The World of the Moon

[pureauthor]

Oh Nanaya you have such a way with words.

Nanaya, even if he has to cover for his other self, is still awesome.

That he does and that he is. His dialogue in Melty Blood is full of that sort of faux-elegant dialogue.

I predict Neco-Arc's appearance in the Garden . . . And an engagement ring to be made out of that crystal.

I also think Akiha ought to have gone with ARAB - Absolutely (or Authoritatively) Remove Arcueid Brunestud.

Might not have been the best of ideas, since she invited Sion...

You know what, this may be indeed Arcueid's most terrible power. The ability to enjoy Hisui's cooking.

Intense intimidation would be very useful against her greater foes, and simply knowing this would frighten many of them.

[...]

*Currently laughing own face off from chapter*

*5 mins later*

Great job, this promises to be good =D
(What happened to Arcueid anyway, if Shiki is with Zelretch?)

Oh, don't worry. I'll get to Arcueid in the next update.

Probably the most hilarious part of this chapter. Even Ries, the accidental co-conspirator, gets a chair. Isn't it sad, Sacchin?

Akiha: She's a vampire, she can take standing up for a while.

Satsuki: *sob*

Awesome!!

Thanks!

[pureauthor]

The World of the Moon

(X)

Twenty Nine: CRAB Battle Part Two: The Great Cat Garden Offensive

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(X)

The journey to the Great Garden of Cats was a hazardous one, fraught with dangers of all kinds. Long was their journey through harrowing dangers of all kinds. But nevertheless they matched all the trials they faced, until finally they had approached the entrance to the Great Garden. Tomorrow morning they would be within the territory of the enemy, and so, on the last night, they sat around the campfire, talking about what each considered the worst part of their journey so far.

"Definitely the sharks," Akiha muttered. "The ones that shot lasers from their eyes."

"Those carnivorous man-eating plants," Kohaku sighed. "They're so much better than the ones I have back in the garden."

"The Cavern of the Thousand and One Horrible Dangers," Hisui said. "It was absolutely filthy."

"The Institute of Balanced Diet Regimens," Ciel insisted, her arms folded. "There is no such thing as an excess of curry!"

"The Island of Giant Monsters," Sion said. "Especially after they tried to eat Riesbyfe."

"It's fine!" Riesbyfe said brightly. "I apparently didn't taste that good anyway."

"I think it had something more to do with you stabbing them with Gamaliel," Satsuki pointed out. "From inside their mouths."

"Well, that too, I guess."

"Anyway, I think the worst trial we had to go through was the one where we had to stand with our arms stretched out and holding a glass of water in each hand for two minutes," everyone turned to stare at her. "What? It was really hard!"

"Don't you have super strength?"

"... Well, it was still hard!"

"Hahaha..." Kohaku chuckled and clapped her hands together. "In any case, that's all behind us. Tomorrow morning, the Great Garden of the Cats!"

"Yes, that's likely to be worse than any of horrors we've experienced so far," Ciel said, her expression hard. "We shall all need to work together in order to achieve what we set out to do."

"Yes," Akiha murmured. "Work together..." she gave a meaningful glance at Kohaku, which resulted in her missing the meaningful glance that Sion and Satsuki had shared and the meaningful glance Ciel had given Seven. (Seven, for obvious reasons, did not return that glance.)

"In that case, we should turn in early tonight," Sion nodded. "We have a trying journey ahead of us tomorrow."

That was something they could all agree on, and so after a few shared goodnights, they each retired to their own tents.

As Akiha settled down to sleep, she idly wondered what the True Ancestor was doing right now.

(X)

"The bicentennial gathering of the Types inhabiting this solar system will now commence," Type Jupiter rapped his gavel on the table, which had the rather unfortunate side effect of smashing the table into wood chips and tearing a giant, gaping chasm straight through the assembly room. None of the Types present so much as blinked. "First order of business, the roll call. Type Uranus, if you would do the honours?"

"Very well. Ahem... let us see here... ORT, Type Mercury?"

"PRESENT." ORT raised one of his limbs, with the unfortunate side effect of destroying most of the ceiling. No one reacted, save for Arcueid reaching up to brush a piece of dry plaster off her shoulder.

"V/V, Type Venus?"

"I'm here! Do you want me to play guitar to welcome-"

"No, that will be fine. Arcueid, Archetype Earth?"

"Present," Arcueid mumbled as she suppressed the urge to yawn. "Just hurry up and finish. I want to go home."

Ignoring that remark, Type Uranus continued down the list. "Brunestud, Type Moon?"

"Sure, HE gets to be called Type Moon. What about any of me? I have sixty two moons, none of them get to be called Type Moon. That's just discrimination, it is..."

"The floor requests silence for the duration of the roll call. Brunestud, Type Moon?"

"Present," Arcueid raised her hand again.

"... You can't be both Archetype Earth and Type Moon. We've been through this."

"Look, he's got his soul fragment things inside me which means he's present here... sort of. Or, or you can just mark him as Absent or whatever. We've been doing this stupid song and dance for the past eight hundred years, you know."

"Very well, let me just mark it down as 'extenuating circumstances'," Type Uranus mumbled.

Meanwhile, Type Mars leaned over slightly so he could whisper in Type Venus' ear, "Is it just me, or does Archetype Earth look more... animated to you?"

Type Venus shrugged.

(X)

“So this is the place?”

They stood over an archway made from some kind of stone that Sion could not readily identify. Beyond it lay a row of buildings that almost looked like houses. The roads were curved and twisted, looking more like something out of the mind of Lewis Carroll than an ordinary street.

“The entrance to the Great Garden of Cats…” nodding, Ciel took a deep breath. “This will not be an easy fight.”

“Regardless, we cannot simply stand here and do nothing,” Sion nodded. “We should prepare to advance.”

“Hey, uh…” Satsuki scratched her head nervously. “Does this place look a little… deserted to anyone?”

“The Necos are not large in number,” Ciel pointed out as she took a step forward. “Not seeing them randomly does not indicate anything. Everyone, stay on guard.”

Akiha took a deep breath and stepped forward, “For Nii-san!” And bellowing that as a battle cry, she charged.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t paying enough attention, because if she was she might have noticed the wind picking up all of a sudden.

“Akiha-san, look ou-“ Sion’s warning went unheard as gale force winds suddenly swept through the landscape, grabbing and tossing away anyone who didn’t have any sort of anchorage – which was most of them.”

Stay calm. Quickly, Sion scanned her surroundings as she was tossed into the air like a ragdoll. There! A hook attached to a stable enough beam, and she stretched her hand out, shooting nearly invisible strands of etherlite to secure herself to the hook. Craning her neck, she caught sight of another struggling figure in the distance, although she had flashed by too quickly for Sion to see exactly who it was.

No matter. Swinging her other hand other, Sion reached out and fired off another strand of etherlite, catch onto the person and keeping them in the vicinity.

As for the rest, though, she was helpless to save them and could only watch as they were blown away.

Finally, the wind subsided, and Sion dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. Several long seconds passed before she thought to look at the other person she had managed to save just a moment ago.

It was Kohaku.

(X)

“Nnh…” Satsuki moaned as she sat up. “My head…”

“Your head?” Ciel grumbled. “What about my neck! When that wind started up you wrapped your arms around me so tightly I thought I would choke!”

“S – sorry… I kinda panicked.”

Standing, Ciel dusted herself off and aimed a glare at Satsuki. “Don’t forget I’m not supposed to tolerate your existence. So don’t push your luck.”

Suppressing a squeak of fright, Satsuki pulled herself to her feet as well and glanced around the place. “Where… where are we?”

They appeared to be in a dry, dusty valley with no sign of life as far as the eye could see. Ciel’s eyes narrowed as she took in the forbidding landscape.

"I don’t know. Stay close to me," Ciel said. "We don't know who... or what might be lurking around here."

"Nyahahahaha!" a voice rang out suddenly. "So, this is the group that would dare to try breaching the impenetrable Fortress of the Cats? Such bravery! Or is it perhaps recklessness?"

"Who's there?" Ciel demanded as she whirled in place, trying to seek out the source of the laughter and the voice. "Show yourself!"

"Nyahaha! Have you forgotten already? Has it really been so long since we last met, Ciel-sensei?"

"..." Ciel swallowed hard, drawing her black keys in one smooth motion as she did so. "So... it's you."

"Huh?" Satsuki sputtered. "Who is it, Ciel-senpai? And why did that voice call you sensei?"

"Yes, it is indeed me! And to think you would break our agreement and our trust to lead a bunch of people to this place! This is most unforgivable, Ciel-sensei!" The voice continued, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

"... I did not lead them here," Ciel said calmly. "We found our own way and our own route."

