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I. A Child's Sentiment

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Hakuryuu could not fathom how Miss Ceara dealt with her children. Much less how Kouen did in the state he was now in. He supposed that having Koumei and Kouha at Samon had been of great help but still. Even with the extra hands now, Miss Ceara certainly seemed to have her hands full with the two newcomers.

Rei and Sei were only weeks old. As such, Miss Ceara had given most of her attention to them, and although not completely leaving the other two, Hakuryuu could tell that Kohaku and Kouyuu started to get cranky with the lack of attention from their mother. It made him wonder if he'd been like that when younger.

But he digressed as Miss Ceara wandered off from their work to tend to the small newborns. Because of her load, Kougyoku had asked him to help Miss Ceara out with work she'd put onto herself and that she was adamant about finishing. So here he was with her. Despite having told her multiple times that he could certainly handle something like this alone, she remained steadfast about finishing it. Soon the morning came and went and around the afternoon, her little ones finally needed their time to sleep again. After putting the twins to their naps, he couldn't help but notice how exhausted she appeared. But even with how she was, Hakuryuu could tell that Kohaku and Yuu were going to have none of that.

"Mama, play!" Haku whined while pulling at her mother's skirts.

"Play, play!" Yuu called out too as he pulled her sister along.

Miss Ceara heaved a sigh but amazingly kept a smile on as she talked to them. "How about later, sweetie. Mama's really tired."

"But Mama said that last time!" Kohaku complained, pulling harder.

"Now!" Yuu cried out being a little too loud. Hakuryuu cringed and on instinct—or god knew what came over him—laid his hands on top of Kohaku's and Yuu's heads making both toddlers face up to him.

"How about I play with you?"

"Shushu Ryuu?" Yuu asked, having gotten used to calling him uncle incredibly fast.

"You don't have to," Miss Ceara told him, but the yawn that escaped her made him all the more determined to help. Poor woman was tired beyond belief. She was a good mother to these kids and she needed her rest. And if keeping these two occupied for a while was what it took for her to get it, then he didn't see the problem.

"It's no bother, really," he assured her instead, squatting down to the level of the two little ones and smiling. Haku stepped back but Yuu smiled at having his head patted. "We can go play ourselves, right?"

"Yeah! Shushu Ryuu play!" Well, at least he was excited. Kohaku wasn't as much but Yuu managed to convince her somehow. Miss Ceara thanked him deeply and said that she would make most of the time he gave her. Hakuryuu simply smiled before taking the toddlers out of the room.

At first there was an awkward silence. Despite the bravado and assurance he wanted to portray for her, Hakuryuu didn't know the first thing about taking care of children. Having been the youngest of his own family warranted that they mostly took take of him.

"What are we gonna do?" The moment Yuu asked him this Hakuryuu froze. He had no idea either. Thankfully, at that precise moment, Yuu's stomach growled loudly.

"H-How about before going to play we go to the kitchen and grab an afternoon snack!"

"Snacks!" Yuu exclaimed and grabbed tightly onto Hakuryuu's hand before nodding and babbling a tune about snacks.

"Are you alright with that too, Kohaku?" The little girl pouted as if annoyed but nodded slightly and didn't really grab onto his hand like Yuu did. Not taking that to heart, Hakuryuu took the two to the kitchen where the maids were more than happy to put a small something together for the two. Soon enough they had plates full of cut up pieces of fruit, all different types and all delicious by the faces he saw them give as he sat back.

The time it'd take them to eat would be enough for Hakuryuu to figure out what to do. There was plenty he could think of that they could do but then again, he wasn't sure if the type of things he thought of were appropriate for a couple of toddlers of barely three and two. But he had to think of a way and fast.

"What the hell? Hakuryuu, you got degraded to a damn nanny? Shit, that's a new fucking low."

Hearing that last sentence got Hakuryuu to react and turn quickly about to meet Judar's eyes as he entered, snickering at the sight. "Would you refrain from that language?"

"Language?" Judar repeated and scoffed. "Weren't you the same, though?"

He has a point. Nevermind that. "Not in front of the children, you idiot," he hissed under his breath. His gaze fell back to them as they ate their fruit tenderly, Kohaku giving Yuu the ones he liked rather than eating them herself. Judar fell into his field of view then as the magi stepped forward, his view shifting from the toddlers to Hakuryuu.

"Why do you have Taozi's brats?"

"I'm taking care of them while she rests. Why do you call her peach?" Hs question fell on deaf ears as Judar went over to Yuu's side and picked at the peaches that Kohaku had given him. It took Yuu a moment to realize that his favorite fruit had been taken away, but the instant he did, tears began to well up in his eyes which sent Hakuryuu into a panic. Before he could eat it, he snatched the piece of fruit from Judar and placed it back onto Yuu's plate. "What is wrong with you?"

Judar, not one to give up so easily, kept trying to reach for the fruit while Hakuryuu pushed him back and Yuu kept his dish close to himself knowing what the magi's aim was now.

"What's wrong with you?" Judar groaned, stepping back and giving up for the moment at seeing Hakuryuu's stubbornness. "It's a damn piece and I'm hungry."

"Ask the maids and leave theirs alone then."

"But those are already peeled."

"It's theirs and they're kids, for goodness sake."

"That's got jackshit to do with me." Judar pushed back Hakuryuu who kept interfering, their little pushing and shoving becoming worse every time. It kept going for a while until both tired of it, like the little kids they themselves were. Annoyed as he was, Judar pulled out his wand and expanded it to a staff. "Alright, asshole. You're getting on my nerves. Move or else."

"You wouldn't," he hissed but certainly knew better. Hakuryuu wouldn't put it past him. Especially where his favorite dish was concerned. He knew that firsthand after having lived with the magi for such a long period of time.

"Try me." Judar's staff crackled with lightning but when his gaze fell behind Hakuryuu, he scoffed and stopped what he was doing. When Hakuryuu's brow furrowed in confusion, Judar gave a nod behind him. "See? They didn't even want it. Fucking waste."

Even more puzzled by his words, Hakuryuu turned about to find the seats that had been previously occupied completely empty. On the table, only the plates that had been served with plenty of leftover fruits were left. There was no trace of the two.

Shit.

"We have to find them. They couldn't have gone far."

"No, thanks. I'm hungry!" Judar brightly jested as he picked up the plate and plucked one of the peach slices from it, hovering it over his open mouth.

"There's no time for that!" Hakuryuu cried out before pulling the magi by his chunnari and dragging him out.

At first Hakuryuu's worry was small. After all, as small as they were, those two couldn't have gone far. Oh, how wrong he'd been. Twenty minutes into their search and there was still no sign of either one. Even when Judar—after some good convincing and a hit on the head—searched for them by flying overhead, neither Kohaku nor Kouyuu were anywhere to be found. They weren't outdoors which left the inside of the palace. But the place was huge. Finding them by searching every room would take hours.

Wait. I'm an idiot.

Dragging Judar back to his room, he took his spear and summoned Zagan. Judar watched curiously as the small sprouts began to rise from the floor and twine around the pole before reaching his hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Finding them." Hakuryuu was surprised he didn't think of it sooner. With Zagan, he could easily connect to every flora and fauna in the palace. And with the aid of magoi manipulation, he could use them instead to search every square inch of the palace. For a brief moment, everything was normal until Zagan told him about disturbances to his flora out towards the East.

The royal quarters.

"Found them. Let's go." Judar didn't complain this time, surprisingly, and followed behind him as they headed to the eastern parts of the palace. Approaching the room where Zagan had noticed the disturbance, Hakuryuu grabbed ahold of the door and jerked it open. The sight before him baffled him for a second. Feathers were everywhere, hovering downward like snowflakes during winter. Amongst the makeshift snow, Kohaku and Yuu jumped around on a couch, giddily laughing as the two held ripped pillows in their hands, the feathers coming out of them with every jump they gave.

"Kohaku! Yuu!" Both stopped immediately and turned to Hakuryuu as soon as they heard their names called out. The feathers hadn't even settled when he entered the room to reach them. "You shouldn't have—" He didn't get to finish his sentence. Instead he ate a mouthful of feathers when Kohaku threw her pillow which hit him square in the face.

Judar's cackling burst out at impact. The magi held his stomach as Hakuryuu stood stupefied by the action. Not wasting a second, he yanked the thing off his now red face and glared at the two toddlers. Yuu stood confused at her sister's actions but Kohaku glared back before taking her brother's hand and running away again.

"Ah, there they go," Judar commented as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"They won't get away this time." Hakuryuu held his spear taut and was about to summon Zagan before hesitating.

This wasn't right. Using Zagan to catch them, even if he was annoyed at their misbehavior, wasn't the right thing to do. He remembered for a fact that Hakuyuu and Hakuren were never mean to him when he misbehaved and acted like a brat, few as those times were. No, they talked to him and always with patience. He needed to have that same patience now. These were his br—Kouen's children after all. He didn't want to treat them unjustly. Calming down, Hakuryuu lowered Zagan and instead dragged Judar with him again as they ran after them.

This time, they didn't go far. The two got to the outer gardens by the time Hakuryuu began to catch up. Yuu was the first one to tire out and fall behind. Kohaku, however, didn't stop, though she appeared to be just as tired as her brother. Instead her eyes scanned the area before landing on a tree. Before Hakuryuu could reach her, she climbed quickly enough to be out of his reach.

Quickly checking Yuu and leaving him to Judar—no other option, really—Hakuryuu readied to climb but was surprised at the pebble that hit him on the forehead out of the blue. "Damn…" he groaned as he rubbed at the mildly sore spot. He tried to climb again after her but every time he did, she would throw another pebble from the bunch she'd picked up beforehand and climbed higher. And surprisingly, she kept hitting him in the same exact spot.

Judar let out a whistle and chortled. "Damn, that's good aim."

"Haku good climb!" Yuu added with an excited clap of his hands.

Instead of trying again, Hakuryuu glanced up from his place. Kohaku was pretty high up, almost reaching the canopy of the tree. She was a damn good climber indeed. Hakuryuu, though, focused on her ammunition instead. She had no more pebbles at hand, but she was high up there too.

"Kohaku, please come down. You'll get hurt."

"No!" she shouted.

"Why not?" Hakuryuu asked wanting to calm her down a bit from her apparent tantrum.

"Because I hate you!"

That declaration came to him as a shock. Kohaku hated him? That didn't even make sense. He met her once when she was one and again now. Those were few meetings from where to form an opinion of someone, especially at her young age. Shaking his head out of that, he focused instead on what was at hand. He could ask about that later.

"I don't believe that's true. How about we talk about it? Would you come down to talk about it?" Hakuryuu slowly crept closer to the tree as he spoke and by the end of his second question, he'd planted a foot on the base of the oak. Now that she was out of pebbles, he could climb safely without her throwing stuff at him.

