Disclaimer: I do not own the anime, manga, novels, and most importantly the characters of K. K is officially owned by GoRa/GoHands.

Author's Note: Oh my god, for all of you K fans out there, there's a video that you must see! Go to Youtube and type in the search engine "Great Homra Family" . Trust me, you might feel teary eyed, but you'll definitely love it! The song/tune is that dango song from Clannad. Please watch the video if you haven't yet! It's not mine, but it's just soo... indescribable for words.

K: Preserving the Blaze of Your Red

By: TCOOKIES777

Chapter 1: Survivor's Guilt

"Izumo, I'm finished with my food. Thank you." Anna said quietly as she slid her leftovers to the bartender. The food tasted strange in her mouth nowadays. The flavor was bland and not as tasty as it once was. She wasn't exactly sure if it was because her taste buds were acting up funnily or the ingredients were different this time.

The bartender continued to absently clean his glasses and plates as he stared at the empty couches sitting in the corner of the bar.

"Izumo?" Anna said once more. She looked at him for a few seconds before reaching over the counter as far as she could and lightly tugged on the edge of his sleeve. "Izumo—"

Suddenly, the crystal ware slipped through Kusanagi's slim fingers and shattered into pieces with a delicate crash. Through his tinted glasses, Anna saw the deadbeat bartender blink his brown eyes like he had just woken up. "Eh?"

"Izumo, I'm sorry; I made you drop the wineglass." Anna whispered. She knew how much he loved his bar where it might've been to the point of obsession even. And for him to not pay attention while he was polishing his 'valuables' was just so… un-Izumo.

He glanced down at the mess with a blank expression before waving his hand, pulling a small smile at Anna. "No, no, Anna, the fault is all mine. Sorry, I've just… been out of it lately. I'm still… … still…."

Anna watched him trail off with his words. "Izumo-san?"

He cleared his throat and bent down to clean up the broken glass. "Sorry, what were you saying before?"

"I've finished eating. Thank you for the meal…." She repeated once more, surprised that the bartender hadn't freaked out over the little accident like he usually would have done.

Izumo slowly dumped the broken glass into the trash and turned to take her plate. When he saw that she had only eaten half of her favorite omurice, a small wrinkle appeared between his brows.

"You didn't finish it? Anna, you know you have to eat more so that you can grow up strong and healthy just like the rest of the clansmen." He began chiding her softly as he wrapped her dinner and placed it in the fridge in case she decided to eat later. "Since you're a preteen, you need to start eating more with a healthy diet. If Mikoto were here, he—"

He froze like a startled deer caught in the car's headlights. Anna stared blankly at him as he chuckled bitterly. "Ah, but he's… not here….. Silly me—idiot…."

"Izumo is not silly or an idiot." Anna reached over and gently touched his cheek. "Izumo is kind, caring, full of love, and makes delicious food. Izumo is Izumo; perfect."

A smile grew on his face but Anna didn't need her marbles to see that it was a smile full of sorrow. He grasped her hand and sighed. "Anna is such a good girl. Too kind. But… I'm not perfect."

He let go of her hand and turned around, facing the shelf to look for more wineglasses that had already been cleaned many times throughout the day.

Anna got off from her stool and headed for the stairs that would lead her down a hallway and to her room. Just a few feet away from Mikoto's….

When she took the first step, she glanced back at the man hunched over his bar and whispered just loudly enough for him to hear, "Izumo is perfect in my eyes. Because you are who you are; someone that I love dearly."

Then she hurried up the rest of the steps to prepare for bed, without sparing another look back at her. She knew that he had heard her.

She was curled up on her side in bed, tightly hugging a pink stuffed bunny to her chest. It had a mini-version of the lacy lopsided hat that matched her Lolita outfit in the daytime. And there was a big red bow wrapped around the bunny's neck; a present from Tatara when he came into her room one day and saw the collection of stuffed animals sitting around. He had noticed that the pink bunny primly sitting on her bed and guessed that it was her favorite out of all.

Of course, he was correct. It was Honami-san that had given it to her before she officially left Anna in the care of Mikoto. Because reminded her of the love her aunt had shared, Anna treasured it the most. Vera (A/N: pronounced VYEH-rah) was what she had named the bunny with Tatara's help.

"Anna, I think we need to have more stuffed animals in here, don't you think?" Tatara said as dropped by her room to check it out.

"It's fine." Anna said with a subtle shake of her head. She didn't want to ask for much since she was already satisfied with what she was being provided with.

"No, no!" He took a stance with his hands on his hips and a determined smile. "An adorable girl like you must have an adorable room as well! It's only befitting."

He walked over and flopped onto her soft bed, pulling her along with him. She laid her head against his warm chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "Ah, your bed is so nice! I wouldn't mind sleeping here…. Ah? There's something underneath—"

Tatara whipped out a pink bunny from beneath his back. "Oh, so cute! But not as cute as my little Anna, of course. Where'd you get her from?"

