AkiBlue

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba would have puffed up like a surprised bird if he could have. Instead, because he was given an ‘it’s okay’ from Issho, he shrank back a little just as he always did when...well, intimidated or scared- which was a lot around these demons. “My a-apologies.” His voice was barely heard, although with their acute hearing, Aoba was sure all of the brothers heard him very clearly. Soon after, Issho changed the subject, and Aoba mentally sighed in relief. His gaze went from the ground back to the three brothers, still barely able to keep eye contact with Issho, as they all stood. More specifically, they fell onto Issho when he spoke with such seriousness in his voice.

For a brief second, he thought he was in trouble again, but he managed to quell his fears before they could be shown. ’I think so?’ No, he couldn’t possibly say that. But then again, how would he not be able to ‘handle Kuro’? It made him think Issho was leaving a wild animal or something of the sort in Aoba’s care. It was only Kuro. What trouble could he cause? Before he could come up with a simple answer of ‘yes’ after over analyzing the question, Kuro seemed to do that for him. The look in Aoba’s eyes was a clear ’what are you doing?’, but he followed suit and stood to his feet quietly.

Being picked up was a surprise, no doubt. Aoba had to bite his tongue in order to refrain from worrying about Kuro still being sore and needing to rest. He figured that was the opposite message Kuro was trying to send to Issho. The swirling mass of demonic energy in the portal made Aoba flinch and press closer to Kuro. He was still a little uneasy with all of the energy surrounding him, not being around it for so long and it made him feel a little sick. Kuro wasn’t much help with that either, but he was a lot...tamer in a sense. Aoba didn’t know how to explain it, but he let himself be carried by the damaged demon.

The brothers filed into the portal and Aoba gave a small nod goodbye. When it finally closed, he breathed out, unaware he was even holding his breath. He didn’t want to admit it, but knowing Issho was gone made him relax a lot more. It was noticeable with how much he relaxed in Kuro’s arms. Before anything could be said, Kuro scared the final demon off. Aoba bit his lip and gave a little wave goodbye to Kyou as he scurried off to the barn.

They were now alone, for real this time. They didn’t get moments like it very often with Dani hovering around them and he didn’t realize just how quiet it could be. In the silence, Aoba just looked at Kuro, wondering what to say after all of that. With his face scrunched in a somewhat confused manner, he spoke quietly. “Is there any other etiquettes I should be aware of?” His brow furrowed a little. He didn’t want to end up offending any more demons just because he was being nice and what he thought was considerate. Absentmindedly, he used his sleeve to wipe dirt off Kuro’s cheek, only reminding him that not only Kuro, but he needed to bathe as well. It made him look down at his stained clothing.

He had just gotten back barely hours ago and so much had already happened. Aoba could only sigh softly and look up at Kuro at first with an unreadable expression. ’This is what I want. . . I’ve made up my mind and I’m positive about it. . .No matter the cost.’ As usual, his brain would never let him havw a moment of peace. His expression turned into a small pout- not to Kuro, but towards himself. Aoba wiggled his way out of Kuro’s arms and stood in front of him with his hands behind his back. “About before. . .” It wasn’t just the fact that Issho threatened him earlier and scared him to near death, but it was the nagging guilty feeling that gnawed in the back of his mind. Aoba nervously rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his feet. “I did- I still do trust you. I mean, you’ve obviously proven that.” He made sure to pick his words carefully. “But all that stuff...what you said… Why didn’t you tell me before?”

He knew he should have been enjoying their moment alone while it lasted, but Aoba felt like the air needed to be cleared. Yes, he was happy that he was back in a place where he didn’t feel so alone and empty, but this place was all still dangerous. He had a right to know about everything he was throwing himself into. He wasn’t sure he could take the surprises anymore.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

There were rare cases he didn’t worry as much as he usually did and this was one of those times. Needless to say, it felt nice. Dancing with Seishu, listening to the music, the gentle kisses, it was all nice- relieving even. That was right. The feeling of relief had washed over him now that he knew things had begun to settle down. In a certain perspective of course. There were still many things that needed to be tended to, but not at that moment.

This was a time of much needed relaxation.

Enasi assumed their dance would have continued after the stolen kiss, but he was quickly pulled back in, causing him to make a small “oh” noise. When the kiss was returned, Enasi happily kissed him back until Seishu pulled away. It was gradual, but the Dream Guardian started to notice everything begin to shift and change. It grew darker, but little orbs of light drifted around. The music turned into a hum, more of background noise now than before.

It certainly wasn’t him doing any of this, so it made him wonder what Seishu was up to now. Their World was pretty enough. Nothing needed to be changed. At first, he didn’t even notice Seishu looking at him so fondly, too busy looking at everything else. In fact, Seishu’s hands were what got his attention. Being so close, Enasi rested his hands on Seishu’s shoulders, watching him with a soft expression as he spoke. His expression turned to happy, childlike smiles as he was kissed.

