#Kuragari speaks

[achy-boo]

Kuragari: Hello lovelies~! Girls and Boys. The girls, the gays and the non-binary. This Kuragari, The Narrator of the Hidden Mansion.

The audience cheers while one of Kuragari's fans shouted 'Hello Daddy',making him chuckle.

Kuragari: Welcome to Truly Unique. And if you do not know what that is, allow me to explain. Truly Unique is a live show made by the Hidden Mansion. Here where we invited the most unique people to this show, there is an interview and we ask them questions from the audience. Now the guests of this show came from Twisted Wonderland. These three girls are from a dorm which is inspired by the urban legends/ mythical creatures from the world where no magic exists. People love them, people fear them and they are always an enigma. Give it up to Sapphire Lake Dorm.

The audience cheers as three girls walk into the living room, all dress formal but all of them are out of place but proper.

Kuragari: Now Ladies. Introduce your beautiful selves to the audience.

Night picks up her microphone and smile gently. “Hello everyone. My name is Nightshade Libya.”

Jeanne pick up her own microphone. “Moshi Moshi. My name is Jeanne Keket!”

Tsukii ruffled her hair slightly before doing the same. “Hello dears. My name is Isolabella Duvessa Tsukii. But Please call me Tsukii.”

The crowd cheers so loudly as a familiar voice cheered for Sapphire Lake Dorm

Kuragari: Well, I can already tell one of your dorm members is here already~ Now sit down and lets start the interview shall we, cuties~?

Kuragari: Now, this has been the two questions of many people. Let us start with the first one. Question 1: Who is the House Warden and who is the vice warden(s)?

AN: Here is the note for each girl. Ts is Tsukii, Ni is Night and JenK is Jeanne. )

Ni- I am the House Warden and Tsukii is the 1st Vice Warden and Jeanne is the 2nd House.

Kuragari: I see. Question 2: Is your dorm strict on rules like Heartslabyul and Pomefiore or laid back and cheerful like Savanclaw and Scarabia?

Ts- This is actually one of the mansion questions this dorm of ours got. So, our dorm is strict on rules but never TOO strict on them. Our dorm is more laid back and cheerful but we all knew when to tone it down.

Kuragari: Okay now this never fails to amaze me how a dorm like Sapphire Lake is so..isolated and secretive from the rest of NRC. I mean it is so secretive that almost nobody from each dorm has heard of it.

JenK- Okay so, our dorm is very isolated from the rest of NRC because it's the way to the dorm. There are plenty of ways to find our dorm but you need to find that blue spirit flame that Tsukii made. The blue flame is the guide to our own hall of mirrors.

Ts- And the reason that our dorm is very isolated from the rest of NRC due to the fact our ancestors, the founders of Sapphire Lake Dorm made it clear that the dorm will remain an enigma to the NRC as time goes by.

Kuragari: Interesting. Now what is your three's opinion of the tension between NRC and its rival or enemy: Royal Sword Academy or RSA for short.

Ni- If I had to be perfectly honest. I found it childish. Because we had visitors from RSA and I believe five of them are our old members. We still keep in contact though but in privacy. We never like nosy people.

Kuragari: Now Your dorm's thoughts on Spelldrive tournament and SDC/VDC?

Ts- It is a wonderful thing to participate on Twisted Wonderland but..excuse my french but It is damn annoying at the aftermath.

Kuragari: How is that?

Ts- Our dorm is very netural to events that Spelldrive and SDC/VDC.

Ni- However we had received so many questions on how we are not fazed that our dorm had nearly made it to the finals.

JenK-Not only that. We did receive some..shady offers to let combine plans to win the damn thing but we straight up refused. If we win, we win. If we lose, we LOSE. It is not hard to accept that and move on.

Ts- Do not get me started on SDC/VDC. I mean the Cultural Fair is actually what I, specifically enjoy as a NRC student. But some people do not take no as the answer is unfortunately, one of the cons to that event.

Kuragari: Okay, I started to have a bad feeling about one of the audiences who is not here physically. Now I want you girls to chose an student in RSA or NRC and tell the audience your view of them.

The three girls silently look at each other. It lasted for three minutes for Night spoke.

Ni- I don't like to bring people's names in the mud. But I will choose three people from said school and my vice wardens will do the same. The first person I choose is Epel Felmier from Pomefiore. At first, I actually think he is a girl. I know he will kill me for this but it's true! However as I observed him more, I realized that he is very funny. I like him. The second person is Cater Diamond from Heartslabyul. To be honest: I thought he was weird at first glance. He is a social media celebrity and he gives me major flashbacks because I actually had a niece who is just like him but she is popular for an entirely different reason. And the last person I chose was Mr. Trein who is our history professor. He definitely reminds me of one of my beloved cousins. In fact, Morte who is my cousin acts just like Mr.Trein though he acts like Mr.Sam and Leona Kingscholar but he is just on a quieter side.

JenK- My turn! The first person is Ace Trappola from Heartslabyul. Now he. *she laughs a little* he is a little shit and brutally honest. There never once I had where I had to punch him to keep his mouth shut. He is a trouble marker too. And frankly that is his personality. But he does show that he cares. The little bitch is too much of a tsundere to admit it! *The audience laughs at it* The second person is Riddle Rosehearts, the house warden of Heartslabyul. WHOO boy. He is STRICT! I can't blame him since Heartslabyul is inspired by the Queen of Hearts. There is a few times where me and Tsukii went with Night during House warden meeting since our housewarden never like being alone with a group of boys..and she will start to have a panic attack so they need to suck it up because we are not leaving her alone. He did tone down the strictness. It's not much but good progress! Now the last person..Rook Hunt of Pomefiore. This dude scares me. I know he is the eyes and ears of Vil but we had a good reason to ban him from our dorm and I am not completing that. Tsukii you're last!

The audience and Kuragari laughed as Tsukii leans in to look at Jeanne before sitting back and mumbles something in one of her many languages.

Ts- Sevens give me strength. Aight. I am choosing four people because our house warden knew damn well I tend to bend rules a little. *She glanced at Night who giggled* The first person I picked was Malleus Draconia House Warden of Diasomnia. Now Mally here is a very special case. Not only is he one of the royal students here, He is actually one of the first friends I made in NRC. Now I am mostly active at nighttime so I always see him near Ramshackle. Royalty or not, I am treating everyone equally. The second person was Leona Kingscholar. I had a love hate relationship with him specifically. Fun Fact: I beat him a lot of his dorm members because they thought a girl like me could not fend for herself. Lets just say; Half of them are still in the hospital. He reminds me of my older brother Revenge. They both laid back but Revvy...he is a scary dude and I am not telling ya why. It is best to leave it in the dark. So one time I accidentally punched Leona in the face. How am I not banned from Savanclaw is the question nobody would ever know. Vil Schoenheit the House warden of Pomefiore is the third person I choose. Before I get harassed by his fans, NO! I am not dating him. Stop saying those fruitless things. It honestly infuriated me so. Keep. Your. Mouths. SHUT, got it? * She takes a deep breath* He reminds me of my father. I do not know but he does. A celebrity who I go for fashion ideas or tips. His harsh construct criticism never fazed me. I got thick skin so his harsh words never bothered me. Now the last one is very hard for me to choose but if I had to choose. Sorry people of NRC but not sorry. I choose Che'nya from RSA. He is one of the people who visited our dorm and he just happened to be one of Dawn's friends. I am not telling ya who Dawn is. Ya need to find that out yourselves. I love his pranks and he is a SNEAKY kitty cat. He does make our dorm actually fun on our dorm events.

