#oh wait my advisor is Catholic i should ask him

[lovesodeepandwideandwell]

friends/mutuals please weigh in with actual reasoning if you have it

[mcx7demonbros]

Catholic MC (IV)

Ft. Catholic MC, Lucifer, Mammon, Belphegor, and Luke.

“I was the exchange student before you. After I finished the program, Lucifer imprisoned me here.”

“Y...you were the exchange student before me!?” you were shocked by Belph’s story. You completely didn’t expect that there would be another exchange student before you at all. However, you did know that demons, especially Lucifer, were horrible and they would do many immoral things.

“How can I save you?” you asked Belph.

“You can’t open this door. It was sealed with a special seal, which can only be broken by the combined power of Lucifer and his 6 brothers.” Belph said.

“The combined power of Lucifer and his 6 brothers...but I can’t make them listen to me.”

“You can...you have the power to bend demon according to your will. Make a pact with each of them...make them yours.”

“No, I won’t make a pact with them, I won’t sell my soul.”

Belph was a little bit surprised by your reaction. But he soon understood as he saw the Crucifix around your neck.

“Don’t worry. You don’t have to sell your soul to them.” Belph smirked “It depends in what’s written inside the agreement.”

“B...But...”

“Please, help me. MC, I beg you. You’re my only hope. I’m imprisoned here, I can’t do anything.” 

As you heard Belph’s plea, you sensed something was wrong.

“How did you know all of this?”

“Lucifer told me the method to break the door’s seal when I was trying to break out the first time, to no avail. As for other things, Mammon was very loud, so he unintentionally gave me all the info I needed.”

“Alright.” you knew something was very wrong with Belph, but you chose to believe him for now. “I’ll help you.”

“Thank you very much. I’m in your debt for eternity.” 

“It’s nothing. Don’t say that. It’s only the right thing to do. Oh, do you know which brother I should start with?”

“Mammon, no doubt. He’s a moron. Let’s me tell you his weakness...”

After you left, Belph’s face darkened.

“That Crucifix...I can’t believe that Lucifer chose a beloved child of Father...haha...hahaha, Father, Lucifer, Diavolo, I can’t wait to the expression on your face when I kill MC...hahahaha.” 

💙 💛 🧡 💚 💘 💝 💜

“MC, do you have anything to tell me?” Lucifer asked you the next morning at breakfast. Luke and the other brothers were surprised by this question.

“MC did nothing wrong.” Luke came to your defense immediately.

“I don’t remember asking you, Chihuahua.”

“I’m NOT a chihuahua.”

“I don’t think I have something to tell you.” you said and looked at Lucifer straight in the eye.

“...Very well.”

Lucifer let you go at breakfast. However, as you were ready to leave House of Lamentation, Lucifer whispered to your ear.

“Curiosity killed the cats. Here, curiosity can really get you killed. So focus on surviving this year and return to the Human Realm. You can even use your experiences here to become the advisor for the Pope, if you want.”

💙 💛 🧡 💚 💘 💝 💜

That evening, you entered the kitchen, where, according to Belph, Mammon’s weakness was hidden. As you entered the kitchen, you saw Beelzebub devouring all the food in the fridge.

He’s really is the Avatar of Gluttony. You said to yourself.

“Oh, human, why are you here?” Beel saw you after he finished eating everything.

“I...uh...I need to search the fridge...” you couldn’t lie, still can’t. 

Anyone with a brain would notice your weird wording and would know right away something was wrong. But to Beelzebub, “search the fridge” = “hungry”.

“I understand your feeling, but I already eaten all things inside the fridge.”

“I...it’s ok.”

“Oh right, Lucifer must have hidden a poisoned apple in his desk.” the Avatar of Gluttony hurriedly left in a quest for more food.

After Beel left, you searched inside the freezer. It wasn’t long until you found a frozen credit card.

This must be Goldie. Now I must un-freeze it. Alright let’s put it in the microwave oven.

“Hey, what are you doing in the kitchen, human? Wait, isn’t that my Goldie? Hurry and take it out or it’s gonna be unusable.”

“Oh, sorry.” you stopped the oven and took out the credit card.

“Give Goldie back to me. She’s mine.”

“No, unless you make a pact with me in exchange for this credit card.” you ignored how Mammon treated the credit card like a person. It’s very gross ngl.

“What!? Didn’t you say that you would never make a pact with a demon?” Mammon was shocked because of your change.

“I...I need your power to do something.”

My power? Is it money? Man, this sounds like those greedy men who flaunted themselves as Christians, but used every means to get more wealth. Mammon said to himself.

“Like the Avatar of Greed will make a pact with a puny human like you.” Mammon finally replied “I’m a demon, I can just take Goldie back right now and here, without much effort.”

“I...I will tell Lucifer your unpaid debt with the Emerald Hotel from 1 week ago, the debt with the witch Morgana from 2 weeks ago...”

“Wait...how do you know about them?”

“I have my secret.”

“...Fine, I’ll make a pact with you.” Mammon gave in.

💙 💛 🧡 💚 💘 💝 💜

Mammon took out a goatskin parchment, after writing all the condition on it with a Raven, he gave it to you.

“If you agree with all the condition written in here, sign your full name and give the parchment a drop of your blood.”

After reading carefully what was written, you signed your full name with the Raven, and cut your finger with a small kitchen knife, letting a drop of blood fall on the parchment. You gave it back to Mammon, who hesitantly signed his name and title “Mammon, Avatar of Greed” on the parchment and bit his finger, letting a drop of blood fall on it.

“Arghhhhhh!”

A vehement pain immediately came to you, like you were being burnt by a fire, which you couldn’t stand and had to let out a scream. It was like the forestate of Hell. At first, the pain was all over your body, but soon, only the area around your ribcage was suffering from burn.

“MC, what happened?” Luke was your Guardian Angel, he immediately teleported to your side. “You demon, what have you done to MC!” Luke barked at Mammon.

“It’s the pain a human has to bear when they are imprinted with a pact mark.” Lucifer appeared behind Luke.

“A pact mark...no...MC wouldn’t...” Luke began to cry.

“Yes, they made a pact with me. However, their soul wasn’t involved.” Mammon said and showed Lucifer and Luke the parchment, which had turned bloody red in color.

GENEROSITY

You heard a voice telling you about a Heavenly Virtue, but amidst the pain, you thought that was all hallucinations. 

Finally, the pain subsided. A pact mark was formed on your ribcage. You knew that it wouldn’t go away until the day your body decays in the grave. 

“Mammon, here!” you stood up and gave Mammon his credit card.

“MC, how did you...”

Before Lucifer finished his words, you already fainted. 

MY MASTERLIST

[dreamcatcherfication]

The Truest Kind of Love

Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy. I’m extremely nervous about this. But... why not. This is an original work I wrote for one of my classes and it’s historical fiction, so since I have nothing to post, I thought why not give it a shot. It’s not a great story or anything, but I hope it’ll keep you all entertained! Formatting might be a little strange, but that’s what happens when you translate an entire short story onto tumblr. This is pretty much only for my followers since it’s original, but if you have no idea who I am and someone find this, I hope you enjoy my meager writing abilities!

This fic is set during the Spanish Inquisition, and I did a lot of research on the time period. There are a lot of plot holes that bother me if you really look into the history of everything, but some of them can’t be avoided when you erase an entire historical figure from history and replace her with someone else. But I won’t spoil anything, so please have this absolute trainwreck of a story.

(I’m not tagging anyone on my usual tag list because I figure this isn’t what any of you signed up for, and I won’t tag you unless you want me to!)

Trigger Warnings: Burning, Death, Anti-Semitism, implied abuse, references to torture

Queen Valencia and her husband, King Ferdinand II, were well known throughout Spain for being harsh and unforgiving rulers, the sort that would torture a man under suspicion of even the smallest of crimes. The two governed their people strictly and (although no one would speak this for fear of being killed) very cruelly. 

King Ferdinand was exhausting his time dealing with the Spanish Inquisition and the Jews that refused to accept the Catholic faith. Everyday, homes were burnt and heretics were tortured and killed for practicing their own faith. He had gotten so paranoid that the non-Catholics were to blame for the terrible plague sweeping the nation that even the Conversos, Jews who had converted to the Catholic religion, were suspected of treason to the crown.

No one in the Royal Court had ever said it aloud, but it was well known that the queen and king were not in love. They often disagreed on anything from trivial to political matters, creating a distinct rift in their relationship. King Ferdinand was a pious man who wished to keep flushing out the heretics while Queen Valencia sympathized with the Jews who were being forced to give up their religion. “You are a devout Catholic. What if the Jews were to make you practice their religion? Would you do to them as they would do to you?”

