Chapter 7: Red and Green and Green and Red

Natsuki Subaru was quite enjoying his sleep.

Even if his dreams now rapidly switched from being normal to a dark abyss with the same voice always repeating "I love you" over and over again, he learned to not pay it much attention. Creepy, love-obsessed dream snatchers must be commonplace in this world. Maybe it is just something he needs to get used to, who knows?

Unlike every other time, he was rudely awoken from his bi-daily shadow demon ASMR session by something being thrown at him, which he quickly deduced was not dangerous thanks to its fluffiness.

With one eye open and still groggy, he saw the object: a white rabbit plushie.

That meant only one thing.

"Come on, get up! Aren't you supposed to be a morning person!?"

He attempted to comply, but found himself too enticed by the bed's comfortable pillows and sheets. Besides, the sun was not even up yet. Who would want to be up at this hour?

"Hey! No, no, don't go back to sleep! Today's an important day, remember!?"

Oh, well. Whatever made it an "important" day could surely wait, right? Even if it was of maximum importance, it surely was not something worth getting up at two in the morning for.

From nowhere, his world exploded into light.

After a couple of seconds of squirming in the bed like a dehydrated worm, Subaru finally opened his eyes and looked at whatever the cause of this sudden brightness was. Did someone put his life on bright mode? Did the Od Laguna say "let there be light" just to annoy him?

No, someone just opened the curtains.

And that "someone" was a certain golden-haired, crimson-eyed princess who was glaring at him like he was somehow responsible for her parents' divorce. Wait a second, now that he thought about it, he never met the queen, did he?

Stretching his arms, he mumbled, "Wha taime issit?"

"Too late," Emerada answered. "I'm wasting time, now come on!"

"Whamakes todiay so important?" he queried, finally managing to shrug off his sleep and speak normally.

Walking over to the side of his bed, the princess poked him between the eyebrows. "I am so~ glad you asked that, because now I want to put an ice cube in your shirt! Let me go get one…"

"Alright! I'm up! What do you even want?"

As his vision cleared and adjusted to the bright room, Subaru saw Emerada standing next to him in what counted as the most ornate dress he saw her wear thus far. On her ponytail was the hand-crafted rose he had gifted her and it was now accompanied by a yellow-red ribbon.

"Hm," the princess mused. "This lovely lady wonders if you really forgot what day it is or if you're just pretending to be dumb. Don't even bother pretending: being a fool is a part of who you are, and being yourself is important!"

"Okay, don't tell me you woke me up just to laugh at me."

"As entertaining as that would be, I have to admit that's not why I came here. Niko's getting a carriage at the moment, and I need you up and dressed soon."

"You still haven't told me why!"

She leaned into the bed and picked up the plushie, holding it up to his face. "Mmm, let's see if you can figure it out!"

With those words spoken and the plushie in her hand, she made her way out of the room, giving the black-haired man a wink before leaving him alone.

Just like every other day, Subaru ran through his morning routine, except that now he wondered what could possibly have gotten into Emerada today. Was there really an important event or was she kidding?

Now, he attempted to recall any clues that might aid him.

Little more than three months ago, he attended that party with the Astreas and…"furthered" his relationship with the princess, even if it still felt like nothing had changed. Some things did change, however: for example, she now came over to his room about once a week and either just hung out with him or spent the night, always bringing her rabbit plushie with her.

Niko also changed, even if it was only slightly. He grew a short beard, which made him look like even more of a tramp, and his demeanor toward him was…calmer. Gone were the days of putting swords next to his neck or threatening to toss him off a carriage.

Heh, maybe Subaru should invite him out to bowling sometime.

Not that bowling exists in this world, but maybe he can invent it. Oh, he should also invent UNO, Rubik's cubes, maybe even bring some fashion over…on second thought, maybe UNO was best left in the other world. He had seen how strong people here could be, and if someone accidentally offended someone else in a match, the world might end. Hell, maybe that was why the Witch of Envy was so angry.

That was a good theory, yeah.

Finally finishing up his usual routine, Subaru stepped out of his room only for Emerada, who had apparently been right outside the entire time, to grab his arm and start dragging him down to the main entrance. Any and all attempts he made to ask what was going on were ignored.

"Emma! Where the hell are you taking me!?"

"Somewhere!"

"You're gonna be the death of me!"