Though, he didn’t miss the hesitation in Seishu’s voice, mainly because Seishu was always the confident one. If anything, that was what Enasi would do. Once again, that soft expression was on his face as he patiently waited for Seishu to say what he needed. “Oh? Oh!” Enasi’s voice was soft, not immediately catching what Seishu meant. The touches were an easy guide to spell it out to him. Only out of minor embarrassment did his cheeks turn a light shade of pink. That, and because it was Enasi after all.

Instead of answering right away, Enasi leaned against him (if that was even possible with how close they were) and kissed him gently. In his head, all he had to do was simply say yes and agree with him, however he was never good with words. Seishu knew that.

He was probably going to have to work on that too… For now, Enasi’s hands slid up so his arms were wrapped around Seishu’s neck gently. Without breaking eye contact, Enasi happily nodded and smiled. “I- Of course.” He said with a relaxing sigh.

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The Emperor waited until both his wife and future son-in-law had left the room before he sighed and gestured to the table. “Sit down.” Hironori figured this talk would take awhile so he walked over to the table and took a seat. The Emperor, Satoru, took a seat as well. For a moment, he could only stare at his son. He was staring at the table, drawing circles with his finger, awaiting the talk to come. Satoru continued to stare at his child, the hard look on his face gradually softening. ’Where did I go wrong? There was a time things were much more… simple.’ He sighed to himself and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Hironori,” He began, but didn’t get his son’s gaze. “Hiro.” He restated, and this time the young prince looked up. “You know, I only want the best for you. I don’t understand why you’re so upset with me.”

“You constantly berate me with rules. You never let me go too far from the palace. And my opinions don’t matter in anything that goes on- not even with my life. I think that’s a pretty decent reason to be at least a little upset.” Hiro didn’t speak angrily, in fact he was calm as before, still idly scratching at the surface of the table. Before his gaze fell back onto the table he did spot his father’s face fall into a frown.

“That’s not fair Hiro. Those rules are there to protect you. And every time you want to stray away from the castle you want to go alone. You’re the prince. People know your face and know you’re… of value. Not everyone can be so trusting!” Satoru sighed again and watched his son. “I do take your opinions into consideration son. You just happen to have opinions that go against tradition. And that’s just not how we do things.” He shook his head. “Besides, you have your magic hobby. That’s more than any prince has done.”

The two went back and forth, pleading their cases about why the other was justified in their reasoning. Neither got too hostile, but voices did raise every once and awhile. Hiro was just about ready to go. Whether they settled their differences wasn’t very clear, but it was safe to not expect too much.

For a moment, both fell silent and looked around instead of at each other until Satoru finally spoke up. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you this but, your mother, before she passed,” He clarified, once more grabbing the prince’s attention. “When she held you in her arms for the first time, she smiled and told me you’d grow up to be a talented young prince and an even greater king.” Satoru pushed himself to his feet, slowly walking to the door. “I do believe you’re a talented young man… I just don’t believe you’re using your talent to its fullest ability.”

Without turning, the Emperor walked out, leaving Hironori to his thoughts and going to find his wife. A pregnant woman couldn’t have gotten too far, could she? He was left with his head slumped into one hand for a few minutes until a servant walked past and politely asked if he needed anything. “No, no thank you.” Hiro decided to walk to his room. It felt like one of the few things he could do without defeating the talk’s purpose. Somewhere in there was a picture drawn of the woman he never got to grow up with, and he took some time to stare at it. While he was fine with his stepmother, he still wished he could have gotten to know his mother just a little more.

“Don’t tell me the mighty have fallen?” Kaede walked in, carrying fresh sheets for the bed. Sometimes Hiro wondered why they servants needed to do things like that so often, but he never questioned it. It was just their job after all. The woman gave a small nod when the prince didn’t respond and spoke again. “Food will be ready soon. I figure if I tell you early, you have a chance of making it there on time at least.”

“Oh, yeah thanks Kaede.” He sat on the floor while she worked on cleaning his room- though there wasn’t much cleaning that needed to be done.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba looked at Dani when attention was turned to him. It was rather obvious he didn’t want to go home- then again, he wasn’t making it very subtle at all. The fallen angel stayed quiet throughout most of that altercation, having little to say about it. He did glance over at Kyou who was quietly sitting, with his gaze on the ground occasionally glancing at the angel and family. He dug a nail into the ground every so often until his gaze met Aoba’s. Kyou gave a weak smile to show he was okay and Aoba quietly nodded and turned his attention to the ones moving Kuro.

