Disclaimer:I do not own the anime, manga, or novels of K. K is offically owned by GoRa/GoHands. I do not own any of their characters... but if I did, then I'd definitely have a tad more romance in it.
A/N: This chapter will be the last update for a long time. School is beginning soon (or already has for some) so many of us won't have as much time to enjoy fanfics anymore :/ I wish you guys luck for your new school year! Think of it as a fresh start for yourself; an opportunity to improve yourself or even become a whole new person changed for the better :) Let us survive this school year together!
K: Preserving the Blaze of Your Red
By: TCOOKIES777
Chapter 8: Her Blue Knight in Uniform
"Happy Birthday, Miss Kushina."
"Mm. Thank you."
"And how old are you now?"
"Thir—ah, eleven."
"I see…. So, how are you feeling?"
"…. Fine."
The man behind the desk sighed and then smiled once more. "Let's try this again; how are you feeling, Miss Kushina?"
"…." Anna stared levelly at Munakata Reisi from across his large desk. She shifted restlessly in her fancy armchair, careful of the bandages wrapped around her torso underneath the blue sundress she wore. "Good…."
He grinned politely at her in response. "That's nice to hear."
"Hm…."
"Oh, I have something for you…." Munakata sorted through his top drawer and presented a vibrantly blood red rose complete with a dainty pink bow. She accepted it, noticing the thorns were already cut off. Already she was beginning to feel better. "Your crew sent this sometime overnight. It is supposedly one of the first of many birthday gifts to come."
Anna nodded, admiring the flower's soft petals. How pretty…. She remembered that they had promised to send her flowers. I can't believe they remembered. A message was inscribed on the bow's end: get well soon, Princess "I see."
"It's a very cute flower." He commented. "I envy you, Miss Kushina."
"Mm."
An awkward silence stretched out uncomfortably between the two. Truth be told, Munakata Reisi was the last person of the Blue clan whom Anna wanted to see. Although she didn't exactly hate him… she just couldn't help but hold some feelings of bitterness towards the man who had killed her beloved King. From her original timeline, shortly after Mikoto's death, Anna had grudgingly acknowledged the fact that Munakata Reisi had saved Mikoto from suffering a fate more worse than the one that had befallen him. True; Mikoto had wanted to die without involving any other accidental casualties… and so the Blue King had granted him that wish. But Anna refused to feel grateful to the Blue King for what he did for Mikoto. It was unfortunate how some saviors just had to be killers at the same time….
"Do you… like your dress?"
And she also refused to give anyone in this clan the satisfaction by acting like the spoiled child they expected her to be. "It's fine…."
Being colorblind, she bet her life that the dress they had issued her was blue. Of course they wouldn't have any other colors for their clothes. Even so, she couldn't help but feel slightly insulted that they would give her, a member of the red clan, a blue dress.
"I am aware that you are colorblind, Miss—Anna… May I call you, 'Anna'?" The King folded his hands primly atop his desk which were stacked with papers and other documents.
No. Anna elegantly smoothed out the ruffles on the bottom of her dress before answering. "If it can't be helped, Mr. Blue King."
"Ah, you can simply call me 'Reisi' since I'm calling you on a first name basis likewise." The Blue King offered.
"No, thank you," Anna said with the blank face of a pretty doll. "Mr. Blue King."
Even the great Munakata Reisi seemed a little perturbed by the apathetic child sitting in a refined manner before him. If he was a King, then she was surely a princess. "My apologies if this may seem rude but… have I done something to offend you, Anna?"
You demanded custody of me simply because of a report you received; gave me a blue dress despite knowing my history since you have my report; and, with your own two hands, killed my loved one—please don't act like you're a hero. "…. Not really. I would just like to leave now if you don't mind."
"…. Did you get enough rest?" Munakata chose to avoid that last sentence.
"Yes." Anna didn't miss his dodge.
"Really?"
"Really."
"…. Anna, it's seven in the morning. A child like you should—"
"I'm not a child." Anna paused and then cast her eyes down onto her lap. "I'm a Strain…. I'm different from normal children…."
"Anna," Munakata leaned forward, speaking with a softer voice. "Do you dislike being a Strain?"
The question did not fail to surprise her. Never before had she been asked that so she never really needed to put much thought about it. If she wasn't a Strain, then she may have not met Mikoto. Then again, if she wasn't a Strain, then she would never would have been sent to the Center in the first place. "I…. I don't know."
"That's all right." Leaning back, Munakata took off his glasses and began polishing the lenses. The action reminded her of Izumo cleaning his glasses for holding liqueur. "It's not something you should ever have to ask yourself anyways."
Where was he trying to go with this? "I want to leave."
Munakata peered up at her. Even without his glasses on, there was still this all-knowing glint in his eyes that put Anna on edge. "Do you not like it here? It seems to be that way after what happened yesterday night…."
Yesterday night….
"Okay, I've treated your wound but… it may leave a scar." The doctor informed her almost hesitantly… like she was afraid of her or something. "Try not to move around so much or else your bandages will get messed up."
"Mm. Am I… am I done now?" Anna whispered, lightly fingering the bandages wrapped around her torso. Although she had the wrappings to cover the top half of her body, she was wearing nothing else but a white pair of cotton pants. It only made her feel more vulnerable than she already was. She wanted to be out of this room—known as the 'medical bay'—as fast as possible; it reminded her too much of the facility that had imprisoned her. Too much… white. It smelled like antiseptics and other medicine—very much reminiscent of the Center.
