"Star Hero."
"..." You felt a tug within your mind, like you were fading in and out of existence.
"You? Discarded me?"
You could hear a deep demonic voice talking to you, within the darkness. You couldn't see anything, and you couldn't feel anything. It was like you were floating in nothingness, a realm between sleep and reality.
You weren't sure if you were terrified or not- your consciousness taking a moment to understand what was happening.
"Who is that?" Your lips didn't feel like they were moving; the words came through like a ghostly thought. Echoing in your realm of emptiness.
"Mahoraga. The Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga."
Hearing the name made you more alert. Realization dawning on you. The Shikigami was speaking to you in your dream, "Mahoraga...How are you talking to me? Why are you talking to me? I'm not even a Summoner?"
"You withhold the power to release me. Through your connection with your soul-bonded partner."
"My Soul bonded partner? Getou?"
"The two of you have the linked curse energy required. Do you not wish to challenge me? To test your ability?"
"Well, Mahoraga, the witches freaked out for just having your book! Now, they think I am evil! So why would I want to summon you?"
"Defeat me, and I will be at your service. Whatever you do with my power is a decision you make. Evil and good do not decide my allegiance."
"So then the only reason I can speak with you is that my bond with my alpha is strong? Is that why you didn't try to talk to us the first time I visited? Is it stronger this time?"
"Only a Star hero and their summoning partner can challenge me. You have both grown since then. I think you are ready."
"Star Hero? Is that what you called me before? What is that?"
"A Star Hero that doesn't understand their existence."
"What? That doesn't tell me anything. What is a Star Hero? Are there more people like me?"
"Defeat me, and I will tell you everything I know."
"Oh, Come on! Please, give me a reason to even accept your challenge! The witches will not allow me to take you! The least you can do is shed some light on this situation!"
"Too much talking. I grow Tired once again. Do as you please. I will await another bonded pair." You could feel the Shikigami's presence start to fade as if he were moving further away.
"Wait! No, tell me more!" You shout into the abyss, but there is no one there. The Shikigami had left. "Wait!" You shouted, body flying upward as you threw your hand out. You gasp, blinking your eyes a few times, realizing you are within the guest room. No longer in your dream world. "Shit." You cursed, hitting your lap with a frustrated huff. Mahoraga spoke about things that you had never heard of. He was a wild card that you needed answers from. Like what he knew about Midnight and her pack. Why does he keep calling you Star Hero? What does it even mean to be a Star Hero?
Were you a hero?
How could that be?
You were Raven- the villain.
How were you a hero?
A Star Hero.
If you defeat him, then he'd tell you, but...
You doubt the witches would let you take him. Not when they see the Shikigami as an evil indication. If he was so evil, how the hell did that make you a hero? That just didn't make sense. Maybe the fear comes from the person who had wielded the shikigami. Perhaps it was Wicked. Maybe she used him to fuck up her family. If you were in her shoes, you might have done the same.
Perspective was very important here.
You jumped out of bed and got into the shower. Frustration and uncertainty had you moving on autopilot. You kept thinking about your conversation. You knew your alphas would bring you food once they saw you up, but you were too busy in your mind to wait for them.
You left your room, finding the halls to be rather scarce. You ran into maybe five witches. Two of them waved at you while the other three tried to stay clear of your path.
Two out of five? That wasn't even a passing grade!
It was all because of that damn book.
It was truly annoying.
How one little thing could switch some of their views on you. It didn't matter what you did; you couldn't do one thing to screw up your image. Not even things that you don't even fucking know about. Fighting for the witches' approval felt like a constant uphill battle with random map effects.
Your irritated mind was disrupted by the broken sob of someone crying. You sniffed the air, smelling the fresh salt. You furrowed your brows, going toward a door that was a bit cracked. Pushing it open, you saw Junpei wrapped up in talismans, his body slouched against the wall as he snored.
