Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso
OCs © reaper-of-lost-souls
A/N: Oup! Another chapter is up! Sorry for falling behind in this. I'd rather write the chapters then actually look them over and post them, but I'm just doing this just in case I get bored with writing and want to draw. Since I don't have an art class this semester, it may happen ^^ Sorry if my information is wrong in some aspects, but I tried to get everything as accurate as possible. I may have learned about the Native Americans in school, but that was too long ago to remember everything that was said so I had to use google. Hmmm… maybe I should take a Native American class at one point… X3 Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!
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"Marius Ellen Ioreta Serbus," Sophie growled, "don't test my patience."
"But come on!" Marius groaned, either not noticing or not caring about the annoyed tone in her voice. "Just look at the list! Can't you say yes to one of them?" Sophie stopped with Marius almost colliding into her back. Then she ripped the scroll from his hand, a snarl escaping her voice as she looked it over. "I-I figured I should add everyone who could take care of you… Since, you know…" he chuckled sheepishly.
"No," Sophie said roughly, shoving the scroll back in Marius' chest as she trudged down the hallway.
"N-no?" Marius growled, rolling the scroll tightly before chasing after her. "You didn't even look them over –"
"Every guy on that list is either married, was married, or a snobby brat! How can you expect me to choose from that awful group?" Sophie growled at him. "I don't see why this is a big deal anyways. Why are you making a big deal –"
"Because you need someone to protect you," Marius tried to explain, "and even more so because you're the head of a powerful family. What will happen if someone attacks you? Tries to kill you? That's what an arrange marriage is for –"
"Well I want no part in it," she huffed at him. "Besides I… I had someone else in mind anyways…"
"But I reviewed him and he isn't powerful enough to protect you –"
"Like I care!" Sophie yelled back at him, causing Marius to stop as she turned around and pointed an accusing finger at him. "And I'm guessing because of yo~u he… you're an ass Marius! Can't you just let me live without all these little problems woven into everything! First I go off from work and then you come here with this list? I… did you even know that I hit rock bottom? While you were out to your little parties and keeping our status so high and prominent I was out drinking myself half blind. I even inhaled chloroform almost every night to help me sleep, if I wanted to sleet that is. Then my friends helped me conquer my drug addictions, but what do you do? The next time I actually see you, you tell me I have to get married to some bozo I'll probably hate for the rest of my existence! Well you know what Marius, no deal! I'd rather marry someone who helps me, not harm me… or not marry at all."
"Why are you making a big deal about this?" Marius huffed.
"Because," Sophie growled, "marriage should be for a man and a woman that love each other, not for connection reasons and security. I'd rather be married and always on the run then stuck in some house playing house wife while my husband is out having sex with other women! I can't see why you can't see that! Hell! Maybe if you had asked me ten years ago I would have said yes, but now it's a no. No. N. O. No!"
"Well if you're thinking of love then you obviously didn't find it," Marius huffed, "because that Jericho ran out on you and slept with another –"
Marius flinched, his right cheek being slapped by Sophie's hand. She held her hand there for a few moments before her hand went to her side, not knowing what had gotten into her. She looked down in sudden embarrassment, clutching her hands in fists as her body began to shiver. "I am the head of this household and I make the decisions. This is my life and I will decide what happens to me. Do not get in my way, got that?" Not waiting for an answer from him Sophie ran out the front door into the pouring rain, trying to get as far from the situation as she could.
Marius just stood there, his right cheek stinging as his shaking hand went towards his face. He let out slow gasps, never wanting to see the anger and rage in her crystal blue and shinigami green eyes again. He didn't know what to do, but his eyes started to tear up as the door slammed behind her. "M-marius?" came a voice from behind, Marius turning around to see Margaret looking at him with concern on her face. "I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon – w-wait what's wrong?" She gasped, watching as the twenty one year old looking man was starting to cry.
"S-she… Sophie just…" he tried to explain, his throat starting to cramp up from the strain.
Margaret noticed how he clutched his right cheek in pain, trying the best he could not to cry in front of her. "Here let me see your cheek," she offered her hand hoping Marius would take it. Marius gave her a nod and followed her without a fuss, holding onto her hand tightly like a young child afraid of being separated from their parent.
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She didn't know where her feet were going, but she kept walking into town. All the while she had her hat over her face, her eyes on the ground. Eventually she stopped, tears pouring down her face as she leaned against an alleyway. How could she do that? Hit her own brother... Sophie knew in the back of her mind that he was really trying to help her, but right now she was trying to get back on her own feet and move forward. She didn't want to talk about arrange marriages, about being with another man, but only wanted to work on herself and finding her own sense of peace in her heart. She cried, sobbed aloud, tears streaming down her face as the rain fall on her back. No one was in the streets anyways, so why should she care about public appearances?
Sophie felt awful, dreadfully awful for slapping him in the face. She knew him, how he acts. Marius never really grew up yet. He was still a little boy who was trying to learn as much as he could about the world. He always acts strong and stoic in the spotlight, but in the background he is always shy, always listening intently to a conversation and not questioning anyone's insights. He was so innocent… but yet Sophie slapped him in the face, her own brother. She never did that before, at least not to him. She had done it a few times in her life, but not to her own kin… not someone she cared about. Sophie looked down at her left hand in disgust, wishing it would vanish and everything was a dream. She grabbed her flask from her coat and opened it, drinking down the contents in three big gulps before letting out a few soft sobs as she put it back in her coat.
"Sophia?" she heard from behind her, turning around to see the Undertaker looking over at her with his clothes getting dreadfully wet from the rain. She looked at her surrounds and noticed that she had run to the front of his shop, purely on instinct.