Their sprinting came to an end at the front gate, where Subaru finally noticed the outside of the castle was entirely white.

Snow.

As the sun shone overhead and the snow fell steadily toward the ground, the princess laughed and stretched her arms, trying to catch as many snowflakes as she could. She twirled around for a couple of seconds before falling on the floor and leaving her impression on the snow. He went to help her, but she just remained buried in the cold ground, chuckling and panting.

"Hey," she called out. "Do you like the snow?"

"I guess? It didn't snow much in my homeland, so I never really had an opi—"

In the middle of his sentence, she grabbed him and pulled him down next to her, giggling as he cursed the cold.

A sound could be heard in the distance, and it grew louder and louder until Subaru recognized it as the sound of wheels. Not even a minute later, Niko appeared on the driver's seat of one of the royal family's carriages, which was pulled by a familiar green ground dragon.

"Princess," he called out. "It's a bit cold out here! Want to come in?"

Emerada nodded and stood, brushing the snow off her dress. Turning to the inventor, she offered him a hand, which he accepted. The moment he was standing up, she hugged him.

"Ah~, how are you still warm?"

"Hey! What are you doing!? What if your family sees you!?"

She raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "Then let them!"

And with that, she gave him a kiss.

Immediately afterwards, she grabbed him by the arm again and guided him to the carriage, all while Subaru was still processing what had just happened. Once inside the carriage, she sat on the same seat as him and lied down on his lap.

"So," she began. "Have you remembered why today's so important?"

He shook his head.

"What a shame~, then. You'll have to make it up to me!"

Straightening herself out, she sat on his lap and put her head next to his.

"I'm cold!"

As she wrapped her arms around him, Subaru could feel her cold touch. "Yeah, you're freezing! Why didn't you wear something warmer!?"

"Heh, because…now I can do this!"

And with that, she stole his jacket, draping it over herself.

For minutes, the two remained in silence, with only the wheels of the carriage and Niko's sporadic laughter being heard. Emerada started humming at one point, but she quickly stopped and opted to rest her chin on his shoulder instead. After a couple of minutes more, her breathing became slower, and she fell asleep.

That was, pretty much, how they spent the carriage ride.

About a half hour later, the carriage stopped, and Niko shouted at them from the driver's seat. "Princess! We're here!"

She stirred a bit and hugged Subaru a little tighter. "Jus…just five more minutes…"

Feeling a little sore from spending the entire ride sitting down, the raven-haired boy pinched her cheek and said, "Emma, c'mon. Whatever it is you wanted to do, it's time to do it."

That seemed to wake her up, and she got off him, stretched, and put on his jacket, giving him her typical grin. Grabbing his hand, she slowly walked over to the carriage's door and opened it, stepping outside with her companion following close behind.

Now outside, Subaru finally saw where they were: the pond.

Thanks to the low temperatures and the snow, the entire area had frozen, and the pond was now just a block of ice. Not wasting even a single moment, Emerada ran toward the pond, laughing, and Niko followed her soon after.

She stepped onto the frozen water, mindful of her movements so as to not trip and fall. Knowing full well the dangers of walking on frozen water, Subaru was about to go get her, but the blue-haired guardian stood in his way.

"Niko, she's going to fall! Or what if the ice breaks!?"

He responded by summoning a block of ice over his hand and throwing it at the snow, freezing a small area. "The ice won't break."

"She could trip!"

"Do you take her for an idiot? How many times do you think we've come here before?"

"More times than loaves of bread you've eaten in your life?"

"Hm, that's not too far off…"

The two stood in silence at the edge of the frozen pond, merely watching as the princess had the time of her life.

"Hey, Niko."

"What is it?"

"She said today was special, but I don't know why."

Niko somehow managed to give him an incredulous look with only one eye. "Are…are you kidding me?"

Waving his arms in disbelief, Subaru asked, "Why does everyone say that!? C'mon, you know I'm from beyond the cascade! Act like I'm dumb! Tell me what's so important today!"

Taking a quick look at Emerada, who had stopped dancing on the pond and was grabbing handfuls of snow, the bodyguard answered, "Today's her birthday."

"Really!? Shit, I didn't get her anything!"

"Then you best fix that somehow."

As Subaru began panicking, the princess called out to him. "Subaru!"

He turned, fully prepared to face her wrath.