"No! Get away!" she cried and instead climbed higher into the canopy. But on one of her steps, Hakuryuu saw the branch bending under her foot. Before he even shouted out his warning, Kohaku climbed and placed all her weight on it, making the branch snap. Hakuryuu reacted fast and grabbed a hold of Zagan before willing the vines from the floor to sprout out and break her fall midway. The vines cradled her tiny body and wrapped gently around her to secure her before Hakuryuu lowered her to him. Once he had his arm around her waist, he undid Zagan's vines but the moment he did, she began to struggle. The instant she did, he let go of his spear to avoid hurting her by accident and placed her on the floor to face her.

"Koha—Stop. Don't. Kohaku, stop right now."

"No!" She pried at his strong hold on her shoulders but cried out when she couldn't undo it. "Let go!"

"Not until you calm down." Hakuryuu held steadfast to the little girl for two or three minutes before she stopped. But not because she wanted to. He could tell just by the glare and tears in her eyes that she wasn't happy at all about this. But neither was he. "What were you thinking climbing up that high? You could've gotten seriously hurt, Kohaku."

"Mama would've come save Haku! I don't need you! I hate you!"

That again.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked not wanting to beat around the bush seeing as she wasn't having any of it.

At being asked that one question, she stopped completely and her puffy red eyes glared back at him with tears welling up. "Because of what you did to baba!" To Kouen? "You—You took baba's legs and arm!"

"...took?"

"Not true!" Hakuryuu turned with Kohaku in his arms still to look at Yuu who was also upset now, his glare just as similar to hers. "Baba said!"

"Baba lies!" she shouted at Yuu as she unleashed her anger out. "He lies about not being tired! About not hurting! He lies and it's all because of him!"

"No! Baba and mama said no!" Yuu screamed louder, this time fighting with Judar who quickly let the kid down not wanting to deal with him. Kohaku did the same, kicking and scratching at Hakuryuu who couldn't do much except let her go. The instant they left them on the ground though, they began lashing at each other.

Kohaku was the first that throw a clean punch to Yuu's arm. The boy retaliated quickly by taking a strand of her hair and yanking hard. Judar cheered them on as Hakuryuu panicked over their fighting. Running up to them, he separated them easily to his relief, having to hold Kohaku under his arm and by her waist and keeping Yuu at a distance with a simple hand on his shoulder. Both were crying but mostly out of frustration, and their glares were intense against each other.

This...it didn't seem to Hakuryuu like it'd been the first time they fought this viciously. Even as he separated them they kept calling names at each other, mostly exchanging 'stupid' or 'idiot' as if they were playing ball. Finally fed up with their bratty attitude, Hakuryuu took a deep breath before raising his voice. "You will stop this instant!"

The two toddlers did as they were told out of shock. Even Judar, who'd been cackling in the background, saw himself stopping without meaning to. Hakuryuu looked at each in turn before putting Kohaku down and getting them at a safe distance in case they decided to fight again. Once things seemed a bit calmer, he addressed them.

"You shouldn't fight like this. You're siblings; you're suppose to take care of each."

"He's an idiot," Kohaku called still furious, "You too. I hate you."

"Yes, I know." Hakuryuu took another deep breath to calm himself before continuing. "And I believe an apology is due here."

"Apology?" Judar came closer to them and raised an eyebrow at his King Candidate. "You don't owe them squat. Didn't you say Entei gave you those limbs because he wanted to?"

"Lies!" Kohaku exclaimed to the air.

Yuu shook his head before and managed to reach Kohaku, wrapping his arms around his sister's and pulling. "No, mama said no. Baba said he give to little brother."

The redheaded girl looked into her brother's eyes as he stood on the verge of crying. Her own eyes welled up in heavy tears that threatened to fall too. But Hakuryuu saw a stubbornness in them as well. By the looks of it, she'd been told this all before but somehow hadn't accepted it. Perhaps she didn't even clearly understand. But she held steadfast to her own belief. A belief that was quickly starting to break before his eyes. "But baba's strong. He wouldn't…" Kohaku sniffled a bit before she fully started crying her lungs out. Yuu, affected by her emotions, followed suit quickly after.

Judar wanted to scream along with them but instead covered his ears and kicked Hakuryuu. "Do something!?"

He wanted to but...what?

What did Hakuyuu and Hakuren do when I got like this?

Thinking about them brought along an idea. His brothers had always been kind and straightforward. They always told him things in a way that he understood and that made him feel better. It did so because they wouldn't leave him in the dark. Even if he didn't fully understand either back then, he understood the sentiment that they portrayed with the few words he could understand.

And he had nothing to lose in trying that too.

Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around the two and brought them closer, something that surprised and shocked the toddlers. Both spent from their fighting and crying, neither pulled away and it gave Hakuryuu time to think of how to phrase his thoughts.

"Your father…" he began quietly and gently for only them to hear, "is a man I never understood. One I still don't understand much. I don't get what made him do a lot of things, like how he gave me his arm and legs way before you two were born. I admit that I'm not a good man. Far from it. I've done things that I'm not proud of and some that I regret, but there's no denying that I did them. But both your father's and my actions are things that happened already; they're in the past. What matters, and what should always matter, is what we do now, in the present. I've...forgiven your father for a lot of things that happened in the past. And I like to believe that he forgave me for the things that I did too. I think his gift was a way to show that. We're...brothers, after all. I don't think we should fight anymore; I don't think either of us want to fight anymore. It's also what I think about Kohaku and Yuu."

Reaching back to take their hands, he linked them together and held them in his. "You love each other. Kohaku, you love Yuu a lot. You're a wonderful big sister to him by always taking care of him. And Yuu, you're a brave little brother. Even though you're younger, you pay attention to help your sister and set her straight when you think she's done wrong. You do good for each other, just like your father and I have done recently. Hold that to heart. Don't fight against each other; always be beside each other. You'll never find anything stronger than that bond you have as siblings. And Kohaku…"

His young niece for once looked him in the eye. There was no glare or ill will coming from her. There was simply a calm and slight curiosity as to what he had to say.

"Your father did give his arm and legs to me. I didn't take them. But I know you won't believe me if you hear it from me. But maybe, when you see him again, you can ask him yourself."

Kohaku stared wide-eyed at him as if he'd given her a sudden revelation that she never had seen before. Her other hand reached to her skirt and held it tightly in her hand, her pouting lip quivering it slightly. "Y-You think Baba will tell the truth?"

"Of course he will," he replied. Letting go of their joined hands, Hakuryuu cleaned away her tears with his sleeve before doing the same with Yuu. "If you ask him, I'm sure he will."

"Mm." Kohaku pursed her lips and pouted before turning to face her little brother. "I-I'm sorry, Yuu. About hitting you."

Yuu nodded back and wiped at his face with his own sleeve for good measure as his nose began to run a little. "Yuu too. Sorry."

Kohaku lowered her gaze before turning back to face Hakuryuu. "I'm sorry too, Shushu Ryuu. Haku was...mean."

The meek way she spoke those words made Hakuryuu smile warmly as he patted her head. "It's alright. So long as you learn and understand." Things were a bit less tense after that which allowed Judar to come closer to them as Hakuryuu stood up from the ground.

He nodded their way as he held his hands behind his head. "What you gonna do with the brats now?"

Hakuryuu overlooked the two toddlers as they stood beside each other, having a normal chat it seemed. They had time to spare. And he actually had some things that he wanted to do now that he had time to think about them. He turned to the two to ask them and after hearing his proposal, they looked at each other before smiling and nodding. They were still full of energy it seemed.

"Well, whatever," Judar called out, changing his wand into his staff before readying to leave. "I have better things to do than stay with you and those snotty brats."

"Oh no, you don't." Before Judar could even cross through the teleportation circle he'd conjured, Hakuryuu caught him by his chunnari and kept him in place. The cocky grin Hakuryuu held was enough to tell Judar that he wasn't about to let him go either. "You're going to come with us, Judar."

"Huh? Like hell I am!" But his shouts and slight profanities did little to dissuade the toddlers that heard their uncle's proclamation.

"Yay!" they cheered as they ran up to Judar and grabbed his braid to pull him like Hakuryuu was. "Come play, Shushu Ju!"

"Who the hell are you calling uncle!?"

Hakuryuu ignored the loud magi's protests and, between the three of them, they dragged him along. He kicked and punched all the way but eventually gave up when they came to the dining hall. It was already late, so some food was best for a start. Afterwards, they were more than ready to play. Not wanting to be outside as the night came, Hakuryuu convinced them to play in the room that was theirs now.

There he went about using his plan from before to entertain them for the night. Although small ideas—small crafts that Hakuei taught him when they were smaller mostly—the two appeared to enjoy working with their hands. Judar was the one that had the most trouble. Truly, it seemed to Hakuryuu that the magi was only good for fighting and ordering others around. But he coped pretty well. He did fight back a little when Kohaku wanted to decorate Judar's hair with the paper flowers he taught them to make, though. Judar didn't like the idea at all saying something about how he wasn't about to let her do that to him too like her mother had. Hakuryuu convinced him eventually to accept saying that children wouldn't do anything that bad.

He still refused. Vehemently. Hakuryuu kept dishing out excuses which Judar quickly dispelled away. He didn't realize that all the while they bickered, Hakuryuu had summoned flowers to sprout from the cracks near the walls behind the magi which Kohaku and Yuu quietly picked before carefully putting them at the end of his braid. Judar went ballistic when he finally noticed. It took a while for Hakuryuu to calm him down after that little stunt. Afterwards, though, he was a bit more relaxed about it and actually agreed to let them, or at least didn't complain about it as much anymore.

Now with permission, Kohaku undid the braid with Hakuryuu's help and before long she and Yuu played with his long hair, decorating it as they saw fit with the real flowers that Hakuryuu made sprout with Zagan and the paper ones they'd made. All the while, Hakuyuu kept Judar busy but talking to him for a change. And the subjects were pretty mundane; the empire, his sister, Kougyoku, Aladdin, and Alibaba even. They even spoke about their time in Judar's village.

"Which reminds me, I don't see why you don't like your name," Hakuryuu pointed out as he sat on the floor against the wall to be close to Zagan's metal vessel and easily be able to make flowers for the kids.

"It's ridiculous," Judar scoffed indignantly. The magi laid on the floor on his stomach as the two toddlers went about sitting to either side of him, each doing one half of his hair. "That name doesn't—Ah! Watch it brat—it doesn't suit me at all."

"Shushu Ju's name?" Kohaku asked, her head popping up from hiding on the other side.

Hakuryuu nodded. "Judar isn't his name. Want to know what it is?"

Kohaku's smile widened and she nodded. Hakuryuu called her over to him which she quickly complied with. Wanting to stop the spread of it, Judar attempted to stand back up but Yuu climbed fast on his back to keep him there with his weight. A toddler was enough to keep a weakling like him there for the few seconds it took.

Not wanting to be overheard, Hakuryuu cupped his hand against her ear and whispered. Kohaku listened intently and chuckled, covering her mouth as she did.

"You ass!"

Hakuryuu knocked him over the head for that, getting angry about his constant profane language in front of them. "Knock it off."

Judar held his head and missed as Kohaku trotted over to her brother to whisper the secret. Yuu giggled when he heard it, making Judar even angrier about the decimation. He was about to say something when the two kids patted his head affectionately, catching him by surprise.