"Junpei!" You ran over to him, neglecting to realize there was someone else in the room.
"He's sleeping for now." You heard someone sniffle.
You pet the omega's head gently, looking the cursed spirit over. He appeared to look the same as before, no scratches or bumps.
"No one hurt him?" You questioned, looking over your shoulder. Todo was sitting in a chair with a few sprinkles of tears on his cheeks. OH YES- you forgot why you came into this room in the first place! Someone- Todo- was crying. "Todo? What's wrong?"
"I'm sure you heard the tragic news...about- about my brother-" He hiccuped a few times before continuing, "G.Ma says he is an evil entity, how could this be?" He had to pause to sniffle a bit more. "He is a kind soul, she's wrong about him- right?"
You stand to rest a soothing hand on the man's shoulder, "I think she has it all wrong. She thinks I'm evil too...all because of a book I was able to pick up... do you think that of me? Do you think I am evil?"
The man looked you over and then shook his head, "You stood in line for me, holding my place like a valiant knight. I knew then, and there you were, a good soul. Just as I knew when I asked Yuji my question... And he- and he-" Todo took the moment to blow his nose on his handkerchief. The act a little obnoxious. "-he answered perfectly-"
You knew this was a serious moment, but a part of you wanted to laugh at Todo's way of characterizing people.
You adjusted your amusing smile to one that was more fitting for the moment, "Exactly... I think G.Ma is just afraid of what she doesn't know. I think she has it all wrong." You thought of how the Shikigamai referred to you as a Star Hero. Perhaps that has something to do with Yuji's star mark. Maybe he, too, was a Star hero as well? That would explain how he has such powerful magic that he was unaware of. Is that what made you a star hero? Your strong magic? Was Wicked a star hero?
"I have to prove it, prove that Yuji- he's not evil...she's wrong- I just know it!"
You put a pin on your thoughts, returning to comforting Todo, "That's what we are trying to do...but don't get too angry with the old woman. She is afraid of people who have strong magic. She thinks we will use it against her... I'm sure she has seen enough of her family die...so I can understand why she is trying so hard to protect what she has left..."
As you said those words, it was like you were coming to terms with why the woman acts the way she does. G.Ma is the last of her generation. And all she has left are her sisters' and brothers' children to watch over. Hell, your alphas have even murdered some of her family, including her grandson. Despite all that you had done for her, she was still cautious of you. For obvious reasons. The only thing that was keeping you on thin ice was Yuta, Maki, Nobara, and your betas. And they- almost turned on you. Well, not Yuta and Inumaki, but still. You were an outsider coming into a group that had been hunted and killed all their lives. You get it. You truly do. Her reasoning is valid, even if it made it a hassle for you. You will have to keep proving to her that you were not the enemy.
You tried to comfort Todo as much as you could, but it was obvious your words were doing nothing. The man would be sad until his 'brother' was free. Funny, he cared more about Yuji than Sukuna. Sukuna laughed his ass off when he saw Yuji locked up.
You barely made it out of the room, closing the door gently before you were standing face to face with G.Ma. She had her cane in front of her, both hands resting on the handle. She stared at you with a critical eye.
Oh shit- did she hear what you had said? But you didn't say anything disrespectful, right?
"Oh- Hey G.Ma-"
"Come with me." She didn't even give you time to react.
You gulped, proceeding to follow the witch.
She seemed angry at you. Was this a trap? Should you call for your alphas? You nervously looked around just in case you needed an escape route.
You were feeling high-strung, walking through the looming halls. Witches bowed to the elder witch as they went by. Soon she walked into what looked like a magical elevator, the ground fixed with colorful glass.
You paused before stepping in.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm no fool."
"I-I didn't think you'd hurt me!" You said stepping beside her.
"It's good to be cautious. But I know your alphas would destroy everything I love if I did the same to them."
Her words were romantically dark. She believes you are everything they love? Why does she say that? You wanted to ask her, but you already knew you were their everything. Asking her would only selfishly feed into your ego.
