Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Poor Iku is torn between patting You’s back, giving him a glass of water to help with the coughing, or stare at his still brimming with happiness leader. He looks at the two for a couple more seconds, then he sees Yoru coming to You’s aid, so Iku steels his resolution to join Kai and Rui in staring at Shun in shock.

“Sorry… repeat that again?”

Shun pouts. He crosses his arms as he takes a seat at his usual spot. “I said, from now on everyone has a new mission. Everyone has to participate in finding Haru!”

“Who’s Haru?” Kai asks.

Shun claps his hand happily. “Why my husband of course!”

Iku blinks his eyes a couple times. He’s looking at Shun and Kai back and forth, using everything he has to ignore You choking once more behind him.

“Shun-san you have a husband?!”

“Well, not officially yet. We were about to get married, but I had to end the World.”

“You had to what ?!”

“Eh?” Shun blinks. Slowly, he turns at them one by one. “Right, I haven’t told you guys about it.” When no one answers, he smiles innocently. “Remember when I told you we’ve met in the past?”

Iku cringes at the reminder. No one can forget how they’re tackled in the middle of a market by a stranger who screams ‘I found you!’ at the top of their lungs for the world to hear. When he looks at You, he knows the other is also reminiscing of their first encounter with Shun.

“There’s no way we could forget it.”

Shun nods his head happily. “With how it is right now, there aren’t a lot of things I can tell you. I’m afraid telling you too much information will create more unbalance in an already unbalanced World.” Iku has so many things to say about that statement but wisely keeps his mouth shut. “But what I can tell you is that all six of us have met in our previous World, and we’re not the only ones. There’s another six like us.”

“And among those six people, one of them is Haru-san? Your, uh, husband?” Yoru guesses.

Shun smiles. “Exactly! I was waiting all patiently for Haru to come, but it’s been so long, don’t you think? Right, Ikkun?”

Iku jumps when Shun suddenly addresses him. To be honest he’s still having a hard time processing everything. Even after years of joining Procellarum and working under Shun, there are moments where his Meister is too much for his brain to handle all at once. This definitely tops it all. “I guess?”

“The point is, I want everyone to find Haru. My Haru! Any other mission given will still be a priority, but other than that, finding Haru is a must! Everyone, you better hurry up,” then dramatically, he drapes his arm on his face, “I heard rabbits die when they get lonely.”

You glares and snap. “You’re not a rabbit so quit the act!”

Iku slumps back to his seat. He’s looking at the others. Shun and You are back to their back and forth banter, and Iku notices Yoru ready to jump in case it gets out of hand. Across him, Rui and Kai are having their own conversation.

There’s a lot Iku wants to say, way too much to the point he doesn’t know where to start. Finding a guy based on his Meister’s words alone is a huge mystery to solve, but Procellarum exists for it.

So… he’ll do his best?

Iku finds himself closing Furocera early two weeks later. He bids goodbye to the last customer, before closing the door and locking it. He double checks it, does the same for the windows and turns the lights off before climbing the stairs to the second floor. Rui is back on their Base today, consoling Shun after another failed attempt to find Haru, but it doesn’t mean their living space is devoid of conversation for tonight.

Three pairs of eyes turn at him as soon as enters the living room, the conversation dies down but no one looks disturbed by it.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Not a problem.” Ichiha says. “Must be tiring manning this shop by yourself all the time.”

“Not all the time. Rui helps sometimes.”

From his seat, Rei shakes his head. “Rui’s help is in the form of playing with his Spirit Beast and greeting the customers. I’m pretty sure you do the rest.”

Iku opens his mouth to disagree, but the older one sends him a look and he closes his mouth back. Yeah, he can’t exactly disagree on that one.

“Anyway, what do you have for me today?” Iku takes a seat on the empty couch. They’re forming a loose circle. Rei across from him, Ichiha on his left side while Mattsun sits across her. On the coffee table, there are three cups of tea and a bowl of snacks, but Iku’s attention is on the three manila folders beside each cup.

Ichiha pushes her to Iku first.

“Every information you asked from the last meeting is there. There isn't much from my side, my men received a couple requests to find missing people, all found within three to five days. All but one.”

“All but one?” Mattsun questions.

His sister sighs. “A girl came to us asking to find ‘the love of her life’. I hate to break it to her, but we’ve been looking for three weeks without any hint of finding him.”

Iku hums. Three weeks of looking and not even a hint? He doesn’t mean to brag, but had it been given to any other guild he’ll accept that, but a request given to Procellarum? Either the so called ‘love of her life’ is very good at keeping low or—

“At this point I’m starting to suspect the girl just imagined him.”

Or that.

“Let’s follow the one month rule.” Iku says. “If by the end you can’t find anything, pull all the resources. Or we’ll put another one depending on what you find within the last week.”

Ichiha nods and all eyes turn to Rei.

The older man pushes his file to Iku. It’s thicker than the other two files, but understandable considering where Iku puts the man in.

“The Guild Federation has been receiving reports of newly discovered Ruins. Two days ago, there was another report in, it’s the fifth time in two months and they’re considering asking Growth’s help to look into it.” Rei opens the folder and pulls out a couple pictures. Iku recognizes some of them, but he pulls them a bit closer when he sees most of them are open.”

“Who is the Meister?”

“That’s the thing. All of them are Meister-less. They’re forced open and while we don’t know what’s inside it, they have strong suspicion that it’s been looted.”

Mattsun jumps from his seat. “Looted? But no one can control the Ruin except their Meister.”

“That’s right. What do you want us to do, Iku?”

Iku pulls the pictures closer to him. He looks at each of them, pulling his magnifying glass to see if he can capture anything he misses. There. He finds it. One of the Ruins, almost hidden by the rocks, is a water bottle that looks way too similar to the one Iku sees everyday on the market.

“What’s this?”

“Some people reported they saw a man in the Ruins after it was discovered and before anyone from the Guild Federation arrived.”

“Did they see the culprits?”

“No. It happened at night.”

“What about the water bottle’s owner?”

“Most people claimed he disappeared as soon as he realized people saw him.”

Iku puts the photos back on the table, putting them side by side in comparison. Ichiha, Rei and Mattsun put away their teas and snacks to make more room. “The Guild Federation don’t know how much Procella knows about Ruins, they don’t know how much Shun-san does. Keep an eye on their progress, if there’s another Ruin found, I’ll ask Shun-san about offering help, maybe we can gather our own information that way. Also, keep an eye on that man. There’s a possibility he’s a part of the group who looted the Ruins.” Iku keeps silent on what the implication is, but everyone seems to understand him.

Rei nods his head in answer.

When everyone turns to Mattsun, Iku almost does a double take seeing how big the smile on the man’s face is. “Okay, look, I know someone looting Ruins is bad, and I’m sure the information I got for you is nothing like Rei-san, but this is interesting, here me out. A couple of my men in the countryside have been saying that they’ve been getting a traveler visiting their village.”

“Traveler?”

Mattsun nods in excitement as he pushes his folder to Iku. His, unlike Rei and Ichiha, is thin.

“The guy helps them for a couple of days, keeps looking out to the sky for some reason, and when it’s a week or so, poof, gone as thin air.”

Ichiha raises her eyebrow. “That’s a very subtle information gathering if I must say.”

It is, Iku agrees with her. “Any characteristics to look out for?”

Mattsun takes his folder back and opens it, his eyes scanning through the report before he finds what he’s looking for. “Let me see. Oh! Black hair, grey eyes, band-aid at the bridge of his nose—”

“A hat with goggles, light brown jacket and leather gloves?” Rei asks suddenly.

Mattsun looks up from his report. “Yeah, exactly that.”

Ichiha straightens on her seat. “Hold on. Guy with a satchel and a ring on his necklace?” When Mattsun slowly nods, she continues. “Let me guess, claims his name is Arata?”

There’s a heavy silence as the information sinks in. Three times. Someone has accidentally, or maybe not, successfully avoided Procella’s extensive connection three times. Once or twice is a coincidence, but the third time is a pattern. “Anything else?”

Mattsun flips his paper. “Not much. My men said the guy is a total mystery. But, wait, uhh, there was one time when the kids pushed him to the river, and while he was okay to play with them, at the end he pulled something out of his pocket and said, I quote, ‘Oh no, Haru-san is going to kill me.’ That’s all we got from him.”

Iku freezes at the name. There it is again. Haru. This is the fourth time the name has been thrown around in the two weeks after Shun’s order. Should he take a chance and tell Shun about it? Or keep it a while and see if they have more information? Everything is too vague for Iku to make a move.

“Do you have pictures?” Rei asks.

Mattsun nods and pulls out a picture from his folder. “Someone was taking a picture of their family, so his picture is a bit blurry because they have to crop him out of the bigger picture.”

Mattsun puts the picture on the table and they crowd it immediately.

In the picture are two men. One of them matches with the collective description Ichiha, Rei and Mattsun give. Black hair, hat with goggles, light brown jacket and leather gloves, a satchel and a ring as a necklace. The other one isn’t facing the camera, and only half of his body is in the frame. Iku takes note of the collar-length light sandy-green hair.

There’s something about this picture that bothers him. They don’t know what these two men stand for, and as much as Iku wants Shun to be happy, he wants to make sure whoever Haru is is good for his leader. The request to keep looking and get more information before they tell Shun is already at the tip of his tongue, but he stops it when he notices something on the ring around Arata’s neck.

“Iku?”

He pulls out his magnifying glass again, and focuses on the ring.

It’s not just a ring, it’s a Ring .

Shun’s Haru or not, he has to tell his leader about this.

Iku never pulls an emergency meeting. Usually it’s Kai or You, so when he sends a message to the group asking everyone to meet tomorrow back in Byakko, five of them message him privately asking if he’s okay. He replies he’s okay, and he’ll tell everything when they meet.

The next day, Iku is the last to arrive. Shun never leaves the Base, and while both Kai and Rui are already on the Base, You and Yoru were heading back when Iku sends the message.

He pulls them to their meeting room, ignoring the panic looks the others throw at each other. Once everyone is in position, he pulls out everything he has from Ichiha, Rei, and Mattsun from the other night, and begins telling everything.

He takes note of Shun's expression the entire time, but nothing out of the ordinary.

“And, this is what made me call for an emergency meeting.” Iku pulls out the last picture from the folder and presents it to them. “This is—”

“That’s Haru.”

Iku pauses. He looks back at Shun, but the other has his eyes locked on the picture on Iku’s hand. Shun smiles, a hint of red on his cheeks as he whispers once again, softly, fondly. “Ikkun, that’s Haru.”

“Wait, what? Mattsun said his name is Arata?”

“No, this is Arata,” Shun chuckles as he takes the picture and points at the man with black hair. Then he points at the other man, whose body is only half on the frame with light sandy green hair. “ That is Haru.”

“How do they know each other?” Yoru questions. “Shun-san, they’re not… bad guys, right?”

“No, no, no. They’re not. I assure you, they’re not.” Shun laughs a little. “I see even in another World, you guys found each other like we did.”

“Shun-san?

