Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It was pitch black, but the soft milky glow of the pale moon above him bathed the large city in its silvery light. He stood motionlessly on top of the tall building he had landed on, eyes trained forward at the scene in front of him. 

Dozens of pink cards were raining down from above, each falling effortlessly; all of which buzzing with a distinct symphony of melodies that spoke of deep fondness and affection for him. A flutter of wings echoed from his right and a small orange animal with white wings settled down next to his shoulder, his long furry tail swishing back and forth in a steady rhythm. 

He felt his hand tighten around the humming orange staff he held in his clammy hands as a lulling chime of bells reached his ears from the distance, finally signifying for him to begin. 

And so, Zenitsu jumped. 

~~~~~~~

“Zenitsu, wake up!”

Zenitsu snapped his eyes open and tumbled back, his head immediately crashing back against the back of the chair he had been sitting on. He groaned, salty tears gathering from the corner of his eyes as he tried to smother through the pain from his now buzzing head. He felt someone rub his back gently and after finally getting enough of his bearings together, turned to the source of the voice that had rudely snapped him awake from his impromptu nap. 

“Geez, Murata, couldn’t you let me doze off for another five minutes? Zenitsu asked, rubbing away the tears he knew were still there in the corner of his eyes.

“If I did that, then what kind of friend would I be? Besides, you told me you wanted me to wake you up five minutes before lunch ends. You’re the one who wanted to see him walk by,” The black-haired boy in front of Zenitsu remarked with an eye roll.

Murata, an unimpressive dark-haired boy, was Zenitsu’s best friend or well only friend for that matter. He was a member of the student council and Zenitsu’s classmate who had stuck by his side since grade school. Even though Zentisu tended to be loud and whiny on many occasions, Murata took every outburst in stride. He was the type of boy who offered continuous support for his friend, one which Zensitu was thankful to have in his everyday life. 

Of course, not when his friend was making fun of his motivation to wake up from his short but much-needed nap.

“Please, Murata, don’t say that! You know it’s nothing like that!” 

“Oh really?” Murata answered, with an unamused look, “Then please pray tell me why you get so excited when he walks down that hall after lunch ends every day. There must be a reason, hmm?” 

Zenistu felt his cheeks fluster, knowing that Murata was right. “I-I just admire him, you know! That’s not weird at all!” 

“Sure, Zenitsu,” Murata answered nonchalantly, the other boy placing his bento box back into his bag with a shrug. “Besides, what were you dreaming about? You were shaking more than usual just now even for you.”

Oh right, that…

Truth be told, it was a dream that Zenitsu had been experiencing for the past two weeks. It always started the same- him standing on a tall luminous building holding some kind of strange orange staff with a star embedded in it while pink cards started to rain down from above around him. There was always a distinct golden creature that fluttered down to his side, and before he knew it, a chime of bells sprung him forward, immediately ending the dream. Zenitsu at first chugged the dream as some kind of fantasy his mind festered for one spontaneous night- the kind of dreams that were so outlandish and in no way real that you’ll soon forget after waking up, but the dream continued to persist after a week. It would be one thing if the dream changed with other aspects, but the dream always stayed the same. It was abnormal. Zenitsu eventually had to wonder if this dream had something to do with him psychologically. Was it perhaps a cry from his poor exhausted psyche from the workload he had been forced to endure every day? He honestly didn’t know, but it was frustrating that he had no idea what the dream meant for him. 

“Earth to Zenitsu? Are you in there?” Murata’s voice rang from his side. 

Zenitsu shook his head, deciding to forgo the concern he had for the dream that was plaguing him every night. In the end, it was just a dream. And dreams never really meant anything important. By next week, he was sure it would come to a stop and he’d be worrying about the next thing on his daily list of terrors. 

“It’s just one of those weird dreams. It’s nothing serious.” Zenitsu answered with a slight wave of his hand. 

“Oh? Are you sure it wasn’t about the boy that’s about to walk by our classroom any minute now?”

Zenitsu widened his eyes as his cheeks grew a rosy red. 

“Of course not! I wouldn’t dream of him like that! I mean maybe there have been some occasional dreams in which he was there, but there was never anything indecent about it!”

“You know you admitting that you even dream about him doesn’t help your case,” Murata replied with a sly grin. 

“Ughh kill me….” Zenitsu groaned rather pathetically as he buried his much-heated face in his hands. 

“Sorry, no can do. Kind of need you to stay alive so I can make more fun of your predicament. Honestly, this is better entertainment than what I see on television nowadays. You’re doing great by the way portraying the whole ‘unable to confess their undying love and forced to stalk from afar’ trope.”

“Honestly, you’re a terrible friend you know?” Zenitsu muttered from under his hands. 

“I know.” He heard Murata humorously answer most likely with another grin. 

And that’s when Zenitsu heard it, a soft harmonious melody playing from outside the room. He quickly lifted his head from his hands and turned to the entrance of his classroom, his eyes growing wide at the breathtaking sight of the red-haired boy who walked by the entrance of the room. The boy in question was casually conversing alongside a small group of people, but that didn’t deter Zenitsu from staring. The boy’s fluffy red hair bounced with each step he took and the glistening of his bright red ruby eyes along with his lovely smile sent shivers down Zenitsu’s spine. Zenitsu could not stop himself from sighing in adoration. His crush soon left his sight, but Zenitsu committed the welcomed short appearance of him to memory for another day to bless his thoughts when he needed it. 

Yes, that boy that Zenitsu had a crush on was none other than Tanjiro Kamado, a well-known popular first-year who was known to be as kind-hearted as they come. 

“You have it bad.”

“Ugh don’t remind me…” Zenitsu answered Murata, shaking off the heat he could feel from his flustered cheeks. “It’s not like I asked to have a crush on him. It just happened and now I can’t seem to get him off my mind.” 

“Oh yeah, really bad.”

“Murata!” Zenitsu huffed with a small pout at the audacity of his friend taking his predicament so lightly. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. You know I’m only kidding. But why don’t you just actually try to talk to him instead of watching him from afar? Tanjiro seems like the kind of guy who would be considerate of what you have to say to him. The guy practically just oozes kindness. I don’t even think I’ve seen the guy get mad at anyone since the year started, not even at that rowdy guy who challenged him during the first week of school.” 

Oh, Zenitsu remembered that. It was all everyone talked about during that first week. Supposedly, a rowdy first year called Inosuke Hashibira decided it would be a grand idea to challenge every boy in his class to a fight to prove his raw inhumane strength. Now Inosuke wasn’t like any other normal guy. He had been raised in the wilderness by a female boar for the first few years of his early life after getting separated from his mother on a trip overseas. Although he had long since reunited with his mother after being found and now was adjusted back to society, what he experienced out in the wilderness cemented many of his weird tendencies and outbursts. Showcasing his strength in scuffles happened to be one of these weird oddities. 

From what Zenitsu had heard, around lunchtime, Inosuke had marched right up to Tanjiro after beating up a few guys and challenged him to a spar, which Tanjiro (bless his soul), would not accept. There was a scuffle during that lunch hour and there were rumors that Tanjiro had effortlessly beaten Inosuke with a head bash, but there was no denying that Tanjiro was considerate and kind in how he approached the situation with Inosuke. He had tamed the wild boar child in only an hour, something many teachers were still struggling to accomplish. 

“But that’s different!” Zenitsu replied, placing his bento box into his bag with a huff. “Tanjiro is a saint and I’m just me, the whiny crybaby loser that is involved with way too many extracurricular activities. I don’t even think he knows I exist.”

“Well, of course, he wouldn’t if you never gave yourself the chance to talk to him.” Murata groaned, shaking his head in exasperation. “Honestly, you need to have more confidence in yourself. I mean, what are you even waiting for Zenitsu?”

The school bell rang from above, silencing the two friends. Murata sighed and stood up from the seat he had taken from across Zenitsu.

“Don’t think we’re dropping this conversation, Zenitsu. We’ll be talking more about this after school, got it.”

Murata waved his hand and bid the yellow-haired a short farewell, walking back to his desk with his bento box in his hands. Zenitsu watched his friend leave his side quietly and shifted his sight to the scene outside the window by him, ignoring the clutter of sounds around him as students retreated to their seats to start their next class. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t have confidence in himself. He was getting better. Murata certainly helped with that. He could now even manage to talk to some of his classmates without retching from self-embarrassment, but there was still something missing… No, no matter how much he wanted to talk to Tanjiro, it just didn’t feel right. Something else needed to take place first.

“Today…  huh…” Zenitsu murmured incoherently, not realizing the meaning of the barely audible words that left his lips.