King Ferdinand would continue to look past her point and respond with, “They have already done it once before to our savior Jesus Christ, we cannot allow them to do it again. We must purge them before they can force their heresy unto us. It is for the best my wife.” Him being the king, she would huff and relent, going along with what he decreed.

Life in the palace was lavish and required many servants to attend to the queen. Her previous servant had been accused of heresy - unjustly - which required that a new personal servant be summoned for the Queen. Valencia was standing in front of her mirror in her private chambers dressed in her undergarments, waiting for her servant to arrive. The lady in waiting was already late, but Valencia had become a patient woman after having to deal with King Ferdinand on the daily. 

When the girl finally arrived she had her head down and mumbled softly, “I apologize for being late Your Majesty, the nobles asked me to fetch them fruit and I could not refuse. Please accept my humble apologies.” The servant girl kneeled down in front of Valencia and bent her head in what the queen supposed must have been a very uncomfortable position.

“Rise my dear girl, what shall I call you?” Valencia asked the girl.

Perking up, the girl rose and started to say, “Oh my name is -” but instead let out an unattractive screech as she tripped over the trail of her queen’s dress. She ended up sprawled on the floor glancing awkwardly up at the royal who was hiding a laugh behind her hand. 

It was at that moment when they made eye contact for the first time that Valencia knew this girl would be immensely important to her. 

***

“Alessandra!” Queen Valencia called from her spot at the side of the empty dining table. King Ferdinand was discussing more Inquisition plans with his advisors, leaving her to eat her feast alone. Still, it was proper etiquette to leave the head of the table open for the absent king. The servant girl hurried forward from where she had been waiting by a pillar for instruction. When she reached the queen’s side she straightened up with her hands dutifully behind her back. The queen turned to the other servants scattered throughout the room and ordered, “Leave us.” 

Without another word, the other servants filed out of the room and shut the intimidating wooden door behind them. Now, the only two people in the room were young Alessandra and the queen herself. “Sit with me please,” Valencia said gently. Instead of a typical order, it was a request, and a simple one at that.

Listening, the young girl sat next to her. “Is there anything you wish of me, Your Majesty?”

Grinning and rolling her eyes, Valencia let her posture relax as she leaned back against the chair. “Yes, I wish for you to stop referring to me as Your Majesty when we are in private. You see me undressed day after day, you know well and true that I am no heavenly deity. I am as human as you are flesh and bone.” 

The young girl anxiously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and giggled lightly. Alessandra was a short and petite girl complimented with a sweet face that made Valencia’s maternal instincts flare up whenever she was near her servant. “It is a pleasure to be able to work for someone as wonderful as you,” the small servant spoke almost reverently. Valencia’s heart clenched to know how much the girl looked up to her, unaware of the terrible things she was allowing King Ferdinand to do to her people. 

“Tell me dear, how did you get a job in the Royal Court?” Queen Valencia asked.

“Oh, well that’s an easy one!” Alessandra said gleefully. “See I’m not too bright, but my father is an old acquaintance of the king’s High Inquisitor - uhm… Inquisitor Lucero! Yes, him. And my mother was a servant before she died, so it only made sense for me to follow in her footsteps.” Valencia’s breathing hitched when she heard Alessandra’s words. Her mother was dead? Looking down at the bright-eyed servant, all Valencia could see was a lonely child seated before her. As a response, she tried to create a more approachable air around herself and slid her chair closer to the girl. If Alessandra didn’t have a mother, then Valencia would be damned if she didn’t at least help the girl feel safe and cared for.

“When the king was searching for your newest lady in waiting,” Alessandra continued, “my father offered my services. And now I have the honor of humbling myself before you everyday.”

“No no, you do not have to humble yourself dear girl, I’ve told you this,” Valencia corrected her. Her first step would have to be making sure Alessandra knew she was not obligated to bow down to Valencia in private. Nodding again, Alessandra silenced herself. Queen Valencia was angered with Alessandra’s father for essentially auctioning his daughter off without the poor girl knowing any better. But another, smaller part of her whispered that she was glad that Alessandra was her servant, for it allowed her to have these small moments that she treasured so dearly with the young girl.

And so she spoke nothing to the king of the way he selected servants for his wife.

***

Alessandra was loyal if nothing else, and she cared greatly for Queen Valencia. She was willing to do anything for her queen, even give up her own life if her queen so desired. It scared Valencia to know how deep the girl’s blind devotion ran, but her selfishness kept her from saying anything. The queen had been unable to give Ferdinand an heir, but the king was more concerned with political matters to focus on his wife’s infertility at the time. Valencia’s servant gave her the opportunity to care for a young girl as a mother would her child.

And though she had never told Ferdinand, Valencia was glad she could not produce his heir. She refused to let him infect her son or daughter with his views of the Jewish people, of even the most loyal Conversos. Her people.

Valencia hated to think that she lied during her daily prayers with Ferdinand. But her truth was that she did in fact lie when a priest would bless her and say that she was faithful to their God. Every night Valencia would return to her private chambers and dismiss Alessandra before pulling out her Torah and praying to her God. Hiding herself from the king and her country held a tax on her very soul and being every passing day. But Valencia’s faith was more important to her than anything, and if she had to repent every night for lying, she would. 

As any one night, she found herself praying as normal, asking God for forgiveness at deceiving her husband. That she was trying to follow His word while keeping His religion alive. Kneeling beneath her mirror, Valencia was muttering holy prayers and pleading to her God. “Oh Lord Almighty, send me a diamond to cut through all the dirt my husband has heaped upon your holy word.”

As if God could hear her, Valencia’s door opened at that moment as her young servant girl walked in. “Queen Valencia, I’ve come to - oh!” Alessandra gasped in surprise at seeing her queen kneeling on the floor with Jewish scrolls spread in front of her. “Is that - oh my -” the servant girl gasped in surprise. “I should go and inform-”

Standing up in a hurry, Valencia shouted, “No!” Freezing in place, Alessandra waited for another instruction from her queen. She knew it was the king’s order to report anyone following a non-Catholic religion, but her loyalty to the queen outweighed any order the king could ever give. “Alessandra, please forget what you have seen here,” Queen Valencia attempted to cover her tracks. She trusted her servant, but the reality of being discovered was something she had feared her entire life.

“My queen, I will not report you if that is what you fear. It is my job to serve you, and if that means allowing you to follow your own religion, that is what I shall do,” Alessandra said obediently. Looking at her servant with surprise, Valencia found herself unconsciously relieved.

The older woman held her arms out and waited for the child to take the hint. After a moment of confused staring, Alessandra realized what Valencia was meaning for her to do, and she threw herself into her queen’s open arms. They sat together far into the night, the young girl wrapped in the protective arms of the queen. She rested her head against Valencia’s bosom, listening to her light breathing. It was a feeling she had missed ever since her mother had died, the safety and comfort of another, truly caring person in her life. She wouldn’t dare think it, but Alessandra looked up to Valencia as more than just her queen, and that was dangerous. The young lady in waiting couldn’t bring herself to worry about any possible repercussions while being held by Valencia.

Unawares to Alessandra, Valencia was having her own thoughts. Without children, she couldn’t release the pent up maternal instinct ingrained deep in her very being. But having Alessandra by her side made Valencia’s heart feel as if the strongest rope was ripping it in half. In that moment, it felt like the two of them were meant to be together, as if fate itself had twisted time and space so that they could meet. If it were not for status, the queen feared she would never release Alessandra from her arms. The thought of having to let the girl go was something Valencia refused to entertain. The mere notion was enough to cause her more agony than what her heart already inflicted upon her. With such a large gap in social class, it was unusual for royals to have such a close relationship with their servants, but Valencia couldn’t help but feel the intense need to protect Alessandra.

She could not predict how strong this need would be in her servant.

***

“It’s alright, I’d rather me than you, Valencia,” Alessandra assured whilst two guards held her arms tightly behind her back.

The guard on her left smacked her harshly over the head. “You shall refer to her as Your Majesty or My Queen, heretic.”

Shaking her head softly in pain, Alessandra returned her attention to Valencia. Even as the guards were leading her to the dungeons where she would be held before her execution, she still had a smile on her face. Valencia was distraught at seeing the girl she cared so much for in the hands of the king’s soldiers. The men had been searching the palace when they found her beloved Torah hidden within her bedchambers. The moment Alessandra got word that the king suspected the queen of heresy, she claimed that she was the heretic and claimed the scrolls as her own.

