Kuro-A Mystic Messenger Adventure

Chapter 21: White Hair

Searan rolled over in his bed on a Saturday and sighed happily. Now work and plenty of time to love on his wife and time to spend with his two little girls.

"Y/N," he said, sitting up and putting a warm hand on your one shoulder though he wished he could see you sleep longer. "I think I hear the girls."

You stirred and opened one beautiful eye. Searan still couldn't believe just how much he loved you. Before he met you he had never believed this kind of love possible. Now, he adored every move you made, loved your laugh, and loved you smile, never getting enough of it.

"Good morning," you moan/sighed in that sleepy morning way.

At that moment, a 2 year old with red hair and a 6 year old with your eyes raced into the the room with similar squeals. Honey was hot on their heels, chuffing fiercely in mock rage.

Searan scooped the girls off the floor and gathered them in his arms and made a growl noise at Honey. Honey backed off, pretending to be scared but her ears were up and her eyes sparkled playfully.

"Stay away, demon," Searan said dramatically for the girls. "For I am Kuro, defender of all my children!"

"Kuro!" the two year old, Saya, cried out.

"I love Kuro!" the other girl, Aanali, shouted.

Honey bowed to the "greater" power before leaping onto the bed to cuddle with the girls who loved her again. You sat up and Searan looked at you, tracing your face with his eyes like he always did in the mornings.

"Tell us a story about Kuro, daddy," Aanali begged, looking up into his face.

"Alright, then. Hold still," Searan said as he pushed hair out of his face that was still strangely colored from his years of mistreatment. "Let's see. Right."

Searan started the story with the same words every time. The words that lent him the magic to tell this story and paint it with all the right colors and emotions.

"I am Kuro. Prince of nothing. I am the shadow that hides until he is needed. I never stay but I never leave.

"Kuro searches for the ones he has to protect. He has to find them. Aanali and Saya, the two most beautiful girls in the land. But he has to find them quickly for the Shadow Woman searches for them."

"NO!" Saya shrieked, burying her face in Searan's shirt. Searan glanced at you. You had agreed a while back that the girls had to understand what you had been through and this was the form that would make sense to them.

"Yes," Searan said calmly, painting the villain now. "The Shadow Woman. She has streaked makeup, fancy black robes tattered. Her wild eyes roam everywhere and her hair moves like golden snakes with minds of their own. She searches for the girls using her blind warrior who has to do as she orders. She wishes to enslave the girls so Kuro must find them first so he could protect them."

"And he will," Aanali announced, comforting her younger sister. Searan glanced at you again and he could tell you were enjoying the story as well.

"Kuro did find the girls first," Searan agreed. "The girls promise to always take care of him. He hides them in the great library of the dragons. The dragons wish to protect the girls, as well. Two of the fiercest fighters, Buddha and Honey, are assigned to help the girls and Kuro and keep the Shadow Woman away."

Honey puffed out her chest proudly, nuzzling the girls. Saya laughed and Aanali hugged her.

"Thanks, Honey," the six year old as if they were truly in the story.

There was a sudden knock on the door and Seven poked his head in through the bedroom door. He held a four year old boy named Yoongi. His own child.

"Sorry to bother you," Seven said, seeing the family gathering. Buddha peered from over Seven's shoulder. He had brought one of his silver and purple dragonets with him. "MC wanted me to come over and get a pan back from Y/N."

"We were telling a Kuro story," you said with a smile, curling a piece of Saya's hair around your finger.

"Want to hear the story, Buddy?" Seven asked Yoongi. Yoongi nodded and Seven sat on the bed with his brown haired boy and Buddha made room for his own dragonet.

"Where were we?" Searan asked, knowing it would drive his girls crazy.

"We were with the dragons, daddy!" Aanali said imperiously.

"Dragons," Saya called cheerfully.

"Right," Searan smiled, looking at Seven who seemed delighted. "At the dragon library, the two beautiful girls were joined by a boy named Yoongi." Searan booped the newcomer on the nose with a smile. "Yoongi had some magic he would use to help take down the Shadow Woman.

"One morning, the heroes got curious and left the library, forgetting to bring Kuro with them. While they were out, the Blind Warrior found them."

Yoongi cried out unhappily.

Searan nodded, continuing, "The Blind Warrior was going to take them to the Shadow Woman when Saya said to take her and leave the others alone. She said it was her idea to go exploring and she didn't want the others to get hurt.

"The Blind Warrior's heart melted and he let the heroes go. He had disobeyed the Shadow Woman, and when he came back to her, she unmade him and he disappeared."

Aanali, Saya, and Yoongi watched him with sad eyes as Searan said, being carried through memory, "Kuro found them. He had been really worried and he told them, "Don't do that again.

"They agreed, The dragons Buddha and Honey had come, bringing a young dragonet that wanted to help too. They were happy to see that the heros were safe.

"Suddenly, the Shadow Woman appeared!"

The children shrieked and the dragonet huddled against Buddha.

"'I will take you all,' the Shadow Woman hissed, hair writhing above her head. 'You will be mine and you will never sleep or be happy again!' The heroes disagreed. 'Leave us alone!' the brave Aanali shouted. The fight began. The dragons tangled up the Shadow Woman. The heroes used magic but it wasn't enough."

The story was interrupted as Seven got a call from MC, wondering where he was.

Seven answered and waited for the story to continue when he hung up.

"The Shadow Woman captured them all," Searan said, his voice rising with the fearfulness of the situation. "She was going to give them the worst nightmares and take them back with her to her palace in the eye of a storm the color of my eyes. She would turn them into her servants and force them to kill all they loved and force them to kill the dragons."

"But I love dragons!" Yoongi protested.

"I know," Searan nodded. "She would make you. She was about to take the heroes when Kuro appeared. He was no longer an alley cat but a fierce panther with great blue eyes and gold in his ears. He told the Shadow Woman that she would not take his children. He beat her back with tooth and claw until she disappeared. Kuro turned to the heros. Ho loved them but he had to leave. He disappeared in blue sparks as he told them of his love."

Suddenly, there were blue sparks spilling under the door to the bedroom. Everyone stared at them. Seven, Searan, and you stared at each other, unsure of whether to hope for what they thought it meant.

"We'd better not keep him waiting," Searan said finally with a smile before standing up and opening the door.

Thoughts from White hair:I learned from Kuro that you should make things better for yourself and those you love.

Thoughts from Kuro: Reader. You have seen me and my life and theirs. Remember these lessons and, maybe, I will protect you as my child as well.

The End