Author's Note:
If you enjoyed the chapter, why not write a review and leave a follow? *wink*, *wink*, *nudge2x* I also take requests for ships, or pairs, or whatever wacky idea you scrubs might want to see being written. Anyways! Enjoy the chapter! :)
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"Family isn't connected by blood, it's connected through love."
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The weather felt soft... If that's even a proper word for it (?)
Well honestly, when it came to spring, even the darkest of clouds seemed to fluffen up around this time of the year... The season was practically blooming everywhere.
The ever fluttering cherry blossoms that would get swept up by the city streets, the warm sun that just seemed to greet everyone with a bright smile, and the way that the grass would just float aimlessly under a cool and soothing breeze, not to mention the lovely blue sky that seemed to encompass everything like a warm hug... Truly, today was such a picture perfect time to even hold a small little picnic outside.
... And yet, with all that said and done- What was a certain "young" lad doing on such a fine day?~
"I'm still not getting any of this shit! Are these even words?!"
̶K̶i̶n̶t̶o̶k̶i̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶l̶o̶c̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶r̶o̶o̶m̶,̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶o̶d̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶n̶ ̶t̶e̶x̶t̶b̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶.̶
His golden brows seemingly furrowed and arched repeatedly in frustration, while his ever twitching lips just couldn't help but grit in plain annoyance. Honestly, why did he even need to go to school? He was a god damn warrior! A Legend! The living embodiment of lightning! ! ! The coolest biker to have ever existed since the Edo Period! ! ! ! And yet why?!
Why was he forced to partake in such a menial thing known as reading?!
'Tch, last time I checked, I didn't need to read to take down an army...' Kintoki inwardly spat as he tried to understand the weird scribbles, (The formulas), that was laying plainly on the text right before him. He then skimmed impatiently through the textbook in clear frustration, all while getting visibly annoyed at each page that he didn't understand as it kept flicking by his trembling eyes.
For the love of all that was holy in this world... He just couldn't seem to get any of it, not one bit! No matter how hard he tried! Hell, Even spending a day with Shuten seemed to be a whole lot better right now!
'Wait... Wait... Maybe I'm just not using it right.' Kintoki could only squint his eyes as he began to recompose himself.
The flustering berserker then slowly turned the book to the side, then upside down, he even tilted his head alongside it, until it got to the point where he wasn't even reading the pages anymore... This weird sequence continued on for what seemed like a solid minute until after a given moment- He suddenly got a bright idea.
Maybe... just maybe... What if he was approaching this whole situation wrong in the first place? What if- Now just what if... You can call him crazy even, -which wasn't new considering he has madness enhancement-, but just what if- This thing could actually talk?! What if it was actually alive?! Yeah, yeah! It would make sense as to why he was struggling with it! This thing was tormenting him, mocking him even! Yeah, yeah! No wonder he couldn't understand it! He wasn't doing his part too! After all, communication is key~! Nobody told him that learning was a team effort!
After a short moment of slight hesitation, Kintoki audibly gulped, as if he was swallowing a heavy rock in his throat. He then took a deep breath before closing his eyes in a very serious manner, like if he was a gunning warrior that was silently praying before a war... And after a few moments, his quivering lips had finally parted to say a few words-
"Oh great and majestic Book~ I, am but a humble servant before you're all knowing presence, but! If you would kindly bestow upon me the knowle- WHAT THE HELL AM I EVEN DOING?!"
Words that made him slam the book towards the floor in sheer embarrassment.
"Have I gone mad?! It's a god damn book! ! ! Why am I even talking with it?!" The once proud warrior of the east begrudgingly thought as he fell on his own two knees in defeat, as if his once proud figure had been reduced into a state of rubble. Was he really just that dumb? If so, then this battle was already a lost cause... Maybe, maybe he should just jump out of his window right now? Yeah? Yeah! At least it could save his dignity, or rather, what was left of it after he had finally lost his marbles just now...
Wait, what was that thing called again, that thing that samurais do when they've either dishonored themselves, or lost in battle?
'Ah right, senpaku.'
The boy's shattered figure then made it's way towards the room's nearest window, in a very soulless manner to boot. As if he was already accepting his inevitable fate... Well, not like he was gonna learn anything anyway am I right? No shot was he going to pass the entrance exam next week, not when he couldn't even understand a mere "formula", or so what the book had apparently labeled it as.
"Studying is for nerds anyways..." The golden berserker tearfully spat as he was already putting out one foot outside the open window. This really was it, wasn't it?~ This was his final goodbye to the word around him... Well at the very least, he no longer had to study if he was dead. (Not like servants could die that easily anyways, but let's not tell him that). Yeah... maybe, this was a good thing, at least he wouldn't have to take that accursed exam next week...
...But, as if reality itself wouldn't even let him escape from his inevitable fate. Just before Kintoki could jump out from his bedside window, he suddenly heard the door slam open-
"Young man! What on earth are you doing right now?!"
Followed by the load roar of a certain milf- I mean, woman- that was practically trembling out of fear upon seeing Kintoki's ruined state. Her face practically turned pale when she saw the boy's crestfallen face, which unbeknownst to the lad, was brimming in frustration and tears. His self-proclaimed parent, Raikou, immediately jumped towards him in one fell swoop, as if she was a lioness that was retrieving her cub from clear danger.
"Gah! ! H-Hey get off me!"
And after the both of them fell on the room's hardwood floor, his mother was practically bawling non-stop at his forehead while never letting go of her hold on him. In fact, her hold on the younger berserker was so strong that it was practically choking him to death, and while Kintoki's paling face was getting caught between the latter's enormous bosom. Only a single whisper had escaped from Raikou's quivering lips after she had seemingly calmed down.
