Disclaaaaaaaimer: Only thing I own here is my OC, Elise. Also; Requiem of Red : Yui Horie. (Not mine.)

Warning: Don't cry.

Update: Already found a few errors that I have just fixed. Also, after much thought, I've decided to continue this into a series of one-shots. I don't want to dedicate myself to writing an entire story at the moment, since I'm lacking the time to keep up on writing consistent and satisfying chapters. So for now, I'll continue with some little teasers of what's yet to come.

As for the very first guest review I've received; thank you so much for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really did want to write a fic revolving around Mikoto, but I also really wanted to deviate from the story as little as possible while continuing it from the end of the anime. I think I just stuck Izumo in there to make it less depressing for me as I was writing, hahaha. Writing it was a pretty depressing experience.

Anyway, next chapter hopefully coming soon! I'm already scrambling to write down my ideas...

This place…

My head lifted lazily from my folded arms, feeling slowly flooding to various other parts of my body. The sensation brought to my attention to the cushy bar stool I sat upon, and the slight bend in my knees. I became aware of a comfortable cold tingle against my long fingers, and gentle warmth around my opposite hand. Along with that warmth was a sensation like fire, hot and fresh, on my other side. It made me feel at ease, but to the extent of which it began to feel unreal.

Finally, I took a deep breath.

Candles…?

No, fire… Simple fire.

A calm fire, with the smell of burning leaves.

The aroma washed over me, and before I could think, my eyelids parted.

My left hand held a glass with ice inside, and I internally questioned myself why it had no liquid in it. Without even raising my sluggish gaze, another glass slid towards me and clanked softly against its predecessor. This time it was full of a very light brown fluid as well as numerous cubes of ice. After several moments, I lifted my head completely from my arms, and my eyes were met with the very gentle stare of the bartender; Izumo Kusanagi.

He smiled softly, "You fell asleep after only your first drink… You must have had a tough day."

I met his stare, studying his eyes through the stylish shades that draped over them. I found genuine happiness in them, and a flame that danced in his irises. "Izumo…" I muttered.

His lips broke into another grin, "What, still sleeping?"

Is this really…

I felt the warmth around my right hand increase a bit, and I glanced down to see a small, delicate looking white haired girl in the stool next to me; Anna Kushina. She blinked, and her head cocked to the side just a bit. "Elise," she stated. It was more of a whisper; a mere discovery that I was now awake.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling at her, gently squeezing her fingers with mine, "Hello, cute Anna."

She blessed me with a smile of her own, turning towards Izumo and taking a drink of what looked to be a small glass of tea.

Is this… real…?

"You're alive."

That voice… I felt its low rumble more than I heard its deep hum, and it soothed me immensely. For some reason, in the back of my mind, I was elated to hear that sound; the sound of his voice.

The Red King.

Our King.

My King…

Mikoto Suoh.

My eyelids perked open at the realization of the emotions sparked by my sudden awareness that he was sitting right next to me, and my head turned quickly to face him. If I had turned any faster, I was sure my neck would have snapped off.

Merely the one side of his face that appeared in front of me was enough for my entire body to finally relax and become immersed in this; this reality. I was here. We were here, with our family of Reds.

The single eye showed to me gazed indifferently at my form. His eyes slid shut for a moment as he took a long, deep drag off the cigarette his lips cradled, then they opened and he fully turned to me.

I had been entranced by his presence so deeply for so long that I had forgotten he even said anything. Flustered to the point of annoyance at the slight sparkle of worry in his deep hues, I turned back towards Izumo and took a large, stinging gulp of my liquor. At long last, I finally felt awake.

My gaze slipped over to Mikoto once again, and I smirked, "You think I was dead?"

I noticed his eyes squint slightly, as if he were looking for something. His intense stare faltered, however, when a very slight smile of his own seemed to wash the worry from every muscle in his face; a strange look for the Red King.

"I can't die until after my second glass of this water of heaven—at least!" I slurred my words, exhaustion taking a small toll on my speech, but I grinned anyway. Izumo nodded and chuckled at my next large gulp of alcohol.

Suddenly another source of warmth encased my shoulders, and I felt the presence of a close friend at my side, between me and Anna.

"Now, now Elise… Don't drink so much," the man teased. I tilted my head to the side and noticed a pair of gentle eyes, and a friendly, loving face. This one, too…

He's really here, right next to me…

The man no one could ever find a reason to dislike in any manner, even if they tried. He loved everyone equally, and we all loved him as much as a family possibly could; Tatara Totsuka. He could fill a room with happiness and warmth just by stepping in and giving a tender smile.

Yet, he was sh—

My body cringed suddenly, but I held a grin, lightly flicking the kindhearted Tatara in the forehead. "Children don't need to worry about the activities of adults."

