Braver Together
Disclaimer: I do NOT own either Inuyasha or DanMachi/DanMachi: Sword Oratoria
Summary: Wanting to keep her promise to Finn, there was one Pallum lady that Lili wanted to introduce him to. She was smart, strong, and above all else she was brave. Much braver than herself, and probably one of the bravest adventurers she knew. Now how would her childhood protector feel about being set up with Finn Deimne?
Character Names: This has to be stated early on, and I want to clear this up before I get bitched at by readers. I will only be using the official names that are released by the Fujino Omori in his Light Novels for DanMachi and Sword Oratoria. I will not be using the names from the DanMachi wikia or the Yen Press translations. I refuse to use the fake names from sites and companies that name the characters all willy-nilly without respect to the series' author and the author's decisions. Translators who can't respect the series creator shouldn't be translators at all, and should find a new job.
Pairing: KagomeFinn, AisBell, HitomiSouta
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Foreign Language"
Lili breathed out a sigh as she thought on her promise to Finn Deimne. Who would have thought that a top adventurer like him would have fallen in love with her because of one act of bravery?
Certainly not her.
Now how was she going to fulfill that promise? Finn wanted to marry a brave Pallum girl, but she didn't think there were any that the Loki Familia leader would consider brave.
What was she going to do?
"Is something wrong, Lili?" Bell Cranel, Lili's friend and co-familia member asked in concern. After the whole fiasco with the Soma Familia, the War Game against the Apollo Familia, and the matter with the Ishtar Familia, he was worried about the smallest member of their Familia.
"Ah~ what's wrong Lilisuke? You've had that look on you the whole time since we left Babel," Welf Crozzo, her Familia's sole blacksmith, remarked.
The members of the Hestia Familia had just returned from a two-day expedition of exploring the Dungeon and harvesting magic stones. And they were currently heading to the Guild to exchange their magic stones and drop items for Valis (the currency of the lower world).
"Perhaps Lili-dono is tired from the return journey," Yamato, Mikoto suggested. "Though we had stayed the night in Rivria, we had went as deep as the twentieth floor, Bell-dono."
"Are you feeling alright, Lili-chan?" Sanjono, Haruhime, Hestia Familia's newest member and only Runarl, asked.
"It's nothing minna-sama," she answered with a shake of her head. Her magic created Chienthrope ears flopped around at the movement. Touching the soft fur of one ear, she couldn't help but think of the kind adventurer that had once taken her in and gave her the grimoire for Cinder Ella.
She froze, halting her steps as realization struck like she had just been hit by fresh lightning. She did know someone that was worthy of Finn's affections. Her former caretaker was an extremely kind and generous Pallum, and one of the bravest adventurers she knew.
"Minna-sama could Lili have the rest of today and tomorrow off?" the tiny Pallum requested eager to find the older Pallum after not seeing each other for the last two years.
"I don't see why not," the rabbit colored teen replied while holding up the large bag of gold in his hands. "We've made than enough money today to have a few days off. What does everyone else think?"
"A day off wouldn't be so bad," the fallen nobleman shrugged. "I could use the time to work on Bell's new armor."
"Sumimasen," the fourteen-year-old bowed his head bashfully. Because of the depth of their expedition he had once again had his armor destroyed by another monster.
"I have some business to attend to with Haruhime, so a break would be appreciated," the former Takemikazuchi Familia member answered.
"I think we can all use a little break," Haruhime smiled softly.
"In that case, why don't we all head off to our own things, and I'll talk to Kami-sama," Bell suggested. Though they were all members of the Hestia Familia, he knew that not everyone wanted to deal with their goddess. Even with his ideology that gods and goddesses should be respected, he didn't particularly enjoy being in the presence of his goddess either but someone had to report to Hestia, and it might as well be the Familia's first member.
Hestia was much too clingy and bossy, and she couldn't take the hint that he had no intentions of ever returning her affections or seeing her as a lover. There was also the fact that she almost never listens to him when he tries to tell her something especially when it was important. Perhaps he should stop trying to appease her all the time; it really got on his nerves when Hestia didn't listen.
Although he was grateful that she had accepted him into her Familia when no one else would (though they had both been in the same boat), he had considered converting to the Loki Familia after leveling up because of her overbearingness. If he had converted he wouldn't have to put up with Hestia constantly putting down his feelings for Ais Wallenstein, and he would have a better chance with the girl he liked. If he was ever able to get Ais to look his way as a love interest, he doubted that Hestia would ever give him permission to marry the girl of his dreams.
"Arigato minna-sama," Lili thanked before running off towards the more aliens residential districts of Orario.
Her Familia members bid her to stay safe before separating from each other and heading off to do their own things.
Running through the wealthy residential area of the labyrinth city, the small Pallum's enormous backpack bounced with each step she took.
As she passed by the Twilight House, Lili barely heard the shout of the younger of the Hiryute Amazoness twins, too focused on her search for her former caretaker's home.
"Where are you going, Pallum-chan?" Tiona called out, surprised to see Liliruca Arde run pass her. Though they were from different Familias, she rather liked the tiny teen. The Pallum might not be physically strong as she was, but Lili was cheerful, cute, and energetic much like herself.
"What are you shouting about Tiona?" Tione, the elder of the Hiyrute twins, inquired.
"Oh, Lili-chan just ran pass here," the younger of the siblings answered. She watched as a fire was lit under her bustier twin.
Unlike her, Tione didn't particularly like the female Pallum. The long-haired Amazoness had initially been fond of the fake Chienthrope. But as soon as Finn Deimne had developed feelings for his fellow Pallum, Tione's feelings towards the younger girl had taken an about face, now seeing Lili as her rival for Finn's affection and place as his bride.