Kohaku spoke up for the two of them after a few pats. "It's okay, shushu. Haku and Yuu think your name is pretty!"

The magi blinked a couple of times, his fair skin tinting a bit—if from anger or embarrassment, Hakuryuu wasn't quite sure—before he slammed his face on the floor, his arms hiding away the rest of his face. He mumbled something against the floor which only muffled his voice further but Hakuryuu didn't really mind it. Judar exaggerated a lot. It did leave him compliant for the kids to do as much as they wanted with him.

After an hour or so, Yuu yawned. Like a sickness, it spread and made his sister yawn alongside him as she rubbed her eyes. After a glance out the window, Hakuryuu had to admit that it was getting late. Maybe putting them to sleep would be best. Without much trouble, he prepared the bed, undoing the comforter and putting pillows in place for them. "Come on, you two." Yuu stumbled to him to lay down and dozed off quicker than he expected. Kohaku came after and took Hakuryuu's hand with a small tug.

"What about Shushu Ju?"

Hakuryuu turned to said magi and noticed how he'd fallen asleep in the midst of them playing with his hair. It seemed that he didn't completely abhor it, after all. Hakuryuu smiled and took one of the spare blankets before giving one end to Kohaku. Getting the gist of the idea, she helped him place the blanket over the magi who lazily turned about in his sleep. Once done, Hakuryuu lifted Kohaku in his arms before going back to where Yuu was and laid Kohaku next to him. He took the other side and yawned a bit as he propped his chin up to watch over them.

Kohaku was taking longer to fall asleep, even with him gently patting her to soothe into it. When her eyelids began to weigh on her at last, her hands reached up to tenderly take his. Noticing this, Hakuryuu glanced down to see his niece smiling softly. With a yawn, Kohaku mumbled, "Goodnight, Shushu Ryuu...love you."

There was no hiding the smile that crept onto his lips at hearing that from the little girl. "Goodnight, Haku. Love you too."

Ceara had been looking everywhere for them. Her rest had taken longer than she expected. She thought Rei and Sei would have woken her up eventually but she didn't expect Kougyoku and Koumei to look after them so they wouldn't. In the end, she ended up sleeping through dinner. Koumei and Kougyoku saw to it that the twins ate but they hadn't heard anything from Hakuryuu or her son and daughter.

That in itself was very strange to her. With her sons asleep for the night, she asked Koumei to accompany her in her search. He gladly accepted. And thankfully, he was leveled-headed enough to ask some of the maids around if they had seen them.

"According to them, they saw Hakuryuu and Judar heading to Kohaku's and Yuu's room."

"Really?" Ceara almost wanted to slap herself. How did she not think about that earlier? This late at night, of course that's where they would be.

It took Koumei's urging for her to finally move again and head to their quarters. They reached the room quickly enough; Ceara pushed the parlor room's door open and quickly went to open the door to their room but stopped with her hand just on the door.

"Ceara?"

She didn't answer. Instead she focused on the odd noise that came from the other side. Is that...snoring? Quietly, Ceara opened the door and slid it gently across just enough to take a peek inside. The mere sight beyond the door warmed her heart and made her smile. Koumei hovered over her and took a glance that made him smile as well.

Her children were safely in bed and deeply asleep. Kohaku took the middle of the grand bed with Yuu snuggling beside her and Hakuryuu to her other side with an embracing arm over the two. Judar, seemingly by the trail of flowers, had risen from the floor and taken a spot at the foot of the bed were there was plenty of space and curled up in the blanket he had, quietly snoring.

It was a heavenly scene to her. As gently and quietly as she could, Ceara closed the door behind herself. As the two of them stood there in the antechamber, she smiled up at her brother-in-law.

"I hope En and Kouha and Hakuei get to come back someday too. It'd be great for all of us to spend time together as a family."

Koumei indulged her and nodded. "After all that's happened, yes, I agree it would be." Laying a hand on her shoulder, he caught her attention. "Come, you should get as much rest as you can. Kougyoku and I will take care of Rei and Sei for the night."

Grateful for that, Ceara nodded and accompanied him out of the room and to hers. She truly had the greatest family she could have ever dreamed of.

II. Debt Repaid

Life had been fair. Maybe not as pretty or easy as others but it was ultimately fair at every turn. And as just as she'd seen it be to her, there would come a time, she thought, when she would have to repay the goodness of others with some of her own.

Parisa was five years old when she learned about magicians and magic. As a child she had seen the royal healers pass as they went about the outside courtyard of the palace picking at ingredients. Because her parents worked at the stables and kitchen, as a child, Parisa only had menial chores before she was allowed to freely play. Most of her time she spent playing with sticks or with the other servants' kids, and from time to time she also watched the royal healers of King Ceylan.

Being such a smile child had its advantages. Being able to sneak in and out of the magicians' courts and quarters without being noticed was the best one. It allowed her to freely see what extraordinary miracles they did with magic she had never seen before with her eyes. And seeing such things brought wonders to her heart and to her eyes.

It wasn't until a year later, led by curiosity and perhaps fate, that she spontaneously made her mother's favorite plant overgrow. She'd been mimicking the movements that she'd seen some of the magicians do with a mere stick she found outside her shack. And on one, the flower's single bud flourished despite winter having killed off many other plants and putting others to slumber. But it hadn't just been the one bud. The plant grew like a rampant beast until Parisa's father drew her away afraid, making her drop the stick she held in her hands. Without it, the plant stopped, leaving behind the manifestation of the miracle she'd procured.

Parisa couldn't have been happier knowing that she was able to do the fantastical things she'd seen others do. Her parents weren't. That same night during that harrowing winter, Parisa hurried alongside her parents as they whisked her away from the life she'd known in Parthevia.

As they trekked towards the ports that headed east, Parisa couldn't help but ask what was happening and why they were suddenly leaving their home. As they stowed away in one of the many cargo ships that left that night alongside a horde of other travelers, her mother held her close and spoke in quiet whispers through the night.

"We're going somewhere safe. Somewhere safe."

"Safe?" she repeated curiously yet still confused. "But why?"

"The king, his guard, they'll—"

"Julia—" Parisa and her mother both turned to her father's harsh whisper. He eyed their questionable companions for a brief moment before talking in a low voice. "Leave it be."

Her mother nodded and only held Parisa tighter . Unaware of what was really happening, Parisa held her back as her mind raced and came to one conclusion. This had all happened because of what she did. She was sure that all this had been her fault. But instead of voicing her doubts and guilt, she cuddled closer to her mother and wept the night away.

The ship carried them as far north of the eastern continent as its cargo went. It took a couple of months but by then, her parents explained to her to never again do what she'd done at home. Contrary to what she believed, magic wasn't beautiful or fantastical. It was looked down on by most of the world; this included Parthevia but they used the magicians they had for other things. Despite its connection to the rest of the world, it held its magicians at hand, taking any citizens that constituted the signs of being one. In exchange, they would recompense the families for their loss seeing as any who were taken by the royal family didn't return to their own. Magicians in Parthevia weren't allowed many liberties outside of the work they could accomplish in their royal court.

It was, as she learned years later, what their parents had escaped from. They would have rather run away from a stable home and steady food supply than give up their only child. So they fled. And as their life in the far northeastern quarters of the continent began, Parisa also learned many things about her parents as she grew older that she'd never known.

Apparently, her father was born of a nomadic tribe far in the southwestern regions of the world, close to what the world called the Dark Continent. This had been years before he met her mother in Sicilene Island back in the Reim Empire. The deserts near Cathargo had always been dangerous, he told her, but his people borne from their vast sands and harsh sun. He learned from a young age how to survive in hellish environments and was teaching her to do the same during the first months of their living in the northern plains.

Opportunity and fate brought them to the feet of a caravan that sold their goods at bazzars. They were accepted into their ranks and founded a life as merchants, something that her mother knew of having been born into a family of one. Said family though, from what Parisa knew, had disowned her after having her and marrying her father. From what she told her years later, her mother had chosen them instead of her old life and if she ever had to make the choice again, she would do the same thing.

Parisa admired and loved her parents with all her heart after having given up so much not only for each other but also for her. And as such she swore never again to use magic. Its wonder had been driven out of her by the choices it forced her family to make and it had driven her to her choice. For the good of her family and herself, she would forget all she had known about it and live life simply.

Years went by and by the time Parisa was almost twelve they had traveled through most of the northwestern half of the continent with their caravan. It was during their trek south to the capital city of trade Balbadd that they were attacked by bandits. But these weren't any normal bandits. They held odd magical artifacts with them which put aflame the caravan with their goods and comrades inside. The bandits looted as she and the rest of her family helped their friends get out before the fire reached them. Enraged despite her fear, Parisa drew the blade she carried with her and went forward to attack the distracted bandits.

She only managed to injure one before the others turned on her, disarming her and waving their weapons in her face. Instinctively, she urged herself to fight and for a brief instant her mind flashed back to her mother's plant that had grown so savagely, like a feral beast wanting to devour the world. It wasn't until she heard the screams that she opened eyes she hadn't known she'd closed and saw the bandits tangled in vicious vines. They sprouted from the hard floor and swept them up, turning them into cocoons that began to suffocate them. Fearful and grateful all the same, Parisa scooted back until she came against someone and felt her mother's arms around her, protecting her from the vicious attack. But something in Parisa told her that those plants wouldn't hurt her. She knew somewhere in her that she caused them to flourish just like she had five years ago.

Even after the last bandit's body went limp in the cocoon, none of them vanished or retreated. They merely stayed in place. The caravan managed to save most of the carriages and some of their goods. Thankfully, no one had been seriously hurt. But the chief and the others had seen what had happened and had seen what Parisa did.

Fearful again about having to leave home because of a mistake, Parisa came closer to her mother and held tightly. But instead of the lashing or anger that she always thought would come from those who found out, she found them thankful for having saved their lives. These people hadn't feared her powers. What was more, they were grateful for them and for her.

It surprised both herself and her parents to say the least. All Parisa had known about magic had been tainted black after they fled Parthevia but in these regions of the world, they seemed to be at least more accepting of it. Parisa could tell that they were still somewhat afraid of her since no one else in their caravan was known to practice magic. Nonetheless, they treated her almost as if nothing were different and she thanked god for that. It was obvious that her parents were grateful for such blessing as well.

Wonder for magic had left her once after a bad experience. Now it returned with a fervor after such a good one. As much as she hated to admit it though, it never really left. It had just festered in her, her mind wrangling it down to keep her and her family safe.

But once they reached the southern reaches of the world by the end of the year after that incident, the wonder and hunger for more knowledge about it had grown exponentially. It was around that time that they came across the borders of Magnostadt.

To say that she was enamored with the mere sight of so many magicians would be an understatement. These people were trying to enter into the country known for being one of magicians and for magicians. These were people that like her could do extraordinary things and what was more, were seeking to expand their knowledge and practice of it.

