Home and Blood ✔

22

The walk back to the palace with Ren gave Aki a lot to think about. The whole situation was a lot to think about. Who were these people that were hunting Zima and her mother down and what did they really want?  Why were they going as far as hurting their own friends. He was stuck, and maybe a deeper investigation on this was going to give him so more answers. Most importantly he needed to keep Aika safe. 

Ren didn't say anything the ride back, and when they finally reached the palace she went straight to her room. 

Aki noticed in the dinning room that Umi was cleaning the table up, and clearing plates. Which most have meant that they have just finished eating dinner. Aki went up to his room to find Zima and Hino talking to each other in low tones. 

He stared at them with an eyebrow up. Zima jumped when Aki unexpected entered the room. 

"Your back!" She shouted. "Where have you been? You and Ren missed dinner." 

Aki hated to lie to her but he couldn't tell anyone about Aika just yet, "Me and Ren had to read through some documents and stamp them back at the investigation station." He kissed her cheek feeling guilty about not telling her the truth. "So can you explain to me what your doing here?" He asked looking at Hino. 

"We need to talk," Zima said. 

Aki was confused, but Zima handed him a document. It was document he stamped for Zima and Hino's school for them to get certain advantages. 

"Whats wrong with this?" He asked. 

"What's wrong!" Zima belted. "You can't do this, its unfair to the other students, and me and Hino need to work hard just as anyone else." 

Aki slapped the paper on the dresser, "Well your not other students, your the empress, you deserve advantages. I will gladly take away Hino's advantages though."

"Hey!" Hino yelled, taken back. 

"That is very thoughtful of you but I need to not be spoiled in order to be a strong. Our sensei doesn't even want to teach us knowing she has to be soft with us. Other students don't even want to talk to us." 

Aki sighed, if this was what she really wanted, then he would be fair and let Zima take charge in her own education. 

"Fine," He muttered. He ripped the document up, "I'll write a letter tomorrow morning to dismiss the original notice." He turned to his brother, "Now if you don't mind, can me and Zima be alone please." 

Hino groaned, "Great now I have to work my ass off everyday at school." He left the room with a door slam. 

Zima wrapped her arms around Aki from behind, "Leave him, he's just grumpy about going the extra mile but it will be worth it in the end."

Aki turned around to face her and kissed down on lips, and moved down to her neck. He was stressed and needed to take his mind off things. He started to pull down on her night gown she was wearing leaving her only in undergarments. 

Zima smiled, but noticed something was off. He usually liked to take things slow and tonight he was being much faster than usual. Plus he always turned red when it came to trying to take her clothes off. Today it was like his eyes were hungry. She put her hands on his face making Aki look at her, "Is everything okay? We haven't been talking much lately." 

Aki stopped and blinked, he couldn't tell her about Aika yet. Just not yet. It would bring panic if others found out that about a mysterious women hunting down his family was nearby to discovering them. 

"Everything is fine," he reassured her. He went out to take out the bun his hair was in and his long black hair ran down his back. Zima took his hand gently and walked with him to the bed, and then straddling him. Her hand running through his hair, and his hand on her hips. Zima removed his clothes while kissing him, and rode him. When they were done and out of breath they laid by the side of each other. Aki ran his fingers around Zima's back pulling him closer to her, slowly drifting to sleep. However, Zima noticed something before she fell asleep, deep worry in Aki's eyes. 

. . . 

After training that day Elger had a meeting with her mother. It was meeting for operation 0. They called it operation 0 for secrecy. Operation 0 still was months away, and they still had a lot of work to do before they touched the village of grace. However they were close, they were so close and going to be unstoppable. 

Elger entered the office of her mother who was sitting at a round table with five other women. Her mother smiled at her, her bright red lipstick drawing attention on her face.

"Your little late but we saved you some space," She said pointing at a empty seat at the round table for Elger to sit at. Elger moved swiftly taking her spot. The other women didn't say much they were focused on writing down, and copying Cruella's exact orders. 

"Well? You need to update me on how the big jutsu is coming along. That is most important part of all of this. Without the jutsu nothing will work, that is the most important part of the plan." 

"Its halfway done, we are halfway done perfecting it," Elger insisted. 

The jutsu they were making out of starch has been in works for months now. It was part of operation 0. A jutsu that would psychologically have enough energy and chakra to cast  whole village of people in fugue state for a certain amount of time, even the most powerful ninjas. 

It was Elger and Mister Ryder's idea and together they have been working on it. Lot of training, preparing and chakra control, but Cruella was getting impatient. They needed to finish the jutsu in time. 

"We only have a couple months left and by then it has to be ready," Cruella hissed.

"I get it!" Said Elger annoyed. Part of her just wanted to leave, she was getting tired of her mother treating her like she was Helen her other half. 

The room held an uncomfortable silence. A deadly silence. 

"You may leave," Cruella announced. The other women in the room started to leave, including Elger. 

"Not you," Cruella said pointing at her.

Elger rolled her eyes and sat back down on her seat. 

Cruella walked over to her, "Don't get bratty with me."

"I'm not, I just need you to let me do my job."

"Well hopefully you can do it quicker," Cruella sat on the table her legs, hanging off the side of it. 

Elger balled her fists. Her mother was really pushing her buttons. 

Cruella could sense her anger and smiled, "Don't be so uptight before you hurt yourself." Cruella suddenly turned deeply serious, "This isn't a joke. Remember what I told you about the prophecy." 

Elger nodded, "The village of grace and a strong willed women behind it will be the cause of your downfall." 

"Correct, so I have much to lose here, and much to stress about, and if you screw this up I will very much give you the same result as Helen." 

Elger stood up ad started to walk out the room, she said one last thing before she exited the room, "I will have the jutsu done by next week." Cruella grinned satisfied, watching her daughter leave the room. 

. . .