~~~~~~~

“Wait, you want me to do what?!” 

“You heard me. I need you to head out and buy me several ingredients for dinner. Your older brother decided to never come back home from school. Honestly, that boy just never seems to listen to me nowadays.“ 

‘Stupid Kaigaku.’

“But Gramps, I have a lot of homework to do! Can’t we just order something?” 

Whack!  

Zenitsu groaned, his head ringing from the sudden impact of his stern grandfather’s infamous wooden cane made against his head. 

“Stupid boy!”  Zenitsu heard his grandfather say although there was no indication of anger from the tone of his scruffy voice. “A growing boy needs his nutrients! What kind of guardian would I be if I let you and Kaigaku eat an improper meal?” 

Well, Zenitsu certainly couldn’t argue against that. Shoulders hunched in defeat, he accepted the slight wad of cash and small shopping list his grandfather handed to him and was ushered out of the house with the door promptly shut to his face. With a huff, Zenitsy began his trek to the local supermarket. 

Now Zenitsu loved his grandfather. He truly did. He appreciated all the old man had done for him and Kaigaku over the years. Being adopted by a loving parent was something Zenitsu never expected to become a reality for him. For most of his early life, Zenitsu had lived in an orphanage after being abandoned as a baby. And as luck usually went for him, he was always denied by potential candidates looking to adopt children. Not many parents liked having to deal with a child with emotional issues like Zenitsu. After ten years of going through candidate after candidate, Zenitsu had begun to give up. He had quietly resided with the fact that he would be living at the orphanage until he was old enough to leave. 

But then one day, a scruffy old man with a wooden cane came in to meet him. 

And a week later, Gramps had officially adopted him.

Despite all the kids at his orphanage, Gramps had adopted him of all people. 

Zenitsu has never been more grateful for that. 

Zenitsu supposed that was why he could never say no to his grandfather at times when the kind but stern old man sent him to run errands or signed him up for all the extracurricular activities he had been suggested to participate in. Zenitsu just didn’t have the heart to say no to the one who invited him to his small but quaint family. 

Still, it sucked when it was up to him to do all the things Kaigaku never wanted to do. Some older brother Kaigaku was. 

It didn’t take Zenisu too long to find Gramp’s favorite store. Half an hour later, he was out of the store with a shopping bag wrapped around his right hand as he swiped absentmindedly at his phone with his other hand. His schedule for the week blared at him from the bright screen in bold letters. Zenitsu wanted to scream at the absurdity of the schedule. It seemed like the student council would need him for the next few days for another sports event and a small recital as well as hanging up flyers for an art gallery event the next week which was no doubt thanks to a certain art professor. On top of that, he had private music and sword lessons to look forward to at the end of the week. Zenitsu’s schedule for the week was booked with no room for relaxation. Unfortunately, there was nothing Zenitsu could do about it. 

“It can’t get worse than this, right?” Zenitsu muttered to himself as he pocketed his phone, dreading to look at it any further. “Well, at least this week’s student council meeting was moved to next Friday, which means I have more time to get all the budget material together that we need to discuss.”

