Tatsumi awakened the next morning feeling quite relaxed and contented. He turned to the other side of the bed and found a note laying on the pillow where Alicia should have been. Sitting up, he picked up the piece of paper and read it.
There are towels and a robe in the bathroom. Feel free to use the shower. Once you are finished, meet me in the kitchen. I will have breakfast waiting.
Tatsumi smiled and looked at the clock. 7 o'clock. This was a first for him. Usually the secretary is up at 5:30 and at the ministry. But at the moment he couldn't work up the emotion to care if he was late. All that mattered to him was that he was happy. Stretching his arms over his head and yawning, he sees why Tsuzuki is always late for work. It feels nice not to have to get up and go to work.
He reaches over and grabs the pillow Alicia slept on. Hugging the pillow, he buries his nose into the soft material and inhales. The scent of cherries assaulted his nostrils as he thought about the incredible night he had shared with his beautiful lover. He did not want to get up but the sun has risen and he had no choice but to get up.
Although, he could call in sick. No, it's best that he goes in. His co workers might tear the ministry down if he is not there to keep a firm leash on them. Hopping out of bed, Tatsumi went into the bathroom and took a nice long shower. Once he was finished, he put on the bathroom and walked into the kitchen. There he found a most delectable sight. Alicia was over the stove fixing breakfast wearing nothing but his dress shirt. He smiled as he leaned against the door frame and let his gaze move up her long silky legs.
"Why is it women look better in a man's shirt than the men do?" he asked smiling.
Upon hearing his voice Alicia turned around placing two plates filed with pancakes, sausage, bacon, egg and hash brown on the table. "Well the world is filled with mysteries and this is one of them," she said smiling. "Good morning."
As she turned to the cupboard reaching for two juice glasses, Tatsumi walked away from his perch against the door frame and molded his body against her back. "You feel nice," he said kissing her on the neck. Alicia giggled as she turned to face him. Tatsumi lifted her off her feet and sat her on the counter. "Good morning my sweet." He pressed his lips against hers in a searing passionate kiss. Alicia moaned as one of his hands slipped into the front of the shirt and caressed one of her breasts. The kiss grew intense as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and wrapped her long legs around his back.
"Do you two mind," came a deep silky voice behind them. "We are trying to eat breakfast."
The two froze in shock as they turned to see who was invading their privacy. Muraki and Tsuzuki were sitting at the table eating their breakfast.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" demanded Alicia releasing Tatsumi out of the leg lock she had him in.
"Well, I decided to give Saikai the morning off and I just knew you would have a big breakfast after last night," Muraki said smirking knowingly at his sister.
Alicia turned two shades of red before she began struggling to wrap her hands around his neck and strangle her brother. But Tatsumi held her firmly in his grip.
"Alicia, this is wonderful," said Tsuzuki pouring more syrup onto the pancakes. "Do you have any orange juice?"
Alicia sighed, slumping her shoulders. 'So much for making out in the kitchen.' "Yeah, it's in the refrigerator."
"I'll get it," said Tatsumi.
Alicia hopped down and began to cooked breakfast for herself and Tatsumi.
"Well Mr. Tatsumi, I hope you plan on making an honest woman out of my sister," said Muraki. "Ouch!"
He got a spatula across the head for his comment as Alicia turned back to finish up.
Just as she finished putting the last pancake on the plate, the sound of the front door opening and then closing caused Alicia and Tatsumi to stop what they were doing. Alicia was about to go see what fool had broken into her apartment when suddenly, Watari and Oriya walked into the kitchen.
"The rooms on this floor are amazing," said Watari taking a chair. Then he looked up and saw a shocked Alicia and Tatsumi holding plates of food in his hands. "Well, good morning you two." He smiled.
"What the hell are they doing here?" roared Alicia.
"Well, Watari usually comes over to the house to eat breakfast," said Tsuzuki smiling as he began stealing food off of his husband's plate. "Since we were coming over here, we invited him and Oriya to join us."
"Thanks for the breakfast," said Oriya walking up to them and taking the plates. "I am starving." He placed one plate in front of Watari and he took the other.
"You invi-" Alicia lowered her head as she turned around. Knowing that it will do no good getting angry, she just sighed and began cooking again. This time Tatsumi helped her.
"Can I have more, please?" Tsuzuki hit them with his patented puppy dog stare complete with large round watery eyes.
"Is this what you have to put up with every day?" asked Alicia taking the plate from her brother-in-law and turning back to the stove.
"I'm afraid so." Tatsumi pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose sighing.
"You deserve a medal. Or a long vacation." Alicia watched as Muraki fed a sausage to Tsuzuki.
"You don't know the half of it." Both the secretary and Alicia sighed in defeat. "Is there anyone else you invited?" asked Tatsumi. Just then Hisoka walked into the kitchen. Another heavy sigh was heard from the two.