The elevator took off, going higher and higher into the air. Flickers of light passed through the glass. It felt as though it went up for a while, but soon it stopped. The doors slowly opened, and a cool breeze curled around you. You were outside, the moon so close above you. The area you were in was a gigantic circle; it looked as though you were on top of one of the towers.
You walked behind G.Ma as she followed a small stone path. You passed by rows and rows of black rosabells. They glittered in the light, as if a million tears watered them and they swayed side to side, dancing to a sad tune.
When you finally came to a halt, you found the pups' mother lying within the bed of flowers. Her body was sprouting roots, becoming one with the garden. Mimiko's doll was held within her hands.
You didn't know where G.Ma was taking you, but you weren't ready for this. Maybe you would have preferred an ambush.
Seeing the woman made your throat sting, your eyes gleaming as you swiftly blinked. You were reminded how you were a second too late to save her. If only you were there- if only you made it in time. You hated that this happened. You hated the thought that your presence might have caused this to happen, like some butterfly effect.
"I'm sorry... I didn't make it to her in time... it was too late..." You spoke softly, afraid that you would start crying. “I would have saved her if I could…I swear…”
"I know...the pups told me what happened..." G.Ma whispered. "...You were right about what you said...I have watched my family die...one..." She knelt to touch a flower with a gentle finger, "...by one..." Her hand moved to another petal, caressing it with the same tenderness.
You understood that these flowers have sprouted from the death of witches. Their bodies lay here to rest, becoming one with the garden. It was tragically beautiful.
"..." You didn't say anything, being respectful to the grieving witch.
G.Ma took a deep breath, "'...It gets easier.' That's what my Grandmother told me when we lost my mother. Hm." The woman let out a mocking scoff, "She said that to me with a transformation spell on her face..." G.Ma used her sleeve to dab at her eyes, no transformation spell to hide her tears.
You could feel it, feel the sadness and sorrow that filled the garden. It burned your throat. "...What.... was her name?"
G.Ma looked toward you with a questioning stare, like she was surprised you asked. "Akasi...her name was Akasi..."
"Would you tell me more about her?"
"You'd like to know?"
You nodded your head, "If you are okay with it."
"Yes...I'll tell you..." G.Ma's lips quivered as a broken laugh slipped out, good memories passing her eyes. "Haha~Ooooh, she was- she was a lovely girl with a heart of gold. The very thing that made her oh so stubborn. She was my sister's granddaughter. Gifted in the arts of healing. She liked to travel and help those who needed help...witches or not...she helped everyone... That...That's how she found the pups' father..."
G.ma shook her head, her tone turning more sober, "…I didn't agree with their bond, he was an outsider...but she didn't care...Mm...we...we fought and fought...and fought... until she ran off with him during the mating moon. I was angry, so very angry. It was like she chose him instead of us...her family! I'd like to think... maybe if I had more time...I would have warmed up to him...but he fell ill...and died to your alpha's blade."
You felt the need to defend your alpha, "He...Toji wasn't in the right state of mind...with Yoruzo's potion, and the killing of his omega he...He just lost it....I can't apologize for him, but...I'm certain he feels regret for what he had done to the girls' father..."
"No, no... your alpha was in the right state of mind. This was but a year ago."
A year ago?
"What-then- I-I didn't know that. I have no idea what could have happened, but he wouldn't do anything unprovoked..." You stuttered, not knowing how to justify Toji killing the pups' father. There had to be another reason-the man probably attacked Toji or something along those lines. As you searched for an answer, you realized that G.Ma was not mad at the situation.
She waved her hand, "There is no need to freak out about it. Their father had attacked him. And if your alpha hadn't killed him...well, he would have killed the girls."
You furrowed your brows, "What are you saying? What happened to him?"
"I looked into the girls’ memories, he had turned while Akasi was away."