A chill tickled its way through Valencia’s bones, knowing of how the king must have immediately sentenced the young child to death by fire simply because he believed she was of another religion. And as much as Valencia wished she could take Alessandra’s place, she knew it would do no good to admit the truth. The girl would still be executed and so would she, ruining Alessandra’s sacrifice. 

The young girl was led to a dungeon cell and tossed in by the guards. They locked the door and left her alone until they were to come to retrieve her for her execution the next day. Following the guards down, Valencia stood outside the cell door and glanced down at the child she had grown close to. “Why?” she asked quietly.

Alessandra shrugged with her infuriating smile still plastered on her face. “I could not let them hurt you Valencia. Besides, you can get another servant.”

Valencia laughed humorlessly and ruefully banged a fist against the bars of the cell. “I could never replace you Alessandra.” 

“I’ll miss you,” Alessandra said simply.

“You know I love you,” the older woman admitted quietly, as if it was taboo.

“I love you too.”

***

Queen Valencia was forced to stand next to her husband as her servant was tied to a stake in the center of the palace courtyard. King Ferdinand stood regal and tall, observing the work of his executioners, noting which ones worked quicker and those slower than the rest. He didn’t pay a second glance to the girl being strung up, more concerned with the efficiency of his men as they prepared for the execution. In some sick sense of mercy there would be no drawn out torture, only the girl’s sentence of death by fire.

The servant girl did not resist the tight grips of the men who spit at her as they lead her to her death. It confused the inquisitors when she only smiled, barely glancing at their hateful faces. Instead, her attention was directed to the woman standing on the balcony of the palace above her. The queen was struggling to make eye contact with the servant. Her head was far too heavy to lift and face the small girl and her innocent doe eyes.

Even as the men finished tying her to the stake, Alessandra paid no mind to her rapidly approaching death. She kept grinning fondly at the woman she had grown to love in her time at the palace. She didn’t feel an ounce of regret dying for Valencia.

King Ferdinand wrapped an arm around his wife, but she refused to acknowledge it. Valencia lifted her head, finally willing to make eye contact with Alessandra. It was like a hot poker to the heart, being reminded of why she cared so much for this girl. She knew she would grow to care for her servant the first time she had seen the girl’s eyes. Only now, looking into those eyes for the last time did Valencia truly understand the extent of her love for this girl.

Alessandra was the child she did not have, stronger than blood could carry. It didn’t matter that the girl was of another breed, it mattered how she gave Valencia a reason to move through everyday as she lived a life of lying to those around her. And if God would grant her one wish, she would wish to be able to embrace Alessandra one last time before they were forced to part ways.

One of the inquisitors took a torch and held it to the straw spread around the bottom of the stake. The young girl only shook her head and tried to smile reassuringly when a tear slid down the older woman’s face. Alessandra mouthed something from below that Valencia could not make out, no matter how hard she tried to decipher what the girl had said. She watched as the flames grew higher and Alessandra’s smile started to disappear, replaced with coughing and wails of pain. Valencia closed her eyes tight and turned away from the fire, too distraught to watch the execution.

But she listened as her daughter burned.

-----------------------------------------------------

Tag List:

@theatergirl06 @sweetestrequiems

[a-pretty-nerd]

The Comic: Chapter 1

Concept: The young Jester of your father's court has always been a constant sound in the backround. But suddenly he is leaving the shadows, and is tossing himself into your spotlight. What is this strange feeling??

A/N: Okie Dokie! So this is probably gonna be for me and my wife and maybe one or two more people. BUT WHATEVER! I wanna write what I wanna write *tongue pop* anyways, requests will still be open so feel free to ask for anything you want, including ideas for more series fics and even this one! As always, your requests and feedback are the reason I keep writing! ✌❤

Warnings: None...for now *nudge nudge, wink wink*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Music erupted through the great courtroom as the front doors of the castle gave way. The rich kingdom your father lead had a grand castle that sat atop a dreamy hill. A picture perfect kingdom, a picture perfect palace. So gorgeous that artists of all sorts flocked to the kingdom to paint magnificent paintings, and write poems about the beloved estate.

Your father, King Winston the 3rd, was a jolly old man who adored the arts and all things beautiful. He cared for his people in ways many other kingdoms simply didn’t. It appeared that this king had it all, while neighboring kingdoms struggled to keep their people from disease and starvation. But appearances aren’t always what they seem.

The grand court of your father’s castle was towering and open. It was built long ago, built to look like a great cathedral with stain glass windows depicting saints and angels. Figures as they gazed down upon all those who entered. Carved into the stone walls were sculptures of cherubs and minstrels. The floor was a colored marble of checkered black and white. Your father cooed over the tile, saying that it was like one big game of chess.

In front of a large Catholic alter, where the king’s advisor and priest often stood behind the large throne that sat atop two steps, so that he sat higher than everyone else. Your seat was sat to his left, less than a foot away. While your younger brother sat to his right.

Your younger brother was a little tyrant. A monster waiting to be set free. If it was not for your father to keep the thirteen-year-old at bay, you shudder to think of what might happen. His name was Otto, and he often went into fits of rage. Sometimes you wonder, if only mother was still around today, would she be able to sedate him?

Your mother, a strong and brave woman, died in childbirth having Otto. Inside you still, harbor a trace of bitterness and hatred for him. As if he killed your mother intentionally. You wanted to be just like her one day. A ruthless leader, who was smart as she was beautiful. Much to your father’s disdain, you studied heavily. If you weren’t allowed to train like a man, then you were going to be smarter than any.

You, Princess Y/N, were a force to be reckoned with.

Your entire life, your father had ignored threats of war. Other kingdoms never seemed to follow through. Or they could be easily won over by a party he hosted. He threw grand parties, balls unlike any other throughout the entire country. And it was all thanks to his employment. A gaggle of entertainers, minstrels of all shapes and sizes with many great talents. Often playing as a large band while being conducted and accompanied by the magnificent court jester that your father favored above all others.

Jasper the Jester, was a hilarious comedian, a comic if you will. A genius entertainer, and a fabulous singer. His costume consisted of bright dazzling colored fabric stitched awkwardly together. His headpiece was often switched out for comedic purposes, but he often wore a cap with two long points that hung two bells at the end. He sang loudly for the court with Monty the Minstrel who played the lute. There were other minstrels who were more common servants and entertainers. But these two were somehow special.

They came tumbling from either side of the court high up by your thrones through doors hidden to each wall. They came bursting in cheering and laughing, often with food and drinks for the lords and ladies that werw visiting or attended gatherings. Sometimes, they would perform whole shows for the knights and ladies in waiting that often sat around your court among officials and the rest of the royal council.

You were bored by these grand shows at this point. You had more pressing matters to discuss. Like the issue of war with the neighboring kingdom. Your father ignored it all as he always did. And you would have too if it weren’t for their pressing assaults and threats. They weren’t backing down.

But that didn’t matter now. What was truly interesting was the new juggling act that Jasper had concocted. He had escalated from balls to small knives, and now he was tossing swords high up into the air and catching them by their hilts perfectly. It made you anxious. At any moment you could hear a defining cry and seen blood. Your organs twisted and the back of your neck stung as Jasper threw one into the air, and failed to catch it. Ducking to the side as it flew directly to the marble floor. Where the hilt hit and bounced so that it landed and dug the blade into empty seats behind him. Three times he dropped them, and three times they bounced. Two times they dug into a chair. The third dug into the arm of a chair where a court member sat. He shrieked like a child and jumped from his seat. Completely unharmed.

You breathed a sigh of relief. The entire court laughed at the cry a grown man let out as he collected himself.

“Forgive me, sir! For my blades are not as righteous as yours.” He bowed to the man before he pried his swords from the wood of the chairs.

“For God’s sake, your highness! You have better keep that fool under control! Before he kills one of your men!” The court member cried.

“Oh hush, Marcus! Jasper wouldn’t hurt a fly!” The King brushed off.

“And now your excellency, with great humility, we would like a perform a new song we have written just for you!” Monty cheered as he came out of the shadows and into the light. Jasper gestured jokingly as he entered center stage. Twirling his wrists repeatedly until Monty got into position with him. Monty’s fingers struck the strings once, paused to adjust the tuning. But just as he looked away, Jasper leaned over and twisted one of the knobs off. Monty struck it again, and the sound went flat. His brows furrowed and he adjusted the knobs again. The crowd giggled, as Jasper leaned over out of Monty’s view and hushed them. When he did it the third time, they nearly lost it. You watched, not very impressed, barley amused. Finally, Monty turned to the crowd looking puzzled.

