"There you are, Kiko." He walked over and sat by her side, keeping his eyes away from her curled up figure. "The others are waiting on the other side of the grove."

"Shuten..." Her voice was quiet and muffled, so he had to strain his ears a little.

"Yes?"

"You've met my father too, right?"

"We all have."

"... What did you think of him?"

...? "I didn't talk to him much. All I know is that he cares about you and Zanark quite a lot. In fact, during our visit that time, after you fall asleep and before he leaves for work, he'd come to the clearing and talk to him about you every night. About your mother too."

"Did he... have any expectations for me or anything? Like something he wants me to achieve, or the type of person he hoped I'll grow up to be...?"

"I promised to keep her safe no matter what."

"She just wants to play."

"Take her with you... far away from here... to somewhere she can grow... and learn... and make plenty of friends... like any other child..."

"... All he's ever wanted was for you to grow up safe and happy." After all, that is how all parents should be. "And now that he's gone, he's entrusted you to our care. We weren't able to do much for you this past year because we had to avoid El Dorado's notice while Zanark was in MUGEN, but from now on, you truly are one of us."

"I see..." She let out a long sigh.

?

"And what if... theoretically... I say that I don't want to be one of you?"

"... Then, you're free to leave whenever you'd like."

Her head snapped up at him with wide eyes. Looks like she wasn't expecting that answer. But it made sense as she grew up in quite a strict household. One that cherished her in all the wrong ways.

He knew better than most what that felt like.

"Every single member in this team is here by their own choice because following Zanark doesn't only give us purpose, but also joy. If our team doesn't bring that to you, then no one will force you to stay. We will continue to watch over you from afar, but we will not interfere with your life if that is what you wish."

"... Thank you, Shuten."

He smiled, gently placing a hand on her head. "Of course."

~~~~~

"Gouzu!"

"Over here, Kiko!"

The girl immediately made her way over to his position by the edge of the water. "So this is where you've been!"

"You were looking for me?"

"Of course! Zanark said we'll be leaving soon, and you were the only one that didn't show up!"

That got a chuckle out of him.

"What's so funny?"

"No, nothing... It's just funny to think that, a month ago, you were so scared of our team. Now, you're the one trying to keep everyone together."

"That's because you guys were threatening me! Saying stuff like you want to rip me apart from Kyou and the others!"

"And yet, in the end, you chose to leave them yourself."

"T-T-That's... I..." She frowned, sighing. "I did... I felt like I didn't have a choice."

"But you did."

"I didn't! I didn't... Maybe... Kind of... I don't know..." She groaned. "I don't want to talk about this today. We're going to the forest, so I at least want to go in while thinking about the people I should be thinking about."

Right. The next thing on their agenda was to somewhat clean up what was left of the Avalon household and create a proper grave for the old land-owner.

Still, he knew that was just an excuse for her not to think about a certain navy haired striker she couldn't rid her mind of.

"That's just like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It just means what it means." He stood up and dusted the sand off his pants before giving her a smile. "Alright. Let's go, Kiko."

"Just like that? You didn't have a reason for sitting here and staring at nothing this whole morning?"

He could say that the calm waters reminded him of how his old home used to be, and how Zanark and Shuten first appeared before him, saving him from the never ending stillness, but...

There wouldn't be any point to that now that he's found his true home, no?

"Nope!"

So for their youngest sake, he'll continue being the clumsy and confused older brother he's always been to the group.

~~~~~

"Anything you'd like to say to me, dearest little Kiko?"

"N-N-No... I'm... I'm good, Y-Yasha..."

"Awww..." She found the kid to be too cute for her own good. She always had.

Nothing's changed from a year ago to now. Other than her size of course, but who cares about appearances?

"Okay, uh... Actually..." This time, it was the blonde that spoke up first. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. Then, she looked at her right in the eye and opened her mouth. "I wanted to ask, w-why were you so mean to us back then?"

The 'us' here referred to Raimon of course. She couldn't say she was surprised, but she was a little disappointed that she was asking her about other people.