Kuragari: Oh MY~! Such beautiful information girls but sadly we are out of time. Thank you all for watching this show. And Thank you, the girls of Sapphire Lake Dorm to be our guests.

Ni- It is no biggie.

Kuragari: Now, be good little cuties and stay beautiful every day~ . See ya soon my sexy angels~

Kuragari blows a kiss and wink at the crowds who went wild while cheering and chanted Sapphire Lake Dorm's name again and again

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] To Choose A Name

Kaien pushed her hair back and tried not to think all that much about the fact she could no longer see her own toes. They were there, she knew for a fact, but glancing down no longer showed them. The heavy rise of her stomach interrupted her vision.

How are you doing in there? She wondered, resting one hand there. There wasn’t a twitch, but she could feel the life there regardless. He was there. The pulse of life hummed strong.

Aodh settled her breakfast tray next to her and Kaien eyed it thoughtfully. So far she hadn’t really had any of those cravings that she’d heard could be a consequence of her condition, and he brought her the breakfast that she enjoyed the most.

Her husband sat down on his chair, set on the other side of the fireplace, and examined his own breakfast before he cast a glance towards her.

“How are you feeling?”

The faintest hint of a smile twitched across her lips. “The same way I felt when you asked that when we got up – half an hour ago.”

Aodh coughed politely. “I just wanted to be certain everything’s still all right.” His gaze brushed over her stomach as well. Even after seven months, neither of them could completely believe what would eventually happen.

They’d expected children at some point. Before they’d wed they’d discussed it often. While the throne of Kuragari didn’t pass down in the hereditary sense, it would be best to have a child in case it took more time than usual for someone to pass the proper tests to ascend the throne. But to find out that the child she now carried would have that power?

She started eating, turning thoughts over in her head as she did. This was one time of day when matters of state weren’t discussed. Meals were a time for family. So Aodh wasn’t surprised when she finally spoke up.

“We need to pick a name. I know we have two months, but better to get it decided now.”

Aodh sipped at his watered wine, head tilted back in thought. “You’re right. What would you suggest?”

“I don’t know yet,” Kaien admitted. She’d not given the matter more than a few seconds of thought as of yet. Now she considered. “What about after my father? Drusus?” An excellent name, but no sooner did she speak it than she shook her head. “No. It doesn’t feel right.” A fine name for someone else. Not for the one she carried.

Aodh tapped his fingers on the marble table. “Erebus?” Then he also shook his head. Not what they wanted.

Other names were tossed about from one to the other. Otzal. Sunil. Alperen. Bayani. Katsuo. None of them clicked. None of them felt right in the way that they both knew it had to be. This was a special child. The name had to be perfect.

Kaien rose once she finished her breakfast and strolled to the wide window, staring at the garden that unfolded before her. She usually took a walk after breakfast and she enjoyed the way that the sun soaked into her. Her eyes fell to the morning shadows stretched outward, and another name presented itself. She turned back to Aodh.

“Do you remember a name from the old tongue?” It would not be a common name at all. But it would be a good name.

It would be the perfect name.

“What name?” There were few who spoke the old language these days. Sometimes it showed up in names, be it of people or of spirits and monsters. Even Kaien didn’t speak it fluently, but she knew enough of the old names. She thought she remembered a story from her grandparents about an ancestor who carried it.

She tasted the name. It tasted very well indeed. “Juudai.”

Aodh came over to stand beside her, hand slipping into hers. “Juudai. Prince Juudai of Kuragari.” He hesitated for only a moment. “Haou of the Gentle Darkness.”

Their child – the one with the power that had created the universe and life itself – the one who would protect all of the world from the evil of the Light of Ruin. The name tasted exactly like they both wanted: perfect.

Kaien raised one hand to open the garden door. She stopped at the sight of one of the guards. Aodh turned towards her at once. She spoke before he could ask – again – if anything was wrong.

“You haven’t yet found a good purpose for the Elemental Heroes, have you?” The small group of warriors, twenty or so, arrived in the realm weeks earlier searching for work. Peace held for so long that there wasn’t much work for a group of traveling warriors. They needed to settle down, like it or not.

Aodh shook his head. Then he smiled. “Bodyguards for our new little prince.”

“Yes.” Kaien agreed. It wasn’t even mid-morning yet but they’d chosen a name for their child and the bodyguards they’d known that he would need.

“I’ll speak to them about it,” Aodh promised. “Now, are you ready for your walk?”

“Yes.” Kaien raised one finger to his lips. “And you need to go take care of your business as well.” He was the King. He had a great deal of work to do. She did as well, but her health came first. Heather, the Holy Elf healer, told them that frequently.

Aodh caught and kissed her fingers. “As you wish. I’ll see you later.”

He left to prepare for the proper start of his day. Kaien stepped outside, soaking in the sunlight – gift of the Light of Hope, so the tales said – and let her fingers trail in the shadows. Light and dark, existing in the proper harmony of life.

He’ll need a special bodyguard too. One to protect him when even the Elemental Heroes can’t, she decided. But such a bodyguard would be chosen later. For now, time to walk in the sun and the shade.

The End

Notes: All the suggested names are real names, found at Behind The Name, and have meanings to the effect of “dark” or “hero”.

[achy-boo]

The urge to commit Arson is getting higher and higher..

THE FUCKING BOTS MAN!!!

How many do I block 50 something?!

[achy-boo]

*kicks down the door* kuragari I want to have babies with you.

Kuragari: Oh my~! Aren’t you bold~? How you want to make babies~?

[achy-boo]

𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒'𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠~

𝐾𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑖: 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛٫ 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑛𝑜𝑡٫ 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒~

Stop that Kuragari. Sweet Spirits..that line gets annoying every damn year whenever Valentine’s Day came..

If you are single and still goes to the hellhole we called school,It’s a sad day to start the Day of Love yes? Anyway, Take care dears and Happy Valentine’s Day

[achy-boo]

Kurayami Ankokuhana Tsukii

1. Neka

2. Neka

"The 2nd son of the Tsukii Family. This boy is a problem middle child for a reason."

"Those who trigger the dormant demonic side of his...goes missing without a trace."

Full name: Kurayami Ankokuhana Tsukii

Gender: Male

Age: 25

Birthday: June 20th

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Sexuality: Pansexual

Species: Demon[Demon of Bloodlust and Insanity to be exact]

Personality: Kura, according by his old peers, is one of the mysterious boy you will ever meet. He is quiet but talks when he wants too which labels him a selective mute. He is very open-minding but he is judgmental when someone did the dumbest things on earth. He is highly vague and secretive with his words and information about him. He had a demonic side that is dormant but shows signs. If he was triggered, he is feral and animalistic. He is a brutal hunter and he will not at nothing to get the source of the trigger. His weapon can vary but his main one.. is a scythe that glows red. But he will have little memory once the source is dealt with however he will snap at anyone rudely who mention the source so do not bother asking him.

