#and miss ryuzaki with ALL my heart + his interactions with light

[bouneilly]

can't believe I'm almost finished with death note, five more episodes in and it's over… orz

[josiewinters1999]

Normal (p2)

L Lawliet x Chubby!Reader

Part 1

Summary: L longs for a sense of normalcy in his current depression. The burdens of the case begin to weigh him down. His heart longs for something or someone far away... If only she were with him now...

Words: ~4k

Contains: Established relationships, angst, depressed L, mentions of low self esteem, mentions of marriage, hurt/comfort, takes place before yotsuba arc

A/N: Thank you everyone to read and enjoyed part 1!! I apologize for the wait on part 2, I thought I would have it done long before now but life gets in the way lol. I really enjoyed writing this and I hope I captured L's character well. I just feel sad sometimes bc the poor guy just wants friends and stuff like everyone else :/ so this is my way of giving him something special ToT hope you guys enjoy!!!

***

Watari could barely stand it anymore. Watching L stagnate like this was killing him, and not to mention, severely hindering the progress of the investigation. The past few days, he barely ate, only picked at his cakes and cookies. He requested cannolis once, and Watari immediately knew what was wrong… he missed her. 

The night he watched through the security cameras as L called her, his suspicion was only confirmed. His left hand never left his pocket, the pocket that always carried her photo. The longing in his voice was soft yet deep, and the bags under his eyes were just that much darker. 

The great detective’s mood seemed to sour even greater every time he watched Misa interact with Light. Every flirtatious comment, every touch, every hug, had L shrinking into his chair just a bit more. Watari was afraid he’d break his spine the way he curled so tightly into his knees. 

Even Light was beginning to make comments about L’s slight shift in behavior. He would try to include L on findings in the case, and even tried to offer to take him out for a tennis match. L would have none of it, it seemed nothing would lift his spirits… nothing except one thing. 

L would be furious if Watari did what he was tempted to do, beyond furious actually. It was an incredibly reckless and risky thing to do given the nature of this case. However, the case was suffering, Kira was no closer to being caught, and its lead investigator had a case of a broken heart. Watari was quickly running out of time and options. What else was he supposed to do? 

With a heavy sigh, Watari picks up the nearest phone and dials a New York cannoli shop. 

***

Flipping through the same stack of papers that have been on his desk for the past three days, L scans the words over and over again, as if the reports would change in real time. He could feel his mind wandering, see the words blurring, and hear the noise in the background fade and distort. HIs was losing his edge, and with it he felt, his sanity. 

“What do you think of this report, Ryuzaki?” Light politely asks, handing him a document from a stack he’s already read ten times over. Gently taking it in hand, L reads of an incident of Kira enacting his justice on a convicted mobster, guilty of killing business owners who refused to pay his protection fee. Just like how we met. 

L hums, trying once again to put on the facade that nothing was wrong with him, that his heart was still even in this case at all. “I’m not quite sure, Light,” he answers, “While this type of criminal most definitely meets Kira’s typical profile for a ‘deserved killing’… it almost seems too much like Kira. I think that…” he pauses for a moment, “oh nevermind. I believe that made much more sense inside my head.” He hunches over the drink on his desk before whispering under his breath, “I just keep saying ridiculous things…”

He sighs, taking another sip of his barely sweetened coffee. L didn’t even have the energy or will to turn his drinks into pure sugar water anymore. Everything sweet reminded him of her. After all, her lips tasted just like fresh, tangy, sweet, rasp-

“Ryuzaki?” Watari’s voice pulls him from his stupor only for a moment, that voice being his only comfort in these hard times. Not daring to look up from the swirling, murky, coffee in his cup, he only hums, “Yes, what is it Watari?” The sound of his cart rolling across the floor becomes louder and louder as it approaches L’s desk, yet Watari’s voice stays exactly where it is, “I have something rather special here for you today.” 

When the cart stops, a delicate, feminine, hand places a small plate in front of the detective. A perfectly fresh, puffy, and practically overstuffed cannoli sits right in L’s line of sight. The bright pink cream falls in puddles on the plate, beckoning him to have a taste. 

With certain caution, L takes a hesitant finger into the cream, bringing it to his lips. “Raspberry…” he mumbles around his index finger. Pulling his hand slowly from his mouth, he carefully turns his head to the side, finding a set of wide, soft, hips standing next to him. He follows the figure with his eyes, tracing every familiar curve with a disbelieving look. 

Finally reaching the face of the not-so-mystery woman, L’s jaw practically falls to the floor. The woman only chuckles, like a sweet song, and gives an equally sweet wave, “Hi, cream puff. It’s been a while hasn’t it?” 

L springs from his chair like a Jack in the box, nearly dragging Light to the floor by his wrist. His eyes widen, and he, for once in his life, is left completely speechless. “I-I…” he stutters, “What are you doing here?” The plump woman only twiddles her hands in front of her, a guilty blush beginning to consume her face. “Well…” 

Watari interrupts the exchange by clearing his throat and taking a few steps forward. All three heads in the room turn towards him, though only two of them understand what is even being said. “I summoned her here of my own accord,” Watari explains, “I felt the case needed some extra moral support, and after a thorough call, she seemed very eager to assist. Isn’t that right Miyuki?” 

Of course he would give her an alias that means “beautiful happiness.”

‘Miyuki’ nods eagerly at Watari’s confession, “Yes, he explained everything on the phone and well… I knew that I had to come.” She tilts her head and gives L a soft, sad, smile, “He said you weren’t doing so well, cream puff. If I had the chance to help, I couldn’t just let it slip me by.” 

Despite the flutter in his heart and the urge to suddenly reach out to touch her, L’s logical side fumes in anger. Shooting a glare to Watari and then back at Miyuki, he sets his jaw, “Do you have any idea just how dangerous it is for you to be here right now? Our lives are on the line in this case, and the last thing I want right now, is for yours to be at risk as well.” 

His scolding has her lowering her head in shame while Watari stands still as ever. “I’m sorry,” she mutters, “I just… Watari said it would help you relax to have me around and well,” she raises her head, “I wanna help you any way I can, no matter what it takes. My life included.” 

Looking into her eyes, L could tell she meant that with her entire being. She wasn’t there for any other reason than to make him happy. He had two choices now; shatter her heart and send her back to New York, or put her life at stake to keep her here. They both were incredibly risky paths to take, each could result in losing her for good. 

His silence only raised her anxiety and Miyuki’s eyes begin to water slightly, “I… I thought you’d be glad to see me. It’s been almost two years since you last saw me in person. Do you… not want me here?” 

Now he really was on the spot, he needed to think quickly before this escalated more. Could he really tell a lie to that sweet, puffy, soft face that cared so much for his well being? Would it even be worth it to do so? Swallowing a lump in his throat L finally musters the courage to answer her question. “No,” he begins, “I am very glad to see you. I trust that you being here now means Watari took all the proper precautions to bring you to Japan,” she nods in confirmation before he continues, “If that’s the case…” he smiles slightly, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to keep you around for a few days or so.” 

Miyuki’s face lights up in a smile and she lunges forward, wrapping her arms around L’s neck. “Oh thank you!” she exclaims, “I’ll make sure you never run out of raspberry cannolis again, cream puff.” Returning her embrace, L snakes his arms around her waist. A waist that, it seems, has grown. His girlfriend had put on a bit of weight since he last saw her, and if he was being completely honest with himself, he loved it. Holding her felt like biting into a fresh donut; warm, soft, and like home. 