"U-undertaker…" she chattered her teeth, looking up at him as tears kept streaming down her face. He noticed that her face was red and he began to walk over to her. Sophie backing away quickly. "P-please… I don't need your help right now," she told him, "I-I can take care of myself…"
"Don't say a foolish thing," he told her, forcing her into a hug and pushing her into his chest. Sophie squirmed in his grasp, her sobbing getting louder as she tried to get away from him. He refused to let go, a growl escaping his lips as Sophie started to get violent. "What happened to you, Sophia? Little maiden, tell me…"
"Oh god!" Sophie cried out, her head going into her hands as she pressed her head into his chest. "I'm so horrible! A horrible, horrible creature! I taint everything I touch! I try to be good, I swear, but I always end up doing something bad! Why does this happen to me? I'm evil! Why? Why –"
"Sophia…" he said to her sternly to silence her, gripping her head tightly as she buried herself into his arms. "You are not horrible, you are not bad, and you are definitely not evil. Where are you getting these ideas?"
Sophie said nothing, only letting out quiet sobs as she clutched to his clothes. "M-my soul can't really be black… can it? If I can't see it then that means… am I really a pawn as Leonard said? A-am I only here for one purpose and one only?... Should I-I just do what others tell me to do?..."
The Undertaker blinked, listening as Sophie poured her thoughts out to no one in particular. He frowned, noticing how cracked and distort his little maiden had become. Only fifteen years… about half of her own lifetime, and all that time she was slowly being crippled and damaged by whatever the council had thrown her way. "Sophia…" he sighed, unsure of what to say. "Don't… You're soul isn't black. I know that for sure," he told her, rubbing his hand on her head and held her tightly around the waist with the other. "… Come inside. I think it's time you told me what's going on." Sophie lifted her head away from his chest and wiped her tears, at least she tried to. He was going to pick her up, but fought against it seeing as she didn't like him grabbing her anymore. Instead he linked a hand with hers, slowly pulling Sophie inside and out of the pouring rain. Once they made it to the door Sophie's whole body clung to his arm, refusing to let go of him as they walked inside.
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"So Sophie's back?" Margaret chuckled, dabbing Marius' face with a damp wet cloth as he sat on the top of a sink. "Why hasn't she told me?"
"She hasn't told anyone," Marius shrugged, "after she told me to leave for a few years and I came back… well Sophie just changed. She doesn't laugh as much as she used to and is more worried about surviving then having fun. Perhaps I'm pushing her too much."
"Well why did she slap you?" she asked as she swat his hand away so she could get back to his cheek.
"I've been pushing her to marry someone from this list I was told to give her and –"
"Oh," Margaret laughed, "Sophie's never one to settle down for any guy. Don't you know your own sister's personality?" After a long pause with Marius staring at the ground, Margaret sighed. "Wow… you two need to learn more about each other. Sure you may know about each other's pasts, but nothing about the here and now." Then she handed him an icepack and Marius held it up to his cheek, wincing from the sudden pain. "You need to go and talk to her as soon as possible. Perhaps make it up to her? I know that holding a grudge with family members is never a good thing… from experience."
"Y-yeah… thanks Margaret." Marius jumped off of the counter and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, giving her a wave as he left. "Thank you!" he finished, leaving Margaret standing in the bathroom shocked as she held her hand to her cheek.
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"… I think I should start with when I left Undertaker," Sophie sighed, her hands still shaking as she brought a beaker full of hot steaming liquid to her lips and drank it down. "They sent me to America, but not just there… to a small outpost surrounded by nothing but desert. All I had with me was the suit I was wearing and my messenger bag; they made me leave my foot locker at the port I had landed from in New York… well it wasn't all bad. I had in my bag an extra pair of clothes and the pajamas Grell gave me…... I should say it happened after I got there, when Marius gave me his report for the month. I was just infuriated, seeing everything Death was making him do. So I crossed some things off and bid him adieu, deciding to take the time I had getting used to my surroundings."
"I didn't start off well. The living conditions were horrible. To find water we would have to travel miles on horseback and have to set up camp for the night once we made it there. That wasn't the part I hated… but the stress; getting to souls that were miles apart in only a few minutes. Sometimes I would just kill the soul early so I could get to the other soul on time… they never told us ahead of time. Information for us took longer than it had to, only learning of our assignments in only a matter of minutes before it happened. I had to train myself to be fast, using my black haze to teleport myself a few times a day to get everywhere on time." Then she cracked a smile to him, watching as the Undertaker sat across from her drinking his own tea. She let out a sigh, closing her eyes and holding onto the warm liquid in her hands. "Then… then were my responsibilities as a God of Death. Everything became too overwhelming for me, so I told Marius to take over for a while. I didn't see him after that… for about five years after I told him to take care of our family affairs. Apparently that meant not keeping in contact with me and that really hurt… He just doesn't understand."
"My powers were another thing. Getting them back… sometimes it got overwhelming. No wonder Thomas sealed them away, but I needed to learn how to control myself. The desert helped because the vegetation was scarce and I could release my energy without worrying about killing anyone. Even so… I kept having nightmares," she sighed. "Nightmares every night, even about things I knew nothing about. Thing that happened to me in the past, things that happened to my father in the past, and even past that. The farther my dreams went… the scarier it became. I left the familiar and became unfamiliar with my surroundings, wondering why I was killing souls and destroying them. It… it was frightening. I told myself it was all a dream, but sometimes it became too overwhelming. So I stopped sleeping so much, maybe sleeping for an hour a day or less. It became a norm for me, but I don't really sleep unless I pass out from exhaustion."