Such place to her was like a dream come true. One that she couldn't realize. She found more importance in staying with her family than anything. They raised her, saved her from enslavement to the royal family, and took care of her even now. She couldn't just leave them.

To her surprise and shock, though, they thought differently.

"...you want me...to stay…?"

Her parents smiled at her and remained outside the caravan camps to talk with her. They had just left the outskirts of Magnostadt's borders, they said, if she retraced their path, she would surely get there within the hour.

Still, their request baffled Parisa. "But why?"

Her mother gently placed a hand on her cheek and leaned forward to lay a soft kiss on her forehead. "For you, my sweet. You are who you are, and we can't change that. We don't want to. Being this—being a magician—is part of who you are. And we knew it even before we left Parthevia."

"...You knew?"

"You got this from me, Risa." Speechless at her father's declaration, she had no time to ask anything as he continued. "But I never worked on it. Where I was born, things worse than being taken by the nobility happened to people like us. So I never used it after I learned the truth. We thought we could do the same for you."

"But you're different than your father," her mother explained further. "You've never hated magic. I would always see that in those eyes of yours, so full of joy and wonder. Magic is a part of you, Parisa. And Magnostadt is the country of magicians. So if your wish is to pursue this, then go ahead. You're father and I will remain with the caravan and settle at Balbadd."

They were giving her a chance, the biggest opportunity to stop hiding and seek what she always found happiness in. They were telling her that it was okay to want what she wanted, to wish for what she wished for.

For once in a long time, Parisa couldn't keep from crying as she ran into her mother's arms. She held her tightly and felt her warmth along with her father's as he bend over to hug the two of them.

There wasn't a reason to decline. Having packed everything that belonged to her, she said her farewells hoping to one day see them again in Balbadd and left to the country of magicians.

There she spent the next four years studying and learning how to use her Life Magic. There she made friends with her fellow students and neighbors once she decided to live in the city itself after graduating. But even after graduating at fourteen, Parisa's curiosity wasn't sated. She learned about her type of magic and basics of others but she wanted to learn more. After a brief break from the school, she returned with the Chancellor's permission to study the manufacturing of magical items and, thanks to a particular professor, how world known ingredients could be used as both medicines and poisons when worked with magic.

She lasted a year in those studies before word came to her about the imminent war against the Reim Empire. All students were given the choice to either fight or leave. They wouldn't be judged whatever they chose, the teachers told them, but that those who stayed would nonetheless fight for the independence of their country were all magicians would be free.

Despite the fervency that came from the coming war, Parisa couldn't decide. She loved Magnostadt because it accepted and taught a girl like her. All the same, Magnostadt was not her country. She had no country to return to in fact. No, she thought, she had one to return to and that was simply because it was where her parents waited for her to return.

And she couldn't very well return to them dead. Choice made, she packed her things saying nothing to her friends or acquaintances. It was better that way. It seemed many of the normal folk that also lived in the city were adamant on leaving and their bodies crowded the streets of the usually peaceful districts. Parisa fought with herself to not lose patience, she would exit the city eventually, but she stumbled down when someone shoved her out of the way from behind.

The people didn't seem to care about her as she attempted several times to stand back up only to be thrown to the ground. They were more concerned with their own safety than someone else's and despite her chagrin, she couldn't blame them. It was exactly what she was doing, after all.

Adamant to try again, Parisa got to kneel before a strong hand grabbed her by her forearm and pulled her up to stand. The crowd continued to shove and pass them as she and her savior stood amidst them, but his hold didn't let their pushing bring her to the ground again.

The blond man was several feet taller than her which she guessed was because he was much older than her as well. His attire was odd, nothing she'd ever seen from Magnostadt or anywhere near their neck of the woods. His blond hair was long and plaited, the braid falling near his legs. A hood over his head made it a bit hard to make out his face but she did notice the bright amethyst eyes that stared at her before he smiled.

"You alright, missy?"

Parisa nodded and cringed at the many people that kept shoving and shouting at her to move out of the way. "Thank you."

"Don't worry." Parisa couldn't help but stare in confusion at hearing the distinct accent to his voice. The man bent down to pick up her bag with her belongings from the floor and passed it to her. "Be careful, missy. Things are getting bad here so you better be on your way home."

Nodding again, he dipped his head in a small bow before letting go of her arm and walking against the crowd. Even when people shoved him, he didn't fall. Parisa noted as she took glances behind her that the man was heading towards the school. She didn't know why but she had the feeling that she'd seen him somewhere else before. But those thoughts went away as she focused more on exiting the city.

But even as far away as she and the rest of the evacuees were, the monsters reached them and blocked their paths. People rushed in and out of the way, the violence and chaos becoming even greater now that the threat was in front of them. Unable to withstand this mayhem any longer, Parisa dropped her bag and conjured as many of the wild flora that grew around the country to wrap around the black djinn and kept them from attacking. But no matter how many she held back, they were quickly beginning to tear through the vines with their massive hands.

Before they could escape completely, though, a distinctive ringing came to her ears before the djinn visibly vibrated and exploded into masses that rained down on the crowds.

Shocked from the immense magic that had been used, Parisa looked up and saw two woman floating high above them. They weren't magicians, she could tell as much simply because they were dressed so oddly. Djinn metal vessels, her mind concocted. She'd heard about those magical items that laid in dungeons from what professor Myers had told her once. These people weren't magicians and yet they were capable of wielding powerful magic because they conquered these dungeons.

One had bloody red hair and wore white with plenty of colorful jewelry and held what looked like a sound staff in one hand. The other was decked all in white, her hair included, and she was the one that spoke loudly as the other woman held her staff over her head.

"Evacuate as fast as possible! We'll keep them at bay as long as we can!"

With that said, the white lady nodded at the redhead before flying away. The redhead, though, made sure to stay close enough to the crowd before continuing to fight. Parisa guessed in case anything else tried attacking them. And as more of those djinns drew near them, intent on the kill, she watched as the women and other metal vessel users fought in the skies over Magnostadt.

A fervent longing to fight burned in Parisa, especially as she watched that redheaded lady switch between different equips and continue fighting along her comrades. It was insane. But the desire quelled itself when she heard the voice in her head—her own mind speaking to her, she thought—speak.

"No, Temperantia. Flee. Survive."

All she needed was to hear those words to be reminded of why she left in the first place. Her family, she needed to return to them alive. She turned on her feet, catching her things as she ran away, and left Magnostadt to the ruins it would soon be.

The many that fled scattered at the borders of Magnostadt. Those non-magicians, sadly, trampled each other trying to escape through the narrow exits of the borders that surrounded the south of the country. Magicians like herself, though, could easily fly over the borders and continue afoot from there as many did.

She was flying over the border alongside some others when the sky darkened overhead seconds before a tremendous lightning bolt pierced the skies and fell upon Magnostadt. The moment she landed on the other side, Parisa halted like many others and watched as light gathered over the country seconds before an attack befell it. She held onto her cloak as the aftershock flew across the land. The ruckus from the people quieted right after the aftershock came but returned as their quickened steps rushed them forward. Parisa was no different. She had no idea what that had been. Frankly, though, she didn't want to know.

Parisa then continued her journey without troubles. Traveling in the numbers that headed out of the country in every direction, she stuck with the groups that headed south towards Balbadd which took about a month to reach.

The city wasn't anything like she expected but she coped by finding an inn to reside in while she searched for her parents. Even after days of that, though, things began to appear futile. Ever since Kou acquired Balbadd, things had changed. People changed. Parisa despaired thinking that maybe her parents had left Balbadd after seeing what had become of the trading capital. But despairing would get her nowhere, so instead she kept looking and hoping.

A week into her search, she had almost given up hope when she stumbled across magicians of the royal family as they scouted for new recruits. Parisa guessed that they knew about the amount of refugees that fled to Balbadd after Magnostadt, some of which were magicians. Even if they wanted to recruit for their master's vanguard as they proclaimed, she didn't think them smart for doing so seeing as those they called to arms were the same people they tried to conquer not too long ago.

But one simple prospect enticed Parisa in signing herself up to this Ren Kouha's vanguard: they could tell her if her parents were in Balbadd. So she took that chance and became one of the Imperial prince's magicians. It took her maybe another week or two to get acclimated to the environment and to the people. The newcomers were tutored on what serving entailed and Parisa found it ironic that she had come to such a position.

She ran into the very same situation that her parents had run away from the day she first used her magic. But she didn't really complain about the irony of her fate. Her superiors treated her fairly albeit a bit harsh when training; she lived through it, though, thanks to Prof. Myers being much more ruthless during her years at Magnostadt. They fed her and gave her shelter and clothes. They even paid her for her services in the military she was now a part of. Her current situation often made her wonder if this would have been how Parthevia would have treated her had she not ran away. Those thoughts quickly fled her mind though, seeing as it was ultimately useless to wonder about the 'what-ifs' of the past.

After being properly oriented and given freedom of her own, Parisa talked to one of her superiors in the vanguard and asked what she meant to with no hesitation. They had no answer but they did have a lead. The officials responsible for distributing rations would know if anybody going by the name Klados currently lived in Balbadd. Parisa found out later that there was more than one distributor; the day flew by with her going from station to station asking about her family. None in any of the districts she'd gone to so far had records of parents.

But just as she was about to give hope again, she heard a familiar voice speak very familiar names as she stood in line to ask the officials in this particular station.

"Zane and Julia Klados."

"Mom? Dad?"

The words were out of her lips before she realized she spoke them. But they'd been loud enough for the couple that took their rations to notice and turn as they left the line. Parisa wanted to cry at seeing the gentle gray eyes of her mother as they stared in shock, her hands dropping the bag they'd been given. It didn't take long before she ran up to Parisa, taking her in her arms and holding her as tightly as she could. Parisa inhaled the sweetness of her mother and choked in her tears as she hugged her back. Before long, she felt her father's strong embrace on her. Her heart soared at seeing them again, alive, after the years they'd been apart.

And she told them this and so much more when they took her to their home. The day went by with them reminiscing with each other about what had happened during their time apart. But soon they caught onto the fact that she wore colors unlike theirs. They noticed and called out the clothes she wore for what they were, the uniform of the militia under Prince Kouha's hand.

Parisa grimaced at seeing her mother gasp and sob when she confirmed their suspicions. Before she even said anything more, she laid a hand on top of her mother's and smiled.

"It's alright, mom. I made the choice to join. I did so to find you."

"But the military..." She cried, holding her sleeve against her mouth to try and quiet her sobbing. "It's not worth the risk you're putting yourself in."

"It is to me. And now I get to use what I learned in order to protect this place that took you in and more importantly you who live here." Parisa stood from her sit around the table and smiled grandly at them. "I won't die, mom. With my magic, I've learned how to heal others and even myself. All the things I've studied will be useful for me and I'll make it through. And I'll still be here, you know. I'll come visit as much as I can. I promise."

Despite her words, her mother still seemed unconvinced. Her father, though, laid a gentle hand on her mother's shoulder which caught her attention. He gave her a taut smile before facing to Parisa. "We're proud of you, Risa. And of everything you've become. I can assure you that neither your mother nor I approve of the choices you've made concerning this but we will be behind you all the same." He walked over to Parisa and kissed her head before embracing her. "So, please, stay alive."