L would have continued to hold her against himself for as long as time permitted, but unfortunately, she stepped away, a red embarrassed flush on her cheeks. Looking back at the dumbfounded and clueless Japanese boy handcuffed to her boyfriend, Miyuki wrings her hands, “I don’t suppose I could have a moment with you in private? If that’s too much to ask, I guess we could talk with… whoever that is, here.” 

“Ah,” L hums, looking back over his shoulder at his companion beside him, “That would be Light Yagami, completely harmless… for now. It would take too long to explain why he’s currently attached to me but…” he trails off, tracing his thumb on his lip as he looks at the massive monitor full of surveillance camera feeds. If he uncuffed himself from Light, he would still be watched 24/7 by Watari and the others, right? Surely it wouldn’t do any harm to the investigation to give himself a one hour break from his experiment. 

Looking back to Miyuki, L smirks, “I believe I could arrange a private moment for us. Light has someone else in this facility waiting to spend some alone time with him as well. He’s been behaving well enough I don’t think it would be too horrible to allow him that. I’ll meet you on the 18th floor… once I find the key for these handcuffs.”

***

A quiet, yet peaceful silence hung in the air as L squatted on the couch across the coffee table from Miyuki. It was strange the way their relationship played out, their phone calls were always filled to the brim with conversation, almost never allowing for a moment of quiet, yet these moments, the ones where each occupied the same room together, were always so silent. Both were so content to bask in each other’s presence. 

L watched her with nearly glossed over eyes, curled in on himself as he studied her every shift and movement on the couch, trying his hardest to commit every part of her to memory, especially since she’d changed so much. The tension in the air that had lingered in the tower for the past week seemed to finally evaporate just by having her here. Right now L felt… relaxed. 

“What are you laughing about?” Miyuki inquires, and L hadn’t even noticed the chuckles coming out of his mouth. She had a way of drawing out the childish joy in him that even he seemed to forget existed. Hugging his knees, he shakes his head, “It’s nothing, I’m simply enamored with you. You have brought a light with you I feared had diminished inside me.” 

Blushing like mad, Miyuki smiles brightly, shining like a thousand stars, “I’m glad. Watari said you’d been missing me lately. You’ve had a lot on your plate and he figured that having me around might give you some peace of mind and focus.” 

“I believe he was correct,” L agrees, “I’d say my sense of peace has risen by at least 60%, and my focus even more so. Though I must admit… my focus is most certainly not on the investigation at the moment. Rather, it’s on someone else entirely.” 

She waves a hand in dismissal, her smile still cheek to cheek. L can barely help the smile on his own face as he stares her down from his hunched position across from her. He could stare at her for hours, there was just something about her that drew his attention like nothing else. If asked 5 years ago, L would say he didn’t believe in love at first sight, but the moment he met (Y/N), that all changed in an instant. 

In an attempt to make some sort of small talk, L hums, “I’d ask how your family is, but your father made it evident on the phone he still hates me.” Miyuki sighs, her smile only diminishing slightly, “Well, you know how papa is, after all that stuff that happened with my uncle getting killed that summer we met, he’s been extra protective of me.” 

“I think it’s only natural for him to feel that way, given everything that’s happened,” L remarks. 

Miyuki shrugs, “I suppose, I just wish he would be more accepting of you.” She pauses for a moment before laughing softly, “You know, my grandma keeps telling me that I should dump you if you aren’t going to propose soon.” Raising her finger she does a poor impression of a scolding elderly woman, “‘It’s been five years and there’s no ring on your finger, you’d be better off finding someone who actually wants to make an honest woman of you.’”

L freezes in his seat, his shoulders tensing and his thumb stopping all motions against his lips. With eyes slightly widened, he nervously asks, “You… don’t plan on taking that advice, do you?”

Noticing the way he was gripping his knees, Miyuki suddenly stops laughing. “Of course not, cream puff,” she assures vehemently. Getting up from her seat, she walks across the space between the two couches to sit next to L. Turning towards him, she puts her hands on the cushions close to his leg. “I told you at the end of that summer that I would wait for you, always.”

The tension in his body loosens at her proximity, but he hangs his head slightly, thinking as he resumes rubbing his lip. He sighs, his shaggy hair hiding his dejected face, “But perhaps… you shouldn’t. I fear your grandmother makes an excellent point, dear. It’s foolish for you to continue ‘throwing your life away’ as your father would put it.” 

Miyuki shakes her head, “What are you talking about? Why would you even say that?” 

With a huff, L unfurls himself from his seat, placing his bare feet on the carpet below him. Resting his elbows on his knees, he studies the patterned floor, tracing each shape with his eyes as he talks, “It’s just that… we have been in a relationship for half a decade now, and in all that time, we’ve spent a total of exactly 164 days, 13 hours, and 37- no, 38 minutes, physically together. This job of mine… it hardly allows for a social life of any kind, let alone a relationship of this nature.” He lifts and turns his head slightly, looking at her from beneath his overgrown bangs, “I simply feel that… you deserve an ordinary life. A life that only an ordinary man can give you… a man that is nothing like me.” 

“There is nothing wrong with you,” Miyuki argues, “You’re just as ‘normal’ as any other man. You’re strong, and handsome, and-” 

“Darling,” he interrupts, “please don’t lie to me. You know just as well as I do that this life I live is far from typical. I never had a normal childhood, never had real friends, and I became a professional detective at a time when I should have still been in grade school.” A pale hand reaches out to hold Miyuki’s thigh, “I care about you… immensely. I want you to have everything you desire in this life, but unfortunately… it may not be something that I can give you, despite my very deep desire to do so.”

Enveloping L’s hand, Miyuki grabs hold of him, tears welling in her eyes, “I don’t care about any of that,” she assures. “At the end of that summer, before you left for your next case, I told you I would wait for you, always,” she scoots just a hair closer, “I meant that then and I still mean it now. I wouldn’t have come all this way behind my family’s back to be here if I didn’t. L… I love you. I don’t care if that means I only get bits and pieces you manage to spare from your hectic life. I’ll take whatever I can have if it means I get to be yours.”

The detective studies her face with a full heart, his tired eyes watching every twitch and shift of her features. She truly meant every word she just said. She is in love with him, and she would do anything to stay in his life… no matter what sacrifices that entailed. For a moment, he thinks of Light Yagami. He may have Misa’s adoration, but L… L has (Y/N)’s devotion. He had half a mind to kiss her right then. 

Miyuki swallows the lump in her throat as her boyfriend continues to stare her down, his eyes flicking between her own and their hands clasped between them. He seemed so far off yet close at the same time, and she knew this meant he was busy thinking about something. His eyes usually glaze over in a certain way when he is lost deep in his thoughts. 

When he continues to stay silent for more than she is comfortable, she squeezes his hand to ground him. “Uh, cream puff?” she nervously chuckles, “Are you okay? Did I… did I say something wrong?”

L blinks, refocusing his attention on the woman at his side. “What? Oh I’m sorry, I just trailed off for a moment.” He releases her hand, repositioning himself on the couch in his typical pose, this time turned to face her completely. As he rubs his thumb against his mouth once more, he begins mumbling to himself, “There’s no way she would refuse… it’s the only way…” 

With increasing concern in her voice, Miyuki bites her lip, “L? Is… everything okay?” 