"...You're in so much trouble." The woman spat weakly while quietly sobbing to herself, and in response to this- "I-I'm sorry..." The one who was in said trouble could only weakly mutter as he avoided his guardian's sad face, as if it would shatter his youthful heart if he even took a glance at his supposed mother's cries. Yet, after what seemed like a stilled eternity in that room of his, after a few moments had seemingly passed in that quiet yet warm atmosphere. The older berserker then began to let go of her hold on Kintoki, albeit not truly considering the fact that she was still holding her child's hands.
Kintoki then nervously looked at his mother's fallen face with clear guilt in his eyes, as if he was a small sorry child that was feeling bad because he got himself in trouble. A few silent seconds had turned into aimless minutes in the air, neither of them truly speaking in that heavy silence that had just suddenly weighed down upon them.
Shit. Kintoki knew that he needed to say something. Even though he himself knew that he was an idiot that couldn't even read, but he wasn't so dense that he couldn't even tell whether or not if he was in the wrong. And wrong he was, he couldn't even imagine the fear that must have crept up inside of Raikou when she saw him earlier in that state. Honestly, he wasn't just an idiot, he was a god damn moron for even making her worry like this... She was already doing so much for him as his guardian, the least he could have done was not give up, and the fact that he realized it too late didn't help either.
The younger bersker's breath hitched in between his throat, as if he just couldn't find the correct words to say towards his mother, as if he just didn't know how to face her right now- Not in this state at the very least.
"... I'm sorry Kini..."
But surprisingly enough, Raikou was the first one to break the ice between them, although it did make the latter jump from her sudden apology.
"You must've not wanted to go to school right? I knew that you didn't like to study... But, I still forced you into it. I-I'm sorry Kini, I ended up making you cry..." Raikou then slowly reached out her right hand towards Kintoki's unreadable face in order to stroke his cheeks, while gazing fondly at him with a very sad and dejected tone of voice.
"I'm a such a terrible Mom..." And said mother, could only look down in disappointment. Not at him, but more so at herself for forcing her kid to do something that he dislike, to the point that it even made him cry like that. 'Some Mother I am...' This was the sole thought that kept repeating inside of Raikou's mind like a dreary reminder of her weakness.
Yet strangely enough, as if that notion in of itself couldn't be more incorrect than it already was- Kintoki clicked his tongue in pure anger.
"No. No you're not! Don't you dare say that!"
This... This... This. This whole god damn situation was downright frustrating. It just didn't sit right with him... And he had the nerve to call himself a biker, when a true rider would have never ever made their mama cry like that. It wasn't in his personal code of conduct, nor did his pride ever allowed him to let this one go.
And so, once his booming voice had settled in a tense silence, he took a deep breath before looking directly at Raikou's wide and stunned eyes, as if an unkempt flame was suddenly lit in his pure and youthful eyes. Kintoki then stood up slowly, while the latter's breath could only tremble at the thought that she may have upsetted him any further. Yet strangely enough, that looming fear was quickly shut down once she finally gazed at his iron-willed face.
"K-Kintoki?" Raikou's voice quivered, obviously shocked at the sudden, if not, newfound determination that was blazing in her child's gleaming eyes. After what seemed like a frozen second, Kintoki then slowly walked towards the direction of his desk, as he then dramatically picked up the book that he had slammed earlier on the floor, in a very resolute manner.
"I'll do it." And almost as if that blazing flame inside of him had finally been realized, he eventually answered his mother in a very brave way, in a tone that was free from any hesitation and fear. "I'll pass that god damn exam."
"L-Like I told you! You don't have to take it anym-" Raikou's voice and expression immediately snapped back at his son, with a tone that was already so close to breaking out in tears. She didn't want to force him into doing something that he disliked anymore, she didn't want to see her "baby" feel hurt to the point of frustration and crying anymore. All that she really wanted was for him to be happy, because afterall- his happiness was what was best for him...
And yet why?
She wanted to tell him all those things, but why did they remain as thoughts and not as words? Why couldn't she say anything against his resolute eyes? Why did Raikou fall silent upon the sight of her son kneeling towards her with one leg and a toothy smile?
"I'm sorry for worrying you this much M-Mom..." Kintoki stuttered a bit in embarrassment from uttering the last word, yet nevertheless, he continued on with a soft and apologetic smile that was as golden as the sun itself. "But don't worry, I still want to do this afterall... Not just for myself-" And with a gentle touch to Raikou's face, as if he was trying to stop the tears from falling out of her dark amethyst eyes. The golden berker then said something that could have possibly made all the mothers in the world cry from pure jealousy alone...
"But because I also want to make you proud..."
Because the words that had left his lips were the kind that every parent could only dream of ever hearing.
"And b-besides, it's also not really that cool to give up you know... It's just not my style." (Said the man who had literally just given up moments ago)
Silence. That was the sole thing that had enveloped their household of two... And for a short moment, even Kintoki did a double take if what he said was over the top or if it even borderlined on troublesome. Kintoki however, could only flinch when a lone tear had escaped from the latter's eyelids, yet that worry of his got quickly dismissed upon him noticing the fact that Raikou's face had completely broken into a warm smile.
"When did my kid get so cool?~" And funnily enough, in contrast to Kintoki's blushing face right now, only a single and petty thought had entered inside of the young man's mind.
'I-I'm not a kid though' Was all that he said to himself, but with the way that he was acting, and just from his bashful reaction of looking away from his mother's beaming smile... That thought of his just now couldn't be more wrong even if he tried to prove it so.
It took a while before the both of them seemingly calmed down, and in between Kintoki's gritting, embarrased, smile, and amidst his mother's warm & fond expression. It seemed as if neither of them wanted to let that present moment go, as if the two of them were silently and unknowingly wishing that the season's wind would sweep the both of them up from the sands of time. As if they were silently praying that the two of them could just stay like this forever.