"What? Isn't that still breaking the agreement that humans are not to trespass in our territory; our Great Garden?"

"Yes, but there were special circumstances for us coming here."

"Interesting! You seem determined, Ciel-sensei! In that case..." from the shadows, a dark shape emerged, clad in a white sweater and purple skirt.

"Eh?" Satsuki sputtered. "That looks like..."

"Neco-Arc," Ciel's eyes narrowed. "I thought I would run into you."

"Nya!" Neco-Arc began hopping back and forth, shadowboxing as she grinned cheekily at Ciel. "Come on Ciel-sensei! If you want to progress deeper into the Village, then you'll have to go through me! Nyahahaha!"

"Very well, I accept your challenge," with a nod, Ciel took a step forward. "Yumizuka-san, back me up."

"Eh? Ah! O - okay!"

And together, the two of them charged.

(X)

"Now then," Type Jupiter said. "On to the first order of business. Concerning the matter of Pluto..."

"Oh boy, here it comes," Type Mars muttered.

"Since the last time we gathered, there has been a... modification to the classification of Pluto's status, a shift from being a planet to being-"

"Objection!" Type Pluto snapped as it leaped to its feet - or what passed as feet for it. "I ask you, who were the ones who made that idiotic decision? HUMANS! They have nothing to do with this, save for Archetype Earth taking their hideous form for whatever reason!"

"Hey! I like my form!"

"Yes, yes. However, it must be acknowledged that they have reasonings for their decision. In any case, that is what we're here to vote on - whether to follow through on downgrading Pluto's status from being the Type of a planet."

"This wouldn't even be a big deal if we just accepted the Types of all the celestial bodies instead of just us ten," Type Saturn said. "Type Titan has been complaining a lot about that recently."

"Yes, because I'm sure Type S/2003 J 15 and Type Orthosie would have so much to contribute to the running of the solar system. The whole point of our gathering is that we're the most influential of the celestial bodies."

"Pft. Influential? In that case, why is Type Mercury even here? He's done nothing but sleep on Earth for the past five thousand years. Do you know how much effort it took just to get him to wake up and drag his sorry carcass to this meeting?"

"WATCH IT, NEPTUNE."

"Ahem. In any case, the matter of expanding the attendance of this gathering can be discussed later. For now, let us proceed with the vote concerning Pluto's status. The floor is open to anyone who wishes to make their views on the matter known. Yes, Type Pluto, you may speak..."

Arcueid sighed and slumped lower in her chair. “This is going to be a long day…” She mumbled.

(X)

"Kohaku-san, are you all right?" Sion said as she bent over to more closely check on the status of the maid.

"Fine, fine!" Kohaku said brightly as she jumped to her feet. "I was just... stunned, a little. What happened?"

"I calculate that it was a defence system intended to separate us," Sion said as she drew her Black Barrel Replica, glaring into the fog around them. "They must believe that we would be easier to pick off if we were separated instead of together."

Kohaku sighed and rubbed the back of her head. Given what she knew about their group, having them stick together might end up decreasing their ability instead. Well, she wasn’t too sure about her own ability to work with Sion, but she’d do her best.

After all, there was still the prize to be claimed…

“Oh, my, my, there were some who managed to withstand the trap.”

The voice was surprisingly gentle, and both Sion and Kohaku turned to face a Neco emerging from the nearby building. Her hair was pink, and in one hand she clutched a basket.

“A Neco-Arc…” Sion said slowly.

“Oh, so that’s a Neco-Arc!” Kohaku said. “I’ve never seen one before! It’s… a lot cuter than I thought it would be.”

“Oh, my, you think I’m cute?” a smile found its way onto the creature’s face. “Although, I must admit I’m a little disappointed that all of you are girls. What I wouldn’t give for a big strong man to pay me a visit one of these days…”

“Ahem,” Sion coughed. “Well, this… this has been a pleasant conversation, Ms. Neco-Arc, but we really must be going…”

“Not so fast!” The pink-haired Neco-Arc raised a hand to forestall Sion. “You didn’t come into the Great Garden of Cats for no reason! And until you reveal what it is, I can’t let you pass!”

Sion nodded. “I see. You intend to try to halt us?”

“Indeed. If not, you shall have to beat me in a cooking contest!”

Silence.

Sion blinked. “A cooking contest.”

“Indeed! If you can make a dish I acknowledge as wonderful, then you can go on. Oh, but what I wouldn’t give for someone to be as superb a cook as that redhead boy from when I visited the carnival! Ahem,” the Neco-Arc coughed. “But I will grant the privilege of passage to only one of you. Only the superior chef may pass!”

“Ooh, this sounds interesting!” Kohaku clapped her hands together. “Doesn’t it, Sion-san?”

“This is… utterly inane,” Sion snapped. “I refuse!”

“Oh, it’s okay if you don’t know how to cook,” the Neco-Arc said. “So many career women nowadays sacrificing all the traditional skills of a good housewife in pursuit of their professions. But I suppose it’s a valid life choice.”

“W – what are you insinuating?” Sion sputtered. “My cooking skills are perfectly adequate! It’s merely that this is an entirely inappropriate method for-“

“Huhuhu… come on, Sion-san,” Kohaku chuckled. “If you want to win Shiki-san’s heart, you should probably be a good cook too, you know? Think of this as preparation!”

“Nnh…” Sion glared at Kohaku. “You appear quite confident, Kohaku-san.”

“Well, I do practice my cooking a whole lot.” Kohaku’s innocent smile merely caused Sion’s frown to deepen.

“Fine,” she snapped. “I accept your challenge. I assume you have ingredients of some kind… Ms. Neco…” Sion trailed off as a table and a several bags full of raw ingredients appeared in front of her as if by magic.

“Oh, this is wonderful!” the pink-haired Neco-Arc exclaimed. “To think I’d be able to taste the cooking of two girls like you…”

With a tiny chuckle, Kohaku picked up her knife and got to work.

(X)

“All right, we have put the matter to a vote, and we are agreed. Type Pluto continue to attend these meetings if he accepts his diminished status as a dwarf planet.”

A tiny grumble was heard coming from Type Pluto, but the others ignored it.

“And now we turn to a more persistent problem,” Type Jupiter cleared his throat. “Archetype Earth, once more we raise the matter of the continued existence of humans on your planet.”

Arcueid raised a hand to her forehead and rubbed it wearily. “This again?” She mumbled. “We keep going in circles when we talk about this and it never goes anywhere.”

“We keep bringing this up because this is important,” Type Jupiter said, a hint of admonishment in his tone.

“The answer I gave was the same as last time, and it’ll be the same next time you ask,” Arcueid muttered. “Yes, Gaia will continue to allow humans to live on the planet for as long as Gaia itself does.”

“Typical.” Type Uranus muttered just loud enough for Arcueid to hear.

“The gathering will abide by Gaia’s decision in regards to the beings living on its planet,” Type Jupiter said. “That aside, we have a slightly more important matter to discuss. Archetype Earth, it has recently come to our attention that you have been spending more and more time in the vicinity of humans… and one human in particular.”

“Told you she was acting more animated.”

Arcueid stiffened. “That’s none of your business.”

“Officially, yes. However, we’d like to remind you that being a planet’s Ultimate One means certain duties that are inviolable. Let us take it as a gentle reminder that you should not be shirking your duties, regardless of who you decide to pass the time with. Now, on to other matters…”

Bristling at the thinly veiled threat, Arcueid sat back, her arms folded, as Type Jupiter continued to talk.

(X)

“Well, guess it’s just the two of us, huh?” Riesbyfe said cheerily as they continued walking along the deserted forest path. Akiha let out a long sigh as she continued to ignore the chatty Church agent.

“I mean, it’s a good thing I caught you before you ended up being blown to who knows where,” Riesbyfe continued, entirely oblivious to Akiha’s deepening irritation. “I guess it’s because I’m heavier? Or maybe it’s because of Gamaliel weighing me down. Anyway, if we just keep going in this direction we should run into the others. Or maybe the others got blown away too. I hope Satsuki’s okay. Sion’s pretty tough, and she’s got a good head on her shoulders, but Satsuki still isn’t that used to quests like this. She needs to learn a bit more self-confidence, though. She can be pretty powerful when the situation calls for it, and she just doesn’t appear to realize her true strength.”

“Are you done talking?” Akiha finally said. “Because I am pretty much done with listening.”

“Yeesh, lighten up,” Riesbyfe rubbed the back of her head. “Just trying to make conversation.”

“I don’t see that we have many points of common interest,” Akiha pointed out. “In fact, you don’t even really like Nii-san, do you?”

“Eh, Tohno’s an okay guy to hang out with,” Riesbyfe grinned. “Did I ever tell you about the time he and I formed the Nanaya Stalker Club?”

