Chapter Text
You’re running. She is too. Giggles float into the air like the fluff of a dandelion just wished upon. The grass is soft beneath your bare feet, the sun kisses your skin with her warmth, a breeze brushing through your hair as you keep chase. Your footprints overlap much smaller ones made just seconds before, larger ones overlapping your own just seconds after.
A smile is spread over three faces as the game of chase intensifies, a figure jumping clear over your own and landing feet in front of the instigator of said chase. The smallest figure, shielded by the bright sunlight from your vision, begins to laugh loudly as her father grabs her and takes off in a full sprint. You follow suit.
Everything is crimsom. There is a thick coating of the ugly color in the grass, on the bark of trees, on your hands. She lays in your arms, eyes having grown dark, her tiny body is so cold. Was she always this tiny? This fragile? Blood has foamed up and out of her mouth, dripping over her bruised face. Her chest is concave, pulling into itself. Golden magic is fluttering over her entire body. You feel how her ribs are cracked into pieces, how her jaw is completely dislocated, how her windpipe is crushed. The latter is completely unnecessary, as her little lungs could have never hopes to expand against the brutality which has taken place against her thoracic cavity. Medically, nothing could have helped her.
Majik. Majik could have. Majik could have saved your little girl, but he took it. Looking up, you see him syphoning it from you, feel him doing it. You scream for him to stop, even for just a moment, to let you save her. You sob and screech and plead and threaten. He just stares.
You sit up quickly with a gasp. You’re covered in sweat, tears streaming down your face. Amicus is startled by your sudden movement, but your terror quickly sends her on high alert. She scans the room with all five heads, each hissing and baring their own fangs in the face of an unseen danger. You pet over her body to calm her as you grip your shirt right over your heart. You’re shaking, completely thrown by your dream. It’s one you haven’t experienced in over two centuries.
As Amicus lowers her guard, you slowly, shakily, stand. Stumbling your way to your kitchen area, you turn your faucet on and shove your head under it, mouth open. The cool water on your face and in your stomach helps. Shutting off the sink, you follow its name and sink to the floor. You try to take deep breaths as you glance at the tiny clock on the stove reading 5:37 am. After a few moments you collect yourself from the floor and slowly make your way to the bathroom.
Looking in the mirror, you see tear streaks covering your face. Letting out a breath, you begin to wash your face. It was a nightmare, you’ve had it before, you can’t let it control you again. Another century of lying on the ground and refusing to move won’t change something that happened a millennium ago. That doesnt mean you wont take your sweet fucking time getting yourself together for the day, though. Forty-five minutes pass before you finally exit your bathroom, fully dressed for the day with fresh makeup covering your neck under the thick turtleneck style of your uniform.
Amicus stands tall in the hallway outside the bathroom door, acting as your not so mini guard. Walking past her to grab your bag, she slithers her way to the front door with you. Forgoing your coffee, you stick your key into the door and roughly yank it this way and that til you hear the resounding click to indicate that the door is ready. Taking a deep breath, you open the door into your classroom, students already seated and waiting ever so patiently.
If patiently can be described as Ryuji, or Bon as everyone seems to call him, and Rin having an all-out brawl in the middle of the room while everyone else shouts their opinions on it at them. Jaw dropped, you cannot help but just watch for a moment, amazed at the audacity of a group of absolutely idiotic teenagers gains when their teacher is a whole 30 seconds late. Amicus, of course, must be the adult in the situation for the moment. She has always been such a good girl.
Growing to her full size, Amicus wraps one neck each around both teens and lifts them several feet above the ground and, most importantly, away from each other. Yet again, you hear that girly as ever shriek, realizing this time it came from Shima.
Gaining your voice back in the wake of your shock, you shout at the two boys to shut it as they continue to scream at each other while trying to twist out of their binds to reach each other. Seeing that your shouting can't get through to them, and the giant hydra isn’t deterring them, you simply walk to your desk and place down your things. As the boys continue their, now only verbal, beatdown, you begin to write on the board.
In all honesty, you had no idea what you were going to teach today, you never finished your lesson plan from yesterday, and had no intention of finishing it this morning after the night you had. Winging it had always been more of your strong suit to begin with, so why not now?
As you finished writing points on the board, the class continued to become quieter and quieter. Finally turning around, you see all the other students now in their seats, aside from Shima, who now sits three full rows farther back than he had previously. Raising an eyebrow, you look at Rin and Bon. Both are still suspended in the air, weakly reaching for the other. If their lethargic movements didn’t tell you they had exhausted themselves, their sweat-soaked hair and clothes sure did. Raising your hand to Amicus as you nod lets her know to release them, and they tumble to the floor.
“Seats, now. Or neither of you will be on the training trip this weekend. Good luck trying to make that bullshit up later.”
Slowly standing, both boys half crawl to their seats, faces red in anger or embarrassment. Who knows, and who cares? As they sit, you follow suit at your own desk, looking to the class with the expectation of an explanation as you tap your palm to your leg. Amicus shrinks down yet again and takes her place under your desk with her reward, another beef stick from your pocket. The students, however, do not seem to sense their cue.
“So…are we just going to ignore that or…?” you question.
As the students look to each other, then you, no one makes the move to speak up. Rolling your eyes, you start your lecture, telling the students there will be a quiz tomorrow on its topic. As you speak, you notice a few more mannerisms amongst the students. Nothing too interesting, just that Rin tends to fall asleep in class when the topic bores him, Shima seems to keep trying to get Izumos attention, Izumo glares at him every time, Bon and the bald kid whos name you still arent sure of seem to take it all very seriously, and Shemi seems a bit confused but dedicated. The puppet kid still creeps you the fuck out, just whispering to his rabbit the whole time.
