"Mama, whaz wrong?" Alas Ramus grabbed her mother's leg in concern as Emi desperately tried to smile it off.
"Mama's fine. Oh! I know, how about you play with your bears again?" Emi smiled while Alas Ramus jumped to her toddler feet acting surprised and running to her toy box.
"Don't bust my Mr. Bear!" Emi's eyes would've twitched at the rather unfortunate nickname. However, Emi's face was that of defeat as she grazed her eyes to the floor.
Her adventure in Ente Isla didn't go as planned and she almost lost Alas Ramus in the process when Alba managed to use her as leverage for whatever scheme he came up with. Specifically, he took the body of an unconscious Alas Ramus when Emi had to use her sword. A fact that greatly troubled her. Combine that with being fired from her customer service and life was looking rather bleak.
Her eyes turned unfocused as she sat there and thought. Memories and images flooded through. The painful moment she learned she was powerless to help her daughter. Feeling helpless in every way imaginable until she was rescued by the demons, an act she would be uncomfortably grateful for. Despite things turning out fine in the end, Emi's mind couldn't help but hold onto the bad and the ugly. A fact she had been desperately trying to escape from but with no success. She lost her vision as those memories kept coming.
"Emi, you okay?" Emi's face rose in a small surprise as her green eyes met with the red eyes of Maou, AKA Demon Lord Satan. A being that she still considered her arch-nemesis, a title that was also being melded with savior and 'friend.'
"I'm… I'm fine… Maou…"
Emi's face turned frosty as she looked away, not wanting to approach the subject at hand, something she knew Maou could sense. Maou, likely realising her discomfort at the situation and with concern in his eyes, sighed and took a seat beside her with some distance between himself and her. Clearly, he was used to her rather tough exterior she liked to show. The demon lord turned his eyes to their strange child as she cheerfully played with the toy teddy bear.
"Look, I'm trying to help here. You know, I could feel the negativity coming from you. So you either let it out or-"
"Thank you."
"Huh?" Maou was taken aback, not expecting a meteor to fall out of the sky.
"T-Thank you for saving her and… me… I… appreciate it." Emi gave a defeated smile before resting her face between her knees.
Maou was a fish out of water as he watched her staggered breaths.
"But… I don't know what to do… now." Emi's broken words made the demon lord increasingly worry as tears glazed her eyes.
"I didn't protect her and I've lost my job… what kind of mother am I if-" Maou quickly grabbed her by the shoulders. The action made Emi jump in surprise as he looked at her eyes with concern and determination, the eyes of someone who certainly cared for her. Eyes she… had never seen up until now.
Maou, having time to think for himself, blurted out the best possible thing he could think. As a former Demon Lord, thinking on the fly for improvised situations was a small forté he had in reserve. Now it seemed he was using that skill for an unexpected situation.
"How about we have some time to ourselves?"
Silence was caught between them…
"What?" Emi's eyes, on the verge of tears, looked at the demon lord in complete surprise and unable to gather her usually frostiness at the idea. Her mind was still overcome by negativity that had been ripped violently and into the present. A cloth that had been suddenly lifted by a speeding typhoon.
"Look… we haven't haven't a lot of time for ourselves and… by the looks of things… you need to take your mind off of things. How about we spend some time together so we can figure out how to be better parents for her?" Maou's casualness at the proposal, and awkward pitch of it, made the dreary hero laugh as it was the first time she was seeing the demon lord flounder at something.
Maou, now being laughed at, returned to his spot on the couch and watched as Emi finished her small fit of laughter. The wet tears now started to dry as she regained herself.
"I'm sorry, it's just… nevermind. But if you want to know what I think, I say let's do it. It's not like we have much money to go out anyways. Besides, I don't think the others would be fine if we went to a club by ourselves." Emi smiled as she leaned her head against the former demon lord.
Maou, having at first not realised the sudden weight, snickered at the thought of Ashiya lecturing them about how to safely go clubbing. As well as the possible shenanigans Suzano would go through to try and spy on them.
Those thoughts quickly left when he felt her hair and head rest against his shoulder. An act she had never done before. Maou, not wanting to make things awkward for himself, quickly receded into his mind to make the mental preparations. His senses try their best to ignore a resting Emi on their shoulder.