He offered his assistance where it was needed, only for Kuro to fall in his lap. Aoba made a small “Oh” noise. At first he kept his hands off of Kuro, more so out of surprise and mild embarrassment as Kuro buried his face in his midsection. Being ticklish, he tried his best not to move too much when Kuro spoke against his skin. He also had an ‘inevitable’ feeling that if Kuro found out, he’d probably use that to his advantage. The thought made him laugh softly as he gently petted Kuro’s head like the cat he was acting like. “Well you can’t bathe if you’re laying on my lap.”

Remembering that there were four pairs of eyes on him, Aoba blushed faintly. He couldn’t possibly bathe with all of them still around. He looked down at Kuro with an expression that said just that. Fortunately, he realized Issho was stealing Dani away from the barn which meant that two of the four would be gone. But what about Homura and Kyou? Aoba was sure Kyou could easily be sent away with a look and a growl, probably even left in the house or barn. But that left them with Homura. Blind as he was, Homura was still rather curious about examining Aoba. That. . .wasn’t something he wanted, especially when he was just trying to get clean. Hopefully Kuro had an idea for that, or Issho would be a ‘loving’ older brother and take Homura too.

Looking up at the sky, he realized the sun was starting to set as well. Where had the day gone? Aoba remembered his morning starting off as another dull day filled with charities and prayers to Kuro saving him and now...he was back home. The dull day definitely turned into an exciting one.

Aoba gently patted Kuro’s cheek, letting him know that they were probably going to have to move some time soon, unless he wanted to lay on the ground all night. And while hard surfaces were okay to him, they were uncomfortable to the angel. When Aoba made eye contact with Issho again, he realized his fear for the eldest brother did die down considerably, but the demon still intimidated him to know end. Sure he knew he was safe from harm, but Issho was still scary.

His gaze once more falls onto Homura’s work and without thinking he speaks. “You’ll tire yourself out from overworking you know. You did a really good job.”

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

The smiling gaze, the lack of a retort, and then the sudden hug was clear to Enasi. There was a time and place for everything and now was not the time to question Seishu if he was okay. By the look he was given, it was a little obvious that the Nightmare Guardian was indeed happy in this moment. Enasi rested his against Seishu’s chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. His eyes closed, letting his mind clear in order to focus on that one sound. It was calming and reassuring. He had missed him so much.

Despite wanting to hold him longer, Seishu pulled away, leaving him to stare into those silvery eyes. He smiled, just happy to know that his counterpart was okay. The very moment he spoke, Enasi knew he wouldn’t be able to respond. In fact, moments after, Seishu kissed him. The Dream Guardian leaned into the kiss, letting himself press closer to Seishu. If his emotions hadn’t been dulled by Their World, he’d probably be too emotional for his own good. Not in a bad way however. It was just that all the love and passion would have been so overwhelming mixed with his own happiness to be with Seishu again. It probably would have sickened him.

As they kissed, he could hear the humming of their world get a bit louder. He didn’t know what song it was, but it fit the mood quite well. The large flowers swayed ever so gently, dancing to the music. And for some reason, he felt a bit...light on his feet. His hands slid up to his counterpart’s and intertwined with his. First, Enasi’s hips gently swayed like the flowers but even he had to break the kiss if he wanted to continue. The Dream Guardian smiled and slowly began leading Seishu in a dance, pulling him farther away from the lake and into the field of oversized flowers. It was simple and easy steps, nonetheless Enasi beckoned Seishu to join. He hummed the chorus of the song once he picked up and continued dancing, even giving Seishu the chance to lead. After all, he was much better at it than he- so Enasi believed.

Then again, he believed Seishu was much better at most of the things that required them to show off. The Dream Guardian was much more reserved with his talents, leaving himself dependent on his physical strengths more so. It was why he was so flexible- and able to lift Seishu and direct him back to his hospital bed so many times. But in that moment, Enasi didn’t mind either way. He finally had Seishu back. He was able to get some rest. Everything was mostly back in one piece. Balance was settling and with Seishu a lot stronger than before, the guardian was sure they were capable of many things now.

Before his thoughts could scatter too far, he sighed happily and stole another kiss from the Nightmare Guardian.

'Focus on the now. Focus on Seishu being back.’

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

His eyes roamed over Kuro’s newly healed formed, coming to terms with him being much better than he was a few minutes ago. That was what mattered. Issho’s voice didn’t immediately make him flinch away, instead, Aoba actually turned his attention to him. His gaze faltered multiple times as Issho spoke. Instead of keeping eye contact, the fallen angel would glance at Issho’s shirt or neck. It was a little more reassuring to know that he wasn’t angry anymore- if he was ever angry to begin with. Apparently violence and discipline went hand in hand. So did violence and playfulness. Aoba never understood it and he didn’t think he ever would at this point. ’It’s… It’s just another demon thing.’ The many things he labeled as ‘just a demon thing’ would soon end up being an extremely long list if things like this kept up.

