a way to return to our world."

"Really? And what rumor was that?"

"The spooky laughter coming from the magic studies room. It turns out that it was Mirei's doing."

"Not all that surprising, honestly. Given all the experiments she's constantly running, there would be something amiss eventually. There was even a time she'd tried to get me to go along with one of her little tests. I found a way out of the situation, gratefully."

"And what did she try dragging you into?"

"She'd gained an interest in my tsukuyomi after she'd met me. Interested to discover how it is I can read others, she was almost ready to capture me so she could run whatever procedures on me. It seriously made my skin crawl..."

"Th-There was that one time she'd bound me to a chair in order to have her way with me..."

"Wh-What?!" Ruka's face flashed a luminescent crimson as her eyes went wide with shock.

"A-Ah! That was poor phrasing! I apologize! I meant to say that she interrogated me and sent a barrage of questions my way is all."

"O-Oh… I see. That's..."

"Anyway. Mirei can be a somewhat hard person to follow with her curiosity, but try to go easy on her. It's just her nature, I think."

"...Yes. She is curious of everything and anything. Perhaps someday if she'd asked nicely and didn't push too much or go too crazy with it, I could let her try to understand my ability. But I'm not sure if her 'science' could explain it. It's something of the heart more than matter."

The lack of rest once more catching up to him amidst conversation, incapable of keeping his fatigue secret for a moment longer, Itsuki breathed a heavy yawn. Ruka lightly tilted her head in response, her eyes taking a pensive edge to them as she watched his face.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night and Mahiru plucked me out of bed before I could even get myself together. I'm not bored or anything, I promise."

"It is quite early and from everything I've experienced with you, I wouldn't conclude you're much of a morning person anyways… I understand." Her eyes softened.

"I should probably be on my way home before classes start for all of you. I think I'll get a bit more sleep before I return to the labyrinths."

He wearily prepared to twist on heel yet the delicate calling of Ruka's voice halted him in his stride.

"Wait. Your home is a dozen minutes or so travel from here if I recall correctly."

"That's right. It's off in the residential area. It'll take a bit of time to get there, but I should start on the road and not whine too much." He chuckled lightly to himself.

"W-Well, you don't have to go all that way for now, you know. You're looking really tired today."

"Hm? I don't? Well then, what do you think I should do? Borrow Reonne's infirmary bed for a bit?"

"N-No! Not that..." Ruka's eyes fell from Itsuki's own as she lightly shifted her weight between her heels, reaching for the words to speak. "Would you please come with me?"

"Hm? What's up so suddenly?"
*~*~*~*~*

The spring air was lovely. Itsuki had his victory over the Aries Labyrinth just in time for the cherry blossoms to bloom upon the branches. Ruka had taken him beneath such a tree and she carefully sat herself down, her legs tucked upon themselves.

"If you have no objections, I… I'd like you to rest here."

"Rest under this tree? I guess the grass does look nice and comfortable."

He made his way to her side and lowered himself to sit as he prepared to fall backwards, yet Ruka once again spoke up and halted him in his actions.

"Not just under the tree."

"Oh? Then where? I can't imagine climbing a tree to sleep would do that much good. Though cats do seem to do well before they end up stuck."

"Nothing like that! Geez! Don't over complicate this, okay?" She took a breath to recollect herself after her frustrated outburst. "You… can rest your head on my lap."

"Your lap? You're going to stay with me? What about your classes?"

"I'm certain Mr. Nacisstes will understand my small absence. It's an opportunity to… bond… after all. Isn't it? The fate of the world hangs on this so it's a small price to pay."

"Maybe you're right. Well, if you're confident that you won't be in a bind, then I'm okay. I wouldn't like to be the reason you have an extra essay to write."

"Don't worry over it. Just relax, please. When you're well rested enough, you can go off to the labyrinths again, okay?"

"Got it. Then..."

Itsuki slowly lowered his body down as he gently, maybe even apprehensively, laid his head upon her lap. For all the time beforehand, Ruka seemed to have a phobia of human contact, yet here she was offering her own lap as a resting place for his head. It was only natural that he felt something was a bit off kilter.

"Why are you letting me do this? It's… a bit different than everything I've learned about you so far."

"It's… just a one time thing, okay? Don't misunderstand that this will be something normal. Just… you're the hero, aren't you? So this is a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the fate of this kingdom. Nothing more."

"Ah. I'm sorry for putting you through the trouble, but I am grateful nonetheless."

"Don't apologize. I said it would be okay. And besides, I can't read you with my tsukuyomi like everyone else, so this much is okay for now."

"I understand."

