Chapter Text
Walking on the cold snowy stone path, Rigel holds Beatrice’s right hand, while Spica and Chocorina hold each other’s hands. “Do I really have to hold your hand?” The blue haired half Oni boy says with a groan.
“Perhaps, or perhaps not. It’s up to Betty. You’re just a child, so she suspects there’s a high chance you’ll run off, in fact.” Beatrice puts her left arm to her right, trying to cross it.
“A high chance of me running off? Yeah right, where would I go, to one of my friends' houses…?” Rigel stops, then puts his hand to chin thinking. “Wait a minute…” His arm is tugged by the Great Spirit. “Alright I’m coming, I’m coming!”
“Rigel, you must hurry, you’re going to be late for the first time, in fact. Betty shouldn’t have let you rest so late, especially on a day like this.”
“I know, I know. I’ll try to pick up my pace… wait but what about them?” He turns his head at the half Oni and quarter elf. “C’mon you two, we have to hurry! Last thing we want is Mom, Mother Emilia, and Dad scolding us!”
“Well… Spica and Chocorina are trying to create a psychic sister bond, like Mom and Aunt Ram.” Spica says while running along with Chocorina.
“Spica! Don’t tell Aunt Beako or Rigel that, they’ll proooobably try and destroy our chances!” Chocorina says with an upset tone.
“Psychic sister bond? Wait, are you trying to pretend you have synesthesia, I suppose?” Beatrice furrows her brow looking at the two sisters.
“W-Well… Spica thought about eating an appa… then Chocorina pulled it out from under the bed thinking about Spica so she thought we have a linked connection! At least, a small link, Spica thinks." The half Oni responds.
“Isn’t that just a lucky guess? Also, don't you have to be twins to use synesthesia? It has to be linked from birth with twins like Mom and Aunt Ram. However, last I checked you two are from different Mothers and are a few years apart…” Rigel says with a neutral expression.
“T-There’s a first time for everything! Like um… here I’ll show you!” Chocorina pouts and turns to Spica. “This is Spica and…” She waits for the half Oni’s response.
“I’m Spica and this is Chocorina” She stops, waiting for Chocorina to answer.
“I’m Spica.” Chocorina says with courage.
“No… uhhh do it again?” Spica tilts her head and has an extremely confused expression.
“I’m um… Chocorina?”
“That’s it.”
“...” Beatrice looks back towards the two, with a vexed look. “Honestly it’s like you two share a single brain cell together, in fact. Even leading Betty to question how you both haven’t inherited Subaru’s intelligence.”
“H-Hey! This is our first time trying to make a synesthesia! I just wish I could have some cool ability…” Chocorina pouts once again.
“Don’t call us out Aunt Beatrice, we’re still working on it, like your connection with Dad.” Spica points out. She questions how contracts with spirits work, as well as synesthesia. She grew a little jealous of her mother being able to sense emotions or danger with her own sister.
“You have a cool ability Chocorina, I suppose.” Beatrice raises her left arm to do an air quotation, “You have the ability to talk to spirits, elven strength and speed. As well as a long life.” She turns her head to the right and pouts a little, upset at the word spirits .
“Aunt Beako, are you jealous?” The quarter elf asks teasingly.
“Betty isn’t jealous! She just doesn’t want you running off with lesser spirits, in fact!” Beatrice says with animosity.
“Spica thinks you hit a nerve Onee-chan!” Spica adds fuel to the fire and giggles while Beatrice grits her teeth.
“Aunt Beako calm down!” Rigel shouts, trying to calm down the Great Spirit while looking annoyed. ‘Jeez I feel like I’m the adult here…’ He thinks to himself, annoyed at the situation. He hears a small bell in the distance. “Oh crap…”
“Onii-chan! Language!” Both Chocorina and Spica say at the same time before glancing at each other.
“Ha! See we do have a syn-syn uhh sister psychic bond!” Chocorina says before doing a pose similar to a black haired man’s iconic act.
“Spica told you Aunt Beatrice and Onii-Chan!” Spica crosses her arms before looking at the two smugly.
“You didn’t get the stance right…! Aw man!” Chocorina says with a pout.
“W-Was Spica supposed to do the same pose like you’re doing Onee-chan? Spica’s sorry!” Spica apologizes profusely.
“Honestly, Betty is worried about the intelligence level for the both of you, in fact…” Beatrice face palms with annoyance laced in her voice until Rigel tugs her sleeve. “Hmm, yes Rigel?”
“I wanted to say we’re going to be late, I suppose.” He mimics the Great Spirit until she blinks and then jolts into action.
“Oh no, you’re going to be late, I suppose!” Beatrice shouts before turning her body to grab Spica and Chocorina’s hands. “Come on! Let’s go!”
“H-Huh!?”
“So sudden!”
Both girls dart with the Great Spirit to the entrance of little Andins. Rigel follows in pursuit, worried about the scolding he’ll get from his mother more than from his father. “Crap crap crap crap…!” As soon as they reach the entrance the fence is still open.
“Betty will come by to pick you up later, in fact!” Beatrice stops to catch her breath while Chocorina and Spica walk into the school with disinterested expressions. Rigel runs through the gate relieved that he made it. "Now be good children, behave as Betty told you to and learn a lot today, I suppose." Beatrice says with a proud stance and walks out.
As the trio walk on the school grounds, laughter and children playing can be heard. There are some human and demi human children using the small playground at the entrance. “Ha tag you’re it!”
“No fair, you cheated! I’ll get you…!” A blond haired boy darts for a demi human girl who starts to run away.
“Knights! Mercenaries! To arms to take down the White Whale!” Five more children holding sticks run towards a snow statue of the White Whale and bash into it.
“Kill it! Don’t let him eat you!” One of the children screams.