"I… I started to drink. Every night I would go out to a salon and drink myself half blind. When that didn't help I started trying other things. Smoking, tobacco… opium and cocaine, whatever worked for me. The best thing was chloroform, because it knocked me out in a split second and I wouldn't wake up till the next morning. I don't know what happened to me when I was doing all those things," Sophie sighed, "but I recall my friend Rose grabbing me once and yelling at me, tears streaming down her face as she slapped me and shook me to get a hold of my senses before I blacked out. I stopped with the cocaine intake after she told me I was stabbing random humans for money to buy my drugs, but that didn't stop me to keep doing everything else. Probably if I was human I would have died by then, but I think I almost did." Sophie shrugged as she sipped her tea, setting it down next to her as she looked down to the ground. "It… it was hard. I just wanted something to take my mind off of everything. I figured no one would care if I died… since no one I knew was trying to keep in touch with me. It didn't matter there if I died. Shinigamis died on a daily basis for whatever reason and no one kept records on them."
"It wasn't until Alex saw me that I started to change my act. I don't remember much, but he wouldn't let me go to the salon anymore. He tried keeping me away from everything I was taking, but I needed something! I would scream at him… and I think I injured him more than once. It wasn't until I coughed up a huge excess of blood and was brought into one of the hospitals that I starting thinking about everything I was doing. Was it really worth it? I…" She chuckled lightly to herself, "Alex and Rose was my only lifeline there. If I didn't had then… I would be dead. I stopped the drugs and everything I was taking, but I never went cold turkey. Alex helped me with creating a system for myself, only a flask full of alcohol a day or a smaller alternative of a harmless substance. He kept a good eye on me while I was regaining my senses, but I definitely wasn't the same after that. I had bags under my eyes, my ability to work was deteriorated, and I was having the nightmares again. Not only that, but continuing to think of myself as the head of a powerful family was still too much for me to handle… I was thankful to Alex and Rose for helping me, but I was also scared. The reason I started to drink wasn't confronted and I knew I had to come to terms with myself before I could move on. So, in the middle of the night, I left my unit and wandered into the desert… alone… without any food or water. I left everything behind, even my messenger bag, with a note saying that I needed to clear something up and if I'm not back then they can sell my things. I felt horrible for leaving, but I had to. I took the flask with me, but I didn't fill it up with anything when I set off."
Sophie chuckled to herself, grabbing the totem around her neck and looking at it with a null look on her face. "I… well I never told anyone what I had done after that… it's a bit personal." Then she looked over at him, noticing how he was staring over at her intently. Without even thinking she stood up and sat next to him, grabbing hold of his arm as she gripped her totem tightly, "I'm sorry if this is scaring you, but I'm fine right now… I… aren't you going to say something?"
"Well…" he sighed, "I'm not going to say that I'm ecstatic right now, but I'm just glad you're alright…" The Undertaker grabbed her arms and pulled her tightly in a hug, burying his head into her neck as she flinched slightly. "Why are you afraid of me?"
"I-I'm not afraid of you," Sophie chuckled nervously, "just… I'm just on edge right now." After a few minutes of staying in that position, she shifted herself and buried her head into his chest, clutching to his clothes tightly as she let out a sigh of relief. "… There's more."
"Then you best tell me little maiden~" he slurred his words, though his tone of voice was serious than the Undertaker simply trying to be silly. "You… you could have come back."
Sophie smiled, looking up and moving the bangs from his eyes. Another chuckle escaped her lips, noticing how gloomy his eyes looked. She never saw this in his eyes… except the time before she died. "I actually tried, but it was too soon. The first month I sent a transcript, but it was quickly rejected. I figured I had to wait longer and I kept filling out the forms… but eventually I stopped sending the forms in. It seemed useless in my mind. Only surviving till the next day… yeah…" She sighed, putting her head back on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. She smiled; his heart always seemed to call her down.
Then she looked at her totem and took something out from under her shirt, revealing the green ring on a silver chain. The Undertaker blinked, thinking she had sold it or lost it by now. Really Sophie had kept it close to her, right next to her heart. So her hands were occupied with something to do, she put the chain around her neck and intertwined the two necklaces as she began again. "I was gone for perhaps a year. Maybe longer for all I know. Not taking anything with me was a bad idea, but at the time I wasn't thinking straight. I just kept walking, wanting everything in my head to go away and leave me be. I passed out after walking in the sun for two days, waking up in a small teepee as a woman pressed a damp rag on my face. I didn't know them, nor did they know me, but they were nice enough to take me into their home before I died out in the wilderness. After a few days I was able to walk around again, only one other person in the village knowing English. He was a young man named Aponivi, meaning where the wind blows down the gap, which was funny because he translated everything for the village so I could communicate with everyone. He was a nice man, and even though he was human he was very kind to me. His older brother had found me and brought me to their mother, who was the woman that was looking after me along with his sister. They were a nice family, letting a white person like me into their home, even though they hated the white humans."
"Anyways, after a week of communicating I learned that they were a Hopi tribe on an Indian reservation. Nivi told me everything about them, how their ancestors were pushed off of their land and moved there. It was very sad, but the fact that they were letting me stay made me smile. The only way he knew English was because he had a hobby of reading English books during his spare time and going to the forts for whatever things they needed to trade for. We talked about books most of the time, about Shakespeare and other things he had read, and a few things I even read myself. Well the days rolled on and they called me Hehewuti, or warrior mother spirit, because of how I treated everyone. At times I would argue, I would argue the best I could in their language if I didn't agree with a certain point of view. Other times I was very nurturing, helping with the cooking and teaching the local kids English and rewarding them with treats. My favorite sweet there was lemon drops, oh they're good! I wish I had some but I ate the rest of them on my way here," she chuckled to herself. "Anyways… I told Nivi about why I wandered off into the desert. He told me that I should talk to their medicine man for help and I did; he was the best. He knew so much about different herbs and spices and how to heal people with only using things from nature. I asked him for spiritual help, but eventually I ended up going to his teepee every day to help him and learn more about healing. Actually some of his methods were really good and with my heart condition he was interested in it and helped me heal over time. Some things helped, some things didn't, but it was a great learning experience."
