Disclaimer: Kazue Kato owns all of the characters and I'm just playing with them.

Author's Notes: As always, I'm still looking for a beta reader! Really, please let me know if you're interested. Nothing much to say this time around, so on with the show!


Coming int Bloom

Chapter 4: So Familiar

Shiemi hadn't been sure she could relax and enjoy herself much when both Nii-chan and the tree had caught fire after he had rolled over in his sleep. All within less than a minute of her arriving in her Santa costume.

After the initial shock and putting out the blaze as best they could before Nii disappeared with a 'pop', her friends had laughed at the situation. Not understanding the humor in her daze, she had been confused. She knew she treated Nii-chan more like a friend than a familiar, unlike most tamers, but she was the only one who seemed more concerned about what had happened to him than the chaos and potential ruin of the party. And none of it seemed funny. At least Izumo agreed with her.

He had been burning alive while Bon and Rin attempted to put the fire out. Nii-chan had been panicking before going back to his own dimension… and then after making sure everyone was okay, her friends had started talking about food and costumes while trying to regroup and salvage the party. It had been surreal.

Shiemi had been fairly certain that Nii-chan was okay, but the unassuming attitude her friends had made her feel incredibly uneasy, even if it was unintentional. From what she'd been told, Izumo's byakko kitsune had suffered worse with Yamantaka's black, soul-burning flames after Shima had attacked them, and both the fox spirits had come back to her unharmed. Flames from Assiah would surely be a far more trivial injury, she assumed. But Nii-chan was a baby and she'd never let him get injured like this before.

Unaware of Shiemi's inner turmoil and most likely assuming she was just sad that all of her efforts on the party had been wasted, they tried to cheer her up, as well as Izumo on the unfortunate demise of her beloved cake. There was no salvaging that. The cake was a lost cause.

Deciding that the huge mess downstairs, along with the potent smell of charred tree, electrical wires, and plastic ornaments warranted a change of location, the Esquires had determined that the party was going to happen, regardless.

Now, Shiemi numbly followed suit.

They picked up as much as they could and headed upstairs to Yukio and Rin's dorm room, where they set the burner for the hotpot on the kotatsu and Rin mixed and re-seasoned the food they'd managed to save. Shiemi'd heard Koneko say something about something about a 'five-second-rule' not applying anymore since all of the food had been washed and was being reheated, so she trusted his judgment after Izumo questioned how safe it was to eat.

Not long after, Rin declared the hotpot ready, and it looked and smelled surprisingly tasty despite having been a bizarre mix that had been scattered across the floor not thirty minutes before. As soon as they were about to portion it out, the first of their as of yet unaccounted for guests started coming into the small room.

"Guten Abend!" Everyone jumped when an explosion of pink smoke and sparkles filled the air as Chairman Mephisto joined them with a bow, hovering over Yukio and Shima's shoulders.

"Ugh. Seriously?" Rin muttered, waving away the floral scented fumes that mingled disgustingly with the smell coming from the hotpot. "Who invited that guy?"

"Tsk, tsk! I saw the ruins downstairs. Okumura-kun, although the building is old and in less than pristine condition, I would appreciate you not trying to burn it down," the True Cross Academy director smirked at Rin from across the table while he was still bent over at the waist. "I also expect you to personally clean up the mess you made. Do I need to ask Kirigakure-sensei to have you work on your flame control again?"

"What- what the hell?!" Rin sputtered, his eyes challenging Mephisto. "There's a fire so automatically it's Rin's fault? Just so you know—"

"It was me," Shiemi's cheeks heated as she timidly spoke up, not wanting her friend to take the blame for her mistake or get himself into trouble for mouthing off. She first looked at the Esquires. "I invited him…" then turned bashful eyes to the headmaster, "and I'm the one who made the mess."

"Oh?" Caught off guard, Mephisto inclined a thin brow and shot her a look of wonder before he rose to a standing position. "I must say, Moriyama-san, I would never have guessed that you of all people could have caused such wanton destruction!"

"There was a small accident, Pheles-san, and Shiemi-san is hardly to blame," Yukio chimed in, trying to divert the attention that was now on her. "Rest assured, we will clean it up tomorrow."

Rin nodded in agreement with his twin, along with a number of the other Esquires. She knew they were trying to help, but...

'No! I don't need to be rescued!' Yes, it might have been an accident, and yes, she wasn't entirely to blame, but the whole tree thing had been her idea, and Nii-chan was her familiar. Therefore, she had to take the responsibility.

Forcing herself to look the headmaster in the eye and not wanting it to be swept under the rug, she squared her shoulders. "N-no, I'm to blame."

When she saw Konekomaru open his mouth to speak, Shiemi forged on before anyone else could stop her.

"It was me! It happened when... Well, you see, we wanted it —the party, I mean— to be festive." Words melted and flowed together in whirling streams and she futilely grasped at them but they slipped by anyway began pouring out of her mouth in disjointed bursts. "So then, I had Nii-chan grow a Christmas tree —which we had decorated with lights and everything— and he had been chirping happily as he laid there, but then, when he rolled over in his sleep…" Shiemi trailed off, knowing she sounded ridiculous. "That's when the fire started."

Everyone was watching Mephisto for his reaction, and for a moment, he seemed to have none. The Esquires' eyes started flicking anxiously around the room. The boys, excluding Yukio who was rubbing his temple, were all hiding their grins with varying degrees of success wondering if the demon would think it was as funny as they had found it, when finally, it happened.

