Mama Mirajane!

by Crimzon Slayer

What happens, when Mirajane Struass finds an orphaned child in the guild hall storage room. Many adventures await Scythe, Mirajane, and the rest of Team Natsu and the Fairy Tail guild, as they bring this unknown child into their big family. May become M rated later on.

41. Tenjin-ya 1!

Mama Mirajane-41

~Kakuriyo-Bed and Breakfast for Spirits~

"I welcome you both, to Tenjin-ya." Rin smiled, dressed in a kimono, with her hair done up with a flower pin through it. "Here, we're in the Northeast end of what's known as the Hidden Realm, a world, known as home to the Ayakashi, or more commonly known, as yokai."

"Wow, this place is so big. It looks like an ancient castle." Wendy exclaimed with a smile.

"The hotel was built to resemble ancient Japanese castles as it was built in the times when those were still used." Shirou explained.

The two adults were the only ones dressed in Kimono's while Scythe and Wendy were still dressed in their Celestial Knight uniforms, as they followed Rin and Shirou to the hotel. The instant Shirou opened the door, he and Rin moved their heads out of the way, to avoid getting hit with a flower pot. But that pot ended up hitting Scythe in the head, and knocking him to the ground on his back.

"Scythe are you okay?" Wendy questioned, kneeling down next to him.

"Why am I seeing stars?" Scythe asked, his eyes swirling like he was dizzy, before he passed out.

Rin and Shirou looked back in to see that there was a flock of Tengu in the middle of the lobby, and they were in the middle of a fight with a large pink skinned man, wearing a Japanese styled chief chef's uniform, with giant earlobes.

"Looks like we've got some impeccable timing." Shirou said, before Rin butted in.

"ENOUGH." Rin shouted, causing the fight to pause, showing that the poor desk clerk was caught in the middle of the brawl. "Would you all stop this ridiculous behavior? We came here to drop off my grandson and his wife for their vacation, and the first thing that happens when we open the door, is he gets hit in the head with a potted plant, and his poor wife is worrying over him now. What kind of service is this?"

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Emiya. You're early for your reservations." The redheaded desk attendant said, coming to greet them. "We weren't expecting you for a couple more hours."

"Akatsuki, we came by early because my grandson and his wife are needing a vacation, as they've both been through quite the traumatic ordeal the past few days. But if this is the kind of welcome we're gonna get, then I think it'd be best to take our business elsewhere." Shirou said. "My grandson and his wife don't need any more of this kind of stress after what they've been through."

"No, please wait. Let Tenjin-ya make it up to you." Akatsuki said. "I apologize for the rough welcome, we were hoping to get this matter settled before your arrival."

"Akatsuki, that'll be enough." A new voice said.

Shirou looked behind Akatsuki to see the owner of Tenjin-ya. A black haired ogre with horns sticking out of his forehead, wearing robes that showed his title within the hotel.

"Master." Akatsuki said, moving out of the way and bowing to him. "Please forgive me. I wasn't aware you came from the office."

"It's fine Akatsuki." Odanna said. "I do apologize for the rough treatment you've been shown upon arrival Mr. and Mrs. Emiya, it's no way for our most respected and honored Celestial Knights to be treated upon stepping foot within our establishment. Please, allow us to treat you both to a dinner, compliments of the hotel, as an apology."

"Did he say, Celestial Knights?" One of the Tengu asked.

"Oh crap, we're dead." Another exclaimed.

"I'm dead, I'm the one that threw that potted plant." A third stated.

"We appreciate the attempt, but we're not the ones the reservation is for. We're merely escorting the guests who'll be staying." Rin explained, crossing her arms. "Though I'm questioning their safety here at this point." She said, looking at the Tengu, causing them to panic a bit as they backed up.

"I assure you, we'll have this conflict settled in no time." Odanna said. He looked behind them to see Scythe was still on the ground, and Wendy was still in a bit of panic beside him. "Oh dear yes I see why this is troubling. O-Ryo, please go and fetch the first aid kit."

"Yes sir." The Young Hostess said.

"That won't be needed." Rin exclaimed, stopping O-Ryo in her tracks. "At this point the injury is fully healed thanks to his healing factor, but he's still gonna be out cold for a while."

"I see." Odanna exclaimed. "That is a problem indeed. Please allow O-Ryo to get some smelling salts."

"Hold on let me try something." Wendy said, before pinching Scythe's nose shut. Seconds later, Scythe jolted awake, coughing a bit as he breathed in some air.

"What the hell Wendy? Are you trying to kill me to collect my life insurance?" Scythe coughed.

"Oh quit being so dramatic, at least you're awake now." Wendy exclaimed, playfully slapping his shoulder.

"Yeah, but my healing factor isn't doing anything for this headache." Scythe groaned.

"Is there a garden or anything around here?" Wendy asked, looking to Odanna. "Scythe usually meditates when he has a headache, and he prefers doing that in a peaceful area."

"Certainly, I'll have someone escort you there at once." Odanna said.

"Excuse me Master. I can escort them there." A brown haired woman said, coming up to him.

"Oh, Aoi. Are you sure?" Odanna asked.

"Of course, I'm staying in the building there anyways, so I don't mind." Aoi said with a smile.

"All right. Please follow her to the gardens." Odanna exclaimed.

"Thanks." Scythe said, following her with Wendy beside him.

"So that's your grandson huh?" Odanna asked.

"Yes that's him. I expect him to be treated well, and perfectly rested by the time we come to pick him up. He's been through a lot in his life, and deserves a chance to relax." Shirou exclaimed. "An' I'm assuming that young woman was Tsubaki's granddaughter?"

"That would be correct. She is my betrothed, as he passed away a couple years ago, so I've collected my collateral. She's not too pleased with it, and wants to return to the Apparent Realm." Odanna said.

"Are you sure it was wise to send her off with my grandson then?" Rin asked.

"What do you mean?" Odanna inquired.

"Scythe has a rather short temper, when it comes to people being forced into situations they don't agree to. Contract or no." Shirou exclaimed.

"Oh dear." Odanna said.

~Gardens~

"Here you go. Food fresh from the grill." Aoi said, bringing Wendy some of the food she made. Wendy was sitting on the porch of the building in the gardens, while Scythe was meditating under the tree nearby.

"Thank you so much." Wendy smiled taking the plate. "Yummy it smells so delicious."

"I'm glad you like the smell, now give the taste a try." Aoi smiled sitting next to her.

"Thanks for the food." Wendy prayed before chowing down. "Wow, so good. It's like an orchestra of flavor in my mouth. This food is just as good as my mother-in-law's."

"That must be some high quality praise to compare my food to a Celestial Knight's. Even though I have no clue what that is." Aoi said.

"Oh, Scythe's mother isn't a Celestial Knight. She's a barmaid and S-Ranked Sorceress at the guild we're both members of." Wendy explained. "But as for what a Celestial Knight is, think of it as sort of a policeman of the multiverse. We go to different realities, dimensions, universes, even time periods, and prevent major catastrophes from happening. Sometimes we even accept certain requests, like the last job we were on. If you think about it, that makes the Celestial Knights guild members, and our base, the Guildhall."

"Wow, so that must be one stressful job." Aoi said.

"I don't know. We've only ever been on two missions. The last job we were on was one Scythe handled on his own, but I got hurt because someone didn't believe Celestial Knights were real, and thought I was trying to get free food from vendors. So he locked me in his dungeon and put me through a lot of pain." Wendy explained.

"Oh, I bet Scythe wasn't happy about that." Aoi said.

"No he wasn't. In fact, harming a Celestial Knight the way that man hurt me, is punishable by death. An' I know Scythe killed him, but I don't think he feels good about it either. He always feels bad when it comes to taking a life." Wendy said, looking to where Scythe was sitting in the meditative position.

"Sounds like he's got a big heart." Aoi smiled.

"He might have also let his anger take control for a bit, since I'm his wife, and I was tortured for three days." Wendy stated.

"I guess any loving husband would get mad like that." Aoi chuckled.

"By the way, you're not a yokai are you? You're human." Wendy stated, finishing up her dish.

"What gave it away?" Aoi asked sarcastically.

"It was your smell. According to Scythe, Yokai have a sort of sulfuric scent to them mixed with a cherry blossom scent." Wendy exclaimed. "Humans smell like almond wood."

"Is that so? Huh, I never knew that." Aoi smiled.

"So why are you in a hotel for yokai?" Wendy asked.

"My grandfather put me up as collateral for the debt he owed Master Odanna. So unless I can pay off a million yen, I'm gonna be an Ogre Bride." Aoi said. "I've always been a gifted child, with high spiritual energy. To other Yokai, I could be considered a delicacy because of my high levels of spiritual energy. My grandfather was the same, but my mother wasn't, and she abandoned me when I was just a child. I don't even remember what she looks like, or if she's even still alive."

"Sounds to me like your grandfather was a smart man." Wendy smiled.

"What are you talking about?" Aoi asked.

"Think about it. He racked up so much debt, that he couldn't pay it off at all, while he was raising you, and then put you up as collateral to be the bride of the innkeeper." Wendy stated. "Sounds to me, he did all that on purpose, so you'd be well protected from yokai who'd want to eat you for dinner. Ogres are one of the strongest yokai race there is. Though they aren't the strongest, they're still up there in the top three of the list."

"Huh, I never thought of it that way." Aoi said. "So, are you human?"

"Technically yes, but I'm a human who possesses magic, capable of slaying a dragon." Wendy exclaimed. "But my magic is more meant for healing than anything else."

"That's so cool." Aoi smiled. "What about your husband?"

"Well… he's a bit complicated to explain. He's not fully human, but he's not yokai either." Wendy exclaimed. "He'll probably explain it to you sometime before our departure."

"I see." Aoi said.

"Heads up." Scythe said, startling the two of them, as he caught an old man falling from the sky. It was a Tengu elder, and he was passed out, most likely caused by the shock from the drunken fall. "Oh he reeks of sake and booze."

"Nice catch Scythe." Wendy smiled.

"Aoi, is there somewhere we can put him?" Scythe inquired.

"Bring him inside." Aoi said, leading Scythe into the building.

After carefully lying him down, Scythe sighed and dusted off his hands, before leaving the room attached to the rest of the building, and walking into the kitchen area.

"Hey Aoi, would you mind if I cooked something? I've only been eating meat pies the last few days." Scythe said.

"Knock yourself out." Aoi said, sitting next to Wendy who was doing her best to heal any injuries the Tengu elder might have. "So how is he?"

"He'll be fine. He's just a little sick from too much sake." Wendy exclaimed.

"That's good." Aoi smiled. "You know, this kinda reminds me of when I had to take care of my grandfather whenever he came home drunk."

"I'd imagine he was quite the handful to deal with." Wendy smiled. "At least you weren't alone for very long."

"Still though, I wish I hadn't been alone at all." Aoi said. "I've even developed a bit of a fear of thunderstorms because of how long I was alone for."

"I kinda have developed a similar phobia." Wendy said. "Scythe and I weren't always Celestial Knight Partners, we used to be just ordinary friends, and partners in the octagon."

"So your world has MMA to?" Aoi asked with a smile.

"Yeah, it does. Anyways, one of our opponents wasn't right in the head. He actually enjoyed killing his opponents, but due to that happening too many times in the past, a rule was put into place that forbade it." Wendy explained. "He wasn't too happy about that. But he still followed it until the fight that pitted him and his partner, against me and Scythe. Only problem was, his partner wasn't there to keep him in check. She was the only reason why he had been following the no killing rule until then."

"Until then?" Wendy asked.

"He had magic that allowed him to absorb kinetic energy through his gloves and release it all in one big attack. An' he was about to do that to Scythe, but I pushed him out of the way, taking the onslaught of attacks. They were so fast, and so loud, I mistook them for thunderclaps before I blacked out." Wendy exclaimed. "His onslaught of maxed out punches ended up…"

"They what?"

"They killed you didn't they?"

Aoi and Wendy looked down to see the Tengu was awake, and looking at her with sympathy in his eyes.

"My dear child. You've developed a fear of thunderstorms, because of what you experienced. I truly am sorry." He said sitting up.

'That voice. He sounds an awful lot like Master Makarov.' Wendy thought.

"Tell me child, how is it you escaped death, despite dying?"

"That'd be my doing sir." Scythe called from the cooking area.

"Why don't you have something to eat, while Scythe explains?" Wendy suggested. "Is it all right if he has some of the food you cooked?" Wendy inquired turning to Aoi.

"I got no problem with it." Aoi smiled.

"You must be crazy if you think I'll eat something made by a female." The Tengu said, before his stomach growled in hunger. "Alright I'll eat."

A few minutes later, he was sitting at the counter with Wendy beside him on another high stool, with a smile on her face.

"Mmm, this is good. But it's not enough. What else is on the menu?" He asked.

"Quite a few things actually. Plus whatever he's making." Aoi said, pointing to Scythe who was cooking up something that was beef based.

"Ah, Scythe, are you making some of your signature cheeseburger steaks?" Wendy asked, her mouth drooling at the smell of the food.

"Yep. Want some?" He asked coyly.

"Are you kidding? Of course I want some." Wendy smiled stars in her eyes.

"My word that does smell tantalizingly delicious." The Tengu said as Aoi set the rest of the food down in front of him.

"Not sure you'd like it. My grandpa told me that the yokai like their food being a bit plain and bland by human standards." Scythe said.