Emi, meanwhile, begins thinking about Maou's actions. It was now clear demons were far from the propaganda originally told about them. She now knew they were more than weird looking creatures but people with aspirations, faith and flaws that made them no different from any person on the street. Yet, Emi was wondering where Maou's caring side was coming from. From what she remembered, he was taken in by Lailah and didn't have much of a normal childhood. Then where did he learn to care for others, much less her?
-o-
Emi walked away from the Devil's Castle with her usual purse at hand. Her steps echoed the emptying streets as men and women hustled about the bright sunlight. People laughed and cheered around her as they continued with whatever part of their lives they were living. Emi smiled at a few out of politeness but those smiles quickly disappeared when she knew they weren't looking.
Emi's mind was currently wondering about a certain Maou. Specifically, she was wondering about how the former demon lord she was living with was doing. Despite him helping her, Emi felt like there was more to it. Memories faded and went as she remembered the quiet apology he said all those years ago. A fact she had forgiven him for because she herself knew it wasn't either of their fault.
She quietly realised that he probably still felt guilty about Alas Ramus and, although she forgave him, it was likely he still had some level of guilt. Emi quietly chuckled to herself so as not to embarrass herself in public. The chuckle soon faded but the smile was still there. Despite her annoyances with him before, she had gotten used to the former Demon King. And after everything that's been happening, she can't help but now wonder about a legitimate future, knowing the demon lord was a good person at heart. A future that she would have slapped herself before, but now could consider with little guilt or awkwardness.
Now, however, it seemed like she needed to help another person like the duty of the hero she once and only had. Granted, it was rather unorthodox but, as thought before, what matters when they've been through so much together, living and raising a child together?
It was almost like she was now his wi-
Emi stopped mid step and the smile dropped. With her face flushing redder than a cherry, and forgetting mannerisms. She broke into a small panic.
"AHHH?! Why would I think such a thing, sure we're doing an at-home date but it's not like we're gonna be married. This is… just to help both of us. Sure, it still means he cares about me and I do for him, but…"
Emi's mind struggled to find the excuse but took a moment longer than what otherwise should've been normal.
"This is for the good of your daughter! That's right… it's to help Alas Ramus… me and Maou's… daughter…"
Emi felt some part of her laughing deep in the recesses of her mind.
"Why does it have to be so complicated?" Emi's internal screams blinded her senses as she unknowingly stepped into a clothing store with a wide variety of clothing.
-o-
"Mama, what was that?" a young daughter asked as her mother gave a small chuckle while walking away from Emi. Their eyes kept away from the scene but the mother was trying to hold back a smile.
"Don't worry. It's just what happens when a girl falls in-love and has trouble accepting it, even though they know it's the right man." The woman's eye gleamed with a sort of amusement as they continued walking home.
"Is that how you fell in love with dad?" The mother froze at that moment. The images of a lovingly darkened room appeared in her mind with a wide variety of… objects, to say the least, appeared in her mind.
"Not exactly… but you don't have to worry about that…" The woman's plastered smile made her daughter extremely confused.
"I need to get rid of those things… but not after one more go, I'm sure he'll be up for it…"
-o-
Music?
Check.
Food?
Ready by the time she comes back, check.
Dinner ware and other details that Alciel drilled into him all those years ago?
Check.
Maou sighed in satisfaction at the sight. It looked like everything was prepared and they would have their time together. Everything was where it should be. A smile crept up his lips before fading.
"Did mom and dad live like this?" Maou's thoughts wandered the fragments he could recall. Not many but enough to faintly remember his distorted father and mothers laughter and cheers. The words crept around his ears but never fully heard.
Regrets and pains echoed in his mind as he remembered what he did. The guilt grabbed his heart as he felt the poison of it all. Some part of him still scolded himself for giving life to Alas Ramus and burdening Emi. Some part of him telling him that no matter what he did, he should still hate himself for what he did to Emi.
Sighing in defeat and to breathe the guilt away, Maou quickly left to get ready for a night that he hoped would help Emi. He'd be damned beyond his demon nature if it didn't.
