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

Megumi no Jotai

(State of Grace)

By Lola Presents

Episode 3 - Enter the Light - Part 2

The front door closed behind Lincoln and Megumi, and almost immediately, the din of the previously arrived siblings quieted. Lana and Lola forgot about whatever mundane thing they argued over, Lucy and Lisa peered up from the books they read, and most of the assembled girls gawked. All except Leni, who was staring in the wrong direction.

"What are we looking at?" asked Leni, one finger at the corner of her mouth. "All I see is you guys."

"Turn around, dude," Luna spat and pointed. "Lincoln brought home a friend."

"Um, hi?" waved Megumi nervously, but smiling regardless.

"Guys, this is Megumi," Lincoln announced, wanting to get the first word in. At least before his sisters started making dumb jokes and making Megumi uncomfortable.

"Megumi, these are my sisters; Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola, and Lisa," Lincoln said, pointing to each as he listed their names. "Lily's probably upstairs, taking a nap, and Lori is off at college."

"Nice to meet you all," Megumi said calmly, dipping slightly.

"Uh, yeah," muttered Lynn, unsure of what was happening.

Lynn wondered why Lincoln would bring her here in the open, but then again, they seemed to have a bond that Lynn didn't understand and assumed there was some tactical benefit to the meeting.

"So..." murmured Luan as she cocked a brow, so stunned that she couldn't even think of a joke. "Is she, like, you're girlfriend or something?"

"No, uh," Lincoln said, blushing furiously. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you haven't let go of her hand since you came in the door?" Luan stated questioningly and raising her second brow.

"OH! Uh..." Lincoln mumbled as he let Megumi's hand free, turning an even darker red. "I was only going to help her study."

"Yeah, she's totally his girlfriend, brah," Luna chirped, folding her arms defensively, smiling from ear to ear.

"It's alright, Lincoln," Megumi said, grasping his arm gently. "Let them believe what they may. Assertions are not intrinsically correct."

"Well, I, for one, am pleased with her diction," Lisa stated, smiling. "Welcome to our home, Megumi. Should you require assistance in your academic pursuits, I am available for tutoring."

"Thanks, Lisa," Lincoln said before Megumi could respond. "But I think we've got this."

"Lincoln?" Megumi suddenly gasped, clutching her belly.

"What?" replied Lincoln, instantly concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"I am not sure," Megumi replied. "Listen..."

From underneath Megumi's hand, Lincoln heard the distinct sound of a stomach crying out for nourishment. Smiling, he stifled a chuckle.

"You're only hungry," Lincoln informed her. "Come on, and I'll get you something to eat."

Lincoln unconsciously grabbed Megumi's hand and led his guest through the living room and into the kitchen, out of sight of the others. While some eeped, others traded looks of confusion.

"How can one not realize what hunger is?" inquired Lisa. "How old is she, four?"

"You're one to talk, Lisa. You're four!" spat Lana.

Lucy was the only one to remain silent, an odd look upon what was visible on her face. Slowly, she rose and peered around the corner to watch the new girl with intensity.


"These are one of my dad's specialties," Lincoln said, pulling the lid of his spare mac-n-cheese bites. "They're my favorite."

"Thank you," Megumi said before timidly grabbing one and putting it into her mouth.

The girl's eyes lit up, and she began stuffing herself with Lincoln's offering, swallowing every so often to make more room. Her appetite seemed almost ravenous, devouring nearly the entire container in moments.

"Y-you've never eaten, have you?" whispered Lincoln, unaware that Lucy was eavesdropping.

"No," Megumi replied through a mouthful of food. "I haven't. Well, not like this. It's so good!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Lincoln apologized. "It never occurred to me that you might, you know... but anyway, I need to use the restroom. Eat all you need, and I'll be back shortly. I hate to leave you at the mercy of my sisters, but when nature calls..."


Megumi only nodded as she grabbed a few more Tupperware containers and plopped into a nearby seat. Lucy jumped back and sat on the stairs, pretending to read her morbid romance novel once more. As soon as Lincoln passed, the goth stood, rounded the corner into the kitchen, and then took a seat beside Megumi.

