Family

By : PhantasiaNight

...

Summary

The only thing that Mana considered worse than losing to Kurumi was being saved by her. Later that night, Shido seeks solace from the same Spirit. Both of them have a single question for her: why? Getting answers from Kurumi however, is never easy.

Mana Takamiya opened her eyes, and realised the first thing that was off was that she wasn't in her room.

White tiled ceiling. Sterile-looking walls. The smell of anti-septic.

The girl sighed as she recognised her surroundings. Unfortunately, Mana was distressingly well-versed in the appearance of a hospital room for one so young.

Or maybe not so young? she wondered. She had the appearance of an athletic young girl, but biologically? Don't even want to think about it…

How did she get here again? Mana wracked her head, trying to remember the last thing that had happened.

…the bark of the pistol, an icy-cold prick in her neck, and suddenly pain and she was on the ground but couldn't remember sinking to her knees, she wanted to vomit and her head felt as if it was going to explode and the last thing she remembered seeing was a pair of mismatched red and golden eyes and a gleeful smirk on a beautiful face…

Mana suddenly jerked up as she remembered her duel with Nightmare – Kurumi Tokisaki. The Spirit had shot her with one of her damned special bullets. Now that she was awake, Mana remembered which.

Dalet. The Fourth Bullet, the one which allowed Kurumi to rewind the passage of time on her target, usually herself. But she had shot Mana with it this time. Frowning, Mana tried to comprehend Kurumi's unfathomable actions.

Then Mana realised the second thing that felt off.

She felt normal.

As in – completely, one hundred percent, human normal.

Gone was the usual feeling of maryoku flowing through her body, empowering her movements and sharpening her senses. It was as if someone had just flipped a switch and turned her from Mana, the powerful Wizard, into Mana, an ordinary young teenage girl.

In a sense, someone had. Kurumi had just rewound Mana's time, turning back who-knows-how-many decades in mere moments and turning her from a Wizard into a normal girl.

And in the process, had saved Mana's life.

Mana's extraordinary combat abilities came at the cost of a dramatically shortened lifespan, as the sheer amount of maryoku in her sucked away her lifeforce to sustain itself. The best doctors at Ratatoskr had given Mana ten years at most. And then Kurumi had waltzed in, politely told the laws of space-time to go fuck itself, and undid it all.

But why? Mana thought. That was the million-yen question. She and Kurumi had been, at best, adversaries with mutual enemies. She couldn't remember the number of Kurumi's clones that she had killed. And Kurumi had hospitalised her more than once in return. So why then, would Kurumi expend her precious time to save her of all people?

Mana's brow furrowed, still deep in thought, when the door slid open. She looked up, expecting one of the Spirits or an orderly, and did a double-take at the unexpected sight in front of her.

She was right about one of the Spirits. It was just that she wished this particular Spirit would stop showing up in her life.

"O-oi! What the hell are you doing here?!" Mana shouted.

Kurumi stood in her doorway. Wearing a decorative black dress and a black coat, her bangs covering her left eye and a smile on her face, Mana's worst Nightmare looked completely unperturbed by the rude greeting.

"Good morning Mana-san," Kurumi sounded way too happy for Mana's taste. "I came to visit you, of course."

Mana crossed her arms over her chest and clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tch. You should've tried harder. I might have believed you if you said you were here to eat me."

Unbothered by Mana's frosty demeanour, Kurumi happily crossed the room until she was standing next her bed. "Regrettably, Mana-san does not look delicious enough for me to eat."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Kurumi gave an amused giggle as Mana bristled at the taller girl, who seemed quite pleased with herself. Seeing as glaring at her arch-nemesis didn't seem to do much, Mana looked away and out the window, willing the Spirit to go away.

Unfortunately, Mana lacked the ability to rewrite the laws of the world that some of the Spirits seemed to possess, and Kurumi still stood by her bed. Mana sighed in disappointment.

"…It still feels disgusting, you know. Being saved by you," she offhandedly mentioned.

Kurumi raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Ara, is that so surprising? If I had wanted to make Mana-san feel good, I would have used a different method."

"Tch! You're disgusting!" Mana turned back and glared. Forcing away any awkward and frankly disturbing thoughts that Kurumi's words had put in her head, Mana paused for a moment, weighing up whether knowing was worth the price of bearing Kurumi's presence for another two minutes. In the end, her curiosity won out.