Likes: reading, his family and friends, coffee/tea[his friends, family and his only], horror movies, crime discoveries with his family/friends[Often with Hideki and The Libya twins], music[depends on his mood], piercings, tattoos, late night drives, cooking parties, tea[Gossips, he actually had a place for that..], dark and abandoned areas{AVOID THAT}, fashions, manhwa[There is certain manhwas he refused to read...and for a good reason], cloudy weather, watching or playing with the rain, food, boba tea, animals and children[He is mostly swarm by them]

Dislikes: His demonic side being triggered, mentions of the 'source', heat, players, pick me girls/boys, certain parties, heat[Like he HATES the heat], overly bitter things food/drinks[Black coffee is one of them], certain anime/manhwas, homophobic people[He actually hunted them down for sport..], being forced to speak, certain family members[One of them he got HELLA beef with], he hates school after elementary, his weapon being taken without his consent{A death wish/sentence if he warn you more than 4 times..}

Favorite Food: Not picky however he had to choose[sadly] Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Chicken Katsu, Mochi, Onigiri and Sushi rice

Least Favorite Food: Remember I say that Kurayami does not like bitter food/drinks? Yea...Black coffee he does not like. Cranberries, Green Tea, and Bitter Gourd

Pet Peeves: If you are someone who he does not know or have beef with, dont pull his hair, people trying to take him to church, having something shoved down his throat, his possession taken without his consent, people who are rulebreakers[Not all of them just..a few]

Hobbies: dancing in the rain, playing a piano/electric guitar, singing[Only in front of his loved ones], dancing

Talents: his eyes shine in the dark[Good luck if you get scared easily], he is more active in abandoned/isolated places, making his victims experience hallucinations of their worst fear, driving his victims to insanity before striking.

Nickname(s): Kura[Normal], Yami[Due to Kuragari having the same nickname as him], Kana or Ankoku{Rare]

Voice Claims: His voice is a mixture of Childe's and Aventurine's but his demonic side voice is Reiji Sakamaki's and Jing Yuan's. You can tell which side of Kurayami you are facing with is the voice change.

Trivia:

He is also known as the demonic hunter or Insanity's Best Friend

He had audio cues when he is about to attack or nearby

When he eats bitter food, his eyes will flicker to red to dark crimson red in flashes until he had to threw up the food[rare times he passed out after consuming bitter food/drinks]

His kill count is still high..

His first ever victim was Night's old classmate and ex-friend

The definition of wolf's in sheep clothing

His theme songs are Jack the Ripper by Cepheid and Ameotome by Raon

He owns a black snake named after his teacher[who he brutally hunted down and murdered]

He have 7 tattoos, 3 piercings, veiny hands and arms{Use that information to ya heart's desires..}

"You were warned over and over of his dormant demonic side yet you choose to push his buttons..."

"How does it feels to be missing with his eyes is the last thing you see..[redacted]?

[achy-boo]

Lazarus Corbin Draxton

1. Neka

2. Neka

3. Neka

"Do...I know you?"

"I am waiting for my wife. Please do not waste my time."

Full name: Lazarus Corbin Draxton

Name meaning: God has helped in Hewbrew and Corbin means a person who had dark hair color(refers to a Raven)

Gender: Male

Age: 34

Sexuality: Omnisexual(but lean towards females)

Species: Demon

Personality: Lazarus is what people call him as a man with very few words. He rarely speaks around strangers as he sees no need for it. Due to him being very selective mute towards strangers, he did so favoritism to his loved ones and family which is another way to say he talks when it comes to his family and his friends. He is very observant with his surroundings and not only that: he did the dirty work of his loved ones. He will not hesitate to spill blood if it seems for him to release all the pent up anger he had been building in. He is EXTREMELY loyal to Alina as she was the one who tamed his once violent heart. He is a loving father and friend as he held many secrets for them.

Likes: his family, his wife(Alina), his seven kids, helping his friends' family, guns, knives, cooking, music(prefer the ones his children and their friends' music), smiling(rare to other but his families and loved ones), his motorcycle, embarrassing his children, family trips, his job, being deadly mysterious and unknown towards strangers

Dislikes: seeing his wife being hit on, losing his cool, being bothered on his bad moods, seeing his children and his loved ones hurt or sad, murdering others for no reason(unless they give him a TRUE reason to see Jesus), his stalkers, a certain type of his fans

Voice Claims

Japanese: Shuhei Hisagi from Bleach

English: Alastor from Hazbin Hotel

Facts

He is childhood friends with Dexion, Draven, and Zephyr

He is the mid oldest out of his family

He met Alina in high school with said males

He and Tamaki are similar in a way(they are both selective mute)

He is a red flag and green flag

His theme song is Medicine by Hollywood Undead

He is a psychopath to his victims ONLY

He shares the same birthday as Kuragari(Making him a Capricorn)

He works with Dexion and work as a hidden hitman

[achy-boo]

"Well, hello dear? How may I be your service?"

Full Name: Kuragari Bonaventure Elatha

Name Meaning: Kuragari means Darkness in Japanese (Yes Kurayami's name has the same meaning but it sounds different when pronounced)

Gender: Male

Age: Unknown but he look like in his 20s

Sexuality: He is biromantic

Species: Demon

Personality: WHOO! Kuragari is flirty as hell. He is very cunning and sly. He is very cold and sadistic when it comes to his job. However outside his job, he is gentle, cold heart, calculated. He is a huge softy when it comes to children and animals. This guy didn't receive love growing up but he gives all the love to lost children and animals like him. He is stern and commanding when he sees someone slacking. But he is just a soft guy who has a very dark personality at his job. And he is actually carefree when he has his day off around his family in the Hidden Mansion.

Likes: Children, animals, night clubs, mixing drinks, reading, aesthetic music, cloudy weather, letting his true self out with family and friends, his birthdays, his job, suits, any type of glasses, fashion, late night drives and/or walks, he like the full moon.

Dislikes: He doesn't like it when people don't understand personal space, his privacy is ruined by nosy people, stalkers, arrogant people, churches, his nosy and rude boss, people who don't take no as the answer, seeing his loves hurt or sad, when his book is ruined.

VA;

Japanese: Anos Voldigoad from The Misfits of Demon King Academy

English: Obanai Iguro from Demon Slayer

Facts:

-He suffered from Maladaptive Daydream and Psychotic(He takes medicine for the Psychotic part)

-At his job, he shows signs of Antisocial personality disorder but it was never fully diagnosis

-He works in a mafia with one of my female ocs(I ain't telling who tho..)

-He still works an a narrator in The Hidden Mansion

-Multi-tasker

-He speaks many languages but for some reason he avoids speaking Russian

-His past is depression as hell.

-He is normally seen reading or making drinks behind the counter of the bar in The Hidden Mansion

-His birthday is January 18th. He is a Capricorn

[achy-boo]

Nameless(Ankoku Bonaventure)

1. Neka (for the first)

2. Neka

"What business you had with me?.."

