It's still Wednesday, so I'm not late! Hi everyone, sorry for not updating earlier today, I was studying.
In any case, thanks to all 7 followers, 5 favorites and 221 readers! Oh man, you guys are gonna love this chapter! Remember how I said there were gonna be some changes made to K? Well, here's where I start explaining a few! You won't here any more from me, so enjoy!
As soon as she heard of a pair of new transfer students in one of her classrooms, Mrs. Saisho was off to discover just who these 'transfer students' were.
When her eyes landed on Yashiro, Kuroh and the girl from the previous day, she couldn't say she was surprised.
"Yashiro, could you and our two new transfer students follow me to my office please?" Mrs. Saisho requested with a smile.
"Y-yes, ma'am." Yashiro nodded. He was nervous, she could tell.
The entire walk to her office, neither the chairwoman nor the two boys said anything while the girl kept asking questions, which Yashiro tried his best to answer before she switched said question.
"Now then." She stated as they reached her office and she sat behind her desk in order to face the three. "I believe the three of you owe me an explanation as to why I have two unheard transfer students so suddenly."
"Uh, well…" Yashiro trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.
"How about we start with our names?" Mrs. Saisho smiled, taking pity on the boy. "My name is Mrs. Saisho, I'm the chairwoman of Ashinaka High School."
"It is an honor to meet you, Honorable Chairwoman." Kuroh bowed. "I am-"
"Vassal of the late Seventh King, the Colorless King, Ichigen Miwa, Kuroh Yatogami. Did I get all of that correct?" Mrs. Saisho grinned as she saw the look of shock cross the vassal's face as he straightened up on reflex.
"How-" He started to ask.
"Did I know that? I've heard of you, of course." Mrs. Saisho finished his sentence.
"You know about this…stuff with Kings too, Mrs. Saisho?" Yashiro asked, surprised.
"Yes, I'm a clansman myself, actually." The chairwoman nodded.
"Shiiiiiroo! I wanna eat!" The girl cut in. She was ignored, simply because there were more pressing manners. Mrs. Saisho had no doubt, in any other situation, Yashiro would have tended to the girl right away, as if she were his daughter.
"Which King do you serve?" Kuroh demanded, his eyes narrowed.
"Calm down, I serve the Gold King." Mrs. Saisho waved her hand. As she did so, her sleeve slid down her wrist, revealing a gold butterfly tattoo on it.
"I see." Kuroh straightened, no longer tense. "Then I must ask that you don't interfere with my mission."
"To kill the evil Colorless King, who killed Tatara Totsuka, correct?" Mrs. Saisho questioned.
"Yes." Kuroh nodded.
"But he's trying to kill Shiro when he's done nothing wrong!" The girl cried as she pointed accusingly at the Black Dog.
"I see…so you've seen the video Tatara took as well. That's why you're so sure the culprit is Yashiro." Mrs. Saisho nodded.
"But! He's given me a chance to prove my innocence! I just need evidence to prove I couldn't have killed him!" Yashiro insisted.
"And if you can't, I will kill you where you stand, evil King." Kuroh swore.
"I told you, I'm no King!" Yashiro protested.
Their argument, however, was cut off by chuckling.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I simply find this amusing, I've never heard of the Black Dog Kuroh Yatogami losing his cool, nor have I ever seen Yashiro this passionate, not outside of his science classes at least." Mrs. Saisho smiled. "Alright, Kuroh, I will allow you to conduct your investigation as long as it doesn't interfere with my students or put them in danger."
"You have my thanks." Kuroh bowed once again. The girl approached him with a marker only for Kuroh to straighten and glare at her. "I thought I told you to stop that!"
"Hmph! Kuroh's mean, Shiro!" She pouted.
"Haha, and who might you be?" Mrs. Saisho questioned.
"I'm Neko! I'm Shiro's cat!" The girl, Neko, proudly proclaimed.
"I see…so you're a Strain that can effect sensory output, so you can appear as a cat." Mrs. Saisho nodded.
"I don't really get that. I just know I'm Shiro's cat." Neko cocked her head to the side.
"Well, I guess this proves you really do know about all of this." Yashiro chuckled sheepishly.
"Of course, I've known about Kings for a large part of my life." Mrs. Saisho smiled.
"You said you serve the Gold King, correct?" Kuroh asked. At the chairwoman's nod, he continued. "Does that mean you're actually the Miracle?"
"The Miracle?" Yashiro repeated.