Shiemi jumped when the headmaster burst out laughing, an enormous, fanged grin splitting his face. It seemed that she and Izumo were the only ones who hadn't found it funny, and it was unnerving to see such an unabashed display of mirth from their chairman. The boys' smiles dimmed somewhat as well at the outburst, and disappeared entirely when the loud laughter went on longer than what would have been considered an appropriate length of time.

"And they say demons don't dream!" Mephisto all but howled.

Shiemi wasn't sure what he'd meant by that. Was he serious? Did demons not dream? And was that funny? Well, he would know, she supposed. She almost wanted to ask but decided against it.

After composing himself, Mephisto looked at her again. "I would imagine you will helping the with the cleaning, Moriyama-san?" he flashed her a knowing smile. "That is, assuming you are free tomorrow?"

Shiemi pulled her Santa beard up closer to her nose, and, not for the first time that day, wished that she could disappear. He definitely knew what had happened between her and Amaimon that morning. Not that she was surprised, but knowing he knew…

Her eyes widened. 'Oh no! Does he also know about the lollipop? He knows about the lollipop! Agh, how utterly embarrassing! Food from some else's mouth is just like… like kissing!'

At least, she imagined it was, having never actually been kissed. If anything, spit had been exchanged. With Amaimon.

Mortified, she realised she hadn't replied when he lifted an eyebrow, yet again, prompting her to answer, and she quickly dipped her head in a bow; partially to not see that smirk curl further and partially in genuine apology.

"O-of course, Pheles-san! I have something to do in the morning, and I don't know when I'll be free, but yes; I will help Rin and Yuki-chan. I'll also pay to recharge the fire extinguisher we had to use tonight."

"No need to be so contrite, my dear girl, mistakes happen. Don't worry about the paying for the fire extinguisher; that is what they are for, after all." Moving to set his top hat down on Yukio's bed, he paused and turned back to shoot a look at Rin. "Now, had you engulfed the whole cafeteria in an inferno, like what had happened with the training room, that would have been a different story. Even half a room is quite expensive to repair."

"You asshole, I was training, and you know it! I said I was sorry!" Incredulous and his tail lashing behind him, Rin looked ready to spring across the table at the tall demon. "And don't start acting so familiar with Shiemi."

"Nii-san…" Yukio warned, glaring at his brother. "Please mind your language… and stop hitting me with your tail!"

Mephisto leveled an unreadable expression at the half-demon, his twirl twitching. "I do not recall any apology."

"It was implied," Rin gritted out, daring to reach behind him and grab Kurikara off his bed.

Was he really going to draw the sword?

"Nii-san!"

"Then perhaps I should have you pay for the damages. If you do not have the money, I am certain I can find other ways to have you repay," Mephisto said his voice dropping an octave, eyes glittering dangerously, but not looking particularly worried about Rin's implied threat. "Do you require another lesson in etiquette? I'd be more than willing to oblige. I am your headmaster and your older brother. You should speak to me as such."

"I bet you just used your magic or whatever to fix everything, anyway. You're too cheap to pay someone, Mr. Cup Noodles!" Flames began shimmering across Rin's body. "And don't call me your brother! As far as I'm concerned, you can go f—"

"Everyone, please!" Shiemi cried in alarm. This was not going as planned at all.

"Whoooooa!" Shima exclaimed. "It's gettin' kinda heavy in here." Looking for a diversion, he smiled at Izumo who was seated opposite of him. "So, Izumo-chan, what's your favorite color? I like pink. Does polka dot count as a color?"

"Oi!" — "Pervert!" Bon and Izumo interjected at the same time, the latter huffing angrily and crossing her arms. She then tucked her skirt further under her knees for good measure.

Bon continued aiming his anger at both Rin and Shima. "The hell is wrong with you two?"

Mephisto smiled again, his mood appearing to lighten immediately. "Now children, why don't we enjoy ourselves! You did say this was a party, didn't you?"

Reaching into his form-fitted jacket, several narrow slips of paper appeared in his hands adorned with the MepphyLand logo. Everyone's excitement died down when they found that they were coupons for one free ice cream and not entrance tickets.

Thankfully, Nemu Takara, Shura, and Lightning showed up in quick succession before another fight could ensue, with the Esquires shooting Shiemi questioning looks each time someone new arrived. She hadn't mentioned inviting anyone else. Even Yukio was surprised as he'd only known of the invitation to Mephisto.

Almost everyone she had invited now in attendance, the Esquires, and an inquisitive Kuro who had joined the table, finally ate their dinner. After they finished, the adults (apart from Shura who had eaten with them) took their turn, while the teens moved aside. That left the Esquires and Paku - who had shown up after all - to talk amongst themselves, play various card games, and trade the small gifts they'd brought.

Well, most everyone.

After eating and receiving his exchange present (and giving Shiemi his gift of a life-size woolen doll that looked like Nii-chan), Nemu and his ever present puppet stood up and left with a snarky, "Well, this has been boring. Catch you later, chumps."

Undaunted, Rin, Shima, and Shiemi called out a farewell, while Koneko and Bon glared.

Looking at the remarkably accurate figure in her hands, Shiemi smiled wistfully, blinking back tears since what had happened to her familiar earlier was still weighing on her. Maybe she could ask one of the more knowledgeable adults at the party about what happened to injured familiars?

"Aw, it looks just like your little peanut!" Izumo reached over and grabbed the doll out of her hands, turning it over and viewing the details. Shiemi smiled as she saw the other girl's eyes light up happily. When Izumo noticed, she handed it back with a surly frown, trying to hide her joy. "How lame. I bet he made it himself."

"Mm!" Shiemi's grin widened. "I like homemade presents!"