Yet, after what seemed like an untouched second, and after the sunlight's drought had streaked it's way towards the open window. Raikou's entire body suddenly jolted up, while her face could only contort into a petrified horror upon the realization that had just dawned over her.
"The cookies!"
In an almost comical speed, the indra's head creaked towards the entryway in an untold fear, as if she didn't even want to look at the mess that she's caused... And yet she did, which resulted in Raikou falling on both of her knees in a weeping manner. Kintoki cocked his head back in visible confusion, like a questioning pup that was wondering about his parent's sudden and erratic change in behavior. He didn't need to look and question further however, because once he shifted his ever tiliting head towards the door. There Kintoki stood, speechless, while gazing quietly at a fallen tray of biscuits and snacks on the floor.
The young berserker's mouth then began to part, most likely to ask about the ruined state of the supposed cookies, but before his voice could even escape his lips. As if his own mother had already beaten him to it by answering the forming thought that was on the tip of his mind. Raikou's subtle sniffles and whimpers then suddenly bursted out in an explosion of tears.
"N-No! The snacks... N-N-Now they're ruined! ! ! WAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Kintoki merely looked at his "mother's" antics with a fond sigh, as if he was already used to the latter's childish outbursts. Honestly, who was supposed to be the parent here again? Though he was in no position to have say in the matter either, considering his rather 'immature' behavior earlier. Yet admittedly, even though Kintoki may not look much like it, he was the more mature one between the two of them. Hard to believe, even he knew that as much.
After a small chuckle that was practically dripping in irony, the golden haired youngster then wordlessly made his way towards the sight of the "accident", the very same accident that had seemingly gotten the Indra herself to start crying like an overgrown child. Kintoki then began to slowly pick up the crumbs and splattered biscuits on the floor one by one, which even made Raikou cease her whimpering due to her son's silent change in demeanor. Yet that worry of hers wasn't warranted though, because as soon as her dark irises had met with the latter's golden ones.
Kintoki could only look back at her with a toothy grin as he stood up with the tray in his hands.
"Come on, let's go bake some new ones..."
And upon the mentioning of the word 'bake', and just the thought of her son cooking alongside her with tiny oven-mitts in his hands. It was as if Raikou's entire world had instantly brightened, and along with it brought a flowery smile that could light the countless districts in Chaldea for days to come...
'I needed a break anyways' Kintoki internally scoffed with a wry shake of his head.
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The intoxicating smell of coffee wafted in the shop's air, while a resonating melody was being played by Salieri's violin from across the distance.
The pleasant chatter of servants in the background, the occasional laughs and giggles that blended in with the shop's light atmosphere, it could even be something as simple as the room's homely and warmly lit decor, and not to mention the quality and goodness of the sweets and snacks that were being served by the, rather handsome, bartenders. All these elements together were what made up any regular ol' day in Olga's lovely little cafe.
And truth be told, it was honestly quite the shock when the Animusphere lady had even suggested that she "could" start her own establishment because she "might" be interested in the idea of it. But no one in all of Chaldea actually took her seriously until the day came, which was literally the day after, when that notion had actually turned into reality. To top it all off, none of the servants had expected her shop to be quite so... girly on the outside. Then again, she was still a girl at heart, so it must have been a case of personal preferences.
Yet, with all that said and done... Olga was still Chaldea's vice director, and she still had the duty to uphold that position no matter what. So since she was so busy these days and no longer had the time to manage the place, she just usually leaves the Manager to be in charge of the cafe while she was out.
"Owkie~ One lovey dovey Machiato~ and two orders of strawberry pyon pyon super heart attack milkshakes~ Did I get that right?"
Oh, and speaking of the manager- She (?) was currently dressed up as a bunny themed maid, while he (?) was busy catering to a small party's orders, much to their confusion unfortunately. And by catering, that meant Astolfo flaunting his (?) supposed charms towards the poor trio of servants. And by "charms", it usually just meant Astolfo secretly flirting with her (?) customers. Said customers however, which was composed of young celtic lads, could only reply at their rather enthusiastic waiter with forced smiles and a twitch of an eye.
"R-Right... whatever that means..."
The cheery waiter then gave his (?) customers a jovial salute before practically zooming out of their sight in a speed that could rival even light itself. This café was just straight up unhinged at this point, who the hell allows their waiters to wear roller blades?! Yet, after the party was left under Astolfo's dust, one of them decided to break the ice while coughing violently from underneath his hand, which was probably because of the shop's overly sweet fragrance that could suffocate just about anyone who wasn't used to the atmosphere.
"Oi Setenta, ya sure we gettin' a discount? ...That's like the only reason why we're here."
The blue haired boy from amongst the three of them then looked up from the menu that he was holding, while shooting the other two a dismissive look before pointing his thumb to a certain sight, or rather a certain person, from behind him.
"Yeah, yeah, quite yer' whinin' Ferdia... Besides, my lancer counterpart owes me a favor from last week anyways."
The latter pair of celtics then looked up from their seats with an inquisitive gaze, only to deadpan at the sight that they found thereafter. The two of them could only wince in resignation at a certain blue haired bartender from across the cafe's bar area, and said bartender, was busy laughing heartily while raising a goblet of beer from his own makeshift pub station. It was honestly quite a wonder, both of Setenta's classmates still couldn't believe that this booze drinking, loud, and lofty lancer was the kind of person that their friend might turn into. It was a stark contrast to the younger saber's determined, yet somewhat stubborn nature.
But then again, the two of them were quite easygoing people, so the resemblance was a tad bit uncanny.
"Damnit, I can't understand this menu. What the hell is a Moo-Moo Galaxy Macchiato?!" And speaking of Setenta, the lad was currently busy in trying to wrap his head around the confusing menu that he held in his hands. He could have sworn that what he was reading weren't even words at that point, in fact, those so called items were more like spells in his dictionary. Maybe his teacher was the one who made this accursed menu, because to Setenta, it really seemed as if these words were from one of Scathach's Runecraft lessons! He could have sworn that it was! !
