I did promise, so here is the first of the last two chapters! The other one will be posted later tonight probably, give you guys some time to digest this chapter before I release the final one of this arc.
Thanks to VanyaNoldo22 (You are so sweet, and again I'm so glad you're enjoying this so much!) for reviewing, all 19 followers, 15 favorites and 1,603 readers!
Oh man, I don't want to say too much else right now, so...just read and enjoy and you'll get the full story behind this chapter below!
Silently, Kuroh, Leoda, Neko and a now unseen Tatara overlooked the place where the Green clan had taken Anna and Ame, Mihashira Tower. The Blue clan was also down below, surrounding the building, but not doing anything to enter it. Leoda could also see Hilda subtly observing both Scepter 4 and the four on the roof, though she did nothing to let the others know of this fact.
"This is more serious than I thought." Kuroh said, his voice grave as he examined their surroundings.
"Kuroh! That flashy guy with the sword and the annoyed girl with the naginata are in there! Aren't we going in?" Neko asked, confused by their inaction.
"No, not yet. Let's gather more information and then plan our infiltration carefully. You agree, Leoda?" Kuroh prompted her.
Turning, Leoda opened her mouth to answer, only to remember that her voice was…in a sense, gone. Sending the dark haired clansman a sheepish and apologetic look, the green haired clansman raised her hands and began to sign what she wanted to say, ever grateful that Kuroh had learned sign language from Ichigen Miwa.
"Yes, I agree. We don't want to act rashly and have to deal with Blue and Green." She signed, Kuroh repeating her words aloud to both verify her message and allow Neko to understand her.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Neko asked, turning to the two in confusion, wondering why they couldn't just charge in.
"First, there's the Blue clan to worry about. And inside that building, the Green clan is probably lying in wait." Kuroh explained, Leoda nodding in agreement to his words. "Only a fool would attempt to break into that building without a decent plan."
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggghhhhhhhhh!" A familiar voice suddenly screamed and Leoda whipped her head around so fast she was surprised she didn't get whiplash. She didn't care though, for-"Out of the way, Blues!"
"Saki!"
"It's HOMRA's Yatagarasu! Stop him!"
Yata skated towards the building on his skateboard, Kristopher on his back, and crashed through a window to gain entrance to the building.
Without consciously thinking, Leoda attempted to yell Yata and Kristopher's names, only releasing air instead.
"Look, a fool just broke in." Neko innocently pointed out.
"And with Kristopher to boot…there's no choice now. Let's go!" Kuroh declared as he stood up.
"Yeah, now you're talking!" Neko cheered while Leoda simply nodded in agreement, considering she now had to worry about her son as well as her daughters. Neko wrapped one arm around Kuroh's neck, which he reciprocated with an arm around her waist, and gave her other hand to Leoda. Once they were situated, Kuroh used his Colorless aura to extend his hand and swing the three of them over the Blue clan (specifically, Leoda saw both her brother and Benzai, but that was neither here nor there) and into the tower, Tatara right behind them. "Touchdown!" Neko trilled as they landed and began to make their way into the tower.
As soon as the two Silver clansmen and the Gold clansman landed, Hilda moved closer to the tower. She'd been watching them the whole time and saw the Blue clan preparing to follow them.
Not on my watch. Hilda thought to herself, prepared to unsheathe her sword.
She could see Awashima raise her arm, stopping both Himori and Benzai along with other Blue clansmen she didn't know, but not everyone near Hilda heard her it seems. Hilda moved quickly, unsheathing her sword and twisting her body so she ended up in front of the rogue clansmen.
She crossed swords with one before throwing her body weight into him, thereby pushing him back, and kicking another one within her reach in the gut. Using the momentum from her kick, she pushed her body back towards the tower, protecting the entrance Yata had created.
"Anyone who wants to disobey Lieutenant Awashima's orders will have to face me before entering Mihashira Tower." Hilda threatened, her stance never wavering, prepared for an attack at any moment.
"That won't be necessary, Ms. Hilda Saisho." Awashima shook her head. "We are to remain here and maintain the blockade. If you wish to follow your cousin, however, we will not stop you."
The underlying meaning of her words was clear. Awashima was promising that Hilda could trust her to manage the Blues and this would allow her to do her job of observing the tower all the closer.
Silently, Hilda nodded and sheathed her sword before following after her family.
After all, considering just how many Green clan goons were in this building, they'd need her if they wanted to keep said goons out of the fight with the top three at the top.
"Anna!" Saki screamed as he skated past blast after blast of green lightning, Kristopher clutching his shoulders as tightly as he could as the red haired boy flipped his skateboard. "You jackasses can't stop me!"
