Domo! Eraviel here! New person in DAL archive.

This is an AU Story, but in-lined to some events of the early volumes of the Novel as reference only.

Chapters aren't estimated as of now so I don't know how long will this take to finish :3 Usually my stories go up to 12 to 13 chapters, but I don't how long will this go :D

Characters not involved: Miku, Natsumi, and some DEM peeps. Mana might or might not be included in the story, because she also might have specific roles if the story continues on to a higher level.

Alright, when Kotori is talking, I used less pronouns of 'he' when she was talking about Shidou since I based it from the novel, because even when she's talking to Shidou, she still addresses him as "Shidou" instead of "you" or "He".

P.S. Dark Tohka is not included, because Miku isn't here. And I don't plan to include it, since it's too much work XD

Possible spoilers for those who haven't read volume 5 onwards.

I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS! ONLY THE PLOT AND ORIGINAL IDEAS!

When everything goes south, people can easily have a change of heart. Seeing the things they do not want to see ever in their life, they desire for something that will defy the fate, and they can turn their whole life upside down, without the exemption of things around them.

Shidou witnessed everything with his own very eyes, inside the Fraxinus, shown on a large screen, as his loved ones, Yoshino, Tohka, Kaguya, and Yuzuru, got captured and tortured to near-death state. Kotori just stared at her brother, while sitting on her throne, with a chupa chups in her mouth.

He felt powerless, and guilty. He was the one who sealed their spirit powers, but he couldn't stand up to the responsibilities of securing their safety.

"Where did I go wrong…? What did they do for them to have deserve this kind of fate…!" Shidou mumbled under his weeps. "They just wanted to live a normal life, like any people wished for…!"

"Shidou, you need to straighten yourself up." Kotori said as she pulled out her chupa chups.

He held his tears from going out, which he successfully did, and he turned to Kotori.

"What am I supposed to do…?" he said dejectedly.

"Shidou's the only one who can figure that out." Kotori said with a smirk.

After that, he went out of the command room and got ported out of the Fraxinus.

"Are you sure to leave him like that?" Kyouhei asked the red-haired commander with a worried look painted all over his face.

"We had some matters to take care of. Of course, we cannot afford Shidou to break down. I'm more worried about something more sinister." Kotori said.

"Hmm?"

"The way Shidou seals the spirit's powers, is actually Shidou sealing them inside his body. The moment Shidou sealed a spirit's power, from their astral dress up to their angel, Shidou had already lost his humanity, and turned into a spirit container." Kotori explained the details.

"Then, does that mean…?" Kyouhei didn't continue any further as he finally realized what Kotori just said earlier.

"Yes, that's why I cannot afford Shidou to break down now." Kotori said as she cracked the chupa chups inside her mouth and threw away the stick somewhere in the room. "Remember, he had already sealed the powers of 5 spirits. And it's not a good idea if he runs amok and head straight to the DEM Industries."

"Because they'll have the more reason to capture him, right?" Kyouhei said.

"Exactly, and that's what we're avoiding now."

"And if worst comes to worst?" Kyouhei inquired, imagining the worst case scenario on Shidou's state of mind.

"I wouldn't want to resort to that, and I don't want to think about it happening." Kotori said as she pulled another chupa chups from her pocket and ate it after removing the seal. "If that happens, then I'll do something I hoped I wouldn't want to."

Kyouhei didn't say a word after that. He doesn't want to hear or see it right now. At least, not right now.

~o~O~o~

Shidou went back to his house, while the images he saw earlier still lingers inside his thoughts. He didn't know what to do, he felt weak, and no strength can be found in him.

He opened the door that leads to the dining room, and found out that the room was empty. He hoped that whatever he saw earlier was just his imaginations, but some things are just bound to happen, whether we like it or not.

"This place sure is quiet…" He said in a low voice.

And then, he can see some images in his mind being projected inside the room. Of course, everything of it was just his imaginations. Tohka sitting on a sofa eating something, Yoshino playing with Yoshinon along with Kaguya and Yuzuru's chatting. Their voices wandered inside his thoughts, which gave him a small pain in his chest and clenched it with his hands.

He wants to save them, but he don't know what to do, less likely has the power to do so.

He tried to brush everything out of his mind, but he can't just do that in his current state. Then he decided to go back to his room and get some rest hoping that an idea will pop in his thoughts.

Or so he thought.

~o~O~o~

Shidou arrived in front of the door leading to his room and turned the doorknob. He went immediately straight to his bed and lied down. The events just kept on replaying inside his mind, making him more restless as time passes by.

'What should I do…' was the words kept on circling inside his head.

