I'm crying, I FINALLY finished this G*DDAMN CHAPTER, I can't BELIEVE it!

Only two more to go *breaks down sobbing*

Hey did you guys hear Ground Zero is coming out next year (hopefully). I wait and I wait and I wait and it never happens, then I start writing this and new info comes out. Bastards.

Anyway. Enjoy!


Chapter 3: Kings


Weeks passed, Ichigen and Seika kept in contact, Yukari continued to get more and more rebellious, chafing against Ichigen's pacifistic wait-and-see personality and Ichigen often found himself confiding in the other King.

"Well if it's sitting around he hates you're welcome to come back down for a visit." Ootori laughed, "there's always so much to do, Yukari will be begging for a peaceful life after a week, I promise."

Ichigen chuckled too, "if that's case, we might just do that."

"I'm not actually home at the moment though," Seika admitted, "I'm actually at Cathedral's base in Hiroshima." Her main base, her 'territory' was the church Ichigen had already visited but having such a large clan, she had a few bases in other parts of Japan. "And I'm going to be here for a while. You're still perfectly welcome to visit me here though."

"I'll call you back," said Ichigen abruptly and he hung up.

Ootori blinked and looked at her phone. That wasn't like him, that wasn't like him at all. She hoped everything was okay.

A knock on the church door and then it eased open, "Seika?" Miwa called, pushing the door open fully. She jumped, almost swallowing her own tongue in surprise.

"Ichigen!" She ran up to him but, controlling herself at the last second, stopped short of actually touching him, "what are you doing here?!"

He smiled, not the calm, knowing smile she was already used to seeing from him, a proper smile that made her heart hammer, "I came down for the wedding of a business associate. I meant to head home last night but I had a feeling I should stay."

Seika knew him well enough to know that his 'feelings' would have been that sense of knowing brought on by his visions and smiled, "well I'm glad you did."

"Me as well."


They spent the night doing something neither of them had done in a very long time. Acting like two young adults without a care in the world. Ichigen was chronically ill and had a still-hurt young child and a rebellious teenager to take care of, and Seika had to get back to what was becoming known as Ground Zero, the base of both the Red and Blue Kings. While Harabi's temperament and peace of mind had appeared to be getting better, Kagutsu was getting worse by the minute. Before he'd been violent, now he was vicious, he'd always been ruthless, now he was merciless… monstrous…

Seika hadn't given up on him, she would never give up on taking a bloodless way out but…

So yeah, it was nice to forget all that for one night, they drank, probably more than they should have. Or at least more than he should have, Ichigen thought ruefully, Ootori seemed okay.

They talked, about everything and nothing. He told her how he'd become a King, she told him about why she had started Cathedral. He told her about his illness and years studying swordplay, she told him about the trashy English romance series she was addicted to. He told her about meeting Yukari and Kuroh, she told him she still missed her family, the last of whom had died in the incident that had nearly killed her too, but instead turned her into the Grey King.

It was like that with a lot of Kings, Ichigen had noticed. He couldn't say all of them for sure but most of them seemed to sync with the Dreseden Slate when their lives were in jeopardy.

Ichigen was badly ill so often his life was almost always in jeopardy and the rules were always different for the Colourless Kings so he couldn't say that was what had happened to him. But he couldn't say it wasn't.

They talked about Kagutsu and Harabi. They talked about the previous Kings and Clans they knew or had heard of. They talked about the potential of a Damocles Down, not just Kagutsu's. But for the most part their conversation was light and sweet. He quoted poetry that took her breath away, both his own and other people's, she made him laugh harder than he'd ever laughed before. That was impressive because, while she was easy-going enough, Seika had never considered herself the epitome of humour. She was delighted Ichigen seemed to disagree.

He told her about the situations his visions had gotten him into. She told him about the places she'd been with Cathedral, trying to help, their wants and means differed but they both were always trying to help.

The only thing Ichigen didn't talk to her about was the grey fog that seemed to be taking over more and more of his visions these days.

Then they walked around town, looking at the nightlife, the lights, the people. Ichigen walked on the sidewalk like a normal human being and Ootori jumped up to walk along the two-foot high fence separating the sidewalk from the buildings on the other side, balancing with ease, for a while. Then she slipped. A King. In charge of the second biggest clan in history. With enough power to rival the Kings two or three spots ahead of her. A virtual demi-goddess.

She slipped.