He ignores her question and instead asks her one of his own, leaning forward ever so slightly to closely observe her reaction. “You love me, correct? So much that you hang by the phone everyday just to hear my voice? That you would wait for months on end just to spend a long weekend with me?” 

Almost offended by the question, Miyuki blinks rapidly, “Of course I love you. I’d do anything for you.” 

“Even upset your own family?” he further questions, “They never have liked me, and I’m sure they’ve tried many times to convince you to end things with me. Perhaps they’ve even set you up with other men your age to get you to forget about me.” 

“Well… yes, they have,” she sheepishly admits, “but I always turned those guys away. I don’t need them, I have the best guy in the world.” 

L smirks at that last comment, “And I always appreciate your flattery, dear.” He tilts his head before continuing his questioning, “If there were a way that we could stay together full time, travel together, and see one another every day, you would want to do that, correct?” 

“Absolutely,” she answers with no hesitation. “But you just said we can’t… because of your work.” 

“Yes I did say that,” he nods, “However, I believe I’ve come up with a solution that would not only benefit you and I, but would perhaps appease your family as well. Or at the very least, give your grandmother one less thing to complain about…” he trails off again for a moment, biting his thumb before raising an eyebrow, “You would say yes if I asked you, right?” 

“Asked me what?” Miyuki questions, thinking there’s no way he could possibly be talking about what she thinks he is. 

“I suppose there’s only one way to find out…” he mutters to himself. Getting up off the couch, L takes the plump hand of his girlfriend before kneeling beside her on the carpet. Looking up at her blushing face, his equally nervous, red, features quiver as he utters the question that has been weighing on his heart for many years, “Would you marry me?”

Her eyes shoot open, nearly wide enough to pop out of her head, “Cream puff… do you really mean it?” 

Swallowing, he grips her hand a hair tighter, “Why would I have any reason to lie to you? I have been deeply in love with you since I was a teenager, and despite the constant distance and secrecy between us, you’ve stayed loyal and faithful to me. If I were to take you as my wife, you would never have to be without me again. You could travel with me for work, I could finally shower you in all the gifts and affection you deserve, and I could sleep easier at night knowing I wouldn’t have to wait even a day to see you once more. I could even tell you my real name after all this time.” 

Miyuki is speechless, her eyes pooling with tears, blurring her vision of the man on the floor in front of her. Shoulders sinking, he loosens his hold on her hand, “But… perhaps that is too much to ask of you. It would be selfish of me to wish to take you away from your family, to want to tie you to me forever,” he goes to stand up, “Forgive me, I should have never-” 

“No,” Miyuki shouts, grabbing his hand and yanking him back down, “I would, I’d do it. I’d do whatever I had to to be with you.” 

“Are you sure?” he asks, a self deprecating sadness glinting in his eyes. “If you want to, we can continue on the way we are. I just… thought that might be a possibility you’d like to consider… I can’t deny it’s a fantasy I’ve indulged in during some of my more restless nights. Thinking of you… it gives me a clarity I can’t find anywhere else.” 

Fantasy. That’s the word he used. He truly felt it was a fantasy to even think that she would want to be with him forever. Yet, after that confession, how could she possibly even think to say no? Under his seemingly aloof and calculating exterior, L was still a man, a man with a heart that yearned to be with the woman he loved. 

“I’m sure, L,” Miyuki mumbles through the tears streaming down her soft cheeks, “I love you so much. I…” she starts crying even more, unable to hold in the emotions filling her heart, “I wanna be your wife… more than anything.”

“So… you will marry me?” he asks once more, just to clarify. 

She simply nods with a resounding, “Yes.” A smile spreads across his lips as relief washes through him. L had solved some of the most dangerous, high profile criminal cases on this planet, but proposing to his girlfriend just now had been the single most terrifying experience of his life. 

It almost comforted him to feel so normal at that moment. He was just a man, in love, promising to spend his life with the one person who meant more to him than anything, as so many ordinary people do every day. He could quickly feel his heart filling up, nearly fit to burst. 

Taking him by the collar of his shirt, Miyuki pulls L to her lips, kissing him with all the ferocity and love she could muster. The first time she would ever kiss her fiance. 

Pulling away, she leans her forehead on his, “I love you, L.” With a smile on his kiss swollen, perfectly pink, lips he reaches up to hold her hair, gently rubbing the back of her head, “And I love you… until death do we part.”

[dragonandtiger]

Digimon 00 - Fragments - 36

The Ryuzaki residence was alive with music and activity, guests filling all the luxurious rooms as they enjoyed the massive party hosted by Jin and Mina. From entertainment to food, the two spared no expense, ensuring that their guests would have much to do - and much to talk about afterward.

It was something that Keiko still wasn’t used to. While there had certainly been parties at the Makura residence, she was never allowed to really attend. She’d make an appearance, perhaps put on a performance for that woman to receive praise over, and then rushed out of sight, like a bird put back in her cage. She certainly wasn’t allowed to enjoy any of the food, even if the party was supposedly for her own birthday; it would’ve ruined her strictly regimented diet.

The feeling of watching on as the other children devoured her birthday cake as she was ushered away immediately after snuffing out the candles was one that she would always remember. And that memory was the reason why her plate was currently covered in nothing but cake - all of the cake.

Nyamon watched her partner with an amused smile. Her own plate wasn’t too much more balanced, with a hearty helping of confectionaries for herself, but she at least snagged a few pieces of choice meat to go with her sugary morsels. “Take your time, the food’s not going anywhere.”

“The best slices are always taken first,” Keiko said sagely despite the giddy smile on her face. “I just made sure I was the one to take them.”

“From every cake here,” Nyamon replied wryly.

“Exactly,” Keiko giggled before scooping up a buttercream rose with her fork and popping it into her mouth.

Nyamon chuckled before she turned her attention to her own plate. “Well, no one has a right to complain, so…”

“If someone does complain about my baby sister, they’re going to find themselves missing a few teeth afterwards.”

Keiko immediately turned to see Akane approaching from behind her. She began to say her sister’s name through a mouthful of buttercream, only to stop and cover her mouth on instinct before swallowing.

Akane had her arms full, not of food, but with a toddler in each arm. Keiko already knew Sera to the right, prompting her to unconsciously tucked her hair back over her shoulders, but the child in Akane’s left arm was one less familiar - a little boy Keiko only remembered being mentioned before.

The little boy was small, shockingly pale, with short, fluffy black hair and light gray eyes. He wheezed as he breathed, a little plastic tube attached to his nose that trailed off to somewhere behind him. Colorful bandages with smiling cartoon characters peeked out of his sleeves and pants, and some sort of pack bulged underneath the back of his shirt.

Keiko lost the sweetness of the buttercream on her tongue as she stared at the sickly little boy. “That’s… Tsuyosa, right? The boy you’re… nannying?” She faltered on the term, not sure if that was the correct way to put it.

Akane smiled in spite of Keiko’s reaction. “That’s right. This is Kigaru’s pride and joy.”

Keiko paused for a moment to remember the name, brow furrowing. “Kigaru is your husband… Mamoru’s friend, right? The guy who owns that big company?”

Akane nodded with an affirmative hum, enthused by the guess. “Right, right! He’s my friend too. The five of us have gotten very close since Tsu and Sera were born.”

Tsuyosa stared at Keiko intently, tilting his head slightly. His eyes were bright with fascination, as if he were scrutinizing her with great interest.