"Honami-san gave it to me as a remembrance of her before she left." Anna replied back softly. "Why is it a 'her'?"

"Because I can't allow my pure Anna to be snuggling with boys. Not even with parental consent or supervision. No—I, including King and the rest of the clan, will not let anyone touch a single hair on you." He hugged her head to his chest. "You're Homra's one and only princess, Anna. And we won't let just any prince sweep you off your feet."

She blinked her dark, wine colored eyes at him, unsure of what to say to all of that.

"But Tatara," Anna grasped the sleeve of his shirt. "I don't have a prince."

"It's fine! It's fine!" Tatara reassured her by rubbing her head. "Since King is, well, King already and Izumo-san is Mama, then your big Onii-san can be your first prince."

"Tatara is my prince?" Anna shifted her head to look at him. She didn't think that was such a bad idea actually.

"Yep!" A wide smile grew on his lips. "I'll come to your rescue anytime, my princess."

"Why first?"

"Well, the rest of the clansman can be Prince number two, Prince number three, and so on!" He laughed. "But someday, your true prince will come. And then you'll marry, and… have kids and… and then—oh no! I can't bear my princess leaving me. Anna, stay with me so we can make many happy memories together with King and everyone else, okay?"

"Together…." She whispered softly. That was one of the best ideas she had ever heard from Tatara.

"So," Tatara held up the stuffed bunny, changing the subject. "What's this darling's name?"

When she didn't reply, he looked down at her in surprise. "What, Anna hasn't named her yet?"

Anna shook her head a little. "Tatara can name her for me."

"Well then, it would be my honor." He smiled happily before his lips pursed in thought of a perfect name. "All right! How about… 'Vera'?"
(A/N: pronounced VYEH-rah)

"Vera?" Anna echoed him. That was sort of a strange name for a stuffed animal. But she couldn't argue that it did have a nice, strong ring to it. Vera. It rolled out of her lips nicely.

Tatara nodded. "Of Latin origin, the name means 'truth' or 'faith'. So although Honami-sensei is gone, you can still continue to have faith in her and believe. Right?"

The corners of Anna's lips drew up slightly and she nodded her head just a fraction. "Yes, it's a pretty name."

"A pretty name for a pretty bunny." Tatara sang out as he reached into the depths of his pocket for something. "Thus, it is only befitting if it is given a pretty ribbon as well. See?"

He tied something onto the bunny for a moment before presenting it to Anna. A bright red silk ribbon had been tied around the bunny's neck. The bow bounced up and down in a dainty manner with every movement.

"I was going to give it to you, Anna, but Izumo-san insisted that you already had plenty of bows with your outfit and he was afraid that people would mistaken you for a wrapped gift."

Anna hooked her arm around Vera and then leaned into Tatara's shoulder to rest upon it. "Thank you, Tatara. It's pretty…. Everything is."

She woke up with a start and sat up against her pillows. It was a dream. No, not a dream—a memory. Because it had been real before.

Her heart was beating a little faster than normal and she hugged Vera tightly to her torso in an attempt to calm down. Her Strain powers easily got out of control if either or both her emotional and physical state weren't well.

She grabbed the red marbles sitting on her side table and fiddled with them.

After ten restless minutes, Anna decided to try Izumo's room. He'd been staying at the bar instead of his mansion otherwise Anna would be by herself. She knew that he'd been meaning to ask her to live with him but changed his mind. After all, he didn't want to take Anna out of the environment she had always lived in. The bar, Homra, held too many memories for her, both inside and outside her room.

She draped a red shawl over her shoulders since her plain rosy nightgown couldn't seem to keep her warm enough these days. Her bare feet padded lightly on the chilly floorboards as she held Vera in her hands. In the middle of the hallway, she paused at a certain room that she had often visited before. She remembered how it always used to radiate heat and warmth. Now, it was empty and quite cold. Anna shivered and continued down the hallway.

Finally reaching her destination, she saw light peeking out under the crack of the door. It was already early morning though. Was Izumo still awake at this time? Anna quietly knocked on the door and waited for a whole minute with no reply before deciding to enter the room anyways.

"Izumo?" Anna whispered as she crept into his room. The only light came from the small lamp that was sitting on the bed side table where Izumo was sleeping.

She reached him and was about to climb onto his bed when she saw the distressed look on the young man's face. There were beads of sweat forming on his skin as he muttered incoherently. He tossed his head from side to side, grasping tightly onto his bed sheets.

Based on Anna's many experiences, she knew the bartender was having a terrible nightmare. One that wouldn't be so easy to wake up from. She grabbed his sleeve and started tugging on it hard. "Izumo, you're having a nightmare. Wake up, it's just a bad dream! Wake up, please!"

When he wouldn't open his eyes, Anna pulled herself on his bed and climbed on top of him. Following her instincts, she gently wrapped her thin arms around his neck for a tight hug. Suddenly, everything blacked out.

"What a pain." A tall guy with fiery red hair said as he glared at another man with shades. "How come you get to live while the two of us had to die a terrible death, huh?"

