A/N: Now that I'm getting closer to Amaimon and Shiemi being at True Cross, this story is becoming much more difficult to write. I want to tell you that I have already begun working on the next chapter, but if it's anything like this chapter, it will take me about a week to write out.

However, once I get the hang of writing all these new characters, (and, subsequently, their interactions with each other), I imagine that the chapters will take much less time to complete. *fingers crossed*

Chapter Fourteen

Amaimon had nowhere else to go, so he climbed into a tall tree just outside of Shiemi's garden, far enough away that he didn't think younger brother would be angry at him, and made himself comfortable on one of the branches. He watched the fireflies dance over the garden for a while, then he wrapped himself up in his tattered coat, rested his back against the tree's rough trunk, and closed his eyes. Before long, he fell asleep.

The flowers in the garden were quiet all night, but just before sunrise, they became more active. It was the sound of their soft voices that woke Amaimon up. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, then he hopped off the branch. He fell several meters to the ground, landed lightly on his feet, and headed towards Shiemi's house.

It was still very early; Shiemi and her mother were both asleep. Amaimon thought about watering the flowers, but he figured that Shiemi would want to do it herself: It would give her a chance to say goodbye to them before she left.

So instead he stood there in the garden and drifted off into thought, looking up at the lightening sky. He stayed like that until Shiemi came out of the house. She yawned and stretched, then walked over to him. She stared curiously at him for a moment, then also looked up at the sky.

"Pretty clouds this morning," she commented.

Amaimon blinked and looked down at her. He frowned when he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. "You look tired."

"I was too nervous to sleep," Shiemi replied with a weak smile.

Amaimon turned his head to the side. "Why?"

"Because we're going to the school today," she said, "and I'm worried that you're going to get hurt."

There wasn't much chance of that, Amaimon thought. He was one of the Eight Demon Princes of Gehenna, after all, and he doubted that even a whole school full of exorcists would be able to put a scratch on him if it came down to a fight. But he had never had someone worry about him before, and he was touched.

"I'll be okay," he said. "And I'll protect you."

Shiemi looked reassured and her smile became genuine. "Thanks, Amaimon. That makes me feel a lot better."

He gave her one of his awkward, goofy-looking smiles, keeping his lips pressed together to hide his fangs as usual. Shiemi laughed, all of her worries forgotten.

Together, they watered the garden. As Amaimon predicted, Shiemi murmured soft farewells to the plants as she watered them, carefully looking each of them over to make sure they were healthy and growing properly.

By the time they'd finished with the watering, the sun had risen and was high enough in the sky to cast some light into the garden, though it was still mostly hidden behind the trees. Amaimon got up and walked over to Shiemi, who was still kneeling. He offered her his hand, and, when she took it, he lifted her to her feet.

Shiemi stood there for a moment, looking sadly around at the garden, then she sighed.

"I wish I could stay out here longer, but I should finish packing." She looked up at him and smiled. "Why don't you come inside?"

Amaimon nodded and followed her into the house. Shiemi's mother, wrapped up in a blue robe, was smoking a long pipe at the table. She smiled when she saw Amaimon.

"Good morning, Amaimon."

"Good morning."

"You must live close by," she said, "to have gotten here so early."

Amaimon shook his head. "My home in Gehenna is very far away," he said, though he supposed that he could have used the Infinity Key to get there. No matter; he didn't mind sleeping in trees.

Shiemi's mother frowned and looked over at her daughter. "Shiemi, why didn't you tell me about this? The next time your friend comes for a visit, put him up in the storehouse for the night."

"The storehouse?" Shiemi seemed surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! Now that you're in the main house, that little room in the storehouse's empty. It's comfortable enough for a guest, I'd say."

"Yes, mom," Shiemi said. She looked very happy, and Amaimon, once he'd gotten over his shock, was happy too. He wasn't used to this sort of kindness; he'd never been welcome around humans, let alone offered a room by one.

Without Shiemi's prompting, Amaimon sank into a low bow. "Thank you very much," he said.

Shiemi's mother grinned. "No need for all that," she said to him. She turned to Shiemi. "You two should hurry up and get your things packed; you'll need to be at the school in half an hour."

Shiemi nodded, and she and Amaimon went upstairs. Shiemi's room was at the opposite end of the hall from her mother's, and when she opened the door, Amaimon saw that it was a small room, but comfortable, with potted flowers crowded around the window. Amaimon stared in amazement: among them was the Darkness Blossom.

"I'll be taking those with me," Shiemi said, pointing at them. "I'm staying in the dorms this year, and I'd be really homesick if I didn't have at least a few of my flowers there, too."

Amaimon slowly lost interest in the flowers and looked back at Shiemi. She had knelt down on the floor in front of a floral-patterned duffle bag and was folding clothes and books into it. Every so often, she'd ask him to get something specific from her desk, or her closet, and Amaimon would retrieve it for her so that she could pack it into the bag.

