AkiBlue

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

Enasi sat still, staring at the Yang symbol on his hand. It was still there, meaning Seishu was still alive. That gave him enough hope. Seishu had been through a lot and Enasi had faith he would keep fighting. When Harper had finished, he gave a nod towards the information given, and then smiled. “You two don’t need to apologize anymore. You’ve worked hard to keep him alive. In fact,” He paused as he slid out of bed. When he leaned forward, Crios quickly caught him and wrapped an arm around his waist in order to keep him steady. “I should be thanking the two of you. All of you really. You’ve stayed since the beginning, even when you hated Seishu’s guts. You’ve done more than what you’ve been trained for. Besides, we’ll find him.” He steadied and walked forward, ignoring the uncomfortable pulls on his stomach. “I’ll need all of you to help. Including you Rue.” As he passed through the door, he gestured for everyone to follow him.

Crios helped him walk towards the west hall, hesitating to let go when Enasi moved away from him. The guardian stared at the floor as he took slow steps, as if following footprints that weren’t there. Harper’s ears were alert, listening for anything abnormal. The siblings had followed the group outside and began examining the flowers that had faint traces of negative energy dissolving off of them. Cho, Rue, and Rasha stayed behind them, watching what the guardian planned to do. Rue had calmed a little, still holding on to Rasha. Enasi stopped walking and he looked around. Of course, he saw nothing that could aid them, he was positive of their skills and didn't doubt that they searched everywhere. "Crios, I'm sure when we find him, you'll need your supplies. . . I don’t think we should bring him back here." Enasi frowned a little as the gears in his head turned. "It's way too dangerous here. I know he can't go back home yet, but he's been attacked way too many times here. And well, he can't get better any faster with all of our energy surrounding him." As much as he disliked the idea, he decided it may have been for the best. "It may be a good idea for him to lay low in the human realm for some time. At least enough to heal. . ." His brain was still working out the kinks of the idea, but he did pause in order to look around once more.

He remembered the first time he had done this when Seishu was in the realm. He ended up hurting both Seishu and Rue, so doing this again, he'd end up hurting another one of his minions if Seishu was close to one, and he didn’t know how bad Seishu was injured now. "Alright. . . Keep your energy focused. There will more than likely be a short spike of negative energy after this." He took a deep breath and sighed. His eyes closed as a large wave of energy spread across the realm. 'Where are you Seishu? I need a sign, anything please.'

There was a faint hint of negative energy still around, but it was much too faint for it to have been still in the realm. TB hadn’t been wrong, not that Enasi doubted the wise turtle’s judgement, however he wanted to be sure for his sake. “He’s not here, it disappears far off that way. But I can be sure that he’s not in the Nightmare Realm. There must’ve been a portal out, maybe to the human realm. Not that that’s any better. . .” He sighed and ran fingers through his hair. Taking him to the human realm didn’t seem to be the best option, especially if he was already there. Being in the Dream Realm seemed to be his only hope of protection. “Harper, remind me that we need to implement a new teaching. Things minions don’t know about-” When the wave of energy slowly began to die down, he realized the sudden spark of negative energy that lashed out behind him. Enasi whipped around, turning to spot Inui on the ground in pain.

"Inui!" Being so preoccupied with finding Seishu, he had completely disregarded the Nightmare minion that was learning how to handle his new energy. Enasi hurried over as fast as he could with Harper nearby to catch him. He sputtered multiple apologies as Crios moved in to aid to Inui.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba turned when he heard the shift of movement, only to spot Dani walk off. “Where-” His voice drifted it off when he spotted the upset look on his face. Why had his mood changed so suddenly? Maybe it was just him realizing how...he was being nicer to a fallen angel? Or. . . Did Aoba do something wrong? Quietly, he scooted to the door, peeking out and watching as Dani went toward the barn. He was still getting used to not doing work around the house, compared to the time when work needed to be done every day. Aoba wasn’t quite sure what relaxing was, but eventually he’d learn. He had decided to shuffle around the house and look around a bit more thoroughly, but he didn’t move from the door, still watching Dani storm away.

He didn’t think Dani wanted him to follow and Kuro had disappeared earlier for some reason. Aoba thought about going after one of them, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to be so clingy. . . after all, they had already helped him so much. Even they needed their time alone. Aoba respected it, and welcomed it. If the fallen angel was ever going to learn to be independent, it would be best if he even had his time away from the demons. ’This is. . .helpful. Quiet, but helpful.’ His mouth twisted a little before he nodded to himself, trying to reassure that he wasn’t overthinking the situation. ’Quiet, but helpful’

However, helpful didn’t last long when he spotted Kuro walking back towards the house. Aoba gave his normal small smile, but then turned his attention back as Dani had passed through the barn doors. "He's an odd demon. . ." It was the first thing he said when Kuro had gotten close. "He was just telling me about that TV thing over there." Maybe it was just Dani's ever changing emotions. He was oblivious to it.

