The Future Of Their Clans
Munakata and Mikoto experience something unusual; this allows them a look at the future of their clans.
Chapter 2 FINAL
"Well now, this is interesting," Reisi pushed his glasses up as he took in the sight that greeted him inside of the Captain's Office of Scepter 4.
"That's not what I would call it," Fushimi sighed as he leaned against the chair behind the desk. "Also you're in my chair again idiot, get out."
"My, my, so violent Fushimi." Reisi laughed but did rise from the chair to allow the Captain of Scepter 4 and the Blue King to sit behind his desk.
"So I'm not dead, I had wondered." Munakata mused, feeling entertained by the way future Fushimi and his future self interacted.
"The Dresden Slate has a funny way of selecting Kings. Allow me to introduce myself. Reisi Munakata, the Gold King." Reisi bowed and Munakata made a thoughtful noise as he pushed up his glasses, as he took in the altered Scepter 4 uniform that indeed did feature more Gold than it used to.
"So I'm to assume Awashima-San is apart of the Gold clan now?" Munakata hadn't seen his second in command anywhere in the building.
"Yes, she is keeping an eye on the Slate for me while I'm away and will message me if anything changes. Apparently, two of me is too much for her to handle." Reisi chuckled and Munakata echoed it.
"Stop acting like a moron and help me figure out how the hell we can send these two back." Fushimi rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he glared at the two Munakata's and the bored-looking Mikoto who was standing over Misaki.
Misaki was sprawled out on the couch Fushimi had added to the Captain's office, his chest wrapped in bandages, eyes not once looking away from Mikoto. Fushimi once would have raged at it, but he knew who held Misaki's love and attention and it was not Mikoto Suoh.
"So I'm dead huh?" Mikoto mused like this wasn't new information.
"Yes," Fushimi stated calmly, he had gotten over Mikoto's death a long time ago and he was not going to relive it now, more for Misaki and Munakata's sakes than his own. Mikoto just hummed as he redirected his gaze to Misaki.
Munakata just adjusted his glasses while keeping his gaze away from Mikoto while Reisi's shoulders slumped for a moment as he silently relived Mikoto's death.
"The Slate did act up a little while ago, it must be connected to having two Red and Blue Kings in the same time period." Reisi brought up the readings from the Slate for the two Blue Kings to inspect, turning his mind to matter at hand.
"Has it settled or will having two Red and Blue Kings here cause a problem?" Fushimi asked as his eyes flicked over to Misaki who was breathing heavier than he usually did even when injured. Fushimi felt hotter than normal, but this situation was stressful.
"How are you feeling Fushimi?" Reisi stepped into Fushimi's space, hand touching the Blue King's forehead.
"I'm fine," Fushimi snapped breathlessly.
"You're burning up, I suspect you and Yata are feeling the strain more so than my past self and Suoh." Reisi frowned.
Munakata stepped forward out of worry for Fushimi and spotted Mikoto's bored expression flash to one of real concern as he looked down at the flushed face of Misaki.
"Once we catch the strain and send them back, we'll be fine. Just focus on the mission." Fushimi snapped as he went to stand up but he was hit with a wave of dizziness and he staggered to the side. Blue clad arms caught him and he slowly blinked up at Munakata who was looking at him concerned.
"We need to get them both into medical, I'll redirect their clansmen there. They should help stabilize them. If that doesn't work then I'll ask the Silver King for aid. Perhaps two Kings will be able to balance them out until this is sorted." Reisi was pulling out his phone, a frown obvious on his face. Munakata tucked the casual mention of the absence first King away, right now he had a more important matter in his arms.
"Allow me to escort you to medical Blue King Saruhiko Fushimi," Munakata didn't feel as odd saying those words than he would have assumed.
"Tch, still a moron," Fushimi muttered and Reisi just smiled as Munakata swept Fushimi up into his arms. Mikoto easily followed suit with Misaki who didn't say a word of protest. Fushimi's head turned until he could see Misaki and then he settled in Munakata's arms properly.
"Do we know why only Fushimi and Yata are being affected?" Munakata asked Reisi as the odd group headed towards medical. Scepter 4 members were scurrying out of the way, but openly staring at the dead Red King, two Munakata's and their Captain being carried by one of them.
"There is still a lot unknown about the Slate, but you two were selected as King's first. The Slate may be trying to deal with the new power imbalance of having two of the same King's together. As Fushimi and Yata are fairly new King's, they are the ones being most affected." Reisi reasoned as they reached medical.
"Captain, over here!" Akiyama waved at the group and Munakata headed over without hesitation before setting the half-conscious form of Fushimi down on to the bed. Akiyama nodded respectfully at Munakata before his hands lit up with Blue flames and settled them on Fushimi's stomach. Fushimi's flushed skin paled back to normal, but nothing else changed.
