Hello again everyone! It's been a little while, but the end is now in sight for this first arc and my favorite parts are coming up!
I don't have much to say here...thanks to all 12 followers, 8 favorites and 682 readers! Now, everyone enjoy!
Carina Saisho stood in her office at Ashinaka High School, waiting. She knew what was coming and she knew what she would do. All she had to do now…was wait.
The moment the Red King's Sword of Damocles appeared in the sky, Carina turned and made her way out of her office. She heard the explosion the moment it went off and saw the fear on her students' faces.
"Everyone, remain calm. I will handle this." Carina reassured as she walked past, a gentle smile on her face.
"Mrs. Saisho?" Kukuri asked as Carina walked past.
"No matter what you all see outside, I promise you will all be safe." Carina swore. Her smile seemed to help the students relax some. They trusted their chairwoman to handle the situation.
When Carina walked outside, the students were running in panic and fear towards the school building. Before she could do anything, Mikoto Suoh sighed and sent the smallest piece of his aura at the clocktower, cutting it clean in half and the top portion fell to the ground.
The students froze, all too scared to move. When Carina walked past, however, she heard their hopeful whispers. They thought she could handle this.
Taking a deep breath, Carina raised her right arm and snapped, allowing a projection of gold butterflies to appear and touch the ground in front of the Red clan, creating a barrier between them and the school. It was the strongest barrier a clansman could create and yet she still knew Mikoto could easily break through it.
"Third King, Mikoto Suoh, the Red King! I am the guardian of this school island and I demand you explain why you are here and causing my students fear!" Carina demanded, her voice calm and projecting so all the students and the Red clan could hear her. She stopped around five feet from Mikoto and from her barrier. "You know I am the Miracle, the right hand of the Second King, the Gold King, Daikaku Kokujoji. You also know that Tatara Totsuka was my grandson-in-law, therefore I expect you to answer me."
"You know why I'm here." Mikoto stated simply.
"Izumo Kusanagi, I request you explain as my equal in clan standing." Carina directed her attention to the sunglass wearing bartender.
"Mrs. Saisho, honestly, we mean no harm. But Tatara's attacker is on this island and we intend to find him. Your cooperation, along with the students', would be much appreciated. We don't want to hurt anyone, we just want to find the King who attacked your grandson-in-law." Kusanagi answered.
"If I cooperate with you, do you swear on your precious bar that my students shall not be harmed?" Carina demanded, her eyes narrow.
"I swear." Kusanagi nodded.
"Very well. If a single clansmen of yours steps out of line," at this, Carina's eyes turned to Yata. "then I reserve the right to detain them as I see fit. And do not think my granddaughter and great-grandson will not help me."
"Understood." Kusanagi smiled.
Carina nodded in agreement and snapped her right fingers again. The barrier she created vanished and Carina bowed to Mikoto.
"The Third King, the Red King, Mikoto Suoh, I, Carina Saisho, hereby give you my permission to search my island for Tatara Totsuka's murderer as long as my students who are innocent shall remain unharmed." Carina proclaimed, her voice projecting so that it could be heard throughout the courtyard of Ashinaka High School.
"Thank you." Kusanagi smiled before he took a megaphone from Chitose and turned it on. "I want everyone to stay calm, alright? Don't you kids learn anything in this school? During emergencies like this, there should be no pushing, no running and no talking whatsoever. It's important that each of you obey these three rules right now. Please try to understand that we're not here to hurt any of you. If we get your full cooperation, we won't be here long." He then turned off the megaphone and looked at Mikoto. "So you want us to find the young man in the video, at which point we're through. Does that about sum it up?"
"That's right." Mikoto confirmed. "Just see to it that you guys find that kid." Then Mikoto walked off without another word.
"I'm just one of the guys. Hmph." Kusanagi shook his head before he turned to the rest of the clan. "Find Totsuka's attacker! Even if you have to tear this place apart!"
The Red clan yelled and charged into the school without another word.
Silently, Leoda and Kristopher approached Carina.
"I'm sorry, Grandmother." Leoda whispered, grasping one of her grandmother's hands in her own.