"Saki!" Kristopher gasped as they jumped over a blast of green aura.
"I've got ya, Kris!" Saki reassured and that was the end of that. Kristopher trusted Saki after all.
"Intruder!"
"He's a HOMRA Remnant!"
"Is that a little kid?!"
Green masked men, the Green clansmen, cried as Saki skated around, using his skateboard to attack the clansmen with his aura in short waves of red.
"Get lost!" Saki spat as he skated around. "Hold on, Kris!"
"Right!" Kristopher cried, tightening his grip before Saki jumped into the air and used his skateboard to hit the Green clansmen, turning this way and that to attack them with ease, even without using his aura. Saki was cool, just like Hiko and Uncle Kuroh like that.
"Stop! You'll hit our guys!"
"Ha! You're all just a bunch of cowards!" Saki spat with a grin.
"Saki, look out! Sign!" Kristopher shouted, though a second later he regretted it cause…it didn't change anything.
Saki turned forward and saw the sign and freaked out.
"A-a girl!?" Saki cried before he fell and Kristopher went flying.
"Ahh!" Kristopher screamed a second before arms caught him. Looking up, his eyes widened as he saw Miko holding him. "Miko…?" Miko hadn't touched him once since he died, not even when Mommy wanted to see him to just talk, and so Kristopher had resigned himself to being the only one to see Miko until the others joined him.
Miko didn't say anything, simply sat Kristopher down. A second later, he found himself in his mommy's arms, too shocked to even see she was there as Miko walked away towards the stairs.
"What, you're here!?" Saki cried and Kristopher turned and his eyes widened.
"Uncle Kuroh!" He cried.
Uncle Kuroh said nothing, simply tossing Saki's skateboard which Saki then flipped on.
"Use your head for once, Kristopher Totsuka, Misaki Yata." Kuroh scolded. "Kristopher, you worried your mother, we sent you away to be safe."
"Sorry, Uncle Kuroh, Mommy." Kristopher apologized, burrowing into his mommy's arms to show he meant it.
"Hah? Who even called you anyway, Shit Dog?" Saki asked.
"Shit Dog? Shut your uncouth mouth!" Uncle Kuroh retorted, using his Colorless aura like a claw and throwing it out to the Green clansmen staring at them.
"Sorry bout that, but I've had a rotten upbringing!" Saki smirked as he added his own Red aura to the mix, taking out the rest of the Green clansmen.
Of course, right after, the two got close to each other and glared at each other. Before they or Kristopher or Daddy or Mommy could say anything, Neko jumped up and pushed the two's faces away from each other.
"Mrow! Would you two just listen to my plan!?" She cried. "First of all, both of you need to stop fighting! Good! Now then!" Suddenly, Neko looped her arms around both Uncle Kuroh and Saki's necks, pulling them towards her. "We'll all help each other out and save Anna, kay? Now~ let's go!"
Saki pulled away from Neko instantly, Kristopher eagerly running into her grasp instead with a cry of 'Big Sister Neko!'
"Hey! Who made you boss?!" Saki cried. At the same moment, Mommy hit Saki over the head and began to sign at him.
"'Don't you dare talk about your mother like that, Misaki Yata, she is a wonderful woman and deserves respect!'" Uncle Kuroh translated.
"What the hell?!" Saki cried.
"Mommy lost her voice, she can't talk. Daddy and Uncle Kuroh can understand her so they say what she wants to say." Kristopher quickly explained.
Before anything else could be said, they were surrounded by more Green clansmen.
"Damn! There's more of these guys!" Saki cried.
Uncle Kuroh opened his mouth, probably to ask Neko to create an illusion, when Kristopher noticed a gold light racing towards them. A second later, an arrow crashed into the back of one of the Green clansmen's head, knocking him unconscious before it vanished in a gold light.
"Sorry I'm late! Need a hand?" A familiar voice greeted.
"Ilda!" Kristopher grinned, waving at his cousin who held her unsheathed sword and was grinning right back.
"You guys go on ahead, Kris, Neko and I can handle these guys, right?" Ilda winked before she glowed gold, summoning a spear with her weapon based projections. Mommy smiled at Ilda before turning to Uncle Kuroh, signing something quickly that Uncle Kuroh didn't translate.
"Neko." Uncle Kuroh stated, giving them all the permission they needed.
"Leave it to me!" Neko saluted before she spun herself and Kristopher into the center of the room, Ilda coming to stand near them. "Alright! Special Attack: Cat the Mountain!"
