Chapter 8: Before We Met
Caine
(4 weeks 1 day after arrival in Kalichi)
"It all stated with a Norse warrior who was honestly kind of a masochist."
Both cats give me a look as if to say, 'really? That's how this starts?'.
Sorry girls, but this is the only way I can imagine explaining Dad to someone.
"He decided one day to leave Asgard in search of strong opponents, sort of a pilgrimage kind of thing and a desire to see the world. After a couple years of doing just that he ran across a female Devil called Clarissa Valefor."
I don't miss how that name seems to click with the 2 cats and can't help but smile at how much mileage Mom's name still gets. She was only behind Aunt Grayfia and Serafall Leviathan in terms of strong female role models among the younger Devils.
"That warrior, Hayden Geir, promptly challenged Clarissa to a match and handily got his face caved in. He promptly fell head over heels for her. Love at first sight and all that. After about a year of hounding this Devil she finally agreed to at least try having something like a normal relationship. A few more years and soon Clarissa was pregnant with yours truly, a pretty impressive feat considering how hard it is for Devils to concieve kids normally."
"And thus a terror was born…"
I lightly smack Kuroka on the head, causing her to grin before I continue on with, "Aside from my biological Mom and Dad, there was also my second Dad in all but blood, Philip Magnuson. Pretty much the polar opposite of Hayden, he was a soft-spoken and quiet genius, and he gave me my Older Brother Jonah. Jonah was pretty much just like Philip, an insanely smart person except he also inherited Mom's cunning, which made him a straight up terror."
A fond smile comes to my lips as I remember all of the stupid stuff we used to do.
"He and I got into trouble alot more often than you would think. Stealing stuff from our parents and visiting dignitaries was probably one of the few things we could team up on without it turning into some sort of competition. Heh, I remember this one time we stole a Crocell family members pocket watch, hid it, and promptly forgot where we stashed it. 2 years later we were trying to hide another bit of contraband from that same Crocell and found the watch by total accident. Talk about an unexpected surprise. On a side note, we ended up pawning off that watch, made a pretty nice chunk of change off of it to."
Shirone's purr becomes more pronounced and she asks, "So you were a criminal even before this?"
"…Pretty much, yah. My family had more than a few contacts in the shadier side of things. In fact it wouldn't be wrong to say that we were a crime-based family that came into wealth because of that."
I feel a bit apprehensive about what I'm about to tell them but the floodgates are open and I can't seem to stop the story now that it's started.
"As one of the 72 Pillars what we did was keep an eye on the less savory side of the Underworld. We let stuff like Human trafficking, drug trade, money laundering, illegal artifact exchange…a whole list of things happen under our control so that we could have advance warning if the really bad stuff started targeting Devil society. Terrorism, Sacred Gear amassing, movements of notable Exorcists or Fallen Angels, all sorts of potential doomsday stuff..."
Once I finish my little explanation I nervously await the sister's reactions. While I made it sound sort of noble, we essentially let countless smaller evils go unchecked on the off chance that we catch a larger one before it can cause trouble. If there was ever a morally grey area to operate in, we certainly found it.
Kuroka then states me out of my reverie with a, "Hmm…sounds like something I would do if I ever ran a crime empire quite honestly. Isn't there that Human phrase 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'?"
I quietly release a breath that, unfortunately, Kuroka doesn't miss. With a cheshire grin she playfully asks, "Oh? Were you were worried about what we would think of you~? You're so cute!"
I scowl something fierce in response.
"Hey I was honestly worried, I didn't know how you 2 would react! Sheesh…"
She just chuckles is response and wryly says, "Kid, we've had to survive in Kalichi for years. Trust me when I say we don't have much in the way of a moral high ground here."
"Well when you pit it that way…"
"Exactly. So…how'd you end up in a marriage engagemnt?"
Shirone gives a brief snort of amusement and I give the older Nekoshou an odd look. What's up with her and her weird obsession with my marriage?