The latter two could only laugh at the saber's odd and frustrated figure, and in turn making setenta growl at them in an irky retaliation, but before neither three of them could even begin their petty argument-
The all too familiar sound of a bell chiming was suddenly heard, indicating that a new customer had just entered the cafe's premises.
"Ah! Welcome to Café Animuspheria!"
The whole place however, suddenly interrupted into one unified greeting, with every server and bartender putting down their tasks before resuming to their duty. Yet, this time, it was quite different... Because as soon as every staff member cocked their head towards their newly arrived customer, it was almost as if the entire cafe had gone silent upon laying their eyes at their valued "guest".
"Heya! Sit anywhere you like! I'll be with you sho-... shortly... M-Ma'am?! Are you alright?!"
Even Astolfo, who had just came out of the kitchen and was seemingly oblivious to the entire situation until now, was suddenly taken aback by the customer's rather pathetic figure. It was almost as if Astolfo was looking at a sad and deformed blob that had just waddled it's way into the cafe's entryway. The maid could have sworn that there was a rain cloud following in her trail... And that was because the customer, which was Raikou, was practically oozing off an aura that was the very definition of "sad".
Heck, even Salieri stopped playing his violin upon looking at the poor berserker's figure, as if his pleasant performance was interrupted by Raikou's melancholic tune.
This scene seemed to stay at a complete standstill, with everyone in the café looking down at Raikou's sad figure in silent worry, and who could honestly blame them? The mood had just suddenly changed because of the dreadful aura that the female Indra was exuding, as if the café's lighthearted ambience was suddenly overtaken by a dark and brooding force, that force being Raikou's crestfallen face.
Yet thankfully enough, the awkward ice was soon later broken by a certain Primordial woman who was calling out to Raikou from a nearby table.
"Ah! Raiki! Over here! I saved you a seat~!"
The drooping figure of Raikou then weakly looked up to search for the person that had called out to her, and it didn't even take her a second to spot the source's voice from earlier, because once she tilted her head to the right- Raikou then saw the beaming figure of her friend, Tiamat, waving at her like a little puppy that was excited to see it's Master... And it was actually quite easy to spot the woman, maybe it had something to do with her shimmering emerald hair, or her dazzling horns that always caught everyone's attention, or it could have also been the fact that her ruby filled eyes always seemed to shine as bright as a pair of stars... But whatever the reason was, to put it simply-
Tiamat was the kind of person that was really hard to miss.
Raikou then began to slowly trudge her way towards her friend's location, while a immature cloud of rain was seemingly following in her trail in a very sappy manner. Tiamat took extra care into not pestering her friend once she arrived at the table, because even she knew that she could be a tad bit intense sometimes, especially when she's curious. Instead, she just opted to call over a nearby waitress in order to place an order in Raikou's stead.
"A-Ah! Astolfo-san! could you please bring us an order of straw-"
"I'm not really in the mood for sweets Tiamy..."
Although said friend however, could only quickly cut her off before faceplanting her head on the table upon hearing Tiamat's order of shortcake. Raikou's depressing sigh even managed to flinch their server's ever cheery posture, meaning that she really wasn't in the mood for any of Astolfo's antics.
"Eheh~ A glass of water then?"
"Please..."
Their bunny like server then gave them a stiff nod before walking off into the kitchen in a nervous sweat, as if his (?) robotic movements were implying that even Astolfo herself (?) didn't want to stay near Raikou's depressing aura any longer.
It was a real vibe killer ya know! It totally didn't have to do with the fact that Raikou could control a portion of the weather based solely by her emotions. She wasn't the Indra for nothing afterall, and the last thing that Astolfo wanted was to get zapped by a mini thundercloud.
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The once silent crowd seemed to dissipate back into it's former ambience, the light chatter of customers returned as the ever pleasant music of the violin played yet again. Yet, in contrast to the cafe's light atmosphere, unbeknownst to everyone else who was choosing to ignore a certain woman's sappy mood out of plain respect. The small figure of Raikou was sulking dreadfully in a nearby table, away from everyone's sights and conversations as she whimpered with a tired sigh.
"I don't get it Tiamy... I know that he's doing his best, but I just think that he's pushing himself too hard."
'Ah. She must be talking about her Kintoki.'
Tiamat then nodded to herself innocently as she took another sip of her sweet coffee, as if she was mentally taking note of every word that had left from Raikou's quivering lips.
"I just- I just wish that he'd take it just a bit more easier with the studying you know?"
The whole space around the two of them seemed to fall silent under the cafe's light tune, while the conversation just left Raikou with a teary pout as she burrowed her head onto the table's surface for the third time since she'd arrived. Eventually, Raikou's ears then perked up from the sound of Tiamat setting her cup of coffee back onto it's mini plate.
"Have you talked to him about it?"
Tiamat spoke on with a soft tone of voice, while ever so slightly arching her brows. Was it out of worry? sympathy? curiosity? Maybe a mix of the three, but that didn't take away from the fact that she was truly concerned about her friend.
"I-I tried... But, I never got through to him..."
The two of them then fell silent yet again, while the only noise ever escaping after that was a slight "I see" from Tiamat as she internally digested the information, and it's lack of thereof. The primordial lady knew that whatever was bothering her friend was serious, if not worrying even, considering the fact that Raikou was only ever speaking in a soft and sad tone after mentioning her last words.
"I-If you don't mind me asking Raiki... How exactly is Kintoki pushing himself?"
And in that moment, Raikou instantly shot up from her seat.
Tiamat's face then grew in a sudden fluster, as if she was already regretting her lack of delicacy in asking about her friend's household issues.