Her tears choked her again but she managed to nod and hug him back. When her father pulled away, Parisa stood and knelt before her mother as she sobbed quietly into her sleeve. "I promise, mom, I'll come back from wherever I go."

This time it was her mother's turn to nod as she seemed unable to form coherent words. She gulped and held her face tenderly, "I love you, Parisa."

Hearing this, Parisa flung herself into her mother's arms again, burying her face against her shoulder. "I love you too, mom."

"Isn't there anybody?!"

Parisa lifted her gaze from the book she'd been reading to stare out towards the common room of their quarters. Tapping the shoulder of one of her comrades nearby, she asked what the ruckus outside was all about.

The magician shook his head, a glum expression visible on his face. "It's Lady Kohaku's vassal. She was attacked last night and the healers are having a lot of trouble finding how to cure what ails her. Some poison, I think I've heard some say."

"What poison?" Parisa asked.

He shrugged his shoulders before nodding towards the door that led to the room. "I think he wouldn't be at our doorstep asking for any help he can find if they knew."

Curious, Parisa closed her book and went to open the door that lead to the common room. There a young boy maybe a couple of years younger than her, blond and green-eyed, was vehemently arguing with one of her superiors. From what Parisa could discern, the boy was asking for help from the magicians in the vanguard. Any magician, really, that could help with the predicament of his master.

Parisa didn't know if she'd be able to help. The likelihood of that being the case was close to none. Then again, she studied many types of flora used in spells at school and she was well-versed in poisons. But it wasn't just her expertise that told her that she could help.

No, something else told her that she could help the young lady from her predicament. And although she didn't hear it in her head anymore, Parisa was almost sure that this feeling came from the voice she often heard calling her by such a weird name.

Her mind made up, Parisa stepped out into the common room catching the attention of her superior and the young boy.

"Klados, can we help you?" her superior asked.

Parisa shook her head but raised her voice to be heard clearly when she spoke. "I don't think so." She turned to face the boy that stared at her with wide eyes, concern clearly etched on his face. Pity came to her before she shook it away and stretched out her hand to him. "My name is Parisa Klados, a magician specialized in Life Magic. I was a student at Magnostadt and my field of study was spell ingredients with a focus on poisons. I think I may be of help to you."

III. Finding Beauty in the Beast

He'd been godsent to care for children. Even when being the youngest of the four, Sousei was great with kids. He learned much about what kids liked and didn't from his own experience and mostly how to take care of them from imitating how Ceara and Masami took care of him and Suisei. But for the love of everything that was good in the world, he couldn't get anything right with his niece and nephew that now stood awkwardly before him and Suisei.

"They really don't like us." Sousei couldn't help but sigh at finally voicing the lingering thought of his.

"What are you talking about?" Suisei asked out loud as she climbed down from his shoulder and onto the floor to take a sit. "They love us!"

"They love you," Sousei corrected, giving Sui a slight tap to her back with his foot to make her tumble forward into a ball like a pill bug. True to his statement, as soon as she was set rolling, Kohaku and Yuu ran after her cheerily. And certainly glad to be away from him.

Right now, they were babysitting for their sister. Now that her pregnancy was nearing it's end, Ceara was tired most of the time and had to rest for the majority of the day. Parisa took care of her health while Seijin worked on their conjoined job. And since Koumei was helping Kougyoku and Alibaba with the trading company, there was a need for extra hands even more. That left their sister's kids without anybody to look after them most of the times. Thankfully, someone always offered when they wanted some break from working so rigorously. Today was their day off and they thought they'd spent it with their niece and nephew whom they only met a month and a half ago.

But even after that much time, the two of them still had some trouble being near him. Obviously, they were scared because of his assimilated form. He couldn't help be equally parts sad and envious that while he looked like a big ole monster to them, which oftentimes made them cry, they were perfectly fine with Suisei who looked like more of a life-sized stuffed toy.

That and a furball for chasing around.

Said furball jumped from the floor and hit a couple of chairs before striking a pose at landing as she unfurled. Kohaku and Yuu clapped, amused by the show. Him, not so much. Sou let out another heavy sigh and gave himself space to take a sit on the floor. The sudden movement made the children wary enough to stop cheering and look at him until he stopped moving. Only then did they go on about their business with Suisei.

"What's wrong, Souchi?" Suisei asked as she jumped off the chair to walk his way. The kids followed behind her, still cautious, and stopped to keep themselves a few paces away from him.

"If you haven't noticed, Sui, they're scared of me."

"They are?" Her ears twitched a bit as her head tilted before she looked back to the kids and repeated the question. "You guys scared of Shushu Sou?"

Kohaku nodded as she and Yuu held onto one another's arm. It was little Yuu that said it aloud, though. "Big, scary shushu."

That he said it didn't help him feel any better about it. "See? They think I'm scary."

"What about him is scary?" Sui came closer to the kids which gave away how she was only a couple of heads taller than them.

"Horns?" Kohaku said that as if she didn't exactly know what to name first, motioning to her own head in the shape of his horns.

"Horns?" Suisei repeated curiously. A grin came to her before she traipsed through the furniture to jump onto his shoulder and climb onto his head. "But look," she replied while toying with them and twirling his hair around the ivory to mask them. "You can hang stuff on it. Don't you think some pretty ornaments would make him look pretty?"

Despite their previous fear, Suisei's comment made them giggle. Sousei didn't appreciate her making fun of him, though. He already had a hard time accepting the form he took after a while of having it and this wasn't helping his self-esteem.

Wait a minute.

They were laughing. Perhaps at him, but this was the first time they were looking at him without terror in their eyes or them backing away.

"Keep going, Suichi. They seem to like that."

Suisei glanced down with a mischievous glint in her eye that he definitely didn't like. "You want them to laugh at you?"

"If it helps them get comfortable with me then to hell with it. Go crazy."

"Hey, guys!" Suisei announced rather loudly which hurt his sensitive ears. "What else do you think we could make prettier for Shushu Souchi?"

"His claws!" Kohaku said, pointing to them.

Sousei consciously stared down at them and frowned.

"His hair!" Yuu offered.

"And he's too tall!"

Okay, they were just nitpicking now. But with how they kept pointing out thing after thing, he couldn't help but feel like they were actually looking at him for once. So instead of protesting when Suisei began to have really bad ideas as to how to 'make him prettier,' Sousei let them play with him as they wished.

Surely it wouldn't be so bad.

"I love you. I really do. But by the gods do you look awful."

Sousei tried his hardest not to reply to Parisa's remark. But when Seijin couldn't keep his laughter in any longer, he blew a gasket. "I want to see you deal with them then!" he cried out but refrained from moving as Kohaku was still not done doing his hair. He'd already made that mistake and it ended up with her pulling it by accident.

"Shushu Sou looks pretty!" Kohaku corrected from behind him.

"Yeah, pretty," Yuu agreed as he stood on a chair to hand paper ornaments they've made and cut out to hang on his horns.

"So true." Sousei clearly heard the chortled Suisei tried hiding as she continued to paint his claws with some polish she'd borrowed from Kougyoku. "We're helping Sou find his feminine side, Risa-chan."

At that the three of them finally let out the laugh they were holding back loudly enough to make his ears hurt again. Kohaku and Yuu didn't mind the loudness and instead focused on their task. Honestly, though, even with how flustered he was of his friend, sister, and girlfriend mercilessly driving him through the mud because of this fiasco, Sousei couldn't be happier that his niece and nephew were being more receptive of him.

And he really, really tried keeping that very close to heart when Seijin and Parisa offered to help them. Sousei protested vehemently against this but when Kohaku and Yuu got so excited about the extra hands to help, he couldn't deny them. In the end, they lasted an extra hour and by then they had completely changed his attire along with everything else.

His hair was braided—what was with these kids and braiding?—and adorned with ribbons of white and gold that were entwined between the folds of the plait. Drawn decorations hung from his horns by small metal sticks Sui procured and bent into hooks; the tips of the horns were also painted the same bright gold as his nails. Thanks to Parisa and Seijin, his attire had also changed into some more colorful, not to say expensive, clothing. Silks always were a staple in the east—what with the rise of the empire booming that demand—and that made up the whole of his clothes. They got the longest white robe they could find and it managed to fit him just right. They also came up with a makeshift sash of red and gold from another set that Parisa brought for them. Instead of normal slacks, they simply told him to wrap a dark ivory silk around his hips and tie it with a gold sash.

The whole crowd that had a hand in the fiasco stood before him, contemplating their masterpiece.

Parisa was the first one to comment. "You know," she began, pointing a slim finger his way, "it's not half bad now that it's done. It actually looks, dare I say it, good. Well, your horn ornaments aside, that is."

"Don't joke, Risa," Sousei pled as he reached over his shoulder to grab his braided hair. In actuality, that was the only thing he liked about it. Ever since his assimilation, he had trouble thinking of how to deal with so much hair, especially when no matter how he cut it, it would almost instantly grow back within a day or two.

At that, she shook her head. "That's the thing, I'm not."

"I agree," Suisei added as she sat on Seijin's shoulders, her hands crossed on the top of his head as she laid her chin on them to watch him. "It's even cool!"

"At least we finally found clothes your size," Seijin reminded.

"I guess." Sousei's misery got cut short when a pair of hands yanked at the sash around his hips. This made him bend low enough to meet two pairs of bright blue eyes like his that gawked at him.

First Kohaku pursed her lips as if contemplating something. Sousei had some idea about what it was she couldn't keep out of her mind. Deciding to hunch down instead of keeping such uncomfortable position, he smiled at her while eyeing both of them.

"Still look scary?"

Kohaku couldn't seem able to keep from nodding. The grip on his sash, though, didn't leave. "You look scary and mean. But...you're not mean."

"Not scary too," Yuu added as he also held tightly to his sash as well as his sister's hand.

"Then what am I?" Sousei asked curiously.

Kohaku thought a bit about it before letting a little smile crawl to her lips, and though her lips were quivering a bit, Sousei could tell that it was genuine. "Shushu Souchi."

"Yeah, Shushu Souchi."

That certainly brought a smile to his face and joy to his heart. At least they were trying. He placed his hands before the two, opening up his palms to show them before asking, "It's almost lunchtime. How about we go get your mom some food and take it to her as a surprise."

"Surprise mama!" Yuu cheered, jumping up and down as he let go of Kohaku and his sash.

"Yeah," Kohaku agreed with a nod. An idea appeared to come to her as she gasped and tugged at Sousei's sash to call his attention again. "Mama really likes peaches. And she likes fish with lemon and spices."

"Lots of spices," Yuu enthusiastically pointed out.

"Then how does steamed fish, rice, and vegetables for dinner with peach tart for dessert sound?"

"Peach tart!" the two shouted, very clearly liking the idea.