"Get the hell out of my sight or I will paint the room with your blood."

Full name: Nameless( aka Ankoku Bonaventure)

Name meaning: Ankoku means gloom, shadow, opaque or blackness in Japanese while Bonaventure means good fortune in French

Gender: Male

Age: 43

Sexuality: Pansexual but he is not interested in love

Species: Demon

Personality: Nameless or Ankoku is what people call him: The definition of silent yet deadly. Towards strangers, he rarely speaks to anyone at all unless he had to order something and mostly distance himself from unknown events or people. Towards his members: He is cold, ruthless, merciless and shows no emotions towards his members and their actions. However towards his sons, his friends and their children, he shows a lot of emotions and really tries his best to help them the best he can. People called him out for this but in his loved ones' eyes, Nameless has a past that put Hideki's and Adonis's/Cliodhna's pasts to shame. He is just..wary around strangers now due to this.

Likes: Boba tea(surprisingly), spending time with his friends and family, animals(He did have a large pet white tiger..), seeing his loved ones happy, sweets, cooking, having movie family night, his job, wearing his mask(first pic), hugs, cuddling, night time, late motorcycle rides his male friends and sons, letting his guard down

Dislikes: his ex wife, seeing his members misbehaving, mornings, Valentines' day(But he will celebrate the Libya twin sister's birthdays), churches, having his privacy ruined, people who lied for their gain(his sons and little cousin don't count), child abusers, animal abusers

Voice Claims

Japanese: Raizel from the Noblesse

English: Eclair Cookie from Cookie Run Kingdom

Facts

He is a mafia leader

He was cheated on by his ex-wife on Valentine's Day(which leads to one nasty divorce and him celebrating the Libya twins' birthday)

He was childhood friends with Lazarus but he met the others

The typical black sheep in the family

Like Daemon, he murder his family

He raised Kuragari and Gawain as a single father before the others help him

His friends' children called him Uncle Nameless which made the poor male cry

-He had a large pet white tiger named Snowball(Kuragari named it when he was a child)

He is mostly deadly silent when it came to his mafia job

He is an Leo (July 28th)

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Embrace of Fate:  Chapter 4

“Aniki?” Shou asked the question that so few people did. Mostly because most people never saw the mark and thus didn’t think to ask. “Is that your...”

Juudai tugged his shirt down and pulled his jacket on. “Yeah.” He tried not to be short with Shou; Shou didn’t know and it wasn’t like he would be mad about it.

“C-could I ask...” Shou fidgeted, toweling his hair dry at the same time. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay, you know.”

Juudai started for the door, knowing how tense his shoulders were and hating every second of it. This was why he did all he could not to let anyone else see his mark. He hated having to answer this. But Shou was his best friend – the only best friend he remembered ever having.

“I don’t know.” The three words that he hated the most, more than answering any question in class. Especially because there hadn’t ever been a question in class he couldn’t answer in the first place.

But when it came to his soulmate mark, that was a different story altogether.

Shou stared at him for a few moments before he hurried to catch him. “You don’t know?”

“No.” Juudai held back a sigh. Might as well get it over with. Then Shou wouldn’t ask anymore. “I’ve had it for as long as I can remember, but I don’t know who they are. I don’t remember meeting them. Mom and Dad won’t tell me anything about it.”

He pressed his lips together a little more. “I was really sick when I was about six or seven. They told me I almost died. And we moved right after I got out of the hospital – or right before, I’m not sure anymore.” Juudai shook his head. “So I guess it was before I got sick, but I don’t remember anything from before then.”

“Whoa...” Shou stared, gray eyes large and shocked. “You almost died?”

“That’s what they tell me.” Juudai shrugged. He didn’t think about it all that often. There wasn’t much of a need. “I guess I’ll find them one of these days?”

“You could ask one of those agencies?” Shou suggested with a small laugh. “You know, those soulmate finding ones?”

Juudai nodded. He’d thought about that before too, before he’d come here. It didn’t really seem like that much of an issue. He’d meet whoever it was again eventually, he knew, and he’d that he’d know them when he did. The mark made that extraordinarily plain.

He didn’t need to see it to know what it looked like. He didn’t know what it was, other than his soulmate mark. Part of it – the part he thought represented him – looked like a sigil of some kind and he wanted to say that it meant something like ‘darkness’. It looked like darkness anyway, black as sable fur.

The other part of it resembled a dragon’s wing. Or maybe a demon’s wing. He’d never been able to pin it down and sometimes he spent his rare sleepless nights wondering.

A violet chain wound around both marks, with tiny little thorns poking up all around them in a circle around the chain. Juudai hadn’t ever seen anything like that before; it had only started to appear in the last couple of years, before he’d started at Duel Academia.

Are you all right out there? Juudai mentally traced the mark and wondered if he’d ever see them again. He wanted to; he would always believe they were out there somewhere. They had to be: his mark still existed. Only if his soulmate – wasn’t there anymore – would it change, fade away.

He hoped that they were all right. He hoped that he’d find out soon.

Shou patted his own left arm where his counter continued to wind down. He’d shown it to Juudai shortly after they’d moved into the Red dorm. He still had a few years to go for his; he wouldn’t meet his soulmate until a couple of years after graduation.

“Do you think mine could be Black Magician Girl?” he asked, and Juudai couldn’t have been happier to have the topic steer away from his own.

“I don’t see why not. Dunno how you’re going to meet her, though.” He knew Duel Spirits existed – Hane Kuriboh trilled from just behind him – but how someone like Shou, who didn’t have a partner, would meet one so they could be soulmates escaped him for right now.

Shou let out a long and deep sigh. “Me either. But I can keep dreaming, can’t I?”

“Sure!” Juudai swatted Shou playfully before he picked up his pace. “Come on, first one back to the dorm wins!”

Shou started after him, shorter legs scrambling, but Juudai kept going with a teasing laugh, eager to get inside and get under the covers so he could get some sleep and either dream about the soulmate he couldn’t remember, or dream about nothing at all.

He wasn’t at all certain of which he wanted more.

Yubel clenched their fist, flexing, aware to some level that Juudai remained out there, alive and healthy and possibly planning more pain for them.

Oh, Yubel hoped so. They hoped so with all of their heart – even if they didn’t have a heart right now. That was one of the pieces scattered to the winds, ground down to dust and shattered until there wasn’t anything left than the faintest of scraps.

But Yubel loved Juudai all the more for this pain. What else could this be but his love? A challenge for Yubel to show how much they could return that love, for certain. Yubel planned. Yubel would return Juudai’s love, as they always had.

So long since they’d seen him, touched him. Centuries in between lives, but that had never been a problem. They’d rested together in the enfolding shadows of the Gentle Darkness, each partaking of the other’s essence, until the time came when Juudai had to return to the world of flesh.

When he did, Yubel returned to guard him, as they always and forever would. Though matters had changed to some degree since their days in Kuragari. Those who held the secrets of magic or alchemy, those who weren’t human – those were now called ‘Duel Spirits’ or ‘Duel Monsters’ and lived in worlds of their own. They could interact with the world of humans only through the medium of cards.