“What is it? Is something amiss?” He asked innocently, and the room busted out with laughter. Jasper eventually allowed Monty to tune, and begin playing. Standing by his side with one foot crossed over the other. He stood straight and looked up at the king. And then his eyes slid from him to you. Monty began to play a simple tune.

“Ooooohhhh-” a string on the lute broke producing a horrible ‘plink!’ Jasper and Monty flinched. Everyone laughed again.

“Pardon me, your grace!” Monty squeaked as he ran off to fetch another instrument. Monty was a jack of all trades when it came to music.

“In honor of our adoring Princess!” Jasper cried, raising his hands, arms out towards you. “In preparation for your coming out ball, we have a poem just for you!” Your heart raced. Why was he looking at you like that? Monty began to play his guitar.

“ Oh dear princess how lovely, how fair

So gorgeous I forget to breathe for air”

He began grasping at his neck and gasping for air. They giggled.

“ Oh dear princess how brave, how strong

The strongest among!”

The crowd laughed, as he turned to them and leaned forward, pointing out, “Marcus” he noted before the music started again. He turned back to you.

“Oh, dear princess! We bow at thy feet

But there is something else to eat then thy meat!”

He bit the air and hopped forward. Your cheeks went red as the men in the crowd laughed.

“Watch yourself, Jester!” Your brother shouted. Your father placed a hand in front of him as he leaned out of his seat.

“Quite.” The king warned. Jasper bowed for an apology and the music began again.

“ Oh, Princess! How we’ll miss you when you’re gone!

For all we’ll have left is this poor son!”

Jasper threw an arm up to your brother. Your father busted out laughing, causing you to forget your embarrassment and let loose a small giggle. Otto, however, looked thoroughly enraged. As all the laughter died down, Jasper looked up at you with a smile as he watched you try to hide your smile. The room went quiet. The two took a bow.

“Thank you, your highness!” They cheered and disappeared. You couldn’t shake that fool’s words out of your head. He had embarrassed you, you should have been pissed. If you wanted to, you could have his head.

“That Jester’s a real laugh isn’t he?” You heard a voice come through as a lady in waiting entered. Lady Harper, a good friend of yours. You turned to her and shrugged.

“Oh come on princess, you can’t tell me you don’t find him at least a little funny!”

“He’s a pest.” You lied.

“Well then, if that’s how you feel, I might have to investigate that pest myself.”

“Harper!” You scolded and giggled. “A lady is not to lose her-”

“Oh don’t be such a prude. Nature takes its tole for all of us.” Harper gently pawed at your arm as she laid your nightgown on your chamber bed.

“Not for the likes of us.”

“Not for the likes of you.” She corrected. You looked down at the floor. Once you were left alone and put to bed…thoughts came swirling back. Thoughts unlike any other. Some pure and innocent. Like, how you wondered what his lips tasted like. Or how his fingers would feel in between yours. But then came the impure, the dirty. Thoughts no true princess should feel. Thoughts of that Jester in your room. In your bed. 

[sadisticsmiles]

Beyond a Thief’s Power Episode 17

Remade Reality

  ~Beginning of Part 3~

 ~1:00 a.m. that morning; April 13, 2007~

             It was a dream, and it was... peculiar in a way. This dream... seemed far from what one may have seen. After all, it was not a human's but a magician's.

           There was someone wearing a navy blue hood which disguised their appearance from being known to anyone else. Only their hands could be seen and in their right one was a sword—a long sword that had different shades of brown to it. The handle was sandy brown; the hilt was windsor tan in color and had an interesting shape, a curved number three; last but not least, the blade was the color of desert sand. It was a gorgeous sword not from the world in which regular humans resided. However, the wielder of the sword was not a woman per se if someone looked closer at the structure of the hand that was holding it. Most certainly it was a man, due to the long fingers and the hand's rough edges that a woman did not possess.

           The man pulled his hand which held the sword back in a readied position, and swung it rapidly. In that one fell swoop, multiple parts of the Earth in front of the hooded figure's sight glowed with colorful auroras surrounding specific countries, parts or even whole continents, the oceans, and far more. Then, it was as if everything split apart and went away in a single blast, leaving nothing of the planet.

           The dream ended right then and there.

           Rina jolted up from her bed. The expression on her face appeared as if she woke up from a horrible nightmare. What's more, she was panting heavily like there was a heavy weight in her chest. However, she was not sweating, as magicians could not.

           Soon, her breathing became normal. "Did... something change in the Human World? From what I just saw, it couldn't be a false event. If so, I have to tell everyone about it to confirm my suspicions in case it wasn't a dream."

  XXX

             At the same time Rina had seen her dream, Kenshi slowly opened his eyes upon awakening. The room he was in had a sconce that was shaped like a flame and was lighting his surroundings, making it easier to see where he was.

           "...?" While he was lying on a twin-sized bed, Kenshi's eyes darted around. "Where am I...? Is this... a cabin of some sort?"

           It looks like an old place, but it's definitely clean, he noted within his thoughts. But, how did I end up here? I remember that I was in the rain and there was someone tailing me. Before I knew it, I...

           "Oh, looks like you're awake," a male voice said. There had not been a sound of someone opening the door or walking in the room, but the person speaking to the spiky-haired brunet was there with him.

           Kenshi's eyes widened. He sat up from the bed and turned towards his left. The expression on his face was serious and stern. "Who are you? And why am I here? Are you with the 14K? If so, I'm not gonna let you do what you want with me, or with my friends."

           The person the sniper of the Black Foxes saw was a young man with bright, fiery orange hair and red eyes. He wasn't Japanese, but the words he'd let out of his mouth were. He was smiling and quite good-looking as well. "Whoa, there. Slow down when you're speaking to your savior. I did carry you to the hideout after finding you when you were unconscious, you know. And don't mistake me for a member of the 14K when I'm not one. I don't want to harm you or the rest of the alliance you have with the other Black Foxes, magicians, and the Kujo brothers, Kenshi Inagaki."

           Kenshi paused with astonishment showing on his visage. "Wait. You're... my savior?" This earned a nod from the man in front of his eyes. "You're not a member of the 14K?" There went another nod. "Anyway..." He glanced down; then he gazed back at his savior. "How do you know about the alliance? There wasn't anyone else who knew about it except for the thirteen of us, and possibly the two magician of fates' advisor. I'm pretty certain of that. So then, how were you able to find out about it?"

           "Every magician except for one who’s been residing in this universe for over nine years knows about it by now," the young man replied, having not shifted his smile and gaze from Kenshi this whole time. "After all, the information in their books have changed, and so has this world."

           At that moment, the firefighter felt as though his heart had stopped. "...Almost all the magicians know about it, and the Human World has changed? What... does that mean? Are you a magician as well? If you know so much already, you've got to be one, right?"

           The young man continued to put his beautiful smile on. "Well yeah, everyone's changed by now. Even you. However, let me make this clear so you don't misunderstand and jump to another conclusion before getting to know me. I'm not a magician, I'm a human being. Just like you. Yet, I'm not an ordinary human. I'm a Special Human."

           "Even though you're not a magician but a mortal, what makes you different from me?" Kenshi inquired. "What makes you so 'special' that you're different from other humans?"

           "You and the other members of the Black Foxes were sent a video, weren't you?" the young man answered back with a question of his own. "Eleven days ago, on the night of April 2nd. Three 14K members were cornering a middle-aged man in his café while the other members were waiting on the roof for your arrival."

           Kenshi blinked. "Huh? How do you..."

           "I'm the one who sent that video. I was also there inside the café when the owner/manager was being assaulted, but I wasn't seen because..." The fiery orange-haired young man kept smiling and tilted his head to his left, cupping the same side of his visage with his hand. "I was invisible."

           The firefighter was speechless for a few seconds before asking, "You sent that video to us? But how did you do that? Anyway, I want to know: Is that... your power? Invisibility?"

           "Haha, I knew you'd be very curious about everything. I'll let you figure out about how I did that over time. That power isn't mine. I don't have the power of invisibility, but some friends of mine do. Although, I'll confess. Only one of them helped with making me unseen from the 14K and the café owner's sight, even though I was clearly there. My body wasn't actually invisible; it's just an ability that hides me from people's sight, and I do mean any human's if—and only if—they're not permitted to see me. Thus, I had been 'cloaked' by the powers of one magician. As for how I know about the 14K and what they've been doing lately, my friends and I have been monitoring them long before the day Sayuri Mitsuyoshi arrived in this world."

           Kenshi's eyes grew wide again. "So it was thanks to magic that you were able to film the video and send it to us? You even knew Sayuri was here this entire time? And you've been watching the 14K's actions even before she came to the Human World? Who exactly are you? You haven't answered my question about your identity as a Special Human and some others."