"Oh, Kuro, do you think we should feed the animals now?"

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

“Alright, I’ll get up. I’ll get up.” He grumbled through a mountain of pillows and a blanket. From where his maternal servant stood, a lump shifted around under the blankets until they were tossed to one side. Feet touched the cold floor and it sent a small chill through went up his spine. “Kaede, tell me why it’s so important to eat with the family every meal? There is never much to really talk about most days. We see each other day in and day out.” As he spoke, he slowly got ready for the day. There was never really need to rush, considering the routinely manner of his home.

“Your Highness, I can’t answer that sort of question for you. However, I do believe spending time with family is a valuable thing.” Kaede began to fold the sheets and pick up Hironori’s nightwear.

“Maybe you’re right. But I spend lots of time around them.” He sighed and then stretched his arms over his head. It was best not to start off the day at such low tolerance. “I can at least try, of course.” He simply shrugged and she smiled, giving him a nod. As he walked out, he heard her add, ’It’d be wise to at least try and see their point of view.’ He remembered as a child she would always say how he was ‘just as stubborn as the emperor’. He had tried to see the other side of all the violence and wars, but nothing ever changed his mind. Of course, he wouldn’t admit that when he tried, he really didn’t put in much effort. With a sigh, he ran fingers through his hair, taming the messy bed hair he had. It settled for the most part, not that he minded it being messy, however he assumed his parents would want him to look decent for his future spouse. Something told Hiro that Akito was already well aware of his nontraditional styles as a royal.

His hands fell behind his back and he nodded when the servants bowed and opened the door for him. With a small smirk, he bowed to his parents. The Empress’ eyes light up to see her son and she beams. The Emperor on the other hand merely raised a questioning eyebrow. “Good morning to you both. And of course, to you as well Akito.” He walked over, this time sitting near his mother, while Akito sat by his father. “See? I made it this time.”

“Still late as usual.” The Emperor replied in a gruff tone. “Luckily the food didn’t get cold.” His wife gave him a quick scowl. Hiro fell silent for a moment, taking the time to actually heed Kaede’s advice.

“I did sleep in, my apologies. I should probably better schedule.” He left it at that, not wanting to sound forced. Instead he looked over at the Empress, playing along to the typical conversations for mornings. “Did you sleep well?” For a moment, the Emperor watched his son skeptically before sighing. The Empress on the other hand seemed to be quite happy that Hiro was at least attempting to talk.

“Oh! Well, besides a few uncomfy shifts and movements,” She patted her stomach gently for emphasis, “I slept pretty well, thank you for asking.” It was easy to please his mother for some odd reason, not that she was simple minded, she just seemed to feel happy about even the small things. So, after he made conversation with her, feeling a little accomplished, he brushed a few strands of hair behind his ear and looked over at Akito with a relaxed smile. He assumed his parents had already asked how he slept, so he decided to go for the next best thing.

“So, Akito,” He stretched his name a little longer than necessary, as if to get his attention. “Now that you have a feel for the place, did you have anything in mind you wanted to do?” Assuming Akito’s usual nervousness, Hiro added on. “Plenty of things to do. Multiple gardens, the board games to learn, the training you enjoy so much- it is a nice day afterall, you could look at the other paintings we skipped. There are plenty.” He tapped a chopstick to his lips in thought. “Well, you get the idea.” He mentally chuckled, realizing even when he tried, he still didn’t have much to say. While the silence slowly began to grow, Hironori decided to begin eating.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

“Okay, here’s the first dish!” Cho figured, if he could at least keep his mind on the current activity, he wouldn’t feel the need to tell Enasi. Even though all the small dishes had been made before, he made sure to pick the recipes that hadn’t been made in awhile. So, he still got an honest opinion from them and Enasi wouldn’t question why he was asking them to try regular dishes.The chef went about explaining the dish, it being a simple appetizer for guests. He hands the plate to Enasi who takes a small bite.

“Mmm, this is tastes very good. It’s sweet, I like it.” He smiled and fed some to Rue and Rasha who were eager to try it as well. “You know Cho, you’re food, all of it is spectacular. I don’t think you really even need to do taste testing. However, I do understand being thorough.”

Cho smiled and nodded. “Why thank you Lord Enasi. It’s a pleasure to hear that coming from you, but you’re absolutely right. I always need to be absolutely sure.” He beamed when Rue and Rasha gave hums of satisfaction from their portions as well. “So, that dish can be remade. Wonderful.” Thankfully, these portions were small enough to prevent them from being extremely full after the fifth plate. This should have been easy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Harper, there’s something loose in that rabbit brain of yours. We could at least check again!”

