Sake –plus- the demon-eater –plus- the folklorist –equals- what?

Chapter 6

"Is…he…dead?" Sugino asked when everything was quiet and a certain folklore stopped crying. The silver haired just hung his head and sat there, still holding on to the demon-eater. Sugino held his breath. The white tengu was getting ready for the worse. Muu-chan peaked at the scene and bowed her head as well with little mumbles of sadness. Dr. Yuki bit his lip as he tried again to pull out that big-round-black-thing from Haruka but once he gave a little tug, just a centimeter, more of that dark liquid came pouring out.

"Stop it! Just…stop doing that! If that is his blood…he'll die of he loses anymore!" Kantarou blurted out. His eyes were red and puffy and his voice shook and choked.

"That might mean for the both of them…" Doctor Yuki mumbled as he lowered his head again.

"What did you say?!" Kantarou yelled.

"If I don't do this, your baby would die!! Would you want two funerals?!" The doctor yelled back. Kantarou's eyes grew wide as he stopped breathing for a moment. Tears started to form again and the folklore buried his face into Haruka's lifeless body so they wouldn't see him crying so hard.

"Why now…? Why leave me now…Haruka? You just came back… You were doing so well and…you were alive just a minute ago! Why Haruka?!" Kantarou howled through sobs. Doctor Yuki sighed and gently grabbed hold of the baby. It seemed that the dark liquid was lube or butter because when he gave the baby a big tug, the baby just slipped right out. The doctor expected more of that dark liquid to come out after he freed the baby, but only a trickle of it leaked out and then it stopped. Doctor Yuki slowly looked at what he held in his hands and found it was a black sack like ones of an animal. Except you couldn't see through the soft, gooey texture of the sack. And just as he quickly examined the baby, he bit the sack at the top, the one closest to Haruka, and ripped open the sack.

"Oh my…" Sugino gasped to what he saw in the doctor's hands. Doctor Yuki quickly grabbed two more towels from the stack to wipe off the baby and three more to bundle the child from the cold. He put his mouth over the infant's nose and mouth, did some sucking, spit out something, and did it again the second time.

"It's not crying…" Kantarou said; his face still buried in Haruka's shoulder. Doctor Yuki frowned as he wiped their child clean. The doctor gently put his ear against the newborn's chest and heard a normal baby's heartbeat and healthy lungs.

"…She's healthy and…normal at least, right?" The doctor asked with uncertainty on his face.

"…It's a girl?" Sugino asked in a soft tone.

"Yes." Doctor Yuki nodded once.

"Here, Kantarou." The doctor gently laid the mute and sleeping newborn on Haruka's stomach. He closed Haruka's legs but without a lot of motion so their baby wouldn't fall. Kantarou peaked from the demon-eater's shoulder to look at his and Haruka's child. He found their child had Haruka's black hair; that made Kantarou relieved.

"She won't be teased like I did. Because I have silver hair." The folklore thought as he softly brushed his finger over her cheek.

"And she isn't malnourished. I'm guessing Lord Sugino took him to the market and fed him right." The silver haired added as a smile crept up on his lips.

"And-" Kantarou suddenly stopped thinking and his smile faded when his eyes spotted something on her back. Something that bulged under the towels that were wrapped around her. Something that made Haruka twitch back to life when Kantarou touched it. Something that made their little girl make a noise. A cry.

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"That cry…where's it coming from…" Haruka thought as he slowly woke up. He found himself in a dark room, lying in something warm and sticky. He put a palm to his eyes for his eyeballs were beginning to sting. But he quickly removed them from his face when he felt something sticky on his hands. He found what was on his hand was liquidy and dark. The liquid dripped from his fingers as he held them up to see.

"…Is this blood?!" Haruka thought as his eyes widened. He quickly sat up and held up his other hand, which was covered in that same substance. He looked at himself and found splatters of blood on his robe. He looked around himself and found he was sitting in a pool of that dark, warm, sticky liquid. He tried to scurry backwards but somehow the dark liquid turned into quicksand. He panicked.

"W-what's happening…?!" Haruka breathes as he struggled to free his limbs. The dark liquid had a strong grip on him. What made matters worse was when the cry grew louder.

"Where's it coming from?!" Haruka said, trying to speak over the cry. He shook his head to get the ringing out of his ears as he kept trying to free himself. But as he struggled, the dark liquid crept up his upper body deadly fast.