Ichigen, who'd been deliberately walking a little behind her for exactly that reason, caught her neatly as she tumbled backwards, no surprise or alarm whatsoever on his face. Still in his arms, Seika twisted to look at him "did you have a nightmare vision of me falling on my ass or are you just that good?"

Ichigen chuckled and set her down, he didn't rush doing so though, "as to that, I'll keep my own council."

Seika pouted. She steadied herself with a hand on Ichigen's arm as he set her on her feet, she didn't hurry to remove her hand either. "Well thanks for catching me anyway."

A slow smile, "my pleasure."

Oh how she hoped it was.


The next time Seika opened her door to Ichigen Miwa he was holding an unfamiliar child asleep in his arms as she greeted him.

Yukari, behind him, smiled brightly and Ootori smiled back before turning back to Ichigen and the young boy. "So, this is Kuroh?" A young orphan Ichigen had just adopted.

He nodded and she ushered them all inside. While Miwa set Kuroh up in one of the bedrooms used by Seika's clansmen when they stayed here, Seika helped Yukari put their things away and then found herself sitting on the couch with the teen.

Aside from the smile he'd given her, Yukari seemed more withdrawn than the last time she'd spoken to him. There was no hint of the attitude Ichigen had warned her about but this brooding young man was definitely not the mischievous boy she'd first met.

Slowly, Seika reached up and poked Yukari in the cheek. His frown eased and he smiled ever so slightly. "Stop that," he muttered, but he didn't sound like he meant it.

Seika just raised an eyebrow at him, "you wanna talk about it?" She was on pretty good terms with Yukari after the week he'd spent with her clan and the amount of time she and Ichigen spent on the phone so she was okay with pushing slightly but she didn't want to force Yukari to talk to her.

"No. What I want is for Master Ichigen to stop snitching me out to other Kings," said Yukari with an eloquent sigh. "There's nothing to talk about."

Well clearly there was or Ichigen wouldn't be 'snitching' now would he? But Ootori didn't push any further.

"Alright fine." Getting up she ran a hand over Yukari's artfully mussed hair, making him grimace, before going to make tea.

Yukari sighed almost silently, it wasn't like he enjoyed his 'teen rebellion' as Master Ichigen had jokingly called it. He prided himself on being a very good clansman and, while he was hardly mindlessly obedient, being volatile and disobedient wasn't like him at all. But he couldn't help it. Yukari felt like his insides were being rubbed raw and it did not make for an even temperament.

He yearned for something and how was he supposed to discuss what was wrong with Lady Seika or Master Ichigen when he didn't even know what it was he yearned for?

Yukari ran his own hands through his hair with a louder sigh and then stood to help Seika with the tea. Damn he wished he wasn't here, but it was better than sitting on a mountain doing nothing, he supposed. It could always be worse, Yukari thought. Unfortunately, he was correct. It absolutely could be a lot worse. That was a distinct possibility.


While they did do some work; Cathedral was all about saving people after all, a lot of the time they just hung out.

Seika got to know Kuroh, a quiet, shy boy who watched the world through huge grey eyes and followed Ichigen everywhere he went. He was such a sweet kid, Seika just adored him. He seemed to like her too and he worshiped Ichigen. He didn't seem to know what to make of Yukari and that made two of them. Yukari seemed to have that effect on lots of people.

Seika finished telling Kuroh his bedtime story (the boy had insisted and he was too old to be read a bedtime story so she'd ended up telling him a story about her clansmen rescuing a puppy during a flood which he had listened to with rapt attention) and stood. She brushed a hand over his silky hair, leaving the room silently.

"Thank you for that," said Ichigen who'd just come back. A vision had sent him tearing out the door half an hour ago and he'd come back with sticks in his usually neat hair. According to Yukari this was something he did reasonably often.

Seika smiled, not too long ago she'd been thinking how no King would want his or her vulnerable family members around another King but Ichigen had left both Kuroh and Yukari here with her. She was glad he trusted her as a person as well as a King.

Although it was a tad disconcerting sometimes. Seika didn't exactly spend a lot of time with small children and she was terrified of accidentally hurting Kuroh and it was making her nervous. Be careful what you wish for and all that.

After Kuroh was in bed she hung out with Ichigen, talking, laughing, sparring, anything that came to mind. In the mornings she and Yukari made breakfast together.

Her life continued on in this pattern for the next few weeks and if it had continued on forever Seika never would have complained. But, eventually, the rest of the world intruded as it always did.