Zenitsu sighed, shutting his eyes and massaging his temples from the migraine he could feel coming. More than anything, he wished he could take a break and hang out with Murata, but there was no time for that beyond the time they had together during school. It honestly was becoming too much for Zenitsu. Zenitsu enjoyed student council and the extracurricular activities his grandfather signed him up for but being constantly relied on to do too many things in only a week was increasingly wearing Zenitsu down. He needed a break. At least to focus on other things in his life. 

And maybe finally be able to talk to Tanjiro…

CRASH!

Zenitsu hissed as he was sent tumbling to the ground. He massaged his face from the abrupt force to it but quickly pulled himself back up from the ground to apologize to whoever he bumped into. 

“I’m so sorry!” Zenitsu cried as he bowed down quickly in apology. “I wasn’t looking where I was going! If there is anything I can do to help, I-”

Wait, why couldn’t he hear a heartbeat?

Zenitsu blinked and raised his head, realizing that no one was in front of him. He was the only one standing on the deserted street. There was, however, a store next to him. Its sign blared at him with its large words. 

‘Ubuya Antiques?’

Zenitsu turned his head from left to right before setting his sight on the store’s sign once again. He wondered if the person he had bumped into had stumbled into the store. There was no other possible explanation for where else the person could have walked, right? Or was he overthinking? Was there even anyone next to him now that he thought about it? He didn’t think he heard anything. Was he perhaps just too tired and wasn’t paying attention at the moment? Still, if there was someone inside the shop, would it be appropriate for him to try to find them to respectfully apologize? Shouldn’t he just continue his way back home? Gramps was waiting for him and his grandfather did not like to be kept waiting. 

‘But if Jii-chan knows this person and they happen to meet him during one of his outings, I’m toast. Jii-chan would ground me for sure for not even attempting to apologize.’

Regretfully making up his mind, Zenitsu entered the antique store. A chime from above him echoed as he entered the store, but no one was around to greet him at the door. All around Zenitsu, there was a clutter of objects covered in dust. Tables of metallic knickknacks were placed haphazardly around the shop with some holding lamps of various sizes and glass plates. Many of the tables had vases of different colors placed underneath them with an occasional large metal object. Circular clocks ticked around him from the walls, each making a different tune with occasional vintage paintings decorating the walls. And lining the walls untouched by the clocks, stood shelves each one filled with large books. 

Zenitsu stood motionlessly, blinking at the sight before him, and decided he would rather just suffer his grandfather’s punishment, as the creepiness of the store quickly overpowered any confidence he still had left. He turned to open the door and leave, but stopped, his sensitive ears suddenly picking up a distinct sound echoing from deeper inside the store aside from all the ticking he could hear from the clocks around him. It was an odd buzzing sound, and yet despite its tune, Zenitsu found it difficult to ignore its hypnotic rhythm. Without thinking twice, Zenitsu stumbled forward to the source of the sound, making his way to a shelf of books placed in the back of the store hidden from the front. He eyed the shelves until he located what was no doubt making the odd sound. It was a thick pink book with golden accents. Zenitsu set the bag he was still holding down to the ground and took the book from the shelf, observing it in silence. 

The first thing that caught his attention was the large winged golden lion on the front with the name ‘SAKURA’ printed on the front on a banner above a star adorned with wings. Dumbfounded, Zenitsu turned the book around finding a weird circle with a star, crescent moon, and sun on it. He recognized the kanji for the North, East, South, and West on the circle as well as the symbols for the western zodiac. However, he did not understand what the circle fully meant. Beneath the circle was a large crescent moon with wings with the same banner spelling ‘SAKURA’ printed underneath it. 

It was a weird book and clearly, it looked far too expensive to belong in an antique shop. It wasn’t even covered in dust and cobwebs like the other books near it. Zenitsu wondered if this Sakura lost the book and misplaced it on the shelf by accident. Maybe he could go up to the front and let the store owner know. It was the least he could do for this Sakura. The book was important for them to have their name printed on its covers. Zenitsu moved to pick up his shopping bag again, but froze, again hearing the same buzzing sound coming from the book in his hands. 

‘Is- Is there something in it?’

Cautiously, but curiously, Zenitsu opened the golden clasp and flipped the front cover open. Instead of finding what he thought would be pages, there was a hollow compartment filled with a deck of cards. The cards were decorated with the same odd circle that was on the back of the book. Hesitantly, Zenitsu picked one card up from the pile and turned it around, surprised to find a different picture on the front. There was a woman with long hair styled high with two long strands falling forward over her shoulders with wings covering most of her body. Underneath the woman was a banner, with the name ‘THE WINDY’ printed on it. 

Zenitsu didn’t know English too well, as it was a language he was still learning, but he tested the word carefully, speaking it aloud. 

“W-Wi-Windy?” 

The moment Zenitsu uttered the name, a roar suddenly echoed from around Zenitsu. A harsh gust of wind wrapped itself around him, blowing everything else around. Zenitsu kneeled to protect the priceless groceries at his feet, trying desperately to also keep his hold on the book in his hands. It quickly proved to be ineffective. All he could manage to do was watch the pink cards fly out of the book, being carried away up above, disappearing from his sight in streaks of pale pink light. Frantically, in pure panic, he threw the book to the ground hoping that it would make the wind stop. The wind continued to blow for a few more seconds, until it thankfully receded, leaving Zenistu to gape wide-eyed in shock at the scene before him. Terrified, he looked down at the one card he had managed to keep ahold of, ‘THE WINDY’, still gripped tightly in his hand, trying to piece together what had just happened. There was no way that the card made that wind come, right?

A low hum echoed from the book in front of Zenitsu and he watched as it started to glow a bright yellow. Slowly, a figure emerged from the book, forming into a small yellow creature with wings on its back with a long tail swishing back and forth from behind. The small creature yawned loudly, stretching out its tiny limbs until it set its sight on Zenistu with its beady black eyes. In the highest-pitched voice Zenistu had ever heard, the creature spoke.

“Howdy, hidy ho! I haven't been awakened like that in forever!”

Zenitsu yelped, tumbling backward in fright, his eyes growing wider in panic and fear. 