"Haruka? Can you hear me?" Another voice called out to him. A calm one.

"Who's there?!" Haruka asked as he panicked even more. He tried to shake off the blood that was clinging on him.

"Stop moving." The calm voice told him.

"H-how can I not?! …It's swarming over me!" Haruka yelled as he tried to keep his head above the liquid. The deadly sticky liquid was now up to his shoulders.

"Wake up Haruka!!" Another voice. But Haruka couldn't identify what kind of voice it was or whose voice for he already slipped under the dark, warm, sticky liquid and would never come back up to the surface again.

XxXxXxXxX

"Did I hurt her?" Kantarou asked with a frown as he cradled his little girl. His gentle hushing and rocking didn't seem to calm her down. Muu-chan jumped out of Sugino's robe and gently landed on the folklore's shoulder.

"Muu, muu, muu, muu-" Muu-chan softly sang in "Rock-a-by-baby" tune. It didn't seem to work. The couple's child's cry began to grow louder.

"What's wrong with her?" Sugino said as he closed his ears with his palms.

"It's normal for babies to cry." Doctor Yuki explained, his hands were on his ears as well.

"Haruka's baby is here!" Suzu said excitedly with her hands to her ears. Youko dropped her cards. She couldn't ignore the sound much longer.

"Why are they so loud?" Youko asked as she put her hands to her ears.

"I don't know, they just are. I guess it's because they didn't speak for so long that they just explode!" Suzu said.

"Muu! Muu! Muu!" Muu-chan said as she tried to calm the newborn, using gestures as she did so; up and down movements.

"W-what's happening…?!" Kantarou heard a familiar voice mutter.

"Haruka?" Kantarou had hope in his voice. But the demon-eater's eyes were still shut.

"Where's it coming from?!" Haruka's voice rose and he began to move around like a dog in his sleep. Kantarou moved two feet away, carrying their child in his arms, from the thrashing black tengu so Haruka wouldn't hit his newborn.

"What's wrong with Haruka?" Kantarou asked, still trying to calm their little girl.

"He must have been in a deep sleep and now is having a nightmare…" Dr. Yuki said thoughtfully.

"What?" Sugino and Kantarou said in unison.

"Haruka? Can you hear me?" Doctor Yuki said.

"Who's there?!" Haruka answered but didn't open his eyes.

"He can hear me so…" Doctor Yuki talked to himself, and then he said, "Stop moving."

"H-how can I not?! …It's all over me!" The black tengu answered.

"All over me…?" The doctor thought.

"He's having a nightmare?! Can he wake up-" Kantarou thought then he gasped at the idea he just made.

"Wake up Haruka!!" Kantarou yelled, scaring his daughter even more. Except his outburst did the trick…

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"It's pitch black…am I dieing…?" Haruka thought as he slowly closed his eyes. He can feel his body become numb and sore..

"…I'm sorry Kantarou…" The black tengu sighed as he felt himself being swallowed up into darkness. After he closed his eyes, his body wasn't aware of the little growing speck that was just below him, taking charge of swallowing the demon-eater into sunlight.

Haruka squinted at the blinding light that was in his eyes. He raised his hand over his eyes to help block the sunlight. He groaned.

"…Where am I…?" Haruka croaked. A second later, a certain silver haired's face was in his view. A smiling one, with tears of joy.

"Haruka…!" Kantarou choked as he held the black tengu's head and kissed him passionately. But then, Haruka and Kantarou felt something brush against their cheeks. They stopped to look what it was and what they found was two small hands poking out of their little girl's bundle. They also found something that made Kantarou surprised.

"She opened her eyes!" The folklore whispered. Haruka looked at his daughter for the first time. She had a normal baby body- pink rosy cheeks, ten small fingers and toes, two chubby legs, two chubby arms, and a baby head. But what was not normal for a human baby was the black wings on their daughter's back.

"She has your wings." Kantarou spoke in a soft tone, following his lover's gaze as he adjusted the newborn that lay in the crook of his arm so she would be more comfortable. Watching his daughter wiggle and move her arms towards him made Haruka somewhat happy.

"She wants you, Haruka." Kantarou said as he smiled and held her in a position to pass her on to the demon-eater. Haruka sat up, since he was lying on the floor, and gaped with confusion.

"You hold her under her head to support her head and cradle her like this." Kantarou showed Haruka how to hold their daughter before passing her on to him.

"And hold her close. She might like that." Dr. Yuki added with a wink.