"Hi," Lucy said flatly, looking around to ensure nobody else was listening. "I know what you are. I've felt your presence for a few days now. What are you doing to Lincoln?"

"I'm n-not..." stammered Megumi, dropping a piece of meatloaf into her lap by accident. "W-what do you mean?"

"You're not very good at this," Lucy stated, narrowing her eyes, despite nobody seeing them. "You're acting almost... human."

Megumi sighed and replaced the lids on the containers, then sat motionless in her seat. Maybe Lincoln would know what to do when he returned. Megumi didn't want to mess up this introduction for him, as he seemed to think it was necessary. Unfortunately, Megumi had no clue how long Lincoln would be detained and had to say something.

"I wondered about you, you know," Megumi said timidly, still not looking up. "You seem unexpectedly connected to the darkness. I am not surprised that you sensed me, but I must beg of you, please do not inform the others. I must remain ambiguous."

"Does Lincoln know?" queried Lucy.

"Of course he does," Megumi answered. "He's a willing host. If not for him, I'd have to return to the darkness."

"And you don't want to?" Lucy surmised, cocking one brow in disbelief. "Why not?"

For the first time, Megumi peered up at Lucy, able to see her eyes despite the massive bangs blocking the way. Of course, it wasn't her eyes Megumi saw Lucy with, but her essence.

"Unlike my kind, I have a soul," Megumi whispered. "I don't belong there, but here. If only people would accept me," she continued. Then with a hint of sadness, she added, "If only Lincoln would accept me."

"I see," nodded Lucy, recalling passages from Aunt Harriet's tomes. "A love given freely will break the chains. Is that it?"

"Yes," Megumi nodded, blushing slightly.

"So, are you using him, or are you in love with him?" Lucy asked like an overzealous interrogator, concerned for the safety of the motherland.

"I..." began Megumi, wondering if trusting the girl was wise. Yet, sensing something kindred about her, she relented. "Yes. I am in love with him. I have visited him before, but he is not aware of this. It is why I chose him. But you mustn't inform him. He must never feel obligated; otherwise, it won't be true love."

Sensing Lincoln's impending arrival, Megumi averted her gaze and went silent.

"Ah, it's good to see you're getting along," Lincoln observed as he waltzed back into the kitchen, grabbing a soda. "Though I have to say, I'm surprised you were the first to talk to her, Lucy. You rarely talk to anyone."

"Well, I was just leaving," said Lucy coming to a stand and preparing to leave. "For what it's worth, though, she has my approval, Lincoln."

Then, Lucy was gone, leaving the two alone in the kitchen. Lincoln looked at Megumi in wonder, and Megumi just gave him a small fey smile.

"Uh-huh," Lincoln sighed, his gut telling him what he needed to know. "So, another one knows? Maybe we should get ready to go to Clyde's before everyone finds out."

Nodding, Megumi followed Lincoln to his room, where she helped Lincoln empty his bookbag and refill it with comics, games, pajamas, and a fresh pair of clothes for tomorrow.

"Lincoln?" Megumi mumbled. "Do not be too hard on your sister, Lucy. Do not hold her accountable for her intuition, for she has a dark thread within her."

"What do you mean?" asked Lincoln as he tugged on the strap, trying to fasten the buckle.

"She sensed my presence before today," Megumi told him. "I only confirmed her suspicions to avoid a public inquiry. She understands our situation better than most of your kind. We could use her, you know."

"For what?" exclaimed Lincoln, throwing his bag across the bed out of frustration. "First, we needed Lynn. Then, you say we might need Lana. Now, it's Lucy. Megumi, I can't in good conscience involve them. It would put them in too much danger. They don't have somebody like you aiding them. If they fall, they're gone. They don't come back. You understand that, right?"

"Yes," replied Megumi, staring at her feet. "I do. But don't they deserve the truth and the chance to decide for themselves? The idea that one knows what's best for all is one of the reasons I left the darkness. Please, do not fall to those depths. It would sadden me greatly."

Sighing, Lincoln sat upon the edge of his bed and held his head up with his palm.

"I know," Lincoln confessed. "I'm sorry. Look, if you believe they can be of help, we'll pull them aside, at some point, and let them in on what's going on. But you have to promise me we leave them out if things get too dangerous."