She gets a bit defensive at our reactions and says, "What? Can't I be a little curious?"
"More than a little curious Big Sis…"
"Cram it Little Sis."
I internally shrug. Kuroka will sometimes be Kuroka I guess.
"It was decided by my parents before I was born and actually was intended for my Brother, since the deal specified the 1st born son of the Valefors. He went and changed the deal later down the road because he saw how me and the betrothed got along. My future wife was supposed to be Ravel Phenex, 1st daughter of the Phenex clan and, well…I already told you before how I still miss her even now."
Kuroka looks mildly miffed as I tell this story and I don't have a single damn clue why. Maybe she wanted to get married to someone she really liked in the past and couldn't?
I realize I've gotten sidetracked by quite a bit and quietly sigh.
"…All of that is a moot point by now though. The day you 2 found me it all fell apart. Our mansion was attacked by these strange guys wearing masks and hoods and my Mom and some of her peerage sent me to my Grandparent's home. When I got there…they were already dead and one of them stabbed me from behind."
I gently hold the Phoenix Heart in my palm and quietly say, "If I hadn't had this necklace I wouldn't have made it out of there. The sudden burst of fire surprised those guys and I managed to jump using the Magic Circle to wherever you 2 were."
I clench my fist around the necklace and now real anger seeps into my voice.
"The only solid lead I have on who ordered that attack is that one of the masked people mentioned the name Rizevim Livan Lucifer as one of the masterminds."
Kuroka's eyes widen as she asks, "Wait, as in that one Super Devil-or whatever-Lucifer?"
I nod, still nervous about revealing this bit of info. Whereas my previous worry was that the 2 cats would be disgusted once they realized what family I came from and what we did, this is the more tangible worry over whether they'll stick by me once they know who's potentially gunning for my head.
Having a Lucifer after you is no laughing matter.
The moment seems to drag on forever…until Shirone just snuggles deeper into my side and Kuroka sympathetically wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me close.
"…It can't be easy having that kind of person be out for your neck, huh Kid?"
"…And you're not worried?"
"Worried? Sure I am, although mostly for you."
Is she serious?
"Why for me?! For all you know you could one day get caught up in this mess and-"
She suddenly places a finger on my lips and dryly interrupts with, "Ok, gonna stop you right there. Need I remind you of a certain person who threw himself into a life-or-death fight less than a day ago just because he wanted to help 2 Sisters he figured he owed something?"
"That was-"
She narrows her eyes dangerously and growls out, "If you say different I'm gonna poke your damn eye out. Seriously Caine, what's with this weird obsession you have with keeping track of who owes what and how much? You risked your life for our happiness and that's more than we've ever gotten from most people our whole lives. It'd be pretty shitty of us to start giving you the cold shoulder now of all times, especially after you saved Little Sis's life."
"I didn't-"
"Caine? Shut up."
My jaw clacks shut and Kuroka gives an exasperated smile before resting her chin on top of my head.
"I dunno why you have this fixation on debts and keeping track of who saved who, or why you seem so intent on downplaying your role in these things, but I want you to listen to me. We're not going to abandon you. We don't care anymore if you're useful or a drag or whatever…Ok, it'd be nice if you still helped us out, but that's not the point. You risked your life right alongside us, and now you're stuck with us, no matter what. So get used to it."
I'm struck speechless and eventually give a watery smile.
"Jeez…how the heck am I supposed to respond to that?"
From beside me Shirone suddenly says, "You can do what Sis has been trying to tell you to do and just accept it for what it is."
…Ah…ah damn…I'm one sappy moment away from bawling like a baby. Instead of breaking down in a relieved, sobbing mess I just close my eyes and briefly press further into Kuroka's side.
"Thanks you 2. Just…thanks."
With a quiet, yet genuine, laugh Kuroka says, "See? Was that so hard?"
"Don't spoil this moment for me."