"Why doctor?" Sugino asked, already feeling calm and relieved that the demon-eater is alive.

"That's a funny question to ask! Muu-chan loves to be close to you, right?"

"Muu, muu!" Muu-chan answered with a nod as she hopped close to her husband.

"Then it's the same for this little one here. All her life, she's been living in a warm and closed environment. It's comfortable for her to be held close to a human being or a monster or a tengu. Don't you like to be hugged?" Dr. Yuki explained. Sugino nodded in answer.

"Good. And she is most comfortable when she is close to her 'mother's' heart. It's not foreign or alien to her since she knows her 'mother's' heartbeat so well!" The doctor added with a smile. Haruka held his daughter close to his chest, watching her immediately cling to his robe with one of her small hands and stare up at him. Black eyes stare back at bright crimson ones.

"…She has your eyes, Kantarou." The folklore smiled.

"Thank you." Kantarou whispered in Haruka's ear and gently kissed him on his cheek. The couple marveled at the new life they've made in their hands.

"Excuse me." Doctor Yuki excused himself from the room and walked into the living room.

"May I…see her?" Sugino said as he slowly walked toward the couple.

"Sure Lord Sugino!" Kantarou whispered. Their daughter stared at the new stranger, not knowing that she is (since babies don't know how to function their senses yet!) Sugino hesitantly moved his hand toward her cheek. But what made him twitch was when the newborn made a noise.

"Googh…"

"Uh…" Sugino sweat-dropped.

"Aw, it's so cute!" Suzu whispered as she stepped inside the room.

"Hey you guys!" Youko whispered as she too came, following right behind Suzu.

"Correction Suzu. It's a girl." Kantarou whispered.

"A girl?! Eek!" Suzu continued to whisper as she clasped her hands together excitedly. Muu-chan lay on top of the white tengu's head, watching the baby girl.

"She's cute." Suzu commented once again, patting their little girl's black tuff of hair.

"Wow, her skin is so soft." Youko said as she touched the little girl's chubby hand.

"Do you have a name to give her?" Suzu asked as her eyes sparkled more brightly. Kantarou looked up.

" I did think of some names…" The folklore said thoughtfully as he looked up to the ceiling. Haruka continued to stare at his child, slightly smiling.

"Charlotte." Haruka answered. Everybody looked at the black tengu.

"Charlotte?" Kantarou repeated. Haruka nodded once.

"So, her name's Charlotte, huh?" Doctor Yuki said as he popped up…again.

"That doctor keeps popping up!" Sugino mumbled to himself as he sweat-dropped. The white tengu had jumped a little when the doctor came.

"Ah, she's a beauty, isn't she?" Doctor Yuki squatted next to Haruka to marvel at their child. Even though he'd seen her just minutes before, the feelings of joy and happiness never left the room.

"Now girls, I think you two should leave the new parents alone." The doctor continued cheerfully as he clapped his hands together.

"Aw, do we really?" Suzu pouted.

"I believe so." Dr. Yuki said as he stood, motioning Youko and Suzu to stand as well.

"You too, Lord Sugino." Doctor Yuki held out his hand to the white tengu. Sugino stood up at this gesture.

"Muu, muu?"

"You can come too, Muu-chan." The doctor chuckled a little as he watched Muu-chan run on her little feet toward the door.

"Muu-chan! Don't run off without me!" Sugino whined as he followed his wife. The two girls followed suit after the white tengu.

"I called a friend of mine. He will professionally examine her and give her the shots she needs." Dr. Yuki informed the couple. Kantarou smiled.

"Well, thanks a lot for making a miracle happen this afternoon."

"No, it was you two. Well, take care." Doctor Yuki waved as he left the room. Haruka said his thanks after the doctor left.

"Charlotte…I like that name." Kantarou said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah." Haruka said while he fixed his daughter's towel, making her comfortable and safe. The silver haired sneaked in a peck on the demon-eater's cheek.

"Hey." Haruka smirked.

"What?" Kantarou grinned.

"Thank you, for being here with me."

"Aw, that's the second sweetest thing you ever said. Oh! Look, Charlotte wants a kiss too."

"Idiot." Haruka smiled.

"But I'm your idiot." Kantarou gently kissed their daughter's cheek. Charlotte reached out to her daddy with her chubby little hands and brushed her hands across the silver haired's cheeks, exchanging kisses in her own way. Kantarou giggled.