“This is a dream, “ Zenitsu reasoned to himself in pure disbelief, his thoughts becoming far too jumbled from the absurdity of the situation. “The stress has finally gotten to me. Any minute now, I’ll wake up in the hospital again with Jii-Chan by my side from this stress-induced coma.”

“Yeah, sorry kid, this is real.” The yellow plush lion casually remarked back, interrupting Zenitsu’s hectic train of thought. With a flap from its wings, it moved closer to Zenitsu’s face, placing one paw on its hip as the other paw tapped its chest in pride. 

“The name is Keroberos and I am the Beast of the Seal!” 

“K-Keroberos?” Zenitsu stuttered, after somehow managing to find his voice.

“That’s right! And you opened the seal, allowing me to return to this world!” Keroberos remarked so happily.

“S-seal? What are you talking about?” 

Keroberos lifted a paw and the pink book that Zenitsu had thrown to the ground began to glow a bright yellow. It rose from the ground, stopping behind Keroberos as the small toy plush gestured to the book cheerfully. 

“This book here is the seal and it holds incredible power. Thankfully, it can’t be opened by just anyone. Only someone with magic can open it, which means you have magic kid!” 

Zenitsu could only stare back at Keroberos in pure disbelief. A book that could only be opened by magic? There was no way that could be true. It must have been a magnetic lock that went faulty. Yes, that was it. And this creature must be a robot. It was all a trick like that prank television show Murata had once shown him on his phone. Zenitsu eyed the walls around him, searching for the cameras. Much to his dismay, he could not spot a single one. Were they perhaps too hidden for him to see clearly?

“Zenitsu, you in there?” 

“You know my name?!” Zenitsu screamed in shock. How did this tiny toy robot know his name?

“Of course I do,” Keroberos nonchalantly replied, one eye raised. “But we can go over that later. First, let me show you what this book holds.”

With a small wave of his hand, the pink book still floating midair behind Keroboros opened, revealing the empty compartment inside its pages. Zenitsu stared at the empty hole with guilt in his gaze as Keroberos continued speaking without even taking a moment to look behind and check the contents of the book. 

“These are the Sakura Cards and they hold immense magical power that in the wrong hands can cause great chaos. They were created by my creator, Clow Reed. After his death, they were found by my last master, Kinomoto Sakura, who transformed the cards into what you now see here. Before her death, Sakura sealed away the cards in this book and instructed me to guard them until our new master opens the seal, which happens to be you Zenitsu! Now as my new master, I can happily introduce you to every card in this book.”

“Um, Keroberos?” Zenitsu asked, after a long pause from the orange toy plush.

“Call me Kero, kid,” Kero happily replied.

“Um… yeah… Kero, your cards are all gone.”

Kero blinked, staring back in silence at Zenitsu for several seconds before turning his gaze back to the pink book behind him. It was almost comical of how quiet the small creature became considering how loud and extremely talkative it was just seconds ago. Almost. 

“No! Not again!” Kero yelled, his tiny paws smacking each side of his head in exasperation. The orange toy plush whirled around, his beady eyes immediately zeroing in on Zenitsu.

“You called Windy, didn’t you?” 

“You mean this card?” Zenitsu hesitantly asked, looking down at the card still gripped in his hand. Listening to it closely, he could hear a gentle hum ringing from the card, but that couldn’t be right. Cards were inanimate objects. They didn’t make sounds. But this card was humming such a lovely melody, one that spoke of fondness and sincerity for him. He was beginning to question if he was losing his sanity. 

“Yes, Windy!” Kero snapped back. The tiny creature swiftly moved forward to Zenitsu’s hand, pointing down at the card with his paw.

“This card holds a spirit with great power that only those with magic can call upon. And unfortunately, when you said its name you made it unleash its power.” 

“Hold on, that can’t be true! There’s no way a card caused that wind to come!”

(Seriously where was the hidden camera?! Zenitsu needed to get home already!)

The yellow toy plush smirked, placing both paws on its hips, its tail swishing back and forth behind it energetically.

“Oh yeah? How about you call Windy again since it can’t be true?”

Zenitsu gaped at the creature and silently glanced down at the card in his hand. It was humming thoughtfully now, making a gentle sound that made Zenitsu want to fully trust it. It was telling him to call her again. 

But if the yellow plush toy was indeed right and Zenitsu did call the spirit again- that aggressive wind would come right back again. 

Regretfully, Zenitsu made his decision. 

“I-I believe you,” Zenitsu decided, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to keep the bag of priceless groceries at his feet from getting blown away by Windy’s unrelenting power a second time. He was already in hot water for taking much too long.

“Great!” Kero chirped with a large grin. “Now let’s discuss how we’re going to get all those cards back!”

Zenitsu blinked. 

