Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino

Megumi no Jotai

(State of Grace)

By Lola Presents

Episode 2 - Training Begins - Part 1

Last time on Megumi no Jotai...

Lincoln hesitantly befriends an escapee from the realm of darkness, known as Megumi. Together, they begin adjusting to their new roles as the darkness gathers around them. After crafting a soul sword, they have their first encounter with the army of darkness. What adventures lay ahead?


"Has the asset been located, K'Thar?" asked something in multiple voices, ranging from high pitched to low, echoing throughout the inky blackness.

"Yes, M'Ster," she has. "She has taken up residence in a young boy named Lincoln Loud."

"Very well," rumbled M'Ster. "You may continue to exist. For now."

"T-Thank you, lord," K'Thar trembled before receding into the depths of the darkness.

"M'Kael," called the M'Ster. "Come forth."

"I am present, M'Ster," came a response. "What is thy bidding?"

"As my strongest and most trusted lieutenant," "M'Ster began, "I am entrusting surveillance of the asset, M'Gum, to you. Monitor her growth and test her. Should she become a threat, see to her capture immediately. But above all else, ensure that she is retrieved alive."

"As you wish, M'Ster," replied M'Kael with reverence.


Megumi stood above Lincoln, bent neatly at the waist with her hands clasped behind her back, staring as the young boy slept. He was a curious one, indeed. She could sense his fear of the unknown, but he was also curious about it, which confused her. Quite possibly, that would explain his reactions to her presence, both hesitant yet accepting.

"Beep, beep, beep," announced Lincoln's clock.

Lincoln reached over and turned off the alarm, then slowly cracked his lids, startled to be staring into Megumi's eyes.

"Wake up, slumber-head," Megumi said softly. "Daylight has broken."

Lincoln sat up and stretched, squinting his eyes together, yawning for nearly ten seconds. He then opened his eyes fully and looked at Megumi.

"Slumber-head?" asked Lincoln. "I think you mean sleepy-head."

"Oh," said Megumi. "My apologies. I am still getting used to all the information I absorbed last night."

"Well, at least you're trying," Lincoln praised her. "But right now, I must get ready for school."

"Do you go every day?" Megumi asked curiously.

"No, just Monday through Friday," he replied, grabbing a fresh set of clothes. "But sometimes, we get a day off for holidays and stuff."

"I see," Megumi said in acceptance. "Shall we begin training upon arrival home?"

"After last night, I'd be more than happy too," announced Lincoln. "If Chandler's resident was only a sprite, we're going to need it."

"I concur," agreed Megumi.

"Um, Megumi?" mumbled Lincoln. "I have to change my underwear. Can you turn around or something?"

"As you wish," Megumi said before turning. "Though it matters not. I have been inside you before. I know your form well."

Unseen by Megumi, Lincoln turned red. The idea of Megumi being able to see his thoughts and know his body was more than unsettling to him. He couldn't reciprocate and know her as well. It would be nice if the exchange weren't so one-sided.

"Alright," Lincoln announced. "I'm ready. Let's do this. Again."

Megumi turned and smiled before vaporizing to enter Lincoln. The cloud of smoke hung in the air for a moment before rushing into the boy. From another's perspective, it would've appeared that Lincoln vacuumed her up.

"Now, remember," Lincoln thought. "Try not to be too paranoid at school, and don't do anything others might see."

"I understand," Megumi responded.

Lincoln unlocked his door and headed for the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. Megumi observed several additional siblings along the route, other than the two she passed yesterday. One day, they might come in handy. But for now, the aggressive one was all they needed.

"Good morning, honey," Rita said as she handed him a plate of food and a glass of apple juice. "Are you feeling any better today?"

"Loads, mom," Lincoln replied. "Thanks for asking."

"Where were you last night, anyway?" Rita asked, folding her arms.

"Dang it," Lincoln thought, starting on his breakfast. "I was here all night, mom. Just ill. I had to keep running back and forth to the restroom. I guessed you just kept missing me."

"Mmhmm," murmured his mother. "I'll believe you this time because you're usually so well behaved. But don't be late again."

"I got it, mom," Lincoln responded as he wolfed down the last of his breakfast.