A Strain attacked Yukari. Ootori couldn't say for sure that Yukari was at fault for that, but she couldn't 100% say he wasn't. Either way, he was in no real danger, Yukari was strong enough on his own and Ootori and Miwa were nearby with Kuroh so it wasn't a big deal but…

"That's enough," Seika called. Yukari, giggling slightly, was just playing with the poor Strain, the way a cat would with a mouse. He hadn't even drawn a weapon, just swaying out of range of the man's glowing fists.

Seika made her voice more stern, "Yukari," she activated the fog that was her main defense. It swirled around them, blocking Yukari and the Strain from seeing each other and dampening the Strain's powers. Beside her, Ichigen went rigid all of a sudden.

Seika heard Yukari sigh, "fine. Have it your way."

She cleared the fog enough for Yukari and the man to see each other. In a move so fast even she barely saw it, Yukari ducked behind the man and slammed his elbow into the back of the man's neck. He dropped like a rock, Yukari caught him one-handed and tossed him on a nearby bench, ignoring Seika's disapproving expression.

"Yukari take Kuroh and go back," Ichigen said, his voice almost sharp.

Both Ootori and Yukari glanced at him, concerned. Miwa met Yukari's eyes, Seika didn't know what passed between them but Yukari raised no objections as he took Kuroh, who had fallen asleep and slept through all of that, and left, the fog swallowing him whole.

"What did you do?" Asked Ichigen, his voice was quiet now but he was looking at her so strangely… "what is this?"

"What, the fog?" Asked Seika uncomprehendingly. What was up with him? "It's a power held by the Grey King." Seika was, if she did say so herself, better at using it than her predecessors but all the Grey Kings could do it and it was an ability unique to them. One of the few none of the other Kings could do. "It's called the Ultimate Defense," the first Grey King had named it and Seika thought it was aptly named. Nothing got through, nothing.

Miwa was still giving her that odd look, "what?" Asked Seika sweating slightly under the force of his gaze. Ichigen was generally a pretty chill guy but when he focused on something he focused.

"Ever since His Excellency first asked me to meditate for Kagutsu and Harabi my visions have been almost useless." Ichigen told her softly. "And it's been getting worse as time passes. Before I could still see something, now every time a vision comes to me I can't tell what is going to happen because all I see is grey fog."

Well Hell.

A chill shot through Seika, she didn't know it, but she and Ichigen were wondering the same thing. Was his inability to see the future because of her due to her ability hiding her -and everyone around her- or was it because there was no set future to see, was something Seika had done, or going to do, be what decided the future one way or the other? No. It had to be the former, her fog was just hiding her, it was what the fog did. Seika was a King, she was used to the outcome of events depending on her, she welcomed it even. But the outcome of Kagutsu's and Harabi's now years-long clash being decided by her actions was a bit much even for her.

Shaking off the thought, the outcome of this would be good. She would make sure of that. She looked at Ichigen for assurance.

He smiled and the sharp look on his face melted away like an icicle under the sun, "well I already knew you were extraordinary."

It wasn't Kingly but Seika felt her cheeks turn scarlet, she pressed her palms to them, and grimaced. The cutest guy ever was looking at her like that and calling her extraordinary, she couldn't handle it. Lord spare her, she might be a King but she was only human!

"Am I laying it on too thick?" Ichigen asked innocently, but with a shine in his eyes that betrayed him, he knew exactly what he did to her.

"I wouldn't say too thick," Seika demurred with a smile, "you're welcome to call me extraordinary as often as you like."

Ichigen's laughter shone in his eyes, "why thank you, I'll remember that."

Please do.

Seika took a deep breath and nodded. It was fine, they didn't need to see the future, she already knew what was going to happen. They were going to stop Kagutsu and they -and their Swords- were going to be fine. They were going to win.

She'd make sure of it.


They were going to visit Seika again, Yukari thought, not that he could tease Master Ichigen about his rather obnoxious crush, as this time Yukari had been the one to request the visit. Both he and Master Ichigen reacted to stress the same way, every time something got too hard they ran to the Grey King. Yukari didn't know if Ichigen had noticed this but Yukari had.

They were walking when a sparkly ball rolled to a stop in front of them. Yukari bent to pick it up as a girl of ten or eleven ran up to them. She gazed at them with a single light blue eye, the other one hidden by scruffy green hair.

"Catch," Yukari threw the girl's ball back to her.

"Thank you," she said formally, bowing to them both before running off to her friends, no change in her expression.

Yukari and Ichigen watched her rejoin her friends and then got back to the matter they were discussing. "How long have you two been flirting? Can't we just say we're visiting because you like her and want to spend time with her, must we go through all this?" Yukari asked.