"I guess we need to go ahead and tell this to the kitchen staff then." Seijin patted Suisei's head, asking her if she would stay up there and go with them. She liked getting free rides on whomever could carry her, so if she was going to go anywhere it'd be on someone's shoulder. Seijin and her went on ahead while Parisa stayed behind to help Sou with the kids.

Kohaku and Yuu walked a few paces ahead following after Seijin and Suisei since they wanted to 'lead' their uncle and big sister Parisa. Sousei let them and simply watched from his spot behind them as the two marched on hand in hand.

Sousei heard Parisa breath in a second before she spoke, "They're adorable."

"They are."

"And it's nice that they're getting used to you albeit after some beautification."

"Small price to pay to get them comfortable."

"I want some."

Sousei almost choked on his own spit as his breath hitched. Despite how sudden and out of the blue the subject turned out, Sousei had to ask. "Want some what?"

"Kids," she offered perkily. She paused and placed her index finger on her cheek pensively. "Yours, of course. Well, they'd be ours but you know what I mean. Wouldn't you?"

"Well...yeah, of course but we're barely going to get married. So let's take things a step at a time, why don't we?" He chuckled but the morbidity of the thoughts that came to him brought a shade of solemnity to his mood. "Besides, I don't know how safe it is for me to be intimate with you."

"What do you mean?" she inquired seemingly curious.

"Well..." Where did he start? The fact that he still had trouble controlling his strength in this new body even after three years with it? Or what of his really bad insecurity problems. But when he voiced what troubled him, Parisa giggled. That certainly wasn't assuring to him.

Thankfully, she clarified quickly thereafter, linking her arm and his and coming close before slightly jumping with her step until she reached his cheek to give it a chaste kiss. Amazed and more than pleased with the gesture, Sousei touched his cheek in slight disbelief before glancing down at his fiance who merely smiled up at him.

"Whatever it may be, I'm sure it's just you being a worrywart. I don't care about how you are now or how you used to be. All I care about is you, Sou. I think that's enough to trump any uncertainty or worry you have." She patted his arm affectionately, before the smile turned into a grin. "So rest assured, darling. We're good."

The hearty laugh that he let out made the toddlers in front of them glance over their shoulders back at them. Sousei let them be—though he heard the giggles that came from them— and instead laid a kiss to the top of Parisa's head.

"We definitely are."

IV. What Goes Bump in the Night

Flames were spurring everywhere she looked. Her feet, bare after having lost her slippers, burned and ached from running. It hurt to breath. It was hard to think. But there was no time to stop.

She couldn't stop.

The flourishing determination made her grasp onto the hand she held behind her. Her large blue eyes kept glancing back and forth between the inferno in front of her and who she dragged behind her. In one of those times she glanced back, a tumultuous noise caught her attention to her front a second before the ceiling ahead of them collapsed under the increasing pressure of the fires.

In that brief moment that they stopped, she felt the tight grasp on her arm as Kohaku's hand latched onto her tighter, crying out her fears. Ceara didn't have that luxury. Only a couple breaths with residue of smoke was all she could afford before turning on her feet to head another way.

One of them had to be clear. One of them had to lead outside.

She would find it. She would lead her out if it was the last thing she did. She wouldn't let Kohaku die.

Despite how hard she tried, Ceara couldn't keep her head from lolling back and forward. She was too tired after not being able to sleep. Nightmares plagued her. And restless nights were common, already. But with so many piling up, she was finally feeling their toll. And a particular one took ahold of her mind most nights.

The fire that had just happened three weeks ago. Two weeks ago they arrived at the Imperial Palace in Rakushou. Three days ago, they celebrated Kohaku's birthday. And three days ago, Prince Hakuyuu found out her dreaded secret. She hadn't spoken with him ever since then. Didn't have a chance to. Maybe the fear that he would really tell on her was weighing on her mind more so than before. Maybe those nightmares came from that as well. But he promised he wouldn't. He promised they'd find a way to make things better.

Although, she couldn't begin to imagine how.

"Do you feel alright, Kohaku?"

It took Ceara a split second to react to the name, but the need to didn't really seem to matter. Masami held up her hand and placed it under her bangs and over her forehead. "You're not feverish. Have you not slept well?"

"N-No," she stuttered back but kept it quiet with her head down as she stared at her barely touched breakfast. Letting go of her utensils, she rubbed at her eyes and gave Masami the best smile she could muster. "B-But it's okay. I'll be fine."

It fooled her for about a second. "Are you sure? Maybe you should rest. We can postpone the outing, you know."

Ceara jumped from her sit at the table as she faced Masami. "No, don't!" The moment the words left her, though, she realized how loud and how much of a disturbance she'd turned into. Especially with General Koujiro and Lady Arianna present. Sousei and Suisei, barely of age six, didn't seem to care much about her outburst and glamorized it as they repeated her words while shooting their arms out above their heads.

More than a bit embarrassed, Ceara tried ameliorating the situation by slowly sitting back down and apologizing outloud. She really needed to get used to this.

"Now, Kohaku, stop being so crass," Lady Arianna reminded her as she gave the twins a couple of napkins to clean themselves as they ate. Daintily but not as discreetly as she thought, Ceara watched as Lady Arianna picked her cup to drink, one she knew was full with wine. Ceara couldn't see how she could drink this early. "It's not becoming of a young lady."

"Yes, L—mother!" That she raised her voice at almost slipping didn't help her case. Ceara apologized again and this time decided to just nod or shake her head if spoken to.

"Mother, Father," Masami called out as she laid her hand on Ceara's back, "maybe today isn't such a good day to go outside. Kohaku doesn't seem to be feeling too well."

"Nonsense." General Kourijo's loud and stern voice made both of them flinch. Ceara felt Masami's hand on her back freeze in place but her hold was just as tight as before. "His majesty has made the time to join. Neither of you will shame me by making up excuses. You will attend and that's the end of it."

Ceara didn't reply which left Masami to answer for the both of them. "Yes, father."

It wasn't like she wanted the gathering to be cancelled, either. Far from it since with this she would be able to finally see and maybe even speak with Hakuyuu far from prying ears. At least as far as she was concerned anyway.

The outing was more of an excuse for two friends now separated by class and positions to talk, she came to notice once the families came together near the outside gardens. Lady Arianna and Empress Gyokuen stayed behind, enjoying themselves better by talking and and drinking tea indoors. General Koujiro and Emperor Hakutoku alongside his brother spent the time together the same way but out in the open, talking and drinking...liquor.

Thankfully, Prince Hakuyuu, Hakuren, and Masami had the heart to lead them away from that. Instead the lot of them—the two crown princes, along with Hakuei and Hakuryuu, Masami, the twins, and the oldest nephews of the emperor—spent the time playing around.

As tired as Ceara was, hide and seek was all she could muster to do. Thankfully, the way the twins played it, they would get tired of waiting for her to find them and instead sneak up on her to tackle her to the ground, preferably face first.

Hakuryuu didn't like playing like that but Hakuei calmed him down pretty quickly before going to help Ceara up for the fifth time from the ground.

"Are you alright?" she asked helping her dust herself off.

Ceara nodded with a small, reassuring smile before turning to the twins with fake anger. "You two need to learn how to play!"

"Haku-nee is too slow!" they cried out in unison. "We'll look!"

"I-I don't want them to look for us," Hakuryuu whimpered, obviously scared about being slammed face first onto the ground.

Ceara couldn't blame him. The two devils had already scratched her up pretty good. So she agreed to let them look instead if they promised not to tackle anymore. They took a brief glance at each other before looking back at Hakuryuu who flinched at the mischievous glint in their eyes. Grabbing onto one another's hands, Sou and Sui smirked before raising their free hands above their heads and calling out, "We promise!"

"It'll be okay, Hakuryuu," Hakuei told him with a pat to the head.

"Yeah," Ceara assured him. "They promised they wouldn't do that and I believe them. So let's play, okay?"

"You bunch playing hide-and-seek?"

"May we join?"

The faces of both the princess and the little prince brightened up as they turned to see their brothers approaching. "Yuu-nii, Ren-nii!"

"Are you going to play with us?" Hakuei asked.

"Sure, why not?" Hakuren cheered as he squatted down before them to bring them closer to him in a hug.

Ceara smiled, happy that at least Hakuryuu wasn't crying anymore. As she glanced about though, Hakuyuu's eyes caught hers in a deadlock. Panicked for some reason, she averted her eyes to her feet and simply overhead as Hakuyuu called Kouen and Koumei over. She glanced up through her eyelashes to watch as Kouen dragged his little brother to them, the younger redhead boy seemingly just as sleepy as she was.

"Want to play with us?"

"I would rather not, your highness," Kouen replied. Ceara found it strange that he was so courteous. Even if he was the First Prince, the guy was still his cousin.

"Whatcha say, Mei?" Hakuren asked coming around from his siblings and picking up the teen in his arms. Lazily, Koumei didn't seem bothered. Actually, he seemed quite used to being wrangled like Hakuren was doing.

"I'd rather sleep, in all honesty." As if to emphasize his point, a yawn escaped him, one that caught Ceara and made her yawn as well.

"No sleep for you!"

"Ah!" Ceara couldn't help screeching as a heavy weight jumped onto her back with enough force to push her face first onto the ground again. Lifting her face and spitting out dirt, she finally had enough and cried out, "Why me!?"

"Haku-nee falls over easier!" Sousei cheered as he patted her back.

Suisei was the one to point at Hakuryuu with that same glint on her eyes. "But Ryuu-crybaby falls best!" At that, Hakuryuu flinched and held onto Hakuyuu who was nearest to him, and Sui clearly saw this. "Ah, he moved!"

"Get him!" Sousei hollered. At being called to rally, the twins jumped off their sister fully intent on tackling down the fourth prince. Ceara struggled to get on her feet to stop them but before they even got halfway there, Masami caught them both with an arm around their waists.

Sousei struggled to get her grip off while Suisei struggled to keep her head up from dangling with how she was being held. "You two need to learn manners." Bringing them and herself over to Ceara, she bent down before her. "Are you okay?"

"After five times of that, you get used to it." Ceara excused herself for a second as she spat out dirt and cleaned her tongue with any part of her clothes that wasn't dirty. Overhearing the clamoring from the twins, Ceara pointed out what she had promised before, "They want to seek."

Masami wasn't having any of that. "Not with the way you two are playing, you aren't." The twins protested loudly at that, wanting the liberty to play however they wanted. "No rough housing. You can't be like that to Prince Hakuryuu."

"Hey, what about me?" Ceara asked.

Masami chuckled. "You said you got used to it, right?"

Not funny. But Ceara knew that Masami meant that for everybody. The twins were pretty rough kids for being six. They thought themselves invincible. They liked being strong. And for some reason, that meant often teasing Hakuryuu who they thought of as a crybaby. Ceara could see why too but that didn't condone their poor behavior.

But they couldn't just make them. They were kids, after all. Brats much like she remembered herself being with Cael. Having that in mind, Ceara gave herself a minute to think.

A way to make them behave. How do I convince—

Bingo.

"If you don't hurt anybody for the rest of the day, I'll make you almond cookies!"