"I promise," Megumi whispered, peering at Lincoln from under her bangs. Then, more hesitantly, "Lincoln?"

"Yes?" Lincoln said with a heavy breath.

"I..." Megumi started to say, trembling slightly. Wrapping her arms about her for comfort, she finally continued. "I'm frightened."

Lincoln came to a stand and considered the girl before him. As powerful as she was, she indeed appeared to be scared. Megumi stood still, her feet pressed together, and her arms were clasped tightly around her as if protecting herself. Lincoln furrowed his brows and embraced her, pulling her close.

"Frightened?" queried Lincoln. "Of what? My family?"

Megumi shook her head before steeping forward and placing it on Lincoln's shoulder.

"I'm afraid of what will become of me," Megumi confessed. "If I am not loved, I cannot remain here, and I do not know what will happen then. Lincoln, I'm afraid of no longer existing."

"Megumi," Lincoln spoke softly, patting her back, as cold as it was. "That's the most human thing you've ever said, and that's every day of a human's life. We're always considering death, and it scares us too. You aren't alone in that. Believe me. But, it's how we choose to deal with it that matters. Some of us give up; others fight. Look," he said, pulling her away slightly. "I can't promise how things will turn out. But one thing I can promise you is that I won't quit on you. Alright?"

"Alright," sniffled Megumi.

The succubus gently wiped her face with her fingertip and drew it back, studying a small amount of liquid that rested there.

"What is this?" she gasped lightly. "Am I leaking?"

"No," Lincoln chuckled. "You're becoming more human. Those are tears. They help us deal with extreme emotions, like happiness, sadness, or love."

"Lincoln," Megumi whispered, peering up at him, blushing again. "I..."

"Yes?" prodded Lincoln, staring at her one visible eye.

"N-nothing," replied Megumi quickly. "We should go now."

"Oh, right," Lincoln laughed, grabbing his half-latched bag and tossing it over his shoulder. "Shall we? Just walk out with me, and you can do your thing once we round the corner."


Lucy quickly picked her head up from where it rested upon Lincoln's door and hurried into her room, smiling broadly. Her brother had a girlfriend, even if he was oblivious to the fact. The knowledge that Megumi was also a demon excited Lucy to no end. The thought of Lincoln becoming involved in some cross-dimensional affair with a dark spirit sent chills of happiness throughout her morbid soul.

Lucy also knew that Megumi's future rested with Lincoln, and the goth made up her mind to do whatever it took to make it a good one, for both Megumi's and Lincoln's sake. How romantic would that be? An average, inconsequential human giving his heart to a powerful, otherworldly demon for the sake of love and their continued existence? Lucy was almost beside herself with glee at the thought.

Megumi nodded and followed Lincoln out of his room and down the stairs, where they paused to say farewell, then headed out of the house and along the path to Clyde's house. Once they rounded the corner at the nearest intersection, Lincoln stepped behind a large tree long enough for Megumi to enter him again, then resumed his trek toward his friend's house.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the McBride residence, where Clyde was waiting for Lincoln on his front porch. After a few quick greetings, the pair headed into the house, and Lincoln said hello to Clyde's fathers. Naturally, they had to sit and listen to a new list of rules they'd come up with, despite their promise to let go. They nodded at all the correct times and eventually got through it all. However, neither of them recalled a single rule once they'd left for Clyde's room.

"So, what do you want to play first, buddy?" Clyde asked, eager to get the night started.

"Gee, I don't know," Lincoln replied. "Got anything new?"

"Well, I do have a couple of things I got at Game Center the other day," Clyde announced. "I had to trade away some older things, though. But I haven't had a chance to test any of them yet. You wanna try them out?"

"Sure, what are they?" Lincoln asked, peering into the box where Clyde kept his assortment of games.

"Let's see," Clyde said, beginning to rifle through the cartridges. "I've got one called Demon Hunter 2 and one called Extreme Exorcism. Take your pick."

"Um, well..." Lincoln said, scratching his head. "I don't want this to sound funny, but I'd rather not play either."

"What?!" gasped Clyde. "Why not? Games like this are our jam, dude."