And was promptly met with a snowball to the face.

"Kyahahaha! You should see your face!"

"Hey, now! If it's a snowball war you want, then that's what you'll get!"

He bent down, formed a snowball, and tossed it at Emerada, who quickly returned fire.

For a long time, they remained there, the rest of the world forgotten. The princess and inventor got into a snowball fight, the bodyguard built a snowman his size and put an eyepatch on it, the ground dragon napped on a pile of snow, and all of them just took the time to enjoy the moment. It was a much-needed break from the monotony of their daily lives.

It was after midday when Emerada proposed they go to a restaurant to celebrate.

Back on the carriage, she once more sat next to Subaru, this time leaning on his shoulder and hugging his arm. "That was so~ much fun! I want to do that more often!"

He could not disagree. "Yeah, it really was."

"You know, I love the snow! I wish I could live somewhere like Gusteko!"

There was silence for a second, until he spoke up again.

"Emma…I'm really sorry. I didn't know today was your birthday."

"It doesn't matter! You came here with us, didn't you? That's good enough for me!"

Moving his free hand, the one she was not leaning on, to her head, he continued, "Still, I should get you something, right?"

"Hm, maybe~ you can get me something…from Banan!"

"Wait," he said, confused at the mention of a city in Kararagi. "Since when are we going to Banan!?"

"Since now," the princess replied. "You must have business to do over there, and I always wanted to see the city! Besides, old Zerzel lives there, and you can play nice with him for your company, right?"

Alright, now that he thought about it, a trip to Banan was not exactly the worst idea. Sure, it was a little unexpected, but if he could do something about Alcyone and get Emerada a gift, it was at least worth a try.

"Okay, princess," the inventor admitted. "Let's go to Kararagi!"

"Achoo!"

Somewhere in Banan, a man in red-green robes sneezed at the unheard mention of his name.

"Master," a male voice called out to him. "Is everythin' fine? We can't have ya gettin' sick now, can we?"

From the entrance to Yorghan Zerzel's office appeared a young man who embodied the color green: bright green hair, eyes, and green robes with specks of red, opposite to those the Committee delegate wore.

Wagging his finger, the young man said, "If ya get hit with a plague or somethin', are ya really gonna leave little ol' me to take care of your job?"

"Grifas," the older man spoke. "You're more than qualified, hm? This job is as monotonous as it is well-paying. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Oh, please, ya wound my fragile heart, master. Would little ol' me enjoy sittin' in a desk all day?"

"This job gives you benefits. You can go to Lugnica, if that's what you want, hm? I've had to visit a couple of times, especially since that new Natsuki kid took the world by storm."

Grifas gave a short laugh. "Please, Hoshin was Kararagian, not Lugnican. That black-'aired fool is outta his depth."

Standing from his desk, Yorghan countered, "The Sword Saints are Lugnican, and so was the Sage. They've a dragon playing puppy for them. Never, ever, underestimate other businessmen, Grifas, hm? Underestimate them and you'll be unpleasantly surprised. Overestimate them and you'll be pleasantly surprised, hm?"

The young apprentice nodded.

"Yes, you need to learn that. The dumber someone looks, the more of a fool you think they're, the more they will surprise you, hm? After all, Banan once called Hoshin a good-for-nothing idiot, and he razed the city to the ground. Case in point, Alcyone's chief inventor is younger than you, and I first met him when…'employed' by a mutual acquaintance. Never expected him to amount to this much, hm?"

"The employer," his apprentice said, almost as if disgusted. "How lon' are ya plannin' to work for 'im?"

"As long as is needed, hm?"

After a second of silence, Yorghan spoke again.

"I'm almost finished here, Grifas. Go home or…wherever it is you go. And try not to fall off a rooftop this time around, hm?"

"Yes, master, an' that was ONE time!"

Both of them laughed, and the young apprentice in green and red left his master in red and green alone.

It was a week after Emerada's birthday that the trip to Banan took place.

"I still don't like it. That Zerzel guy is one of the scummiest I've met."

Niko, as expected, gave his opinion about the delegate Subaru was going to meet. Zerzel had been the first to approach him apart from the royal family, so he had some respect for the red-green man. To hear Niko insult him at every turn was odd.

"I don't get it. Why don't you like the guy? He was pretty normal when we met…"

Both bodyguard and inventor were sitting on the driver's seat of the carriage, while the princess remained inside, reading a book she brought along for this journey specifically.

