Like all stories, one must come to an end to make way for the next.

xXx-xXx-centuryandseven-xXx-xXx

Opera stared at the positive pregnancy test in numb acceptance.

It wasn't particularly a surprise, honestly. It was literally the consequences on their own choices and actions, and really, they shouldn't cry over it.

But unlike their first pregnancy, they'd become strangely more… emotional over the past handful of weeks.

So they did cry, not in some overtly manner, but tears were running down their cheeks, and they hatehatehated themself over it.

They took in a deep sniffling breath, dropped the damning test into their garbage bin, cleaned their face, and moved onto their usual duties for the day.

xXx-xXx-centuryandseven-xXx-xXx

Over the many decades that Iruma had ruled the Netherworld, there were very few exceptions for those who could come to him anywhere for any reason without prior permission at anytime.

His mother, Kerori, Sabro, and Soi.

All others had various restrictions for one reason or another, but those four had absolute access to his person.

(Lord Sullivan lasted two years before he absolutely had to have a prior appointment. He was far too chaotic and interruptive to his duties to not have a specified time set aside.)

So when the door opened without a prior engagement, he was unsurprised and felt out who it was before he nodded to himself while he finished his present paperwork. His mother was one who understood duty first, so unless it was an absolute emergency, they would simply wait until he had a moment to spare to finally acknowledge them.

However, when he finally set down his pen and looked up, he nearly jumped from his seat as he choked on air. Were they dying?! How- why was their mother crying!?

Iruma stood up in worry as they moved from behind his desk towards his mother, "Mom..? What? Why are you crying?!" He felt frantic as he looked them over before prodding against them with his Mana.

Opera observed him quietly before they pressed their Mana against his and pulled his in to calm both him and themself down. Opera took in a deep breath, but something caught their throat and they remembered the first time this had happened, and how they hadn't been there for him, and how they were going to mess this up and-

Iruma inhaled sharply at the confusing rush of painrememberchild that reverberated through their Mana, before something else barely brushed against his Magic.

He felt confused for a long moment before stepping into Opera's space to hug them in reassurance. He pressed against their Mana motherwonderfulcomfort as he held them close. They sighed softly into him before dropping their forehead against his shoulder and sagged into him.

It took some time for Opera to pull their words together, but with a derisive huff, they did. "...I'm pregnant."

Iruma frowned and blurted before he could help himself, "How'd that happen?"

Opera shifted and gave him a scathing glare, but he gave them an incredulous one in return, "Not literally. But…" His voice trailed off, words unneeded to explain Opera's deep revulsion towards the (usually assumed) act of procreation.

Opera dropped their head onto his shoulder again tiredly as their ears drooped, "...It's stupid."

Iruma couldn't help but scrunch his face at that in confused wonder, before pulling back slightly to sit them down on a nearby couch. "I'll withhold my judgment-"

Opera gave him a tired-but-annoyed look, "I made a bet."

Iruma blinked before carefully sitting down on the table behind him and monotoned, "A bet."

Opera nodded glumly.

Iruma smacked his face before rubbing it. "...How did that happen?" It didn't make sense!

Opera's face warmed in embarrassment as they took a moment to explain themself. "...I'd had a creeping thought for some time." Iruma raised an eyebrow at that statement before they grumbled. "...Probably a decade at least. Maybe."

Iruma tilted his head slightly, and Opera continued. "...I believe I have incredible impulse control, but something about that night…" They sighed as they sunk into the cushions of the couch, "I lost to it, and made a bet with Kalego. He… doesn't gamble on principle, but he seemed to find the idea amusing enough to bite."

Iruma observed his mother, and Opera couldn't meet his eyes as they finished. "...I think you can guess what happened from there."

Iruma mentally rolled his eyes before straightening up, "So did you win this bet of yours, or lose?"

Opera scowled with pink coloring their ears, "...I lost."

Iruma's brows raised in surprise, before an unconscious fanged smirk fell across his face, "You-" He mentally smacked himself as he recalled their shared past while schooling his features. "...Are you okay?"

Opera huffed lightly as they clasped their hands together, "I'm abnormally emotional, but otherwise fine."

Iruma looked Opera over before humming, "You're tired."

Opera nodded, "It wasn't easy with you, so it's of no surprise that I'm tiring more easily now."

Iruma pushed himself off of the table, "Have you told him yet..?"

Opera wrapped their arms around themself before shrugging, while refusing to meet his eyes. "...I had not planned to."

Iruma frowned at them, "But… why?"

Opera glared up at their son, "Because it would ruin his position as the Guard Dog of Babyls." They took in a deep breath and sighed while avoiding his gaze. "It is his life's work. I won't risk taking that from him again."

Iruma observed their mother for a long moment before nodding silently. "...I'll be right back."