Feeling everyone’s confusion, Shun finally looks back at them. “Remember how I told you we were part of the Second Fleet?” When everyone nods, Shun continues. “Haru and Arata were both part of the First Fleet. I’m glad they found each other like we did. I’m sure Aoi, Kakeru and Koi are with them too.”

Gently, Shun traces Haru’s picture. His eyes are filled with longing and adoration and ah, Iku thinks, his leader truly loves this man.

Kai leans back. “Okay, that’s more names than I thought. You still want us to find Haru, right? Not the others?”

“But if they’re together, wouldn’t it be easier to find Haru?” There’s a still of silence. You facepalms. “Did none of you actually think of that?”

The reaction is instant. Yoru is shaking You, Kai laughs as Iku high fives with Rui. When they look at Shun, there’s a glimmer in his eyes. Hope, excitement.

“Come on, give us their full names and whatever you can give to us.”

“Okay, right, of course!” He motions with his hand.  “Someone write it down.”

Iku pulls out his notebook and a pen.

“This is Uduki Arata.” Shun says to the picture once more. “Then we have Satsuki Aoi, Shiwasu Kakeru, and Kisaragi Koi.” Iku notes them down dutifully.

Shun sounds bashful as he says the next name. “And of course, Shimotsuki Haru.”

Iku is already writing down ‘Shimotsuki Ha’ on his note before he pauses. He looks up just in time to see You hitting the back of their Meister’s head with a rolled-up paper.

“That’s not his name and you know it!”

Chapter Text

They have a name to work with now.

Five, actually and a part of Rui questions how come no one asked Shun about it. Even so, that alone still isn’t enough to give them a place to start. Procellarum’s source of information mostly lies on their people-to-people connection, unlike SolidS who rely heavily on technology but Shun prefers to keep finding Haru a secret between them. That, adding with the fact that someone has been looting from Ruins, makes it very hard for them to find time to find Haru and his connections.

Right now, Rui is in Greenery Valley. Growth received a report there’s been another Ruin found looted an hour and a half away by car from their Base, and just like what Iku discussed with Ichiha, Rei, and Mattsun, asks Shun to send someone from Procellarum to offer help. Somehow, Rui ends up going.

“Sorry for the wait, Rui. Are you ready?” Kouki asks as he stops beside Rui.

Rui finishes his tea and stands up. “No problem. Who’s coming with us?”

As on cue, Ken and Mamoru walk in, both ready for the trip, with Ryota trailing behind them. “Ken, Mamoru, and a couple of our members. I’m staying behind to man the guild and also to be a backup plan in case anything happens.”

Rui nods in understanding.

They take what they need, a bag filled with water bottles and food as well as weaponry and first aid. They can make the trip to and back from the discovered Ruin in one day, but Kouki says Greenery Valley and its surrounding area is unpredictable and nothing hurts by preparing.

They pile at the back of the jeep. Two members of Growth slide into the driver and passenger seats. A couple children run out and stand beside Ryota as the jeep drives away.

On the way, they exchange information once more. This is the third time the Federation asked Growth for help, and even though it’s Rui’s first time joining, he still has more information about Ruins than them.

“Did you notice anything on the other Ruins?”

“Not much. Most of the stuff has been looted, and we don’t know what we’re looking for in the first place. Most of the doors are easy enough to open, like there’s a motion sensor but those that don’t automatically open will open if you bang it a bit. Ken usually kicks them. If they still don’t open, we pry them open.”

“Any hints on who the Meister’s might be?”

Kouki shakes his head. “No. There’s a couple photo frames scattered all over the Ruin, but even so, they’re eaten by time.”

“Do you have it?” Rui asks.

“We took pictures and sent them to the Guild Federation. They’ll send a team to take whatever valuables are left to see if there’s something we can understand.”

There’s a lot more that Rui wants from them, but as far as he knows, Growth’s knowledge on the mission is merely to find out who looted the Ruins. They don’t know anything about the mysterious man appearing on the looted site, they don’t know anything about Arata. If it were up to Rui, he’ll tell Kouki and the others about it, but Iku persists on not knowing where Haru and the others stand on this matter, no matter how much Shun insists Haru won’t betray them like that.

“What about when Mamoru got tased?” Mamoru flushes red when Ken grins at Rui. “Do you think it’s connected to how the Ruins got opened without a Meister? Maybe there’s a technical problem.”

“Tased?”

“Yeah, I think on the second Ruin we got assigned, Mamoru tried to take a seat on the control panel after we finished scouting the place. He got tased,” Ken grins as he places his fingers behind head, imitating hairs going up, “his hair was all over the place.”

“Ken-kun!” Mamoru yelps.

“We’re here.”

Any continuing conversation stops at Kouki’s declaration. Rui looks ahead, his eyes widening in amazement as they get closer to the Ruin. While labeled as ‘newly discovered’, most of the Ruin is still on the ground. Plants and rocks covering most of it. But Rui knows where to look, and he can see pieces of technology behind it.

The jeep stops a couple walks away from what he assumes is the entrance door. The four of them jump down, leaving the bag of water and food in the car while they bring their swords and small packet of first aid.

“What do you want me to do?” Rui asks Kouki as they near the entrance.

“You’re asking me?”

“This is your mission. I’m here only to help, am I right? I’ll follow what you want me to do.”

Kouki throws a look at Ken and Mamoru, then at the two other Growth members. “I want you guys to stay in the car. We’re going in, and if by two hours there’s no contact, I want you to contact Ryo and tell him what happened. If by four hours still no sign of us, contact the Guild Federation.” The driver gives him a nod. “The Ruin is bigger than I thought, let’s split up and cover as much as we can, and meet up back here in two hours.”

Kouki doesn’t flinch when the door automatically opens for him. Ken follows him, then Mamoru. Rui enters last, noting how the door closes with a hiss when Rui is a couple walking away. The other three have picked their path and begin exploring, leaving Rui with the last one.

Lights turn on as he walks deeper to the hallway. He finds an elevator, and takes his chance by going one floor up. Once he steps out, he sees wires sticking out of the floorboard. Little electric zaps at each other so he carefully steps around it as he walks.

Rui takes note of it, piling it with everything Growth has told him. Doors automatically opening, motion sensor lights, Mamoru getting electrocuted, wires sticking out of the floorboard. He’ll accept Ken’s theory on technical problems, but this is the third Ruin Growth has been assigned.

His eyes sharpen at the thought. Once and twice is a coincidence, but the third time is a pattern.

Rui almost hits the door when it doesn’t open. His lips pursue in annoyance, but before he can kick it open, he hears noises from the other side.

“—not here again. I can’t feel his presence at all.”

Rui furrows his eyebrows as he leans closer to the door. The voice on the other side is still muffled, but he can hear a bit better when he presses his ear to the door.

“Yes, I did search the whole place. There’s nothing to find here.” The person says. Rui doesn’t hear any other voice, so the person must be calling someone. “I’m sorry, Haru-san.”

Haru.

Rui feels ice cold. He doesn’t think. He pulls out his sword and jams it to the gap between the door. It pries open with a soft hiss, but loud enough to catch the person’s attention. For all he knows, it could be Arata and they’re a step closer to finding Haru.

In front of Rui is a man. He jumps as he turns around at Rui, striking pink eyes looking back at him in panic as he shoves his communicator back to his pocket and runs. Not Arata, then.

“Wait!”

Rui sheaths his sword back and chases after him. He thanks the years of dust for not making the floor slippery. They turn left and right, but every time Rui is a step away from the man he runs faster.

“Stop!”

The man runs faster.

“I just want to talk!” Rui says. “Who were you talking to? Haru? Who’s Haru? Tell me!”

“Never!” The man yells back.

The man turns left, right into what looks like an office. There’s a desk and a chair, folders line up on the walls. The man is breathless, and Rui isn’t any better. Pink eyes look at each nook of the room, looking for escape. His eyes linger a bit longer on the window, but it’s closed and both of them don’t know what’s out there. Rui hopes he won’t take any chances.

“What are you doing here?”

The man, as it turns out, is brave enough to take his chances. He picks up the chair and throws it to the window. It shatters open easily. Rui steps closer as the man pulls out his sword.

“Don’t come any closer.”

“I don’t want to fight you.”

Pink eyes sharpen. “Oh, yeah? Why did you chase me, then?”

“Because you were running?”

The man’s cheeks blare in embarrassment. He waves his sword around. “Shut up!”

Slowly, the man walks back to the window. His eyes are still on Rui. “You don’t need to know.” He says. “Just pretend you never see me.”

“Are you working for Haru? Is that why you’re opening all these Ruins and stealing from it?” Rui asks. He’s desperately wishing he’s wrong. “What are you looking for? Treasures?”

Something dangerous crosses the man’s eyes. “Don’t ever think of that.” He hisses. “Haru-san won’t do something like that.”

Rui raises an eyebrow. “So you do know who Haru is.”

The pink returns back to the man’s cheeks. “You hear nothing from me!” He quickly sheaths his sword back and climbs to the windowsill.

“Wait!” Rui’s mind flashes to the last emergency meeting. You forced Shun to describe everyone with connection to Haru as much as he could. Rui remembers something about pink and youngest but he can’t place a name on it. Who is it? Who is it? Aoi, Kakeru, Arata— “Koi!”

The man—Koi—freezes in the windowsill. He looks back at Rui in horror. “How do you know that name— oh fudge !”

Rui reaches out when Koi slips out of the window. When he rushes over, there’s nothing at the bottom of the window.

Rui notices a couple things as soon as he enters Growth’s Base. One, somehow within the couple hours he was gone, Shu is here, and two, a guy with a suitcase full of books is trying to sell something to a pissed-off Ryota.

“Oh, no. Ryo is ready to commit a murder.” Ken whispers and slinks away from them. Like a professional, he gently pulls Ryota away from the man and towards the back door.

“Did something happen?” Kouki asks.

The seller and Shu turn their attention to them, the former slipping out a smile. “Kouki, how are you doing? Did everything go well at the Ruin?”

Kouki nods slowly, but his eyes are still on the seller. The man grins, before stepping closer to Kouki with a couple books in his hands. “Kind sir! Can I have your attention for a bit? You see here,” he motions as the books on his hands, then to the suitcase still laying on the ground opened. “I have tons of books from all kinds of genres! I’m sure you’ll find something you like.”

“He’s very persistent I must say. I came here thirty minutes ago and he’s already promoting it. I don’t know how long he’s been trying to sell them to Ryota.”

“Your dear friend claims he has more than enough, which is nonsense! There is no such thing as more than enough for books!” He shoves the book in front of Kouki. “Sir, come here and take a look, I have romance, thriller, comedy, biography, or how about this,” the man returns to his suitcase, before pulling another book with green hard cover, “The Secret of the World, written by one and only, my village’s pride, Yayoi-sensei herself.”

“Yayoi-sensei?” Rui doesn’t mean for his voice to be so loud. The seller turns at him with a grin.

“Oya? Are you interested in Sensei’s work?”

“No, I feel like I’m familiar with the name.”