He threw his face on the pillow while lying face down as those thoughts kept on pestering him.

'What should I do…'

'What should I do…'

"Ara, ara, you look so down, Shidou-san." A seductive voice suddenly filled the silent room.

Shidou turned around while lying on the bed and looked at the ceiling while ignoring the voice.

"Ara, ignoring me? You're making me sad, Shidou-san."

He turned to the source of a voice. There's a person sitting near the window dressed in a gothic Lolita dress with a headband and her hair was pure black tied in a twin pony-tail style. Her left eye has a different color from her right eye; it's gold with an appearance of a clock.

Yes, that person is the cruelest spirit, his Nightmare, Kurumi Tokisaki.

"Kurumi…" Shidou said in a very small voice and then closed his eyes for a brief a moment.

"Yes, Shidou-san?" Kurumi responded in a voice trying to attract his attention towards her.

Shidou opened his eyes and saw Kurumi beside him and her face were just an inch in front of him. He can clearly see the clock on her left eye, and it looked… pretty… to him.

He didn't flinch a bit as he saw her in front of him.

"What are you doing here…?" Shidou asked in a dejected tone with his eyes narrowed down a little. He's not in the mood to deal with her right now, and Kurumi knows this too.

"Nothing in particular." The heterochromic girl said with a smirk as she straightened up, sitting on the bed beside him, trying to raise his mood to drag his interest to her. "More importantly, I'm more interested in you."

"Isn't that what you always do?" Shidou asked in a gloomy tone.

"Ara, Shidou-san, you're confident than usual." Kurumi said as she leaned forward to him.

"Do I?" Shidou said in a confused look. He just can't see where those idea of hers came from.

The spirit chuckled a little with that response of Shidou. She might want to tease him more.

"Of course..." Kurumi said as she touched Shidou's cheeks. Shidou didn't flinch nor stagger as she did that, impressing the spirit girl.

'He's changed. I wonder what happened, he looked so… manly.' Kurumi thought to herself. Her heart skipped a beat on that thought, but she didn't notice it.

"But, it's still not enough, Shidou-san." She said as she smiled to him. A genuine smile, not just her usual smile or smirk.

Shidou's expression suddenly become stern when he saw that look from her.

"Did you just… smile…?" Shidou asked as he slowly rose up and sat beside the spirit.

Kurumi's face went a little red when he, Shidou, noticed her actions. She wasn't expecting that, knowing that he has been always nervous around females.

"Ara, Shidou-san, don't I always smile?" The black-haired spirit tried to give an excuse.

"You may be right, but…" Shidou said as he looked away from her. "There's something off on it, from your usual one, like there're no malice or dark intentions…"

She can't believe it that he just turned the tables.

With this reply, Kurumi's heart fluttered a little, just so little, that she almost hadn't felt it, but she knew that it did.

His usual nervousness is not present, like he's a complete different person impersonating Shidou Itsuka.

"Ara, does Shidou-san always think of me like that? I'm terribly hurt…" Kurumi said as she acted like she was really hurt, internally, but she felt that she wasn't acting. "Does Shidou-san hate me that much…?" She asked again.

Hate?

Does he really hate her? True, that she did horrible things to other people before, and even took the whole Raizen High as her hostage just for him to surrender, but did he had such discrimination among her kind?

'Do I hate her…?' Shidou asked himself as he wandered on his thoughts.

He was silent.

"I guess that's a yes…" Kurumi said as she sighed in disappointment. She felt again this very, very little fluttery, but it's different. Like there's a small pain, very, very small pain.

"Do you really want me out of your sight…?" Kurumi asked again.

'Where did that come from?' he thought as he heard her question.

He wandered again in his thoughts as he stared at the beauty in front of him. Yes, it's kinda dangerous with her sticking around him, but what will happen if she leaves? He's going to remember the events earlier, and will keep on replaying inside his head until he's broke out.

He just stayed silent, with those thoughts rumbling in his head.

"I guess that's a yes again…" Kurumi felt a little broken-hearted.

She's never been the type to give up on something that she wants, but this is an exception.

'What is wrong with me? Why am I like this…' this words echoed inside the mind of the sad spirit beside Shidou.

"Good night Shidou-san, I'm taking my leave." Kurumi said as she tried to revert herself back to normal. "I know that you're somewhat depressed about something, but please do not fret yourself too much on it." She continued.

Kurumi stood up.

She's going to leave.

Does he want her to leave?

What will happen to him if she left?

There's a warm feeling inside his heart that he had from the very moment he started to talk with the Nightmare tonight.

What will happen if she left?

Shidou had this question running around his thoughts.

What will happen?

Will he be at peace?