"Yay!" Kristopher grinned as the cat mountain rose, giggles spilling past his lips. Then Ilda passed him a smaller bow and arrow than the one she usually used.
"Don't tell your mom and it'll make sure you always hit your target." Ilda winked at him with a grin before she jumped off the mountain.
"Thanks Ilda!" Kristopher shouted as Neko meowed.
It was time to give Mommy, Uncle Kuroh and Saki, along with Daddy and Miko, the cover they needed to escape. Kristopher grinned at Take over his shoulder before he aimed.
Leoda kept pace with Kuroh and Yata easily as they ran through Mihashira Tower.
"Hey, so those chicks and Kristopher…they'll be okay on their own?" Yata questioned. Leoda let a laugh, which was nothing more than a wisp of breath in actuality, leave her lips as she ran, because it was obvious Yata had never really seen Neko or Hilda fight before.
Just then, they could hear Neko's giggles and proclamations to get out of the way, Kristopher's shrieks of laughter and the sound of Hilda's numerous projection weapons hitting clansman after clansman.
"Never underestimate a Silver clansman nor a Marked." Kuroh smirked, making sure his eyes met Leoda's as well. She knew what he was trying to say, about both Kristopher and herself, and smiled the slightest bit in thanks.
"All of you…you and that damn chick…you all piss me off!" Yata shouted as he pushed off his skateboard once again.
Easily, the three dispatched the Green clansmen attempting to intercept them with a mix of Kotowari, Red aura, a skateboard and a Gold aura projection sunflower dagger, all without breaking a sweat.
"Now, don't be like that." Kuroh smiled as he held up his recorder and pressed a button.
"On a mountain pass,
Accompanied by a friend,
One should have no fear."
As Kuroh began to sparkle, just as he did the first time he shared his recordings of Ichigen Miwa's haikus, Leoda stiffened a giggle.
"Your thoughts?" Kuroh asked Yata.
"Huh? Creepy." Yata answered a second later after staring at Kuroh to see if he was serious.
"What?! How dare you!" Kuroh shouted.
Making their way through the tower was a simple fair after that. They were extremely motivated after all.
In no time at all, they had reached the room where the Dresden Slate was held, a room Leoda knew all too well from meetings with the Gold King as both a family member and as the monitor of the Red clan when the battles between HOMRA and Scepter 4 were at their worst.
The only different parts of it now, however, were the three Green clansmen, Mishakuji, Hikari and the ninja, four if you count the bird, standing in the center and the cage that sat above the Dresden Slate, Anna and Ame within.
"Anna!" Yata cried as soon as the doors were open, Leoda right behind him with her mouth opening to call her daughter's name only to once again release nothing. "Anna…" Yata gasped as he saw her.
Anna opened her eyes from where she sat in the cage, holding Ame close to her body.
"You bastards! Just what are you doing to Anna and Ame?!" Yata shouted, his teeth clenched angrily.
Leoda glared at them, keeping her hands still and close to her heart, in case she wished to say anything.
"My, what an energetic boy you are." Mishakuji mused playfully. "We're not doing a single thing. We're only asking the cute little bird for a small favor and watching over her little sister, that's all."
"Cute little bird!" The actual bird repeated.
"What!?" Yata shouted as he used his aura to power himself towards the cage, intent on either beating all three clansmen up or freeing Anna right away, Leoda couldn't tell. She and Kuroh, however, didn't move.
Mishakuji easily dodged Yata, which threw the vanguard off.
"I'll leave the hotheaded one to you." Mishakuji said.
"Understood." The ninja stated before sinking into the floor and popping out to grab a startled Yata and take them both to the floor below with a single use of his Green aura.
"And, of course, it's only fair that you take Mrs. Totsuka, Hikari." Mishakuji smirked at his final companion.
"Don't give me orders, you shitty old man. I'm above you." Hikari retorted even as she readied her naginata.
"Not right now~. Kotosaka, keep an eye on things downstairs." Mishakuji continued, the bird squawking 'understood, understood' before he flew away. "And meanwhile, I'm going to put my dear Kuroh through a beautiful initiation."
"Enough talk! Yukari Mishakuji!" Kuroh growled as he unsheathed Kotowari and Leoda slipped her staff out of her sweater sleeve, unfolding it with practiced ease.
"First, I'll teach you manners, Kuroh! Call me your dear brother!" Mishakuji said as he charged Kuroh.
At the same moment, Leoda shot forward to meet Hikari, locking her staff with the naginata and keeping out of the two former brothers' way.
The fight for Anna, and Ame as well, was on.