“We don’t have time for that! This realm is huge, who knows where Seishu could be. We can’t wait until the last minute. The longer we prolong this the worse it will get- for both guardians!” Crios knew Harper was right. He knew it. But the doctor in him was screaming to keep Lord Enasi from being harmed. Everything that could go wrong, might go wrong if the news was spilt, but did they really have a choice?

Both of them pause at the sudden noise and look from Starla. Harper’s whiskers twitched, and Crios’ tail did the same as the two listened to the plant girl. Near her, Flynn just hoped the two higher ups wouldn’t do get too upset with Starla. He knew his sister meant the best, however sometimes she went about things the wrong way...Both had never removed their eyes off Starla as she hounded them with disappointment and frustration in her tone. Only when Starla’s gaze fell did they break eye contact. After a moment of silence, both heaved a simultaneous sigh. Crios’ arms crossed across his chest, and Harper shifted the weight on his feet.

“She’s right.” Crios’ admitted. He had forgotten time and time again that technically, Harper was above him. The fox doctor looked down for a moment before continuing. “You are the general and second in command. It wasn’t my place to argue.” He nodded, giving a mock bow, and looked up at Harper. “What are your orders?”

Harper blinked for a moment, letting the facts sink in. He was second in command, however Enasi was so perfect with everything, there was no reason for him to worry about that position. He always focused on his job as a general. Even Crios’ apology and submission seemed all too strange. Harper cleared his throat and straightened up. His gaze turned to Starla and she immediately tried to find some other place to look. However, she did catch the nod of thanks before he turned to Crios and nodded. “I do understand the consequences of it Crios. I really do. And I’d hate that outcome as much as you, but I will be telling him. He has a right to know.” Crios merely nodded. “However, it is wise to make sure your kit is ready. . .Just in case of course.”

“It’s already in the room.” He responded quietly before Harper turned and headed to Enasi’s ward. The siblings looked at one another, quietly following behind them both. This was going to be. . .something.

