AN: Shout out to WhiteBlack sky for following this work, and thank youz all for 640 hits!
Occurring in and around the timeline of this chapter:
K: Seven Stories - Circle Vision - Nameless Song. (Manga/Movie)
Moment.
On arrival at the park, the Homra party dispersed in groups of twos and threes. Izumo and Tatara went on to the coffee stand. Kamamoto and Yata, filled rolls in hand, made in the direction of the biggest roller coaster. Chitose and Dewa had peeled off towards the haunted house. Erik and Fujishima were perusing the gift shop. And Shohei and Bando were visiting a photo booth.
Mikoto was just casting around for something Anna might like to do, that wouldn't involve any extraneous participation on his own part. When he felt the gentlest tug on his arm. Peering down, he found Anna trying to pretend like she wasn't interested in the carousel with its red and pink striped roof, and red rhythmically flashing lights.
So "That's closest." He decided for the both of them, leading her towards it. And observed how she smiled and hurried along, now that she didn't feel there was any shame in the thing she wanted.
Once the last lot of guests were let off. Mikoto held Anna's hand, as she climbed up onto the turning platform, and made a direct line for the roaring lion mount. Then he stood back with the other parents, once the simple chiming music started, and the ride got going.
With each rotation, it seemed Anna's smile grew just a bit, until at last she would wave to him each time like the other kids were doing.
Drawing his hand from his pocket, Mikoto returned her wave, on the way to plucking the cigarette end from between his lips.
At last the ride slowed, and he could help Anna down. "Let's get something warm to eat." He guided her in the direction of a kiosk selling crepes and hot chocolate, on seeing how her face flushed red by the cold wind.
Anna first chose a frothy white chocolate drink with pink marshmallows, as well as a crape bursting with cherry mousse filling. Next she picked out a savory hot pepper crepe with plenty of peanut sauce and tomato, as well as hot green tea, for Mikoto.
Despite how she appeared in this dream, Mikoto realized she was at the age where she was attempting to discern his preferences. Seating himself on a bench he ate and drank without complaint, Anna too made short work of her own breakfast. The food wasn't bad, he decided.
Once they had taken photos in the booth. Won an overly large and very red soft toy at the hoop toss. Compared Anna's score on the hammer strike, to the last time they visited. Had a lunch of neapolitan spaghetti for Anna, and oden for Mikoto, from which he shared the occasional morsel that caught her eye. Gotten a candyfloss flower spun. Participated in a balloon animal workshop with a staff member. Toured the haunted house, Anna on Mikoto's shoulder. And had a light dinner of red curry. It was getting late. The day seeming to shift and melt with dream-like logic, to flicker by in the blink of an eye, through one's mental grasp. Even the regular civilians populating the world were nondescript in every way, something Mikoto thought a person would not notice, if they weren't consciously aware of the situation.
Figuring that this reality probably moved in response primarily to the will of those it resonated with, in this case Yata. And to a lesser extent, those making cameo's like Anna the rest of Homra and himself. "Do you want to visit the ferris wheel?" Mikoto utilized his own will, to make a moment for his daughter and himself to spend in each other's company, without the crowds. For in truth the ferris wheel was out of order.
Anna nodded adamantly in reply, so on they went.
The ferris wheel alight with vibrant pink and red lights. Carried them at an easy pace, towards the sky and the vibrant colors of the sunset, deep red peeking out from under beautiful night and pinpoint stars.
"Mikoto." Anna's small voice drew Mikoto's attention away from the view. "I don't want to wake Misaki so soon." She admitted.
"Then let's give it some time, he'll figure it out at his own speed."
"But you're worried?" Her voice had become if possible, smaller.
He supposed it wouldn't do to keep it a secret any longer, she wasn't a King here or even in the waking any longer. Back then, she hadn't needed more to contend with. Now though? "I'm not worried." Mikoto assured. "I'm not used to being away from Hibana just yet."
"Hibana, someone on your side, in the dream?"
"Hibana's-" He paused when he saw recognition in her eyes, her strain powers having supplied the answer.
"My little sibling." She breathed. "You had a baby!" She came as close to beaming as she ever might. But then looked torn. "Did Hibana die too?"
"Yeah." Mikoto didn't sugar coat it, but did explain further. "They're a year and a half old. Mizuomi, Izumo's uncle who also died, will be looking after them in the dream, while I'm here with you."
"Does Reisi know?" She asked next.