As Neko meowed above her, cat mountain illusion stomping around, Hilda ducked between the confused Green clansmen, knocking them out with either a swing of her sword or one of the other weapons she had in her arsenal.
Once in a while, she could sense a gun being aimed at her, but she always fired an arrow right before the trigger could be pulled, the projections easily knocking out whoever aimed at her. Her Sight, which allowed her to see movements about to be made in battle, was extremely useful in this sense and she used it to her full advantage, avoiding every possible attack and keeping every possible attack from hitting either Kristopher or Neko.
Having tossed her spear aside, allowing it to vanish, Hilda created a club that allowed her to easily knock one Green clansman unconscious before she threw it backwards to nail one who snuck up on her in the head, using the delay to roll out of the way incoming attack. At the same moment, Neko threw her cat mountain on a group of Green clansmen. We should be done soon if we keep this up. Hilda thought to herself.
And of course, she jinxed it.
"Found her!" A voice suddenly cried and Hilda looked up to see a bird flying above Neko and Kristopher. "Stupid cat! Stupid cat!" The bird continued to repeat itself as it flew around.
"Mrow! Who're you calling stupid!?" Neko retorted.
"Kotosaka Thunder!" The bird, Kotosaka, shouted and lightning suddenly struck Neko and her cat mountain.
"Oh shit!" Hilda cried as the illusion vanished and she ran forward to catch Kristopher. Thankfully, it seemed as if he had used his Spirit Sight to find a spirit to help float him to the ground, this one being a Blue clansman. The warrior breathed a sigh of relief as she hugged her young cousin before glaring up at the laughing bird…only for Neko, in cat form, to kick him in the neck. From there, Neko and Kotosaka began an animal fight, which…was bit amusing if Hilda was honest, until Kotosaka flew out of range, then…
"Kotosaka Thunder!" Kotosaka cried as he used his lightning again and electrocuted Neko, causing her to turn back into a human.
"Big Sister Neko!" Kristopher cried as he, Hilda and the Blue clansman ran over to the girl and the Green clansmen began to surround them.
Neko sheepishly smiled at the enemies surrounding them as Hilda prepared to take them all on and it seem the Blue clansman at her back agreed.
But just then, gold butterflies surrounded them and rose to the sky in a projection barrier that, Hilda knew, was nigh unbreakable. Right after, streams of red fire shot out at the Green clansmen and the bird that had given them such trouble.
"Another enemy! Another enemy!" Kotosaka squawked as he flew away.
Neko stared up at where the bird flew, but Hilda turned to where she knew their two helpers were standing, waiting for the barrier to come down so she could greet them. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the Blue clansman faded away after going a while without touching Kristopher, but she didn't pay attention to him much.
Kristopher beat her to it speaking anyway.
"Gram! Izzie!"
Kuroh grunted as he fell out the window, barely hanging on with his Colorless aura. Yukari wasn't far behind him, effortlessly on the side of the building as if gravity didn't affect him (as if he were a Silver clansman and Kuroh hated that thought, feeling the gold butterflies pulse on his arm where he knew they led to a gold atom).
"Still no progress at all, huh Kuroh?" Yukari mocked him. "It seems that all you ever do is cling on to things. But you'll never get anywhere unless you're able to learn how to let go." As he spoke, Yukari unsheathed Ayamachi for the first time that whole fight.
"Shut up!" Kuroh shouted as he used his Silver aura to run along side the building and the real fight began, him and Yukari trading blow after blow without a single moment of rest.
The entire time, as Kuroh fought Yukari and eventually led him to the roof to try and get himself an advantage, Yukari acted as if he was still that little kid Master Ichigen had taken in, that was being trained for the first time. It felt like Yukari wasn't taking him seriously, Kuroh thought as he reached the roof.
"Haha! Yes, Kuroh, that's excellent! Keep it up!" Yukari praised as he reached the roof a second before Kuroh fell to his knees, panting in exertion. "Oh, my! After I just complimented you! There you go falling to your knees." Yukari sounded disappointed, or mockingly disappointed, and Kuroh growled at him, hating that he wasn't being taken seriously. "Come on, now. Up on your feet and en garde."
Kuroh lurched to his feet, but instead of attacking, he led Yukari further onto the roof, yelling,
"Come!"
They continued fighting on the garden then, Yukari treating the fight as if he were giving Kuroh lessons instead and it angered Kuroh that he wasn't being taken seriously as an enemy. He could See it, after all. Yukari's status, flashing in Kuroh's eyesight that he was still adjusting to, showed that he wasn't tired, that he was strong and excited to be fighting, that he was fast and swift, exactly as Master Ichigen had taught.