Opera gave him a quick glance before nodding.

Iruma stepped out of his office, looked between his two guards, and made a few hand motions towards one. They swiftly left to fulfill the task given, while the other continued with their guard duty.

Iruma then pulled out his hellphone and quickly texted his group chat with Kalego and Shichirou.

Opera cried in my office. You have six minutes to arrive and console your mate.

He easily put the device away and returned to Opera's side.

xXx-xXx-centuryandseven-xXx-xXx

To say that Kalego and Shichirou were ruffled was an understatement as they arrived at the Demon King's office door.

Of the two males, somehow, Kalego felt as though he were in deeper trouble than his friend.

It was at that moment that a guard with a rolling cart with tea and other food items arrived, and the other guard opened the door for the three to enter.

Opera stiffened the moment Kalego and Shichirou entered, their pupils becoming slits with deep gold coloring their irises. They glared at Iruma, who gave a bit of a nonchalant shrug, smiled at his fathers winningly, and waved as he stepped out into a side room. "Have a good chat."

Opera hissed at their son as he slipped out, and the office door closed as the guard returned to his post.

Kalego observed his mate with confusion as he prodded their bond. They rebuffed him, and Shichirou's bond reverberated confusionworry just as much as himself.

Kalego took in a deep breath while pushing back his hair, before exhaling in frustration. "Opera." He moved over to their side and crossed his arms, while gently pressing a part of his leg against their knee. His voice was soft as he asked firmly, "What's wrong?"

Opera refused to meet his eyes, and Shichirou took it upon himself to pour out some of the tea that'd been prepared for them.

The two men allowed their mate to ignore them for a long a moment, before Kalego's patience snapped and he pressured them with his Mana-

Opera flinched with a small gasp at his assertiveness. They weren't ready to rebuff him, as they clung back desperately, while something else latched on as well.

Kalego startled at the feeling, familiar despite the decades between then and now.

There was a marked difference this time, though.

He inhaled sharply in surprise, before Opera flashed their fangs in frustration and embarrassment, "You win, Kalego."

Shichirou looked between the two in confusion at this silent little exchange, before taking his mask off with a frown as he looked to Kalego for answers. "Win what?"

Kalego felt… slightly faint, but shook himself as he observed Opera's figure. It'd been… seven weeks since then?

A strangeness ran up his spine and made the scar on his back ache as he kept his wings from releasing in surprise. "...You're… with my pup?"

Opera looked away from them both as they nodded, "Yes."

Kalego frowned as he prodded against them some more, before their Mana slapped at his. Their annoyance was clear through their bond, but Kalego allowed himself to sit beside them closely, as their sides pressed against one another.

The foreign-but-not presence happily ate away at his Mana, especially now that they were touching, and Keroberos rumbled into a doggish laugh towards Kalego.

Kalego carefully wrapped his arm around Opera's waist and pulled them closer to himself as he watched them. They glared up at him in annoyance, before Kalego rumbled deeply in his chest in a calming manner.

Opera's eyes widened, before they observed him in neutrality. "...You're not going to gloat?"

Kalego raised an eyebrow, "Why would I do that?"

Opera sniffed, "I lost. It's the first time I've ever lost against you."

Kalego took in a deep breath and sighed softly before pressing into them and nosing into their neck for forgiveness. "I never really thought I'd win."

Opera resisted him for a moment before giving in and nuzzling him in return. "And now I've ruined everything by losing."

Kalego paused before pulling back to look at them oddly.

Shichirou took that moment to place a teacup in their hands, before settling on Opera's other side with a plate of sweets and sandwiches. "Opera, do you have any known sensitivities?"

Opera blinked as they turned to him. "...My own thoughts and emotions?"

Shichirou gave them a weird look before snorting with a smirk, "I meant food-wise."

Opera shook their head in the negative, and Shichirou fed them a bite-size of a sandwich.

Opera frowned as they chewed, "I can feed myself."

Shichirou hummed, "You have two mates ready and willing to feed and sustain you during this new journey of yours. You seem a little worn out and thin, Senpai."

Opera's ears lowered as they pouted, while begrudgingly taking another offered bite.

It was… unfortunately true. They'd skipped random meals lately due to one reason or another.

Kalego watched the two of them before stating, "I don't quite understand your thoughts, Opera." They looked at him curiously. "You've been ruining my life since high school, so I'm not sure what it is you're referring to."

Opera glared at him, "Don't be ignorant- I'm talking about your position."

Kalego blinked lazily, "And why should you have to worry about that? It's my family, and my problem."

Opera flashed their fangs while tears welled up in their eyes, "Because!" Kalego and Shichirou startled at their raised voice. "You're The Guard dog of Babyls! You- there's a hierarchy! Don't act like you don't know what I'm referring to!"