The doctor only continued to scribble notes down on a clipboard. "Ah, hold on."
She had already stayed in here for almost three hours. Just how much longer did she need to wait?! Her breathing started to quicken as she imagined Mizuchi—not the female doctor before her—writing his observations in the notebook he kept just for her.
No! Anna berated herself mentally. Mizuchi is not here! Mizuchi is not here! He can't touch me anymore! Tatara promised me. He promised me! 'But Tatara's not here anymore' a little voice in the back of her head whispered. 'Tatara's dead, remember? The Colorless King murdered him. There's no one to protect you from Mizuchi now. You are all alone….'
I… I am… alone…. I am… alone…. Alone….
"Anna? Anna, are you all right?" The doctor's voice cut through her thoughts.
"…."
"Anna, are you in any pain?"
"…. No…."
"Are you sure? You were looking a bit pale just then." The doctor went to the cabinet beside the bed Anna had been sitting on the whole time. Rifling through it, she finally pulled out what looked like something that would be part of a syringe. "I didn't give you any pain meds for your wound, so this should—"
"No!" Anna's heart almost stopped at the sight of a needle. She felt nauseous all of a sudden and her clammy hands weren't helping. "No, please don't give me that!"
"A-all right. Calm down now…." The doctor looked bewildered as she put away the equipment.
"Am I done now?" At this point, Anna was already almost close to tears. She wanted to get out of this room so badly she was even tempted to just run straight out. But that wouldn't fare well for her much less leave a good impression on the Blues. Especially since there were guards following her around to make sure she didn't cause any trouble or use her powers to escape.
"Sorry, dear, but I'm going to need to run some tests and scans on you. I need to know if there has been any fluctuation of your powers." The doctor smiled apologetically down at her. She reached for a robe lying on a chair nearby and laid it beside Anna. "I need you to step into this gown for me now."
"O-okay." She's not Mizuchi, Anna reminded herself. She's not Mizuchi! She's only going to run some scans on me and do a few tests…. She's going to do… tests on… me? No! No, she's a good doctor—she's only trying to help me!
Taking deep breaths, Anna willed herself to calm down before reaching for the gown next to her. But as soon as she touched the paper dress, memories of Mizuchi experimenting—torturing her—filled her mind. She couldn't help but cringe and pull her hand back in response. "No! No, I can't!"
"Anna?!"
She shook her head violently, grasping both sides with her hands as she tried to rid the memories stabbing at her mind. "No! I don't want to! I don't want to! Leave me alone!"
The guards that were waiting outside rushed in immediately at the commotion. Their hands were already reaching for their sabers and they were looking at her like she was a wild beast. Seeing the Minato twins only made her remember the pain she had forced herself to go through in order to protect Honami-san. These twins, Anna's eyes widened in recognition, they have worked for Mizuchi before! They were the ones who would always follow her around to keep tabs on her whenever she wasn't in the facility!
"Don't hurt me!" She cried, scooting away from them to the edge of the bed by the wall.
"Anna, please! We're not going to hurt you!" The doctor tried reasoning with the frightened Strain. "I'm just going to run some tests—"
"NO! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" Tears streamed down Anna's face as she curled herself into a ball in an attempt to shield herself from the three Blues. The action stretched her fresh bandages and made her wound throb but it didn't match up to the phantom pain Anna could feel as if it were yesterday. "Make it stop!"
The doctor tried reaching out towards the little girl. "Anna, we're not doing anything!"
Anna shoved herself back from the touch as if it was deadly. Her eyes were filled with absolute pain and terror. "Don't touch me!"
"You need to calm down, Anna!"
"Should we restrain her?" One of the twins asked calmly.
"There's no need!" The doctor answered them with a glare. "She's not hurting anyone!"
"Yet…." The other twin replied.
"NO! NO! NO! MIKOTO!" Anna cried for her King. He'll come save me like always! I know he will! "MIKOTO, HELP ME!"
"U-um… okay! Okay, Anna, I'm going to go and get someone for you!" The doctor backed away slowly, hesitantly. She swerved on her heels to face the twins. "Akito, Hayato, you two watch her for me. Make sure she doesn't hurt anyone… or herself…."
And then, just like that, she left… leaving Anna with the detached and creepy twins who both had thin lips turned down heavily in the corners. Their dull eyes were half lidded and almost glaring, giving them a bitter look.
Sobs racked the young girl's body, making the pain on her back worsen again. "I want Tatara! I want Tatara now!"
The twin with black hair spoke first. "You are—"
"—not authorized." The brown-haired twin finished.
"Please! I just want to go home!
"Should we sedate her?" The twin on the left asked his brother.
"Hmph. She's just a child; she's no match for us."
A couple of other Blue clansmen were passing by when the scene in the medical bay caught their attention. They peered curiously at the three from the lab's doorway, whispering to each other in not-so-quiet voices.
"Hey, why is there a child here? She's not a member, is she?"
"Didn't you hear? She's the Strain the Lieutenant brought in. Apparently she was causing trouble, running amok with her powers and hurting civilians…."
"She's a Strain?! Aren't they dangerous? She's just a little girl…."
I can hear you, Anna thought to herself as she wiped away her tears. Her heart was still beating fast and she was still feeling a little panicky but she was slightly calmer than earlier.
"I heard this girl was the one they tried to make into a Blue King before Munakata-san was chosen."
"What?! Really?! But she looks… harmless!"