"Oh, so you're from the human world huh? You don't smell like a human, but she does." The Tengu said, pointing his thumb at Wendy. "My name is Matsuba, Master Matsuba."

"Oh, so you're the one who started that whole ordeal in the lobby." Scythe said. "You know I got hit in the head by a potted plant because of that."

"So, you're the Celestial Knight who got hurt during our scuffle with Tenjin-ya's chef?" Matsuba asked, seeming a little scared now.

"You got it." Scythe said, as he finished making the food. "Now, I believe you had a question about how Wendy's still alive, even though she died?"

"Yes I did." Matsuba said, calming down as Scythe didn't seem to talk about the incident anymore.

"Psst." Wendy said, pulling on the sleeve of his clothes. "It's all right. Scythe isn't the type of person to hold a grudge when he's the one who gets unintentionally hurt. But he will hold a grudge when someone he cares about, gets hurt."

"Oh, I get it he's the type who doesn't care about what happens to him, so long as others are safe and okay. Got it." Matsuba said.

"If you two are done talking about me like I'm not even here, I'd like to explain." Scythe said. "I possess a rare type of magic that allows me to do things that would normally be impossible to do. Actually to be honest, I possess several different types of power. One of them being, healing magic, powerful enough that it can even bring back the recently deceased."

"My word, that's miraculous." Matsuba said in awe.

"Indeed." Aoi said.

"Unfortunately there are limits to what I can do with my healing magic alone. If I were to try using it on a corpse that has been dead for more than a month, I'd just be wasting my energy." Scythe exclaimed putting a plate of the food down in front of Wendy and Matsuba. "Wendy had only been dead for about a minute when I brought her back."

"That's incredible still." The Tengu Elder said.

"Oh yummy, this is so good." Wendy cried eating Scythe's cooking. "Way better than my cooking."

"Don't sell yourself short on that Wendy." Scythe smiled, giving a plate to Aoi. "Your cooking is pretty good to. An' we both know who we have to thank for that."

"Yeah, Mirajane's a really good teacher when it comes to cooking lessons." Wendy smiled.

"By the way, I wanted to confirm something." Aoi said. "Your grandfather and grandmother said that you two were married, is that true?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, it is." Scythe said through a mouthful of cheese burger steak. "Depending on the circumstances, any one at any age can get married in the world we come from. For us it was simply to get it legalized."

"How so?" Matsuba asked, taking a bite from his steak. "Oh that is divine."

"Wendy was raised by a dragon, which is how she knows Sky Dragonslayer magic. An' because of that, she also learned the habits of a dragon, and gave me the mate mark." Scythe said, showing the mark on his neck. "In dragon culture, that made us husband and wife, but our guild master wanted it done properly, so we had a wedding to get legally married in the eyes of the law."

"Well isn't that something?" Matsuba asked before turning to Aoi. "I'm sorry, I don't think I ever got your name."

"Oh, it's Aoi, Aoi Tsubaki." She said, giving him a freshly prepared cup of tea.

"Tsubaki? Are you perhaps, the daughter of one Shiro Tsubaki would you?" Matsuba asked.

"Close, but no. I'm Shiro Tsubaki's granddaughter." Aoi said.

"I see. His granddaughter?"

"Why do you know my grandpa?" Aoi inquired.

"I do indeed, quite well. We go way back." Matsuba said before he began to laugh.

"Seems like you've got quite the history with her grandfather huh?" Wendy said, finishing her food.

"What's so funny sir?" Aoi asked.

"Aoi Tsubaki, and you young man, you're both great cooks. I've grown quite weary of the food here and Tenjin-ya so this is lucky." Matsuba smiled.

"You've grown weary of it?" Aoi asked.

"That chief chef is stubborn as hell, serves the same dishes every time we come here." Matsuba stated. "No matter how good they might be, you grow tired of them. I just suggested that he mix things up a bit. That's when he flew off the handle."

"That just confirms it was you who started the big fight." Scythe snickered.

"Aoi, you remind me quite a bit of Shiro." Matsuba said, ignoring Scythe's statement.

"Really? I don't feel like I resemble him much at all." Aoi said.

"Your face, your energy, but more than those, his spiritual power." Matsuba said. "Shiro was very wild for a human. An' he came to the hidden realm of his own accord. He was well liked by scores of Ayakashi. But still, far more wanted him dead, and wanted to kill him themselves."

"That sure sounds like grandpa." Aoi said, with a laugh.

"You know Aoi, I owe my very life to your grandfather." Matsuba said.

"Why, he keep you from getting your hands chopped off when you couldn't pay your bar tab?" Scythe joked.

"Very funny wise guy."

"I have the right to make these jokes, need I remind you of the plant pot?" Scythe asked.

"Grr, I thought you said he didn't hold grudges like that?" Matsuba asked.

"He's just joking around." Wendy said.

"Anyways, it all happened around sixty years back or so, I had gotten too drunk like I do, and had fell into the Daikanro River which runs through the hidden realm." Matsuba exclaimed.

"That must have been a real sobering wake up call." Scythe exclaimed.

"Shiro just happened to be there, and jumped right in, saving me from a watery grave." Matsuba said, ignoring Scythe's comment. "He was still a young man then. In fact, he was still young enough to be called a boy."

"Wow." Aoi said.

"What was he doing there I wonder?" Wendy questioned.

"He had been fishing on the shore. Though fishing in the Daikanro River has been strictly prohibited since ancient times." Matsuba exclaimed.

"Hmm… well, that's my grandpa for you. Although, he did jump in the river to save a stranger. So then, he had a hidden generous side?" Aoi questioned, sounding like she was doubting it herself.

"No-no-no. The first thing he did when we were back on shore, was bug me for a reward for saving my life." Matsuba exclaimed.

"That sounds more like him." Aoi said. "So what'd you give him in exchange for saving you?"

"Oh, well. I didn't have anything on me, at the time that would've sufficed. So I gave him a verbal IOU for a fan." Matsuba said.

"Aren't Tengu fans sacred treasures that aren't to be taken lightly?" Scythe asked finishing up his food.

"You'd be right about that my boy." Matsuba said. "But I suppose he may have forgotten my promise, because he never did accept his reward, that rascal."

"Heh. Everything you've said is so typical of Grandpa."

"He really was quite free spirited. A charming unreliable scoundrel. An irresponsible human who live for the present moment." Matsuba said.

"Yep, he sure did. He left everything in life to chance." Aoi said.

"That's right." Matsuba smiled. "I was always especially fond of Shiro. Most other Ayakashi said, he's a lowlife, he's even worse than Ayakashi. We're a self-loathing bunch. But he was amusing and exhilarating to be around."

"A lowlife, even worse than Ayakashi?" Aoi asked reaffirming his statement. "You know, I'd have to agree with them."

"An' you'd know." Matsuba joked before taking a drink from his tea.

"Grandpa taught me a lot though." Aoi said.

"Yeah?" Matsuba inquired.

"How to cook, for starters." Aoi stated.

"He did?"

"I guess what he liked, and what Ayakashi like, are similar." Aoi exclaimed. "For food at least."

"Well I find that hard to believe." Matsuba stated.

"Why?" Aoi asked.

"He always used to complain that the food in the hidden realm was too bland for him to even stomach." Matsuba said.

"What?" Aoi asked.

"Well, I suppose his tastes could have changed as he got older. That happens." Matsuba said. "So then, how's Shiro doing now?"

"Uh…" Aoi gasped, not knowing how to respond to him. She didn't know what to say, but knew the truth would be better than a lie.

"Is he well?" Matsuba asked. "Mmmm?"

"He passed away." Aoi said. "He had lived a long life. But he died after he fell down the stairs. Death can surprise you huh?"

"My word. I'm going to miss him a great deal." Matsuba said, taking Aoi by surprise. "I still can't believe how fragile you humans are, that you can't even live 100 years."

Matsuba got up from his seat, and went towards the door.

"Thank you for the food." He said.

"Scythe and I should probably be going as well. We need to find our room right away." Wendy said.

"Thanks for letting me cook Aoi." Scythe said, drying his hands. "It's been a while since I've actually been behind the counter."

"No problem." Aoi said.

"Why don't you two come and join me on the airship? I'd like to properly apologize for what happened earlier." Matsuba said.

"We'd be honored." Scythe said, before picking Wendy up, and entering his Satan's Soul form.

The trio flew off, leaving Aoi down by herself at the building.

After returning to the airship, Matsuba said that Scythe and Wendy would be joining them for the festivities, as an apology on their part, for getting him involved in their dispute with the Tenjin-ya chef. Matsuba insisted they come sit next to him, and served a toast to a happy future.

"So, what's your deal little lady? What exactly, were you doing before you became a Celestial Knight?" Matsuba asked, before looking at Scythe. "I don't need to keep the alcohol away from her right? She's not, you know, eating for two or anything?"

"Eh-hehehe, no I assure you she's not pregnant. We both still have our innocence." Scythe said, blushing a bit, while Wendy's face was as red as the stripes in his hair.

"If you wanna know the truth, I was actually raised in a village and grew up working in a guild called Cait Shelter, after my dragon mother disappeared." Wendy exclaimed, her blush dying down. "Though to be honest, I guess you could say I was raised in a ghost town for seven years."

"A ghost town?" Matsuba asked.

"The master of the Cait Shelter guild was nothing more than a ghost, a spirit who could not rest, as he was in charge of guarding his greatest, and deadliest creation." Scythe explained. "My grandparents, Shirou and Rin Emiya, both had a hand in its creation. It was originally designed to bring world peace, and absorb all the evil in the world into its very core, its name Niruvāna. A mobile city capable of moving across the lands, and housing thousands of people. But there was a design flaw."

"With nowhere to go, all the evil energy seeped out into the city, thus turning its citizens into murderers and monsters. Am I correct?" Matsuba asked, recognizing the design flaw Scythe spoke of.

"That's correct. After the people were turned, they began killing each other, one by one, until there was only one person standing." Scythe explained.

"An' that was the builder I assume?" Matsuba asked, drinking some sake.

"It was." Scythe said. "For four hundred years, his soul resided in the destroyed and desolate village that eventually came to be known as Cait Shelter, watching over the area where Niruvāna was sealed away, safeguarding it from anyone who'd want to use its power for evil. But, when Cait Shelter was formed all its members, were nothing more than illusions created by the ghost, just so Wendy wouldn't feel alone." Scythe said, pulling Wendy into a hug as she began to shake at the memory, feeling the emotions returning. "With Niruvāna destroyed, not long after its reawakening, he no longer had anything tethering him to the world of the living, and the truth behind Cait Shelter was revealed, and I promised him, I'd look after Wendy, with my very life."

"I see." Matsuba said, before gently placing a hand on Wendy's head. "Young lady, you helped me to recover, after my fall from the airship, as far as I'm concerned, you might as well be my granddaughter."

"Thanks, that's very kind of you." Wendy smiled.

"All right, enough with the depressing talk. Let's party." Matsuba snickered, raising a sake glass.

~Morning~

Knock-knock-knock-knock…

The knocking at their hotel room door awoke Scythe and Wendy from their slumber, causing the blue haired girl to wince at the hangover she felt, while questioning why she was tied up in the futon.

"I did it again huh?" Wendy asked, looking at Scythe.

"Yep." He said, untying the rope.

"I don't know why I'm like that when I'm drunk. I didn't even drink a lot." Wendy said sitting up.

"You had two whole bottles of sake, on your own. You're lucky I'm able to reverse the damage that did to your liver." Scythe exclaimed getting dressed before going to answer the door. "Akatsuki?" He questioned, wondering why the earth spider would come to them that morning.

"I'm sorry for bothering you Mr. and Mrs. Strauss, the Tengu are about to leave, and their elder is wanting to speak with you both before then." Akatsuki stated.

"We'll be right there." Scythe said, closing the door. He turned around to notice Wendy was already standing there, fully dressed. "Well, let's go see what they want."

Scythe and Wendy followed Akatsuki down through the hotel's levels, before entering the lobby where most of the staff, as well as Aoi and a silver furred kitsune were already there.

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Scythe asked the brunet girl.

"Not a clue." Aoi said.

"Aoi, Mr. Strauss?" Odanna asked, addressing them.

"What's wrong?" Aoi asked as Odanna came to them.

"Last night, you both served a meal to the Tengu elder yes?" Odanna asked.

"If you're referring to Master Matsuba, then yeah. He really seemed to enjoy it." Scythe said.

"Ah, Aoi, Scythe, Wendy." Matsuba said, greeting them, sounding chipper.

"Uh, hi." Scythe said, Matsuba grabbing Aoi's hand.

"The help you three gave me last night meant the world to me." He smiled.

"Oh, Master Matsuba." Aoi said, sounding a bit confused.

"I'm so glad to see you all again. Last night I fell off the Kuukaku-maru." Matsuba said.

"You mean the airship we were on last night?" Scythe asked.

"Please make this hangover go away." Wendy groaned, before Scythe put a hand on her head, and began coursing his healing magic through her head, soothing the pain, causing her to smile warmly. "Thank you dear."

"I had a little too much to drink, and the sway of the ship made matters a bit worse. So like an old bumbling idiot, I fell right off the side of the vessel. An' that's when Wendy's husband caught me in his arms, preventing what could have been a serious injury, or a broken neck from befalling me." Matsuba exclaimed. "Aoi, Wendy, Scythe, like a knight protecting his king, and like angels from above, you all took care of me and were even gracious enough to feed me a filling meal. For that I became quite fond of all of you. An' so sweet Aoi, I would like you to take this gift." He said, pulling out what looked like a bamboo leaf, and holding it to the brunet. All the employees at Tenjin-ya were shocked, even Odanna was flabbergasted at what they were seeing transpire.