After maybe 5 minutes of making sure my emotions are back in working order I heave a sigh and extricate myself from Kuroka's arm, returning to my usual position of scratching her ear, eliciting a satisfied purr from her as she nuzzles into my hand.
"Well…that was my whole sob story. Your turn now."
2 grimaces are my only response and the elder sister closes her eyes slightly before saying, "Well…that was the deal we made."
She still seems hesitant and unable to resist I cutely say, "Oh, are you worried what I might think of you? That's so cute~!"
Shirone briefly gives a snuffle that might have been laughter while Kuroka merely gives me a deadpan look.
"It's not the same when you do it. Also please never use that tone of voice again."
"I make no promises. Although I bet I'll be silent if you start telling your story."
Another pregnant pause before she huffs out a breath and starts speaking.
"Shirone and I were born 4 years apart to Akira and Isamu Toujou. They were both Nekomata, Dad being one of the few males our species has and probably the reason we were both born as Nekoshou, the Nekomata blood was so pure and strong."
Shirone quietly adds, "I have Dad's hair while Big Sis has Mom's."
"My Little Shirone is more like our Mother in terms of personality though," Kuroka says with a nostalgic smile, "All quiet and reserved but with a stubborn streak a mile wide. I take more after Dad with the outgoing personality and such."
I can't help but cheekily interrupt with, "Outgoing is one way to describe it, personally I would go with 'socially mercurial'."
"Hey, who's telling this story?"
I fall silent with a false look of apology that she doesn't buy for a second.
"Snarky Brat…anyway we were born in a small town called Efrayim that was in some High Class Devil's territory, I think his family name was Bulat or something…"
I briefly try to recall if I ever heard of a Bulat before but come up with nothing, although I can't really say I'm surprised. While I remember most of the remaining 72 Pillar's associates and even some of their 2nd Generation extended families, anything more than that is way over my head. The sprawling family trees that make up High-Class Devil society are a damned nightmare that I was only too happy to not immediately learn about.
"Mom and Dad were pretty talented with Senjutsu and had a successful clinic in the center of town. There were only a few thousand people living in that territory, not enough to warrant a large hospital or anything like that, so we got alot of families frequenting our business. It also meant me and Shirone had lots of friends who thought our parents were the coolest people ever."
Her words bring a smile to my face as I recall all the times I heard people talking about how powerful my Mom was. Sure, there was a bit of pressure to make sure I lived up to her reputation, but mostly I was just proud that my parent was admired by so many. I know what it's like to have a parent who's work you're proud of.
"Things were pretty cozy for a long time. I think I had just turned 10 and Shirone 6 when it all fell to pieces though..."
Her tone suddenly becomes so quiet and saddened that I instantly want to tell her some sort of comforting platitude but decide against it. I think I'm familiar enough with her to know that she wouldn't appreciate the gesture, so I just hold my peace for now.
"Mom and Dad were always interested in achieving what they started calling a 'perfect' Senjutsu style. They thought it was possible to completely separate the malicious side of emotions from the positive using a special kind of meditation, basically creating a risk free form of Senjutsu most can use with no risk."
I narrow my eyes in confusion and ask, "Malicious emotions? Risk free? Why do I get the impression something important is being left out here?"
There's yet more silence until the older Nekoshou gives me a worried look and carefully says, "Senjutsu…carries risks if you're not careful. Dangerous, potentially lethal ones. When we meditate we communicate with both ourselves and nature in equal part. Life energy, remember? Well Life, especially Nature's Life, isn't all sunshine and roses. Life is harsh, unforgiving and totally impartial. Nature is simply what it is. It's as much the blood and guts of hunter vs. hunted as it is the graceful dance of 2 birds mating."
…I think I see where this is going.
"When we gather Senjutsu energy, we have to be careful not to overdo it and accidentally let in too much of that raw, violent emotion. It's fine in small doses, maybe even helpful since it tends to sharpen your senses, but too much of it? Well…the animal part of us is easier to access than you might think, and it's not easy to shut off either."