"O-Of course! y-you don't have to answer that Raiki! I'm really sorry for suddenly springing that question on you-"
Yet as Tiamat was already on the verge of bowing apologetically for her actions, she was suddenly shut silent upon seeing a dark and angry aura that was emanating from Raikou's unreadable face.
"Haha... Aha- Haha... H҉o҉w҉ ҉d҉o҉ ҉y҉o҉u҉ ҉a҉s҉k҉?"
Raikou's very being had suddenly turned into the definition of daunting, her dark voice had instantly pierced the atmosphere's gentle nature like if she were holding a needle against you're throat... And in a matter of seconds, everyone in the café suddenly freezed in silent fear, as if their own blood had gone cold.
"R-Raiki?!"
All while a trembling Tiamat was stuck hiding behind her chair in visible fear for her life.
Dark patches of clouds began to swirl from up above the café's ceiling in a loud thunder, as if that brewing storm was there to signify the fact that Raikou was already close to reaching her boiling point-
"D҉o҉n҉'҉t҉ ҉e҉v҉e҉n҉ ҉g҉e҉t҉ ҉m҉e҉ ҉s҉t҉a҉r҉t҉e҉d҉ ҉T҉i҉a҉m҉y҉.҉.҉."
-And reach that point she did.
Because in a matter of seconds, Raikou's eyes then began to glow in a red seething rage, while those brewing storm-clouds from up above then began to intensify as it began to thrash the entirety of the place.
"He's always in his room..."
A multitude of wild thunder began to crash down on everyone's tables like a big bang, prompting every servant in the vicinity to hide behind a random object out of plain fear.
"He doesn't even come down for dinner anymore..."
A whirlwind then rose from the ground in an unkempt rage, as every piece of furniture in sight then began to float from the ground before getting torn to shreds.
"He's always reading instead of talking to me!"
Every servant in the room could only cower at Raikou's dark and unmatched form, even divine servants such as Apollos couldn't even move from his butt out of plain fear. No one in the cafe could even dare to stop her, even if all of them were to attack her at once. At best, they could probably subdue her, but it was a question of if they wanted to subdue her, and a single look at Raikou's raging eyes was more than enough to shatter whatever courage anyone had left in them.
"And you know what's the the worse part?"
Everyone in the café knew that compared to the threats that they had faced before, this should've been a walk in the park... And yet, even with all that said and done, that didn't take away from the fact that in this very moment... In this point of time-
"He never even spends time with me anymore! ! !"
Raikou was the scariest thing that they've ever seen since fighting Sephar, and that was saying something, because after all- The only thing that was scarier than an Alien God...
"I feel really lonely! ! ! !"
...Was an annoyed parent.
"Darn academy! Stupid entrance exams! ! Dumb text-books! ! ! They're taking away my Kintoki! ! !"
The entirety of the café was already getting pulverized by the rising whirlwind that had threatened to raze the entire bistro down towards the ground. The shop's walls started to erode into complete and utter ruin, the whole floor was beginning to crack as if a fissure had just swept by, even the small bar from afar was obliterated to the point of non-existence. Practically everything in sight was floating aimlessly in the air as it got devoured whole by the wrathful storm that was known as Raikou's parental rage, (Well, more like childish jealousy), but if things were to continue at this rate-
"I wish all of them would just disappear! ! !"
Then the entirety of Chaldea district was about to be reduced into mere rubble... And it truly seemed as if that inevitable fate was finally coming into full view.
"Then, what If I just d̵e̸s̶t̸r̴o̴y̷ them all huh?!"
Because once Raikou started to spiral down into madness, everyone in the café knew that there was just no stopping the end anymore. This was the end, and everyone had already accepted it, including the fact that every heroic spirit in the vicinity were already prepared to return to the throne of heroes soon.
"Hehe... Yeah... Mhm~! That way, Kintoki won't even need to study anymore! Yeah... Yeah! ! !"
Everyone was already saying their final goodbyes even, because they just knew that this was it- This was already their end... There was just no stopping Raikou anymore, not in her current state at least.
"Don't you think that will make Kintoki a little bit sad?"
But then- As if a brave soul was rising up against the dark storm that was looming before her, as if a certain primordial being finally had enough with her friend's nonsense. Tiamat then shrinked into a smaller form before zipping her way towards Raikou in order to give her a stern, yet soft embrace.
"Don't you think you're being a little unfair towards him Raiki? Jeez~, you're being a little selfish you know!"
And while Raikou was gritting her teeth behind a silent expression, her gentle friend then caressed her head while being under her colorful influence, as if that hug of hers was secretly a calming spell that she often used to make lull her loved ones into sleep. Only this time, Tiamat was using it to put the raging Indra down at ease
"Wha-What do you mean... I'm selfish?"
... And it worked, because subsequently after Raikou let out a clouded breath in denial- The swirling storm that had swallowed the cafe then began to slowly subside. The ravaged furnitures in the air then began to crash back at the ground, while the sharp air, -that could rip you're skin off to shreds if you weren't careful-, then began to dissipate into the air as if it had never existed in the first place. A streak of bright sunlight came and beamed at the broken glass around them, while everyone's faces could only relax into relief after finally realizing that everything was seemingly over, Raikou was finally beginning to calm down.
And speaking of Raikou-
"Well, think about it Raiki! How sad do you think Kintoki will be when he sees that you suddenly destroyed the academy. Don't you think he'll be dissapointed when he sees that all the effort that he's been putting was suddenly thrown out in vain? He could cry you know..."
She was currently being sweet talked into surrender by none other than her most trusted disci- I mean friend, (To be completely honest, the scene looked more like a mother comforting her crying child... Ah the Irony). Yet, what seemed to truly seal the deal were the next pair of words that were about to leave Tiamat's lips. The primordial woman then got close towards Raikou's right ear, as her glossy lips seemed to shine in an all knowing manner.
