A Moonlit Euphoria versus a Daytime Melancholy

Completely exhausted, the Blue clansman let out an exasperated sigh, while he stared off at the ceiling. The lights were off, and nothing but the moon's bright glow filled the small area around Saruhiko. All of the Red clansmen had either gone home, or went upstairs to sleep by this point, thus HOMRA was filled with nothing but the soft breathing of the two amber-eyed girls sleeping.

With the crow's head napping soundly on his lap and Suzuran curled up in his arms, every inch of Fushimi's body ached. He suddenly graduated from a young man to old, married father status within these past couple days, and his sore muscles were proof of it all. "Who knew it would end up being so exhausting…I figured it would be troublesome to have a family…but this is just beyond what I would have ever expected," the blue-eyed man thought.

"Tired?" a voice said beside him.

Eyes opening wide, Saruhiko brought his face back down and stared at the Red King, who was holding a bottle of water in front of him. "Mikoto-san…" he said quietly.

Hesitant at first, the Scepter 4 officer took the water from the crimson-haired man, and thought, "What does this guy want with me?"

Plopping himself down on a chair nearby the Blue clansman, the two sat in silence for a few minutes. The blue-haired man usually could analyze and read other people well, but Suoh had always been enigma to the man. Saruhiko always felt awkward around him, unsure of how to interact with the golden-eyed man. Especially nowadays, considering the monkey had betrayed the Red clan.

"Umm, I—"

"Fushimi, have you noticed it yet?"

"Eh?" As much as the blue-eyed man wanted to ask Mikoto what he meant, he knew he would never do so due to his stubborn pride. Flashbacks of their amusement park trip appeared in the Blue's mind. It was the same situation back then. Suoh had asked him the same question, and he refused to inquire further of the meaning behind Suoh's words.

And then, they struck a bulls-eye in Fushimi's heart. Looking down, he saw the two sleeping so peacefully against him. Despite all of the fighting, the aching, and the exhaustion, he didn't regret a single second of this whole experience. It strangely filled an empty void within the Blue clansman. Since he never had a close, warm, and loving family when he grew up, the Scepter 4 officer never really got to experience moments such like this.

Even though Saruhiko's personality was rough around the edges and unbearable to most people, Suzuran seemed to accept unconditionally, no matter how he acted. Misaki was similar as well—at least during their middle school days. No matter how abrupt he was with his words, which usually reflected his anti-social, gloomy, and spiteful attitude, the chestnut-haired girl always accepted it. She would greet him with that same, beautifully radiant smile every morning. The Blue blushed, while he happily stroked his fingers through vanguard's hair.

He was taken aback for a second when he heard a quiet whisper escape from the girl's lips.

"…Saru…you idiot…" she mumbled out, with a smile on her face. Yata quickly buried her face closer to the blue-haired man's abdomen, returning to her slumber.

Fushimi began to chuckle a bit. No matter what, whether it was awake or in her dreams, Misaki was always the same. Completely forgetting that the Red King was there with him, Saruhiko snapped out of his euphoric trance when he heard him speak.

"Fushimi. Use the spare bedroom upstairs. The bed should be big enough to fit you three on it."

Without even waiting for the Scepter 4 officer to respond, Suoh scooped up the sleeping crow from the couch and began to carry her up the stairs. Careful to not wake the child against his chest, Saruhiko stood up slowly and followed the crimson-haired man. Arriving to the room, he saw that Yata was already laying on one side of the bed.

"I'll be down the hall if you need me," Mikoto said before disappearing into the darkness.

Placing the child on the middle of the bed, Fushimi stood back up and took a moment to stare at the sleeping girls below him. The blue-haired man could feel his chest become tight. "Is it bad to want this to be reality?" he thought. "There would be nothing more I would want in life than if this all were to become true in the future. The three of us as a real family."

Leaning back down, Saruhiko gently kissed the two amber-eyed girls on the forehead. Tiptoeing to the other side of the bed, the Blue crawled in beside Suzuran. He quickly removed his coat and placed his glasses onto the small bedside table. Wrapping an arm around Misaki and the child, Fushimi breathed out a sigh of happiness before he too drifted off to sleep.

Yata nearly jumped a mile when she shook off her sleepy daze. She was shocked to wake up and find that the monkey had slept over for the night. It had been years since the two last shared a bed, and it felt odd to find the normally guarded man looking so defenseless and calm in his sleep.