"Did something happen?" Finn, the captain of the Loki Familia, questioned as he exited the doors of the castle that was the Loki Fmailia's home, the Twilight House.
"Ah, captain!" Tiona greeted the blond Pallum. "Lili-chan just ran by. She looked like she was in a hurry or something."
She didn't get why her sister was so in "love" with the head of their Familia. He was a nice guy and everything, but Tione really needed to move on. Even though she didn't have any experience with men, she understood that her older sister, more often than not, went too far in her pursuit of the male Pallum. The older Amazoness was sickeningly obsessed with the forty-some-year-old, and more than a little bit of a creeper.
You just don't attempt to get a person drunk in an attempt to force them into a non-consensual marriage, or force your love on them when they've made it abundantly clear that they would never be requited. Doing stuff like that would only end up with you being hated by the person you love.
If her sister truly loved their captain as she claims to, Tione would have allowed Finn to find happiness with another even if it was at the cost of her own.
"Let her be," the blond waved off. "As long she's not being attacked or chased by others, I trust Lili will be fine on her own. For now, you both should start getting ready. Since our next expedition is soon, Loki-sama wants us to go out to dinner tonight."
'I'll ask Lili about what she was doing in this area the next time we meet,' Finn noted, curious on why the much younger Pallum would even be in the wealthy district. Aside from himself and other members of the Loki Familia, he wasn't aware of Lili being associated with anyone else in the affluent residential area. And they hadn't arranged to meet each other again since he had asked her to marry him earlier last month. 'I hope she's not stealing from adventurers again.'
Lili grinned as she spotted a familiar ivory stone statue at the corner of the street. Turning down that road, she passed by another fox statue and then one of a white Akita dog.
Behind the statues stood tall (even by human standards) white walls created in the style from the Eastern Lands that stretched endlessly. Adorning the walls were circular crests (kamon) with the images of a bell and fox pictured within, and on the roof corners were more statues of foxes and Akita dogs.
The walls encompassed the entirety of the land that lies beyond, protecting the residents of the compound and ensuring privacy.
Lili continued running, passing the four more crests, until she came to a stop in front of a bright red torii gate, signifying the residence of a god from the Eastern Lands or the god's Familia. Directly behind the torii stood an embedded shining, silver colored gate made of mithril.
Taking a hold of the rope that hung beside the gated doorway, the fake Chienthrope pulled it down with all of her and her backpack's combined weight.
The bell above her head chimed as she released the rope, and another bell tolled from somewhere within the alabaster white walls. The latter bell rung loudly; the sound echoing through the compound and out in the streets.
Lili's magic created ears twitched at the volume, having never been used to the sound while in this form. And having not been to the compound for several years made her even more sensitive to the noise.
As the ringing began to die down the mithril gate cracked open.
"Can we help you?" a red headed boy, much taller than Lili, asked as he stepped halfway out.
"I need to speak with Odysseus-sama," Lili called out the alias her former caretaker had been given by the gods and goddesses.
"Why do you need to speak to her?" the boy growled, baring his sharp canines at the Pallum in warning. The young yokai obviously did not like having a stranger so near or in his territory.
"Shippo!" a lovely soprano cut through the air sharply. "What do you think you're doing?"
The redhead froze as soon as his name was said. "Nothing!" he called back as innocently as he possibly could while trying to discreetly close the gate.
"Hey!" Lili shouted. Latching onto the gate's handle, the Pallum dug her heels and backpack into the ground as she attempted to prevent the door from shutting.
"What was that?" the woman, judging by the maturity of her voice, asked.
"It was just Kenta. Yeah, Kenta's just playing a game with me and the others," the boy fibbed as he harshly yanked the gate closer to himself. The new Pallum was a lot stronger than she looked or her backpack was just that heavy. Because even with his supernatural strength, he wasn't able to close the gate.
"Don't give me that, Shippo-kun," the woman admonished. "I just came from Kenta-kun's room, and he's been sick in bed all day. And stop being rude to our guest?"
"But there's no one here," the yokai boy protested as he held the door tight. "Ow!" he cried as he suddenly disappeared from the doorway.
"Did you really think I didn't know?" the woman asked.
With only one force acting upon it, the mithril gate swung wide open, sending Lili, backpack and all, flying to the opposite side of the street.
As the gate sent Lili flying across the air, an extremely petite woman, standing at just 126 centimeters (4'1.5"), appeared in the archway of the compound's walls.
A light breeze blew, tousling locks of loose, long raven black hair. Sapphire blues widened and blinked rapidly in surprise as rosy pink lips released a gasp.
"Lili-chan!" the pretty, but unusually tall Pallum gasped upon recognizing the heap that was supposed to be her Familia's guest.
"Kagome-onee-sama!" the younger Pallum greeted, grinning as she popped up from where she had fallen.
AN: Sorry if Haruhime is completely and utterly out of character. I cannot read Japanese fluently so I don't really have an idea of how she talks, and the wiki refuses to write anything about the character interactions with each other or characters' speech and mannerisms. And yes there is a damn difference between a character's speech and their personality. These were the other names I had considered for Kagome's alias in this story: Thesus, Vesta, Nozomi, and Ten Mi.
And yes, I really dislike Hestia, and I consider Tione to be bat shit insane.
AN2: Again, I will not be using any of the English names released by Yen Press. They don't use the official names of the characters, and I absolutely refuse to use a translation company that does not respect the author. And no, I do not consider a translator to be an author. I would rather use a fan translated name until Omori releases the official English names of the other characters in his series.