The second in command walked quickly, his whiskers twitching every now and then. Crios’ focused on what to administer to Enasi, whether it was before or after the news. Definitely after, and only if necessary. “If I may,” Crios started, only continuing when he noticed Harper’s ears twitched, tuning to him. “before you do tell him, let me check over his injuries. . ?” Harper gave a nod, not bothering to turn and look at him. He would have preferred the doctor check him over first.

~~~~

“I’m telling you Cho, I simply cannot pick a favorite. The two are both really, really good.”

“Hmm, I like the first one!” Rue said after tasting the cakes. “Oh wait, but I like the second one two. . . Lord Enasi is right, it is hard to choose.” This lead the four into a small fit of laughter, until Enasi rested a hand over his stomach.

“It’s okay, I’m just a bit sore. Nothing wrong.” As his sentence ended, his gaze turned to the approaching group of positive energy. “Oh, I guess their tasks are done for the day. That’s nice. They deserve a break from their hard work. At first, the other three weren’t quite sure what their guardian was talking about until the group got closer and eventually opened the door. “Helloo~!” He waved. Cho smiled and Rue and Rasha waved as well, however the the younger two were curious as to what was taking Inui so long to get back.

Harper bowed and Crios shuffled past and sat at Enasi’s side, surprisingly calm. Being the guardian he was, he could easily sense the hidden tension that was building. “Oh? Is there something wrong?” He looked at each of them, though Flynn and Starla merely bowed and shuffled to a seat.

“How are you feeling Lord Enasi?”

“Perfectly fine-” He chuckled when Rue gave a stern expression. “I was a little sore earlier, but that’s because I was laughing.” Crios gave a smile, only to look a bit surprised when Enasi turned and cupped his face lightly. Those mismatched eyes stared for a brief moment before he gave a look of concern. “There’s something wrong. I can see it in your eyes Crios.” He gently patted one of his fox ears in comfort. Whatever it was, he hoped he could help. Patiently waiting, he watched Crios look over at his supplies for a brief moment before turning his gaze to Harper. The guardian did the same. It was harder to see, but Enasi could spot the turmoil clouding behind his firm gaze. “What’s bothering you?”

harper’s ears lowered some but he took a deep breath. “We’ve searched the entire realm, even consulted TB. . .but Seishu is missing. We’ve already figured that he couldn’t have created a portal back home. His energy is too weakened. Besides Inui, there is no trace of any Nightmare Minions around. He wanted to stretch his legs. I gave him ten minutes. . . And in those ten minutes I took my eyes off of him, but he was gone.” Harper bowed again. “I truly apologize Lord Enasi, I should have kept a better eye on him and I know how detrimental it would be if he got hurt.” When he stood straight, he steeled himself for Enasi’s reaction.

The Dream Guardian had sat up a little more; Rasha helping adjust his pillow. He took a sip of the water Cho had given him before and then paid close attention. It seemed that when he brought it up, the unpleasantries seemed to roll off of them. ’They should really get Seishu. . . He could really feed off of this energy’ To his surprise, this meeting was about the Nightmare Guardian. Slowly, his eyes widened in shock and it seemed like the guardian froze for a moment. However, to everyone else’s surprise, he didn’t panic.

“Lord Enasi. . . How are you feeling?” Crios prepared to administer the shot if need be.

Enasi rested a hand on Crios’ arm. “I’ll be better when we find Seishu.” Enasi bit his lip and moved in order to have his feet hang off the bed. Before Crios could say anything, he raised his hand to silence him. “If I have learned anything from that insane Guardian, it’s that either I’m going to have to stop freaking out and complaining or Seishu will yell at me until I fix the problem. I figure I might as well try something that doesn’t get me yelled at.” He sighed and ran fingers through his burgundy hair. “And, if I sit idly by while you all go searching, I’m going to sit here and panic. Which is counterproductive.” Enasi was definitely suppressing an instinctive trait, but he took a deep breath and focused on the more important task. “How long has he been gone? And where was the last time you saw him?” ’Seishu you’re reaching the number one reason why I panic so much. . .’

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba didn't notice Kuro's spiraling negative mood. The angel assumed he just wanted to go out and check around the fields and maybe stretch out his wings. He began to hum gently as each item was neatly tucked in place. ’This is kind of like stocking the inventories back home-’ The thought made him stop. He hesitated and bit his lower lip. That wasn’t home anymore, and he knew that. He had known that for weeks, so why had he made such a minor slip? After a moment more, Aoba shook his head as if to rid himself of the thoughts and then continued to put their- well mainly his groceries away.

Dani had sauntered closer, noticing the hesitation. He wasn’t going to acknowledge at first, but the countless beatings and talks from Kuro made him think about what Kuro said about him toughing out his situation. Was the angel thinking about it now? Maybe Dani was thinking too much into the situation himself. He didn’t know, he wasn’t good at reading others- nor did he really care to. Giving a mental sigh, he simply walked over and stood near Aoba, leaning against the counter. It was hard to mimic things Kuro did to corrupt the angel, so Dani would have to figure out his own way to make Aoba his. Kuro was a weird demon with weird tactics, none of which Dani wanted to try anyway. Quietly, he moved a can just out of Aoba’s reach as he put them away. As he suspected, when Aoba reached down grabbing the air it broke him out of the methodical cleaning.

“Hm?” He hummed, wondering why Dani was watching him and why he disrupted the process. He was almost done after all. “Did you want something Dani?”

Dani frowned a bit. ’There he goes again with that. . .caring voice. So weird. . . I’m not supposed to be upset though. It’s something ‘natural’ with him. Although there isn’t really anything natural about him.’ Dani sighed and made a face to nothing in particular, and while Dani did that Aoba finished putting the last of the groceries away. “Don’t you have to. . . I don’t know, feed animals? We did go to the store and all this morning. So you know, there’s that.” He hadn’t expected the soft giggling from the angel and immediately puffed up. “What? What’s so funny?!”

Aoba’s mouth was covered when he giggled lightly, but he quickly composed himself. “Nothing, nothing. I just. . .You never ask about the animals unless it’s Mama. I don’t mind if you take a peek at them you know. I trust you.” Dani’s eyes narrowed a bit, trying to find the lie in his eyes, but the angel was telling the complete truth. Trusting him was definitely a start, so Dani took pride in that at least, simply because Aoba said it aloud. “So will you be going?”

“Why would I go? I’m not going to feed those things.” He huffed and watched as Aoba walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. “It’s not like I care what you do here anyway!” He spoke defensively.

“Okay.”

“I’m only here because that dumb demon would clip my wings if I try to go anywhere.” Dani grumbled, still being defensive after the simple response he was given.

Aoba was well aware of why Dani was around, more or less. If anything, the angel was sure he didn’t care, so he merely nodded in agreement. Although he did give an odd look when he heard the defensive tone in his voice. Deciding not to press it any further, Aoba walked over to the dusty box they had all been ignoring. “Hey. . . Dani, what’s this?”