Time passed in a jovial manner, and after the chaperons finished their meal, she was assured by Lightning (after Bon had asked him to come talk to her) that the greenman was most likely fine, despite his young age, and he'd mend from any injury he had received while back in Gehenna. He had advised her that it would probably be best not to summon him for a day or two if he needed a bit of extra time to recuperate but that it was pointless to worry. As the renown tamer had casually stated, summoned demons would get used to being injured. They were tools to be used and meant to serve their masters. If they died… then so be it.

Shiemi had incredibly mixed emotions after talking to the Arc Knight. Had she stayed in the program to become an Exorcist as a Tamer, which she had planned on going for along with potentially a Doctor meister, would she shave become so callous herself? A tingle of fear had run through her. She couldn't ever seen herself changing so much that any life, especially an ally's, would come to mean so little to her.

The adults had proceeded to celebrate in their own fashion with alcohol, and Shiemi was able to get more into the holiday spirit as the night wore on. Choosing to focus on the joyous atmosphere, she tried to block any negative thoughts and bask in the laughter and the smiling faces around her.

She was left even more excited by the prospect of traveling to Kyoto the following week after Bon had received a phone call. They'd all be heading back to Kyoto for Juuzou and Mamushi's wedding, as well as New Year's Day, and she was really looking forward to it. After dealing with the Impure King, Kyoto had been wonderful, if not a little hurried, but this time they'd be going strictly for non-Exorcist reasons and would have a few days!

The two human adults had looked tipsy from the seemingly endless amounts of wine the headmaster kept summoning from… who knows where. Shiemi wondered if he called everything he summoned into existence or if they existed somewhere else and he just 'poofed' them there.

Not that Shiemi had seen many people inebriated, but Shura had rosy cheeks and a whole bottle sitting next to her. The redhead was all glittering eyes and loud laughter.

Lighting was more subdued, but still seemed to be enjoying himself. Shiemi couldn't hear much of what he and the other adults were saying, but she heard bits and pieces of him talking in less than professional ways about dealing with the current Paladin. He had his sylphs doing tricks before the night was over, feigning false modesty at the praise he received from most everyone, and she couldn't help but purse her lips at his showmanship.

In contrast to the two humans, Mephisto himself had rosy cheeks, but he never gave her the impression of having had too much, preferring to watch everyone else and throwing about witty remarks and sipping slowly from his glass.

Shiemi had seen him glancing at her a few of the times she happened to look over, and each time, she was happy that her hat and Santa beard helped hide the nervous blush that would form on her cheeks. While those occurrences left her uncomfortable, thankfully, it didn't cause the same bizarre feeling Amaimon had created since joining her class.

Then again, the fanged smile he'd sent her way the last time their gazes met felt less cheery than it had something else, much like when he'd asked if she would be in the boys' dormitory to help clean the following day. She couldn't quite put her finger on the word she would have used described it. It was past creepy but not at alarming… Well, maybe edging into 'alarming' territory.

It was almost ten at night when things started winding down.

Lightning was the first to leave after thanking them all for the food and 'booze', stating he needed to get back to his work, at which Suguro coarsely translated to everyone that his master meant he was going to sleep until the next afternoon. The Arc Knight had shrugged flippantly and, with a lazy smile, left the group.

Not long after that, Chairman Pheles had stood up, bowed deeply with a flourish of his arms, wished everyone a good night and wished every a memorable winter break. Then he'd disappeared with a puff of pink smoke… along with the rest of the wine, causing Shura to swear and declare that it was officially time for everyone to head home.

After a quick session of tidying up the remaining food and utensils, Rin and Yukio had told everyone not to worry about the rest of the mess, and that they would clean it up the following morning. Everyone trekked downstairs, into the wreckage of the cafeteria to throw and store things away, laughing at the huge scorch mark where Nii-chan had been laying surrounded by charred and melted debris. Lights and pennants lay across the tables where their strings had snapped, and looking up, there were trails of soot where the smoke had stained the ceiling tiles. It was definitely going to be a chore to clean.

Suddenly remembering, Shiemi rushed off to fetch her bag. She had brought the copied notes with her in the off chance Paku would come. By the time she came back, everyone had moved outside to say their goodbyes. Having handed the notes over to her grateful friend, she reached back into her bag and pulled out the small bottles filled with four leaf clovers for her friends. There was another round of questioning why she was quitting and asking if she was dying, but the party still ended on a fairly positive note.

While the it hadn't gone as planned, she would definitely have quite the memory. The scavenged potluck and the Merry Christmas/Birthday Eve party had been, overall, a success.

Between the lingering excitement from the party and dread over what was to come in the morning, Shiemi didn't get much sleep.


The next morning came for too soon, and while it was still dark outside, Shiemi knew she needed to get up. Dressing quickly in a heavy kimono, she headed to the main house to have some pickled daikon and rice porridge, but wound up picking at it more than eating it.

Giving up, she cleaned up her dishes.

It was time to go.

Steeling herself, she went to the front door and pulled out the inconspicuous bronze key. There was nothing about it that indicated where it would take her, and she was worried. Keys from Mephisto could probably lead… anywhere.

"Shiemi, I'll be out today."

Startled, the teen jolted and turned around, quickly allowing her longs sleeves to fall over the key, efficiently hiding it. She watched as her mother passed by the low counter and wall-shelves toward the entrance of the shop. She hadn't even heard her come downstairs.

"Was there anything you needed me to do?"