“Have you met Sensei?”

“Can’t say I have.” Rui replies. He’s mulling over his options, but decides Growth and Shu vaguely knowing his intentions is better than having to track down the seller later. “A friend of mine is looking for his friend who goes by ‘Yayoi’. Does she have any children?”

“Of course! She has one son and two daughters.”

“By any chance, is his name Haru?”

To Rui’s surprise, the seller’s smile falls. The man’s shoulders slump, he’s looking everywhere but Rui. “Oh no.” He says. “I’m so sorry. Haru-kun left our village ten years ago, and no one has seen him since.”

What?

Dreads fill him. At the corner of his eyes, he can see Shu and Kouki exchanging looks.

“What do you mean?”

Questions pop on his head faster than he processes them. Haru left his hometown ten years ago? But what about that grainy shot of him with Arata in the countryside? Or the call between him and Koi? Is it even possible that the Yayoi Haru Rui is referring to right now is a different man than the one the seller is?

Mamoru looks like he wants to reach out to Rui. For what, he doesn’t have the time to decipher. “Can you please tell me about him?” the seller finally looks up to meet Rui’s eyes, “perhaps we’re talking about a different person, or if we are, maybe I can give some comfort for my friend.”

“Of course, let me see. Haru-kun is… very kind.” The seller smiles. “Very handsome, too. His mother is a historian, and since he was a kid, he and his sisters spend a lot of time in the library with her.” To prove his point, he holds up the book he’s been promoting. “This is another of her works. Anyway, back to Haru-kun, he likes to help people, like, a lot.”

Rui doesn’t stop the man as he drones on and on about Haru. Every description is similar to the one Shun gives to Procella. There’s a slight difference in personality, but the light green hair and the lime green eyes are exactly as Shun describes. Not to mention, close with the picture Iku gives them.

“And also, this is a mere theory, but a lot of people think he ran away to meet his lover.”

Now, that is new information.

“His lover?”

“Yes! Haru-kun kept a picture with him. I don’t think anyone has seen who it is, but he told me a couple of times that he’s searching for the love of his life!” It’s adorable how much the seller looks excited about it, truly. But Rui is starting to feel sick. “Whoever that young lady is, must be lucky to be loved so much by Haru-kun.”

The man keeps talking, but Rui’s mind is circling at the idea of ‘lover’. Dread sinks lower to his stomach. What does this mean? Haru already has someone in this World? Rui thinks of Shun, back in their Base, waiting with Albion for any good news Procella can give him about Haru. Suddenly he’s shaking. He doesn’t want to tell Shun about this, he doesn’t want to see Shun get sad about this. The motivation of finding Haru blares in his chest, just so he can yell at the man for being ignorant.

“I see.” The words taste empty. The seller stops his ramble. “Thank you for the information. I’ll buy this book from you.”

He takes the Secret of the World from the man, and pulls out a couple gold to pay. The seller tries to give him the change, but Rui shakes his head and tries to smile.

At the back of his head, he feels Kouki and Shu staring at him while Mamoru helps the man pack his books. Ken and Ryota finally emerge from the back, the latter looking calmer. They wait until the seller leaves the guild before forming a loose circle.

“So,” Shu starts. “Anything you found on the Ruin?”

“Not much—”

“Actually,” Rui cuts. He’s tracing the name ‘Yayoi’ in his new book. There’s an agreement made between Rui and everyone else in Procella. They don’t know what Arata was doing in the Ruins, and Rui’s small interaction with Koi earlier doesn’t give him enough clues to draw conclusions. But they know that mentioning their names, their full names, to the Guild Federation or to other Meister will label them as the main suspect of the Ruins’ forced activation and looting. There’ll be a manhunt for them to be brought to justice when even Shun doesn’t know who the true culprit is. “I found someone. He ran away as soon as he saw me, but I guess we can start by looking him up.”

Rui has agreed to it. But he doesn’t feel like caring about it right now.

“He goes by Kisaragi Koi.”

If Haru doesn’t love Shun back after all the love for him, he and his companions can live in hell for all Rui cares.

Chapter Text

Kai has been in Furocera for a number of reasons.

Just passing by, looking for a place to crash, missing the presence of his fellow guild mate, surprising Iku for his birthday, you name it.

But he never visits it to console Rui after his fight with Shun.

The bell at the top of the door jingles when he steps inside. Iku looks up from his place behind the counter, and the practiced smile on his face slips away when he notices it’s Kai.

No offense taken. Instead, he’s glad Iku can show Kai how he really feels when he’s around.

“How’s Rui?”

“Not good.” Iku replies. “Yoru-san came yesterday and made pudding. Rui still doesn’t want to eat, but at least he’ll eat pudding.”

Kai isn’t happy with that, so does Iku, and even when Yoru is not in front of him right now, Kai knows the other isn’t happy either.

“How’s Shun-san?” Iku asks.

“I’m going to meet him tonight.”

Iku scrunches his eyebrows. “You’re not staying?”

Kai wishes he can but Shun receives an invitation from the Federation to attend an emergency meeting. They work fast ever since Rui gave up Koi’s name to Growth and Shu, asking for both SolidS and QUELL to use their resources to find the person. As it turns out, there’s a couple of Kisaragi Koi in this world, but there’s only one with the distinct characteristic Rui gave out. One who also happens to leave his hometown 10 years ago and remains missing. Shun was angry when he found out, but no one has been able to find out why Rui did that.

“I’m heading back to Base after this. I have to convince Shun to come to the meeting, even if it means I’m getting dragged too.”

“Where would it be held?”

“In here, at Touda.” He’s torn between being glad he doesn’t have to be too far away from the others in the process, or mentally preparing himself if Shun refuses to be in the same city as Rui. Iku gives him a reassuring smile. “At least if something happens, we can help you right away. I’m sure You won’t mind if I call him back.”

Kai climbs up the stairs when Iku signals him someone is coming. His conversation to the customers drones out, and Kai gives a small greeting when he meets Yoru in the second floor. The other is by the kitchen, probably preparing for his and Iku’s lunch before Kai coming.

“Are you going to talk to Rui?” Kai nods. “Give me a second. I’ll whip him something quick. Please make sure he eats it, Kai-san.”

Something quick , as it turns out, is egg sandwiches with a fruit cup. Yoru slips a pudding and a glass of water on the tray before giving it to Kai, and his eyes stay with him as Kai knocks on Rui’s door and quietly slips inside.

Rui’s room is dark. The lights are off, and the blinds are closed shut. The owner himself is under the cover on his bed.

Kai puts the tray on the table beside Rui’s bed. When he takes a seat on Rui’s bed, Rui turns around under the cover and leans to him. Kai places his hand on what he assumes is Rui’s head.

“You wanna talk about it?”

There’s a pause. Rui curls on himself. “Shun hates me.” He says.

“No, he doesn’t. what makes you think he does?”

“I just know. He hates me.”

“Shun is disappointed, yes,” He pulls the cover gently and Rui lets his cover blow without any resistance. His eyes are puffy and his hair looks oily. “But he never hates you. Never will. Just like you will never hate him, am I right?”

That seems like the reassurance Rui needs the most. He hiccups and slowly nods his head. Tears trail down the corner of his eyes and Kai gently wipes them away. “So,” he says softly, “you want to tell me what happened?”

Kai doesn’t know what to expect, to be honest. He knows how much Rui loves Shun, how much he loves everyone in Procella, just as Kai knows how much Shun treasures all of them. Ever since the fight Kai can’t figure out why Rui broke the agreement they made. But now he understands. Between the slow hiccups and the new book on Rui’s table and the detailed retelling of everything that happened when Rui helped Growth, Kai understands.

He would have done the same.

“Don’t worry about it.” He says after Rui is done. He looks lighter, a bit better. “I’ll take care of it.”

They sit in silence as Kai nudges the egg sandwiches to Rui. He takes one, and starts nibbling it slowly. Yoru finds them a couple minutes later. His face brightens when he sees Rui eating and disappears just long enough to grab lunch for both him and Kai.

Rui still eats slower than both Kai and Yoru, and he doesn’t finish everything on the tray. But it’s fine, Rui will get better, so does Shun when Kai goes to pick him up later.

He’ll make sure of it.

As it turns out, convincing Shun to attend the meeting is just as easy as asking for help from Iku.

Shun agrees on going with Kai back to Touda for the meeting, and instead spends the first two hours of Kai's arrival back in Byakko to ask him if Rui is okay.

Rui is fine. He’s sad about the fight and hadn’t been eating or taking care of himself properly but Kai managed to make him eat before coming back. He doesn’t tell Shun about the book seller, nor about the picture.

“Do you want to go now and talk to Rui or do you want to go tomorrow just before the meeting?”

Shun stops pacing across the room. He slumps down beside Albion, burying his face on the tiger’s fur as he wraps his arms around its neck. “No.” Albion’s fur muffles his voice, and Kai leans to hear better. “Rui needs more time before he sees me. I’ll see him after the meeting tomorrow.”

The next day, they fly from Byakko to Touda at 12. The meeting won’t start until 5, and Kai secretly hopes he can convince Shun to talk to Rui before that but they keep bumping other guilds as soon as they land.

He greets each of them, and Shun keeps being dragged into a conversation one after another. A couple guilds praise Procella for getting a name as a suspect for the Ruin’ looting, and when someone loudly spite the name Kisaragi Koi, two people who look up from two different sides of the rooms.

One is someone Kai has never met before, while the other is someone who Kai notices to have arrived earlier with Raikakou Georg, a member of Donner, then.

Kai takes note of them.

When it’s time for the meeting, Shun as well as the other guild Meisters move to another room. Kai takes the chance to quietly slip out to the balcony. He pulls out his communicator. Yoru reports that Rui has been eating normally, and that Iku closes Furocera for the entire day. Right now, all three of them are waiting for You to arrive.

“Party not to your liking?”

It’s purely out of experience that Kai doesn’t jump in surprise. He closes the message and tucks his communicator back to his pocket. He plays it cool as he slowly turns around.

There’s a man standing in front of him. Platinum blonde hair, blue eyes. His smile is charming, Kai will admit that, and there’s an aura like a combination of Shun and Yoru on him. It doesn’t mean Kai lets his guard down, after all, the man sneaks up on him without Kai realizing it. What Kai realizes though, is that the man is one of the two people he saw who looked up the at the mention of  Kisaragi Koi earlier.

“I don’t think we’ve met. Are you here with your Meister?”

The man laughs softly. “You put a manhunt on one of us, and you don’t know me? Honestly, Kai-san, I’m a bit sad.”

This time, Kai doesn’t bother to pretend he’s not being wary of the others. Another connection to Haru, a member of the past First Fleet Shun has been talking about. The man is definitely not Haru, and not Arata or Koi either, so that leaves between Aoi or Kakeru. He tries to remember any other characteristic Shun has told them before taking a guess.

“You’re quite tall,” the man blinks his eyes, “So between Aoi and Kakeru, I’m assuming you’re Aoi.”

The man blinks a couple times, before he laughs and nods his head. Aoi it is. “Kakeru will kill you if he hears you say that.”

