Things to remember:
A) I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler/Innocent Venus, sadly. But that's okay. I'll live.
B) I own Lincent and Kosuke and Hiroki. They are mine.
C) This is a work of FICTION. So because of this fact, anything I say goes. No complaining if something below does not make sense. I will be more than happy to explain my logic if you ask me.
D) Heavy OC content
E) 13/14
F) This is a sister fic to The Way We Were In Tokyo.
More relevant info to this chapter: Second chapter of the night and final chapter of this story ;) Follow it is the epilogue. If last chapter had you grabbing tissues, keep them close, everyone. This one is more heart breaking than the last. It made me cry writing it :(
Sincerely wishing you all well,
Kida-Asumi, the Captin of Sirius
- July -
Birthdays were always joyous occasions for the family. Especially the ones for the future co-heads of their family.
As Sasuke and Akina blew their candles out, pictures and applause broke out into the room.
"Congrats kids!" Maki called from her chair where she was holding Oten. Yoh stood beside her with Kida.
"Can we open presents now?" Akina asked Mikoto as she began to cut the cake. The room burst into laughter as Fugaku nodded.
"After we eat cake, baby girl. First we have to take care of feeding our guests. That is the true secret to throwing a perfect party, my daughter." Fugaku said with a wink. Akina giggled, hugging her father.
"Now whoever wants cake, line on up. Maki and Yoh, would you mind sharing with the twins? Or helping them eat?" Mikoto asked. Maki shook her head, kissing the top of Oten's forehead.
"Nah. Oten and I can share." She grinned. Yoh nodded.
"Same with Ki and me." He agreed. Mikoto nodded, smiling her thanks as Riki sat down between the twins.
As the family and friends of the Uchiha gathered on Fugaku and Mikoto's front lawn, three beings watched from a distance. From a nearby tree laid a black cat. The lovely day had it purring and laying on its back. 3 miles away and behind a tree stood a well-dressed man with black hair and red eyes, watching the party carefully. And from the bedroom window stood a man with black hair and black eyes, his gaze burning into the hostess.
The three were all expecting big changes. Only one knew when it would happen.
- September -
Lin smiled down at her newest grandchild late one September night. The baby was only a week old, and unfortunately his mother was called out of town that evening. Lin did not mind. His 8 and 7 year old brothers were sleeping soundly in their shared bedroom. Little Ken Uchiha and his grandmother Lincent Rachel Uchiha were the only two awake.
"Evening sun is going down, out on the ocean, wind is blowin round and round, and this is your home," Lin began to sing. An ancient lullaby that had been with her family for generations. Her sons knew it and she often caught Fugaku singing it to his children. With Oboro now gone, it was her duty to pass this song onto this new little one.
Ken shared a resemblance with his brothers. Sam and Jo both had blue eyes and hair, along with glasses. Only time would tell if Ken would too have the need for glasses, but for now he had their hair and eye color. He looked the most like Oboro, in her opinion. Sam was a perfect combination of his parents, while Jo took after Maki.
Losing their father last April had hurt the entire family. Lin still had trouble thinking of Oboro without making her eyes water. Maki was on anti-depressants just so that she did not completely shut down. With a company to run and three young boys to care for, Maki couldn't afford for that to happen. Because of that, baby Ken was on Mikoto's breast milk too. Mikki was highly amused by the situation and since she was weaning the twins onto formula and solids, she didn't mind.
As Ken began to quiet down in her arms, Lin smiled. This precious innocence is what she wanted to treasure. If only she could keep him this innocent forever.
Just like she had wished for his father and uncle.
With a quiet sigh, Lin stood up, carefully cradling Ken in her arms. Placing him in the crib, this Uchiha matriarch watched him sleep for a bit before returning to her own bed.
Things were finally quiet once again.
- November -
As Lin sat down to change Ken's diaper, Jin turned on the TV behind her.
"I wonder what's going on in the world today." He asked the baby as he leaned over his wife's shoulder. Lin chuckled, tickling Ken's stomach.
"Well, Grandpa, let's find out. Maybe Charles finally got that law passed." She mused, tickling Ken once more before picking him up. Jin pulled her into his arms as the commercials drew to a close. Little Ken sucked on his pacifier contently as the news reporters discussed the latest strike at a mining company. His grandparents frowned when a special report took over the television. The phones began to ring too. Sharing odd looks, they decided to watch the news first.
"Hello my fellow Americans. This is your Vice-President speaking. Today, around 2 in the afternoon, a tragedy happen. The Uchiha Military Headquarters was blown up, killing everyone inside. Our president is with the family now. We are asking this nation to please leave the family alone. Let them mourn in peace." Their Vice-President said. As the camera turned away, Lin and Jin shared a horrified look.