"I suppose you want breakfast as well?"
"I'll just have a cup of tea," said the teenage guardian.
"I only buy tea when I have a cold," snorted Alicia.
"You may as well take a seat along with everyone else, Kurosaki," said Tatsumi.
"Is he the last person you goons invited," asked Alicia tapping her index finger against the counter angrily.
"Yes, he's the last one," said Muraki smiling.
"Are you sure?" the silver hair woman began drumming her fingers against her arms that was now folded across her chest. "You didn't invite that Terazuma guy or his partner? What about your chief or lord Enma?"
"Nope, just us." He took a sip of his juice.
"Oh yeah, we brought you a change of clothes Tatsumi," said Tsuzuki. "We figured you would need them. Your suit is lying on the couch."
"How did . . . Never mind." Tatsumi turned and began helping Alicia fix four more plates of food.
"So Alicia, you rent out this entire floor?" asked Watari taking a sip of his juice. "What do you do with the other rooms?"
Oriya snorted. "Rent nothing. She owns the entire building."
"WHAT!" Four sets eyes stared at her in shock.
Alicia turned to glare at the smirking long hair swordsman, and then turned her attention back to the others. "Yes, I own this building."
"Wow, you think I can get me an apartment here?" asked the long hair blonde guardian.
"What's wrong with the apartment you have now?" demanded Tatsumi.
"Nothing."
"If you like living in a box," mumbled Tsuzuki.
"What was that?" The secretary snapped at the purple eyed guardian
"Well Tatsumi, you have to admit that he is right. We don't get paid enough to live in a nice place like this," said Watari. "I mean the hotels we stay in when on a case isn't nearly this nice."
"What hotels," snorted Tsuzuki. "More like shacks." The two guardians burst out laughing.
"Well, maybe if you two would stop destroying the building with your crazy experiments or fighting with your co workers," he glared pointedly at Tsuzuki, "maybe you would have the money to live in a nicer apartment."
The sound of laughter erupted from everyone in the kitchen.
At least Tsuzuki and Watari had the decency to look embarrassed. There was no denying that Tatsumi spoke truth. If Tsuzuki wasn't destroying the building with the constant fights with Terazuma, Watari was blowing up the lab with his experiments. Between the two, they would be in debt for the rest of eternity.
An hour later Alicia and Tatsumi were finally alone. Alicia was reclining on her couch resting after the hectic morning she had. Tatsumi walked out of the bedroom dressed in the dark-brown suit Tsuzuki brought for him to wear. Seeing Alicia lying on the couch with her head resting against the armrest and eyes closed, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
"Thank you for the breakfast." He smiled down at her.
Alicia opened her eyes to stare into a pair of vivid blue eyes. She felt her heart thump against her chest as she resisted the urge to pull him down into a burning kiss. She had things to do and places to be. So, she stood up and began to straighten his dark blue tie. "Yes, well, it wasn't what I was hoping it would be. If I had known we were going to be bothered by uninvited pests, I would have put up a barrier."
"Well, it wasn't what I expected or hoped either, but it was nice to have the people you care about together."
Alicia arched a silver brow. "I've always heard you were strict but I never dreamed you would be so sappy." She giggled. "Maybe I should tell the others about this side."
"No, my sappiness is just for you alone." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately on the lips. "Well, I should be heading for work. I'll see you after work?"
"I might be late because we are having a meeting at the village. So, you can let yourself in." She ran into the bedroom and came right back out. She placed a key in his hand.
Securing the key in his pocket, he pulled her into his arms. "Okay, until tonight." He gave a quick kiss and let his shadows engulf him. When the shadows fell away, Tatsumi was gone.
"So, this is what love feels like." Alicia smiled. "I like it."
xxxxx
It was late evening when Raylene appeared near a condemned shipping port. He made his way across the docks to a large warehouse. Sliding the door open he frowned in disgust as the stench of decay turned his stomach. Sealing himself in a barrier, he stepped inside closing the door behind him. Flipping the switch on the wall, the lights came on basking the building in a dim glow. The floor was littered with the bones of humans and some wild animals.
Stretched out in the corner was a gigantic black three-headed dog with glowing red eyes. One head was chewing on a human leg. The second was resting its head on the floor while the other watched Raylene from across the room. It had four legs like a regular dog and a long pointed tail that thumped against the floor crushing the skeletal remains of its victims.
"Really, I thought all you dogs buried your bones," Raylene smirked at the dog demon.
"Your sense of humor is only amusing to you, Fallen One," said the dog head that was watching him. "How goes your plan to bring back the Master?"
"Everything is going as planned. The master has only four months left before he will be free of his prison for all eternity."