"...He turned into a cursed spirit?"
"Mm...he did...much like your friend...much like Rika... Your alpha just so happened to be passing by, the girls hiding under the flooring. Toji killed him before going on his way. I don't blame him, though. Even though the pups did... that was still their father, no matter how he looked... But they are pups now… When they get older, they will realize...it was my fault."
"Your fault? How?"
"If I hadn't turned Asaki away, if I had helped her when she asked...we would have never gotten into that argument...you would have never left...you would have never..." You realized that G.Ma was no longer speaking to you. She was now talking to her grandniece. She got closer to Asaki, her hand shaking as she brushed her cheek, "...I'm so sorry my sweet child. I'm so very sorry..." G.Ma kept repeating her apology...over and over again.
In that moment, you didn't see a cranky old witch.
You saw a broken pup...a broken sister...mother...grandmother...aunt... You saw a woman who has lost so much of herself, time and time again.
You didn't hold back your tears anymore; there was no point. Kneeling beside the woman, you touched her back with the tips of your fingers, a silent request to hug her.
She leaned into you. You hugged her, holding her tight. Trying to help keep her together as you allowed her to break apart within your arms. You didn't dare move. Even as your arms and legs tired, you continued to sit there for however long was needed.
When she was all out of tears, she wiped her face with her sleeve and then stood with your assistance. She didn't speak again until the two of you had left the flower cemetery.
The elevator was silent until the doors shut.
"I apologize..." She began. "…I know I have been giving you and your pack a hard time... I can be quite...the old hag...but everything I do is for my family. To protect them."
"G.Ma," You spoke her name with a confident, and determined tone. Her bushy white eyebrow raised as she looked at you. You continued now that you had her full attention. "Mimiko and Nanako...I have grown close to them. And though I have brought them home, I have to say they have become very important to me-"
"On with it, girl. Spit out the Toadak."
"I wish to adopt them." You blurt out, tightly clasping your hands together.
"Adopt them?" The older woman gasped in shock. "N-no-You do not know how to raise witches!"
The elevator door opened as the woman quickly stepped out. She was walking fast for a little old lady, but you scurried beside her as you swiftly tried to persuade her.
"Okay, then I will learn! I will learn to take care of them, I will learn all of the witch history I need to, and I will do anything I can to gain your trust. Tell me what to do, and I will prove to you that you can trust my pack and me to take care of these girls like they are our own!"
The older woman stopped with a harsh tap of her cane, "Pah-I already knew you were going to ask me this, I could smell the way you have coated them in your scent. Could barely wash it off. Why in the elements would you want witch pups?"
You shook your head, "I don't care if they are witches, to me they are Nanako and Mimiko. Nanako likes pink, and Mimiko likes purple. Nanako likes sweets, and Mimiko likes sour. Nanako likes summer days, while Mimiko loves the winter nights. Both girls are equally strong, but Nanako voices her opinion more, trying to protect her sister. And they bicker and fight just like any other pups. Them being witches- you being a witch, their family being witches, doesn't matter to me. I didn't care when I found out about my betas, and I don't care now. What matters to me is if you are a piece of shit- Witch or human. It doesn't matter, just don't be a piece of shit. That's it. That's all I care about." You were talking so fast and so long that you could barely catch your breath. Your adrenaline was pumping, hoping something you said would help convince the woman.
"Hm." G.Ma turned her nose up, her eyes slowly narrowed. "I'm not bewitched by the idea...not even close. Those pups...they are all I have left...of my grandniece...what makes you think I would pass them on to you so easily?"
"I...I understand..." Your heart sank, but then the woman dug into her pouch that was tied around her waist. She then handed you a small leather book. "What is this?" You question, flipping the pages open. You couldn't read a word, it was filled with weird characters.