Kuroh wasn't sure, faced with the facts of his Mark given Sight, if he could win against Yukari, but he wasn't going to give up. Not even for a single second would he give up right now.
Leoda let out a silent grunt as she locked her staff against Hikari's naginata. Her eyes widened the slightest bit as she Saw her Green aura dance towards her weapon, ready to electrocute her and she jumped back at the last moment, right before the naginata turned green with lightning.
"Not bad for a weakling." Hikari mocked, spinning her naginata to her other side before she rushed forward and attempted to sweep Leoda's legs out from under her.
Quickly, Leoda jumped back and summoned a sunflower dagger, throwing it in hopes of causing a distraction to give her time to formulate a plan.
"Too slow, weak ass!" Hikari grinned as she dodged the dagger and Leoda just barely managed to block her attack to her side. Hikari sighed in frustration. "Man, it's no fun if you won't talk."
Leoda shook her head and gestured to her bruised throat a second before she kicked Hikari in the gut, sending her towards the wall.
"Clever, clever, weakest link." Hikari grinned, shark like. "But still not good enough!" The Green clansman shot forward once again and Leoda prepared to block her attack, only for her to duck under Leoda's arm at the last minute, to Leoda's own shock, and hit her in the back of the head with a sharp fist that sent her flying towards Anna.
"Leoda!" Anna cried. Just then, Yata crashed through the door and landed right beside Leoda. "Misaki!" Anna held Ame close, tears in her eyes as she stared at her mother and fellow clansman. Leoda moved to sign something at Yata, to ask if he was okay, only to stop halfway through. He wouldn't understand her, anyway.
Yata, however, grabbed a metal rod that had crashed near the girls with him and used it to push himself up.
"Don't you three worry. I'm just giving him a sporting chance." Yata reassured, despite the rasp of suppressed pain in his voice.
"Then I'll take this chance to send you to hell. " The ninja swore as he rose up from the floor, double edged blade in hand.
"Douhan, must you be so goddamn overly dramatic? Ugh! I can see why the damn old man likes you." Hikari sighed as she moved to stand beside her fellow clansman, naginata resting almost lazily against her shoulder.
Before either Green clansman could attack, however, red flames shot out towards both and a chain of gold butterflies whipped out, the combined forces causing the two to jump back.
"Who's there?!" The ninja, Douhan, demanded. Hikari, however, looked remarkably calm considering the situation.
"Another enemy! Another enemy from HOMRA and Timeless Palace!" Kotosaka reported between squawks of fear as the fire and chain followed after him.
Turning, Leoda felt a relieved grin form on her face as she saw…
"Mr. Kusanagi!" Yata gasped in shock.
'Grandmother!' Leoda tried to speak, but she only released air as she mouthed the word.
"Hey, it's been a while." Kusanagi greeted the two, flipping his lighter between his fingers as he did.
"Glad to see you're both doing well." Carina smiled, the chain of butterflies curled around her finger as she spoke.
Leoda knew, however, that her grandmother had noticed her odd silence. She'd probably already planned for her son, Leoda's uncle and Hilda's dad, Haru, to come and help anyway, so she wasn't worried.
Instead, Kusanagi lit a cigarette and Carina spun her chain around lazily before the bartender used his aura to manipulate the flames to fly out at the Green clansmen and the Miracle easily threw and manipulated her chain in the same moment, the two attacks forcing the Green clansmen to retreat further away.
"How'd you know we were here?" Yata asked in disbelief before turning away in bitterness. "And why'd you show up now, after so long, with the Miracle?"
"For the same reason as you: to save our princess." Kusanagi smiled.
"Quit being such a showoff." Yata smiled back, looking as if a weight lifted from his shoulders and Leoda smiled at him, feeling like the proud mother she knows she is.
"Glasses! Hey, Sunglasses! It won't open!" Neko suddenly shouted, straining to pry the cage apart with her hands alone. Below her was Kristopher, staring up at the Silver clansman nervously, and beside him was Hilda, who was carefully tracking the Green clansmen. How they even got there, Leoda honestly had no idea.
"I won't let you take that girl!" Douhan shouted before he launched himself at Neko. At the last moment, the Strain jumped away and Yata took her place, protecting Anna, Ame, Kristopher and Hilda with the metal rod.
"Hey, that's my line, so don't you steal it!" He grinned as he pushed the ninja away from the cage and those he protected.
"Too slow, shitty Red!" Hikari cried as she suddenly dived at him, only for Leoda to land a good roundhouse kick to the side of her neck, throwing her back a distance.
Sorry, but I can't let you. Leoda thought as she glared at Hikari, who simply smirked, as if proud.