Which meant that Yubel now was considered one of those, and few indeed could see them. Juudai counted among those, of course. That didn’t surprise Yubel in the slightest. The two of them were, after all, bonded both through the Gentle Darkness and the soulmate bond. If Yubel appeared when Juudai was but a newborn, he would have been able to see them.

But he hadn’t been a newborn; young and eager to see them again, even if he hadn’t known who Yubel was at first.

The memory flooded, sharp and sweet and strong, like so much else that involved Juudai. Yubel rested in the card, curious to see how matters lay in this new place and time, wondering if Juudai had a counter and if so how much time did it have on it. Would it mark the moment when they rose out of their card or some later date?

All speculation ended moments later when Yubel felt ten chubby fingers touch on the card and at once rose from it, turning to see their beloved, as they’d never seen him before. In the flesh he’d always been a teenager or older; in the Gentle Darkness there wasn’t any real essence beyond awareness. Age didn’t exist there.

And now they saw him as a small child and the fierceness of love and the depth of protection swept all over Yubel as it had the first moment their counters ran out together.

Voices sounded, ones that they didn’t recognize, speaking of the counter and how there wasn’t anyone there.

But Yubel could see the counter and it had just struck zero. Yubel began to reach, then pulled back.

“Hello, Juudai,” Yubel murmured. They wanted so much to touch him but the rules remained the same. Such a touch should be done only with both of them agreeing to it. With as young as Juudai was that could be years.

But Juudai smiled at Yubel, as bright and brilliant as the sun even with his darkness coiled inside of him. “Yubel!”

He knew Yubel. He would always know Yubel, no matter what happened. He didn’t know their past life or anything else but he recognized Yubel and reached eagerly for their hand.

Yubel wasn’t certain at first if this would count as a touch. Their essence wasn’t what it had been before. But no sooner did one hand brush against another than Juudai’s counter flashed for a heartbeat, replaced by the sigil of the Gentle Darkness and Yubel’s own draconic/demonic wing, tied together by the chains of love.

Again those voices spoke and Yubel finally looked to see who they were. Two strangers, a man and a woman, stood there, watching Juudai, expressions worried. There wasn’t any sign that they saw Yubel and Yubel dismissed them almost at once. Whoever they were, they weren’t important save for whatever distinction they held for Juudai.

“Can’t you see Yubel?” Juudai chirped, waving his newly marked arm. “They’re right there!”

The people – his parents of this new life, Yubel surmised – made soothing noises but nothing more. Wariness tinged each word they spoke, along with the gazes they shot towards the space Yubel stood in. All that proved Yubel’s existence at the moment was the mark on Juudai’s arm.

That was all Yubel had ever needed to exist in the first place. Juudai remained the center of their existence.

“Let me tell you about dueling!” Juudai declared, racing to his room, card held tight in his hand. “You’re going to love it!”

Juudai wasn’t wrong. The game was fascinating and it didn’t take Yubel long to learn the various rules. Apparently those updated every few years and one such had been released recently, mostly featuring Fusion monsters. Those held an especial fascination for Juudai.

Yubel understood why the moment that they saw the spell and what it could make – combining weaker creatures to become stronger ones remained one of the hallmarks of the Gentle Darkness. Fusion was Juudai’s weapon and always had been.

But it took him time to learn how to use it properly and there weren’t many patient enough for him to learn. Again and again Juudai dueled against those in his school and in his neighborhood – such a sad place for Haou of the Gentle Darkness to grow up – and he lost so many of those duels. There were occasionally times when he won and Yubel praised him so much for those moments, as they soothed him for the far more abundant losses.

“You won!” His opponent glared at him from across the playground. “You cheated, didn’t you?” One beefy fist knotted up as he stalked across. “I know you cheated!”

Juudai stared at him, too thrilled at his win and too surprised to move. “No, I didn’t. Why would I?”

“Because you don’t win against me! You never have!” The opponent glared at Juudai for a few seconds before that huge fist flashed forward, burying itself in Juudai’s stomach and sending him falling back.

Juudai cried out, reaching for the cards that scattered from his deck, even as the burly child kicked him hard, knocking him over.

“Cheater! Cheaters can’t play Duel Monsters! I’m gonna tell everyone that you cheated!”

Before Juudai could say anything else, his former opponent stomped on the cards, grabbed a handful of the ones he hadn’t stepped on, then ran off with those in his grip. Juudai stared after him, drawing in a huge, deep hitching breath, tears stinging in his eyes.

Yubel rested their left hand on the back of Juudai’s neck. While they could touch, it still wasn’t entirely the same as when both had bodies. But Juudai turned his attention toward them regardless.

“He stole my cards,” Juudai whispered, tears streaking down his cheeks. “He said I cheated and he stole my cards.”

Yubel stroked ever so gently, eyes following where the thief – that was all he needed to be known as now – vanished.

“Don’t worry, Juudai. You’ll see him in school tomorrow, won’t you?” Juudai nodded, sniffling. Yubel smiled. “Then I’ll take care of him them.”

Juudai’s smile broke through his tears and he started to quickly gather the other cards, squealing in joy whenever he saw a particular favorite of his survived. Once he had them all tucked back in, Yubel did what they could to brush him off. The brute’s attack hadn’t left much damage beyond some dust and bruising that Yubel would avenge in due course. If it had been worse than what it was, Yubel would have eagerly seen to it that he paid for it with his life.

Whether he knew it or not, Juudai remained Haou, the Supreme King, Herald of the Gentle Darkness. More importantly than all of those, he remained Yubel’s soulmate, and there wasn’t anything in all the worlds that Yubel wouldn’t do to avenge the slight to him.

Including putting a seven year old in the hospital after he ‘mysteriously’ fell down a flight of stairs.

It was far easier than Yubel imagined to do so. In the year since they reunited, Yubel learned that they could affect the mortal realm to some degree, with effort. Whether this was a thing that all spirits could do or just them, Yubel didn’t know. There weren’t any other spirits in the school to ask, since so few here had the gift to see them.

Not all of those who had that ability knew of it in the first place. Yubel identified most of them by if such people could see them in the first place. Those whose eyes focused on Yubel, who stared in surprise at Juudai being followed by Yubel, those were the ones that Yubel marked and watched to see if any other spirits came near to them.

But Yubel knew what they could do, and when the moment came that the one who’d hurt their beloved Juudai stood at the top of the stairs, back turned, waving to someone else, they struck.

Juudai wasn’t that far away, but the brute hadn’t seen him. This brought Yubel close enough to take care of the issue. The brute may well have fallen even if Yubel hadn’t done anything. Yubel only made certain it did happen.

One single push was all that it took. The thief-brute toppled over, rolling down and down, soft cries that stopped after two or three hits. He lay at the bottom, trembling, and Yubel smiled at the sight.

Juudai still hadn’t noticed. Yubel knew he became aware after the thief was taken away to the hospital. But Juudai didn’t seem to care any more than Yubel did.

