A/N: holy shit i apologize for this monster of a chapter i promise they won't all be like this i just wanted to write out each individual reunion scene
actual plot should happen next
enjoy
The declaration was met with complete reverent silence. The man behind the podium seemed to be taken aback by the lack of a sudden outburst, but quickly managed to recover. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie, going to great lengths to make himself appear 'official', a voice of authority.
"As a representative of the Imperial Council, I would like to formally thank you all for accepting King Bell's invitation," he said, spreading his arms wide. "We are pleased to welcome you to our world. Understand that as long as you are here, you are the personal guests of His Majesty, and subject to the full protection and accommodations of the crown. For your participation in the King's Battle, each and every one of you is considered an honoured diplomatic envoy, with all of the privilege that entails. Please do remember that, so long as you remain here, your actions reflect on your world as a whole. You are, after all, the first humans to set foot in this world."
Kiyomaro stared up at the podium, still in disbelief over what had just happened in spite of the fact that his answer-talker assured him that he was completely correct. The rest of the crowd seemed to be in a similar state, bleary-eyed and confused, although all were listening to the speaker quite raptly.
"I'm sure you all have a number of questions, and I assure you they will all be answered in due time. Certainly you must be eager to see your partners. My associates will be glad to lead you to them once we have confirmed which of you accepted our invitation." He swept his arm out to the side as he spoke, indicating a pair of demons standing at either side of a nearby doorway. One was short, the height of a child, and wearing an outfit that resembled that of a jester, including a bell dangling from the end of a long pointed hat. The other had a feminine figure and wore a long white robe that trailed along the ground, a hood pulled up over her head. Both had the same large black clawed hands as the speaker, and both wore similar masks; the child-like jester's mask had a protruding nose and a red painted grin in addition to the closed eyes, topped off with a blue heart around one of them, while the woman's mask was identical to the man at the podium's mask aside from the blue diamond being replaced with a purple spade on the opposite eye. Both stood stoically at attention like a pair of guards, although the jester gave a twirl that made the bell on his hat jingle when the demon in the suit pointed the pair out to the former book keepers.
There was a few moments' pause before the room exploded into a frenzy. Between the humans talking to each other and shouting questions at the man at the podium, the noise was practically ear-splitting. He seemed content to let the commotion wear itself out, standing patiently on the small stage with his hands folded behind his back. Not quite as content with the situation, Kiyomaro shouldered his way to the front of the crowd, mumbling apologies to people who hardly even noticed him trying to push through.
"Excuse me!" he shouted up at the stage, cupping his hand around his mouth. "What's your name?"
The demon on stage looked down at him. Upon recognizing him, he bowed his head. "My apologies for my rudeness, Mr Takamine. I am Diamant, one of the members of King Bell's advisory council. I have been put in charge of arrangements for your visit." He jumped down from the stage; he was taller than even the stage had made him appear, being more than a head taller than Kiyomaro. "If you'd like, I can take you to King Bell now."
"I think it's more important to calm this chaos first," he replied, taking on a voice of authority. Diamant bowed his head.
"If that is what you wish, sir," he replied, turning back to the assembled crowd. He let out a long high-pitched whistle that was somehow completely unmuffled by his mask. As the entire room fell silent and turned to him, he raised his hands above his head. "I understand that you are all very confused. I promise your questions will be answered. First, however, I must ask you to proceed in an orderly fashion through those doors, and allow my associates to track your attendance. Please do not concern yourselves with your luggage; it will be taken care of for you."
Again the crowd fell silent. Diamant took advantage of having all eyes on him to walk over to the doors in question, standing beside the woman in the similar mask with his hands folded behind his back. Slowly people began to filter in their direction. The masked woman held up a leather-bound book and a long feather-quill pen, flipping it open to a page scrawled to the margins with names written in the demon language.
"This way, this way! One at a time, please!" the jester chanted, dancing around in circles and waving his oversized sleeves. He pranced over to Li-en, who was at the forefront of the crowd. "Name and partner's name, please!"
"Ah.. my name is Li-en, and my partner's name is Wonrei," she replied, clasping her hands together. Her eyes were shimmering with anticipation and near-tears. The jester grabbed the end of his hat and rattled it to grab the woman's attention.
"Spadia! Did you get that?" he called. She nodded briskly and jotted something down in her book. "Miss Li-en, just go through these doors and follow the clearly-marked signs! Your partner is waiting for you!" He pulled a party popper seemingly from nowhere and tugged on the end of it, setting it off. Li-en nodded and all but ran off, the huge double doors opening to admit her as soon as she got near. "Alright, who's next? Name and partner's name, please!"
As more of the human partners filed forwards to have their attendance taken, Diamant approached Kiyomaro. "You should come with me, sir. King Bell will be making a formal announcement, and would no doubt like to see you beforehand." He turned to scan the crowd, searching for a face he had never actually seen. "Prince Zeon also requested that his partner be brought to the royal family's private chambers."
"I'll go get him," Kiyomaro replied, wading off into the crowd. It wasn't hard to find Dufaux in the crowd, as the older former partner was coming towards him from the opposite direction. "Zatch and Zeon want to see us in private."
Dufaux nodded. Kiyomaro knew he already knew, and that was why he had been searching for him in the crowd at the same time, but he had never quite gotten used to not having to vocalize information around him. Still, the fact that he said nothing condescending about the pointlessness of it was testament to his growing social skills.
"If you would please follow me."
Kiyomaro nearly jumped at the voice directly behind him, but was unsurprised to see that Diamant was the source. The formal demon stood there with his hands folded behind his back, head bowed slightly in a subservient gesture as he waited patiently for the two of them. The fact that he hadn't noticed his approach was disturbing considering he had gotten used to being able to tell exactly what was happening at any given time, but considering the chaos of the situation he elected to ignore it.
While the other former human partners were herded into more or less a single file line by the dancing jester, Diamant led Kiyomaro and Dufaux onto the stage and through the curtain behind it. A single door was hidden behind it, plain in comparison to the ornate double doors the others were being led through. Diamant reached into his shirt and produced a strange-looking key on the end of a chain. Rather than slipping it into any sort of lock, he tapped it twice against the door, causing it to swing open with a loud click. He stepped through the doorway and paused on the other side of the threshold, respectfully waiting for them to follow.
