Scarlet Justice - ep. 116
"A Place Called Home"
[Sweet Child of Mine: Feature 2]

"Touka, is Rose doing alright?"

"Ah, my apologies, Mistress. She was last with Lady Lilith..."

"That's only reasonable. They're joined at the hip, those two."

I crack one eye open as the voices reach me. Noisy all of a sudden. Rose is still asleep.

"Lili? Are you there?"

"Here, Mama..."

"Oh, you were asleep. I'm sorry, darling." Emi sets down her wine glass on the table. "And Rose is taking her nap. Good, good."

"Did you need something of me?" I ask drowsily.

"Nothing, my love. We'll let you go back to sleep, okay?"

"Yes, Mama. Thank you..."

She smiles and strokes my head gently. I close my eyes and try to fall asleep again.

"Lady Lilith looks so happy," Touka says quietly. "I've never seen her like this before. Just so calm..."

"Yes, I can say the same," Emi replies.

"Is it truly this child's doing?"

"It's more than that. After Caroline passed away...she really had no family for such a long time. I was utterly useless, both as a mother and guardian. Leonidas was never there for her. He never once acknowledged her. And when he discarded her, not just once, but twice...with his dying breaths, even. That terrible experience broke her. I couldn't imagine going through something like that."

I feel her kiss my forehead.

"Rose is our salvation. Both hers and mine. She is everything to us, the beginning of a new family. Of a new life for us all. I think for the first time in a long time...Lili has someone she can call family by blood. More than that, she has a place with me that she can call home. Instead of just being someone's anchor, or just a weapon, or a cold-blooded killer...she can be something else. She can be a daughter again, and for the first time...an elder sister."

"There is something beyond that. Is that the case, Mistress?"

"Yes. She is a Kobayashi. Not because of the blood of my father, or his fathers before him. She is a Kobayashi as my precious daughter, the child of my heart. This covenant between us, this promise that we have made to each other...that is thicker and stronger than any blood tie. No matter what happens, she will belong to me. That cannot be taken away from us."

"Yours is a strength given by the kami themselves, Mistress. And so, I pledge my life to you, and to this family you have built with your unwavering spirit. May the heavens continue to bless you, Emi Kobayashi."

"So shall it be, Touka. Let's leave these two alone for now, yes?"

"Yes, Mistress."

I feel Emi's warmth leave me, and the steps of my guardians moving away.

"Mama...thank you..."

The whisper passes through my lips as I fall into sleep once more.

Now about two weeks have passed since Rose came into my life. It's been quite natural, this experience. Some might say too natural, but the whims of heaven are not meant to be so easily discerned by mortals.

My eyes slide open, and I wake in the luxury of my room. A place where no expense has been spared, especially with my bedding. Top quality materials for an unmatched sleep...it would be hard to go back to sleeping on the earth and in normal beds, if I were as undisciplined as other humans. A shinobi's life has prepared me to give up the greatest comforts at a moment's notice.

Rustling comes from the crib that is nearby. It's elaborately decorated, as is Emi's way. There are toys and trinkets fitted to it for infants to play with. I roll out of my bed and walk over to confirm my suspicions. The little one is awake, and she's likely the reason I woke so early in the first place. Well, it's fine. I did get a fair amount of sleep.

"Good morning, my love. Mama has an early day today. Shall we greet her?"

She fidgets a bit in response and easily lets me pick her up. Rose is far from a fussy child; she cries only when she's in desperate need of something, and both Mama and I are nowhere nearby. Touka has also adapted quickly, and as such has gained this child's trust. But as always, my little sister is most comfortable with me. Mama has bought a set of gaudy jumpers for Rose, and today's colour is red. It complements the red ribbon on her head, which I adjust gently. She finds it amusing, at least. I do as well.

After securing Rose in my arms, we start off together. I wash up in the bathroom while she wrestles with a hand towel and tries to discern its flavour. My hair should be fine enough for now, so I leave it as is and pick up Rose from the counter. She seems to be doing well, and so we head into the dining room where Emi is sitting at the table. We do have a spacious hall, of course, but rooms like this are much better to eat and relax in, and of course it's much easier on Touka and the other staff as they make their rounds.

"Good morning, Mama."

"Hrm..."