But she gave her points for forcing her stuttering down that much.

"I'm mean to everyone."

"No, well, I know that, b-but I mean..."

"Also, couples are gross."

She had always thought this for as long as she remembered. Maybe she found it disgusting how those people could be so vulnerable so easily. Maybe it was because all the couples she's ever met always made it a point to rub it in other people's faces about how happy they were together. Maybe it was something else.

Whatever it was, she was glad that Zanark Domain had zero interest in such things.

Until this kid happened.

"Wha...? But Kyou and I aren't a couple!"

... Or not?

The fuck? "You're joking."

She shook her head.

"..."

"...?"

"Then, you're stupid."

"What?!"

There is no way. There is no way. There is no way.

There is no way they aren't mashing lips any chance they get. There's no way they aren't all touchy-feely behind closed doors. There is no fucking way they weren't bending over backwards just to get a glimpse of the other when they're in a dozen meter radius of each other.

Hells, the images she was giving herself made her want to barf.

"If you aren't a couple, then what are you?"

"We're best friends! Really close childhood friends! The best type of friends!"

... Fuck no.

With how often they sneak away from the larger group to have time alone? With how constantly they were tied by the hip to one another? With how their eyes practically sparkle just at the sight of the other?

That was not friendship.

She didn't have friends until Zanark Domain, but she knew that was not friendship.

Not to mention, she completely forgot how scared of her she was with how overexcited she got just by talking about that boy. Everything about their relationship screamed romance in the loudest way possible.

From the disgustingly bright smile she had at the mere thought of him, to the annoyingly painful expression she'd make after the initial euphoria died down.

Ugh... "If you miss him so badly, then just leave already, will you?!"

She jumped when she snapped at her.

"Geez, I used to think it'd be fun to tear you two apart with how close you are, but if you're going to be this mopey about it when it was your own decision, then I don't want to hear it. Zanark Domain can't be your family if you don't want us to be." With that note, she sped up her pace, ignoring whatever retort the younger might have.

She didn't know nor care what 'Kimiko' wanted. Because 'Kiko' was the one she was supposed to look after.

Thankfully, she didn't have to deal with the irritating fact alone. After all, she wasn't the only one on the team who thought this way.

~~~~~

It would likely take him quite a while to get used to the new Kiko. She used to be so small, small enough to bounce on his belly. Now, she was twice Goblis' size.

"Org? Hello? Anyone in there?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and found said girl knocking on the side of his head.

"Org?"

"What is it, Kiko?"

"Z says it's your turn to prepare dinner, and he sent me to get you."

"Hehe! I am the best cook of the team, after all."

"And the one who eats the most too..."

"Hey, a big body makes for a great defense!"

"Well, that's true." She held out a hand to help him up from his position on the grass. "Do you need any help?"

"Are you offering because you're bored or because you don't want to spend the day with Zanark?"

"After the whirlpool fiasco yesterday? What do you think?"

A chuckle escaped him. "For someone who constantly acts annoyed, you sure are staying for a long time."

"W-Well...! That's just because...!" She huffed. "You guys know me best out of everyone else in this timeline, so I... I wanted to get to know you all too..."

"Because you feel like you owe it to us after what happened last year?"

She nodded stiffly.

A year for us, seven years for her. She's grown so much and yet...

He let out a small smile as he placed a hand on her head.

In some ways, she's still the same size.

"You don't owe us anything, Kiko. You became one of us the moment you passed Zanark's test."

"But that was―"

"It doesn't matter what the circumstances were. Once a member of Zanark Domain, always a member of Zanark Domain."

"Always..."

"But... That doesn't mean you're physically bound to the group." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo he's kept for the longest time. "Here."

She took it in her small hands and she stared at it for a good while. "Your siblings?"

"Not quite. They're a bunch of kids from my timeline that used to hang out with me before Zanark found me. All good kids. They gave me food and all they asked in return was to teach them soccer."

His smile got larger as he thought back to them. It has been a while since he lived on the streets alone like that. Nowadays, while they were still living out in the wild, at least he wasn't on his own at night.

"... That's how you know about all kinds of cooking."

"Yeah. I was lucky. But unlike the others, I still go back to my timeline every once in a while to see them." His hand returned to the top of her head, patting it and ruffling her hair. "So don't worry. Yasha and some others might find it obnoxious, but they won't hate you if you choose to go back. We'll be there for you whenever you need us."

"... I'll keep that in mind."

Though she said so, he wondered if he really managed to get through to her.