"What's that?!" Neko cried eagerly.
"…You're just as perceptive as I expected from Ichigen's young vassal." Mrs. Saisho smiled softly before she extended her arms and revealed both of her wrists had golden butterflies tattooed on them, so they wrapped around her wrists and extended up past her sleeves. "You're correct, I'm the one they call the Miracle. Would you care to explain what that means, Kuroh?"
"It means you not only were the Gold King's first clansman, but you were cured of a mysterious illness that otherwise would've killed you. You have also been a clansman for more than half a century and every member of your family, related by blood or by marriage, bears the same mark as you yourself do." Kuroh explained.
"That's correct. I was the first ever clansman after the discovery of the Dresden Slate, though we are still unsure how taking on the Gold Aura healed me, as nobody else has ever been affected as I have been." Mrs. Saisho nodded.
"That's amazing!" Neko cheered, "I didn't understand a thing!"
As Kuroh began to scold Neko, Mrs. Saisho's eyes landed on the silent Yashiro. His eyes had a look to them, as if he was far away instead of in the office. As Mrs. Saisho folded her hands, her eyes took on a gold sheen, unseen by any of the three as she stared at Yashiro.
"Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time. You three should return to class." Mrs. Saisho smiled.
"Of course, thank you for your time." Kuroh bowed once again.
"It was no trouble, if any of you need anything, come to me, alright?" Mrs. Saisho smiled.
"Sure thing, Mrs. Chairwoman!" Neko grinned.
"I guess we'll see you later, Mrs. Saisho." Yashiro said as he seemed to leave his trance.
"That we will, Yashiro." Mrs. Saisho smiled as the three left her office.
Once her door was shut, the chairwoman turned and gently laid her hand on her desk, her fingertips tracing a pattern only she could see as she whispered a single name, so softly that nobody, but herself would hear it.
"Adi…"
Fushimi was not known to take a lunch break often, how else could he prevent those idiots from messing up all of their reports, but today was an exception he refused to admit to.
No, it wasn't because Awashima or Munakata had forced him to go have lunch. They gave up on that a while ago.
It was because that woman had sent him a message on his PDA, something she hadn't done since he left HOMRA. Of course, that never stopped her from barging into his work place with her son, but that was beside the point.
Normally, Fushimi would ignore an attempt to reach out to him like this, he cut them out of his life for a reason after all, but the contents of that message had, though he'd never admit it, thrown him into a state of shock and he had left on his lunch break without even aware of it. And right after they located the suspect at the school island too.
By the time he realized where he was headed, he'd already reached the hospital. Clicking his tongue in annoyance at himself, Fushimi made his way inside, explained to security who he was so he wouldn't be arrested for carrying a sword around, and made his way to the room number he was given.
He was almost surprised by the fact that security guards were protecting the room, but he brushed it off and entered.
"Hiko!"
Instantly, little arms wrapped around his legs and Fushimi refused to admit he almost fell as he looked down at none other than Kristopher Totsuka.
"So, you came." His mother stated from where she sat beside the bed.
"Obviously." Fushimi clicked his tongue as he narrowed his eyes before they finally landed on the occupant of the bed.
Laying there, unconscious, but very much alive from the looks of it, was Tatara Totsuka.
Fushimi refused to acknowledge the thrill of happiness that shot through him at the sight as well as the fear that accompanied it. It was a feeling he'd come to be familiar with, spending seven years with the unconscious man, his wife, the Red King and that barkeeper. He'd hoped to never feel it again once he left, after all, they were nothing to him now.
He didn't need them, he never did. The only thing he needed now was Misaki's hate.
"Hiko, you came to see Daddy, right? He's really happy you came to visit!" Kristopher grinned, refusing to release Fushimi's legs.
"Is he now…?" Fushimi trailed off as he put the pieces together. "Why did you bring me here if he's still-"
"He's not dead." Leoda cut him off.
Fushimi clicked his tongue in order to hide the fact that his breath caught in his throat at that response.
"He's in a coma. He reacted just in time that night in order to escape certain death. However, the bullet that shot him must not have been an ordinary bullet, because it forced his soul out of his body and made him a spirit." Leoda explained. "That's why Kristopher said what he did. Tatara isn't dead, but because his soul is not in his body, he's on the verge of it."
"And that's why…" Fushimi trailed off, uncharacteristically uncertain. He hadn't had contact with Kristopher's Sight, having left HOMRA not too long before Kristopher was born on December 1st.