I suddenly have a brain storm and quietly say, "That's why I've never seen you meditate in the city before, why you always go to the forest…Kalichi is just one big cesspool of violent energy, right?"
"Heh, smart Kid."
I wryly grin in response to the praise until a sudden thought occurs and I frown.
"Well if this is so dangerous, what was keeping you from just saying, 'hey, when you first sense the flow of Life Energy come see us before doing anything'? That sounds like it could have-"
I trail off as I notice the sudden stiffness that comes to both cat's postures, as well as the way both their tails and ears droop. Are they feeling guilty about this? Why would they feel guilty unless…they didn't want to tell me…
I fix Shirone with a shocked look and stammer out, "You, you weren't worried that I would consider you 2 a threat, were you?!"
I switch my gaze to Kuroka who looks ashamed of herself before giving a jerky nod.
I'm quiet for a moment before I explosively chuckle, said chuckle quickly turning into a full blown laugh that hurts like crazy since my ribs are still a little sketchy, but I can't help myself. Man we're dumb…
Kuroka gives me a perplexed glare and asks, "The heck has you laughing so hard?"
I vaguely wave my arm and stammer out, "Us! W-we're so stupid! Haha! So worried about what the other group thinks of us when nobody really cared all that much to begin with! Ha!"
Both cats look at me like I'm crazy and I more calmly elaborate with, "I'm not going to mistrust you 2 because you might one day go crazy from some Senjutsu overdose or something. Heck, at least you know what to look for, I have to worry about of a bunch of masked assassins that may or may not be after my head. It's probably more dangerous for you 2 to hang around me than it is the opposite."
For what feels like the hundredth time today we all fall silent. That is until Shirone suddenly lets out a small laugh that is all the more adorable considering how seldom she ever shows such emotion. That in turn sets Kuroka into a fit of giggles that passes onto me until all 3 of us are laughing as one collective of dimwits.
It's probably a few minutes before we calm down enough to talk and boy does my chest hurt.
I couldn't care less though.
"Oh man…Kid, you are a real piece of work sometimes."
I give a mock bow of my head to Kuroka along with a smile.
"I think it's safe to say that we're finally alright with the idea that one of us isn't just going to up and abandon the other?"
Shirone just gives an affirmative purr and lays her chin on my thigh before closing her eyes, tail gently waving behind her. Kuroka lets out one last chuckle before leaning back against the headboard and lets her own eyes droop closed.
"Yah…yah I think we're all on the same page here. And I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a weight off my chest."
"You still have plenty of weight there though, nothing to worry about."
…
…
…
Everyone, it's official.
Caine is a dumbass who thinks before he speaks.
"I-I, uh…uh I meant that as a compliment! Yah, a compliment!"
Oh Hellspawn, what did I just say?!
I await swift retribution…only to crack open an eye and find Kuroka staring at me with a totally blank expression. I glance towards Shirone but she still has her eyes closed with zero expression on her face.
Except her tails are waving crazily back and forth in poorly concealed mirth.
I turn my attention back to Kuroka and almost flinch away in fear. The look on her face is exactly like the expression Dad used to have when he saw an attractive woman. It usually ended with Mom punching him in the face and then the 2 of them retreating to their bedroom for a few hours.
I'm now assuming that was when they had sex.
"Why Caine…I had no idea you were so…advanced for your age. You should have told me earlier~…"
Oh no…I think I might have just opened a very dangerous door here! C'mon think of a-
…why are there suddenly 2 very soft and generous feelings on the side of my head?
Oh, that's right, because the psychotic pussycat apparently decided to drag me into the center of her bosom.
"Well~? Is that plenty of weight for you, nya~?"
Oh Hellfire, she brought back her 'nya' just for this!
The most surreal thing is I can actually feel my brain just shutting down, essentially throwing it's hands in the air and saying 'nope. I'm out'.
"You should stop teasing him Sis. He looks like he's about to explode…"
"Oh? Is he now? I wonder which part though…"
There's a subtle context there that I don't quite understand and at this point I regret ever opening my dumb mouth.