"The Mistress isn't in the best of moods today, though she has yet to elaborate on why," Touka says as she walks in. Trays of food and cups of tea are skilfully balanced on her arms. She sets everything down neatly. "But there was also a late night followed by this early morning, which would be a strain on even the most robust spirits. Ah, and there was no drinking either."

"The doctor said that it was okay in reasonable amounts. So it won't hurt Rose, even if I go on a binge," Emi says.

"But you won't be binging. Or doing anything else," Touka says sternly. Emi's face twists up at that.

"Touka is right, Mama. Please take care when consuming for the next while."

"Listen. I didn't knock back a single damned drink when I was pregnant. So you leave me alone." She sips at the tea that Touka has prepared. "I can't complain about what I have been drinking, though, so...hm. Send the child over, Lili. Touka, did you get enough with the pump for the day?"

"It should be enough, Mistress."

"I hope so. That looks like more than enough for one child. Maybe two." She looks at me. "Just this once."

I give her a smirk as I hand Rose to her. "Really. I suppose I should consider myself blessed to partake in my new mother's milk as well, especially at this age. You really didn't have to go this far for me, mother dearest."

"I figured you would ask. You know, being a fucking deviant and all."

"Language," Touka says.

"Oh, fuck off. It's not like the little one understands a word I'm saying. And even if she does, she knows that her Mama is just a mean old bitch at heart. Isn't that right, pumpkin?" she coos to Rose. "Your Mama is a bad girl."

"You should strive to be an example, Mama. Children can pick up on the things their family members say, even if they need a few years to properly process them," I say to her.

"Hoh, look at Doctor Lilith over here. Fuck you, too."

My eyes narrow. "Oi."

She glares back at me while chewing her toast.

"You're in a particularly nasty mood," I point out. "So you had a short sleep and an awful night on top of it. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I know you don't. But you should, because as you've pointed out already, you're a mean, stubborn bitch-"

"Lady Lilith..."

"Apologies for my...colourful tone, Touka, but I am attempting to make a point."

She sighs. "Understood."

"Yes, as I was saying. You're going to be miserable all day at this rate, and it's going to upset Rose as well as make you an insufferable little wench if you don't get it out now."

Emi pouts and remains silent. I take a few sips of my tea and wait for her to melt a little.

"It's the company again. The idiot accountant they have there, the one Rothschild hired before you...you know."

"Gave him extra ventilation."

"And you're complaining about my language."

"Euphemisms are just fine in front of Rose. Continue, Mama."

She rolls her eyes at me. "The fool screwed everything up. I don't know whether he was trying to cover his tracks, or just lost a handle on it all, but...all of our books are in a bad way. So I have to fix all of it before everything blows up in our faces. Fines, sanctions...the operations are on a bigger scale than I realized, and there are several contracts that we absolutely have to work ourselves free from. Two weeks of continuous work to start. It might be a month to clear everything."

"Will you be away, then?"

"I won't be going too far, since the bulk of the work will be sent to the office we have here. Coming home every evening is mandatory, but..."

"It is a lot, and so soon. Even so, you have nothing to worry about. I can look after Rose with Touka's help, at least until you're able to spend more time at home."

"Really? You're sure it won't be a problem with the Leaf?"

"I'm not on active duty right now. Little perks from otherwise being at the Hokage's beck and call."

"I see..." Emi unbuttons her blouse and lets Rose drink from her breast. "If it's okay, then I will take you up on that offer. But don't let that old man put too much of a leash on you."

"I've kept it in mind well enough."

"You're not his type, then."

"Not yet, at least."

"Ha." She safely tends to Rose while digging into her breakfast with her free hand. From here, it seems like she's settled into the role of mother quite easily. And without anyone to learn from...quite remarkable, that Emi Kobayashi.

As breakfast ends, she makes sure that Rose is satisfied before buttoning up again. I take the little one back gently, and Touka hands Emi her accessories and handbag.

"You're sure that you can't mix her formula?" she asks Touka while putting on her necklace.

"I've tried a few different homemade recipes, and the formulas from the local shops. She won't have anything that's not your milk."

"Tch. Of course it's like that..." Emi lets out a breath. "More fun with the pump again, then. The child really is a machine at times." We follow her to the front entrance, where one of the butlers is already waiting. She shoulders her handbag and turns to us for approval on her outfit, to which we nod.