"It's alright, Leoda." Carina smiled. "Just help me keep these kids safe, alright?"
"Of course. I'll do everything I can to protect them." Leoda nodded.
"Me too, Gran!" Kristopher grinned up at his grandmother.
"Now that's my brave little great-grandson." Carina smiled as she ruffled said great-grandson's hair. "You do everyone proud, you hear?"
"Yes!" Kristopher nodded. "Daddy says I'll do just fine as long as I do what I think's right!"
"That's a good junge." Carina smiled softly as she slipped into her native tongue.
"Danke oma." Leoda smiled.
"Danke!" Kristopher agreed.
With that, HOMRA's search for the Colorless King began. While Kusanagi, Anna, Kristopher and Carina returned to Carina's office, Leoda began to make rounds throughout the school, warning any clansmen if they were getting too intense. She knew how they felt, she wanted her husband's attacker found too, but she would not risk a single student.
Especially considering how much they meant to Yashiro Isana.
Once Anna confirmed that she couldn't locate the suspect specifically on the island, Kusanagi turned to Carina.
The whole time HOMRA had taken over the island, she had simply stared out the office window, as if watching the Red clansmen and her students or waiting for something.
"You know who we're looking for, don't you?" Kusanagi questioned. "You are the chairwoman, after all, Mrs. Saisho. Or should I say, Mrs. Miracle?"
"Just Mrs. Saisho is fine for now, Kusanagi." Carina shook her head. "And, to answer your question, I do not know the identity of the person you are looking for. I can say that honestly."
"Then what are you looking for?" Kusanagi questioned.
"Isn't that a question?" Carina smiled before she turned back to the window, winding her silvery white hair around her finger as she did.
That night, as snow fell silently over Ashinaka High School, Leoda and Kristopher made their way to the wall Anna had located Mikoto at.
Leoda knew they didn't have a lot of time before Anna followed them, but…she wanted to say goodbye before…
"What're you doing here?" Mikoto sighed as he opened his eyes.
"We wanted to see Miko before we leave!" Kristopher said happily as he grasped Mikoto's hand in his own. "We're gonna go meet up with Uncle, according to Mommy!"
"Oh?" Mikoto hummed.
"Yeah…it's my job." Leoda nodded. "I just…wanted to thank you."
"For what?" Mikoto scoffed.
"For being Tatara's friend, for protecting him, and us, and for being a good friend." Leoda smiled sadly. "I'm glad I met you, Mikoto. And I'm glad that I can call you my King."
"Yeah, right." Mikoto rolled his eyes.
"You know it's true." Leoda protested. "No matter how much you protest, I will always see you as my King. Timeless Palace is my family by blood, HOMRA is my family by choice. And both are equal in my heart."
"Thanks, Leo…you're good for Totsuka." Mikoto smiled.
"I'm only doing this because I know…even if Tatara does wake up one day, you won't change your mind." Leoda sighed.
"Your uncle said it himself: a King's aura was enthused in that bullet. Unless the King dies or Totsuka becomes a King, he won't wake up." Mikoto summed up the information Leoda's uncle, Haru, had given the night of December 7th.
"I know…and I know the Colorless King is our best bet, but…what if it wasn't his aura?" Leoda asked.
"Then I'll keep Totsuka company and know I kept all of you safe from him." Mikoto stated. "Not like anyone would think that, though."
"But we do! And so does Daddy!" Kristopher insisted. "Daddy…Daddy says, 'I believe in King!' So I believe in Miko, too!"
"Thanks, kid." Mikoto smirked.
"We'd better get going, Kristopher." Leoda said. "Say goodbye to Miko."
"Bye, Miko! See you soon!" Kristopher waved happily as he hopped down and grabbed his mother's hand.
"It's been an honor serving you, my King." Leoda said as she bowed. "Thank you, Mikoto…for everything."
And with that, the mother and son duo made their way out of the school without another word.
They had another meeting before the night was up, after all.
As the snow fell around the bridge leading to Ashinaka High School, Fushimi turned at the sound of footsteps.
Standing before Scepter 4, led by Shinji and Rae Akiyama, was none other than almost everyone bearing the Mark of the Miracle.