"Damn," Akiyama muttered under his breath and Munakata wanted to echo the statement.
"What if Suoh and I channel our flames into Yata and Fushimi? Would that even out the imbalance?" Munakata asked his future self.
"It could or it could send them or you spiraling out of control. Reisi didn't look up from his phone, a familiar look of concentration on his face.
"Sir! Homra has arrived." A member of Scepter 4 announced as familiar faces of Homra poured into the room.
"MIKOTO!" Anna, now a teenager flew into her adoptive father's arms.
"Anna," Mikoto rumbled as he held her close. "I'm sorry I left you behind,"
"Stupid Mikoto," Anna sobbed while Kusanagi placed his hand on Mikoto's shoulder with a wavering smile on his lips as he stared down at his best friend.
"What happened to Yata and Fushimi?" Kusanagi asked as he caught sight of both Misaki and Fushimi laid up in the hospital beds.
"A power imbalance, two Red and Blue Kings together are never meant to happen," Anna spoke from her place sheltered in Mikoto's arms, her pale hand curling around Misaki's arm with a frown marring her face.
"How is the search for the strain going?" Kusanagi asked as he lit his flames and did his best to help Misaki the way Akiyama was doing for Fushimi.
"Scepter 4 and Homra are doing grid searches, nothing yet," Akiyama reported with a wince as his flames wavered for a moment as a pained noise came from Fushimi.
"We may have to bring them to the Slate, but I'm not positive that is the best course of action," Reisi admitted as he looked up at the sound of pain from Fushimi, eyebrows furrowing and frown deepening. Munakata knew his face was a mirror of Reisi's; he could never stand to see Fushimi in pain.
"Why not?" Munakata knew of the slate's power and it may be enough to fix whatever was happening to Fushimi and Misaki.
"With you both here and still King's, it may decide that Fushimi and Yata are no longer needed and losing their flames in this state may… Kill them." Reisi said gravely and a deadly silence befell the room, only the heavy breathes from Misaki and Fushimi broke it.
"That is not an option," Munakata stated firmly.
"I agree, we'll find the strain and reverse this." Mikoto gently set Anna on the bed next to Misaki, as if she was still the size and weight of a child before he stood up.
"We can't just have you two running around causing chaos!" Akiyama pointed out.
"Your idea, Munakata will work." A new voice came from the window, a tall man clad in a white suit with a red parasol settled against his shoulder spoke with a kind smile.
"Ah, Silver King." Reisi pocketed his phone and nodded out of respect.
"If Blue King Reisi Munakata and Red King Mikoto Suoh use their flames on the current Blue and Red Kings respectively, it will keep them stable until we can find the strain responsible. My clansmen are searching as well." The Silver King dropped down from the windowsill and from the lack of reaction from the others in the room Mikoto and Munakata had to assume this was the norm for the first King.
"If you would," the Silver King closed his parasol, as he looked down at the most unconscious forms of Misaki and Fushimi with concern in his silver eyes.
Munakata wasted no time, he lit his Blue and placed his hand on Fushimi's fevered forehead and exhaled as his Blue outlined Fushimi's body and the man seemed to settle as his slitted eyes found him.
"K…King?" Fushimi whispered in confusion.
"Rest Fushimi," Munakata murmured and watched as Fushimi sank into unconsciousness. Munakata felt pleased with the fact even as the Blue King, Fushimi still recognized him as his King.
"M-Mikoto-San?" Misaki forced his eyes open as Mikoto copied the action Munakata did, his flaming Red hand on Misaki's forehead.
"Rest for now Misaki," Mikoto ordered and felt his lips twitch as Misaki followed his order without question and something in his flames relaxed as the man glowing with his Red fell into a painless slumber.
"How long can they keep this up?" Reisi asked Shiro softly with all the attention in the room on the laid up Red and Blue Kings.
"I suspect they will keep it up as long as they have to, wouldn't you?" Shiro hummed as he twirled his parasol absently.
"Yes, I would." Reisi pushed down his own golden Aura, he itched to help but he would not put Fushimi and Yata in danger and that may happen if he added his flames to the room.
"May I ask how Fushimi and Yata became King's?" Munakata asked carefully as he watched as Fushimi's unconscious body relax under the glow of his Blue.
"Ah, my Sword of Damocles began to deteriorate. To save Japan from another Damocles down, I renounced my title. Fushimi was chosen mere minutes afterwards and minutes after that I was chosen as the Gold King." Reisi explained briefly, mind flashing back to the moment he saw Fushimi alight with familiar Blue Flames before Gold Flames covered his own body.
