Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The mood of the theater was at the highest it's ever been, the cast had just recently finished Arc 4 of Subaru's journey. While Arcs 1 and 2 lifted their spirits, Arc 3 being the outlier, Arc 4 sent the room into a frenzy of cheers and happiness. They watched Subaru, the broke and no talent knight, conquer odds that seemed impossible even to the most powerful warriors. He annihilated The Great Rabbit, his death to the beast had shaken the audience to their core, the warden gave them a long time to recover from that. Subaru was also the reason Emilia found the strength to break the barrier and why Garfiel ended the Bowel Hunter's life.

Everyone even got a good chuckle at seeing Roswaal finally get the shit kicked out of him, much to Ram's annoyance. While the cast enjoyed seeing the Margrave get his comeuppance, what really put a smile on every face was the ending. After all the hardship Subaru had faced it was heartwarming to see the boy finally be rewarded for his efforts. All the pain and suffering finally being compensated with Subaru now a Knight of Emilia. It was liberating to see the pure happiness in Subaru's eyes, his smile stretching across his face, and his calm laughter at the ceremony. The cast welcomed the sight with pleasure, happiness couldn't begin to describe how good it made everyone feel to see Subaru smiling so brightly.

"My Subaru, I'm so happy to see you smiling again." The tears that trailed down Emilia were coupled with a small smile. The boy had done more than enough to earn his place at her side, looking at the scene from an outside perspective warmed Emilia's heart.

"Betty expected nothing less from her amazing contractor in fact." Beatrice gave a smug 'hmph' and snuggled deeper in Subaru's chest.

"Well shit brother, ya actually did it." Al felt somewhat guilty in thinking his fellow Earthling wouldn't be able to overcome this Arc. Yet, to the knight's surprise Subaru actually won, Al wasn't impressed by much, but this victory was an exception.

"Amazing, I was completely wrong about you Subaru. You have more than earned the title of Knight." Julius' relationship with Subaru may not have started out the greatest, but Julius was more than happy to put their fight behind him. The Finest Knight never expected to want to have Subaru as a friend, the feeling was not unwelcomed.

"Huh, nyow I feel like a dummy." Felix's change of attitude toward the sleeping boy surprised the audience greatly. The feline knight never hid his contempt for Subaru, always droning on about how he was weak. The Arc completely turned around Felix's perspective about the boy, anyone who can be devoured alive and still continue to fight was not a weak person. If anything Felix finally understood that Subaru may not be the strong physically, he is the strongest mentally. No one in the theater would ever remain sane let alone find the will to move forward. Felix now had a brand new respect for Subaru, the boy deserved this victory one hundred times over.

"Look at that handsome devil…oh and yer lookin' fine too Brotto." Garfiel said with a shit eating grin.

"Aww come on Garf, I don't look too-GAH"

The demi-human put the merchant into a headlock, taking off his hat and playfully ruffling his hair. Otto vainly tried to escape from his prison but was unable too, leaving him with a rather interesting new hair style.

"Alright, Garf let him go." Frederica lightly chided her brother even though she had a smile on her face. Petra sat next to the older maid, giggling at Otto's misfortune. Said merchant gave the blonde a thankful nod while trying to fix hair.

"I must agree with Garfiel-dono, the sight of you all together is a pleasant one." Wilhelm noted, with thankfulness, that the light in Subaru's eyes had returned. The look of pain and anguish would never disappear, but at least for now they could be muted.

"Indeed, the ceremony must have been quite fun ." Crusch added.

"Yeah…it looks that way Crusch-sama." While Rem was happy like everyone else, she couldn't help but feel a pang sadness at the knighting. The oni had missed such a major event in Subaru's life, he finally got the recognition as the hero she knew he deserved. Though she may have been there physically it just wasn't the same as witnessing Subaru's happiness in person.

Noticing the downtrodden state of the maid Emilia reached over Subaru and lightly gripped her shoulder. The half-elf gave the oni a gentle squeeze, reassuring her that even if she couldn't witness it, Emilia was glad Rem was there. Other members of the camp quickly followed after Emilia's example, giving words of encouragement or light pats on her arms and shoulders. Ram went one step further, walking down from her seat to wrap her sister in a tight hug. Rem returned the embrace tearfully, still keeping her hand intertwined with Subaru's.

"I'm happy you were there Rem." Ram softly whispered while holding her sister. "You deserved it as much as everyone else."

"Thank you sissy…thank you for everything."

"Howww∿ touching but there are some questions left unanswered." The moment Roswaal opened his mouth nearly the entire theater turned to glare at the man. They hadn't forgotten all the pain he caused Subaru just because he wanted his precious sensei back.

"Shut the fuck up clown! You're just pissed you never got to tap that witch." Felt's blunt explanation gave a few members a good laugh. It wasn't exactly inaccurate, but the straightforwardness of the statement was still hilarious.

"Felt-sama is right, why should we listen to anything you have to say?" Reinhard reiterated less vulgarly.

"Becauseeee∿ you're curious." Roswaal answered plainly.

Despite the clear disdain held for the clown, his words weren't exactly far off from the truth. The man was begrudgingly intelligent so it's likely he picked up on something they didn't. However, the Margrave is also a manipulative rat who twists words to suit his agenda. Though considering they were trapped in this space indefinitely there wasn't much he could do. Plus if the cast found out he lied to them they can always just kick his ass again.

"Looks like ya got our attention, clown. Don't waste it now." Anastasia wouldn't lie about being intrigued by what Roswaal had to say. The woman was a 'greedy gal' after all, and information could be worth more than any product.

"I'd listen to the lady; we haven't forgotten what ya did." Ricardo narrowed his eyes in intimidation, the twins tried to copy him, but it ended up looking more adorable than scary.

"Of courseeee∿ I would never lie to you." Roswaal gave his signature smile in spite of the glares sent his way.

"Red."

"My Divine Protection is active Felt-sama."

"As is mine, you will not get any lies past us Margrave."

The cast stared down the clown, almost daring him to dig himself a deeper hole than he already made for himself. Ram glared back at the rest of the case; she hoped her master wasn't arrogant enough to test his limits. She wouldn't be able to protect him if the other members decided he needed another set of punches to the face to get the truth out. Some people, Garfiel most of all, even hoped that the Margrave slipped up, it'd give them an excuse to beat the man up again.

"Since the current Arc has ended, what willll∿ happen now that the viewings are over and why hasn't deaaaaar∿ Subaru awakened yet?" The clown's smile stretched even wider across his face.

Roswaal's question gave the audience pause, their glares faltering as the clown's words sunk in. Begrudgingly the cast couldn't help but accept the man had a point, the warden did promise them their friend would awaken soon. The stares shifted from Roswaal to the sleeping, his eyes still closed and his breathing soft. Everyone had one reason or another to want their friend to wake up, the most common being wanting to comfort or apologize to the boy. In the case of the women, nearly all of them wanted a chance to express their attraction to him and maybe tempt him into joining their camp. Much to the dismay of the guys in the room, they knew the second Subaru was up there'd be a whole lot of fighting going on.

"As much as I don't want to say this, he's right. We basically completed all the Arcs up until we were transported here." Julius gave a deep sigh, combing through his hair to ease his frustrations.

"So what do we do then? The warden guy hasn't exactly come back yet. Maybe a door or something is open now so we can leave. " Felt replied, shrugging her shoulders, her guess was as good as anyone else's.

"I doubt it bud. There's like two places here; the theater and our rooms." Al quickly debunked. If he was being honest the knight wasn't exactly opposed to staying a bit longer. He didn't have to do anything, just sit back, and relax.

"It wouldn't hurt to try at least; we could all check our rooms." Emilia in contrast was far more eager to escape their temporary lodging. She wanted to repay Subaru back as soon as possible, starting with returning his feelings. The boy waited long enough, and Emilia knew that the least she could do is give him the love he gave her.

"Maybe we could try calling for the warden." Frederica's suggestion drew confused looks from the rest of the audience. Seeing the befuddled stares the blonde maid explained her idea further. "He appeared multiple times throughout the viewings, maybe all we need to do is ask and he'll come back."

Realization dawned on the other members, finally understanding what the demi-human was referring to. The cast had been so engrossed with Subaru's story that the warden and his actions were forgotten for a moment. They remembered the warden did appear seemingly out of nowhere multiple times, providing answers to questions and even removing Petra at one point. The disembodied voice must've been watching them the entire time, it was the only way to explain his sudden appearances. That likely meant he was watching them right now as they discussed how to proceed after Arc 4.

"Alright then…so who wants to do it?" Al was far too lazy to do something this important, so he did the next best thing and pushed the responsibility onto someone else.

"Ha volunteering someone else huh." Ricardo immediately caught on to Al's tactic, the wolfman finding it rather funny.

"Hey if it works it works."

"My amazin' self thinks girlie ova' there should do it. She started it so it's only fair she does it." Garfiel jerked his thumb behind his head toward Felt. Said girl gave the boy a murderous look to which he responded with by giving a wry smirk.

"Oi! I never agreed to that!" Felt shot up from her seat and shouted down to the demi-human. Reinhard gave a nervous smile and tried to calm his master down, her temper mixed with Garfiel's goading would not end well.

"What yer' scared or maybe just chicken?"

"I am not a chicken!"

"Cease your whining gutter rat, mine ears are delicate." Priscilla gave an irritated glare toward the former thief.

"Shut the fuck up! No one gives a damn about ya!" Felt's annoyance turned to anger at the other candidate's interjection. It was no secret Felt despised Priscilla, things could get very messy if neither girl backed down.

"Oh and people care about a mongrel such as yourself. You're nothing but slum garbage, who only got into this selection out of pity from the dragon." Priscillia taunted, hiding her smirk behind her fan as Felt's eyes blazed with anger.

"You fucking bitch!" Felt lunged at the sun princess with her enhanced speed, but Reinhard intercepted before she could make it. The Sword Saint held the girl tightly in his arms, her legs kicking wildly while trying to break free. The former thief was listing off every insult she knew toward Priscilla, the children in the room quickly had their ears covered.

"Ah shit here we go again." Al got up from his seat to stand in front of his mistress, even if he really-really didn't want to.

"Haha, as if your pathetic self could ever hope to touch mineself." Unfazed by the younger girl's anger Priscilla continued her taunting, much to her knight's dismay.

"Barielle-sama, I request that you keep your comments to yourself. I will not hesitate to defend Felt-sama's honor." Reinhard coldly gazed at the candidate; his usual calm tone now had a layer of restrained anger to it. Priscilla quickly noticed the change in the Sword Saint, even though she wasn't prideful enough to test his patience.

"Hmph." The sun princess would never admit defeat to such a lowly cretin, but she wasn't stupid enough to continue the banter.

"Good job Red." Reinhard released his master; she was now sporting a wide smile at seeing Priscilla lose. It wasn't often the sun princess was outwitted or put into silence, so the thief saw this bout as an absolute win. The Sword Saint blushed, giving an embarrassed 'of course' before sitting back down with his master.

"Thank Christ." Al slumped down in his seat after giving a long sigh, immensely grateful his lady conceded for now. He knew a fight against the Sword Saint was a suicide more so than it was a battle.

"You alright there bud, you're looking a bit pale." Ricardo couldn't keep his amusement from leaking into his voice.

"Ya just give me a minute." Al waved his one hand while trying to calm his racing heart.

"Well now that's over with, who's gonna be the one to call the warden?" Anastasia brought the room's attention back to the original question.

"I'll do it, Subaru is my knight after all. It's about time I started taking care of him." Emilia volunteered, clearing her throat, and speaking louder than normal. "Excuse me warden!"

The theater remained quiet; no response had been given after the call to the confusion of the cast.

"Um hello!"

More silence.

The cast looked at each other in bewilderment, the warden was always close by so why he wasn't answering them now. A few moments passed; the silence was the only thing to answer the room's question. Soon other members of the Emilia camp began shouting with their mistress to attract the warden's attention. The once quiet room now had a multitude of voices bouncing off the walls, echoing through the theater.

"Hello! Please say something!"

"Oi ya gonna answer us?!"

"Betty demands you respond!"

"Could you please answer us, Mr. Warden!"

"Rem wishes to speak with her hero!"

"For fuck's sake shut the hell up! I just walked in!" A voice did respond but is far different than the one the cast was used too. Rather than the deep but calm tone instead it was replaced with a younger and higher pitched tone. The contrast between the two voices threw the cast-off guard, the new voice's vulgarity forgotten in an instant. Confusion replaced any anger there may have been with how the new voice addressed them. This was not what the cast expected, they couldn't decide whether the change was worrying or humorous.

"Uh you the warden? You seem a little..." Otto waved his hand trying to come up with the polite word to describe the newcomer.

"Why do ya sound like a fuckin' nerd?" The rest of the Emilia camp gave a deep sigh at the brashness of Garfiel. The boy was strong no doubt there, but smart…he could use some work in the subtle department.