Lincoln sighed. How would he explain his sudden reluctance to play a game where one hunts down and slaughters demons? The change was rather stark, and the boy knew it, but Lincoln couldn't tell his friend that his loss of interest was due to making friends with a demon. Could he?

"It's just..." Lincoln fumbled.

"It's alright, Lincoln," Megumi whispered to Lincoln. "Most of us don't have souls. I appreciate the sentiment, but this may be good practice. That is, if you can translate your character's actions into your own. And, perhaps we should wait to inform him of my existence."

"Well, okay," Lincoln agreed, taking a seat near the foot of the bed.

Clyde inserted the game and turned on the set and console. Soon, the screen came to life with the menu on it. After selecting the two-player mode, Clyde handed Lincoln his second controller and hit play.

Megumi watched as the two friends made their way through a small town and headed for the church, which required cleansing. After cleaning up the cannon-fodder outside the chapel, they entered the main chamber, then began working their way through the rooms and corridors. Eventually, they ended up in front of a stairwell leading down into the basement.

Once below the main hall, they saw a red portal, occasionally releasing a random demon into the world. With guns and chainsaws at the ready, the two characters leaped into the portal and emerged into a dark red world, barren of all life except demon-kind. Together, they rampaged across the land, heading for a tall spire, which would no doubt contain another portal to a more challenging level.

"Quite an interesting pastime," Megumi whispered. "Do all your kind play these games?"

"No. Well, some do," Lincoln thought. "But not everyone. It's the thrill of being scared but overcoming it and winning in the end."

"I see," Megumi whispered. "The depictions of my kind are not entirely unrealistic, though our realm isn't anything like this. Ours is a void, no form or matter whatsoever. There is no light or hope. Only servitude."

"That's so sad..." Lincoln thought. "No wonder you left. I would have left too."

"You would have what too?" asked Clyde.

"Huh? Oh," Lincoln mumbled as his character got caught in a vat of boiling blood and died. "Did I say something?"

"Yeah, and you've been doing it off and on for a few days now," Clyde told him after hitting pause. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," assured Lincoln. "Honest. I just haven't been myself recently."

"I can tell," Clyde responded. "Look, if you'd rather do something different, just let me know. We don't always have to play games."

"Something else?" asked Lincoln. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know," Clyde said. "Wait! I have an idea! What if we ask my dads if we can camp out in the backyard? We could cook dinner for ourselves, tell ghost stories, and talk about girls. Well, you can talk about girls. I'll only ramble on about Lori."

"Sounds like a plan, buddy," Lincoln agreed happily. "Maybe sleeping out in the fresh air would do me some good. But, uh, can we not talk about girls?"

Clyde chuckled, and together, they left the room to pitch the idea to Clyde's fathers. It took a bit of convincing and a few false promises, but they got their wish. After all, they'd fenced in the backyard, and there were plenty of water hoses around to douse errant fires, so there was little to worry over.

Excitedly, the children got their supplies and headed to the backyard to set up camp. Clyde made sure to bring an ample supply of bug repellent, blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags. They did have to make one trip into the house a while later, however, to use the restroom and get some hotdogs, buns, a can of chili, a pot, and a can opener.

It was dark near when they'd stoked a fire into existence and found some sticks to hold their hotdogs over the flames. Megumi offered to start the fire when the boys had trouble with it, but Lincoln said it would look suspicious, so she relented.

After dinner, they put out the fire and climbed into the tent. Lincoln and Clyde had no games, no televisions, and no phones. The only things the boys had were each other and one demon, of which one boy was unaware. Had Clyde known, the night would not have seemed as peaceful.

Clyde's ignorance was a blessing in disguise, however. The boy was laden with frights and phobias as it was. If ever faced with something tangible, he might die on the spot, whether by heart attack or the humiliation of crapping his pants. Either eventuality would be just as horrible. Luckily, they skipped their talk on girls. Otherwise, Lincoln might have gotten uncomfortable skirting around the issue of his building feelings for Megumi.

Once settled, Lincoln turned on his flashlight and began telling the first ghost story of the night, followed by Clyde's. Neither of the tales was terrifying, and Lincoln kept it that way for his friend's sake. While Lincoln could handle more than Clyde, he also had weaknesses for the unknown and didn't want things to deteriorate to avoid peeing himself or having a nightmare.