Kurumi turned around and tried to head to the window, but she was surprised when she took a step forward.

She looked around and saw Shidou stopped her by using his left hand to hold her right hand while his eyes were under his bangs.

The pain inside the heart of the black-haired spirit went away just from his touch.

She smiled, not knowing that she did it herself.

"Shidou…-san…?"

If he cannot speak through his mind, then he's gonna speak through his heart.

"Would I date someone if I hate her and I want her out of my sight?" Shidou said straight while his eyes are still hidden.

"True, I was surprised when you killed some people during that time, but I believe you wouldn't do that just for fun, I know there's a reason for your actions… though yes, killing them is a bit too far, but I know, deeply in myself, that you did that in order to protect something." Shidou continued his explanation.

His words reached her. Kurumi was touched.

She saw a very different side of Shidou, the one who despised killing, is gone from him.

Everything at that time went back to her. At that time when he saw 4 guys hitting a small kitten using toy guns that has small stones as bullets, she felt a little enraged deep inside her that she decided to step in to the show and turn their enjoyment upside down.

Everything made sense to her, on why she did that.

She wanted to protect the kitten, the weak one, from being bullied by the guys, the supposedly strong ones.

*Doki*

She just felt her heart skipped a beat again. His words made a lot of impact to her, and made her realize the unsure actions she committed. A warm feeling suddenly built up inside her heart.

"Just… Just for the night, please stay with me…" Shidou said while shaking a little.

*Doki*

Kurumi never felt this way before, the feeling of being needed by someone. She has been always alone in her life aside from her temporal selves, and this feeling is foreign to her. She doesn't know how to deal with it.

She went back beside Shidou and sat down while her hand's still held by him. There's a comforting feeling in her heart due to his touch.

"Alright, Shidou-san, but on one condition…" The spirit said.

"Name it." Shidou said as he looked to her.

Kurumi smiled at him and said, "Tell me why you're so down today." She then freed her hand from being held and grasped Shidou's hand.

Shidou somehow shivered from her request. His intention was supposedly let her stay for him not to stress himself from the unpleasant events, but somehow he was dragged back to it, and then he realized something.

He cannot run away from the truth, as truth is a bitter pill to swallow, it's still a pill that cleanses something.

But somehow, he felt relaxed, with her presence, especially her touch. He might've not realized it but he was totally captivated by the beauty in front of him. The Nightmare he always deemed as the cruelest spirit is actually a good person.

"Will you… give me a moment to think…?" Shidou said hesitantly.

Kurumi used her other hand to touch Shidou's right cheek and said softly, "As long as you won't use the whole night, then yes."

With this reply of hers, Shidou probably might not need a minute to respond to her request.

~o~O~o~

"Kannazuki, do you have an update on who're the staffers in DEM Japan Branch present as of now?" A red-hair twin-tailed girl sucking on a chupa chups asked the person named Kannazuki.

"As of now, there's the captain of AST Kusakabe Ryouko in-charged in the protection of Tohka, Yoshino and the Yamai Twins; Jessica Baley, from the main branch and temporary 2nd Lt. Takamiya Mana, the current acting commander in the AST present in the branch." Kyouhei answered as he looked on a virtual window in front of him.

The red-hair twin-tailed girl, Itsuka Kotori, noticed that something's amiss.

"Where's Tobiichi Origami?"

"That…" Kyouhei paused hesitantly. "She has been issued with a house arrest for two months, and unable to use any realizers."

"Heehh…" Kotori release a voice of amusement. "But I doubt that she'll stay still when she finds out about Shidou's plans."

"What… are the plans of Shidou-kun, commander?" Kyouhei asked in confusion.

"This is just my hunch, probably Shidou will head straight to DEM." Kotori said while sucking on her chupa chups. "Only if Shidou discovers about himself."

"I can see where you're going." Kyouhei replied. "So, what're we going to do with Shidou-kun?"

"Check on Shidou's whereabouts." Kotori commanded the whole Ratatoskr members.

"Hai!" Everyone replied.

Various windows appeared on the big screen in front of the red-haired commander as she issued the command.

"Shidou's coordinates, located!" Hinako announced.

"He's currently at the Itsuka household… but…" Minowa paused as she saw something that will not please Kotori.

"But..?" Kotori asked.

"He's with a spirit!" Minowa shouted in panic.

"What did you say?!" Kotori stood up from the shocking news she just heard. "Identify that spirit-" She then stopped as she finally realized who it was, deducing the number count.

"Commander?" everyone on-board asked.

"That spirit with Shidou… is the Nightmare, Tokisaki Kurumi!" She said in a little higher voice. "Get a visual on them, right now!"