"Is that the Tengu treasure you promised Aoi's grandfather?" Wendy asked.

"It is indeed. By rights this belonged to Shiro, but you Aoi inherited that promise when he passed on. So the Tengu Fan is yours." Matsuba said, handing her the fan. "As for you Wendy, your kindness and healing were most appreciated, and you didn't ask for anything in return. I know you are a healer, but you are also a Celestial Knight, I know not what weapons you are skilled with, but as a gift of my gratitude, I offer you this Tengu Blade." Matsuba said, as one of his men brought a perfectly balanced straight edged, Tai-Chi sword with a red string with tussles at the end connected to the hilt of the weapon, towards them. The sheath of the weapon was perfectly polished black with a gleaming finish that made it shine like freshly polished obsidian. "This weapon is one that holds great power, and has seen many wars. The blade will never dull, and is sharper than any sword, it has no equal." Placing the weapon in Wendy's hands, Matsuba turned to Scythe and had a confident smile on his face. "I had a hard time deciding what to get you as a reward for saving my life young man, but I finally decided to settle on a jar of the Tengu's Secret Liquor."

"What?"

"But sir."

"You can't, you banished your own son for selling it to those unworthy to taste it."

"Who better to enjoy our liquor, than a Celestial Knight, who is incapable of getting intoxicated?" Matsuba said, laughing at the protests of his people, as he brought the jar out from behind his back. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it. An' I'm sure, you'll get to experience the same feeling the rest of us do, when we drink normal liquor."

"You honor me with your words Master Matsuba." Scythe said.

"Also, consider it as a final apology for what happened, as well as a thank you, for saving me from pain." Matsuba said.

Following them outside, Matsuba wanted to say one final goodbye, while also discussing something.

"Now for more important matters." Matsuba said.

"Oh no." Wendy said.

"Something wrong honey?" Scythe asked.

"You're about to learn why Aoi is here in the Hidden Realm instead of in the Apparent Realm." Wendy stated.

"Aoi, I've heard that you're here as collateral for Shiro's unpaid debt." Matsuba said.

"What?" Scythe questioned, clenching his fist.

"You poor little thing. Rather than work in some damn inn, you should come live on Mt. Shumon." Matsuba exclaimed.

"Mt. Shumon?" Aoi asked.

"Yes. That's where the Tengu live. I'm happy to pay off your debt, and if you'd like you can marry one of my sons." Matsuba said. "I'm surprised the Celestial Knight hasn't done anything about this already."

"First I'm hearing of it." Scythe sighed, crossing his arms, the jar of liquor now on a shelf in his trophy room in the Celestial Armory. "However, as much as it pains me, if this agreement is written out, as an actual contract stating Aoi is Shiro's collateral for his unpaid debt, and it's been signed by both Odanna and Shiro, then I can't do anything. My hands are tied, as it's a legal agreement, and I can't overrule it unless evidence is shown that Aoi is being mistreated in some way by the other party in the contract."

"I see." Matsuba said, understanding Scythe's reasoning as to why he hasn't acted yet.

"Master Matsuba." The silver kitsune, Ginji, said approaching them, and taking a knee in front of him. "She cannot do that. I'm very sorry."

"Why is that nine-tail?" Matsuba asked.

"Because, you see, Aoi is already promised to someone else. Tenjin-ya's Master Innkeeper." Ginji said.

"Uh. You call her your fiancé, and yet, you relegate her to a shed out back." Matsuba said, looking to Odanna. "That's an awful way to treat your betrothed. I'm sure that's substantial enough for you to enact on overruling it Celestial Knight." Matsuba exclaimed, turning to look at Scythe.

"Unfortunately no. Unless it's something more serious, like being physically abused, or being treated like an animal through physical means, I still cannot intervene in overruling the contract." Scythe sighed.

"Very well." Matsuba sighed. "Shiro's granddaughter might as well be my own granddaughter."

"That would technically make us siblings." Wendy smiled, looking up to Aoi.

"Aoi, come live with us." Matsuba offered.

"I'm so sorry, but I just can't do that." Aoi said.

"Why can't you?" Matsuba asked, sounding surprised.

"Your friend Shiro Tsubaki, was my grandfather. So it's my obligation to make whatever trouble he caused right again. An' besides, I made a promise to that ogre that I would stay and work off the debt myself. I can't just go and break that promise now. Even though he'd probably prefer that you pay off the debt for me right away, and save him the headache of a human on staff." Aoi said.

"She's quite honorable." Scythe smiled.

"I'd have to agree with you on that." Wendy nodded her head.

"An' I'm sorry, but I can't accept this fan either." Aoi said, holding up the Tengu Fan, and moving to give it back to Matsuba.

"No, the least you can do is take that. If you do mean to take on Shiro's debts, then it's yours as well, since I made a promise to give that fan to him. You inherited that promise when he passed." Matsuba exclaimed.

"I guess so." Aoi said.

"Um, Mr. Matsuba sir?" Wendy asked.

"Please Wendy, just call me Matsuba, or better yet, gramps or grandpa." Matsuba smiled.

"Okay, well Gramps. I can't accept this sword either. I'm more proficient with long ranged weapons like a sniper rifle or a spear. Swords are more my husband's expertise." Wendy exclaimed.

"That sword is yours to do with as you see fit. Be it keep it as a reminder of your time here, or giving it to your husband, won't make a difference, and won't hurt my feelings at all." Matsuba said.

"All right." Wendy said.

Matsuba walked past Aoi and stood in front of Odanna.

"Ogre-God?" Matsuba addressed.

'Ogre-God? Huh, guess it's a good thing I'm on vacation. Though I suspect not for long.' Scythe smiled.

"Yes, what is it, Master Matsuba?" Odanna asked.

"If Aoi is indeed your fiancé, then you must take better care of her. I am aware of the history between you and Shiro. But his granddaughter is not to blame. Don't treat her poorly." Matsuba exclaimed.

"What? But I have no recollection of treating her poorly, sir." Odanna said, playing idiot.

"Okay play dumb." Matsuba said. "Well then, I will forget yesterday's mishaps, since Aoi and Scythe's delicious food made up for them."

"We sincerely appreciate it." Odanna said.

"We Tengu got a bit carried away, too." Matsuba said. "Dear Aoi, Noble Knight, eating your scrumptious food lifted my spirits, and gave me such energy. Aoi, you should open up a little restaurant in that place. I'll be a repeat patron."

"Indeed. Master Matsuba is right on the money with that. Like I said yesterday too, you could have a successful eatery in that building." Ginji said.

"Just hold on, Ginji. An' Master Matsuba…"

"Don't be ridiculous. She's a human girl." O-Ryo said.

"I cannot accept this idea." Akatsuki stated.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, BOTH OF YOU." Scythe said, with enough authority in his voice to send shivers down their spines, as a dark menacing aura enveloped him. "One more insulting a racially insensitive word about Aoi out of either of you, and I'll personally make sure that Tenjin-ya, is shut down for good." He threatened turning to glare at them, a menacing aura surrounding him increasing as his eyes took on that of an angry dragon's. "It's not up to you anyways. The final decision is up to Odanna."

"He is right on both accounts." Odanna said. "I am the one with the final say here. An' he does have the authority as a Celestial Knight, to shut down Tenjin-ya for good if he deems it necessary as Aoi is still technically a guest, and your words show that we mistreat our guests, when we in actuality don't. But now's not the time for debating whether or not Aoi opening up her own restaurant is a good idea or not." Odanna exclaimed. "Master Matsuba, thank you kindly for your stay. We appreciate your generosity." Odanna said, as he bowed, with the rest of his staff following suit. "We look forward to your next visit very much, sir."

"Very well then." Matsuba said, before the Tengu departed.

All the staff went back to their normal duties, while Aoi just went back into the lobby, speaking with one of the employees, while Scythe had an idea.

"I know that look Scythe." Wendy said. "Our vacation is gonna be cut short, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid it is." Scythe sighed.

"You're too kind and generous for your own good." Wendy sighed hugging his arm. "But that's one of the things I love about you."

"Mr. and Mrs. Strauss." Akatsuki said, coming to them. "The Master would like for you to meet him on one of his airships, for a little trip if you wouldn't mind."

Scythe and Wendy looked to one another before looking back to Akatsuki.

"We'll be there shortly." Wendy smiled.

~Airship Traveling Through the Air~

"Whoa, this is so amazing." Wendy smiled leaning on the edge and looking out ahead. "I didn't get to see this kind of view last night, it's so cool."

"I'm glad you like it. I thought that since we weren't able to provide you with a meal last night due to dealing with the Tengu, I could at least take you along to see the sights of the Hidden Realm."

"This is the Hidden Realm?" Aoi inquired.

"It's not going to be an easy task." Odanna said, alerting Aoi to why he brought her. "A human has never run a restaurant for Ayakashi in the Hidden Realm before."

"I'm determined to work hard." Aoi said. "Please let me do it."

"An' she won't be alone." Scythe said, leaning against the railing of the ship.

"Scythe and I both agreed as Celestial Knight's, it's our duty to help Aoi." Wendy added.

"You don't have to help me. You're on vacation aren't you?" Aoi asked.

"Like Wendy said, we're Celestial Knights, and it's our job to help those who we see fit in need of our assistance." Scythe smiled. "Don't worry, my grandpa always pays us for the jobs we do. I'm sure he wouldn't be too surprised if he knew we were helping you pay off your grandfather's debt."

"Very well then." Odanna said, with a smile. "You can give it a try with the help of our esteemed Celestial Knights."

"Thanks." Aoi smiled.

The ship ride continued on for hours, into the sunset, showing them all the different types of scenery below.

"Gorgeous. I didn't know the hidden realm had this much nature." Aoi said.

"It's simply breathtaking at sunset." Wendy smiled.

"Yes we have a variety of environments here." Odanna smiled.

"It must be big." Aoi said.

"Tenjin-ya is located at the Northeast end. It's called the Ogre Gate."

"That's interesting." Scythe said.

"The capital is surrounded by eight lands, called the Yatsuha or the Eight Leaves. The Ayakashi who rule over these lands also carry the title of Yatsuha." Odanna continued his explanation.

"Is Master Matsuba one of those?" Aoi asked.

"Indeed, he rules the land called Mount. Shuman." Odanna said.

"Wow." Aoi said in awe.

"You all did a great job with Master Matsuba." Odanna said, referring to all three of them. "The cooking you both made protected Tenjin-ya from great dishonor, and for that Aoi deserves a reward, and you both deserve to be treated by me."

"Ah, so it's not just a formal apology for last night, it's also a thank you for keeping Tenjin-ya out of trouble with the Tengu." Scythe snickered.

"I do?" Aoi asked.

"Yeah, C'mon Miss Aoi, Mrs. Strauss." The three faceless bath maids said, before escorting, pushing, both the brunet and the bluenet to the dressing rooms on the ship.

"Let us do your hair." Matsu said, as they combed both Aoi and Wendy's hair.

"Let us do your face to." Take added as they switched to putting on makeup.

"Let us get you dressed up." Ume said as they finished dressing both girl in kimonos.

Wendy wore a red kimono with a blue sapphire flower design on it, while Aoi wore a blue kimono with a red and white flower on the chest and going down around her legs.

"Whoa, I gotta say, I wouldn't have picked this one out for myself, but I love it." Aoi said looking at herself in the mirror.

"How do you walk in this thing?" Wendy asked, having trouble walking in her kimono, before she fell over, landing on her face. "Ow."

"You're both so beautiful." Matsu of the faceless bath maids said. "The Master chose both these kimonos especially for you both."

"What? Why would choosing our clothes interest him?" Aoi asked.

"An' shouldn't my husband be the one to pick out my clothes for me, or I don't know, myself?" Wendy asked as he was helped back up to her feet.

"Take small steps, try not to take any big strides." Take said. "If that coquettish young hostess sees you both, I bet she'll be green with envy." She added.

"Wait, the young hostess?" Aoi asked.

"You mean O-Ryo?" Wendy inquired.

"Yes, she's head over heels in love with the master." Ume said.

"She's even told most of the staff at Tenjin-ya that she's his mistress. Can you believe it?" Take said.

"Wow, that girl really needs to get herself a man." Wendy exclaimed.

"Stop it, you're spreading gossip, true as it may be." Matsu said.

"Yes, ma'am." Ume and Take said.

Aoi and Wendy both laughed a bit, seeing how the three were interacting. Neither of them were aware of who was coming up behind them.

"Oh. Just as I thought, the red camellias look lovely on you." Odanna said, addressing Aoi. "I'm delighted to see you like it, too. Aoi."

"Um, yeah. I do like it. It's so beautiful." Aoi said blushing a bit at his praise. "Thanks so much."

"Wendy." Scythe said, coming up to her, dressed in robes similar to Odanna's. "Wow I… I don't know what to say. You look incredible."

"Y-you don't look so bad yourself Scythe." Wendy smiled, blushing a bit. 'He's so handsome in his robes. He looks just like a king or an emperor.'

"Now final touch." Odanna said pulling a hairpin with a gemstone flower on the end of it, from his sleeve, putting it in her hair. After he was sure it would stay, he turned Aoi to the mirror. "My, you wear it incredibly well."