Kiyomaro paused to run his hand over the door frame, which was smooth and seemed to lack a place for a proper latch. He was about to ask how it worked when Diamant paused to slip the key back into his shirt and extended his arm in front of him. "Right this way, please. If you follow this hallway to the end, you'll find the family's private sitting room." He turned to them and bowed his head. "If you would excuse me, I still have preparations to make to ensure the duration of your visit is as pleasant as possible."
Kiyomaro and Dufaux both nodded in response to his request, which he took as permission. He pressed his palm against what seemed to be simply another part of the wall, which promptly opened like an automatic door. It slid closed behind him, leaving no indication that there was an opening in the wall whatsoever.
Before continuing on, Kiyomaro placed his hand on the wall where Diamant had placed his, just to see if it would open. It didn't, which only made him more curious.
"We should keep going," Dufaux suggested. His voice was flat with no hint of impatience, but all the same Kiyomaro could sense that he didn't want to be kept waiting. Although he wasn't the sort of person who showed his emotions very readily, Kiyomaro knew that he was just as eager to see his partner as the rest of them were. And he couldn't exactly say that his curiosity was stronger than his desire to see Zatch again.
As they walked down the long hallway that would lead them to the royal family's quarters, he couldn't help but smile. Only a few months ago he had been wondering if he would ever get to see Zatch again, and now he was on his way to meet with him in his private royal chambers. If it weren't for his answer-talker ability assuring him that everything was in fact real, he would have thought he was simply dreaming.
The massive room filled with the former contestants of the battle for king had been buzzing with energy all afternoon, but for the past ten minutes, everything had been deathly silent. Although nothing particular had happened, all of the assembled demons had sensed a distinct change in the atmosphere. Anticipation had settled over the few dozen of them like a heavy blanket, making even casual conversation impossible. It was like time had simply stopped.
The banquet hall of the palace had been cleared out for their use, with the huge tables having been carried out to make room for the close to one hundred people that were expected to be there. When the former competitors had first been asked whether they wanted to extend an invitation to their human partner, they had been told to show up at the palace on the given date. When each of them had arrived, they'd been ushered into the hall and told to wait. For most of them, that had been more than an hour ago.
Most of the demons were so concerned with that oppressive silence and the anticipation that came with knowing they would soon see their partners again that they failed to notice the small demon in the jester costume slipping in through a secret door in the far wall. He paused to look over the crowd, his long sleeve hanging theatrically over his face. In spite of his completely face-obscuring mask, he didn't seem to have any trouble seeing as he looked at each of the demons in turn and nodded approvingly. The demons in question only noticed him when he pranced over to the large double doors leading deeper into the palace and pressed his hand to the nearest one. Although the doors were far too big and far too heavy for any humanoid demon to open on their own, they swung open obligingly when he touched them. Any eyes that hadn't been drawn to him already were drawn now, the creaking sound of the massive doors like a siren song.
There was a moment as the doors opened and the groups on either side realized the presence of the other where everything was absolutely silent. It seemed as though no one dared to even breathe in that space of time as everyone involved came to realize what it was they were seeing. Everyone was in shock, many of the demons still unconvinced that the king's invitation to their partners was genuine, many of the humans still reeling from the fact that they had successfully crossed the gap between worlds.
And then there was chaos.
Li-en had been the first human to be interviewed by the strange pair of masked demons, and as such was the first waiting to be admitted into the banquet hall. Her body was all but vibrating with anticipation as she bounced on the balls of her feet, her hands bunched up near her chest. Remembering to breathe was difficult; her lungs hurt from the occasional bout of forgetfulness in addition to the way her heart was hammering so hard in her chest she could feel it in her ears.
"Nervous?" Li-en jumped a little when her shoulder was jostled by a friendly bump. Megumi chuckled and winked at her. She hadn't even noticed the teen idol coming up next to her, but quite a crowd had assembled around and behind her while she had been otherwise occupied with her own thoughts.
"More excited," she replied, blushing. Megumi laughed then sighed, leaning against her.
"Me too," she said. "I bet everyone feels like that right now. But you especially, right?" She gave her another friendly smile. Li-en smiled back, too excited to be embarrassed. Her legs were shaking.
The masked woman seemed to glide through the crowd, people unconsciously moving out of the way without even realizing she was there. With her book held to her chest, the feather quill pen slipped between the pages like a bookmark, she waited patiently among the humans. Li-en watched her, waiting for some kind of signal or sign they were going to be let inside. She would have pulled the doors open herself if they hadn't been quite so huge, too big for any one human to physically be able to open.
Seemingly at random, the masked woman— she vaguely remembered the little masked jester calling her 'Spadia'— pressed her hand to the door. With a tremendous creak both of them began to swing open. Spadia stepped inside without hesitation, her footsteps echoing in the stunned silence that followed the two groups getting their first look at each other.
Li-en's eyes subconsciously scanned the crowd for a hint of white hair so thick and fluffy that a bird had once literally nested in it. When she first saw him move to the front of the crowd of demons, however, his hair wasn't what she first noticed. What she first noticed were his eyes. Those familiar purple eyes were wide with shock and happiness and shimmering with tears at the sight of her. She clapped her hands over her mouth, suppressing a gasp. She'd been expecting it, but nothing could match the feeling of actually seeing him again.
"Wonrei..!" She choked, her clasped hands covering her heart. He was exactly the same as she remembered him being; the same calm face, the same gentle smile. It was as if their year apart hadn't happened at all.
She was not only the first to break the silence, but also the first to breach the non-physical barrier that existed between the two sides. She ran to him across the banquet hall, and he ran to her, and they met somewhere in the middle. Wonrei scooped her up in his arms, swinging her around. Their happy, carefree laughter echoed amidst the high-vaulted ceilings of the room.
Li-en didn't have to tell him she had missed him; that much went unspoken. Instead she laughed, she cried, and she kissed him every moment not spent needing to take a breath.
"Li-en," he gasped, nuzzling against her collarbone as he held her tight but carefully. Li-en ran her fingers through his thick hair, kissing his forehead, his eyes, the bridge of his nose. "Li-en.. I love you so much.."
"I love you too, Wonrei.." she sobbed, so glad to see him again, and knowing she wouldn't be able to leave him again.