“Nanaya Stalker – no, nevermind. I don’t want to know,” she shook her head. “But you don’t love him, do you?”

“Nah, he’s just not my type.”

“… Then why did you come?”

“Well, Sion and Satsuki seemed pretty set on the whole plan, and I’m their friend. Gotta come help them out if the situation calls for it, doesn’t it? And if that means dragging my lazy butt out here into hostile territory, then that’s what it takes. Right now though, I think it means finding out just where the two of them have went.”

“Hm. A path towards that which you seek. That is one fraught with dangers,” a deep voice suddenly rang out from the surrounding trees, and the two girls pulled to a halt. “And even then there is no guarantee that there will be light at the end.”

“Show yourself!” Riesbyfe called.

“Show ‘myself’?” the voice said mockingly. “What is ‘myself’? I am based off two other characters, and I myself contain chaos within, the voices of beasts without number. But you may see me such as I am,” and from the trees a small, dark shape emerged.

“Neco-Arc Chaos!” Riesbyfe said, her eyes widening. “So the rumours were true!”

“That depends on the rumour in question, does it not?” Neco-Arc Chaos said as he lifted a cigar to his lips. “Regardless, I know what it is you and your friends are here for. They must not get their hands on it. That potion was not meant for human hands.”

“… Sorry, Chaos,” Riesbyfe said as she brought Gamaliel into a defensive position. “But I promised to help my friend find that, and I don’t break promises.”

“Indeed!” Akiha’s blue eyes blazed with fury. “Don’t hope to stand between me and nii-san!”

“Oh hoh!” Neco-Arc Chaos laughed. “Temperamental, aren’t you? But not to worry, I don’t have to fight you. This forest of illusion will do the trick of ensuring you don’t find your way through,” he turned and scurried back towards the undergrowth. “When you feel ready to give in, give me a holler and I’ll let you out. Until then, farewell, my fine ladies.”

Riesbyfe stared angrily at Neco-Arc Chaos as he vanished into the darkness. “Knowing him, he wasn’t kidding about this forest being impossible to navigate.”

“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem.” Akiha said calmly.

“Huh?”

Forsaking words, Akiha closed her and concentrated as her hair began to flare red.

(X)

“That hurt.” Hisui said as she pulled herself to her feet.

She had been flung perhaps farther than most. She supposed she should be grateful that she did not appear to have injured anything serious during the fall, but that meant that she was now alone, without anyone she knew was present.

She took a deep breath. I hope nee-san and Akiha-sama are okay. For now, I suppose I should complete my tasks to the best of my ability.

“Nh?” A voice from behind her. Well, it was less a voice and more of a grunt.

Turning, she beheld a tiny creature, that came up to her waist.

She stared curiously at the being, and it stared right back at her.

After a long moment, she bowed slightly.

“A pleasure to meet you. I presume you are one of what they refer to as a ‘Neco-Arc’!”

“Hnh! Hnh! Hnh!” three short grunts punctuated very enthusiastic nodding. Hisui smiled slightly.

“That is good. May I ask if you know your way around this place?”

More nodding.

“Well then, would you mind me accompanying you until I can find my travel companions?”

The Neco-Arc shook her head ‘No’.

“Thank you very much,” Hisui bowed deeply. “Also, if this is not too forward of me, have you perhaps heard of the Anti-Love Potion?”

A puzzled look came over the Neco-Arc as she cocked her head to one side for several long seconds before her eyes widened and she began nodding again.

“I… I see,” Hisui cupped her chin thoughtfully. This might be a good opportunity. “Well then, would you be so kind as to lead me to that potion?”

The Neco-Arc nodded enthusiastically yet again and reached out a hand (well, it was more like a furry ball) for Hisui to take ahold of.

“Then I am in your debt.”

(X)

“And that concludes the list of items on our agenda,” Type Jupiter said. “Except that Type Saturn has proposed a bigger auditorium to hold the meeting the next time around.”

“LIKE IT REALLY MATTERS,” ORT pointed out. “IT’S NOT LIKE YOU WOULD FIT INSIDE REGARDLESS.”

The holographic image of Type Saturn glared at ORT, who at 40 metres tall, just barely fit inside the chamber.

“Even if Type Saturn won’t fit regardless, I still think the idea of changing auditoriums has merit,” Type Neptune said. “Our current set of contractors are getting upset at the fact that we invariably destroy the place whenever we gather.”

The various Ultimate Ones paused to glance around the wreckage of the room, most of which had been caused by the various simply shifting to make themselves more comfortable.

“Well, it’s not like you can blame me or Archetype Earth for that.” Type Venus chuckled as she strummed an experimental note on her guitar.

“Shut up, you overgrown skyfish. Just because you have a more mobile alternate form you think you can lord it over us?”

“GentleTypes,” Type Jupiter said calmly. “Let us be civil about this. At any rate, are we all agreed to at least begin looking for alternative venues?”

Various shrugs and murmurs.

“Very well, then. You’ll be notified via the usual channels if anything new comes up. And with that, meeting dismissed.” Type Jupiter pounded his hammer once more, creating an explosion that blew out most of the remaining walls in the room.

Standing and stretching, Arcueid let out a sigh of relief. Finally, the meeting was over!

“That took too long,” she muttered.

(X)

“Hrrh... ghhh…” Ciel panted as she stumbled backwards, one hand clutching her side. To her side, Satsuki’s legs stuck out from the ground into the air, the top half of her body having been slammed into the mud where she was now stuck. “Unbelievable… none of the records ever spoke of the Neco-Arcs having combat power to this extent…”

“Nyahahahaha! What are you saying, Ciel-sensei! It’s not that I’m strong, it’s just that you’re weak!”

“W – what?” Ciel sputtered. “How dare you-“

“Your attacks like conviction! Your defence lacks focus! Your stomach lacks curry!” Neco-Arc folded her arms confidently. “Tell me, do you truly believe in what it is you set out to do? Pilfering an Anti-Love Potion just like that?”

“S – silence! What would you know of it? I’ve waited too long in the shadows, never letting my heart be known. This is… this is the only chance I have!”

“Hm,” Neco-Arc shrugged. “And so you’d be okay with manipulating someone else for your own desires? My, my.”

“I told you to be quiet! Stop making it sound bad!”

“… I’m just saying the bare facts, nya. If it still sounds bad, maybe it’s because it is bad?”

“Rrrrgh!” with a roar of anger, Ciel hurled a set of black keys at Neco-Arc, only for her to dodge them cleanly.

“Shinsou BEAM!” twin rays of light shot out from Neco-Arcs eyes and slammed into Ciel, sending her flying. “Your anger is making you sloppy, Ciel-sensei! Where were the wonderfully painful and accurate attacks you struck me with back in the classrrom, nya?”

As Ciel shakily pulled herself to her feet yet again, Neco-Arc waved cheerfully at her.

“Anyway, it looks like my work here is done. You better heal that girl over there and bring her back to village entrance pronto! And if you’ve ever regained your focus, let’s spar again sometime, Ciel-sensei!” And with that, Neco-Arc vanished in a puff of smoke.

“… Dammit.” Cursing under her breath, Ciel set out to dig Satsuki from the ground.

(X)

“Oh me, oh my!” the pink-haired Neco-Arc moaned blissfully as she continued stuffing her face with the food. “This is absolutely fabulous.”

“Well, then, Neco-Arc-san, please try some of my poached salmon next!” Kohaku said as she placed the platter in front of it. “Oh yes, and my roast chicken in teriyaki sauce should be just about done…”

Folding her arms, Sion attempted to keep her temper in check. “Do either of you remember that this was supposed to be a cooking contest?” she said, just a trifle more venomously than she liked to admit. “Tell us who the winner was so she can go collect the potion!”

“Oh, that…” the Neco-Arc dabbed her mouth delicately with a napkin. “That was a lie. Neither of you get to pass.”

“W – what?” Sion sputtered.

“I was just told to delay both of you for a couple of hours. It looks like I accomplished my job rather well, so I’ll be taking my leave now,” she paused. “But before that, let me just say this. Kohaku dear, your cooking is absolutely fabulous. But you really should try to cut down on the hallucinogens in the food, dear. It’s not healthy.”

“Oh…” Kohaku chuckled nervously. “You could tell? I just wanted you to collapse so we could move on, actually…”

“Well, no harm done. Now, Sion dear, there’s no technical fault in your cooking – I suppose that would be expected of an alchemist of Atlas. You followed the recipes perfectly. It’s just…” she sighed and shook her head. “Your cooking lacks heart. That’s what makes genuinely superb meals, you know.”

“Wha…” Sion sputtered. The infuriating Neco-Arc was leaving her surprisingly tongue-tied.