The idea of being proud of Kuro risking his life did make him look up in curiosity. Issh further explained himself, only proving Aoba’s point of it being another ‘demon thing’. Before he could say anything, Dani piped up in childish glee. His overzealous nature was quickly tempered by Issho and Aoba looked at Issho again. There was still fear hidden in his gaze, however it was much less than before. Now, it was the typical shy gaze he normally gave. He didn’t know what to say, so he nodded in understanding. ’I can be proud that he fought so valiantly… Still there was no reason to go to such extremes.’ His eyes betray his acceptance, but Aoba does try his best to think of it as natural. It was something he didn’t understand, therefore harder to accept. His list of demon things were just a vast majority of things he didn’t understand but could easily be ignored and brought up some time later.

The gentle shifts turn Aoba’s attention away from the puzzle. Aoba lit up a bit as Kuro stirred awake. That was definitely a good sign. He stayed perfectly still while Kuro began to adjust. His smile turns into a playful pout as he speaks. It was almost instinctive to yell at him to be more careful, however with Kuro’s mention and Issho telling him not to worry, Aoba simply sighed. Kuro was fine. He was smiling. There was no need to get all panicky. Instead of doing just that, Aoba reached forward with his free hand and gently tugged at the tattered shirt. “You need new clothes. . .” His hand retracted back to his lap before he wrinkled his nose a bit. “And a bath.” That made him blink and look down at his own bloodstained clothing. He had completely forgot that the trip back home resulted in his own clothes getting dirty. The fallen angel frowned slightly and mentioned quietly, “Ah, so do I.”

The mention of a bath made Dani wrinkle his nose in distaste. He was still going to dislike baths no matter how close to the angel he could have gotten. Homura on the other hand looked a bit more interested at the idea. His thoughts weren’t exactly on the bath however. His last efforts to fully examine Aoba had failed when Kuro and Aoba told him no. Maybe this time he could. . .

Of course, Aoba didn’t notice any of these expressions as he began to look his over his stained clothes. He wondered if his clothes were still in his room. When he had left before, Father Gerard had bought him all new outfits to “keep him pure.” He doubted Kuro would have tossed all his things away. After all, Kuro did say it was only a little over a week even if it felt like forever.

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

“It’s practically impossible to beat you....”

The man rubbed his chin. “Not true your Highness. I was beaten two days ago.” He jutted his thumb towards the man that had been watching the games pass. Both of them laughed, making Hiro chuckle.

“Ah, boo.” He smiled at Akito and shrugged. “Better luck next time?” He was going to suggest heading out, not wanting to sit through another beating in the game, however when the door suddenly opened Hiro couldn’t help but flinch. The men around them all paused their games, respectively bowing as the Emperor stared at his son and betrothed. “Busted.” Hiro murmured only loud enough for Akito to here. The emperor remained silent, directing them out and to the next room. Hiro simply stood, keeping his mouth shut for the time being. It was probably for the best.

He kept his head down, glancing over at Akito every now and then to make sure he wasn’t about to implode. When they finally reached the room, Hiro bowed to his mother and offered a smile. She nodded to the both of them but stayed silent, knowing her husband would want to speak up first. “I have the feeling you know what you did. Do I need to waste my breath explaining it?” The emperor’s arms crossed as he stared at his son.

After a moment’s pause, Hiro put his hands up in surrender. “We headed into town. We interacted with the people that live there. That was allll.” He shrugged, only to wave his hand as if that would stop the emperor’s disapproving eyes. “Okay, okay,” He huffed and straightened up some. “We got back and I took Akito to play board games. It was my idea to just go straight there. I didn’t think you needed to know every second of my- our lives. It’s not a big deal.”

The emperor rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Hironori you are a prince. You both are royals. When will you realize the importance of making sure you are safe? I trust that you, Akito, kept him safe in the city, but please don’t fall into his reckless bad habits as well. It’s...dangerous.” He didn’t want to go into details about the possibilities of people kidnapping or even trying to kill the royal family in fear of worrying his wife. No attacks had happened in a long time, but nonetheless it was still better to be prepared for those things.

“It wasn’t reckless. Like you said, you trusted Akito. He protected me. We came back.” Hiro really didn’t understand why his father had to make an argument out of everything. It was as if he wanted a reason to yell at him. “You complain about not spending quality time with him and then you get upset? Father, I really don’t understand your rationality.”

“Dear…” The empress spoke up, making both father and son turn their heads. “You both really need to settle your differences. All of this bickering isn’t healthy.” She rubbed her large stomach before continuing. “And you’re creating a terrible impression of this family for Akito.” She gave a disappointed look towards the both of them.

