Tokyo Babylon: Sound part 8: Knocking / Greeting The nurse gasped as both Subaru and Su-chan opened their eyes at the same time. "But... how...?" the poor woman gasped, unable to comprehend. Midori permitted herself just a small sigh of relief as she released the nurse's arm and walked over to her loved ones. She knelt down beside the bed, across from Subaru, and simply held her son as he looked at her. She didn't need Subaru's power to know that their child was desperately afraid. She looked up and tried to see what lay inside the emerald eyes that faced her. "Seishirou-san," Subaru said quietly, startling her. She forced herself to relax again, stroking their son's hair to calm him. "I hadn't thought that you would come to that conclusion," she murmured, surprised. "I didn't," he answered. "I met someone in the Dreamscape who told me." His voice was soft and hid his own feelings on the matter. "It appears to be our only choice." "Mmm," Midori replied, affirming the fact with a small nod. She looked down at their child. "Su-chan, do you feel up to a slight trip?" "... Hai," he whispered, and her heart wrenched at the tone. Sometimes it became very easy for her to forget that he was only seven, but right now she was reminded that her son was just a child. A very scared child. "Then let's go," she said with forced lightness. "W-wait, you can't!" the nurse protested. "He can't leave; it's the middle of the school day!" Midori turned to look at the nurse, willing with her heart that the woman was as weak of spirit as she seemed. "... You have little say in the matter," she intoned softly. "Simply give me the paperwork that needs to be signed, and release my son. He needs to go home and rest for the rest of the day. In fact, he may not be in tomorrow. He's ill." "Y-yes," the nurse stuttered, flipping through her clipboard. "O-of course, Toyuuki-san. Please sign here...." Midori stood and applied her stamp in the box the nurse indicated as Subaru gathered Su-chan into his arms. Midori smiled sweetly and released the poor woman from the glamor spell, but not until after mentally commanding her to forget the onmyoujutsu she had seen. There was no sense in shaking the nurse's nerves any more than necessary. "Thank you very much," she said, the irony in her words evident only to herself and Subaru as they bowed politely. "I can never thank you enough for taking care of my son...." * * * Subaru sat beside his son in the back seat of the car, gently holding him. Midori was driving sanely for once, probably to avoid attracting any undue attention. "You know where we're going?" he asked. "The Sakurazuka Animal Clinic," Midori replied. "I know where it is the same way I knew your phone number." "You and your information," Subaru said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't knock it if it's useful," Midori retorted. Subaru looked down at his son, who was now leaning limply against him, eyes shut, breathing soft. "He's asleep," he reported. "Good," said Midori. "He needs the rest." She paused, then asked, "You said you met someone. Who?" "Kakyou," Subaru answered. "One of the Dragons of Earth." "So more than just you and Seishirou-niisama survived?" "Yes," Subaru replied. "I haven't seen any of the others since then until today, though. Four of the Dragons of Heaven survived, and three of the Dragons of Earth." "... Until now, I had stayed away from finding that information out," Midori murmured. "Will you tell me what happened?" "Tragedy after tragedy after tragedy," Subaru answered, reliving the events eight years past in his mind's eye. "Seven violent deaths. Do you remember meeting Arisugawa Sorata?" "The Osaka-jin?" Midori nodded. "How did he...?" "He died in defense of his chosen love," Subaru uttered, closing his eyes. "I was there... he died in her arms. That made her fall in love with him finally... poor girl." He whispered that last. "I'm sorry," Midori murmured. "I liked him. You did, too." "I... suppose I could track the others down," Subaru admitted slowly. "I know how I could find them, if I wanted to...." "Kind of like a high school reunion." Midori fell silent after that, and Subaru found his thoughts turning again to the final fight... after six had already died, the two 'Kamuis' had fought one another, and the three Seals and three Minions who remained had watched. It was the last he had seen of any of them until today. Winged forms... the taller, darker, having a set of wings pure and feathered, trying to destroy humanity, and the smaller having a pair of dark wings, soft as skin, fighting to save the human race from destruction. Only one had survived.... Subaru shivered, remembering his last glimpse of Kamui. He should get in contact; he knew where Kamui was. If for no reason other than to see if he was at peace.... * * * Midori parked the car a half-block away from their destination and turned off the engine. "We're here," she reported. "You ready?" "... I have to be, don't I?" Subaru asked quietly. "Subaru... wake up." "Mmm?" the boy asked sleepily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Where are we?" "The Sakurazuka Animal Clinic," Midori answered. * * * Seishirou paused as he heard a voice out in the waiting room ask to see him. That voice was familiar.... "I'm sorry, Sakurazuka-sensei is with a patient right now..." Michiko, his assistant explained. "If you can have a seat and wait a few minutes, I'm sure he'll be right with you...." "It's okay," he called out from where he was, his voice pitched to reach Michiko's ears and no further. "Send them back. I'm just finishing up." He finished wiping his hands dry on a towel as he heard the door open behind him. He knew who it was without turning around. Her familiar ki filled the room. And the other with her.... "Midori," he said, turning around, a small smile crossing his face. "It's been a while. And Subaru-kun, as well?" "Oniisan," Midori said quietly, acknowledging him. "Seishirou-san," Subaru said, whatever feelings he might have completely masked. "So, what brings you here?" Seishirou inquired. "Somehow I had not expected to see the both of you together again." "A request of aid," Midori answered, her silver eyes as unreadable as Subaru-kun's emerald ones. "For yourselves?" Seishirou asked. "I'm not surprised." "I haven't given you your surprise yet," Midori replied. "We're not asking for ourselves... but rather for our son." From where he had been hiding, unseen, behind the two adults, a young black-haired boy, nearly an exact copy of Subaru, stepped forward. Seishirou felt a shock of surprise run though him. "A nephew..." he murmured. ***** Linguistics: "Osaka-jin" is a person from Osaka. And though Sei-chan said towards the end of Tokyo Babylon that he was going to give up being a veterinarian, he may very well have been lying; it certainly seemed a most convenient profession for him.