"Looks like I'm off, then. I'll see the three of you later."

"Good luck, Mistress."

"We'll see you soon, Mama. Be safe...don't burn yourself out. You've only just recovered from giving birth."

"Yes. I'll take care of myself, I promise." She smiles before heading through the front door as it opens. "Oi, Sakizuki! Get your ass in gear!"

Touka shakes her head as the door closes. "Remarkable how she can be more of a handful than the newborn...Lady Lilith, is there anything that you need of me?"

"Nothing for now, Touka. Thank you."

"Understood. I will be cleaning up the dining room, and from there I will be in the study the rest of the morning. Please send for me if you require my assistance."

"I will. Thank you, Touka."

"It is my pleasure, milady." She smiles and bows for me, then heads off to complete her duties.

"Now it's just the two of us," I say to Rose. She smiles and moves her arms, babbling at me happily. "Oh, but I feel the same as you do! It's nothing but a joy spending these days together. And there are never enough hours in the day, are there?"

Actually...there's something that I want to do right away. Since it's already been a few weeks...yes, that will work.

"A day of seclusion sounds tempting, but we simply must have a proper assembly. It's time for you to meet your other sisters," I say with a smile. "I'm sure you'll love them both."

I take Rose to the gazebo and focus on my arm seal.

Ane-ue, I hope I'm not disturbing you.

Oh, Lili. Not at all, my love. How are you doing today?

Perfectly well. It has been some time since we've last talked, but the time has come and gone.

Ah, has it? Very good. Is Emi doing well? I hear that pregnancy can be quite rough on the body.

She is well. In fact, she's already gone off to work...some urgent business has come up suddenly regarding Kobayashi Rice.

Goodness.

Yes, quite troublesome. It is just Touka and I for now, along with our darling child. The reason I called to you is that, if you're not terribly busy, I would like for you and Luna to come and see her.

We would be delighted to do so. Let me fetch Luna, and we'll be around in about a half hour, no later. Some herbal tea would be splendid.

Of course. I will make the preparations posthaste. Until then, Midori-nee.

Until then, my love.

"Emilia, darling." She is usually patrolling this area, if I'm correct. I hear her come down the hall, and she bows as she reaches me.

"How might I help you, milady?"

"A simple task, if you would. I want you to go to the study and fetch Touka for me. We have important guests arriving."

"Yes, of course." She bows again before leaving. About two minutes pass before Touka appears before me.

"Lady Lilith, how may I serve you?"

"I hope I haven't interrupted anything of substance," I say.

"Not at all."

"Good. Ane-ue will be arriving shortly with Luna. No later than about...twenty five minutes from now, give or take."

"Ah. What must I do for you, milady?"

"Have one of our fine herbal teas prepared for the three of us, and bring milk for Rose. Do not spare any quality, for we will not perish if we are forced to wait."

"Understood. I will prepare everything posthaste."

"Much appreciated, Touka."

She turns swiftly and leaves to make the preparations. I take a seat in one of the soft gazebo chairs, feeling Rose fidget slightly in my arms before settling down. It's peaceful enough here that I can relax and not think of anything...quite refreshing to do every so often.

"..."

Living like this, without any stimuli is...not sustainable, I would say. Especially for someone like me, who always has her mind trained on something or someone of importance. But this feeling...it's nice, I think.

"Milady."

"Touka," I say as I'm snapped out of my reverie. "What is it?"

"Lady Midoriko and Madam Luna have arrived."

I hop out of my chair and move towards the garden entrance. Both of my sisters greet Touka with kisses before turning their attention to us. Midori has chosen one of her flashy yukata, in red with gold accents. Luna follows her lead, with her yukata in a soothing blue.

"My goodness, she's beautiful!" Midori says with a smile. "Is it okay if I hold her?"

"Of course." I hand Rose off, and she waves her arms while looking slightly distressed for a moment. She settles down once she's in Midori's arms, calming down with a curious look on her face.

"What an adorable child. And so attached to you, I've noticed."

"As I am to her. I've never known such joy, being with another human like this."