As you went through the old book, G.Ma stopped you with a finger. She tapped the top of the page, where it looked like a title. "This is the Witches' Book of Songs...this one in particular is the Song of Death...when the time is right...and Asaki is ready...you will sing this...during her final hour. The pups had begged me to allow you to join us during the ceremony."
You nodded, now understanding the weight of this task, "I would love to sing it, but how do I learn the song? I can't read this..."
"Use a different pair of eyes, silly girl." She tapped her cane in annoyance.
Her patience was so thin.
"Right! Sorry, sorry..."
"You have three moons to learn the song. I do not want anything out of pitch- nor any missed words- if you mess this up, you can forget about the pups."
You began to smile, "Thank you, G.Ma-"
"Now, now, now don't get too happy, I didn't say you can have them. This is just the first step for me to even consider you adopting them!"
Despite G.Ma telling you to quell your smile, you were still very giddy. You were finally getting through to the older woman. It only took you saving their asses, rescuing Yuta, massacring an entire village in her grandniece's name, bringing back her great-grandnieces, and saving their home for her to finally start to accept you.
You will accept this grain of approval with the utmost respect.
You put your hand up in a salute, standing proud, "I will do my best to convince you, G.Ma!"
The older woman rolled her eyes, "That's not what we witches do. We do this." G.Ma fixed her fingers in an 'ok' sign and placed them upon her forehead. "In dokko terms, this means my third eye is open to you. And you are supposed to open yours to me."
"Ah- like this?" You mirror her, realizing the finger spacing is supposed to resemble an eye.
"No- other hand."
"Okay-" You change hands, as G.Ma nodded.
"Yes, then we say. Namoké. And bring our eyes together..."
"Namoké." You meet her fingers with your own.
"Namoké..." She repeated. It was swift, her gaze flickering with something of approval. But then her attention was pulled past you. She smiled softly "Hello, dear."
"Hi, G.Ma. Hi Raven." Mimiko spoke as she went straight for your leg. Wrapping her arms around you.
"Hi Mimiko!" You swiftly hid the book so she wouldn't be brought to a different mindset. If she saw the book, she may think of the song of death, and if she thinks about the song of death, she may think of her mom, and if she thinks about her mom, she may start crying- and maybe that was your anxiety speaking for you, but you would rather be safe than sorry. "How are you pup?" You questioned while playing with her brown hair.
"Fine-" She then stepped back with a point, "Toji said you aren't taking care of yourself, and you have to eat." As the little girl spoke, you could hear her disapproval in her tone. It's like she was mirroring your alpha's attitude!
G.Ma let out a little laugh while you attempted to defend yourself.
"Oh- I was taking care of myself, I was talking with G.Ma-"
"Toji said no buts, or he's going to spank your butt!"
"Goodness- Alright, alright I'm coming! Bye, G.Ma!" You waved goodbye as the pup took your hand. "What did Toji get me to eat?"
"All sorts of yummy stuff to make you big and strong like him. That's what Gojo said when I didn't eat my veggies."
You let out a little laugh at the idea of your sugar-eating alpha telling anyone to eat their vegetables. You settled your humour so you could say, "Will you show me your room after we eat?"
"My room? Yeah! It's in the new wing!"
"Uh-" The little girl must not have heard the part where you said- after eating. And quite frankly, you didn't have the heart to say otherwise as she excitedly tugged you along.
"Here it is!" She slowly pushed the pretty purple door open. Entering the room, it twinkled with soft fairy lights.
"Wow~ Your room is so pretty." Her decor was a mix of different shades of purple and white. It looked like a princess's room, with flowers and butterflies adding to the cute aesthetic.
"Hehe~ I knew you'd like my room, our favorite color is the same!" The pup moved over to her doll collection. She picked up two rag doll creatures with crude stitching. Waving each doll while she speaks, "This is Mr. Wiggles- and this is Mrs. Wiggles- they have a very hard relationship because Mr. Wiggles doesn't like Mrs. Wiggles' cooking."