"I'll go and get Sam and Jo. Stay here and don't move." Jin whispered. Lin nodded, not really aware of what was happening. Jin gently removed Ken from her arms and set him down in his swing.
An insurmountable stretch of time later found Lin holding a crying Sam and Jo. Liz sat behind her, rocking baby Ken. Kosuke was taking care of the company and Jin was making flight plans.
It wasn't until they were on the flight to Mikoto's estate that Lin finally understood what was happening.
And then the world went dark.
In the busy streets of Tokyo sat a cat on a dumpster. Its blue eyes twinkled as it watched two figures that lay curled together beside it. A man on the street noticed a shoe, and frowning, he came forward. After making sure that the two were alive, he left. The cat stayed until the two awoke, then after dropping a card on each of their chests, it ran off.
The two woke up, confused. After reading the card, they found a map and went to the location.
If Lin had a dollar for every time someone had apologized to her over the years, she would be very, very wealthy…or at least, more so than she already was. As Lin helped gather the flowers from the public funeral for her son and daughter-in-law, she heard numerous choruses of it from various places. The children were being kept under the watchful eyes of Mizuho Kazami and Rin Uzumaki. President Minato and Maho Kazami stood with Mikoto and Obito by the caskets.
A week had passed since the bombing of the HQ. Fugaku and Maki's funerals had been three days ago. She was now on anti-depressants and had administered some of her demon abilities onto Mikoto to help ease her emotional suffering. They couldn't risk putting her on meds because Ken was still feeding on her breast milk.
After the bombing, Lin had left the three boys in Mikoto's care. Mitsuru joined them. Sana and Jo had moved in with them to help. Then, after they were settled, Lin went to the company's main building to do damage control. She sent Liz off to help keep the Funtom Company in England afloat. Jin and Obito went to the troops to keep their spirits up. Kosuke assisted Lin as much as he could around the office.
There was still much work to be done. After the funeral today, she, Kosuke, Mikoto, and the oldest twins would go into her private office and perform three ceremonies: The first would be passing the title of head of the family onto Sasuke and Akina. Then Mikoto would be given the title of matriarch and she would be the overseer of the family actions. Lin would then be sworn in as President for all of the companies until the twins came of age.
Mikoto was not thrilled at the idea, but knew that there was no other way.
Minato had been a blessing that Lin had never seen coming. He kept the media away and watched after the children when he was needed. He also paid for both funerals, refusing to allow them to pay anything.
"You've been through enough, Lin, Mikki. Let me do this. Fugaku wanted me to take care of this family. Let me do just that." He had insisted. And at the sincerity in his eyes, Lin and Mikoto gave in.
A warm arm wrapped around her. Looking up, Lin noticed it was her mother.
"Sweet heart, sit down. Let me take care of the flowers. Join the children or the grandchildren." Liz insisted. Lin bit her lip, blinking back tears. The years had been good on Liz. Her blond hair was now white as snow, and her skin showed the signs of aging gracefully. Her green eyes were the same as they always had been though.
"Mama." She whispered, wrapping her arms around Liz tightly. Liz returned the embrace, her heart aching. Her poor child had seen too much death. First her birthparent, then her grandfather. Now two of her children and a daughter-in-law. And to top it all off, her father was nowhere to be found.
"Mama, I need to do something. Get in contact with Daddy. Do whatever you have to do. Please." She whispered, wiping away her tears. Liz nodded, frowning in concern.
"Of course, sweetheart. Anything." She promised.
And she meant it.
"You can't be serious!" Mikoto shouted. Lin nodded gravely, looking at the ground. The two were in Mikoto's basement. Everyone upstairs was asleep.
"I am. Mikoto, I must take the twins. It must be now. We will be back soon. But first we have to do something. Something very important. I cannot tell you more than that. If I have to knock you out and sneak out with the children, I will." She added. Mikoto snorted, shaking her head.
"Fine. Take them. Get out of my sight. You preach about us staying together in times of hardship, yet you are fleeing. Whatever, Lincent Rachel, leave. But so help me God, if a single strand of hair on their head is harmed, it will be you that pays." Mikoto growled. Lin nodded. With a tired sigh, Mikoto left the room. Lin watched her go, heart aching from the harsh words.
But this was something she had to do.
Tapping into her demonic blood, Lin silenced her feet. Then she climbed the steps to the main part of the house. She quietly removed her suitcase, packed with formal clothing for herself and the twins, and quickly uttered a transportation spell that her father used to murmur frequently when he was around. It would take the suitcase to a local dock and boat. That taken care of, she headed upstairs. After kissing her husband goodbye, she gently picked up both twins. Akina slept through it, but Sasuke woke up. She quickly uttered a hasty sleeping spell (another favorite of her father's) and carried them both downstairs.