~~~~~

Oh boy, here she comes...

The only reason the girl felt less uncomfortable with him than Yasha was probably because he wears a mask all the time. Then again, she could read minds... Maybe she just chose not to.

Whatever the case, though he doesn't despise 'Kimiko', he still preferred 'Kiko'. The latter was far less noisy.

"Engir!"

"What is it?"

"How is your face?"

What the fuck?

"You fell pretty hard while we were in that hurricane. Does your face hurt at all? Like I know you wear a mask, but didn't it press into your face when you fell?"

Oh.

"It's fine." He flicked a finger to the side of the piece of metal he wore. "This thing's tough on all sides. A bit of gravity and pressure wouldn't make it budge."

"So you mean it's stuck in place no matter what?"

"It'd be annoying if it wasn't."

After all, he didn't want to have to keep fixing its position throughout a match.

"Why wear one in the first place then? Is it like a futuristic inhaler or something? Or do you need these weird lenses?"

When her finger moved to tap on them, he swatted it away.

"I can breathe and see just fine, thanks. You seriously don't remember? Even though you remember giving Zanark his goggles?"

"Wha... You mean my dad made it for you?"

"You don't remember how you started crying just after seeing my face for the first time?"

"I-I did?!"

Not that she could see it, but he rolled his eyes. "You weren't the first either. I don't really care, but your old man likes to stick his nose into places it doesn't belong."

And yet, for some reason, he chose to wear it anyway...

Probably because he thought it looked cool.

Yeah, that must be it.

There was no way it was because he wanted to be more approachable, right?

He didn't care that much about how a single kid was willing to approach everyone on the team except for him just because of how 'scary' he looked, right?

Every single person he knew in his timeline found him intimidating, and that was always a good thing because it meant no one would mess with him... Right?

"Engir."

"What?"

"Can you take it off? I want to see what you look like."

"You don't remember?"

"Hey! It's one year for you, but seven for me! Of course I don't!"

"That's not my problem."

"Maybe not, but I still want to see!"

"No."

"Why?!"

"That's my line. Why are you practically begging me for it? It's just my face. You can live without having to see it again."

"Because I'm curious! And also, if the whole point of it is to make you look less scary, then I'm sorry to say, but it's not doing a good job."

He sputtered. He didn't expect that.

"No offense to papa, but the design does not match the purpose. You look creepier than Maze."

"No offense to your old man, but all the offense to me, huh?"

"Oh, come on! It can't be worse than―" She cut herself off suddenly, biting her lip. Looking down, she let out a shaky breath before continuing quietly. "It can't be worse than Senguuji Daigo..."

... If he remembered correctly, that's the name of the one that tortured her after finding out she was a Second Stage Child. It happened many months ago, and yet, his blood still boiled at the thought of it.

Remembering how, with their captain in the most tightly guarded prison of all time, they could do nothing. Hells, they didn't even know that anything had happened because they didn't think they would see her teen self only one year after they parted ways with her toddler self. They were always looking out for her, following her days closely. Which was exactly why they never thought to skip the years.

And now, they have a contract with El Dorado that states that they would never again do anything that could dent the timelines. So even if they wanted to, they couldn't save her.

If Zanark Domain had any regrets about their decision to leave her in that timeline, it would be that.

"Fine."

He shook the thoughts out of his head as he removed the clasps of the mask one by one. Looking at the world without the lens always felt a little weird, and so was the feeling of his hair falling to his face. He only ever took off his mask to shower, so feeling the breeze on his cheeks was also a bit off-putting.