-o-
"Well… that was… much more than I expected…" Emi quietly whispered to herself as she stood in front of the door to their family apartment. Apparently her body running on autopilot when you're having conflicted feelings, at least for her, produced rather decent results. Her hair was professionally washed and was looking fine with no observable imperfections. Her dress was modest, being good enough to wear when going outside but fancy enough to pass on to make it appropriate for occasions like these. Honestly, she was surprised she could get it since it was surprisingly functional with hidden pockets and small touches that made her feel comfortable wearing it. Her make up was done up as well with plenty of touches that kept her natural look but subtly enhanced her appearance.
All this cost a surprising penny but otherwise not as fancy as she could have gone. She'd seen plenty of women go for far more extravagant preparations both in Japan and back in Ente Isla if it was the nobility. However, for an occasion like this, she knew such preparations were far too much.
"C'mon. You can do this…" Emi steadied her breath as she prepared to knock on her own door. Ironing herself, Emi raised her arm and knocked the door.
She waited for those harrowing moments as movement echoed beneath her feet. Soon, the door opened with its usual click and she was greeted by a business casual Maou. He wore a simple set of polos and khakis, a look Emi far from minded as he seemed ready yet approachable. In fact, it was fitting with what she was wearing.
"Welcome, Emi… ready for the…" Maou was lost at his words and Emi giggled, giggled, before stepping in.
"Don't worry Sadao, I won't rip off your other horn if you call this a date." Emi screamed at herself at how she was acting but another part of her really didn't seem to mind. Honestly, she didn't know which side was controlling her.
"Well, alright then… I have the food ready. Why don't you go sit down? Here, let me take that." Maou, with surprising grace, took her purse and put it on the usual spot she always kept it. Emi watched with small surprise before running on autopilot and taking her shoes off and entering their home.
Emi stepped into the home finding it cleaned beyond belief, everything seemed to be sparkling to some extent. The TV, sofa, everything seemed brand new and store bought.
"Wow, those days working at MgRonalds really paid off huh?" Emi lightly jabbed as Maou gave her a small chuckle.
"Well, you haven't seen some of the things I saw." Maou turned around to reveal several plates, each one expertly made and at a level she'd never expect from an average MgRonald's employee. Emi had to give it Maou, he could probably start a fine diner and get away with it.
"Wow, where did you learn to make stuff like this?" Emi's amazement made Maou give a small smile as he placed down the plates of food, gracefully putting down each meal along with their respective portions of rice and miso soup.
"We picked it up when we were learning how to live here, I also learned how to make it fancy looking back in Ente Isla when we were training infiltrators to… well…" Emi rolled her eyes at the mention of 'infiltrators.' It made too much sense for the demons to disguise themselves as cooks. Despite widely adopted preventative measures, someone who knew what they were doing could easily poison a king or lord, even through means other than food.
"I don't need the details. You're not dumb enough to poison me." Maou gave a small chuckle before they both sat down across from one another. The table was square so they would sit equally apart from one another no matter what sensable orientation they did. They both gave a small prayer and had their dinner.
-o-
Some time had passed between the demon lord and hero. It seemed the two former nemesis were getting along. Luckily, this time, no alcohol was involved.
"And that's how we publicly embarrassed ourselves." Maou's exasperated sigh made Emi giggle. Apparently Maou and Ashiya had taken up temporary gigs as sign holders for a few restaurants. Let's just say the restaurants didn't expect the two, let's be real here, boys to pull out impressive choreography to attract customers.
"You know, I took a few dance lessons in Japan for fun. But I've never seen you dance before, why don't we see who's the better dancer?" Emi's competitive smile and attitude made the Demon Lord rise to the challenge.
"You're on." Maou smiled with a grin. Clearly, tiredness both clouded their better judgement as Maou set up a small set of speakers he originally bought for Urushihara. Plugging his phone in, Maou selected this first song he happened to have on at the time, which also happened to be a song we enjoyed practicing his English to and was surprisingly relatable.
Claps signalled the start with the guitar strung to the melody. Clapping along, Maou began the fight with his steps and hand to rhythmic beat. The drums signalled his footwork as he tapped to its rhythm.
When the lyrics began, Emi spun in place and arms in grace as she took the movement of ballet that she had learned for fun. Her style soon switched to the North as she began tapping her feet against the ground. With themselves prepared to battle, they began the first true fight.