"Do you think…we could take care of her?"

"Yeah. She's going to grow up into a fine lady." Kantarou held her tiny hands.

"You think so?"

"I highly believe we can manage, as I highly believe our love made her." The silver haired looked up from their daughter to look straight into his lover's black eyes.

"Yeah." Haruka said after a moment, slightly smiling again.

XxXxXxXxX

"I'm curious, how did you come here so quickly?" Sugino asked. Doctor Yuki was sitting at the living room table, waiting for his friend to come.

The doctor laughed before saying, "A doctor must have a sharp sixth sense and speed!"

"U-uh…" Sugino twitched at the sudden childish way the doctor said the word "speed". Dr. Yuki laughed again.

"No, no. It was three days after Mr. Haruka fled from here. I somehow stumbled upon your tree house on that day. Luckily, I had my binoculars with me and looked inside your tree house to-"

"You spied on us?!" Sugino interrupted, shocked. Who wouldn't be?

"Let me finish. I looked into the binoculars to check on you guys. I saw Mr. Haruka having his 'mood swing episode.'" Dr. Yuki continued. Sugino nodded in agreement. When the demon-eater had one of his "mood swing episode", it got hectic. At firsts, the white tengu thought he couldn't take anymore of the demon-eater, but somehow he got though ok.

"So, I decided to give you a big basket of food that is recommended for pregnant patients to compliment you that you were doing fine so far." The doctor continued.

"Oh…so you were the guy who left that basket…" Sugino said thoughtfully as he remembered that day with the mysterious big basket.

"Where did this basket come from?" I questioned as I stared at a big basket of food that sat at the door; the only door that we have in our tree house.

"Just bring it inside and look at it later…I'm tired…" The demon-eater said tiredly as he walked into out tree house. Muu-chan cuddled the big mysterious basket.

"Well, it's ours now. Come on, Muu-chan. Let's bring this thing inside!" I said as I grabbed the big basket.

"Muu, muu!" Muu-chan agreed as she held onto the basket. We put the basket on our table that is in the middle of our one room house and waited until the demon-eater had his rest.

"But I still don't understand…how did you know when the demon-eater was due and came here at that moment?"

"Ah! There you are! They're in that room. Thank you for coming." Dr. Yuki said, not answering Sugino's question.

The doctor's friend bowed and said, "It's my pleasure," then walked into the room where Kantarou, Haruka, and Charlotte waited.

"I guess I'm done for today. Send my regards to the new parents for me, ok?" Dr. Yuki said to Youko as he stood up.

"Will do." Youko replied.

"Aw, you're leaving already Dr. Yuki?" Suzu said sadly.

"I believe so. But we'll see each other again, ok?" The doctor held Suzu's hand as he said this. Suzu sadly nodded her head.

"We'll see each other again soon. Good bye!" Dr. Yuki said as he walked to leave.

"But you still never answered my question!" Sugino pointed out. The doctor stopped at the threshold and smiled.

"A doctor must have a sharp sixth sense and speed!" He laughed as he continued his leaving. Sugino let out an air of frustration.

"Muu?" Muu-chan asked as she was sitting inn her husband's lap.

"Do you know how he knew?" Sugino asked. Muu-chan violently shook her green head. The white tengu sighed.

XxXxXxXxX

4 years later

"Bubberfly." A girl with short black hair pointed out as she pointed to a purple butterfly that sat on a flower.

"Hm. It's beautiful." Haruka said in response as he watched the purple butterfly with his daughter.

"Charlotte, your wings are sticking out." Kantarou reminded. Charlotte jumped a little out of embarrassment and suddenly the black-feathered wings on her back disappeared.

"You sound like a mother more that I do." Haruka said as he slightly smiled.

"Well, someone has to be the mom." Kantarou said as he interlocked his fingers with his lover. The couple gently kissed one another but stopped when Charlotte made a face.

"Ew. Dabby and mobby are kissing."

"We love you too, Charlotte." Kantarou chuckled as he kissed her on the cheek, making her squirm.

"Mm-hm." Haruka agreed as he kissed their daughter on the other cheek, making Charlotte squirm even more. After that, Kantarou and Haruka took each of their daughter's hand into their own and the three of them ran around their big yard, having a fun time.

XxXxXxXxX

Author's note: Wow, this is the second chapter I've written that is long! Yay! *Encore!* But sadly to say, this story has ended. I hoped you enjoyed this story!