"Don't be fooled by her meek appearance. Her records indicate she's stronger than she looks. A few years ago, she was involved in an incident that put a dozen civilians in a hospital."
"Huh! Well, no wonder she's with the Reds. Birds of the same feather flock together; they're all cuckoo in the head."
"Ugh! I wish Munakata-san would talk to that crazy Red King and make him do something about those fucking idiots he takes for clansmen!"
"But I guess they get their jobs done, at least. The Red Clan's duties lie with the underworld trash."
"Heh! Well, you know what they say; it's the dirty low-lives that do the dirty work. How befitting of those mutts."
That's it! Anna had been focusing all her energy to contain herself then. But she just couldn't take these bullies running their mouths about her clan anymore! She found the strength to climb off the bed she'd been sitting on, ignoring the pain screaming from her back, and stomped bare-footed right over to the men whispering uncouthly by the doorway. The twins didn't even bother to stop her.
"Stop it! They're my family! I won't let you talk bad about them!" She slammed her heel as hard as she could against the foot of one of the Blues, aiming for the toes to give him extra pain. Her victim yelped and pushed back from her but she trekked forward and continued her assault on the man.
"OUCH! Stop—that hurts!"
"Damn brat!" One of the men grabbed her arm and wrenched it up to restrain her. Standing on tip toes, Anna let out a cry from her arm being pulled harshly and the stress her back was being put under.
The pressure was suddenly released when the man hurting Anna was forcefully shoved away. A hand with slender fingers touched her shoulder lightly as her savior stepped in front of Anna to place her out of reach from the group of Blues.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" An impatient but familiar voice reached Anna's ears from beside her. That same voice also sounded slightly winded for some reason.
"Fu-Fushimi-san!" The men exclaimed in surprise. The look on their faces transformed into that of panic, including the Minato twins.
"Why are you attacking an injured patient? …. And a little girl at that?" Fushimi's eyes flickered over to Anna for just the briefest moment. She had a feeling he was checking to see if she was hurt any further than she already was.
The man whose foot Anna had stomped on stammered out his answer almost indignantly. "She—she was stomping on my feet, sir!"
Fushimi's eyes squinted and he looked at the man as if he was a bug he had an urge to crush under his boot. He drawled out in a disbelieving manner tinged with sarcasm, "She was… stomping on your… feet….? …. This girl right here? This one?"
"Uh, that is…" The man hesitated. "It sounded a lot better when I said—"
"Shut up."
"Y-yes, sir!"
The former red clansman clicked his tongue as usual. "Are you morons? Just because a little girl—only eleven years old—was stomping on your feet… you were provoked to the point that you wanted to take revenge against her?"
"W-well…." The man gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. 'Shame' was practically written all over his and the others' faces.
Fushimi sighed aloud and gazed upwards as if he couldn't believe what he was dealing with. "Geez! You're grown men for god's sake! At least act like it instead of picking on little kids. Even this girl here is more mature than all of you."
The reprimand caused the men to slouch down in defeat and shame. "Yes…."
"What's with that mumbling?" Fushimi asked sharply.
The men immediately straightened up and saluted without meeting Fushimi's glare. "Yes, Fushimi-san! Our deepest apologies, Fushimi-san!"
"Cheh!" Fushimi stepped aside to let Anna be part of the view. "Why the hell are you apologizing to me? Goodness, you really are morons."
Anna clutched at Fushimi's long-sleeved shirt as the men before her bowed down deeply in apology. Fushimi clicked his tongue once more. "Akito! Hayato!"
The twins hesitated before surrendering to Fushimi's piercing stare and reluctantly joined the other men in bowing.
"Our d-deepest apologies… little miss…."
Anna nodded and then Fushimi blew out another exasperated sigh. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his grey jeans which hung low on his slim hips. She wondered why he wasn't wearing his uniform at this time. Fushimi flicked his hand in a shooing motion. "Now get out of here. You're blocking my way."
"Right away, sir!" The gang of men scrambled away from the two and hurried down the hallway.
"Newbs." Fushimi muttered under his breath before turning to the other two men still remaining in the room. "Same for you twins; get out. I thought you were ordered to never shadow this girl ever again."
"We were not shadowing…." One of them started.
"We were… guarding." The other finished.
Fushimi rolled his eyes subtly. "Whatever. You're not needed so leave."
Without another word, they departed from the room, brushing their shoulders on purpose against Fushimi who stayed quiet.
Now that it was just him and Anna, silence drifted over the two. For once, Anna struggled to find the right words to say to her old comrade. A 'thank you' might not work since she knew he would only brush it off and create some kind of excuse. Thinking of nothing else to say but not wanting it to be awkward, Anna said the first thing she could think of within the six long seconds that had passed already. "How do you know how old I am?"
Technically, she was twelve years old already and close to turning thirteen according to her original timeline. But in this timeline, she was turning eleven. Actually, it was starting to confuse her the more she thought about it.
Fushimi shrugged nonchalantly but refused to meet her drawing gaze. "Your crew just wouldn't shut up about it earlier this noon when the Lieutenant was requesting custody over you."
That still doesn't explain how you know that I'm turning exactly eleven years old, Anna thought to herself but she decided to just let it go. And then another question piqued her interest. She peeked shyly up at Fushimi who was caught looking at her from the corner of his eye. "S-Saruhiko? Why are you here?"
"Last time I checked, I work here." He spoke so seriously she almost thought he wasn't being sarcastic with her.