"Listen, kid," Niko continued. "A couple of years ago, when Emerada was 12, there was a murder. One of the Committee's members was killed. Rumor says they never caught the killer, but…for a while, everyone seemed to think Zerzel was behind it. He was the one with the most to gain and the least to lose."

"So you think he offed this guy?"

"No, I know it was someone else. Thing is…he manipulated the entire thing. Every announcement made about the investigation, he had some part to play in it. I'm convinced he didn't kill the guy, but…he definitely played a part in covering it up."

Subaru thought about it for a moment. "I mean…in a country so money-focused, there's bound to be some bad people who take advantage of that, right? Maybe he covered up the crime because someone paid him to."

"Whatever happened, I don't like him," the guardian said. "You best be careful: he has home advantage here. Banan is practically his kingdom. With a snap of his fingers, he can get anyone arrested or worse."

"He's a tyrant!"

"That may be so, but he's also a rich bastard, and one the Committee couldn't bear to lose."

For the entire trip, which had taken days, the group of travelers had stopped in various inns and…"negotiated" with the innkeepers to not reveal their presence. After all, a princess and a rich inventor were not exactly the most subtle, low-profile people in the world. Subaru, luckily, thought ahead, and prepared an emergency disguise for both him and Emerada. Niko could easily pass for a drifter, what with all that dirt on his hair, and Smaragd did not exactly need a disguise since he was just a big lizard.

Said disguise was, however, only for extreme circumstances. No one in this world was prepared for the enigmatic greatness of "Natsumi Schwartz," and he hoped to keep it that way. Apart from the dress he sneaked in (he would never hear the end of it if Emerada found out), the mean-eyed man smuggled in a cloak and some baggy clothes in case it was the princess who needed a disguise.

On second thought, if the world could not handle Natsumi Schwartz, they would also not be prepared for the appearance of the great "Emmet Lagoon."

If the worst came to pass, then they could handle staying in Banan for a while. Emerada could even use her political influence, assuming it was needed. The only one that should know their true identities was Yorghan Zerzel, and that was because he was going to talk business with him.

Of course, this was all hinging on "IF" something bad happened.

Niko was with them, and Banan was a relatively safe city.

What was the worst that could happen?

Within a ruined building near the fortified city of Guaral, in the Vollachian Empire, a man stands on a crate, shushing his gossiping companions.

Said man, of about 30 years of age, wears a military uniform with a cloak, the latter of which is decorated with the Vollachian wolf. He is a dark-yellow-haired man with green eyes and a scar on his nose. More than all that, he is a commander.

He is Armand Metrac.

"My brothers and sisters," he spoke. "Sons and daughters of Vollachia. By merely standing here, in front of all of you, I am committing treason to our empire. Should the emperor find out, he would take my head."

These words caused murmurs to ripple through the crowd.

Metrac continued, "He would paint the walls of the castle with my blood, and he would do the same to you. I offer a final chance to leave, to resume the normal lives you led prior to this faithful encounter."

No one left.

With a smile, he continued, "My brothers and sisters. Sons and daughters of Vollachia. This much I vow: the history of these coming years will be written in blood. Corpses will litter the streets, and hundreds – if not thousands – of lives will be lost."

His audience gasped.

"But…what we seek is not a massacre. It is a restoration of balance, an exacting of judgement. We will bring about untold destruction in such a scale, that the world will be permanently changed. Governments will shudder in horror when they hear our names, and then – only then – will they put down their weapons, their magic, their disgusting armaments that would have cost the lives of millions."

Metrac pointed at one of the crowd's members, a young soldier.

"Why are you here, soldier?"

"To honor my country, sir."

"And honor it how?"

The young soldier raised his sword. "By seeing the Vollachian flag fly across all skies."

"Yes," Metrac said. "That is how it should be. No more Lugnica. No more Gusteko. No more Kararagi. Only…us. And when there is only one flag, when wars for territory end, we will be able to focus on what truly matters. Our best scholars will stop researching weapons and research diseases. Our greatest warriors will leave their battlefields and reunite with their families. Our world will be how it should be: united."

Various members of the audience cheered, but he silenced them with his hand.

"Listen to me, disloyal servants of the emperor: our rulers are inept. They are cowardly and servile, and they allow the other countries to walk all over us! Will we allow that?"