“Well, that means he has to meet me first, isn’t it?”

Aoi straightens up and wipes the corner of his eyes. “Well, that means Haru-san has to approve first.” He counters.

Kai feels like laughing. There’s an irony here. “You know.” He says. Not a question but a statement. He watches Aoi nods his head slowly. Aoi doesn’t say anything, as if dismissing how big that is. Like Shun didn’t cry when Iku first brought that picture of Haru albeit only half of him and wasn’t even looking back at the camera. Like Rui didn’t cry himself to sleep and forgot to take care of himself after fighting with Shun trying to protect the other. Like Shun isn’t fighting inside the meeting right now to stop the manhunt for Kisaragi Koi. “You know we’re looking for you.”

“Procellarum is not the only guild with resources, Kai-san. We have those too.” Aoi replies after a while. He’s looking away. “When Arata reported back that people in the countryside has been asking him a lot more stuff than usual, we became wary. When someone suddenly asked if he’s met Procellarum, Haru-san ordered all of us to stay away from Procellarum.”

“Stay away? What could Haru possibly be afraid of?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then make me.”

Aoi shakes his head. “I’m not here to make you understand. I’m here to see what information the Guild Federation has on Koi, per Haru-san’s request.” With that, he turns around. He’s walking away, back to the door that leads back inside. Before he pushes it, he pauses. “For what it’s worth, Kai-san, hurry up and live up to your title and find us.”

With that, Aoi pushes the door and slips inside.

Kai moves at that instant, his hand reaching out and a scream at the tip of his lips. He catches something at the corner of his eyes. A white card is laying on the floor. He picks up, his eyes widening at the sleek italic letters written on it.

He throws the door open, blue eyes searching for platinum blonde, and when he finds nothing, he weaves through the confused looks thrown at him to get out of the building.

People are walking and milling around, and Kai finds himself clicking his communicator on. There’s a bit of silence before he hears a click, signaling someone else is on.

“Kai-san?”

“I need everyone in Touda to search the city right now. I had contact with Satsuki Aoi!”

He runs through the crowd before the other can reply. On his hand, the white card feels heavier than it should ever be.

We are Six Gravity

Shun finds them in the city center by the fountain two hours later.

They’re catching their breaths as their leader approaches. You sitting on the ground while Iku and Rui sits on the fountain. Kai is standing, and Yoru leaves just a moment ago to get them something to drink.

“You’ve caused quite a commotion, Kai.” Shun says. “Everyone was surprised to see you running out just like that.”

“Sorry. Did something happen after I left?”

“I told them you had something to do, Procella business, and they seemed to take it quite well.” Kai sighs in relief. Shun pouts. “You do have Procella business to take care of, right? Or well I would be very sad to know you left me.”

“I met Aoi.” Kai says. Shun doesn’t react, but Kai notices the way his eyes widen. “More like he found me. But I talked to him a bit.”

Before Kai can say anything else, Rui suddenly stands up. “We should talk.”

“Rui—”

“You need to know why I gave them Koi’s name.” He cuts.

Shun eyes the others. You from his position, Iku who looks at the two of them back and forth. “Not here. Let’s get back to Furocera.” He says at last. “Is your conversation with Aoi also one we should talk about in Furocera?”

Eh, fifty-fifty in Kai’s opinion. “Kinda. But I think at least I can give you this.” He pulls out the white card he picks up earlier, and holds it up for the others to see. You finally rises from his position.

“Six Gravity? What’s that?”

“It’s their guild name.” Shun says. Everyone turns their eyes on him.

“Guild?” Iku mutters. His eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “Irony that there’s only five of them.”

“That is also something we should talk about.” Shun holds out his hand and Kai quietly gives the card. He turns the card, searching for something else, and when he doesn’t find anything, presents it back for everyone to see. “I think I figured out why they’ve been visiting the Ruins. They’re looking for someone, and if the declaration of making them into a proper guild is any indication, I’d say they’re getting closer.”

It's Yoru who dares to ask the million-yen question. “Who are they looking for, Shun-san?”

“Their leader.” Shun replies. Something changes in his eyes and Kai doesn’t know whether he likes it or not. “Mutsuki Hajime.”

Procellarum likes to do things when they feel like it.

Like how Shun only attends the yearly guild meetings when he feels like it, or how You spends most of his time doing work from across the world because he feels like it.

So when they’re eating take out in the living room of their Touda’s base and discussing a matter that clearly doesn't belong as a dinner conversation at 11pm because they feel like it, then so be it.

“You know, remind me to kill Haru the first time I see him.”

“Not if I get to him first.”

Kai feels like admiring how strong Shun’s stomach is. Eating dinner while Rui finally explains what happened when he went to help Growth and You and Iku fighting for the right to kill Haru can’t be the best conversation to have. But his leader keeps on eating. He then turns at Kai. “What about your conversation with Aoi?”

Kai takes a moment to share a look with Rui. After a wary glance around the room, he puts his food down on the table. Most of them are almost done with their food. He’s glad that they’re too hungry to start eating before Shun reminds Rui gently of his reasons. He doesn’t think anyone is in the mood to eat after what Kai will say.

His prediction, as it turns out, is correct.

You is the first to react. He stands up so fast his chair topples to the back. He’s shaking. The others aren’t any better. Iku snaps his chopsticks in half, Yoru is frozen on his seat, and Rui’s eyes darken. No one says anything. Not until Shun.

“I see.”

Once again, Kai finds himself understanding Rui.

This is what Rui has been afraid of since he met that book seller. The idea of the light and adoration on Shun’s eyes to flicker and dim. The way his shoulders hunch together and how his entire face shuts down. “I see.” He whispers, his voice broken and his chopsticks slips out of his fingers. “So they know.”

They know. Six Gravity knows about Procellarum tracking them down, and they make a game out of it.

You grits his teeth and leave the table. He climbs the stairs to the third floor and they hear the door slam close a moment later.

“Let’s tidy up for tonight.” Yoru finally say. “It’s a long day, we should go to sleep and talk in the morning.”

While Yoru starts collecting the dishes, Iku and Rui throw a look at him. Gently, Kai pulls Shun up. “Come on, let’s get you to your room.”

Shun’s room, as well as Kai’s and You’s, is on the third floor. He holds Shun’s hand the entire time they go up, and he guides Shun to sit on the bed when they arrive. “Wash up, or at least change your clothes into something comfortable. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” Shun doesn’t reply, so Kai leaves the room with a sad smile.

Kai goes to his room. He washes up and changes his clothes, slipping under the cover with way too many things on his mind. He tries to relax, closing his eyes and trying to empty his thoughts as much as he can, but no matter how hard and how long he tries, sleep doesn’t come to him.

At the end, Kai gives up. He rises from his bed and slips out of his room. He’s about to go downstairs when he catches something in the corner of his eyes.

On the balcony of the third floor, Shun stands alone watching the sky. He walks to the other.

“Wanna talk?”

Shun doesn’t look back at him when he answers. “They’re loyal to him.”

“Who is loyal to who?”

“Arata,” Shun says when Kai is beside him. “Koi and Aoi, and I assume Kakeru, too. All of them are loyal to him.” He lets out a small laugh, but Kai only detects sadness inside. “It’s truly admirable that he has them, I’m happy for him. But I can’t stop thinking why would he avoid us? Does he not remember anything from the Empire? Is that why? I know Aoi and the others won’t make a move without his approval.”

Slowly, Kai leans to the other. He bumps their shoulders gently, and when Shun looks at him in confusion, Kai grins. “Hey, you have those too, you know. Just like Aoi and the others are loyal to Haru, you have us. Say the word and we’ll do it. Anything. Just like we know you have our backs when we need it.” He enjoys seeing the way Shun’s eyes change, so he leans back and let the grins turn wider. “Exhibit A? You told us on one perfectly good day that we met in the past and told us to search for your husband. Yeah, true, You did yell at you, but earlier he was so angry on your behalf he toppled his chair.”

It hurts when Shun doesn’t say anything. But Kai knows what he’s signing up for ever since he joined Procellarum all those years ago. “You have us, Shun, never forget that.”

“You’ll do anything?” Shun finally asks. “Even if I tell you to jump off a cliff?” Kai detects mischief on the last question.

“In our case, wouldn’t you jump first for us?”

“You’re right.”

“So, what do you want us to do, Leader?” Kai wraps an arm around Shun, pulling him closer.

“Would it be okay if I still want to meet Haru?” Shun asks quietly. “I want to ask him why and see if maybe… if maybe we can have what we had.” He doesn’t miss the way Shun curls into himself a bit. “Do you think the others will be okay?”

“Okay.” Kai replies. The others won’t mind, You might scream a little, but Kai knows he’ll do it anyway. “Your wish is our command.”

Chapter Text

You is walking in a garden. He doesn’t recognize it, but there’s a familiarity in the sound of his boots stepping on the grass or the smell of the flower. The weather is nice, but for some reason, he’s annoyed.

“Just where is that guy…”

He’s grumbling, tongue clicks in annoyance, but to what, he doesn’t understand.

He rounds the corner, and his eyes catch two people sitting in a garden chair together.

You knows one of them, the one in white. A Prince in all his might, a pinkish hue at his cheeks that turns redder as seconds past.

Who he doesn’t know is the other one. A man in black. Military uniform, a hat on his lap. You notices a black thin rope on the man’s head, and it takes him a moment to notice it’s part of the eyepatch the man is wearing.

The unknown man in black has his hand on the Prince’s cheek, and he’s leaning, closer, and closer and closer. The Prince’s cheeks turn red as he leans in, his eyelids flutter close and they’re inches away as—

You feels his own cheeks turn warm, a shout at the tip of his tongue when he feels another presence beside him. Another man in black as he shouts. “Haru!”

“WHAT THE FU—”

“You?!”

“You’re okay?!”

Yoru and Iku slam his door open, their eyebrows furrow in concern but You is too busy wrangling himself away from his blanket to notice. He slips and falls from his bed, but quickly recovers himself and runs past the two.

“Wait, where are you going?”

He climbs down the stairs two at once, nearly slipping once more when he reaches the second floor. Shun is already there, sipping tea with Rui beside him and Kai in the kitchen. Kai grins when the other sees him, but You is too busy pointing his finger at Shun.

“YOU!”

Shun blinks. “Yes, me?”

Like a broken record, he whispers another curse and faintly heard Yoru scolding him.

Shun frowns. “Are you okay, You? I heard a loud noise earlier.”

You stops across Shun, and cross his arms in front of his chest. His mind is spinning. Was it a dream? A vision? A fragment of memory from the so-called past lives Shun has been talking about? If yes, he has no doubts that the Prince he saw was Shun. After all, there’s that mysterious picture of the Prince from 3000 years ago on Procellarum’s archive. And that other man. Fluffy light green hair whose image has been burnt at the back of You’s mind for the many times Shun shoves the picture to him. The cause of heartache from last night.

“Be honest with me,” he says, “did you or did you not, make out with Haru in the garden?”

There's silence, and then Shun’s face turns deep red.

