Chapter 12 – The Past and the Present

Ragna woke up and stretched, heading out to the bathroom. Jacky lay sleeping in the corner of the room, his Armagus sealed released. After doing his business, Ragna headed outside for some fresh air. Bang's house wasn't big enough for everyone to have their own room, so they had to have everyone sleep in pairs as roommates. Despite finally regaining his memories of Jacky, Ragna still felt awkward being in the same room with him.
Outside, he found Noel and Bang sitting on the porch. "What are you guys doing here?"
"I always wake up early in order to prepare for the day's challenges," Bang replied. Noel curled up a little as she tried to explain why she was there. "Sleeping in the same room as Bullet is…very uncomfortable."
Ragna was not one-hundred percent sure why she felt that way, but he could easily take a guess.
Ragna sat down between Noel and Bang, relaxing for a moment before hearing Noel ask, "Ragna, I'm curious. How did you meet Jacky? I mean, you just remembered him, right?"
He had a feeling he'd be hearing this, but he didn't expect it so soon. He took a deep breath. "Master Jubei brought him to the church after a trip to Shinatzu. Apparently, Jacky's parents had died and he had nowhere else to go."

Me, Jin, and Saya were playing at the time. When Jubei came in with Jacky, he asked the Sister to take care of him along with me and the others. Of course, she said yes. Both my siblings and Jacky were reluctant to interact. They didn't feel like they could talk to a newcomer, let alone a boy with a tail and scales. I, on the other hand, was more welcoming at the time.
"Brother, just leave him. He doesn't want to talk," Jin said. I ignored him and went on ahead to where Jacky was sitting. "Hey new guy, what's up?"
He looked up at me, an empty yet sorrowful look in his eyes. He didn't say anything in response and just nodded his head, acknowledging me. "Come on, talk to me, guy. Don't leave me hanging here."
"Why are you bothering with me?"
"I heard you and your brother's conversation. He obviously doesn't want you talking to me. I really don't want to keep you." Rather than turning back and playing with Saya and Jin, I sat down next to the kid. "Jin can wait. He's always whining about one thing or another anyways."
"But I…"
"Look, buddy, don't just keep sitting in the corner and moan. I swear if you weren't a Beastkin, I'd probably mistake you for Jin." Jacky suddenly felt a jolt of irritation and he whipped his tail against my side. "I do not whine!"
"Ow, that really hurt, you know." Jacky flinched and quickly apologized, regretting his action. "Anyways, do you want to do something?"
"Like what?"
"You could play with us," I suggested. I got up off the floor and helped Jacky up. Leading him towards my siblings, I couldn't help but feel Jin's disappointment.

"He started out as this really moody kid, but he got better as the months passed."

Jin came running up to me one night, crying, "Brother, the moon is going to fall."
"Are you kidding me? Who told you something like that, Jin?"
"Look Jin, if the moon were falling, you'd see it get bigger and bigger, but it's still pretty small."
"But it could start falling while we're asleep." Jacky came into the room with his pajamas, ready for bed, saying. "My mom once told me that god keeps the moon up during the nighttime and then takes it away when it's morning time," he mumbled as he climbed into bed, "She said that god protects us at night by holding the moon up in his arms. After that, she'd sing a lullaby to help me sleep."

Ragna spoke further and soon a surprised expression planted itself on Noel's face. "Jacky sang a lullaby?"
"Yep, he put Jin right to sleep. Hell, he almost put me to sleep to, but he kept me awake, not wanting to be the only one awake." Noel smiled and laughed as she listened to Ragna's story and, in turn, Ragna began to smile as well.

So once every month, Master Jubei would come by and check up on us. "How're ya feeling about your new home, kid?" Jacky smiled brightly and stated how wonderful it had been lately. Jubei would have dinner with us and leave as soon as everyone fell asleep. However, it was a few days after one of his visits that things went wrong.
I was outside of the church when it happened. The church suddenly exploded into a ball of fire and I was knocked off my feet from the impact. I could see Jacky in the distance bleeding heavily from a wound in his chest. I found Jin and Saya off to the side before I could go and help him. When I told Jin to take Saya and run, he cut my arm off with a sword I had never seen before. That's when Terumi showed up. "Aw, look at this mess! Hey, what's wrong, Rags?" Terumi picked up my dismembered arm and started cracking sadistic jokes about it before leaving with Jin and Saya in tow.

"And that's the last thing I remember before meeting Rachel." Ragna had found that Bang had left sometime in the middle of the story to conduct some important business…or to just be Bang Shishigami. Either way, it didn't matter. "I'm sorry to hear that, Ragna," Noel muttered, subconsciously leaning her head against his shoulder.
Ragna didn't make a move to shift her position away from him. He rather enjoyed Noel's company, though admitting it might be difficult. Before long, Noel decided to go on a walk and Ragna offered to accompany her in order to protect her from any troubles. But was that really the real reason?
The two consulted Bang before leaving, promising to come back in time. Jacky and Tao had watched them leave and Tao was about to go after them, but Jacky grabbed Tao by the back of her outfit and pulled her back into the house. "No Tao, don't ruin this for them," Jacky said. Tao didn't know what he was getting at, but she almost didn't care. Once again, she attempted to leave, but Jacky just pulled her back in again. "Listen Tao, if you promise not to follow Ragna and Noel, I promise to make you some meat buns."
Tao got excited and gave him a hug. "Do you really mean it, Lizard Guy?" Jacky pried himself loose from her hug and headed into the kitchen to make meat buns. All the meat buns from dinner the night before were completely devoured by the Kaka warrior behind him.