Hiro crossed his arms and sighed. Both men stood there stubbornly until the Emperor sighed as well. “You’re mother is right. And I apologize for putting you in these...uncomfortable situations.” He nodded and then glanced over at Hiro, expecting him to apologize as well.

Hiro was looking away at the time, but blinked and looked at his betrothed. “Huh- Oh. Yeah, sorry Akito. We’re a bit...dysfunctional as you may have noticed.” He gave a playful smile only for his father to frown at him. “So, would you like to do this now, or would you much rather wait until there’s reason to-” Hiro caught his stepmother’s raised bow and he quieted down and waited for an answer.

The Empress gestured over to Akito beckoning for him to help her to her feet. “Come on love, we’ll give them their space. They need it. Are you hungry? I have a taste for something sweet. Walk with me.” She smiled and waved as her husband and son watched her go. “Be productive please.”

While the two walked, the Empress sighed and smiled. “They weren’t always like that, I promise you. Before I married the Emperor, those two were inseparable. I can’t exactly figure out what happened along the way, but they still love each other. They’re just...stubborn.” She laughed lightly and then glanced over at Akito with soft eyes. “I know this must be difficult for you, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here. Those men may not be the best to seek advice from.” She could tell from the very start that he wasn’t warming up as well as he could have been. She just never really had the opportunity to talk with him personally.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

As Crios walked away, he gave a sigh of relief and exhaustion. He and the rest of the group had been working their tails off the past few days with little break. Fortunately, the end results were positive. The fox doctor was debating if taking his own advice was a good idea; whether or not taking some time to rest would be beneficial or detrimental. After all that happened, he’d probably collapse on the spot without it and he needed to rejuvenate his own energy. Being around the nightmares made him have to constrain most of it and he felt a little low. Maybe it was still the air of ‘nightmare affections’ still haunting him, but he did have an idea of just who to call to help him relax. Before he did, however, he went to his office to set his equipment down.

Much to his surprise, he was greeted by the sight of Fuan’s horns on his desk. ’I knew Lord Enasi was serious, but I never thought he’d go so far as to take something precious from them. . .’ He doesn’t doubt his Guardian’s decisions. He simply found the action surprising- more so because no one ever disappointed Lord Enasi. In a world of positivity and tranquility, things always ran smoothly- even with minor bumps here and there. And on the outside, it seemed that way too. On the inside, however, things were much more topsy-turvy. The doctor still couldn’t believe that his Guardian would even attempt to burden himself with so much weight. Somehow, it only took Night himself to make Enasi crack under pressure. . .Even if it was for the better.

Crios sat his bag on his chair and shifted through the things on his desk, before setting them on one of the higher shelves, as if putting them on display in one corner. He really hoped those dreams would come to their senses before something worse happened to them. That idea alone made him think to snuff out his other workers to check their loyalty and trustworthiness, but once more he reminded himself that he needed to rest. Crios forced himself away from his office and began walking towards his source of positive energy.

On his journey there, he ran into Enasi’s second. “Oh, how is he?” It was obvious just who he was talking about.

“He’s resting. Asleep in his room.” Harper informed with a nod. Crios was glad to hear it. It eased him a little more. The look Crios gave made the rabbit raise his paw up to stop him. “I understand your concern Crios. However, I have to be awake to make sure nothing else goes astray while our Guardian sleeps. Don’t worry, I’ll rest when I’m given the opportunity.” Crios didn’t like the idea, but he understood it and simply nodded before turning to walk off. He also had to remember, just as he shouldn’t talk back to his guardian, Harper was technically no different.