Besides Shinji and Rae, Rae's brother, Haru, and his wife, Tsuki, along with their daughter, Hilda, and Rae and Haru's father, Kazuma all stood before the clan.
Unlike his sister, Haru had light blonde hair with a few silver strands mixed in and warm brown eyes. Tsuki, in contrast, had long, dark brown hair and gray eyes. Their daughter, Hilda, had curly, pale blonde hair that curled at her shoulders and steel gray eyes.
"Halt!" Awashima ordered. "Identify yourselves!"
Instead of speaking, Kazuma raised his left arm and pulled his Usagi general sleeve down and revealed the Mark of the Miracle circling his arm.
"We have been told by our King to come to this island in order to assist the woman you know as the Miracle." Kazuma stated, his voice firm.
If one didn't know of the Miracle, it was conceivable that he was the second-in-command of Timeless Palace.
"My apologies, but nobody is allowed on the island at this time." Awashima shook her head.
"I don't believe you understand." Rae cut in, her staff suddenly in her hand, a clear threat.
"The Second King, the Gold King, Daikaku Kokujoji, has given us an order to come to this island in order to assist the woman known as the Miracle." Haru stressed, pushing the glasses over his eyes up, the lenses flashing in the moonlight as he spun his own staff in his free hand. Of all of them there, he was the weakest in a fight, preferring to tend to the wounded rather than add to the number of it. That didn't make him any less formidable as an opponent, however.
"We would like this to be as peaceful as possible. We don't intend to disrupt your investigation, after all." Tsuki added, a pacifying smile on her face. As the only non-clansman, she was the least threatening Marked standing there. But that was only from a certain point of view, of course. Everyone who shared that blood was dangerous in one way or another.
"So, as clansmen of the Gold clan and a former clansman of the Blue clan, we request you comply so that we do not have a three way clan war on our hands." Shinji finished, the sword he always kept on his back flashing in the moonlight. It was, of course, the same one Jin Habari had given him, Inferno.
"It's best to agree, Lieutenant." Fushimi spoke up, drawing Awashima's attention, as well as those of the Marked. "They are a stubborn bunch of idiots who don't know when to give up."
"Takes one to know one, Saruhiko." Hilda stated, her voice steady and calm, despite the fact that she was the youngest person there at only 18, having recently graduated from high school.
"Tsk." Fushimi clicked his tongue. Hilda had always been the one who had been most adamant about getting to know him as a child. The fact that the two thought in a similar way, especially when it came to battle techniques, had always annoyed Fushimi, even if it did mean that they understood each other better than others did. The only person who could understand Fushimi better than Hilda was Misaki.
Of course, it didn't help how she had been there before Misaki and had even earned the jealousy of Fushimi's own cousin for her closeness.
"Very well." Awashima finally conceded and the members of the Blue clan parted so that the Marked could pass.
As Shiro, Neko and Kuroh walked back into Shiro's dorm room, Shiro gasped.
"Whoa, it looks like we must've been burglarized!" Shiro cried as he saw the mess that was his dorm.
"On what planet would burglars blast holes in floor to get inside?" Kuroh asked, slightly sarcastic.
"Look what happened to my bowl! It was my favorite!" Neko yowled.
"Are we interrupting?" A voice asked, causing the three to whirl around, only to find Leoda standing there, a child holding her hand.
"Leoda!" Shiro cried. "What're you doing here?"
"We're here to help you,-" The boy started to say.
"Shh, Kristopher, don't continue." Leoda whispered, running a hand through the boy's hair.
"Totsuka?" Kuroh prompted.
"We've been sent to help the three of you." Leoda explained. "This is my son, Kristopher Totsuka. And I stopped him from speaking because what he was going to say would have told Yashiro here who he is."
"Ahh, I see." Shiro smiled.
"You…don't remember me?" Kristopher asked, looking up at Shiro with wide, sad eyes.
"No, and I'm sorry about that." Shiro apologized as he knelt in front of Kristopher, placing a hand on his head. "I wish I could."
"I won't sweat it! It'll all work out in the end!" Kristopher grinned.