"Well… after a few months the medicine man told me it was about time for me to go on a spiritual journey. I told him about my problems, in a very human way so he didn't think of me as an evil spirit or something, and he advised me to go into the forest for a while. He told me I already took the first step by leaving my unit and ending up here, but it was my heart and soul that had to take me to the next step." She sighed with longing, closing her eyes as she began to recall everything. "I followed his advice and went off, given only a small water skin of water before leaving. I would have to make everything myself and survive on my own, but it hadn't been for the soul searching I needed to do… I don't think everything would have been as powerful as it became."
Sophie let out a sigh as she cleaned the rabbit fur in her hand and scraping the meat onto a log, watching as the sun went down. The only clothes she had on her back was the clothes the native Americans gave her before she left, and of course her green ring on a silver chain she never took off around her neck. The fire was a breeze after a few weeks outdoors by herself, having to make a fire with only sticks, stones, and her hands. She wondered if this was the best idea, this spiritual journey they told her to take, but she needed answers and needed them now… before she could continue on with her life. After cooking the rabbit she slowly ate the meat, watching the world around her as she heard animals calling to one another.
She sighed, thinking to herself as she ate the rabbit and dried out its skin on a nearby tree. What was her goal again? To get answers. Answers on how to listen to her family and be the head of her household, but yet keep her own personal identity. She didn't want to lose who she was because of her leadership roles, but then again she didn't want to do it anyways. The dead is her job. To kill those she deemed unworthy and save those she thought deserved a second chance. Just how can she do that? Was there even a need for her type anymore? She ripped the rabbit in half and set the other half on the other side of the fire, looking at the flames as she thought deeply to herself. Her responsibilities were to condemn, but her heart told her to be merciful. Not only that, but she had to be a natural born leader. She would be a role model to anyone she talks to, either by status or her experience and age. She didn't want to turn anyone away who needed her help… so how could she do all that? How could she keep her personal identity while maintaining a leadership role? Were the two even compatible? That's what she couldn't stop thinking about; not the nightmares, but what was her life really about?
'Should I even exist?'
Sophie flinched back, finally noticing a wolf at the top of the hill. It smelt out her food, or perhaps it smelt her. She started to hyperventilate, unsure of what to do. She didn't want to summon anything and she didn't have anything to protect herself. She just watched the wolf, eyeing it suspiciously as it cautiously jumped down from the other side of the fire. She relaxed slightly, noticing that it was going for the spare rabbit meat that she left, but she couldn't put down her guard yet. As if knowing her anxiety, the wolf slowly took the meat in between its teeth and walked up the hill, curling up and eating the meat between its teeth. Noticing how far away the wolf was from her now, she continued to eat her rabbit meat and finished it about the same time wolf did. Feeling a bit bad that the wolf was over there cold and alone, she decided to speak to it. "Would you like to sit by the fire?" Then she chuckled to herself, "Oh of course you wouldn't need that. You probably don't even know what I'm say… ing…"
She paused, watching as the wolf looked up at her as if it was listening to her and nodded, walking back down and sitting on the other side of the fire where the rabbit was. Sophie sighed, noticing it went back to sleeping instead of listening. "Well alright, not a talker huh?" she chuckled as she took the dried skin off of the tree and rolled it up to use later. She set it into a bigger skin, which Sophie had fashioned herself and was what she was using as a bag for the moment. Then she sat back down, watching the wolf as she tended to the fire and had it die down. The wolf looked as if it was sleeping, but really it was watching as Sophie tended the fire, talking to herself and no one in particular. "… Live is so hard. Who knows how long I'll really live, an hour, a few years… life is never certain," she sighed. "How can I balance everything I need to do while still keeping myself… me? Who am I really? I grew up in a morgue and like tending to dead bodies and cutting them up, but yet I always believe that the person who died got what they deserved, either in this life or in a different life they are taking a journey to. I was taught things, even though I was poor I learned different languages, fighting, and etcetera… but who am I really? A shinigami? A God of Death? No… I know I'm not really one of those things. What I am really… what I want… is to just be free. But how can I achieve that with everything I have to do?" she sighed to herself again as she poked the fire. By that time it was only a few shards of flames, the only light coming from the dying fire and the moonlight above them.
"Death questions who she is?" Sophie heard, her eyes going wide once she noticed who was talking.
The wolf stood up, rustling up its hair a little before staring into her eyes. "You think you are part of a game and will have no real meaning to your life after it is over. What is your question? It's 'Should I even exist?' correct? How can you know if you don't go looking for the answer?" Sophie blinked in astonishment listening to the animal speak. She is either hearing things, the fatigue had gotten to her, or this animal was more then who he seemed. "You seek freedom, but yet you don't see that freedom brings about responsibilities. You know what those responsibilities are, so what is the problem?"
"The problem is… umm… Mister Wolf," she began, still a bit rattled up that she was talking to a wolf like this, "that my responsibilities are very complicated. I need to be a leader, need to be alpha male… or I guess female in my case, but how can I keep myself whole with all of this confusion around me?"