"Morning, Lincoln," came a voice from a previously empty chair, startling Lincoln.

"Lucy!" Lincoln gasped. "Please stop doing that!"

"Doing what?" asked Lucy. "Eat my breakfast?"

"No, never mind..." he sighed.

"At least I understand now why my sudden appearance concerned you," whispered Megumi. "She seems interesting. I sense a connection to the darkness within her."

"Yeah, "thought Lincoln. "She's more than a little spooky at times."

"Then you must think me unbearable," Megumi sighed.

"Maybe. At first anyway," Lincoln whispered. "But I'm getting used to your presence."

"That bodes well for our future," Megumi replied.

As Lincoln finished his last mouthful, the bus pulling up echoed in his ears.

"Got to run, mom! Love you!" Lincoln called as he hopped up and headed for the door, grabbing his bag on the way out.

Rita smirked as she cleared Lincoln's plate. "That boy, always on the run, doing something."

The ride to school was uneventful, save for somebody tossing a paper plane, which lodged itself in Clyde's hair. Clyde, being a good sport, threw it back, congratulating the owner on a decent throw.

However, Lincoln soon found himself sweating his ass off in Mr. Bolhoffner's class. It was more of a shed than a classroom, which probably accounted for its lack of proper insulation. In any case, it was hot!

The students were currently doing a writing assignment, something to do with the history of western civilization. Lincoln had no interest in the topic and lazily wrote whatever he recalled from his previous reading assignment. Eventually, his mind began to drift, and as his eyes moved around the room, he noticed something odd.

"Megumi," Lincoln thought. "Don't turn and look, use the corner of my eye, but a strange man is standing just outside the school grounds. Do you see him?

She did. The man was roughly middle-aged, with well-defined features. He had a stern look, with a ridged brow and square jaw. His hair was cropped short, and he wore a black suit and dress tie with a white button-up.

The man's dark sunglasses blocked the view of his eyes, which Megumi found interesting. One's eyes are a window to their soul, and for one to hide them when unnecessary is suspicious.

"Yes, I see him," Megumi replied, seemingly agitated. "However, I sense no threat to him. Perhaps he is merely a resting passerby or interested in the school?"

"Megumi..." whispered Lincoln. "Anyone staring at a school for that long isn't interested in the building but the students. Unless he's one of your kind, then he's after us. But if he is, then why can't we sense him?"

"I have no idea," Megumi revealed. "Return to your studies, and I will monitor the man."

Lincoln nodded and focused his attention back on the paper. The chore took more concentration than Lincoln believed, as Megumi commandeered his left eye to track the man. Writing with only one eye gave him little depth perception, and several times he nearly stabbed himself with his pencil. Eventually, he got it done just before the lunch bell rang.

Glad to be free from the heated room, Lincoln hurried to the lunchroom, where he would see his friends. Recently, the mid-day meal was about the only time he could relax with his gang, and he looked forward to it immensely.

"Hey, guys!" Lincoln greeted his fellows as he sat down with a tray of tasteless food. "What's going on?"

"Hiya, Lincoln," greeted Liam. "Nothing much. Virginia did up and had piglets yesterday, though! One of the little suckers done run-up in the henhouse. It took me forever to get it out."

"Do you have to talk about pigs while I'm eating?" choked Rusty. "That's not cool."

"Well, I think it's sweet," Stella said, easing the tension. "Who doesn't like babies?"

"I know, right?" chimed in Clyde. "Well, except for when it's time to change them."

"Clyde! I'm eating here!" chastised Rusty a second time.

"Oh, did you hear?" gasped Zach. "Chandler was caught being out all night and got grounded. His parent's found him asleep on the porch!"

"T-That's interesting," stammered Lincoln. "I guess I'm safe for a while then, huh?"

"Looks that way," agreed Zach. "But let me know if you need a tinfoil hat. I got extras. Just in case."

The children gabbed as they ate, just being kids and having fun with each other, but eventually, the bell rang, indicating it was time to head back to class. Lincoln stood, said his goodbyes, and prepared to leave.

He scraped his leftovers into the trash, placed the tray on the return stack, and began heading for the exit. That's when he stopped cold. The man that stood behind the school passed stoically by the open doors.