…Dammit, there's that weird cramping sensation in my groin again!
Thankfully Kuroka seems to have had her fun and releases me with a disturbingly cute giggle before she takes a deep breath.
"Well we definitely got off track there for a bit…"
"Seems like a mild way of putting it."
She gently snickers before her humor fades away as quickly as it came.
"So yah…Me and Shirone. 10 and 6 years old. Some big shot High-class Devil came to town and specifically asked to see Mom and Dad. Apparently he'd heard rumors of Yokai very talented in some rare form of energy manipulation and wanted to add them to his peerage, or at least recruit their help. We never learned his name but Mom and Dad left us with some friends to keep us out of trouble and went off to meet with the guy."
Her expression darkens and her voice is equal parts despair and anger.
"I don't know what went on in that meeting but I sure know what ended it. That Senjutsu madness I told you about? Both Mom and Dad walked away from that meeting seething with unchecked power. And they tore the town apart with it."
My eyes widen and I can't help but ask, "Wait, didn't that Devil come with his peerage? Wouldn't have someone been able to stop them before they-"
She shakes her head and takes a shuddering breath.
"Senjutsu induced madness is the ultimate tradeoff Caine. I call it madness, but it's way more complicated than that. When I mentioned how it brings out the animal inside us, I wasn't using that as some form of exaggerated explanation. Agression, lust, fear, the need to dominate…all of those base emotions are amplified tens of times over until that's all that resounds throughout your mind. It gets worse though."
She takes a quick breath before continuing.
"Because the animal, instinctive part of the mind is working so efficiently, as well as having a surplus of Life Energy at your disposal because you're not filtering it anymore, someone suffering Senjutsu madness becomes vastly more powerful. So powerful in fact, that just being in close contact with Mom and Dad gave me and Shirone our dual tails, there was such an outpouring of raw Senjutsu power that it affected us just by being in close proximity to them…"
"…So I imagine that particular Devil's peerage didn't stand a chance?"
"Not even close. Raw power, the instincts and hunting prowess of an unchained predator? I don't think they lasted a minute. Afterwards some of the town guards tried to stop them, but all that did was trigger their hunting instincts…it was a slaughter."
…
"But that wasn't the worst of it. They still had that parental instinct, still wanted to make sure their children were safe…"
Shirone suddenly gains a death grip on my leg that is borderline painful, but I'm not about to deny her that. Unsure of what else to do I just switch to gently petting her head, trying for a soothing touch instead of a pleasurable one. I'm getting a little worried about Kuroka though. I've seen her sad, angry and distracted.
But never this…vulnerable.
I'm not sure I like it all that much much.
She takes a hitched breath and with a haunted look in her eyes monotonely continues with, "Dad showed up as most of the other townspeople were trying to escape through a Magic Circle. He kept asking us why were running, and when I said we weren't trying to run, and that we wanted him to turn back to normal, he…he didn't like that."
I can only wince.
"He started getting angry, and when one of the other people tried to get close…he killed him. I still remember the way he did it, just a clean thrust of his hand through the chest, and the other guy was dead in seconds. Everyone else started screaming and running, but once Dad saw me and Shirone's faces…he seemed to snap out of it."
She can't seem to stop herself as she just keeps rambling on with, "He was horrified by what he did and was in borderline shock but tried to get us away through the Circle…then Mom arrived. She was still under the Madness and kept demanding Dad tell her where he was taking us. He was trying to talk her down but she kept getting closer and closer…Dad made the call to force open a space-time portal and send us through that, just somewhere else other than the town."
She suddenly buries her head in her arms and with a quaver in her voice says, "Dad threw us into the portal…he smiled at us one last time before…before Mom's hand went through his heart, just like he did to the other guy. I…I heard her scream before the portal closed fully."