Eyeing her cooly, Mariko seemed to note her nervousness. "No, just mind the shop. There's an order to be picked up around noon, so be sure to have it ready. I've already compiled all of the supplies, mostly soothing herbs and a case of blessed ammunition, you just need to double check quantities before packaging it. I trust I can count on you?"

"Yes, okaa-san," Shiemi said. "I just need to run an errand, but I should be back within an hour or so."

'I hope…'

"See that you are." Her mother came to stand next to her, put on her geta, and used her own key on the door. Shiemi wasn't positive, but it looked like it opened to a place in downtown True Cross Town. "I'll be home late this evening, so don't worry about setting a place for me at dinner. Take care."

And with that, her mother left the house.

The blonde sighed. Nothing had really changed in Mariko's demeanor since their talk, despite how she'd seemed happy with Shiemi's decision to leave cram school on that evening. Nothing more had been said about her new duties in the shop, and little else had been mentioned in regards to her past beyond a few details. It had only been a handful of days, but honestly, it seemed like everything important had been said… at least that's how Mariko felt in Shiemi's opinion. Hopefully that would change in the near future. Everything and nothing had changed at the same time.

But for now, she had a demon to meet. A very powerful demon. Alone.

Slipping on her shoes, Shiemi briefly considered summoning Nii-chan, but decided otherwise. Lightning had advised giving the young familiar time to heal, and she didn't want to hurt or inconvenience the greenman. She could do this herself. She was sure Amaimon wouldn't hurt her… or at least, that's what she kept trying to convince herself.

'He wouldn't, right?'

He'd done little to convince her that he was an ally, but obviously Mephisto trusted him enough to do this. She wasn't sure if that was as comforting a thought as it should have been.

Taking one last deep breath, she walked the remaining distance to the door, placed the key into the lock, and, with a sense of determination, turned it. With a crisp click, the door opened and she stood there gaping at what she saw before her.

'I don't get it…' Shiemi was sure had used what she assumed was a portal key.

Leaning out with her head and shoulders, maintaining a firm grip on the door frame, she first cast her gaze to the right where she saw the top of the long, winding stairway leading down to the bridge that connected the tower in town to the one supporting their home.

To the left, she saw the green house and her own garden.

Shiemi briefly wondered if the key had worked properly, shut the door, and repeated the process two more times. Each time, she was greeted with the same result. She had never known Mephisto's keys to malfunction, but she'd only ever used the two she had until now. Could it be faulty? Or had Amaimon given her a regular key by mistake?

Shiemi was about to try the key for a fourth time when she noticed that something was glaringly off just as she was shutting the door. The sky was bathed in the light of the breaking dawn, but it was brighter than it should be this time of year at the current hour… and garden itself was full of late blooming flowers. Fall blossoms. All of which had since fallen and withered away.

"What on earth?"

Opening the door further after having pulled the key from the lock and tucking it into her obi, Shiemi glanced around. The heady scent of unfurling blooms and damp earth reached her nose. Sure enough, her senses weren't deceiving her. Instead of a winter scene with everything covered in mulch and straw or trussed up, the garden was bursting with autumnal color, but it was, without a doubt, the same space in which she had spent so much of her life.

Curious, she slowly stepped onto the porch, allowing the door to close behind her, and absorbed more of the details without venturing any further. This was the highest vantage point in the yard, after all.

The beds weren't the same as they'd been yesterday or even weeks ago. Some were filled with a smattering of recently planted flowers and herbs —small and green, the earth around them still looking recently turned and dark— plants that she knew had already matured. A camphor tree was missing and a newer irrigation channel was also absent, but it was all so incredibly familiar. So... bizarre.

Casting her eyes to the edge of the porch and past the stones steps leading down into the garden itself, she was surprised it wasn't the first thing she'd noticed upon stepping through the door. Standing a few meters out the tall, wooden trellis was erect and covered in bare grapevines, the fruit long-since picked.

They hadn't had that trellis or grapes since her grandmother had passed away the year before, and she felt something in her chest clench painfully.

Shiemi trembled. What was going on? Was this really her garden? It certainly looked like a previous incarnation of it, possibly from the past year by based on the layout of the beds and the trellis being present. Was that even possible? She knew Mephisto's keys could take you to a different location, but a different time? Had the key really taken her… to the past?

"Move. You're blocking the door."

Having momentarily forgotten who she was there to meet in her confusion, Shiemi jumped for the second time that morning and let out a small cry, pressing a hand to her chest and whirled around. Tottering on the edges of her geta, she managed to steady her footing in spite of herself… by latching onto a lapel of his tattered brown jacket with her free hand.

"Uh… ohayou?" she smiled weakly, trying to straighten herself.

Amaimon stood there in the doorway pointedly looking down at the hand still holding onto him before flicking his piercing gaze at her, a single corner of his mouth barely curling upward the only change in expression. That semi-sneer again. "Maybe I should just shove you out of the way; return the favor."

"I'm moving!" Quickly removing the offending hand, Shiemi took several small, awkward steps backward, once again almost falling over in her haste.

The demon snorted and walked past her while taking in the surroundings. "So... Where are we?"

Blinking rapidly at him, Shiemi didn't know what to say.

"This garden: is it yours?" he prompted.

"Um… yes? You mean… you didn't know where the key was taking us?"

"Nope." Placing his own key back into his pocket, Amaimon turned, appraising her. His eyes lingered on her chest an inappropriate amount of time, then her legs, and she suddenly felt self-conscious on top of everything else. "I like the other outfit better."

"W-well, this is what I wear at home." Warmth radiated from her face, indignation flaring along with it. She felt the urge to cover up but everything already was covered. And, apparently, that was his problem.