Realizing that she had been staring at the Blue's face for at least five minutes straight, the girl blushed furiously, crawling out of bed. Leaving Saruhiko and Suzuran to stay asleep a while longer, the chestnut-haired girl tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen to start breakfast.

"Morning, Mama Misa! I trust that you slept well last night?" Kusanagi asked in between sips of his coffee.

"Morning! Yup I was out like a light last night. Sheesh, who would have known that raising a child could be so exhausting. I think every muscle in my body is sore from all the running around I did yesterday…It's not a bad feeling though. I can't really place my finger on it, but somehow it feels…"

"Satisfying?" Izumo smiled at the little vanguard, who was now frying eggs on the stove.

"Hmmm…yeah, I guess you can call it that!"

"Yata-chan, you look very happy this morning. Seeing a smile on your face definitely suits you the best."

Blushing a soft pink color, Misaki nodded and continued to cook the rest of breakfast without saying another word. Walking down the stairs with Suzuran in his arms, about a half hour later Fushimi noticed the smell of miso soup and grilled fish coming from the kitchen. Peeking his head in, the Blue clansman saw the chestnut-haired girl setting up the small plates, while cheerfully humming a tune.

"…Mama?" the child said, rubbing her tired eyes.

Looking up, a gentle smile appeared on the crow's face. "Ah, you guys are finally awake. Go sit at the table, and I'll bring breakfast over."

"Okay!"

The blue-eye man blushed at the endearing scene before him. After a night of sleeping together, the Scepter 4 officer woke up to find his beloved cooking breakfast happily for him and their daughter. It was like a dream come true. One that he desperately wished more than anything else to never wake up from.

As the three sat and ate breakfast, Yata asked the two blue-haired persons with her, "Sooo…what are our plans for today? Suzu, is there anything you want to do?"

For some peculiar reason, the blue-haired girl had a melancholic expression on her face with those words. Her eyes appeared as if she were hiding something.

"Is something wrong Suzu?" asked the Scepter 4 officer.

The child shook her head. After about a minute of silence, the girl whispered, "...Himawari Koen."

"Heeee, they still have that place in the future? I haven't gone there in such a long time!" said the crow.

The Sunflower Park was actually a large area within one of the malls of Shizume City. There were a large jungle gym and obstacle course play area for kids. They also had a merry-go-round and other small rides.

"Alright, let's go after we're done eating and washing up!"

The Blue continued to watch the child beside him. "Why does she have that look on her face? Is something going to happen today?" he thought. "Maybe it has to do with the reason as to why she's here…"

Regardless, the blue-haired man would tread with caution today.

"Oiiiiii Saru!" Yata called out, waving her hand from the merry-go-round.

Standing beside her daughter, who was sitting on one of the painted horses, the two continued to wave at the man watching them from the bench beside them the merry-go-round. Spending the entire day together again, the Blue had begun to relax, as nothing significant had happened all morning and afternoon. "It must have just been my imagination," he said to himself.

Quickly snapping a picture of the two riding by, Saruhiko smiled at the image on his PDA. It was really like having a family. The man wanted to cherish these moments, holding them dearly in his heart.

"Papa!" Suzu called out, running towards the Scepter 4 officer after getting off the ride.

No sooner than the three re-united, than a loud explosion came from the area just south of them. Through the smoky haze, they could hear the piercing sounds of guns firing into the air. Loud cries and screams of terror filled the mall, as a group of masked men appeared before them.

"Shut the fuck up and get to the floor if you don't want to get hurt!" one of the men shouted.

The barrel of his gun began to point at various shoppers, whose faces were streaked with tears. Saruhiko immediately grabbed onto the two beside him and dragged them behind one of the stone water fountains nearby.

"Oi, Saru! Who the fuck are these guys?" whispered the vanguard of HOMRA.

"I am not a 100% sure, but based on those strange masks, I'm guessing it's the Death's Reign group that has been under Scepter 4's radar for the past month. Though they were an unknown gang for a while, they have been getting extremely aggressive with their methods in order to instill as much fear into Shizume City's citizens.