…I thought my escape was stressful. I…I can't even imagine going through what those 2 did. Seeing your parents kill innocents, then go after you in some berserker state? And then to watch your Mother kill your Father with her own hands…
At least my family went down fighting the obvious bad guys, trying to keep their loved ones safe.
I bring my attention back to the present as the midnight-haired Yokai pushes through with, "When we came to we were in the same forest you landed in, disoriented and completely alone. We started heading towards the nearest bit of civilization we could find. Which was Kalichi."
She suddenly laughs, a sound that sends shivers down my spine. It sounds more like a wounded animal's cry of pain than it does an expression of mirth.
"We got 'lucky' all things considered. The first few days were run-of-the-mill. Scavenge for anything edible, try not to freeze to death, avoid other people as best you can…we wouldn't have lasted a week if Paladin hadn't found us. We'd made the mistake of getting desperate enough to ask people for help. One group thought beating up the 2 little girls was a fun diversion and left us bruised and bleeding on the side of some alley, alongside a pile of money that could buy maybe one meal, our payment."
…This is almost as painful as seeing Lisa's ordeal the first time around, just for different reasons.
"That was when Paladin walked by and saw us. When we finally woke up we were in this very same room, him sitting by our side and offering us a place to stay. It…wasn't easy, but after a month of spending time with him, Sister Bianca and Lisa we were comfortable enough to start taking lessons from David in how to survive."
Another pause.
"A couple more months passed after that and we never got any news about what happened to Mom after that whole disaster. Then one day Paladin came in with some old newspaper and this look on his face…it wasn't even some big story, just a sidebar describing the attack and…Mom's execution after she'd come to her senses."
…Oh Hell.
"That was pretty much it then. We were living in Kalichi and didn't have any other place to really go. Years passed and I think I'd just turned 13 when I met Adder. It was just a matter of circumstance really. I'd been walking by looking for some easy mark to pickpocket and I saw him handily mop the floor with something like 7 other gang members. I think they called themselves the Dark Horses or something…but all I could think was, 'if someone that strong was friends with us, we would be safer'."
I can't see her face, but her hands are clenching so tightly on her arms that they've gone white.
"So, I did my thing. I talked to him for awhile, was a bit flirtatious now and again and before you knew it we were on pretty good terms. He wasn't aggressive or always pushing me to get intimate or anything…he even offered me and Shirone lessons in fighting and all that…"
Shirone suddenly gets up from her grasping position on my leg and gives her Sister a tight hug, obvious concern etched onto her face.
"I can't believe how stupid I was! He'd just gotten finished taking over another part of the city and I figured we could have a small party of sorts to commemorate the occasion. I got ahold of some drinks and I lost my head…you know the rest. He got overly wasted and kept trying to get Shirone to fight him. When she refused, I tried to step in and…and-"
"It's fine, I get it. Just…just stop."
Sweet suffering Judas…I thought I'd had it rough, what with being an outcast with no family left to call my own.
What a joke. I never had to survive on my own in this city with a younger sibling to watch over, I never had to hear the news from someone else that my Mom was branded a criminal and then executed.
I never had to see one parent kill the other…
A sniffle catches my attention and then I realize that Kuroka is crying.
Well...what did I expect? She's always the one putting on the brave face, always the one with the plan and the knowledge. No one should have to be that strong, and actually opening up, admitting to her mistakes and bringing to fore all the traumatic memories of their past, would cause anyone to break down.
A sad smile crosses my face and I situate myself so that I can gently run my hand over both of the sister's heads in what I hope is a conciliatory gesture.
"Thanks for telling me all of that. And I'm not judging you for any of it. You did what you had too and I know I wouldn't have done any better."
No sooner do I finish than Kuroka suddenly throws herself into me with a quiet sob, Shirone still attached to her and all of the sudden I'm stuck flat on my back beneath an extremely emotional Nekoshou. Shirone gives me a slightly apologetic glance that I wave off and just keep petting Kuroka's head.
It's a shame that it had to be this that did it, but some of that loneliness that I always feel these past few weeks is slowly draining away as we lay there.