“HUH?!”

~~~~~~~

Zenitsu sighed as he picked at the food on his plate in front of him, much too exhausted to even think about what his life was now. There was currently a pink book up in his room with a card inside it that supposedly only he could use to summon a magical spirit’s power. Not to mention a sentient yellow plush toy that was a large golden beast (or so the plush claimed) playing video games in his room at that moment. Also now he was supposed to find all the cards that Kero didn’t guard? 

This all had to be a punishment from whatever higher devine being there was up there as if the lightning strike he had faced a year earlier wasn’t enough. 

“Zenitsu?”

Zenitsu flinched, dropping his chopsticks as he snapped from his rapid train of thoughts. “Y-Yes Jii-chan?”

The stern older man eyed Zenitsu, his eyebrows far too narrowed for Zenitsu’s liking. Zenitsu felt himself shiver under his intense gaze. His grandfather knew something was wrong. 

“You’re hiding something,” his grandfather stated casually without any hesitation. 

“Ahh, I’m just thinking about student council activities for next week. I have a lot to do, you know! A-And um that recital coming up soon! I have to pick a song soon to play! There’s a lot to consider this week!”

His grandfather hummed thoughtfully. “Is that so?”

Zenitsu hoped that would be the end of the conversation, but his grandfather was far from finished speaking. Exhaling softly, his grandfather placed his bowl of rice down and sternly eyed Zenitsu.

“I know you Zenitsu. I’ve raised you long enough to know when something is bothering you.”

His grandfather's expression softened. 

“But I also know that you will tell me what’s troubling you when you are ready. Just please don’t hurt yourself. I don’t want to see you in the hospital anytime soon.”

Zenitsu gaped at his grandfather, feeling his chest blossom with warmth at his grandfather's heartfelt concern. His grandfather was a strict parent, always pushing Zenitsu past his comfort zone and making him participate in many activities. But despite it all, his grandfather was a caring parent. 

Zenitsu would never forget the sound his grandfather’s heartbeat made on the day he woke up at the hospital weeks after being stuck in a coma caused by a lightning strike. He woke up to the sight of his grandfather looking over him, his eyes were sunken in and red from crying for weeks on end. His hair and clothes were messy and unkempt and he looked much thinner than Zenitsu remembered. 

But his heartbeat was just so beautiful- past the sea of storm clouds and roaring thunder was a tune of deep love and concern for Zenitsu. 

That day, Zenitsu realized how much his grandfather truly cared about him. 

“I promise I’m fine Jii-chan,” Zenitsu answered with a small smile, shaking away the memory.

“I see.” His grandfather looked up at the clock on the wall past Zenitsu and sighed in exasperation. “It seems like Kaigaku won’t be back until after past curfew again. I don’t know what to do with that boy. Constantly ignoring rules and hanging out with those friends of his. Why I never..”

Zenitsu numbly picked up his chopsticks and went back to eating. The food tasted delicious and so fulfilling, carefully made by his grandfather with Zenitsu’s help. It was disheartening that Kaigaku was missing this on purpose to chase that friend group of his. Didn’t Kaigaku understand he was hurting their grandfather by doing this?

‘Besides,’ Zenitsu thought as he looked up at his grandfather who still was steaming over Kaigaku’s absence. ‘ Worrying this much is not healthy for Jii-chan at his age.’

Dinner didn’t last that long. Wanting to help his grandfather get to bed earlier, Zenitsu offered to clean up. He bid his grandfather goodnight and quietly cleared the dishes off the table. He didn’t expect Kaigaku to touch it or let alone look at it, but he made sure to leave a plate of food out for his older brother. Once everything was cleaned up, Zenitsu grabbed the plate of food and fork he left aside for Kero and walked quietly up to his room. 

He knocked gently on his door and entered it, closing the door shut behind him. Thankfully, Kero was still playing the video game he had started playing earlier. He was scared that the small creature would poke around his room and make a mess while he was downstairs, but it was nice to see that Kero was being respectful toward his privacy. 

“Oh, you’re back,” Kero remarked, now turned towards him from the paused screen on the small television. 

Zenitsu nodded and took a step forward. “I brought you some food. I hope it’s enough.” 

“Are you kidding?! I could eat anything right now after being in that book for ages again!”

Kero placed the game controller down and flew over to the desk by Zenitsu’s bed as he placed the plate of food down for Kero. Kero landed by the plate and grabbing the fork, plopped a large ball of chicken into his mouth, chewing it with a large grin. He swallowed it, letting out a pleased moan. 

“Oh yeah, that hits the spot! Your grandfather is a great cook! You got to tell him that some time for me!”

Zenitsu didn’t answer and took a seat, his eyes trained on the pink book still sitting where he left it on his desk. It was still there where he left it. He had hoped that maybe after dinner, it would be gone- a figment of his wild imagination, but it was still there in front of him. Both Kero and the book were still here in his room. 

What was he going to do? 

“Capture the cards of course!” Kero answered.

Zenitsu blinked and turned to Kero with wide eyes. Did he say that out aloud? No, wait just because he found the book didn’t mean he had to help Kero. Yes, that was right. Kero was the guardian of the book, not him. Zenitsu was not going to get dragged into whatever this was. Not when he already had so much in his life going on.

“Can’t you capture the cards yourself?” Zenitsu asked. “I don’t want to get involved further than this.”

Kero froze, turning to Zenitsu with his beady black eyes. The small toy plush placed his fork down onto the half-finished plate. With a flap of his white wings, Kero moved over to the pink book, landed on top of it, and faced Zenitsu.

“I’m sorry Zenitsu,” the yellow lion plush apologized sincerely. “But you’re the only one who can capture the cards. No one else but you can do it. Besides, you have to capture them.”

“What do you mean?” Zenitsu asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“The cards being left alone without a master means they’re free to unleash their power. And some of them can be quite emotional. Can you imagine what a spirit who is angry or fearful can do to your city? Left unchecked, they’ll cause great catastrophe. Trust me, you have to find them.”

Kero paused, lips turning pinching downward. “Besides, you will need the cards to protect yourself from it.”

“From what?” Zenitsu asked, detecting the slight tremor in Kero’s voice. The plush toy sounded scared, but from what? 

“Forget about it,” Kero answered, shaking his head with a small smile. “Look, you opened the book, which means you have to collect the cards. It can only be you.”

“But I’m just me,” Zenitsu gestured to himself in disbelief. “Trust me, I’m the wrong guy for this.”

“Then how about I show you why you can do this,” Kero answered with a sly grin. Kero hopped off the book and took a step forward to Zenitsu pointing forward to the middle of his bedroom. “Go stand over there, Zenitsu.”

Zenitsu blinked in confusion, but he decided to trust Kero. He got off his chair and stepped back to where Kero pointed, looking back at Kero questionably. 

“Now what?” He asked, not expecting anything to happen.

Kero grinned. “ Key of the Seal. ”

The same circle that was on the back of the pink book appeared suddenly underneath Zenitsu, glowing dimly. He jolted in shock at its appearance and looked up, seeing a small ball of light come out from the keyhole on the clasp of the pink book. It moved towards Zenitsu, stopping in front of him, and glowing brightly. Zenitsu narrowed his eyes at the tiny ball of light barely making a figure inside it. It appeared to be key. He looked up at Kero cautiously as the creature continued speaking. 

“ There is one who wishes to form a contract with you. It is a boy named Zenitsu. O’ great key, grant him power! ” 

Kero waved his paw forward. 

“ RELEASE! ”

The ball of light exploded in pure blinding light forcing Zenitsu to cover his eyes from the intensity of it. It was bright, so bright, and yet so warm. In the distance, he heard Kero tell him to grab the staff. 

Wait, staff?

Zenitsu slowly uncovered his eyes, his eyes immediately squinting, but he saw it. Floating in midair was an orange staff with a yellow, five-pointed star inside a circle with a small, feathered wing on each side of it. He stared at the staff in awe, eyes going impossibly wide with wonder. The staff was calling him, singing to him with a soothing tune. 

Take me. It seemed to say. 

And so, Zenitsu would.

He took a few steps forward and grabbed the staff, taking the orange staff into his hands. He expected the staff to be ice cold as it seemed to be made out of metal, but it was surprisingly warm. And it was light, not even that heavy to carry. It was a staff that was unquestionably different from a normal staff. Not to mention that it was still making that soft hum only Zenitsu could hear. 

Zenitsu wondered if the staff truly was perhaps magical. 

BOOM!

Zenitsu stumbled forward in shock, clutching the staff to his chest as he looked over to his left to his window where the sound reverberated from. Past his pale yellow curtains, he saw a flash of pale blue light shooting through the dark sea of clouds. He heard Kero flutter to his side, wings flapping frantically. 

“W-What was that, Kero?” Zenitsu asked shakily, looking over to the yellow plush lion with wide frightened eyes. Kero narrowed his eyes, a beat of urgency reaching Zenitsu’s ears. 

“A card.”