Rumor has it, they are led by two strains—both brothers, who have dangerous abilities. In our database, it is recorded that the older of the two has the ability to cause things to explode with contact to his palm—whether it be building, object, or even a person. The younger has the ability to manipulate gravity to anything in close proximity to his body—he can lift up things into the air, or even bring down the force and crush you to death."

"What the hell…how can people like this even exist…" mumbled the vanguard.

"Dear citizens of Shizume City! We are the Death's Reign! If you don't wish to be sentenced to a brutal and horrible death, you would be wise to comply with all of our demands. But importantly, what we want is not just your money, but also we want your fear. We are strong, powerful, and will not hesitate to destroy all of you if you do not listen to us. Be afraid of us! Respect our authority!" the tallest of the men announced.

"Alright, everyone give us your money, including all of the stores within the area! If you try to do anything funny, we have our men watching you and will not hesitate to blow your fucking brains out!" another one shouted, cocking his pistols.

Although the smartest thing to do would be comply and wait for Scepter 4 to mobilize and come to the scene, Yata Misaki was the last kind of person to sit still and wait to be rescued. "Oi, Saru. Watch Suzuran for me."

Reading the chestnut-haired girl's thoughts immediately, Fushimi yanked the girl back towards the ground. "Misaki, what the fuck is going on in that single-celled brain of yours?" Blindly attacking a bunch of armed men in the midst of all these people is only going to end poorly, you idiot!" hissed the Blue. "Look at how scared Suzu i—"

Looking down at the child, the two were surprised to see their daughter being so calm in all of this. It was as if she was expecting such a thing to happen. "…Suzu?"

"Mama. Papa. No moving. Quiet," Suzuran whispered.

"Huh? What? Why?" asked the confused crow.

"See Misaki? Even our kid is telling you to shut up and stop squirming. So seriously, don't move until I can think of a plan. I'm guessing Scepter 4 should be sending the team over any minute now," Fushimi replied.

"Haaaa!? Are you telling me then to sit here and wait for the fucking Blues to come and save me? Fuck that shit! I'm Yatagarasu, vanguard of the Red clan! I would never let myself be saved by your shitty-ass clansmen!" Misaki shouted, forgetting to keep it to a dull roar.

"HEY YOU! WHY ARE YOU TALKING WHEN WE SAID TO KEEP QUIET! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?" one of the lackeys said, grabbing the chestnut-haired girl by the shirt collar.

Releasing her crimson aura, Yata gave a deadly stare. "Oi, you fucking piece of shit. Let go of me unless you want me to beat the living hell out of you, you bastard."

Fushimi face palmed after seeing that all the attention had been drawn onto them. "God fucking dammit, Misaki. Why do you have to be such an obnoxious idiot?"

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, BRAT! I'LL FUCKING BLOW YOUR BRAINS—AHHHHHHH!" the masked man shouted, feeling the metal of his gun burn his skin.

Misaki's flames engulfed the man soon after, and in a blaze of fury, the Red clansman grabbed the man by his belt and flung him face first into a trash can.

Seeing this, the older of the strain brothers shouted out, "What the fuck? Someone from the Red clan?"

"The name is Yatagarasu. You punks have been fucking around way too long. I'm going to kick your sorry asses now to oblivion."

"Are you fucking serious? Hey bro, get over here! Some Red clansman has an early death wish!"

Without hesitation, the amber-eyed girl approached the man, preparing herself for battle. Taking the initiative, the older strain lunged at Misaki. Inches from his grasp, the girl stealthily dodged. The man's palm skimmed the marble of the fountain, causing it to explode.

Saruhiko quickly covered the small child beside him as the debris and smoke flew around the circumference. Water began to pour and cover the ground. Being attuned to the Red's power of fire, the water would only lead to a disadvantage for the crow. "Tch, now I can only aim for his upper body," she thought in annoyance.

She decided to be the one to strike first this time around. Leaping onto one of the tables, Yata jumped high into the air and formed a giant, fuchsia flame around her body. Nimbly avoiding the man's grasp, the chestnut-haired girl placed her hands upon the man's mask and disintegrated it.

The man screamed out in pain—his face now completely exposed. Suzuran shivered in fear when she saw it. It was just so full of malice.

"You fucking brat. You're going to pay for this," snarled the man, splashing his face with water.

"Haaaaa, I'd like to see you try fucker!"

