Blossom or Wilt? ~ A Soul Eater Fanfiction

38. Written in the Clouds?

Angela tugged her broom, and Mifune, to the middle of the barren field the samurai knew all too well. He saw the picnic, felt the dreaded flower crown he wore solely for Angela as it scratched at his ears, and remembered how amazing Saki’s sandwich had tasted.

Now, the sky was blue and not the ashen gray it had been during that winter so long ago, and the snow was not present, but, instead, the sun beat down on their faces, its warmth incredibly inviting. Angela giggled and motioned for Mifune to sit on a patch of bright grass, hopping on her flying broomstick.

“Hold the camera steady, Dad!” she cried, and Mifune’s heart melted at her words. “Remember that, or Mom may just have to kill you!”

“Really?” Mifune asked, turning on the recorder and following Angela as she buzzed past him and spun upside down in a loop. “You’d think that after thirteen years, she’d learn to not make threats she couldn’t follow through with.”

“I’m not so sure,” Angela said, “don’t doubt Saki Soon-to-be Nagani.”

“Don’t worry! I never have, probably won’t,” he assured her.

She laughed and flipped over once more, her long hair flying. She spun quickly, the shot up, whizzing higher than he thought possible. The camera trailed where she went, and caught every twist and turn, every shout of joy and each giggle.

“Mom!” Angela screamed a mere ten minutes later, skidding to a halt on the ground. Mifune followed the witch’s gaze to Saki, as the woman walked to the pair. She had a girl on each hip, and Colin ran beside her, blabbering on about something or other.  

That’s when Mifune saw the basket in his son’s hand. “You didn’t…” the samurai began.

“But I did,” Saki argued. “I wasn’t about to miss the show, and, well, the kids were bored out of their trees.”

She set the girls onto the floor and Skylar immediately began to chase after a butterfly, Colin jogging on chubby toddler legs behind her. Saki spread out a checkered blanket, the very same one from their last outing, onto the grass, setting out sandwiches wrapped carefully with clear plastic.  

Mifune sat onto the sheet, Angela plopping down beside him. Eve crawled into Angela’s lap, poking her shoulder. The little girl whispered something into the witch’s ear, and Angela grinned, whispering again to Saki.

“What?” Mifune asked.

Saki pursed her lips at Angela, crossing her arms. “Fine. But-”

“I have to be careful; I know.” Angela said, swooping Eve into her arms and skipping to the broomstick.

“What… what is she doing?” Mifune demanded, looking around, bewildered. Saki hushed him, scooting beside the samurai and leaning her head against his chest. He gripped her shoulder tightly, stealing a peck on the cheek.

Angela mounted the broom, swooping Eve in front of her. Mifune began to object, but Saki quieted him once more, whacking him on the arm. “They know what they’re doing, now shut up and watch.”

“Yes ma’am,” he murmured.

“That’s more like it,” Saki said, making a satisfied noise in the back of her throat.

Angela snapped her fingers, and Eve was on the broom, a safety enchantment taking place on the little girl. Genevieve giggled as Angela began to ascend, pink sparkles trailing behind her.

Mifune’s teeth were on edge the entirety of the sisters ride, Saki trying in vain to console him. “Calm yourself, Nagani,” she’d say, “they’ve done this before.”

“You’ve already said that,” he’d argue.

“Well, it sure doesn’t seem like you’ve heard me.”

Angela flew to the ground cleanly, and Mifune let out a long breath. “Look!” Angela cried, pointing madly toward the clouds.

Without realizing it, the pair had written, The Nagani Family, in swooping letters. The bright magic glowed with a pink aura, and Eve pranced to Mifune, kissing him on the cheek.

“That’s my name,” Eve said proudly, motioning to the sky.

“Yes,” he agreed, “mine too.”

Her eyes formed into large saucers. “Really?”

Mifune nodded solemnly, kissing her right back on the cheek. “Yep, always has been.”

“Wow,” Eve said.

He nodded once more. “Wow is right.”

Saki tried to contain her laughter as the pair exchanged possibly the most adorable conversation in human history. To keep from dying of a giggling fit, she stood up and made her way to Sky and Colin, as they rolled in the grass.

“Come now, children,” Saki groaned. “I just bathed you.”