With that, the Red vanguard and the Gold clansman easily deflected the Greens' attacks with the metal rod and staff they each held. Hilda, Leoda could see in the corner of her eye, had created a bow and arrow projection, tracking each fight carefully in case either needed backup. Kristopher and Neko were at her side, staying out of the way and tracking the fight, as well as watching for any interlopers who may have escaped the combined Red, Silver and Gold might down below.
"Now that HOMRA's number two guy is here, you're gonna-" Yata started to say.
"Hey, Yata, buy us some time, will ya?" Kusanagi cut him off as he and Carina walked forward.
"Wha? Mr. Kusanagi!" Yata cried, shocked.
"Sorry, it's important." Kusanagi smiled.
"Besides, you've gone toe to toe with Saruhiko. I think a ninja like this should be a piece of cake." Carina winked, so much like her brother in that moment, if you knew him.
"I'm counting on you, Yatagarasu." Kusanagi added, which was just the ticket.
"Heh, well I guess I can't let you down if you're gonna call me by that name!" Yata smirked as his full remaining Red aura alighted on his skin. "Alright, bring it on you dime store cosplay ninja. HOMRA's Yatagarasu is gonna destroy you!"
Leoda smiled before her face turned serious. She could only think of one reason both Kusanagi and her grandmother would want to talk to Anna before saving her and Ame, and that…that made ice form in her veins. But she took a deep breath, tightened her grip on her staff and allowed both Gold and Red to alight on her skin, something she had never done in front of others before as she faced Hikari.
All it took was a projection of a single sunflower dagger, pointed directly at the Green clansman, for her message to get across.
"Alright, weakest link. Let's go!" Hikari grinned, as if having the time of her life as she flew forward.
Anna shivered, her eyes closed tightly as she hugged Ame to her chest. The baby babbled happily, unaware of the situation as she had been the whole time, and played with Anna's hair. Ame was the only reason Anna had been able to control her fear, because here was the reassurance she needed that someone would come if she just held out.
But now…
Footsteps approaching her cage stopped and she looked up only to see Izumo leaning against the cage and Gram bending down to her level.
"Anna, sweetie…" Gram whispered, placing a single hand on the cage.
"I'm sorry. The two of us went all the way to Germany, hoping I could investigate and do something about all this." Izumo smiled sadly. "But I was too late."
"I'm sorry…I never wanted this for you…" Gram shook her head, regret in her eyes, as if she were witnessing a tragedy happening all over again.
Perhaps she was…
"I…zumo…Gram…" Anna whispered, her voice shaking as much as her body, even as she tried to stall it for Ame's sake.
"Look, there's no use avoiding it any longer, you know that." Izumo gazed at her sadly. "Anna…I mean…"
Anna's eyes widened before they fell closed.
When she opened them again, she was laying in a large red bed in a loft. She could see the window and out of it, to the blue sky. Her eyes trailed away from the window, along the ceiling, until the side of her head was against the bed and she could see just who was sitting next to the bed.
"Tatara…" Anna whispered, her eyes widening in shock. Because it was really him, not in a hospital gown, asleep for who knows how long, but him, dressed normally and smiling just like always, someone who would always be able to cheer her up, one of the three men she saw as a father figure.
"Hey there, Anna. Good morning." Tatara smiled before he began to frown in concern. "You okay? You look like you're in pain."
"No, I'm okay." Anna smiled, feeling tears forming in her eyes as she turned on her side to face Tatara fully. "I feel like I was caught in a bad dream."
"In a…bad dream?" Tatara repeated before he stood up and made his way over to sit right on the bed, right near her head.
"Yes, Tatara. You had been attacked and trapped in a coma, your spirit separated from your body. Mikoto went to avenge you and try to wake you up…then he died." Anna nodded, trembling again as she remembered it all, sniffing to stop her tears from falling. She looked up at Tatara as she continued speaking. "After that, everyone got separated and…" She trailed off then, feeling tears prick her eyes anew. "No, that's wrong. This is the dream, isn't it?" Even as she asked, Anna knew the answer and she turned away so Tatara wouldn't see her cry.
"Yes…sorry." Tatara apologized, his voice thick with his own regret. And she understood, of course she did. He had been with her since Leoda, Kuroh, Neko and Kristopher found her. He was probably by the cage right as Izumo and Gram came to her. He knew why she was here, what she had been chosen for.
But he didn't say anything, just respecting her wish to hide her tears and sitting by her side to reassure her that he was there, that he had always been there, even if she couldn't see him. And that meant more to Anna than she could express in words.