"Didn't you learn anything from your short life?" he asked her. "You seem to know very little even though you're a knowledgeable person… If you come with me I can help you, but you must leave your belongs behind." Sophie blinked, watching as the wolf turned away and began to walk up the hill. Looking at the bag she had made for herself, especially the items she had handcrafted herself, she sighed and set the bag down, leaving it to be taken by whoever was passing by.
"… as we walked he had me call him Waya and I followed him to his den. Instead of immediately walking in, I stood and sat on a rock watching them. They were a pleasant family, the wolves playing around him as he nuzzled the nose of another older wolf. I sat there for days, not moving and only watched them. I didn't want to disturb them, and as long as my presence didn't disturb them I didn't see a reason to leave. One day a cub came up to me and gave me some food and ran back off into the den. I looked up and saw Waya looking at me, ushering me into the den. So I did and stayed with the pack for a while. He taught me a lot… having me follow him into the forest to catch game. It was interesting the teachings he taught me, and everything seemed to tie into place after that. Even if I don't know everything it doesn't mean I can't keep trying to find the answer. I will make mistakes, like Waya did by accidently falling into a running river while chasing a sheep," she chuckled to herself, "but it doesn't mean I shouldn't try. I-I realized I needed to grow more, so I could can come back here and prove to the world who I really are, Sophia Serbus, daughter of the late Maurus Serbus, a servant of darkness and God of Death..."
"It was around that time that I met a little black cat by the name of Ahe, though her collar said Ahelie," she sighed. "It didn't speak, only meowed. Ahe quickly grew to like me and followed me around for no real reason. Waya told me she had showed up a few weeks ago and he brought the cat into his home… though he wasn't exactly sure what it was. Even with his increased sense of smell Waya couldn't tell if the cat was a demon or not, but knew it was supernatural is some way. I also talked to many other spiritual animals, and they told me their own life stories. After a while I realized that I really did need to lead, become a leader, and go back home. Before I went back to the tribe Waya gave me the bag I had left behind, which held everything I had left behind. When I looked there were also feathers in the bag, most of them already made to be worn, but a few still needed to be completed. He told me to use what I liked with them, either giving them away or keeping them for myself. That's when I parted and left them, going back to the village with my hopes held high and set towards the future."
"When I arrived the medicine man gave me a totem and it was a carving of a wolf, but then he asked me how my journey was. When I told him my experience he just chuckled and told me that his dream was correct in giving me a wolf totem. They had a celebration for me, but not just for me but for a few other young people who had gone on a spiritual journey. Nivi was one of them and his totem of an eagle. It was great… celebrations were going on for probably weeks till things settled down again. Then I told them that I think it was time for me to go back home. The tribe said their goodbyes and let me go, but not before I handed out a few of the feathers. I went around to everyone who treated me kindly and gave them a feather, telling them that the wolf spirit gave it to me when I left his den. Lastly was Nivi and I have him an eagle feather… oh you should have seen the expression on his face," Sophie chuckled, "he was stunned. So was everyone else in the village, but I told them it was the only eagle feather I had in my bag and it was the wolf spirit that gave it to me. Then when they accused me of killing an eagle, I told the medicine man that it was Waya who gave it to me. Once he heard Waya's name the threats against me stopped and he let me continue on my way and stayed friendly to me to this day."
"When I came back to my unit everything was still in dismay. Honestly, it seemed that no one noticed I was missing except for Alex and Rose. That's when I put my best foot forward and started talking to the group, throwing away useless luxuries and working to improve things for us. Alex and Rose were amazed by my sudden change of attitude and asked me where my confidence came from, but I told them nowhere because no one needed to know how my spiritual journey went." Sophie let out a sigh and put her necklaces back under her shirt, giving the Undertaker a smile before continuing. "My unit wasn't the listening type so I tried a different approach. I would ride off and gather money for us, using wanted posters to capture bandits and get the ransoms. It was hard to do both, a human job and a shinigami job, but it worked out in the end. Over time I gathered a reputation as the Dark Rider because I rode around on Death's horse… since I couldn't possibly steal a horse from someone. Usually about two-thirds of the money would go to a few towns while the rest went for our group, which lasted for about a month. I made it that say so we wouldn't start buying a lot of useless items, only buying things we needed to survive on. I helped a few people with their drug addictions and drinking problems, working on improving our messengers and invested in a carrier bird. The only one they had was a hawk, which we needed to buy a glove for, but it was okay because it was something we needed. Our missions improved and we were able to organize everything better… and then Marius came back."
Sophie sat up and grabbed for her tea, drinking it down. "You would think I would be excited to see Marius after five years, but I wasn't. He changed like I did… but not in a good way. He was grumpier, the expression of anger always on his face. Then he gave me this list of names, names of men I would marry. I was disgusted and over and over again I told him no and I didn't want to marry someone yet. To marry a man I do not know… that was the worst idea I could think about," she shook her head. "Well when he came back I told him that I was going to be in charge from now on and everything he did would have to pass through me. I needed to set up my authority and show Marius that I had to be in charge and not him. Besides you should have seen him… he looked as if he wasn't getting sleep like I did. I promised him I would go to each one of these men on his list and revaluate them, not trusting his own descriptions of them. In reality I was right, they were all horrid! Either too old, too married, or too stubborn. I told him that too, but… yeah you know where that eventually led," Sophie said as she drank again from her cup.