"A blessing to you, beyond anything else. That is a feeling I understand very well," Midori says with a bright smile. "Oh, and she seems to take after you...not exactly shy, are we? Ufufu..." She laughs softly as Rose starts to paw at her breasts.

I hug Luna tightly as she approaches. "Lovely to see you again, Luna-nee."

"And you as well, Lili. Your sister is absolutely precious."

"She is. But you've forgotten already, have you? She's your sister too."

Luna giggles at that. "You're right, I did forget somehow. Since we're all family...yes, I meant to say that our sister is absolutely precious."

"Good. Make sure you hold her for a bit."

"Here you go," Midori says. She hands Rose off to Luna, and I see the little one fidget a bit before getting comfortable again. Her tiny hands reach for Luna's breasts this time.

"Well, we do have that in common," Luna says.

"Mm? What do you mean?"

"She's quite interested in our bosoms."

"That she is. Reminds me of a certain someone."

I scoff as they both look at me. "Really. I couldn't imagine who you might be thinking of."

"You'll have to wait for your Mama to come home. No milk in here," Luna says. "She really is cute. And such a good child. Perhaps she feels safe around us."

"It seems so. The only one she really gives any sort of trouble is Touka, and that's not saying much," I reply. "Mama and I make sure to spend as much time with her as we can."

"That's good. You know, infants can be quite perceptive. Especially in this world of chakra and such. I think she realizes that we're her sisters after all," Midori says. "That means we'll have to visit more in our spare time."

"Certainly." Luna hands Rose back to me, and I watch her smile while wiggling happily as soon as she reaches my arms again. I kiss her on the forehead gently.

"Apologies for the delay, ladies. Your tea is ready, and so is Lady Rose's milk," Touka announces. We take our seats around the table, and she sets down the cups and saucers while handing me a bottle. The tea is poured expertly with her steady hand. "Please, enjoy."

"Thank you, Touka."

She bows and leaves us alone to chat.

"So. Was there anything you wanted to talk about while we were here? I'm sure there wasn't much in the way of scandal," Midori says.

"I would say as much," I reply. Rose reaches for her bottle and I oblige her, making sure that the milk isn't too warm – it's quite tasty, I note – and that the bottle isn't filled with air. She suckles from the nipple steadily as I watch. "I want to know how you two are doing, more than anything."

"Ah, well..." Midori sips from her tea cup and nods with satisfaction. "Oh, that's good. Yes, things that have been happening...we're steadily getting ourselves ready for our wedding. No date set for that, and it will be dependent on our temperatures as the days wear on. Could be months, could be years...no rush whatsoever. Luna feels the same."

"Absolutely."

"Personally, we are both hale and hearty, as the expression goes. Our plans are progressing across the kingdom, and we are growing our family each day. Jakari Programming has introduced the fibre optic technology we chatted about months ago, Lili."

"Oh, have they?"

"It's been integrated across forty five percent of our available service area already. That's for telecommunications alone, you see. The medical applications, once they're properly tested, will be endless. That says nothing of what else we will be able to do. Technology isn't the only thing on our agenda, of course. We have managed to properly tighten up our legal system and advanced many of our initiatives for social justice, to help restore what was lost under Manda's rule. We are proud to announce that by the end of this month, there will be no person without a home within our kingdom. And we will work hard to ensure that it remains as such."

"Amazing. That really is wonderful, Ane-ue," I say with a smile.

"I wonder if we could see such a thing in this world as well. It's not impossible, but...given the nature of humans..." She sighs. "It's heavy to think about."

"How about something to lift your spirits, then? That ideal might be closer than you think."

"Oh?"

I nod. "I've decided. I am going to become Hokage in the future."

"Wow...that's incredible, Lili. You've really changed. I mean to say...you've changed in some ways, and carried on in others. That's called personal evolution, I think?" Luna says.

"You have the gist of it, Luna," Midori says.

"Yes, thank you. No matter what you might call it, it's encouraging to see."

"Thank you," I say. "It wasn't something bright or bombastic that brought me to that decision. A mission with Erika and Ino, coming upon things that most shinobi understand as normal in their world. In my heart, I said that it could not stand any longer. That this world had to change. And I knew that the path I had chosen wasn't the right one. To simply be a weapon, a tool of destruction in this world."