As if turned off, the twins stopped struggling in Masami's arms and contorted themselves to be able to look at her; Suisei let herself fall and glance back at Ceara with her head upside down while Sousei tried his best to glance over Masami's arm.

"You promise?" they asked together.

"Only if you promise me you won't tackle anybody—including me!" She sternly added that last part just to make sure she made herself clear.

The two went back and spoke to each other. From what Ceara heard, it wasn't anything anybody would understand. It was that language of theirs. One no one understood. But they finished talking quickly and turned back to Ceara.

"We promise, Haku-nee!"

It was easier after that to convince Masami to let them play together with them. With that settled, Prince Hakuyuu found it best to make teams. Since many of them were children, Ceara thought it sensible.

Masami would stay with Sou and Sui to help them look, and make sure they kept their promise and not get into any more trouble. Hakuei would hide with Hakuryuu, Kouen with Koumei, and Hakuren alone, which took Ceara by surprise until Hakuyuu came close to her and took her hand in his.

"Let's go hide."

Before she could get over the babbling mess she was and protest, Hakuyuu whisked her away farther and farther until she could barely hear the twins' loud counting that Masami corrected when they messed up. Hakuyuu found them a good hiding spot near the back of the buildings near the woods. It was ways away from where staff usually roamed. No one would find them unless they were looking for them.

"Looks like the coast is clear," he said in a small whisper that Ceara clearly heard along with her own racing heart that thumped in her ear. Turning to her, she stiffened for a second until he smiled and scooted closer to her. "Masami seems worried about you. Is there a reason in particular?"

The thought of not answering him was heavy on her mind but when he only looked at her so familiarly and lovingly, she couldn't help but reply. Even if it only came out as a mumble as she hid her face in her hands and knees. "I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Nightmares?" Ceara nodded. "I see. Things will be very hard for awhile. A long, long while, in fact."

"Will I sleep again?" She realized how childish the question was once she spoke it, but he didn't seem to think of it as such as he gave it a long thought.

"It'll take awhile and a lot of talking through things. But mostly time. And I can't really assure you that the nightmares will stop fully. They may go away for sometime but they may come back."

"I don't like that," she confessed.

"I know. I don't like how it works, either." Ceara didn't move when she felt Hakuyuu's hand lay on her head, stroking her hair soothingly. The gesture calmed her somewhat from the reminder of those nightmares. "But things are what they are. And first of all, we need to take care of you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Nothing of what we may or may not do will matter if you cannot live through this first. You're just a child."

"I'm older than Hakuei, though."

"Eleven is still a kid," he replied, wanting to get his point across. "And you can't just deal with this alone. I thought we talked about this."

"It's kinda hard not to think about it like that."

"Well, we'll work on it. You have a long trek ahead of you, after all. But you won't go at it along. I'll be with you. As will be that djinn of yours."

"Murmur?" she provided as her hands reached up to touch the carnation hairpin that stuck out from her bun.

"Yes." Hakuyuu sat back as he lifted his hand from her head. "From what Kouen tells me, djinn, or at least his, are quite humane. They chose you as kings and bestowed you with great power because they saw something in you that they believe warranted it. But with that power comes great responsibility, like this one you've incurred. But it's not impossible to bear. Not when you have help."

Ceara didn't know what to say. Prince Hakuyuu was proving to be the best ally she ever could have found in her situation. As things stood, she was really starting to think that things could get better.

"Koh—mm."

That pause made her blink owlishly at him, curious. "What's wrong?"

"Calling you Kohaku seems a tad bit morbid, not to mention disrespectful to her. But I can't very well call you Ceara, either."

That's right. Him knowing meant that things would be different between the times they interacted in public to when they did so in a private one-on-one setting like this. "Well...what about Speirr?"

"Speirr?"

Ceara nodded. "It was my mother's name. And it's a variant of mine. Cael called me that a lot and it sort of became like another name for me. Nobody knew about it at the estate though. And if anybody asks we can just say it's an endearment or something."

"Alright, then let's try our best from now on, Speirr—" Ceara got a bit panicked when Hakuyuu's demeanor suddenly turned serious, a far cry from the gentle man she was talking to seconds ago. Before she could even ask what the matter was, Hakuyuu glanced over his shoulder a second before he panicked while all the same letting out a chuckle, "R-Run!"

Scared but knowing that he wouldn't laugh if it was serious, she followed after him and heard the laughter of the twins as they were quickly gaining on her as she fell behind. Hakuyuu fell the steps back to pick her up and run away towards the tree they were using as a safe base. Because of his quick feet, and the fact that she didn't drag him down, both of them ended up being safe from Sou's and Sui's attack which made them quite cranky.

And as Hakuyuu chuckled from their reaction, Ceara found it in herself to crack a smile, one that she felt genuine. This man was helping her so much, trying his hardest to do so, and everything for a stranger like her. A murderer nonetheless. But he saw past that—what exactly did he see, she didn't think she would ever know.

But as the day dragged on and they continued to play more and more, not just that game but others as well, Ceara found the sky darkening quickly as dusk began to fade just as they were playing the last round of hide-and-seek again. This time, it was Hakuryuu and Hakuyuu seeking. Hakuei went with Hakuren and the rest of the groups stayed. She wanted to go alone, wanting to give the little prince more of a challenge.

And she decided that the back spot where she and Hakuyuu used that afternoon would do the trick. As she waited by herself, dusk finally fell and darkened the skies and her surroundings. Overhead, she could hear the excited cries of people as they were getting found one by one. After some moments of silence, Ceara assumed herself to be the last to be found so she did her best to stay silent and concentrate on listening for Hakuryuu or Hakuyuu.

But as the silence surrounded her, something disturbed it. It was faint but she heard it. Something that wasn't either of the princes. Something that seemed to be coming from the nearby woods just outside of the palace. Curious, Ceara got on all fours and made her way as quietly as she possibly could.

There's...something there.

"Kohaku one-san!"

Ceara couldn't keep the scream that came out when Hakuryuu's hands caught her by her legs. In a panic, she kicked but thankfully she didn't hurt him and he didn't really notice her freaking out. Sitting up, she took a few deep breaths as Hakuryuu hugged her.

"Caught you!"

She chuckle for a second, her head turning behind her shoulder to see that there wasn't anything between the trees. Whatever she had seen wasn't there anymore.

Did I imagine it?"

"Thought you'd be here." At hearing Hakuyuu's voice, a lot of the panic from before dissipated as she struggled a bit to stand back up while holding Hakuryuu in her arms.

"Y-Yeah." She hugged Hakuryuu back, making the boy giggle, before putting him down and patting his head. "Good job, little dragonet. You found me!"

"You were the last too! And I found everybody else!" he exclaimed.

"Really?" she asked, exaggerating her amazement a little. "That's great! You know, that means you won this time!"

The little prince cheered and laughed with Ceara joining him. Hakuyuu chuckled a bit before motioning for the two of them to return to his side. "Come on, you two. Let's go get the others. It's dark out and I'm sure dinner is going to be served soon."

"Yes!" the two of them chorused, walking hand in hand towards Hakuyuu.

Fire. Nothing but the flurry of flames remained in her eyes as once again Ceara awoke that same day in the middle of the night. Covered in cold sweat and breathing shallowly, she huddled her blankets closer and sat back against the wall.

"Little one, takes deep breaths."

Ceara listened to Murmur's simple instructions and managed to calm her racing heartbeat. But the image had been vividly burned into her mind and she doubted she'd be able to sleep for the rest of the night. Even when Murmur urged her to try, she knew better than to do so. She didn't want to see fire anymore.

Really, a part of her swore she could still smell the horrid stench of burning skin, flaming wood, and ash as if it clung on her. Could still hear the crackling of the fire, the estate falling apart, and Kohaku's scream of caution.

One that came late to her ears. One that prompted Kohaku to act and push her aside to avoid an attack of one of Murmur's soldiers. One that took her away from Ceara.

"...I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

The grotesque sound that she barely heard sent a chill down her spine. Her head snapped up from hiding in her hands and scanned her room, her eyes straining the most they could to search the whole of that room in the dark. But no matter where she looked, there was nothing there.

I...I imagined it.

She must have. There was no way—but the chuckle that echoed in the room told her otherwise. Something—someone—was in there with her. And she couldn't see where.

Then it laughed again. And this time when it spoke, it was right beside her. And she felt them breathing.

"Sorry won't cut it."

Ceara couldn't help herself then and let out the most ear piercing scream her lungs could muster.

Nothing. No sign or trace of her.

Where'd you run off to Ceara?

Hakuyuu had no answer to that question. Nor to the other pressing matter that came to his mind as the palace searched for her: what the hell had made her scream bloody murder so loud that it woke up those nearest to her quarters?

There wasn't any time to ponder that when he saw his brother running his way. "Anything?"

Ren shook his head, worry etched on his face that was surely enough for both of them. "She's not in any of the Eastern rooms."

Masami ran their way having just turned a corner, panting as she got to them. "S-She's not in the kitchen or servant quarters either. Father is searching the barracks and mother and the empress went to the priesthood to search as well. Y-Your highness, w-we have to find her. Haku—something scared her so badly."

"I know." As he said this, he held her at arm's length, his hands on her shoulders, as he addressed her clearly. "We'll find her, Masami."

"Your highness!" Kouen's voice, loud as it was, reached him before he even turned the corner. Koumei was hot on his heels despite still being disheveled from his sleep, his eyes wide from the panic that was spreading. "Koumei saw her!"

"Where Mei?" Ren asked quickly just as their cousins reached them.

"Towards the outside gardens," he panted, somewhat out of breath, and pointed in the general direction. "S-Somebody—she was running away from somebody but I couldn't see them well."

"Where did it look she was headed, Koumei?" Hakuyuu inquired, wanting a clear answer.

"Outside, towards the woods."

Damn. "Ren, take Masami and Koumei. Inform the rest of the search parties about this. Kouen, come with me." They all followed his stern but calm orders and the two of them sprinted out towards the outer gardens and to the only path that she would've known to take to reach the woods, the same hiding place from before.

He and Kouen ran through the woods, keeping their ears open and swords at the ready in case they caught anything.

"Come out, come out~" The sound of another's voice stopped the two in their tracks. It was loud enough to reach them but it still sounded far away. It was a man. "Come out, girly. I caught a very, very bad girl by the toe, didn't I? Come out and play with me~"

"Prince Hakuyuu," Kouen eyed their left side, "it's coming from over there."

"Let's g—"

But there wasn't a need for the order. They sprinted out towards the source of the voice the instant they heard Ceara's cry quickly followed by the man's loud voice calling her a bitch. It didn't take them long to reach the man that was dragging his foot along which had been badly injured from something.

The instant the two reached him, they raised their swords and Hakuyuu promptly spoke first. "Stay where you are."

But they didn't. Instead, the man turned about, twisting his already bloody and protruding ankle as he did so. The manic look on his eyes told Hakuyuu right away that the man was gone, high with some kind of drug more than likely. That was the only thing he could think of that would explain him still grinning wildly from ear to ear when two men held swords to him.