"And what of the dragon twins?" the dog demon spat the name out in disgust.
"They as well as all their kind are still in the dark as to what we are planning," said Raylene.
"All I want to know is when I can kill them."
"You can have the elder dragon. The younger is mine."
"They are my prey and I will be the one to destroy them. I will make one watch as I tear the other to pieces." Green spittle foamed out of the other two dogs' mouths at the mention of the death they had in store for their enemies.
"Down Fight-o, you will have your chance. It's just that I have heard a lot about them from other demons." Raylene leaned against the wall crossing his arms across his chest. "From what I heard, the mere mentioning of their names had demons hiding in fear."
"It's true. They were ruthless when it came to hunting demons." The dog demon said remembering his battle with them. "They didn't care who got hurt as long as they made the kill. I had their Guide and was threatening to kill her if they moved. They moved. So I killed her and they didn't bat an eye when that girl was killed. I wouldn't even call them demons and they were beyond being monsters. They seemed to thrive in blood and death."
"Hence the meaning of what the stars really mean. The south star, the star of Chaos. The North star, the star of Oblivion."
The demon stared at him. "So, I take it you have spoken to ancient demon Galen. He is the only one that could have told the true meaning of the north and south star."
"Yes I did," said the devil smirking. "Now, let's continue with our talk. How did you get away?"
"I have to admit that I was badly wounded by them using the girl as a shield was my last resort of getting away alive but when they just allowed me to kill her I knew I was dead."
Raylene watched in fascination as the large black form shivered. He was amazed. He didn't think there was anyone or thing alive or otherwise that could make an Original shiver in fear. He would love to face at least one of them in battle.
"Just as they were moving in for the kill, their superiors called them back. That was all that saved me," said the demon. It narrowed its glowing red eyes at the fallen angel and snarled. "They are mine to kill. I claim first right to the kill."
Raylene smirked up at the demon. "Come now, there are two of them. Why can't I challenge one of them?"
"I want them to witness as I destroy everything they hold dear."
"How about this, what if I just injure one and let that one watch as you tear the other sibling apart."
"I will think about it." The dog demon raised one of its huge paws ejecting its claws and raking them against the wall of the warehouse. "With the death of the Dragon Twins, the Heavens will tremble in fear as the master walks upon the Earth once again." Then the dog turned his gaze back to the young man. "Are you sure about the location of the appearance of the gate?"
"There is no doubt. At the stroke of midnight on December 24 the gates to hell will appear among the ruins of these condemned buildings."
xxxxx
Somewhere in a secret village hidden in the forests of Hokkaido, Alicia as well as several other Kurenai warriors sat in a dimly lite chamber. Everyone stood as a group of six elderly men walked into the room. The warriors bowed and took their places on the colored cushions.
As soon as the meeting began, Alicia's mind began to wander about what happened between her and Tatsumi the other night. She didn't know why but she felt as though everything was now right in her world. Even the thought of running into the obnoxious devil, Raylene, did not dull the happiness she could feel blooming within her heart.
"Alicia."
She heard a voice call her name. The voice was so far away and at the moment it was not important enough to bring her out of her thoughts. 'I wonder what Tatsumi will be doing tonight?'
"Alicia." Again the voice spoke and she pushed the annoying voice to the back of her mind. She smiled. 'Maybe I should fix us a nice romantic dinner at home since we didn't get a chance to enjoy our breakfast this morning. Stupid Kai! He just had to ruin what would have been a wonderful bout of sex in the kitchen.'
"ALICIA!"
The silver hair young woman was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a plastic mug connect to her head. "OUCH!" she shrieked as she rubbed her sore head.
"Pay attention," said one of the elderly men. "It is time for your report."
The room erupted into giggles before everyone finally fell silent and waited. Alicia quickly got to her feet. "My apology." She bowed to the six elderly men.
"You seem happy today, little brat," said the elderly Master Takakura smiling at Alicia. "Is it something you wish to share with the rest of us?"
"It's nothing," said Alicia staring at the floor blushing.
"If that's the case, than pay attention. Now, began your report."
"Of course. As you know, I was sent to retrieve some children that was kidnaped by demons, but they weren't really demons. They were Symbionts.
"Symbionts? Are you sure?" asked one of the elders.
"I got a very good look at them and they were Symbionts. But from what creature, I have no idea."
"Hmm, too bad you didn't capture one, we could have experiment on it and found the identity of the demon it was spawned from," said another of the elders.
"I'm sorry, elder but once that devil arrived I did not have time to think," said Alicia.
"So what happened?"
"I can't say. I remember fighting the devil and losing. I was on the verge of blacking out or maybe I did black out. After I woke up in the hospital in Meifu, Kai told me that when I arrived there my eyes were . . . Well according to my brother, he told me my eyes were glowing and I was growling like some wild feral animal.