Once in the entrance, she murmured a few protection spells that both Liz and Sebastian had taught her.
"Ready to go?" Liz asked quietly. Her mother appeared in a bathrobe, her hair pulled up. Lin nodded, looking down at herself. She was in all black - a black pair of tight pants, a black turtleneck, and a black jacket. Her passport, favorite credit card, cell phone, and family seals were all in her back pockets. The twins were also in all black - Akina in a black nightgown with the Uchiha family symbol on her front of it, and Sasuke was in similar pajamas.
Liz helped to put black pants onto Akina, followed by socks. Then she put the socks onto Sasuke and jackets on both twins. After helped to tie back both Lin and Akina's hair, Liz handed her a small purse filled with snacks for the twins and opened the door.
"Good luck. Say hi for me." She murmured. Lin nodded.
"I love you, Momma. Keep them safe while we're gone." She said. Liz nodded. After returning the sentiment, Liz closed the door. Taking a deep breath, Lin closed her eyes and concentrated. In her mind she was imagining the transportation lessons her father had given her years ago. After going through with the steps, Lin opened her eyes. She flinched as a harsh breeze swept past her. Looking around, she noticed that she had successfully transported herself to where she was supposed to be. Her suitcase was at her feet.
"Lincent." Lin felt her eyes fill with tears at the familiar voice. Turning, she spotted her father.
"Daddy." She replied, walking towards him. Sebastian snapped his fingers and the suitcase appeared in his hand.
"Let me have the boy. His name is Sasuke, correct?" He asked. Lin nodded, transferring Sasuke to his great-grandfather.
"Yes. And his sister Akina is in my arms. You'll transport us across the ocean, right? I am not confident enough in my abilities to trust me doing it." She said, looking at her feet. Sebastian nodded.
"Of course. Take the suitcase then." He said. After Lin had done so, he wrapped his arm around her tightly and then they were off.
As they walked onto the dewy grass, Lin smiled at her father, who was smiling at her. Sasuke and Akina had both grown awake and had been fed. The two were very confused as to what was going on, but were accepting it. Sebastian held Akina's hand, and Lin held Sasuke's. The twins each held one another's hand. Together the four made their way into the abandoned Phantomhive house.
Years ago, Lin had a tombstone made in Ciel's honor. It was still standing in the center of the house. Once they stood in front of it, Lin crouched down between the twins. Sebastian took a step towards the grave, running a hand over it fondly.
"Sasuke, Akina, do you know what this is?" She asked, gently wrapping an arm around each of them. They both nodded.
"A grave." Akina, the bolder of the two, spoke. Lin nodded, grinning.
"Very good. This grave is a very special grave. It is of your great-grandfather, Ciel Phantomhive." She said.
"Who is he?" They asked together, but for different reasons. Sasuke was referring to Sebastian, and Akina was referring to Ciel. Lin smiled, kissing their cheeks fondly.
"Ciel was my mother. Sebastian is my father." She explained.
"But Grandma Liz and Grandpa Kosuke are your parents." Akina protested. Lin nodded patiently.
"Yes. They too are my parents. Some people have more than one parents, others only have one." She explained.
"Like…" Akina began, searching for an example.
"Satoshi Kazami." Sasuke said. Lin nodded. The boy was the late Kimi Kazami's son. His father was unknown.
"Exactly. I have two mothers and two fathers." She elaborated. "We're here today so that you can meet your Grandpa Ciel. This is our little secret though, ok? I promise that you can tell everyone about the other person we're meeting today." She said. Akina and Sasuke shared a look before nodding.
"Okay." They agreed in unison. Smiling, Lin turned to the grave.
"Hello Mom. I have returned. Bet you've been wondering where I've been…" She began.
As Lin filled Ciel in on the recent events, Sebastian kept a secure and protective hand on the grave. He still loved this man, even decades without him. Once a month he visited. Then once a year, on the anniversary of his death, Sebastian slept here. Magnus and Grell had attempted to get him to move on in New York, and while he slept around, he hadn't dated.
He doubted he ever would.
"And so, Mom, I would like to introduce you to your legacy. I proudly present Sasuke and Akina Uchiha." She murmured, wiping at the tears running down her face. "While this generation may have lost its leader, the next has two ready for the task. Mikki and I can at least hold it together for them until then." Lin murmured sadly.
"Would you like to say hello?" Sebastian asked the two softly. The twins both stared at him with calculating expressions - this was the first time they had heard him speak. After sharing another look, they nodded and stepped forward. Sebastian watched as they touched the grave together, hands still clasped.