Just as the little vanguard spoke these words, she felt some sort of heavy force slam her body to the ground, drenching her body with the cool water. "Owwww, what the fuck!?

Standing beside her was the younger brother of Death's Reign. "Stop thinking so highly of yourself, girly. You really don't know who you're messing with."

The man knelt down and put his hand between the girl's thighs. "Should the two of us teach you a lesson?" His lips formed into a twisted grin.

"Y-y-you bastard!"

Suddenly the younger man felt a boot land a hard blow to his cheek.

"Arghhh!" he yelped out, being flung at least ten feet away from Misaki.

Feeling the gravity hold no longer, the amber-eyed girl stood up. "Saru?"

Glaring at the two strains, the Scepter 4 officer stated in a threatening voice, "Touch her again, and I'll show you worthless pieces of garbage no mercy."

The older man gave out a sinister laugh. "Bring it on then, you fucking brats."

Seeing the four get into combat, Suzuran could feel the overwhelming fear take over her. She knew she had to do something…yet she felt too hopeless and scared to do anything at that moment. That unmasked man. It was a face she knew too well. He had the same laugh and the face, wicked look that haunted her dreams every night.

However, the child snapped out of her frightened state when she saw the younger brother uproot and lift the remaining portion of the fountain from the ground. There was a stare down between the strain brothers and Saruhiko and Misaki. The man was ready to drop it upon the Red and Blue clansman, while the other was ready to grab ahold of the two's flesh.

It appeared that the child knew exactly what would happen in the aftermath of this final fight. Seeing the two strains charging towards her parents, Suzuran felt a surge of determination flow through her, chasing out all of the fear she had earlier. She knew what she had to do, and she would follow through…no matter what would happen.

"Suzuran…will…save."

Gasping out in surprise, Fushimi and Yata could only watch in horror as they saw the small child use all her strength to charge and grip the younger brother's legs together. Unable to stop, the man tripped over the blue-haired girl. Losing his focus, the large water fountain above him began to fly down straight at the two brothers below. The older of the two triggered his power, ready to blast away the fountain before it fell on the two, but due to the slippery water, the man lost his balance in attempt to stop, and his palm touched the wall.

Causing a huge explosion, the concrete began to collapse and collapsed upon the three strains, in addition to the marble fountain. Seeing Suzuran still at the two strain's feet, Misaki screamed out, "SUZUUUUUUU!"

Suddenly, like a bullet penetrating their skulls, Saruhiko and Misaki's minds were overtaken. As if they were an outsider standing in and observing a series of movie clips spliced together, Suzuran's time-leaping memories were all engrained within the scenes. The crow and the monkey could see some brief clips of their adult selves—maybe ten or so years into the future.

The first scene took place in a living room. "Wow, I can't believe that our very own daughter is a strain! Anna took a look into the girl's mind and saw that she has the ability to time travel!"

"Figures the two of us would have an unusual kid as well," Fushimi said with a chuckle.

"Now Suzu! Don't do anything reckless and use your power. You could cause a lot of trouble if you do!" Misaki said to the child.

"Why, Mama? Papa?"

Kneeling down beside the blue-haired child, Saruhiko said gently, "Suzu, do you like how things are now? Are you happy?"

"Yes! Suzuran is very happy! She has Mama and Papa!"

Embracing the little girl in his arms, the blue-eyed man continued on. "Well, if you like how everything is now, we need to keep everything the same way as it happened. If you go back in time and play around, you could make it so none of what we have right now exists. You need to promise me that you will only use your ability if you are in danger, okay Suzu?"

"Yeeessss, Papa!"

"Haaa? Do you really think a six year old is going to understand what the hell you are talking about, Saru? I barely even can follow your thinking patterns."

Saruhiko smirked. "Well, thankfully, our precious daughter has inherited my brains. I don't have to worry about taking care of two single-celled idiots. Isn't that right Suzu?"

"Yeessss!"

"OI, ARE YOU TWO GANGING UP ON ME? SORRY FOR BEING AN IDIOT, OKAY!?"

The three then began to laugh out, sitting in a warm group hug.

—

The scene quickly faded and moved on. The next clip simply showed Misaki opening a letter with the words, "We're coming for you" written on the paper. Dropping the piece of paper onto the ground, Suzuran stared at it, unknowing of the meaning behind the letter.