"Wait, doesn't the bud seem bigger to you?" Aoi asked.

"It's made of rose quartz, but it's enchanted to grow like a real flower. Soon it will become a full camellia blossom." Odanna explained.

"You mean it's gonna bloom?" Aoi asked.

"Yes, and fall off one day, just like a real flower."

"What it'll fall?" Aoi asked. "But, no then it's not gonna be pretty anymore." Her complaints about that caused Odanna to turn away, to stifle his laughter at her childish behavior, thus causing her to grumble.

"You must pay your grandfather's debt before the bloom falls from its setting." Odanna said. "Now you have your deadline, good luck." This brought about more grumbling from Aoi, and laughter from the three attendants. "Come we're expected to arrive soon."

"Where to?" Aoi asked, to which Odanna just smiled.

As they left, Scythe just looked to Wendy and back to the ornament in Aoi's hair.

"Hang on, if the ornament is enchanted to act just like a real camellia blossom, then wouldn't a new bud grow and take its place?" Scythe asked.

"I was thinking the same thing." Wendy said, before they started to follow Aoi and Odanna.

Outside, they got a look at where they were arriving at, and found it to be a breath taking sight.

"It's unbelievable. What is this place?" Aoi asked.

"This is the capital of the Hidden Realm." Odanna said. "It's called Youto."

"Youto?" Aoi inquired.

"That translates to Ayakashi Capital doesn't it?" Scythe asked. "An' if that's the case, wouldn't the Ayakashi King reside here?"

"That's correct, I'm surprised you'd know something like that." Odanna said.

"I don't know the full details, but this is how my grandfather explained it to me. Any new world we're sent to, we instantly know the language and the literature of, due to the Celestial Armory instantly downloading those things into our mind. Making us bilingual and able to write in the foreign language. We're also aware of all the laws in place of the government." Scythe explained.

"That seems like it could come in handy." Aoi smiled.

After docking, both Wendy and Aoi were given half masks, to wear over their eyes. Aoi's was a mask with an Ogre design to it, while Wendy's had a bit of a more draconic design. Instantly after departing from the ship, they were greeted by a few people.

"Look, Tenjin-ya's Master Innkeeper."

"Such a find Ogre if I do say so."

"You're famous here, aren't you?" Aoi asked.

"I am, but listen, Aoi. You must keep your mask on. Or they'll know you're human and you'll be in danger. Same goes for you Mrs. Strauss." Odanna said.

"Yeah, duh. I know that." Aoi said.

"Right." Wendy said putting hers on.

Walking through the streets, Scythe, Wendy, and Aoi were all amazed at the bright lights and festivities going on around them.

"It seems like there's a festival going on." Aoi said.

"It does seem that way doesn't it?" Wendy asked.

"Though, it's safe to assume the Capital is always this lively, whether there's a festival or not." Scythe added.

The four of them stopped at a store, and began to look around, finding all sorts of different porcelain and china dishes around them. Aoi picked up a pink glass cut bowl, with a beautiful flower design on it, while Wendy picked up one half of a matching set of tea mugs, with a beautiful floral pattern, similar to the bowl. It looked as though both products were made from the same material.

"It's called Youto cut glass." Odanna said, coming up to Aoi.

"That name does make sense." Aoi stated.

"They're made using a technique from the Apparent Realm, but we modified it so our method's unique." Odanna explained.

"Ah, well it sure is pretty." Aoi said.

"Scythe look, this comes as one half of a two piece set." Wendy said, showing her husband the cup. "It's so pretty."

"You're right, it is pretty. Why don't we get it? My grandfather did give me quite a bit of yen for our little vacation." Scythe smiled, taking the other cup, to go pay for the purchase.

"Aoi, this pink strikes your fancy?" Odanna asked. "I'll buy it for you."

"What? No, it's okay." Aoi said.

"Oh. Don't be shy." Odanna smiled.

"I'm not. But they say everything comes at a price, and it's the truth." Aoi said.

"Oh."

"Oh, what?" Aoi asked.

"I see. You mean you don't want to be treated to a tasty meal right now?" Odanna inquired.

"What? Hm." Aoi grumbled before following him, as they met up with Scythe and Wendy, just as Scythe sent the cups to the Celestial Armory.

Later on at the restaurant, the four of them were enjoying a boiling pot of cooked animal innards.

"These innards, they're delicious." Aoi said.

"It's grilled offal." Odanna said.

"Huh, I've never had them like that." Aoi said.

"I've never had innards before. This is tasty." Wendy smiled.

"It really is something." Scythe said.

"So, did you order me the offal hot pot, because it's your favorite?" Aoi asked.

"My favorite meal? It's something similar." Odanna exclaimed.

"What is it then?" Aoi asked.

"If I had to choose, I'd probably say it's the blood entrails of a young human girl." Odanna said.

"That wasn't funny. Not one bit." Scythe said, with a deadpan expression on his face, while Wendy was cowering behind him.

"Who said I was trying to be funny?" Odanna asked.

"Curiosity really does kill." Aoi groaned.

"Excuse me, may I come in?" A voice called from behind the closed door.

"Yes please." Odanna said.

The door slid open, and in came a young girl with pinkish red hair, looking like a geisha wearing a beautiful lotus flower pink kimono, with a blue waist band, and a red kimono under the pink one.

"It's been quite a while since our last meeting, Master Innkeeper of Tenjin-ya." She said.

"That is has." Odanna said, as the geisha came to sit near them. "Aoi, Scythe, Wendy, meet one of the most popular geishas in the capital, Suzuran. She's also Akatsuki's younger sister."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Scythe said as he and Wendy were happy to get their minds of Odanna's comment about the human innards.

"What?" Aoi asked, thinking of Akatsuki, then comparing him to Suzuran. "Wait, the front desk guy? She's related to him?"

"Suzuran, please meet, Aoi Tsubaki, and Mr. and Mrs. Strauss. Aoi is Shiro Tsubaki's granddaughter, and both Scythe and Wendy are Celestial Knights." Odanna said.

"Oh really is that so? It's an honor to meet you all." Suzuran said. "If you don't mind me asking Mistress Aoi, is Shiro in the Hidden Realm with you?"

"Uh, my grandfather is…"

"Shiro isn't in the Hidden Realm now. Aoi's the only Tsubaki here." Odanna said.

"I see." Suzuran said. "Well I hope he visits soon, it's been a long time. I must tell you Mistress Aoi. You resemble Shiro a great deal."

"You know you're the second person to say that about her." Scythe snickered.

"Now, then, Suzuran, it's been so long. I would love to hear you play shamisen for us." Odanna said.

"Of course." Suzuran said, before she got ready to play her instrument.

As the music played, Scythe and Wendy couldn't help but feel relaxed and was reminded of home. It even brought up some memories of Mira for Scythe.

'Mom. I hope you're doing okay within that space pulled from time.' Scythe thought.

After their meal was done, and their tab paid for, the four of them went traveling through the city, once more, with plenty more sights to see.

"Wow, Suzuran's shamisen's great." Aoi said. "She's very talented. An' the Offal hot pot was incredible, too. Thanks for treating us."

"We really do appreciate it." Wendy smiled.

"It was great, thanks."

"Yes, you're all quite welcome." Odanna said. "Who's up for dessert?"

"You bet." Aoi said, looking quite happy.

"Oh, I'd really like some." Wendy smiled.

"I could go for something sweet." Scythe added.

"Honesty. I like it." Odanna said.

As they went through the streets, Scythe walked a little fast to speak with Odanna about something, while Wendy stayed behind with Aoi, talking about how delicious the food was, and if Odanna was actually joking or not about his favorite food. Wendy noticed that Aoi was a little nervous and seemed a bit uncomfortable for some reason.

"Hey Wendy, do you feel like we're being watched by an Ayakashi?" Aoi asked, when she finally spoke her mind.

"Hmmm… now that you mention it, I have been feeling a bit like we're being tailed by someone. Though I'm just now noticing it." Wendy stated.

When Aoi turned to see if anyone was following them, she was bumped by someone, and her hairpin dropped to the ground.

"Keep it moving lady." The man who bumped her said.

"Hey that was rude." Wendy said, picking up Aoi's hairpin. "Here you are Aoi."

"Thanks Wendy." Aoi said.

"What was his deal anyways?" Wendy inquired.

"Don't know. But don't worry about it, there are people like that among Ayakashi, not just humans." Aoi stated.

"Hey, hold on a minute. Where are Scythe and Master Odanna?" Wendy asked, looking around.

"Oh no. We got separated from them." Aoi said. "Hold on, can't you track them or something?"

"I would if I could, but there are too many scents mingled together, I can't find theirs among them." Wendy said.

"Oh, let's just head back to the rendezvous point we agreed upon for if we ever got separated and lost." Aoi said, sounding a bit panicked.

"Good idea." Wendy exclaimed.

Aoi and Wendy went traveling through the streets, trying to find their way to the rendezvous point, the air ship docks, but seemed to be a little lost. Walking through the alley, Aoi slipped and fell on a patch of ice that came out of nowhere.

"You okay?" Wendy asked, holding the Tengu fan that fell from Aoi's waist band.

"I'm fine, though that did hurt quite a bit." Aoi said.

"I recognize this scent." Wendy said, getting a good look at the ice. "O-Ryo, come out here now." Wendy called out.

The only response Wendy got was a gust of wind that was strong enough to blow off both their masks.

After the masks fell to the ground, Aoi and Wendy were both surrounded by Ayakashi.

"They're human."

"A couple of human girls."

"Looks tasty."

The Ayakashi coming to them, were starting to scare both Wendy and Aoi, as they weren't prepared for this. But Wendy wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"Sky Dragon: ROAR." Wendy called out the attack, sending all the Ayakashi out of the alley and through the air with her breath attack.

"Whoa, that was incredible." Aoi said.

"It's one of the few attack spells I know. It's very powerful. It's even one half of a combo move I can do with Scythe." Wendy explained picking up their masks and handing Aoi's back to her.

"For such a small body, you pack a lot of wind power." Aoi smiled.

"My nickname where I'm from, is the Maiden of the Skies." Wendy said, looking around, before spotting the person most likely responsible for their attack.

The woman went down in an alley between two of the buildings on the street, leaving Wendy and Aoi no choice but to give chase.

"O-Ryo, come back here." Wendy called out. "You're supposed to be at Tenjin-ya."

Wendy pushed off the ground with her wind magic and tackled the snow woman to the ground, knocking off her hat.

"Get off." O-Ryo grunted, pushing Wendy away. "How dare you, you beast?"

"How dare I?" Wendy asked. "I'm not the one, who just tried to kill two people, just because they're human. An' who are you calling a beast?"

"You weren't supposed to be caught up in that. The plan was only for the brunet to get eaten, then I could have the Master all to myself." O-Ryo said.

"You psycho." Wendy shouted, punching O-Ryo on the back of the head as hard as she could. "You do realize whether you meant to endanger me or not, endangering a Celestial Knight is a crime punishable by death, right?"

"I said I wasn't trying to get you involved. I want her gone." O-Ryo said, pointing to Aoi. "She's just a human girl, who has no business with the Master."

"That isn't up to you to decide. If Odanna wishes to be with her, then it's his choice. What do you think he'd do if he found out you killed her huh? He'd tear you to pieces and feed you to other Ayakashi." Wendy said. "Odanna won't love a psychopath who thinks she's the only one who deserves his love. You know there's a word to describe people like you, and it's Yandere."

"Oh shut up, what would you know about it anyway?" O-Ryo asked.

"Because I used to date someone who acted just like you." Wendy said, her fists clenched in frustration, while also taking O-Ryo by surprise. "Before I met Scythe, I dated someone who tried to do something unspeakable to me. He thought he was the only person who deserved my love, and that I was holding my love from him by not agreeing to sleep with him. So he forced me to his bed one night, and he would have had his way with me if it hadn't been for someone from his guild coming by." Wendy stated. "I know what I'm talking about when I call you a yandere, because I dated one. Just because he doesn't love you back, the way you love him, doesn't mean he doesn't care for you. An' if he loves someone else, that doesn't give you the right, to attack the one he loves. Furthermore, you snuck onto the ship today, before we set sail, and have been spying on us since then, haven't you?"

"What? Go away."

"Hold it." A voice called out.

"Stop her."

Wendy, Aoi, and O-Ryo looked up to see Suzuran running towards them, but it didn't look like she was looking for them, it looked more like she was just running away from something, or someone.

"Is that Suzuran?" Aoi asked.

"Ah, help me, where's the Master?" Suzuran asked.

"She went down that street."

Wendy and Aoi went towards Suzuran, wanting to help, before Wendy grabbed her wrist, and Aoi's before using Celestial Teleportation to get back to the ship. When there, Aoi and Wendy relaxed with Suzuran, calming their nerves.

"Are you okay Suzuran?" Wendy asked.

"What was that all about?" Aoi inquired.

"I was… those men…"

"Hey it's okay, everything is fine now. Take a deep breath, and take your time." Wendy said, putting a gentle hand on her arm.

There was a sudden chill in the air, as O-Ryo made it to the ships, albeit a bit short of breath.

"Huh, looks like we weren't as far off from the docks as I thought." Wendy stated.

"How dare you just run off and leave me like that?" O-Ryo questioned sounding frustrated.

"What's wrong with you?" Aoi questioned, sounding frustrated.