He pulled back and playfully ruffled my hair, "C'mon, you're only just a few years my senior, gimme a break."

Nothing could have broken my joyous smile at that moment. I was here, with my family…

Before I could retort to Tatara's teasing, Anna opened her mouth and began to sing a quiet song.

"Gently, I place a white veil…"

It felt as if time had stopped, her uncharacteristic verses ringing and echoing in my head.

"… over the red, burning and proud flame."

I squeezed her hand lightly in an attempt to make her stop; to close her damn mouth. Why was I getting so angry? I had never been upset with Anna.

"Everyone will be left alone someday…"

Before I could attempt again to quiet her, the coldness of my drink was replaced by what seemed to be a flame. It enveloped my hand entirely, and it took me the full length of many miserable seconds to realize that it was Mikoto's.

"… to engrave it in our memories, so deep that it hurts."

The Red King's calloused fingers pressed into my smooth, feminine skin with a certain dominant gentleness I had no idea he possessed. I turned slowly to glance at him, and noticed that he was still facing straight ahead, glaring intensely—thoughtfully—down at the bar counter.

"This white world—that was all there was…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Izumo bow deeply to the King, only to rise and slowly walk away with what looked like sorrow hidden behind his dark shades.

"… until the first color that tied everything together."

"W-Wait! Izumo… where are you going? What's going on?" I frantically threw questions at Izumo's back, even as he stalked away, unhindered by my words. Soon, he was out of my sight, making his way to the second floor.

"Thinking back to that day, we swore a firm oath; I let my thoughts run free…"

An uncomfortable amount of anxiety began to rise in the depths of my stomach, and in a desperate attempt to escape it, I stood and darted towards the stairs.

"... Prayers high in the sky, our bonds are beyond zero."

I was unable to get very far; Mikoto's unrelenting grasp on my hand caused me to be painfully pulled backwards, towards the essence of my rising nervousness. His eyes finally rose from the counter to meet mine as his form protectively towered over me, despite the fact that I was now standing.

"Here, after understanding the meaning of life, the meaning of parting, and the meaning of endings…"

Anna's singing started to sink in, and my eyesight became slightly blurred from trapped tears. I shook my head and glanced desperately over to where Tatara had been standing just a few minutes ago.

"… we finally come to know Loss Rest Remembrance."

My free hand flew to my mouth when I saw him. Even though his face still retained its gentleness, as well as that beautiful smile, there was an obvious and almost disturbing sign of pain straining his features. A large pool of red slowly appeared in my peripheral vision, and my eyes instinctively darted to Tatara's stomach. I choked loudly on my coming tears, and soon they were raining down from my eyes as I remembered; that's where... he was shot… He's dead... Tatara's loving smile only widened, his bloody thumb reaching out to weakly brush my cheek.

"Hey.. don't sweat it… Elise..."

"Tatara!" I screamed, abandoning Anna's hand to reach out for him, only to find that he vanished into bright red flames, licking at the flesh of my outreached arm.

"Thinking back to the day we swore a firm oath, I let my thoughts run free…"

The entirety of my surroundings was suddenly enveloped by this colorful flame. Anna was gone as well, though her song still echoed through the dancing fire. It seemed as though many other voices I recognized as Reds joined her, as if they all were playing some cruel joke on me.

"… Prayers high in the sky, our bonds are beyond zero."

Through my foggy tears, I finally looked up into Mikoto's eyes. They looked so gentle… so apologetic. So tired.

"Elise…" he mumbled. Something about his voice made more tears spill their way from my eyes. "You… You need to let go." My eyes widened when he hesitated, but squinted once again when I grimaced at the appearance of new salty tears. They slipped down my face and sizzled into the burning surface beneath us. No matter how much I wanted to look away from the man before me, I could not tear my gaze from his determined eyes.

"Remain within this body forever, as long as our blood runs crimson…"

Once again, I choked, hiccuping pathetically at the empty presence of my King, "Mikoto, I d-don't… I don't want you to leave." His eyebrows creased in the center as I spoke, something like regret lingering in his eyes. "I-I'm not… We're not ready for a new King. You're th-the best… we could have asked for…"

"… Please let the bottom of our hearts be home to pride passed down, and that love."

A mix of emotions crossed his gaze, and he very slowly stepped closer to me. Eventually I could feel his flame-like breath grazing my face. Even through the redness of my face from the amount of crying I had done thus far, a small blush exposed itself atop my cheeks. His hands lifted and landed on my shoulders, firmly holding them as his gaze pierced deep into my own.

"I've decided…" he practically whispered.

"And now, it calms…"

"Elise," Mikoto firmly stated my name, causing my tears to slow to a halt. "You will be the Red King."

His words took far too long for me to comprehend, and soon enough my eyes went wide and my mouth gaped open. "Wh-What, but… what? No, you'll always be—"

I was quickly interrupted by the hot, alien feeling of my King's lips upon my own.