For an instant, Dani bristled when he was ignored by the angel, but he quickly remembered that would do nothing to help him taint the angel. ’Being ‘nice’ is stupid.’ With an annoyed sigh, only loud enough for him to hear, he hopped over the couch to see what Aoba was examining. “That thing? It’s a TV. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of these? Geez, you really were a shut in! What could you possibly do all day in that-” Dani cut the possible insult short with a roll of his eyes and then tinkered with the nobs on it. It was old and way out of season, but it was possible it could still work. “Humans sit around this thing all day and waste their time watching shows or whatever. It’s pretty pointless if you ask me. Their scary stuff isn’t even that scary.”

Aoba was really going to have to learn how to tune out Dani’s insults to him, or at least brush them off. However, this time that hadn’t been the case. Dani actually stopped himself from saying something. That was new. Was Kuro teaching him still? He’d have to ask. . .whenever Kuro got back of course. ’Where’d Kuro go off to? Normally he says something before he does.’

“I don’t think this old thing works. It’s not useful anyway. Just pointless sitting.” He gave the TV a light kick before looking back at Aoba.

“Well, there’s no need to break it. It’s still a useful shelf to put things- if we ever put anything on it of course.” Aoba’s attention drifted off outside again. “Hm. . .Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should go feed the animals. Well, I should probably ask Kuro if it’s a good idea.”

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

“Your highness,” One servant quietly got Hironori’s attention. The young prince was neck deep in the heated water and a warm towel was resting over his eyes. She wasn’t sure if had been asleep, but after he had cleaned off and settled to relax, she couldn’t help but debate that was the case. A soft, questioning hum answered her question, and she cleared her throat lightly. “My apologies for disturbing you. I just wanted to let you know that it is getting fairly late. I wouldn’t want the water getting too cold for you.” Her gaze stayed on the towels in her hand as she spoke.

There was a moment of silence as the servant waited for a response or a command to leave. Instead, the water splashed a little as Hiro stretched his arms over his head and removed the towel off his face. “I suppose you’re right.” A yawn escaped before he could continue. “I should probably head to bed. I’m sure everyone else is asleep now.” He stood and climbed out of the bath. The servant quickly handed him his towel before looking away from him. It was obvious that few of the younger servants had been infatuated by the prince, but most occasions he paid no mind to them, unless he was in a good mood and decided to be flirtatious. He toweled off and thanked her for the robe. He was left to his own devices and walked his way to his room.

He decided to take the long way to his room. It was quiet, save for the few night servants shuffling about. He realized it was pretty quiet all the time around the large home. There were dozens of people who occupied the place and yet it always seemed pretty empty. He passed his father’s dojo, peeking inside just because. There was no real value to it for him, but there were occasions that he thought maybe just maybe he could appeal to his father and at least attempt to try out his interests...Of course those thoughts faded and he continued on his way. Hironori walked along, stopping by his personal study. Another small yawn escaped him but he shuffled inside in order to clean up a bit more. The books were stacked and pushed into place and he reorganized a few more things. Eventually, he wandered to his own room, looking over at Akito’s door before continuing. Unlike his betrothed, he comfortably fell asleep on his lush bed.

Morning seemed to come way too soon and Hiro buried himself deeper under the covers as the sun shined. He could have sworn the servants moved his bed and angled him directly in the sun. He didn’t want to get up and face the world today. His first day had already been hectic. The second day would probably be less interesting. As he mentioned to Akito before, they could do anything they wanted in the palace- and yet there was nothing to do. He sighed and stayed hidden, only debating to get up when his stomach growled. He could already sense the monotonous conversation at breakfast. ”How did you sleep?” “Was there anything you wanted to try doing today?”

Farther down, a servant had already knocked on Akito’s door in order to get him ready and awake for the day. In fact, they had done so thirty minutes before even bothering to get Hironori up. All were well aware of Hiro’s tendencies to sleep in, so they decided to give him only a few extra minutes- but of course, not enough to be late for breakfast.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

After a few moments of everyone falling into shock and promptly try to pull themselves together, Starla ran fingers through her hair, somehow managing to avoid every flower that resided in it. “So. . . what do we do?” She had a straight, serious face. If anything, they couldn’t just sit there in shock. She and everyone else knew it too. Her eyes landed on Crios, then Harper. The rabbit man couldn’t help the cold chill that ran down his spine. He was the second in command. Enasi was incapacitated at the moment, which meant he was the one that had to take charge. It was something he never dreamed of doing. Before he could overreact, Harper heaved a sigh. He was a strategist. He was a soldier. He could figure something out.

Crios and Flynn watched Harper. Both spotted the surprised and mild terror in the rabbit’s eyes before he calmed. Harper leaned against the wall in thought. No one spoke, not wanting to interrupt his contemplation. It felt like minutes had gone pass as they waited, each trying to come up with their own ideas as well. “There’s no way around this.” Harper finally broke the intense silence. “I’ve gone through every possible plan I could think of, twice. There’s no other way around it and you,” He looked at Crios with a serious expression. “probably won’t like it.” Harper stood straight, looking down the hallway. “It’s not far from a long shot, but Lord Enasi is the only one that can truly feel Night’s presence. It’s one of those guardian things. So,” Even Harper isn’t fond of what he planned to say, but it had to be done. “We have to tell him. He can tap into this realm’s energy to pinpoint where he is. I’m sure there are plenty of things he could probably do that are beyond us.”

Crios interjected immediately. “You do realize how much of a panic that will put him in?! We cannot afford for him to not only be in a panic, but exert himself so much in the state he’s in!” As a doctor, he could not allow his patient- the Guardian of this realm- be injured anymore than he had been. And as someone who worried about the guardian in general, he didn’t want to put Enasi in that kind of stress- not after the Nightmare Realm. . . Not after he nearly died. “Didn’t you say TB said he wasn’t here? That turtle is the oldest creature here, and now all of a sudden you don’t believe him?!” His voice had grown into a hushed, exasperated tone as if Enasi would hear them.

Flynn had similar thoughts, although there was no other solution in mind. “Maybe...Maybe Seishu went home? Maybe he or someone opened the portal to the Nightmare Realm for him?”

Harper’s head shook. The idea did come across his mind, but there was a problem with it. “Only a Nightmare can make a portal to to the Nightmare Realm and Inui wasn’t with Seishu. Enasi might, but he was way too loopy and injured. We would have detected any other nightmares around here. Night couldn’t have done it himself either. When the two got back, he could barely stand. If I’m not mistaken, he recently just got the energy to actually get out of bed. Right Crios?” When he didn’t get a response,he asked again. Crios, merely sighed and nodded. The fox knew the truth, however it still didn’t sway his opinion. He couldn't just dump something like that on their guardian. Not with his injuries and not after they had convinced him to stop stressing himself so much. At this point, Crios was going to stress himself out before that could be considered, so he took a deep breath and sighed. There had to be another way…
~~~~~~~