That was just the beginning. Yubel didn’t care if the duel involved a win or a loss; as long as they treated Juudai decently, then they were allowed to go without being harmed. But whenever there was the slightest hint of disrespect towards their beloved Juudai, Yubel made certain that they paid for it.

No one who disrespected Juudai was spared. This included Juudai’s best friend of the time – a boy who often took care of him when his parents were too busy with work to do so themselves. A boy named Osamu, who had the audacity to prevent Yubel from being summoned.

Doing so wouldn’t have necessarily won Juudai the duel, but it really didn’t matter. Juudai knew that Yubel wanted to fight in the duel. Their presence would at least defend Juudai, what they were meant to do.

And when that was prevented, Yubel made certain this one was punished, right away and as fiercely as possible.

“Yubel!” Juudai stared at them as the ambulance took Osamu away. “Why did you hurt him?”

He knew that Yubel hurt people who upset him in any way. They didn’t always need to have dueled him. A small group of muggers – wanna-be muggers – who’d worried Juudai while he and his mother walked home ended up terrified thanks to Yubel. But this was the first time that Yubel struck someone that he liked.

“Because he prevented me from coming to help you, Juudai. You know that.” Yubel knew that they had to explain things to Juudai on occasion. “You should go and rest.”

Juudai subsided, but Yubel caught sight of him watching them every now and then. He didn’t say anything, but shortly thereafter, Yubel could see him drawing pictures, ones of those heroes he’d talked to them about on occasion. He drew more than he talked to them, which wasn’t all that normal. Still, Yubel expected that once he got over being upset, he would talk to them again.

Perhaps that was why matters fell out the way that they did. Yubel presumed that Juudai would soon speak but there were few moments when he did. Instead of apologizing when he finished his artwork, or even hanging it on his walls, Juudai put it into an envelope and sent it away.

But at least he spoke after that. “I sent it to a contest! If I win, my heroes are going to be made into real cards and sent into space!”

Yubel tilted their head. “Why there?” They could think of far better ways to reward someone for winning a contest.

“Because according to President Kaiba, we need to teach the space aliens how to duel.” Juudai said it without a trace of anything aside from raw belief. Yubel chuckled.

“You know, that’s also where the Gentle Darkness is. It’s everywhere, of course, but it could be found by humans there.” Yubel ran their fingers through Juudai’s hair. “Do you think your cards would find it?” A thought crossed their mind. “They could gain great power if they did. You are the Herald of the Darkness; since it fuels you and you created them, it’s not impossible.”

Juudai grinned cheerfully. “That would be awesome! Do you think I’ll win?”

“I don’t see why you wouldn’t.” Yubel couldn’t have been happier to have Juudai speaking to them again.

Perhaps if they’d known what would happen in the future, matters might have been different. As it was, Yubel only cared to hear Juudai’s voice again, and to know that he wasn’t angry at them anymore. And why should he be? They’d done nothing wrong.

Juudai was merely a child now. He reacted like a child would. When he grew up, Yubel knew that he would accept what they’d done to all who harmed him as the right and proper reaction.

As the weeks slipped away, Yubel forgot about Juudai having sent the drawings to the contest. Only when another envelope arrived, celebrating his victory in the contest, did they remember, and even then, Yubel thought of little more than to be proud for his victory.

Until the day came when he removed Yubel’s card from his deck and the last that Yubel heard of his voice for far too long was Juudai asking if ‘this card’ could be sent up into space along with the others.

Yubel screamed. Yubel raged. Yubel demanded to know why Juudai did this to them, when they’d done nothing wrong, defended him as they’d promised to do so long ago, what they’d been created and recreated to do.

And Juudai did not answer. From the moment he handed Yubel’s card to the strange men, there wasn’t a single moment when Yubel could hear him.

The soulmate bond remained, of course. Not even death could sever that. But try as Yubel might, if Juudai heard their screams or their demands or anything at all, he did nothing to respond.

And Yubel screamed louder when they soared into space, thrashing within the card and the container, claws scraping against the inside, wanting to return to the world, return to Juudai, to find out what they’d done wrong and make it right again.

Nothing. Nothing at all. Nothing but pain and fear and more pain and more fear and the laughing, mocking, far too amused claws of the Light of Ruin, digging deep into Yubel and whispering words that sank into the cracks made by all of this.

He doesn’t love you. He never loved you. The soulmate mark is a lie. Would he have done this to you if he did love you?

“Yes!” Yubel screeched the word back, throwing it with every ounce of love that they could imagine. “Juudai loves me! I love Juudai!”

Of course you do. More mocking, words shaped like weapons meant to wound. But think about it. He cared more for those heroes than he did for you. He made a whole deck of them to go with those Elemental Heroes. But did that deck have a place for you?

Yubel didn’t need to breath but their breath caught in their throat regardless. They didn’t want to think that the Light was right – how could it be? It was the Light, the very antithesis of what Juudai stood against. It would do anything to destroy him.

But those words dug so deep into them, chipping tiny holes inside.

There wasn’t one, you know. He crafted a new deck that shows what he is as Haou but without you. He doesn’t want you anymore. He threw you away. He threw you to where you’ll never find him again.

If the Light had a form and Yubel could have, they would have dug their own claws so deep into it that the beating heart would have been torn out. They shook their head over and over. This couldn’t be. They didn’t want to think about Juudai like this.

“Juudai loves me,” they murmured. “That’s why he did this.” Yubel wasn’t sure of that, not at first. But the more that they considered it, the more it felt true. Juudai sent them here, into space, into the dark and the cold and the loneliness, because of that love.

Again and again the Light’s words came to them, how Juudai wanted nothing to do with them anymore and never wanted to see them again. How he loved his Elemental Heroes and these Neo-Spacians and did not love them.

How he would love other people who weren’t Yubel, regardless of the mark on their arms.

Yubel refused to believe. The Light spoke lies; that was all there was to it. But with each passing moment and each fresh wave of pain that came, Yubel wondered and finally Yubel made a decision.

“He’s taken away everything that I had,” Yubel murmured. “He took me away from him and sent me out here. This means that he loves me. He wouldn’t hurt me if he didn’t love me.” That Yubel could never, ever forget or disbelieve. “So I’ll show him how much that I love him. I’ll hurt him too.”

It would take time. They needed a way to return to Earth and to find him again. But Yubel never doubted at all that they could do it. The power that wove them together would see to it that they were reunited.

I’ll see to it as well. The Light murmured, words underlain with a mocking laugh. Watch.

And Yubel could feel their small capsule turning, shifting from the empty patch of the universe soaked in the raw force of the Light back towards Earth itself.

The capsule wasn’t all that had been soaked in the Light. Yubel could feel the power suffusing in them as well. It wasn’t what was natural to them, but it hurt, and the pain felt so good that Yubel craved more of it. To be able to feel anything after so long made them want so much more.

One day soon, Yubel would be able to unleash all of their love onto Juudai once again. Anyone that he thought he cared about would be no more, and it would be the two of them, together as destiny demanded.

Far away, on Juudai’s left arm, the first of the thorn markings appeared.

To Be Continued

Notes: I love Yubel so very much.