Not acknowledging her reply, he bypassed the stairs and jumped down to land next to the trellis, his attention focused on scanning the area. For a moment Shiemi simply stood there. This was really happening. She was here, possibly in the past... with Amaimon. Wanting to avoid as much of his ire as possible, she quickly made her way down the stairs and stood a good distance away from him.

Shiemi looked at the demon, but when he didn't say or do anything more, she felt the urge to fill the void with something. Going with what she had, she offered her theory. "I… I think this is my garden from last winter. Can Pheles-san make keys that take you to the past?"

"Aniue's the King of Time."

Biting her lip, Shiemi cocked her head. "So, that's a yes? We're in the past now?"

"A version of it." Amaimon shrugged.

He certainly wasn't divulging much, but she had been right! She couldn't help but be impressed. She had traveled to the past! So many amazing, if not sometimes scary things had happened in her life in such a short time. Unfortunately, her excitement and curiosity were being tempered by the Demon King accompanying her. Maybe she would have a chance to come here again on her own!

Inspecting the garden around her, everything seemed just as Shiemi remembered it, but upon further scrutiny, she noticed that things faded into a swirling, multicolored mist a meter or two beyond the warded fencing. The entirety of her house, the greenhouse, and the shed seemed to be present, but where the treeline started things became amorphous. Even the sky looked unusual without any source of direct light. Where the sun should have been —there was little to block the view with how high her house was above the rest of the town— only a bright point in the hazy grey-blue sky was visible, as if everything was beyond a filter. The typical pinks, oranges and purples of dawn were missing, just like the clouds, but surprisingly, it didn't feel dreary.

'This is utterly amazing!'

However… of all the places to send them, why here? What was so special about her garden? She loved it, certainly, but Mephisto?

Deciding the only way to find out was to ask, she voiced herself. "What exactly is this? Would— would you happen to know the reason he sent us here? "

"This is a preserved 'pocket' of time. Brother said it resets every day in a continuous loop, and it'll exist as long as he has a need for it. We're supposed to meet here. Everything else you have to figure out on your own. "

Not following, Shiemi spared him a wary glance as he casually headed in her direction, crossing the small channel between the sections that had been separating them. "But why do you need to be here? Does it have something to do with why you're in my classes now?"

"In a manner of speaking." The smile that worked its way across his face didn't look entirely friendly as he came to a rest uncomfortably close to her and started rocking back and forth on his heels. "I'm supposed to be encouragement. Something of a new instructor." His unnerving smile widened a smidgen more. "Aniue says I need to be more expressive, so I'll be practicing, too. "

Now she was really lost and really wishing that he'd stop grinning as it looked out of place on his face; too forced and rather demented. Although, she had to admit his teeth were rather nice: straight and white. And pointy. Rin's smile looked similar, but his was endearing and held warmth. Amaimon's didn't. It looked ominous. Or maybe that was intentional.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I— I don't quite understand. You're going to teach me?"

Snapping his fingers, a large hobgoblin suddenly appeared and she recognized it from the haltered collar encircling its round body as the one he'd had before, during the camping trip. It immediately started snuffling around his feet before noticing her and a menacing growl joined the baring of sharp teeth. It was tethered to a length of chain, but there was more than enough give in it for the squat demon to reach her. The small but muscular legs started to bunch, ready to spring.

Shiemi felt a surge of panic. She was about to get mauled!

"Behemoth," the chain clinked as Amaimon detached it from the harness, "play."

Tongue lolling out, the hobgoblin immediately stopped growling and began to roll around in the grass like a misshapen dog before bounding off to explore the area. Dirt and plants were sent flying as it foraged. It was quite the change in disposition.

Shiemi sighed in relief, thankful that the hobgoblin was well-trained even if not well-behaved.

The sun continued to creep into the sky in the pocket dimension. She could actually feel the chill in the air dissipating. Trying to ease her remaining tension, she smiled. "Everything feels so real here!"

"Everything is real. It's just set outside the normal flow of time."

"Oh." Her eyes continued to follow Behemoth as he tore up the garden before bringing them back to Amaimon. "So when the day resets, all of this will go back to how it was?"

"Already said that. Summon something," came the command. "Let's get the fun started."

'Fun for who?'

She doubted he meant her. A nervous laugh tittered out of her as she admitted, "I can't. Nii-chan got hurt and I was told not to summon him."

"Nii-chan? You have a demon for an older brother? You summon him?"

"No! It's the sound he makes," she said sheepishly. Amaimon certainly knew how to make her feel small and stupid without even trying. "He's my greenman."

"Ah. Summon something else, then."

She pulled out one of the two paper summoning circles she'd brought along and flicked a corner up and down. "I've never summoned anything else."

"Aren't you a Tamer?"

"Well, not yet. I was going to study to be one." Flustered, Shiemi puckered her lips to one side and shifted on her feet. "I never learned how to summon anything specific. I just said whatever came to mind my the first time, and then, poof," she made a 'ta-da' gesture with her hands, "there was Nii-chan."

"So do it again."

"Like I said, I— Ahhhh!"

Behemoth rushed up to her at that time, trying to snatch the paper out of her hands, but she managed to pull it away a split second before his fangs took hold of it. Whining at a goodie being withheld, he tried one more time, and after she clumsily dodged again, Shiemi was left with a large, fresh set of holes in her kimono sleeve. A few ragged strips had fallen away from where he'd slid back down to the ground. Behemoth, himself, had already scampered off and torn into a large hydrangea.

Jeez! That had been close!