"Yes, that's why Kristopher can see him despite the fact that his eyes only let him see souls of the deceased." Leoda nodded.
"Why are our eyes so strange anyway?" Kristopher asked as he finally released Fushimi and moved to sit on his mother's lap, patting the bed so Fushimi would come sit.
Fushimi didn't sit down for any reason other than it was the only place available to sit. He certainly did not sit on Tatara's bed because Kristopher was giving him big puppy dog eyes.
Leoda's smirk and the giggle Kristopher let out as he stared next to Fushimi said otherwise, so he made sure he scowled at both her and where he assumed Tatara's spirit sat.
"That's because your great-grandma is the Miracle." Leoda answered her son.
"Yeah, sure, like miracles exist." Fushimi scoffed. He'd heard this fairy tale before.
"But Hiko! She's your great-grandma too! And you have her mark too!" Kristopher protested.
Instinctively, Fushimi touched his right wrist band, feeling the tattoo underneath tingle even though he knew that was impossible.
"Not anymore." He muttered under his breath.
"You've always been a member of our family, even when you left." Leoda shook her head. "That's why Kristopher calls you his brother, that's why we always make sure we check up on you."
"So, the Lieutenant reports to you about me?" Fushimi questioned.
"Of course not, she reports to her husband, your other mom." Leoda rolled her eyes.
"None of you are my parents. Not anymore." Fushimi mumbled, his hands clenched into fists.
"We will always be your parents, Saruhiko." Leoda said as she covered one of his hands with hers. "Me, Tatara, Mikoto and Izumo all still consider you our son, just as we consider Anna our daughter. You're both extremely important, to us and to your little brother."
"That's me!" Kristopher cheered as he climbed into Fushimi's lap. "We're always gonna be here for you, so stop saying we're not your family. We won't leave, we won't be…s-s-scattered!"
"You mean 'shattered'…" Fushimi whispered, remembering his childhood before he ran away and found himself in the arms of Tatara Totsuka.
"Yeah, that!" Kristopher grinned, not the least bit perturbed by his slipup.
"And the four of us will always be there for you, Saruhiko, no matter what." Leoda promised.
"Even with Papa on the verge of death and Dad's Sword of Damocles about to fall?" Fushimi scoffed, not even noticing as he slipped back into his old habits. "Yeah, sure."
With that, he gently picked Kristopher up and set him down before he went to the door. He left without another word.
And as he left the hospital, Leoda followed his dual color aura with her eyes for as long as she could.
When he and his mother returned to HOMRA, Kristopher instantly ran over to Anna and began to tell her about his visit to the hospital, Saruhiko's visit and how his father was doing.
"Any changes?" Kusanagi asked as Leoda sat down beside her father.
"No, he's the same as when we brought him in." Leoda sighed.
"You should go upstairs and rest." Shinji told his daughter, his tone disapproving.
"Dad, I'm fine." Leoda sighed.
"Not really. You're stressed out, and you know how that's bad for the baby." Kusanagi cut in.
"Izumo, I don't need rest. I'm fine, I'm not even that far along." Leoda disagreed.
"You may only be at three months, but that still means that all this stress isn't doing you any favors." Shinji shook his head. "You're as stubborn as your mother."
"I'm fine. I'll rest once all of this is done with." Leoda protested.
"That could be days, and you know it isn't going to help the baby when you're not taking care of yourself." Kusanagi reminded her.
"Just rest. Nothing's going on right now, Kusanagi and I will watch Kristopher and Anna and if anything happens, we'll wake you up." Shinji was practically begging.
"…fine." Leoda sighed in resignation. "Kris, Anna, Mommy's going to take a nap. Let Grandpa or Izzie know if you need something."
"Have a nice nap, Leoda." Anna smiled.
"Okay Mommy! Daddy says have a nice nap and you should've listened sooner!" Kristopher grinned brightly.
"Yeah, yeah." Leoda sighed as she stood up and made her way to the stairs. She paused right as she reached them. "Tatara, I may not be able to see or hear you, but that doesn't mean you get to be an something-I-can't-say-in-front-of-our-children."
"Daddy says love you too!" Kristopher relayed before he ran over and held out a lotus flower. "He also says he misses you cause he's-"
"'Far from the one he loves'. Clever, Tatara." Leoda smiled as she accepted the lotus, though she didn't tuck it into her hair as she usually did, what with the sweet peas in it already, but instead she held it close to her heart after she sniffed it. "Good night, everyone."