He peered up into the pinkish canopy of delicate leaves above as the wind's breath passed over him. The cool and welcoming caress of it helped to lull him into an even more relaxed state. He gave it his best not to focus on what his eyes were most interested in beholding: Ruka's gentle face. Inwardly he was worried the rare, peaceful rest with her would be torn asunder if he overstepped his boundaries. So he stared at the cherry blossoms and the serene heavens above.

"I-Itsuki… I have something I want to ask you." Ruka too faced her eyes elsewhere into the green fields of the school.

"What's on your mind?"

"You've been looking for a way back home with Mahiru lately. I've wondered what that's about, but I have something more important to ask you."

She muted as if to beg for Itsuki's approval to continue her inquiry.

"Go on. I'll answer whatever I can."

"Thank you…" She ran her fingers through the grass at her hip, a bit insecure. "If you two did happen to find a way back to your world, would you go there?"

"Well, the reason why I'm searching is for Mahiru's sake. If she were able to return to Japan then I'd do my best to get her back there safely. I made a promise that I would send her back home and I really want to keep it."

"I see. But what about you? Would you go there as well with her?"

"No. I can't do that. This land is depending on me, right? Beside me, there isn't anyone else who could rescue Granvania. At least, that's what I've had drilled into my head constantly since I'd ended up here."

A small giggle caught her by surprise and with that little spark of light illuminating her features, a sense of ease washed over Itsuki. He had been a bit worried for her since she had been acting odd from the start.

"I have that promise to keep to all of you too. I'm not going anywhere until I'm done here. I swear it again."

Now a comfortable silence overtook the air between them as Itsuki's eyes now began to totter closed. The sleep he'd desired was now approaching slowly but surely like rising tides incrementally washing over his body.

"Where you're from… what is it like?"

"I haven't really spoken much about my world, have I?"

"Since you two had arrived, I've wondered. There are tales passed around the kingdom about the Sky but I've never known if any of them are true."

"Well, for starters it's completely unlike Granvania. The buildings are made of different materials and the roads are cement rather than the stone paths connecting everywhere here. Buildings stand taller, we travel around in… metal chariots. I think would be the best way to describe them. They're not like anything I've seen in this kingdom. In Japan, or the Sky as it's called here, there are no horses carrying people around and everyone is more like me in appearance. In general, that is."

"It sounds strange. I can hardly imagine it all."

"I'm not the best artist, but perhaps I could try drawing something to show you a glimpse of it? I make no promises you won't laugh when you see how clumsy these hands are."

"Clumsy? The hands of the hero are clumsy even though they wield a sword to fight monsters to save us all?"

Another warm and soothing giggle came forth from her. Itsuki was powerless but to smile as he heard it. The peace he felt overwhelmed him and he quickly fell silently into rest. Without a response in return, Ruka knew all too well he was fast asleep.

Now that he was fully passed into the dreamworld, she finally peered down to the face of Granvania's hero. That dark black hair which was ever so slightly a mess this day. The cute nose and calm face she never would have come to expect from a knight. She had her own expectations of the hero she knew would arrive someday and this person now laying so defenselessly before her was nothing like what she'd come to expect.

She took one brave step as she poised her fingers upon his forehead once again. She wondered if she would be able to read his emotions now, the thoughts that ran through his dreamlit eyes. Yet just as before there was nothing to be heard, felt or seen from him. Still the puzzle as he'd ever been, she smiled as she continued to peer down to his visage. With him, she felt just the most minute amount lighter. Not needing to feel or see any of those warped thoughts she'd always detect from others. It was a relief that the hero was different from everyone else she'd ever met. But she couldn't deny her shield wouldn't lower so readily. The moment he'd wake up, she'd be on defense once more.

As he continued to sleep, she began to run her hand through that lovely obsidian hair of his. Like the moonless sky without a shine of light to reveal what is upon the earth, it was comforting.

"Sleep well, Mr. Hero." She bid him rest as she too began to feel the weight of sleep tug upon her eyelids.

In time the two had both waded into the waters of an ocean of wonders only seen when you left the world behind. Little did they know, a certain mischievous girl with bubble gum pink hair would happen upon them. Thus began the chatter throughout the Star God Academy whenever the two would be seen together.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ITSUKI!

In lieu of the Conception anime released today, the one anime I've anticipated,I've decided to release this story I'd written for Itsuki's birthday of 2017. Back when the adaptation was revealed on the 4th of May, I woke up with a start to see a bold dream of mine somehow came true. I'd fantasized about my favorite game of all time being animated fully. Completely voiced Itsuki! What else could you want? I can't wait until I get to see it for myself with plenty of friends! Now they'll finally know that story I've talked about non stop for all the time they've known me. Hahaha.

As an aside, Ruka is most definitely my favorite ship for Itsuki. Her route was one I'd adored to read and am reading through again as of this moment. So almost all of my fan fiction for Conception ships the two together. I'm not at all biased! wwwww