Turning his eyes back to the view and burning away the smoke in his mouth, Mikoto wondered. "I don't know. By the way, is he taking good care of you?"
Huddling close to his side, Anna answered with an affirmative. "Yes, he encouraged me to make friends. His family are kind people and my new cousins are nice. Also I feel like I can talk to him, like I used to be able to talk to you. But I still miss you, and now I wish I'd been able to meet Hibana too."
Scooping her up, he sat her on his lap, so that she could better appreciate the sunset. "Same here." He had the thought that she would make a great big sister, clearly Munakata's niece and nephew, Anna's cousins were benefiting.
Anna must have read his thoughts, because she smiled up at him, and he in tern felt her sense of pride as a tender warmth.
When the ferris wheel made it's full rotation, they disembarked. Izumo, Tattara, and the others already there waiting for them.
Tatara held up his PDA. "The Greens sent us an invite."
Sure enough, displayed on the screen of Tatara's PDA, an advertisement for Jungle that featured Homra's insignia juxtaposed against Jungel's logo. As if the clans were characters in some fighting arcade game.
There's no way we can let this stand. Right Mister Mikoto!?" Yata, always ready to throw down in the face of any perceived slight to Homra's pride, pushed for action.
Mikoto took a moment to get a number 50 cigarette lit. "Yeah." He supposed while this waking-dream lasted, he may as well go through the motions. Besides, he might get a good fight out of it. And more than that, he thought to himself, smiling around the smoke between his lips, the Blues would surely show if he caused enough trouble.
Casting her eyes up towards his own, Anna gently squeezed his hand, then led him forward to join the others. Who parted for, then followed Mikoto on towards the CBD, and the office block that served as Jungels public face.
"Energetic as usual, aren't they?" Izumo remarked, once they arrived just down the street from the office block.
Yata scoffed, rolling forward on his skateboard. "No matter how many times we stomp down on them, those Greens keep coming back like roaches." Then over his shoulder to the rest of Homra. "Let's scatter them, guys!"
Mikoto felt the will of the waking-dream working on his perceptions once more. It was a strange thing to suddenly gain memories of brawling with the Greens and Blues on the regular, alongside his knowledge that these memories were one part fabricated, to one part genuine recontextualized to fit this new narrative.
"Yeah!" Kamamoto responded to Yata's battle cry. "NO BLOOD, NO BONE, NO ASH!" He led the chant that quickly became a collective roar. With hundreds of fists held overhead.
Mikoto made his way without any hurry, to the front of the Homra crowd and lifting his gaze, he sighted the Green King along with his clan, atop the office blocks roof, the other King's expression deliberately challenging.
During Mikoto's own time in the waking, he had never met this Green King. Only done so a few short hours past, in the place of memories and possibility, the place created by the Dresden slate's personification, prior to arriving in this waking-dream. Despite that, he felt the Green King was overdue a trouncing, for all the strife he'd caused Anna.
Blowing out a stream of smoke, he turned to look over his shoulder. Taking in the sight of his clan, ready to act as soon as he gave the word. Turning away again, and letting his eyes slide closed, he uttered simply. "Burn them all."
"Let's do this!" With Yata and Kamamoto leading the charge, Homra surged forward down the road to meet the greens. Who were descending from their vantage point, utilizing their Green auras to do so.
The two clans meet with a palpable impact. Knuckle dusters, rebar and manifested molotovs, meeting tasers, bolts of electricity and batons.
Ahead of Mikoto, Yata was forced to bodily throw himself out of the path of a green clansman's sword. The green clansman, now standing between Mikoto and the Green King.
Sure that Anna was safe with Tatara. Mikoto wiped the smile off the guy's face, his fist met the flat of the Green's sword, propelling the Green backward clear to the other end of the street, with a light flare of his Red aura. Though to the Green's credit, he did land without incident.
Disregarding the clansman, now that he wasn't blocking his path. Mikoto careened forward carried by his fire, meeting the Green King who likewise charged, in a head on collision that shook their surroundings. Mikoto was going to make this guy regret messing with his kid.
Above their conflict, two Damocles, the Green King's and Mikoto's own manifested, signaling the activation of their respective sanctums.
Even while pushing back against the Green King. Mikoto felt it, and took note when Munakata made his appearance. Munakata's Damocles, along with that of the Grey King's, making itself known above. Mikoto drew a breath in through his teeth, a satisfied grin unbidden tugging at the corners of his lips, while his heart felt as though it might burst.