Li-en's dramatic and romantic sprint across the ballroom had opened the floodgates. Now many of the demons and humans- particularly the children- were rushing to see each other after their year-long separation that they had all assumed would be permanent. Megumi laughed; it was hard not to, considering all of the happy energy in the room. Although she was excited to see Tio, she lingered behind, not wanting to get caught up in the jostling of the crowd. She got enough of that from her work, after all, and she was going to be here for a whole week. A few minutes more wouldn't matter.
"Don't want to brave the crowd?" asked a familiar voice. She turned to her fellow pop star and smiled.
"I'm okay with waiting until things calm down a little," she replied. "There are a lot of demons in there who could probably crush me without even thinking about it." She laughed like it was a joke, but it was only funny because it was true. "What about you? I thought you'd be too excited to see Kanchome again to stand around waiting. Besides, you're probably better at dealing with crowds like this than I am. You're always getting mobbed, aren't you?" She added a wink to that statement, and Folgore laughed, flipping his hair back.
"Of course! I am the great Parco Folgore, after all," he said, his shoulders bouncing with that boisterous laugh of his. "But you looked lonely, so I thought I would keep you company, that's all."
"Well I'm honoured," she said, giving him a dramatic curtsy. When she'd first met Folgore, his flamboyant nature had irritated her a little, especially when it came to the way he interacted with women. Over time he had grown on her. He could still be annoying, of course, but he was also endearing in his own way. "I'll be alright, though. You go find Kanchome." She gave him a reassuring pat on the arm.
"Ah, if you say so," he said, seemingly taken aback. Did he think she didn't want his company? It wasn't that, really; the two of them were friends, after all. She simply knew how eager he was to see Kanchome. How eager all of them were to see their demon partners. Even if they had all found happiness in their lives, even though all of them were doing well thanks to what the king's battle had taught them, they still wanted to see the friends they had made. Folgore's look of surprise turned to a smile. She smiled back. All things considered, it was hard not to be happy. "Then I'll see you later."
Megumi watched him disappear off into the crowd, still smiling. He could navigate it like an expert which hardly surprised her. His shows were always as mobbed as hers were, albeit by a different demographic.
Things were starting to calm down; although humans were still milling in, for the most part the demons and humans had found each other in the crowd, or were in the process of doing so. The air was jovial in most causes, awkward in others. There was sobbing and laughter all around. She briefly considered wading into the mob to find Tio when she heard a familiar peeling cry.
"Megumiii!" the girlish but loud voice wailed. And there she was, pushing demons twice her size and bigger out of her way in her impatient brand of excitement. Megumi didn't even have time to call out a greeting in return before the young girl had sprinted over to her, shouting her name at the same time. Tio latched onto her leg, nearly knocking her over. "Folgore said you were just standing around! How could you!"
Tio had her face buried in Megumi's leg, but it was easy to tell she was crying from the way her shoulders were shaking. Megumi smiled down at her and put her hand on her head, smoothing down her hair. "Ahaha.. I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Tio," she said, prying the girls' arms off of her leg. She knelt in front of her and put her hands on her shoulders. "How are you? Have you been well?"
Tio nodded as she sniffed and rubbed her eyes, trying to make it look like she hadn't been crying. "Y-yeah.. everything's been great with Zatch as the king," she replied, nodding fervently. "What about you? You haven't been working too hard, have you? I knew you'd be a total mess without me around!"
Megumi laughed as the young girl gave her a harsh look until finally she couldn't wait any longer. She put her arms around Tio and hugged her close. "I knew it, too. So I'm glad I finally get to see you again, Tio." Megumi was much less worried about people seeing her cry than Tio was, particularly when it came to happy tears. She let them flow freely as she hugged the young girl, nuzzling her lightly. "I missed you a lot," she said, her voice cracking.
"C-c'mon, Megumi, don't cry.. you're gonna m-make me cry, too.." Tio said, hiccoughing.
Megumi laughed, tears still streaking down her face. Already she could feel that heavy burden of loneliness lifting. Even if it was only for a while, she could see Tio again. And there wouldn't be any battle or job to get in their way.
"Kanchomeee!"
Even Folgore's strong voice couldn't carry over the excited, tearful din of the mass reunion. Demons and humans alike were loudly expressing their happiness and excitement at seeing each other again. Even if it had only been a year since the letters had been sent, there were many pairs that hadn't seen each other in a very long time. The competition had gone on for quite a while after all. Some pairs were reserved as they encountered each other again, but for the most part there was a definite energy in the air.
"Folgore!" A tiny voice called out to him, but it wasn't the tiny voice he was looking for. Tio was making her way through the crowd, avoiding getting stepped on only because she was pushing other people out of her way.
"Ah, Tio!" He waved at her in greeting. She made her way over to him, people now moving out of her way after seeing her pushing her way through the rest of the crowd. "Have you seen Kanchome anywhere?"
"Uh.. he was with me before, but I guess we got split up in the crowd," she replied awkwardly. No doubt she had forgotten about him in all of the chaos. "Have you seen Megumi?"
"Hm.. she was waiting by the entrance when I saw her," he replied, tapping his finger against the side of his face. "I guess the crowd is just too much for her!"
Tio scowled at him. "Megumi's concerts have twice the crowd that yours do! Ooh, I have to go give her a piece of my mind!" She made a move to rush off into the crowd again, but paused to look at him over her shoulder. "Good luck finding Kanchome!"
Folgore waved to the girl as she ran off, laughing. Only when she was gone did he let his expression fall. He was concerned about Kanchome being lost in a crowd this size, where he could easily get trampled underfoot. He tramped off into the crowd, still shouting his partner's name. "Kanchomeeee!"
"Folgore, what's wrong?" a calming feminine voice asked, a hand placed on his arm. He forced his face back into a laughing grin as he turned to face a concerned-looking Elle.
"Haha! Nothing, bambina, nothing at all," he assured her with a wave of his hand. "I'm just looking for Kanchome. Have you seen him?" Although he was distressed, Elle was too easy to get worked up.
"N-no.. I can help you search, if you'd like. I can't find Momon either," she explained. He clearly didn't have her fooled, but he simply laughed and offered her his arm.
"And Sunbeam just left you in the crowd?" he asked as they moved forward cautiously, both peering around for their small partners.