“Well then, I suppose I’ll see you. I’ll drink to your future tonight, girls! Farewell!” and the Neco-Arc vanished in a flash of light.

“Goodbye!” Kohaku waved after the vanished Neco-Arc and turned to the dumbstruck Sion. “That was a pretty good learning experience, wasn’t it?”

“If by learning experience you mean a complete waste of time, then yes, I agree with you!” Sion snapped. “She manipulated us!”

“Now, now, don’t get so mad, Sion-san. You should learn to loosen up more.”

It took all of Sion’s self-control not to start chewing on her etherlite.

(X)

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…’

“I-“

“Don’t say it,” Akiha snapped.

“Burning down the forest didn’t help. It’s still full of illusions. Only now they’re illusions of dead tree stumps instead of live ones.” Riesbyfe pointed out. “And we could spend another couple of hours wandering the place, but personally I’m getting hungry.”

“…” Akiha could feel a vein throbbing on her temple. “Defeated by the sort of tricks that fairies pull in nursery rhymes? Is this what I’ve been reduced to?”

“Well, on the bright side, it’s not as bad as getting eaten by a vampire-turned-sapient-phenomenon and then getting reanimated and press-gangeed into service under your best friend-turned-vampire from a thousand years in the future.”

Akiha paused to shoot Riesbyfe a look.

Riesbyfe sighed. “You know what, enough is enough. Neco-Arc Chaos! I call ‘Uncle!’ So let us out of here!”

“… About that,” the voice popped up.

“What is it?”

“When your friend torched the place she accidentally melted the control panel for the forest. I… sort of can’t turn the illusions off anymore.”

“…”

“…”

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go sit by that tree stump right over there and have myself a good cry,” Riesbyfe said.

“Gimme a sec,” Neco-Arc Chaos spoke up. “I’ll send out as many of my beasts as I can. If any of them can find you, they can also lead you out of here… let’s see… wow, when did I get one of those? Ah, there we go…”

Several minutes later, Akiha and Riesbyfe were being led out of the forest by a rather smelly warthog, and Akiha was trying to decide if this was worse or better than being stuck in the forest.

(X)

“So… where’s Hisui?” Akiha demanded when they were all gathered once more at the entrance to the village.

“I… did not see her,” Sion admitted. “I assume she must have been blown off somewhere.”

“No sign of her with me, either.” Ciel cupped her chin, looking thoughtful.

“Anyway, what do we do now? We didn’t succeed in finding the potion.”

“Our first priority is to find Hisui-chan!” Kohaku said decisively. “And if that means braving the Necos again, then so be it!”

“There is no need, nee-san.” Came the voice from behind them.

They turned as one to see the maid standing there, a glass vial clutched protectively in her arms.

“Hisui!” Akiha’s eyes widened. “You’re all right!”

“Yes, I am,” she bowed. “Thank you for your concern, Akiha-sama.”

“What’s that in your hands, Hisui? Is that…”

“…” Hisui held the vial up towards them. “See for yourself.”

A label was pasted onto the bottle, reading ‘Anti-Love Potion: Separation as Far as the Earth and Skies’.

“Incredible.” Ciel breathed.

“Not bad!” Riesbyfe whistled. “You must have braved all sorts of dangers and trials to find the bottle.”

“It was not so trying as that,” Hisui shook her head. “Regardless, shall we return? I believe we have what we came for.”

Their spirits buoyed, the seven of them turned back – various minds already turning to how best to seize the potion and gain exclusive use of it.

(X)

“Shiki! There you are!” Arcueid laughed. “I was looking for you!”

“Sorry, Arc!” Shiki smiled back. “I had to make a long-distance trip. But where were you? I recall you left on your own journey a bit before I did.”

“Oh, you know,” Arcueid waved her arms carelessly. “Boring stuff. Bureaucracy and all that. I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Was it really that irritating?”

“You don’t want to know,” Arcueid slumped her shoulders and let out an exaggerated sigh. “But let’s not talk about that right now, Shiki.”

“All right, Arc,” Shiki smiled gently and reached out a hand to her. “How about a relaxing dinner by the waterfront instead? I think that’ll be more interesting than whatever it is you were doing.”

“Why, Shiki!” Arcueid laughed and reached out to seize Shiki’s hand. “I thought you’d never ask.”

(X)

Next: CRAB Battle Part Three: The Question

[Kieran]

Ten Types, four Neco-Arcs, one Shirou reference . . . Throw in a partridge in a pear tree, and I think we have the makings of a Christmas carol, here.

So, what have we learned?

1) Spelltraps for separating adventuring parties are darned handy.

2) Neco-Arcs are scary, and watch way too many anime that include speeches about "heart" (given two separate references).

3) Contractors have no right to complain about repairs when they have two hundred years between meetings to fix things.

And, 4) it's always the shy, quiet, and polite ones that get things done.


Can't wait to see how the next part turns out.

[pureauthor]

Ten Types, four Neco-Arcs, one Shirou reference . . . Throw in a partridge in a pear tree, and I think we have the makings of a Christmas carol, here.

So, what have we learned?

1) Spelltraps for separating adventuring parties are darned handy.

2) Neco-Arcs are scary, and watch way too many anime that include speeches about "heart" (given two separate references).

3) Contractors have no right to complain about repairs when they have two hundred years between meetings to fix things.

And, 4) it's always the shy, quiet, and polite ones that get things done.


Can't wait to see how the next part turns out.

Akiha has also learned that wanton destruction may in fact be counterproductive to her goals, and Arcueid has learned to bring a gameboy (or whatever equivalet may exist 200 years from now) the next time she gets called for one of those meetings. Practicality!

[Kieran]

And in 200 years, it'll probably be a subdermal microchip that runs the game's input directly into her brain - so she can look like she's paying attention and still have fun. Lucky!

[legoguydude]

Gotta ask - was she wearing her sweater and skirt outfit, or was she wearing that big fancy dress?

[Kieran]

Well, since no one complained about her being out of uniform, I assume the dress.

[Rylin]

No Arc totally went as Phantasmoon. Everyone knows that's her true mode of dress after all. =P.

More seriously, another great chapter! I can't wait to see what happens next. And I suspect getting that potion away from Hisui is going to be harder than any of the other girls think. No one expects Hisui.

[pureauthor]

Arcueid was in fact wearing her waitress outfit from working at the Ahnenerbe Cafe before she got called away for the meeting, since her shift ran late and she didn't have time to change.

(The More You Know)

[Kieran]

Haven't seen one of those ads in a while . . . But good to know.

(Because Knowing Is Half the Battle)

[pureauthor]

The World of the Moon

(X)

Thirty: CRAB Battle Part Three: The Question

And with this, the 30th chapter in this story, I've more or less come to the end of this series of oneshots.

What does this mean going forward? Well, mostly it means that I will no longer be updating this on a regular basis of one new entry a week. This fic will (most probably) still be updated, if/when I get inspiration for new oneshots, but those will only be when they hit, and thus will be rarer than normal. I'll be moving on to focus on other stories.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this last chapter of CRAB Battle.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(X)

They was a messy tangled of sprawled limbs and groaning females in the gardens of the Tohno Mansion.

For a long moment, no one moved. And then, finally, Ciel shifted, falling away from the pile and landing on the floor.

"I told you we shouldn't have trusted that Neco-Arc to send us back properly."

"What? She indeed delivered us to the correct location!" SIon pointed out, the second one to disengage and the first one to stand up.

"Yes, but the manner in which she did so leaves a bit to be desired." Akiha said as she pulled herself free of the pile.

"Um, guys?" from the bottom of the pile came a muffled voice. "It's kinda uncomfortable being here on the bottom. Would you mind moving a little quicker?"

"Ah, my apologies, Yumizuka-san." Quickly, Hisui got off, followed by Kohaku and Riesbyfe. "Are you injured?"

"Oh, eh no!" Satsuki sat up, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm tougher than that, after all! It was just kind of uncomfortable."

"Ahem," Sion coughed. "Moving on... we have secured the potion, have we not?"

Hisui nodded, holding the bottle up to show Sion.

"Well, next thing to do is find Shiki and Arcueid in order to feed them that potion," Riesbyfe said. "Maybe slip it into their drinks or somethng?"

"Indeed," Akiha tossed several strands of hair back across her shoulder. "Kohaku?"

"Yes, Akiha-sama!" Kohaku said cheerfully as she pulled what appeared to be a heavily modified Gameboy out from the folds of her robe. "Let's see here..."

"Tohno-san, is that...?"

Akiha smirked at Ciel. "What? Are you surprised that I would have something on hand with which to track nii-san?”

Any reply Ciel would have made was drowned out by an excited shout from Kohaku.

“I’ve got it! He’s… at the quay right now. Probably one of the restaurants along the riverside.”