Breathing heavily and lamenting her ruined clothes, Shiemi was grateful that her arm hadn't inadvertently gotten caught between his jaws. She raised the torn fabric, just to be sure, and saw nothing but unblemished skin. Then, after thinking about it, she checked to see if her other summoning paper —which had been tucked into her sleeve— was still in tact. It was damp and was missing one of the corners, but the circle itself was undamaged.

Amaimon didn't seem to care that she'd almost lost an arm due to his pet, but he appeared to be getting impatient despite his impassive face. "Just summon something. Anything."

Shiemi crossed her arms sullenly and pouted, the tattered sleeve making it look more comical than anything else. "It wouldn't be as bad if I knew Nii-chan was okay. Would you happen to know if he'd be better by now? He was injured last night in a fire—"

"Otouto's flames?" he asked, interest bizarrely piqued.

"What? Um, no... just regular fire."

"Oh, so then why would that matter? For making me waste my time repeating myself, we'll up the ante." Amaimon moved forward and swiped the papers from her unassuming fingers, the unnerving smile making a comeback. "Now you get to do it without these!"

Feeling as frustrated as his hobgoblin had likely felt with her not handing them over, Amaimon held them away from her grasping hands, and she gasped as they disappeared in a puff of smoke. Realising how close in proximity they suddenly were, she took an alarmed step back, which proved to be futile as he closed the distance again, heedless of her discomfort.

"You'll lose more than paper if you keep me waiting much longer."

Shiemi blanched, not wanting to think about what exactly she could lose. "B-but I can't summon without a circle! Can't I at least draw one?"

"Nope. Hm. Don't most games start with a countdown? I'll go with... ten seconds."

"Please? It won't—"

"Nine."

"—take me long!" her eyes widened. He was serious!

"Eight."

"Nii-chan!" Shiemi heard rather than saw Behemoth situate himself behind her, effectively cutting off any hope of running away… not that she figured that would do much good.

"Seven." Amaimon continued his countdown and his fingers twitched menacingly. " Six."

"Nii-chan!" She had to believe she could do this. Surely it was possible! It had to be or he wouldn't expect her to do it, right? Or maybe he expected the impossible and was just tormenting her. She started to curl into herself, bringing her arms up to guard her chest and face.

'I need you, Nii!'

"Five."

"Nii, please come!" Shiemi squeezed her eyes shut as Amaimon lifted his darkly-clawed hand, fear swelling within chest. Obviously he had no qualms about hurting her. Why was Nii not coming? Was he still too badly injured? Was it even possible without a circle?

"Four."

"Nii!" No matter what shape Nii-chan was in, she fervently prayed he would show up. She would do anything to make up for all that had happened if he would just come.

"Three."

Desperate, Shiemi tried to quickly pull herself together as best as she could and focus on the feeling and surge of power she'd felt when trying to save Izumo from the Impure King's fungus and when saving herself from the chimeric zombie while trapped in Inari.

"Two."

She opened her eyes again and forced her arms down to her sides. She had to believe Nii-chan would come. She had to be confident. That was the key.

"One!"

Feeling a tendril of power unfurl within her, she embraced it with all of her being, and she heard a familiar implosion of air. Before she could focus completely on the claws lunging toward her, she was propelled upward, cradled in a leafy embrace. A roar of pain came from the chest behind her as the strike that was meant for her had most likely landed on the over-sized greeman's legs.

"No! Nii-chan!"

As quickly as she'd shot up, she was falling down along with her familiar and covered her head. Her right side collided roughly with the ground, hip first, and she let out her own cry of pain.

She hadn't had time to see what state Nii-chan had been in, but even if he'd healed from the accident last night, he was injured again. Regardless, fearing further attack and wanting to protect them any way she could, she needed to use Nii's abilities again. Wincing in pain and regret, she willed him to protect them both with tengu hornbeam branches. The air was filled with the creak of wood scraping and winding against wood as they erupted into existence around her and she opened her eyes, but could hardly see in the darkness. She could discern that they had formed a cocoon around her... but not around Nii-chan himself. She was alone in the enclosure.

"No! No! Nii-chan! Noooo!" All sound was muffled and she had no idea what was going on outside of her protective sphere, but she could feel the reverberations all around her as something shredded into the wood. The brief surge of confidence she had felt melted back into crippling fear. The Earth King was going to kill her familiar and possibly her.

"Amaimon, please, stop! Don't hurt him! Please!" her panicked cries sounded odd within the confined space; loud but partially absorbed and quickly silenced. If she couldn't hear anything then she probably couldn't be heard, either, but she had to try.

Shiemi didn't have time to consider anything else. The entire ball let out a resounding 'crunch' before it erupted into large splinters that rapidly started to decompose into mulch in their descent through the air. Shielding herself once more during the shower of debris, she heard nothing but gentle pattering as what remained landed on the ground and herself.

Nii-chan was possibly dead, and now there was nothing to protect her. She felt empty and tears welled in her eyes. Why had she not told anyone? Why had she come? She couldn't help the rivulets that began to stream down her cheeks. There wouldn't be anyone coming to save her this time… nobody but Amaimon and Mephisto knew where she was.

It was all her fault!

"Oi, get up."

There was no strike of claws or... anything else. She hadn't known what to expect of the morning, but it certainly wasn't this. This was horrible. Amaimon said everything reset here… maybe that applied to everything that happened here as well? Maybe whatever had happened to Nii would reverse itself? She could only hope.

Shiemi yelped as he grabbed the back of her kimono and hauled her up to her feet. Her hip and side ached in protest. Her shoulder didn't feel much better.

"Why are you crying? You did it."

