Hello all, here is the first chapter of this two chaptered-story. Hope you'll like it. Big spoilers for episode 13 (which destroyed me by the way) and there is also very slight Izumo/Seri during this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: nothing is mine. If it was, Mikoto wouldn't be dead.

Life goes on, even though you and I suffer

Chapter One: Izumo; two weeks after

It has been two weeks after that tragedy which began with Totsuka's murder.

The good news is that they avenged their comrade's death, but the bad news is that they also lost their leader, their King, in the process.

And the worst is probably that Kusanagi Izumo knew it would happen. The right hand man, the best friend knew that his King wouldn't come back from this adventure. Mikoto told him that if he managed to kill the seventh King, his sword of Damocles would be in the most dangerous state, because only a King can kill a King, meaning that a lot of powers were necessary to take that murderer's life.

But Mikoto died by the hand of the Blue King, Munakata Reisi. The blue King only wanted to avoid a new incident like the Kagutsu Crater and save all their life, and frankly Izumo couldn't blame him.

During those two weeks, he watched over all the old red Clan members, dealing with the loss of power and the ones who wanted to avenge Mikoto's death by attacking the blue Clan. Since they didn't have powers anymore, they were to be beaten harshly, with no chance of winning. He fought with his old subordinates a lot, trying to control them, to avoid maybe another death.

Now after two weeks, things have started to calm down.

The old members still come everyday but they have new preoccupations like finding jobs to pay their rents or stay out of trouble. Homra was with men who did nothing but fight, so now that they are powerless, they have to escape from old enemies are now stronger than them sometimes.

As for Izumo, he didn't reopen the bar once during those two weeks, and he isn't sure he will soon. He had his own depressed moments after Mikoto's death, when no one was there to see it. He still has sometimes but he knows he can't give up, not now. His guys, Mikoto's guys, may be old enough to take care of themselves but the smallest member of Homra, the only girl, is still a kid. She turned eleven the day after Totsuka's murder and now she has lost the man she believed in the most, the man who gave her a chance to live a happier life, with people who could understand her.

Izumo considered selling the bar more than once in those two weeks, with the illusion that the sadness and the pain would disappear with it but now he knows he can't. Too many memories, too many moments of happiness happened during those eight years, and just like Totsuka's stuff, he can't separate himself from his precious bar.

Before, Mikoto, Anna and him used to live here, upstairs, each with a room. Now, it's only him and Anna.

And Anna doesn't sleep in her room anymore, in fact she doesn't leave Mikoto's room anymore. Izumo notices that since that day she doesn't smile anymore, she eats almost nothing. Since that day, her eyes lost the will to live and now Izumo is scared he'll lose her too, after Totsuka and Mikoto. She stays in Mikoto's room, clutching her red marbles in her tiny hand, watching something outside from the window while sitting on Mikoto's bed, as if she was waiting for him to come home, except that she knows he's dead.

He feels he's going to lose her too, and he hates himself for not being able to do anything about it.

Her aunt came one day. The aunt who let her live with Homra because she thought she would be happier because she is a strain. She came once because she heard the Red King died. When she saw in which state her niece was, she asked Izumo if she could take her away, and Izumo refused. Her aunt pressed and asked again, saying that Anna was a child but that she saw too many deaths: Her parents', Totsuka's and now Mikoto's, the person she loved the most. Izumo hesitated for a brief second but refused again because she's the only one he has left, and he wouldn't be able to cope with her loss.
Her aunt said nothing after that and left without saying goodbye. Izumo is expecting problems to come because of her but nothing happened yet.

The sound of the entry door opening makes him aware that someone entered while he was lost in thought, and he's surprised to see Awashima Seri, lieutenant of Scepter 4.

"I know it's not opened, but do you mind?" She asks with a slightly hesitating voice. He remembers when she came once during the time Mikoto was in jail because she said exactly the same thing. He remembers what his answer was at this time but doesn't say it. Too many things happened since then.

Still, he's a lady man, so he gives her a soft and tired smile and shows a vacant sit. She nods and goes to sit down.

Nothing is said at first. Seri doesn't ask for a drink and Izumo doesn't ask her what she's doing here either, because he knows she's not here for a drink. However after two minutes of silence, she asks for a martini just like the last time she came. He makes it, adding the five scoops of red bean paste, even though she didn't ask for it.

She drinks it silently and right after she's done with it, she talks.

"I didn't know if you would like to see me after… all that happened."

Izumo takes her glass and washes it, he doesn't want to answer but he feels like he's obligated to, because she didn't come all this way just for a drink.

"Is that why you waited two weeks, Seri-chan?"

She nods slowly, hands joined on the counter. She has something unusual in her eyes on this night, it's not pity, it's more like guilt mixed with sympathy. Maybe she realizes that if her King died too, she would be happy to have someone understanding the feeling or so he thinks. This isn't like her at all, though. He has nicknamed her the Heartless woman for a reason after all.

"I thought you would be mad at Scepter 4, and that would be understandable."

Izumo gives a slight chuckle. "My guys were but I dissuaded them to come to you, you would have won and I had enough with those two deaths already."

"So you, Kusanagi Izumo, aren't angry with the blue clan, and more precisely with the blue King?"

"No." he says, "How could I? Mikoto's sword was on the edge of falling and he would have killed a lot of people and that wouldn't…" he stopped for a moment, "it wasn't fair."

Whether the bartender talks about a lot of people dying with the fall of the Sword or his King's death, he himself doesn't know. Seri doesn't try to make him explain, she knows it's still hard for him.