Ah, there was the Fushimi she knew; the one that often showed his self when he didn't want to say what he was really feeling. I guess in some ways, Anna noted, he's the same as me in that sense. "I mean, why are you here?"
"I was just on my way out for dinner since my shift finished when a doctor came running over, telling me she needed my help since I used to be a Red." Fushimi answered, avoiding Anna's eyes once again. "But it doesn't seem to be that way now that I'm here…."
"Ah! Fushimi-san!" The doctor's voice called out. She appeared from the end of the hallway, panting hard and looking exhausted with her hair messed up as if a gust of wind had blown right through it. Once she reached them, she leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees to recover. "I… I finally caught up to you! My goodness, you were running so fast to get here, I couldn't keep up!"
There was this 'geh' look on Fushimi's face like he was caught red-handed doing something he didn't want to be caught doing. "W-what are you talking about?"
"Geez, where's the fire, huh?" The doctor joked to Fushimi's chagrin.
"I-I wasn't running!" He tried to keep his composure whilst defending himself of the evident truth. "That's… how I normally walk…. You were just too slow."
"Oh." The doctor did not look convinced but she smiled wryly anyways. "Um, I see…."
"Hmph. So, I guess I'll be going then." The Blue clansman turned on his heels and had only taken a step forward when he felt a tug on the bottom of his T-shirt. He already knew who it was without looking.
"W-wait!" Anna held on tightly to his clothes.
Fushimi tilted his head down to glance at the little girl clutching at his clothes. "What do you mean 'wait'? What is it now?"
Please don't leave me… I don't want to be left alone…. She glanced down at her bare feet on the floor before bashfully peeking up at him through her bangs. "Would… would Saruhiko stay with me?"
From her perspective, she saw in his eyes that he was actually contemplating for that one second that ticked by before he answered. "No. I'm off duty now. And I'm hungry."
Oh, I see… Anna suddenly felt like she was an annoyance. It seems I'm always causing trouble for everyone, she thought sadly. But Honami-san always told me to try even if I fail the first time. She took a deep breath and then focused her gaze intently on the Blue clansman. It's time to turn on my charm, she decided determinedly. "Please, Saruhiko-kun?"
Fushimi just couldn't tear his eyes away from the little girl pleading before him. He could practically see the sparkles she emitted just like an austere princess. He was hungry though…
"Ah, actually, Fushimi-san, if you don't mind…." The doctor hesitated and then presented him with a desperate grin of her own. "That is… could you stay with this young one as I… run some stuff for her?"
"Eh?" But he was starving! And he had had a pretty strenuous shift today dealing with some criminal strains early in the morning. But with two females practically giving him those begging eyes of theirs… would he be the villain here if he just flat out refused them? "Urgh, why me?"
"It appears that you are the only one whom Anna relaxes herself around. It's almost adorab—" The woman faltered when Fushimi cut her off with a 'I-dare-you-to-say-it' look. She went on to scratch her head with a pen. "A-anyways, I think you being by her side would be of great comfort to Anna. Plus, it would make my work easier too."
"I wouldn't go so far as to say I'd be a comfort to her." He grumbled to himself. But, in truth, he knew it was because he was the only one here whom the girl could actually trust considering that they were once comrades. In addition to that, he did take part in rescuing her that time before she had joined HOMRA. He let out a huge sigh. "Just as long as it doesn't extend to babysitting."
The doctor almost fell to her knees in relief; she didn't know what she would do if that girl had another… flare-up, figuratively speaking—though she did worry if it would happen in a literal sense. She tried to smile at the impassive girl. "Anna, could you wear this now?"
Fushimi stared at Anna from the corner of his eyes again as she quietly contemplated putting on the hospital gown. Finally, with a slight puff of her cheeks, she shook her head once again in refusal. "I don't want to."
"Eh?!" Goodness, the doctor asked herself despairingly, how stubborn can this child be?! Her patience was really being tested today. "Why? I know you have those bandages to cover your torso but you're going to be really cold and uncomfortable in… where you'll be if you don't wear anything else. And I can't have you wearing anything too thick, like your normal clothes, either because it will interfere with the machine's scanning process…. Come on, you can just imagine it as another dress to try on!"
Anna gripped her cotton pants in frustration but even doing that felt foreign to her as it wasn't her standard dress she was wearing. "I've worn blue dresses too many times in my life…. I'm never going to wear another one ever again."
"Listen," The doctor whispered, shooting a quick look at Fushimi. "You're in the presence of a man. Don't you feel awkward or embarrassed revealing so much skin? Those bandages can only cover so much."
Anna didn't understand what the doctor was trying to hint at. "Saruhiko is Saruhiko. How could I ever feel awkward around him?"
The mentioned man cleared his throat. "Hey, I'm right here, you know."
"I'll give you your marbles back if you slip it on?" The doctor attempted to appease her unyielding patient.
Doesn't matter; I could always just make more with my own blood, Anna reminded herself. "No."
"I'd almost forgotten how stubborn you can be." Fushimi mumbled more to his self than the other two. Then he and Anna jerked slightly as they both recalled the sad incident with the vending machine. They turned their slightly red faces away from each other in unison.
'It's the vending machine that's stubborn', Anna wanted to say but she decided to just keep quiet and continue to hope that they'd both forget that certain day.
The doctor frowned, tapping her chin in speculation. "Hm, what to do?"