"Megumi..." Lincoln whispered, growing cold inside.

"Yes, I saw him, Lincoln," Megumi whispered back. "Though, I still feel nothing from him. I should be able to at this range, was he one of us. I believe it safe to assume he merely fits a cultural stereotype for which you are sensitive."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Lincoln conceded. "He does kind of look like one of those men in black. Perhaps he's here for Zach." Lincoln chuckled.

A few moments later, after a short stop at the water fountain, Lincoln found himself at the door to Mr. Bolhoffner's class. Sighing deeply, he prepared to enter the sauna once more. Turning the knob, he opened the door, expecting to get belted with a wave of heat. Instead, nothing happened.

Lincoln fully entered the room and noticed the difference in temperature, which someone had significantly reduced. Thankful for the change, he took his seat and waited for the old grump to show up.

"Good morning, students," said a gritty male voice behind them. "I am Michael Steadman, and I'll be filling in for Mr. Bolhoffner while he's away."

Lincoln's eyes flashed wide. Standing before him was the man from outside. Something weird was going on; he was sure of it.

"E-excuse me, Mr. Steadman," Lincoln eeked out, raising his hand. "What happened to Mr. Bolhoffner?"

"He has been..." Michael said flatly, "excused."

Lincoln swallowed hard. "Megumi..."

"Yes, I know," the succubus replied. "For now, keep calm but alert. We have no idea who, or what is before us, nor what its intentions are."

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, which was a minor blessing. Mister Steadman merely asked the students to introduce themselves and tell the class a little about themselves. Lincoln kept his account as short as possible, leaving out many details, hoping to stay innocuous.

When the dismissal bell rang, Lincoln didn't hesitate to bolt from the room. He preferred the heat over the cold stare of mister Steadman any day and almost wished Mr. Bolhoffner would return. It was like going from the frying pan into the fire. Making it onto the bus, Lincoln took his seat next to Clyde, who had saved it for him, just as he had since elementary school.

"Hey, buddy," Lincoln said, addressing his friend.

"Hi, Lincoln," Clyde said enthusiastically. "I asked my dads about this weekend, and they said you could spend the night if you want. We can make it a party. You know, stay up all night, watch scary movies, and read comics."

"I'd love to, man," sparked Lincoln. "That sounds awesome."

"Lincoln..." whispered Megumi. "Is this wise? Staying with your friend will both endanger him and interrupt our training."

"Calm down, Megumi," Lincoln thought. "He falls asleep at the drop of a hat. Besides, I need to put some face time in with him, or he'll know something is up."

"As you wish," Megumi conceded. "But we'll have to be careful."

"I know, I know," Lincoln muttered.

Soon, they arrived at Clyde's stop and, not long after, Lincoln's and Megumi's. Once the bus came to a complete halt, they disembarked and began heading toward the house.

"Now, we must locate your sister," Megumi whispered. "The one named Lynn."

"Sure, just let me set my things down and use the restroom," Lincoln said, tossing his bag onto the sofa.

"Hey!" snapped Luan, sitting on the other cushion, counting change. "You made me lose my count!"

"Oops, my bad, Luan," apologized Lincoln, heading up the stairs. "Sorry!"

Lincoln stepped into the restroom, locked the door, and then began undoing his pants before remembering something important.

"Um..." Lincoln thought. "Megumi, a little privacy, please?"

"Fine," replied Megumi as she exited his body into her own and turned around.

Lincoln relieved himself and, feeling much better, flushed the toilet and turned to his resident. Leaning over her shoulder to avoid anyone overhearing, he whispered.

"Finished," he said quietly.

Megumi reentered Lincoln, confused about his need for privacy. In her realm, everyone existed simultaneously. Privacy wasn't a thing.

"Honestly," she whispered. "What is so essential about privacy? I imagine all males of your kind are similar, are they not?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Lincoln responded hesitantly. "I don't know. It's just a thing. Maybe it's learned. Who knows? Society is odd like that. Some things don't make a lot of sense when you think about them."

"I see," said Megumi. "Now, let's go find your sister."