—

The next scene showed Saruhiko and Misaki discussing something within a dim-lit kitchen. Unaware that Suzuran was awake, the child hid behind the wall, listening in on her parent's conversation.

"So you're saying that those two strains from the Death's Reign have escaped from the strain facility? How is that even possible!?" cried out the crow.

"You know how dangerous their powers are. The older one has the ability to make things explode on contact with his palm, and the younger has the ability to manipulate gravity within a few meters of his body. It was amazing that we were able to arrest those two in the first place with so few casualties. You yourself were hospitalized the day we caught those bastards," Fushimi replied.

"…I know…but it scares me to know that they already have found out where we live, and that they'd be holding a grudge for all those years they were locked away. Not so much scared for myself…but I'd rather die than to see something happen to you or Suzuran!"

Pulling the chestnut-haired girl into his arms, Fushimi said sternly, "Shut up and don't ever say something like you'd die. No one is going to die here. We'll all be fine. I'll protect you and Suzuran. We'll be ready for those scum any time."

"…Saruhiko…"

—

The scene began to change again, and the two then found themselves standing beside a burning home. Soon, they were sucked inside the home and brought into a bedroom. They could hear Suzuran sobbing and crying out, "Mama! Papa!" over and over again. Looking down onto the ground, the Red and Blue clansmen both gasped, as they saw their lifeless bodies lying in a pool of blood.

"Hey brat. No matter how much you cry, your parents are never going to come back. They both got a one-way ticket to Hell, courtesy of me and my brother," the taller man said with a sinister grin.

Pushing the crow's face over to his direction with his shoe, the man laughed out and said, "Payback is a bitch, huh?"

Hearing the man sent shivers down the amber-eyed child's spine. She was beyond terrified at this point. The man's face had been seared into her mind, and she would never forget such a horrible man for the rest of her life. He was the man that barged into her family's simple, but happy life. He was the one to kill her parents, torch her home, and leave her with nothing but bad memories.

Whether the man felt pity (which was highly implausible), or he wanted Misaki and Saruhiko to writhe in agony in their graves knowing the trauma their child would have to deal with for the rest of her existence, the man grabbed onto the small child and threw her out onto the street before disappearing off into the night.

—

The scene changed again, this time focusing on a funeral being held for the two. Both the Red and Blue clansmen had joined together, mourning the loss of their fellow clansmen. Although tears were raining down almost as heavy as the stormy clouds outside, Suzuran stood in front of both of her parent's portraits without a tear in her eye. She simply looked like a lifeless doll—no emotion, no tears…not even a sound uttered from her lips.

Suddenly, the blue-haired child recalled her father's words. "You need to promise me that you will only use your ability if you are in danger, okay Suzu?"

Although it wasn't her that was in danger, the girl could only think of the horrifying image of her dead parents that haunted her dreams. Suzuran clenched her tiny fist and looked straight into the eyes of her mother and father's portraits.

"Mama. Papa. Suzuran will save," she said with determination.

"Suzu-chan? What did you—" Kusanagi suddenly gasped out in surprise as the girl disappeared before his eyes.

The girl only had a few words firmly engraved in her mind, while being pulled through the time dimensions: Mama. Papa. Save. Death's Reign.

It was as if some sort of higher being had guided her to this specific time period. Waking up in an alleyway, Suzuran looked toward the main street and saw she was in the shopping district of Shizume City. The question was, how would she find her parents?

"Kanamoto! I dare you to say that again! Why the fuck are you talking about kids in the first place? Who the fuck cares about that shit! I hate brats anyway!"

The blue-haired girl's ears perked up upon hearing the sound of her mother's voice. Running out into the crowded sidewalk, she could feel the joy fill her heart when she saw the familiar chestnut-colored hair in front of her.

—

The following clips were almost too unbearable to watch for Fushimi and Yata. Apparently, this visit to the two wasn't her first. A series of scenes revealed the many attempts and failures of the girl. She would always return back to the same exact time to try again, but nothing done was significant enough to change the fate of her parents in the future.

There were situations where Yata completely blew off the child, as was the case with Fushimi. Other times, they would get to this point, but it would either end with Misaki or Saruhiko being hurt or on the verge of being killed. Even if she completely avoided Himawari Koen, or even stepping a foot outside of HOMRA that day, the three were ultimately fated to meet the Death's Reign group. It was inescapable.