The rabbit decided to go and check on his guardian once more just in case he ended up falling asleep on the floor. The first time he peeked inside, the guardian looked quite...ruffled. So, he decided it was best not to bother him. On the way there, he ran into Seishu and Inui. He stared at Seishu for a few minutes, before he finally accepted the idea and headed out to go continue with his job.

~~~~~~~

“Cho, you have company!”

“Oh?” The ever happy chef wiped his hands off with a towel and took his apron off. One of his cooks took it for him. “Crios? Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Are there orders to be taken? How is everyone doing?” The bad news that was relayed to him made him pause and give a concerned expression.

Crios quickly shook his head. “No, no. Things are fine. They’ve calmed considerably. I’m sure when both wake, they’ll need to eat and so will the others, but that’s not why I’m here.” He felt the sudden flush growing again as Crios’ eyebrow arched quizzically. Crios cleared his throat. “I was wondering if you’d be able to take a break and,” He felt like a child all over again when he and Cho were together. He was always more quiet and calm about things, letting Cho be the excitable one and the one to lead the way. Crios began to wonder how he let his work get in between them.

Cho watched as Crios’ thoughts took over his initial question. It made him giggle, knowing well just what Crios was going to ask. He had been around the doctor way too long not to know. Things unrelated to his practice made it easier for him to go off on his own little tangents. Taking too long, Cho leaned over and kissed the doctor before smiling. “Yes, we can go. I could use a break- and I definitely wouldn't want to miss one of the fabled breaks you actually take. I mean who knows how long it’ll be before you take another!” Cho grinned and walked over to declare his break before taking Crios’ hand and leading him off.

“Oh, before we go...do you mind having one of your cooks send something to Harper? He needs it.”

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

’Waking’ in the void of darkness wasn’t as pleasant as he had hoped it to be. Well, as pleasant as it could have been. The Guardian felt like he had fallen into the nothing instead of woken to it. No matter. As soon as he adjusted, his senses had dulled as usual, leaving him trapped with nothing but his thoughts. Enasi rested in a sitting position and closed his eyes.

Things are okay now. Everyone is safe. Seishu is being taken care of. The minions are in their cells and away from harm.

He would have whined towards that thought if he could have. It was hard to convince himself that they were okay after what had happened. He wasn’t even sure what happened! He recalled being nervous and feeling sick. Then he started to feel pains...That, he understood. He and Seishu were connected. That he knew. Then somewhere in that, his emotions got out of hand.

Ugh. . .

He rested his head in his hands and sat in the silence, waiting for the moment he’d wake up. Much to his surprise trees and tall grass sprang to life. Enasi jolted up only to yelp in surprise and fall backwards.

He laid in the grass, staring at the sky as things began to form around him. The sky was a perfect blend of colors. Creatures flew through the sky and music filled the air.

He’s always been so creative...

Enasi couldn’t help the smile that spread as the world formed around him. He took a deep breath and sighed, letting his senses kick back on and adjust. Rolling to his feet, Enasi turned his head left and right, not spotting Seishu anywhere. The wind shifted, pushing him forward gently. He took a few steps forward only for the wind to change and go upward. “Go up?” Well, he supposed that would be the fastest way to find the guardian he was looking for. So, rather than wading through grass and trees, he stretched his arms out for his fluffy white wings to sprout behind him.

Guide the way.

He rubbed the symbol on his hand, taking off into the sky. The birds and drakes flying around lazily flew through the air, occasionally flying by the guardian in intrigue. Some even looked as if they were pointing him the right direction. He was high in the air, and flying for a few minutes before he noticed the sparkling pool of water below him. Not too far away, Seishu was standing by it.

With a small smile, Enasi swooped down, the wind causing the lake to ripple gently. He landed silently and his wings disappeared. He took a few steps towards Seishu, glancing around the scenic view once more. “It’s really lovely. I’m almost jealous of how creative you are.” His playful grin relaxed and he looked at his counterpart. “Everything went well when I left, right?”

~~~~~~~

It seemed everyone was well on their way to relaxing. Rue and Rasha were getting well rested and energized, the Guardians finally were back together, even Harper had felt a little better as a random dream gifted him with food. In the opposite realm, nightmares alike were able to rest a little easier knowing their guardian was safe and well again. As much as they worried about their guardian having to rest on enemy grounds for so long, he was in better hands there.

Because despite the wave of relief amongst many, there was one who was quite the opposite. Enraged and filled with venomous fury, Gin paced back and forth in front of a large table. The room itself looked as if it was for guards to plan tactile attacks. The minion desperate for Seishu’s position could have practically pulled his hair out.

’I was so close!’ He was growling to himself, digging his nails into a chair every time he stopped. “How could we let him slip away! How could we have missed this opportunity!” One of the chairs had crashed behind him. No longer than an hour ago had they found Seishu’s trail of negative energy. They had started their search not long after Gin realized just how strong the mock symbol on his hand began to grow. However, just as it took Harper and the rest of the crew forever to find Seishu, Gin and his followers had a similar issue. Except they were too late. The dungeon style area was completely vacant with nothing but faint traces of energy.

The nightmares knew to stay out of Gin’s way. In his line of fire, they were sure to be attacked first hand. If they were lucky, it would maybe be verbal abuse, or even a few punches. When he had a weapon at hand, they were sure to keep their distance. Some of them were not so lucky. “S-Sir, please!” One minion was ordered to fetch him a drink.

Now, the drink was shattered on the floor and Gin held the minion by his collar. “You. I bet you’re still devoted to that scum of a guardian aren’t you!? What were you going to do, huh? Try and poison me!?”

“N-No, of course not sir! I-I am loyal to only you.” The minion’s voice wavered in fear as he stared up at Gin who was glaring daggers at him. After agonizing moments with a sword pressed over his heart, he was dropped to the ground. Why he wasn’t killed was beyond him, but instead of questioning it he scooped as much of the broken glass as he could and ran off.