"We just got separated in all of the excitement, that's all," she replied, staying close to his side. Both panicked when a large cyclopean demon backed up without looking and nearly stepped on them. When they had regained their composure, Elle laughed nervously. "I guess this crowd is a little different than the ones you're used to."
"Ahaha, yes.. my fans aren't quite this big," he said, laughing nervously in the same way. Soon he and Elle had evolved to giggling, and finally into genuine laughter. "Everyone's just excited, ah?"
Elle's cheeks were red from laughing, but the shimmering in the corners of her eyes was from something else entirely. Her hands were clasped together in front of her. "We all have a reason to be," she said with a nod. "Everyone is together again, and no one has to fight anymore."
Folgore smiled at her and nodded. "Zatch will make it a big celebration," he said. He was going to continue when he dimly heard someone shouting for Elle in the crowd. "I think Sunbeam's looking for you. I'll come find the two of you when I've found Kanchome." To punctuate, he winked at her and gave her a thumbs up. She waved to Sunbeam who was standing about fifteen feet away and waving his arms at the two of them, then turned back to Folgore and returned the thumbs up.
"Good luck! I'm sure he's around here somewhere!" she said encouragingly, bunching her arms up as she waded into the crowd to rejoin Sunbeam. Even as he walked away, Folgore could hear her stuttering apologies as she tried to navigate the horde.
"Kancho-"
"Folgoreeee!"
His call for the boy was interrupted by the high pitched voice he had been expecting to hear. Through the legs of the other demons and humans he saw Kanchome running towards him, arms outstretched, tears running down his face. Folgore's face broke out into a wide smile as he caught sight of him. He ran towards him with the same outstretched arms. "Kanchomeee!"
"Waaah! Folgoreeee!"
"Kanchomeee!"
They met somewhere in the middle, Kanchome leaping into the pop star's arms. Folgore twirled him around by his hands. When his arms became tired he put him down and crouched in front of him, still holding his hands. Kanchome only pulled his hand away from Folgore's to wipe his tears on the sleeve of his onesie.
"I- I- I didn't think I-I'd ever s-see you again.." he hiccoughed through more tears, his face scrunched up and red. Folgore's face was just as red.
"I-idiot.. we're partners! We were always going to see each other again," he said, clasping his hands tightly. Kanchome sniffled.
"Y-you mean it?" he asked.
"Of course, Kanchome!" he replied, hugging the small demon. Kanchome started off on another bout of crying, locking his arms around Folgore's neck.
He was glad to have his little hippo back.
Sunbeam waved frantically to Elle through the crowd. He'd lost track of her when the chaos had first started, there being far too many people to be able to keep an eye on a single person. Luckily it seemed that she had run into Folgore, because he could see their familiar blonde heads in the crowd.
"Elle!" he called, trying to get her attention. It was Folgore who heard him instead, who immediately turned back to Elle and said something to her. She waved to him, gave Folgore a thumbs up in response to the thumbs up he was giving her, and came bustling through the crowd.
He tried pushing his way through to meet her in the middle, but her squeaking politeness got her through much faster than he would have expected. She stumbled slightly as she squeezed between two people and he caught her around the waist.
"Looks like you're falling for me," he laughed, and was relieved when she laughed at his horrible joke, too. He didn't take his hands off of her waist. She leaned against him slightly, partially out of habit and partially to keep away from the thick crowd. She glanced around their feet.
"You haven't found Umagon yet?" she asked. He shook his head.
"He's not far, though," he said with absolute certainty. The two of them were attuned to each other; until he and Elle had gotten separated, he had been following his instincts to his partner- and calling out to him in the traditional fashion. "I just wanted to find you first."
"You haven't seen Momon, have you?" she asked, peering worriedly around the crowd. Again Sunbeam shook his head.
"No, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere," he said. "It's just not easy to see smaller demons in such a huge group of people."
Elle nodded, accepting his explanation. Her worried expression changed to a determined one, which made him smile. She looked rather adorable with a steely glint in her blue eyes, her mouth fixed into a down turned pout. "Then let's go find them."
She took Sunbeam's hand and led him off into the crowd. He followed behind patiently, smiling at the back of her head.
As they waded into the crowd, a sudden movement above the heads of the other demons caught his attention. An unnaturally long pair of arms appeared, extending upwards to grab hold of the edge of a chandelier. Shortly after Momon appeared, hanging from the chandelier as his arms shortened to their normal length.
Sunbeam jostled Elle's shoulder and pointed the sight out to her. She gasped and smiled, raising her arms above her head to wave to him. "Momooon!" she called loudly. It took Momon a moment to notice her, but when he did, a grin split his monkey-like face. He seemed to forget that he was holding onto the chandelier, because he tried to wave back at her with both arms and promptly fell back into the crowd. "O-oh my! Momon, are you alright?!"
Elle ran towards the chandelier, Sunbeam following close behind so the two of them didn't lose each other again. Only when they started to get close did Sunbeam feel an instinctual sort of tug. Without even realizing it, he took a left and squeezed through the thick ranks of humans and demons.
"Meru meru me!"
"Meru meru me!" he called, repeating the familiar cry with his hands cupped around his mouth.
"Meru meru meeee!"
"Meru meru meeee!"
The more he repeated the cry, the closer the response seemed to get. The sheer number of people still made it difficult to see anything, and so he didn't realize they were practically on top of each other until a tiny sturdy body collided with his legs, knocking him to the floor.
"Meru meru meee!" Umagon cried happily, nuzzling against his knees. Sunbeam reached down to pet his mane.
"I'm glad to see you too, Umagon- or should I call you Schneider now?" he asked. The horse demon didn't say anything, but hopped up onto his chest and gave his face a few long licks. His tail was wagging frantically, a clear sign of his excitement. Sunbeam laughed and hugged him tightly, mussing his mane. It was still as long as he had been when the two of them had spent those months in Africa, but better taken care of. "You look like you've been taking good care of yourself. Right on, my friend."
Umagon hopped off of his stomach and onto the floor, landing on his back legs. He posed proudly and gave his chest a few thumps. "Meru meru me~" he said proudly, showing off that he had been keeping in shape since they had last seen each other.
Sunbeam stood up and smoothed out his vest. He stared long and hard at Umagon, his chin held in the crook of thumb and forefinger like he was appraising him. Umagon seemed concerned, almost worried, until he gave him an approving nod and thumbs-up.