~~~~~~~

After ensuring his grandfather that it was just a thunderstorm and that there was no need for worry and that yes, he would be going to bed at a reasonable time, Zenitsu and Kero quietly made their way out of his two-storied house to the dimly lit streets below.

Zenitsu felt himself flinch from every clap of thunder that echoed from the dark sky above as the pair continued to run toward the card’s location. It was a childish fear to have, especially for his age, but he wasn’t exactly fond of thunderstorms- at least not after getting struck by lightning. It was taking so much of his willpower to not turn around and dash back to his house and bury himself into the comfort of his blankets. He was terrified to be outside underneath a storm that could strike him any second now with searing hot lightning.

“K-Kero, what card is this?” Zenitsu stuttered, hoping that talking to Kero would help him ignore the thunderstorm over them, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult once he realized that the sound of thunder rumbling was only getting louder.

“Thunder,” Kero answered, not noticing Zenitsu’s immediate flinch at his answer. “It’s a card with the power to control lightning and electricity. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the more temperate cards.”

Kero gritted his teeth. “To be honest, I don’t know if we’ll be able to catch Thunder. Windy is too gentle to fight a card like Thunder. She might not be enough to withstand Thunder’s power.”

Kero turned to Zenitsu with seriousness in his dark eyes. “Zenitsu, if there’s a chance you might get hurt. Run.”

“Eh?!” Zenitsu cried, shocked at Kero’s order. “Y-You’re the one who told me to catch these cards! Now you’re telling me to run?! What the heck Kero!”

“I know what I said, Zenitsu!” Kero snapped back, shaking his head. “But your safety is more important to me!”

BOOM!

Zenitsu immediately froze. The orange staff still clenched tightly in his grip began to tremble uncontrollably due to his shaky hands. His heart hammered against his rib cage as his breaths came in jagged, uneven gasps. His vision blurred, his surroundings becoming warped against his will. In the corner of his distorted vision, he saw a yellow object fly into view. 

“Zenitsu?” Kero called out, but the yellow plush toy seemed so far away.

“I-I can’t-“ Zenitsu tried to say, words stumbling out disjointed. He squeezed his eyes shut, ears ringing painfully as another boom echoed throughout the dark sky above. Like a rope being cut, his knees buckled forward and Zenitsu tumbled to the ground, clutching at his ears, the staff clattering to the ground beside him. He felt his chest rise and fall rapidly as the weight of his childish fear threatened to crush his body.

He didn’t want to get struck by lightning again.

“Zenitsu!” Kero’s voice echoed near him.

Zenitsu found he couldn’t respond no matter how much he wanted to, his ears much too focused on the roar of thunder above him.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

 ( I’m…)

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

(Scared…) 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Zenitsu slowly opened his eyes, his lungs heaving. Throat is painfully tight, he forced himself to take in air, breathing in slowly. He counted to ten just as his grandfather taught him, focusing on his breathing. Once he could no longer feel discomfort in his chest, he looked up to Kero, who was surprisingly too close to his face. The small plush toy placed one paw on Zenitsu’s cheek, rubbing gently in a circular motion.

Surprisingly, Kero’s paw felt so warm. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Kero asked quietly.  

Zenitsu shakily shook his head. “I-I’m scared of thunderstorms, but-“

Kero nodded his head. “Okay, then we’ll head back. I won’t make you do this. I’m sure Thunder will calm down on his own by tomorrow morning. But right now, you’re in no condition to catch it.”

“B-But-“

“Zenitsu, you don’t have to push yourself.”

I’m… Scared…

“But Kero, he’s scared!”

“Scared? Who’s scared?” Kero questioned, confused. 

Zenitsu shook his head without a verbal answer and instead grabbed the orange staff that lay beside him. He pushed himself from the ground, facing upward to the dark sky. In the distance, he saw a flash of blue, glowing brightly amongst the black clouds. That had to be the card. 

So gulping down all his fear, Zenistu took off. 

“Zenitsu!” Kero’s voice rang from behind, but Zenitsu didn’t bother to respond.