You takes a deep breath and close his eyes. There goes his sanity.

“Technically we didn’t!” Shun whines. “You and Hajime stopped us!”

Kai grabs his shoulder and turns him to face the older. “Wait a minute, You remembers?”

“Nope.”

“Hold up, You, you remember? Tell us something!”

“Nope!”

“You!”

“Not listening!”

He walks past Yoru and Iku staring at him as he climbs up the stairs, one at a time, and ignores everyone shouting at him.

He needs a shower. A long, hot shower. And maybe a mind bleach.

When You comes back, everyone is looking at him.

He doesn’t bother to try and decipher the others, but he knows he feels annoyed by how excited Shun looks.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re still going to try and find that guy? You heard Kai last night, Aoi said they’re avoiding us, not to mention he might have a lover!”

“The keyword is might, You, and even if he does, I still want to meet him!”

“What for? Closure?”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

“Nope.”

“Fine. Later,” Shun pouts. He pats the empty spot on the table, ushering You to come and take a seat. “For now let me tell you about Hajime and Gravi’s possible mission to find Hajime. The faster you know, the faster we can help them.”

“Help them?” There’s skepticism on Yoru’s tone. You doesn’t blame him. “After what Kai-san and Rui said?”

“Yoru, believe me when I say this is bigger than me or Haru.”

“I do believe you.” Yoru mutters. Today’s breakfast and eggs, sausage, and soup, and he makes sure You has taken some of everything. “I just don’t want Shun-san getting hurt.”

“I know, and I appreciate you for that. But please, listen to me first?”

When Shun first told them about being part of the Second Fleet, You already had a feeling that something wasn't right. Procellarum has always been a legendary guild for as long as You can remember, even when he was a kid and haven’t met anyone but Yoru. The idea of them alone makes people awe in admiration. But being second means there’s something above you, Procellarum being Second means there’s a First, one that for some reason stands higher than them. You never talk about it with anyone, he never tries to question it. It’s a can of worms You himself isn’t sure if he wants to open it or not.

And now, it’s open. Every single bit of it.

He listens quietly as Shun talks. About Beginning and the End, about a selfish request of falling in love with the world. He barely tastes his tea as Shun lets out all his secrets at once.

They’re quiet even after Shun finishes his story. His eyes searched for theirs in hope of any reaction.

“I know this is a lot.” Yeah, no shit. “But this is bigger than me, than all of us. We have to help them.”

“Just to get this straight.” You pushes his plate away. There’s a bit of egg on it, but he doesn’t feel like eating anymore. They should really stop talking about this while eating. “You’re the End, and Hajime, the dude I nearly saw in my memory is the Beginning, is that correct?” Shun nods. “So the two of you have to exist together for the World to be balanced, and ours, as of now, isn’t because for some reason, you’re here, while Hajime isn’t.”

“He’s sleeping, You.” Shun corrects him.

You already had a hard time believing the fact they were soldiers in another World, and now Shun is asking him to search for a dude who's been sleeping for 3000 years. His plate is full already with searching for Haru and looking where it got them. “Alright, I’ll bite. Where?”

“That’s the thing. I don’t know.” Shun replies. He’s staring back at his tea, “But my best guess is he’s among the Ruins. Me and Hajime, we’re similar with the Ruins, with the Spirit Beasts. If he’s anywhere, he should be there. The forced activation of Ruins is a huge problem with how the world is right now. If more Ruins are activated before the World is balanced…” he looks away, and follows with a quieter revelation, “I might have to restart the World again.”

You doesn’t like that. But more than that, he hates the idea of helping Six Gravity. “Or, we can just find who keep activating the Ruins and beat them up—”

“Oh, it's you, You. Good work for today.”

“What are you doing?”

“It’s tea time soon, but I’m having a hard time picking which tea set we should use.”

You steps around the other and cringes at the amount of tea set to pick.

“Just pick whichever you want. He’s happy with anything you give him.”

The man in front of him laughs, it’s airy and indifferent. “True, but Rui will be joining us today, so I’m also thinking of Rui.”

You hums. Violet eyes racks through the different sets in front of him, before he finds himself pointing at one. “How about this? Rui gave him this one, didn’t he?”

The man's face lights up. “Of course! Rui gets happy when Shun uses the tea set he gave him, and if Rui’s happy, so is Shun.”

You feels a smirk as he looks at the other. “And when Shun is happy, so are you.”

The man smiles. “Say, You, why don’t you join us this afternoon. You’re done with work, right? The more the merrier, don’t you think?”

He’s actually thinking of heading to town for a bit, but You finds himself nodding at the suggestion. “Sure, what are we having, Haru-san?”

“You?”

You blinks. He’s staring at Iku across from him. When he looks at Shun, there’s a mix of worry and hope in the other’s eyes. “What did you remember?”

Instead of answering, You picks up the dishes. “I still think it's stupid to help them even after what Kai and Rui said,” he says, “but if you want it, then so be it. I’ll help you.”

He brings as many dishes as he can to the kitchen, ignoring the commotion on the dining table as Shun’s face lights up. “Thank you, You.”

When he turns on the faucet, he tries as much as he can to focus on scrubbing the plates, but his mind keeps wandering back to his newly acquired memory.

It’s Haru. There’s no mistake, he just remembers how Haru looks.

Shun loves Haru. That’s a fact. And Haru loved Shun. That’s the reality.

You will deny it with everything he has but he’s curious why that changed.

As per Shun’s plan, Procellarum split into three.

Iku will stay in Touda. Business in Furocera will go as usual and he’ll assign the other members of Procellarum as he sees fit. Shun, Kai and Rui will meet with Okura, the manager of Guild Federation and try to figure out the true culprit behind the looting. Shun has had his suspicions since the meeting the other day, but he spent most of the time defending Koi from the angry Meisters before someone crashed the meeting to say Kai suddenly ran away.

You has no problem with that, really.

His problem is that Shun asks him and Yoru to track down Six Gravity.

“I still don’t get why we have to find them.”

“You agreed to it, You. And you did say you’ll help Shun-san.”

“I said I’ll help Shun helps Six Gravity. I never say anything about finding them.”

They’re flying to Greenery Valley right now. Precisely, they’re flying to the last Ruin that has been activated.

Shun theorizes visiting the Ruins might help You jogs his memory. The goal is to let You remembers something from the Empire and use it to track down Six Gravity in the present. According to Shun, while both the Second and First Fleets were close back then, Shun wasn’t close enough with most of them to track down where they might go. Also according to Shun, You is close enough to a couple of them to do it.

You doesn’t know how to feel about that.

The entire flight takes around half a day, and it’s noon by the time they land.

There’s a tape surrounding the Ruin, but it doesn’t stop them from crouching to the other side. Just like what Rui said, the door opens as soon as they’re close enough.

“Where should we start?”

“Rui mentioned about a lift, should we go to another level? Let’s see if we can find the office he and Koi ran to.”

Finding the office is harder than You anticipates. The lift is easy to find with Rui’s instruction, but the younger was too focused on chasing after Koi to take notice on which halls he turned too.

“You feel anything?” Yoru asks after another room. “Somehow I feel like we’ve passed this one earlier.”

So does You. The whole Ruin doesn’t look big from outside, not if they compare it with Procellarum’s own Byakko, but it feels like a labyrinth inside. They’re walking again in silence. Everything goes just as Rui said. The lights flicker on when they’re moving, they see a couple wires sticking out of the floorboard but nothing dangerous, and yet the more they walk, the more You feels like something is off.

Gently, he reaches to the wall. He almost pulls his hand back when his fingers touch the wall, but You forces himself to set his palm on the wall. There’s something about this Ruin, something familiar at the same time it’s a stranger to him.

“Ryu-san…?” You whispers. Yoru stops beside him. “Who’s Ryu-san?”

“He means the Ruin.”

Yoru jumps back and falls into a defensive position at the voice, but You’s reaction is way slower. “Who are you?”

“You’re him, aren’t you?” You eyes the other. Black hair, a pair of eyes that is a shade away from You’s own. An aura of a true king. “You’re Mutsuki Hajime.”

Across them, Hajime smiles. “Long time no see, You, Yoru.” He tries to step closer, but pauses when Yoru flinches back. The smile disappears and he frowns. “You still haven’t remembered the Empire.” He says.

“I did this morning. Just a bit. Yoru hasn’t.”

“I see.” Hajime “How about I help you a bit?”

“What? Hold up, what are you doing?” He’s stepping back again, pulling Yoru behind him. “Wait!”

It’s too late. Hajime raises his hand and snaps his fingers.

“The name is Haduki You. I don’t care if you’re the prince or whatever, but here we’re fellow soldiers, so don’t expect me to baby you.”

“Arata and Aoi-chan are in the First Fleet, huh? Lucky for them, they don’t have to deal with a spoiled prince.”

“Iku, hear me out, if I have to listen to Shun rambling about Haru-san one more time I’m going to commit homicide. No, wait, Iku stop laughing, this is not funny!”

“I don’t care if this is the 30 th year celebration or what, but I’d rather have a vacation than a ceremony.”

“Ah, I don’t really care either way. But the Intelligence Bureau will always back the Emperor. Protecting this idiot is the ultimate call of duty.”

You gasps loudly when he comes back. He’s breathless and it takes him a moment to realize he’s leaning to the wall beside him. Yoru isn’t any better.

“What was that?” He asks between gasps.

“Your memories. Not all of them, but as much as I can give you.” When Hajime steps closer, You doesn’t flinch back. The other looks like he wants to reach him, but a split decision is made and Hajime keeps the gap between them. “I’m afraid you have to let the rest of your memories come to you naturally.”

“I remember enough.” Yoru says. “Aoi, Arata, everyone else.” His childhood friend is staring at the floor in horror, and his voice breaks when he connects the dots. Between their newly acquired memories and everything Kai and Rui had said, it’s not a pretty line. “We were happy, Shun-san was happy.”

Hajime seems to understand. “Yeah, that too. I can’t touch anything with the way I am now, but if Haru doesn’t give me a good reason for avoiding you guys, I’m sorry but I’ll take the first spot to punch him.”

“What do you mean with the way you are now?”

“Shun has explained enough about us, hasn't he? Not to mention your memories.” Hajime gives them a sad smile. “The me you’re looking right is incomplete. I have yet to wake up in this World, and Haru as well as the others have been looking for the other part of me for years.”

“Like what Shun-san said.” Yoru mutters quietly. “They’ve been looking for you? So not only do they know we’re looking for them, but they also remember the Empire?”

“Exactly.”

“Tell us where you are.” You says. “Oh come on, don’t pull the mystery card and ask us to find you ourselves.”

“Gravi has a strong suspicion on where I am. Find them, and then you can work together to find me.”

“Why?”

“With the way You is right now, you’d rather finish this whole thing all by yourself, even with your memories back.”

“You said it yourself, Hajime-san. You want the first spot to punch Haru-san.” You mentally cringe at adding ‘-san’ behind Haru’s name. But old habits die hard, especially when it’s from 3000 years ago.

