The Servamp of Fear (A Servamp Spin-off Story)

Chapter 35 Do You Fear Death? (edited)

Dinner was lovely, everything was delicious. Rose smiled to herself as she and Hyde walked out of the restaurant. "that was amazing Lawless." "I know right, the only set back was Tsubaki dressing up as our waiter and our waiter after Tsubaki left...he seemed out of it." "yah I noticed that too, he might have been drunk."

Hyde smirked and elbowed Roses shoulder gently "Humans, am I right? Speaking of humans; it's getting a little late. I better get back to the mansion where my angel is. You're so lucky that your contract is different from ours." Rose smiled and nodded "I bet Ririi is already back at the mansion as well. I will be back shortly after my meeting with Tsubaki at the park." "Alright just be careful and you best be back by midnight." Rose nodded to Hyde and the pair parted their separate ways.

Rose strolled to the park under the silvery moonlight. she smiled down at the sidewalk, every now and then she noticed a rebellious flower popping out from the cracks in the sidewalk. It amazed Rose just how different times have changed. Everything that was once dirt and trees; now buildings and cement. She took in her surroundings and walked into the park, but something was off. In the distance Rose could see many lights, there was a festival going on in town.

She silently made her way to the swing that sat away from the other playground equipment. Silently Rose sat alone on the metal seat facing the urban side of the city, watching the lights illuminate the clouds in the sky, and absently wondering if Tsubaki would show up any time soon. Rose closed her eyes, concentrating on the wind that just so happened to pick up, spreading the all too familiar scent of grass, flowers, and leaves coursing through her nose, but something else too. Something heavier, thick, almost like rain droplets. Rose opened her eyes to find Tsubaki staring down at her.

"Rose? in your own little world I take?" He tilted his head in such a cute way.

"Why were you staring at me?" "You seemed...at peace." He offered with a melancholy tone. "thank you for meeting with me." Rose said without thinking and watched him take a seat in the swing next to her. "its lovely at this time of night isn't it Tsubaki?" Rose smiled at the distant lights. To her, they only illuminated the sky but to Tsubaki, those lights illuminated Rose's face just perfectly. She seemed almost angelic, but to him, she was truthfully an angel. Tsubaki admired her features; her smile shown so much happiness while her eyes brought out the beauty in her soul. To Tsubaki, the young girl was perfect.

"I'm sorry my dearest Rose."

Tsubaki reached for Rose's hand, even though she was in shock Rose let him reach for her hand. Despite how scary he was at the mansion, and the murderous looks he gave Hyde, she hated the idea of him not being at her side. "I asked Lily for some advice and he told me to do what my heart said to do...but I never realized that you might not like it." His grip on Rose's hand tightened tenfold. There was a lump in his throat, it wasn't the feeling of crying eating at him. It was the thought of her possibly rejecting him and his love.

"There's nothing to be sorry for Tsubaki." Tsubaki Looked up at Rose only to be greeted by a loving smile "I'm not mad Tsubaki. It did scare me, but only because I've never been kissed before or done anything like what you did." Tsubaki was shocked to the core.

Rose gently took his hands into her own. "Anyways, about me spending time with the other Servamps...you need to understand that they are my friends too Tsubaki, I need to spend time with them as well."

He chuckled slightly getting up from his swing "how...interesting." Rose did not put up a fight when Tsubaki kissed her on the forehead, a whisper of pressure.

A single light in the small river distracted Tsubaki for a moment, "It looks like the Bon festival is ending." Tsubaki walked over to the bank of the river. Rose followed close behind him only to see something magical starting to emerge from the stream that flows out from the urban part of the city. Brightly colored lanterns floated down the stream, into the river. Rose awed at the sight.

"So, what are those lanterns for Tsubaki?" "well, it's Toro Nagashi, the ceremony in which people float paper lanterns down a river. People believe that if they float lanterns down the river it will help guide the souls of the departed to the spirit world. The lanterns represent those who have died just this year." Rose sat down at the edge of the water admiring the tiny lanterns passing by, "human life is truly beautiful Tsubaki." Rose smiled up at Tsubaki only to have a small nod come from the said male.

Rose pouted at the raven-haired male then looked passed him "It looks like one of them is stuck." Quickly jolting to her feet Rose ran over to a nearby tree. The roots beached a lone lantern. "be careful Rose." Tsubaki called out. Momentarily he heard a loud splash. There she sat in the water, soaked to the bone. But to his surprise Rose didn't cry or get angry, instead, she kept quiet and gently put the lantern back on course. "There you go, have a safe journey." Rose smiled as she watched the lantern float back onto is course.

"Why?" "why what Tsubaki?" Rose walked back on the bank and rung out her shirt that was soaking wet "Why did you save that lantern when you knew that you would fall into the water and get wet?" It was a good question, but to Rose the answer was simple.

"I find humans interesting. They celebrate life and death in such strange ways. I think that it's amazing that they have this ceremony for the departed. It's so beautiful and it's a proper way to send someone off into the afterlife. I see it like this, everyone was made with a purpose, to live, and to die. No matter what there will be an ending one day. No matter if it is a sad ending, happy, or an awful ending there will always be one, it's just that person's choice to make it how they want it to be."

Never in his life had he thought of it like that, he was made for destruction, to one day kill his siblings. He never wanted that, even if he was created to do so. He just wanted a family of his own. Tsubaki was the Servamp of melancholy but did he really have to be the way his creator made him to be?

Tsubaki stood awestruck at the young Servamps words, "Do you fear death?" Never once did she think about it, she could die. Unlike her off-brand siblings, if she got hurt bad enough by any being, she could die. And if she was stabbed through the heart by an off-band's weapon she would die, accept it would be a quicker death. She would just fade away rather than suffering. Perhaps that's why she kept hidden all those years. "No. I am not afraid of death. It is the one thing that I fear the least..."

Tsubaki became quiet. "Rose, after we watch the lanterns... let's go home and spend time with our family." Rose's face instantly lit up, she had been waiting to hear those exact words all evening. "of course, Tsubaki." Everything was peaceful for the rest of the ceremony; however, the only thing that Tsubaki forgot was what he was going to ask Rose and why exactly he came in the first place.