“Hm. In that case, I suppose it’s a safe bet that vampire is with him.”

“I see,” Sion nodded. “In that case -“ shimmering strands of etherlite flicked through the air, yanking the bottle out of Hisui’s hands.

Ignoring the surprised gasp from the quiet maid, Sion waved her hand. “Akiha-san, Ciel, my thanks for your aid during the journey. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

And she turned and ran, leaving Satsuki to start with surprise and begin chasing after her, and for Riesbyfe to make a brief, apologetic bow before leaving along with her friend.

(X)

“Shiki?” Arcueid cocked her head to the side, an expression of wide-eyed curiosity on her face. It somehow made her look even cuter than usual. “Is something the matter?”

Shiki shook his head. “Well, no, at least, I don’t think so. I just… can’t shake this odd feeling.”

“Oh? Anything in particular you’re feeling strange about?”

“That’s just it. I can’t think of any reason for me to be feeling uneasy.”

“But you are anyway?” Arcueid picked up her glass of water and took a drink from it. “That sounds kinda serious, Shiki. Maybe you should get it looked into.”

“Well, maybe,” Shiki sighed. “But the last time I felt uneasy like this was when… well… when you were making that cake for me and you hadn’t told me about it yet.”

“Oh. So it’s intuition, huh?” Arcueid said as she sat back. “But what could there be that would make you feel like that?”

“What indeed?” Shiki shrugged.

(X)

“Dammit!” Ciel swore as she leapt to the air. I hadn’t expected that Sion would be the one to make the first move!

Fortunately for Sion and unfortunately for Ciel, the trees surrounding the Tohno mansion grounds made ideal cover for an escape, and so Ciel was unable to catch her before they had reached the city.

Sion, Riesbyfe, and Yumizuka. All of them have the endurance and strength needed to keep moving until they reach Shiki and Arcueid. Their stealth skills at being able to sneak the potion to him she was rather less sure about, but that was secondary. Her first goal would be to reclaim the potion.

Soon she was within the city proper once more, jumping from rooftop to lamppost and rooftop again as she sought to cover more ground.

The Back Alley Alliance… well, they were given that name for a reason. They probably know the alleyways and backstreets of Misaki city well. And it’s only natural someone like Tohno-san wouldn’t have a good knowledge of those paths if she wanted to give chase. A smirk came across Ciel’s face. Well, it looks like Sion didn’t remember to take me into account. I patrol these streets every night, and I know all the shortcuts.

And if Ciel didn’t miss her guess, the route that led to the quay the quickest would be… right… over… there…

Ciel’s eyes narrowed as she caught sight of a figure clad in grey and black standing in her path, and adjusted her next jump so that she would land in front of her.

“Yo,” Riesbyfe grinned cheerily. “You got here faster than Sion anticipated, Ciel. Barely had time to set up before you arrived.”

“Shield Knight Stridberg,” Ciel said. “Stand down and let me pass.”

“No can do, Burial Agent. I don’t have a personal stake in the potion, so Sion and Satsuki are counting on me to hold the line against you.”

“You cannot possibly believe that you can defeat me,” Ciel snapped as she drew her Black Keys.

“See, that’s the thing. I don’t need to defeat you. I just need to – what?” Riesbyfe snapped to attention at the same time that Ciel realized that they were not alone in the alleyway.

Whirling, she confronted the mass of dark, whirring, clicking shapes as they converged on her location.

(X)

“Typical Ciel,” Akiha smirked as she dialled her cell phone, arranging for a car to be brought up. “Rushing off without even thinking of the consequences. But this is my city, and I know how to handle things within. Kohaku?”

“Of course, Akiha-sama!” Kohaku smiled and nodded. “On your orders, I’d already arranged for the Mech-Hisuis to be disseminated across the city in the interim period while we were out travelling. And to prepare a variety of traps for the careless, of course!”

“As efficient as ever,” Akiha nodded as the limousine pulled into view. “Well then, shall we? I believe we have an appointment with nii-san at the quay.”

As Kohaku got into the car first, Akiha turned back to the regard Hisui, who was staring off into a distant with a somewhat dazed look on her face.

“What’s the matter, Hisui?” a softer note entered Akiha’s voice. “You’re not worried about losing the bottle, are you? Don’t worry, it was a surprise attack from Sion.”

“That… is not it, Akiha-sama,” Hisui shook her head hastily. “Do not worry. I will be fine.”

“If you say so. Come on, get in the car. We have a potion to recover.”

And with that, the three of them entered the car and began to drive down into the city.

(X)

“… Do you think Riesbyfe will be all right?” Satsuki asked as she glanced over her shoulder. “I mean, the person most likely to run into her is Ciel-senpai…”

“Riesbyfe is perfectly capable of looking after herself,” Sion said, never once breaking stride as she continued down the path towards the quay.

“… I guess you’re right.” Satsuki swallowed hard. “And… and I guess that means it’s just the two of us now, Sion.”

Sion slowed in her step as she caught the meaning behind Satsuki’s words. “Very well” She nodded once. “This was always going to happen sooner or later anyway. I’m ready when you are, Satsuki.”

Satsuki crouched low, flexing her claws as Sion drew and primed her Black Barrel Replica. “May the best fighter win, Satsuki.”

Satsuki nodded. “And to the victor go the spoils!”

I can do this! I have to do this! For Tohno-kun! That thought it mind, Satsuki leapt forward with swift punch that Sion ducked away from. Strands of etherlite whipped out to ensnare Satsuki, but concentrating her strength, Satsuki tore her way through her binds and charged Sion once more.

One, two, and three gunshots rang out from Sion’s gun, and Satsuki leapt into the air, avoiding the bullets before she came down with a swift kick that Sion ducked away from.

C’mon! Focus! Clenching her fist, Satsuki made to advance on Sion again when the tap of a foot against concrete drew the two girls’ attention away from their fight.

Turning, Satsuki caught sight of –

“Black Cat-san? What are you doing here?”

“Len, it’s dangerous here,” Sion said. “You should not remain in our vicinity.”

Len glanced at Sion, then and Satsuki, and before staring down at the bottle she now held in her hand.

“Wait, that’s-!” Satsuki blurted out.

“I – impossible!” Sion patted at her pockets. “How – when did you get ahold of that, Len?”

Silently, Len turned the bottle so that she could read the label on the bottle, and her eyes widened.

“It – it’s not what you think!” Satsuki blurted out. “It’s just that-!”

Len raised her gaze once more to Satsuki and Sion, the look of outrage plain on her face. Before either of them could say a word, Len had changed into her cat form, the bottle clutched firmly in her mouth as she turned and sped away into the darkness of the night.

“We have to get that bottle back!” Sion proclaimed somewhat unnecessarily. “Come on, Satsuki!”

“R- right behind you!”

(X)

“Mm!” Arcueid had a smile on her face. “The pudding was delicious!”

“Glad you liked it,” Shiki smiled back at her. Dinner had gone by surprisingly quickly, Arcueid having practically inhaled most of the dishes that they had served her. He could only suppose that she was making up for lost time from… wherever she had been.

Well, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been glad to get several hot drinks after his own journey.

And on that note… “Arc? Shall we take a walk after this?”

Arcueid smiled and nodded. “Sure! I could use the walk to help digest that food anyway.”

Signalling the waiter for the bill, Shiki sat back to wait for it to arrive, and a frown made its way onto his face.

Coming at him at a speed just too fast for him to feel comfortable with was a limousine. One that he recognized. Even as he sat up in his chair, the car screeched to a halt, and Akiha emerged from the interior.

“Akiha?” he questioned, and Arcueid twisted in her seat to look behind her. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, hey, Little Sister! Didn’t know you were back in the city too!”

“… Nii-san,” Akiha folded her arm and made a point of ignoring Arcueid. “Did anyone else come by a little earlier? Like, oh, Sion or Ciel?”

“Er, huh?” Shiki blinked and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Typical,” Akiha reached up to rub her forehead. “Even when they try to turn against you they can’t do it right. Well then, change of plans. Nii-san, get in the car.”

“W-what?” Shiki sputtered. “What’s this about?”

“Yeah, Little Sister! This is pretty pushy, even for you. What’s going on?”

“I’m pushy? That’s a laugh coming from you, Arcueid,” Akiha said arrogantly as she flipped her hair back. “Anyway, nii-san’s in danger from Sion and Ciel, so I’m going to bring him to somewhere safe.”

“Hahaha!” Arcueid laughed. “Well, no need to worry, Little Sister! I’m sure I can protect him from anything those two try!”

“…” Akiha heaved a sigh. “I knew words would be useless. Well, fortunately, I came prepared. Kohaku?”