Keiko noticed Tsuyosa staring, that both babies were watching her. She also noticed how their clothes, well dressed but rumpled, matched in shades of purple and light blue, and that Sera held a stuffed doll with a crazy looking smile. The scrutiny made her feel more than a little self-conscious, as she had no idea how to interact with children so young that they could barely talk.

Nyamon turned to smile at her partner. “I guess children can’t help but like you.”

A gruff snort came from beside Keiko and Nyamon as Narakumon crossed his arms. “Who knows what these undeveloped humans think at this age? Do they even have thoughts-”

Tsuyosa turned his head to look at Narakumon, causing the Digital God to stop mid-sentence, stiffening beside Keiko in shock. Tsuyosa gave a small blink as he tilted his head in the opposite direction, then returned his gaze to Keiko.

Akane noticed Keiko’s awkward stance and let out a quiet chuckle. “Would you like to spend some time with these two?” She giggled again at the startled look on her little sister’s face. “Babies aren’t scarier than Digimon, are they? Don’t worry, they’ll be less intimidating once you get to know them.”

Mortification flushed Keiko’s cheeks with heat. “I-I’m not scared of them!”

“Excellent,” Akane said before nodding her head to the side. “Then let’s go to the playroom. They’ve been excited to play with their cousin Sakura all day.”

“I guess s…” Keiko paused, brow furrowing. “Wait, their cousin?”

Now it was Akane’s turn to look sheepish. “Ah, that’s…” She faltered for a moment before rambling out an explanation. “Well, Kigaru has always been like a brother to my Mamo-chan, and I’ve been helping take care of Tsu so long that he’s started calling me ‘Mama’ and treats Sera like his twin more than a friend.” She let out an embarrassed laugh. “Sera’s actually started calling Kigaru ‘Papa’ too like Tsu, and both of them call Mamo-chan ‘Dada’. It’s so cute that none of us have the heart to tell them otherwise, and we kind of enjoy being co-parents for each other’s kids.”

Keiko was silent for a long moment as she let Akane’s explanation sink in. “Oh.”

Nyamon blinked at that before she tilted her head. “Well, if it makes everyone happy, who cares? Blood isn’t the most important thing when it comes to bonds. Sometimes, it means nothing at all.”

Keiko nodded, her confusion fading into something much more solemn and certain. “Right. I’m not even the same species as Papa and Mama, but I won’t trade them for any other mom or dad in either world.”

Narakumon glanced at Keiko, his expression softening even as a light flush of embarrassment appeared on his face.

Akane relaxed and let out a breathy laugh. “Exactly. So go ahead and think of Tsu as your nephew too, okay? I’m sure that’d make him very happy.” She looked down at the children, her smile widening. “Hey, hey, can you two say ‘Auntie Keiko’?”

“‘Ntie Keike!” Sera chirped as she reached out towards Keiko with the doll, who grasped onto it with some reluctance. “‘Ntie! ‘Ntie!”

“Auntie Keiko,” Tsuyosa said after a pronounced pause. His voice was somewhat raspy, much like his breathing, but was still clear enough to hear.

Keiko swung the doll a little, eliciting a giggle from Sera who tugged on it and tried to swing it even further. However, her attention was more focused on Tsuyosa, as she stared at him in bafflement. She was used to babytalk from Sera and Sakura, and Tsuyosa appeared to be around their age, yet he spoke with surprising confidence in the shape of his words. “Wh… how old is Tsu?”

“He’s going to be two in a couple weeks,” Akane said before pausing to readjust her hold on the children. “And Sera is going on 18 months now.”

“He’s pretty smart,” Nyamon said, with a blink.

Akane winked. “Indeed he is. That’s what you get when your daddy’s a genius.”

“He’s wise beyond his years,” Narakumon said softly. He stiffened again when Tsuyosa glanced in his direction, though he softened a moment later. “He’s been through many things.”

Nyamon turned to stare at Narakumon, but he refused to meet her quizzical gaze.

Keiko considered what to say, but noticed Akane’s attention drift. She followed her sister’s gaze to some people staring at them. Although this party had been thrown by her family, there were others invited as well for one reason or another, and the certain looks those people were giving them told her that even her siblings had social obligations with judgemental people. It left her skin crawling, reminding her of the parties that woman threw.

“Come on,” Akane said cheerfully, snapping Keiko back to the present. She smiled as her little sister turned back to face her. “Let’s get to the playroom before these two start getting restless.”

Keiko looked back down at the tiny children and nodded in spite of her reluctance.

---

The playroom at the Ryuzaki mansion was very large and filled to the brim with toys of all sorts. With so many guests, there were already children running around, laughing and chattering as nannies and au pairs tried to keep up with their charges.

Keiko felt distinctly out of place in such a setting. She had never really been allowed to play with other children at any age, so it left her awkwardly trailing behind her sister as Akane set Sera and Tsuyosa down onto a plush couch.

“There we go,” Akane said in a singsong tone. “Now, you two wait here with Auntie Keiko while I look for Sakura, okay?”

Sera instantly climbed to her feet, bouncing up and down on the couch. “Sakura!” she shouted above the din, waving her doll around. “Sa - ku - ra! Sakura! Sakura! Sakura!”

The answer came quickly, as Sakura’s voice chimed out like a bell across the room. “Seeeeeeraaaaa!”

Akane blinked then laughed as she watched her little niece race past the other children towards them. “Well, I suppose that works too.”

When Keiko saw Sera leap off the sofa, she instinctively cried out, startled, but was surprised to see her little niece tumble into the fall and recover quickly, racing off on surprisingly steady legs to tackle Sakura into a hug. “Wow…”

Akane chuckled wryly and gestured Keiko to sit in the seat Sera just vacated. “That’s Sera. She’s very active.” She straightened up and dusted off her pants. “Well, I better keep an eye on those two before they try sneaking off to get into some mischief. How about you and Tsu sit and talk? You can read him a story if you like.”

Keiko glanced at the bookcase Akane gestured to and placed her plate of cake on one of the higher shelves, out of reach of little grabby hands, before finally sitting down. “Okay, sure, but doesn’t Tsu want to play too?”

Akane smiled, though there was sadness in her eyes. “Yes, he might, but if not, I’m sure he’ll be happy to spend some time with his long-lost auntie, right Tsu?”

Tsuyosa silently nodded, a timid smile on his face.

Keiko wasn’t sure how to respond to that, and watched as Akane hurried off to the other side of the playroom where Sera and Sakura were already trying to scale a rather sizable slide the wrong way.

Rather than race off after Sera, Tsuyosa instead moved closer to sit beside Keiko. He was silent and mostly still, save for a small movement to reach over and grip her hand. His own hand wasn’t big enough to take it in his own, so he ultimately grasped her pointer and middle finger with his tiny hands.

The action startled Keiko and left her feeling even more at a loss for what to do. She faltered, hesitating for a long, uncomfortable moment, before clearing her throat. “So, uh… What do you like to do, Tsu?”

“Sit,” Tsuyosa replied after a moment. “Read.”

Keiko’s eyebrows shot up. “You already know how to read?”

Tsuyosa nodded.

“Wow,” Keiko muttered before her expression softened to something fond. “You should meet my friend Ken-chan sometime. He’s a genius too, like you.”

Tsuyosa tilted his head before he gave Keiko a soft smile.

Narakumon watched Tsuyosa intently, his expression troubled. However, he opted not to voice his thoughts, instead mulling in silence.

Unfortunately for him, Nyamon was paying attention this time, catching the expression on his face. “What is it?”