With a mix of waltz and jumps, they spun around one, feet to the drums and hands barely touching one another with grace like a ballroom dance. They soon separated from another and turned to face one another with a bow and arms at the ready.
Emi was the first to draw as she spun and gracefully taunted Maou with a devilish smile of the competitor. Spinning and jumping to the drum.
When the clapping became rhythmic, Maou stepped up to the challenge. Adding modern hip hop, Maou entered and did much the same taunting, his body moving more still but full of energy. Challenging the hero whose smile betrayed her enjoyment and her competitive smirk.
When the chorus came again, they followed the same routine, with arms out and in a ballroom dance fashion, they spun around another before separating. Seeing one another smile as they enjoyed the musical beats of the drums and their hearts. Their lips mimicked the lyrics that only Maou could fully understand.
When the song became repetitive, for each measure of 4 drums, they showed a move before letting the other. Presenting a move to the other in a challenge and response. The lyrics repeat the same line over but a different timbre of voices.
When the lead singer returned they slowly danced toward one another. Dancing and taunting one another with their smiles.
Step.
By.
step.
As soon as they are face to face, they back off as the chorus of drums, guitars and voices return and they continue their ballroom dance routine.
Their bodies keep close to one another as their hearts and body move to the final beats of the song.
Joy fills their hearts as they move against one another.
Smiles grace their faces with pure joy and laughter.
When the song finishes, they realize they are in one another's arms. The Demon Lord and Hero of Ente Isla looked at one another, their smiles gone, replaced with surprise. A surprise that was far from unwelcomed. Both of them looked at one another, unsure how to respond to the unique situation.
"Uuhhmm…" Emi and Maou both said the same sounds as their brains struggled to process the situation they were in. They didn't find it even uncomfortable which added to their confusion.
"Get off of me…" Emi's usual annoyance died down when she got out without much issue with Maou willingly letting go. He turned away with Emi doing the same. They both looked away from one another blushing, unsure what to do.
"Hey Emi…" Emilia flinched at the words but turned to face the back of the now-human demon lord.
"W-what is it?" Emi tried to not to stutter but failed miserably as Maou tried to draw the courage to say what he was about to say next.
"Um… So… what'd you think about my dancing?" Emi kept her sigh quiet as she felt relieved he didn't ask something else.
"It's… fine… Why?" Maou chalk that up to a 'good' since he knew the hero still hasn't fully recovered from him being the demon lord, old habits die hard.
"Well, how about we try to dance together?" Emi's usual annoyance and disgust failed to bubble up as embarrassment filled her cheeks. Despite her emotions, another feeling came to her heart that she didn't expect: excitement.
"Y-yeah, let's try that…"
"WHAT AM I DOING?!" The internal screams went unanswered as Maou picked the next song. This time, it was a song both of them could understand.
"I think you'd like this one." Maou tried to say without a hint of nervousness but failed rather miserably. Maou's hand raised in offer to Emi and accepted with a small blush at the act.
-o-
Their tired minds ran on autopilot as the soft drums bounced to the beautiful voice of the singer and piano duet. Those three simple things started their dance as they waltzed with the music of modern Japan.
Their minds somewhat clouded by tiredness, they stayed unusually close to one another as they spun, twirled and moved both against and with one another. The music sung to their souls. Beauty and reality melded with the harshness of their guilt as they let the music course through their veins and movements, waltzing and gracing through the modern drums of this world they now considered their home.
Emi and Maou didn't know how to feel but calmness with the other and a sense of comfort they shared. The song, they could feel nothing but resonation as the voices and lows rung some part of them they never knew existed.
Emi and Maou listen to the lyrics with empathy as they relate their lives to the poem. Granted the lyrics told a story very different from theirs, but they understood what it meant and the feeling it conveyed. A story of life not leading where the person wanted, a poetic mirror to the world they happened to be drawn in.
To Emi and Maou, what would be their life if they didn't meet as the demon lord and the hero of Ente Isla? Who would they be? What would they be like? That was what the song asked.
"I can see why you chose this song." Emi quietly whispered as they got close to one another. A gesture she'd normally be uncomfortable with but the message overrode such nerves.