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] It Started With A Break-In:  Chapter 6

“And might we know your name?” King Aodh asked, his attention centered on the armored woman who stood before him, arms wrapped around the child. There was a resemblance between them; the king did not doubt at all that they were kindred of some sort. Exactly what he wasn’t prepared to say.

Released from the spell of silence, she kept her head high, staring at him with a cold remoteness.

“You may address me as Yuu.” Her voice was forged of frost shards and metal slices. “You will also release us.”

Aodh heard a faint shiver in her tone. She would demand, but there wasn’t the force of magic behind it, nor the command of royalty. He regarded her in careful thought.

“We will determine that. You stand accused of unlawfully entering the royal gardens, first and foremost. As you were found there, there is no question of your guilt. We wish to know why you entered and stole the crops there.” In point of fact, he had no intentions to accuse them of anything to do with Juudai’s injury. He’d been caught by his own curiosity, and the child Yubel saved him from worse than a broken arm. True that it wouldn’t have happened at all without their intrusion, but they hadn’t caused it purposely.

Yuu’s lips became a thin line before she spoke. “What else would one do to eat? We have nowhere to grow food of our own and not nearly enough money to buy it. You have more than enough in this place of yours. If you’ll not share it with those less fortunate, then those less fortunate will take what we need.”

Aodh held back a sigh. Ensuring that those of his kingdom had enough to eat and drink and a warm, dry place to sleep were some of the most important duties of a king, or so he’d always been taught.

“There are places one can go in this kingdom to assist in locating a job that you are capable of doing, that will provide for your needs and those of your child.” Aodh observed Yuu for a few more moments. He’d made certain that both of them would be cleaned up before appearing here and he’d been more than a little surprised to see that underneath the mud and filth, blue-steel armor wrapped around pale violet skin, with silver-white hair underneath the helmet. A warrior’s body tensed beneath the armor as well, though no weapons were seen save for the sharp-feathered wings: or the remains of wings.

He’d heard stories of this one, now that he thought of it: Dark Valkyria. At least that was what she was called by most. No one knew what her true name might be. They called her that for her warrior’s skills. She’d been attached to the royal court of a kingdom quite a distance away and had vanished when it fell to an invading army several years earlier.

Five years ago, in fact. His gaze lingered on the child that she defended with little more than a fierce look and unyielding arms. I heard tell of...

Aodh pushed that away for now. Instead, he regarded Yuu. “Though there is another way. I see that you once had wings, did you not?”

Again her lips pressed together and her grip tightened ever so slightly around the child. “What business is it of yours?”

“This: that if you agree to remain here and defend us, we will provide both of you with food, water, shelter, and whatever else that you might need, as well as the restoration of your wings.” Aodh knew that he took a chance with this, but they could use all of the help they could get keeping their kingdom safe.

The child Yubel jerked their gaze up towards Yuu. “We could stay here?” Was that hope in their words? Aodh could not help but wonder what sort of life they’d lived until now.

Yuu held them closer, distrust and hope warring across her features before she stared once again at Aodh. “There are other goals we have than just survival,” she said, voice harsh and tense.

“As does everyone. And you will need that survival in order to gain those other goals.”

Yubel’s fingers closed more on Yuu’s arms. “Mother. Let’s stay. It’s a chance.”

Yuu said nothing for several long moments. “You call this a punishment for what we’ve done?” Absolute distrust and fear colored her words and Aodh couldn’t blame her. Nor did he want to speak of what he thought might be. A glance to Kaien told him that she quite likely suspected the same points herself. Their scryers and mages kept them informed on most of the events in the world.

“No. I call this an opportunity for both of you to improve your lives. Your punishment will be that for the next seven years, you’ll spend three shifts per week guarding the royal gardens, in addition to your other duties. The child Yubel is not old enough to be punished for what happened.” Aodh ruled. “You will both remain in the palace and live in the guards’ dormitory and eat at the guards’ table.” Yuu wouldn’t at all be the first person to have a family with them in the dormitory.

No sooner had he spoken, however, then Juudai jumped up. “I want Yubel to be my friend! To stay with me, no matter what!” He tried to wave both arms, but stopped one of them, wincing in pain, before he kept talking. “Yubel, do you want to stay with me? Please? You can see your mother whenever you want. But… stay with me? Please?”

Yuu stared at him, and Aodh knew if her wings had been intact, they would have spread defensively over Yubel. He leaned forward.

“It is for the two of you to choose that. But I tell you, our son is as well protected as we can manage. You are aware of who he is?”

The birth of the Herald of the Gentle Darkness had been celebrated over most of the known world. Aodh didn’t know if the kingdom they hailed from had been one of those, but there were few who lived in Kuragari who didn’t know about Juudai and who he really was.

Yuu still didn’t relax her defensiveness. Yubel twisted up to stare at her hopefully. “Mother. I trust him. I really do.”

The tiny scabbed over parts on Yuu’s shoulders that had once been her wings slumped downward and she dropped her head, voice quiet and regretful. “I know you do, Yubel. If – if you want to stay with him, I won’t stop you.” But now her eyes grew fierce and she stared at Juudai, “But if you cause Yubel the first moment of harm, then there will be vengeance.”

Neither child seemed to hear that last part. They were far too immersed in staring at once another. Aodh shook his head. He’d seen a few interactions like that before, when those involved cared little or nothing for the opinions of others. It seemed that these would be no different.

“Show Yubel around, but watch your arm,” he granted, and in mere moments the two of them hurried out of the royal courtroom. He wasn’t surprised to see Yuu watching them with a soft gaze of regret. He touched Kaien’s arm.

“Please have Heather brought here. I think it’s best if we tend to our new warrior’s wings as soon as possible.” It would be better if Yuu could focus on her new duties quickly. Kaien would agree.

“What did you mean by talking flying magical rabbits?” Yubel asked as Juudai led them down the corridor. He flushed a deep shade of red.

“You took the food from my plate, didn’t you?” Juudai wasn’t surprised to see them nod. “We thought that rabbits were stealing from the garden since all we could find were rabbit tracks. So I thought – only a flying rabbit could’ve gotten up to where I was, and if it could fly it would be magical and it would be able to talk, too.”

Yubel ducked their head. “Mother knows a few spells. She changed our tracks to look like rabbit tracks so we wouldn’t be found. I think that’s how they caught us: it was a spell to prevent other spells from working. So we couldn’t hide and we couldn’t get away.”

Juudai nodded, ducking his head down for a few seconds. “You don’t want to get away now, do you?”

“No.” Yubel admitted. “I want to stay here for as long as I can.” They hesitated for a few seconds. “Mother says we’ll have to go back somewhere someday. She calls it ‘home’ but I don’t remember it. We left when I was just a baby.”

Juudai’s fingers tightened on their hand. “Where you go, I go. Doesn’t matter where.”

Yubel’s smile brightened the entire corridor. “And where you go, I go.”

They kept on walking together, Juudai showing the sights, Yubel observing, hand in hand, for now and forever.

The End

Notes: Some day there will be a sequel. But tomorrow, I will begin to work on The King’s General.