"Oh- I'm sure her cooking can't be that bad!"
"Ha-" Mimiko gasped, then whispered low while covering the dolls' ears, "It's terrible- because Mrs. Wiggles is trying to poison him!"
"She's doing it on purpose!?"
"Ahuh!" The girl nodded her head, then scooted over to her large open dollhouse. Placing Mrs. Wiggles in the kitchen, she put Mr. Wiggles in bed. "He gets verrry sick- and this is their nosy neighbor Agathal." She picked up another doll and placed it by the window on the outside of the kitchen.
"Does she know that Mrs Wiggles is poisoning Mr. Wiggles?"
"She does!" Mimiko giggled as she pulled more dolls to set up her stage. "That's how she blackmails Mrs. Wiggles so she can win every pumki contest!"
"Oh my." You chuckled, grabbing another doll who had a pretty dress and bow. The doll, of course, looked just as creepy as the other ones, but it was kind of cute. "Who is this?"
"That's-"
"Guys- Toji said- Ah, you guys are playing dolls without me?" Nanko shouted with a stomp of her foot.
"No, I was just showing her them."
"We can play dolls, come on, Nanako, do you want to play with us?"
"You will play with us?" Mimiko questioned.
"Sure, we can play for just a little."
Nanako plopped right next to you, pointing at the doll in your hand. "You're playing Scandolous Laddy Bug?"
"Scandalous ladybug?!" You questioned in shock.
"She was caught holding hands with Mr. Wiggles!"
"No wonder he's being poisoned!"
~
You played dolls with the girls, way past the time you originally planned. You used magic to bring the toys to life, and it was more fun than you had expected. It was like playing a doll game that was filled with as much drama as you create in your Sims world.
You were so distracted that you barely heard the knock on the door. Actually, you didn't hear it. It was the smell that drifted into the room that had you stopping.
"Uh oh-" You stopped, looking over your shoulder.
"I forgot! I was supposed to come get you to eat!" Nanako shouted in shock.
"Me too!" Mimiko hurriedly sprinted to the door. When she opened it, Toji was standing there leaning against the frame with his hand upon his hip.
"Girls, what happened?" He questioned with a raised brow.
"I-I'm sorry, Toji!" Mimiko whined, putting her head down.
Nanako pointed at her sister, "They were playing dolls, and I wanted to play too!"
"I just wanted Raven to see my room- it was on accident."
"It was by accident...and it's my fault too, alpha, I got a little distracted." You stand and bow slightly, showing your respect to your alpha.
"Alright. I will let it go this time, girls. But I am going to have to take my omega; she needs to eat."
"Ok..."Nanako sounded sad. She tugged on your dress before you could leave. "Do you want to see my room?"
"Of course, I can visit your room next time." You kissed her on her forehead and then closed the door behind you. As soon as the door shut, Toji wrapped his hand around your hip and tossed you over his shoulder "Ai- I can walk alpha!"
He was walking fast, his tone and scent shifted, "I'm not letting you down so you can get distracted by something else. You haven't had anything to eat since yesterday morning."
"Yesterday? I thought I just took a nap?!"
"No, you slept the rest of the night and morning. It's nearly the afternoon."
"I had no idea..." You looked out the window at the full moon; it was so hard to distinguish how much time had gone by. As pretty as this place is, seeing the moon day and night would drive you insane.
"I don't take your health lightly. If you won't take the time to take care of yourself, I will step in."
You sighed resting within his grip, “Yes, sir."
⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆
Chef Note: I laughed out loud like twice while typing this chapter because of the memes I imagined for two of the scenes 🤣.
The first being…
Mahoraga: My name is Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramírez
Reader: 👁️👁️
~
And then the second was with Todo’s scene. It reminded me of the speed meme where the kid says my mom is kind of homeless and he was trying so hard not to laugh 😭.
I love Todo and his tragedy should not be taken lightly but I don’t know why that cracked me up XD!