“Yes, Akiha-sama! On your orders, I had the Mech-Hisuis mine every restaurant and eatery in town with smoke grenades in the possibility of Shiki choosing to visit one of them. And they’ll activate once I press this button!”

“Wait, wha-“ was all Shiki managed to get out before Kohaku tapped the button as hard as she could. Several muffled booming sounds could be heard, and suddenly the entire area was filled with grey smoke, obscuring all vision.

Shiki stood from his chair, only to feel delicate fingers on his shoulder, and he turned to see a smiling Kohaku at his side.

“Now, Shiki-san, if you wouldn’t mind getting in the car?”

“… Sure thing, Kohaku. Just… just put that needle away, please.”

(X)

The smoke soon cleared to see a rather sooty Arcueid sitting at the table, blinking in surprise. A moment later, a waitress hesitantly came up to her.

“Um, miss? The bill for this table…”

Arcueid glanced down at the tab. “Oh… I don’t suppose you’d be willing to take a raincheck?”

(X)

“There’s no end to these machines!” Ciel sputtered as she reduced another Mech-Hisui to scrap.

“Woo, that maid’s sure got some brains in her head to be able to make an ensemble like this,” Riesbyfe said admiringly as she ran another of the machines through.

“Now’s not the time to be admiring the enemy!” I have to clear these away quickly so I can catch up with Sion and that potion!

“Analysing-situation.” The Mech-Hisuis droned in unision. “Opponent-threat-level-extremely high.

“Acknowledged. Switching-to-lethal-ordnance.”

“Wait, lethal-“ Ciel sputtered before twin beams of golden light shot out from the nearest Mech-Hisui at her. Even as she regained her balance, a second Mech-Hisui charged her, its hands having been replaced with drills. As she evaded and tripped it, she caught sight of a third Mech-Hisui launching its arms at her like a rocket.

“How many weapons did she pack into these things?” Ciel said as she held back besides Riesbyfe. It was only then that she realized that Riesbyfe was silent. “… Shield Knight?”

“…” Ciel could see sparkles in Riesbyfe’s eyes. “Did you see that? That was a Photon Beam attack! It was reproduced perfectly! And that twin rocket punch! The pose was even identical to how Zambot did it in the show!”

Great. The one ally I have in this fight turns out to be a giant robot geek. Scowling, Ciel assessed her options and leapt up to the rooftop.

“This is a waste of time,” she snapped. “These robots can’t stop me. I’m going after Sion and the potion. Do as you… will…” she trailed off as she caught sight of a black figure darting through the alley. “… Len?”

“Hey, Len’s got the potion with her!” Riesbyfe yelled.

“… Assessing-situation. Feline-in-possession-of-retrieval-priority-target. Switching-combat-targets,” as one, the remaining Mech-Hisuis turned to face Len, who had only now begun to realize that she was in a really bad position.

... Len has the potion in her mouth? And she’s running in the opposite direction of the quay? Ciel’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what happened between you and Sion, but that potion is mine!”

And with that proclamation, she leaped into the air once more, drawing her Black Keys as she did so.

(X)

Sion was feeling rather frustrated as she ran through the alleys of Misaki City, seeking the elusive black cat.

Leave it to Len to derail our plans at the very last moment. But where would she go? Likely her first thought would be to hide the potion somewhere where we wouldn’t be able to find it, but- Emerging out into the main street as a limousine drove by, Sion’s eyes widened.

Akiha-san was in there! With Shiki Tohno! Making a split second decision, Sion burst into a sprint, her vampiric blood giving her the strength and speed needed to keep up with the car as it rolled down the main road.

The potion could come later. Right now she needed to make sure that nothing happened to Shiki before she was able to properly secure him for herself.

(X)

“Aw, this sucks…” Satsuki mumbled to herself as she wandered the back alleys. “Where could Black Cat-san have gone off to?”

And the look she gave us before she ran off. It was so… outraged. Satsuki reached up to scratch at her temple. I guess she wouldn’t approve of us trying something with a potion like that. But still, it’s my only chance to – eh?

Rounding a corner and rubbing her head in consternation was Arcueid Brunestud.

Shiki’s girlfriend.

Her rival.

“ – drags him off to who knows where and – Oh, it’s Satsuki!” Arcueid broke out into a bright smile. “How are you tonight? Feeling okay?”

“… Oh, fine! Just fine!” Satsuki said, a bright smile pasted on her face. Arcueid being so nice to her was a bit of a problem, but then again, she didn’t know what her being here… what her being around Shiki had done to her. “A… Arcueid-san!”

“Hm? Something the matter? To be honest, I’m a little busy.”

“Y – yes!” Satsuki nodded with determination. Forget the potion! Forget sneaking around! I’m going to win Tohno-kun’s heart the straightforward way! “Arcueid-san, I challenge you to a duel!”

“… A… duel…” Arcueid raised an eyebrow.

“Y – yes!” Satsuki nodded. “For the right to date Tohno-kun! The winner has to agree not to pursue any romantic relations with him.”

“Oh, another one? You have got to be kidding me,” Arcueid’s demeanour changed in an instant, going from a pleasant, if somewhat ditzy looking girl to a cold, imperious princess with a glare that could melt steel. A look so similar to the one Arcueid had given her the first time they had met. “I never took you for another one of them, Satsuki.”

Resisting the urge to quail with fright, Satsuki clenched her fist. “I’ve… I’ve known Tohno-kun for longer than you have! I have as much right to try to win his heart as you do.”

“Two things. First, I’ve already ‘won Shiki’s heart’, as you put it,” Arcueid took a step forwards, and it took all of Satsuki’s willpower not to take a step back. “Secondly, don’t go getting ahead of yourself and thinking that you’re anywhere near my league in terms of power.”

“That’s… that’s where you’re wrong!” Satsuki shouted. “You’re right! Under normal circumstances there’s no way I could beat you… but this… this is no ordinary situation!”

“Nh?” Arcueid raised an eyebrow.

“It’s love!” Satsuki declared. “This time, I’m fighting for the sake of the one I love! The power of love is the strongest force in the universe, and as long as I have it on my side, there’s no way I can lose!”

Silence fell upon the two of them for a very long moment. And then Arcueid sighed.

“What are you on about?”

“H – huh?”

“Even if I accepted your theory that fighting for the sake of love makes you stronger,” Arcueid scowled at Satsuki. “You really don’t think I love Shiki? I would give my life for him,” her glare deepened. “I did give my life for him, and he would do the same for me.”

“E- eh? So what you’re saying is…”

“Yes, I am. I’m powered by love too!” And Arcueid leapt at Satsuki, a single fist clenched.

N – no way! I completely miscalculated? That was the only thought that went through Satsuki’s mind before the blow connected.

(X)

White Len sighed as she stared at her home.

That was, honestly speaking, a bit of an injustice to the very word.

A collection of cardboard boxes thrown together and held up with duct tape, glue, and willpower, it nevertheless provided some protection from the elements outside, which was more than could be said of her last residence of a garbage bag.

Sometimes she wondered if it would really be so bad if she just swallowed her pride and asked her counterpart for help.

And then, with a sound like booming thunder, a figure in yellow smashed through the far end of the alley, slamming into the wall next to her home facefirst, and remaining stuck there.

“Nanaya, put the kettle on!” White Len called. “We have a guest!”

“Can I kill him?”

“Her. And no, you cannot.”

After several long seconds, Satsuki slowly slid down from the wall and collapsed onto the floor.

“Say, do you prefer tea or coffee? Well, the main ingredient is dirt anyways, so I guess it doesn’t really matter all that much…”

Satsuki let out a choked groan.

(X)

“So, do you plan on actually telling me where you’re taking me or anything?” Shiki asked as he looked over at his sister. “Because I kind of had something planned for tonight, you know.”

“All in good time, nii-san.”

“We’re sitting in a car with absolutely nothing else to do but talk. How is this not a good time?”

Akiha heaved a sigh and glanced over at Kohaku. “Kohaku, any luck on the tracking?”

“Sorry, Akiha-sama. But the visuals the Mech-Hisui’s were sending me appear to have been cut off. I can’t find Len-san anymore.”

“Visuals? Mech-Hisuis? Akiha, what is going on?”

“Nii-san,” Akiha aimed a glare his way. “Please be quiet.”

“…” Shiki heaved a sigh and slumped back in his seat. “So, that’s the way it’s going to be, huh. In that case, I’m sorry, Akiha.”

“Sorry? Sorry for wha-“ Akiha’s words were cut off as Shiki removed his glasses and reached up to slice the ceiling with his knife, cutting open a hole in the car.

“Shiki-sama! You can’t! It’s too dangerous!”

Shiki paused to glance at the two maids before grasping ahold of the lid of the hole and vanishing out the top of the limo.