"Listen here ya little shit. I can't control how I sound like how you can't control how short you are." The voice said with overwhelming annoyance.

"Oi ya wanna fuckin' go?!" Garfiel stood up and glared at the ceiling in anger, no insults his height and gets away with it.

"Garf please…" Frederica pleaded with a sigh; her brother had a tendency to make things a lot harder than they had to be. Thankfully, Garfiel took the hint and closed his mouth, sitting down with a pout on his face, he'd get back at the asshole eventually.

"So who exactly are you? You sound nothing like our previous warden." Crusch quickly changed topics, hoping their new jailer wasn't too agitated with them.

"I ain't a warden if that's what you're implying, I'm a fucking intern." It was clear by his tone that the voice absolutely hated his job. "The other guy you know is out, so he left me in charge of you lot while he's gone."

The news came as a bit of a shock to the occupants of the theater, there was a lot to decipher from so little words. Most importantly with the previous overseer gone it was likely Subaru might remain in deep sleep, the thought brought the mood down quite a bit. This also meant it was unlikely they'll be leaving the theater soon, why put a trainee up to such an important task. There was also a bit of insight into how the warden's job operates, apparently there were more of them and had interns at the ready in case they were unavailable. While it was intriguing to learn more about the wardens, their concern regarding Subaru and their freedom overrode their curiosity.

"So does this mean Subaru won't be awakened?" The rest of the cast nodded along with Emilia's question. All of the occupants didn't have much hope about it happening, but there was always a chance, maybe they'll get to talk to their friend soon.

"Nope, don't got that power pointy ears. He's gonna remain asleep until the boss comes back." Any hope that Subaru would be woken up was quashed in that sentence. Many people in the room deflated at the news, most of the women made noises of complaint. There goes any possibility of attaining Subaru's attraction and favor.

"But-but we were promised!" Rem shouted in outrage, her grip on Subaru's hand tightening. How dare this voice deny her right to be with her Subaru. Soon other members of the cast began to cry out in protest, all voicing their reasons as to why they wanted Subaru to awaken. Even those outside of the Emilia voiced their displeasure at the decision.

"My knight needs me! Find a way to wake him up!"

"Betty deserves to be coddled by her contractor!"

"Oi let us see capn'!"

"I wish to talk with Natsuki-san too!"

"Please I must give my thanks to Subaru-dono for trying to save me."

"And I nyaeed to apologize!"

"Come on! Let us see Big Bro already!"

"Please warden-sama allow us to see our friend again!"

"I wanna pay him back for lookin' out for my little commanders."

"Mineself wants to have the boy and you will obey your goddess!"

"I'd listen to her pal; she'll talk your ear off until you do."

"Oh for the love of-SHUT UP!" The room shook violently from the shout, the walls and chairs rattling... Instantly everyone closed their mouths, not wanting to anger the voice further. He may not be as powerful as the warden, but the cast did not want to see just what an intern is capable of. "Ok let's get this shit out of the way, first no, Subaru is not being awakened don't ask and don't complain. Second, I'm in charge so whatever I say goes, you can accept that, or I'll teleport your ass back to your room. And finally regarding Subaru, don't fucking crush his hand anymore, it's a bitch to heal, if you can't do that, I'll take him away and put him in his own room."

"NO I promise I won't!" Rem and Emilia screamed in unison, latching onto Subaru's arms in fear that he might disappear. Losing the boy was the absolute worst punishment, especially for most of the females in the cast, they prayed the oni and half-elf could keep their emotions in check.

"Good alright hang on a sec…" The sound of drawers opening, and papers being flipped echoed through the room. The audience awkwardly waited, their new 'warden' muttered curses every now and then, the sounds of things being moved growing ever louder. A moment rather a crash could be heard, similar to a bunch of papers falling to the ground. "Mother-great now I have to clean that up. Oh oh there is it under all his useless shit, lazy bastard."

The younger members of the audience began to giggle at the misfortune of the intern, even if they couldn't see it. They imagined an office room with papers now littering the ground and the voice having a deep scowl on his face. The adults found the warden's predcimcent amusing as well, some barely containing their laughter. The more immature ones, Al and Ricardo, chuckled along with the kids. Otto and Anastasia were far more sympathetic to the voice's frustrations, scattered papers are very annoying to deal with.

"Alright let's see here….do that uh huh…don't do that, ok….what the fuck does this mean? You know what fuck this." The cast could practically see the paper being crumpled up and thrown into a trashcan based off how done the warden sounded. "So TLDR I was supposed to have you guys watch some more filler while the boss was out…but because I hate my job I'm going to do something different. Ya'll are gonna watch Subaru's future instead."

Now that managed to pique the interest of the cast, such a broad statement could mean a number of things. They could see future Arcs and learn what other challenges lay ahead for Subaru, allowing them to prevent any pain or suffering. It was also an opportunity to see how far they had come in terms of helping ease Subaru's burden. The warriors like Julius, Ricardo, and Reinhard wanted to see if their friendship with Subaru had grown at all. For the women though, they wanted to see how the boy's love life was going. However, not all of the girls held the same level of attraction to the nasty eyed boy.

Felt saw Subaru as more of a big brother, who would've guessed, than any kind of romantic partner. Her interactions with Subaru were nothing more than friendly banters, plus she wasn't exactly looking to be with anyone, right now anyway. Beatrice had a similar relationship to her contractor; the boy was more like family than anything else. Sure, they slept in the same bed together, but that's just because the great spirit liked her contractor's hugs and he had nightmares a lot. Mimi was far too young to understand or be interested in things like love or romance, she just found Subaru to be like a cool cousin. Petra, unlike those previously mentioned, did have a crush on Subaru like the other women. Unfortunately for her she was far too young for Subaru to ever consider her a romantic interest. The young maid was saddened by this fact, but she learned to accept it and promised to still support Subaru in his journeys. Though despite these young girls not feeling any more than sibling love toward Subaru, the same cannot be said for the rest of the women in the theater.

Emilia's face burned bright red at the thought of her and Subaru finally being together, her heartbeat quickening. She and her knight had been through so much, it was about time she finally returned his feelings. For more than a year Subaru waited patiently, never pushing her to give him an answer, and always treating her the same. The half-elf finally realized how doing such a thing must've been painful, she couldn't imagine holding her feelings for that long. At first the girl didn't know why her heart sped up or why she found it hard to focus with him around. She didn't understand why her face warmed or why her palms became sweaty. The half-elf couldn't understand any of it, until after the viewings it dawned on her. Emilia knew without a doubt now that she loved Natsuki Subaru, she loved him so much she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him…and she will make sure his love is finally returned.

Rem had similar thoughts to her master, the idea of seeing her and Subaru together almost making the oni squeal in excitement. Ever since the mabeast invasion on Arlam Rem had known she loves Subaru with all her heart. Not only was he brave enough to go into a deadly situation to save kids that weren't his own, but he volunteered his own life to protect her sister and herself. When she lost control in that forest it was Subaru who brought her back, it was Subaru who told her she is great just like her sister, and it was Subaru who offered his life up to her. Rem would be lying if she said a small part of her didn't regret taking his hand back at the capital, the offer was extremely tempting. Now that her memories have been restored and she's awake again Rem is ready to be there for her hero once more.

Crusch could admit that she was not well versed in the realm of romance or any casual relationships for that matter if her confusion about the capitol meeting was anything to go by. However, her lack of any friends, minus maybe Felix, didn't mean she didn't understand what she felt toward Subaru. It may not be love per se, but the duchess wasn't opposed to the idea of her loving the boy and him returning the feeling. She'd call it more of a growing attraction; his actions in helping her defeat the White Whale and his efforts to save her was touching to the duchess. Blood rushed to Crusch's cheeks, thinking of how heroic and brave Subaru had been during the battle, it helped she thought he was quite handsome as well. Yes, Crusch wasn't ready to say she loved Subaru, not yet anyway…but that doesn't mean she's against it.

Anastasia hadn't really interacted with Subaru in any emotional way like some of the other ladies here had, that didn't stop the merchant from wanting the boy on her side now. She was utterly fascinated with the knight, he held so much potential for developing new inventions and services. Of course being the 'greedy gal' she is, Anastasia nearly drooled at the prospect of Subaru expanding her business. It also helped she started to feel some form of affection for the sleeping boy, he did have a cute face. Not only did watch over her little commanders, but also showed that he can be quite cunning when he wants to be. Unlike Crusch or Emilia, Anastasia valued brains over heroics and Subaru was quite smart in being able to pull three camps together. The merchant was also curious why her stomach became tingly whenever she spared a look at Subaru and what better way to figure this feeling out than bringing him over to her camp.

Priscilla did not love Natsuki Subaru, the sun princess would never love such a commoner like him. He was nothing more than a jester, a pawn for her own amusement and boy was she amused by him. The boy was weak physically there was no doubt about that, yet Priscilla found his mental fortitude to be far stronger than anticipated. The Vollachian matriarch expected him to run away like a coward or break down into a rambling shell of himself. Even she was disturbed at the sight of the boy being devoured alive, after that she thought his will to fight would never return. Yet, to her surprise, and maybe even impression, Subaru still continued to fight against all odds and come out victorious in the end. It was at the victory Priscilla knew the boy will serve at her side and her desires will be obeyed. He would make a fine servant to a goddess such as herself, a perfect blend of a competent warrior and amusing jester. Priscilla did not love Subaru…her quickening heartbeat at the thought of the boy was entirely coincidental!

Frederica's first meeting with Subaru was not what she expected, she found it far more amusing combined with Emilia's scolding. Since then the blonde maid held a sort of respect and appreciation for her fellow colleague, his antics were endearing, and he made Petra happy. However, after Sanctuary her whole outlook of the boy changed from seeing him as a friend to developing a tiny, actually very large, crush on the knight. Not only did he risk his life to save Petra and herself from the predations of the Bowel Hunter, but he also reunited her with Garfiel again. Even though she kicked him straight into the wall, the demi-human was still happy to see her half-brother once more, it had been far too long since the two had interacted. Subaru also managed to bring down Sanctuary's barrier, the selfless act warming Frederica's heart. The beast maid had never given the idea of love much thought, her duties as head maid always keeping her busy. Now though, these viewings have only solidified what she felt toward Subaru, their interactions may have been brief, but she only felt her feelings for the boy grow with each moment. No one has ever made her heart beat this fast, turned her entire face into a deep scarlet color, or caused her to lose this much focus.

Frederica was no fool, she knew why these things were happening…she was in love with Natsuki Subaru. Frederica would want nothing more than to be able to express her affection and have those same feelings returned. The demi-human's mood deflated, a sad frown now plastered on her face and her eyes becoming misty. What was she thinking, Subaru loving her? Like that would ever happen when he has Emilia and Rem currently hanging off his arms, not even considering the other, much more beautiful candidates. A lone tear raced her cheek before quickly being wiped away, a depressing revelation setting in. Subaru will never love someone like her, why would he? She doesn't have a pretty face like Emilia, her breasts aren't as big as Priscilla's, or have a toned figure like Crusch. With a dejected sigh Frederica sunk into her chair, she still wants to see Subaru happy…she just wished it'd be with her.

"Alright there we go, should be ready to go now, you fuckos ready?" The voice sounded a lot less agitated than he did a few minutes ago. The cast wondered why he seemed to be in such a good mood all of the sudden. "Because I'm ready to do fuck all for the next few hours." Ah, so he was just excited to be lazy, Al couldn't help but agree with the intern's idea of spending his time.

"Um, I have a question." Emilia timidly raised her hand like a child would in school. The half-elf kept her gaze on her hand interlocked with Subaru's, a blush on her cheeks. "How far into the future will this be?"

"It'll be after the main storyline, at this point everything has been resolved in Lugnica, no more cult, witches, or Return by Death." The voice casually answered.

Most of the girls perked up, the prospect of seeing Subaru with the one he loves had just grown exponentially. Yeah, the warden may have let it slip that the witch cult and Witch of Envy were defeated, thus removing Return by Death, to the ladies it was not as important as who Subaru had fallen in love with. Of course the guys and the younger ones of the audience did pick up on the slip up, a lot of them giving wide smiles and small cheers at the news. It was nice to know that after so many years of pain and death the dreaded witch cult would eventually be destroyed, and some semblance of peace could be gained. Ram in particular took great pleasure in knowing her previous assailants would be wiped off the face of the planet, a small, rare smile gracing her lips. The only one who did not care for this revelation was Roswaal, the clown was far more interested in seeing if his plans came to fruition.

"Any more questions…no? Alright then, let's rock this club!" The enthusiastic yell was followed by some excited whoops and cheers from the audience. Though it was nice to see the knight triumph, it was about time the cast got to see something more wholesome. Things just might be looking up for Subaru, he'll finally get his happy ending he's deserved for so long.