"Or worse, he could even end up hating you..."
"H-Hate me?! N-No! I dont' want that! ! !"
And the effect was immediate.
Raikou's darkened eyes instantly snapped back into it's amethyst colored hue, just like a temperamental kid that suddenly quieted down in fear of losing her favorite toy. Well in all honesty, who could blame her? If there was one thing that Raikou cared about the most, it was her family. She cherished her bonds like if they were her treasure chests, meaning that she absolutely hated the fact that she could lose just one of them, and it had to be one of the more important ones to boot.
Raikou could never live with herself if she was the cause of her son hating her, detesting her even... J-Just the thought of it-
(WARNING: The following conversations are just figments of Raikou's wild imagination. They are works of fiction and should not be taken seriously. Any person, organization, place, or event that happened in real life DOES NOT correspond to the works shown in this movie. Viewer discretion is advised)
'I hate you mum!'
No...
'I'm gonna be a bad kid now! I'm gonna move out of the house and become a delinquent!'
No...
'I'm never gonna eat my veggies again!"
No...
'I'm gonna meet with bad women and not take any responsibility!'
No. No. No. No. No. No.
'Oh, and I'm never going to call you Mom ever again, captain~! Consider yourself dead to me! Owkie~?"
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
And just like that, Raikou's mind had finally been broke-
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
At least let me finish god damnit.
"R-Raiki?!"
As if all the negative emotions in Raikou's body had seemingly fled from her, and was instead replaced with a welling feeling of distress. She instantly jumped, -well more like tackled-, towards Tiamat while whining and sobbing to herself non-stop, all while muttering incoherent words like an abandoned baby.
"Kintoki... My baby... No... Stop... I don't... Vegetables... d-don't leave me pwease..."
'What's she blabbering about?'
Tiamat on the other hand, could only sigh like an exhausted parent while patting Raikou's small figure. Her friend sure was a handful, but she supposed that this was the least that she could do after all the help that Raikou has given her in the past. In fact, she was the one who taught her the niches and know-how's about motherhood, -EMIYA was also there, but that's a story for another day-, and if it weren't for Raikou... Then Tiamat would've had no idea on how to raise her own children, all five of them even.
"So, who's gonna be paying for all of this?~"
Yet, just as Tiamat was finish in visiting her own little memory lane- Her eyes were suddenly pried open by the all too cruel thing that was known as a reality check. The priomordial woman's ruby like gaze met with the manager's empty brown eyes, as if she was staring into the abyss itself. Astolfo's cold and distant figure stood in front of her in a masked fury, all while standing on top of the cafe's ravaged rubble with a murderous smile and an umoving face.
'Ah right. Raiki wrecked everything.'
And just as Tiamat thought that, a broken chandalier suddenly fell from the cafe's shredded ceiling.
...
...
There were a lot of times when Kintoki almost thought that he was going to die.
There was that one time where he fought tooth and nail in an irregular lostebelt, there was also that time where he spend decades in solitude while training his body rigorously to it's absolute limit, not to mention the countless battles that he fought against peerless warriors during the time that he was alive.
To put it simply, Kintoki was a war veteran. Yes, that should have been the case, and yet... Why?
"Someone call an ambulance, I think I might throw up right now..."
Why the hell was he shitting his pants over a god damn test result?!
In contrast to the pleasant atmosphere and the gentle sunlight that seemed to touch everything with it's delicate embrace, Kintoki's insides felt like it was regressing into the pits of hell itself.
Was he really getting sick over the fear of not passing a measly exam?! What the hell happened to the strongest reigning warrior in all of Heian period? What the hell happened to his pride as a biker?!
"R-Relax... it's not like you're gonna die if you fail Kintoki."
All of those feats were apparently thrown out the window the minute he applied for the god damn academy.
"Y-You don't understand Kotarou... my entire pride is at stake here."
His flame headed friend could only sigh in resignation at his life or death attitude, however, even a cold hearted assassin such as himself could understand where he was coming from. Fuuma Kotarou was one of the few people that laid witness to Kintoki's hardwork over the past few weeks. He was honestly a bit surprised when the supposed prideful berserker came knocking at his dorm room at four in the morning, turned out that he was looking for someone to tutor him, and that he was one of his last options.
Kotarou didn't mind at first, but the hellish training regime that followed after that was more than enough to traumatize even the hardest of warriors. They were practically eating books and using them as punching bags, metaphorically of course. They even had to beg a few other servants to help Kintoki with his "training" since Kotarou could only teach him so much.
And after all those years of training, -Not really, it only took em' three weeks-, here they finally were-
"Well you did you're best, nothing we can really do now but just leave it up to fate."
-Standing before Chaldea Academy's main announcement border from outside the large gate.
"I don't wanna hear that from someone who already passed."
And although Kintoki felt like his insides were about to turn inside out at any given moment, a beating feeling of trust still pervaded inside of his golden drenched heart. Kotarou was right, there was no use in doubting himself right now, he did his best and that was all that mattered. All that he could really do right now was hope that his efforts will come into it's own fruition.
This moment right now felt like that one proverb that his old samurai master would often tell him as a kid, Kintoki couldn't remember it, but it was something along the lines of finding beauty amidst a dire situation... or something like that. Well whatever, Kintoki couldn't really be bothered to remember, he would much rather enjoy the present moment if anything else.
"Look Kintoki... cherry petals are passing by us."
The berserker's dreary gaze felt like it went up in tiny molts of light after seeing the season in full bloom. Ah, that's right, it was still spring after all. Kintoki was so caught up in studying for his exam that he completely forgot the jovial feeling of spring's wind hitting his skin like a refreshing reminder from the ocean itself. In fact, this sight that Kintoki was currently witnessing felt really beautiful, romantic even. It truly seemed as if nothing could ever interrupt this breathtaking moment-
"Oya?~ have the results not been posted yet?"