Well they could, but where would the fun in that be?

Instead of replying, Ichigen just shook his head and the two of them made their way to the church.

When they got there, Ai, Seika's clansman (clanswoman?) ran up to them, looking frazzled. There was no one else there. For the second biggest of the Seven Clans, that was highly odd.

"She's at Main Street Park," Ai said, talking so fast her words were almost one continuous stream, "Kagutsu and Harabi are fighting, they're really fighting."


"Every day I do nothing and get involved in stupid stuff anyway," Ootori muttered under her breath as she sent a Red Clansman flying, "Harabi! Kagutsu! Stop pretending you can't hear me! I said cut it out!" She shouted over at the two masses of flames, one red and one blue, that were her warring associates.

As if to tell her to go fuck herself, a red sword of Damocles manifested overhead, followed seconds later by a blue one.

Now they were just being immature.

That was the last joking thought Seika had as her breath was stolen right out of her lungs by pure horror. When had Genji's sword gotten that bad?!

In front of Seika's eyes pieces of Kagutsu's Sword of Damocles began to flake off and float away. Her breath rushed out of her with a strangled sound when the same thing happened to Harabi's sword, as though she was mirroring Kagutsu even in this.

"Kagutsu!" Seika yelled, ducking under a blow a member of Purgatory threw at her, stupid, she shoved him into three members of Scepter 4 and raced towards the other two Kings.

For possibly the first time in her life, Ootori wished she had a weapon. She wasn't sure how much good it would do her here and she never wanted to hurt anyone but at this point any advantage would be helpful.

Red and blue fire swirled around the two Kings, knocking back everyone except Seika.

Jumping over a member of her own Clan, Seika tried to gain the attention of the other two Kings again, to no avail. So be it.

She didn't bother trying to time her entrance between their attacks. Seika just jumped in between Harabi and Kagutsu and, dodging Jin's sabre, grabbed the Blue King's wrist in one hand and the Red King's fist in the other.

Grey fire, soft as fog, surrounded the three of them. Her Sword of Damocles manifested beside Jin and Genji's. Next to their chipped swords, hers was so pristine it seemed almost garish.

"Ootori don't interfere!" Kagutsu yelled, his eyes twin flames of red.

"He's right, your desire to stop anyone from getting hurt is kind but naïve." Harabi agreed, never taking her eyes off Kagutsu. "We're past that."

Like Hell. Ootori tightened her grip on both of them. "You're both Kings, maybe you should start acting like it."

"I am." Harabi and Kagutsu said together. They still hadn't broken eye-contact with each other.

Seika didn't normally take the Lord's name in vain but oh my FUCKING God! She wanted to shake them both, terror making her irrationally angry. Or maybe not so irrationally. Didn't these two understand what they were doing?!

That was it though, yes. Yes they did understand.

Kagutsu might be a lost cause so Seika focused on Jin. "If you fight him here who knows how big the damage radius will be." She paused significantly. "Your sister is still in the city, isn't she?"

That got through. Finally. Harabi broke eye contact with Kagutsu for a second, her eyes widening a fraction in fear before she composed herself. Harabi glanced back at Kagutsu and, try as she might, Ootori couldn't read the glance the two of them gave one another.

Then Kagutsu stepped back, the fire in his eyes dying. "Alright. I'll back off for now. There's no point if you're not into it too. But next time, make sure you fight me full-on Harabi."

"Count on it," the Blue King almost whispered. She didn't look surprised, which made one of them. You could have knocked Seika over with a feather, she was pretty sure her jaw was on the ground.

Genji pulled his wrist from her grasp. Warily, Seika let him go, just as Ichigen and Yukari found them through the fog. The Red King jerked his chin at them in acknowledgement, then he turned around and just left, as though he was out for a casual stroll, heedless of the injured clansmen he was leaving behind.

Looking over at Ichigen, Seika saw the same shock she felt echoed on his face which just made her even more surprised, you know things are bad when you manage to surprise the psychic.

The fog swallowed Kagutsu and everyone relaxed ever so slightly.

Seika turned to Jin, she was expecting censure but she wasn't expecting the calm coldness in the other woman's eyes as the Blue King said, "you'll regret stopping me today."

Seika had no idea how true those words would turn out to be.


Done! Hope you like it guys. I'm on AO3 now. I'm IWillGoDownWithThisShip1411 over there so watch out for me there.

Bye guys!