Gin was in one spot now, glaring at nothing in particular. His nails dug into the wooden chair he was leaning against. Anger, frustration and paranoia ran through him like a storm. “I was so close. . .” Gin needed a plan. He was tired of waiting for the guardian to rot away. It was taking way too long. . He needed to lure him out, away from the protection he had. . .Or lure them both out to kill them. That was a much better, more dangerous plan. It would be fine just killing Seishu first. Once he took that power, then he could get rid of the rest of the dreams.

Gin growled again as his brain wracked over just how he could get rid of Seishu for good. Until he could figure that out, he was in a perpetual state of anger towards everyone who came near. He wasn’t crazy enough to murder them though. He did realize he needed as many of the ones loyal to him as possible if they were going to attack.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Every pained scream and every blow that connected made Aoba cringe in fear. It was obvious just how much pain Kuro was going through and yet he continued fighting. Aoba could practically feel Kuro's pain himself. There was an ache in his chest every time he had to hear that terrible sound. He’d whine when Kuro was hit especially hard and when blood was drawn a little more than before he would turn and hide his face in Kyou’s shirt. “Just stay down. Please Kuro.” His voice hadn’t made it above a whisper and he was on the verge of tears by how badly Kuro would be injured because of him. ’You shouldn’t be doing this. . .Not for me!’ The fallen angel could already hear Kuro explaining that it was his decision to make and it wasn't Aoba's fault, but the fallen angel wasn't convinced. Aoba found himself not being able to look away for too long as if he had to make sure Kuro would be alright. By the looks of it, that wasn’t the case- only furthering Aoba’s distress.

There was little Kyou could really do besides keep his arm linked around Aoba’s like he was told to do. He knew in that situation- or any fight with the siblings of Satan himself, he’d die in an instant. So he stayed safe. However, the rise in demonic energy had gotten rather noticeable. Although he didn’t mind it, Kyou realized that it could possibly injure Aoba. A cold chill went down his spine at the thought of being attacked by Dani because of it, then of course he couldn’t have his delightful little ‘prize’ be injured. If he was going to be able to continue talking him, he would have to do his part.

With a somewhat calming breath, Kyou focused and diverted the demonic energy that strayed towards the two of them in an opposite direction- being careful as to not divert it somewhere important. “Are- Are you okay Aoba?” His voice shook from fear of being so close to his superiors. Kyou only received distressed sounds as Aoba continued trying to force himself away from the madness in front of him.

The fallen angel had barely missed Kuro’s efforts in preventing damage towards one particular spot in the field. At first, Aoba couldn’t understand what was so special there, but the longer he stared the more he started to realize. . . Aoba’s wings twitched at the memory. It was almost painful to remember, physically painful even. ’But why would he protect it. . ?’ Now was not the time to think about those things. Kuro was still being beaten half to death and Aoba was fidgeting and trying not to yell for them to stop. The sudden portal nearby could have made Aoba jump out of his skin, but instead his feathers ruffled and his attention turned back to the fight.

He didn’t acknowledge the two demons, save for when they exited the portal. That was just to clarify that Aoba didn’t need to run off to safety. Usually, he would have noticed the staring, especially from Homura’s blind large eyes but he was much too focused on the events before him. ’He is really worried, I can smell it!’ Homura had gotten a little more intrigued by the fretting angel than the fight. He tried making out as many details as he could, like the occasional breeze his wings would create when he was especially fretful. It was almost as if the fallen angel was tempted to jump up to stop the fight but stopped himself immediately.

Kyou was just thankful he was being ignored.

Suddenly, the fight was over with a final shriek of pain making Aoba shut his eyes tight. He didn’t want to see how it ended, nor did he want to see what had become of the demon fighting and facing a punishment. As if predicting his next move, Dani was already behind him and stopping him from leaping up. Instead of responding, Aoba nodded to show he understood. For a moment, he realized that even if Dani didn’t stop him, he wouldn’t get very far thanks to being absolutely terrified of Issho. So, he anxiously waited until that feared demon brought Kuro, now wrapped in a coat. ’If so much energy is being created. . .Wouldn’t more demons come here?’ Thinking back to the many times intimidation by Dani and Kuro scared demons away, he was sure that this energy would do the same.