"You saw further than that. You realized that your gifts meant you had a higher station, a calling that was meant to be fulfilled," Midori says.

"Yes. You must have realized it, too...both in your life, and in mine."

"I did. But the decision had to be yours. And I would be happy no matter what choice you made."

"I know. That's what makes you so brilliant, Ane-ue."

"If you ever need our help, we will be here for you," Luna says.

"I will always remember that, Luna-nee. The love and prayers you send to me, they will always be of use. And your material support doesn't hurt either," I say with a wink. "I think the world's strongest maid will have a role to play in the future."

"World's strongest...I wouldn't go that far, but you can call on me whenever you need me."

"Double for me," Midori says.

"As always, I will do my best to keep both of you from lifting a finger. But I'm happy to know that you're ready to catch me. Thank you."

We continue talking, eventually ending up in the land of gossip that we love to vacation in so often. Luna keeps in touch with her old acquaintances from the Leaf, and I fill in a few gaps with things that I've heard from Nami and Ino, to name a few people.

"Eh...something like that, really?" I say with surprise. "You really think so?"

"Within two years. And their child will be named something simple, like...hm. Mirai."

"Hoh, aren't we bold."

"Rather forward of you, Luna," Midori says.

"Simply an educated guess," she says with a wave of her hand. "Now, I could be wrong. But I don't think I will be."

"That's some confidence. It looks good on you," I say with a smile.

"Feel free to praise me once it happens," Luna says haughtily. We all share a laugh afterwards.

"A...uu."

Rose starts to fidget in my arms, and I can figure out right away what she means. "So it's that time, then."

"What time?" Midori asks.

"This child will need to be changed shortly."

"You figured it out from just that? Seems like you have it all down to an art already, Lili."

"Perhaps so. I don't think it would be quite the same if I didn't love her so much. But it keeps everyone happy. Mama doesn't have to worry as much. She's a bit of a coward when it comes to these things, you know."

"Lili, don't be so mean," Luna says. "It's rude to make fun of your mother, especially since she hasn't done this before."

"Heh. Emi was right, you are more forceful than Touka."

"Don't tell me you're taking advantage of her..." She sighs. "I'll have a talk with my kouhai before we leave. You two are disastrous."

"I think we'll leave you to your work for now. At least before Luna gets too fired up and pulls on a maid outfit," Midori says with a laugh.

"You're awful, too."

"Hmhm. There are things to do in the kingdom, but don't hesitate to call us over for any reason. Any excuse to see our darling Rose again is a good one."

"That we can agree on. Please take care, Lili," Luna says.

"I will. All of us will. It was so lovely to see you both, and I know Rose loved it too."

The three of us exchange hugs and kisses as Touka arrives again. She escorts my sisters to the front door, and comes back a while later.

"Well...that was an earful."

"So she really did give you that lecture after all," I say.

"Thinking about it, I do let you two get away with a lot..."

"Mm. We'll be sure to test your resolve from time to time, then." I give her a smug smile. "But then, you're looking forward to that sort of play, aren't you?"

She tries to hold back her blushing. "Is there anything I can do for you, milady? Perhaps taking care of Lady Rose for you?"

"No, no. I will handle this next part myself. But thank you, Touka."

"Of course." She bows before hurrying off. Oh, but she's just as fun as Luna in her own way. A little easier to tease, but her reactions are just the cutest.

"Now, we'll take care of our little princess." I head to the nursery where some of the maids are doing their regular checks. We acknowledge each other before I set Rose down on the changing table. She's as quiet as ever, and I remove that gaudy jumper before starting my routines.

"Hmm~"

Rose wiggles her arms as I hum to myself and work. She likes to make strange movements whenever she's on the table, and today is no exception. Before long, she's cleaned and changed. I button up her jumper again, put everything in the proper bins, and we're done. Very easy.

"There! Much better, I'm sure you agree."

"Aa!"

"As I thought." I hold her close to me as we leave. "So, we have the rest of the day to ourselves, and little to do until Mama gets back. Hmm...what should we do? Ah, I know. There's your favourite kaiju film, we haven't watched it in about a week. Let's do that together, and then we can call Touka to bring you your next meal."

"Aa."

"We are in agreement. Splendid." With that, we head to the mansion's theatre.