"Hai!"

Everyone started to work on their keyboards as they tried to get a visual from Shidou's location.

"Kannazuki, contact Reine." Kotori said to the man beside her.

Kyouhei nodded and took his phone from his pocket and contacted Reine Murasame.

"Commander, the visual might need some more time, there are no automated cameras installed inside the household." Mikimoto said as tried to find a way.

"Dammit, why of all times!" Kotori slammed the hand rest of her seat. "Try to contact Shidou!"

"Negative commander, he doesn't have his earpiece." Kawagoe said.

Kotori clicked her tongue as she ran out of options of getting in touch with Shidou. Him in contact with Nightmare, Tokisaki Kurumi, is the least thing that she wanted to happen.

"Work on getting that visual as fast as you can." Kotori said as she threw the stick of her chupa chups somewhere inside the room. "Kannazuki, where's Reine? I need to know Kurumi's anxiety-"

"…Weirder it might be, Kurumi's anxiety levels are at the bottom most level." A sleepy silver-haired woman appeared inside the room.

"What…?" Kotori asked as she looked to the person who just arrived, Reine Murasame.

"…As her anxiety levels are at the bottom, her affection levels are at its maximum." Reine said as she showed her findings on the big screen.

True, her affection levels are at its maximum, but something's bugging Kotori, something that she should be expecting when the situation is like that.

"Have you known this?" Kotori asked the sleepy woman.

"…No, I just figured it out…. When Kannazuki contacted me…. That you might need it." Reine explained.

"I see. Well then, we just have to wait, until we get that visual." Kotori said as she took another chupa chups and ate it.

"Working on it!"

'Shidou, be careful.' Kotori said to herself as her worries were growing by the second.

(Few Moments Later)

"Visual acquired, patching through visual 1.8 miles above from ground and 20 meters away from the coordinates!" Mikimoto announced the accomplishment.

"Get to it immediately!" Kotori said as she was getting impatient.

"Hai!" Mikimoto responded.

A feed appeared in front of the big screen, which showed the location of the Itsuka household from a very far location.

"Keep getting close." Kotori said as she cracked the chupa chups inside her mouth and threw the stick somewhere inside the room.

~o~O~o~

While the Ratatoskr was busy getting in touch with Shidou, there were two individuals inside the Itsuka household having an unusual conversation, or rather, not a very good one.

Shidou explained detail by detail on what happened to Tohka, Yoshino and the Yamai twins, about them getting captured and witnessing a very unpleasant sight. Kurumi couldn't help but frown every time he makes a depressed look. She didn't care about the other girls, but she does care a lot about him.

"So, Tohka-san and the other spirits got captured and you don't know what you should do as of now?" Kurumi said in a soft, calm voice. She never let go of his hand and was still sitting beside him ever since she asked her conditions.

"Yes…" Shidou then made a depressed look again. Every time that their names were mention, Shidou would release this depressed aura, along with it written all over his face.

The clock-eyed spirit frowned again as she saw that look from him.

"Hmm, Shidou-san, I hate to say this but, I think what you're thinking is wrong…" Kurumi said as she touched Shidou's cheek while having this sad look. She's getting intoxicated in touching him. "You should not think of what you should or must do, but think about of what you want to do." Kurumi said.

"What… I want to do?" Shidou repeated what the beautiful and mesmerizing spirit said.

Kurumi smiled at him and said, "Yes. Now Shidou-san, what do you want to do now?" She then held his hand tighter.

Shidou thought of this for a while.

'What I wanted to do…'

After a few moments of thinking, Shidou had the answers for Kurumi's question.

"I want to become stronger, strong enough to save and protect them…" Shidou said as he touched Kurumi's hand on his cheek.

The twin-ponytailed spirit blushed from his touch, but felt a little sadness in her heart. She didn't know why she felt that way when she was supposed to be happy for him.

Kurumi made a fake smile, almost genuine, to appease what's missing in her.

But Shidou saw through her actions, and noticed that she's faking her smile. Genuine it might look, a fake is still a fake.

He doesn't know the reason why she's faking her smile. Until he realized that there's something missing in his words.

"…Especially you, Kurumi." Shidou finished his statement. "I want to protect you more than anything."

*Doki*

The heterochromic spirit's heart skipped a beat after hearing that last statement. She may not need his protection because of their difference in power but still, she can't help but feel powerless from his words.

"Shidou-san…"

"Just Shidou is fine." Shidou said.

"Mhhm." Kurumi nodded in happiness. "S-Shidou." She said his name with a little stutter. She may or may not get used to this addressing very quickly.