It was only after repeating and telling the man to show them his hands that he let go of his injured leg and raised them. But he didn't stay quiet.

"Look, girly~ You've got brave knights coming to your rescue! How about coming down to greet them? Will you play then?"

"Shut up," Kouen shouted at him before taking a step forward. Hakuyuu tried stopping him but the man seemed to only need that tiny bit show of aggression to react. And he did so violently as he turned and began bashing the tree behind him with his fists over and over again, calling to the 'girly.' Having had enough of the bastard, Hakuyuu took the initiative and reach him to knock him out with a bash to the back of the head. In an instant, his rambles ended and only echoed in the empty woods.

"C—" Hakuyuu was quick to hold his tongue. No matter how worried he was, he couldn't let the name slip from him in front of Kouen. So instead, he called another. One he knew she'd answer to. "Speirr? Where are you?"

"O-Over here."

Her tiny voice reached them and got them to face upwards towards the tree that the man had been banging on. In the dark, Hakuyuu could make out her silhouette several feet higher than him. She'd climbed up to get away.

"Goodness, are you alright? Can you get down?"

"I-I can't. It hurts."

"...hurts?"

"Your highness." Hakuyuu turned at Kouen's call and watched as his cousin brought a hand out near the tree only to have something drip on it several times from above. Touching it, Hakuyuu noted the thickness and warmth. "It's blood."

She's injured.

"Can you climb, En?"

"Me?" he asked, a bit incredulous.

"We don't know how badly she's injured. It'll be easier for you to climb and pass her down to me once you get low enough." Kouen looked down for a bit but quickly acceded, leaving his sword behind to climb.

Kouen had to admit that the girl had gone quite far up the tree. Injured however she may be, to have escaped from the man that had been pursuing her by climbing one must have been hard. Hard but smart.

Reaching the dark silhouette that Prince Hakuyuu indicated from below ground, Kouen let his eyes adjust until they found her clear figure. She was utterly shaken, holding for dear life onto her leg with one hand while grasping something tightly to her chest.

Setting himself close to the sturdy branch she sat on, Kouen reached out his hand to grab her but she recoiled backwards against the tree trunk almost instantly.

"I need to bring you down."

"I can't move. My leg—"

"Show me."

Her eyes darted to his when he said this and stopped for a brief moment before pursing her lips and reaching down to the hem of her skirts. It was as she began to lift it that Kouen's eyes noticed it was torn apart, and tearing further until she lifted the skirts above something. It wasn't until she uncovered herself as much that he saw the glint of a blade coming from her thigh, very close to her knee. It was a very small dagger but considering she wasn't that big to being with, it was enough to remain lodged there. Her leg was stained with blood as it ran along, dripping at the end of her bare and dirty foot.

She's still losing blood.

Without speaking, he reached again and she recoiled like before, this time hurting herself at bringing her injured leg back and crying out.

"Kouen? What's the matter?"

"I need to give her some treatment," he declared before turning to face her. Sternly but as calmly as he could, he repeated that to her. "I need to treat you. You're losing blood."

"W-What are you going to do?" she asked, scared.

The question got him to grimace. It wouldn't be pretty. "I need to take the dagger out and bandage you up." As he explained that to her, he quickly undid the sash around his waist and ripped it in half with his teeth. Knowing she would only flinch back if he didn't, Kouen kept talking to her as he worked. "I need to tie this above the wound. Can you lift your leg?"

"N-Not much—" she groaned as she tried doing as he said, even using her one free hand to prop it up.

"That's good enough," he muttered. Quickly as he could, he tied a makeshift tourniquet above the dagger. She didn't say a word but he could hear soft whimpers up until she lowered it.

"Now what?" she asked, her voice a bit shaky. He guessed she pretty much anticipated what it'd be.

"I take the dagger out." Instantly, he saw how her eyes widened and he shook his head while preparing the other hand with one half of his sash. Knowing it'd be better for her to be distracted for it, he told her that he needed her sash as well. And while she was busy doing that, Kouen took the chance to yank the thing out to quickly press down on it with the half he had in his hand.

The cry he anticipated left her loudly. What he didn't expect was her fists thrumming down on him as she called him names, "You jerk! Bastard! That hurt! You should've told me!"

"It's out, isn't it?" he back talked but mostly ignored her and merely swept her hands aside as he took her sash. "Press this down." She placed her hands over his with a whimper and sniffles, but he clicked his tongue at how weakly she held onto it. "Hard."

"It hurts."

"Do it." In the end, she did and Kouen took that time to wrap the sash around the wound, tell her to take her hand away, and tie it down hard enough to the point she whimpered. "There. It'll do until we get back. Now, here, hold on," he instructed as he scooted closer to get her to wrap her arms around his neck. Since he needed both hands free, he told her to hold onto his waist as well as she could with her legs. She quietly complied and held on tighter. Thankfully, it lasted until he reached to where Prince Hakuyuu still stood and where he helped him get down from the tree with the kid still holding onto him, more easily now that he could properly hold her.

"Speirr, are you alright?" Hakuyuu asked, bending down to their height and brushing hair away from her face that was so close to his.

She nodded but whimpered when Kouen moved slightly to adjust her in his arms. "I-It's just my leg. But I'm okay."

"Let's get you home then. That needs to be treated pro—"

Kouen's blood ran cold for a second as a guttural cackle ran through the air very close to them. He felt the grip around his neck tightened too. Kohaku stiffened in his arms as she turned to face the man that laid on the ground a few feet away from them. Following her line of sight, Kouen and Prince Hakuyuu watched as the man they'd thought unconscious lifted his head, cackling all the while as his eyes landed upon him and Kohaku.

No, he's looking at her.

"No fun, Speirr. You're no fun! Play some more~ Play!" He cackled more, louder, and kept repeating that over and over. Kohaku whimpered and hid her face away against his shoulder.

"Take her back, Kouen. She needs to be treated."

The order surprised him. "But your highness—"

"Go," he commanded.

Kouen didn't want to leave him but he was given an order too. So he mumbled a quiet 'hold on' to Kohaku before jogging off, heading back to the palace. But as quiet as the woods were he, and surely Kohaku too, heard the guttural voice cry out and drown before it completely stopped.

"You think Hakuyuu…ki—"

"I'm sure he did what he knew to be necessary."

She only hummed her agreement and that was the last thing she said to him before they reached the palace. The Reizei quickly came to take their daughter which they hurried off treat. Prince Hakuren was the one to ask about his brother, and just as he was about to say something, he felt a hand on his shoulder that stopped him. Looking over his shoulder, Kouen couldn't discern anything from the aloof expression on Prince Hakuyuu's face. But it didn't last long. Soon enough, he smiled down on him and Koumei.

"You two go rest. It's been a long night."

"Y-Yes," he replied quietly. He tapped Koumei who followed after him, but Kouen kept glancing back only watching Prince Hakuren's face as Prince Hakuyuu told him something he couldn't hear. But by the sudden seriousness that came over his face, ir told him enough.

Kohaku had the right idea. Surely, the man that chased her out into the woods wouldn't bother them anymore.

Thank god.

"Oni-sama?" Koumei's quiet voice brought him back to the present. Kouen watched his little brother's eyes a bit wide and confused at the arm that he'd wrapped around his shoulders to keep him close.

"Let me take you to your room." Koumei blinked a couple of times but nodded languidly, letting himself be guided off by Kouen.

Masami couldn't understand from where they had snuck in. Even with the morning light of the day after what had happened, she couldn't find a trace of any forced entry to her sister's room.

Poor thing was still shaken and she couldn't blame her. Kohaku had stayed all night with her and the twins but she had barely slept anything. Aside from her wound, Masami doubted she would be able to after the horrible experience. Too bad that the bastard didn't live to get tortured. He deserved that after what he did to her little Haku.

What she wanted to know now was how the bastard managed to get in her room. But no matter where she looked, nothing was amiss. It was like the man hadn't even been there. Tired of looking, she sat on the bed's edge for a second but in the silence heard something...squirming...under the bed?

What?

Coming down, she lifted the covers that blocked the underneath and saw nothing but darkness there. Instinctively, she reached inside wanting to see what was making that noise she kept hearing. Her arm was stretched out as far as it went reaching almost the middle of the bed when she felt it.

Something...small and squi—

"Ow!" Her hand immediately retracted at the prick that she felt on her hand. Like a million little needles had bit down on her. And when she checked her hand for anything, she saw black muck stuck to it. Disgusted, she wiped it on the covers but the thing felt sticky as hell. Soon enough, though, she wiped the whole thing off only leaving a faint discoloring from the irritation. No marks, though. Whatever the hell kind of animal or bug had been down there bit her but left no marks. "Little bastard…" she cussed as a small whisper back at the bottom of the bed.

"Masami?"

Embarrassed and caught off guard, Masami's head snapped up from underneath, chuckling as Kohaku furrowed her brow at her. "H-Haku, hey. Were you looking for me?"

"Yes," she replied, her confusion not leaving her face. "Mother and father want us to have breakfast together."

"Oh, of course." Masami raised from the floor and dusted her skirts off before going up to Kohaku. "Come on, Kohaku, let's not keep them waiting."

"Okay." With that Masami urged her towards the door, from time to time glancing down at her hand and seeing nothing.

A bug. It must've been.

As she thought that, a woman's chuckle came to the back of her mind. She heard it but chalked it up to some maid working nearby. That or she was simply still paranoid about what had happened last night with Kohaku. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her.

So she took that for what it was and forgot about it, telling Kohaku to do the same.

A/N:

Well, this is a first half of the extras. So far there's a total of seven extra stories, the latter three are longer which is what prompted me cut this in half and upload in two parts. The last three aren't requests but more like extras that didn't really fit into the story itself but that I couldn't just keep to myself. I'll leave my comments for those for next time. Also, sorry if some of the line breaks aren't there. FF isn't cooperating with me for some reason and I don't know how to fix it (-w-u)

Because there's not much to say, I'll just write a little about each of these extras now.

I. This one is for Miqila. Although it isn't exactly all four children, I hope it's still good with only the two oldest.

II. This one is for Aviantei. I hope you enjoy this one, friend. I did say that Parisa's backstory would be told in another story, and it wouldn't be this one, so I figured I'd give you a snippet of what her good life was like. Hopefully, those who liked Parisa as well like this one.

III. Another one for Miqila. This one I actually had more fun writing because Sousei's character is easier to write for than Hakuryuu's, again he's one of mine so that's expected. Sorry that it was considerably shorter though and about how the focus shifted towards the end (blame my brain).

IV. This one is a personal one. I wanted to write more with the Ren Princes before they died. Especially to show how her relationship was with Hakuyuu. The attack and Masami's encounter may seem weird now but it might make sense later if you're willing to read the stories that will come along in the future. Here's a hint: think Venom and the Symbiote.

I hope you guys enjoyed this. It's been hard not writing for Magi. And since I want to work on another story before starting another one, The Meaderer might be some ways away. So to deal with my own withdrawal, I'll be working on the other half and upload it when I can. Hopefully sometime soon.