           The young man straightened his posture, letting his left hand go back towards his body's lateral region. "The answer to your first three questions is yes. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Claire Fioré, the leader of the Hidden Resistance. You may or may not know about me, but I'm a historical legend who led a rebellion against the Catholic Church in the twelfth century. Despite my first name, I can assure you that I'm a guy through and through. Sure, it's a girl's name, but my parents originally named me Claire to fool people into believing I was a girl when I'm not one. I was also a celebrity but I quit being one, so there you go."

           "It's no wonder you seemed familiar." A smile had finally appeared on Kenshi's face. "I knew I've heard about and seen you before, but this is incredible! I still can't believe you're right in front of me."

           Claire gave an eye smile. "Well, I did discover the door that led me to the Cycle of Eternal Reincarnation with three girls, after all, so there's almost no way my name isn't known. I've practically been everywhere by now." He opened his eyes. "Just so you know, I don't have a harem with said girls. I don't want any misunderstandings about that fact, to be honest."

           A door opened in the back from where Claire's back was facing.

           "Who said you were even allowed to have one in the first place?" a female's voice inquired.

           Kenshi knew whom the voice belonged to and still couldn't believe his eyes.

           A girl with long, somewhat dark silver hair [that reached down past her knees a little] and eyes of the same color entered the room. "Because of your beauty, I have to keep a bunch of women away from you, Claire. That hasn't changed since I met you, though."

           "Now, now," Claire said with a smile as he turned towards the girl who was around his age. "It's not completely my fault, is it? You should also speak for yourself since you're popular with the modern world, as well."

           The dark silver-haired girl frowned lightly. "Whatever. I'd say that any guy with good looks would be far more popular than most girls, but it seems as if my argument doesn't matter as much with the entertainment industry rising these days."

           "You're..." Kenshi trailed off, frozen in place as he stared at the girl. "...Kuruha... the center of the Japanese girl group that debuted in South Korea, Multi-Star Clover! In addition to being the face of the group, you're also the most famous member! More importantly, you're the wielder of the longest zweihänder known in history: Zenaku (or Zen'aku to help with the pronunciation with the name)! I can't believe I'm meeting you and Claire right now," he breathed in awe.

           Kuruha gave a friendly smile. "Likewise. It's my pleasure to meet you while you're still alive, Kenshi Inagaki. Then again, you only know me by stage name, right?"

           "Hmm? Yeah," the spiky-haired brunet responded.

           "Well," Kuruha added, "I guess I should introduce myself to you. My full name as of this life is Kuruha Mamiya."

           Kenshi's eyes widened slightly. "Then your younger sister—"

           "—is also a Mamiya," Kuruha finished for the firefighter. "We've always been born into the same family bloodline, as the Eternal Reincarnation Cycle has also affected our family members, as well as Claire's and... you know."

           "But here I am!" a cute voice announced as they walked in. It was a shorter girl Kenshi had mentioned around halfway through his sentence before being cut off by the center of Multi-Star Clover earlier. The girl was just as adorable as her voice had given away for all to hear. She had long amaranth pink hair, but it flowed down to the top of her thighs; she also had lime-green eyes and was five centimeters shorter than Mitsuki, which made her a hundred forty-two centimeters tall. No doubt she was a loli. Yet her bust said otherwise.

           Claire closed his eyes and smiled openly as he waved with his left hand. "Hey, Kokoro. You're just in time."

           "Looks like it," the younger of the Mamiya sisters replied in a mild tone of voice. "So the sniper of the Black Foxes is finally awake." Her gaze shifted from Claire to Kenshi. "Well, I don't really need to introduce myself, do I? So I'll just stand here." She stood next to her older sister, on the latter's left.

           Another girl came in shortly after. She had long, moderately-colored blonde hair that went straight down to her feet, and her eyes were indigo blue. The next thing that happened was that she took her place between Claire (on his right), and Kokoro (on her left). "Hello there, Kenshi Inagaki. You know who I am as well, don't you?"

           "Elizabeth Diamond?!" Kenshi was practically shocked at seeing another famous icon. "The main vocalist of Multi-Star Clover?! What... What's going on?"

           Elizabeth smiled. "What do you mean? It's time for everyone to make their appearance and introduce themselves now that you're fully awake. Looks like I didn't need to say anything though, since you've heard of MSC."

           Kenshi exhaled awkwardly. "R-Right..." Then, he shook his head exaggeratedly. "Wait. That's not the point! What I really mean is that I'd like to know what's happened to the Human World, and I'm still curious as to what makes Claire different and 'special' than me. So just explain everything properly. That's all I'm asking at the moment."

           Elizabeth's eyes widened. Then, she looked at Claire. "You haven't told him yet?"

           Claire smiled nervously and sweat-dropped at the blonde next to him. "I couldn't help it since there were several questions being asked, but you know how I can be sometimes."

           Kokoro glanced at the young man in their group. "Well it's you we're talking about, Claire. It's not like it's an uncommon thing for people to skip over some stuff."

           "Let's just get this over with, then," Kuruha stated in a calm manner.

           Elizabeth's smile returned as she looked at the spiky-haired brunet. "I'll start with the details. It's not just Claire who's different from you, Kenshi. The four of us here are known as Special Human beings, but we're not the only ones who are different than most humans. Rather than special abilities and such, the term Special Human refers to a human who was born with the path to change the world. Most of us have what are known as unnatural physical features at birth, including our hair and/or eye colors. Sometimes, there are those who have natural features, rather than peculiar ones. I'm one of the ones who were born with a natural hair color. Claire, Kuruha, and Kokoro are different from me in that aspect; albeit, Claire may seem a bit more natural than them. On the contrary, you normally wouldn't see anyone with red eyes, unless they had some type of cosmetic surgery, or something of that sort. Another detail is that once we're born, we already have a full set of hair and look like little kids, just like magicians; we also tend to be mistaken for them most of the time. That's about all to it."

           "So you guys are mainly 'destined' to do something great, whether it's for better or for worse," Kenshi deducted.

           "That's correct," Elizabeth confirmed. "When I remember the first lives we had, I think about the door that led us to our endless rebirths every time we die. We've all lived so many lives, yet we never made it past our early twenties until now, with the exception of Kokoro, who died around her mid-teens back then."

           "You mean the three of you never made it past the age of twenty before this life," Kokoro corrected. "Anyway, let's move on to the part about how the world has changed."

           Elizabeth showed an expression on her face as if she were pondering over the last thing Kokoro told her, with her left index finger on the corner of her chin, smiling again after a few seconds had passed by. "Sou ne. I don't want to explain the situation, though." She turned her head towards Claire, gazing at him with her serene eyes.

           Claire gazed back at the blonde member of Multi-Star Clover with a smile of his own and sweat-dropped once more. "Uh, Elizabeth?"

           Elizabeth blinked twice; her eyelashes fluttered at the same time. "Yes, Honey?"

           "I..." the fiery orange-haired young man trailed off. "...don't want to be the one to tell him about that, though."

           Kuruha nodded. "True. It'd be better if a magician explained about what's already happened this morning in spite of how early it is."

           "Maa, after one a.m. is still a good time to gather some people to discuss this matter," Kokoro stated. "It's not like we're that exhausted, but I agree. This should be a good time to let him see who're on our side."

           As Kenshi blinked, he was not sure what to think. He only knew he had to listen and find out what had taken place while he was unconscious, but... Who on Earth had knocked him out, and why didn't they take him hostage? He placed his hopes on learning about those parts while staying with the four Special Humans in front of him, and waited for the magicians he would soon meet.

  XXX

             Everyone in the alliance [excluding Kenshi] were gathered in Le Renard Noir. It was the first time an alarming and dire situation that could not be reversed fell into their hands. Besides that, it was also rare to have the Black Foxes' sniper absent from one of their meetings.

           "Man, this is really bad," Hyosuke commented with wide eyes.

           Riki sighed. "Who would have ever thought a dream could come true and reshape the entire Human World like this?"

           "Don't forget that the oceans and other bodies of water have been replaced by a new one that fills their place," Takuto pointed out as he looked back over his right shoulder. He was sitting on one of the high chairs in front of the counter where there used to be stools before the renovation. "The world's also smaller, along with the fact that the United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia are the only countries and continents to have survived that swing, and have shifted towards each other while maintaining some space as separate regions."

           Rina, who was standing nearby, frowned and narrowed her eyes as she stared down at the floor. "But there's no doubt that Ains was used by a man, so there's a clue we’ll have to focus on."

           Taiga had a troubled look on his face. "...What perfect timing."