“Stop the car!” Akiha snapped, and the limo screeched to a halt.

Throwing open the car doors, Akiha scrambled out, glancing frantically in all directions, not catching sight of her brother.

“Kohaku!”

“Yes, yes, just a moment… ah, there we go. Akiha-sama, it appears he’s heading in the direction of the park.”

“I see. Then, we should-“

“You will do no such thing,” from the shadows, Sion emerged, breathing heavily but otherwise at the ready. “Enough is enough, Akiha-san. I will have to deter you from further pursuit of him.”

“Oh, is that so?” Akiha’s eyes flashed dangerously and her hair began to rise around her. “You already messed up once when you lost the potion to Len. Why, one might even say you miscalculated.”

Sion’s fists tightened, and she shifted into a battle-ready stance.

“… Kohaku.”

“Yes, Akiha-sama! On your orders, I prepared an energy matrix around the perimeter of the park that would make it impossible for Shiki-san to escape once he entered it. Although…” a note of hesitancy entered her voice. “I made it so that one of us had to be there in person to manually activate the trap.”

“Very well. Kohaku. Take Hisui with you and make sure nii-san doesn’t leave the park. As for you, Sion…” Akiha turned to face the alchemist.

“I had hoped you would not interfere too much in this affair,” Sion blew out a sigh. “I would have liked for us to remain comrades.”

“Comrades… is that so?” Akiha said. “Well, I can’t compromise on this matter.”

“Understood. And neither will I,” Sion’s gaze narrowed. “Let us settle this, Akiha-san.”

“Yes, let’s.”

(X)

Several Black Keys slammed down in front of Len, forming a wall that effectively cut off her escape.

“Enough fun and games, Len,” Ciel said coldly. “Give me the bottle. Now.”

Len’s gaze shifted back and forth for several long seconds until she came to the conclusion that there was indeed no easy out of this, and she spat the bottle down at Ciel’s feet, obvious anger in her eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Ciel snapped as she retrieved the potion. “You’ve no idea what I endured, do you?”

Len sniffed disdainfully and turned away, refusing to meet Ciel’s gaze.

Well, that’s the potion in my hands. And as for Riesbyfe… Ciel shifted her gaze to the side.

“C’mon, let me see it! Let me see it! Ooh, did Kohaku make you capable of performing a Giga Drill Breaker?”

“Making-request-cease-attempting-to-open-my-chassis. And-the-proper-technical-term-for-it-is-Giga-Drill-Break.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Ciel turned and jumped onto the top of a nearby lamppost, scanning the city. She had the potion, now all she needed to do was to locate Tohno-kun…

Meanwhile, Seven’s spirit appeared on the ground next to Len, who now had a palpable aura of gloom around her at not being able to safely retrieve the potion.

“Cheer up, Len!” Seven said brightly. “Master won’t use the potion for anything too bad! … I think.”

(X)

“Ah, it appears he’s settled himself down at a bench,” Kohaku smirked. “Perfect! This will make setting up the energy web without him knowing so much easier! Hisui-chan, please keep a lookout on anyone else that might approach while I’m working.”

“… Nee-san?”

“Hm?”

“What is the point of all this? Merely isolating Shiki-sama. You’re not planning on… holding him down and forcing the potion down his throat, are you?”

“Don’t be silly, Hisui-chan! Nothing so crude as that. I’ll probably slip it into a drink or something… ah, there we go!”

There was a crackling noise, and a blue shimmering dome appeared to cover the entirety of Misaki Park.

“Ohohohoho!” Kohaku laughed and clenched her fist in triumph. “My greatest work yet!”

“…” Hisui tugged at the sleeve of her sister.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Nee-san, it appears Arcueid-sama and Ciel-san have arrived.”

(X)

“Fancy meeting you here.”

“…” Ciel made no reply.

“I take it you’ve been involved with all the nonsense that’s been going on tonight as well?”

“Maybe,” Ciel raised an eyebrow. “That would depend on what sort of nonsense you ran into exactly. But right now, we’ve a slightly more important question.”

“Yes, who put this stupid barrier up,” Arcueid craned her neck to look at the top of the dome.

“Well, whoever did it, I’m not in the mood to play around,” Ciel drew another set of Black Keys. “This wall is going down!”

“If one of you put this wall up, then I guess it was to separate me from Shiki. So I want it down too,” with a nod, Arcueid wound her fist up.

“HAH!” as both attacks crashed into the barrier, it shattered into nothing, and Ciel dashed through, eyes darting back and forth for any sign of.

“Ah, Ciel-san!” from the bushes, Kohaku stepped out, her grand entrance only slightly cheapened by the presence of several leaves stuck in her hair. “I believe you have something I want.”

“… Too bad,” Ciel replied tightly. “The potion’s mine to use.”

“Oh, is that so? Fufufufu, you might not want to be so hasty to make proclamations like that, Ciel-san. You see, we anticipated you being the most dangerous of all our foes, and upon Akiha-sama’s orders, I proceeded to find a way to defeat you!”

“… You found a way to defeat a Burial Agent like me?” Ciel said. “Don’t make me laugh, Kohaku.”

“Tsk, again with the hastiness,” Kohaku raised a tiny packet up into the air. “Do you see this, Ciel-san?”

“What of it?”

“It’s a special reagent I developed specifically for the purpose of defeating you! I call it the Rabuzone XZ Beta!” Kohaku pointed a finger at Ciel. “Do you know what this does?”

“No, but I have a feeling I’m going to find out.”

“Fufufu, how smart you are. When I throw this to the ground, it will release a gas into the air – and when that gas becomes inhaled by a human, he or she… will become deathly allergic to curry!”

Ciel could actually feel her knees growing weaker. “You… you wouldn’t…”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” Kohaku chuckled. “Upon Akiha-sama’s orders, I distributed this reagent through the sprinkler watering systems of Misaki Park! Once I give the order, the entire area will be blanketed in my anti-curry gas! But you have the power to prevent that, Ciel-san. You know what to do, don’t you?”

“… Tch! Fine!” angrily, Ciel threw the bottle over to Kohaku, who snatched it out of the air with one smooth motion. “This doesn’t change anything anyway! Once that potion has been given to Tohno-kun, I’ll still be able to win his heart myself!”

“My, Ciel-san! Such confidence. And now I must go! Magical Amber bids you all adieu!” and Kohaku jumped back into the undergrowth.

“…” Ciel stood once more in the empty park before turning and stalking away, grumbling to herself.

(X)

“Oh, Arc!” Shiki perked up as he caught sight of the vampire princess heading towards him.

“I had the feeling I’d find you here,” Arcueid said as she stepped up. “It’s our spot, after all.”

“Yeah, I just needed some time to clear my head,” Shiki sighed. “Tonight’s been a crazy night.”

“Tell me about it,” Arcueid sighed as she flopped into the seat next to Shiki.

There was a comfortable silence amongst the two for a while, the two of them merely staring up at the stars. Silently, Shiki reached into his pocket, fingering the tiny box he held in there. Maybe now?

“Hey, Shiki?”

“Hm?”

“Do you want to go get a cup of coffee or something? Ahnenerbe is open twenty four hours, and I could use a drink to calm down after all this madness.”

Shiki blinked. “Yeah, a drink sounds pretty good. Lead the way, Arc.”

Slowly, the two of them turned and left the park, hand in hand. A moment later, Kohaku arrived on the scene.

“My, my,” she heaved a sigh. “Just a little too late.”

“Kohaku,” from behind her strode up Akiha, her clothes slightly torn. “Where’s nii-san?”

“Well, according to the tracker, he’s headed for Café Ahnenerbe right now,” Kohaku smiled. “And based on your presence here, I guess you managed to handle Sion-san too?”

“Yes,” Akiha heaved a sigh. “She’ll be fine tomorrow morning.”

“Good, good!” Kohaku smiled. “So I guess your usefulness has ended, Akiha-sama.”

“What? Kohaku, you-“

From the trees, two more Mech-Hisuis emerged, their hands reaching out to seize Akiha’s arms and hold her in place.

“Kohaku! You betrayed me?”

“Fufufufu,” Kohaku laughed. “I’ve already gotten the potion, Akiha-sama. And almost everyone else has been incapacitated in one way or another. I no longer have any need to worry about rivals!”

“How dare you!”

“Didn’t you say it yourself, Akiha-sama?” Kohakua spread her hands. “All’s fair in love and war. You didn’t think about how I wanted Shiki too, did you? But time is wasting! I know they’re headed for Ahnenerbe. All I need to do is get there before them and make sure I add the potion to whatever it is they’ll drink. Magical Amber, AWAY!”

And Kohaku fled into the night, leaving Akiha struggling against the two Mech-Hisuis.