The screen remained black for a few moments, no sound echoing through the theater. Then like a light switch the camera showed the backside of a building, the pavement littered with pieces of trash and broken pallets. A dim and flickering light illuminated the back entrance, not a soul was in sight. In the background bright lights could be seen, they littered everything from the bridge to the large, pointed buildings.

"This place…it looks familiar." Crusch tapped her chin consistently, she couldn't quite place where exactly this architecture was seen before.

"It is Subaru's world in fact." Beatrice sounded both surprised and smug at the revelation. Surprised because she didn't expect her contractor to ever come back to his home world and smug because now, she can show off to the rest of the cast.

"Subaru's world?" Emilia lightly tightened her grip on the boy's hand, a whole flurry of emotions surfacing at once. She was saddened to see that her knight would eventually be returned to his home, but the half elf did have a tinge of excitement in her. She was curious how her relationship with Subaru was now that the two were back on Earth.

"We get to see more of capn' world?!" Garfiel practically bounced in his seat, excited to see where his brother would go after Lugnica. A hero such as Subaru was likely doing something heroic, the thought only increased the demi-human's anticipation.

"Subaru's home hmm?" Now that got Anastasia's attention, just based off the buildings in the distance there was bound for new profits to be made. "Oh I'm gonna enjoy this."

A voice from a radio babbled incoherently about the weather, a beat-up black SUV slowly rolled up to the concrete stairs of the building. The hood was barely hanging on, the windows smashed with bits of glass sticking to the sides, and the doors were riddled with bullet holes. The car continued to pull forward before impacting the side of the stairs, bringing the vehicle to a sudden stop. The driver's side door creaked open and with it out stumbled the form of Natsuki Subaru.

The man looked older, far older than he should've been at the age of forty, he looked to be in his late fifties at best. Rather than the combed style he wore as a teen his hair hung down nearly to his chin. His eyes, while still maintaining their permanent glare, were glossy and tired, devoid of the usual life and kindness that inhabited them. On his face was a look of pain which made sense considering the specks of blood that littered across his face. From the way he clutched his side it was safe to assume he had suffered some kind of injury, a major one at that. Taking his hand away for a moment showed that the entire limb was painted red.

"Oh no Subaru!" Emilia's hold tightened further, though this time she remained careful to control her strength. Still, the half-elf couldn't help the growing anxiety at seeing her knight in such a damaged state. The blue haired oni holding similar feelings, her grip on the sleeping boy's hand also strengthening.

"You better not die, in fact!" Beatrice curled into her contractor's chest, gripping his jacket roughly.

"Not even five minutes in and you're already on the brink of death, never change pal." Though Al's comment came across as joking, the knight was concerned with how his fellow Earthling ended up like that.

"Big Bro looks weird." Felt like almost everyone else was still worried over the man, but she was confident he'd be fine. After all, he did defeat two great mabeasts, a Sin Archbishop, and one of the deadliest assassins in the span of a few months.

"Whatcha mean capn' looks cool as fuck!" Garfiel didn't know what the former thief was talking about, his brother always looked awesome.

"Yes, he looks far older here, he's looking closer to the Sword Demon over there." Ricardo nodded his head over to the other member. He quickly realized how rude he sounded and attempted to amend his words. "Not that there's anythin' wrong with that."

"None taken, I understand what you mean." Wilhelm gave a polite smile before switching back to a serious expression, a deep frown adorning his face. 'His eyes…they've grown darker…'

Another pained grunt escaped Subaru's mouth, he only made it a few steps before slumping against the side of the stairs. Taking long, deep breaths Subaru shakily pulled his hand away from his abdomen, his black dress shirt now stained a dark red. Rather than continue to put pressure on the wound, he reached into his black blazer's pocket and pulled out a silver iPhone. Though the contents of the screen weren't shown, Subaru's expression softened considerably, the light in his eyes returned albeit dimly.

"Mom! Dad is being weird again!" An unfamiliar voice came from the device, it sounded like a young girl, no older than nine.

"Oi, that's no way to talk to your father! Get over here ya brat!" Subaru yelled comically, his exasperated expression not being shown, but everyone could tell it was there.

The young girl's voice gave a high-pitched shriek, the sounds of feet on sand coming from the device. A small laugh was barely heard, but the sound clearly indicated that a woman was with Subaru and the child. The phone shook slightly from Subaru's trembling hand, the man slowly laid his head against the steps as his breathing softened . His eyes drifted closed, the blood loss finally taking hold, however his grip on the device never loosened. Slowly the screen faded to black, the video on the phone continued to play the sounds of the girl and Subaru becoming quieter.

"Do you think Natsuki-san is ok?" Otto worriedly fidgeted in his seat, worried for his friend.

"I'm not sure unfortunately, I hope his injuries are not as severe as they look." Reinhard crossed his arms and frowned at the state of the man.

"Oh relax Reinhard, this is Subaru-kun we're talking about, I'm sure he's alive. Plus his injuries did nyot look fatal from what I saw." Felix put the cast's concerns to ease with his medical knowledge. The anxious air that began to form dissipated, now replaced with a sense of ease. Now that their worries were put to rest, some cast members began pointing out the brief appearance of the two new voices.

"Did anyone hear those voices, it sounded like a child and a woman." Julius idly rubbed his chin.

"Yeah, she called Subaru dad so that must've been his kid. Brother has game, I'm impressed." Al gave a low wolf whistle; he would've clapped if he had his other arm. Opting instead to slap his knee with another whistle.

"And she called the other one mom…that means…" Rem squealed in excitement, the other ladies in the audience also caught on to what the oni was referring too.

"That woman must be Subaru's wife?!" Emilia's face-tinged red from the thought of her and Subaru being married, with a child no less. Although if the half-elf had to admit she didn't mind the idea of a quarter-elf or two running around. Emilia was nearly bouncing in her seat now, she wanted to see how her, and Subaru's child would look. Would she have Emilia's ears, her hair color, or maybe Subaru's eyes? The silver haired candidate didn't know but she desperately wanted to know.

"A child?!" Crusch could feel her heart speed up exponentially, the idea of having children being a bit overwhelming. Though underneath the anxious feeling the duchess had, laid an inkling of elation at the thought of having her own child. Crusch wondered how she and Subaru would raise their daughter, maybe he'd be the easy-going but protective father and she'd be the loving but stern mother. The idea of having a child gradually became more acceptable to the duchess.

"Younglings huh? Can't say I'd be against it." The merchant princess hummed quietly to herself; a small smile graced her lips. If you asked Anastasia, she'd say she had to be the most qualified of the candidates when it came to being ready to bear children. She's been taking care of the triplets for a long time now, so Anastasia liked to think she already has experience in the field. A soft sigh, an interesting thought running through her mind. "Hmm I wonder how'd she take after you or me Natsuki-kun?"

"Ugh children!" Priscilla scowled behind her fan, she knew that woman had to be her, she wanted the boy, and she would have him. Though the sun princess began doubting herself, she a mother? How absurd! She was a goddess meant to rule the lower class, her position demanded strength and dedication. Being a mother requires ugh kindness and patience, something Priscilla knew she didn't have. Nope the thought of her being a mom definitely did not make her cheeks flush or fill her chest with warmth, the room was just very hot.

"A daughter…" Frederica clenched the hem of her dress; she didn't know whether it was out of sadness or happiness. She was partly happy thinking of how happy she would be to have a child of her own and with Subaru no less. The blonde thought of how she'd always wanted to be a mother, her time with Petra only increasing the desire. She wanted to experience all the ups and downs that came with parenting, the wondrous feeling of having your own child with the one you loved. Then that's where the sadness came in, the beast maid knew her chances of being with Subaru were non-existent. Frederica's eyes became misty once more, all she wanted was to feel that same happiness…but the boy's sight was set on Emilia, Rem, and the other candidates…not her.

"Oi Sis ya alright?" Garfiel frowned, others may not have noticed his sister's downtrodden expression, but he did.

"Yes…I-I'm fine Garf…let's just continue watching." Her brother shot an unconvinced look into her direction, she chose to pretend she didn't see. Seeing he wasn't going to get anything from his sibling, Garfiel reluctantly turned back to the screen and sighed in defeat. He knew when shouldn't push Frederica even if he wanted to.

A set of muffled voices were heard before any image could appear on the screen; both were male based on how deep they sounded. One sounded younger; his tone low but not nearly as much compared to the second voice. Slowly the blackness of the screen faded into the sight of Natsuki Subaru staring at his own reflection. He looked far younger here than he did a minute ago, his hair was back to its usual swept back style and his eyes now alight with life once more. The young man wore a nervous smile as he stared at himself in the mirror, often checking to make sure his hair wasn't messed up.

The camera panned out to reveal he had a tuxedo on; a white dress shirt, followed by black dress pants and blazer with a matching bow tie around his collar. He wore a pair of black leather dress shoes and a belt with silver cufflinks. The suit was absent of any creases or wrinkles allowing the fabric of the cloth to be smooth to the touch.

"Damn brother looks good in a suit." Al gave a low impressed whistle at the sight.

"Betty's contractor looks good in everything, in fact." Beatrice smugly smiled while cuddling into Subaru's lap.

"Indeed he does…I wonder how'd he look in a uniform like mine." Crusch's face turned pink at the thought of the knight in uniform. She couldn't understand why, but something in her head told her she needed to see him in more formal wear.

"My knight looks so handsome." Emilia blushed and she leaned into Subaru's side, hugging his arm tightly. Granted he never didn't not look handsome, minus his scary eyes, but for some reason Subaru in a suit increased his handsome factor by ten.

"I wonder what Natsuki-san is dressed up for." Otto idly rubbed his chin in thought.

"Hmm…ah I see now, today truly is a special day isn't it Subaru-dono." Wilhelm smiled to himself, he wore a similar outfit and expression when he married Theresia.

"Whatcha say Old Man Will?" Felix turned toward the butler and titled his head curiously.

"You will see Felix-dono, very soon I reckon." Wilhelm nodded back toward the man on screen, his smile never leaving his aged face.

"Would you relax, you look fine. You are my son after all, you got my good-looking genes in ya." The camera turned away from the anxious man to a smiling Kenichi who was leaning against the doorframe. Shaking his head the older man walked over to his son and began readjusting his collar.

"I can't help it! This is a really important day, and I don't want to mess it up with my bed head!" Subaru would've thrown his hands up comically if not for his father still adjusting his collar.

"What do ya mean big day? My son is just getting married, nothing too big about that." Kenichi gave a casual shrug as he pulled his hands away from Subaru's shirt.

"Subaru-kuns getting married?!" Rem straightened in her seat, her face now bright red with a wide smile. The rest of the candidates' eyes practically glued to the screen, silently begging to see who the bride to be was.

"Tsk some poor woman has been snared by Barusu." Though Ram's words may have seemed harsh, the oni couldn't hide the slight twitch of her lips. "You better treat her right or else I'll make sure to kill you myself."

"Ha looks like capn' finally found his damsel. Eh Brotto, when are yer gonin' find a gal for ya." Garfiel gave a light, in his eyes, nudge in the merchant's ribs. Otto sputtered out and hacked out a cough as the air was forcefully removed from his lungs.

"Getting married and didn't even invite us, how rude of ya." Ricardo gave a toothy smile when the twins giggled at the joke. Truthfully the wolfman was more than happy that Subaru finally found his special someone, the kid more than deserved it after what he's been through.

"I'm glad you found happiness…my friend." Julius gave a soft smile at the nervous boy; it was nice to see his fellow knight be free of the suffering that usually loomed over him.

"I wonder who the lucky lady is." Al spoke aloud, his helmet hiding the shit eating grin on his face.

"Ah for fuck's sake, you've done it now." Ricardo face-palmed and gave a deep sigh as the girls in the audience began shouting their own answers.

"It's me of course!"

"It has to be Rem!"

"I think it will be me."

"You're all wrong, I'm the most qualified for taking care of a kid!"

"Mineself would obviously be the one!"

The room began to fill with the various yells of the different candidates, their respective camp members shrinking in their seats with various groans. Nearly all of the male members of the cast shot Al a murderous look, said knight whistled innocently at the stares. While the guys continued to glare holes into Al's head, the girls' argument had escalated into a shouting match. It started with simple yells toward each other then it transitioned to a full-on shouting match with each candidate shouting at one another. There was no coherency to the argument, it was nothing more than just words being thrown around haphazardly.

"Why would the boy want to marry a half devil such as yourself?" Priscilla laughed haughtily behind her fan.

"My knight has always loved me, there is no competition." Emilia tightly held Subaru's hand, a firm expression on her face as she stared at the sun princess.

"That may be true now Emilia-sama, but this is the future…love can change with time." Crusch's interjection shocked the silver haired elf.

"Crusch-sama!"

"She's got a point there, you're also not exactly the best candidate for carin' for a kid." Emilia turned toward Anastasia, the merchant princess giving the elf a look of superiority. "None of you really are as good as me, after all I've taken care of my little commanders for years now."