Cho appeared in his guardian’s room with Rue giving a look of happy surprise. He placed a finger to his lips in order to indicate the sleeping two. Cho nodded calmly and gave a curious look when he realized one of the trio had been missing. “Where’s Inui?” His voice was soft and curious.

“He’ll be back. He had to go get a small cut fixed up.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was still dark. Still empty. Enasi, for once didn’t mind. It was a time to regather his thoughts and revel on the day. But. . .he realized with Seishu, he did mostly that. The Nightmare Guardian was always one to knock some sense into him- even when he didn’t think he needed it.

I should thank him. . . He’s sacrificed so much. . .

There was no need to remind himself of all the sad things that had gone on with Seishu. It was amazing how well he handled them. From being stuck in his counterpart’s realm, Rue getting into trouble- twice, the many emotional rollercoaster they went through, and so so much more- Seishu was still standing. He admired him. Seishu’s strong will, loving devotion, the way his eyes lit up when he saw his minions for the first time. . .It was hard to tell if Enasi sighed or not, but the gesture was there.

I wonder how I could ever repay him for something like that. . .

Keeping him alive just didn’t seem like enough. It was something important that had to be done, but it there was little sentiment in it. The proof of that had been with those rowdy doctors that were now imprisoned. It reminded him to go check on them. He should let them go and return home. The faint tinge of sorrow pressed in his heart. They wouldn’t be happy with him. He knew it. But they didn’t understand. He had to punish them someway.

An all too familiar pull made him turn his head in that direction. He was waking up. And when he did, Enasi yawned gently before kissing the cheek of Rasha who at sometime took advantage of sleeping with his guardian and turned to his human form. A soft purr found its way out of Rasha before he stretched and lazily opened one eye. He didn’t want to get up, much too comfortable at his guardian’s side. Enasi however had opened his eyes and smiled at both Rue and Cho who were having small talk. “How are you Cho? Rue? How long have I been asleep?” The last question was obviously pointed at Rue.

“You must have been really tired Lord Enasi. You’ve been asleep for more than an hour.” Rue giggled and made his way to the bed in order to hug him. “I’m fine. Everyone else I believe is going about their schedules.” He gave an affirmative nod.
Cho on the other hand mulled over that response, positive that the others were in frantic search of Seishu. However, he couldn’t entertain that thought. He didn’t need his guardian worrying as he always did. “I too am quite alright Lord Enasi, thank you.” There was a brief silence, save for Rasha’s gentle purring as Enasi gently soothed and petted his hair as he slept. “I did have an inquiry. About a few dishes.” He tapped his chin. “Ah, well I did bring you a small snack. I didn’t exactly abide to the soup rule, but I made sure they were soft foods.”

Enasi chuckled lightly and listened to Cho. “I’m not too hungry right now, but sure I can do a taste test. Rue, Inui, and Rasha- hm, where is Inui?” Normally the little bundle of wavering negative energy was nearby.

