Warnings: Failed murder attempts, ptsd, child abuse, issues.


Four – Lines Crossed In Sand

No sooner had the power rushed out that Taiga felt sick. What was she doing? Thinking of owning people, thinking of harming someone else, what was she doing? But as far as she could tell, it was too late to stop. Fire rushed out from her body like it had always been there and was reaching this man too fast to-

And then it wasn't. Nothing was moving.

Mi sighed. Man I hate it when I'm right. You're too nice for your own good.

Taiga couldn't even blink. She tried for thoughts but they seemed so far away. Everything seemed way too far away to actually be reasonable. It was disturbing.

I'm glad I saved up some power for this. Mi floats down. It's really hard for me to interfere in your world like this. The barriers are still too thick. I mean, if they fell apart it would be different but then you'd be in a lot of trouble. Best to let things move as they will instead. Except now. I can't have you get arrested. That never ends well.

He landed on the floor and Taiga was immensely grateful she can't move her eyes to see the rest of Yumi's half-risen state. What she had seen. Instead she has to look at very real fire closing in on a man's face and panic suffuses her because if she succeeds in hurting him it's all over-

Relax. Mi's silent footsteps terrified her in a way she'd never even considered before. He could have snuck up behind her (and killed her) and she would never have noticed. But I haven't. And I won't. No point to it, if I'm being honest.

That wasn't comforting.

Never said I was. There was a pause. Now to fix this…

That was the last thing she heard before her brain, overwhelmed, shut down entirely.

When she awoke, her face hurt. Scratch that, her face hurt badly. Her right cheek swelled up like a balloon, arms flickering with burns, or what felt like them-

And Yumi, curled up beside her on the swimming pool of the bed. Her face had red streaks on it and the bandages still remained. She didn't stir, but Akihiro did. However, he did not move closer, for some reason.

"You fell," he said before she could ask. "You were trying to get away from Kenzo-san and the blanket caught up in your socks." For a moment, Akihiro squirmed with discomfort. "You're lucky you hit the carpet."

Taiga trembled, the words at her mouth, but not daring to say them at first. It was a lie and he was nice and if she tried to force the truth out of him, he might leave her too. So she couldn't do that. She couldn't dare-

"That's not what happened."

And there she went anyway.

Akihiro's eyes flickered and for a moment, they looked red. And there was very little light to make that a trick. His throat worked. Then he reached out and touched Yumi's hair with thin, almost brittle fingers. "You almost killed her dad," he said in a low voice. "But you fell. Somehow."

"Yeah." Her throat closed. She could see the bandages. If she squinted, she thought she could- no, no no derail that thought, he's not there- "I couldn't do it. I… I couldn't, I can't, that's bad, that's-"

"It is." Akihiro cut off the rambles in her throat, watching Yumi twitch in her sleep, as if she heard them. The moon passed over and again, Taiga saw the soft tufts of fur, tipped white. She glanced at Akihiro, who stroked around them with expert palms. "It's very bad. But sometimes people have to do bad things."

Taiga shivered, wincing at the pain it all brought. "I… I don't think I can."

"That's good." Akihiro tugged at the long pink locks on his head with his free hand. "You shouldn't have to. You should focus on being happy." He smiled now and for a moment he looked so old. "Yumi-chan likes you too. So don't try that again."

"I dunno if I could," she admitted.

Akihiro giggled and she had never heard a boy do that. Then again, she hadn't heard many boys laugh at all. None that weren't jeering or weird or things like that. Then he sobered. "I think you could if you had to. But." He stood up from the chair. "I hope you don't have to." He stretched. "I'mma go get Melia-san so she can touch up your face. She didn't wanna without your permission."

Taiga watched him go, unable to speak. As the door opened, she saw swelling on his fingers and maybe something further. For a moment, she felt that red sensation well up within her for a second time, only to be flushed out by shame. And guilt.

She couldn't do it. She just… if she did, she would be taken away from a healthy source of food and shelter and warmth. And well, she liked being here. She was finding it nice to be here and have people look at her and think they care.

(She wasn't going to delude herself into thinking they did.)

She could use this. She had to use it or who knew what would happen?

So Taiga shut her eyes and moved closer to Yumi's warmth.


Everything went back to normal. Or, somewhat normal. Akihiro was around every day now, for a grand total of a week. Then, school started, and everyone but Kuro was gone. It basically meant spending hours alone, cautiously poking tv channels or attempting to read without help. Well, she could ask Kurosugi, but she didn't think he'd be much help. He was so busy trying to avoid it.