Then she set the drink back down beside her, setting her head back on the Undertaker's chest. "Not only that, but I was starting to get a large reputation. Both in the human world and in the supernatural world everyone knew me as the Dark Rider. I soon got a promotion, but I insisted that my unit moved up the ranks with me. My supervisor actually didn't want to leave, along with a few others, saying they'd rather stay there. Instead he gave me his cowboy hat, which I wear often," she chuckled, looking over at the coat hanger and noticing that her black cowboy hat was set there along with her outer layer of wet clothes. "I got to keep the hawk too. I use him a lot… I call him Nocona, but Noco for short," she chuckled. "He's a sweet little red-tailed hawk, though he does like to intimidate others. He usually wanders off until I give him a mission, so that's why I named him Nocona."
"Anyways I'm babbling sorry!" she yelped, closing her mouth and thinking again. "Well I got a promotion… then another… then another. All the time I just did what I normally did, which the shinigamis there didn't care about. I began my God of Death jobs also, running around all over the world to go to parties and meetings. It was okay, but I liked being in one place better. I still had my hobbies. When I killed something to eat I would skin the animal and use every part of it for whatever I may need. If it was fur I would make something useful out of it or sell it to fur traders. If it was feathers then I would use the feathers to make ornaments, which I would sell, give away, or keep for myself. I liked to make things, so I made little trinkets and gave them to children if they wanted them. I learned to cook with whatever I could find and simply, sometimes adding beer into the pot for a tangy flavor. Also I learned how to make medicine, using local herbs to help anyone that got sick. I think that's why Ben is here, but honestly I could just teach him how to make it himself," she shrugged.
Then she sighed, shifting her weight so she had her back against the Undertaker's chest. "Now you think I wanted to stay after all of that… well I still wanted to go home. Actually, not a want, but a need to return back home. I felt that something was waiting for me here and I had to get back home. Of course there are other factors. Everything was getting stressful again. Also… there was this shinigami…" Sophie chuckled to herself, "but I won't tell you right now. You'd get jealous… but I loved him, but then he… well let's just say he's stupidity caused me to just leave," shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know if I'm stressed anymore… there's still a lot to do, but not enough time to do it. I don't know dad… I'm just tired right now. That's really it," she said, looking up at him with a smile, "so… I'm done. How about yourself? I think I'm going to have to clean this place up," she huffed. "Yeah some dusting will do… Hey are you going to talk?" Sophie frowned, noticing he wasn't giving her his usual teasing and laughter.
"… I regret letting you leave me," the Undertaker said in a very monotone voice, his arms snaking around her waist and holding her close. "… I could have lost you Sophia… little maiden… I can't bear with myself if I lost you again…"
"U-undertaker?" Sophie quivered, turning her head to look up at him. His eyes, they were still so sad. She was feeling bad about telling him everything, but he asked her to. Sure, perhaps there was a shorter and easier version to say everything she went through, but he was the only person she told everything to. Even Alex doesn't know all the details, only the Undertaker did. All her thoughts, feelings, everything that went through her head she tried to tell him. How he was acting, this didn't feel like the man she remembered. "I-it's not like I died you know," she sighed, "and it's not like I didn't learn something. You said it yourself; I needed to mature before I could come back. Well I did, alright? Maybe I'm not the same as I used to be, but that part of me is still there… somewhere… taking a siesta…" She eyes wandered away and towards her lap, her bottom lip quivering slightly.
The Undertaker chuckled, letting out a sigh as he set his head on her shoulder and breathed down her neck. "You know, you require proper punish~ment~ for being away from me for fifteen years, alright litt~le maid~en~?" Sophie wrapped one arm around his neck, giving him a nod but still looking down at her lap. "Sophia…" he hissed into her ear, sending a chill down her spine. "You don't seem very clear. I guess I will have to give you more than plan~ned~" he giggled, biting down on her earlobe and snickering as she flinched away.
"Fine!" Sophie huffed, "Yes… okay? Just… ugh I don't know! This is so confu – Uumh!" she yelped, his long black nail sliding against her lips.
"Mmmm, so soft~…" he whispered, her face turning red at his quiet comment. Then he picked her up, skipping and giggling like a school boy as he walked into the bedroom and set her down gently onto the bed. Then he straddled her body, setting his hat down and teasing with the top button of her still damp white shirt. "Oh these clothes must make you shiver little maiden. Let me take care~~ of that~" he slurred his voice; slowly unbuttoning each button till her chest was exposed to him. Sophie simply laid there, not giving him much emotion as he finished the last button and looked down her chest. He didn't know if he should be worried or that she wasn't wearing anything under her shirt, noticing the visible scar under her breast line. "Hmm… is something wrong little maiden?"
"Nothing," she shrugged, "I'm just… meh."
"Meh?" he questioned her, a sly smirk growing on his grinning face. Then he grabbed hold of her sides, her eyes going wide as he began to run his long nails over her skin.
She began to shriek and giggle, trying to get out of his grasp. "N-no! No! Dad stop! No!" she giggled, trying to pry his hands off of her. His knees kept her lower body restrained as his hands trailed over her bare skin, Sophie gasping for air in between her giggle fits. "N-nooho…" she hiccupped as the Undertaker slowed down and pushed his body into hers.
"Oh where, oh where has my little maiden gone?" he teased with her, pushing his face close to hers and giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Oh where, where can she be?" he said again, this time giving her a peck on the lips. "With her bangs cut short and her hair cut long," he giggled, twirling her auburn hair around between his fingertips. Then he leaned in close to her face, a shiver going down Sophie's spine as one of his hands trailed down her back and sent her body closer into his arms. "Oh where, oh where can she be?" he asked, a playful whimper leaving his lips as he smiled at her slyly. He grinned down at her, watching as her cheeks turned ever redder at the familiar nursery rhyme. Then he resumed tickling her, Sophie unable to control herself as she continued to giggle and snort long after he had stopped.