Lincoln sighed, dreading the ordeal Lynn would put him through. He knew she'd be shocked at first request, but after she got over it, she would go full steam ahead.

Exiting the restroom, Lincoln walked first to Lynn's door, knocked, and announced himself.

"Hey, Lynn," he called. "Are you in there?"

"She's in the backyard, Lincoln," responded Lucy. "Try there."

"Okay, thanks!" returned Lincoln.

Lincoln stomped his way down the stairs, the dining room and kitchen, and out the back door. Lynn was busy practicing hitting balls against the side of the garage. First, she'd toss a ball into the air, then take her stance, and finally swing as the ball fell.

"Hey there, Lynn," Lincoln said as he approached her. "You got a minute?"

"Barely. I have a game coming up and need to practice," Lincoln's sister told him. "What's up?"

"Listen, I need a huge favor," the boy said.

Lynn stopped her swinging and leaned against her batt. Lincoln seldom asked her for favors, which raised her curiosity. She considered his expression, attempting to judge his intent, but only found honesty mixed with hesitation.

"Yeah? What kind of favor?" she asked.

"I need you to train me," Lincoln asked of her. "You know, weights, punching, stretches, whatever. Anything that can help develop my strength and reflexes."

"Whoa, Linc," Lynn said, halting him. "What's with the sudden interest in athletics? This doesn't have anything to do with what happened with Chandler, does it?"

"Uh... yeah!" Lincoln agreed, happy that Lynn provided an excuse for him. "It does. I'm tired of being thin and weak. I need to be able to stand up for myself."

"Well! Alright then!" spat Lynn, becoming enthusiastic. "It's about freaking time! Change into some shorts and a tee-shirt, then come back and meet me in the garage," she said, eyeballing his clothes. "You can't move easily in that getup."

Lincoln thanked Lynn and rushed upstairs to his room to find something more suitable, passing Luna on his way through the kitchen.

"Yo, dude!" called Luna, nearly spilling her tea. "Where's the fire?"

"Sorry, Lunes!" he called as he left the kitchen. "No time to talk!"

Once in his room, he hurriedly found a spare pair of gym shorts. They were a pair he'd gotten last year for Physical Education but mainly went unused. He then pulled a loose white tee shirt from his drawer.

"Do I need to avert myself again?" sighed Megumi.

"No, that's alright," Lincoln said. "I'm beginning to trust you. Besides, we don't have much time, do we?"

"I suppose not, Lincoln," Megumi agreed. "I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"And fighting possessed people and getting punched in the face by black smoke, isn't?" he asked, chuckling. "It's okay. I'll be alright."

Having donned more appropriate clothing, he headed back to the garage, where Lynn was finishing setting up her weight bench.

"You made it back after all!" Lynn said happily, seeing him enter. "I wondered if you were just pulling my leg."

"Why would you pull her leg?" whispered Megumi.

"It's just an expression," Lincoln whispered back. "You know, a joke?"

"Alright, sit down, and let's see what you can do to begin with," Lynn said. "We'll go from there."

Lincoln laid down on the bench and wrapped his fingers around the bar, waiting for Lynn to add disks to the end. Lynn slid three on each side, each weighing five pounds.

"Alright, this should be easy, even for you," she told him. "There are only thirty pounds here. I'll spot you. Wait until I'm ready. And go."

Megumi spread herself throughout Lincoln, energizing him, and he lifted the bar quickly.

"Yeah, this is way too easy," Lincoln said, not sweating. "Put on more."

Lynn cocked an eyebrow at him. Her brother should've had difficulty at most, not expecting him to press more than twenty. Smirking, she added two more disks.

"Alright, that's forty," she announced. "Try again."

Once more, Lincoln pressed the weights quickly, then set them back down.

"Come on, Lynn," Lincoln pleaded. "Are you playing with me?"

"Um, no..." Lynn mumbled, scratching her head.

She had put on two ten-pound disks as a joke, bringing the total to fifty, not forty, and was surprised he could lift it.

"Lincoln," questioned Lynn, confused as hell. "Have you been holding out on me? I purposefully put on ten-pound weights, not fives. You just pressed fifty pounds. What's going on here," she demanded, furrowing her brows.