Shidou smiled at her. That very moment, all of his worries were relieved, and he felt better. Kurumi with his side is very soothing, and he wants her to stay with him for a little longer… or longer than that.

Now that he felt relieved, his eyes suddenly gained weight, and all of his fatigue and exhaustion triggered in him that made him sleepy.

"Aree… I feel… sleepy and… tired..." Shidou said as his sight was getting darker and darker while he placed his other hand on his forehead.

Kurumi knew about this. She knew that his fatigue wasn't in his mind because of his constant worrying over the situation, and she also understood it. Humans have a tendency to push themselves right to their limits and their bodies would just break down, not literally, after their goal is accomplished.

She then lead Shidou to her shoulders and let him lean on her for a little while.

"It's okay S-Shidou, you need to rest now." Kurumi said as she gently patted his head and caressed his hair while he was leaning on her shoulder. "Don't push yourself too much."

"Arigatou na… Kurumi…" He replied and drifted off to a deep slumber.

The black-haired spirit's heart was racing. She never felt this way before as she was the one getting close to him always. But Shidou getting close to her is a different feeling.

Why his presence is so comforting? Why his touch is so soothing?

She noticed that Shidou is in somewhat uncomfortable position. Then she slowly moved herself away from him and guided his head on her lap.

Shidou was now using her lap as a pillow, without knowing it.

Kurumi continued to caress his hair as she was staring at the boy's peaceful sleeping face. She can't help but blush while doing those deeds. But she couldn't care less. She yearns for his touch.

She then decided to join him in his sleep and closed her eyes. She can feel her small tiredness coming inside her body as she caressed Shidou's hair while he's asleep.

'Oh, I forgot to put up a barrier.' She thought and opened her eyes again.

She then placed up a barrier that conceals her reiha and Shidou's presence from being detected by outsiders.

By the time that the barrier was in place, someone else's toy was destroyed along the process outside the the Itsuka household.

She looked at Shidou's sleeping face on her lap once again and smiled before closing her eyes.

Nothing could ruin their moment at that night.

~o~O~o~

(Few minutes earlier)

"Commander, we now have a visual from the Itsuka household just outside it." Mikimoto announced.

"Get me to it." Kotori commanded.

"Hai." Mikimoto did what was ordered.

Various feeds appeared on the big screen inside the Ratatoskr in front of the red-haired twin-tailed commander. She carefully observed each image but she couldn't find Shidou anywhere.

"Where is Shidou?" Kotori asked.

"Patching through it." Mikimoto said.

All of the feeds vanished in the screen and a window appeared with a loading sign on it. Kotori's getting impatient by the second as she wanted to know what the current situation of Shidou is.

She doesn't have a moment to spare for this emergency, Shidou's safety and well-being comes on top before anything else.

"Visual confirmed." Mikimoto said.

A feed from Shidou's room appeared in front of everyone inside the Ratatoskr which made them gasp the moment they saw it, and by that time, the feed suddenly disappeared.

"What the hell happened?" Kotori asked as she saw the feed disappear. But still the image of it lingered inside her head.

"Something hit the drone camera and cancelled our visual." Mikimoto said in disbelief. "Shidou's presence and Nightmare's reiha disappeared along with it too."

"What…?" Kotori said as she realized what just happened.

A barrier were put up, and there are no means of intercepting it with machines.

Did they, no, 'she' notice it? That they were spying on them? Kotori's worries are getting bigger as time passes by. Every time she loses a chance on getting in touch with Shidou, her anxiety grows.

Reine noticed that Kotori is getting irritated due to the turn of events happening. She may be their commander but she's still a spirit to begin with. She would unleash her spirit powers if this continues.

"…Kotori, you need to calm down." Reine said as she walked beside her. "It's not a good thing to overwork yourself."

Kotori knew what she meant by that. She knew that her spirit powers might trigger if she continued to pile up worries and irritation inside her mind.

"I know." Kotori said as she calmed down.

But still, she can't help but worry a little. He's the key person of the Ratatoskr in sealing mission, and he's her onii-chan after all.

"…Rest assured, I still have track on them… So far, no movements are shown." Reine as she looked on her PDA.

"How'd you manage?" Kotori asked in a small amazement.

"….I'm always in Shin's house, you could say that I have my ways." Reine said in a gloomy tone.

Somehow, Kotori felt a shiver run down on her spine after hearing that, and made an awkward smile.

Aye, chapter 1 is done. :D

Please leave a review. I won't probably write the next chapter if I don't know what you think, teehee, and I have another on-going fic from Angel Beats so my time is kind of divided.

Again, thanks for taking your time reading, I hope you like it! Ja ne!