"Groovy, man," he said. "Just groovy. You've been taking good care of yourself."
"Meru meru!" Umagon latched onto his leg, hugging him tightly. He nuzzled against him, and the engineer could feel tiny wet spots appear on his pants as Umagon wiped his tears on them. Sunbeam laughed and rested a hand on Umagon's head, wiping an errant tear away from his own eye.
"I missed you too, buddy," he said, smiling. "I missed you too."
They might have stayed like that for who knows how long if not for the monkey-like demon that appeared over the crowd, hovering by the power of his ears. He peered around until he spotted Sunbeam and Umagon, at which point he started waving. Sunbeam waved back. Momon dropped back into the crowd and not long after reappeared being carried by Elle, one arm wrapped around her neck.
"Kafk!" she called, waving to him with her free hand. Momon sat on her arm. Their eyes were still shiny with the remnants of tears, their cheeks pink. "Oh, you found Umagon! I'm so glad."
"And you found Momon," he said as Umagon started tapping on his leg, wanting to be picked up the same way Momon was. Simply feeling glad about having the miniature horse demon back, Sunbeam obliged, picking him up under his front legs and letting him sit on his arm the same way Momon was sitting on Elle's.
They stood there carrying their partners like they were their own children and smiled at each other, both feeling the same sense of completeness.
Sherry Belmont was not the sort of person who had to push and shove her way through a crowd, nor was she the sort of person who had any desire to. She waited patiently for the initial chaos to die down before following the crowd into the banquet hall. People parted in front of her when they saw her coming, some without even seeing her. She was Sherry Belmont, the human who had not been forced to prove herself worthy to the demon child prodigy Brago but who instead had made him prove himself to be worthy. She had carried him to the top and even people who didn't consciously know who she was could sense that she was not someone to be trifled with.
Although she tried to keep up a dignified and regal bearing, she couldn't keep the slight spring out of her step, making the click click of her heels on the marble floor light and bouncy. The happy energy that buzzed in the air around her was impossible to ignore. Laughter, tears, and excited chattering created a din around her. The mood was infectious, and impossible to ignore. Scattered through the crowd were familiar faces, friend and foe alike. Those who had found their partners seemed universally overjoyed.
Just as she was not the sort of person who had any desire to be jostled around in a crowd, she knew Brago would go to great lengths to avoid getting caught up in one. She scanned the room and was unsurprised when she didn't see him. Moving easily through the crowd, she headed for the wall, intending to circulate around the edge of the room. That would be the easiest way to find her antisocial companion, she knew.
As she walked along with her hand against the wall, she spotted him some twenty feet away, leaning back against the wall. Before the battle had started she hadn't thought it possible to convey so much emotion through posture but Brago's simple lean always seemed to convey irritation and moodiness. He was also trying his best to seem nonchalant but even a casual observer could see the way his eyes scanned the crowd, searching for her. She was amused, and perhaps a little flattered.
She stepped up beside him while his head was turned in the opposite direction, leaning back against the wall in imitation of his pose. "Boo."
He was slightly startled by that and she wasn't sure whether to be even more amused or feel slightly bad. Then again, how many times had he just suddenly appeared next to her and terrified her? His senses were so sharp that she was surprised she managed it even amidst the chaos of the mass reunion.
Brago's pinpoint eyes turned to her, then looked away with a grunt of acknowledgement. She frowned at the reception but after a few moments of silence he followed up with, "You look well."
"So you do," she replied, and both of them sounded so stiff and formal it was almost frustrating. Then again, neither of them had ever been particularly skilled at small talk. She tilted her head and made her ringlets bounce as she looked him up and down.
He wasn't much different from how she remembered him. It seemed he still insisted on wearing that furry atrocity and his expression still seemed fixed into a permanent scowl. She didn't have to look down as much to look him in the eye, however. She reached out her hand and held it just above his head. He stared up at it for a moment, then turned to look at her. "What are you doing, exactly?"
"You've gotten taller," she commented. In the year since she had last seen him, he had grown by at least an inch and a half, if not two. He had grown a lot between their first meeting and when they had parted at the end of the competition, too. She found it hard to think about the fact that someone like Brago was still in the stage of their life where they were growing taller.
Brago stared at her blankly like she was crazy for making the comment and she just laughed, tilting her head back. The seemed to confuse him even further but he simply sighed, tilting his head to the side and looking away from her. "You're the same as you ever were," he commented.
"It's good to see you too," she said with a smile. Brago gave her a nod and stared out into the crowd. She followed suit. Perhaps their reunion wasn't quite as touching as that of the other pairs. She could see demons and humans crying, laughing together, and embracing. One woman with pink hair that she thought she vaguely recognized had captured her taller partner in a bone-crushing hug and seemed to be refusing to let go. No, their reunion wasn't quite as heartwarming as that. But it was so very typically Brago that she couldn't help but smile.
It was easy for someone short and small to get jostled by the crowd and Chita had never been particularly good at asserting herself. She felt herself pulled along by the rush of the humans eager to see their partners, then forced to keep moving as others stopped and got in her way. It was like navigating a maze with walls that constantly moved, were very loud, and had a tendency to push her or nearly step on her. Still, she wasn't the sort of person who was easy to be deterred. Rather than shying away from navigating the crowd as she might once have done she diligently forged her way through, pushing her way through just as much as she was being pushed and slipping through whatever space she could manage.
She squeezed between two rather large demons and came out on the other side in a huff, flattening down her hair. Really, the banquet hall had more than enough space for all of them, but everyone was too preoccupied with their celebrations to notice or care. They clumped and crowded together with no real consideration for the people caught up in the middle of it all.
As she moved through the hordes of people she peered through them in search of that familiar winged silhouette. When she and Rodeaux had been travelling together, his height and distinctly inhuman appearance had dangerously set him apart from others, had made them impossible to miss in a crowd. Now she was in a crowd mostly made up of people who looked just as inhuman as Rodeaux, many moreso. She had never before realized how much she had taken his visibility for granted.
Somewhere in the crowd she could hear Keith's booming laughter. It was an unmistakeable sound and once she was surprised to realize she was glad to hear. He hadn't been anything but an annoyance during the days of the battle but it was confirmation that she was really there, that Rodeaux would be somewhere in the crowd and waiting for her. She was having a hard time allowing it to sink in; she was surrounded by demons and humans she didn't recognize, and the speech given by the strange masked man hadn't exactly been full of reassurances. But Keith was there and in her mind that meant Rodeaux would be there. There was no way he wouldn't be there. She may have been insecure but she wasn't stupid.