"You're a lot like your dad, aren't you?" Shiro chuckled before his eyes widened.
"Shiro, you remember his father?" Kuroh asked, surprised.
"No…the words just slipped out." Shiro shook his head, his eyes wide.
"See? The memories are there, they just need a little help coming out." Leoda smiled. "So, can you tell me why you came back?"
"We had to come back when we heard the whole school island was under HOMRA's control." Kuroh explained. "But I never thought the Red King would be here as well."
"And the outside perimeter's guarded by the Blues. The island has been taken over by the clans." Shiro added. "Guess hunting for my true identity will be put on hold for now."
"Unfortunately, it had to come to this." Kuroh said. "The worst case scenario, this island could become a battleground for a clan war."
"Grandmother is still here though. She made Mikoto swear that HOMRA would not harm the students and swore that she would retain anyone who broke that promise." Leoda spoke up.
"Mrs. Saisho did that?" Shiro asked, surprised.
"The Miracle is known as the strongest clansman alive and even most Kings are hesitant to approach her." Kuroh said. "Her level of power is unknown, after all. Still, maybe we shouldn't have come back after all."
"I've told you, this is our home, we have to stay here!" Neko insisted, tears in her eyes. "It's the best place to be, let's get busy and clean it up!"
"Neko's right. We need to do a major cleanup job to make it livable again." Shiro agreed as he stood up, a bright smile on his face. "Once we finish with that, we have to figure out what to do next." Seeing Kuroh reach into his inner pocket, where his recorder rested, Shiro smiled. "Why don't we ask Master Ichigen?"
"What?" Kuroh asked, looking up in surprise.
"You said he was supposed to have the ability to see into the future, am I right?" Shiro smiled. "Maybe he would have some insight and give us advice on what to do. Sure'd be helpful."
Kuroh took out his recorder and stared at it, then Shiro, Neko, Leoda, Kristopher…and his kitchen supplies, where Kukuri's note still rested.
"I doubt it. We know what to do next." Kuroh disagreed, putting his recorder away. "Think about it for a minute. We need to go rescue Kukuri and all the other students at the school. We don't need Master Ichigen to tell us what's obvious."
At those words, Shiro blushed with a smile, Neko nodded in agreement and Leoda squeezed Kristopher's hand.
"Yeah, you're right as usual." Shiro stated. "Now, first things first, we need to discover where Kukuri and the others are hiding."
"I can help with that, I patrolled the school earlier after all." Leoda said.
"That's great, your knowledge will be a big help." Shiro smiled. "Neko, let's go!"
"Huh? But what about…" Neko trailed off, looking down at her bowl.
"It's alright, we'll come straight back here soon as we're done." Shiro smiled. Kuroh smiled down at Neko too.
"Mommy and I will help too!" Kristopher added, running over to grasp Neko's hand with a bright grin.
Smiling up at her friends and at the little boy holding her hand, Neko stood and walked out the door with them, holding Kristopher's hand tightly.
"Bye bye." Neko said as she, Shiro and Kuroh peeked into their dorm room one final time.
"Well then, shall we get to work?" Leoda smiled.
And across the island, Tsuki turned to her husband.
"The future I foresaw is in motion." She stated.
"Right." Haru nodded as he turned to his father. "Father, it's your call."
"We wait for the clans' move and protect Adi." Kazuma declared.
"Right!" The family agreed.
And inside the chairwoman's office, Carina Saisho smiled.
Everything was going just as she expected. After all, nobody knew Adolf K. Weissman like she did. And his actions were exactly how she predicted them to be.
And there we are! You all have now finally met all the OCs for this arc! I know Haru, Tsuki and Hilda especially are gonna seem a bit flat for this first arc, but once they get more involved in the main plot, they'll be given more depth. I'm thinking that once I finish with the Seven Stories aspect of this universe (either a completely separate story, but all the movies together or each movie is a different story itself), I'll focus on the past of the Miracle clan. We shall see.
Now for some translations (cause I don't know who can and can't understand the German in this chapter, no matter how simple).
Junge: boy
Danke: thank you
Oma: grandmother
Okay, I think that's everything. Leave a review to let me know what you think! See you next week!