Isn't this a dream…? Why is it so vivid…?

It was as if I could feel my consciousness begin to slip when Mikoto's grip on my shoulders pulled me only closer, and his arms enveloped my back in a vice grip that could have broken me if he wished it. My eyes hesitantly closed, relishing this moment as much as I possibly could. This dream could be over at any second.

"Gone, he has gone, now…"

I felt the Red King's lips stretch into a soft smile against my own quivering mouth, and he soon parted from me, staring deeply once more into my emotionally transparent eyes. I saw a quick flash of red; his hair passed me and I felt a tingle at the side of my neck. It suddenly felt uncomfortable, but then pleasurable. I couldn't hold back a sigh, as his lips seemed to be working a hickey into my skin. My fingers gripped at his arms, but he was already finished.

"...with the offering of this song, gone…"

Mikoto's large hands found my shoulders once again, pushing me back slightly only to smirk at my flushed cheeks. It was replaced by his usual frown, however, when he finally opened his mouth to speak once again.

"I gave you a permanent mark… a sign of your power, and…." He cut himself off to lift his hands to my face, still staring very deep within my eyes, as if the essence of my soul was there. His palms pressed against my cheeks, "…my trust in you."

Finally finding my voice between the distractions of this very firm yet strangely gentle Mikoto, I clutched one of his hands in mine. "What do you want me to do?" My voice sounded strained, but I, unyielding, listened to his wishes for me.

"Burn them…" he breathlessly whispered. "Burn everyone who slights HOMRA. Protect them… for me."

I should have known this man better than to simply give orders. I grinned at the memories of him questioning why he was even a King, and refusing to willingly become a leader of any kind. He simply was kind to those who needed it, whether they noticed it or not, and gave them a family; people to care for and rely on.

"He has gone."

That verse… no… no!

"Mikoto!" I yelled suddenly, grabbing onto his arms as tightly as I could. As if I were holding them back for days, my tears began to once again spill down my face at a ridiculous pace.

Mikoto roughly pushed my arms away and practically jumped against me with a grunt, enveloping me in his arms as I pressed hard against his chest. As soon as he established a firm enough hold, blazes of fire spat and cackled around us. I glanced around in fear until I realized they were coming from his body. I started to feel a strange sensation as my body absorbed the fire he let off, but embers still grew and enveloped us as a whole. My tears absent-mindedly spilled against the flames, hissing into vapor. All I wanted to feel was Mikoto's embrace.

Soon, however, my consciousness began to fade, as well as the feeling of Mikoto's fire. I quivered in utter sorrow, gripping onto him as desperately as I could, as if I could bring him from my dream back to the real world. It was a meaningless effort, however. No matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open, keep my awareness in this reality, my senses eventually died away. I then felt the way I did as this dream began; lost, confused, alone.

After what felt like an eternity, I awoke again.

This time, however, I was immediately aware of everything. I heard my own gasps and chokes echo through the room as I glanced around with wide eyes, having lifted my head with a start at the time of my waking. I was in the same place I was in my dream; sitting in my usual stool in Izumo's bar.

I glanced down at the counter in front of me to see five empty glasses of what I assumed to be previously filled with liquor.

Did I… Did I drink that much?

I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. It didn't feel like I had slept at all. Everything in my dream was still so fresh… I could still feel the warmth from Mikoto's embrace and… his lips…

Before I could think anymore, I noticed movement at my side, and I turned to see the glistening of blonde hair. My last few senses finally came to me once again, and I could feel the warmth of someone snuggled against me. The barstool to my right was closer than usual, and this person had their arms loosely wrapped around my waist. Glancing at the counter once again, I spotted Izumo's shades in front of us.

My left hand rose to lightly move his hair from his face, "Izumo…"

Not a word.

Leaning forward slightly, I could just see the peaceful look on his sleeping face. It brought a warm smile to my lips, though not quite enough for it to meet my eyes. I felt very sad… very lonely at the loss of Mikoto, even after months of being without him. We lost our King; my… my love…

Another sigh made it out between my slightly parted lips, and finally the blonde man beside me began to stir. My eyes shifted to a nearby clock—3:34am—before they moved back to Izumo's tired looking face.

"Elise…?" the man grumbled. His head slowly lifted from my shoulder to glance at me with slightly reddened eyes, his eyebrows creased with worry.

I frowned at his distressed appearance, but managed to turn it into a small, mocking grin, "Good morning, sleepyhead… You look awful."