They stay silent again for a brief moment before Izumo sighs loudly and goes to fetch a bottle of vodka. He takes two shot glasses from under the counter, one for him and one for his guest, and opens the bottle. He doesn't even ask her if she's with him on this before he pours them each one shot of vodka. He drinks it all immediately and pours himself another one right after. He stops his actions for a moment when he realizes that Seri is watching him silently.

"You don't drink Seri-chan?"

When she answers, her tone is very soft. "Of course I am." And she does, swallowing all the alcohol in the glass. Izumo pours her another one when she lays her glass on the counter.

"So, " the bartender asks after the third glass, the fourth for his customer, "what are you really here for, Seri-chan ? Don't tell me you were seriously worried for Homra? That's not like you, Heartless Woman." He doesn't mean it as an insult but his tone is harsh, however Seri doesn't react.

"The truth is that the Captain, the Blue king, wants to have a talk with you, he wants to explain why he did that, because he thinks you, of all the people, the right hand man of the late red King, deserves it. When I heard that, I didn't want you to take it the wrong way, and even if I knew you wouldn't hurt him, I wanted you to listen to him, because maybe it will ease your pain, and you'll be able to move on."

"So you came to make sure I was ready for his big speech about how he killed Mikoto?"

"No. I came to make sure you were ready to hear why he had to. That's different."

Izumo nods while looking intently at his glass but doesn't answer. He doesn't mind nor held a grudge against the blue King, but he isn't sure he'll be able to listen to his reasons. He understood way before Munakata even stabbed Mikoto in the heart with his sword. He understood the day Mikoto told him he would go in prison for a while because he wasn't sure he could contain his anger.

"Sorry Seri-chan," he says with a slight chuckle, "not sure I truly want to hear what I already know, two weeks only after the death of my friend. Even for me that's too much."

"What about your guys? Maybe it could help them."

Izumo looks at her directly in the eyes after her last sentence. The alcohol is starting to cloud his head a little, and he reacts more loudly than he actually wanted.

"Help them, Seri-chan? Help them?!" his laughter sounds disheartened, and in his eyes, anger took over the calmness. "What do YOU even know?"

Seri backs up a little, raising her hands, trying to calm him. "Izumo—"

He seems to realize that he kind of yelled so he takes a deep breath and exhales slowly before closing his eyes a moment.

"My King doesn't want to make you feel bad, I promise. He's worried about you but also about the little girl, Anna."

At the mention of Anna's name, the pain takes over the anger in the bartender's eyes. Seri sees it and understands that something is wrong. Slowly she extends one of her hands and reaches for his arm.

"What's going on?" she asks with a very soft tone, concern in her voice.

Izumo sighs and places one of his hands over the one on his arm. Neither of them realize they have never done that before but none of them care at this moment.

"I'm afraid she's letting herself die. She doesn't eat, doesn't smile, she doesn't leave Mikoto's room. All this… From Totsuka's murder until Mikoto's death… All this was hard for her. She's just eleven… She wasn't supposed to see two people she loved dying like that."

Seri presses his arm. "I'm sorry," she says, "You don't need nor deserve another loss." She stopped for a moment before adding, "If you want… Maybe Scepter 4 could take care of her for a moment. She's a strain with great powers whereas you are now powerless because of what happened two weeks ago. Maybe she could feel better with some distance."

At her words, he retracted his arm from her grip and Seri knows he didn't like her words at all. "What are you trying to do, Awashima Seri?" The use of her full name shows his anger. "Taking Anna away from the last person she loves when the other two are dead, with one by the hand of your own King?"

Seri considers what he has just said and then she apologizes with a very low voice.

"It's okay." He says, "I suppose you're just tryin' to help." He rubs his face with his hand, trying to relax a little. "You know… She's nothing like a normal little girl… She has a lot of power. And now…. Oh Seri-chan, what am I going to do if Anna were to leave or to die?! It would be too much… And I would be the one losing it after that…"

Awashima Seri doesn't answer, watching the tired face of the bartender, two weeks ago the right hand man of the powerful Red King. All that is burned now, all because of the Colorless King.

She reaches for his arm once again, and he lets her. They stay in silence again for a long moment, looking at each other. It's probably the first time that they are so close and yet so far away from each other. Izumo remembers all the time she came in the past for those horrible drinks she likes so much. Since they were of two opposed Clan, they never tried to get after the friendly acquaintance part but now nothing is restraining them anymore. However, even tough they were equal in power before, there is a gap now, one that may never be filled.

Seri seems to think the same thing so she gets away and stands up, stumbling a little from the alcohol, grabbing her coat and her purse. He waves a hand at her, meaning to say that this is on him for tonight and she thanks him with a smile.

Just before opening the door, she turns around and says, "Anna is a strain, and I am of Scepter 4, I'll help you out… sometimes. If you want."

Izumo smiles, knowing that it's the best she can offer, and even though he wants to refuse since Anna is his responsibility and because he promised Mikoto he will do everything to protect her, he doesn't.

He already lost two friends and a great leader, he may be about to lose a precious little girl, he doesn't want to lose another person, even if it is the Heartless woman.

Anna, he thinks, looking up to the top of the stairs where there is a door with a corridor leading to three bedrooms and a bathroom. He knows she's upstairs on Mikoto's bed, probably not sleeping even if it's late. Anna, please don't leave me behind just like the other two…

Upstairs a little girl is awake, her hands clutching four red marbles. As she watches outside, a single tear rolled from her eye along her cheek to her upper lip.

Mikoto…

Hope you liked it, tell me what you thought, and if you want the second chapter, which will be about Anna by the way, and it will be probably sadder.

See you.