He was so heartless! How could he just ask her to get over what he had just done? Was she supposed to be proud that she'd managed to summon an injured Nii only for him to die? She looked frantically about, but she didn't see her familiar.

"Stop," he said, adding, "you look horrible."

Fighting back her tears, Shiemi knew she looked a mess: covered in wood chips, dust, and dirt, and her face was dripping with snot and tears. But she didn't care. She let out a large sniffle and wiped at her nose with her tattered sleeve, letting out a blubbery sound that didn't form words, and then tried again.

"Did… Did you kill Nii-chan?"

"Huh?" He tilted his head. "Oh, no. He left as soon as he picked you up. I didn't even have a chance to hit him."

Nii-chan was still alive!

'But I heard him cry out!'

Startled, she looked at the impassive demon before her, who looked blurry through her tears which hadn't stemmed themselves just yet. "Why did he disappear? Did you send him away?"

"I wanted you to summon him, so why would I send him away? What would be the point in that?" He sounded genuinely perplexed with her question. "This isn't actually Assiah; we're in a completely separate dimension. Looks like you couldn't maintain the connection." Bringing his thumb to his mouth, he began gnawing on the long claw. "Hm. We'll need to work on that."

"So, we're in Gehenna?" alarm laced her voice.

Amaimon deliberated slowly. It seemed that he'd never considered where Mephisto's 'pockets,' or whatever they called, were really located before her asking. "Not really."

That answered nothing and offered the same amount of comfort. Although she couldn't expect much solace from him, that was glaringly obvious. Amaimon had actually attacked her and the only reason Nii had been spared was because she hadn't managed to keep him there.

"But we can get back using other keys?" Shiemi looked at him hopefully, trying to rally herself. Her tears had left paths in the grime on her face, and she could could see them out of her peripheral vision. She scrubbed at her face again, favoring her left arm.

"Or aniue can force us to leave. It's better when he doesn't, but the feeling of being ripped back into the flow of time is interesting. Have you ever been flipped inside out? Or had your skin stretched out then wrapped back around you too tightly?"

Aghast, Shiemi quickly shook her head. That seemed entirely unpleasant and she had no desire to experience any such sensation. Even if he was a demon, and a mean one at that, she honestly hoped he'd never suffered through either of those things actually happening.

"Your greenman… He was a lot larger than last time," Amaimon mused, changing topics. "Ever make him bigger than that?"

She watched him reach into a coat pocket and pull out a long piece of black licorice, much to Behemoth's delight if the way the squat demon raced over eagerly was an indicator. Amaimon patted his familiar's head and it settled on its quivering haunches.

"Maybe?" Shiemi didn't know exactly what had happened. She wasn't quite sure how large Nii had been, just that it had been a decent fall after he'd disappeared. Did it matter?

Apparently, that answer didn't suffice as the Earth King continued to look at her expectantly.

"I think I've gotten him a little larger. Like I said, I'm not sure." She shrugged with her good shoulder.

Trying to compose herself, and her thoughts, Shiemi tugged her clothes into place as best she could with one arm and rubbed her hip. She was definitely worse for wear and was glad she didn't have to face her mother after this. She'd have some bruises, and she still had to fulfill her promise to help clean up the mess at the boys' dorm… and run the shop.

Ugh. What a crummy day this was turning out to be. Had it really just started?

But for now, Nii was safe. That's what she'd focus on to get through... whatever this was. Then, once she got home, she'd take a bath. Maybe that would have to wait until after she helped with the dorm clean-up, but one way or another, she was going to have a nice, long soak today. She owed as much —and more— to Nii-chan, too, if he was up for it. Even if he'd been unharmed, she felt terribly guilty. For both last night and today.

"Yeah, but how big?" Amaimon asked with more eagerness than she'd expected, drawing her out of her reverie. He, himself, seemed be ignoring the wet nose pressing impatiently into his stocking-clad legs and there was an unusual light in his eyes. Was he actually... impressed with her?

"What? Oh, around four meters, I guess. Why?"

"Meters? What is that in cubits?" Pulling another piece of black licorice out, he threw it far away for his hobgoblin to chase after and looked at her curiously.

"Cubit?" Shiemi returned, equally confused. Was that a real measurement?

He stuck his hands out a littler further than the width of his shoulders by way of explanation.

"Uh… I—I dunno. Eight, maybe?" she hazarded. Unsure if she was converting the unknown units correctly, she pointed to a young Japanese poplar that was still relatively short, just past the stretch of garden behind him. It was outside of the fence but close enough to be within the swirling boundary. "About as big as that poplar?"

He turned, spotting the tree she was referring to and regarded it thoughtfully.

"Huge for a greenman, but a waste of energy. You should learn to summon something better than that if you're gonna to fight someone." He rounded back and focussed on Shiemi again, putting one end of the candy into his mouth and tugged on it with his teeth, his head jerking to the side. He didn't seem to care that it had bits of lint and other pocket debris sticking to it. "Greenmen aren't good for that kind of thing. Even their defenses are limited."

"It's worked so far. I don't fight much. I usually help support and heal," she said softly. "I don't plan on becoming an Exorcist anymore, anyway. I was hoping to have Nii-chan stay around to help me garden and keep me company."

"So you were all talk the other day, huh? Thought as much."

Shiemi felt no urge to explain herself to him. She wouldn't even know what to say if she had.

He put the rest of the candy into his mouth and the portion that hung from his lips swayed around as he twisted his features and his head, peering around once more. "But you managed to summon something here. That's something."

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't sure if it would work."