Soon, the duffle bag was full. Shiemi zipped it up and sighed in relief.

"All done!" she announced. She got to her feet and brushed off her kimono, then, with difficulty, she picked up the duffle bag.

"I'll carry it," Amaimon said, reaching out, but Shiemi shook her head.

"It's okay!" she replied, though her arms were visible shaking. "Could you get the flowers for me?"

Amaimon nodded. He gathered up Shiemi's flowers, and, once he'd somehow managed to get all five of the flower pots safely in his arms, they both went downstairs. Shiemi's mother was still at the table, but Amaimon sensed that there was someone else in the house, too. He shifted the flowers so he could see, and was surprised to find that it was sort-of brother.

"Yuki!" Shiemi exclaimed, just as surprised as he was. "What are you doing here?"

Sort-of brother cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "I've come to escort the two of you to True Cross."

Shiemi looked confused. "But I have a key," she said. She dropped the duffle bag and reached into her pocket, taking out a small, silver key and holding it up as proof, clutching it with both hands. "See? Mr. Mephisto gave it to me. You didn't have to come all the way out here."

Amaimon glanced over at her. Big brother had given her a key, too? He felt a quick pang of jealousy, but then it was replaced with concern. What was big brother planning? Amaimon had promised to protect Shiemi, but if big brother tried to hurt her, she would be in great danger. Big brother was very strong; if the two of them were to fight, Amaimon wasn't sure that he would win.

But it wasn't likely that big brother would have any interest in Shiemi, Amaimon quickly reminded himself. She might be special to him, but to big brother, she was only another human.

And so, with that in mind, Amaimon stubbornly crushed down the fear that was growing inside him and forced himself to pay attention to what sort-of brother was saying.

"Unless I'm mistaken, that key will take you straight to the cram school, but since the barriers against high-level demons are still in place, it wouldn't be possible for Amaimon to get through. Before the two of you will be allowed to enter True Cross, Amaimon will need to be examined by a team of exorcists.

Once they determine that he has truly become your familiar, word will be sent to Mephistopheles, and he will alter the barrier so that Amaimon can come and go without being affected."

Amaimon knew that the barrier had already been altered for him a long time ago, as he went to True Cross often and had never had any problem getting in, but he figured that big brother was pretending so that the exorcists wouldn't get suspicious. If that was the case, then he'd play along; there was no need to get big brother in trouble.

Shiemi looked embarrassed and put the key back into her pocket. "I...I forgot about the barrier," she admitted. "Sorry, Yuki."

"No need to apologize," sort-of brother said. Amaimon tilted his head with interest when sort-of brother put a hand on Shiemi's shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "We should get going, but you might want to say goodbye to your mother first."

Shiemi nodded and turned to her mother. Though she tried to put on a brave face, Amaimon saw that there were tears in her eyes. "I'm going to school, mom," she said, her voice shaking. "I'll miss you."

Shiemi's mother got up and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'll miss you too, dear," she said softly. "I'm very proud of you."

The tears in Shiemi's eyes escaped and she buried her face in her mother's shoulder. "You'll remember to water the flowers, won't you?"

Shiemi's mother chuckled. "Of course, dear. I'll water them morning, noon, and night; don't you worry. Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself."

"I will," Shiemi said. She let go of her mother, wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her kimono, and gave her a feeble smile.

Suddenly, to Amaimon's surprise, Shiemi's mother turned towards him. "You'll keep her safe?"

Amaimon blinked, then he nodded. "I will."

Shiemi's mother smiled. "Shiemi's lucky to have a friend like you," she said, then she looked back at her daughter. "Goodbye, dear."

"Goodbye, mom."

Shiemi was crying again, and the tears were coming faster than she could mop them up with her sleeve. Amaimon didn't like that Shiemi was so distressed, but he didn't know what he could do to make it better. Yukio bowed to Shiemi's mother, then he walked over to the front door and took a long golden key out of his pocket. He put it into the lock and turned, then he opened the door and stepped through to the other side.

Shiemi wiped her eyes one last time, then she grabbed onto the duffle bag and struggled until she finally managed to pick it up. She hauled it along without too much difficulty as she followed sort-of brother, but, right before she went through the door, she turned and let go of the bag with one hand so that she could wave back at her mother. The moment she did that, she was thrown off-balance and almost dropped it. With a frightened squeak, Shiemi stopped waving and scrambled to grab onto the bag. She got it under control and recovered her balance, then she hurried through the open door to catch up with sort-of brother.

Amaimon, cradling the flowers in his arms, started after her. However, just before he stepped across the threshold, he paused and looked over his shoulder at Shiemi's mother. As far as Amaimon knew, he'd never had a mother of his own, but if he had, he thought that he would have wanted her to be like Shiemi's.

His heart bursting with an unexpected flood of strange emotions, Amaimon turned back to Shiemi's mother and gave her a low bow, then he straightened up and stepped through the doorway.