"…. Tsk! Here." Grunted Fushimi as he stripped off his long-sleeved shirt and tossed it at the surprised Anna who went 'ooph'. Goosebumps raised on his arms immediately as the cool air of the lab kissed his exposed skin. The doctor tried to inconspicuously divert her eyes away from the young man's lean form with a hint of abs while Anna, who was used to being around men and had even saw a man's everything—Yata's everything, to be exact—when she was just eight, didn't even acknowledge how discomforting the situation really was and neither did Fushimi himself.
She held the article of clothing gingerly in her hands. "You're… giving this to me..?"
"Well, you need something to wear." He angled his head away from her direction. "And you're still cold from earlier today, right?"
So he knows I almost drowned at the lake, Anna realized and then nodded her head.
Closing his eyes, Fushimi tilted his chair back and crossed his arms behind his head. "Huh, I'm amazed you haven't caught a cold yet."
"Ah, don't jinx it!" The doctor exclaimed.
He shrugged. "Whatever."
Anna continued to put on his shirt; it draped all the way down to her calves and the sleeves reached way past her arms by about a foot. Fingering the soft cotton material, she noticed a faint smell of lemon soap which seemed to calm her nerves down to her surprise. "I can wear this? Are you… sure?"
"If I wasn't sure then I wouldn't have given it to you in the first place, now would I?" Fushimi said, waving his hand. Then he paused. "Just so you know, I'm going to want it back."
By now, her fears and anxiety were long forgotten and cast away—hopefully forever, if the Blue King was planning to have her stay for longer than she expected. And it was all thanks to Saruhiko…. Okay, this time she had to say it! "Saruhiko, thank you."
He clicked his tongue. "I just thought it was getting kind of hot in here, that's all."
Without further ado, Anna managed to endure the scans and tests performed on her all whilst Fushimi stayed and kept company. Afterwards, apparently, he decided not to go out for dinner anymore and instead chose to have lunch at the cafeteria… with Anna tagging along of course. They were stuck together like two peas in a pod but nobody said anything about it—at least not in their presence. Those two used to be comrades after all, so it wasn't that weird for them to be so close together… that's what the other Blue clansmen convinced their selves as they tried to conceal their utter shock when they saw their usually aloof Saruhiko Fushimi willingly hanging out… with a little girl.
It became even more scandalous when said girl was permitted by Fushimi himself—albeit reluctantly—to sleep in his own room. That same Fushimi who detested having company; who valued his private space; who hated the Reds just as much as the next Blue clansman; that same Fushimi who… just allowed a girl of the Red clan to sleep in his quarters?!
"Th-that was Fushimi-san… right?!" Dōmyōji's jaw had dropped upon seeing his comrade escorting Anna into his room. "OUR Fushimi-san?!"
Ironically, the clansmen were unaware that their Blue King had also insisted that this young child stay in Fushimi's room so that she could be watched carefully by the former red clansman.
Meanwhile, inside the room….
"I'll take the floor." Fushimi informed Anna after he had pulled on a black crew neck Tee. He grabbed some pillows and an extra blanket, tossed it on the floor beside his bed, and laid down, facing away from the Strain.
"Do you want your shirt back now?" Anna asked. Just the thought of not being able to smell the lemon scented soap anymore saddened Anna a bit. It had quite a calming effect on her.
"If you're just going to borrow another shirt of mine then, no, just hold onto it a little longer..." He said, still wearing the grumpy expression he had been maintaining all day.
Anna blinked. She felt kind of ashamed to be taking over Saruhiko's space. For the rest of the day, Saruhiko had taken care of her without saying anything; he bought her dinner, accompanied her everywhere, let her borrow his clothes, and practically watched over her like a personal bodyguard. Though, they hadn't really spoken much after what had happened in the medical lab. But now she felt like she was encroaching on his space. She had this large bed all to herself while its owner was resting on the cold floor. That was just wrong.
"…. Saruhiko?"
He grunted in acknowledgement without turning to look at her.
"I'll sleep on the floor." She whispered to him. "This is your bed. You use it."
"It's fine."
"But… aren't you cold?"
"I'm fine."
See? Saruhiko is the stubborn one here…. Anna furrowed her brows, thinking deeply. Whenever I'm cold, Izumo would always put an extra blanket on me. "But, Saruhiko, I'm kind of cold…."
Sighing, he finally twisted around to peer at her from over his shoulder. "I don't have any more blankets… but you can use the one I have here, I guess."
She frowned. "But then Saruhiko will be cold!"
"I'll be fine." He stood up, dragging his blanket to Anna.
Oh no, what should I do? Now Anna was starting to feel even worse. Hm, whenever I'm cold and there's no blanket I… I always go to Mikoto's side! "Saruhiko, let's cuddle?"
"EH?!" He stepped back abruptly upon hearing her idea. "I-I don't cuddle!"
"But then we'll both be cold." Anna reasoned with him. Isn't cuddling a common thing to do? She cuddled with Kamamoto, Tatara, Mikoto and Izumo quite often.
"I said it's fine, didn't I?" Fushimi growled impatiently. He was seriously not the type for cuddling! Especially since it was a little girl whom he had absolutely no relations—no, even if he had a sister, he'd still wouldn't do it! If it was the last thing he did! But, he had to admit, it was pretty cold on the floor….
Anna allowed her lips to tremble as she stared at Fushimi, though, she had to be mindful of the intensity of her stare lest her powers activate, especially since Fushimi didn't have his glasses on.
"Urgh…." His eye twitched before he gave in, climbing atop the bed. Anna scooted over as close as she could to the wall, knowing he wanted to be distant from her as far as possible without falling off. "I want to make this clear; we are not cuddling. We are simply sharing the bed together, got it?"