“That doesn’t mean the rest deserve the treatment don’t you think?” Hajime says. “My time is up, appearing in front of you right now is a risk itself, I can’t hold it much longer.” When the other holds up his hands, You sees the way he starts turning translucent. He huffs a small laugh, “For what its worth, let me tell you this, head to Rikugo, you’ll find one of them there.”

The art city Rikugo is literally on the other side of the world, and it takes You and Yoru approximately one day to reach there. They contact the others about their meeting with Hajime, as well as the sudden memories dump on them, and You finds himself glad he’s not with Shun at the moment. You doesn’t pity Kai a lot, but right now he pities the older for putting up with a wailing Shun who keeps shaking everyone on sight.

“How’s the discussion with the Federation, Kai-san?” Iku decides to ask Kai when Shun is too busy sobbing at the back. At least that’s what You assumes based on the sound.

“On process. We’re taking a break right now. We don’t know which one to trust, but Shun says he knows a couple Meisters he promises won’t betray us and want us to call them,” there’s a loud wail of ‘Hajime!’ behind Kai, “or at least that’s what he said before You told him what happened. Speaking of, do you remember anything that can be used right now?”

To be honest, You’s mind is still all over the place. But he does recall young soldiers that look way too much like Kouki and Sora.

“Call Kouki and Sora. Maybe they can help.”

Kai salutes. “Alright. Got it.”

The call ends not long after that, and with Kurikara flying on auto, they decide to sleep. It’s late by the time they arrive at Rikugo. You isn’t sure whoever Six Gravity has in this city will be moving at night so they decided to rent a room in an inn to rest.

The next day, they wake up early and start scouting the entire city.

“Who do you think will be here?”

“Could be anyone.” Yoru replies. “There’s not exactly anything big in here that we know one of them is a fan of.”

As they walk, their eyes don't stop jumping from one person to another. Maybe it’ll be faster if they walk to ROCK DOWN and ask for help, but You can’t remember anything about them, and Kai hasn’t replied back to them whether or not Kouki and Sora are as trusted as You’s memory supply.

As they walk through the city center, Yoru suddenly stops in front of a café. Precisely, he stops in front of a poster of a parfait. You raises his eyebrow at the sight, but he still turns to look at the poster.

The poster is good, he can admit that much. The parfait looks tantalizing, with swirls of whip cream and vanilla cake. Red strawberries squish among them like a prized possession. It’s mouthwatering if You is a glutton who jumps into sweets anything he can.

It takes him a while, but the realization dawns at him the same time it dawns at Yoru.

You throws open the café’s door. He ignores the yelps and the awkward greet from the waiter, instead racking his eyes all over the patrons for someone. When he notices a stairway leading up, he’s climbing it with Yoru hot on his heels.

The second floor is emptier than the first floor, but You thinks it’s perfect with the way his eyes catch something golden eating alone at one of the tables.

He’s walking at the table, and for the first time since meeting Hajime the other day, his mind clears.

“Found ya,” he says, and the person looks up. Golden eyes look back at him in surprise. You feels his lips curling into a smirk, but then a second later he realizes his annoyance is louder than the thumping excitement on his chest. So he glares at the other and spat his name like poison. “Kakeru.”

Chapter Text

Yoru is happy.

You might decide to be the party popper, but to be honest, Yoru is quite happy with the way things are.

Not the whole Six Gravity has been avoiding them for an unknown reason, but he’s happy with how quickly they find Kakeru after just a little bit more of a day since Shun’s order to track one of them.

They’re sitting on the table with Kakeru right now. One of the waiters anxiously walks to them and asks if they’d like to order something. Considering how they literally jump out of their bed this morning to head town, Yoru orders breakfast for himself and You.

“Oh! Can I get one more special parfait then?” Kakeru cheerfully asks even when his own isn’t finished yet.

“Have you had your breakfast?”

The younger blinks, then motion to his parfait. “This is my breakfast.”

Of course. Yoru turns to the waiter. “Please cancel the parfait, and make it 3 for the breakfast combo.”

Kakeru opens his mouth to protest, but he closes it after a look of consideration and shrugs his shoulders. Food is food, it seems.

While waiting, they fall into a tense silence. You is leaning back to his chair. He’s still glaring at Kakeru, as if the other’s presence itself offends him. Yoru know why You is still hostile to the other, he understands. Just because they have their memories back from their previous World doesn’t exactly mean they’ll play nice with the Six Gravity.

Kakeru is scraping the leftover whip cream from his glass when he finally say something. “Alright, so I know the two of you have questions—”

“Cut the crap, we remember enough.”

“You do?” Kakeru looks confused, but it disappears just as the younger smile, big and wide, innocent at its finest. “That’s so great! Why didn’t you say it earlier?” He looks excited.

“You remembered a bit on his own, but we both get some extra help.” Yoru says. “Hajime-san helped us remember.”

The sound of metal hitting glass stops. Kakeru turns to Yoru in slow motion. “Hajime-san?” He says quietly. “You met Hajime-san?” Yoru and You keep their mouths shut, Kakeru looks at them in panic as he stands up so fast his chair is thrown to the back “How? Where did you meet him?” Yoru doesn’t answer. Kakeru is near hysterical. “Yoru-san tell me!”

“How about you tell us first why you’ve been avoiding us?” That shuts the other up. For the first time since they met, Kakeru seems to finally understand the heat on You’s eyes.

“It’s not that simple, You. You didn’t even remember anything from the Empire before.”

“But Shun does.” He snaps. “What? You’re telling me that a group of people who have their full memories of our previous lives think the End himself doesn't remember anything?”

Kakeru shakes his head. He frowns. “You wouldn’t understand, it’s complicated.”

“Then make it simple, Kakeru .”

“Excuse me?” Their waiter comes back with a tray of their order. She looks ready to flee, her eyes darting from You and Kakeru back and forth in worry. “Uh, your orders, sirs?”

She quickly unloads her tray on their table, and with a small nod from Kakeru, picks up the empty glass of parfait. She bows her head quickly and flees downstairs.

Their breakfast is simple. It’s soup and bread, with a bowl of fruits for them to share. Good. Yoru doesn’t feel like eating much after everything.

“Sit down,” he tells Kakeru. “Eat. We’ll talk about everything later when we’re not in public.”

Kakeru pulls his chair up and sits down. Not a moment later, they start eating their food. Yoru sneak a glance at the two periodically. You’s anger is still palpable, and the expression on Kakeru’s face can only be categorized as guilty.

The atmosphere is still tense by the time they return to Kurikara.

Kakeru doesn’t bring his own ship to Rikugo, so they have no other choice but to move every conversation they will have on You’s ship. He doesn’t look happy with it, but Yoru is thankful enough You manages to keep his grumble to the minimum.

As soon as the door closes, though, the interrogation begins.

“Talk.” You says. “What were you doing in Rikugo? How long have you remembered the Empire? Why are you avoiding us?”

“You!”

“No, You is right, Yoru-san.” Kakeru cuts. “I do owe you an explanation. I was looking for you, actually. For anyone from Procella.”

“What for?” You snaps.

“We have a clue on where Hajime-san might be sleeping. But we can’t go there without your permission.” Kakeru explains. “Procella’s network is big, we know that, but we’re hoping to meet one of you, and Arata-san did say about a shop Procella has in Rikugo.”

Right, it matches with what Hajime said the other day. Six Gravity has a clue on where Hajime is sleeping, but needs their help to do it. “You’re wrong on where the store is located. It’s in Touda. Iku is manning it.”

“Oh,” Kakeru laughs nervously. “I’m glad you found me, then. As for how long I’ve remembered… uhh, since I was eight? Give or take?” Yoru quickly holds You’s wrist before the other explode. He motions to Kakeru to continue. “I tried to find Gravi first, of course. I met Koi, then Arata-san and Aoi-san. After that was Haru-san. Avoiding Procella was Haru-san’s order.”

“Why?”

Kakeru shakes his head. “I don’t know. None of us know. Haru-san keeps avoiding talking about the Empire, and his focus was entirely on finding Hajime-san.”

“But you remember what he had with Shun?”

“I do.” Kakeru admits. “Not much, but enough.”

Yoru feels his communicator buzz in his pocket. When he looks at it, he sees Kai’s contact name. “Kai-san is calling. Let me transfer it to the monitor.”

Kakeru timidly raises his hand. “About that, Haru-san is calling me, too. Do you mind if we just connect all three calls?” He holds up his own communicator, Haru’s name proudly written on it as it buzzes on his hand.

 You shrugs his shoulders. “Knock yourself out.”

Kakeru takes it as an invitation. They make quick work of asking both Kai and Haru to call to Kurikara. Two windows pop up at the same time on the monitor. One window has Kai and Rui, and the other has four people Yoru only seen in his memories.

“Oh, Shun’s going to kill me.” Kai says as soon as his call connects. Beside him, Rui’s eyes widened. “He’s discussing something with Kouki and Sora, should I call him? He said it was important for the three of them to talk alone but if I don’t call him now he’s going to kill me later.”

On the screen, the source of Kai’s dilemma laughs. His shoulders shake a bit, and when he stops, Yoru notices how green his eyes are. His lips curl into a smile, and more than handsome like Shun describes, Yoru thinks Haru is closer to pretty. “I think the nine of us is enough for now, Kai.” There are three people with him. Koi behind him, with Arata and Aoi on each side.

“Wait, hold on, let me call Iku.” You stops everyone.

“What for, You?”

“For fun, Yoru, what else?”

A new window pops on the screen, a couple ring later, Iku blinks back at everyone. “That’s Six Gravity.” He gapes. “Am I—am I seeing things? Yoru-san you know what I’m seeing, right?”

The one who answers is Koi. He’s waving his hand around, uncaring when he hits Arata in the shoulder. “Yup! And this is Koikku! How’s everyone? Ruiiiiii, how are you? Gotta say, you’re faster than the last time I saw you, should we hold a race after this?”

Rui pouts at being addressed. But before he says anything, Yoru hears the sound of door slam open.

“Kai-san!”

Kai looks up at someone behind the camera. “Soushi? What’s wrong?”

Soushi? From SOARA? What is he doing here?

“Do you know where Sora is, right now? It’s Ren!”

“What happened?”

Soushi seems to walk closer to Kai. His voice is clearer but Yoru still can’t see his face. He’s breathless and in panic. “We got separated in the market and Nozomu told me a couple men took Ren. We tried to follow them but we lost them at the border of the city.”

“What’s SOARA doing in there?” Yoru asks. He doesn’t realize he’s asking it loud enough for everyone to hear until Kai replies to him. “Shun’s request. Do you know anything about the men who grabbed Ren?”

“Yeah, here. Mori picked this up when I chased the men with Nozomu.” Soushi pulls out something from his pocket and gives it to Kai. The older man's face changes as soon as he has it on his hands. His eyes darken. “Of course, it’s them.”

Rui peeks at it behind Kai’s shoulder. “They’re moving faster than we thought.”

“Yeah, Rui, go with Soushi to inform Shun and the others. I’ll tell Haru and the rest what’s going on.”

