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Occurring in and around the timeline of this chapter:
Epidose 13 of K: Return Of Kings.
K: The Beginning And The End. (Short Story/Manga Oneshot)
K: Return Of Kings After Stories 1. (Short Story)
Lonely.
To Homra's chant of "NO BLOOD! NO BONE! NO ASH!" The strength of Anna's power soared until bright light overwhelmed everything.
When the flare passed. Mikoto's gaze was naturally drawn up towards the one person he could call a companion in all the worlds, Munakata. Their eyes met and Mikoto saw recognition behind the familiar glasses. So Munakata could see him too. An affectionate snort escaped Mikoto, and he offered the man he had left behind in the waking, a small curve of a smile, seeing the sentiment returned in kind. Then Mikoto turned his attention back to his daughter.
"Burn them all, burn them all, burn them all!" Anna and he spoke in unison, Mikoto confident she would be able to sense his will supporting hers, even if just a little through the brush of their old synchronicity.
With a final effort, her power erupted as a chain reaction through her marbles, and through the underground structure. Creating the path she had spoken of. A direct line between the Damocles above, and the slate below, captured in the depths of the subterranean chambers that was the Green's base.
And at last, cutting through the air, the Damocles fell, it's end embedding itself squarely in the slate. All was a wash of light once more, and in that light the remaining Damocles vanished, just like that.
"The swords are fading." Kamamoto observed aloud.
Anna looked pensive at first, mirroring Mikoto's own feelings. But when she saw the dangerous flashing fade from around Munakata. she seemed assured, a gladdened expression replaced the worry. Mikoto's own emotion was more mixed, but gratitude predominated, everything was going to be ok.
The underground structure gave a shudder, and gradually it started to cave in on itself. So while Homra gathered and evacuated. Mikoto used some fallen masonry and rebar to ascend to the surface once more. Just in time to see Munakata welcoming Fushimi back from his mission, Fushimi having been phased to the surface by a green clansman.
Mikoto's cigarette had burned down to the filter, so he plucked it from between his lips. As he did, the world shimmered, like if he were in the midst of a mirage, and he found himself wholly in the dream once more. The 3rd gate closed, no signs of damage, no tape cordoning off the area. Just dreamers crossing to and fro, Mikoto himself merely one of them.
"I owe you kid." He thanked Hibana, whom he suspected had something to do with the lifting of the divide between dream and waking.
Anna was going to be just fine, Munakata had survived against the odds. And their respective clans hadn't suffered any losses. Hands in his pockets, Mikoto allowed his feet to lead him back to bar homra. A broad smile on his face and heart torn between a lonely aching and giddy energy.
_
[Ten days after the destruction of the slate]
It wasn't anyone's birthday, deathday, or even a holiday. But to Tatara it was an important date. Back when they had been little more than teenagers, or in Kusanagi's case a young adult. Between them, they emptied a half a bottle of bourbon together, on this very date seven years ago. At the time, they were celebrating the refurbishment of bar homra, under Kusanagi's management. A lot had happened since then.
Now Tatara wanted to commemorate the occasion. So "Mikoto!" He called for his long time friend, who was still upstairs.
It was probably a stretch to hope for anything, now that the slate was no more, but Tatara couldn't help it. Arranging three glasses on the bar, he took up a seat in front of one and waited.
Soon enough, Mikoto could be heard stomping his way downstairs. "What's this?" He asked in a dry tone. He nonetheless sat in front of one of the other two glasses.
"I just thought, it's been a while since the three of us have had a drink together."
Mikoto reached for the bottle of bourbon, but Tatara stayed his hand. "Let him, he's the bar tender after all."
Mikoto's eyes slid closed as he rested his weight forward on the bar, not arguing or deriding.
Tatara shut his eyes also. Then he heard the clatter of ice in the glasses, and the sound of the bourbon being poured. The aromas of rose, cherry, and brown sugar filling the room. He was about to reprimand Mikoto for being impatient, but when he opened his eyes, they landed on Kusanagi.