"Those men that were chasing after you just now, they are the ittan-momen from Yahata-ya." O-Ryo stated.

"What's that?" Wendy inquired.

"A large well-known kimono shop. They have both money and power. Suzuran, what made them come after you?" O-Ryo asked.

"I was… I was just sold off. Yahata-ya's young master, always bothered me and made advances. When I got to the geisha house earlier, I was commanded to marry into Yahata-ya. I heard they paid an enormous sum for me." Suzuran explained.

"How awful." Aoi exclaimed.

"This definitely falls within the boundaries of human/Ayakashi trafficking." Wendy stated.

"I'm not the least bit surprised to hear it. That man is a low-life womanizer. He's always harassed the female staff at Tenjin-ya, too." O-Ryo said, as Wendy began to glow in a flash of bright light, before it dissipated and Wendy was standing there in her Celestial Knight uniform.

"O-Ryo, take care of Suzuran and Aoi. I'm going to the royal family in the capital's center and having a word with them about the Yahata-ya, and Geisha house." Wendy said. "Do that, and your execution for putting me in danger is forgotten."

"Right." O-Ryo said.

Wendy left in a flash of light, using her Celestial Teleportation, and leaving the three girls on their own.

"So this young master. He's a rich stalker type who does whatever he wants?" Aoi asked.

"Huh? Stalker?" O-Ryo asked.

"I see what's going on."

The three turned to see Scythe and Odanna standing there, neither of them looking too pleased.

"Master, I'm so relieved." Suzuran said.

"Uhm I…" O-Ryo had nothing to say, as she wasn't expecting to get caught.

"Glad to see Wendy thought to come to our rendezvous area." Scythe said. "I heard most of what's going on. An' I can guarantee you that I will enact on my duty as a Celestial Knight to make sure the creep doesn't get away with this. As for you O-Ryo, I'll leave your punishment up to Master Odanna, since Wendy forgave you for your little stunt."

"There she is."

They all turned around to see a bunch of Ayakashi clad in white, with the word, Tan, on their vails.

"We knew you'd come to the harbor."

"Tenjin-ya."

"How nice. The ittan-momen tracked us." Odanna said.

"Wait I thought ittan-momen were fluttery cloth-like spirits." Aoi said.

"Every Ayakashi is different. They each have their own human form." Odanna said.

"Leave this to me." Scythe exclaimed, reequipping into his Celestial Knight gear. "Suzuran, go ahead and board the ship, everyone else do the same."

"Right." Suzuran said.

"Be careful Mr. Strauss." Odanna exclaimed as they all boarded.

"Hey, hold it right there." One of the ittan-momen called out.

"Young Master." Another said, as a young looking man came through the crowd with an elder beside him.

"Well, well. It's been quite a while, Master Innkeeper of Tenjin-ya." The Young Master exclaimed.

Odanna said nothing as he kept at the base of the steps that lead to the ship's deck while the others loaded onto it.

"I would like you to hand over Suzuran, please. As heir to the Yahata-ya, I own…"

The Young Master's words were cut short when he felt a slight breeze rush past his right cheek, and a few seconds later, a warm fluid dripping down his cheek from where the breeze had touched his skin. He reached up and felt his cheek, before looking at his fingers and seeing they were red with blood.

"No one, owns anyone." Scythe said, his hand stretched out from throwing the knife that cut the Young Master's cheek. "In giving money to the Geisha house Suzuran worked at, to purchase her as your wife, you are in violation of the anti-slavery laws that the King and Queen of the Hidden Realm put in place, nearly a hundred years ago."

"Why you arrogant little…"

"That being said, the Geisha house isn't free of these charges either, as they accepted the money, and ordered Suzuran to accept your marriage proposal." Scythe continued.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" The Young Master questioned, grabbing a bow and arrow from one of the ittan-momen and firing it at Scythe. To his surprise, Scythe caught the arrow between his fingers, mere centimeters before it could pierce him right between the eyes.

"I am Scythe Strauss, a Celestial Knight from the world known as Earthland." Scythe said, snapping the arrow head off the body of the arrow. "An' you just tried to murder me. Penalty for trying to enact such actions on a Celestial Knight, is death."

In the blink of an eye, Scythe was in front of the young master and swung his right arm upwards, his claws out, leaving the Young Master with three gashes on the right side of his face, and his right ear missing. Scythe picked the ear up from where it landed on the ground, and tossed it into the water below the docks.

"But I'll settle for just your right ear, and scarring your face. I don't like killing." Scythe exclaimed.

"You can't do this. I already went through the formalities, and cleared the bureaucratic hurdles. She is mine, and no…"

The Young Master stopped talking, when Scythe kicked him in the underside of the jaw, lifting him up into the air off the ground a bit, and brought him back down, with an axe kick to the groin, causing the Young Master to silently scream in pain and curl up in the fetal position, clutching his injured manhood.

"If you went through bureaucratic hurdles, then that means you bought off government officials to make this look like a legal marriage." Scythe said, turning back to the docks, to see the ship taking off.

Scythe was about to jump up to the ship as it was taking off, but was stopped when he felt a dozen arrows at least pierce his back, causing him to cough up blood, and to fall to his knees.

"SCYTHE." Aoi cried from the ship. 'Wendy is going to be so heartbroken.'

"I don't care if you are a Celestial Knight. I will have Suzuran in my bed, and bearing my children, if it's the last thing I do." The Young Master of Yahata-ya exclaimed as Scythe fell flat on his face. "Stop that ship from leaving."

The ittan-momen took aim with flaming arrows, and fired at the ship, intending to burn it down, as the sail and mast caught fire.

One of the arrows had went falling straight to Aoi, but was stopped when Odanna grabbed it, keeping his bride to be safe. O-Ryo had been mesmerized by the flames that danced on the sail, and wasn't even try to run from them, despite how close her proximity was to them.

Another round of arrows went flying for the ship, intending to pierce Odanna and Aoi.

"Oh no, arrows."

Aoi, out of desperation, ran in front of Odanna and swung the Tengu fan, no knowing what it would do, but was surprised to find it sent a gust of wind that knocked the arrows down. Though it also rocked the stability of the ship, due to the attack being done on its deck.

"My, you decided to protect me, how kind." Odanna said.

"No, it was self-defense." Aoi said. "This thing is amazing. I had no idea it could do that."

"What? The Tengu treasure fan?" One of the ittan-momen questioned.

"Yeah, but why does that girl have it?" Another asked.

"Hey, you there. Just who in the world, are you?" The Young Master questioned. "Are you a Tengu?"

"What? Why should I tell you anything?" Aoi called from atop the deck.

"This girl, is Shiro Tsubaki's granddaughter. Aoi Tsubaki. She also happens to be my fiancée, just so you know." Odanna said.

"Did you just say, Shiro Tsubaki's granddaughter?" The Young Master questioned. "What? An' she's going to marry you? Absurd."

"You've got more pressing matters to concern yourself with at the moment." Odanna said, pointing down.

The Young Master looked down, and standing in front of him, was Scythe, a pissed off look on his face, while Wendy stood next to him, all the arrows that used to be lodged in his back, now bundled up in her hands. The light of the rising sun also didn't help matters, as it made them look even more intimidating than they were for teens their age.

"You just pissed me off." Scythe growled, his nine golden fox tails sprouting from the small of his back, as his mask appeared, with the eyes glowing red. "An' I'm suddenly not feeling so generous about only taking your ear."

"He's a nine tailed fox?" The Young Master questioned, before Scythe came and slammed his fist into his stomach, causing him to lose his dinner, before the pressure of the attack, sent him high into the air.

Scythe appeared in the air above the Young Master, and grabbed his arms, before swinging down, and building momentum as Scythe spun forward with him, until he let go, throwing as hard as he could while holding back his Celestial Strength. When the Young Master impacted with the ground, the cloud of dust was enormous, before it dissipated revealing the Young Master, unconscious on the ground, but still breathing.

"Got that out of your system babe?" Wendy asked as Scythe landed on the docks next to her.

"Yeah, I'm good." Scythe said, grabbing her and jumping to the ship. With a hard and fast wave of his tails, Scythe doused the fires on the sail, revealing it was unscathed from the flames, and the ship took off heading Northeast towards Tenjin-ya.

"Scythe, how are you still alive?" Aoi asked. "I saw all those arrows pierce your back."

"Oh, I actually have a healing factor that lets me recover from pretty much anything, except for being incinerated to ashes, being sealed in a barrel of hydrofluoric acid, and a few other things." Scythe said. "I wasn't able to move at all, because I had those arrow stuck in my back."

"An' you're a kitsune, like Ginji?" Aoi inquired, as Scythe brought his tails back in, and his mask disappeared.

"It's a bit more complicated than that. I'll explain it all later." Scythe smiled. "For now, let's return to Tenjin-ya."

~Tenjin-ya Sometime Later~

"Suzuran?" Akatsuki asked, turning to see his sister with the returning party from the capital.

"Big brother." Suzuran said, with a gentle smile.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Akatsuki asked.

"The Master and Celestial Knights just saved me from a terrible fate." Suzuran exclaimed. "I would've… I would've… Oh. Brother." Suzuran hugged her brother, and began to cry softly into his embrace.

"What? What happened to you?" Akatsuki asked, worried about his little sister. "Breathe, just calm down and breathe."

"O-Ryo." The Hostess called to the Young Hostess, not sounding too pleased. "Where've you been? You disappeared without permission, at a very busy time."

"I know, I'm incredibly sorry Mistress." O-Ryo said.

"This behavior is intolerable. I assumed you had great potential, which is why I recommended that you become young hostess. An' yet you repay my kindness by disgracing me?" The hostess questioned, sounding more than a little furious.

"Um, I was just… I was…"

"O-Ryo." Odanna began. "I commanded you to look after Tenjin-ya while I was gone. Why did you choose to disobey me?"

"I… I'm so sorry. I was very worried about you. Master." O-Ryo said.

"More like trying to get rid of the competition for your affections." Wendy stated. "She purposefully nearly got Aoi and I killed, and eaten by other Ayakashi, by throwing snowballs in our direction, and knocking off our masks."

"Shut up, nobody asked you." O-Ryo said.

"That's enough." Scythe stated. "Wendy said that she'd forgive you for nearly getting her killed, if you protected Aoi and Suzuran. An' seeing as you did that, I'm inclined to agree with my wife's decision. But that doesn't change the fact, you thought it was a good idea to try and kill Aoi, just so Odanna might pay more attention to you, and return your feelings for him."

"I… I'm sorry, I just wanted to keep Master safe from the greed of humans." O-Ryo said.

"Enough. Your sweet repentant act won't work on me this time." Odanna stated. "We saw what you did to Aoi and Wendy."

The revelation of this caused O-Ryo to gasp in shock.

"It appears you're still far too immature to be Young Hostess." Odanna continued in a scolding tone. "I order you to be confined to your room, until your punishment is decided."

Back out in the annex building, a few minutes later, Scythe, Wendy, and Aoi were settling down from the long trip back, they had.

"I still can't believe how relaxed this place makes me." Aoi said, stretching.

"The ambiance is quite relaxing." Wendy smiled, sitting on one of the tatami mats on the raised eating area.

"Question is, what are we gonna do about sleeping areas? I mean there's only one bedroom, so…" Scythe was stumped.

"I don't mind sharing it. So long as you two don't get freaky at night." Aoi joked.

"Oh trust me, we're way too young for any of that." Scythe said, as Wendy's face was completely red. "But I'd recommend keeping the sake away from Wendy, she tends to get a little frisky when intoxicated."

"Welcome back, chefs Aoi and Scythe, and Hostess Wendy."

The trio turned to look at the silver haired fox they hadn't noticed before.

"How did you enjoy your trip to Youto?" Ginji asked. "Tell me, were you all able to have a good time taking in all the sights there with the Master?"

"For the most part, the food and music was pretty good." Scythe said, referring to the hot pot and Suzuran's music. "But then things went a little nuts, and Wendy and I had to go full on Celestial Knights, to prevent what was basically a slave auction wedding from happening." Scythe sighed.

"An' get this Ginji, Scythe is a nine tailed fox, just like you." Aoi said.

"What?" Ginji asked.

"Aoi I told you, it's more complicated than that." Scythe stated.

"How is it complicated? You have nine golden fox tails I saw them." Aoi said.

"It's more complicated because I wasn't born a nine tailed fox." Scythe said. "My grandmother on my mom's side of the family, had the powers and soul of a kitsune dwelling within her, due to a kitsune attacking her, and accidentally ingesting some of the magic filled blood that came out of the kitsune when she killed it in self-defense. I inherited that from her, and a while back, a friend of mine and Wendy's, gave her life to save mine, by using her soul to kick start my healing factor, after that, I melted down her body and turned it into a kitsune statue, which now sits in my trophy room, as a shrine to her."

"Melted her down?" Ginji asked.

"She was a Kitsune, whose body was torn apart, and pieced back together with machinery. The only organic parts remaining of her, were her heart, her brain, her eyes, and her reproductive organs." Scythe explained. "It was done by someone who had a sick and twisted fetish for machinery. But my grandparents helped her to regain her ability to take on her primal form, by turning her mechanical body, into one that could change shape."

"So…"

"When she used her soul to kick start my healing factor, she also boosted and rekindled the Kitsune soul I inherited from my grandmother, thus…" Scythe stopped talking long enough to produce his mask and tails. "When my anger reached its peak, these manifested."

"Incredible." Ginji said. "I've never seen golden fur before."