Her skin buzzed as she continued through the crowd, keeping a sharp eye out for long black hair and big red wings. Her brain was full to capacity thinking about how much she had to tell him. When they had been separated he had told her to get out and live her life, and she didn't believe she hadn't had any desire to disappoint him. She had gone back to school, gotten a placement position, and most importantly- she had stopped wearing the mask. Her fingers reached up to run over the rough scar tissue over her eye. She resisted the urge to use that same hand to cover the scar completely.
A large animal-like demon nearly stepped on her, forcing her to dodge out of the way. She stumbled and caught herself expertly, biting back a curse. It wasn't like things like this could ever be easy, right? As she went to stand back up, a hand was extended in an offering of help. It took a moment of processing and her fingers brushing against rough calloused palms to realize that the hand was very familiar.
"Need some help?"
Her head snapped up as she was all but lifted to her feet and though she tried quite valiantly she couldn't keep tears from welling up in her eyes.
There he was, completely whole, not a mark on him that could even begin to hint at what had happened in the last few minutes of their being together. No remnants of the 'upgrades' he had received courtesy of Faudo, either; it was just Rodeaux, her partner and best friend, looking exactly as he had the day they had met. Right down to his insufferably smug grin.
As soon as he released her hand Chita threw her arms around his midsection. He was surprised, evidently, because he made a strange choking noise and held his hands up near his shoulders, not sure what to do with them. When it was obvious she wasn't going to let go he sighed and put his arms around her, one hand between her shoulder blades and the other on her mid back.
"You're an idiot," he said with the greatest possible fondness. Her arms were wrapped as tightly around him as she could manage and though she was trying very hard not to cry it was all in vain. She felt her tears were justified, though. Rodeaux had been torn apart and on the brink of death the last time she had seen him.
"You're the idiot," she mumbled into his shirt. He just laughed. She didn't really care whether he was laughing with her or at her. It was a good sound to hear nonetheless.
As they walked through the halls, Dufaux kept his hand on the wall although retracing his steps would have been the simplest thing in the world even without it. He was imitating Kiyomaro more than anything, walking a shadow's length behind the high school student as they followed Diamant's directions. The hallway that he had told them to follow was long, thin, and dark, clearly not a main part of the castle when compared to the spacious hall they had been in before. It struck him as being some sort of servant's passage made specifically to let the staff move around undetected.
"You know, since Zatch didn't know what TV or computers or any of that was, I though the demon world wouldn't be as technologically advanced," Kiyomaro said, turning to look at him over his shoulder. "I guess they're just advanced in different ways."
Dufaux said nothing and simply nodded. It seemed like Kiyomaro was content enough with that response because he turned away again and said nothing more. He was talking for the sake of releasing some of the pent-up energy that was building with the anticipation, not for the sake of making conversation. Dufaux was happy enough to oblige, but his mind was elsewhere.
Zeon.. despite their partnership, he'd never really gotten to know the young prince that well. There were things that even the answer-talker couldn't tell him. Added to the fact that he had undergone an important change during his battle with Zatch and the fact that he had never taken much of an interest in small talk with his partner and he was starting to wonder how much they could even really be considered friends. He knew more about Kiyomaro, if only because he was so open and practically insisted on telling him about himself even though he knew that Dufaux could find out anything he wanted to know about him. Still, his last words to him before disappearing had resonated with him. He was grateful to Zeon for many things starting with the fact that he had saved him from either burning or freezing to death after escaping the facility. Even though he was rather solitary by nature, he felt surprisingly eager to get a chance to really talk to Zeon and discover more about him and his world.
He didn't realize he was smiling until he looked up to see Kiyomaro looking at him and smiling too. The teenager's grin grew wider when they caught each others' eye. "I'm glad to be here, too," he said, and Dufaux again nodded.
"I'm almost disappointed that the two of us didn't figure out how to get here first," he said in a vague attempt at humour. It seemed to work, since Kiyomaro laughed. His former rival and student slowed his pace so they were walking side by side.
"We're here now and that's what matters, isn't it?" he asked. Before Dufaux could respond, Kiyomaro gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. It was a gesture he was starting to get used to.
They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the first actual door they had seen. Dufaux stepped up and seized it by the knob, but Kiyomaro remained where he was, standing perfectly still. He turned back towards him.
"What are you waiting for?" he asked. Kiyomaro took a moment to acknowledge that he was being spoken to and he hastily stepped up next to Dufaux when he did.
"Sorry," he muttered. "Just a little nervous, I guess."
"They're waiting for us," he stated bluntly. "Keeping them waiting any longer would be rude." He was not, strictly speaking, the kindest sort of friend. But Kiyomaro just nodded.
Dufaux opened the door and stepped back just in time for Kiyomaro to be struck in the midsection by an excited Zatch.
"Zatch, at least pretend to be regal. You're a king now, after all," a familiar voice admonished with clear exasperation. Dufaux turned to the source, who had followed behind his brother with his arms crossed.
"Zeon," he said quietly, kneeling in front of the prince. The two of them spent several seconds staring at each other before Dufaux smiled. "It's good to see you. Thank you for inviting me."
Zeon seemed almost surprised by the gentle smile on his face, though he returned it quickly enough. "It's good to see you, too," he said, not able to stop himself from grinning slightly. "And you're welcome. Even though I doubt Zatch would have let me not invite you."
Unsure of what else to say, Dufaux extended his hand towards his former partner, expecting him to shake it. Zeon stared at his hand and hesitated. Just as Dufaux expected him to take his hand finally, he wrapped his arms around his neck in a sudden hug. He just as quickly let go and cleared his throat.
"..we should let Zatch and Kiyomaro catch up. Come, I'll introduce you to my parents," he said flatly, turning and taking a few steps away before pausing, expecting him to follow. He stood up and glanced back at the tearful Kiyomaro and Zatch only briefly before following.
He smiled again. It was starting to feel less strange, smiling that much.
Although he couldn't be sure whether it was instinct or his answer-talker that prompted him to do so, Kiyomaro braced as soon as Dufaux opened the door. When the older man stepped back and Zatch came barrelling at him, he realized it was the correct course of action. The demon child's strength still managed to bowl him over, however.