Thunder rumbled once more from the sky. Zenitsu immediately flinched at the intensely loud sound, but he forced himself to keep moving. It didn’t matter how badly he wanted to hide away from the dark sky. He had to find whoever he heard. Up ahead, he could see the blue light getting brighter. It was closer now. Zenitsu counted to ten once more as another booming clap of thunder echoed above him. 

‘It’s okay…. I’m okay… I won’t get shocked… I won’t… It’s okay.’

‘I just have to help whoever is scared.’

BOOM!!!

Zenitsu stopped as a streak of pale blue light suddenly arched down from the sky, hitting a nearby street light. The street lamp immediately exploded upon contact, glass shattering into pieces from the lamp’s lightbulb in it. The electric blue light danced around the street lamp until it finally formed into a small blue jagged sphere of zipping light, electricity crackling around it. Zenitsu shuddered at the pale blue lightning, his eyes widening in pure fear. He swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. He couldn’t turn back now. 

“A-are you the one who's scared?” Zenitsu asked, voice trembling.

Thunder rumbled and searing hot lightning shot past Zenitsu. He stumbled to the side to avoid the searing light, his eyes widening as the crackling streak of energy bounced around the ground where he had been. He took a steady breath, exhaling calmly, and turned back to the source that was still hovering over the broken street lamp. 

(… You… are… not…. Master….)

Zenitsu tightened his grip on his staff. It looked like he had found the card he was supposed to capture. Although he suspected Thunder wasn’t supposed to look like this. Windy had been pictured as an elegant woman on her card. Thunder had to be the same. It wouldn’t just simply be a small sphere of lightning. Although judging by the sound of the card when it spoke, it was probably male.

But how was Zenitsu supposed to catch it?

He decided he would try to talk to it once more. 

“I-I’m Zenitsu and I-“

BOOM!

(Leave!)

Zenitsu gritted his teeth, teeth chattering. No, he couldn’t give up. 

“I know you’re scared. I hear you, so let me help you!”

Thunder grumbled, lightning sizzling around it as it took off. It zigzagged across the air in quick arches until it stopped in front of Zenitsu. Zenitsu widened his eyes as he felt his heart stop at how close the crackling lightning was now to his body. It was going to strike him. 

He was going to get electrocuted, wasn’t he?  

“Zenitsu, call Windy!” A familiar voice called out from behind Zenitsu. 

“W-Windy?” Zenitsu questioned in response. 

A sudden gust of gentle wind blew around Zenitsu, wrapping itself around his body. It swiftly pulled him back from Thunder’s form, dropping him gently to the pavement a few feet away. Zenitsu took a shaky breath as he looked up to his savior, watching as the elegant form of Windy smiled serenely at him before turning back to her card. He took her card into his trembling hand just as a familiar flutter of wings settled next to him. 

“Kero?”

“You idiot!” Kero yelled, hitting Zenitsu’s head with his tiny paw (although it didn’t hurt at all). “Thunder could have seriously hurt you! He’s too aggressive to talk down to!” 

“But he’s scared, Kero!” Zenitsu argued back. “I heard him! He needs help!”

“Wait, you heard him?” Kero asked, its tiny eyebrows narrowing in confusion.

Zenitsu bit the bottom of his lip in contemplation. It wasn’t something he liked to tell others, especially people he barely knew, but he had a heightened sense of hearing. His hearing allowed him to detect any emotion or thought from the sound anyone made from their heartbeat or the way they breathed. It was a scary thing to be born with and something that made others walk away from him in fear and disgust far too many times than he could count as a child.

He wondered if Kero would be like that too- someone that would walk away as soon as they heard about his abnormal gift. 

No, Zenitsu shook his head at that thought. Kero didn’t seem like that. From what he could tell from the toy plush’s steady breathing, Kero had asked simply due to concern over his well-being. Kero seemed to care about him, so he had to trust the yellow plush and hope it wouldn’t end the same. 

So with hesitance, Zenitsu nodded in reply. 

“I have weird ears. I can hear anything. Even the cards. I can hear what they’re saying and Thunder has been saying he’s scared.”

“Zenitsu, that’s-“

Zenitsu shut his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the moment Kero would call him a freak and shun him away. That was what it had always been like.

Which was why he never could make another friend besides Murata.

“Amazing.”

Zenitsu snapped his eyes open wide in shock, completely breathless as he looked up at Kero. The lion plush was now looking at him with an awe-struck gaze, tail swishing back and forth in excitement. 

“If you can hear Thunder, that means we have a chance to calm him down rather than fight him. Did he say anything else?”

“Umm,” Zenitsu stuttered, still shocked over how Kero was taking in his abnormal hearing ability. He hadn’t expected the lion plush to react that way. No one ever had. 

“He’s looking for his master I think?”

“Oh…” Kero replied with a solemn tone. He shook his head and looked back up at Zenitsu’s shaken form. “Well then let’s talk to the big guy then, alright?”

Kero turned his attention back to Thunder, who had moved back to the broken street lamp. Streaks of lightning still crackled around its jagged form, but Zenitsu could tell how less unpredictable it had become. Thunder seemed to have recognized Kero. It looked calmer now- almost less likely to strike out in anger. However, he still could hear how frightened the card was.

But from what?

“Hey big guy, it’s good to see you again,” Kero greeted with a relaxed grin. “You’re still big and loud I see, but you have to calm down now. You’re causing quite the ruckus.”

Thunder roared, streaks of lightning zapping from its electric blue form. The sky above them seemed to have darkened at its obvious distress.

(Where is Mistress Sakura?!)

“Mistress Sakura?” Zenitsu murmured in confusion. 

Beside him, he saw Kero flinched at his words. The small lion plush glanced over to him, the corners of his mouth turning slightly downward as the faint sound of his breathing shifted towards a melancholic tune. 

“The one who found the book before you, remember?” Kero replied softly, looking back at Thunder’s form. “She was a great master.”

The lion plush shook his head, shaking away the bitter memories, and addressed the card once more.