(X)

It’s quiet, Shiki thought as he settled himself into his chair. Almost no one here. I guess that means that I can…

“Your coffees, sir, ma’am.” Chikagi smiled and placed the mugs on the table, as both Shiki and Arcueid nodded their thanks.

Several tables away, Kohaku smiled as she watched the two of them raise the mugs to their lips, almost exploding with excitement. So close! Just a little more and…!

Both of them took long drinks before setting the mugs down on the table.

“… Hey, Arc.” Shiki’s voice was soft.

“Hm?”

“We’ve been together for… a while now, haven’t we?”

“A couple of years.” Arcueid nodded once.

“That’s right,” Shiki nodded. “It’s gone by so fast – and there’s been so much craziness… I’m really not sure what tomorrow will bring.”

“I guess tonight was proof enough of that.”

The two of them shared a brief chuckle before Shiki got serious again.

“But, even though I don’t know what the future will bring, Arc… there’s one thing I’m sure of.”

Arcueid turned to face Shiki.

“I’m certain that… whatever ends happening to me in this life, I want you to be with me for it,” swallowing, he left his chair and got down on bended knee. “Arcueid Brunestud… will you marry me?”

Kohaku’s mouth had just about fallen open in shock. “This is… this is wrong!” she sputtered. “The potion was supposed to cancel their love, wasn’t it? It… it didn’t work!”

“Of course it did not.”

Kohaku whirled. “Hi – Hisui-chan! When did you get here?”

“Just a moment after you, nee-san,” Hisui said calmly as she raised a teacup to her lips.

“A- anyway! What’s this about the potion not working? How come you’re not surprised?”

“The potion did not work because you did not use the potion at all.”

“W- what?”

“That bottle contains nothing more than perfumed water. As for the actual Anti-Love Potion, I destroyed it the moment I got my hands on it.”

“What?! But why? Hisui-chan! I thought you wanted Shiki-san too!”

Hisui’s lowered her head, her pink hair falling to cover most of her face. “Arcueid-sama…” she whispered.

“Huh?”

“Arcueid-sama… Arcueid-sama is the only one who has ever liked my cooking! How could I possibly betray her trust after that?”

“H – Hisui-chan…”

Anything else Kohaku might have said was cut off by what had to be one of the loudest shouts of joy Kohaku had ever heard, and she turned back to see Arcueid tackling Shiki to the ground.

“Yes! Yes, Shiki, of course! Of course I’ll marry you!”

As she watched Arcueid lock her lips with Shiki in what was a long and exceptionally messy smooch, Kohaku turned back to her own drink and lay her head on the table.

“Bummer.” She muttered.

(X)

“And so Akiha-sama punished nee-san for her betrayal by burning her garden to the ground.” Hisui concluded her explanation to Shiki.

“So that’s what that wailing noise I heard last night was…”

“Yes,” from beside Hisui, Kohaku nodded and smiled. “Luckily I was able to save most of the seeds, so I’ll have it up and running again in no time!”

“Well, I have to go,” Shiki nodded as he stood. “Arcueid wants my help with the planning for the whole thing.”

“What, already?” Kohaku looked up.

“She’s… pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing,” Shiki said as he headed for the door. As his hand rested on the doorknob, he paused before turning back to Hisui. “Hisui… thanks.”

Hisui blushed scarlet. “It… it was merely my duty, Shiki-sama.”

As Shiki left the room, Hisui turned back to her sister. “Are you sure you will be all right, nee-san?”

“Oh, psh,” Kohaku sighed and leaned back in her seat. “It’s just a broken heart, Hisui-chan. I’ll be over it in no time.”

“Nee-san…”

“It was a pretty fun adventure, though,” Kohaku laughed. “We should go on another one sometime. Just you, me, and Akiha-sama.”

“… Yes, let us do so.”

(X)

“Shikiii!” Arcueid hugged him tightly as he entered her room. “Where were you? I was wondering when you’d show up – I need help with all these plans!”

“Whoa!” Shiki blinked as he saw stacks upon stacks of paper cluttering up the room. “What are all these, Arc?”

“Oh, you know,” Arcueid waved her arm carelessly. “Consultants, dress designers, party planners. I asked Sion for help and maybe she went a little overboard with gathering up the options.”

“A little overboard is right.” Shiki said as he began leafing through a piece of paper.

“But still, I guess it’s better to be thorough,” Arcueid turned to smile at him. “After all, this is going to be our Happily Ever After, isn’t it?”

“…” Shiki nodded and smiled back. “Yes. Yes it is.”

(X)

It’s been a fun ride. Thanks for sticking with me, everything.

What’s next? Well, in about a month’s time or so… say hello to a certain Magical White Moon Princess. Hope you look forward to it!

THE END…?

[Rylin]

Well the end of an era here folks. This is without a doubt the best Arc/Shiki fic out there. Might even be the best "pure" Tsukihime fic period. I really enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to your next work. And I was right and wrong at the same time. No one expected Hisui. But it was Arc's ability to not only eat but enjoy Hisui's cooking that saved them in the end.

Now if maybe someday we can get a wedding epilogue...that would be awesome. =)

[Flere821]

And thus ends one of the bests fics on BL. You will be remembered.

[Kieran]

Well, if it had to end, at least it did so with a bang . . . I've rarely been so satisfied with the end of a fanfic than I am at this moment.

. . . Which makes me wince at having to bring up this nitpick: I'd think that Sion and Akiha do not want Ren around them when they begin to fight - wouldn't you?

Other than that, fabulous work - and thank you very much for it. *bows*

[legoguydude]

Why didn't Ren just smash the vial?

[Kieran]

Her feline sense of smell immediately detected the substitution, and she figured it was safer to play along, and have them tire themselves out rather than actually threaten Shiki by immediately moving on to another, more desperate plan?

[Laith]

Because if Ren had smashed the vial there would be no anti-curry joke. And that would be less hilarious.

Also, that was a great end for the normal cycle of this fic. Congrats and all that jazz.

[Kieran]

Because if Ren had smashed the vial there would be no anti-curry joke. And that would be less hilarious a tragedy.

Fixed that for you.

[Mackus]

Wheee. That made my day. Pity there will be no more weekly updates, but good enough.

I don't really like overplaying Kohaku manipulative/mad scientist-y qualities, it worked out storywise, but thats not my thing. She was mad scientist in Kagetsu Tohya which was only Shiki dream, and in Melty Blood which was result of Tatari (because of Miyako wild imagination), so there I have perfect excuse to ignore that part of her personality for sake of my "My Personal Fanon".

What I did loved however was Shiki standing up to Akiha (may with God blessings, he someday say "Akiha, stop being bitch"), and Kohaku betraying her. Never waste opportunity to make Imoutos life harder. Also nice to see good old reliable, if naive Hisui (she liked my cooking, so she can have only man i ever loved!).
And there is the fact that girls were so desperate, that they completely ignored that they didn't had to betray each other before they used the potion - as Ciel noticed only at the very end. But what would you expect from girls so love-crazy? They are pining for him for how long now? He must have finished school by now...

Maybe someday we will see more of Akira or Miyako? Only now I noticed they weren't included in this CRAB Unholy Alliance. Dear Lord, please let me live long enough to see Akira take revenge on Akiha for all that bullying.

Call me paranoid, but I have impression that the wedding won't go as planned, but I am just reader with the opinion.

[pureauthor]

Now if maybe someday we can get a wedding epilogue...that would be awesome. =)

Heh. I'll think about it. Glad you liked my story, and thanks for the praise.

And thus ends one of the bests fics on BL. You will be remembered.

Heh. It's always nice to be remembered, I guess.

Well, if it had to end, at least it did so with a bang . . . I've rarely been so satisfied with the end of a fanfic than I am at this moment.

. . . Which makes me wince at having to bring up this nitpick: I'd think that Sion and Akiha do not want Ren around them when they begin to fight - wouldn't you?

Other than that, fabulous work - and thank you very much for it. *bows*

I think you're misunderstanding here: Sion and Akiha begin their fight at Location A. Ciel, Riesbyfe and Len are in Location B. And Arcueid is in location C wandering around wondering what is going on.

Why didn't Ren just smash the vial?

Her feline sense of smell immediately detected the substitution, and she figured it was safer to play along, and have them tire themselves out rather than actually threaten Shiki by immediately moving on to another, more desperate plan?

The answer is that it's an Anti-Love Potion. If she just smashed the vial she wouldn't know where the contents would end up and she didn't want to take the risk of anyone accidentally drinking it.

Because if Ren had smashed the vial there would be no anti-curry joke. And that would be less hilarious.

Also, that was a great end for the normal cycle of this fic. Congrats and all that jazz.

Thanks for the congratulations!