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] It Started With A Break-In:  Chapter 5

Yubel clung to the armored hand that remained wrapped around their shoulders, doing their best to be strong, just like Mother told them to be. They weren’t certain of how strong they could be, but they were not going to show fear. At least not too much fear.

How can I not be afraid? We’re going to be executed!

They’d seen the way that the guardsman glared at them the moment his trap sprung. Viscous victory, unyielding gloating, and clearly seeing them as little more than thieves, not people.

Yubel knew that look so very well. In all of their years, they’d seen it from far too many people. Perhaps not so many once they’d moved to Kuragari, but enough. Far, far too many.

Mother’s hand moved to brush through Yubel’s hair, just as hurried footsteps sounded. Mother made no sound, but Yubel stiffened their shoulders and glared ahead regardless. They would be strong. They would be defiant. Whatever happened, they would face it without fear.

At least without any fear showing.

Ahead of those footsteps came another set, these a little more measured, and those Yubel recognized as those of the guardsman who’d taken them captive. He peered into the room, an ugly twist to his lips that turned into a smirk at the sight of them.

“Queen Kaien and Prince Juudai are here,” he reported, drawing himself up to the fullest of his – short – height. “You may rest assured that your death will be long and drawn out and painful. Queen Kaien and King Aodh love their son and it’s because of your thievery that he’s been injured. Don’t think that they won’t exact their revenge on you!”

Mother barely even twitched. Yubel could see the proud warrior that still existed beneath the mud and grime that coated her armor and resolved to emulate her as much as possible. Wanting to be strong and seeing such strength before her were two very different situations.

The guard drew breath, about to start on another tirade, when the hurried footsteps burst into the room. Yubel blinked. They’d barely realized who it was that they’d caught that dark and muddy night, only that it was a kid of about their own age. They’d thought only one thing: that such a kid shouldn’t be hurt.

That was why they’d been caught. If Yubel hadn’t leaped and intercepted the falling child, then Mother could have activated their escape spell, and they would have returned to their little place safe and sound.

And now Yubel stared into the face of the one that they’d saved and every thought in their mind vanished in the unbelievable realization of I know you! Yubel couldn’t have said where they knew him from or even what his name was – but Yubel could have picked him out of a group of a thousand, without having seen him before.

Neither Yubel nor their mother could speak while they were in the cage. Yubel thought it was some sort of spell that kept them in fear and in silence. But there wasn’t anything else they wanted to say as they stared at him.

The boy – the prince – stared at them both, before his eyes came to rest on Yubel, and rounded in surprise himself. He took another step closer, one hand reaching outward.

“Hi,” he murmured, a tiny smile blossoming over his features. “You don’t look like a magic flying talking bunny.”

Yubel blinked a few times, casting a glance up towards their mother, who shrugged ever so lightly. Then they looked back at the prince, wondering what he meant.

The guard cleared his throat. “Highness, Majesty,” he said, bending his head to the tall, regal woman who entered after her son. “I assure you that the thieves will go nowhere before their execution. Now that they’ve been taken, they will not be released.”

Yubel tightened their grip around Mother’s hand again, shaking their head. They were thieves, yes, but because they had to be, not because they wanted to be!

They’re royalty! What are they going to do with all of that extra anyway?

Perhaps something of that showed in their eyes, as the Queen moved closer to them. Her gaze rested quietly on Mother for a few heartbeats before she spoke.

“That hasn’t been decided as of yet. We are going to offer you a fair trial. We wish to hear your reasons for what you did and why you did it. We will make our decision based on that as well.”

The guard looked as if he were about to draw another breath when the Queen turned a withering look on him. “And you will be rewarded for having succeeded in protecting the royal gardens and nothing else. You are overworked at the moment, however. I will have another guard brought. You are on indefinite paid leave pending review of a proper reward for your well done work.” She gestured dismissively before dropping her attention back to Prince Juudai.

Prince Juudai, who’d taken another step towards the cage, and hadn’t taken his eyes off of Yubel in all of this time. He breathed for a few moments before he smiled, like the sun coming up.

And yet that didn’t seem like the right way to describe it regardless. As bright as he was – and he was very bright indeed – he was also dark, the kind of darkness Yubel had only heard of in stories.

“This is the one that saved you, Juudai,” the Queen said. Yubel flushed, ducking their head down. They hadn’t known that he hadn’t known that. Almost automatically, they spoke their name, or tried to. Only their lips moved to shape the word.

But the Queen stared a bit at them. “Again, please? Only those outside of the cage can speak in this place.”

Oh, Yubel knew that. But once again they silently spoke the name and the Queen nodded.

“Yubel? Is that what you’re saying?”

The Queen spoke it fairly well but with a hint of an accent. Yubel nodded since it sounded more than good enough. She tapped Juudai on the shoulder.

“This is my son, Juudai. I am Queen Kaien of Kuragari.” She turned her attention towards Mother, who’d stared back all this time with the most distance that she could muster. It almost made Yubel remember days of long ago, when they’d lived in their own home and the world had been perfect. “And you?”

But Mother said nothing, only standing there with lips sealed together and head held high, back straight as steel. Neither of them had been able to wash or eat since they’d arrived here. That had been hours and hours ago. Food and water had been brought, but Mother hadn’t allowed either of them to eat any of it. Yubel thought she might think it was poisoned. The way the guard spoke to them encouraged Yubel to believe that.

Only when it came to Queen Kaien and Prince Juudai, they weren’t so sure. Especially when it came to Prince Juudai. Someone like that wouldn’t poison anyone, not even a prisoner. But Mother’s word remained Yubel’s law.

A tiny part of Yubel expected Queen Kaien to rage when Mother didn’t answer. But instead, the Queen bent her head in acceptance.

“I do hope that you wish to defend yourself when the time comes. Please wash and eat. We’d like to have you at your best when your trial comes.”

The Queen started to turn away but Juudai didn’t move so much as a step away. He took one closer, in fact.

“You won’t be killed,” he promised, eyes glowing with warmth, a smile of sheer acceptance on his face. “I won’t let you be. I don’t know what Mother and Father want to do to you, but you won’t be killed. I swear it.”

Yubel believed him. Yubel could have believed in the sun rising in the west, the moon rising painted in polka dots, and their old home being returned to them far sooner than they could have believed Juudai lying.

Queen Kaien urged her son to leave. Juudai kept on staring at Yubel, eyes not leaving from their face at all, as they moved backwards out of there. Only when they were all the way out of the room and the door closed did Yubel let out a silent sigh and lean against Mother.

They would have asked what that meant, why the Prince came, why he seemed so insistent that they wouldn’t perish…

And why should they, Yubel thought, when there were so many ways that were far worse than death to punish thieves? They were royalty and they had magic. Whatever they wanted to do, they could and would do, and nothing could stop them. Mother told them that many times – royalty was to be feared because only other royalty could stop them.

And sometimes not even then.

But even with all of that in their thoughts, even with Mother’s supportive arm around them, Yubel couldn’t believe they were in danger of dying.

Juudai promised.

To Be Continued

Notes: Would you believe I now have an idea for a sequel? Time will tell if I write it! And one chapter to go!