"Hi, Grandpa Ciel. I'm Akina and this is Sasuke. Sorry we never got to meet." She said.
"Take care of our Daddy and Aunt Maki and Uncle Oboro, please." Sasuke requested.
"Yeah. And watch over all of us." Akina added.
This little show was too much for Lin and she burst into tears, shoving her hand in the mouth to stop her sobs. Sebastian quickly walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.
"Lincent. Please, calm yourself. You'll be upset if the children see. Tonight, you can cry. We still have to see King Charles." He reminded her. Lin nodded, fighting for her emotions. It took a few moments, but eventually she got them under control.
"Sorry." She whispered as Sebastian dried off her face. After that was finished, he began to fix her make-up, calling items to him as needed. Once he was satisfied, they turned and watched the twins wrapping up their conversation with Ciel. Once they were finished, Lin picked them both up and Sebastian wrapped his arms around her. Then they were teleported to the Phantomhive townhouse.
"Linny! You look amazing!" Charles exclaimed as she entered the room. Lin smiled. She was in an all-black dress with golden embroidery around the waist. It slit up her left leg, her hair was down and she had on black heels. "Who are these adorable cuties?" He asked, bending down to look at Akina and Sasuke. Akina was in an all-white dress with a multilayered skirt and a ruffled top. She wore white dress shoes and a white headband with a bow. Sasuke was in a dark red suit, minus the jacket, and black shoes.
"The heirs to my family. Sasuke and Akina Uchiha, This is King Charles zi Britannia." Lin introduced them. Charles smiled, kneeling down in front of the children.
"Nice to meet you two." He said, winking. Akina giggled and clung to Sasuke, who stared stoically at Charles. Sebastian appeared and took both twins' hands.
"Let's go play with the Prince and Princesses." Sebastian suggested. The twins nodded, and the three left. Charles pulled Lin into a hug, which she quickly returned.
"How are you?" He asked. Lin shook her head.
"Miserable. Madara's insanity was hard enough. Then for him to kill his brothers and his sister-in-law? I'm a wreck." She sighed. Charles nodded, leading her to the chairs where tea was waiting for them.
"Why the impromptu visit?" He asked. Lin shrugged.
"Business mainly. I am here to assure you that this tragedy will not impact our companies. And I wanted to see an old friend." She said, smiling at him. Charles smiled back.
"I was never worried about your companies. You are a fierce business woman. Let's gossip. How are the new babies?" He asked. Lin beamed.
"Very precious! Before Fugaku left this world, he was blessed with a second set of twins." Lin explained. Charles chuckled.
"Wow, that poor woman has now what, seven children? God bless her soul." He said. Lin nodded.
"I agree. But she'll be fine. She has a lot of help and her best friend is the President. I wouldn't be surprised if they marry at some point." Lin said with a wink. Charles' eyes widened.
"Really? Wow." He murmured.
"My youngest managed to impregnate his wife two months before his death. Their two month old son is at home with his other grandmother as we speak." She explained. Charles nodded.
"Three new and three gone. Deaths and births. A life for a life." He sighed. Lin nodded, frowning slightly.
"How is your new son?" She asked, referring to Charles' 8th child, Klaus. He would be the 6th prince. Charles shrugged.
"Strong and healthy. His mother has left us and I am scheduled to remarry once more next week." He explained. Lin rolled her eyes.
In this government, the King must produce as many heirs as he can for twenty years. So when one wife can no longer produce or passes on, the King simply takes a new wife and continues the process. Very little love is involved.
As she sipped her tea, Lin couldn't help but think that the world was very unpredictable and complicated.
"Mommy, we met the King!" Akina exclaimed as she entered her house, Sasuke at her heels. Lin brought up the rear with the suitcases.
"Babies!" Mikoto screamed from the kitchen, running to meet them. Riki raced down the stairs, calling for Sasuke and Akina as well. Minato and Sana exited the kitchen, Minato holding Ken and a bottle.
As she watched her family snuggle, Lin smiled and shut the door. Her trip to her birthplace had been refreshing and strengthened her purpose in life. Sebastian had left them in front of the door, saying that it was best if he watched them from afar. Lin had tried to protest, but the twins had already run inside.
Oh well. She knew that it wouldn't be the last time she saw him.
After all, there is always the afterlife.
A/N: I am not sure if any of you have read KIA(I don't recommend it, it was a terrible piece on my part), then please note that things are a bit different with Fugaku and Maki's deaths. This is an alternate universe from KIA. And if you are interested in Mikoto's side of things, feel free to read Messages in the Sky. It will be finished by next wednesday and has 30ish chapters(only 3 are up currently :P).
PS - I have a surprise after the epilogue :D
- Kida-Asumi