"Why did you do it?" Mana asked carefully. Kurumi seemed to pick up on what she meant instantly.

"I wonder why indeed…" Kurumi smiled mysteriously, touching her finger to her lips.

"That's not an answer."

"I never said I would give you an answer."

"You're unbelievable! I can't believe Nii-sama likes you," Mana huffed in annoyance. She looked away again, arms crossed.

"Ara, that might be part of why I did it." Kurumi had a thoughtful look before giving Mana a sly smile. "How should I put this? I believe that before long, since I will be married into the family, I should start taking good care of my future sister-in-law."

Kurumi laughed at the look on Mana's face, which had slowly taken on a red hue with a mix of confusion and anger. It quickly morphed into confusion and distaste when Kurumi suddenly reached out and tousled Mana's hair in a faux-affectionate manner. Mana in turn, swatted away her hand.

"Now now Mana-san, is that any way you should treat your beloved Onee-chan?" Kurumi teased.

"The only time that I would be calling you Onee-chan is in your sick, twisted dreams," Mana growled.

"Perhaps it is fortunate then, that Mana-san does not feature in my dreams, but someone else does~" Kurumi's emphasis on someone did not go unnoticed, and Mana's face soured as she understood who exactly Kurumi was referring to.

Not wanting to grace Kurumi with a response lest she decide to stay any longer, Mana turned away from the Spirit and an awkward silence quickly descended over the room. Annoyingly, the silence didn't appear to bother Kurumi, who seemed to thrive off putting others in uncomfortable situations. Mana didn't really know how to talk to Kurumi still, and wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to. Years of bad blood between them wouldn't disappear overnight and Mana was quite content to remain as enemies.

Mana's conscience then helpfully reminded her that Kurumi had saved her life, so she at least had to say something.

"…thank you," Mana muttered begrudgingly. Now go away, conscience, she thought sourly.

Kurumi smiled brightly as if they were the words she had been waiting for. "Then as thanks, you can start by calling me Nightmare-nee-chan~"

"Hmph! You wish!" Mana's head throbbed. This was actually worse than fighting Kurumi. Maybe it had been Kurumi's plan all along to kill her through sheer exasperation. "I don't know why you're still here, but since I'm well and you're not doing anything important, you should go away and let me rest."

Much to Mana's surprise, Kurumi agreed.

"Of course, if that is what Mana-san wishes," Kurumi said, turning around. She walked back to the door, but moments before passing through, looked back at Mana. "I'm glad you're well, Mana-san. Good day to you."

Kurumi pinched up the corners her skirt and gave a small curtsy and a smile, before she left the room.

If there was one thing worse than being outsmarted and beaten by Kurumi, it was being saved by her, Mana decided. With a sigh, she flopped back onto the bed, and a happy smile broke out across her face as she stared up at the ceiling.

She felt relieved. Gone was the overwhelming pressure that she only had ten years or even less to live. She could live her life normally now, go to school with Kotori, grow up, hang out with her brother…all thanks to Kurumi, a Spirit she once hated. Mana still had no idea why she had done so, since there was no motive that she could see or understand. Annoyingly, the only thing she could think of was that Kurumi had done it altruistically.

Hell would freeze over before that woman does anything out of the goodness of her heart.

Still…maybe Kurumi wasn't so bad after all.

It still didn't mean she had to like her.

Night had fallen at the Spirit Mansion.

Kurumi sat on her bed with a book in hand. Adjusting to life after taking asylum with Ratatoskr had been difficult, to say the least. Giving up a lifelong goal which had consumed her very being had not been a decision made lightly. And with the sudden loss of her goal, a yawning chasm had opened up in front of her, representing her uncertain future. Lesser people might have broken by now, lost and confused. But Kurumi would persevere as she always had. She flipped a page.

She was honestly glad to confirm during her visit that reverting Mana's condition hadn't changed the girl's attitude towards her. In spite of all the changes and upheaval that had happened to her in the last year, her adversarial relationship with Mana looked set in stone. The small mercies in life. She flipped the page again.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't necessary for her to live in the Spirit Mansion – she had her own residences and safehouses scattered throughout the city – but who was she to turn down an offer of an additional room, fully furnished, comfortable and sizeable, kindly sponsored by Ratatoskr? The fact that Shido was living next door was an added bonus, though she tried not to be around too often; Kurumi knew better than anyone in the mansion that wanting was infinitely more powerful than having.