Narakumon paused at that and shot Nyamon a quizzical glance, which was met by Nyamon’s cool stare.

“You’ve been acting weird,” Nyamon replied, flicking her ear.

Narakumon’s expression grew annoyed, though it softened again when Keiko turned to look at him. Even still, he hesitated with his response. “The boy. He can… sense me. Somewhat.”

“Eh?” Keiko blinked before she looked at Tsuyosa and followed the little boy’s gaze as it lingered on Narakumon again. “What does that mean, Papa? Not even the other Chosen Children can see you like this.”

“It means he has a high affinity for Darkness… and by extension, death,” Narakumon replied. “Though not nearly on the same level as you.”

Keiko stared at her adoptive father in disbelief before she looked back at Tsuyosa. “So then… Tsu could become a Chosen Child of Darkness… like me?”

“It’s… possible,” Narakumon said, reluctantly. “Though unnecessary.”

Keiko nodded slightly, furrowing her brow. “I guess so. Chosen Children aren’t natural after all…”

Narakumon gave a small nod, though his frown increased. “Still, for his affinity to be so well-developed this early in life…”

Keiko felt a quiet sense of unease settle in from the tone of her papa’s voice and she turned back to Narakumon. “Do you think bad humans did something to him too? Like when they made me and the others Chosen Children?”

Narakumon’s gaze shifted to the tube attached to the boy’s nose, and the little device it in turn was attached to by his back. “No. I believe… that life in general has been cruel to him.”

“What do you mean?” Keiko asked quietly, though a part of her felt that she would regret asking.

Narakumon looked like he was about to respond before he stopped. He gave a small shake of his head before he looked away. “It’s nothing. Nothing for you to be worried about… for either of us to be worried about.”

Keiko frowned and straightened up, leaning closer to Narakumon as she slapped her hand down on the armrest of the sofa. “Papa, I’m not going to stop worrying just because you told me to. Tell me what’s going on with Tsu.”

Narakumon was silent for a moment before he lowered his head. “He’s simply… a rather ill child. I’m sure his early years have been rough. But his parents are doing what they can, so there’s no point in getting involved.”

Despite the reassurance, Keiko felt herself being wound up all the more by Narakumon dancing around the subject as the gears in her head spun towards an increasingly sinister suspicion. “Tsu’s my nephew, so I’m already involved.”

“You just met him,” Narakumon replied.

“That doesn’t matter,” Keiko said firmly as she slapped her hand down on the armrest again to emphasize her point. “Blood doesn’t matter. Tsu is family too, Papa.”

Narakumon was about to retort when he paused, noting several women suddenly glancing at them both rather intently. “Keiko, we’re being watched.”

Though annoyed by the change in topic, Keiko looked to where Narakumon gestured. Three well dressed women, socialites by the look of them, were leaning close to each other just outside the playroom. Even over the sound of squealing children running around and playing, their “whispering” was far too loud not to be intentional.

“Look at that one,” said the woman with pearls around her throat.

“Oh, I know,” her replied companion with extra big lips. “Talking to imaginary friends at her age? Her mother must be so embarrassed.”

Keiko’s cheek twitched.

“Oh, my god,” a third women with too many rings on her fingers gasped, cutting the others’ gossiping off harshly. “Is that who I think it is? The little diseased boy?”

At her words, the other two stopped and turned to gawk again, focusing past Keiko to Tsuyosa. They immediately recoiled at the sight of him, and again when he stared back, clustering closer together like a herd of animals forming a line of defense against a predator.

“They actually let him in here!?” the puffy-lipped woman asked, with no small amount of indignation. “With all the other children!? What if he infects them?”

“And that’s their little sister too, isn’t it?” added the woman with pearls. “How completely irresponsible! She already looks so pale… could he have gotten her already?”

“Well,” the woman with too many rings huffed. “I’m getting my au pair to get my sweet little Hirono and Ichigo out of there right now.” She then strode off into the room, giving the sofa with Tsuyosa and Keiko a wide berth.

Keiko growled, curling the hand Tsuyosa wasn’t holding into a fist so tight it quaked. She had heard such talk far too often in the darkest period in her life, and she did not have any patience to listen to it now. The only things holding her back was her unwillingness to ruin her brother’s party and her promise to Akane to keep a close watch over Tsuyosa. She had to bite her tongue not to at least snarl out scathing insults to the gossipping biddies and cause a scene.

Tsuyosa interrupted Keiko’s thoughts as he squeezed her hand tightly, though clearly with little strength. He didn’t look up at her, instead staring at the ground. “Papa says I can’t get other people sick too. I’m not bad.”

Those words, spoken with such tired sadness, were a knife that pierced Keiko’s heart. “Tsu…” She glanced over at the women, seeing that two were still watching them. With a disdainful sniff, she turned away from the socialites and pulled Tsuyosa gently into her lap. “Hey, Tsu,” she said with a little more volume than necessary. “How about I read you a story? A nice long story.”

Tsuyosa paused at that before he looked up at Keiko. He was silent for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. “Okay.”

Narakumon watched the exchange, and found himself ironically thankful for the obnoxious interruption. It had drawn not only Keiko’s attention away from him, but Nyamon’s as well, and saved him from a conversation he did not want to have with his daughter.

As a god of death, he knew the signs - he knew what to look for. And he also knew when there were just some things better left unsaid. Besides, as he kept telling himself, it wasn’t as if it was any of their business.

Death came to everyone equally.

---

The moon filtered in through the drapes in Keiko’s room of the Ryuzaki estate, casting its gentle light on the floorboards. Everything was still as darkness settled in, like a comforting blanket to ease everyone to sleep. In such comforting surroundings, it was only too easy for Keiko to fall asleep in spite of the fact that she wasn’t back home in Crystal Tower. After the party, with Akane and the children staying over, she was reluctant to leave just yet. Fortunately, Nyamon curled up beside her on her bed, she was able to sleep easy.

At least, until the peacefulness of the night was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps and loud voices just outside her door.

Keiko was up and out of bed in an instant. In her adrenaline-fueled, half-asleep state, she at first thought she was back in Crystal Tower in the middle of some sort of crisis in the Digital World. It was only when she charged out into the hall dressed in pajamas with Nyamon close on her heels that she woke up enough to remember where she was, which added a new kind of fear.

Although the Ryuzaki estate was vast, Keiko’s bedroom was right next to the guestroom where Akane stayed with the children after the party. The door to that room hung open now, and the sound of a child crying and adults talking rapidly drew her close.

Inside was chaos.

Pacing on one side of the room was man with wild, long blonde hair streaked in purple, who Keiko belatedly recognized as her sister’s husband. Mamoru fretted about, carrying Sera in his arms and patting her on the back as he murmured what were supposed to be soothing words to his daughter, but the little girl continually wailed, inconsolable.

On the opposite end of the room, Mina was seated on the bed, cradling Tsuyosa in her arms as Akane knelt beside him, injecting needles one after another into various places on the poor young boy’s body. To Keiko’s horror, she saw Tsuyosa’s skin had turned blue in places, his raspy breathing more like ragged gurgling as he struggled for air even with a large oxygen tank on a cart nearby now hooked up to the tubes in his nose.

Nyamon stared at the scene in horror, her ears canted back. “What the hell’s going on!?”

“I’ve already called Kigaru, he’ll meet us there,” Jin’s voice came in loud as he was marching down the hallway to the room, distress clear in his voice even as he tried to keep it even and authoritative, as if he were in charge of the situation. “Everyone just stay calm!”