"Rem would be a great mother!" The blue oni turned to glare at the candidate, her horn beginning to show. The rest of the girls also turned to stare at Anastasia, each giving their own confirmations they'd be good parents.

"Not my fault ya'll aren't qualified to take care of kiddies." The merchant princess shrugged and gave a look of indifference toward the stares.

"Can we please continue watching, I suppose?!" Beatrice's scream echoed through the room, silencing the bickering ladies of the cast.

"Thank the dragon…" The various knights in the room heaved a deep sigh of relief, thankful for the war on the Subaru's love. All except for Al who was busy trying to hide his laughter from the chaos he caused.

"You're a great help dad." Subaru stared with a deadpan expression; Kenichi gave another shrug at the stare unfazed.

"Eh, I try." Kenichi gave a toothy smile, a small laugh escaping his throat. Subaru shook his head before flashing a similar smile of his own. The older man's expression softened to a soft smile, his left-hand gripped Subaru's right shoulder gently. "Seriously Subaru relax, today is for celebration so there's no need to be nervous. We've met your soon to be bride many times and let me tell you she's a catch."

"Heh yeah…she is." Subaru's eyes gained a wistful look, a smile matching his red tinted cheeks.

"Exactly, I know from the way you two look at each other that you really love her, and she loves you just as much back." Kenichi squeezed the shoulder softly. "Just chill out, enjoy the day, it'll be one of the best in your life."

"Your father is quite right Subaru-dono, you will remember this day even at my age." Wilhelm agreed with Kenichi wholeheartedly. He could still recall his own wedding to Theresia, the happiness and tranquility he felt would remain with him for the rest of his life.

"You've more than earned your happy ending, Natsuki-san." Otto added his own thoughts with a small smile of his own.

"Ha Big Bro looks ridiculous." Felt snorted in amusement. The girl found Subaru's lovestruck expression to be funny, he always made pretty funny faces.

"Brother looks like a lovesick puppy…heh kid looks lost in his own thoughts." Al shook his head while chuckling softly. Even though the helmed man was teasing the boy, he still felt proud his fellow Earthling made it through all his suffering and found his paradise.

"He's right my knight, let's enjoy this happy moment between the two of us." Emilia squeezed the sleeping boy's hand, her blush growing in intensity. "I wonder how I'd look in a wedding gown?"

"Come on, it's almost time, don't want to be late to your own wedding." Kenichi chuckled and nodded toward the open doorway. Subaru felt his stomach fill with butterflies and hesitantly began to walk out the room, a nervous expression on his face. His father rolled his eyes and followed behind, but his smile never left as he closed the door with a soft click.

The two men traveled down the corridor; Kenichi's past far slower to match his son's who was walking as if he had a limp. The older man made no attempts to get his son to speed up his pace, though he did throw a few jabs his way. After a minute the two men arrived at a set of double wooden doors, Kenichi grasped the handle of the left side and pulled. The screen revealed that the two men were in some kind of church, the pews filled with faces of family members from both Naoko and Kenichi's side. Split down the middle was a long velvet carpet that made even the heaviest of footfalls appear quiet. At the end of the carpet was an altar where an aging priest waited patiently, along with two men on the left and two women on the right.

"This is where we part ways kiddo." Kenichi gave a firm pat on Subaru's back and began walking back through the double doors. "I'll make sure the lucky lady gets to her knight in shining armor."

"Yeah…see ya…" With a shaky breath the young man began walking toward the altar, greeting anyone who called out to him with a smile and a wave.

"Look at these people…I didn't know Subaru's family was this big." Emilia felt a pang of sadness in her heart, she never really took the time to learn about her knight's family.

"Some of the youngsters kinda look like him too." Anastasia hummed in delight while caressing her scarf.

"Shit man, when was the last time I've been to a wedding…" Al rubbed the back of his helmet, staring into the ceiling blankly. "It's been a long time, Christ."

"Why didn't Natsuki-san ever tell us about his family?" Otto gave a soft whine of annoyance.

"Hmph speak for yourselves, Betty knows everything about her contractor in fact." Beatrice loudly announced with a smug smirk on her face. "Although Betty does not like how these children have captured her contractor's attention."

"There-there Beako…it's ok to be jealous." Emilia lightly patted the great spirit's head, giggling at said spirit pouted back.

"Stop that in fact!" Beatrice flailed her arms childishly, trying to swat away the half-elf's hands.

"Hey there's the lucky guy, finally found your balls eh." A tall African American man dressed in a dark gray suit and blue tie slapped Subaru's back roughly. The man had black hair that was shaved close to his head, a light dark beard, and hard eyes that resembled that of a soldier. He stood far taller than Subaru, by at least five inches, and was far bulkier in terms of muscle.

"Never lost them Chains." Subaru shot back quickly with a wry smile.

"Heh could a fooled me with how you walked ." Chains nodded toward another man that stood off to the side in a black, but disheveled suit. He had a blonde buzz cut and a clean-shaven face, not hiding his rather blank expression. The man's eyes held a wild look, it was unfocused and made the man appear like a sociopath.

"Hi…rzzz...Subaru…." Rather than a normal the male sounding tone expected, a robotic female voice answered. In the right hand of the man was an old Panasonic tape recorder, the device looked as though it hadn't been cleaned in years.

"Hey Jacket, life treating ya good?" Subaru responded causally, unfazed by Jacket's odd way of communication.

"I had a great time!" The voice answered enthusiastically.

"Huh wonder who these guys are." Felt wondered aloud while tapping her chin idly

"Eh who knows that one guy seems weird though." Ricardo's assessment of Jacket was meant with various noises of agreement. The man did seem off putting with the wild look in his eyes and his unique way of speaking.

"They do seem rather close to Subaru." Julius wouldn't admit he felt some small degree of jealousy toward the two men. He wanted the opportunity to be that close of a friend with Subaru, he hoped they were able to become closer in the future.

"Oi, what da hell! We're capn's brothers!" Garfiel shouted, outraged that these two guys took his and Otto's spot.

"Yeah, this is unfair!" The merchant also yelled, albeit far quieter than Garfiel's room shaking scream.

"Ha, someone as pathetic as yourself is easily replaceable." Ram glared down at the merchant with an evil smirk. Otto did not help his case by giving a pitiful whine and pout toward the pink haired maid.

"Ah Subaru there you are." Naoko Natsuki smiled brightly as she approached the three men. She was wearing a long white fitting dress that stretched down nearly to the ground, leaving her hot pink heels barely visible. Her hair was tied into a neat bun with a white hair tie to keep it in place. In her hands was a bouquet of yellow flowers, more specifically they were daffodils with a few marigolds sprinkled in.

"Oh hey mom." Subaru gave a small wave toward the woman.

"Hello to you boys as well." Naoko turned her gaze toward Chains and Jacket, the two men seemed far more rigid than a second ago. "Staying out of trouble, right?"

"Yes, of course Mrs. Natsuki." Chains coughed into his hand awkwardly, avoiding the woman's piercing gaze.

"Rzz…affirmative…" Somehow even the robotic tone coming from the tape recorder sounded a bit hesitant.

"...good glad you two are doing well." She held her stare for a few minutes longer before smiling once more and turned back to Subaru. Much to the relief of the two men who felt like they just stared death in the face.

"Ha pussies." Garfiel laughed, Felt joined in soon after, agreeing that Chains and Jacket seem far less intimidating now.

"You ready, it's almost time you know." Naoko could see Subaru's nerves no matter how hard he tried to hide them. The woman laughed softly at seeing her son begin to tap his foot anxiously against the carpet.

"Yep-totally-one hundred percent-not nervous at all." Subaru scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. Chains and Jacket collectively rolled their eyes at the false bravado their friend put up but chose not to say anything.

"Good-good…now remember you can't kiss her until the priest says too, so try to resist the urge for a few minutes." She teased with a soft pat on her son's shoulder.

"Mom!" The façade broke immediately with Subaru's face burning a bright red color, the young man wishing the ground would swallow him whole.

"Oh would you look at that, I need to go stand with the other bridesmaids now, bye!" Satisfied with her son's reaction Naoko went back to the other side of the altar, giggling with the two other women who heard Subaru's high-pitched whine.

"Ha didn't know Big Bro's voice could go that high." Felt could feel her stomach begin to ache due to how hard she was laughing.

"This is nice and all but I reallllly want the wedding to start already." Emilia impatiently tapped her leg, the half-elf looked ready to explode in her seat. She just wanted to see her, and Subaru finally get the happy ending they deserve.

"I must agree, the suspense is beginning to wear on me." Crusch did a better job of containing her anxiousness, but Felix and Wilhelm could tell the duchess was struggling to remain still.

"Gotta agree, this build up is makin' me want to skip ahead." Anastasia's slow fluffing of her scarf had increased to a rapid petting to soothe her nerves.

"Hmph mineself will not wait much longer." Priscilla glared at the screen in annoyance, her grip on her fan tightening.

Subaru was broken from his flustered stupor when the first few notes of the 'Here Comes the Bride' began to play. Chains and Jacket choked back a laugh at seeing their friend become rigid like a statue, all traces of redness replaced with a paleness. The young man quickly adjusted his bowtie and frantically swept through his hair, making sure his locks weren't covering his face. Giving one last awkward cough to clear his nerves, Subaru straightened and tried his best to appear as casual as possible. The sound of the two double doors being opened echoed throughout the building. All eyes immediately turned toward the two people slowly making their way down the aisle. One was none other than Kenichi himself, the man had his right arm being held by the woman next time.

She wore an elegant perhaps even divine white wedding gown that seemed to flow behind her by an unseen wind. Small patterns of lace of a somewhat darker white color curled around the arms and hands of the dress. In her right hand was a bouquet of yellow flowers similar to the kind the three bridesmaids were holding. The woman held the flowers gently as if the tiniest bit of pressure would wilt and destroy the delicate plant. Around the woman's head was a thick white veil with thin and equally white ribbons, the accessory hiding her features away from the gazes on her. The soft clicks of her heels matched the more powerful steps of the man next to her.

The entire theater was in awe at how angelic the woman appeared; the pure white dress, her veil, the near muted sounds of her steps, all of it gave off the impression that an angel was walking amongst mortals. Sure, some of the cast members have been to weddings before, but more often than not they were nothing more than political stunts rather than acts of love. Even the densest person in the room could see that this ceremony was nothing short of pure affection. Subaru's nervous expressions mixed with his cute but frantic checking of his clothes and hair only added to the fact he was nothing more than a dork in love. If one were to focus they would also see how the woman's grip on Kenichi's arm seemed far tighter. While she may have stood up straight with confidence, the rapid rising and falling of her chest indicated she was just as nervous as Subaru himself.

The ladies vying for the sleeping boy's heart all felt their breaths leave them for a moment, they had not expected the woman to look that stunning. Of course, all of the candidates and the oni were confident in their looks, so none of them felt any doubt that it wasn't them on screen. All except for a blondee maid who felt her sadness grow at the sight of the bride. She was by no means attractive but compared to the other girls Frederica was not even close on their level of beauty. Not wanting to ruin the mood of such a joyous occasion the beast maid hastily squashed any tears that threatened to leak from her eyes. Just because she may be down doesn't mean she should bring others down with her.

"Holy shit! Big Bro really lucked out huh." As teasing the words may have sounded, Felt much like the rest of the audience were in awe at how beautiful the woman appeared. The former thief was never one for beauty or anything, but even she could admit whoever's face hid behind that veil must be stunning to look at.

"Fuck me, I can't believe ya brother. I'm a decade older and you still married first…the fuck am I doing with my life." Al slumped down in his seat, defeated both emotionally and mentally without Subaru even having to lift a finger.

"And here I used to think any lady with some self-respect wouldn't give you the time of day…heh I suppose I can admit I was a bit hasty in my judgment." Julius chuckled softly to himself, for once the Finest Knight could admit that he was glad to be proven wrong. He wondered if Subaru would've invited him if the wedding took place back in Lugnica.

"Hmph the purity of this maiden does not match the vulgarity of Barasu's personality…poor woman doesn't know what she's gotten herself into too." Thankfully after spending a decent amount of time most of the cast were able to decipher the pink haired oni's underlying message of her harsh words. She basically said something along the lines of Subaru needing to care for the beautiful woman walking down the aisle, that was the general idea the others had guessed.

"Natsuki-san, you're going to have to help me get a wife like that someday." Otto was ready to offer up whatever price to have a wedding of his own one day.

"Ha yer' goin' ta need ta lay off the bottle if yer' want that to happen Brotto." Garfiel clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder as if comforting him for a loss he did not know.