“Sakura is gone Thunder. She sealed us away for a new master to find us. And that new master is the one you see in front of you.”

BOOM!!!!

(No!!!)

Zenitsu trembled as the streaks of lightning crackled more in distress. He could hear it. The card was crying out for his master. He felt his hands tighten around his orange staff. He had been frightened of the card initially as it constantly reminded him of the moment he had been struck by lightning. However, the more he listened to Thunder’s voice in every clap of thunder it made, the more Zenitsu began to sympathize with the card. The card was not trying to cause chaos on purpose. It was lashing out in fear, purely out of panic about not being able to find its beloved master.

It was just disheartening to realize how alone Thunder must have felt when it appeared suddenly in an unknown city after being blown away by Windy.

All because Zenitsu opened the seal.

Right, Zenitsu needed to help Thunder. It was the least he could do for what he caused.

Zenitsu took a deep breath. He couldn’t be afraid of what he had to do. 

He had to help.

“I-I know I’m not Sakura,” Zenitsu said, taking a step forward. “But I still want to help you. Can you tell me what I can do?”

Thunder howled, a shape of a snout taking shape from its form, pale blue lighting zapping forward from the visible mouth. Zenitsu winced at the piercing sound the card made, but he kept his body still. He would not allow himself to move back. He had to face the card head-on. 

(LEAVE ME ALONE!)

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do that,” Zenitsu shakily answered, bringing his staff closer to his chest. 

BOOM!!!

Zenitsu hissed as a pale blue streak of lightning shot passed him, the searing bolt barely missing his skin. 

“Please!” Zenitsu cried “I know you’re scared! You told me!”

And the crackling sound from Thunder came to a halt. 

(Told… you…?)

Zenitsu nodded, taking a shaky breath. “You’re scared and I’m sorry for that. I let you out of the book, but that doesn’t give you the right to lash out on this city in fear. I don’t know Sakura, but I can hear your admiration and love for her, so I'm sure she wouldn’t want you to hurt others like this.”

“Please,” Zenitsu pleaded, shakily taking a step forward, his hand outstretched. 

“Let me help you.”

Seconds ticked by as the card quietly contemplated Zenitsu’s words. Zenitsu swallowed, not knowing what else to do. The card wasn’t reacting in anger or fear any longer, but it also wasn’t moving. No, all it was doing was making a gentle rumble with its voice. Would the card trust him? He had no idea.

‘Still, please just trust me…’

Lightning crackled once more and Thunder began to glow brighter. From its spherical form, four legs grew outward as a snout grew forward from the center. Zenitsu stared in shock as what once was a blue spherical ball of lightning was now a wolf-like creature that had razor-sharp fangs and piercing yellow eyes. Streaks or lightning danced around its large jagged body as its eyes stared down at Zenitsu’s trembling form. He couldn’t help but shudder under its intense gaze.

It was a gaze of that of a creature to be respected.

“You got Thunder to reveal its form,” Kero said from behind Zenitsu. 

“What do you mean?” Zenitsu questioned, his sight never leaving Thunder’s bestial form. He was in awe of its form.

“Thunder is one of the most aggressive cards. He usually doesn’t reveal his form unless you fight him. It’s just amazing that you managed to calm him down like that.”

Kero’s wings fluttered and the yellow plush tapped Zenitsu’s shoulder cheerfully. 

“You did great, Zenitsu. Now that Thunder has calmed down, how about you catch the big guy with your staff?”

“Catch him?”

“There’s a chant you have to say. Just hold your staff out and think about catching Thunder. Trust me, the words will come right to you.”

Zenitsu wanted to deny Kero’s words outright, but given how weird the day had already been for him, there was no reason for him not to try. He held his staff up in front of him and looked up at Thunder, who surprisingly was quiet except for the streaks of pale blue lightning that crackled around its body.

‘I want to catch Thunder.’

And words began to fill in Zenitsu’s head at his plea. He widened his eyes in shock, but quickly shook it away and spoke the words aloud.

“Thunder, I command you to return to your true form… SAKURA CARD!” 

In response, the white wings on Zenitsu's staff expanded and spread out. Thunder roared back and the blue wolf-like creature dissolved into pink strands of light that formed into a familiar pink card. The card floated gently down into Zenitsu’s outstretched hand. He stared silently down at the picture depicted on the card before fully collapsing on the ground as all the tension and fear left his body. 

“I can’t believe I did it,” Zenitsu whispered, still in shock.

A flutter of wings settled next to him and Zenitsu looked up, seeing Kero smiling proudly at him from his shoulder.

“Of course you did! You are amazing, Zenitsu!”

Kero suddenly frowned and lightly tapped Zenitsu’s cheek. 

“But next time, don’t put yourself in danger like that! Your safety is more important than catching the cards! Let me know next time, okay?”

Zenitsu only nodded at Kero’s lecture, too tired to respond back. He let Kero continue speaking as he took a peak at the card still in his hand, a gentle rumble echoing from it that only he could hear. 

Zenitsu had a feeling his life was only going to get crazier from that point on. 

Just his unfortunate luck of course. 

~~~~~~~

A boy with hanafuda earrings paused in his step, looking over to where the crescent moon bell sat among the priceless artifacts that had been passed through his family for generations. Just at that moment, it had rung which could only mean… 

“The book has been unsealed,” the boy breathed in shock. 

He turned to run and tell his family the news, the event they all had been preparing for generations- what he was preparing for as the oldest son. 

Whoever broke the seal was now the new master of the SAKURA cards. 

Which meant the cards' new master would be unprotected from the great evil the cards' previous master once faced.  

And it would be his duty to protect the new master at all costs. 

Whatever it took. 

~~~~~~~

A man with dark black hair opened his blood-red eyes with a wide smirk. He had felt it. The seal had finally become undone, which meant he was now free to claim what was rightfully his. 

Yes, those cards would finally be his.

With the master of the cards dead under his feet.