Leaving everything bare before each other apparently did alot of good in terms of acceptance.
But beneath that welcome sense of companionship, of belonging…there's a very real anger brewing.
And it's an old anger I've been secretly nursing for a long time.
That obviously High Class Devil that talked to the Toujou sister's parents…there isn't a doubt in my mind that he forced their parents to go above and beyond the safety required when using Senjutsu. Hell, maybe he deliberately forced them to go mad, just to see what happens.
And that's the point.
For many of the more influential Devils, not just the remaining Pillars, there's absolutely zero consequence for them doing whatever they want to anybody beneath High-Class status. Some families, such as the Gremorys, hold themselves to high standards when it comes to their territory and servants, treating them as valuable business associates and friends. Others, like the Phenex and Sitri, run a tight ship but follow Devil laws to the letter, leading by example.
Then you have families like the Astaroths that follow the law when it's convenient for them and get away totally free whenever they bend the rules.
It's hypocritical of me to be furious with them for breaking the law, I know, but there's a difference here. As a Valefor I was raised to understand both the responsibility and burden our position brings, and that we're the last people who could claim to be morally outraged at the shortcomings of Devil Society.
I never bought that line of reasoning for a second. Just because we're not good people doesn't automatically make us exempt from trying to do the 'right' thing. Those other families feel like it's their damn right to be above everyone else, never considering their influence or power to be a responsibility or burden, just a given trait, like they were some natural born Messiahs.
And now that I'm trying to console 2 girls who were just another blip on the radar of one of these family's many social 'experiments', that old fury is coming back to me full force.
My anger toward Rizevim is more of a smoldering pile of embers, promising a fire but requiring a catalyst to once again burn hot.
Towards the High Class Devils though? Towards our society that breeds a class of winners at the all too probable expense of people like Kuroka and Shirone?
Dragon fire would seem cold in comparison.
They'll see. Devil's can live for a very long time, and one day, no matter how long it takes, I'll show everyone that their throne isn't nearly as secure as they'd like to think it is.
…That can come later though.
Right now I just focus on letting the sisters know that the 3 of us are in this together, through thick and thin.
I close my eyes and we all move a little closer together, feeling safe for the first time in a long while.
David
It's been quite a number of years since I've been that close to death. Apparently God decided to send me a reminder that I'm not as young or quick as I once was.
A small smile comes to my lips once I remember Sister Bianca regaling me the tell of how Caine, the supposed weak link of our 4 person group, was actually the one to finish off Adder and then trick Chow of all people into cleaning up afterwards.
The child has a crafty head on his shoulders...
I'm just about to enter the Church's recovery room when I notice how quiet it is. Slowly pushing open the door a smile I have no control over comes to my face.
The 3 of them are all sprawled together on the bed, Caine with his head resting on Kuroka's shoulder while Shirone is curled up into his side, all of them with the most peaceful expressions I've ever seen on their faces so far.
I close the door behind me and move to check on Lisa, grinning from ear to ear.
Scenes like that convince me that what I'm doing in this city has a point to it, and that I made the right choice in listening to what God was trying to tell me all those years ago in turning my back on the Church.
What can I say? God works in mysterious ways.
And that's a wrap for this chapter.
I decided to just keep Toujou as the Sister's last name because it's easier than having to think of a new one, but what are everyone's thoughts on their backstory? I kept some elements like their parent's going off the deep end and a High-Class Devil being the cause of their trouble, but overall I'd like to think their story is far more sympathetic than the one they had in canon, which was pretty sparse on the details. It also kinda glossed over the whole 'Senjutsu loco crazy spell' and didn't elaborate, so I put my own spin on it.
Other than that not much else to say!
Although it's awesome to hear people like Chow, I've always had a soft spot for the 'eccentric old man' archetype and the fact that Chow is kind of a dick just makes it all the more entertaining to write :D
Appreciate all the reviews and feedback!