The walk toward the altar had lasted a minute at best, but to Subaru it may as well have lasted an eternity. All nervousness faded away to pure adoration, his gaze never left her form, mesmerized by how his soon to be wife practically glowed. When she finally did reach his location Kenichi handed her off, acting as stand in for her lack of family in this world. As if she were the most delicate thing in the world, he gently grasped her outstretched hand and helped up the steps. Subaru gave a light squeeze of reassurance, one that returned without hesitation. He may have waited a bit longer than necessary to unlock their hands, but Subaru didn't care. If he had any less self-control the young man would throw back the veil and kiss his wife senseless all through the ceremony. However, as tempting as that might be he did have some level of decency, despite what Ram thought.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" The priest's voice became nothing more than static to the ears of Subaru. His focus entirely on the woman in front of him, the young man could feel his partner staring back despite the veil. How could he not? There was practically an angel staring at him as if he was the most interesting thing in the world. If you asked him he'd say he was far from it, but he wouldn't put himself down like he used too. His fiancée made sure to 'correct' his self-loathing view about himself and her methods proved extremely effective.

"Now would the bride and groom please exchange their vows." That sentence broke Subaru out of his stupor. He gave the priest a slight nod and cleared his throat, he practiced for months so notecards were not needed. Besides Subaru was never one for going by book, he much preferred to speak from his heart.

"...until I got the chance to know you, I had never known what it was like to be loved by myself. I can't even remember where my self-loathing started, it was so far long ago that frankly it feels like a lifetime. I used to believe that my life was worthless, expendable, and should be treated as nothing more than a convenience. I used to believe my only good quality was that I could help others achieve their own dreams at the expense of mine. Heh I spent so long helping others that I forgot what it was like to even help myself…that is until I met you. Our first meeting might've been a strange one, but I'm eternally grateful I did meet you that day."

"It was you who went above everyone else and stayed by my side no matter what, you always did support me. Whenever I was falling back into the pit of self-doubt, it was you who reached out and pulled me back into the light. Every time I said I hated myself or that I thought my life was worthless, it was you who dropped everything to make sure I felt loved and appreciated. Most importantly…it was you who taught me how to love myself, showed me that I'm not a burden…that my life does have meaning. And for that you deserve everything from me. I, Natsuki Subaru vow to remain by your side like you have done for me…I vow to give my everything; my attention, my possessions, my very being is all yours…I vow to love you for the rest of my life…and then the life after that too."

The cast were absolutely shocked by Subaru's speech so much, so they didn't notice the brief instance of static that blocked out the bride's name. The contrast between the one on screen and the one they were used too was astounding. Everyone knew of Subaru's less than stellar view about himself, they had all promised to some degree to fix that outlook. But they never would have expected him to actually overcome his self-hatred with just the help of one person, at least that is what most of the cast thought. The various women in the room felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, believing they were the sole reason for Subaru's change.

"Think I might be sick from how sweet that was." Ricardo made a gagging motion to punctuate his joke much to the delight of Mimi and Tivey.

"Ha who knew capn' was such a sap."

"That was so cheesy Big Bro."

"I liked it, it was a quite touching speech." Reinhard's comment caused his master next to him to snort in amusement.

"That's cause you're a big softie Red."

"I must agree with my grandson, I too found Subaru-dono's words to be heartwarming. I remember saying something similar when I married Theresia." The Sword Saint's shocked expression only increased Felt's laughter, the redhead never would have expected Wilhelm to acknowledge his existence.

"Ugh don't get sappy nyow Old Man Will." Felix groaned into his hands; he could already feel the second hand embarrassment coming.

The screen showed the bride and groom staring at one another, but no sound came through. Whatever vows the woman were saying had been muted, leaving a lingering silence to any who were not there themselves. Despite the lack of words Subaru's softening and quickly reddening face spoke volumes in of itself. A moment later a small boy and girl who shared some of Naoko's features walked forward. Together they carried a small pillow, two silver rings laid side by side at the center. When they reached the top of the steps the two children held out the rings for Subaru and his bride to take.

Subaru took the silver accessory and delicately slipped the piece of jewelry onto the woman's left ring finger. The same was done for Subaru, who stared at the new addition in amazement before turning back to look at the woman. His heart began to beat widely, their kiss was only moments away. If Subaru was being honest with himself, he had a great deal of difficulty not throwing back the veil and kissing her senseless right there. He was surprised by how much self-control he had to wait for the priest to go ahead before finally making her his wife.

"I now pronounce you two husband and wife; you may now kiss the bride."

"Yes! Kiss me my knight!" Emilia screamed in excitement at the screen as her cheeks flushed red.

"Rem is ready, my hero!" Ram scowled at her sister's enthusiastic shout.

"Hmm I wonder if it is as magical as I've heard…" Crusch leaned forward in her seat, she bounced her leg in anticipation.

"I always imagined my weddin' when I was a girl. Guess it really is as magical as I thought." Anastasia lightly stroked her scarf without thinking, her mind entirely focused on the scene in front of her.

"Hmph compared to mine last weddings this was far more…acceptable." Priscilla's voice lowered, whether out of embarrassment or a wounded ego the cast couldn't tell.

Slowly but steadily Subaru reached toward the veil and gripped the underside of the accessory. Delicately the young man lifted the veil that covered her face to reveal the face of a familiar yellow maid. Frederica's sharp teeth shone like diamonds with how brightly she smiled, her cheeks painted a rosy color. She and Subaru now stood closer to the same height, but she still was a bit taller than the man. That didn't stop Subaru from leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips. The blonde returned the kiss with equal passion, in that moment nothing mattered to the two others than each other. In the background the audience, bridesmaids, and best men clapped vehemently at the scene.

Pulling away the newlyweds laughed as they made their way down the aisle toward the door, which was now wide open for the two lovers. Their friends and families followed after the two; first the bridesmaid and best men, then two kids that brought the rings, then Naoko and Kenichi, and finally the rest of Subaru's family. The camera remained focused on Subaru and Frederica, their bright red but smiling faces filling the screen as they made their way out of the church.

The theater had entered a state of complete silence, not a sound was made from any of the occupants of the room. There was a flurry of emotions that flowed through the room at once, shock, happiness, dread, and amazement were the most prominent. Those not after Subaru's love mostly remained quiet in fear of setting off the various girls who just found out they were not Subaru's lover. On an instinctual level they could feel the growing jealousy and anger from each candidate and oni, but they still felt a mix of happiness and surprise from the reveal . At first the girls felt shocked at the revelation of Frederica being Subaru's wife, they couldn't believe that out of all the girls after his heart Subaru chose Frederica.

The shock then morphed into confusion, how could the two even become husband and wife in the first place? They barely interacted in the previous Arcs, even if they were on pleasant terms, one simply doesn't go from friendly acquaintances to lovers that quickly. Of course, said women failed to realize that the same philosophy could be used on them as well, but no one in the room dared point it out. Confusion quickly melted away into fury, the various women leveling harsh glares towards the beast maid. In their minds she just robbed them of their rightful relationship with Subaru, no one could provide him the support he needed except them.

Frederica for her part did not notice the stares at first, her mind had essentially stopped working for a few moments. She didn't know what to feel at the moment; surprise because she never expected to be noticed by Subaru, happy that it was her under that veil, or sad because she couldn't share this moment with the sleeping boy himself. In an instant Frederica's heart stopped as she remembered the little girl's voice from the opening scene. A new wave of excitement and anxiousness flooded her thoughts, her beat began picking up speed rapidly. Frederica had always wanted to be a mother if her care for Petra was any indication, but knowing her wish came true, with the man she loves no less, brought an indescribable feeling to the blonde…new but not unpleasant. Her inner thoughts were put on halt when the theater exploded from a loud shout.

"FUCKIN' YES!" Garfiel's scream of pure elation caused every head to turn toward him and look at him as if he lost his mind. "DO YOU SEE THAT BROTTO CAPN'S MY ACTUAL BRO NOW!"

"I'm very happy for you Garf, but please tone it down a little." Otto massaged his now ringing ears with a wince.

"Ah I can't help it; my sis is married to capn'! This is amazin'!" Garfiel managed to go down an octave but was still nonetheless loud.

"Yes…quite a surprise Frederica-san." Emilia spoke with a cold tone towards the head maid, her eyes glaring and her grip on Subaru's hand increased. "However, I must ask you to stay away from my knight from now on, he's mine."

"Frederica-sama, Rem is grateful for what you have taught her, but please keep away from her hero or Rem will make sure you stay away." The tip of Rem's horn poked through the top of her head as she made her threat. The maid had half a mind to give her blonde superior a physical warning if she chose not to listen, but Rem didn't want to leave Subaru's side.

"How could a pathetic cretin such as yourself be the one the boy fell for?" Priscilla's eyes blazed in fury while staring at the other woman. "To take what is rightfully mine is a crime of the highest caliber."

"Can't say I don't disagree with the sun princess, you out of everyone should not be the one to be with Natsuki-kun." Anastasia's scarf was now being held with barely restrained fury.

"I must admit I expected a more…well suited woman behind that veil rather than you Baumann." Crusch seemed to have the most control over her jealousy but even she couldn't keep out the bite in her tone as she spoke.

"Oi, fuck off all of ya!" Garfiel jumped out of his seat to glare at the various women who voiced their disdain toward his sister. "If capn' decides he loves ma sister then leave em be!"

"Ya, why you all acting like bitches? Honestly I'm pretty happy Big Bro managed to find his special someone and you should be too." There was a twinge of disappointment in Felt's eyes as she directed her gaze over to Emilia. The half-elf either didn't care or did not notice the stare as she gave no reaction.

"Because Subaru-kun is Rem's hero not hers, Frederica-sama does not deserve to be his wife!"

"Shut yer fuckin' mouth! Out of everyone my sis deserves it compared to the rest of ya!"

"Garf…" Ram scowled down at the demi-human, although there were conflicting emotions in the oni's eyes. On one hand she wanted her sister to be happy even if, ugh, she wanted to marry someone as pathetic as Barusu. However, she also knew Rem was going too far in threatening Frederica, her sister never had good control over her emotions.

"I'm sorry Ram-sama but Garfiel is right. Natsuki-san chose Frederica-sama as his lover, it is not right for her to treat her with such hostility." Surprisingly it was Otto who rebuked Ram's warning tone, the merchant spoke with confidence and firmness.

"Hmph more like seduced him. Look at her, compared to a goddess such as mineself she is but a lowly whore from a back-alley city." Priscilla laughed with cruelty though there was still an undertone of anger within her voice.

"Better her than you bitch, at least Big Bro won't turn up dead like all your other husbands." Felt smirked evilly over to the other candidate. A laugh escaped her throat when she saw Priscilla's hands tighten around her fan to the point it nearly snapped in half.

"I think we should all try to relax and think about this logically-" Julius' attempts to ease the tension failed when the cold voice of Emilia spoke again.

"I will not tell you again Frederica-san, if you do not keep away from my knight, I will make you." The temperature around the half-elf dropped to the point where the air coming from her flaring nostrils became visible."

"...No, Emilia sama…I won't." Emilia's threat had been the last straw for the blonde maid. How dare she and the other candidates tell her who she can and can't be with? They had no right to deny her affections in service of their own, her feelings mattered just as much if not more. Subaru, for whatever reason, had chosen her to give his heart too and she will not let a group of jealous women ruin this moment.

"Then I command you to stay away from him."

"I will not."

"I am your superior; you will obey my orders."

"You may be my mistress, but you do not control who I love."

"Stay away from my Subaru! He loves me, not you!"

"You don't get to decide that! Subaru is free to love whoever he wants!"

By this point the passive aggressive tones changed to a shouting match between the half-elf and beast maid. Emilia glared with pure mirth in her eyes, in her eyes Frederica had stolen the most valuable person since Fortuna from her. Frederica stared back with equal intensity, she could understand the jealousy, but to deny another's feelings so carelessly was unacceptable. Frankly the blonde had half a mind to move Subaru over next to her, Petra could sit in her lap, but Emilia and Rem had a death grip on the boy's hands. She wouldn't push it if only to not escalate the situation into a brawl, however that did not mean she would sit there and take the threats and verbal abuse.

The other members of the cast were conflicted on which actions they should take; they are loyal to their candidates but that didn't mean they agreed with how they were taking the reveal. If they were a bit more honest to themselves, the audience would admit the girls in the audience were taking their jealousy too far. Sure, they too would've liked to see their mistress at the altar rather than Frederica, however that was not their decision to make. Ultimately it was Subaru who got to choose which woman he would want to spend the rest of his life with. Conflicted by their duty to serve their master and their sense of morality, the rest of the cast opted to remain in silence. Not supporting their mistress' comments or behavior, but not outright turning against them either.

"Ya tell er' sis! If my amazon' self is bein' honest it should be ya sitting next to capn'!" Garfiel nodded vigorously to himself. He didn't know why he didn't think of it sooner, his sister and captain were the perfect match for one another. Frederica's gentle nature mixed with Subaru's bravery and kindness is a match made in heaven.

"Absolutely not!

"Rem is not giving up her spot either!"