In unison, the audience chanted, "NO!"

"Indeed, we won't. Will we allow our country to be disgraced and dishonored?"

"NO!"

"Will we let those Gustekan savages roam our rightful land?"

"NO!"

"What about those complacent Lugnicans?"

"NO!"

"The greedy Kararagians?"

"NO!"

Raising his weapon, a thin longsword, Metrac continued, "That's right! My brothers and sisters! Sons and daughters of Vollachia! We will act where none others had the courage to do so! We will fix this broken world and cleanse its impurities! We will end the plagues that hated Witch left us centuries ago and restore the world to how it should be! War took my beloved from me, and we will ensure it never happens again!"

As the audience cheered and chanted his name, Armand Metrac allowed himself a grin.

This was all for Kurkov.

"I must admit, you've caught me at a…less than opportune moment, hm?"

Natsuki Subaru and Emerada Lugnica, both in plain clothes to avoid being recognized, stood in the office of delegate Yorghan Zerzel. Said office was in the main Committee building, near the center of Banan's central business district and hosted a variety of highly-respected merchants, almost none of which recognized the "undercover" duo. Despite what Niko (who had stayed with the carriage) had said about the delegate, Subaru was looking forward to having a normal conversation with the man for once, one that included just a little bit of business talk.

A shame that did not happen.

When they found his office, Yorghan was buried in papers and scribbling frantically on at least three of them at the same time. Only when Emerada coughed purposely did the man in red and green look at them.

Clearly, this was an inopportune moment to drop by for a visit.

"I guess we can come back later," the mean-eyed man said. "Whatever you're, uh, doing there? Keep it up."

Yorghan stood from his desk, toppling a mountain of papers in the process. "Please, I meant no disrespect. It just so happens that…the Committee is having a reunion in a few days, hm? I need a speech to present, and it's been...difficult to survey Banan's citizens accurately these past days, what with that Spo-, I mean, inflation, yes, what with the inflation and all."

With a frown, Emerada asked, "Inflation? This lovely lady never heard of inflation in this city."

"Oh, well, that's because…it's recent, hm? Yes, this took us all by surprise. Imagine how the Committee must be: they're practically up in arms over the price increases."

"That's weird. Emma, are you sure you heard of this? Inflation isn't sudden, you know…"

Before the princess could answer, Yorghan stood and yelled, "Grifas! Your presence is required!"

A couple of seconds later, a man of green stood in the entrance, bowing to the delegate.

"My friends," Yorghan said. "I would like you to meet my secretary and apprentice, Grifas Auream. He is, by all intents and purposes, my right-hand man. Grifas, I need you to finish compiling the reports and make a graph with the data."

"Yes, master," was the young apprentice's response.

Turning to the uninvited duo, the delegate spoke, "Come on, hm? My office is hardly the place for a conversation, and Grifas can take care of everything while I'm gone. My house has a lovely garden in which we could speak. I'll take you there, hm?"

And so, they made their way to his house, earning quite a couple of furtive glances from the passersby on the streets. Apparently, it is quite uncommon in Banan to see a princess, a delegate, and an inventor walking side-by-side. Well, now that he thinks about it, it kind of sounds like the beginning of a joke.

"Well, my visitors," Yorghan said. "I trust Banan has been welcoming, hm?"

It was Emerada who answered, "Oh, quite welcoming. Sure, we arrived an hour ago, but it's still welcoming."

"Believe me, princess, sir Natsuki, if I knew of your arrival I would have prepared. The inner politics of the Committee are…difficult to understand for foreigners, hm?"

"Yes," Subaru added. "I guess Lugnica's businesses are less complex. Hey, Yorghan, when you were talking about the inflation…there was something else, wasn't there?"

The delegate gulped. "Indeed…uh, there is something else, hm? But I believe it is best if none of what I'm about to tell you is overheard, so…please listen with caution."

Both princess and inventor nodded.

"The problem is…well, it's quite a small problem, and I doubt you would want to be burdened by it, hm? Really, it's ju—"

"Speak," Emerada commanded.

"Yes, uh…you see…I have reason to believe…my life is in danger."

It was as if time stopped for those three in particular.

Then, Yorghan added, "I have…been informed of rumors…that regard the man known as 'Spotlight.' I believe he is coming for me next, hm?"