Mina was unruffled by the chaos happening around her as she kept Tsuyosa propped upright against her to prevent him from suffocating. She turned her gaze away to Keiko and Nyamon and spoke like the crack of a whip. “Keep the doorway clear! The paramedics are coming.”

Keiko jerked at the order, but did as she was told, darting into the room with Nyamon right behind her to stand out of the way next to Mamoru, despite how Sera’s mournful wailing hurt her ears. “What’s happening?” she asked, raising her voice to be heard over Sera’s crying as she plugged her ears with her fingers. “What happened to Tsu?”

It was Akane who answered, though she never looked Keiko’s way and constantly kept pulling items out of an unusually large open medical kit on the nightstand. “It’s fine, Keiko. Everything is fine. Tsu is going to be fine. This happens all the time. We only called an ambulance to get to the hospital faster, but this is nothing new for us. Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.”

It was obvious to Keiko that Akane wasn’t just trying to convince her everything was “fine.” Unfortunately, it was also clear that there was nothing she could do to help; there was no foe to defeat, no castle to destroy and rescue the helpless child before her. All she could do was stay out of the way and listen to her niece cry as the paramedics arrived and spirited Tsuyosa away.

In the end, only Keiko, Nyamon, Mamoru, and Sera remained once the chaos disappeared - or rather, moved on without them.

By that point, Sera had finally tired herself out from crying, only occasionally letting out a sniffle and a tiny wail of “Tsuuuu…”

Mamoru sighed wearily as he rubbed his daughter’s back, bouncing her in his arms. “It’s okay, Sera, it’s okay. Tsu will be home soon enough.” His blue eyes turned apologetically to Keiko who looked skeptically back at him. “Really, it’s going to be okay. This has happened more times than you think. Tsu’s a fighter - he’ll be back home again in a few days.”

“No,” Narakumon’s voice cut in, not that Mamoru or Sera could hear, with the finality of a tolling bell at a funeral. It caused Keiko and Nyamon both to turn and stare at him. He stood beside them, staring out the window with his back to them. “He will not.”

“Papa?” Keiko asked quietly, her heart filled with dread. She completely ignored the confused look Mamoru gave her as she took a step towards her father.

“The boy will not be coming back,” Narakumon said, not looking at Keiko. “This man needs to not fill his daughter with false hopes that will only be crushed when her brother never returns.”

Keiko froze mid-step, her entire body going cold.

Nyamon’s eyes widened as her ears canted back.

Mamoru looked towards the window, but saw nothing. He cocked his head to one side then the other. “I… suppose you must be talking to your father right now? Narakumon, sir, er, that’s your name, right?” He paused, but the empty space offered him nothing. “Well, anyway, my apologies for not being able to have a proper conversation with you, but I was thinking that since you’re the digital manifestation of a god, perhaps, if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind lending Tsu a little of your strength?”

Mamoru turned to Sera and used a tissue to clean her face. “I know it’s asking for a lot and it’s probably outside your particular skill set - you being a god of data and computers and all - but from one father to another, I hope you understand why I thought I’d ask anyway.”

Narakumon stiffened but said nothing, staring out the window at the moon.

The tense silence settled over Keiko like a lead weight, threatening to suffocate her. The earlier conversation with Narakumon came back to her with an all new, terrible clarity. “You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you, Papa? That’s why Tsu could see you.”

Narakumon didn’t respond at first, mulling over his words, before he finally spoke. “I am a god of death, Keiko.”

The implication hit Keiko hard, rendering her speechless.

Narakumon could feel his daughter’s stare piercing through his back, which was all the more reason that he refused to turn to face her. “The spark of life in Digimon is not much different than the one found in humans. And even though this is not my world, I am still able to sense said spark… and see it grow dim. That boy’s spark… is all but extinguished.”

Keiko slowly started to shake her head, denial welling up within her. “There’s got to be something we can do for Tsu! How do we revive the spark? Tell me what to do, Papa!”

Narakumon paused at that. It was a struggle to find the words to continue, but somehow he did, keeping his voice even. “This is the natural order of this world. Death is a part of it.”

“Screw that!” Keiko snapped, clutching her fists. “The Digital World makes its own natural order, and Mama overturns death all the time!” She threw her arm out to her side. “I’ll go find Mama’s Chosen Child and drag her to the hospital to help Tsu if I have to!”

Nyamon gave a sharp nod as she crossed her arms. “It wouldn’t be that hard to find her.”

The sound of crying began anew, as Sera reacted to Keiko’s shouting. Mamoru rubbed his daughter’s back again, but kept casting a troubled gaze towards Keiko and the empty space.

“I’ll… take Sera to another room to calm her down,” he muttered before hastily leaving. It was clear to him that he was in over his head in this sort of situation and his priority needed to be to his daughter right now. “Please excuse us.”

Narakumon felt a spark of irritation at Mamoru’s interjection, as the conversation was stressful enough as it was, but allowed himself to be mollified by the man’s departure. He let out a deep sigh through his teeth as he tried to get his thoughts in order. It was hard enough trying to talk reason to his daughter when his own feelings refused to match with what he knew was logical. “The girl has no experience with using Tenraimon’s power. As it is, she’s using it to heal her own body’s sickly nature. You know that.”

Keiko flinched, her eyes sliding askance as a twist of guilt hit her, but she refused to look away for long. “Then Mama can lend Tsu her energy dire…”

An abrupt idea silenced Keiko before she could finish her thought, the gears turning in her head as she stared intently at Narakumon. “Papa, you said Tsu could be Darkness like me, right? Is that only because he’s about to die?”

Narakumon grimaced at that before he finally turned to face his daughter, his expression stern. “Keiko.”

“What if you made Tsu like me?” Keiko pressed, stepping closer to Narakumon, placing a hand on her chest. “What if you share your power with Tsu, would that save him?”

Narakumon’s expression grew exasperated as he let out another sigh. “Keiko, he’s a random human child that-”

“He’s my nephew!” Keiko snapped. “He’s family, and I’m going to save him, blood or no blood!”

Narakumon went silent as he stared at Keiko for a moment before he lowered his eyes, his expression twisting unpleasantly.

“She’s not thinking anything that you weren’t already thinking,” Nyamon said with a snap of her tail. “If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t have that sour look on your face.”

“I have a responsibility to the Digital World,” Narakumon said softly. “And involving more humans would be…!”

Keiko closed the distance between her and Narakumon, taking her father’s hand in hers and squeezing tight. “He’s already involved, Papa. He’s not just some random human. He’s your family too. You’re his great-uncle.”

Narakumon paused before he looked at Keiko’s hands in his own, which seemed so small. It was hard to imagine that such delicate, small hands could wield so much destruction if he hadn’t been the very reason they could. And yet, despite carrying such capacity for destruction, they were still capable of so much kindness.

“It was… surprising,” Narakumon murmured. “The way he looked at me… tried to look at me. Even though he couldn’t see me clearly, he still at least sensed me and… wasn’t afraid.”

Keiko’s eyes softened as she smiled a little at Narakumon. “I haven’t spent much time with Tsu, but he’s really sweet. I’m sure he’ll love you too, just like I do, once he gets to meet you.”

Narakumon didn’t respond immediately as he stared down at Keiko’s hands, then let out a weary sigh. “You are an extremely ill-behaved Chosen Child, do you realize that? And so infuriating.”