When he turned to face her, he found her gaping with wide eyes.

And here come the comments...

"The hell? You look normal."

Wha―

"What was younger me thinking? Even compared to someone like Kyou, you're not that bad. Heck, I'll even go as far as to say you're kinda pretty."

"WHAT?!"

Was he...

Was he hearing that right?

"Yeah! Geez, does that mask also have a built-in skin care regimen? It's so clear... Oh, wait, is that a tattoo on your ear or some kind of paint? Your eyes are also different colors? And how come your lashes are so long?!"

"Ugh... So many questions..." He muttered, putting his mask back on, hoping it'll make her stop.

It didn't.

... And for the first time, he thought that maybe that noisiness wasn't so bad.

Not that he'll ever admit that.

As they made their way to regroup with the rest of the team, she continued to point out what things she noticed and liked about his face.

...

If not for just hiding his looks, the mask was also handy for hiding the smile he couldn't hold back.

~~~~~

"Gotten quite close to Kiko recently, haven't you, Engir?"

"Shut up, Maze. She isn't as bad as we thought."

"Speak for yourself. I liked her better before she became head over heels for that Lancelot boy."

"That's just because you hate seeing happy people, Yasha."

"Hey." Shuten's large hand suddenly slammed on their table. "If you three have the time to talk about Kiko behind her back, then you have time to help her with Zanark's bike. Get to work."

Engir immediately got up and walked in the opposite direction. "Maze is the tech-geek of the team, so he can do that."

"Wha―"

And Yasha practically jumped out of her seat and started running. "I've got a shopping date with Shinjami and Shura. Toodles!"

"Hey!" As soon as his gaze returned to Shuten, who was giving him a rather intense look, all he could do was groan as he dragged himself in the direction of their youngest.

Needless to say, she was doing a terrible job fixing it... And actually, if she kept on hitting the engine with that wrench, it'll probably explode―!

"Stop that!" He kicked it out of her hands and pulled her out from under the thing. "The engine has a time-drive inside! Best case scenario would be a dent on the outer coating, but in the worst case, you could end up warping yourself into another reality!"

"Okay, okay! Don't yell at me!" She grunted as she sat up. "Sorry for offending your mechanic senses, but pin the blame on Z for making me do this with no supervision! I literally know jack about vehicles!"

"Why the hell did he ask you in the first place?"

"He probably thinks that it'll help me learn more about it before the race next week."

Ah, that. He remembered the leader of Feida coming to visit them and mentioning something about that. Zanark, with his competitive side never wavering, agreed and didn't hesitate to make Kiko his partner.

A training opportunity, he probably thought.

After all, to Zanark Domain, chaos equals experience.

Though at least she isn't complaining about being dragged into these things anymore. He guessed he could give her that much credit.

"Fine. Watch me closely, because I won't repeat a single thing twice."

"Really?"

"Hurry up before I change my mind."

She quickly got out of his way and he began to explain the functions of the bike one at a time. But as time dragged on, he noticed that she was paying more attention to him than the bike.

"Something on my face?"

"Yeah. A whole lot of hair." She tilted her head slightly. "Don't get me wrong, I was listening the whole time, but I've also been wondering for a while, how do you see through that? You're not the only person to have bangs over their eyes as a style, but usually, I could still see their eyes through them. I can't see yours at all, which means your bangs must be really thick. So how...?"

"... Do you ever shut up?"

"Hey! It's a genuine question!"

"It's a stupid one."

"I―! W-Well―! Maybe! But still...!" She sighed, looking like she'd given up.

Good.

"Can I at least see your face underneath?"

Or not. Ugh...

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"..."

"I'm curious! I saw Engir's face just a couple of days ago, so now I'm curious about you too!"

"... And if I tell you that anyone who has seen my face has never lived to tell the tale?"

That was a lie, but it was a rumor that he had grown up with almost his entire life. Just because he's got rather strange eyes... At least, until Zanark found him. At the time, there were only five other members, but they were all oddballs, so what was one more to them?

But this kid had been living 'normally' for over half her life. So if she heard him say that, she'd definitely―

"Then, I guess I'll die. Now, show me!"

He choked on his spit. What the fuck―

Wasn't she supposed to get scared and back away? Even Yasha did when he said that for the first time! The only other person to not back away was...

They really are suited to be siblings. "Fine..." He lifted his bangs up to show his eyes.

She stared at him for a while, not giving away anything in her expression aside from a couple of blinks. And then...

"You also look normal. What the hell are people seeing in you and Engir?"

"I have snake eyes."

"Yeah, and? Have you seen Zanark's pupils?"

... She's got a point there.

"I was genuinely expecting you to be some kind of cyclops. But nope, just two sharper-than-average eyes. Just like Kyou, though his are more like a cat."

Ah, shit. Now that that name's been mentioned, of course she gets sad and pouty. How nice.

He didn't want to deal with it, so he did the only thing he could think of doing.

"Ow! Hey! Don't hit me with the wrench! That hurt!"

"Your fault for side-tracking us. We need to finish these mods before Zanark gets back. Are you gonna lend a hand or not?"

"You told me to sit and watch!"

Yeah, keep yelling just like that. As long as she's distracted, she won't have such a lonely expression on her face.