The sound of footsteps and a chain, however, caused every thought to halt in its footsteps as she sat up, fresh tears forming in her eyes once again.
"Anna…go ahead. Go on and talk to him." Tatara urged her, his voice soft as he laid a hand on her shoulder.
Then Mikoto walked around the corner, looking just as he did a year ago, even though he too had been with her this whole time, and before Anna knew what she was doing, she could feel the tears starting to fall and she was running forward, wrapping her arms around Mikoto's waist.
"Stupid Mikoto!" She cried, even as her arms tightened.
"Yeah…" Mikoto agreed, just like always, but she could hear his smile.
"I hate you!" Anna added, even as she buried her face in his stomach. He was her rock, her father that had saved her from pain and suffering and offered her a new home, one with four loving parents, an even larger extended family, a big brother and now a little brother and a little sister as well. He gave her a family, one made of bonds that were forged in fire and tested in unimaginable ways. He gave her two marks to prove this family was hers, one in her left eye and one on her right wrist, a flame and a butterfly bracelet tattoo. She loved him, just as she knew he loved her.
"Yeah…" Mikoto repeated, knowing all of what she couldn't say and all the little things tied up into it. He always did. And she knew he was right there when she was in that cage, by her side and ready to protect her, even if he was incorporeal.
She opened her eyes then and it was with a start that she felt it.
"But Mikoto…I can still feel it…your Red…it's still so warm." Anna smiled softly as she let go and laid her hands over her heart.
"Sorry, but it's not my Red you're feeling." Mikoto smiled, proud and confident in her ability to handle this. "It's your Red. It's your color."
Anna stared down at her hands, realizing for the first time what had been happening to her fully meant. And suddenly, she wasn't scared anymore.
"You mean that your Red had become my Red?" She smiled, new tears forming once again. "Can I transform this Red into a power that protects my friends?"
Mikoto didn't say anything, turning to Tatara instead and Anna followed his gaze.
"Now Anna…you wouldn't let a bad dream ends as a bad dream." Tatara smiled and his own faith in her shined through.
She smiled. She had needed this, to see two of her fathers once again and to hear their words in order to accept this, to accept who she was meant to be. She turned back to Mikoto.
The former Red King knelt down and laid his hand against her cheek. Anna smiled as she leaned into his touch. She may not see him like this, to feel his touch, for a long, long time. But that was okay…he would always be there and she knew they would meet again. The Red connected them and…something just told her that it would all be okay, that someday she'd see him like this again. So she took comfort in that.
"Go Anna." Mikoto smiled at her and…
She did.
"There's no use avoiding it any longer, you know that. Anna…I mean…Red King."
Anna opened her eyes, and she knew they were glowing red. Holding Ame carefully, she laid a hand down, feeling as if she were on the Dresden Slate itself instead of on a floor above. She could see it, feel it, and she watched as it glowed red in response to her.
She knew exactly what to say.
"No blood…no bone…no ash!"
As she screamed the last words, Anna threw her arm to the side, destroying the cage in one fell swoop. Instantly, the Red lifted her into the air as it flew out from her, destroying the windows of Mihashira Tower and pushing Douhan and Hikari back, while protecting Izumo, Misaki, Leoda, Ame, Kristopher, Gram, Neko and Hilda, and even those she couldn't see but knew were there as well.
Anna held her hands out, controlling the Red and feeling it wrap around her like a protective embrace, before it enshrouded her and her aura, her Red aura, formed wings on her back and she felt the moment she was truly Awakened as the Red King.
She felt the moment the Red Sword of Damocles formed above her head, marking her as who she had always been meant to become.
The Third King.
The Red King.
Anna Kushina.
Kuroh and Yukari halted as soon as the Sword appeared. Kuroh could not believe it.
"The Sword…of Damocles!" He gasped.
Who could've become the Red King? He didn't know. But…considering everyone Kuroh knew of in that tower below, he couldn't help but smile.
He trusted everyone in there, but it wasn't because many of them shared the Mark with him. No, he trusted them because he knew of their integrity and honor.
Whoever the Slate chose, it chose a good Red King this time, one Mikoto Suoh would be proud to chose his successor. Somehow, Kuroh knew this, deep in his heart and he trusted it.
The moment the Red Sword of Damocles appeared in the sky, Fushimi resisted the urge to touch his collarbone.
"It can't be…" He whispered.
And yet he knew, all the same, that it was. Because he could feel his weakened Red awakening once again. It was stronger than before, beating in time with his heart and he could feel the pulse on his covered tattoo as well.