She gave a content nod and then he turned on his side to face away from her once again. But then she realized the bed wasn't really as big as she believed it was; there was only five inches of space between them even though she was pressing herself against the wall.
Oh well, she thought, at least this way I can feel Saruhiko's warmth even if it's not Mikoto's. Yes, even though Fushimi had defected from HOMRA, his red Aura still continued to beat faintly in close resonance with Anna's.
"Hey…." He started in a hushed voice. She strained to stay awake so she could hear him."Does… does it still hurt? Do you need to redress your wound?"
Yawning, Anna angled her head to stare at Fushimi's back as he lay on his side away from her. "I'm good."
"Oh." He cleared his throat. "I mean, it's not like I'm worried or anything. I just don't want to have any blood stains on my sheets… they're really hard to clean out, you know. So, I better not wake up to any of that, you hear?"
"…."
"Anna…?"
Receiving no response, Fushimi peeked over his shoulder only to find that the little girl was already deeply asleep. And he laid there in bed, repeating in his mind over and over, 'I'm not worried about her' until he eventually dozed off as well.
"It must have been really cold last night…." Fushimi had muttered when he awoke to find Anna snuggled right up against him.
"Do you not like it here? It seems to be that way after what happened yesterday night…."
"It's not that!" Anna toyed with the dress's ruffles which draped just below her knees. The cloth was too thin. She longed for the comfortable folds of the gothic Lolita dress Izumo and Tatara had bought for her. But it had been taken away since it was soggy and torn. And she didn't want to keep wearing Saruhiko's clothes—even though that would've been nice—since it would only be bothersome to him. "It's just… being in a place I'm not familiar with that keeps Strains… and with no one I know…. It brings up bad memories…."
"I see." He nodded his head to let her know he understood what she was feeling. "But you need not worry, little one. That man is far away from here, locked for his sins. You are safe with me—I can assure you of that."
"I know…." Actually, it wasn't necessarily herself she was worried about. Anna was primarily concerned with Tatara's well-being. What if last night he was caught by the Colorless King and she hadn't known? Could he have possibly visited the rooftop alone again? Would he? Or had she already managed to alter the course of their fate somehow? After all, she did manage to change some events of today; instead of the crew having gone out separately, they had stayed together in her company. That was big enough of a change to veer their destiny onto another course, right? She wasn't exactly so sure though. "I have a question... Several actually."
Satisfied that Anna was seemingly interested in talking now, the Blue King eagerly folded his hands together under his chin. "Of course. And I'll answer to the best of my abilities."
She hesitated for a second. Maybe it was better to wait for the Slate to contact her again. But no, she didn't have the time—and she couldn't always rely on that slab of stone either. "Do you know… how you became a King?"
Munakata, for once, couldn't hide his shock with Anna's serious inquiry. He pondered about it for a moment. "It's hard to say, really. From what I know—and from what I could gather based on the accounts of predecessors—you cannot choose to become a King… as the same case goes for Strains. The Dresden Slate chooses—"
"—chooses you." Anna finished for him without meaning to. The words just popped out of her mouth.
"Yes…" Munakata frowned slightly at her over the rim of his glasses. "Did you perceive that through your Strain abilities?"
"…. Yes." Anna lied for the first time since Honami left her after encountering the Gold Rabbits. "M-Mizuchi-san also mentioned it to me before…."
"Even though he knew that, he still tried to forcefully create a King out of you?" Munakata asked her cautiously.
Anna held herself back from squirming in her chair. She focused her attention on the rose to soothe herself. "He did…. Anyways, how do you know if you were born a King, chosen by the Slate?"
"It's essentially a dormant power, called a 'Sanctum', which rests within you until it is time to awaken." Munakata answered her. "It's unclear when, exactly, it awakens—the situation varies. But, of course, it will always awaken at some point after a King dies and it is that person's turn to take over."
Anna's palms were starting to feel sweaty for some reason. Why am I so nervous all of a sudden? "So how do you know if you have a Sanctum?"
"You just do." Munakata 's standard smile then drooped a bit. "Even for me, it's hard to describe exactly but I guess you can say it's just a natural feeling…. Think of it like this: your heart is an organ that continuously pumps blood to keep it flowing throughout your body. Without the heart, you will die of course. Even so, we don't really pay much attention to our heart. It's just there in the cavity of your chest, and it's probably the last thing we think of when it comes to taking care of your bodies. People are aware of their limbs, brain, primal needs, etc. but the heart is most likely the least thought of even though it is vital. Do you know why? It's because it feels just as natural as breathing to the point where we become unconscious of it. Do you understand what I am saying?"
"I do." Anna gave a sharp nod. Or at least she thinks she understands it.
"So unless the situation calls for it, we continue to remain unaware." Resting his elbows on the desk, Munakata leaned forward. "Because one's Sanctum is not a part of the Slate but a part of yourself."
A Sanctum is a part of yourself? Mizuchi had never told her of anything like this. Maybe he didn't know about a King's Sanctum, Anna guessed. He was solely trying to communicate with the Slate to make a King; it's not like he was trying to find out how it functioned. "Does the Slate decide when to awaken your Sanctum?"
"No," Munakata's eyes drifted shut. "Just as long as a King is needed, the one who bears a Sanctum will be the one to awaken it on his or her own. That's why new Kings don't just pop up the day after one has just died."
Was that why no new Red King had appeared yet in her timeline even though it was about a year already since Mikoto's death? "I understand…."