"Actually, it's not fur." Wendy said, taking one of the tails in her arms and petting it softly. "It's actually bio-organic metal, but it feels just as soft as fur. Try it, they feel so soft."

"Uh Wendy I don't think…" Scythe began, before he stopped, feeling Aoi's hands grab another of his tails. 'I am so glad I have this mask on right now.'

"Wow, they are soft, and warm to." Aoi said.

"Girls, I think that's enough." Ginji said, seeing how stiff Scythe was. "Seriously, I think he's uncomfortable."

"Why would he be uncomfortable?" Aoi asked.

"Well… for a kitsune, the tails are a special, intimate place that are sensitive to the touch." Ginji explained.

"Huh?" Wendy was confused.

"Oh, I am so sorry." Aoi said realizing what Ginji meant, and letting go of the tail she was holding.

"What are you talking about?" Wendy asked.

"Wendy… My tails are sort of like a…"

"They're like his no-no square area."

The four turned to see Kasuga had run into the building, with O-Ryo on her back.

"Now if you four are done with whatever it is you're doing, I need your help." Kasuga stated.

"Kasuga? Hey, what's going on?" Aoi asked.

"Miss O-Ryo collapsed." Kasuga said.

"Here let me see her." Scythe said, going to the raccoon girl, and looking at the snow woman, checking her forehead. "She's got a really bad fever. Aoi was she anywhere near the fire on the ship earlier?"

"Yeah, she was actually really close to it." Aoi said.

"All right, then this should be an easy diagnosis of a snow woman getting too close to the fire. She just needs a lot of cold foods, like ice-cream, maybe I should just encase her body in ice to freeze her up?" Scythe exclaimed.

"Please don't do that with her on my back." Kasuga said.

"I'm kidding. That'd be too much even for her, with how potent my magic is." Scythe said, taking O-Ryo from Kasuga's back. "Where can I lay her down?"

"Here, this way." Aoi said, leading him to the futon in the bedroom.

After lying O-Ryo on the futon, Scythe put his hand on her forehead and began emitting a small amount of ice, placing it on her head to cool down her fever.

"That should do it for now. But she should still get something cold to eat." Scythe exclaimed.

"I can probably make some ice cream." Aoi said. "Though that all depends on what I have in the fridge."

"I'm sure you'll be able to think up something." Scythe said before turning to Wendy. "I'll be back in a bit. I just need to notify grandpa that things have changed."

"All right. Come back soon." Wendy said.

"I will." Scythe said, before vanishing and reappearing in the Celestial Armory, mainly Shirou's office.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you back here so soon." Shirou said. "What's going on?"

"Things have sort of changed in terms of staying at Tenjin-ya." Scythe said. "Wendy and I will be staying to help Aoi pay off her grandfather's debt. Which means we'll be working at the restaurant she's opening. You should come on opening night. It'll be great."

"Hmmm… while this is troubling you've made this decision without me, I cannot say I'm surprised. But you know, Tsubaki only put his granddaughter up as collateral for the Ogre-God to marry her, so she'd be well protected from Ayakashi who'd want to eat her to gain her spiritual power, right?" Shirou asked.

"Wendy told me about that the other day, on our way back from Youto." Scythe exclaimed.

"Speaking of which, I sensed you had let your fox energy out in anger at the end of your trip. Did something happen?" Shirou inquired.

"Ended up having to do some Celestial Knight business. The rich, narcissistic Young Master of Yahata-ya thought he could just buy Akatsuki's little sister and force her to be his bride." Scythe exclaimed. "Even had his Ittan-momen shoot me in the back with a dozen arrows at least."

"What? You're not still hurt are you? Were they obsidian tipped, or sulfur tipped?" Rin asked, appearing out of nowhere while looking him over for injuries, gasping when she saw all the holes in his back.

"I'm fine grandma, an' no they were not obsidian tipped. They were normal steel arrow heads." Scythe explained. "My healing factor kicked in as soon as Wendy pulled them from my back."

"That's strange, it should have started before then." Shirou said. "Must not be as powerful as Logan's."

"Anyways, it's actually good timing you're here." Rin said, handing him a file. "Here take this back with you and read it with Wendy."

"What is it?" Scythe inquired.

Meanwhile, still with Aoi and Wendy, they were busy in the kitchen of the annex building, Aoi making some tofu ice-cream, and Wendy making some iced tea with the cherry juice Ginji brought over.

"You're a really good cook, making tea like that." Aoi smiled.

"It's nothing. My mother-in-law makes tea that is ten times better than this." Wendy said.

"Let me give it a try." Aoi said.

Wendy poured her a glass of the cherry iced tea, and with one sip Aoi was hooked.

"Wendy you have to give me the recipe, this tea tastes amazing." Aoi smiled.

"Oh stop, it's nothing really. I just used some of my magic to make it taste better that's all." Wendy exclaimed.

"You used your magic?" Aoi asked.

"Uh-huh. In my world, a lot of the people who are Ability-type magic users, like me and Scythe, use raw magic energy and put it in the food they cook, to make it taste even better." Wendy exclaimed.

"Ability-type?" Aoi asked. "There are other types of magic to wield?"

"That's right. Ability-type refers to people who can use the magic that naturally flows through their bodies, without needing to use a weapon." Wendy explained. "A friend of ours, her name is Lucy, uses Celestial Gate Keys to call forth and summon Celestial Spirits to fight alongside her. She's what's known as a Holder-type. A sorcerer or sorceress who put their magic energy into items like keys, swords, or shields."

"I get it, so Ability-types can naturally wield their magic without needing any tools to aid them, while Holder-types are the exact opposite. They rely on tools to help them with wielding their magic." Aoi exclaimed.

"You got it." Wendy smiled. "I figured since O-Ryo is a yokai, she needed a large amount of spiritual energy to recover quicker, and since magic is sometimes considered as spiritual energy, I figured I'd make the one drink I know how to make. The vanilla tofu ice-cream and the cherry tea should complement each other really well, don't you think?"

"I think they would very much." Aoi smiled, putting the bowl of ice-cream on a tray, while Wendy put a fresh glass of the cherry iced tea on it.

"I do feel kinda bad about blowing up at her like I did last night. It wasn't right." Wendy exclaimed.

"Hey, you were just upset and angry from what happened don't worry." Aoi said, taking the ice-cream, tea, and medicine to the sleeping area O-Ryo was staying in.

Wendy began cleaning up the cooking utensils that were used, and just as she was about to put the iced tea in the stone fridge, the pitcher was grabbed and Scythe poured himself a glass.

"Scythe, you're back." Wendy smiled.

"Mmhmm." Scythe smiled putting the pitcher down. "I told my grandparents about everything. Unfortunately, we can't stay for longer than the deadline they gave."

"When are you supposed to leave?" Aoi asked, joining in on the conversation.

"A few days after the wedding anniversary of the King and Queen of the Hidden Realm." Scythe said. "Which gives us less than two and a half months."

"That's not very long." Aoi said.

"I'm sorry Aoi, I wish we could stay longer to help, but my grandfather is basically the supreme ruler of the Celestial Knights." Scythe said. "I can't go against his orders, less I get an earful from him and my grandmother."

"I understand. Family is important. Don't worry about it." Aoi smiled.

"Scythe, what's this?" Wendy asked, grabbing the folder Rin gave her husband.

"Oh, that's a list of everyone that was on Tenrou Island the day it was taken out of the timeline." Scythe explained, taking a sip of his tea. "Man this is good. It's so tasty."

"Let's see here if they're all accounted for?" Wendy said, opening the folder, and reading the list aloud.

Mirajane.

Master Makarov.

Freed.

Bixlow.

Cana.

Elfman.

Lisanna.

Touko.

Gildarts.

Laxus.

Evergreen.

Gajeel.

Levy.

Erza.

Natsu.

Grey.

Juvia.

Happy.

Lucy.

Carla.

Lily.

Velvet.

"Wow, that's a pretty long list. But is Laxus referring to the one everyone told me was exiled from the guild?" Wendy inquired.

"Yep. Apparently, he came and gave Natsu and Gildarts a hand with Bluenote, just as Natsu ran out of magic energy, and gave him a temporary state of power, a level of his magic known as Lightning/Flame Dragonslayer." Scythe explained. "I'm pretty sure that since they're both Dragonslayer magic's, Natsu will be able to use the Lightning/Flame mode again, if he trains hard enough."

"That's so cool." Wendy smiled.

"So these are all your friends and family who are frozen in time?" Aoi asked, looking at the list.

"Did you tell her about that?" Scythe asked, looking at Wendy.

"Yeah, we were talking about it some, the other day when we were getting dolled up in the kimonos." Wendy said, cutely sticking out her tongue.

"To answer your question Aoi, yes those are the names of everyone frozen in the Fairy Sphere that protected them from my father's wrath." Scythe said.

"Your father?" Aoi asked.

"Scythe, I didn't mention how the apocalyptic dragon who attacked them, was your father." Wendy stated.

"Guess that one's on me." Scythe sighed. "But yeah, I'm the son of an unstoppable killing machine, hell bent on wiping out an entire race from the face of Earthland."

"That's awful, why would he do something like that?" Aoi said.

"He used to be a Dragonslayer, like Wendy." Scythe said. "But after bathing in the blood of countless dragons, and overusing his Dragonslayer magic, he went mad, and he himself became the very thing, he sought to destroy, impervious to the effects of time and growing older."

"I'm pretty sure that won't happen to me though." Wendy said. "I don't know why, but it's just a feeling I have, deep down inside."

"So, you don't seem scared of me, now that you know who my old man is." Scythe said, looking at Aoi.

"Why should I be? You've been nothing but kind and generous to me ever since we met. You even helped Suzuran when she needed it the most." Aoi said. "Wendy even told me, you felt guilty for those lives you took during your jobs."

"Wendy…"

"What? We were talking about whether or not being a Celestial Knight is a stressful job, and we just sort of started talking about what happened during the last one." Wendy stated.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're nothing like your father." Aoi smiled. "An' you're more than the choices he's made. So don't let his legacy define who you are. Forge your own path, and build your own legacy."

"Thanks. Those words really mean a lot." Scythe smiled. "Though, I'm gonna have to go out to the city for a bit, I'm pretty sure I need to clear things up with Miia."

"Who's Miia?" Aoi asked.

"His twin sister." Wendy stated.

"Oh that's so sweet." Aoi smiled. "Do you have any other siblings?"

"I'm the oldest of what used to be triplets. But… Some things happened, and…"

"They don't talk much anymore. Eska I think was disowned from the family for something she did that was unforgiveable, even with Scythe's best efforts to try and persuade her to change, she didn't." Wendy exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about that." Aoi said. "Why don't you get going? We can handle things from here."

~A Couple Hours Later~

"Hey I'm back, how's O-Ryo doing so far?" Scythe asked, coming into the annex building.

"She's doing a lot better I made a cherry flavored ice-cream, and we spoke for a bit. I kinda understand now, why she did what she did in Youto." Aoi said. "She doesn't just like the Master because he's strong, she likes him because he showed her mercy, and took her in from an abusive employer, giving her a place here at Tenjin-ya, to work, so she could leave her old abusive life behind."

"Oh, well I guess that does make sense. Still doesn't excuse what she did though." Scythe said.

"That ice you put on her forehead helped as well." Wendy stated. "She's doing a lot better than she was before."

"Glad to hear she's doing better." Scythe exclaimed. "Wendy, I just got back from Earthland, I explained things to Miia, and she's going to try and take over as the Guild Master, while also running the gym, at the same time. But Yang said she'd look after the gym, until the others returned, just to keep her mind off some, developing, events with Ruby." He said, putting emphasis on the word, developing.

"She's pregnant isn't she?" Wendy asked.

"Twins. My grandmother proved it, and told her how many she's carrying." Scythe smiled holding up two fingers. "An' I'll give you one guess who the father is."

"Oh Yang is so going to kill him." Wendy squealed in excitement, obviously excited to see Ruby's babies when they're born. "How's Nikaido adjusting to life in Earthland?"

"That's the thing. I haven't seen her since we left the Armory for Tenjin-ya." Scythe exclaimed. "An' I couldn't find her anywhere in Magnolia. Even the house was empty."

"She's probably just out exploring the land, getting used to it." Aoi said. "There shouldn't be any reason to worry."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Scythe said, before seeing the bowl filled with ice-cream on the tray the brunet was holding. "Isn't that the bowl Odanna offered to buy you by in Youto?"

"It is. Wendy and I were just about to head out to see how Suzuran's doing." Aoi stated. "Would you care to join?"

"Sure, I was hoping to see her again. I wanna ask her about the music she played. It was quite beautiful." Scythe smiled.

"O-Ryo, you stay in bed, we're going out to see Suzuran for a bit." Aoi called to the snowwoman sleeping in her room, before they left.

After reaching the main building, they asked Take, to escort them to Suzuran's room, which ended up being a path leading to a whole lot of stairs.

'Couldn't they have installed elevators?' Aoi thought as she was panting and breathing heavily by the time they go to the floor with Suzuran's room, which just so happened to be the top floor. 'Scythe and Wendy don't look winded at all, could it be because of their Celestial Knight training?'

"Mistress Suzuran's room is right this way." Take exclaimed.

"Thank you." Scythe smiled, before there was a loud commotion.

"Like hell you are." Akatsuki's voice echoed through the halls.

"What's going on?" Wendy questioned, seeing the crowd gathered outside the room.