Dani’s comment about Issho being a softie made Aoba want to whirl around and very much explain that his definition of ‘being soft’ was nowhere near being soft. Instead, he was practically screaming internally but mumbling to himself that Kuro was left alive and that was what mattered. He watched as Issho cradled Kuro’s head while Homura walked over. He couldn’t help but feel rather skeptical of the scene. Issho did just attack Kuro after all. Dani had let him go, indicating that things were fine now, but Aoba didn’t move. As much as he wanted to rush over, Aoba was nowhere near comfortable being around Issho- even if he had ‘accepted him’. Maybe it was because Issho was so close in power of Satan himself. Aoba wasn’t necessarily sure if that was true, but he was convinced that it was something of the sort.

Dani had realized Aoba was still sitting in the same spot. He stopped poking at Kyou, and nudged Aoba gently. “He’s not gonna bite you know. And Homura’s there. Kuro’ll get better.” It wasn’t very encouraging to the angel, but he did nod and slowly get up. Aoba shuffled his way closer to Homura, keeping his eyes on the ground. He didn’t sit too close, wanting to give Homura his space to work. The fallen angel didn’t know what to say to the bloodied mess in front of him and he was still teay eyed.

’If only there was something I could do to help. . .’

Aoba inched just a little closer to Kuro’s side. Seeing his hand resting limp on the ground, Aoba held it instead.

~~~~~~~~~

With the fight finally over, Fenrir couldn’t help but examine the silver haired demon’s methods of healing Kuro. As a doctor, he felt the necessity to know. At least, that’s what he was telling himself in effort to ignore that he felt bad for the demon risking his life. Seeing Aoba so distressed only made Fenrir hope that things would lighten up for the better quickly.

~~~~~~~~~

To keep himself occupied while, Homura began to heal him, Aoba eyed Kuro over from where he sat. Despite not moving, he was still able to critically examine most of the wounds on Kuro’s front. It was easy to do considering he had been a medic- sort of- at some point. What wasn’t easy was stilling the various urges to point out places that Homura brushed over. Sure he was thorough, but he wasn’t thorough to Aoba’s standards- then again, there weren’t many who could match the fallen angel’s ‘need for clean’. Thankfully, the blind demon did go back, fixing him up even more. When Homura had finally did all he could, Aoba looked over at him and whispered. “Thank you.”

He was doing a pretty decent job of not making eye contact with Issho, but he happened to turn and look at him, only to quickly look back down at Kuro. He fell silent again, occasionally looking over at Dani to see him bothering Kyou still.

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Hiro absentmindedly continued walking along the path he created. Knowing the grounds by heart made it much more simple. It also made him think that maybe things should have been changed up. They could have redecorated the entire left wing or something. Hiro chuckled at the idea, reminding him off his stepmother. Before he realized it, the two were indoors. "Hm?" The prince returned to reality and looked around at the men sitting around board games. Politely, he waved to the ones who greeted him.

At first, he watched the various games going on. However being invited to play made him pause. "Oh." Hiro sounded as he moved towards the board. "You can watch if you'd like? Maybe play the next round if you want." He gave a slightly eager smile before plopping unceremoniously onto the floor. Both opponents nodded to each other and the elderly male gestured for Hiro to make the first move.

Unlike the usual relaxed and somewhat lackadaisical look in Hiro’s eyes, he straightened up and looked a lot more focused. It was somewhat like when he was practicing his magic. He worked out a strategy in his head as he moved the first piece. The man across from him looked a lot more relaxed, as he was more of a professional at the game. For the most part, the two remained silent compared to the mumblings of conversations around them. There were a few remarks passed between them.

“You’ve gotten better.”

“Eh, I try.” The prince shrugged nonchalantly and the complimented his skill. It was fairly silent for most of the play.

As things began to get more ‘intense’ towards the end of the game, pieces were moved a little quicker and both were now leaning forward eyeing the board carefully. With a proud grin, Hiro set his final piece down and straightened up. “Ha!” However his grin faltered as his opponent chuckled and moved his own piece.

“I win.”

Hiro pouted and stared at the board one final time in order to be positive about it. “But I-! . .Wah!?” His hands went up to his head and he dramatically fell backwards, his knee bumping the table gently. He ended up messing his hair up in the process as he childishly ran fingers through it. The man sitting next to Akito and Hiro’s opponent began to laugh. A few others near them chuckled as well.

“Now, now your Highness, you’ll beat me at this one day. You were actually pretty close this time.” The man smiled and set up the board again after picking up a few pieces that fell off. The prince laid there with an arm over his eyes for a short moment before he started laughing gently.

“You’re no fun. You used to let me win all the time.” He sat up and ruffled his hair.

“Well, there’d be no fun in that now.” He looked over at Akito with a gentle smile. “Would you like to try your hand at the game?” Hiro had crawled out of the way and sat one side of the board. He was curious if Akito wanted to or not, but he made sure the soldier knew he didn’t have to if he didn’t want to. “We could always find something else, or even go back outside if you want.” Hiro placed his hands in his lap as he waited for Akito’s decision.