Shiemi sputtered. He had expected the impossible? She shouldn't have been able to even get Nii-chan to come? On top of forcing her to do it without the aid of a summoning circle? Was this a joke?

Once again, things were interrupted by Amaimon's familiar as Behemoth ran back, stopped at the feet of his master and spat out the licorice. The hobgoblin issued a series of grunts and growls in what appeared to be disappointment. Blatantly showing he wasn't interested in the treat, the creature turned to kick dirt over the returned offering.

"Well, I like it." Amaimon crouched down, and pulled out the length that had been swaying between his lips, waving it in its face mockingly before he shoved the familiar away. "What did aniue say about wasting his food? Next time you get nothing."

Behemoth let out an airy whine and slowly shuffled off, resting in the shade of an oleander to chew on some leaves.

'He didn't want the candy, but he wanted to my summoning papers? And oleander?' Shiemi assumed he wouldn't be poisoned by them, but decided to kept an eye on the round demon all the same.

Back to the matter at hand...

"What do you mean you 'weren't sure it would work?' Didn't you—but, you summoned him!" she said, indicating the hobgoblin.

"I brought him with me."

Had he? She hadn't seen him.

"Then how did I manage to—"

Covering her mouth, Shiemi fought the urge to gag as Amaimon picked the licorice up and, without bothering to knock off the dirt and grass, forcefully coiled the large, slimy piece into his mouth, stuffing the remainder of his original strand in as well. His cheeks bulged grotesquely as he began to work on it.

He garbled something unintelligible around his mouthful and flecks fell from his lips in the process.

"What did you say? Wait, no," —he had opened his mouth to speak again— "please, tell me after you've swallowed."

She averted her eyes. Attempting to find something else, anything else, to focus on as he chewed, she looked at the wood pulp and mulch scattered around them. It was a good thing this time pocket would reset itself. Between the hobgoblin and the shattered barrier's debris, the garden was a mess.

'Wait… the hornbeam.'

He had said Nii had disappeared almost immediately after being summoned, but the branches hadn't appeared until after she hit the ground. So where had the protective cover come from?

"Well, let's try it again." Amaimon rose to his full height, licked his fingers and then brushed them off on his duster. "Summon something else. Ooh, I know! A naga! They're fast and vicious. Much better at fighting."

Again?! She had already pulled off one seemingly impossible feat, and now he expected another? And summon a naga? How did one summon a a naga? Had he not listened to her? Besides, she still needed answers.

"Wait!" Seeing his eyes narrow at her in irritation, Shiemi quickly continued. She had to know. "Where did the hornbeams come from if Nii-chan didn't make them?"

"The ground." His answer stated that it should have been obvious.

Biting her lip, Shiemi rubbed at her shoulder again. "I get that, but how did they grow?"

His eyes narrowed further until they were almost slits, looking as if he was questioning her intelligence.

"Was it you?" she hesitantly elaborated.

"Me?"

"So I wouldn't get hurt?" Maybe he had only been trying to scare her and had never intended to actually strike her? Shiemi knew she was grabbing at straws. It sounded ridiculous as soon as it left her mouth, but there was no other explanation.

The chuckle he let out shocked her more than it should have. His fangs glinting in the increasing light.

"Really?" The wicked gleam in his eyes echoed the sentiment of his laughter. "Brother wasn't kidding. You really are clueless. But I guess that's why I'm here!"

'What a jerk. He's already attacked both me and Nii-chan... and now he's insulting me!'

Her nerves taxed, Shiemi set her mouth into a hard line and glared at him, losing her patience. He was such a bully, and not much of a teacher. "Well, if you would just tell me, then I'd know!"

He turned and walked further into the center of the garden. "This place should do well enough, I guess. Kinda small."

"Will you please answer me?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet, dummy?"

She huffed quietly in annoyance, muttering. "Obviously not…"

He threw an unreadable look over his shoulder before doing a languid stretch. "It was you."

She wasn't expecting that response.

"You called them into existence, just like how you summoned your familiar. If you managed to do it here, you've probably done it before. So, let's do it again! Just do it better this time. I wanna play, too."

'This is his idea of playing?'

Shiemi felt as if her head were spinning and like she had been sucked into an alternate reality. Which, technically, as of this morning, she supposed she had been. But really, what on earth was going on? Was this garden more of a distortion of reality that he had let on and the normal rules didn't apply here? Summoning when she shouldn't be able to… without circles. Forcing barriers to grow on her own. But he thought she'd done it all before now?

'What is he expecting out of me? I'm not even going to be an Exorcist, and even when I was going to be, I wasn't able to do much.'

This week was turning into an endless stream of unanswered questions and mass confusion. False mothers, Illuminati, dealing with Demon Kings, a change in her life's path, flaming Christmas trees, going into the past, 'calling things into existence' whatever that meant...

So much for a welcome winter break with her friends.

Shiemi drummed up her courage and walk as quickly as she could over to where the demon now stood, determined to pry some answers out of him somehow. "Would you please—"

"Wow. She got old…" Amaimon was looking over Shiemi's shoulder, "and tiny. Do humans shrink?"

Shaking her head in confusion, she gaped at him. He seemed determined to keep her off-guard.

"Huh? W-what? Who got old? Someone else is here?!"

"Her."

Not sure if he was playing some sort of trick on her, she debated not turning around to follow his eyes as they tracked something, or rather, someone. Reluctantly, she sighed and allowed her curiosity to get the better of her.

There, hobbling out of the old gardening shed that Shiemi now called her own, was someone she hadn't seen in over a year and Shiemi felt weak in the knees. Again, her eyes began to sting with tears.

'Obaa-chan!'