Keiko’s smile turned wry as she let out a mischievous giggle. “I learned from the best, Papa.”

Narakumon chuckled softly before he finally lifted his head. “I believe it would work, yes. He has an affinity for my power, so-”

Keiko’s eyes lit up and she tugged Narakumon towards the door before sprinting off ahead. “What’re we waiting for? Let’s go!”

---

It didn’t take long to make it to the hospital using a couple Digital Gates. In fact, Keiko and Nyamon arrived not long after the ambulance arrived. Even finding the room in the emergency ward where Tsuyosa had been placed had been a simple matter after Narakumon checked the computer system. The only difficulty was getting past orderlies and nurses that tried in vain to stop a girl and her cat from tearing through the hospital’s ER.

The chaotic sound of doctors barking orders and beeping machines were drowned out by the door to the room slamming open with a well placed kick from Nyamon. She and Keiko ignored the shock of the medical staff inside, focused entirely on Tsuyosa lying in a bed with various tubes hastily inserted into his small body.

“You can’t be in here!” one of the doctors shouted.

Keiko brushed past the man and batted away the hands of two nurses trying to see her out. There was no time to hesitate. Tsuyosa looked even worse than before, only breathing now with the assistance of a machine, as the erratic chirps of the heart monitor grew only more spaced out.

“This is the only warning you’re getting,” Nyamon said as she followed her partner, her tail snapping out to smack one of the nurses that got too close. “Stay out of the way!”

Keiko called upon the Darkness and allowed it to consume her. The staff backed away from her as the light faded around her, alarmed by this child for more than the intrusion. The darkness crackled at the edges and grew beyond her body into the shape of the god of death with black wings unfurled.

The machines went completely haywire. The heart monitor pulsed so rapidly it turned into a high shriek. The lights flickered sparratically until one blew up, then another. The breathing machine lost its rhythm, and Nyamon hastily removed it before doing the same with the wires from the monitoring equipment.

Keiko placed her hands - and the shadow of Narakumon’s - on Tsuyosa’s pale chest and let the Darkness consume the dying boy completely.

One of the nurses fled into the hall, screaming as the lights went out completely and the equipment died. The only illumination in the room came from the flickering fluorescent bulbs in the hallway and the moonlight that shone in Keiko’s eyes.

Narakumon paid the panicking humans no mind, focusing instead on the small heartbeat in his hands. It was so faint, and the boy so fragile. He could feel the boy’s life trying to flicker away through his fingers and it reminded him that what they were about to do could very well finish him off - it begged the question of what right he had to make such a decision. But he was the god of death, and who else but he had the right to make such a call? The boy was doomed regardless. His choices were to die in a few hours with the assistance of various cruel machines or possibly live on his own, for as long as the Darkness within him would allow.

Besides, as much as Keiko was protesting Tsuyosa’s fate, Narakumon couldn’t deny… that he had wanted to save the boy, too.

With that in mind, Narakumon guided his power through Keiko, using his daughter as a medium to safely transfer it into the small boy, filling him with the Darkness he possessed. As the aura that had engulfed Keiko spread to the tiny child, the crest of Darkness slowly began to appear upon the boy’s forehead. The inverting silver moons glistened like the moonlight in Keiko’s eyes, before they illuminated Tsuyosa’s gray eyes with an ephemeral glow.

The faint heartbeat within Keiko’s grasp began to pulse a little quicker with each passing second, growing stronger. What had once felt so fragile was gaining strength right under her fingertips as the color returned to Tsuyosa’s face, the blue giving way to pale peach as he breathed easily on his own.

Detached though she was from herself, Keiko could feel her strength fade. The act of transforming Tsuyosa, of purging what was toxic and wrong within him far exceeded any act of violence she committed, and drained her of far more than what it took to grant Nyamon evolution to Ultimate level.

It was only when Keiko had given all that she could that she stopped, collapsing as the world around her disappeared into darkness.

---

From a dreamless sleep of darkness Keiko slowly awakened to a body heavy and sluggish with fatigue. A single thought was the spark that ignited her determination to resist the siren song of sleep coaxing her back into the realm of unconsciousness. She wanted - needed - to know what happened to Tsuyosa.

The first person Keiko saw upon forcing her eyes open was the comforting sight of Nyamon. Her partner instantly relaxed as their eyes met before giving her a wry smile.

“Good morning,” Nyamon said. “Or afternoon. Whichever you prefer.”

Keiko barely spared a thought to wonder how long she had been unconscious before she returned her focus to what was most important. “Tsu…?” To her annoyance, her voice came out faint, thick with fatigue, and she struggled all the more to shake the sleep from her body.

“Not here,” Nyamon said as she flicked her ear before she turned to stare off to the side. Keiko followed her partner’s gaze to find herself staring at the door to her bedroom, which was slightly ajar. “Your sister and brother’ll be busting in any moment now, once they notice the sound of your voice.”

As if on cue, Akane peered through the crack in the door. Upon seeing Keiko’s face, she threw her door and rushed inside. “You’re finally awake! Oh, thank goodness. We were worried. You’ve been asleep for a long time.”

“You really gave everyone a scare,” Jin said as he appeared behind Akane, hurrying inside. “Especially the doctors.” He paused before his expression grew wry. “Especially the doctors.”

“Is Tsu alive?” Keiko asked, unable to focus on her siblings’ relief when her thoughts were still filled with worry for Tsuyosa. She tried to push herself upward, cursing her body as it rebelled against her and demanded more rest.

Akane’s expression softened before she sat down on the bed and reached out to brush the hair away from her sister’s annoyed eyes. “Tsu is fine, Keiko. Don’t worry.” She let out a breath that could’ve been a laugh or some other more enigmatic emotion. “I don’t know what you did, but the doctors are saying his health is the best it’s ever been.”

“Which, you can imagine, just freaked the doctors out even more,” Jin said, with a chuckle. “They don’t understand what happened. And while I’m not entirely certain myself, I can imagine… it’s Digimon business, isn’t it?”

“I made Tsu like me,” Keiko said. With a sigh, she relaxed on the bed, relieved by the knowledge that her gambit had worked.

“She connected Tsu to Narakumon,” Nyamon elaborated. “It’s complicated, but it means Tsu will get better now.”

“The Digital World is sustaining him now,” Narakumon said as he appeared beside Keiko, looking down at her. “He’ll always have a weak constitution, but with the Digital World nourishing his flesh, he no longer has to fear his body’s impending collapse. He will live.”

“Good,” Keiko sighed, a smile gracing her face as she closed her eyes. “That’s good.”

Narakumon paused at that as he mulled over his next words before his expression grew serious. “You expended a great deal of energy to achieve this miracle. And while it does mean that the boy will survive thanks to your efforts, you… will not be able to fight until you recover.”

Keiko’s eyes snapped open as she fixed her adoptive father with a sharp look.

Narakumon was quick to lift his hand, cutting off Keiko’s protest. “Your body is taxed to nearly it’s limits - you’ve been asleep for days. You’ve only just now regained enough energy to wake. For that reason, you must be cautious and reserved in what you do until you fully recover. Is that understood?”

Although Keiko felt a surge of stubborn pride flare up inside her, it just as quickly fizzled out, drained by the fatigue still demanding more time for rest. “I understand, Papa.” She fought back the need to yawn, but ultimately could only minimize it. “I’m just glad I could save Tsu.”

