Chapter 4

Musically At Ease

"Lu, how can you play that da^^n piano at a time like this?" Roy sat on the elongated stool next to his now hairless brother. Pleasant music now floating about them in the house Ludwig and Lemmy had woken up in that morning. "Dad's right about one thing, you really are too obsessed with classical music."

"Vatter…" He mumbled under his breath as he paused ever so slightly. Roy barely caught onto it. "You know me better zan zat. I'm trying to zink about zis situation and I need to calm myself."

"Lu. What did you see?" He narrowed his eyes. "Before the attack you were going say something about dad. Whatever you saw, whatever you know must be pretty messed up for you to act stupid about it. Spit it; What happened when Mario burst in?"

"…Fazer, protected us…" The music picked up a little in intensity. "I've never seen him fight so viciously or Mario look so angry and…Empty…"

"Like the others, those puppets."

"Yes, but he vasn't alone and Fazer couldn't keep all zree of zem at bay. I tried to fight viz him but he refused. He told me to take Junior to ze sanctuary. I grabbed Junior and dragged him to vone of the hidden pipes…I vish I hadn't taken zat last moment to look back. I zank ze Stars Junior didn't."

"Is dad…Did he-?"

"He vasn't killed. He vas taken." He corrected strongly even the keys clunked at his sudden cut-off. The memory of huddled blue figure haunted him. "It took him. A fourz figure came in. Ze very valls bended around to allow it to enter."

"Lu, You're making it sound like Grambi himself flew in and whisked him away."

"Don't patronize me!" He shot at him He despised the name and his brother's criticizing tone. Roy didn't quite expect that strong of a reaction but failed to show his surprise. "I know vhat I saw! Be it Da^^ning Grambi or not!"

"Realx, Lu, if dad wasn't killed then what's there to be so upset about? He's a strong guy even if he's a moron most of the time."

"You didn't see vhat it did to him." He would have continued if it weren't for the commotion in the next room.

"Mama!" The boy smiled as the car pulled up running from the table that he was currently sharing with Kaai to get to the window. "Right on time!" He rushed to the door to help his sister with the bag she was entrusted with.

"Thanks Gacha." The girl smiled. Her red eyes were large round and alert. Her pink hair was shoulder length and appeared shaggy despite the amount of time she took to brush it. She wore a red skirt with two yellow stripes near the bottom and a short sleeved coat of the same color with yellow cuffs over a white button up shirt. Pinning back the left side of her hair were two crossing yellow hair pins with two orange stripes at each end. "Did Mukku help you get better?" She asked with concern.

"Um, yeah but…"

"But what?" She tilted her head. She wasn't sure why he was so hesitant. Ryuto wasn't the type to roughhouse with anyone else's toys so there must be a good reason why he was so anxious about it. She then noticed something odd. "Where are Gachapin and Mukku?"

"Um, Gacha? Maybe I should explain it to them."

"Explain what?" The woman that walked from the car resembled the boy greatly having droopy pure green eyes and green hair with similar bangs that was just a little longer. She had on a knee length pleated green skirt, black vest, white dress shirt with black cuffs, and knee high socks. "Did they get lost?"

"Um, Ryouko-Chan? Do you remember that time Kuji made fun of Ka-Chan because she believed the old fairy tale that umbrellas and sandals and things can come to life after a hundred years?"

"Yes, why?"

"It's just…You know how people talk about that thing in the movies with that doll?"

"Oh, just tell them they're possessed already! It's not that hard!" Attention was driven to Roy as he opened the door to the living room and grumbled about the unnecessary preparation. "I mean if making them believe it was the issue just let them see for themselves."

"Hi." Lemmy once again not realizing it would have a proper time to hide most likely would have made the conversation much faster if he had not been in the other room up until that moment.

"…Oh. I was wondering where you were going with that. To be honest I was getting a bit worried about you."

"Somehow I knew you would take it like a Gacha would if he found out he didn't have to go to school…" He frowned as he contemplated how she was just a little too easygoing with the super natural.

"Mukku-Kun!" The little girl ran over to the fluffy creature and picked him up.

"I'm Lemmy but I like that name too."

"It's not so bad Sakura, they don't seem like vengeful spirits. They probably just want to find peace and got lost."

"We actually are looking for revenge. You're just not the ones we're after."

"Yes, zat's right…Also, again, not dead. Try to remember zat please. It's getting a little aggravating." The eldest had regained his composure quickly, as usual. It was simple this time now that there was one more problem taken care of and their 'hosts' were much more manageable than expected.

He observed silently for the rest of the afternoon, getting a better handle on their mannerisms for future reference. They were unusual but who was he to judge? They were just as strange as his family…Just as…happy as his family…was…

'No.' He thought. He swept the thoughts clean to rewrite then in the proper tense. He scolded himself all the while for not keeping his thoughts up. He had to, for the others.

"Ludwig-Kun, are you alright?" He looked up to see eyes on him, green sleepy ones as the adult knealed to his current level.

"Hm? Mrs.-."

"Just call me Ryouko please."

"Ryouko, yes, I'm fine."

"OK." She was unconvinced but too kind at the moment to pry. She offered a warm smile in an attempt ease him. "If you need anything I'll be here."

"I'll be sure to keep zat in mind…Zank you." He returned with his, or Gachapin's warmest. Strange, it felt almost like…She was smiling at him.

Author's Notice

Sorry things are slow, but there are two more stories I'm starting up and I have to make sure the two I'm already typing are going the way they should. Thank you for your patience.