"I see," Munakata murmured as pieces clicked together for him, after all. The burden of killing a King did carry its toll.
"How did Yata get my Red?" Mikoto asked, not looking at either Munakata's as he too understood why Reisi' Sword deteriorated after all he knew himself and who he would ask to stop him from causing a Damocles down like the previous Red King.
"He did it to save me," Anna whispered as she brushed Misaki's hair off of his face, but her crimson gaze never left Mikoto's face.
"We thought Anna was going to be the next Red King. Certain things happened and she was in contact with the Dresden Slate, but so was Yata. We still don't know exactly what happened, but we think Yata refused to allow Anna to take the burden of being a King so fiercely that he took it on himself instead." Kusanagi explained, thinking back to the day that Misaki became the Red King. The way such a familiar Red burned out from Misaki as he did his best to protect them all from the attack from JUNGLE.
"…I'm glad," Mikoto said. "I wouldn't put this burden on anyone, but never you Anna. Misaki did what he had to in order to protect you,"
"That may be the reason the Slate chose Yata, it has a mind of its own at times and must have appreciated his fierce protection for one he called his own," Shiro added his own thoughts in and Mikoto hummed in reply as his Red burned a bit brighter and Misaki relaxed further in his sleep.
"We saw them fight together before coming here, it was nothing like I've ever seen before from two Kings, let alone the Red and Blue Kings." Munakata thought back to the way the two easily used their respective Auras to aid the other and the way the Red and Blue codes to activate their Sanctums were merged together.
"They are one of a kind," Shiro said cheerfully while Reisi pushed his glasses up while he looked at Fushimi with a fond expression in his violet eyes.
"Fushimi told me that they never planned or practiced, it was pure instinct whenever they fought together. What those two have is not something that can be learned. Apparently, the two before they even became King's had learned to get a handle on their urges to kill the other." Reisi's words mirrored his fondness for the young Blue King.
"Hm, I can't imagine my Fushimi getting along so well with Yata." Munakata chuckled and Mikoto grunted in his own way of agreeing.
"Once the two morons stopped fighting and actually talked, they became thick as thieves once again and it obviously carried over into their abilities as Kings." Kusanagi brought out a cigarette as he spoke and a fond if not sad smile when Mikoto used his free hand to light it for him with a small burst of his flames.
"We have to keep an eye on them, lest they take over the world."
Anna giggled at this while Reisi gave a sigh that Munakata knew meant that the two had gotten into trouble numerous times, causing the Gold King problems no doubt.
"Hm, the strain must have been caught." Munakata hummed as he held up his free hand, watching as it began to turn transparent. A quick glance showed that Mikoto was in the same situation as him.
"Mikoto-San?" Misaki stirred, eyes opening to look up at the older man in shock.
"Misaki Yata, Red King… I'm proud of you." Mikoto said gently before placing his hand on Anna's head. Anna hiccupped, her eyes watering up as Mikoto began to fade.
"I love you, Anna, I'll always be with you as long as my Red surrounds you… Izumo, take care of my brats." Mikoto's last words echoed in the room as he faded completely from view.
Fushimi grunted and lifted a hand to grip Munakata's wrist with wide-open eyes.
"Captain…King," Fushimi whispered and blinked when Munakata placed his hand on his cheek.
"I'm proud of you Blue King Saruhiko Fushimi, you were born for this," Munakata said with a kind smile on his face as he followed Mikoto and faded away completely.
~~/~~
"Captain? Captain?" Awashima's voice rang in Munakata's ears and the Blue King blinked slowly as he took in the rooftop that was filled with his Clan and Homra. A child-sized Anna was tugging on Mikoto's pant leg, looking up at him with worried eyes.
Munakata took in the young face of Misaki Yata, the future Red King who was looking worriedly at his King and flicking his gaze over to them. Munakata glanced to the side to see the future Blue King Saruhiko Fushimi shifting on his feet, looking at Misaki and then back at Munakata.
"You okay over there Suoh?" Munakata called out as he brushed off his sleeves.
"As good as I can be, how about you Munakata?" Mikoto patted Anna's head before nudging her back towards Totsuka.
"About the same," Munakata replied much to his clansmen's confusion.
"Shall we begin then Red King Mikoto Suoh? For the sake of our future?" Munakata suggested.
"For the sake of our future Blue King Reisi Munakata." Mikoto agreed as his eyes flickered between Misaki and Fushimi.
Munakata felt his lips turn up in a smile as the battle between Scepter 4 and Homra began anew and yet he felt content in the knowledge that one day the two clans would be all but one under the rule of the future Red and Blue Kings.