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"Hello… Undertaker?" called a young man into the morgue, stepping into the room and looking around. He closed the door behind him, which said the shop was closed for the night. He sighed, setting his stuff down on a coffin and sitting next to it. He held the icepack to his head tightly, still feeling a sting after being slapped. "Dang… she must be part cat," he grumbled, poking his cheek in annoyance and numbing the pain. "Undertaker?... Is Sophie here? I know you're around here somewhere," he grumbled. "… Come on… I'm sorry. Can't I just apologize..."
"Heh~ heh~ heh~~" the man heard.
Marius blinked in confusion and looked around the room, but not hearing where the sound came from. 'Oh,' he realized, 'it must echo in here…' "Come on Undertaker –"
"You would think a boy raised by Death would be quieter, yes~?" the Undertaker giggled, Marius standing up and looking around the room for him. "… If you pwwwamise~ to be quiet I'll tell you were we are Marius," he snickered.
Marius grumbled to himself and scratched the back of his head, his eyes looking around the room and making sure he wasn't behind him. "Okay fine," he sighed, "… Where are you?"
"Bedroom," was all he said, the room getting quiet again as thunder clapped overhead.
Marius sighed again, moving the curtain that hid the hidden hallway and walked to the end. Then he gently opened the door, peering inside of the room. "So there – …" he stopped talking and his cheeks began to get red, looking at the sight before him. He saw the Undertaker holding his little sister close to his chest, both of them looking bare naked from his point of view. He couldn't see anything past their shoulders, but he saw that they weren't wearing any shirts. "W-wha…" he was speechless, his face burning up at the sight. "W-what a-a-re you doing?" Marius finally said as his mouth dropped.
The Undertaker giggled lightly, not enough to wake Sophie up but enough for Marius to hear. "Playing around with my little~ maiden~. Why? Would you like to jo~in us~~?" Noticing Marius' face made the Undertaker giggle more, keeping his eyes on Marius from behind his bangs as he slowly came closer.
"D-did you… ummm…" Marius tried to say, his voice still trembling as he slowly put his icepack down.
"No I did not have sex with her, if that is what you're asking," he said in a monotone voice, a chuckle escaping his lips as he coddled her closer to him. "Marius…" he said in a soft and commanding voice, "come over here."
Still taking baby steps towards the bed, Marius sat down on the side Sophie was sleeping on. He looked over her, noticing that her face was still red from crying. He frowned and brushed a soft hand through her auburn hair. Sophie smile grew a little by his touch, cuddling into his hand as she dreamt. "Look," he looking up at the Undertaker, looking back down at the bedding as he tried to find his voice again, "S-she's my little sister you know. I-I can't have you going around fondling her like this."
"But she wants me to," the Undertaker whimpered like a baby, causing Marius to roll his eyes. Marius looked over at him and then quickly flinched, looking back and noticing the smile on his face was barely there. "Marius, give me the list."
"Huh?" Marius asked, "W-what list?"
"The list with the names of those candidates you want Sophie to chose from… for marriage," he finished in a rough voice
"And why should I give it to you?" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Haec mihi, Young~ Serbus~" the Undertaker snarled, a shiver going down Marius' spine. His grip of Sophie got tighter and she cuddled into his chest, a slight whimper escaping her throat as she noticed his anger. Noticing this Undertaker calmed down, his Cheshire cat grin coming back to his face as he slyly resumed talking to Marius in a calm voice. "Now… the list?"
Marius frowned, knowing what he meant. Letting out a sigh he took the scroll from his pocket and handed it to the Undertaker, who opened it and looked down the list. How he could see the names with those long silver bangs over his eyes astonished Marius. The Undertaker looked over at Marius and he chuckled slightly, scratching the back of his head as he looked towards the floor. "W-well it wasn't my idea. It was father's. Plus you know Sophie's powers… she has problems controlling them. So we figured that having her marry a God of Death would help her, but not just any God of Death. A powerful man who could keep her under contro –" he flinched at the sudden noise, noticing the Undertaker scratching a few names off the list with his nail.
"Too old… too young…" the Undertaker said quietly to himself, scratching out names as he went down the list. "Too cold... too dead…" Then he paused, seeing his own name on the list. He shook his head and crossed his name off, resuming crossing off everyone on the list and handing it back to Marius. "If you were a real brother, you would have investigated these men yourself instead of having Sophia do all the work. These men may look like a perfect match, but if you know Sophia you know she doesn't want just an~y man." He leaned into Sophie's face, kissing it gently before looking up at Marius. "Why should I let you explain yourself if you will only make my little maiden upset? Hmmm?..."
"Because I'm… well I'm…" Marius sighed as he built up the confidence to look at the Undertaker's face and at his silver bangs. "I'm sorry. I just want to apologize for everything, alright?" Staring at Marius blankly for a few moments, Marius continued to look at him with his crystal blue eyes trying to look at his hidden bright shinigami green eyes that were looking back.
Then the Undertaker looked down at Sophie, leaning into her ear and fondling with her waist. "Sophia… little maiden… someone is here to see you," he giggled, Sophie's eyes slowly opening as she rubbed her nose into the sheets.
"H-hmmm?..." she asked, slowly looking up at the Undertaker and smiling. "Why are you hiding your eyes?" she tilted her head, the Undertaker chuckling as he kissed her on the forehead.
"Turn around," he told her, Sophie slowly turning her body.