~~~~~

"Shinjami, I know you're very dedicated to your looks, but... why do I have to go shopping just for a race?"

"Kiko, sweety, you need to understand the importance of imposing fear into your opponents through how you dress."

"... It's just a race though?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No..."

"And in general, you need new things in your wardrobe." Because really, what kind of girl only has one type of outfit in their entire closet? And all in the same color too?! The only different one was that blue jacket she stole from her friend, but even then, she never used it.

Kind of a shame since it was a good-looking jacket too.

"Hey! I wear those copies because you guys keep dragging me into situations that could kill me! Feida made them so that I'll survive everything!"

"Even so, would it kill you to have some variety for your outer layer?"

"W-Well...! I... I guess not..."

"You could do with a few piercings, you know. And I think a neck tattoo suits you too."

"Hard pass on that. And any piercings on places other than my ears are also a 'no'."

"Some accessories would also be nice. You can't spend your whole life just wearing that one necklace―"

"Yes, I can!"

Oops... She forgot that was a sore spot. Looking back, she found the blonde clutching onto said necklace tightly, as if losing it would equal to losing her life.

She was glad that they were at a rather secluded part of the department store.

Walking back, she gently placed a hand on her cheek and lifted her face up. No matter how tough the younger one wanted to seem, it was clear just how hard she was trying to hold back tears. Her lips were trembling as her hand only held onto the pendant tighter.

"Honey, listen to me. I know that means a lot to you, but taking it off for a day doesn't mean whatever you have with that boy will end. You know that, don't you?"

One stiff nod.

"And it's not like I'm saying you have to throw it away. All I want is for you to try something different. Understand?"

"... Yeah..."

No one in Zanark Domain was able to understand why she made the decision she did. They simply accepted her when she asked to tag along, and cared for her as one of them. But that wasn't anything new.

After all, she was the same way.

"Good. Now, let's get you in that cute pink tracksuit!"

"Okay..."