A sudden knock on the door broke her concentration.

"Kurumi?" Shido's voice called out. "Are you busy?"

"Please come in, Shido-san. The door is unlocked." Kurumi placed the book on the bedside table as she answered.

Shido entered, closing the door behind him. He was still dressed in his bed clothes, though he had thrown a jacket on – meaning he had just walked over from his own home. Kurumi gave him a smile and patted the bed next to her in invitation.

"Sorry to bother you like this, Kurumi," Shido said as he walked over and sat next to her.

"I don't mind…but if you had warned me earlier, I would have prepared some much nicer clothes," Kurumi winked. She was dressed comfortably in an oversized black shirt and shorts which rode up high, exposing much of her thighs – a far cry from her usual, more elegant style. Since she wasn't in public, Kurumi hadn't bothered to style her bangs, showing her golden eye to her private world. Everyone else in the house knew about her eye in any case, so she saw no need to hide it.

Folding her hands in her lap, Kurumi tilted her head quizzically. "What brings you here to my room this evening, Shido-san?"

She had a good idea though; Shido had looked positively miserable since Tohka had disappeared after that final, climatic battle, and the collapse of the world Tenka had created. Kurumi was half-expecting him to ask her about Zaphkiel, and whether it would be possible to go back in time to save Tohka.

"Kotori told me about Mana. How you saved her, and restored her body at the cost of your reiryoku," Shido said, reaching out and placing his hand atop of hers.

Kurumi blinked in surprise.

"Ara ara, I wasn't expecting words of thanks – you're quite full of surprises, Shido-san."

"Not as much as you," Shido gave her a smile. "She also told me how you arranged for everyone to fight and use up your reiryoku, to extend Tenka's ability to maintain the world."

"Are you sure about that?" Kurumi smiled back. "Maybe I just wanted to confess to Shido-san, and I was confident I could beat everyone else to claim that privilege."

"Ah, even so..." Shido took a deep breath. "I just wanted to thank you Kurumi. For everything that you've done. For giving me back someone from my family. I wouldn't know what I would've done without you."

He leaned in, and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Kurumi felt her heart skip a beat, and then melted into the kiss.

It was short, sweet and gentle – almost too short for Kurumi, as Shido pulled away. Kurumi felt her cheeks glowing. This, she certainly hadn't been expecting from the normally shy and reserved boy.

"Thank you, Kurumi." Shido's blush was beginning to match hers.

"Y-you're quite welcome, Shido-san," Kurumi half-stammered. She really hadn't been expecting her night to play out quite like this. Regaining her composure – she wasn't a blushing, innocent maiden who had just received a kiss from her crush by the gods' sake – Kurumi nestled up closer until their legs were touching. "That was quite bold of you – you've really grown since we first met, Shido-san."

Shido laughed nervously, all of his previous confidence gone. "Is that so? I guess a lot has happened since then…" he trailed off.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as they were reminded of the events of the previous day, punctuated only by Kaguya's muffled screaming at her twin. Kurumi placed her hand on his thigh and began to rub comfortingly. Unlike the awkward silence with Mana, this time Kurumi couldn't help but feel the atmosphere in the room was almost unbearable. So she acted first.

"Do you want to know why I saved Mana-san, Shido-san?" Kurumi asked.

Her question seemed to suddenly snap Shido out of his brooding and he twisted to look at her directly. "Huh? I mean, of course I do. I thought you and Mana…didn't like each other very much. But I didn't think you'd tell me." His brow wrinkled in a mixture of suspicion and confusion.

"I could see the question on Shido-san's face when you mentioned Mana-san," Kurumi said with a small smile.

She turned away, a contemplative look on her face, wondering where to begin.

"Mana-san's path was not of her own choosing," she started. Shido frowned, slightly confused at her words.

