Rearranging Fate | Tokyo Revengers x OC

182 • Finale

Horseback riding was a new hobby. The only animal Reina ever took care of in the other timeline was Marseille, and she never enjoyed rolling around with dogs or cats. She wasn't allergic, but she hated getting fur on her clothes. She had also never tried riding a horse, nor did she know that Aizen had been taking lessons in horseback riding since he was a kid.

Truly, like a prince from a fairy tale.

"Learning new things is nice," she said with a smile as Artemis walked leisurely around the garden. "The first time Yuna-san took me horseback riding, I was scared of the horses." More like, she was scared she would get thrown off and become permanently injured. Reina may be strong, but animals could become stronger than even the strongest human.

"But I don't think you're the type to like horses, or animals in general." Unlike Baji who would die for a cat, Reina had always thought Mikey was indifferent to anything and anybody but the people he loved. "Artemis is friendly to his master and her people, but aren't you supposed to be a stranger to him?"

"He loves Emma." Mikey didn't bother turning his head to face her, too busy rubbing the horse's fur. "He seems to have something against Shinichiro though. Waka's teasing him about how not even a horse wants to get close to him."

"Yes, well, Artemis isn't fond of older men." Perhaps talking to Inui and Kokonoi about Ryou, and how disgusted she sometimes still was, while grooming Artemis wasn't a good idea. Sure, he had warmed up to Harui and Akise, who were the only older men who actually mattered in her life. But he was still defensive of men.

Reina really didn't mean for that to happen, but she had loved Artemis from the second Yuna gave him to her, and she fell further in love when he tried defending her against men whenever they were outside the mansion. She truly was blessed with protective friends, even if it was in the form of a horse.

"Take Hades, Aphrodite, or Minerva." No, Reina did not get involved in the naming of the three other horses in the stable. In fact, she named Artemis without confirming his gender, and it was purely based on how elegant and majestic he was. But Artemis loved the name, so she didn't bother changing it. "Artemis is mine. I won't let you ride him, Manjiro."

"I dunno how to ride a horse."

"Aizen is a good teacher."

It was around midnight when Reina finally came back, and most were already asleep. She found Aizen in her room, building a blanket fort and inviting her for a movie marathon. Reina had agreed with a laugh, and the two spent the entire night binging on movies. But rather than watching movies, they spent the night gossiping away. It was honestly the most she had talked with Aizen.

When morning came, Aizen was still asleep beside her. The sun was hardly up, and the sky was still indigo. Still, Reina went outside and into the stables. She was surprised to find Mikey there. Setting aside the fact that Mikey was not a morning person, she didn't strike him as an animal lover.

Hades, for some reason, also hated men. But his hatred for men was more universal and not out of protectiveness because he also hated Ichiro, Harui, and Aizen. Strangely, he did not Akise, and Reina suspected it was because he understood that Akise was his master's father. Aphrodite was a baby and could only handle the younger children. Minerva was the most social and the tamest of all the horses in the stable, so Reina guided Mikey onto her.

"Is this sense of familiarness also your doing?"

"Well, I sure wish for a magical power." Except leaping through time was also considered magical, but to each their own. "Why? Did you have trouble sleeping last night? And here I thought Akise's house has the comfiest bed in existence."