"And why da fuck not?! My sis is married to capn'!"

"Because Subaru/Subaru-kun is my knight/hero!"

"And she's his wife! My amazon' self thinks that more important"

"Garf please…it's ok…just let it go." Frederica softly pleaded with a voice soft, a sharp contrast to how firm it sounded when she was arguing against Emilia.

"But sis-"

"Garf…please…"

Garfiel gave a deep sigh before sitting back down even though he really didn't want to, this was Frederica's moment not his. He'll concede for now, but if anyone starts talking shit about his sister again, he'll make sure to beat their ass. Emilia, along with the other girls, kept their gazes lingering on Frederica for a moment longer before turning back to the screen. No doubt there were going to be more instances of their jealousy rearing its ugly head again, much to the dismay of the other occupants in the room.

"Why must all these girls now realize how amazing Betty's contractor is, I suppose." Beatrice pouted in annoyance at having her Subaru in the middle of six women. If anyone were to ask the great spirit her opinion on the matter, she'd say she was for whomever her contractor chose. It didn't matter if it was Frederica, Emilia, or even Priscilla, Beatrice would support her contractor no matter what.

The newlyweds were now standing in front of a rather large white cake, a few pictures were taken before Subaru gave Frederica the knife. The crowd clapped and cheered when the blonde cut a perfect triangular piece, laughter quickly broke out when she shoved the desert into Subaru's face. Despite how much he enjoyed his wife's laughter Subaru would not let that go unpunished, slicing a piece of his own he shoved the cake into Frederica's laughing face. Now both of them had their faces covered in white frosting and with no shame at all Subaru licked the treat, Frederica followed suit even if she thought she looked goofy while doing it.

"You're lucky you didn't get any in my hair or you would've had an 'uneventful' honeymoon." Frederica slyly smiled toward her husband who blushed a bright red color. Subaru may not be the smartest guy in the world, but even he could see what his wife was referring to.

"Ahem hehe guess I am…" Subaru looked away in embarrassment, coughing into his hand to hide his growing red face.

"Ha, looks like she got him whipped already." Al's laughter did not last long, his chuckles died down when his mistress glared at him.

"And what pray tell would you the two of you doing that is so 'eventful' Frederica-sama." Rem tightened her hold on Subaru's hand.

"What me and Subaru do in our vacation time is none of your concern Rem-san." Frederica calmly rebutted; her composure somewhat surprising. The other members of the cast expected her to lash out, for good reason too, but no apparently the blonde is taking the abuse far more maturely.

"And I'm sure you're excited to see those activities aren't you." Crusch crossed her arms and fixed the blonde with an icy stare.

"That would be highly inappropriate since there are children present, Crusch-sama." The head maid deflected the jab with a collected response.

"Ya didn't deny it." Anastasia pointed out, adding more fuel to the growing jealous fire. "Tsk…slut."

Frederica reached over to place her hand onto Garfiel's shoulder, her brother had begun to rise from his seat after the insult. With a low but enraged growl Garfiel sat back down, he gripped the arms of his chair causing them to crack and splinter. The blonde maid chose to ignore the derogatory label, she wouldn't let them get to her. She had Subaru and to her that was all that mattered at the moment.

"Ha you two look like dorks." Felt giggled.

Slowly the faces of the two faded to show them slow dancing, a soft melody played in the background while they held one another. Subaru had his left hand around Frederica's waist, her right on his left shoulder, and their other hands joined together. The girl had rested her head against Subaru's other shoulder, a small smile present on her face. In that moment nothing else mattered to the couple to them this moment would be one they would remember for the rest of their lives. Frederica gave a soft hum as if a thought had just popped up, Subaru took notice of the slight vibration.

"What is it love?" Subaru whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Just thinking…I wish Garfiel was here to see this. Heh he'd probably be more excited than we are." Frederica giggled into his shoulder.

"Ha ya…you miss them a lot huh." He gave a bittersweet smile when all he got a nod for an answer, Subaru's eyes became misty as well. "Me too, I think about them every day…But I'm happy I have you...heh and as my wife no less. I love you Frederica, you mean everything to me."

"I love you too Subaru, this truly is the happiest day of my life…"

"Couldn' have picked a better person for ya sis." Garfiel bounced lightly in his seat. "This is so fuckin' cool, capn' is my brother now."

"Aww that's so cute." Felix smiled brightly at the scene; he always was a sucker for romance no matter how cliché.

"Indeed it is Frederica-dono…I'm sure you'll remember this day in this life and the next." Wilhelm watched the two danced with a hint of sadness, he remembered saying something very similar to Theresia.

"What a truly beautiful display of passion and affection." Julius wiped a stray tear from his eye dramatically, Ricardo was slightly amused by the sight.

"Drama queen." Mimi and Tivey laughed when the wolfman jabbed his thumb over to his purple haired comrade.

"Ugh Imma barf from how cheesy that was." Felt made a fake gagging noise to punctuate her comment.

"Now now Felt-sama, this is a touching moment after all." Reinhard lightly chided his mistress, truthfully the Sword Saint couldn't keep the smile off his face. It's felt like an eternity since he's seen his friend be at peace.

"That should be me…I should be your everything Subaru." Emilia unconsciously strengthened her grip onto the boy's hand. The half-elf was having a hard time reigning in her control after everything she's seen, a similar dilemma occurred within Rem as well.

"At least Betty's Subaru is happy, I suppose." Beatrice sighed as she cuddled into her contractor's chest.

In a flash of white the soothing music changed to that of the rhythmic beats of a heart monitor. The open space of the dance floor now replaced by a small white room with a singular window and various pieces of equipment laying around. Up against the right center wall was a long but narrow white bed. Covered by a white sheet was none other than Frederica, she wore an exhausted but happy expression. On the left side of the bed Subaru sat in a plastic chair resting his head on top of his arms while looking at his wife, his expression was a mix of joy, nervousness, and worry.

"Where are they? And what are those thingies attached to Fredericia-sama?" Petra asked curiously.

"At a hospital squirt, a place where injured and sick people go, and those 'thingies' monitors her vitals; ya know heartbeat, blood pressure shit like that." Al answered casually much to the chagrin of Beatrice. The great spirit huffed an annoyed breath at having the spotlight taken away from her.

"Wait, Subaru's world has metias that could do that?!" Felix stared wide eyed at his fellow knight in amazement and shock. Such creations would revolutionize the medical field allowing for healers to have a better chance to save their patients.

"I mean ya, we don't have magic over there, so we had to develop new ways to advance medicine. Heh and somehow we made it farther than you guys." Al sat up straighter, an aura of pride around him upon realizing just how far advanced his world is.

"Combining our magic with their technology…we'd be able to save so many lives." Felix turned back to the screen, mentally taking notes of all machines in the room.

"Hmm…ah I understand now." Wilhelm was briefly confused on why Frederica would be at a hospital, she wasn't wounded or ill as far as he could tell. Then it clicked into the butler's mind, the mix of emotions on Subaru's face and Frederica's tired expression all pointed toward the birth of their daughter.

"What is it, Old Man Will?" Felix's ears twitched in curiosity when he caught sight of the Sword Demon's small smile.

"I believe we're about to meet the little girl who spoke in the beginning." Wilhelm answered.

The butler's theory had many members in the audience widening their eyes in surprise, they had completely forgotten there was a little girl in the opening scene. The cast now looked on with a mixture of curiosity and in Garfiel's case elation, he always wanted to be a cool uncle. The girls didn't know whether to feel angry at the fact it wouldn't be their child or happy because of the no doubt adorable little girl they're about to see. Maternal instincts overrode any feelings of jealousy, no woman could resist adoring any small children. Frederica shuffled nervously in her seat, a tirade of different thoughts flooding her head. What color of eyes would she have, green like her mother or brown like her father? Would she have Subaru's eyes or maybe his hair color? What about her teeth or most importantly what would her name be?

"Subaru…look at her…" Frederica weakly motioned for her husband to come closer, the camera showed a small bundle of white blankets held to her chest. Subaru got up and sat on the edge of the bed, his heart melted at the sight before him. Peeking out of the blankets was a pale chubby face, her eyes were closed, and she was breathing softly while her parents watched over her sleeping form. A small patch of blonde hair could be seen, one of her features that was similar to Frederica. She had ears and a nose shaped like Subaru's, her teeth couldn't be identified yet.

"She's-she's…"

"...so cute!" Emilia wanted nothing more than to hold the infant herself, she couldn't help it, the child was just too endearing.

"Rem agrees she is very adorable." Rem wasn't exactly a kid type of person, but she couldn't deny the baby on screen wormed her way into the oni's heart.

"Heh I can admit I'm a sucker for the kiddies and that little bundle of joy right there makes my heart melt." Anastasia beamed brightly at the screen.

"Hmph at least something good came out of this arrangement." The statement might as well have been considered a compliment by Priscilla.

"She looks so peaceful…like nothing in the world would ever harm her." Crusch was bewildered by the child's expression. Perhaps it is her lack of experience with kids or maybe just the viewings skewing with her view in general, but the duchess couldn't understand how such a face was even possible.

"It is because Subaru-dono and Fredrica-dono are there Crusch-sama." Wilhelm answered upon seeing her confused expression. The candidate gave a quizzical look which prompted the butler to explain further. "A mother and father would do anything to protect their child…ensuring that their daughter can sleep at ease even at the expense of their own health. Any caring parent never wants to see their children afraid…they want to see them happy and without any worries."

"Caring parents…" Reinhard frowned, he never knew what it was like to have parents that cared about him.

"Oi you ok Red?" Felt poked her knight's shoulder.

"Yes, sorry Felt-sama…just thinking." His mistress did not look convinced in the slightest, but nonetheless dropped the subject for now.

"Heh, not every day you see a guy get his breath taken away like that. Becoming a father will do that to ya." Ricardo lightly chuckled from Subaru's dumbfounded expression.

"Ack! Garf…please…stop shaking me!" Otto struggled speak his plea, his vision becoming blurry from how vigorously his friend was shaking him.

"Eh sorry Brotto, got really excited seein' ma niece. Look at er' she looks as amazin' as myself." Garfiel relinquished his hold on the merchant with an apologetic shrug.

"Hmph looks like the only useful thing Barusu has done in his life is make a cute kid." Not even Ram was immune to the effect of the sleeping infant, her trademark scowl and glare completely absent from her face.

"Our daughter…she's so beautiful Subaru...I would love to be able to hold her one day." A few tears of happiness managed to leak down Frederica's cheeks, despite her attempts to rein them in. The blonde would give anything at that moment to feel what her on screen counterpart must be going through right now. She would've loved to have Subaru with her, their hands intertwined while they looked at the scene in content.

"Hehe she's got your cute little nose." Frederica gently booped the infant, careful not to wake her up.

"Ha ya…she's got your hair though. I think she'll get your chompers too." Subaru wryly smirked at his wife, calling back to their first meeting in Lugnica. That earned him a glare and a light tap on his arm, Frederica was far too tired to actually make him regret his word choice. She'll find a way to get back at him later, maybe find his mayonnaise that'd be a good punishment.

"And how can you tell that hmm?" She raised an eyebrow challengingly.

"Just got a feeling, she is one fifth demi-human you know. Her beast side has to manifest somehow, and I don't think she has enough of your side to transform like you." Subaru replied coolly.

"Thank god-I mean dragon for that. Heh can you imagine having to chase a little leopard around the house." Frederica giggled at the mental image of Subaru trying to catch their daughter.

"Oh you could handle that just fine, me though…I'd be out of breath after two minutes." The two laughed quietly before they laid together in a comfortable silence, it didn't last long as it was soon broken by the former head maid.

"I know the perfect name for her…"

"Heh I thought we agreed on Garfiel Jr. no matter the gender."

"Sorry love I had my fingers crossed." Frederica gave Subaru a cheeky grin causing the man to pout, it was a very amusing sight to the blonde.

"What you have in mind babe?"

"...Electra-Natsuki Electra, what do you think?" Subaru already liked the name but the pleading look his wife gave him sealed his decision on the matter.

"A star like me huh." Subaru wouldn't deny that he liked the reason for Electra being chosen.

"Well I'm no astronomer like you dear, but I have taken the time to learn about some of the constellations." Frederica's face flushed pink in embarrassment.

"It's perfect love…our little star Natsuki Electra." The camera lingered over the new family, mother and father watching their sleeping daughter with pure adoration. At that moment the two made a silent promise to never let anything hurt their little girl, they would give their lives if it meant keeping her safe.

"Electra…what a wonderful name for our little girl." Frederica wiped even more falling tears from her eyes, she didn't bother trying to wipe them away this time. They weren't tears of sadness, quite the opposite, the maid didn't know how to properly channel her happiness other than letting out her cries.

"Heh that's cheesy as fuck…still though cute kid." Al wouldn't consider himself good with children in the slightest, but he also wasn't a heartless asshat who didn't like them either.

