AN: Thanks for 636 hits!

Occurring in and around the timeline of this chapter:
K: Return Of Kings After Stories 1. (Short Story)
K: Seven Stories 24 Pieces. Piece 24 The Enigmatic Boy - Bonds. (Short Story)
K: Seven Stories - Circle Vision - Nameless Song. (Manga/Movie)


Hypnagogia.

"It is unusual, I loathed him quite a lot." Munakata finished what he was saying.

That was more like it, Mikoto thought with no small amount of satisfaction.

Tatara feigned a scanalized expression.

Izumo laughed a surprised laugh. "That much?"

"Most definitely. More than you could ever imagine probably. since we first met."

"I see." A smile could be heard in Izumo's voice and he even chuckled. "Excuse me," The sounds of a lighter and the aroma of his usual cigarettes, then of a drink being put together, the scent of bourbon redoubled. "Why not use this opportunity and toast?"

"Well. Would that be entirely appropriate?" Munakata deliberated.

"It can't hurt."

For a moment Munakata said nothing, until "I accepted your invitation. So, how shall I say 'to those now gone' seems to cover it; what do you think?"

"Oh, I bet they're still causing trouble wherever they are now."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I'm positive."

"I see."

The chime of glasses meeting in a toast, sounded, the ice cubes clattering gently.

Mikoto couldn't keep it in any longer, a genuine laugh found its way from within him, the sense of urgency leaving him. Munakata seemed to have accepted he wasn't a thing of the past, that for now would have to be enough for both of them.

Tatara joined him in his laughter, the act always having come easy to him. Then, when nothing more was heard from the waking, he pointed out. "Your pizza's getting cold." And because apparently he couldn't resist. "You two have a funny idea of love."

"Who said anything about love." Mikoto argued, after a bite of his food.

"Oh that's right, he said 'loath' didn't he? When it's about you and him, I get those mixed up."

"Less talk, more eat." Mikoto grumbled.
_

[December 2014]

The night before her wedding, Seri wandered through the rooms of the newly refurbished Scepter 4 building. What had once been the break room, was being decorated for the ceremony with pair of tables, tasseled table clothes and embroidered table runners, elaborate candelabra, chairs and arrangements fit for the winter season. Down stairs the foyer too was being dressed for the first dance. With an abundance of arrangements, cabriole sofas, drapes and projector lights. It was all coming together just as she had hoped, classic glamour with a few themed touches.

Aside from the hired decorators, Seri was on her own. Izumo was getting bar homra ready for the reception, and giving their weddings signature cocktail a last practice run. And her friends wouldn't be arriving in Shizume town for a little while yet. So she wandered, left to her own devices mostly, save for one of her family's shop staff visiting briefly to confirm the delivery time for the hikidemono.

Stopping by the door that led to the women's accommodations, a path she had taken daily for years. She was impressed by just how dearly she was going to miss this place, her colleagues and her purpose for years now, to aid her King.

Without the Captain, their King and his sword, without her fellow clansmen by her side, she would need to start over from scratch. But what mundane job could possibly compare?

It wasn't that she felt any kind of reluctance towards marrying Izumo, that wasn't the problem, to the contrary even. The problem was that, despite everything, she felt as if she were leaving this part of her life unfinished somehow. Felt that she'd do it all again if she could. Wake up every day with an objective and the certitude to see it done, fight through any challenge she encounters. And return to her bed, satisfied that she'd done well, that the ideal of order had been advanced with her help.

Closing the door, she made herself turn away. Seri had agreed with her bridal party to meet at the apartment she and Izumo shared, for dinner.
_

When movement beside him woke Mikoto, he knew even before opening his eyes, something was different. For one thing he couldn't help hearing Kamamoto snoring, and for another his one and a half year old wasn't trying to climb on him, or else using their foam toy sword to wake him.

He remembered falling asleep. Then Tatara and Mikoto himself, as well as several others who had died. Were all brought to a place filled with memory and possibility, by one of the people with unusual eyes. That person, the one linked to the Dresden slate, offered a choice, to return to the dream or- wake.