           Hyosuke's eyes broadened further. "Huh? What's wrong, Bro?"

           Taiga glanced at his younger brother, then at everyone else around them, and sighed, withdrawing his gaze afterward. "It's just..." He glanced at the others again and continued. "Nao and I are planning on getting married soon."

           Hyosuke blinked and had a surprised expression on his visage. "Heh? When did you even—" He immediately came to realize the answer to his question; his eyes raised their lids higher.

           Don't tell me... Taiga proposed in the... while having... the purple-haired security specialist thought. He was shocked and taken aback by his own unspoken words which he could barely bear to finish in a sentence, nor could he say aloud. Just then, he finally gave off an irritated look at the underground doctor. Man, what a pervert... When it comes down to it, my own brother is worse than me. Although... he does get embarrassed when it comes to people finding out him and Nao-san kissing or any other forms PDA, and letting him know about their discoveries and knowledge, but no one has ever seen them having sex since that’s a private matter between two people.

           "? What's wrong, Hyo?" Taiga asked, oblivious to what his own brother knew, as he turned slightly to his right.

           "Ah. Nothing," Hyosuke replied, having noticed the smokey topaz brunet's gaze on him.

           Mitsuki smiled faintly. "Speaking of which, when is your wedding, Taiga?"

           "Huh?" Taiga tilted his head to his right side. "The beginning of May. Will you be coming to it, Mitsuki?"

           While still having her smile on her face, Mitsuki’s eyes lowered themselves. "Actually, I only wanted to congratulate you and Nao since you two are very dear to one another. I'm sorry I won't be going, though. Some things happened once Riki and I got married, but I can’t give you any details."

           Taiga's usual, serious expression returned to him after hearing Mitsuki's response. "That's fine. We weren't expecting any guests, anyway. We decided on making it a private wedding."

           Mitsuki gazed at Nao. “Are you sure about this?”

           The white-haired magician gave an eye smile. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I’m free to do as I wish now that things have changed in this world, after all.”

           For a few seconds, Mitsuki’s eyes widened but soon returned to being natural. “…”

           Hyosuke narrowed his eyes in vexation. "So you two decided that without telling Miyuki and I about it? Also, what about our parents? You're so selfish, Taiga."

           "Well, they're in love like we are, Hyosuke," Miyuki remarked. "Your parents will understand, even if they're not invited to the wedding."

           Hyosuke's shoulders slumped down and he gave a tired sigh. "But we're not, either."

           Nao giggled with an eye smile on her face. "Why don't you forgive Taiga this time, Hyosuke? We're finally going to become in-laws after all these years. Someday, Miyuki will also be a part of the family, as well."

           Hyosuke frowned before giving in with a smile of his own. "...Alright. Since you'll be my older sister soon, I shouldn't be so negative. Anyway, congrats, Nao-san, Taiga."

           Miyuki nodded. "Congratulations."

           "Thank you," Nao said in reply.

           "Ahh!" Hiro yelled out; his eyes seemed as though they were about to pop out any second now. "I can't believe I just missed my chance to congratulate my favorite idol about her upcoming marriage!" He quickly composed himself and smiled casually. "So, uh, what I should've said earlier... Congrats, Nao. Oh, and Taiga, too. I'm your biggest fan, Hiro Sarashina, if you remember me from your previous concerts and fan meeting events."

           "Of course, it's nice to see you again," Nao stated in a tranquil manner. "I knew something was off about you the first time I saw you over six years ago. Thank you for being a wonderful fan of mine. I'm glad you enjoyed the concerts and events, and I appreciate the fact you enjoy my songs as well. I hope to be a helpful ally to you and everyone else when the time comes for us to fight alongside one another against the 14K and... that woman."

           Sayuri had a stern expression as she stared at Nao. "Roxanne Feris."

           Atsumu tilted his head to his left as he stood behind the counter. "Roxanne... Feris...? Who's that?"

           Without moving her gaze away from Nao, Sayuri elaborated on her previous words. "The woman who caused all of this to happen by interrupting Nao-san and her cousin's journey to this world, stealing Ains from Rina at the trial, plotting against the magicians' power loss and near demises. She's also the leader of the 14K as we've discussed before. However, there's still a high possibility that she's targeting Rina as a result of the same trial from over three years ago, but the fact her subordinate has Ains in his hands may be a form of trust we've never known about her having with anyone besides her parents until I came to the Human World to seek her out."

           Riki acknowledged with a staid expression and inquired, "About her subordinate, could he have a strong bond with this Roxanne Feris? If she's not the one using Ains, then she must be letting her subordinate do whatever he wants. He's already erased billions of people from our world and made it smaller. If we don't do something about him, he'll destroy everything, you guys won't be able to stand a chance against him, and neither will we. We can't just do nothing right now—we have to face her and the rest of the 14K as quickly as possible!"

           Takuji let out a sigh with a carefree smile, putting his arms and hands out as if they had formed a W in the space they were in, cupping and surrounding the empty air. "You're so impatient, Riki. The guy's toying with your emotions by doing things according to his will and desires. It's not like the Human World has nothing left. You still have this country and several others remaining, and a smaller world isn't as bad as it appears. If you rush into things, the guy's gonna use you—the leader of the Black Foxes—as a hostage to lure everyone else into a trap. Count on that if you really want to get beaten up in the torture chambers the 14K created. What I can tell you for certain is that there'll be no hope for you unless you cool down and listen to us. Anyway, to answer your question, Sayuri and I can certainly sense a bond between them, as the two of us have personally encountered the 14K for a while now, but we're not the only ones who have."

           "What do you mean by that last part?" Riki replied.

           Takuji let out a breath with his mouth closed, still smiling. "Nothing. Don't worry about every single thing I've said so far." Soon, he received a message on his rainbow striped flip phone [which rapidly appeared in his left hand], and opened it. Then, he glanced at Riki and the others from behind the counter [on Atsumu's left]. He closed his phone and put it back in his suit jacket’s left front pocket. "Unfortunately, Akio-sama has told me that we'll have to lay back for a while."

           Riki's left eye twitched. "What? We don't have to do anything?"

           "For the time being," the mint-haired magician replied without any worries. "Besides, it'll be a good thing for us, due to the stress of going through so much for several days. You can relax and slack off all you want until we're needed!"

           The unemployed twenty-seven-year-old couldn't believe it. What was he going to do now? He still didn't have a job, and had been told that he should step back from being a thief with the rest of his team for an indefinite amount of time. Things weren't going so well for him that spring. "...How is that a good thing? I won't have much to do, even when I'm not on a mission or assignment. Kenshi's also been missing from our group—who knows what he's up to, or if he's alright."

           The look in Sayuri’s eyes seemed to have somewhat changed with a beautiful light in them, while her mouth opened a little. She turned around on her right, looking at both Mitsuki and Riki.

           "You don't need to worry about him," the orange-haired magician assured them. "Kenshi's fine."

           A severe grimness appeared on Riki's face. "Sayuri, what makes you so sure about that?"

           Mitsuki's eyes widened slightly. "Telepathy? Who told you about Kenshi's—"

           "I have been ordered not to say anything about it," Sayuri interrupted the dark purple-haired magician's words in an indifferent manner. She had a stoic expression planted on her beautiful visage. "Furthermore, I am asking you on my source's behalf to place your trust in them. No matter what."

           Riki's gaze fell to the floor. "How can we put our trust in their hands so easily? We don't even know who’s with our comrade and what'll happen if we don't do something about all this mayhem."

           "I've already placed my trust in them, and so have the other magicians from home," Sayuri said without any hesitation. "In due time, you'll understand... because it'll all work out in the end, especially according to Akio-sama."

           After hearing those words, Mitsuki held Riki's right hand in her left and smiled gently without lacing their fingers together. "I see. Everyone else in Neon has given their hopes to this source. Then, why don't we wait and see what the future holds together? It sounds like Kenshi is in good hands."

           Riki glanced wistfully at his wife. "Mitsuki..."

           Hiro also smiled, gazing at his partner. "..."

           Sayuri looked back at Hiro. She was not smiling, but her eyes started to show the emotions of gratitude and happiness.

           At the same time, Atsumu was glad things were going well for the couples in his restaurant, along with the fact he had a nicer interior with new equipment that were more efficient, and magnificent furnishings. Everything looked great and he couldn't be unhappy about Takuji's help. The mint-haired magician had already been gone for some time now, and was most likely back home with his wife of royal blood.

           Rina took a seat on her ex-boyfriend's right side and turned her attention towards him. "Are you hungry?"