"Wendy, stay with Aoi, I'm going to see what this is all about." Scythe sighed.

Going through the crowd, Scythe peeked into the open door, and saw both Akatsuki and Suzuran in their Ayakashi forms, two giant car sized earth spiders, battling one another.

"Of course it's a giant spider fight." Scythe sighed, before shoving the doors open just as they charged at one another again.

"Open your eyes Suzuran." Akatsuki stated.

"Leave me alone." Suzuran shouted at her brother. "I can do as I please."

"You're being ridiculous."

"Shut up, you're ridiculous. You're a fool brother."

"Okay that's enough." Scythe said, in a booming voice that caused the squabbling siblings to back away from each other and look to him, a shiver of fear running through their exoskeletons when meeting his gaze. "Stop this at once, both of you. Can't you see you're disturbing not only the other guests, but the staff as well?"

"We're sorry." They said in unison.

"Now would one of you please explain to me what this is all about?" Scythe questioned.

"Akatsuki is trying to keep me from going to the Apparent Realm. I've been saving up to go for years now, and I finally have enough to get there and live my life as I see fit." Suzuran said.

"Suzuran is being ridiculous. There's no reason why she should go there. Shiro is dead, and she's much safer here. I'm trying to get her to see that." Akatsuki said.

"I'm old enough to do as I please Brother. I'm not a little girl anymore, so I don't need your protection. I can manage just fine on my own." Suzuran said.

"No you can't, you never will be able to. It's safer for you to stay by my side and…"

"Okay that's enough. Both of you knock it off." Scythe said, stopping another altercation from starting. "Akatsuki, please understand, this is not me play favorites between you two, I mean, I love spiders, the emblem on my back in my uniform is a spider, but Suzuran is old enough to make her own choices. If she wants to go to the Apparent Realm, then you have no right to stop her."

"Shut up." Akatsuki said, raising his voice to Scythe. "You don't understand what I've been through, what we've had to endure. So how could you possibly think you could understand to have a sister to protect? Suzuran and I were struggling to survive in the Apparent Realm, so I had to get stronger. You've probably been pampered your entire life, so how would you know what it's like, huh?"

"Oh boy, he just opened a can of worms." Wendy said.

"You think I was pampered my entire life?" Scythe asked, uncrossing his arms. "Fine then, I'll show you how I understand."

Scythe reached behind his back, and undid the zipper before removing his arms from the holes in the suit, letting the top half of the one piece suit fall around his waist, and removing his vambraces, showing his scars on the right side of his body were all connected, while showing all the other scars he had gotten, before his healing factor had actually developed. Even further to their surprise, he reached up, and pulled his right eye from its socket, effortlessly.

"I wasn't raised in the lap of luxury." Scythe said, looking at Akatsuki with one eye. "My mother was too young to raise me, so she gave me to the family who helped her birth me and my sisters. But life didn't give me, a happy ending after that. My entire village was massacred, only the children were taken alive, and we were turned into slaves. My sister and I are the only survivors from that day, as one by one, the children enslaved were all experimented on, and died right there on the table." Scythe stuck his artificial eye in his pocket, and took a fighting stance in front of Akatsuki. "If you still think I don't know what it's like to struggle to survive, then come at me."

"I… I can't…"

"Come at me." Scythe declared.

"I can't come at you." Akatsuki said. "I get it all right? Your life was worse than ours, and you still came out strong, holding on to dear life."

"If you do understand, then why is your body wanting to fight?" Scythe questioned. This inquiry got Akatsuki thinking, as Suzuran returned to her human form, and stepping back. "You want to fight me, to see how strong I really am. It's in your nature as a fighter, so come. At. Me." Scythe punctuated.

Akatsuki shook in frustration for a bit, before he let that frustration out in a loud roar, and went charging at Scythe, before jumping at him. From the door, Odanna could see everything going on.

"This isn't even a fight." Odanna said, as Scythe hit Akatsuki with a single punch, and sent him flying through the already broken window. "It's a test of strength. To which Akatsuki failed."

"He seems to have a good heart. He's just overprotective is all." Wendy said taking the tray from Aoi and going to Suzuran. "Here, Aoi made some ice-cream, and we thought you might like some."

"Oh, thank you." Suzuran smiled.

"I have a feeling I just avoided something embarrassing when Scythe stepped in." Aoi said.

"Hey, Suzuran." Scythe said, coming up to her, his clothes back on fully. "I'd like to apologize for interfering with your family dispute."

"Oh no it's fine." Suzuran said. "Quite honestly, my brother can be a stubborn and hothead at times. So it's good for him to learn his place every once in a while. I'm sorry for what he said, I'm sure it dragged up some pretty awful memories for you."

"No, it's fine." Scythe said. "The message wouldn't have gotten across to him, if he hadn't known."

"Scythe, I think we should return to the annex building. An' start getting it ready for the restaurant's opening." Wendy said. "We'll make sure O-Ryo is fine as well."

"I would like to have a word with Aoi for a bit." Odanna said.

"I guess I can spare a few moments." Aoi said.

~Next Morning~

"Mmm, sleeping in that hammock felt better than I expected." Wendy said stretching out as she exited the Annex building with Aoi and Scythe following her.

"Iskandar did say grandpa had it made from the softest and finest quality silks and pillowy fabrics from one of his favorite universes." Scythe said. "It was even big enough for the two of us to sleep in."

"So who was the second one for?" Aoi asked, rubbing her neck. "Man my neck is killing me."

"That was for you to use until O-Ryo leaves. Don't tell me you slept in the closet." Scythe said.

"Ah." Wendy squeaked.

"Wendy what's wrong?" Scythe asked, running to her, only to see at the base of the tree, was a bunch of cobwebs, and a purple tarantula spider with a black thorax and a violet skull on it. It looked like a stuffed plush spider.

"Oh my god. You're so cute Akatsuki." Wendy squealed, grabbing the shrunken earth spider and cuddling it.

"Hey, let go of me. I'm not some toy for you to play with." Akatsuki said, squirming in her hug, trying to break free of it.

"I'd quit with the squirming if I were you. Once she gets her hands on something cute and adorable, she won't let go. Trust me, I know." Scythe said. "One time on our honeymoon, I turned into a little baby dragon so cute it would make a puppy look ugly, and she wouldn't let go until my magic ran out from staying transformed, two days later."

"Have you been staying out here all night?" Wendy inquired.

"Back off. Just leave me alone, will you?" Akatsuki questioned, as he was still trying to struggle free of Wendy's hug.

"Aw, don't be like that." Wendy said, cuddling him closer.

"Earth spider manager isn't as tough as I thought he would be. Aw he's so cute when he looks like that." Aoi snickered.

"Let me go at once or I'll eat you." Akatsuki said as Wendy and the others went back into the annex building.

"Oh calm down or we'll eat you. I'll cook you up with soy sauce and sugar and make a tasty tsukudani with steamed rice for us to enjoy." Aoi said.

"Or how about I just deep fry you and we eat you, legs first like a nice soft-shell crab?" Scythe asked.

After calming down, partially due to hearing those empty threats, Akatsuki allowed Wendy to dress his wounds, and set him down on a pillow while Scythe and Aoi were cooking up some breakfast.

"Okay let's see here. There are three main treatments for injured earth spiders. First would be to leave them to heal on their own." Wendy read aloud from the Medical Yokai Encyclopedia.

"Not gonna happen. You said my punch had cracked the underside of his exoskeleton so he's vulnerable to predatory attacks from those currently stronger than him." Scythe said.

"Second treatment would be to administer spiritual power." Wendy read from the second option.

"Not happening. I doubt either of your magic's would be compatible with his spiritual energy." Aoi said. "An' forget about me doing it, I have no clue how to."

"Final option is to feed him food with high concentrations of spiritual power." Wendy said, finishing the list of options.

"Hey earth spiders just eat, like, bugs and stuff don't they?" Aoi asked, looking beside Wendy to Akatsuki.

"Like hell we eat bugs." Akatsuki said.

"Aoi, I think it be best you leave his treatments to us at this point." Scythe said. "He most likely won't eat the food you make because he has a strong hate for your grandfather."

"I guess you're right." Aoi said before the door to the bed chambers opened.

"I'm starving here." O-Ryo said coming out of the room. "Aoi, make me something to eat, would ya?"

"Either be patient or pay for your food to come sooner." Scythe said. "You're lucky we decided to help you, even though you intended for harm to come to Aoi."

"Yes sir." O-Ryo sighed.

"An' why are you acting like you're friends with her all of a sudden?" Wendy asked.

"What do you want? Something cold, like your soul?" Aoi asked.

"Don't be rude. I'm not sick anymore, so I don't have to stick to ice-cream." O-Ryo exclaimed. "What I'm craving is a bowl of oyakodon. An' I mean a giant bowl."

"Okay, but don't blame me if you gain weight." Aoi said, gathering the ingredients for the dish.

"I don't even care anymore, just give me food." O-Ryo said. "An' not just any food. I want oyakodon, in case you didn't hear me the first time."

"You're five feet away from her, I think she heard you." Wendy stated, before turning to Akatsuki. "You want some to Akatsuki?"

"Who'd eat a meal made by Shiro Tsubaki's granddaughter?" Akatsuki asked in disdain.

"Huh? Wait. Akatsuki that's you?" O-Ryo asked, finally noticing the front desk attendant, to which he slightly turned his body away from her.

"Akatsuki, I'll be handling your food all right?" Scythe asked chopping up some vegetables. "But just to make things clear, don't hate on Aoi, just because she's related to the man who raised you and Suzuran for thirty years."

"How'd you know about that?" Akatsuki asked.

"I went back to pick up the dishes from Suzuran last night after Wendy and I finished cleaning the annex building. I asked her about why she thought you hated the idea of her returning to the Apparent Realm, and she told me your connections with Shiro Tsubaki." Scythe said. "You know, since you, Aoi, and Suzuran were all raised by Shiro. That sort of makes you all siblings."

"Hey, you're right, and that sort of makes us siblings, since both Aoi and I are considered as granddaughters to Master Matsuba." Wendy smiled clapping her hands together.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, that does make sense." Aoi said. "I guess that would technically also make Scythe, my brother-in-law."

"Enough with these bizzar family connections. Where's my food?" O-Ryo asked.

"Patience O-Ryo." Scythe reminded her. "Need I remind you, Aoi was nice enough to give you her bed for the night?"

"By the way, what are you making Scythe?" Aoi asked seeing him kneading a lot of pasta dough.

"Hmm?" Scythe asked. "Oh, about twenty pounds of ramen, with ham slices and hard boiled eggs."

"Seriously?" O-Ryo asked in shock.

"Well Scythe does have the appetite of a full grown dragon. An' considering he's half dragon, that only makes sense." Wendy chuckled. "Though I wouldn't mind a couple bowls of oyakodon myself."

"All right, four bowls of oyakodon coming right up." Aoi said.

After the food was made, Wendy ate one of the bowls given to her, while Scythe just ate the ramen straight from the pot, while O-Ryo completely devoured her bowl and gave positive feedback to Aoi about how good it was. With the second bowl in hand, Wendy tried feeding Akatsuki bits and pieces of it, by even poking his cheek with bits of it with her chopsticks, much to Scythe and Aoi's amusement.

"C'mon just open up Akatsuki." Wendy said. "I promise you'll like it. Her cooking is really good."

"Like I'm going to eat a meal made by Shiro Tsubaki's granddaughter." Akatsuki said, giving her attitude.

"Fine then, you leave me with no choice." Wendy sighed, sounding annoyed herself. "As a Celestial Knight, I order you to eat this food."

"What? You're pulling rank on me? This is abuse of power." Akatsuki exclaimed.

"Maybe, but you left her with no other choice." Scythe snickered. "Now just eat up like she ordered you to, otherwise you won't get your strength back, and you'll have to suffer the consequences of ignoring a Celestial Knight's orders."

Begrudgingly, Akatsuki began to eat the food Wendy was feeding him, causing Aoi to chuckle.

"So that's what she wanted the second bowl for." Aoi smiled. "Glad to see she's got other's interests in mind."

"I think that we should make something with Akatsuki. Suzuran is leaving for the Apparent Realm in about a week, and this could be a way to let her know, that he still cares for her, even if he is a bit over protective of her." Scythe said.

"I am not over protective." Akatsuki said, before popping back into human form, and taking the bowl himself.

"Says the spider who argued with his sister who is in fact a legal adult." Aoi stated.

"She's got you there Akatsuki." Wendy said, as the red haired earth spider began eating on his own.

"Fine, maybe I can be a bit over protective." Akatsuki said. "It's just… Shiro abandoned us, and for ten years, I've resented him for it."

"Well to be honest, I might be the reason why that happened." Aoi said. "Grandpa might have thought it was a good idea to send you here, because he probably didn't want to feel like he couldn't handle taking care of all of us, and end up having to choose who he should take care of if he realized that was the case. Since, around ten years ago, was when he started raising me."

"So he didn't want to abandon us… he just didn't have a choice." Akatsuki said, thinking over what she said, before getting back up. "I have to get to work. I'm behind on my duties, starting from yesterday afternoon. Though, I will be back tomorrow to cook some food for Suzuran with you."

"We'll have everything prepared for that." Scythe smiled. "Take care Akatsuki, and remember what I said. Suzuran isn't your only sister now, you know?"

Akatsuki chuckled at Scythe's words, before leaving to take care of his duties as Tenjin-ya's front desk manager.

