RING RING RING
"Emi…I'm at work, what is it?"
"Alas Ramus, she…stayed up all night and kept mumbling words to me. When I first checked her temperature it was 37.5 degrees. and now it's risen to 38. I gave her some Ibuprofen earlier in the morning but she's not getting better. Maou I-I-
Maou's hands were firmly pressed on top of the cash drawer. It was left wide open as he was searching for some 500 Yen coins.
"Umm…Sir?" interrupted a voice from across.
Maou clicked his tongue, but kept his full attention on the flip phone he just bought. He could hear the sentient air of Emi's breaths.
"I'll be there as soon as I can," he replied firmly, clasping his phone together before swiftly apologizing to the high-school boy in front of him.
"Ah…Kisaki-San, I'm sorry but an urgent matter came up. Can I have Kawada-San covering my shift please?" he asks with a professional tone.
Seeing a hidden tone beneath his eyes, Kisaki can't help but feel sympathy for him. Her usual self would've interrogated him first before even considering to agree. But not today. Today, his usually playful voice and cheeky eyes were all but gone. She could see it clearly, he's worried.
Emi was cradling Alas Ramus in the nook of her arm when a sudden knock appeared on the door. She gently slid Alas Ramus back to her bed, but just as she was about to get up, a weak voice came out of the sephirah's mouth.
"Mama…it-it's cold again,"
"Emi, it's me," yelled Maou from the other side of the door.
Maybe it was panic, or the tiredness from having to care for her nonstop throughout the night, but it's as if Emi's brain wasn't working up to par this time. She brought Alas Ramus back to her arms, but the knock on the door kept getting louder and louder until it rang in her ears. Enduring the pain, she twisted the door handle with all of her might, almost falling over to Maou, as the green-haired man almost fell himself trying to hold down the both of them.
"I don't visit for a week and look what happens to you guys," he said cheekily.
Maou felt a harsh kick to his shinbone. He almost cursed but decided not to. Still smelling of freshly-fried potatoes, the devil king slid her arm to his shoulder, supporting her weight before letting her land safely on the comfort of the couch.
"I bought some more Ibuprofen and Paracetamol, oh and the nurse told me to get this jar of ointment too," he said, slinging the plastic bag to the tip of a chair.
"You went to the pharmacy? A bit out of character for a guy like you isn't it," she remarked with a strained smile.
"Well, I could say the same for you too. Ain't it a bit out of character for a hero to be calling the devil king for help?"
"Nah, that call was for Alas Ramus's Papa, not some goofy-ass devil king."
"I guess you're right…"
Letting out a deep breath, Maou leaped from his chair and started ruffling the kitchen counter.
"The hell are you doing?" she exclaimed annoyedly.
"That cloth on her head, it's already cold right?"
"Yeah…"
There seemed to be a never-ending summer here in Japan. Days are spent cursing over the broken A/C or fanning oneself with a piece of paper. But today, in this particular afternoon, the sweet scent of a warm breeze could be felt encapsulating the room. The lights were off, the only thing heard was Maou's little grunts and some silverware clashing against each other. It was oddly peaceful, and Emi's eyes felt like having some rest. Yes, just a short and quick rest for her awfully heavy eyelids…
Emi felt her face submerged in a pool of water. She could feel every single inch of her skin being grazed by a flowing motion. She tried opening her eyes, but a strong vacuum-like force kept constraining her movement. She felt a slow gush of oxygen being pumped in and out of her lungs, how the pockets of her body were being filled by water bubbles. A strange feeling inside her chest irks her to act, to scream, to do something…
And then it was black, and she could feel her head resting on a comfy cushion-like material. Again, slowly, the blurry butterflies that were blocking her sight spread their wings and flew away. She felt the back of her head sinking deeper to the material, her eyes still sore. On the back of her eyes, lies a flickering white line. It swivels around in the darkness before exploding, powering over the thick shadow. She opens her eyes one more time. The white line had shifted form to a silhouette. She could barely make out its contents. Violet eyes, long eyelashes, a calming smile, and silky streaks of silver, dangling from her face. It was now fully constructed. When their eyes met, she could feel that same feeling inside her chest, a glint of sorrow, and-
regret.