"She would make a good little sister to Betty, I suppose." Beatrice did kind of want a younger sibling, someone who she can protect and maybe order around.

"Do yer' think yer'd let me hold er' sis?" Garfiel asked with sparkling eyes.

"You'd have to be very careful, Garf." Frederica lightly warned, of course she let her brother hold her daughter. But her instincts also told her to keep her baby away from everyone else, most likely due to the fear of something happening to her.

"My amazon' self would never hurt er' sis and if anyone tried hurt er' I'd tear em' to pieces with ma own two hands." Garfiel growled slightly at the last portion. Just the thought of someone trying to hurt his niece filled the demi-human with huge quantities of rage.

"That I have no doubt of little brother." The older blonde felt her heart become lighter from Garfiel's admission. She felt happy knowing her little brother loved her daughter and would do anything to protect her.

Like before the hospital scene faded away in a flash of white, now staring into the screen was a pair of emerald, green eyes. Upon first glance they look to belong to Frederica, but as the camera panned out it showed the face of Electra grinning widely. The infant that was shown not five minutes ago now looked to be about 8 years old. Apparently, Subaru had been right about her 'chompers' because the little girl's teeth were indeed like her mother's, sharp and pointy. Her hair had grown out too, a long braid of yellow that stretched down to her lower back. The little girl was dressed in a pair of black shorts, a pink shirt, and a mismatched set of socks, one yellow and the other orange.

The child was in a rather large living room with a wide screen tv, multiple couches and chairs, and even a bookshelf in the corner of the room. She was hiding behind the tan couch closest to the wall, giggling to herself every so often behind her hand. If someone were to walk in the room, they'd leave their backs entirely open for her. As if on cue an older Subaru walked into the room, wearing gray sweatpants and a white shirt. The man looked around in confusion, almost sensing that something was not quite right.

"Hey Freddie! Where's Electra?!" Subaru shouted out the door he just came through, a look of suspicion on his face.

"I saw her playing in her room!" Frederica's voice echoed back through the halls, she sounded far away from how quiet the yell was.

"Ok thanks!" Giving the room a scan once more with critical eyes, Subaru shrugged when he saw nothing out of the ordinary and took a few steps past one of the couches.

"Surprise piggyback ride!" Electra took the opportunity and leaped over the piece of furniture and onto her father's back. She wrapped her legs around his midsection and her arms around his shoulders.

"GAH!" Subaru gave a cry of surprise at the unexpected weight to his back; he instinctively wrapped his arms underneath Electra's legs to steady her. He craned his head to level an exacerbated stare to his daughter's smiling face. "Electra!"

The playfulness of the scene was a more than welcomed sight among the cast., compared to the normal suffering this was practically heaven itself. Nearly all of the members had some form of a smile on their face, they'd never seen Subaru so relaxed before. The man was absent from any of the usual signs of his mental unwellness, no baggy eyes, no strained smile, no tears falling down his face, and not even an ounce of sadness filled his expression. Nothing but love and joy could be seen from the scene, a sharp contrast that the audience did not mind at all. In their eyes Subaru had more than earned his happy ending, they were glad all the pain and death he went through did not happen in vain.

Electra's childish antics also brought up the good mood in the theater, even those that were cold and indifferent, Ram, enjoyed the sight of the giggling girl. The laughter of the child was like a form of magic unknown to the cast, it filled them with a sense of tranquility and peace. How long has it been since they could sit back and relax? The viewing in between Arc 2 and 3 would be the go-to example, but even then the appearance of Petelgeuse reminded them that the happy moment would not last. Now though, the cast could finally feel at ease seeing the interaction between father and daughter.

"That looks fun!" Mimi and Tivey had the urge to copy the girl on screen and get Ricardo to carry them.

"I want a piggyback ride too!" Petra pouted, finding it unfair she couldn't get one. Frederica patted her head which only caused the pout to increase in intensity.

"Ha watch out there Little Sis, Subaru doesn't look as young as he used to be." Felt snorted in amusement.

"Tsk careful Barasu, don't let your clumsiness and old age drop such a precious little girl." Ram crossed her arms and glared at the man on screen. Of course, she still found his predicament highly amusing and would probably tease him relentlessly about it.

"She's certainly energetic." Otto was kind of glad he wouldn't have to babysit, there was no way he could keep up with the little ball of energy.

"That's the best part Brotto, I bet she'd be great to wrestle with!" Garfiel's eyes lit up at the idea, he always wanted a sparring partner. His niece would fit the role perfectly plus there's also the bonus of him getting to be a teacher, something he's been craving ever since leaving Sanctuary.

"You are not wrestling our daughter Garf." Frederica fixed her brother a deadpan stare, her voice flat and emotionless.

"Aww come on sis-"

"Absolutely not." Garfield groaned in defeat; his sister was not going to budge on the idea so there's no point in trying to push it.

"Just like my little commanders, can't keep yourself off others huh." Anastasia sighed wistfully, her jealousy had long since faded away. The candidate felt a bit shameful for how she acted toward Frederica but was too prideful to offer any apology. The look in the blonde's eyes told her that nothing but pure affection for her future husband and daughter.

"Oh dear, you'll definitely feel that in your later years Subaru-dono." Wilhelm's joke got a decent amount of the other cast members. It wasn't often the Sword Demon acted in such a casual manner, but when he did it was a delight to anyone around.

"You shouldn't jump so suddenly on your father like that." Emilia's words contradicted her thoughts, the half-elf knew she'd let her own daughter jump on Subaru like that too.

"Hmph, you do understand the joys of a piggyback ride, in fact." Beatrice smugly smirked and jutted her chin up in a 'I'm better than you' way.

"Just as rambunctious as her father, I'm he'd have taught you to tease me if you stayed in Lugnica." Julius shook his head with a small smile.

"Careful Julius-kun your knyightley image is falling apart." Felix sent the light jab toward his fellow warrior.

Not fazed at all by her father's stare, the little girl giggled and snuggled further into Subaru's back. Electra knew her dad wouldn't put her down, he was too much of a pushover to actually go through with it. She may only be 8 years old, but she picked up from her mom that Subaru could be teased quite easily, which in turn weakened his resolve rapidly. There were a lot of times she saw her mother make her father blush a bright red or get him to agree with her idea using something called puppy dog eyes. Electra noticed how quickly her dad caved into anything her mom said when she used the technique on him, the little blonde was determined to replicate the look.

It had taken a few months of practicing in the mirror, but Electra managed to perfect the stare. The effect was instantaneous, Subaru had given her to her demand of getting ice cream after school on the spot. Unfortunately for her Frederica had been in the car at the time and took notice of the effect Electra's puppy dog eyes had on Subaru. Her mother told her she wasn't allowed to use the stare unless she gave her permission, Electra had pouted and complained at the time but still accepted the terms. Afterall not a day later she and Frederica teamed up and used their combined stares on Subaru, she laughed when she saw him clutch his heart dramatically.

"Hi daddy!" Electra beamed at her father.

"...hello to you too starshine." Subaru gave a deep sigh; he knew he couldn't stay annoyed at his little girl for long.

"Ha fight in him left real quick. Though I can't say I blame him." Ricardo and Al chuckled at Subaru's lack of will.

"Such is the effect of children on their parents." Wilhelm added sagely, a ghost smile on his face.

"Naw gramps Big Bro has always been a pushover." Felt smirked.

"Hah of course Barusu is, he doesn't have the spine to say no."

"But could you say no to Electra-chan, sister?" Rem tilted her head curiously as she stared at the pink oni. Ram opened her mouth as if to deny the claim but closed it wordlessly soon after, they all knew she wouldn't be able to do it.

"What's for dinner?" The little blonde butted her forehead against Subaru's neck in boredom.

"Your mom is making orange chicken, fried rice, and steamed vegetables. And if you eat everything, we'll take you out for ice cream later." Subaru tacked on the dessert when he saw his daughter's face morph into disgust at the mention of vegetables. A little bribery wouldn't hurt, though Frederica will probably make him pay her back, truthfully there were no plans for ice cream after dinner. As if the universe wanted to spite him his wife walked into the living room, staring at him with a raised brow. She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants and black shirt with the phrase 'I'm an animal in bed' underneath a picture of a tiger winking.

"Dinner is done, Electra, go wash your hands. We'll be at the table shortly so you can eat without us." Though she was talking to her daughter Frederica's gaze remained firmly on the now sweating face of Subaru. The man looked ready to bolt out the room if not for the small human backpack he was carrying.

"Kay kay." She released her hold around Subaru, who also let go of her legs, allowing her to drop harmlessly onto the floor. The soft pitter patter of socks on wood were heard as Electra ran out of the room and toward the kitchen.

"...so ice cream huh." Frederica crossed her arms across her chest and leveled a deadpan stare at her husband.

"Oh someone's in trouble." Al put on his best third grader impression. "Heh you're in for it now brother, moms can be scary as shit."

"You're not being a good boy Subaru." Emilia poked the sleeping boy's cheek with a pout.

"Aw man capn' ya got caught, now yer' gotta listen to a borin' ass lecture." Garfiel would've given his fellow friend a pat on the back in consolidation if he was there.

"Let this be an important lesson to you Subaru-dono, you cannot hide anything from your wife." Wilhelm spoke with a half joking half serious tone.

"No you can't Wilhem-sama, give him a good talking too." Frederica nodded in approval to herself on screen.

"Heh ain't that the truth, you boys best remember ya can't hide nothin' from us ladies." Anastasia's agreement surprised the blonde maid, she didn't expect anything except hostility. Yet, it appears the other girls have calmed down from their jealous anger ever since Electra came on screen. Which suited Frederica just fine, now she didn't have to worry about verbally sparring with the other candidates for the rest of the viewing.

"You may be a knight my friend, but you clearly still need to work on the honesty part of our code." Julius sighed exasperatedly, caught between laughing at Subaru's predicament or going off on the importance of truth.

"...uh ice cream who said anything about that…hehe." Subaru rubbed the back of his head nervously, beads of sweat running down his face. Frederica was not impressed, continuing to stare at the man with a blank expression. "...alright I may have, potentially, probably said something along the lines of getting some after dinner. But-but I said only could if she ate everything on her plate."

"...what am I going to do with you? You're such a goof sometimes dear." Frederica sighed deeply and walked over to Subaru, wrapping her arms around his neck in a soft embrace. Thinking he dodged a bullet he returned the hug mindlessly, that turned out to be a mistake when Frederica pulled him closer, so her mouth was next to his ear. "This weekend I'm sending Electra over to Clover's house to spend the night. You and I are going to have the whole house to ourselves. And you'll do everything I say and give anything I want…anything." The blonde lightly bit Subaru's ear to punctuate her words causing Subaru to shiver involuntarily, her voice dropping into a low sensual purr.

"Mm…yes ahem y-yes of course." Subaru stuttered out, his face now flushed into a deep red. Frederica pulled back and gave an innocent smile as if nothing happened between the two.

"Come on, it's time for dinner." Not done with her teasing, Frederica made sure to give her hips extra sway on the way out. Subaru's blush intensified as he stared down at his wife's backside, unable to resist the temptation. Frederica glanced over her shoulder and gave the man a seductive wink when he managed to tear his eyes away for a moment.

"...that woman is going to give me a heart attack one day." Subaru took a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart. If Electra saw him all red faced, she'd pester him with questions for the rest of the night. Feeling he had cooled his heated cheeks Subaru followed after his wife with a smile on his face.

"Oh my…" Emilia flushed pink, unsure of how to respond to the other woman's flirtations. She was still new to the idea of concept sexual relations.

"Rem is unsure if she could do that…'' It wasn't that the blue oni wasn't uncomfortable with her body, she just wouldn't know to elicit a response like that.

"That was…unexpected…" Crusch blushed and turned her gaze away from the screen for a few moments.

"Damn girl, you really know how to rile Big Bro up." Felt gave a low wolf whistle, she didn't expect the maid to be that suave.

"Quite…unexpected of you Frederica-sama." Ram didn't know if she should be disgusted that Subaru has most likely corrupted her superior or impressed with how easy she took charge.

"...Brotto can yer' make me forget the last two minutes, thanks." Garfiel's face nearly matched Subaru's, he did not need the mental images of what his captain and sister got up to in bed. He was happy enough just knowing they were married and gave him a cute niece; he didn't need to know anything else that went on in their lives.

Frederica for her part had buried her face into her hands in embarrassment, hiding how the blush had spread up to the tips of her ears. She hadn't ever seen herself as seductive, yeah, she knew where kids came from but that was entirely different to what happened on screen. Her future self was being playful and mischievous, she clearly wanted a reaction out of Subaru, and she definitely got one. It was likely her older version picked up a few things over the years after spending so long with Subaru, nonetheless Frederica still found it embarrassing. She wanted the ground to swallow her whole right now, not only did the other cast members see but her own brother also got a look too. The blonde would have no problem if their warden plucked her out of the room and dropped her into her room. At least then she could scream into her pillow instead of dealing with the shocked and somewhat impressed stares from the other members.