The song was somewhat slower now. Emi and Maou could feel the death of their parents come through. It was the ashes that stung, the ashes of wheat and flesh they both happened to know on those dark days. And yet, through that pain, hope came as they both of Alas Ramus…
…and of one another.
As soon as the song picked up, they went back to a mix of waltz and whatever movement they could think to do together. Dancing with little care for their roles, missions and purpose. All they wanted to do was to let their expressions out with the song. A song that sings of pain and tragedy, but not of hopelessness and inevitability. Through it all, they both saw the hope of something better.
And with that, they smiled.
Despite the dance being a chaotic mess of movements, the two felt in sync as their feet moved to the beat.
Their arms connected them to one another.
Their hearts beating to the rhythm.
And their faces filled with smiles as they enjoyed the moment with little thought.
Hands and arms flung out like the flowers they'd both seen during the days far from war. When the blood of earth was all the main things they would see and the spiraling beauty one could only hope to see at least once in their life.
Maou and Emi could only see one another at that moment. Nothing mattered anymore. What about Ente Isla? What about the church?
Now it was the time for the two of them.
As the same lyrics came on, the two tapped their feet and minds to drums. Dancing with joy as it came to a sudden slow.
Mixing the styles they learned from one another before coming to a quiet conclusion with a final note of the piano, a pose that was the natural conclusion of their harmony.
-o-
The two former rivals were left standing close to one another. Their tiredness now overrides any sense of awkwardness between them.
"So, now what do you think?" Maou smirked as Emi gave an honest to god laugh.
"So you can keep up. Maybe next time, the devil king should bust a few moves to get his subordinates motivated." Emi's teasing gave Maou a grateful smile as he recognised an old unfamiliar familiar Emi returned to him.
Emi's face quietly saddened much to Maou's confusion.
"Emi, what's going on?" Maou continued to look in confusion as the former hero gave a small smile before leaning her head against him, her ear against his two hearts as they were beating in a rhythm that, although abnormal, seemed too familiar to her.
"Maou, I'm only going to say this once so listen carefully." Maou froze as Emi's serious voice returned. A voice Maou had not heard in a long long time.
"T-Thank you… for all of this… but… you need to let go of the guilt. You still feel it don't you?" The silence was telling as Maou felt the pain that he locked away despite the forgiveness that Emi gave him many months, possibly a year, ago.
"Maou, please. Let it go, you don't owe me anything. You've already made it clear you'll be the father Alas Ramus needs and… someone beyond the demon lord that I once knew." Maou, much to his surprise, felt the strength of Emi as she hugged him tightly.
"You need to let it go before it eats you up, before it starts hurting her. We might have been former rivals but… we've long moved on from that…" At this point, Maou knew he and Emi were suffering from the effects of tiredness, but that made it no less real as he saw the green smile of Emi.
After unknowingly hitting the light switch, the living room was filled with the gentle glow of the moon. Emi looked into the eyes of the former Devil king both of them were unsure yet so sure at the moment. Emi saw the light dawn on the demon lord, a light that bathed and showed more than what she could have possibly known. Maou stared back to see the hero once again, helping people with the light of an angel behind her.
"Maou, thank you for tonight. Now, let me help you." Emi rested her against the demon lord who let the comfort of her presence fill his mind. The guilt faded to nothing as he felt the comfort of someone who was as caring towards him as he was to them. The two bathed in the single moon of Earth, comforting one another and now… more sure than ever.
A/N: Gonna apologise upfront if I get details from the main story incorrect. I'm going off completely by memory so details will be conflicting with the actual story until I buy the entire series itself (I only have the last 2 volumes on my shelf rn).
This chapter was actually one of the few things that I really wanted to make during the beginning of this story but I was originally going to make it during their trip to Europe. However, I scrapped that plan since I realise that it would be asking too much on a story focusing more on the characters than how characters would react to different settings. I might make that into a separate story: Maou, Emi and the gang vs. Europe, what could possibly go wrong?
Anyways, I returned to university now and back to studying and finding another internship. 9-5 jobs sure are something. I've als taken up more original writing lately so apologies for the lack of updates unlike the beginning of the story.
Regarding the songs I used as references, they were "Money Runs Low" - The Score & "もしも命が描けたら" (If I Could Draw Life) - Yasobi
Anyways, as always, leave a comment as it helps to know where I can improve!