So even if the little girl they came to know had become someone incomprehensible, whether their members found the current her endearing still or irritatingly different, they swore that they would be there for her.

~~~~~

He kept on going back and forth between the timelines on Zanark's bike. He knew there wasn't much point to it, but he couldn't help himself. 'Kiko' and 'Kimiko' were too different, and yet, too similar at the same time.

Sure, out of the whole team, the one bothered by it the most was Rasetsu, but that didn't mean it didn't rouse some unease in the rest of them.

The girl in question had been away for the past few days to help with some crisis in another dimension, so this was perhaps the best time for him to do this kind of thing. After all, if she caught him, or any one of the team really, doing this, it'd probably send her into an identity crisis.

As nice as the thought of forcing their 'Kiko' back through such a means sounds, Zanark was the one who had the final call, and his choice would definitely be to avoid any more mental and emotional harm to come to her.

It was strange to think that the captain of all people was the one who had the biggest heart of the whole team, but then again, the team would never have formed if he hadn't gone out of his way to find them throughout the years.

That insane but kind heart was also exactly what made them all want to follow him in the first place.

"Goblis!"

Speak of the devil... "Over here, Zanark!"

Red eyes appeared in the bushes, only for him to quickly realize that it was his captain's hair. "Get off. I gotta go."

He hopped off and let him arrange the technology needed for the dimensional time jump. "Where to?"

"To pick up the brat. Apparently, she exhausted herself to the point she could barely stand up."

"Wha...? What was she doing?"

"Probably used an ampule or two. Or something stupid like that. Whatever the case, I have to bring her to El Dorado for a check-up before the rerun of the race next week. Really, what a pain."

So he says, and yet... "Zanark."

"Hm?"

The worry, care, love that they've all come to know from him over so long had never been expressed through words. All were through actions, and the honest soul they could see through his blood red eyes.

"Make sure you knock some sense into that annoying sister of yours."

He smirked as he wore his goggles. "I thought you'd say that."

And just like that, the bike sped through the glowing portal.

~~~~~

He could be doing anything right now.

He could be destroying some targets for practice, chasing after wild creatures for dinner, shopping for hair products.

He could be doing anything except this right now.

And yet, there he was, watching over the captain as he paced around the clearing.

It was only the two of them at the moment, and for the last half hour, neither of them had said a word to the other. It was weird because since when does Zanark ever shut his mouth?

When his sister is nearing death's door apparently...

"What an idiot, seriously."

Thought too soon. "Well, we all know just how much that Tsurugi Kyousuke means to her. Even if that one was from another dimension that didn't know her, it's still the same person."

"Ugh... To think she'd take another ampule just for that."

"She needed the boost to help the whole team."

"Yeah, and her definition of helping is to absorb their pain?"

"Apparently so."

"Ugh!" He scratched his bushy hair almost violently. "It's like she's got no regard for her own life. Really, of all the things to take after her old man..."

Almost as if the universe heard him, the girl in question suddenly popped out of the building.

"Hm? Z and Shura? It's rare to see you two together. Especially in a place like this."

He knew that he was the reason why. He doesn't usually hang around the sick or injured.

It wasn't that he hated waiting around for them or anything of the sort. It was more to his reckless and careless tendencies constantly making people get worse instead of better.

But this time...

"Everyone else had things to do, and Zanark can't exactly be left alone when within a ten feet radius of an El Dorado building."

"But I'm here?"

"At that state? Sorry, kid, but you could barely hold him back at full power."

"... Fair."

"How long are you two going to talk about me like I'm not here?" Despite saying so, Zanark didn't sound offended. Hell, he seemed more proud than anything. Suddenly, his smirk dropped as he went eye to eye with her. "Then? What did the old farts say?"

"It wasn't too bad. Just give me a day or two and I'll be allowed back into lava pits."

"Alright, then three days it is."

"Wha―?!"

As the two bantered back and forth, the white haired boy lagged behind them. He watched as they insulted each other while walking side by side. Even with the rather violent jabs they were giving each other, he could see the effort she was putting into keeping up her composure in order to not worry the captain, as well as how attentive he was being towards her as to not hurt her further.

He was number 9, someone that Zanark found rather late in his travels, so he didn't know him as well as most of the others did, but he could still see the amount of care hidden behind his insanity.