Noel and Ragna had gone to a café near the outskirts of Ronin-gai. After they the waitress arrived with what they ordered, Noel began to twiddle her fingers nervously. "What's wrong, Noel?"
"U-um, what we're doing right now, it's a date, right?" She stuttered. Ragna's face turned red instantly, nearly choking on his beverage. "Are you kidding? A date?" Ragna was flustered, looking for the right words to respond with. Unfortunately, he couldn't and he didn't know how he could possibly deny it.
"You must be joking if you could possibly consider spending time with such rowdy mutt like Ragna a date," Rachel said as she appeared from thin air.
"Just what the hell are you doing here, Rabbit?" Ragna demanded.
"You ask why I am here. I saw something quite bothersome, so I came to remedy the situation. The idea alone of you being capable of going on a date with a woman is simply impossible for a brute like you, Ragna." Ragna growled in annoyance and reached for Blood Scythe. Noel grabbed his arm, stopping him from drawing his weapon.
"Wait Ragna, this is a public place, and besides, there could be Bounty Hunters here," she whispered. "It is only because of Noel here that you are capable of staying in one location for so long," Rachel nagged.
It took everything Ragna had not to punch Rachel. He silently chugged his beverage in order to keep himself quiet.
"Miss Rachel, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you always so mean to Ragna?"
"Because he is a rude, brutish, impolite worm with absolutely no regard towards others," Rachel replied without hesitation. Ragna squeezed his glass, ready to shatter it on Rachel's head. Noel wasn't sure how she should further the conversation. As the waitress came by with a plate of cakes, she took a look at Rachel. "Are you here to order something, ma'am?"
"No, I am not here to order something."
"Then you have to leave. No loitering. Either order something or leave," the waitress said.
"I ought to scratch your eyes out for that," Nago said. Rachel slammed her fist into the top of his head before teleporting away, leaving Ragna and Noel alone once again. "God I just can't stand her sometimes," Ragna muttered.
The two leave after having a few cakes and head back to Bang's house. After reaching their destination, Noel joined with Violet and started up a heated conversation with what Ragna told her. Jacky had woken up a few minutes after Noel and Ragna left. Currently, he was in the kitchen making lunch with Bang. Bullet was out behind Bang's house, training with Bang's subordinates. Tao was waiting anxiously for lunch while Ragna had decided to sit down at the table and wait with her. Meat buns, Pork Ramen, and rice balls were brought into the dining room and Tao grabbed a plate full of everything. Jacky sat down and allowed himself a serving of food before calling everyone in for lunch.
When night came, everyone except Ragna, Noel, Jacky, and Violet had gone to bed. Jacky and Violet were talking amongst themselves.
"Noel told me that you used to sing everyone to sleep as a kid," she said. Jacky's face turned red with embarrassment. "W-w-what? How does she…?" He then recalled Ragna and Noel's absence for the first half of the day and understood. "Damn it, Ragna!"
"I think it's kind of cool. Come on, why don't you sing to me?"
"A-are you kidding me?!" He stuttered.
"Come on, Jacky, just one song, please?" Violet begged. She kept begging and begging. "Is this how you got Kokonoe to teach you magic?"
"I guess you could say that," she responded. He groaned and finally relented. "Fine, I'll sing, but only for one song!"
Violet pumped her fists in her moment of success. She sat down next to him and waited for him to proceed.
Meanwhile, Ragna and Noel are washing the dishes together, listen to Jacky sing. "He's really good," Noel said. Ragna nodded his head and moved onto a dirty bowl. "What's wrong, Ragna?"
"I don't know what to say to him," he said quietly. "I'm sure you'll come up with something," Noel replied.
Ragna sighed as they finished washing the last few dishes. "Well whatever, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time for that. He's going to be travelling with me for a while." As Noel and Ragna leave the kitchen, Jacky finishes singing and they find Violet asleep with her head leaning against his shoulder. Noel had an endearing expression on her face and she was choking up. "Why are you looking at us like that, Noel?" Jacky quietly demanded, not wanting to wake Violet up. "The two of you look cute that way. I wish I had a camera."
Jacky's face turned red and he looked down at the floor. "I've got to admit, you do look like a couple," Ragna stated. Jacky wanted to bolt upward and punch Ragna in the shoulder, but, again, he didn't want to bother Violet.
"We're not in a relationship, alright guys?" Violet moaned a little in her sleep and grabbed Jacky's arm, squeezing it tightly. Violet wasn't making Jacky's argument very convincing. Noel kept staring at the two of them, wishing she had a camera. "Alright, I'm going to go take Violet to her room." Jacky picked up Violet and gave her a piggyback to her room. He gently set her down on the bed, but she wouldn't let go of him, hugging him tightly.
Finding no way out of Violet's iron grip without waking her, Jacky sat there, waiting for any instance in which she might loosen her hold on him, but it never came. Ragna came into the room and whispered, "Why don't you just wake her up?"
"I don't think waking up a girl with magic powers who's been living with Kokonoe for years would be a good idea," the Beastkin whispered back. Ragna chuckled and waved goodbye before leaving the room and heading towards his own.
With a sigh, Jacky laid down on the bed and allowed himself to sleep, uncomfortable as the situation may be.

Author's Note:

Do I smell love in the air?
Jacky: I swear, I'm going to kill you!
You wouldn't exist anymore if you did. Think of me as your Observer. You know, the guy that's allowing you to walk and talk. Here's a comparison to help you get the idea. I'm the Takamagahara and you're Terumi. The only reason you're talking with people is because I exist.
Jacky: I hate you.
And on that note, some more backstory is told. I hope this cleared a few things up. Thank you for reading.

Reploid7,

Signing off!