           Takuto glanced back at the Magician of Power in their group. "Yeah. I want a bowl of pork noodles. And I'm talking about the ones you make. I'm craving food made from Neon's ingredients."

           The blonde nodded. "Alright. This is also the perfect time to make it a large, early breakfast to celebrate Nao-san and Taiga-san's upcoming marriage, so I'll get things ready."

           "I'll help out too, of course," Atsumu beamed. "With the knowledge Takuji's cooking gave me, and the practice we had yesterday, I'll be able to prepare better food for everyone."

           Takuto snickered and glanced at Riki. "You'd better raise your reputation. Takuji’s become more like the real leader around here, especially with you losing his mojo.” Then, he turned toward Atsumu. “It's still dark out, but it's not like we can't grab some food to eat. We have enough time to finish before sunrise, so don't disappoint anyone here, including me."

           The wavy-haired brunet gave a thumbs-up. "You got it!"

           Riki stared at Takuto with some displeasure in his eyes. “Takuto, don’t think I didn’t hear what you said just now. I’m still the leader of the Black Foxes in contrast to being unemployed and having to lay back for the time being.”

           “Pffft!” the programmer laughed. “You’ve already been put into your own grave, Riki. Don’t sweat the small stuff and take a frickin’ break. Don’t you ever learn?”

           “…” Riki could not make a comeback because he could not deny his tendency to work.

           Everyone else was having a blast and stayed in Le Renard Noir for the enjoyment and food.

  XXX

             Meanwhile, Kenshi was amazed by what he found out, and he was also stunned by the same knowledge about what took place while he had been sleeping. There was also a group of six magicians with him, Claire, and the three other Special Humans.

           "Seriously?!" he exclaimed. "Most of the countries and continents have been permanently destroyed and removed from the Human World?! So that means..."

           A female magician with waist-length purpureus hair and sunset orange eyes nodded firmly. "Yes. Your world has lost many people with a single swing of Rina's sword by a member of the 14K."

           A familiar male magician with teal hair and light green eyes said, "In any case, the guy who has Ains is tempting you and the other members of the Black Foxes into taking quick, rash actions. Thanks to Akio-sama's message to Takuji and Minagi's telepathy, they won't be doing anything that'll endanger their lives for the time being."

           "Still, it's going to be a shocking matter for the other innocent lives of the world population to take this all in," Kenshi answered with a conflicted expression. "I never would've thought you two were working against the 14K."

           "Aaron's got some interesting but ordinary-like ways to distract them, while Manjuki helps him and the rest of us take them down," a female magician with long cream-colored hair reaching past her thighs with curls that resembled soft serve ice cream said. She had cadmium red eyes and was similar to Elizabeth in appearance. "But they really shouldn't mess with us, even when they recruit more members."

           "Uh..." the firefighter trailed off. "You're Elise Illyse, the main rapper of Multi-Star Clover." He shifted his gaze towards another female magician who had long, light green hair that went past her waist and had floral lavender eyes. "And you're Minagi Hogo, another member of MSC! It's so cool to have all the members of Multi-Star Clover here in front of me, including Manjuki." He was filled with awe and stupefaction. "A room full of celebrities is too good to be true, but this is reality."

           There was also Futaba Rukawa, a female magician with long, picton blue hair that almost reached the back of her knees, and brink pink eyes. She was one of the co-managers of Multi-Star Clover, along with Aikishi Buntai, who had white hair and dark blue eyes; the latter was in a romantic relationship with Elise. Futaba's boyfriend Aaron Fitzgerald, on the other hand, composed the girl group's songs, while Claire did the music arrangement.

           "We do have our jobs in this world, but they're nothing compared to landing concealed attacks on the members of the 14K," Aikishi added. "Although Claire's not a celebrity anymore, he goes along with us since we all make up a whole team in the entertainment industry."

           "By the way," Claire brought up, "we could assign you to be our bodyguard, if you want to do the job, of course."

           Kenshi's surprise was transparent. "What? A bodyguard? It's not like you need one since you guys all go to work together, right? There's also the fact that I'm a firefighter, and a member of the Black Foxes. I’m just a human compared to your team consisting of both Special Humans and magicians."

           "Haha, I was joking!" the leader of the resistance laughed. Just then, he stared at the spiky-haired brunet with a serious look in his eyes. "But it seems you still haven't caught onto what I meant behind those words."

           "Huh?" Yep, Kenshi was puzzled.

           Manjuki smiled and said, "What Claire was actually saying, Kenshi, was a command to join us as a member of the Hidden Resistance. He’s only kidding about having you as a bodyguard."

           "You want me to join you?" Kenshi questioned. "But why? I mean, I can't just quit my job and abandon my role as a thief. I'm not powerful like you guys, and I'd just slow you down."

           "Even though we're aiding the Black Foxes and the alliance, as well as protecting them?" Manjuki inquired.

           "What?" Kenshi's bewilderment was so like him, it was getting old. "You guys are helping us?"

           Elizabeth smiled once more. "We've been doing so for a long time. Way before you guys joined hands with the Kujo brothers, Nao, and Miyuki. In fact, we've been countering against the 14K at a slow rate for the past six years."

           Kuruha's eyes narrowed. "Kenshi. Are the Black Foxes irreplaceable to you?"

           "Yeah," the spiky-haired brunet responded without having to consider the question.

           "Then you want to keep them away from danger, right?" Kuruha continued.

           Kenshi grinned. "Isn't it obvious? Of course I'd want to protect them with all my might!"

           "Jaa, why don't you just join us already if you're willing to prevent them from going outside of the safety zone?" Kokoro suggested. "If you become our ally, you'll be carrying out our errands and strategies to lower the 14K's power, and once the time's right, we'll bring them down without fail. Therefore, everything will finally be over between them and us. We'll even reunite you and your friends after they follow our trail later on. It won't be too long before you can see them again, but it'll take some time until we can accomplish the things we've set out to do."

           As if a ray of light had shined down upon him from above, Kenshi felt the sensation that he was needed by the Hidden Resistance members. "Will you guys... really give the Black Foxes the chance to defeat the 14K?"

           Claire smiled as though Kenshi's inquiry did not need to be asked in the first place. "What are you saying, young man? Do you want your friends to bring them down by themselves without enough power to do so? We're going to do this together, you know. As a combined force of indestructible unity between us and them."

           Kenshi's eyes widened, his vision becoming full of mist. "So you'll really help us go against the 14K and let us meet again...?"

           "What's with that look in your eyes? Are you going to cry and bring a flood to the place, Kenshi Inagaki?" Claire jested half-heartedly. "This is our hideout. If you're going to sob like a little kid, do it when we're not around."

           Tears of joy formed in Kenshi's eyes and he nodded, whimpering as his tears drizzled down his visage. "Okay." Shortly after he uttered that one word of obedience, he started to bawl and blubber with less noise than one would have anticipated.

           "Then, it's settled," Claire kept smiling, but there was a huge hint of triumphant glory to it. "As of today at 3:27 a.m., I declare you, Kenshi Inagaki to be our eleventh, temporary and final member. We the Hidden Resistance welcome you to our team. Oh, and don't forget to eat stuff from Neon; you'll need to enhance your abilities since that blow to the back of your neck weakened most of the stuff you gained beforehand. You may have been lucky that last bit of power protected your skin from tearing, but there's barely enough magic in your body to keep you alive.” Glancing at the magicians, he continued, “The six of them will help you regain that."

           Aaron laughed a bit. "Heheh! Anyway, congratulations on surviving that blast. Or, maybe not. The power of fate sure saved you from a 14K member!"

           "Aren't you that mailman from before?" Kenshi asked. "You know, from that weird delivery service?"

           The teal-haired magician waved his right hand to the side. "I was just following orders to dress up as one and deliver that letter to Riki. Plus, that delivery service was fake. I mean, postal services don't exist in Neon. All magicians know each other, so there's no need to have someone send mail when we can contact each other."

           "Huh..." Kenshi exhaled with his typical dumbfounded expression and tear-stained visage displaying for the ten other members in the room to see.

           They couldn't help but smile at him warmly. To the sniper, it felt as though the Black Foxes were with him, but the Hidden Resistance members were there instead. They were going to be there for him; after all, they were his comrades from that morning on and Manjuki had known Kenshi for several years. As long as there were people he could trust, it wasn't going to be a bad experience for him.