That's what it was, the dream and the waking had met again. But it hadn't done that for almost a year, it shouldn't be able to, now that the slate was in bits. But conversely, the worlds had crossed over to a greater extent than ever before.

Shielding his eyes against the early morning sun. Mikoto turned his attention to the little girl curled against his side.

Anna looked back, her glassy red eyes steady. She uttered just a few words. "It's a dream?"

"Yeah." Mikoto told her, voice low so as not to disturb the rest of Homra sleeping here and there throughout the bar.

"Like when I was little." Anna recalled the synchronicity they had shared as a result of her powers, and Mikoto's carelessness. One effect of that link allowed her to enter his dreams and visa versa.

"You're still little." He told her.

"I'm almost thirteen on the side of the living." She gave as her counterpoint. Snuggling closer, wrapping her short arms around his middle and pressing her face into his ribs.

"That's little." He let his own arm drop around her to keep her warm. In this waking-dream, she wasn't the Red King, he was. He could feel the familiar heat inside himself, turning his bones to kindling, pressing at his edges, molten and churning, a fire that if not starved of oxygen of fuel, would burn everything once it got free. "But you're doing big things in the waking."

"You were there when the slate was destroyed, I felt it."

"I didn't do anything."

"It meant a lot." Her whisper of a voice was so earnest, it brought a smile to Mikoto's face.

Anna's next words didn't so much surprise Mikoto, as interest him. "Reisi has adopted me, so we're doing alright, you don't have to worry."

He gave her a gentle squeeze. She was living the future she herself had fought for and protected. That and he had been right to trust Munakata would take care of things.

"We're doing ok on our side too." Mikoto told her, and somehow it was the truth. She must have sensed as much, because she smiled an easy sincere smile.

"Oh, contact with the waking." Tatara, who along with Izumo, had been asleep against the bar, realized. Bleary eyed he took in the sight of Anna, Homra's clansmen, and of course Izumo next to him.

"Yes." Anna confirmed stoutly. Sitting up when Mikoto did.

Tatara grinned a broad grin. "It's good to see you again!" Then casting around, his eyes next fell on a still sleeping Yata. "Ah, it's his wish, that's the reason we're here."

Beside him, Anna nodded her agreement. Mikoto sensed it as well, that this living dream was resonating with Yata. In this reality, Anna was still under the age of eleven, not a teenager who was branching out to live with her adoptive father Munakata. Tatara and Mikoto himself had never died. And everyone was together.

It made Mikoto wonder what the world outside bar homra might be like here, as he was sure this was not the insular extent of it. Especially since Ichigen Miwa the previous colorless King, as well as the Gold Green and Grey Kings, a woman who the Gold King called Doctor Klaudia Weismann, and Takeru Kusuhara the clansman Munakata had lost, were likewise called to this reality by the personification of the slate.

"Anna, what do you want to do today?" He asked his daughter, since he felt like going for a meander. That and if Munakata was here in this hypnagogia made world too, Mikoto wanted to know about it.

"Can we go to the amusement park, like that time after I first came to Homra?"

"Yeah." Mikoto promised. Getting up from the sofa, he announced. "I'm showering first."

"I'll make sure everyone has boots and coats!" Tatara volunteer.

After his shower, Mikoto dressed warmly, though with the Red King's power, he needn't have.

Returning back down stares, he found the others in similar states of dress. Warm hats, jackets, boots and scarves were in abundance. Even Anna was dressed snugly in a red fit and flare coat with 3D rose details, a beanie Misaki had let her borrow, to which someone had pinned a bow, one of Izamo's scarves and a pear of ankle boots.

Pausing in front of the door that led out onto the street, to get a cheap cigarette from a carton he found on the bar, between his lips and light up somewhere the blustery weather wouldn't make the task a nuisance. Mikoto felt Anna's small hand grasp his arm through his sleeve.

"I've got pocket warmers!" Tatara announced. "Lets go!"