"Look on the bright side, you're not afraid to show what ya got and trust me ya got a lot." While Frederica appreciated Anastasia's attempt to help, her comment only drove her face to burn even brighter. The maid gave a muffled squeal of embarrassment that was muffled due to her face still being in her hands.

"I think ya broke her Anastasia-sama." Felix chuckled, trying to hide his giggles behind his hand.

"Frederica-sama, why are you so red?" Petra curiously asked, she and the twins didn't understand why everyone was acting so weird.

"...I'll tell you when you're older, Petra-chan." Frederica murmured, her voice barely being heard by the younger maid.

Another white changed the scenes once more, the quiet home now replaced by a multitude of sounds, everything from music to the laughter of children was present. The white faded away to show that the Natsuki family was at some kind of amusement park, complete with the game vendors, food stalls, and even a Ferris wheel. It was nighttime so the entire park shone brightly with flashy colors, the only space that wasn't illuminated excessively was a couple of benches that overlooked the vast ocean. The family were currently walking aimlessly through the area, stopping only if something piqued their interest.

The cast were amazed by such a sight, they had never seen so many colors before, the closest thing they had were parades and festivals. Even then they did not look as beautiful as the amusement park, the lights and sounds could probably be seen and heard from miles away. A twinge of disappointment spread throughout the room; a lot of the cast wanted to experience the joys this new place had to offer. They wanted to play the interesting looking games, eat all the tasty looking food, but most importantly ride the Ferris wheel. The audience had never seen something move like that before, plus it brought you really high in the air. Sure, Subaru's world had buildings that were far taller but those would be in a confined space. The Ferris wheel would no doubt let them enjoy the breeze, admire the stars in the night sky, or even just stare out into the city in wonder.

Subaru was dressed in a pair of navy-blue jeans, a black shirt, everyday black and gray shoes, and a thick black jacket with the collar popped up. Unlike his usual style his hair had been let down, showing how it reached to the middle of his neck. Frederica was wearing similar jeans though about lighter in color, a white shirt with a yellow flower in the center, a pair of tan shoes, and a light brown sweater with the sleeves covering a good portion of her hands. Holding each of their hands was Electra, who was adorned with black pants, a light pink shirt, matching shoes that were lit up with every step, and a jacket that looked strikingly similar to Subaru's tracksuit. The little girl was missing her braid in favor of having her hair down like her mother. She absents mindedly swung her and in addition her parent's hands in boredom. That was until she spotted the most majestic thing she's ever seen in her life; it was a large tiger plush about half her size with big round eyes and a long tail. The plushie was yellow with black stripes circling around its body in an elaborate pattern.

"Daddy, Mommy look!" Electra began tugging her parents toward the stall, pointing at the plush with an excited smile. "Daddy can you help me win it? I want it so bad! Please-please-pleaseeeee!"

"Eh I don't kn-oof!" Subaru was prepared to tease his daughter but a swift elbow from Frederica cut off any plans he had.

"Of course he will, my little starshine." Frederica smiled sweetly and rubbed Electra's hair affectionately. The little girl beamed brightly, she let go of her parent's hands and ran over to the stall excitedly. Subaru and Frederica followed close behind, the former rubbing his aching abdomen and the latter calling out to the little girl to not go too far.

"You just can't let me win huh." Subaru deadpanned at his wife.

"Whatever do you mean my love, you have a beautiful wife and daughter. You have won the best prize of them all." Frederica smiled cheekily in return, nodding her head toward their daughter who bounced impatiently near the stall.

"Ha who knew ya had such a sassy side." Felt didn't know where this side of the blonde was hiding, but goddamn did she like it.

"My amazin' self has known that fer' years now." Garfiel revealed, earning him a light smack to the back of his head courtesy of his sister.

"Garf, please be quiet." Frederica stared at her brother with her 'sister stare' as Garfiel calls it. The younger demi-human shut his mouth immediately, retort forgotten in favor of not provoking his sister's wrath.

"Ah I'm sure Subaru would wholeheartedly agree to that statement." Wilhelm's eyes crinkled from his smile. "I know I do Frederica-dono."

"...why do you have to be right all the time?" Subaru sighed with fake dejectedness.

"Because I'm your wife silly, I'm always right." Frederica pecked his left cheek and grabbed his hand, curling her fingers around his. "Love you."

"Yeah-yeah love ya too, now let's go win that stuffed animal. Heh should name him Garfiel, kind of looks like him too." Subaru felt Frederica squeezed his hand at the mention of her brother's name, she didn't need to say she liked his suggestion.

"The game is simple, hit the targets in the head to knock 'em down, knock down all of 'em and you can pick whichever prize you want. Careful though cause they ain't gonna stand still. Ya got 1 minute to get as many as ya can." A stocky bearded man explained the rules to Subaru when he said he wanted to play.

Seemed easy enough to Subaru, the targets were cowboy themed, so he made sure to avoid shooting them in their hats. His 'weapon' was a plastic, red colored revolver with six darts already loaded into the cylinder, the other six 'bullets' were standing upright off to the side. There were only ten targets so either the vendor was confident no one could hit all the targets with twelve shots or he was too lazy to put up the other two. It made little difference to Subaru; he knew he could hit all ten no problem even without the extra shots.

"Ready…set…go!"

The loud blaring horn set off the cowboys, all of them moving quickly across the stage. Some of them even turned as if to avoid an incoming shot, Subaru observed the pattern for a few seconds before raising the toy gun with a practiced motion. He squeezed the trigger, firing off two rapid shots that struck down the bottom targets almost simultaneously. Setting his sights higher he waited a second for the target to avoid the shot, the moment it faced him Subaru let off a round sending it to the ground. He used the same tactic on a middle target that moved in a similar motion.

With the two most difficult ones down, Subaru watched the three middle cowboys move across the platform with calculating eyes. They would sometimes overlap one another making it harder to knock them down, however Subaru was not bothered by this in the slightest. Flipping open the cylinder Subaru loaded four more darts with precision, even giving the gun a twirl to show off his mastery. When all three were separate from one another the man fired three shots in succession, striking all three within that second. The last three targets fell unceremoniously and quickly, in the span of fifteen seconds Subaru had taken out all ten targets as if it was nothing.

The cast were rightfully shocked with how easily their friend managed to beat the game and in so little time too. Subaru isn't exactly known for being the strongest, accurate, or even smartest person, but that came into question for a lot of the cast. They weren't exactly familiar with the strange looking toy being used; however they could tell that being accurate with it was no easy feat. Especially with how erratic the targets had been moving, they expected the man to miss the harder ones that turned. Yet, in a quarter of the allotted time Subaru had dismantled their thoughts and even looked badass while doing it.

"Damn brother, you hit those shots like they were nothing." Al's helmet hid his shocked expression, but his tone did not.

"Such talent…and all without the need for a Divine Protection." Sure, Reinhard had great accuracy too, but he never had to work for it, it was given to him. Subaru on the other hand probably spent years honing this one skill, making him a complete master at it. The Sword Saint was in awe at how someone with 'no talent' could accomplish such a feat.

"Such marksmanship, I did not know you had such a talent." Julius wouldn't lie in saying he was impressed by his friend's expertise, perhaps there was more skill to Subaru than he knew.

"Eh not too surprising really, remember he threw that piece of wood to block that crazy bitches' attack." Felt reminded the other members.

"You have a point there; he has shown to have a talent for good aim since the beginning." Crusch agreed, her mind thinking of all the other times Subaru's skill with precision was displayed.

"That was cool as shit! Capn' was like bang-bang and they all dropped down so fast!" Garfiel spoke quickly and excitedly, leading him to have to take a deep gulp of air to regain his lost breath.

"Hmm I wonder how good Subaru would be with a bow and arrow…" Emilia wondered aloud.

"Betty's contractor would no doubt never miss if he had one, in fact." Beatrice crossed her arms in triumph, daring anyone to challenge her claim.

"Well Sam Hill, ya got one dead eye partner, wouldn't mind going to range with ya. Pick which ever one that strikes your fancy." The man gave a low impressed whistle at the accuracy.

"Ah it's no big deal, just a lot of practice. I'll take the tiger please." Subaru set the toy down, waving off his victory as if anyone could have done it. The vendor reached up and unclipped the large plushie before handing it over to the man. Subaru leaned down and gave the stuffed animal to Electra, who was bouncing on her feet with unrestrained happiness. "Here ya go munchkin."

"Thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you!" The little girl squealed as she hugged the toy close to her chest, she gave Subaru a quick hug as well to show her appreciation. "What should his name be?"

"Hmm…how about Garf?" Frederica hooked her arm around Subaru's and smiled brightly down at how happy her daughter was. No doubt she'd be sleeping with the plushie tonight or every night for that matter.

"Like Uncle Garfiel? That's perfect!" Electra may not ever see her uncle, but she still loves him all the same.

"...Garf are you crying?" Otto looked at his friend in surprise.

"Yer' seein' things Brotto…just got sum in ma eye is all." The demi-human made no real effort to hide the tears that streaked down his face. A small smile let everyone else know that the tears were out of joy rather than sadness.

"I'm positive she would love you a lot, little brother." Frederica lightly patted his back in comfort.

"Heh ya…I am pretty amazin' aren't I."

"Ya know I could really get used to this. Compared to what we were watchin' before this is more than a nice change." Anastasia sighed contently, this family was really starting to grow on her, not that she minded. The rest of the cast collectively agreed that this viewing was by far the best they had ever witnessed.

The trio made their way back into the thick of the crowd, Electra holding her father's right hand while her mother had wrapped her right arm around Subaru's left. The family walked through the park at a steady pace, trying out more games along the way. Electra giggled when she saw her dad bump into a mirror for the fifth time when they entered the mirror maze, Frederica also found the sight very amusing. The little girl also starred with wide eyes when she found out her mom was crazy strong, nearly breaking the high striker. She even got to have cotton candy and funnel cake which were really good, though she made sure to not get Garf sticky from the candy. Deciding to take a little break the trio had settled onto one of the benches overlooking the ocean.

"What is that? It looks like a lake but way bigger." Mimi asked cutely.

"That would be an ocean, I suppose. They encompass 70% of Subaru's world and they can stretch hundreds of miles, even wrapping around the entire planet." Beatrice answered quickly, not wanting Al to take away the spotlight again.

"That much of it is water?! Even the Great Waterfall has its limitations." Julius was stunned and at the same time amazed by how different their two worlds were.

"Damn capn's world sounds cool as hell."

"I would love to share the view with you one day, Subaru." Frederica stared longingly at the tides before directing her gaze to the sleeping boy. Yep, he was still as handsome as ever…maybe she could bargain with Rem or Emilia to trade seats for a little while.

Electra was leaning against the railing, she made sure to make her dad promise to protect Garf. The little girl found the rhythmic movement of the waves calming, the lights from the park reflected off the water making it appear more colorful than it really was. Subaru and Frederica watched their daughter stare in fascination at the ocean, the former with an arm around his wife and the latter had her head rested against her husband's shoulder.

"Tonight was really fun." The blonde smiled, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of Subaru's arm around her. It filled her with warmth that helped combat the chilly winds that had begun to blow more frequently.

"Yeah, our little starshine will probably crash on the way home. Heh, she ate a lot of sweets." Subaru chuckled quietly.

"Oh dear, I guess that means it'll just be the two of us…such a horrible fate, I'm sure." Frederica teased, leaning into Subaru's hold even more.

"Eh as long as you don't run me ragged in the bedroom again, I'll live." Subaru shrugged casually.

"Don't give me ideas now hun, I wouldn't mind a 'date night' in the near future."

"Ah I knew you were going to suggest one sooner or later. You ready to go?" Subaru gave a mock sigh of disappointment, his kiss on Frederica's forehead contradicted his fake depression.

"Yes…Electra dear it's time to go home now."

The two adults stood up, Subaru carrying Garf in his right arm and holding Frederica's hand in his left. The little girl skipped away from the railing and over to her parents, grabbing the toy from her father's hands and hugging it close once more. The family began walking toward the exit, but suddenly Frederica stopped dead in her tracks. Her legs were shaking as if she was about to collapse, and her breathing had become labored and heavy. Subaru and Electra stopped with her and looked at the woman with a mix of confusion and worry.

"What's wrong, love?" Subaru's voice dripped with concern, his eyes scanning her form for anything that may be out of the ordinary.

"I-I don't know…everything feels…heavy…I-It's getting harder to breathe…S-Subaru something's wro-" With Frederica's eyes rolled into the back of her head, she would have dropped to the pavement if not for Subaru catching her. Electra gave a short scream, tears already flooding down her cheeks. Subaru called out to his wife and Electra called to her mother…but she would not answer them.

"Frederica!"

"Mommy!"