"Zatch..!" he exclaimed, the wind knocked out of him by the sudden impact and fall. His former partner didn't seem to notice; he was too busy speaking at a pace too fast for Kiyomaro to make out exactly what he was saying. "Zatch, slow down!"
"Kiyomaro! You're really here! They said you would be here and now you're here!" was the first thing he could manage to understand. In spite of the less than courteous greeting and the fact that he was still trying to fully catch his breath, he laughed and mussed Zatch's hair.
"Yeah, I'm here," he said. "I can't believe you really found a way. How'd you do it?"
Zatch blinked at him and shrugged. He didn't seem to realize he was still more or less sitting on Kiyomaro's stomach, or that they were both still on the floor. Kiyomaro was only vaguely aware of the fact himself. "I don't know. Zeon found an inventor who said he could make a machine that would let us see all of you again. And it worked!"
The young boy that he had made a king hugged him tightly. Although his curiosity was peaked by the mention of the machine, he was more interested in what was going on in the here and now. He wrapped his arms around Zatch and hugged him tightly in turn, lifting him up as he got to his feet. They stood like that for a minute before Zatch released him and gave him a pat on the arm. Kiyomaro set him down obligingly, noticing for the first time that he was dressed in a very regal outfit.
"It worked alright," he confirmed with a nod. "How've you been, Zatch? Have things been hard?"
"Unu.." the young demon said with a nod, hanging his head. His energy didn't stay gone for long, however. "But it's not that bad! Zeon and Arth have been teaching me and everyone else is helping, too. It's hard, but everyone is happy, so I'm happy too."
Kiyomaro smiled at the boy's enthusiasm and kind heart. "And you have your father and mother around to help too, right? Not to mention all of the people working in the castle," he pointed out. Zatch nodded. "Like that Diamant guy. He's one of your advisers, right?"
"Unu! Diamant and his brother and sister used to work for my father," he explained. "They were his advisers, too. So they know lots of important things."
Zatch suddenly grabbed Kiyomaro by the hand and pulled him in the same direction he had seen Zeon and Dufaux go off in.
"Come on, Kiyomaro! I'll introduce you to my mother and father," he said excitedly. Kiyomaro laughed.
"Alright, alright, slow down," he said with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm supposed to give a speech to everyone else soon," Zatch explained. "To start off the celebrations. The whole kingdom is going to have a big party to celebrate all of you showing up! And you're the guest of honour, Kiyomaro!"
The idea of there being a party with him as the guest of honour made him blush, particularly the thought that an entire kingdom would be celebrating his visit. Zatch's excitement was so infectious it was hard not to be eager, though. He quickened his pace to better keep up with the young boy and avoid being dragged as he was led from the simple room they had been in before into a much more ornate sitting room.
He nearly gasped at his first sight of Zatch's father. The man was huge, possibly the largest demon he had ever seen. Although all of the chairs in the room were of varying sizes, his was overly large, clearly made specially for him. In the chair next to him was a human-sized woman, and across from them were Zeon and Dufaux. Zeon was sitting in an extremely formal pose and blushing as the woman that he assumed was Zatch's mother and the former queen reached out to fuss with his hair. Dufaux, on the other hand, looked completely at ease.
Zatch trotted over to his parents and cleared his throat, hands behind his back as he looked up at his father. Both turned to look at him. He then turned towards Kiyomaro and held his hands out towards him.
"Mother, father, this is Kiyomaro, my partner," he said. Feeling every pair of eyes in the room on him made Kiyomaro feel somewhat self-conscious, but he stood as straight as possible, put on his best smile, and hoped his clothes didn't look too dishevelled from the hike he had taken what felt like forever ago.
"I'm very pleased to meet you," he said with a deep formal bow. Both of Zatch's parents bowed their heads in return.
"We are likewise pleased to meet you, Kiyomaro," the former king said, his voice deep and rumbling in spite of how softly he was speaking. "Zatch has told us many great things about you, just as Zeon has told us great things of you, Dufaux." He seemed to be picking up an earlier thread of conversation and Dufaux bowed his head in acknowledgement.
"Thank you for taking care of our son," added his mother, smiling at him with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She gestured to a chair on Dufaux's left. "Please, have a seat. We'd love to chat with you for a bit before Zatch has to give his speech."
Somehow Kiyomaro was feeling both more embarrassed and more at ease. He blushed and nodded, taking the seat that was offered to him. Zatch sat on his other side, practically bouncing with excitement. He seemed to be better at reigning in his energy around his parents but it was clear that he was still buzzing. Kiyomaro couldn't blame him. If his excitement wasn't tempered with curiosity and embarrassment he would have been all but bouncing out of his seat too. The thought only made him more embarrassed as he sat next to the perfectly composed Dufaux, who failed to even be fazed by the fact that he was sitting across from Zatch and Zeon's parents, one of whom was the former monarch of the entire world in which they found themselves.
As if reading his mind (although Kiyomaro was fairly sure he wasn't quite able to do that, unless he had been holding out on him), Dufaux turned his head to stare blankly at the high school student. Kiyomaro immediately averted his eyes, trying to look casual about it. Dufaux simply stared at him for a few moments longer before turning his attention back to the former king and queen.
"You must be very proud," he said flatly. He didn't sound particularly interested in small talk, but he was at least making an effort.
"We are," Zatch's mother replied, placing a hand on her husband's massive arm. "Of both of our sons."
"Zatch may have won the throne but I know that working together, both of my sons will bring this world to greatness," he added. "They have already done a wonderful job."
"Thank you, father," Zatch said excitedly, hands folded properly in his lap. Zeon looked embarrassed, his arms crossed and face red. He mumbled his own thanks.
There were many questions Kiyomaro wanted to ask, but before he had a chance, Diamant appeared from behind an evidently false wall panel. His posture was possibly even more stuff and formal than it had been before.
"Pardon my interruption, but the crowd is becoming restless. I believe it is time for the speech to be given," he said with his head bowed.
Zatch hopped out of his seat and pounded his fist on his chest. "Unu! I'm ready," he said. Diamant bowed again. The young king turned back towards Kiyomaro and the others. "Come on, Kiyomaro! You too, Zeon and Dufaux! Everyone is waiting for us."