"Anna…." Munakata's glasses glinted mysteriously. "Forgive me if this comes across to you as rude but, are you still planning to become a King?"
"N-no…." Thinking he was referring to the incident with Mizuchi and the Center, Anna was slightly taken aback by this question. "To be able to do the impossible doesn't mean you need the power of a King."
The glint from Munakata's glasses flashed away and then he smiled lightly. "You're right about that—well said!"
"But," She started asking out of pure curiosity this time. "How long do Kings live?"
A certain look came over Munakata as he answered her quietly. "Actually, most of us Kings do not live for long during our years in power. A decade is fine but we'd be extremely lucky to be able to reach even twenty years at least. That amount of time may seem long to most but for us Kings the years pass by in a flash. The Silver and Gold King are an exception to this kind of short reigning, of course, since they were the very first two to have come to power… or at least, that's what the other Kings and I have heard. Though, everything has an end including immortality… that's what I'd like to think."
Kings do not live very long? Anna was quite astonished to hear such a thing. "Why are years as a King that short?"
"Well, there are three scenarios; old age and natural causes are preferred since the remaining two are really tragic; it's either that a King's Sword of Damocles fails… or another King defeats him or her." Munakata explained.
"'Her'?" Anna repeated in confusion.
"The position of King is not gender-based, Anna." He graciously told her. "It's just that there have not been any records of a female King yet. Though I wouldn't mind at all if a female King awakens."
"Not 'Queen'?"
"Like I said, it's not gender-based." He reassured her.
"Okay…." She guessed that made sense. "So what happens after those three scenarios?"
Munakata sighed softly. "Afterwards we cannot do anything but wait for the awakening of a new King."
"Then, what you said earlier… it's true that only a King can defeat another King?" Anna asked slowly as she remembered the fox entity's last words to her. 'So, you say you're going to stop me? Then remember this, you fatuous strain: only a king can stop another king.'
"Yes…." Munakata answered her, glancing down at the red marbles sitting atop his desk. For now, he was holding onto them; he knew she used them as a medium for her Strain powers but when he had examined her beads, it seemed there was nothing special about them at all. "May I ask how you know this?"
Anna knew she was treading in very deep waters but if she wanted the information she needed then she had no choice. However, it did feel nerve wracking to know that Munakata was onto her a little. She was aware of how he knew things accurately solely because of his keen intellect so Anna could not help but feel on guard whenever he was nearby. She tried to shrug a shoulder casually, the action causing her wound to ache. "I see things that nobody else sees."
The Blue King chuckled. "Then, if you don't mind, could you see what I will have for a morning snack?"
Anna hesitated but then forced herself to focus on the King's eyes. Breathing deeply, she controlled her powers so that she would only see what she was trying to search for. It took just a few seconds. "It seems… Lieutenant Awashima is planning to bring you her special red bean—"
"Ehhhh…." Anna could see the Adam's apple of Munakata's throat bob as he seemed to gulp in distress. "I-I see then…. Thank you for the warning—ah, I mean, prediction."
"You can thank me by letting me go." She tried not to be too curt about it.
"I know it's your birthday and you wish to spend it with your King and co. And you're not my prisoner so I cannot keep you here forever." He picked up a stack of papers and began shuffling through them. "However, I do need you to stay just a little longer."
Anna was not exactly elated to hear that request. That is, if it even was a request. "Why?"
Munakata stopped sorting through the files. "Because the report we received was accurate despite it being from an anonymous source."
"The report was anonymous?" That kind of bugged Anna; all that trouble earlier was because of an anonymous report that was lucky to have turned out correct. But then who could have sent it—and why?
"Yes, it was received through a call with no ID, only a disguised voice. When my men attempted to trace the call back we found that it had been sent from an abandoned apartment. Of course, we had our suspicions but I couldn't take any chances; so this instigated an immediate investigation just to make sure. All we know is that there truly was a massive power release at the park you were at." Munakata leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I even sensed it myself…. The energy was on the same level that only a King can reach."
Was it the Colorless King then? But she couldn't mention him without being interrogated by Munakata and risk prolonging her stay here for more questioning. "But I'm not a King. And it wasn't Mikoto either."
"Oh, I know it wasn't your King." He peered at her through his crystal clear lenses. "But even so, there are rare and special cases in which a Strain is powerful enough to reach that high of an energy level, albeit temporarily."
"And you think I am capable of that?" Incredulity was laced heavily in the tone of her soft voice.
"No." He pushed his glasses up, reflecting off a glaring light. "I know it."
"Then why the scans and tests on me if you were so positive?"
Munakata's face became abruptly serious to the point where it seemed to Anna that he was concerned. With her sharp eyes, Anna could just make out what appeared to be a crease between the King's brows but she made no comment on it. He breathed slightly. "Because I sensed two different types of energy at that time. And they came from two Kings. One, similar to Suoh Mikoto's—but not exactly his—as the Red King, whilst the other… well, I'm not even sure. The other power was unfamiliar to me but at the same time it wasn't. I could only confirm that it was the energy of a King."
Two different energy sources from two Kings? He confirmed that Mikoto was neither of them and he didn't mention the Colorless King either. But then he also said one of the sources was similar to the Red King's power…. If it was neither Mikoto nor the Colorless King, then just who were the two sources of Kingly power? This wasn't making sense to Anna at all! If anything, this revelation had only confounded her.
She snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing the door behind her click open. Fushimi's voice echoed across the large office space. "Sir, I have the files you requested including the updated version."