"So, what are you going to make?" Wendy asked.

"I was thinking Aoi could come up with that. Suzuran does seem to like your grandfather's dumplings a lot." Scythe said.

"You know, that just might work." Aoi smiled.

~The Following Day~

"I'm back with the ingredients for the dumpling filling." Scythe said, putting down the bags of groceries.

"Thanks Scythe. You're a life saver, you don't know how much I appreciate that." Aoi smiled.

"So, the dumpling wraps ready yet?" Scythe asked.

"Just about." Wendy said. "I'm making them with extra care and love."

"That's good to hear." Scythe smiled. "By the way, I ran into Akatsuki. He'll be here in a bit, he just needs to finish up some of his duties to Tenjin-ya before he can come."

"Well, at least he's gonna show." Aoi smiled.

"Also, I notified the Master about the deadline grandpa gave us Wendy." Scythe explained.

After that, Scythe helped with prepping the kitchen for Akatsuki to cook alongside the four of them. Before long, Akatsuki showed up, to make the dumplings for him and his sister.

"Great, you're here." Scythe smiled. "You'll be making the dumplings for you and Suzuran with Aoi. Wendy and I will be making our own to share with my grandparents."

"Sounds like a decent enough plan." Akatsuki said.

"Also Aoi, I've invited my grandparents, as well as a few of the other servants residing in the Celestial Armory to come for the opening night of the restaurant. I hope you don't mind." Scythe exclaimed.

"Not at all. Now let's get started." Aoi smiled.

~Celestial Armory, after the cooking was done~

"Grandma, grandpa." Scythe called, appearing in the Celestial Armory with Wendy, each holding a pot of dumplings. "We brought some food from the restaurant."

"Daddy." Jack cried out, running up and hugging him, a millisecond after Scythe raised the hot pot of food over his head to avoid her touching it with the hug, and getting burned. "Master and Mistress Emiya are taking care of some things at the DWMA. They won't be back for a while I'm afraid. An' the other servants are taking care of missions of their own. I'm the only one here."

"I see." Scythe said. "Well that's too bad. Mommy and I just made a delicious batch of dumplings we were hoping to share with them. But we'll have to share with you instead."

"Yay." Jack smiled, hugging him tighter. "Can I come see where you and mommy are working after?"

"I don't see why not." Wendy smiled, still getting used to Jack calling her mommy.

"I'm fine with it if you are." Scythe added, looking to Wendy.

"Hurray." Jack cheered.

"Now let's eat before these dumplings get cold." Scythe smiled. "Though, let's take this somewhere more comfortable."

Scythe, Wendy, and Jack all disappeared in a flash of light from the Armory and returned to the annex building, where Aoi was cleaning up the dishes.

"Oh, that was fast." Aoi said.

"My grandparents weren't home." Scythe said as Jack jumped on one of the stools in front of the counter. "But Jack was there."

"Hi." Jack smiled.

"My how adorable." Aoi smiled. 'Just ignore the scars, just ignore the scars on the little girls face.'

"So we came back to eat here." Scythe said. "Jack here is a wraith."

"A being comprised of countless souls of the dead, filled with unfulfilled wishes, and unquenched rage?" Aoi asked.

"Yep." Wendy said, putting her pot down. "From our understanding, she's a wraith comprised of all the souls and wishes of the children who died in England, in the late eighteen hundred, early nineteen hundreds, in the world Scythe's grandparents come from. Their one wish, was for the love of a parent, and they all formed into one being. You might have similar stories in this world, but she was known as Jack the Ripper, when she was actually alive."

"Jack the Ripper? The infamous serial killer?" Aoi asked.

"Believe it or not, Jack, like many of the orphaned children back in those days, was a child born to a prostitute, and abandoned on the streets afterwards. So on the brink of death, she came back as a wraith, and only sought to cleanse the world of prostitutes, but she deems anyone fit enough, with the title of her parent, or parents in our case." Scythe explained.

"Mommy and Daddy." Jack smiled.

"Oh." Aoi said.

"Honestly, it's good practice for when we have kids of our own in the future." Wendy smiled. "Besides, it's been going on for so long now, it'd be wrong if we stopped her from calling us that."

"I see." Aoi smiled. "Well make yourselves comfortable. Akatsuki just left, and I'll be heading out to bring Suzuran her dumplings."

"We'll see you in a bit." Wendy smiled.

"Oh by the way, this came for you and Wendy." Aoi said picking a scroll up off the counter and handing it to Scythe. "I think it came from the King and Queen of the Hidden Realm."

"Thanks." Scythe said accepting the scroll.

After Aoi left, Scythe opened the scroll and began to read it aloud.

"Due to evidence being brought forth, the Young Master, Tannosuke of Yahata-ya has been charge with Ayakashi trafficking, and the Geisha house in the capital has been shut down, with its owner and staff who were aware of the illegal acts going on within its walls, arrested and awaiting trial. The councilmen and other government officials below the King and Queen, have also been taken into custody, and are awaiting the same trial. However, the Young Master of Yahata-ya, has managed to escape Youto before his arrest. Thus a warrant and bounty has been placed on his head for his immediate arrest. We wished to inform the Celestial Knights of this, as we feel it is important you prepare for his arrival at Tenjin-ya."

"Not him again." Wendy groaned, eating a dumpling.

"What's wrong mommy?" Jack asked.

"The man that message is warning us about, is dangerous. He even tried to have daddy killed a few nights ago. It's quite possible he could arrive tomorrow given when the message arrived." Wendy said, as she began to stress eat.

"Mommy's stressed isn't she?" Jack asked.

"That she is Jackie, that she is." Scythe said.

"I'm sorry, it's just I feel nervous about him coming by." Wendy stated.

"Honey, I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look. Would you feel better if Jack stayed with us until our time limit is up?" Scythe asked.

"I would actually. Given how skilled Jackie is with her knives, I would most definitely feel better if she stayed with us until then." Wendy exclaimed.

"Yay, I'm staying with mommy and daddy." Jackie smiled.

~That Night~

Scythe sighed as he finished cleaning up the dishes used for dinner. Wiping his forehead, Scythe looked into the slightly open door to the bedchambers within the Annex building, and through the moonlight filtering in, he saw Wendy sleeping sounding, and Jack sleeping next to her with a content smile on her face.

Aoi was sleeping on the futon on the floor, as O-Ryo had returned to her actual bedchambers after she had fully recovered, as ordered by Wendy when Aoi had ended up sleeping in the closet a second time.

Smiling softly a bit, Scythe closed the door, as gently as he could, unaware to the eyes that opened and looked at the door. Going outside, Scythe sat on the front deck to the annex building, looking up at the moon and stars.

"Can't sleep?"

Scythe looked back to see Aoi standing next to him, with a gentle smile on her face, and a look of concern in her eyes.

"Not really. These nights aren't unusual for me though." Scythe exclaimed.

"Wanna talk about it?" Aoi asked, sitting next to him.

Scythe was silent for a few moments before he sighed, figuring talking about it was better than no talking about it.

"As you know, my mom and everyone else on the list I brought for Wendy to read, are stuck in a bubble outside of the timeline." Scythe exclaimed. "I'm just concerned. By the time that spell runs its course, Wendy and I could very well be older than my mom."

"I see. But I doubt it'll last for twenty years or so." Aoi said.

"That's just it Aoi." Scythe said. "Chronologically I'm only five years old."

"What?" Aoi questioned in shock.

"Back in my world, there was a Guild, known as Grimoire Heart. They're the ones who destroyed my whole village." Scythe explained. "Their master was the one who experimented on me. After realizing the experiment was a success, he used an irreversible spell on me, one that made me as old as I am today. I'm still able to age like normal, I just can't return to the age I was. Then there's the matter of my birth."

"Your birth?" Aoi asked.

"My mom… was only around fourteen, when she gave birth to me and my sisters." Scythe said. "In fact, she wasn't even willingly impregnated. She was used as a test subject for an experiment, to recreate my father. He's known as the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia, and his worshipers used the DNA in one of his scales to impregnate my mom. She was rescued when she was about three months into her pregnancy, and she let the people who rescued her, adopt me. An' they raised me until out village was destroyed."

"Didn't they raise you and your sisters together?" Aoi asked.

"Guess I let it slip." Scythe sighed. "Originally, my sisters were stillborn, while I was born happy and healthy. But in another timeline, I was the stillborn one, and they were born happy and healthy. I had traveled to that apocalyptic world, and brought one of my sister's back."

"Miia."

"Yep. Eska was too stubborn and wouldn't believe I was her brother. She took after our father, in both mind, and abilities. An' became the cause of that world's apocalypse." Scythe explained. "So I left her there, without her wings."

"That must have been painful."

"Harming my sister… was the toughest thing I've ever had to do." Scythe said.

"I can see your dilemma now." Aoi said. "Though I don't think worrying about it is gonna do you any good."

"You're right. It won't." Scythe sighed. "Why don't we get to bed? We're gonna have a busy day tomorrow."

"Good thinking." Aoi smiled.

After that, Scythe and Aoi went back to the sleeping chambers, and Scythe set up the other hammock, before joining Wendy and Jack in the land of dreams.

~The Day of Suzuran's Departure~

"Thank you for letting me stay here, and Aoi, Scythe… thank you for all that you've done." Suzuran said, ready to leave.

"The ox carriage will be ready shortly." Ginji said, before there was a loud crash coming from the main building.

"Bring me Suzuran." The familiar voice of Tannosuke called out.

"Is that the stalker guy from Youto?" Aoi asked.

"Suzuran, come with me." Ginji instructed.

"That is Tannosuke. He's here for Suzuran. I guess he thinks he can get away from the law, and try and kidnap her before going into hiding." Scythe growled, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists, walking to the Cliffside overlooking the courtyard of the main building.

From what Scythe could see, Tannosuke, had a lot of bandages and from how lumpy his clothes were, a brace under his robes for his back. He even had a large gauze patch on the right side of his head, showing that he still was unable to get his ear reattached.

Before Scythe could do anything however, he saw Tannosuke run into Wendy, and his blood boiled when the man grabbed her by the front of her Kimono, and backhand slapped her. That was the final straw, as all he saw was red.

"TANNOSUKE." Scythe shouted.

Tannosuke turned to look where his name had been called from, and blanched when Scythe came at him like a speeding bullet, gripping the front of his kimono with strength that he had no hope of beating, before he was thrown out into the courtyard. Before he could land on the ground, Scythe was behind him in an instant, and with an upward kick, was sent high into the air, with several of his ribs cracked or broken.

Scythe was instantly up in the air with him, and grabbed Tannosuke by the arm, while flying in the air on his wings.

"Please… no more…" Tannosuke cried.

"You hit. My wife." Scythe growled. "What makes you think, Suzuran would like being with you?"

"It doesn't matter if that bitch likes it or not. I wanted her as my wife, so I'll have her as my wife. Our child, is bound to produce high quality threads for lavish and high quality fabrics. But because of you and that stupid blue haired bitch wife of yours, I'm now one of the Hidden Realm's most wanted. So if I can't have her as my bride, I can at least knock that slut up, with my child, whether she wants me to or not won't matter-GAH." Tannosuke glared, before crying out in pain as Scythe's grip grew stronger, before his wrist broke.

"You know, it's people like you, WHO REALLY PISS ME OFF." Scythe shouted, rotating his arm and throwing Tannosuke down to the ground, causing him more pain. "JACKIE. COME HURT THE MAN WHO HIT MOMMY." He called to the annex building where Jack was eating a snack happily with her eyes closed, before they opened with an insane intensity that spoke murder.

In a flash of light, Jack dropped her snack, and reappeared above Tannosuke by a foot, and dropped down on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, after he had just regained it.

"So you hit Mommy?" Jack asked looking at him, her normal happy smile gone. "I don't like it when someone hurts Mommy or Daddy. You're gonna have to pay."

"Oh and Jackie." Scythe said, gently landing on the grass a couple feet away, while also getting Jack to look at him, her smile back on her face. "He's also the man Aunty Suzuran has been scared of over the past week. He's the one who was going to force her into marrying him, and he just told me he was gonna force her to have his babies." He said, referring to the title that Suzuran said Jack could call her by.

"Is that so Daddy?" Jack asked, to which Scythe nodded.

"Show no mercy." Scythe smiled. "But take him to your playroom in the Celestial Armory, we don't wanna make a mess on the grass here at Tenjin-ya."

"Okay." Jack smiled, grabbing Tannosuke by his robes, and disappearing with him in tow.

"Well, he certainly came a lot later than I was expecting." Wendy said, rubbing her cheek.

"Here." Scythe said, using his healing magic on her cheek. "Feel better?"

"Much." Wendy smiled. "So Jack took him to her playroom in the Armory? What are we gonna do about the reward for his capture though?"

"We can just report to the capital that Tannosuke was dealt with." Scythe exclaimed. "I'm assuming before he hit you, he was asking where Suzuran was?"

"You'd be right about that." Wendy sighed. "Did she already leave for the Apparent Realm?"

"She did. I think Aoi went with her, for her own safety." Scythe exclaimed.

"Seems like that was a smart decision on Master Odanna's part." Wendy said. "Should we get the annex building's renovations started?"

"I think that would be a good idea to start on them yes." Scythe smiled. "After all, Master Matsuba will be here in a bit to give us ideas for the name during his next visit. So we'll want everything to be presentable when he's around."