After dinner, Erebus had smiled kindly at Nekomai, and raised her backpack up.

She immediately bounced up out of her chair, coloring books and crayons forgotten, and hurried to yank on the deep purple backpack.

"Ready?"

"Ready!!"

Erebus and Nekomai walked hand-in-hand to the park together, Nekomai holding on tight to Erebus in the Autumn chill, smiling all the way.

They had just entered the park and started towards the swings when Nekomai froze, and grabbed a nearby stick.

"Nekomai? What's wrong?"

Nekomai was too focused on her staring match with Gene however, and tensed up when he began walking closer.

"Hey, it's you again." He said in a flat voice, and Nekomai growled at him.

"Who's this? Your boyfriend? He's not gonna protect you, y'know."

Erebus' eyes widened in surprise, before narrowing in disprovement.

Nekomai raised the stick, but Erebus caught her hand.

"We don't use violence to solve all our problems." He reminded, before stepping forward and placing a firm hand on Gene's shoulder.

His voice dropped low, and Gene could see a flicker of orange in his steel gray eyes as he spoke.

"However, I won't hesitate to use violence on your punk ass if I catch you ever threatening my sister again. Do you understand me?"

Gene scoffed, and Erebus turned away from Nekomai ever so slightly to begin crushing Gene's shoulder, making him wince against the pain.

"Oh, was I wrong to assume you understood English? Perhaps you'd prefer Japanese? Or Spanish? Maybe German or even Russian? Go on, tell me so I can speak to you more directly in one of the 10 languages I know."

"Let... go." Gene seethed, and Erebus obliged with an overly friendly smile as he stood.

"Sure! I'd be happy to never touch you again, so long as you leave my sister alone."

"Whatever, old man." Gene muttered, shooting Nekomai a glare.

Erebus grabbed his ear and twisted it, causing Gene to cry in pain.

"I think you overestimate my age and underestimate what I'm capable of."

With that Erebus let go, chastised Nekomai for still holding the stick, and took her hand as the two walked over to the playground.

"What'd you say to him?" Nekomai asked, fiddling with her pack back straps as they got closer to the swings.

"I told him to stay in school and start applying for college. The future isn't ours to see, but it's still a very important thing to take care of and look out for." Erebus smiled, patting her head.

"You always say boring inspirational stuff like that to people who are mean to me." Nekomai sighed. "You're too nice of a person. You were meaner in my dreams."

"I don't want to be a mean person," He started, as he sat on the swing next to her, "I want to be civil with everyone. Being polite and using manners- even with those who aren't nice to us- is a very wise thing to do. Treat others how you want to be treated, and you will receive it back tenfold."

Nekomai looked to the sky as she thought about her two friends, and how they had been there for her in times of need in the very short span of time they had known each other.

She soon found herself revisiting old memories. She remembered Lady Aphmau arriving into Fairy Heights, looking so regal on her horse. She remembered finding Aaron, and making a promise that they would both protect her until the end. She remembered an island stuck in time, and a proud warrior with the bluest hair she'd ever seen. She remembered a werewolf prince, and being forced to her knees in O'Khasis. She remembered Aaron's sacrifice, and how hard Lady Aphmau had cried.

She remembered shaking hands with Irene, her friendly rival. She remembered Shad and the alliance they made to save her sister. She remembered her husband, and her throne room. Delicate colors washing over her most trusted guards and allies through the stained windows.

Wait.

She let go of the swing in shock, and flew through the air, smashing her face in the mulch. Erebus screamed her name and came running, almost bursting into tears as he pulled her to face him and sat her up, checking her body and waving his finger.

She stared blankly at his nose, before cupping her hand over her mouth.

"I want to go to the library."

"Nekomai, I think it's closed by now. Besides, we need to get you home. I don't know if you'll be able to go to school tomorrow, how many fingers am I holding up?" Erebus responded, pulling her hand away.

"Four, I just need to look for a book!"

"Absolutely not, young lady. We're going home."

Nekomai grumbled under her breath as he took her hand in his, and the leash in the other, and walked her out of the park.

She instinctively pressed into his side when she spotted the Shadow Knights in the trees, and he whipped his head around to glare at Gene before they left, walking down the road back home.

When they entered the house, Nekomai stormed upstairs to the day area, and began to pull every book off the shelves that lined the walls.

Erebus listened from the bottom of the stairs at her frustrations, and felt a pang of guilt in his heart. Mentally, he cursed at himself for not just taking her to the library to get the book she wanted, before convincing himself he needed to be firm in his rulings.

Waving away the orange-eyed bird demon starting to form in his vision, he walked upstairs, and paused his little sister, surrounded by a mountain of books.

"I'll take you to the library after school tomorrow, okay? Right now we have to get ready for bed. It's a school night."

Nekomai looked up at him with a thousand yard stare before blinking rapidly to focus on him.

"...What?"

"It's time for bed."

Nekomai looked around, and frowned at all the books she'd have to clean, but Erebus shooed her away to the bathroom to take care of it himself.

He picked up the books one by one, mentally taking note of what she had pulled out before organizing them alphabetically and by color.

She's sick.

"I know."

She won't last once she graduates.

"Yes she will."

How can you be so sure?

Erebus turned and gave the feather-covered fuck a stink eye.

"Because, Lilethu, unlike you I possess humanity of which gives me hope. Something you lost long ago."

Lilethu, a slightly horrifying demon covered in feathers, burn marks, and hard growths resembling thorns, Grinned wildly at Erebus.

"I love when you say my name."

"You are a fool to think it truly does give you power over me."

And with that, Erebus turned back towards his organization, not saying another word until Nekomai left the bathroom, and walked down the hall to her room.

"Do you need help with your hair?"

"Nope! I think I've got it this time!"

"Alright."

Once Nekomai had combed her hair and let it dry, she layed down and looked at the moon through her window until Erebus came in to say goodnight.

He always turned on her nightlight and radio, and left the door open a crack in case she called.

She watched him pad down the hall to his room, where he sat on the bed and pulled out his tablet to find another book to read.

She rolled over, and let her breathing and the faint jazz on the other side of the room lull her to sleep.