"Good night!" Four, well actually five, but only Kristopher heard the fifth, voices answered.
For the first time in a while, Leoda Totsuka slept almost peacefully.
"Daddy wants me to let you guys know that Mommy told Hiko about him today." Kristopher reported.
"Ah? So, that brings our total knowing up to, what, 13?" Kusanagi guessed.
"Yeah, Haru hasn't told his wife or daughters and the only Blues outside of me that know are Himori and, now, Saruhiko." Shinji nodded. "If we don't count Tatara himself knowing, that brings us to 13."
"I still don't understand how that many people knowing is a 'need-to-know' basis." Kusanagi shook his head.
"Leoda was so distraught that night, she couldn't keep it a secret." Shinji shrugged. "Besides, the only way we're gonna be able to afford that bill is if we all split it."
"You don't think the bullet that forced Tatara's soul out was enthused with the Colorless aura?" Kusanagi questioned.
"If Uncle, Mom and Dad's suspicions are correct, and they usually are, then the only way for Tatara to wake up is if the King whose aura was enthused in that bullet dies or he becomes a King himself." Shinji sighed. "It could take a long time."
"I see…and you're worried about Mikoto on top of that too." Kusanagi stated.
"Yeah. But I know Munakata's gonna do what must be done, no matter how much he hates it." Shinji stated.
"You really trust him, eh?" Kusanagi said, his voice containing carefully hidden disbelief.
"He's not Jin, he never will be, but I do believe he will do what he must, though what must be done will be his last resort. And who knows how it'll affect him." Shinji shook his head. "He and Suoh always were complicated, weren't they?"
"About as complicated as any Red and Blue relationship can be." Kusanagi smirked.
"And yet both your wife and son are Blues and you're talking to one now." Shinji smirked.
"First, she's not my wife. Second, you're retired so you don't count." Kusanagi pointed out before his expression fell. "And third, Saruhiko hasn't been around since he left. I've only seen him when we've confronted the Blues. I can't deny I've been worried about him, and Seri's updates do help, but it's just not the same as knowing the boy I've helped raise since he was ten/eleven and where he was at almost all times."
"I understand that, it's tough when they leave the nest." Shinji smiled in empathy. "But they never truly leave, and I imagine Saruhiko will eventually find his way back. He just needs to work some things out with himself and with Yata first."
"Thanks, Akiyama." Kusanagi smiled.
"Call me Shinji." The older man brushed it off.
"Alright, then you can call me Izumo." Kusanagi agreed.
"Alright then, Izumo it is." Shinji grinned. "But, seriously, if Awashima isn't your wife, then she's your girlfriend, right?"
"Nope. Just a friend." Kusanagi shook his head with a smirk.
"Yeah…not even Yata would buy that, Izumo." Shinji rolled his eyes. "You two are as bad as Leoda and Tatara were."
"Daddy says no they weren't!" Kristopher piped up.
"That's a lie, Tatara." Anna discredited.
At the confused look on Kristopher's face, the three people who couldn't see Tatara began to laugh as they imagined the mix match of protests the brunette spirit was trying, and failing, to make. Even Kristopher joined in and Tatara found he couldn't help himself in joining as well, even if nobody could see or hear him.
For a moment, in the bar where the Red Clan was based, there was a lightness that had been missing for the past week. It was nice for all inside to have it returned, if only for a short time.
And there we are! I bet none of you guys saw THIS coming! I never actually had anyone who was close to Tatara say he was 'dead', only Kuroh, Shiro and the Blues have said 'Tatara Totsuka's murderer'. And yes, the condition I've been implying with Leoda this whole time is that she's pregnant, surprise! And of course, Mrs. Saisho...she's still got some surprises up her sleeve, but I think I gave you all the hint you needed to figure her out. Believe it or not, Mrs. Saisho was the first OC created for this fic. It actually took me FOREVER to come up with everyone else. Tatara living was a later edition too, it was around when I wrote this or the previous couple chapters that I changed my mind and went back to edit dialogue and Tatara's video (because, yes, it IS different from the anime).
But man, writing Fushimi is about as difficult as writing Mikoto, considering just HOW he is! If he's OOC here, well...I guess blame it on the fact that he had seven years with GOOD parents supporting him to explain it.
In any case, that's all for now! I'll see you all next week for the longest chapter yet.