My brother had come across the devil when he was on his honeymoon in Hawaii. Kai said the devil called him a dragon twin, whatever that's suppose to mean. Anyway, I came upon the devil again when I was out having dinner. We fought but it wasn't too much of a battle. He just said the time is not right for our battle and that when the time comes he wants to witness the full strength of the south star. After that, he disappeared and I have not come across him again."
"If this devil has been coming after you the most, Why would the devil go after your brother?" asked one of the other men.
"At this time I have no reason. All I know is that the devil has, for reasons known only to him, has targeted me and my brother."
"Do you know for sure that this devil has targeted you and your brother only?" asked another elder.
"No one else has reported seeing the devil. So it's safe to say that he is coming after us?"
"Could your brother, while under the possession of his half brother, done something to anger this devil or did he make a pact with this devil?" asked Master Takakura stroking his long white beard.
"No," said Alicia. "If he had done something like that Saki would have made it a point of telling me. The sick bastard took pleasure in watching me suffer whenever he did something wicked while possessing my brother's body."
"Well it's safe to say that the devil is up to something and it concerns both you and your brother," said one of the elderly men.
"I agree. So you and your brother must be on guard at all times," said Master Takakura contemplatively. "Now, what else do you have to report."
"Well, I have nothing as of yet but I have asked both my brother and his partner Yutaka Watari to keep a detailed log of Asato's pregnancy."
"Oh the young half devil your brother married. Has anything happened?"
"Not yet," said Alicia. "It is early and Watari did say that it is normal for nothing exciting to happen during the beginning of a pregnancy."
"I still find it hard to believe that the young man was able to become pregnant," said another of the elderly men.
"Although he is only half devil, we should be able to learn a lot from him," said another.
"True," said Master Takakura. "Be sure to inform us on any new development during the pregnancy."
"I will." Then Alicia took her place back on the cushion and listened partially as another warrior made her report.
Once the meeting was over Alicia stepped out into the night air stretching her arms above her head. She hated these meetings. They always last well pass nightfall. She was about to leave when she heard someone calling to her. She turned to see a young man that was two years younger than her running over to meet her.
"Hey Subaru, you need something?" she asked.
The dark hair boy shook his head. "I have a message from master Takakura."
"That old coot doesn't want something does he?"
"No. he just wanted me to tell you this and I quote. Please be careful when dealing with this devil Raylene. It's obviously he wants something from either you or your brother. Whatever it is. I have a bad feeling that this devil means you and your brother harm. End quotes," said Subaru.
"Tell the old man, I promise I will be very careful," said Alicia.
"Alicia, wait." The teenage boy nervously bit his bottom lip. "I'm with Master Takakura. Please be careful. Every since you told us about this devil attacking you, I have . . . been having these awful nightmares about you and your brother being killed by a black spear." The boy looked up to see Alicia staring at him skeptically. "I know it sounds strange but your death . . ." The boy could not finish as tears welled up in his eyes to fall down his cheeks. "I'm sorry it's just that . . . if anything were to happen to you . . ."
Alicia pulled the dark hair boy into her arms. "You needn't worry. I have no intentions of going into a battle recklessly with a devil. And as for your dream of me and my brother dying, well I have no intentions of leaving this world any time soon." Then she took a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Do you feel better now?"
"Yeah," Subaru said embarrassed. "I'm sorry about bawling all over you. It's just that those nightmares finally got to me and I was scared."
"It's okay," said Alicia smiling down at the boy. Hey, you know you are old enough to start school in Tokyo. Why not move into the apartment building with the rest of us. You know I had that building built especially for anyone from the village wanting to live in Tokyo. As I said, it's time for you to continue your education. There is only so much you can learn here."
Subaru stared out at the quiet village below. "I don't know. I'm not as strong as you and the others which is why Master Takakura put me in charge of the library." Then he looked up at her. "Besides, I like working in the library."
"You don't have to give up your position here. I think that you should get out of this small village see what lies beyond this protective veil." She smiled at him. "You need to expand your horizon. Anyway, why not think about it. My offer will always be there."
"Thanks," said Subaru smiling. "You know, I might just take you up on your offer. I always wanted to know what the outside world was like every since your brother first brought to our village."
"Come on, I'll treat you to dinner at the finest restaurant in Tokyo and since I have the day off tomorrow. I will show you around town. How does that sound?"
"That sounds great," the boy said excited. "But I should tell my parents."
"Call them from my apartment. Besides I'm sure they won't mind when they find out that you are with me." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and as they walked away, they were surrounded by a tornado of white feathers and disappeared.
xxxxx
disclaimer- i do not own any of the characters to Yami no Matsuei