When her crystal blue and shinigami green eyes came into contact with Marius' crystal blue eyes she flinched, pulling the sheets over her body as her eyes went wide. "M-marius it's not what you think!" she yelped in an effort to explain herself. "Y-you see –"
"Sophia I am sorry," Marius interrupted her, turning his body so he was looking over at her face to face. "I'm sorry for trying to force these marriages on you… and I'm sorry about Jericho. I honestly thought that you need someone to protect you… and I only want to look out for you Sophia. You're my little sister and without you I'd… well…" He sighed, taking one of her hands in between his two cold hands. "Look, date whoever you want. Marry whoever you want. I'll be with you every step of the way… I want to be there for you Sophia."
She sat up and grinned, grabbing him in a tight hug. "Oh you!" she laughed, pressing her body against his. Marius blushed completely, his sister's bare body pressing against his cold and wet clothes. "Does this mean you'll let me be the head of the Serbus family and be by my side?"
"Of course," he smiled; giving her a little kiss on the cheek as he gently pushed her shoulders away from him. "As I said I'll be with you every step of the way… and now… umm…" he looked down towards the floor as his face flushed. "C-could you get off of me? You're… u-uuh…"
"Oh!" she yelped, jumping off of his lap and sitting on the sheets in front of him. "Sorry Marius," she giggled, fixing his coat a little before looking up at him with a smile. Then she noticed the terror on Marius' face, tilting her head in confusion as a presence loomed behind her. "W-what's wrong – Agh!" she yelped, hands wrapping around her body and pulling her backwards. "Undertaker!" she yelped, burying her face into his arm as she blushed.
Marius also blushed, noticing the Undertaker had a large gash on his chest that disappeared into his black pants. "Now that you're here Young Serbus… would you like to jo~in us~?" the Undertaker giggled before he buried his teeth into Sophie's neck and nibbled on her. Sophie squirmed as she tried to get away, yelping as he bite down into her neck and drew blood.
"How tempting that is," Marius began as he scooted away on the bed and began to back away, "but I need to go –"
"Oh is that so~?" the Undertaker said, scooting towards him and pressing Sophie between them. He grabbed hold of Marius' necktie and pulled him closer to his face, his lips brushing slightly against his own. "I don't see the rush…"
"Hey now back off!" Sophie growled, pushing the Undertaker away and freeing Marius from his grasp. "You may own me, but I own Marius. If he needs to get somewhere then I want him to go, alright," she huffed, setting herself in between the Undertaker and Marius.
"S-sophia…" Marius said quietly as her weight on his legs kept him on the bed.
"… I see~" the Undertaker grinned, grabbing Sophie's shoulders roughly and pulling her body back onto his lap. Marius let out a yell and fell over, groaning as he landed on his back. Sophie yelped, her face turning over to Marius until Undertaker grabbed her chin roughly and turned her to look into his eyes. "Then I'll give you a punish~ment~~ worth for him," he grinned, his hand trailing down her back as he held her close with his other. Then he looked over at Marius, who had gotten himself off of the ground and was in pain. "You can watch if you want Youn~g Ser~bus," the Undertaker chuckled, having Sophie straddle his lap as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Marius frowned, glaring at him as the Undertaker's nails trailed down her back and caused her to moan. "N-no Marius. J-just go," she said, suddenly crying out as the Undertaker bit down on the top of her chest and sucked her roughly. Marius nodded and left, a sigh escaping his lips as he heard Sophie from the bedroom. "C-can't I just go back to sleep?" she growled at him, yelping as he bit into her again and looked up at her curiously.
"Hmmm?" the Undertaker asked as he looked around for the mysterious sound, Sophie rolling her eyes as she pushed away from him.
"Geeze…" she grumbled under her breath, limping over into the bed sheets and wrapping the pillow and various sheets into her arms. "I have work tomorrow… that's what."
"You're no fun," he whimpered like a puppy that had his toy yanked out from underneath his teeth.
Sophie just shook her head and yawned, clinging to the sheets as the Undertaker tried to pull them from her. "Stoooop," she grumbled, closing her eyes and pushing her head into the pillow.
The Undertaker chuckled, pressing himself on top her as she curled up in a tight ball. "You still owe me, little maide –"
"Yeah I know. Later. Now sleep," she grumbled, letting out a yelp as he turned her over roughly and gazed into her eyes.
Sophie whimpered, seeing his eyes being cold and dark till it slowly softened back to normal. "… good night little maiden," he said in a monotone voice, setting his body down on the bed and pulling the covers over his body. Sophie blinked, looking over at him as he had his back turned to her. She frowned and sighed, getting under the sheets and trying to fall asleep.
After waiting for a while and feeling very guilty, she rolled over and set one hand around his waist and the other close to her heart, pushing her nose into his back. "Sorry," she mumbled, closing her eyes again and going back to sleep.
The Undertaker lifted up his head slightly and smirked, careful not to wake her up as he rolled over and faced her. "It's quite alright," he cooed into her ear, wrapping his arms back around her and letting her sleep against her chest. Hearing the door move slightly, he looked up and grinned. "Do tell William T. Spears that Sophie Serbus won't be coming in today," the Undertaker called over to the door, noticing as Marius walked back in and grabbed his icepack.
"Sure," Marius sighed as he looked over at Sophie. Noticing a slight smile on Marius' face, the Undertaker grinned wider as the young boy left, hearing the front door closing behind him. Then the Undertaker sighed and closed his eyes, falling asleep with his body entangled around Sophie's.
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A/N: Ah yes! I figured, hey if she does have a high status then her family will want her to marry asap right? Well knowing Sophie she doesn't like that idea XD Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think? Am I going into things too fast or is this a nice soft pace for you guys? ^^ THANK YOU FOR READING AGAIN! See you next time! =3
Ahelie – Hebrew – breath
Nocona – Native American – wanderer
haec mihi – Latin – she is mine