Yumi read to her almost every night and somehow, without waking, Taiga found herself in Yumi's bed the next morning. Just thinking about it now made Taiga's grip tightened on her awkward plastic chopsticks.

"I don't like it," she murmured to her breakfast.

Yumi looked at her from the stool, having dropped the dishes in the sink. "The food?" From her side of the table, Melia looked distinctly like a kicked cat.

Taiga raised her hands to guard and shook her head no. "No! No, it's good! It's..." She looked down. "It's amazing…" She rubbed her eyes before continuing. "I just… how do I get to bed every night? I sleep lightly and yet every time I wake up from the book and I'm under the covers! It's just… it's weird!"

The three of them all stared at her and Taiga felt her hackles start to rise mixing with terror like it tended to until-

A strange, sweet sound filled the air and Taiga briefly had no idea what it was. Then she looked and realized the sound was coming from Yumi and it was laughter. Real laughter. The kind that had the girl curling in on herself in her attempts to control it, the kind that was tipping the chair dangerously far.

"Only you, she gasped out with mirth, narrow eyes squeezed shut.

"It's quite natural to be confused about being safe," Melia said mildly, thought she too was smiling. "Considering she's only been off the streets for a handful of months. Humans are remarkably adaptable." But she was still smiling in that way that meant something was safely amusing.

But Taiga didn't really hear this sentence. Safe. The word drummed into her head until it became nigh incomprehensible. She slumped into her chair. Her eyes swam with tears as she remembered something else, two others promising she was safe now and always would be. And they had lied. These people had promised her nothing.

And here she was. Safe. Fed. And, as the table, all three of them even the smallest and most spoiled, coming to hold her in some way, loved.

The simmering anger flared up. But this time, Taiga felt she could grab it and hold it in her hands. For the first time, the heat felt like it was hers. She could use it. And she would. For them and theirs.

Taiga was so engrossed in these newfound feelings that she didn't notice Mi standing by the window, a small, light smile on his lips.

Someone else did.


"What's school like?"

"Mm?"

Taiga waited, pouting a little. "You heard me." And now that she was aware of it, Taiga noticed this difference. This lack of fear and discomfort. She would never have made these expressions before.

Yumi seemed to notice beneath her dutiful pillow fluffing. "Kuro's taught you a lot, it seems."

She blinked at her. "What is that supposed to- you're distracting me!"

"I am not. I'm only observing."

Frustration, amused frustration but frustration nevertheless, welled up in her throat. "You are!" And before she could stop herself, Taiga threw her own pillow. It smacked into Yumi's face with a comical thump, frizzing up her hair and hitting her lap. Taiga froze, only to have to duck as her own pillow hit her chest. For a moment, Yumi seemed to be smiling.

Then it didn't matter, because now the pillows were flying anew.

Eventually, the two of them were laying on the large bed, panting and letting out small giggles as they fought to catch their breath. Taiga struggled to contain herself, feeling a new warmth on her cheeks and the steady, fast thumping of her heart.

What was that? It was… fun! It was so much fun. And Yumi had looked happy. Something like happiness anyway.

"Do you want to go?"

Yumi's question shocked her out of her peaceful reverie. "Go?" Her stomach filled with dread. "Go where?"

"To school. Like me. Like Kuro." Taiga heard the bed creak as Yumi crawled over to look at her. "It's very busy and every day is long."

"Do you like it?" The world wasn't split into like and dislike, she knew, but it was still… it was still something important, surely.

"Sometimes." Yumi nodded. "Akihiro and I talk about various things."

"Akkun is nice," she agreed.

Yumi's eyebrows quirked. "Akkun?"

Taiga made a face. "His name is too long."

Yumi hummed. She didn't seem to agree or disagree. "We'll talk to Melia-san," she decided after a few moments. "You're behind somewhat."

Taiga shifted to roll on her side. ""Do you think I can?"

"Why not?" Yumi yawned. "Why can anyone do anything? Because they fail to do it the first time."

Taiga thought about that. "Yumi-chan, that doesn't make any sense at all."

"Sure it does." Yumi went to crawl onto a pillow. "I said it, so it makes perfect sense."

"No, it doesn'!"