The two humans and other demon rose from their seats. Zeon turned back towards his parents.
"Are you coming with us?" he asked. The others paused and waited for their answer.
The former queen shook her head. "We'll be there for the celebration later, but we have some things to attend to first," she explained. "Go on without us."
"Right this way, sirs," Diamant said, drawing attention back to himself. He stood by the huge doors at one end of the sitting room, doors that looked far too large for someone his size to open. Kiyomaro had only just started wondering if they were operated by some sort of pulley mechanism when the demon pressed his hand to the smooth surface and it started to creak open seemingly by its own power. "The other pairs have already had a chance to reunite. I'm certain they will be eager to hear of further plans. Spadia and Haro have prepared the stage and are waiting for us."
"Go ahead and tell Haro to try and capture the crowd's attention," Zeon instructed. Diamant bowed deeply and hurried off at his order, slipping between the two large doors that were still in the middle of opening dramatically. Zeon and Zatch followed, albeit at a much more leisurely pace, with their human counterparts taking up the rear.
Kiyomaro couldn't help but stare at the massive doorway as they passed through, craning his neck to see the very top. "You know, I thought the answer-talker would give me all of the answers to the questions I have about this place, but it doesn't seem to want to," he said conversationally. Dufaux shrugged.
"Maybe there are things that are just too foreign to our brains for it to be able to figure out on their own, even with the answer-talker," he suggested. Kiyomaro nodded; it sounded like a sensible explanation. And he truly had no idea what to expect when it came to the demon world. The demons in the competition, their appearances and abilities, had been so widely varied that it was hard to picture what the world they had come from was like.
They came to another large set of double doors, beside which was standing the robed woman he had seen earlier when they had first arrived in the castle. She still had her book folded in her arms.
"Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness," she greeted, bowing her head to the twins. "The crowd is nearly prepared for your address."
"Thank you, Spadia!" Zatch replied brightly. "Is everyone here?"
"All human partners are accounted for, sire," she said, bowing her head in the same way as Diamant. "Furthermore, Diamant wanted me to inform you that all rooms are prepared and the other preparations are coming along well."
"Do you have the room assignments?" Zeon asked. Spadia nodded. "You and Haro will have to give those out after Zatch's speech."
"Of course, sir."
Through the door behind her, Kiyomaro could hear a lot of noise muffled by the barrier. It was relatively quiet on their side, but he could tell that it was quite loud on the other. He assumed that the other humans and their demon partners were just on the other side, now waiting for Zatch's address. That self-conscious feeling returned as he thought again about how woefully under dressed he was.
The large doors opened slightly, just enough for the small jester-like demon to poke his head through. "They're ready for you, sire," he said. Zatch grinned wide.
"Unu!" he exclaimed. The jester-like demon jumped and did a twirl, then bowed deep as he opened the door wider.
Zatch stepped out, his regal robes trailing behind him, no hesitation whatsoever. Zeon followed behind at a respectable distance, motioning for Kiyomaro and Dufaux to follow.
When Zatch took the stage, the room fell eerily silent.
Kiyomaro stared out across the crowd. He had picked out many familiar faces among the humans when they had first assembled but it was even easier to see both friends and foes when they were paired with their demons. On one side of the room he could see Bari and his partner Gustav; on the opposite side he could see Riou and his partner Banikis. It seemed like Zatch's account of everyone getting along had been accurate. He could spot their close friends in the crowd as well, all red-faced from tears, and he forced himself to resist the urge to wave to them. It didn't seem appropriate in such a formal setting.
"Hello!" Zatch greeted, standing at the very edge of the platform they were standing on. It seemed to be a temporary construct much like the one Diamant had stood on to address them all not so long ago. "I'm King Zatch Bell, ruler of the demon world. Many of you know me. To the humans that are here to visit, welcome! I hope you have fun while you're here. We planned a big festival to celebrate, and tonight we're going to have a feast! All of you are invited!"
An excited murmur ran through the crowd, but it quieted down quickly when everyone realized that Zatch had more to say.
"We've all been working hard the past year to make our world a beautiful, peaceful place to live. I hope you like it as much as we all do, and I hope you can all get along while you're here, like we do," he continued. As he spoke, Diamant quietly ascended the stage, staying in the back with his hands folded behind him. When Zatch noticed him, he cleared his throat. "The people who work in the castle will be happy to show you around if you need it. Diamant, Haro, and Spadia are in charge of all of the arrangements, so please ask them questions if you're confused!"
Diamant took that as his cue to step forward, bowing respectfully to Zatch. As the humans in the crowd started to recognize him as the same demon that had addressed them the first time, their attentions turned to him. "As His Majesty King Bell stated, we are glad to have all of you here. I'm sure many of you will find lodging with your partner and their family, but in the mean time, we have prepared rooms for each and every one of you as well as any demon who lives far away so that you may enjoy tonight's banquet and the opening ceremonies of the festivities. Human partners, your luggage has already been brought to your rooms, the number and location of which Spadia would be happy to provide." He gestured to Spadia who once again opened her book, feather pen in hand. "We have also provided maps of the castle and surrounding town in your rooms. We hope your stay here is enjoyable."
He bowed to the audience and stepped off the stage, back through the door the quartet had come through. There was a sudden burst of noise as the crowd was lost again, though as Spadia moved effortlessly through the crowd, a more-or-less orderly line followed. Although there was nothing commanding about her presence, people seemed to sense a sort of orderly authority emanating from her.
The jester demon, who Kiyomaro now knew as Haro, jumped in front of him suddenly with a twirl and a flourish. "Masters Kiyomaro and Dufaux! Rooms have been made ready for you in the royal family's private area. Would you like me to show you the way now?"
"Ah- sure," Kiyomaro stammered. He wanted to meet up with his friends but they were caught up in the crowd, waiting to hear where their own rooms were from the masked woman. Haro bowed to them in a silly manner, the bell on his hat jingling as he bounced towards the door they had come from. Dufaux had said nothing in response to his question but it seemed as though Kiyomaro had spoken for him because he followed without hesitation. Zeon walked at his side, while Zatch laughed and took Kiyomaro's hand.
"I want you to see my room," he said brightly, eyes twinkling. "It's so big!"
Kiyomaro smiled and gave Zatch a pat on the head. It seemed like some things never changed.