The duo felt their hearts ache, seeing their daughter re-living these horrible scenes over and over again. It was something no child should ever have to see or experience. Especially knowing that Suzu was doing it for their sakes, the tears burned as they trailed down their faces.

The child was persistent though—a quality inherited from both her parents. She was determined to save the two. Before they knew it, Fushimi and Yata were brought up to present day, re-watching the scene that had just occurred within the past half-hour.

It was as if the blue-haired child had an epiphany. She knew what she had to do, and the girl did it without any regret.

Although the flashbacks through Suzuran's mind seemed like hours, in real time, it was merely seconds. Snapping out of their sorrowful daze, the cloud of smoke from the debris finally dissipated around them.

"SUZU!" the two shouted in unison.

Saruhiko and Misaki were ready to jump onto the pile of rubble in attempts to find their child. They could only fear the worst, as the thick, crimson blood from the crushed bodies mixed in with the water on the ground. Desperately overturning the concrete, they continued to call out the blue-haired girl's name, until…

"Mama! Papa!"

Fushimi and Yata immediately turned to their beloved daughter, who somehow was standing beside them, completely unscathed.

"What the… you're safe!?"

"Before things fall on Suzuran, somehow all stopped," she said bewildered.

"…Do you think she means that she somehow stopped time!?" Fushimi asked. "It must have been her first time, considering she doesn't seem to know how it had happened. Some sort of emotion must have triggered it inadvertently."

"Well, I don't fucking care why it happened. I'm just glad it did happen! Suzu, come here! I want to hold you!"

"So do I," Fushimi said, proud of his little girl.

Giving a sweet smile to her mother and father in front of her, Suzuran hugged tightly onto them. Suddenly, a bright glow was emitted from her tiny body.

"What the fuck…Oi! What the hell is happening!?" shouted the frightened crow.

The blue-haired girl's body was beginning to fade, as little particles of light were floating away from her form.

"What the…is this also her strain ability? Is she going to go back to her own time now that she's done what she needed to do?" asked Misaki with tears spilling from her eyes. "Oi, Saru! Give me a fucking explanation!"

Fushimi could feel his chest grow tight, realizing the most possible outcome of this situation. "No…by altering the course of time, she must have changed the future. By doing what she did…by changing the past…she is no longer going to exist, since all of the future circumstances are changing…"

Saruhiko couldn't hold back his own tears, seeing his daughter slowly disappearing. In the end, the girl had sacrificed herself in order to save whatever horrible future the two were supposed to have—even if it were to end with her existence being removed from the world.

A loving smile appeared on the child's lips. "Mama. Papa. Suzuran always loves you. Be happy for Suzu." Those were her last words before the final wisps of her figure faded before them.

Fushimi and Yata could do nothing more than hold each other, sobbing miserably. Their beautiful, loving, and one of a kind daughter succeeded in altering their lives in order for them to live a happy future. No matter how much pain and suffering she went through, Suzuran still persisted on until she did what she wanted to do—save her parents. Yet, the two were powerless to do anything to help her themselves. The only thing they had left was this memory of this child—and the two would never forget it for the rest of their lives.

It was engraved into their hearts and minds.

END

OMAKE – Where the Future Lies

"You're doing good Fushimi-san! Just push one more time!" the labor and delivery doctor called out to the chestnut-haired girl in front of him.

"Ahhhhhh, fuuuuuuck!" Misaki screamed out, giving one final push.

Not a moment later, the cries of an infant could be heard throughout the hospital room.

"Congratulations, Fushimi couple. It's a girl!" said the doctor, wrapping the child in a warm blanket.

After cutting the umbilical cord, the child was placed in the tired mother's arms. Staring lovingly at the little bundle against her skin, the crow panted out, "Saru…look! She ended up having your hair color."

Leaning over to kiss his amber-eyed wife lying in the bed beside him, he gazed with affection at the two. "She's beautiful, Misaki. Just like you."

Yata blushed upon hearing those words.

"Not to bother you too much, but has the Fushimi couple decided on a name for your child?" asked one of the nurses.

Remembering the amber-eyed child from the past, the two immediately looked into each other's eyes and grinned.

"Suzuran. Her name will be Fushimi Suzuran."

OMAKE END