"How I wish for this moment to last. For those angels and humans and demons to stop butting in on each other's business. For time to stand still like the moment when God was not yet here. Oh darling, how I wish," the woman said in a faltering tone. "I hate to leave you, but I must. For reasons which you are too young to mind. So sleep well my darling, though tomorrow I might not be here, remember that we will meet again. Sleep well, Emilia, my sweet, sweet child."
Tiny drops of water fell to Emilia's face. Her undulating irises watch as the bright light radiating from her face dims.
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home…
There they go again, those butterflies. She could hear faintly the sound of an electric fan mowing the air within the room. Sporadic sounds of fingers snapping together right above her face. A deep squeal, the voice of a man, complaining.
"Yo! Emi, wake up. She's calling for you."
She felt a small tug on her belly. A breath of fresh air finally entered her deprived lungs. It took a couple of seconds for Emi to realize a hump nestling on top of her belly. It was Alas Ramus, her slow breathing could be heard throughout the room. Her face rested beneath her chest, her arms clutching the tip of her shirt, her hair, those very same, silver strands of hair, they gathered together, surrounding her breasts. She could feel Alas's heartbeats alongside hers.
"E-Eh? Alas Ramus? Why aren't you in bed?" she asks worryingly.
The sephirah rustles her head around a bit, placing her chin right at the surface of Emi's skin, she looks her mother right in the eye. It was squinted at first, but upon seeing Emi's face, they widen.
"Cus mo-mommy is warm…hehe…" she murmured.
Maybe it's the dancing air inside the room, or the blue light of the night sky, illuminating their very existence. Or maybe, it was the bundle of sweetness that resided on top of her, that gave her a burst of gleeful energy.
She smiled, arching her back a little bit. Alas Ramus slid down to her lap, laying with her chest as a cat would. Emi brought her back to her arms and near her chest. She neared her ear to Alas Ramus's mouth to catch her snoozes. The hero giggled a little, sometimes I forget that she's just like any other baby.
"How is it, Alas Ramus? Is Mama warm enough?"
Alas nods her head, "mama….warm…"
Holding her steadily, Emi rocks the sleeping Alas Ramus back and forth. It's a motion that she had been practicing for a while now. It looked easy at first, but to get the exact rhythm that is soothing enough to put a baby to sleep, it's no easy task.
She stole a glance at Maou. He was sitting with his back against the wall. His eyes were half-closed and she could see the bags below them. His eyes were like glass shards, trembling as they reflected the moonlight. Slowly, she looked as his lips curled into a smile. His smile wasn't wide like the usual mocking ones. It was short and sweet.
"Fwueh…Mama, sing me a song…" a voice near her whispered.
"O-Oh, okay. Mama will sing you a song, but Mama only knows one, is it okay?"
"Yayy! Mama sing!"
Emilia paused for a bit. Gathering her courage, she gulped nervously. She took a deep breath as if preparing to use up all of her energy.
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
It was like a rain of pointy sticks, arrowing towards him from the sky. The melodies traveled by the wind, dancing and shaking as he sat five feet across her. Yet still, the soothing tone of her voice, it's as if, she was an angel.
I looked over Jordan and what did I see
Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home
If I get there before you do
I'll cut open a hole and pull you through
If you get here before I do
Tell all my friends I'm coming too
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Yes, he gets it now. He once heard this tune, sang by an angel as his body was covered in scars and bruises. Her voice was calming and he felt like nothing mattered anymore, as the world stopped spinning and time refused to run. Yes, it was nice. His head was resting on her lap as her sugary mouth sings him this same exact tune. But it was a long, long time ago…
A/N : I am so so sorry about the formatting in this chapter. There were supposed to be line breaks and spaces between the lyrics but no matter what I do, ffn just wouldn't save the changes that I made, even when I edited the original word document and reuploaded it. I'll try to fix it in the next coming days. 🙏🙏