-And he spoke too soon.
"Awww, that's too bad~! I was super ready to see the look of despair in Kintoki's eyes once he realizes that he fai-"
"Not helping Shuten."
The berserker could practically feel his blood pressure, -Not to mention his heart rate-, already rising as he gave the small woman, who came from seemingly out of nowhere, a side-glare that was uncannily filled with annoyance.
"What~? You gonna cry? Oopsie!~ My bad~"
Said woman however, only gave the latter a teasing look before re-adjusting her blinged out sunglasses like a textbook city girl. Even her whole attire seemed over the top, the small assassin looked as if she was a model that just came out of a photo-shoot. Shuten then took a loud sip of her bubble tea, that also seemed to come from seemingly out of nowhere, as if she was intentionally drowning out the irritated retorts that Kintoki was giving her.
"Sh-shut up!"
...And boy did Shuten like teasing him, it always filled her heart with an inexplicable delight whenever she looked at Kintoki's blushing face. Be it in a twisted or endearing manner, that didn't take away from the fact that the woman always enjoyed it.
Kotarou, who had been watching their loud interaction from the sidelines, merely sighed in resignation. As if he was already used to the two's contrasting antics. The vixen haired assassin then walked over towards the two while grumbling in annoyance, did they not realize that they were bothering other people with their petty interaction? ... Knowing them, it probably didn't even cross their minds, not even once.
"Alright you two, break it up alrea-"
Yet, before Kotarou could even break the two apart- An autonomous announcement suddenly swept the school grounds like a loud and uninvited siren.
"{RESULTS HAVE BEEN POSTED: FOR ANY FURTHER INQUIRES, PLEASE CONSULT THE ACADEMY'S DEAN.}
And in a matter of seconds, the crowd who had been gathering at the school's announcement border suddenly exploded in a loud uproar.
Instantly, the small crowd went into a nervous stampede, with all of them butting their heads and shoving each other to the side in order to get in front of everyone else. Fights even started to break out, with every other servant already charging up their noble phantasm in an almost comedic battle. To put it it layman's terms, it was a god damn blood-bath. You couldn't expect to go into that crowd without losing a limb.
Yet strangely enough, amidst through the chaos and uproars that surrounded a single figure-
Kintoki only stood there unmoving, with an unreadable look plastered on his face... As if his whole world had just been seemingly shattered like broken glass.
"Kintoki there you are! We almost lost you- ...Kintoki?"
The berskerer's pair of friends however, had only just escaped from the crowd's rampaging state with an exhausted look in their eyes. Their breathing could only be described as erratic as they had barely managed to escape from the ongoing stampede like a pair of lost tumbleweed in the dust. Yet, when they did get to the front... All that Kotarou and Shuten found was the lone figure of their golden friend, staring off into the announcement border with an empty look in his eyes.
Kotarou tried to reach out for him, while the latter could only look at Kintoki's distant figure with a welling feeling of regret in her heart. However, when they did inevitably reach him- All that the two of them heard was an eerie atmosphere, followed by a trembling whisper that even made the raging crowd behind them go dead silent.
"I-I didn't... pass"
The whole world around the poor lad seemed like a quiet lake, as a lone tear fell on it's bleak surface, reminding him off his pitiful and crying reflection... And amidst it all were the solemn expressions of his friends and everyone else around him, as if a washing sense of guilt had kept the crowd from even uttering a single word.
"K-Kintoki... I-I'm really sorry... I didn't know it would turn out like this... I-If I did... Th-Then I would have never-!"
Yet as the world would have it, that didn't stop Shuten from breaking the thick ice around them with a teary dissonance. Regret adorned her purple orbs, while a genuine feeling of self-loathing began to scorn her once delicate face. She hated herself for saying those words to him earlier, about him not passing, maybe she unknowingly alarmed karma with it's unfair definition of humor. Yet, she knew that it didn't work that way, but that solace didn't help her aching heart as she stared sadly behind Kintoki's silent and almost unreachable figure... And Shuten may not always show it, with her being a big bully and her constant barrage of teasing against Kintoki- But she truly did care about him, maybe just a little bit more than she really let on, and that was the honest truth.
"I just wanna be left alone... don't follow me"
So you could only imagine the pain in her heart when said man only moved past her without doing so much as even batting an eye towards her.
Soon after, Kintoki's very existence soon dissipated into the crowd, without ever even uttering a single word on his way out. Pain? Frustration? Regret? Sadness? Anger? Did he even feel any of these despair filled emotions? Did any of it's melancholic tunes ever struck a chord in his heart?
"Damn it... Damn it... Damn it... Damn it... I'm pathetic."
Of course he did.
If not, then why else was he biting his lip to the point that it bled? Why else did his eyes glint in a dark gloom? Why else was he repeatedly mocking his own futile efforts? It was quite simple really, he was unimaginably bitter. To the point that, -unbeknownst to him-, when he was finally out of everyone else's view- When no one was finally looking at him. Kintoki's own two feet had unknowingly bolted out of the Academy's grounds, without ever knowing where his gut-wrenching dash would take him.
His own vision grew blurry because of unneeded tears, his head felt like it was thrown out the gutter, while his heart was in the worst place that it could ever be... Was this how it felt? To be betrayed by none other than yourself, your own efforts? Why did it sting so much? He could have sworn that this bitterness of his felt more painful than a slice to his neck, he should know considering he had been slashed there before.
Why was the world so cruelly unfair? That it couldn't even allow him to pass a measly entrance exam. Maybe he was overreacting, maybe he was just exaggerating his own mental state, but that didn't take away from the fact that he could no longer hold in his flooding tears.
He didn't know how it happened, heck, he didn't even know how it happened. Yet after a certain point in time, his feet stopped hard on the road's pavement, as if his own two legs were suddenly glued to the earth's ground... And as fate would have it, in an ironic and cold twist of it all- Kintoki suddenly heard the all too familiar voice of his "mother" calling out to him.