There was only one person Fushimi knew that would still gift him with the Red if they had become King, but even still he could hardly bring himself to believe it.
But, it seemed as if the Slate had chosen well this time. His dad would accept no other as his successor, after all.
Kristopher gasped as Anna's Red wrapped around him, embracing him as one of her own without any reservations. It was strong, so very strong, but it was also so warm.
It reminded him of his big sister and he smiled as he felt the symbol of HOMRA form in his right eye, a complete mirror to her. He'd be a good clansman and a good brother, he'd make sure of it.
In the corner of his eye, Kristopher could see Saki moving to attack the ninja at the same moment the dark haired lady, Hikari, moved towards his mommy.
"I won't let you!" Kristopher cried and he raised his hands, similar to how he saw his daddy form fire. Red fire suddenly formed under Hikari and threw her into the air. Kristopher pointed at her again and a fire shaped robin formed in his hand before flying up and pushing her back to the ground, giving Mommy room.
"Good job, Kris!" Daddy cheered him on excitedly and he heard Miko grunt in agreement. Miko still stood near Anna, just as he had the whole time, but Daddy was next to him.
"Neat tricks, Kris! You'll be a pro in no time!" Ilda added, bumping his shoulder affectionately. The boy smiled at her before turning away.
"Mommy!" Kristopher shouted.
Leoda gasped as Anna's Red surrounded her, reigniting the tattoo in her back and amplifying her Gold just as Mikoto's Red had done, only it was so much more.
Before, Mikoto's Red had allowed her to strengthen her own Gold, allowing her to summon her sunflower daggers and use them to a varying degree, to a huge success. But now, with Anna's Red…she felt her possibilities expand.
As soon as Hikari fell to the floor from Kristopher's attack, Leoda twirled her staff and allowed her Red and Gold to mix, causing a gold vine with red leaves to wrap around her staff. She charged at Hikari without doing anything else, the added projection increasing the durability and strength of her staff, allowing her to push Hikari back as they locked.
"Not bad…what else you got?" Hikari smirked quietly.
Leoda smirked before she kneed the Green clansman in the stomach, sending her back. Using the distance, she brought her arm close to her chest and summoned a circle of daggers behind her back. However, unlike before, not all of the flowers were sunflowers.
Now, red roses, blue irises and silver lilies were intertwined with the gold sunflowers, their inclusion showing how varied her family was, their green stems shining as brightly as any petal.
Without a single word, Leoda raised her hand in front of her and snapped, causing the flowers to shoot out and completely immobilize Hikari against the wall.
At that moment, Yata knocked out Douhan.
They had won.
Leoda smiled at Yata before turning towards her daughter.
"Hey Anna." Yata started to say before he cut himself off in fear.
He had a good reason and Leoda knew it well. This wasn't the first time she had witnessed the overwhelming aura of the Red King, after all.
She could only watch as her daughter struggled to stand before eventually falling to her knees as her Red aura attempted to overwhelm her, forming a bird and flying through the roof of the tower to circle the Red Sword of Damocles.
She couldn't do anything to help, however. She knew Anna was strong, knew she didn't need a stopper like Mikoto did. She would be okay, she would.
Leoda truly believed that Anna would be the Red King to prove, once and for all, that Red was the color of protection, not the color of destruction.
And there we are! Now, the story behind this chapter. The last two chapters each took me a while to write, usually in small increments right after I finished up arc one. This chapter? Two days. Once I started, I didn't want to stop for anything. Heck, I would've kept going, but I realized that, with everything I had planned for after this, this chapter would be WAY too long, so it was split into two.
Anna, specifically, is one of my favorite characters in this series due to this scene right here, she was just BEAUTIFUL and I wanted to give her a good scene, so I hope I delivered. Every time I watch this scene, I always get goosebumps, and I wanted to try to get that same affect in my writing.
As for Leoda's mentioning of Mikoto's Red amplifying her Gold, that is true. For Leoda, her Gold aura is weaker than most, similar to how Tatara's Red is considered weaker. When she became a Red clansman, (which I will show with help from K7S: Memories of Red), her Gold became stronger due to the amplification caused by her Red. With Mikoto's death, she became a bit weaker, but with Anna's Awakening, she is stronger again, thus the variation in her projections now, similar to the rest of her family.
And yes, Kristopher is a Red clansman now. I've always intended on him being a Red instead of a Gold because HOMRA is very much a part of his life. He won't be fighting a lot, just little small things like he did here (the robin is a reference to Tatara's butterflies and phoenixes btw).
But I hope you all enjoyed! I'll post the last chapter of this arc tonight! Leave a review to let me know what you think! Bye bye!