By the time you finish, there are another 15 minutes of class left. Figuring they would enjoy it, you tell the entire class that they are free to leave and enjoy their break before the next one starts. Gathering your things, you begin to pack up your bag to leave.
“The oldest sister married Amaimon, right?”
You freeze. Slowly turning your head to the class again, you see Rin staring at you. You guess his nap must have done him wonder since he suddenly seems so much more alert. You look at your bag, then back to Rin, before sighing as you set it back on the ground and hop up to sit on your desk.
“Yep, he married her. Why?”
“What exactly do you know about her, then? She ran off the assiah, right? Was that recent?”
The rest of the class looks a little uncomfortable, Shemi the most, having shrunk in herself.
“Well…no, it probably would have been hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. The old legends don’t specify much, but…I think most agree she ran, and he didn’t follow. Again, why?”
Rin seems almost disappointed in this answer, looking off to the side and refusing to answer. You won't pry, you don’t want to get yourself too involved in any of this. You only took the job out of sheer boredom. You can only wander the world for you long before there's nothing new to see. The feeling in your gut keeps you from outright leaving, though. Looking over the class, you ask if there are any other questions about today's or yesterday's lesson. You get one or two minor questions about today's lecture, which mainly consisted of the use of minor demons by paganistic society before the formation of the Vatican. Then, Bon raises his hand. You nod at him to start speaking.
“That lady, the one always with…uh…Mr. Faust, is she a…y’know?” Bon stammers. You know exactly who and what Mephisto is, but you suppose that since the class was told you weren’t directly aligned to the vatican, it would make sense Bon would beat around the bush.
“Yes, she is.” You state bluntly. Unlike Bon, your words don’t waver for a second.
Many in the class grow pale, but before more questions can arise the bell rings. You motion for everyone to file out and decide maybe here is a good place to get some paperwork done after all. As long as you actually stay awake this time. Pulling out some documents from your bag as students file out, you see a blob of blonde out of the corner of your eye. You glace up and immediately shriek as you suddenly notice shimi is about 2 inches from the side of your head.
“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” she quickly stutters out.
You try to wipe the obvious grimice off your face and give a weak chuckle.
“It’s all right, how can I help you Shimi?”
As you ask, Shemi’s familiar, a baby greenman, hops off her shoulder as your familiar rises from the floor to meet it. The two interact almost like children meeting at the swingset for the first time. They eye each other for a moment, then seemingly nod to one another before Nee, as shemi has now just told you during their interaction, hops onto one of Amicus’s five heads and suddenly shoots off deeper into the room. Nee lets out tiny sounds of delight as they speed off, Amicus hissing playfully in response. It is not completely uncommon for familiars to be playful with one another, however, one with such a high ranking typically would not entertain another so much lower and younger. Considering how you met Amicus to begin with, though, it isn’t too odd of a sight for you.
You realize Shimi has been speaking the whole time you were watching the two play, and quickly tune back into her voice.
“-so that’s why I- um…why we both think it would be good if you could maybe, if you dont mind of course! If you could…PleaseTrainMeToBeATamerLikeYou!” Shemi has her eyes squeezed shut as she practically word vomits the rest of her sentence at you, face bright red.
She reminds you of someone you used to know when she does that. A younger girl from 2000 years ago who you loved dearly, one who asked you the exact same thing. While at the time you were only seventeen, your younger sister was eight. Much younger than Shemi is now, yes, but the innocence in asking is where the connection lies.
A young Blonde girl runs up to you, her head barely clearing your first set of ribs. Her Blue eyes are shining with joy that extends out into her entire being. She jumps and wraps her arms around your middle, curls nestled against your neck as you pick her up and spin. She giggles, telling you to stop, that she has something important to tell you. You can’t remember what it was exactly, maybe she had summoned a fae for the first time? Lured one into a circle? It doesn’t matter now. What matters is what she asks you a few moments later.
You both sit on the ground now, curled under the willow tree that sits just beside your beloved pond. She is red in the face, embarrassed but prideful in her ask. Determined to get her favorite big sister to share her knowledge no matter how young she may be, or if her Majik would even allow her to partake in the ritual. Celina was always stubborn. As she squeezed her eyes shut tight, face scrunching with the effort, she nearly shouted her request.
“PleaseTeachMeYourSummoningMajik!”
“Ms.(l/n)?”
You blink quickly a few times before realizing you have just been silently staring at Shemi for the past few moments. She looks to be on the verge of tears. The poor thing, you can’t imagine her taking it well if you said no at this point.
“Y’know, how about after this training weekend, we start to meet after your classes? I do have some other respondibilitys I need to take care of, but a couple days a week we can work one on one, Okay? Just remember, im not a vatican certifi-”
“Oh Thank you! Thank you!” Shemi exclaims, pure joy in her tone. She quickly hugs you tight, and you stiffen. Aside from Amicus, you haven’t exactly been the huggy type. You awkwardly wrap your arms around her, patting the top of her head twice as it rests on your collar bone. Shemi pulls away as a ball of energy, grabbing Nee who has made its way back to the desk at some point and running out the room, shouting gratuities along the way.
You watch her go with a raised eyebrow as Amicus makes her way to your feet, nudging one with her closest head and staring up at you.
“What have i gotten myself into this time Ami?” chuckling as you grab your things, deciding paperwork can wait, you walk to the class door and close it, pulling out your key and inserting it into the rusted key hole.
As you walk back into the small apartment you have been calling home, you begin to gather your things. You have a training weekend to pack for, and something in your gut is screaming to prepare. Who knows what you all might run into in the middle of the woods.