Izumo rubbed relentlessly at his eyes and blinked, finally sitting up in his stool, but keeping an arm hooked around my back. "Yeah, but it's your fault," he mumbled, gazing into my eyes. "You fell asleep about 4 hours ago, but wouldn't stop yelling for…"

His words suddenly faded into an inaudible whisper. Izumo seemed to be flustered for some reason, which I couldn't bring myself to believe. He is always so composed…

"… for Mikoto," he finished quietly, staring hard at the counter for several seconds. I grimaced and held back the sorrow that wished so deeply to escape from my eyes. Izumo switched his gaze back to me and his arm around my waist tightened considerably, "We were trying to wake you up, but your eyes stayed shut tight. I guess I fell asleep here trying to comfort you, haha…" His attempt at a laugh was very dry and emotionless.

Izumo gestured behind us, over to the sofa. Upon it were Misaki Yata and Anna, cuddled up underneath a blanket Izumo must have covered them with. They seemed to be sleeping very deeply.

"Those two were especially worried about you," he said quietly, earning an apologetic gulp from my dry throat.

Izumo turned back to face me, even though my eyes lingered on the younger ones for a bit longer. I suddenly felt cold fingers against the side of my neck; on the exact spot Mikoto marked me in my dream. I darted away from his touch in remembrance of those events, but glanced at him apologetically, "Sorry, you just… frightened me with your freezing cold-ass fingers." I smirked lightly, though it came naturally this time. My memories of Mikoto's final goodbye in my dream seemed to sooth me.

Izumo's eyes were widened in surprise by the time I looked at him, and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?" I asked softly. He only reached out again, his fingers brushing the same spot as his other hand turned my head to the side.

"How did you… why is this here? Why do you still have the insignia…?" His next touch to it caused a sizzling-like sound, and his hand darted back like lightning.

"Insignia?" I blurted, utter confusion settling in my voice, "What in the world are you talking about?"

Izumo's eyes narrowed in deep thought before he encased one of my hands completely between both of his. I raised an eyebrow and frowned instantly, "Your hands are fucking freezing, Izumo. Shit." I attempted to pull myself away from his grasp, but he persisted and held on tight.

"No, Elise," he said sternly, "You're just extremely warm."

I blinked several times before his words finally sunk in. I ripped my hand from his hold and squinted at him, leaning in towards his face slightly, "… Are… are you hitting on me, Izumo Kusanagi?"

He glanced up at me with a bored expression, and suddenly started chuckling. I was glad I could make him laugh. He seemed to be a bit disgruntled. His steady laughs produced a genuine smile on my face; finally.

A small grunt was heard behind us, and Izumo glanced over to Yata and Anna with a smile, "Looks like we woke the kids." It seemed as if the 'insignia' issue vanished.

Anna lifted her head from Yata's shoulder and yawned. Her large eyes opened and she glanced around the room, then to me.

Izumo stood and approached her, patting her on the head, "It's still very late, Anna. You should go upstairs and sleep in your bed." His eyes then shifted to Yata, still quite nonresponsive, "You too, Yata."

I was seconds from standing and approaching Anna and Yata to apologize for worrying them when Anna ran to me with her eyes and mouth gaping open. Izumo's gaze followed her curiously, eyebrows raised.

"Red!"

An entirely new mood entered the room with that one, simple word Anna spoke.

Yata's eyes widened suddenly as he seemed to wake up at the sound of her voice, and he shot a hard, deep stare at me. He jumped to his feet and hurried to stand next to Anna. His eyes traced over my face as if he didn't believe I was there standing in front of him.

"A-Anna…" Yata stuttered, "Is she really… Is she red?!"

I glanced down at the small girl, surprised at her single word as well. We all lost our Red Aura when Mikoto—as the Red King—passed away. It was impossible that anyone would have powers like that until the new Red King was chosen. Unless….

"Red King!" Anna chirped, grabbing at my shirt with her arms fully extended, "Beautiful red…"

I gulped at her words, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. My wavering gaze took me to Izumo, who looked just as confused as I was. "Elise, the Red King…" he mumbled, staring at something that seemed to be far off in the distance. When he noticed my eyes, he grinned and nodded, approaching me and pushing my hair out of my face. "Red Queen, Elise."

His words seemed to light a fire deep within my body, one I felt I had no control over. It was comfortable, however. I trusted this fire—for some reason—and I decided to let it out.

I closed my eyes momentarily, and my body steadily became extremely warm. But this warmth… it felt just like Mikoto. I felt his flames gently caressing my arms, around my body; it was everywhere. He must have given me this… This way I can never forget him.

I'll always have his fire in my heart.

When I finally opened my eyes from my deep thoughts, I could see flames dancing slowly from my body, seemingly embracing Yata, Anna, and Izumo. They all had peaceful smiles on their face, eyes closed as if receiving an embrace from an old friend.

Their expressions brought newfound resolve to my life.

I won't mourn Mikoto's death any longer.

I will strengthen HOMRA like never before, and bring respect to our Red family.

And I will burn…

…all those who slighted the Red King.