Ganrougel sat on the floor before Natsumi, completely uncaring of the chair he had leaning against the wall behind him. He focused hard. His mind trying to reach his girl in the crystal but he was tired. After the event earlier he felt his heart and hopes strengthen but he wasn't aware how exhausted his mind and body would be to see her for such a short time. For only those few moments. He sighed heavily as he let his shoulders sink.

"Take a nap dear. You must be exhausted." Akina suggested as she stood up and brushed her hands together creating a cloud from the chalk dust.

"I don't know why I feel so tired." Ganrougel admitted. "I'm not human anymore."

"You keep saying that but you sure look human." Akina chuckled. "What do you think really makes someone human anyway? The need to eat and sleep? Getting tired after doing some work or putting in effort? You don't think maybe other life forms follow those rules?"

"I understand animals and such, the point is I'm dead. Nothing can just come back to life. I haven't had to sleep or eat in the years I was all… you know..." Ganrougel closed his eyes. "So why now?"

"Your body is changing. That's why." Akina answered with a knowing smile. "The way things work after death is an unknown field. We'll never really understand what may or may not happen; whether things can live like they did before death or not. My best guess is that your body recognizes you're done with your revenge and anger and changed back to how it was before you were killed."

"You think it's just trying to be normal again? That sounds way too simple and convenient... or easy, I don't know. I don't think I buy it." Ganrougel ran his fingers through his hair in as polite a huff as he could.

"As I said we might never really know." Akina said. "But you also did use magic to reach through the crystal and talk to her. I'm sure even the dead have to get energy from somewhere to do that."

Ganrougel watched her head upstairs before glancing at Natsumi. "I'm not strong like you in magic stuff. I won't leave you alone in there for too long, I promise. Your grandmother is right, I just need to rest."

He closed his eyes for only a moment, but sleep overtook faster than he thought possible. It was only a short nap he had planned. A few minutes to breath and regain energy, but his mind and body were more exhausted than he realized as the dark slumber dragged him in deep. With his mind trapped in sleep as his body took over to rest, images in his dreams flitted between sweet moments with Natsumi and dark memories of his hunts. He could feel blood still running warm over his fingers between each nightmare.

Features of his dreams would bleed into each other. The stench of death as he could see Natsumi's bright smile. Laughing with her at something she would say as people fell dead around them. Ganrougel froze as he felt something pulling him away from her. When he bolted upright and took a few deep breaths, he realized the nightmares weren't real. He brushed back his hair that had fallen over his face. His body stiffened as he felt tugging on his sleeve. He glanced over to see a tiny hand pulling on the fabric. A closer look and he realized the basket bearing two babies beside him.

"Good morning." Garuru sat down on the other side of the baby basket.

"Garuru, I think I've finally gone insane. I'm hallucinating tiny humans." Ganrougel rubbed his forehead as he gestured to the babies.

"Nope, they're your nieces." Garuru explained smirking only barely. "Shizuka and Satomi."

"Already? I thought they weren't due for at least another month… or two. You told me in like April right?" Ganrougel puzzled over his inconsistent awareness over the last year for the answers.

"Yeah it was April but we had been holding onto the secret for about a month already by then. As for the due date, with the complications we had last time, a month early was a lucky break especially with how healthy they are." Garuru glanced down and gently brushed the hair atop his closest daughter's head.

"How's Pururu?" Ganrougel almost couldn't get his voice above a whisper as he watched his brother move slower and with deepened weight on his shoulders.

"In the hospital. She was extremely weak after the delivery and her doctor wants to keep her there longer until their sure she's strong enough to be checked out." Garuru straightened his posture and stared at the space in front of him. "She demanded that I take them home and look after them for her. She didn't want me and the girls cooped up in the hospital with her, but she shouldn't be there much longer."

Garuru's gaze was distant, lost in his thoughts before he whispered. "She was so happy though."

Ganrougel glanced for a moment to Natsumi. "You're lucky." He quickly felt regret realizing that even though it could have been much worse, his brother didn't have it easy with the last pregnancy and worrying over Pururu still in the hospital. "I'm sorry! I just- I didn't mean that like you didn't… Gah! I'm an idiot."

"I know. I'm very lucky." Garuru sighed. "I got so many second chances in the last year. More than I thought I deserved with my new daughters… and I even get to have you back. I know I was difficult to relate with when we were younger. I didn't always say when I felt proud of you or when I was happy. I didn't say what I wanted to and probably should have when you were struggling with something and I felt like such a failure when you died."

"You were always quieter than most people." Ganrougel smiled softly. "But I knew some of your more subtler tells. You weren't always a brick wall to me."

"I guess it's just that now I have this chance and a time when you really do need me… I don't know what to really say. I can't relate much more than worrying for the lives of those we love." Garuru turned to his brother. "I'm sorry I can't do more than that."

Ganrougel nodded before replying "That's all I need I think. I'm pretty bad at holding onto hope all by myself. I get so caught up in my anger that I find it impossible to see that things can get better. I think that's one of the things she was trying to beat into me."

"I can beat you up a bit in her place if you need." Garuru gave a sturdy but friendly punch to Ganrougel's shoulder.

Ganrougel chuckled "Thanks."

I know I'm a terrible person, you may hunt me with torches and pitchforks... I really didn't mean to take so long to continue this story or any of them to be honest. Life kept getting in the way and I changed jobs and then was put to nightshifts and just... my life got crazy. Also didn't help that I really had no idea what I wanted to do with this chapter but hope the brother fluff is good enough. u.u You all have my deepest apologies.