Rui nods his head, then ushers at Soushi to follow him. Yoru hears a door open and close before Kai finally turns back at them.

“Kai, what happened?” Haru asks.

“Shun had a suspicion on the person behind the Ruins forced activation. He talked to Growth, as well as the two other people the Guild Federation tasked to investigate about it. For information, the Guild Federation has a list of inactive Ruins in the world. High security file kept inside the headquarters, most people can’t even go there.”

“That means the culprit is someone high enough to pass the security.” Arata says.

“A fellow Meister.” Iku concludes.

“Exactly. Every Ruins that has been looted has a huge similarity that we kept looking away from. All of them are overloaded with electricity.” Kai holds up the card Soushi gave him earlier, a guild member identification ID with an emblem Yoru feels like he has seen somewhere. “The only person who is high enough to steal the Guild Federation’s information, as well as having enough power to forcefully open the Ruins is Donner’s Meister, Raikaku Georg.“

Raikaku Georg. Yoru recognizes that name. “Iku, anything on him?”

“Raikaku Georg’s Spirit Beast is a thunder-type Spirit Beast called Donner, just like the Guild name itself. It makes sense if he uses that power to forcibly open and activate the sealed Ruins long enough to steal its technology.” Iku says. “And now he also took Ren.”

“That’s the only thing I don’t get.”

“It’s because of Ryu-san.” Kakeru quickly says. “Ren is the Host of the First Class Spirit Beast, Seiryuu.”

“First Class? A Ruin? I thought only Meister could control the Ruins?” Kai asks.

Koi explains. “SOARA is special in that case. Including Growth, SolidS and QUELL.”

Kai, for his part, seems to be accepting the explanation fast. He focuses back on Haru. “What do you think, Haru? Can you lend us a bit of help over here?”

“Of course. I’ll send Arata and Koi. Kakeru doesn’t have a ship right now, but if You and Yoru are heading back to you, he’ll help you out.” The man doesn’t pause to even think about it. “On the meantime, I also want to ask your help, Shun’s especially.”

Despite the situation, Kai grins. Yoru notices how Six Gravity tenses. “It’s about Hajime, isn’t it?”

“Yes. We don’t have any physical evidence, but we think Hajime is sleeping in the center of the World, and Shun might be able to wake him up to completely restore the World.”

“And where exactly is the center of the World?” Yoru remembers long hallways and broken walls. He remembers pushing a metaphorical door open on the left wing of Tellus. He feels like he should remember something more, but as it turns out, You remembers for everyone else.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” You says out loud for everyone to hear. Haru nods his head and Kakeru grins at them. “Hajime-san is in Byakko, isn’t he?”

Yoru is not a fan of fighting.

He doesn’t like violence in general. It’s tiring and gruesome and can be completely avoided if the two parties involved have enough brain cells to talk like proper adults. But what he hates the most are bullies and if Donner wants all the power in the World to bully the weak, Yoru will not hesitate to raise his sword.

Locating Ren had been enough with his SOARA special Kazatori, it’s the saving him that’s a bit tricky.

As it turns out, Raikaku has been not happy with them bursting through his door and orders for an all-out attack.

Well, at least You seems having fun.

“Come at me, you cowards!”

Their enemies seem to be motivated by it, as each of them let out a shout and charge at him at once.

“Stop challenging them!” Kai grits his teeth as he blocks another attack.

They’ve been fighting for a while now. Procellarum tasks themselves to fight the Donner’ members, Six Gravity chooses to fight the crazy scientist working for Raikaku and Growth fights against said crazy scientist equally crazy Spirit Beast. As it turns out, Sora has no tolerance for people who hurt his guild member, and takes it upon himself to fight Raikaku.   

“Where’s Shun?!” You screams as he dodges another attack. “I swear if he’s lazing off somewhere I’m going to hit him!”

“Weren’t you listening? He’s waking Hajime up right now!” Kai slashes at one of the members. He ducks an attack and hit them in the gut as he stands back up. “Just focus on the ones in front of you!”

Their battle seems endless. Yoru isn’t looking forward for the muscle pain everyone will be feeling tomorrow, and he prays SOARA has no plan the next day. Raikaku is strong, and while so is SOARA with Ryu-san, they’ve been reunited for one day unlike their enemy who has years of experience controlling it.

Raikakou raises his weapon to the air, thunder flickers on his fingers, but then suddenly it disappears.

“Hajime-san!”

“Shun!”

Yoru doesn’t mask the happiness he feels when he sees the two finally appear. They make quick work of sealing Raikakou’s power, and when the man is powerless, its enough for Sora to take over.

There’s a lot of things they need to do, reporting back to the Federation, making sure Raikakou and Donner are locked up, but Yoru takes one look at Shun and decides everything else can wait.

His Meister looks like a child, excitement bubbling inside him. Hajime is here. Six Gravity is here, he’s a step away from finally meeting Haru.

“Just a bit more, Shun-san.” Yoru teases.

When they board on Leon, Shun can barely stay still. Rui takes it upon himself to contact Iku on how everything goes, and Kakeru tells them the coordinates for Six Gravity’s base. Every question Yoru has as to why they’re going up instead of down is answered when they pass through the clouds and see a floating Ruin. Arata tells Kai that he can land anywhere, so Kai chooses the first field he sees.

Shun is already by the door as soon they land. He’s jittery. With a laugh, Kai opens the door. The door opens with a hiss, Shun steps out of Leon, his eyes catches two people standing not far from them, but his locks onto one of them.

Haru.

Haru, in all his glory. Yoru remembers the hard and stoic man, who may seem tough but has a kind soul. He remembers a man who's not afraid to protect what he loves. But right now, more than anything, Haru seems scared.

Shun steps forward, but Haru flinches and takes a step back.

He bumps to Aoi behind him, and without noticing the way Shun falters, turns around to apologize to the blond. He slips away before anyone can say anything.

Yoru is tired. His eyes might be deceiving him, but he sees the way You clenches his fist and the way Kai stops him from moving.

Yoru doesn’t care. He’s too busy pulling Shun into his arms.

Chapter Text

Shun remembers a lot of things from the Empire.

The first time Byakko visits him in the center of the World, the moment he falls in love with the World, the first time he visits Kai, the moment he falls in love with Haru.

Most of all, he remembers a promise whispered into the night.

Eight years after Lost End, when the moon shines brightly in the sky and they’re alone in the garden, Shun cups Haru’s face with his hands and whispers a promise to the other’s hair with every ounce of love one could possibly muster. For Shun to always love Haru, even if the World has to come to an End, even if he has to restart it over and over again, to always find and love Haru. No matter what it takes and how long it takes.

And it’s at this moment, three thousand years after that promise, when Shun is standing alone watching the moon on the Floating Ruin that he finally remembers, that for all those promises, Haru never promises the same thing back.

Shun finds himself connecting the dots.

They let Growth and SOARA handle the arresting of Raikakou, but everyone knows at one point they’ll have to meet the Federation to explain more. The Guilds themselves also deserve a more in depth explanation than the one Shun gave them, and that’s why ever since the fight and the complete resurrection of the World, Procellarum has been staying in the Floating Ruin to discuss their next step with Six Gravity.

Their meetings, though, have been proven to be ineffective considering how hostile his guild members are toward the other.

“Oh, look,” You sneers, “he’s not here. Again .”

He walks into the meeting room with a glare. Rui follows behind and goes straight to his chair beside Shun. He doesn’t acknowledge anyone from Six Gravity, and the jury’s on whether it’s better or worse than You is still out.

This is what makes the meeting so hard to carry out. The Floating Ruin is big, most likely the size of a city, and with how long Haru has been staying here, it’s easy for him to continuously avoid the eleven of them on board. Shun hasn’t been able to talk to him ever since they met after the fight, and if the guilt on Six Gravity’s face is any indication, they too haven’t been able to talk to Haru.

At fault or no, the rest of Procellarum doesn’t seem to care about it.

“Should we continue where we left off yesterday?” Hajime asks from the other side of the table.

“Yes, please.” Shun replies.

Today’s focus is directed towards Okura, the Manager of Guild Federations’ Headquarters. Everyone agrees that the secret about Hajime and Shun’s true purpose in the World should be kept among themselves, and Growth, SOARA, with Solids and QUELL in extension, will be given a watered-down version of it until the time where they can’t dodge anymore rises. Okura has been working for a long time for the Federation. He has a good heart and is willing to protect the Ruins with everything he has, so during the last fight, even when it’s been cleared that Koi isn’t the one looting the Ruins, he still doubts the other. After all, they haven’t explained to him what Koi has been doing there.

“I think we should tell him, even if just a bit. It’s nice to have a friend in the Federation, don’t you think.”

Aoi hums at the suggestion. “That’s surprising coming from you, Arata.”

“I’m just saying, if something like this happens again,” everyone winces at the thought, “I’m sure Hajime-san and Shun-san don’t want to deal with explaining it to the others. So we can leave that to Okura-san.”

Arata has a good point. But even with how noble the reasoning sounds, everyone sees the hidden intention. “You’re just avoiding the possibility of Hajime-san asking you to deal with it.” You deadpans.

Arata gasps. “How dare you accuse me like that, You-kun.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not.”

More ideas are thrown into the table. There’s something about keeping Okura in the dark, but that could lead to Koi being put under watch for the rest of his life, especially when Six Gravity later introduces themselves as the owner of the Floating Ruin. Shun hopes Rui has felt a bit guilty for throwing the younger under the bus, but when Shun looks at him, he looks smug instead.

“Rui.” The conversation stops when Shun calls out the other. “I know you don’t feel guilty about it,” Shun thinks he hears someone saying ‘eh, he doesn’t?’ but chooses to ignore it, “but please help figure this out.”

“What for?” He asks. “I’d say I like the way things are.”

Six Gravity doesn't say anything. Koi’s face falls.

“Rui, don’t drag the others into this.”

“When we first met, you told us you’ll take care of us.” Rui says. “You said, if anything happens to me, to anyone in Procella, you’ll take care of it as if it's your own problem. My problem is Procella’s problem.” Shun remembers that. Every single one of it. “So Shun’s problem is Procella’s problem, it’s my problem. If Shun doesn’t get angry, than that’s fine, I respect that.” Rui crosses his arms in front of his chest. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t get angry for you.”

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s take a break.” Kai places both of his hands on Rui’s shoulders. He pulls the younger one up. “You and I are on a pudding break.”

“Kai, there’s no pudding in here.”

“I know, that’s why we’re going to town and get some. Come on, hurry up.”

Kai drags Rui outside of the room. You doesn’t even look at him as he stands up and follows the two, but Iku spares some time to look at Shun. He ushers him with reassurance.

“Sorry for that.” Shun says when its just him, Yoru, and Six Gravity in the room. “I’ll talk to them about this later.”

“We’re sorry, too, Shun-san.” Aoi offers. “Gravi should have pressed more on why Haru-san did that. There’s a limit to loyalty. We shouldn’t have followed him blindly.”