"I take it the results didn't go well?"
The lad's nerves went cold, while his heart felt like it had just been petrified by Medusa herself. An eerie pressure began to absolve the berserker and all of his entirety, as if fear itself had just been personified in order to haunt no one but him. The sun was still shining at it's brightest, with it's honey like streaks of dew bouncing off of his golden hair. Silence donned Kintoki's expression, as it was a mask that was filled to brim with an unending fear, the fear of disappointment. He was scared, and he had every right to be scared. No one could have ever blamed the poor lad for not even looking up and meeting his own mother in the eye.
Still. He had to say something, anything, even if it was just some plain noise or a hiccup.
"I-I'm... sorry... Raikou... I-I... d-didn't... I'm so... I-"
And that he did.
Cause' even if it felt excruciating, even if Kintoki had to force the words out from out of his own throat. He still had to say something at the end of the day... Even if they weren't words and were just mere stutters, even if his own heart just kept beating in an unjust betrayal, even if his own eyes were already flowing out tears like a broken dam.
His own cowardly pride just wouldn't allow him to remain silent.
"Jeez~! ! Didn't I tell you to start calling me mom! Come here you!"
Well, that was until he suddenly heard the sound of rapid footsteps coming towards him from up above the hill he was in.
Kintoki's eyes jolted in confusion, while his ears perked up in curiosity as his own head knocked up faster than an old doorbell... Kintoki's face instantly grimed. Cause' as soon as he looked up, he found the dashing figure of Raikou, -or rather his supposed "mother"-, rushing towards him with a speed that could have rivaled a formula race-car.
Safe to say that he was indeed screwed.
Yet strangely enough, as if lady luck had decided to give him a free pass today- Just before Kintoki's own two lips had parted, right before he could even attempt to get a word in. He was suddenly tackled by Raikou's blitzing figure, right before she tightly pulled him warm hug. Kintoki's daffodil filled orbs could only flourish in a flowery wonder, as if all sense of guilt inside of him had all been washed away by his mother's loving embrace.
Yet, just before the two of them hit the ground from the sheer impact of their Collison, only a single word had escaped from Kintoki's quivering lips.
"Eh?"
And there she stood, or rather, there Raikou was- Pinching her son's cheeks with a fond look on her all too radiant face. A gentle smile adorned her lustrous lips, while her wondrous amethyst eyes could only grow soft as she stared intently at her supposed child.
"Were you scared that I would be disappointed Kini?"
There was a moment of silence, just before Kintoki's blushing face began to look the other way in an attempt to avert his mother's gaze. Was it out of embarrassment? Or was it out of sheer shame?
"A little..."
Either way, his voice still grew softer when he responded to Raikou like a small child admitting his fault.
Raikou on the other hand, only let out a small giggle before cupping her son's soft, -and in her opinion-, adorable face. Sunshine seemed to turn into starlight as the gentle Indra began to hold her child into a hug that was anything but gentle, in fact it was suffocating actually.
Yet the tightness of that embrace still didn't stop Raikou's affectionate, and comforting words.
"Kini... I, of all people know how hard you worked for this exam. Those late nights that you pulled in order to study longer, the amount of times where you'd get frustrated but never gave up, heck- you even asked a lot of people to help tutor you for this... And not to mention all the hard-work you must've put in without me seeing it."
Words that just seemed to put a bandage in Kintoki's broken heart.
"Sweetheart... I know it hurts, it must really really hurt. Seeing that you're own efforts weren't enough, feeling that you must've been not enough. It's okay for you to feel those things, it's okay to be disappointed and mad... No one would ever blame you for crying, so don't hold it back... Failure is a bitter part of life Kini, we as servants know that sentiment all too well."
Words that just seemed to pang in both guilt and honesty.
"But if there's one thing that you should never be ashamed of sweetheart, it's the fact that you tried wholeheartedly. You should never regret ever trying, not just for the time and effort that you spent, or because of the people that you met along that journey... But for the "you" from yesterday who wants to see you fly into a better tomorrow"
Words that just seemed to melt the golden boy like butter.
"So you better cheer up!~ Whatever happened to you're pride as a cool biker? Are you gonna let this little thing stop you? Of course not! No son of mine is a quitter after all~!"
And words that just couldn't help but put a proud tear on Kintoki's innocent eyes.
"This also goes without saying sweetheart, but after all the hard work and effort that you've put, and seeing just how dedicated and courageous you can ben...How could I not be proud of you~?"
And with a weak grin that was poorly disguised as being a smug one-
Kintoki merely looked at his mother with a realized adoration, before suddenly jolting up on his own two feet like a re-invigorated thunderbolt. Raikou only blinked in wonder before being suddenly pulled up by her child in an almost comical way, and right before she could even do as much as react-
"Let's go home already! I'm suddenly in the mood to bake some cookies!"
She was suddenly dragged down the hill by an overly enthusiastic Kintoki...
"Jeez~ Honestly, what am I to do with you!~"
...While the wind of spring sweetly followed in their trail.
Fin.
Omake:
"Son, we might have to live on a budget starting next month"
Kintoki instantly spat out the cookies that he was eating, before banging the dinner table in a shocked and desperate manner.
"Wh-Why?!"
Raikou however, only had her arms crossed while an unreadable expression was donned on her face, as if she was subtly remembering an eerie memory from earlier on in the day.
'So, who's going to pay for all of this?~'
Raikou then weakly looked at her son dead in the eye, as if her amethyst orbs were silently pleading at him for help.
"Let's just say that Mama is in a lot of trouble..."
Author's Footnote:
Yeah so uh, originally, this was supposed to be posted on Mother's Day as a One-Shot... Oh well... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