Melia smiled and shut the door on them as Taiga heard herself laugh. The sound of ordinary child antics… what a nice change. Kuro was one child, and one who kept trying to be babied in a house that didn't do well with babies. So if this new orphan could create a balance… could be her Yumi's friend…

Melia didn't know her hands were trembling until she nearly dropped her tea bag. She knelt to pick it up and failed, twice. She shivered, trembling all the more as the moon passed over the dark hallway.

She had to do whatever it took to keep that laughter, to salvage it.

With a steel her cheerful eyes rarely possessed, she straightened and went to her computer. The possibility of tea remained behind on the floor.

At her desk, she stared at her blank email. Her fingers twitched. Would this even reach him? She had no idea. But… if this could, she could take a risk out in the open.

"I'm doing this for you, you know. You must know this, Meli."

"No," she murmured to herself. "You most certainly are not, Kenzo."

He had been such a nice man in the beginning. Before what happened to a lot of good men: they got greedy and desperate. The world was too nice to them and then it decided to crack its whip.

And well, he was possessed. That did no nice heart any favors. But she wouldn't forgive it. She was a vindictive demon herself.

Melia bit fangs into her lower lip, finished the email, and clicked 'send'.

The response was immediate, as if time had stopped long enough to make the message. 'What do you need?'

Melia, where she thought no one could see, clasped her hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Mirei."

But Kurosugi saw.


Charle knew her husband was fond of sleep. Perhaps it was his upbringing of going without it for days at a time or the heavy sounds of battle in the throat, the heart and soul. He couldn't say. She wouldn't ask. She just indulged him the little luxuries. Besides, he always returned the favor to her, watching over their small ones throughout the day and giving them all a way to relax at night.

So seeing him awake at this hour and with his laptop in bed with him no less, gave her pause. "Someone dying?"

"Someone might." He sounded vaguely annoyed, which made her decide to lean on his free shoulder. "You know, I thought Demon Lords learned to stop and lick their wounds."

"Another schemer." She felt her eye twitch. "You'd think the failure with mum would have been enough of a minder."

"You and I wish." He sighed and put it down. "We have threatened and abused children, and a couple of assassins. It's Christmas for our elders. And we might find your sister."

"Might find old Bel?" Charle tried not to roll her eyes. "Mirei, that's Christmas and mum's birthday in one. We'll have new flood of children in a month."

Mirei sighed. "If I can play this right. The long game isn't my specialty, I'll admit. But I can do it if I must. IF I can cut him this soon, I can focus on other things. Like Mother."

"Like the death squids yeah." Charle grinned wider at the look of disgust on his face. "You never should have mentioned those."

"Probably not." He leaned back and put the computer down. "That world is a very difficult place to get into, even without him snooping around. It's going to be annoying."

Charle laughed and clapped the lights off. "Sounds like your favorite thing to do." She leaned back at the falsely stormy look on his face. "Easy boy, easy. I mean well, you minx cat."

"Weird fish," he grumbled into her throat. "You're going to help."

She rolled her eyes and dragged the covers over them. "Thanks for asking my permission, god boy."

"Like you weren't going to do it, you gadget-stealing thorn in my side."

She could feel his amusement even without the stiff stance of his tail. He rolled on his side and she leaned against him. "You got me, husband mine," Charle agreed. "But I wanted the chance to pretend to do it under your nose." She kissed him on the nose to prove it. "So, do I get the fun job?"

"You want to go to Earth?"

She checked his purple eyes through his bangs. Then, she made a face. "You've said Earth cities smell like petrol."

Mirei huffed now, looking years younger than he already did, the centuries aged fogey. "And your hometown stinks of bamboo oil and misfired spells. Your point is what?"

Charle resisted the urge to defend her hometown before thinking about his question. Then, slowly, she began to smile. Unlike the cat smirk that decorated her husband's face, her teeth spread wide and sharp like a crocodile's mouth until her eyes sparked in the dark. "I get to do some kidnapping, don't I?"

"You get to do some kidnapping," Mirei agreed, only to give an undignified yelp as she hugged him right to her chest.

"You do love me!" She kissed him on the forehead, still with that maniacal smile on her face. Because that means I get to blow up people. Or at least beat the stuffing out of them."

"Something like that," Mirei agreed, putting an arm over hers. "Let's deal with this in the morning, before someone hears us talking."

Charle could barely contain her excitement to do so. "We'll need more rooms!"

"You are so weird."

She swatted him on the ear.