“Oh, he just went to get a small cut cleaned. He should be back soon. And can I help taste test Cho?” His eyes lit up, hoping the chef brought desserts to try.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Kuro took Kyou off to the side, causing Aoba to glance over every now and then. But after the third or fourth time he focused on Dani. He felt it would be better not to keep staring in order to show he trusted Kuro along with preventing his uneasiness from showing too much. They didn't need to stand and hold the bags, so Aoba had put them down at his feet to wait. Dani on the other hand seemed rather upset still. For a moment, Aoba simply watched Dani, trying to decipher his mumbling. "Dani," He finally spoke. Carefully, he reached out to gently touched the demon's shoulder. It solicited a soft growl, but Dani calmed down to pay attention to Aoba.

The angel realized he didn’t really want anything besides for Dani to stop mumbling angrily. “Are you still upset because. . .” His eyes flitted over to Kyou for a brief second, not even bothering to finish the sentence. Dani’s eyes followed Aoba’s to where Kyou was kneeling. He could hear everything going on, however it was obvious Aoba wasn’t supposed to hear.

With an annoyed sigh, he stared at Aoba. “You were too close. . .That weak thing could have still harmed you.” He didn’t want to make it seem like he cared too much, so he added, “Kuro would have ripped off my wings if something happened to you, you know.” His face sported a frown with it.

Aoba decided it was best not to try arguing with the temperamental demon. Instead, Aoba nodded and gave a quiet apology. It made Dani roll his eyes, but nod nonetheless. In truth, Aoba should have been more careful- although, he could still bring up the point that both Kuro and Dani were demons too. And there were probably more than a few times the two could have and maybe even wanted to harm him- Dani no doubt. However, he kept his mouth shut about it. There was no need to add onto the trouble.

Both pairs of eyes travelled to Kuro and Kyou as the weaker demon scurried off. For a brief moment, Aoba’s heart sank because the demon was leaving. Maybe Kuro told him to never come back. The moment however passed because he was in turn happy that Kuro let him go free. At least he had his life. Aoba fixed his face and gave a small sheepish smile to his unreadable expression, unsure of what to say. After a few moments longer, Kuro smiled and Aoba took it as a sign that things were okay, on the surface at least. Aoba had definitely noticed Kuro’s spacing off and depth thinking, but said nothing of it. He was never sure what to say about it.

As the trio made their way to the alley, Aoba took the delicate items and waited for Kuro to pick him up, almost expectantly. He didn’t mind being held by Kuro and he had surely gotten used to the trips to and from the town. It was a shame he couldn’t fly on his own. He knew he wasn’t heavy to the demon, but it still seemed like a burden to have to carry groceries and him back home- even though Dani did carry most of them to prove he could.

“See? Piece of cake.” Dani spoke proudly as he dropped the bags of food on the kitchen floor. His deeds were done, so now he had to figure out what to do. He kind of wished a demon or two would try to attack. That was always fun.
“Thank you again Dani.” He smiled, covering his mouth as he laughed lightly towards Dani’s show off-y nature. He made his way into the kitchen in order to put everything away. Before Kuro could help, Aoba rested a hand on his chest and offered a smile. “It’s fine, I can do it.” He removed his hand. “It is the least I can do after all.” He made a shooing motion before turning and getting to work, putting things up.

Dani had planned to go outside and scout the area, however Aoba’s rhythmic way of cleaning made him pause and watch. Standing near his brother, he mused. “How odd...it’s like he likes doing manual labor. You’ve managed to find the weirdest angel ever you know?” They weren’t too far away from Aoba, so it wasn’t like he couldn’t be heard, however it seemed like the angel wasn’t paying much attention at all. Though, it was simply Aoba being used to Dani calling him odd or weird. There was no need for a reaction besides a simple glance over his shoulder and then continuing to methodically and rhythmically put everything in place.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba stayed firm. He didn’t move from his place no matter how much he felt the need cower away. It was really tough, but he even managed to keep eye contact. The angel was serious. He was about to mention the fact that Dani and Kuro were demons too, and both had ample opportunity to kill him just as Kyou did. But all he could manage was a firm, steadfast look before giving a soft response of, “But he didn’t.” The angel’s wings bent slightly and he gently and quietly spoke again. “I trust you. You can trust me. I-” For the first time, he did break eye contact and look back at Kyou again before looking at Kuro. “I’m sure of it. Just. . . Trust me okay?" Something in him told him that it was okay. And it took a lot for him to believe something like that- especially if it was a demon in question.