Kalego met their eyes calmly, before placing his other hand over one of theirs. "Opera. My successor will be entering Babyls with this year's freshman."

Opera inhaled sharply in surprise, "...You had a successor..?" Slowly their surprise turned into anger, "And you knew?!"

Kalego pulled back slightly, "I've only known for a few weeks, since the entrance exams just finished. Dali brought me his entrant form."

Opera gaped at him, "You weren't told..?"

Kalego shook his head, "No, and perhaps it is due to my own… previous choices, that it was so."

Opera frowned before sighing in annoyance as they decided to rest against him petulantly. "...And if it weren't for your successor coming in?" Kalego hummed in confusion. "What would you say to your Clan?"

Kalego tilted his head, before shrugging one shoulder carelessly. "Fuck you, my son's the Demon King and I'll do what I want."

Opera and Shichirou looked at him in surprise, before Opera snorted into snickering laughter, while Shichirou shook his head and sighed. "Kalego…"

Kalego smirked devilishly, "It's true."

Opera patted his leg lightly as they snickered. "I suppose it is."

Shichirou wrapped an arm across their backs and gave them both a warm look, "Congratulations."

Opera flushed with a nod, while Kalego simply hummed with an agreeable head tilt.

Opera glanced down at their still mostly flat belly and patted it lightly with warmth in their chest.

This child would know love.

They would be safe.

xXx-xXx-centuryandseven-xXx-xXx

During their pregnancy, Iruma always spoke about his 'adorable little sister.'

Eventually when asked in private, Iruma just grinned mischievously and stated, "I've known since I was fifteen that I'd one day have a little sister."

Kalego had a difficult time coming to terms with that statement.

While Opera's Clan might be prone to a higher female ratio, the Naberius Clan was far more prone to males, with females being a rarity to their blood.

…And while Kalego wanted to doubt Iruma's words, he couldn't refute them.

(Iruma would have been smart enough not to say anything back in those days, but his child had the strange gift of foresight, just as the previous Demon King Derkila was said to have.)

So when the day came that Opera was to give birth, despite experiencing it many times with his troublesome Misfits, Kalego realized it was far more terrifying when it was one's own mate and child. (Especially since he'd nearly lost them the last time-)

He swallowed his fear, and made it his strength as Opera (literally) broke his hand and cursed him solidly through the process of labor.

And then his child was born, cleaned, swaddled, and placed into the arms of their birth giver.

"It's a girl, congratulations!"

Kalego blinked, stunned, as Opera carefully nuzzled their newborn kit, flushed and tired.

Mother and child both were alive and safe.

Then the moment finally came for him to hold his first-born child, and something warm and proud released in his chest as he smiled warmly at his pup as a rumble reverberated deeply within his chest. A perfect mix of their blood, with her mother's features and his Clan's dogged nature.

Live and be Strong, pup.

Live and be Strong.

xXx-xXx-Lost and Found-xXx-xXx

XxX-Another Side, Another Story-XxX

Henri couldn't help the trepidation that crawled up his throat as he met his Superior's eyes, while the source of his current predicament slept soundly, swaddled in his arms.

"Could you truly not help yourself, Azazel Henri?"

He'd never seen the demon's face, but if there was anyone who had ever been second in line as the Demon King, Henri is certain that this particular individual would have taken that seat, even above the Three Greats, if he'd had such an ambition.

Henri swallowed thickly, "The whelp, while half-human, is still half-demon. His demonic heritage is a threat to our Borders."

"As is his Humanity."

Henri breathed in slow and deep through his nose, "I will take responsibility."

"As is to be expected with such an impulsive Contract."

Henri closed his eyes and bowed, "The human's Memories were erased. The child will be in my care from now on."

"And the mother? What are we to do with them?"

Henri was silent for a long moment, "When they are capable, I shall return the whelp into their care."

A sense of rage pressure pressed against him, "And if they succumb to their Curses?"

Henri opened his eyes and raised them to where he thought his Superior's were. "Then I shall raise him into a proper demon as my son."

The pressure intensified, and Magic creeped and crawled throughout his Pathways. He stood still despite the desire to recoil and squirm away from the invasive Magic. "So it shall be. Dismissed, Azazel Henri."

Henri bowed swiftly, and stepped out of the dark meeting room of the highest position within Border Patrol.

He swallowed down bile, and stared into ice blue eyes that watched him curiously.

Henri took in a deep breath, "Let's go home… Iruma."

XxX-Misplace and Raise-XxX

A/N: For those into Final Fantasy XIV- Happy Dawntrail!

Final Note: I hope you enjoyed this story, and that you'll follow along to the next AU of this little idea, Misplace and Raise. I'll begin working on it after I finish the Mafia If au 2-or-3 shot.

Please leave a review, and thank you for reading!