The funny thing was, though, Lincoln couldn't recall having had a nightmare since Megumi moved in. He wasn't sure if the succubus was protecting him or if he merely felt comfortable enough with her by his side not to have any. Lincoln was thankful either way and wondered if recent experiences had toughened him up somehow.

Soon, the stories waned, and the boy's lids became heavy. The moon was in full view, the night sky was clear and freckled with stars, and the air was crisp as it lightly blew through the tent. Every once in a while, a croaker sounded above the drone of the crickets. It was a peaceful night until Lincoln felt something that made the hair on his neck stand up.


"Megumi!" he whispered inside his head. "Do you feel that?"

"I do," she responded. "There are two demons some distance down the road. They do not appear to be coming our way, however. They seem occupied."

"Occupied?" Lincoln gasped. "Meaning we aren't the targets?"

"Precisely," Megumi answered.

Lincoln fretted. Even though he and Megumi might not be the targets, that meant somebody else was, and Lincoln didn't like the idea of sitting around while he could do something.

"Megumi..." Lincoln put forth. "We should go see what's going on. If somebody is getting attacked, we can help. It could save a life."

"Yes, but we'd potentially be exposing ourselves," Megumi reminded him. "We need to be careful."

"Of course," replied Lincoln. "But we also can't live in fear. If it's two against one, we could make all the difference. Besides, you're always saying I need more practice."

"Very well," Megumi sighed. "How shall we proceed?"

Lincoln glanced over at Clyde, who appeared to be in a deep slumber, probably fantasizing about Lori, making Lincoln grimace. Then, he slowly unzipped his bag and stepped out of the tent into the night sky, still in his pajamas. Grabbing his bag from beside the small tent, Lincoln stepped into the woods and changed, slipping his nightclothes into the now empty bag. Silently, he slipped along the fence surrounding Clyde's backyard, heading for the street, jumping the locked gate, and disappearing around the corner.

Clyde cracked one eye upon hearing the chain links of the fence rattle. Sitting up, he realized Lincoln was no longer beside him and darted for the tent opening. The boy blinked his eyes twice in astonishment as Lincoln slinked, fully clothed, around the corner.


"Oh, hell no," exclaimed Clyde. "I know you've been acting weird, Lincoln, but you aren't going to make things difficult between my dads and me."

Struggling to change his clothes in the dark, Clyde finally felt prepared. Grabbing his flashlight, the boy left the tent and followed Lincoln's path as closely as he dared. Where the hell was Lincoln going? Clyde had already followed him past his house, so Lincoln wasn't merely going home. Was he getting ditched for somebody else? Finally, Clyde saw Lincoln come to a stop near Flip's Food and Fuel, which, oddly, was still open. What the heck? Couldn't Lincoln wait until tomorrow for a stupid Flippee?

Clyde squinted his eyes and strained to hear what was going on. Lincoln was standing there as if he were about to charge into battle but doing nothing. Wait, was he talking to himself? Since when did his friend sleepwalk? Clyde shook his head as things quickly became too weird to comprehend when he saw something he'd never forget.


"So, what is it?" Lincoln spoke.

"It appears to be two scavengers," Megumi announced, "fearsome canine-like beasts the Master uses to hunt. Be careful, Lincoln. They are swift and ruthless."

"Alright, then," Lincoln said, readying himself. "Here we go."

Lincoln reached his arm behind his back, grabbing the air where the sword's hilt should be. As he made contact with the leather strapping, the glowing outline of his sword shone momentarily as the blade entered reality, then Lincoln pulled it into position and leaned forward to charge.

However, before Lincoln could move, loud roaring came from the store, followed by a large crash as Flip flew through the window, sending shards of glass everywhere. The crusty old shop owner flew across the street and hit the retaining wall, which crumbled around him.

"Oh, hell naw," declared Flip as he, taking Lincoln by surprise, stood and reached behind his back, pulling a sword similar to Lincoln's from behind him. "Nobody comes in my store and wrecks my stuff without payin'!"

As Lincoln stared in awe at the man he thought he knew, intense snarling returned his attention to the store. Two hulking shadow dogs jumped from the hole left by Flip and began advancing on Lincoln's position.