Anna's eyes widened at the sight before her. It was late at night and the air was freezing. Although she couldn't feel the temperature for some unknown reason, she knew it was cold because she could see puffs of her own breath. Standing a few feet away, her red king was facing off with Izumo. It almost looked like a confrontation.

"Mikoto, please…" A slim man with shades said pleadingly. "If I had known… I just—I mean, I thought that—"

"You thought what?" Mikoto grunted. "That I would live? That he would live?"

He nudged something at the bottom of his feet and Anna noticed it was a body. She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth as she realized that it was Tatara's body.

"You're such a stupid man, Izumo." The king continued with a nasty smirk on his face. "I don't know why I had you as my second in command. I thought I could trust you. Heh, guess I was wrong. In reality, you were just sitting back and relaxing as I did most of the work."

"No!" Izumo shook his head. "That's not true! Believe me, I tried my best…."

Mikoto chuckled bitterly. "But your best just wasn't good enough. You should be ashamed of yourself. It should have been you who died—not Tatara. At least he helped me control my powers. I—"

"Who are you?" Anna finally said. At first, she wasn't sure if they could see or hear her in this dream. But it looked like they could because they turned to look in her direction when she spoke up.

"Anna?!" Izumo exclaimed in surprise.

"Stupid brat." Mikoto snarled at her. She flinched a little because she wasn't used to her king being so crude. Wait, this was all a dream though. A nightmare. Izumo's nightmare to be exact. This wasn't real!

"Tatara died because of you too! Many years ago, you foresaw his death. And all you did was keep quiet about it. His death and mine are your fault as well. Useless Strain!"

Anna froze as his words pierced her heart like ice shards. In a way, he was right… If only she had done something. If only…. She shook her head furiously to get rid of the negative thoughts.

"You're not Mikoto." She looked at the imposter straight in the eyes. "Mikoto is dead."

She winced at her own words but continued on. Just because her king and her prince were no longer there, didn't mean that she was so weak and defenseless. No—Anna was the strong and proud princess of Homra.

"Our King wouldn't speak to Izumo and me like the way you are. You have no red aura, so I know that you are not the Red King. And I know that you are not real." She said with each step she took towards Izumo's side. When she finally reached him, she grabbed his hand and proceeded to glare at the fake person opposite of them. "Because Mikoto wanted to die."

With those words, Tatara's body faded into the darkness and the imposter standing before them disappeared with a flash of light.

"Anna…."

She groaned softly as a pair of hands gently shook her shoulders.

"Anna, wake up."

She gasped and opened her eyes to Izumo leaning over her. She saw the worry in his amber eyes give way to relief.

"Don't scare me like that next time, you hear?"

"I'm sorry, Izumo." Anna said quietly before touching the man's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Eh?" He said as he laid down next to her, bringing up the blanket to cover them. "Of course I am. Why do you ask?"

Anna turned her body to the side so she could face Izumo properly. "Izumo and Tatara told me that I mustn't keep my personal feelings all bottled up because it would only hurt me. You said that it was all right if I had to say something because you and everyone else would always listen to me whenever I needed someone."

"That's right." He smiled at her. But Anna could see the slightest quiver in his cheeks and that was all she needed to know that his smiles were strained and unhappy.

"So Izumo needs to do the same." She touched his cheek and rubbed it gingerly with the pad of her thumb. "I saw your dream. I didn't mean to, but I did by accident. You have... 'survivor's guilt'."

"What are you talking about?" Izumo chuckled. But it sounded more like a sob to her.

"I could feel the weight of your burden. It was painful." Anna said. "It's hard to let go, I know. You don't need to put up a strong front. You don't need to act like you're fine when you're not."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about…." He murmured. Without those tinted glasses to cover his eyes, Anna could see the ambers in them were too shiny and glossier than normal.

She moved her body a little higher on the bed and pulled the man's face to her chest, resting her chin atop his head. Her delicate hands petted his hair soothingly, similar to how Tatara would whenever he comforted her after she had a bad dream. "It's okay, Izumo. You can cry."

Almost as if on cue, two fat drops of tears escaped the corners of his eyes and streamed down the sides of his face. Following those two came a torrent of a thousand more tears.

They traveled down fast, soaking the crispy sheets they were lying upon. The choked sobs racked the poor man's body and Anna closed her eyes, letting the broken bartender pour all of his heart out. They wouldn't speak of this to anyone. Not even to each other. Because they knew that they didn't need to.

"Everything's going to be fine." He cried out quietly. She knew that he wasn't just trying to assure her, but also his self. "Everything's going to be fine. It just has to..."

"Yes..." She whispered, and continued to slowly comb her fingers through the soft strands of his hair. The question was: when?

"Anna is such a good girl…." Izumo mumbled tiredly as he snuggled closer to her. "But you see too much for your age…."

"…. Yes… I miss them too…."

Author's Note: Reviews are much appreciated! Thank you :D