Rigel looks towards the children, seeing them shout while hitting their wooden sticks against the snowy statue. One of the demi human children then jumps onto the eye of the beast. The snow cannot handle the weight of the child and crumbles instantly.
“It is I, the slayer of the Sin Archbishop of Sloth and Greed, Natsuki Subaru!” The demi human boy shouts vigorously.
“Huh?” Rigel turns his head in confusion. Did he just say Dad’s name? Slayer of the Sin Archbishop of Sloth and Greed? What? Rigel questions to himself. When he started school, he was told to use an alias for his last name. I remember Aunt Beako saying that the Sin Archbishops were all killed, especially that Gluttony Sin Archbishop that put Mom into a coma… Dad didn’t kill him?
“Onii-chan did you hear what he said?” Chocorina tugs on Rigel’s sleeve while whispering her questions.
“Yeah I heard… but… Dad killed a Sin Archbishop? Why didn’t Aunt Beako tell us? Is this another one of her secrets?” He furrows his brow and continues whispering. “Sin Archbishop of Sloth and Greed… so he didn’t kill Gluttony?”
“We should ask Aunt Beako about it. Spica is rather curious about these Sin Archbishops.” Spica says. She hopes to find out about Return By Death. As well as the other Spica.
As they ask each other questions out of the blue a few beans are tossed. “It’s Rigel!” The beans land on Rigel’s head.
“Who threw that!?” Rigel shouts annoyed at the beans that were thrown on him. “Damn bean tossing festival…”
Opening the door, the cold wind blows inside the Natsuki house. “Brrrr that’s extremely cold…” Subaru shudders from the chilly climate as Rem and Emilia hug Subaru’s side. “I hope you enjoyed our date today Rem-rin and Emilia-tan.”
“It’s been a while since we have had a day-te, it reeeeeally took off some pressure, especially away from the children.”
“Heh it’s nothing, I just want both of my wonderful wives to have some relief in this house.” He scratches his left check.
“Yes, Rem greatly appreciated the work Subaru-kun put into this date. Rem will have to reward you later.” Rem looks towards Subaru with a lustful smile.
“Ah I’ll look forward to it then Rem. Oh wait, what about the children? Maybe they can stay at their friend’s house?”
“Yes, Rem will ask Rigel, Spica, and Chocorina to stay with their friends tonight.” He gives a wide smile to what she implies.
“I’ll be upstairs alright? I’m going to clean our room as well as just to.. hide it .”
“Hide it…?” Emilia tilts her head until realizing what Subaru meant. “Oh so that’s what you mean, I can understand. Please hide it somewhere extreeeeemely secure alright?”
“I will Emilia-tan, I don’t want the children looking into that book.” Subaru says with a pained expression. “I’ll tell them about… my past, but I won’t let them experience it.” He begins to head upstairs until something pops up in the back of his head and chuckles a little. “I knew, we should have put a lock on that chest.”
"What do you mean Subaru-kun? Did the kids take something from the chest?" Rem turns to look at Subaru as she puts her apron on.
"Yeah I'm afraid so. I looked in the old chest last night and well...two items are missing." Subaru says.
“Two items are missing? Subaru-kun is the picture…” Subaru cuts off Rem.
“No! Spica’s picture isn’t gone yet so it gives us time for her to learn about the name… it’s just my tracksuit. Knowing Spica and Chocorina, it’s not their size and they would have probably torn it to shreds.”
“I still don’t understand why you put that tracksuit away, I mean you could have worn it from time to time. It looks reeeeeeeally good in you Subaru.” Emilia blushes but puts her hand to her chin. “Wait, so are you saying that Rigel took it?”
“Rigel took your tracksuit? Rem might have to ask him to return it.” Rem says while imagining what her own son would be like wearing it. ‘It would look so adorable on him. The sleeves would be too long and the waist is a little bigger for him but Rem believes he would have to grow into it.’ She thinks to herself.
“Yeah Preytty sure he took it Emilia-tan. However Rem you don’t have to take it away from him.” He says. “Maybe… it’s time that I pass down that old tracksuit. Sure, it'd hurt a bit, I've had that thing since what? My teenager years and we've been on lots of adventures, but I feel like he would like it.”
“Of course Subaru-kun, Rem is sure Rigel will be thrilled to have something that means a lot to you.” She says a proud look. ‘Rigel will be so proud once he knows what make’s his father so amazing.’
“Wait Subaru, what was the second missing item? I know it wasn’t Pandora’s hair. You told me last night that it was still in the chest right?” Emilia asks, still concerned about the damned piece of hair in a jar.
“It’s still there! I didn’t hear anything from it either. That Pandora… it’s still in the chest but now with a new lock installed.” Subaru says, trying to calm his wife.
“Phew, sorry Subaru I don't know much about that hair, other than it’s what’s left of her . Wherever Pandora is… she better be burning.” Emilia snaps out of her rage. “S-Sorry, just some old feelings from the past…”
“Rem understands Emilia-sama, the Witch Cult destroyed her village… she still harbors some bloodlust against Witch Cultists.”
“I know, thank you Rem.” Emilia gives a pleasant expression. Subaru gives a satisfied smile at seeing the two get along with each other and begins to walk upstairs once more.
‘I’m so glad that the two of them get along.’ He thinks to himself and as he opens the bedroom door. He walks by the dressers, the large bed, cabinet full of rations, and bookshelf full of books from Lugunica. “Haaa…” Subaru sighs before kneeling to a wall and taking out two large wooden planks to reveal. “Hello old friend… looks like I’ll have to bury you into the ground now.” He takes out a medium sized book from the wall. Ever since coming here this book was once his hope but at the same time forbidden knowledge to some. The title bearing in Japanese Natsuki Subaru .