Kurumi continued, undeterred. "It is true that Mana-san and I have fought each other many times and inflicted many wounds on each other. I doubt that Mana-san would ever come to see me in a positive light, or consider me to be anything more than a begrudging ally. However, Mana-san's actions against me were not a decision that she reached on her own. Had it not been for DEM, it is likely that she would never have taken up arms against me. For that, I cannot hate her."

"But you used up all your reiryoku…"

"Please let me finish, Shido-san. Yes, I did not hate Mana-san but that is not all of it. Consider Mana-san's position. She was forced to shorten her lifespan without her knowledge or her consent, and then use that shortened lifespan to fight. Where is the justice in that?"

"I see…" Shido said, likely considering the feelings from the memories that Kurumi had transferred to him.

The power to right the wrongs in the world. It was for that reason, Kurumi had accepted the Sephira crystal from Mio, an action which changed her life forever. Kurumi gave him a minute, to let the words sink in before she continued.

"But more than that…" Kurumi paused for a moment, thinking. "Mana-san is a part of this family. And I would break anyone who tried to hurt someone from this family."

"Huh?" Shido looked at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. After all, even to her ears, the reasoning did seem very unlike herself, even if the consequences were completely her style.

"Of course, perhaps it was because I wanted nothing more than to kill Isaac Westacott. Now he's dead, and I have removed all of his influence on this family. He has been erased as completely as possible, and has no lasting impact on anyone here. DEM will soon collapse without him and Ellen, leaving nothing behind. A man without a legacy, and doomed to be forgotten to time. A fitting end for him, is it not?" Kurumi's characteristic smirk lifted the edges of her mouth.

"Ah, ha ha, of course," Shido laughed nervously. "You can be quite scary sometimes Kurumi…"

Kurumi rested her head against his shoulder before looking up at him. "Do I scare you, Shido-san?"

Shido smiled. "Maybe at first? I mean, you were really scary when you tried to eat me and everything. But you're like part of the family now."

Kurumi laughed softly after hearing that. "That's very kind of you, Shido-san."

A quiet comfort filled the room again.

"I miss her, Kurumi," Shido confessed suddenly. There was no need to clarify who 'she' was.

Kurumi fought down the sudden pang of jealousy. She knew this was coming. But Shido was hurting, and while there was little love lost between Tohka and herself, she at least respected Tohka as a fellow Spirit. Importantly, more than any other Spirit, she herself also knew loss, and how much it hurt. That was probably why Shido had reached out for her like this.

"I know. She must mean a lot to you," Kurumi said, trying to ignore the feeling in her mouth.

The feeling in her mouth took a turn for the worse when her words seem to trigger something in Shido, as his shoulders shook, and Kurumi could see the tears starting to make their way down his face. Kurumi realised that Shido must've been bottling up all the feelings since Tohka had disappeared, putting on a brave face for the rest of the Spirits. But hidden away from all other eyes except for her own, the front dropped away, and Shido's tears flowed freely. Kurumi's heart went out to the boy. He had gone through a lot; so much, it was a miracle that he was still standing now.

Drawing on her own experiences when she had lost him more than two hundred times, with nothing more than her sheer determination to see her through, Kurumi scooted back to lean against the head of the bed, and gently pulled Shido down until he was lying on her lap.

"There there," Kurumi whispered, with a tenderness she didn't know she had. She started to stroke his hair comfortingly. A brief pulse of her powers later, and the room suddenly darkened as she enveloped the light in her shadow. She lost track of time as she continued to whisper comforting words to the boy in her lap, running her hands through his hair until the shakes died away.

"Rest, Shido-san. It's getting late," Kurumi said, still stroking his hair.

"I still see her."

"Time heals all wounds, Shido-san."

Shido twisted in her lap until he was looking at her. "You control time, Kurumi."

She smiled gently. "Then I'll heal your wounds Shido-san, no?"

"Can I stay here with you tonight?" Shido asked, meeting her smile with a tired one of his own.

"Of course, Shido-san. I'll be here for you. That's what family does, is it not?"

Kurumi continued to caress his head gently, lulling him to sleep. Unknowingly, she had taken on the role that Tohka had done before, when Shido had been conflicted about saving herself. Fate it would seem, would tie her, Shido and Tohka together still.

"Thank you Kurumi," Shido murmured from the soft warmth of her lap.

Sleep came easier that night.

THE END