Akane and Jin shared an uncertain look. Although they believed their little sister when she spoke of her “Papa,” it was always unnerving to watch her have a conversation with empty air. Still, that didn’t stop them from being ungrateful for what this unseen entity had done for Keiko, and now for Tsuyosa.

“Well,” Akane said after a moment’s thought, “thank you, Keiko, for saving Tsu.” She looked in the general area that Keiko had been looking, searching for some sign of Narakumon that continued to elude her eyes. “And thank you Lord Narakumon.” She clapsed her hands together and bowed her head. “We owe you for everything you’ve done for our family.”

Narakumon paused at that before his face turned red and he quickly looked away. “I-I didn’t do it for the praise of some human!”

Nyamon smirked. “He’s blushing.” Her smirk widened when the digital god of Darkness turned to glare death at her.

Akane couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

A gentle knock drew everyone’s attention to the open door. Keiko was immediately greeted by a man she didn’t know. He was tall with chocolate brown hair and gray eyes, which were tinged with exhaustion if the heavy purple bags beneath his eyes were anything to go by. He looked fairly disheveled, as if he had thrown on the first set of clothes he could find - in this case, black sweats and a white silk shirt - before rushing out the door.

While the sight of the man was disorienting, Keiko quickly forgot him in favor of what the man held in his arms - Tsuyosa. The little boy looked far better than he had on the hospital bed, though he still sported the hospital band and blue pajamas with purple bunny print. He looked even better than the moment he and Keiko first met, as he no longer had a breathing tube, bandages, or even bruising left behind.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the man said with a weak smile. “But Tsu kept demanding to see his Auntie Keiko.”

Keiko immediately felt a jolt of energy at the sight of Tsuyosa and she tried once again to sit up, smiling wide at the sight of the little boy. “Hi, Tsu. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”

Tsuyosa turned to stare at Keiko before he reached out his tiny hands towards her, making grabbing motions. In response, the man holding the little boy walked in to the room and placed the young boy on the bed beside Keiko.

“You look like shit, man,” Jin said, as he shot Kigaru a crooked smile.

“Thanks,” the man said, cheerfully. “I call it my ‘I’ve been at the hospital for three days’ look.”

“They actually let you take Tsu home, Kigaru?” Akane asked, shifting her gaze between Kigaru and Tsuyosa while the little boy grasped onto Keiko’s outstretched fingers.

“Oh, not at all~!” Kigaru said, still brightly. “They wanted to keep him longer for observation, but I told them that three days was enough. If they couldn’t give me a good reason why to keep him there beyond their own ignorance, I’d be taking him home. If they couldn’t figure out why he was healthy after three days and no other health complications came up, then they were wasting my time - and his. My son has spent enough time being hooked up to machines while sick, he doesn’t need to experience it when he’s not.”

Akane sighed with no small amount of relief, placing her hand on her chest. “I’m glad to hear it. It drove me crazy that they refused to tell me anything about how poor Tsu was doing.” She paused to look at Keiko. “They almost wouldn’t let Jin and me take you home after what you did at the hospital. They really wanted to study you.” She smile turned wry. “Good thing we got that paperwork pushed through to get Jin to be your legal guardian, huh?”

Keiko nodded uncomfortably, though her attention was still mostly captivated by Tsuyosa. She didn’t care much for doctors or their interest in the Digital World after the stories she heard from Narakumon and Tenraimon.

Nyamon smirked as she puffed up her chest. “I would’ve told them no anyway. With my claws.”

“I would have destroyed them all, if they had tried,” Narakumon said with a huff. “I would never-” He froze when Tsuyosa suddenly looked up to stare at him. However, unlike before, the boy focused directly on him, their eyes meeting. It rendered Narakumon speechless as Tsuyosa gave a small blink before reaching up to point at him.

“I see you,” Tsuyosa said.

Nyamon’s ears shot up as she stared at Tsuyosa, then Narakumon.

Instead of being surprised, Keiko smirked and tapped Tsuyosa’s hand to draw his attention back to her. “That’s my papa, Narakumon. Since I’m your auntie now, that makes him your great-uncle. It’s because of him and his power that I was able to make you better.”

Tsuyosa tilted his head, as if considering Keiko’s words. “Great-Uncle.” He glanced between Keiko and Narakumon before he turned his full attention back to Narakumon, a bright smile on his face.

Narakumon felt his heart skip a beat before his face turned bright red. “Y-you don’t need to look so happy.”

Keiko couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course he does! He finally gets to meet his great-uncle who saved him and his auntie. You’re a real hero, Papa.”

Narakumon made an incoherent noise in his throat as his blush deepened before he quickly disappeared, fading out of view.

Tsuyosa blinked. “Ah, Great-Uncle left.”

Keiko continued giggling even as she squeezed Tsuyosa’s hand gently. “Your Great-Uncle Narakumon does that a lot.” She winked. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it, Tsu.”

“I suppose we all will eventually,” Akane added with a tentative smile. It was unnerving that some sort of spectre they couldn’t see could just pop in and out at will around Keiko, but she wasn’t about to let something as silly as that get in the way of her appreciating everything Narakumon did for their family.

“I admit I don’t fully understand everything that’s happening,” Kigaru said as he stood in the doorway, watching the exchange. He then gave Keiko a weary smile. “But I do know this… you saved my son’s life - both of you. I… can’t deny that he would have died if not for you. I owe you more than I can ever repay… but I definitely intend to try.”

“I didn’t save Tsu to get anything out of it for myself,” Keiko said, almost offended by the idea. “I saved Tsu because he needed saving. I’m the Chosen Child of Darkness, and that means I have a duty to save the weak and innocent from anything that wants to destroy them.”

Kigaru stared at Keiko before his expression softened. “Thank you...”

“Why don’t you take a rest?” Jin asked as he reached over to grasp Kigaru’s shoulder. “Go take a nap. We’ll watch Tsu while you sleep in an actual bed.”

“And before you argue, you won’t be the only one napping,” Akane said with a crooked smirk. “If Sera can be convinced to nap instead of waiting up for Tsu, so can you.”

“And there’s plenty of guestrooms for you to choose from,” Jin said wryly. “Now take your pick and go to sleep.”

Kigaru glanced about the room before he gave a wry chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. “Alright, alright… I can’t argue with you all at once. And a nap does sound really good right now...”

“Night-night, Papa,” Tsuyosa said as he reached up his right hand to wave at Kigaru. “Nap time.”

Kigaru smiled gently as he returned the gesture. “Night-night, Tsu…” Slowly, and reluctantly, the man lingered a moment more before he finally left the room, slipping off to find some much needed rest.

Tsuyosa watched his father leave, then turned to Keiko. He gazed at her with wide gray eyes that sparkled with life and curiosity.

Keiko smiled at the little boy and reached out to ruffle his hair. “I know what you’re thinking. You feel something big inside you now. Something bigger than anything. That’s because you’re Darkness now, like me. That means you’re going to grow up strong and protect anyone who needs help.”

Tsuyosa smiled at that. “Okay, Auntie Keiko!”

The relief Keiko felt at seeing Tsuyosa wore away at her energy and reminded her of just how badly her body cried out for more rest. Frustrated though she was at still feeling tired even after sleeping for three days, and for the restrictions now placed on her for the foreseeable future, she didn’t regret her actions for a moment. Taxing herself to such a degree was a small price to pay to save an innocent baby’s life.

It was what Chosen Children should do, after all.