He could only hope, for her own sake, that 'Kimiko' understood too.

~~~~~

He should feel happy that she's finally leaving, that she's finally not going to bother them all with dumb questions and annoying complaints. And yet, there was a weird feeling within his chest when he spotted her packing her things on her last night.

Not that she had much to pack in the first place, but...

"Oh, hey, Rasetsu."

Shit, he's spotted.

Caught off guard, he let out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Good riddance."

She rolled her eyes in response. "Right back at you, I guess."

"Took you long enough to finally do it."

"I mean, it's not like I'll be gone forever. I'll just be there for a bit while they have that whole space crisis."

One eyebrow was raised. "The hell? You're coming back?"

"Of course I am! I can't... I can't stay there! There's no reason for me to..."

'No reason'? "Isn't your boyfriend reason enough?"

He got a glare this time. "He's not my boyfriend! And absolutely not! If anything, he's even more reason for me to leave as soon as it's over!"

Wha―

"I'm there just for a few months... to help and... also make sure... that..." Her mouth slowly closed shut before she shook her head. "The point is, as soon as we save Earth from getting invaded by aliens for the second time― Though actually, it's the first one that involves real aliens― and making sure they all get home safely, I'm coming back here."

From there, she switched the conversation to something else. He didn't quite care enough to listen, so he just ducked out and left.

Really, what the fuck?

It's one thing if she wanted to avoid living with that shitty family they sent her to, but throughout the three months that they've spent together, she had never mentioned them even once― with the exception of her other brother. Maybe she was trying to be considerate so that they wouldn't feel bad about sending her there in the first place (but to be fair, they all knew that all that happened wasn't something that they knew would've happened. It was just god awful luck that got them), but still...

If her reason had anything to do with that, she would have expressed it a lot more clearly. Instead, all she had in mind was that navy haired boy, especially after the fiasco the month before.

He shook his head, pushing the thoughts out of his head. He's never been one to think too much about things and he wasn't about to start now.

"Rasetsu, you good?"

"Shut up, Engir."

"Yeesh, someone's got their hair tied too tight."

"Goblis, another word out of you―"

"Rasetsu."

"What?!" He turned and came face to face with Org and his usual laid-back attitude.

The defender hardly flinched. "We're all worried about her. That's why we're here, right?"

"..."

That's right.

They won't make the same mistake twice.

'Kimmy', 'Kiko', 'Kimiko'... To hell with names! Their team was full of people who had lost theirs and made new ones with their captain's lead. The fact that she made her own was, as much as he hated to say it, proof that she deserved to be one of them too.

"Alright, listen up! The kid's mission is gonna last about two months, so until then, be on alert! We don't know what kind of stupidity she'll get herself into, and none of us here are a fan of the idea of her kicking the bucket before the rest of us, right?!"

"Yeah!"

"Zanark, don't forget! You're the next person we have to worry about!" Shinjami shouted from the back.

"I thought you'd say that!" Yet he still had his proud smirk on. "But I'm not going back on my word! You'll either be making two graves or none!"

"Morbid moron!" Came Yasha's voice of all people.

"Zanark, these jokes are getting less funny the more you say them." Gouzu sighed.

"He's not joking, though." Shura muttered.

"If you do actually go skull-faced, can I call dibs on the bike?" Maze piped in.

"Let's please hope for the best." Shuten had his head in his hands, seeming ready to end the captain himself. Well, he has known Zanark longer than them all, but that didn't mean that the rest of them weren't as attached to their captain. "And the cure is already in the works. It's just a matter of completing it, which should align with the time she comes back."

"I thought you'd say that. So with that said, our objective is clear, right?"

They all nodded.

Protect her.

From her weird family, from the aliens, and most of all, from herself.

Because no matter how late they had come into the party, Zanark Domain always looked after one of their own.

Always.

~~~~~~~~~~

Over 5000 words... o-o

This might be the longest chapter I have for this book. I'm glad I gave it to Zanark Domain, though! I've been wanting to write shorts about how each of them views Kimiko, and while not all are very accepting of her 'new self', they definitely still consider her one of them.

I love the concept of Zanark Domain being a found family that Zanark adopted because of his whims. Each of them comes from not-so-great places in different timelines, and Zanark Domain is the first place they could truly call home.

What do you guys think about them? I hope I was able to do each of them justice based on their short descriptions in the games... (^^ U)