"Ah, Fushimi," Munakata said as he accepted a thick folder from his clansman, "nice timing. Did you know that today is this young lady's birthday?"
Fushimi held back from rolling his eyes. "Yeah."
"Did you know she is turning eleven today?" The King's thin lips tugged into an easy smile. 'Thirteen' Anna wanted to correct the man.
"Yeah." Fushimi grunted.
Munakata's polite smile seemed to look more like a smirk now. "And did you know that you are going to take this beautiful young girl out today?"
"Yeah." Fushimi replied automatically before pausing. "Wait, what did you just say?"
Take out? Does this mean, Anna wondered…. Saruhiko and I…?
"It's her birthday." Fushimi's King continued. "I want you to take Anna out and treat her to whatever she wants. Don't worry, you won't have to do this for the entire day."
"Eh? W-wait—what?!" Fushimi sputtered with a flustered face. "B-b-but I have other duties to—"
"Ah, make sure you buy her a new dress as well." Munakata mentioned nonchalantly. "To compensate for her old one."
"But it's Lieutenant Awashima who—" Fushimi began.
"If you do this today and the little princess here comes back satisfied then I'll be sure to include a raise in your pay this month as reimbursement." The Blue King smiled in a coy manner.
For a moment, Fushimi was silent as he debated in his mind whether it was worth it. All he had to do was take her out and let her do whatever, right? It was practically a walk in the park. He checked his watch; 7:30 am. He only had to accompany her for some time—piece of cake! Just as long as she didn't get in his way and he in hers then it should be fine. Besides, he had the chance to make some extra money just to do a simple task as babysit a girl who was mature enough to not get on his nerves too much. Yeah, of course it'll be fine. He glanced at Anna before turning back to his King. "All right, I'll do it."
Fushimi's answer left Anna completely surprised. Was he… doing this for her? After how burdensome she had been to him yesterday? Then again, she thought, how could anybody refuse when there's money involved? Yes, he must be in this for the money.
Munakata chuckled in satisfaction. "Excellent. I knew you'd agree to it. But I forgot to mention one other thing…."
Fushimi's eyes widened. "EH?"
The King picked up an envelope lying by his side and held it out to a slightly concerned Fushimi. "Here you go."
Fushimi read the words labeled in red on the envelope's cover. Scavenger Hunt. He frowned. "What is this?"
"I, myself, do not know what contents are being kept within this envelope." Munakata answered.
"Well who sent this?!" Fushimi demanded. To Anna's amusement, his facial expression was twisted into one of disgust and incredulity.
"Oh, it was an acquaintance." Munakata's refusal to say any more on the matter only served to irritate Fushimi further.
"Of yours or mine?!"
"Hm, I guess you could say that." Munakata's ambiguous answers were even baffling Anna. A Scavenger Hunt? What was that? She had never heard of that sort of thing before.
"You…" Fushimi growled. "You tricked me—"
"Saruhiko Fushimi." Munakata elegantly nudged his glasses up again with the slim tip of his middle finger. "You will assist the princess here by embarking on this scavenger hunt… for our cause is pure!"
'Pure—my ass' was essentially written on Fushimi's face, expressing his disbelief.
"Ah! That reminds me!" Munakata spared a glimpse at the grandfather clock across the room. "There is a time limit to this mission. You must complete this scavenger hunt by noon."
"What!" With beads of sweat forming on his temple, Fushimi struggled to swallow his protest down. He now regretted accepting this mission but it was too late to take back his words. Meanwhile, Anna was too confused to react. Scavenger Hunt? What? What's going on? I don't have time to play! I… I need to find a way to defeat the Colorless King. As long as he is alive, he will try to kill Tatara! I need to go stop him and also find out to whom do those two power sources Munakata mentioned belong to….
Munakata rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, if the thought of doing the Scavenger Hunt as a mission displeases you that much then you can simply consider it as an activity for a date."
Anna blinked. A date? Fushimi, who was extremely agitated by now, opened his mouth to object.
"It's almost 8 am; you have about four hours. Off you go then!" Munakata waved them off, his face beaming with a closed-lip grin. "Good luck and have fun, Miss Anna. Today, you are a princess, and so I grant you Saruhiko Fushimi to serve as your knight and treat you for this day."
"Uh, thank you, Mr. Blue King…." Anna said unsurely. Without her marbles, it was difficult for her to predict what would be the outcome.
"'Mr. Blue King'?" Fushimi muttered. He clicked his tongue and began ushering Anna out of the office. "Goodness, let's just get this over with…."
"Fushimi, don't forget to finish Cinderella's scavenger hunt by 12!" Munakata grinned contentedly whilst the two set off on their hunt. After they departed, the Blue King thought aloud to himself, "I hope this gives those Reds enough time…."
Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. The Blue King leaned forward and laced his hands together. "Enter."
A blonde busty woman walked in and saluted before his desk. "Sir, I would like to go over Anna Kuhina's files with you. There is something we need to discuss…."
"Yes." Her King agreed, glancing at the thick folder he had set down. "But, first, how about some tea, Awashima-kun?"
The Lieutenant then held up a cup of coffee that looked slightly discolored, tinged reddish, and also a dish heaped with mounds of this pasty red substance. "Actually, sir, I thought you might like to have something light to eat this morning. Do not worry, I made sure to include more red bean past for you to give you an extra boost of energy."
That mysterious glint reappeared against Munakata's lenses. He gulped heavily. "Ah…."