The moment was short, but it was brutally tense. Breaking thay silence was Dani, who snapped out, causing Aoba to flinch. However he still stayed in place. Thankfully, Kuro stopped him. Aoba didn't have to worry about being shoved aside in order for the demon to maul him. He couldn't help but shudder at the thought. Before Aoba could plead with Kuro once more, he finally spoke up. His somewhat firm gaze turned into surprise and then a smile. Kuro's look was honest, and as he mentioned, he trusted Kuro. Aoba's wing folded quickly and tucked to his back, causing a breeze behind him. "Thank you." He whispered before giving Kuro a quick hug and moving next to his second guardian.

Out of instinct, Dani stood in front of him, continuing to protect Aoba. This new demon had one chance and Dani was hoping he'd make the wrong move- only so Dani could get his claws at him. Aoba swallowed his small fear and tapped Dani's shoulder gently. When Dani's attention snapped to him, Aoba's wings folded a little tighter. "I- uhm, do you think..." Aoba cleared his throat and pointed to the bags. "Could you help me carry these please? It's the food for us, or well me, and it's really heavy...Though I'm sure it should be no problem for you." He didn't quite realize it, but Aoba had definitely learned that in order to appeal to Dani he could compliment something he did to boost his ego.

Dani had stared at Aoba for a moment as he stumbled over words. He was doing that weird thing again...being shy or something. Eventually he'd figure out what was wrong with the weird angel. His eyes finally flicked over to the bags and he straightened up. "Huh, of course I can carry them! You're right, they aren't a problem at all." What made the angel even bother to think that it would be!? Still, in between Aoba and the demon, which Aoba appealed to him and stayed by his side looking away from Kyou, Dani went about grabbing the bags. If it was food for Aoba it must've been important. Couldn't have the angel dying because of starvation. And he needed to be healthy- not to be a toy. Dani had to remind himself of that a few times before he had to face Kuro's wrath again.

"Thank you Dani." Aoba gave a genuine smile as Dani effortlessly began to grab bags. The fallen angel had to admit, he did carry a lot more than expected. Dani looked at him and gave a simple nod, checking to make sure he didn't accidentally break anything- however all of the items Aoba knew were light and could break easily were in his hands, and that had only been three bags. Now, it was just them waiting for Kyou's judgement. Thinking of it as a judgement made his mind flicker to his own judgement. . . But Aoba sighed and pushed the thought aside in order to wait quietly.

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Hiro's gaze drifted from his mother to his betrothed. The list was done, and his mother decided to once more try and pose a question for Akito. This time, Hiro decided not to intervene- then again, he couldn’t and didn't really want to. The young soldier would just have to learn that he needed to relax. Which seemed like it was going to take a while. The prince's gaze flickered around the table until finally it rested on Akito's plate as he spoke. He didn't have anyone attending the wedding for him, save his parent and maybe the soldiers he fought with. "Well, at least we'll be protected even more." It wasn't an intentional sly or sarcastic comment, but it seemed to have came out that way.

The Emperor's gaze turned to his son, showing a faint hint of annoyance. However his voice remained calmed. "Is there a problem with it?"

Hiro absent-mindedly shook his head and shrugged, not bothering to look up from toying with his chopsticks. "None whatsoever. I mean, who wouldn't feel safe? After all, it's to be sure enemies we have don't ruin anything." The Empress cleared her throat and pushed her plate forward. Hiro noticed and did the same and the servants began to collect dishes. The conversation between the two had subsided before it could begin and end on a bad note. The conversation travelled to different topics, most trying to figure out a little more about Akito.

After sitting and listening, Hiro became fairly bored. "Well, if you don't mind, or if you do doesn't matter, I'll be stepping away." He had finished dinner and didn't feel the need to stay longer and chat. It didn’t interest him too much.

"You're not going to stay and talk to your betrothed?" The Empress gave a curious look.

Hiro shook his head. "I'm sure he is probably sick of seeing my face most of the day. I'm fine with giving him his space." The sarcasm was noticeable in his voice. He had already stood up and began walking out. Before he did, he gave a small wave.

"What a troublesome child." The Emperor muttered lightly with a shake of his head.

Meanwhile, Hiro had decided to relax in the bath. Walking to his room, a servant was already notified of his request and rushed to get things together for him. The prince let out a soft sigh before removing the band from his hair and tossing it on the bed. It fell into a messy style and he merely ruffled it out of the way. "Your bath is ready Your Majesty." The prince nodded and walked over to the bowing servant.

"Thank you." The servant gave a small 'of course' before following after him as he retreated to the baths. Once there, Hironori stripped off his robes and shoes and climbed in the wooden bath. The servant had waited just for that, grabbing his clothing and setting up two folded towels on a near by bench. Hiro gave a small sigh and sank lower into the water. What the others planned to do, he had no idea, but it was late and the day was coming to a close, so it didn't matter too much- unless of course they needed him for something.