"Wah, it smells amazing!" Was the first thing he could think to say.
"Not bad." Mikoto agreed in his understated way. Though it was a question whether he could tell fine bourbon from the average. So long as it was strong, he was happy.
"But is it really okay Mister Kusanagi, wasn't this a precious bottle" Tatara playfully teased more than questioned on turning his attention back to the eldest of the three of them, the last of the three remaining on the side of the waking.
"Ah, well just this one time." Kusanagi seemed to be taking this instance of crossover between the worlds, rather well, well enough to banter back.
To Tatara's side, Mikoto placed a smoke between his lips, allowing Kusanagi to light it for him. Then breathed out a long stream of smoke from his lungs.
An instant after, Anna and the rest of the Red clan known to frequent the establishment, burst through the door on the waking side. And their brief moment with the dearly undeparted, came to an end, leaving the place quiet.
Tatara lifted his still full glass in a gesture of cheers then took a first sip.
Not saying a word, he and Mikoto finished their bourbon at their own pace.
That was until they heard Hibana making use of their lungs and Mizuomi with Hibana came through the front door, bringing a few necessities from the local convenience store.
"You just missed your nephew!" Tatara told Mizuomi.
"What!?" Mizuomi lamented without any real seriousness. "Of course I did. How is he then?"
"Doing just fine." Mikoto assured. Getting up to take care of Hibana.
_
[Thirteen days after the destruction of the slate]
It was a little past noon, Mikoto was reclined on the bed in his room. While Hibana, safe in a net tent having just finished a good helping of thawed EBM. Contentedly played at making foam blocks, and also Mikoto's socks, float about the place.
Mikoto was considering his options. On one hand, he could stay put, and maybe he'd catch up on some sleep. On the other, the carton of Blue Sparks on the coffee table down in the bar kept coming to mind.
With a resigned sight, he shifted his weight and made for the staircase, stepping over the futile baby gate on his way.
On entering the bar, Mikoto switched on the baby monitor and dropped down onto the sofa.
"King! You hungry?" Tatara welcomed. Having just finished preparing a thin crust pizza lunch for the grownups, which he brought over, and settled himself on the opposite sofa.
Mikoto had smoked all but three of the cigarettes in the packet. Getting one of that number between his lips, he used his lighter to scorch the end. Drawing in a lung full of that toxic air, he was about to make some reply to Tatara. But instead they both heard faint voices.
The voices didn't come from the baby monitor or street outside, rather they emanate from the direction of the bar. And Mikoto thought he could just barely make out the faintest Blue and Red auras, at and behind the bar respectively.
A day short of two weeks since the slates destruction and they were still occasionally glimpsing auras or catching snippets of disembodied conversation, it was a mystery to them all how these visions persisted, but not a gift anyone was willing to look in the mouth.
"How is it on this end lately?" That was Munakata unmistakably.
"Ah, well. One foot in front of the other." Izumo gave in reply.
"The Red King still lives here, doesn't she? is she here today?"
"she's out for the time being."
"Unfortunate."
"You wanted to see her? I could pass along a message."
"I wanted to thank her properly."
"Thank Anna?"
"Yes. When I consider it, her part was invaluable."
"I see, during the conflict with the Greens. How unexpected."
"Is it unexpected?"
"You'll have to excuse me, but I always got the impression you were conceited."
"That is unkind." Munakata observed without particular feeling.
"It is. And I apologize."
The sound of ice clinking together as he took a sip from his glass, was Munakata's only reply.
The familiar aroma of bourbon reached Mikoto. Munakata and he had shared that kind many times at a small little known bar below street level. A place they would both retreat to when the need to escape the pedestal became too pressing to resist.
"Suppose-" Munakata spoke up after a length of quiet.
"Yes?" Izumo could be heard prompting.
"I am a bit- lonely." Munakata seemed to say more for himself then anyone, his voice taking on a faraway quality.
At this, Tatara turned concerned eyes on Mikoto.
But Mikoto merely shrugged, ignoring the strange urgent feeling those words had caused to rise inside of him.