That was enough to make them all freeze.

Even beyond Kararagi, the name of "Spotlight" was known and spoken with fear. Apparently, he was a light magic user who targeted his victims from afar and eliminated them before they realized what was going on. To think he was being chased by such a person was…disheartening, to say the least.

"Forgive me, hm? I appear to have killed the mood. Come, let's go. I've often been told the Zerzels are known for their quality drinks, and I can offer you some free of charge."

The three resumed walking, deciding to push the issue of the light magic sniper to the back of their minds.

Unfortunately, they would cross paths sooner rather than later.

In the Mathers manor, within the main study, a certain Court Mage sat, reading a black book.

Roswaal I. Mathers's plan was proceeding as it should.

Really, he had known it since the moment he saw the princess kiss that boy in the Astreas' garden. That was the moment Subaru gained a reason to fight, and it facilitated everything that will come next.

There was a knock at the door, and Roswaal put the Tome in one of his desk's drawers to hide it before calling out, "Co~me in."

And come in they did, "they" being a young girl in her early teens who dressed in noble clothes and had indigo hair.

"Father," the girl said. "I was wandering the mansion and…I found something strange."

"Wha~t did you find, Julia?"

Julia pointed to the door of the room in front of the study. "I was going to my room and…I opened the door and there was a…a library, and a really mean blond girl."

"Ah," Roswaal said, reminiscing about his own memories of the mean-spirited (pun intended) librarian. "I see~ you met Beatrice. Don't wo~rry, she's qui~te calm, apart from her words. You found her forbidden library, and she's a little~ sensitive about those who disturb her rea~ding."

"I see. Then, forgive me father. I believed this to be an urgent issue."

"No, no, it's alri~ght, Julia. You did well."

He motioned for his daughter to come to him, and she obliged. Once she was right next to him, he patted her head.

"Julia, something impo~rtant is going to happen soon. Can I rely on your fu~ll support?"

She nodded, and his heart swelled with pride.

Hunted by Spotlight.

Anyone that found themselves in the sights of this killer could consider their lives forfeit. There was simply no use trying to run or hide when your assailant could come from anywhere.

Contrary to all expectations, however, Yorghan Zerzel did not seem very bothered by the fact that his life was on the line. Every time Subaru or Emerada changed the topic to the assassin, the delegate simply shrugged it off.

He kind of scared Subaru, truth be told.

Which was why he was so happy to be far from the delegate's home. Their meeting concluded, Emerada had dragged him along to check out the market. He needed to get her a gift, too, so it was not a bad idea to come along.

They stopped in front of a stand filled with various toys and plushies, and she pointed to one of a whale with a horn on its head. "Oh, that one! That one's so~ cute, isn't it!?"

"Yeah, it is," he said. "Do you want it?"

Her face lit up at the thought that the whale plushie could be hers.

Now, a block away from that stand, she was carrying her plushie and practically beaming in joy.

The duo stopped once again in front of another stand, one that sold books. Whereas Emerada was barely interested in them, Subaru could barely contain his excitement at seeing a particular book: one that read from right to left.

Half a block later, the princess carried her plushie and the inventor flipped through the pages of his newly-acquired "book."

Just a short while later, they stopped near the Committee building they had visited before. There was a shop there that sold various articles of clothing.

Of course, Subaru being himself, bought just a couple of kimonos and yukatas for both himself and the princess.

Both of them left that shop smiling and holding their respective, newly-bought garments.

"Say," Emerada began. "What do you think of Banan so far? I'm definitely liking it, although the heat is a little insufferable."

"It's a nice place! Wouldn't live here, though, but it's not too bad! Maybe we can come back another time if you want."

"Really!? Yeah! I wanna com-, hey, what's th-"

All Subaru managed to register was a bright flash, gone in an instant.

He could not even make sense of what was going on as the princess slumped over and hit the floor, lifeless.

In a second, he was at her side, tears blurring his vision as he frantically looked around for help.

Turning to his right, he saw the Committee building, and a bright yellow light coming from the rooftop.

The next moment, Natsuki Subaru lost his life.

AN: As Solo Wing Pixy would say: "It's time."

On a (slightly un)related note, MASSIVE thanks to RealBarto (look them up on Twitter) from the Reactionist server for the beautiful fanart that I am now making this fic's cover art.