           These guys and Manjuki... Kenshi thought. A wonderful smile showed itself on his face. They're willing to help a band of thieves like the Black Foxes achieve our goal of bringing that woman and her minions down, but they're doing what they can without showing themselves to anyone. I see. That's what makes them who they are, and Manjuki's also protecting Saionji in her own way. Maybe that's why she hasn't told her anything. I'll have to keep this from everyone else, so... I swear that I'll protect the rest of the team, even if I don't keep in touch with them. For their sakes along with the rest of the alliance's, the HR's, the other magicians', Mom and everyone else's at Kikufuji, and for mine.

           With that vow in mind, Kenshi's noble side began to fuel him as his expedition across the new world was about to advance. He wasn't going to fool around like an immature or adolescent kid anymore. He was going to become a true man of his word and grow up without failure getting in his way. There would definitely be a time when he would show his maturity to his closest companions once they meet again.

[hithisiseli]

I started planning our trip to the Grand Canyon with the following Google search:

“How to die at the Grand Canyon.”

Oh. Dear. Me.

There are so many ways to die at the Grand Canyon!

Seven hundred seventy people have died at the Grand Canyon since 1869!

There’s even an incredible interactive map about ways to die at the Grand Canyon. Like you can wear 3D glasses and look at it. And it’s based on a book! Tourists fall off the rim! People are murdered! And a mule even fell on one unlucky soul!

Should I read the book? No I should not.

Thirty six hours and 17 minutes and 3 seconds later I emerged from the interactive map.

Somehow I still wanted to go to the Grand Canyon.

We’ll just have to put Eli on a leash, I thought.

Word spread among the family about where we were headed.

It was February 2016.

We received a letter in the mail from our nephew, Alex.

Alex lives in Milwaukee and along with most of my niece and nephews and family sprinkled all over the Midwest, we don’t get to visit Alex more than once a year, which I feel like shit about, all year long!

Mark opened this delightful little envelope to a hand-written note explaining a real big  problem.

Alex had been flattened by a bulletin board. He’d slipped himself into a paper envelope and hoped to go with us on our upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon. Ya know, like the story, Flat Stanley, which his class happened to be reading.

  I may not be the greatest auntie, one to remember birthdays and attend ball games —  but this, this I could help do.

Alex you are about to get a mothaf*ckin A+. It. Is. Written.

When I get an idea in my head, such as, but not limited to, “Our family should see the Grand Canyon,” we’re going to go see the damn Grand Canyon.

Can I pause for a sec to say travel is so first world it’s not even funny. It’s sick, really. Even “budget” travel. The  ambitious trips we go on come in around $2K. But that’s a lot for us. That’s a lot for most Americans. Too much, actually.

I would like to rename travel ‘adventure.’ Because you can have an adventure at the park, and then you don’t have to feel bad that you can’t go traveling.

WTF ever how were we going to pay for this? I’m not going to sit here and pretend that piece was easy to figure out.

I’m also going to throw out here that Eli have cystic fibrosis makes me want to do a lot of stuff fast. See the ocean. Check, by 1.5 he’d been there. Now he’s 3. Grand Canyon.

Easy peasy not easy I needed to sell something.

My soul?

Nah, how about some words. Some dark, terrible, awful words.

I slung some extra and it ruined our lives for all of February, the exception being the people I wrote about, who were motivated to tell the story of how rural sheriff’s deputies shot and killed their son in the midst of his mental health crisis and in the middle of the family living room in front of his girlfriend. That was back a whole year and a half ago when Al Jazeera America existed and paid well for me to go do off-the-radar stories in Native America. For digital, a buck a word is pretty damn good, and I would eventually write 3,500 like a good little reporter paid by the word. I arrived in Duncan, Okla. “Al Jazeera…America?” a local mulled it over. He asked if I was in the Muslim Brotherhood. It jazzes suspicion up to say “Hi, I’m a freelance reporter for Al Jazeera America,” in rural Oklahoma, as it turned out.

But once we established I was not in the Muslim Brotherhood, this source I met, literally, at the random, in a neighborhood where all the private wells were contaminated by Halliburton, one of the most powerful entities in the state and fuggetabout this little town, drove me around and told me everything I needed to know.

Yes, I got in the car with a total stranger.

At one point we pulled up to a home that Halliburton bought because it contaminated the groundwater. A security guy rolled up and parked, and this gent I was with flored it in his Jeep. Rapid shifted us on outta there. OK that was probably unnecessary but it was pretty exciting.

“See, see what I mean?” he said.

“Yeah,” I said, thinking the security guard was actually probably just on his phone.

The guy with the Jeep never made the story. But he made the story. And I got out alive in the town that Halliburton owned.

And yes, I got in the car with a stranger who had accused me of being an Islamic extreemist not moments before.

But Goddammit we were going to go to the Grand Canyon. And I needed a local.

I needed a keeper.

Have you watched ‘The Keepers?’ It’s a supersad documentary about awful things that happened to Catholic schoolgirls. The takeaway for my purposes is to tell you when you’re on a story that involves a mystery or a general lack of justice, find the keepers. The keepers will tell you all you need to know.

I wrote.

In came the check and off we went.

We packed a bunch of stuff into the car, including Flat Alex. He played with Laila and Eli for a while before I slipped him into a side pocket of my messenger bag. No problem, buddy. So far Alex proved himself a quiet and agreeable little chap. Laila and Eli –  take note.

We loaded up the family truckster and hopped on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City and headed West. Our overall destination for the first leg of this Grand Canyon-bound sojourn: Santa Fe, New Mexico.

En route, Mark got a grand idea. Thirty years ago, at age 5, he’d been on a road trip with his parents and three sisters. Outside of Amarillo, Texas, at a Route 66 roadside attraction, the family stopped at so-called Cadillac Ranch, a line of half-buried Caddies in the Texas dirt. We decided to do the same thing.

Roughly 32 mood swings (none from Alex) , four hours and 260 miles later, we arrived in Amarillo. West of town, there they were, in a pasture, beyond a barbed wire fence, those half-buried Cadillacs jutting up from the earth that Mark remembered. Lots of people had the same idea we did, to get out of the car on this bright and sunny day and check out this tourist trap/art installation.

As we approached, Mark noticed things had changed in 30 years.

He did remember, at 5, seeing the cars. He didn’t remember so many people. Fifty or 75 milled around. There wasn’t spray paint back then either. A lot of people bought spray paint from a little girl and her dad out of the back of a pickup at the entrance. Word on the street was she was saving for a trip to Six Flags. She sold Diet Cokes and waters too. I noted I should have brought my daughter’s Girl Scout cookies out here and set up shop.

Man, was it dusty out in that field. The combination of wind, dust and aersosol paint did not make for a pleasant experience.

I immediately freaked out about Eli’s lungs.

We shouldn’t be here, in the dust and the fumes. This was ludicrous.

Who were these yahoos who thought it was an awesome idea to spray aerosol paint in the wind? Further polluting the supposed allure of the Cadillac Ranch? These people next threw empty spray cans on the ground.

And guess what Eli wanted to do – Pick up every half empty paint can he could find and see how it worked, of course! When I 86’d that little initiative, he dissed the spray cans for the colored lids, which made convenient shovels with which to mess around with the sticky, red, dusty dirt.

Ughghghghhg.

It was then I discovered Alex had a social conscience:

We snapped a few photos, including one in which I pretended this place was awesome.

Total lie.

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  I worried not only about Eli’s lungs but that dear Alex would fall victim to a Texas panhandle wind gust.

Every time we took Flat Alex out, we so worried for his safety. There were toddler hands. There was wind.

We exited and piled back into the car, vowing never to return.

Hey, Laila – did you like it the Cadillac Ranch?

“No, I didn’t like it.”

Eli-how about you?

“No.”

Right.

Next stop: Santa Fe.

In attempt at vacation cost control, we booked a campsite in the middle of Santa Fe at Los Suenos RV Park & Campground. We don’t have an RV – we have a tent. The Trip Advisor reviews seemed solid and staff were super friendly on the phone.

As we rolled along I-40 and into New Mexico, our elevation hit more than 7000 feet compared to just 1200 feet in Oklahoma, which was once the bottom of an ocean. Rolling Texas hills opened up into scrubby plains-mesa, where we saw antelope crossing signs, but no antelopes, jack rabbits and wild turkeys. We drove through a small dust storm.

Then a snow storm hit.

Wait, what? Cuz we were camping and I didn’t pack for snow and cold temps.

Like we really didn’t have enough blankets for a snowstorm. What is this the Oregon Trail?

Oh dear God, night was falling.

What were we going to do?

And would we even survive?

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Grand Canyon, chasm of death, the road trip: ‘No, I’m not in the Muslim Brotherhood,’ followed by apocalypse in Texas panhandle I started planning our trip to the Grand Canyon with the following Google search: "How to die at the Grand Canyon."