“No, you were doing what you’re supposed to be doing. It’s not your fault. None of us are at fault here.”

“But we should have thought of you.” Koi’s voice is small as he says that. Shun pretends like it doesn’t physically pain him to hear it. “We want Shun-san to be happy..”

Shun stands up. He rounds the table to get to Koi and when he’s close enough, he cups the younger’s face to make sure they’re staring into each other’s eyes. “I am happy.” He emphasized. “I get to meet Six Gravity again, You and Yoru got their memories back, and I’m sure Kai, Rui and Iku will get theirs soon. Whatever happens between me and Haru won’t stop me from being happy about it. You got it, Koi?”

Koi doesn’t look convinced, but he slips a small smile and nods his head. “Okay, Shun-san.”

It’s not enough. It’s far from enough.

But Shun will take whatever he can get.

Back in the Empire, Shun and Kai are the ones who found Hajime and Haru fighting.

They’re walking through the school’s hallway when they hear Hajime screaming from one of the rooms, and when Kai barges in, he finds the two on the floor. Haru bleeding and unconscious, Hajime desperately pressing into the wound. Shun pulls Hajime away from Haru when they get close, while Kai wastes no time to pick the other up and rushes to the nurse.

The World seems to work in a funny way, because that’s how Shun and Kai find the two one night, eight days after the fight, in the garden in the Floating Ruin.

But this time, Kai is the one pulling Hajime away from Haru, while the other is sitting on the ground, his head down, with a bruise on his cheek and his lips bleeding.

“You coward!” Hajime struggles in Kai’s arms. “Kai, let me go! Let me go! I have to hit him one more! There’s something wrong with his brain, let me fix it up for him!”

Shun barely hears someone asking for first aid in the background.

“You’re kidding me, right?!” Hajime screams. He stops struggling, but his eyes hold pure anger towards Haru. “He’s right there! I’m right here! You got the second chance you’ve been waiting for all these years. What are you waiting for now?!”

“Hajime, calm down!”

“What? Did you lose all your brain cells from overworking? Darn it, Haru, for someone so smart right now you’re being an idiot!”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Kai starts to drag the other way. Hajime is still screaming at Haru.

Aoi appears by his side holding a first aid kid. He starts to approach Haru, but Arata stops him and motions at Shun. Aoi doesn’t look convinced. He’s looking back between the two of them with a frown, but at last, he gives Shun a small smile and gives the first aid kit.

“Here, Shun-san.”

Shun accepts it quietly as Aoi clears everyone out of the garden.

On the ground, Haru still hasn’t said anything. He doesn’t move, doesn’t look up to meet Shun’s eyes, doesn’t even wipe the blood from his lips. But he does move his legs to give Shun space to work. Shun kneels in front of him and opens the kit.

“What makes them think a spoiled prince like you knows how to clean someone up?”

Shun pauses. He forces the butterflies on his stomach to settle down. “You remember?”

“Enough.” Haru says quietly.

Slowly, Shun pulls out his handkerchief. He lifts Haru’s head a bit with one hand, while the other reaches with his handkerchief, but as soon as Haru looks up, Shun freezes.

Maybe a part of him wants to be angry, wants to be sad and cries and wonders why Haru has been avoiding him. But finds himself physically and mentally can’t. Not when there’s nothing in Haru's eyes but love.  

“I was searching for you, you know.” He admits quietly. “Ever since I was a kid.” Shun doesn’t say anything as he wipes the blood away gently. Haru winces, but he doesn’t move away. “My mother is a historian. World history is incomplete, and she takes it as her own mission to complete it as much as she can. One day, I found one of her files. And in those files, I found a picture.” Slowly, Haru reaches into his pocket breast. He pulls out a folded picture. The picture of a lover the bookseller told Rui. Haru opens it and presents it to Shun. “I found you.”

In the picture is Shun. He’s sitting on his throne, the full regal of the Tsukino Empire’ second prince. He remembers the commotion it causes when the people connect the similarities between Procellarum’s Meister and the mysterious prince of the past. For all the commotion it causes, though, everyone misses the fact the picture isn’t complete.

“Kai took that picture.” Shun says. “You were sitting beside me.”

Haru laughs. He winces soon, but it doesn’t stop the smile on his face. “Yeah. Too bad time ate that.”

Shun pulls his handkerchief away when he wipes all the blood off. “Why did you do it, then?” he asks. “Why did you avoid me?”

Why didn’t you find me?

“Even now, I don’t remember everything from the Empire. For a couple years I was so focused on finding you, and then one day I met Arata and the others, and we realized while each of us remembered about the Empire, we remembered different things.” Haru pours some rubbing alcohol on a small piece of bandage and gives it to Shun. He winces when it touches his lips and Shun tries to be more gentle. “So we trade stories, we tried to finish the puzzle on what happened back then, and then Kakeru told me how the World ended. Do you remember how it ended?”

Of course Shun does. He was the one who made the decision. The one who ends the World, the one who has to walk away—

Oh.

“I mean what I said,” Haru, tidying up the papers on Shun’s desk when Yoru, Rui and Iku left for last minute preparation for the ceremony and Aoi left to help Kai. Haru, who hasn’t put on his eyepatch back. “When the day you decide enough is enough and end the World, let me stay by your side.”

“Of course, Haru.”

Oh.

“I’m sorry.” Shun blurts out. The gauze slips between his fingers. It falls on Haru’s lap. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Haru, I’m sorry—”

He doesn’t know what happens between one second to another, but Shun is suddenly on Haru’s lap. He’s burying his face at the crook of Haru’s neck, Haru holding him so close he can feel the other’s heart thumping on his chest. It hurts. His heart hurts. But he can’t imagine how much Haru has been hurting all this time.

“I’m sorry, Haru.”

Of course. Of course. How could Shun forget about it?

“It’s not your fault. Hajime was right, I was just being a coward.” Haru rubs circles on Shun’s back to calm him down, but Shun’s hiccups rock the two of them. Hot tears trail down Shun’s cheeks. He should pull away before he ruins Haru’s clothes any further, and they still haven’t finished with Haru’s wound. “It’s not your fault. Please, Shun, don’t cry.”

But it is. He should have remembered, he should have known.

Everyone keeps saying it’s Haru’s fault, they keep saying as if Haru shouldn’t be selfish to avoid Shun. But it’s Shun who was selfish in the first place. It’s Shun who broke their promise first.

It’s Shun who left Haru to end the World by himself.

“I hurt you.” Shun admits. “I hurt you and I didn’t notice.”

Because the thought of Shun walking away and leaving Haru is so painful he has to make sure the World is balanced before seeking him. All this time, Haru’s work hard to find Hajime, Haru’s order for Six Gravity to avoid Procellarum all cost just to make sure Shun never leaves him again when he finally has the other on his arms.

“But you’re here now.” Haru hugs him tighter. His shoulder shakes. “You’re here, and Hajime is here, and the World is fine, everyone is okay, and—” Haru chokes on his tears. Shun feels his heart shatter when Haru begs, “and don’t leave me, Shun.”

“I was so scared—”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Haru, I’m so sorry.”

“I had to make sure you’ll stay with me, I had to make sure you won’t leave ever again.”

“I know, Haru, I’m so—”

“When I saw you that day, walking out of Leon, I was so happy. Truly, Shun, I was so happy.” On his arms, Haru shudders. “But I kept thinking that you’d leave me again I flinched and when I looked at you and you looked so hurt I had to get away.”

He feels Haru’s hand on his hair, playing with the white strands, running his fingers through them.

“Shun, I love you.” He stills. Shun feels his heart bursting. He doesn’t care about the untreated wound, he doesn’t care about the ruined clothes, or the hug that is physically too tight. He wraps his arms around Haru and holds him tighter. “Please stay by my side.”

“I love you too, Haru.” Shun whispers between his tears. It’s another promise, another heavy burden Shun will happily walk around the world with.

One that he intends to keep.

“I still think you’re an idiot.”

Haru doesn’t do anything but laugh at Hajime’s declaration. The man himself knows it better than anyone.

Shun pouts and hug Haru’s arm. “Hajimeeee stop bullying my husband!”

“He’s not your husband, yet. You guys never married.”

“Oh!” Shun looks up at Haru. “Should we get married now, then?”

“Sure, where do you want to go for our honeymoon?”

“Don’t give him weird ideas, Haru.”

“I mean,” Haru huffs at his Meister, “maybe after we figure out what to do with Six Gravity. Then, anything you want.”

Shun wants to get married right now, but he’ll take what he can get.

Haru looks at Procellarum. Looking at them one by one before settling on Rui’s eyes. “That being said, I need to apologize to you guys. I know you started tracking us down for Shun, but it couldn’t feel nice to be ignored by the people you call friends, right?” He directs the last words to You and Yoru, but everyone gets the message either way.

Rui surprises everyone by walking closer. He pulls Shun away from Haru and hugs him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Shun doesn’t waste a second to hug back. Rui’s presence is warm on his hands. A different warmth and comfort than the hugs Haru gives, but Shun accepts it all the way. “I am.” He says. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

“If you make Shun sad I’ll tell Albion to eat you.” Rui threatens

“If I make Shun sad I’ll tell Albion to eat me.” Haru happily agreed.

Rui seems to be happy with that. He lets Shun go and make his way to Koi. He apologizes for the cold treatment he’s been giving the other for the last couple days, and Koi easily forgives him in exchange for a race.

 “Oh, I need to thank you guys too.” Haru says, this time to Six Gravity.

Hajime deadpans. “I just punched you, no big deal.”

“Yeah, thanks for that, Hajime. But Arata and the others too.”

Arata tilts his head. “I didn’t do anything, Shun-san. Just following your order.”

“Stop the act, Arata.” Haru laughs. “I know you know how the Second Fleet works. It’s very similar with how Procella works right now.” At the corner of his eyes, Shun notices Kai looking at Yoru in confirmation. The younger shrugs his shoulders. “You could have avoided them completely if you wanted, and Koi wasn’t even supposed to contact me while inside Ryu-san. You were supposed to get in and out, find somewhere empty before contacting us. You purposely bought some time hoping someone would catch you.” Which Rui did happily.

You suddenly grins. “Wait a minute. So you’re telling Gravi could have completely avoided any contact with us?” Haru nods in confirmation. You is cackling by the time he looks at Aoi. The other blushes red. “So that means Aoi-chan, out of these four, was the one who broke Haru-san’s order the most!”

Aoi buries his face in his hands as everyone laughs.

It’s worth it, Shun thinks. All those lonely years before he meets Procellarum, every fall and turbulence of emotions since the day he decides to find Haru. Everything is worth it when this is how it ends.

“So, dear leaders, what’s our next step?” Kai is grinning as he looks at Shun and Hajime back and forth.

Hajime smiles. “There’s still a couple things we need to talk about, but we’ve been hiding for too long, don’t you think it’s time to tell the world?”

There’s a lot of loose ends they need to tie up. But Haru slips his hand on Shun’s, and he’s smiling and Shun feels like everything will be okay. He feels happier than he ever was.

“Yeah, let’s tell the world.”