Spartoi Revived (18)

Chapter 18: Past, Present, Future

The thing about family was that no matter how insane they seemed to outsiders, they were yours. You were part of that insane clan of people and more than likely shared some of the quirks and habits of these people you share a living space with. For Aimee, while she admitted she could be embarrassed by them from time to time, she absolutely adored her family. Her father was a bear of a man, towering over everyone at an amazing height of 6'4. He had a wide muscular build, thick auburn hair, and the same green eyes as her. While he looked as intimidating as any man at his stature, he was the friendliest man you could ever meet. Same went for the petite, thick curly haired blonde that was placing a cup of fruit punch and slice of pie in front of the beaming red haired female and still silent Shinigami.

"So tell me, Liam! How is it living with our girl Aimee?" The woman practically gushed, now sitting across the table. Liam flustered slightly, lowering his gaze as he fiddled with his glass.

"Well… I mean its fine. I've been living with her for a little over three years now so…" he trailed off and looked back up. "I can't complain too much." The woman looked to the side at her husband and giggled, causing the man to shake his head knowingly.

"Come on now, Trish. Don't tease the boy!" Her husband chortled only for the woman to wave him off good naturedly but smile at the pair across from them all the same. The woman, Trisha, was Aimee's step mother. Aimee never really told Liam much about her, but he did remember her once mentioning that her mother had passed away when she was young. Her father, Richard, had met Trish when Aimee was in her final year of middle school and they married within a year after that. Aimee admitted that some of her street roaming was due to their newly developed family, but she still had enough respect for Trisha to speak to her and listen to her. Richard was now looking at the two. "But really, Aimee. You've been gone for the past three years and have sent next to no letters home. For the longest we had thought you went and ran off with that douchebag, Robbie." At these words, Aimee flushed while Liam looked at her in confusion.

"Who's Robbie?" He asked and looked in confusion between his now scarlet partner and chuckling parental. Trish rested her elbow on the table and chin in her palm, a sly smile crossing her face.

"Robbie is, or was, Aimee's first true love." She answered.

"Trish!" The red head screeched out before turning to her wide eyed meister. "He was my old boyfriend." She corrected.

"They were inseparable." Trish continued, only for the young woman to send her a sharp glare that was easily brushed off. "They started dating in middle school. No one really thinks much of it when you're that young, you know. But they stayed strong, going into high school hand in hand. Aimee's always thought she was a big girl, having little sleepovers with him and such."

"You allowed her and a boy to have sleepovers?" Liam asked, eyes wide while Aimee let out a miserable groan.

"You've never had sleepovers with a girl?" Richard asked. "I mean you're living with one now so…"

"Well yeah but this circumstance is different! We have our own rooms and…"

"We trust, Aimee. We always have." Richard interrupted. "At the end of the day, she came back home and that's all that matters." While the pair smiled in oblivious contentment, Liam looked to his embarrassed partner critically. She had run away from these people, she had said, but it looked as though there was something bigger she was running from. "And more importantly, Robbie has been asking when you'd be home!"

"No!" Aimee had straightened significantly now. When they stared at her in confusion, she slowly relaxed. "I'm not home for long and I wanted to spend it with family… Just family." With that, she pushed herself from her seat and turned to Liam. "How about I show you to my room. Maybe we can take a walk so I can show you around town?"

"Yeah." The young shinigami agreed. "And we can talk." Aimee hesitated but nodded.

"Yeah… talk." They excused themselves, making their way back out of the trailer park, where Aimee finally let out a clearly long held breath before sending her partner an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. I told you my family was very open."

"Extremely open." Liam answered as they walked in sync down the side walk. "So… they're that open to you having your own space and life I see."

"Something like that." The weapon answered. "When mom died, dad kinda went into a slump. Trisha was one of our neighbors and was always come over to help out when she could. I was eight when mom died and eleven when dad and Trish got married." She explained. She looked at Liam who had been listening carefully before she continued. "I met Robbie when I entered middle school. We became friends right away and were inseparable. I was always with him. He became my best friend. I trusted him with my everything. With my life. He was my first… everything…"

"You love him?" The words had came out gentle and far quieter than he had intended, but over the traffic passing them as they walked to some unknown destination, Aimee allowed a sad smile cross her face.

"I loved him." She admitted. "But once trust is broken, what else is left, right?" She looked to her partner who was left speechless. A sad smile crossed the red heads face and she released a shaky sigh. "I'm thinking I'm overdue to visit my grandmother if you're ok with that." Snapping from his thoughts, Liam nodded.

"Uh, yeah! This trip is all about you." He answered. "You lead the way." He answered. They had hopped a bus, crossing town and more towards a city area. When they got off the bus, Aimee led the way to an apartment building. She walked ahead confidently, going on about how she used to do this journey by herself since she was eight, once again unnerving her partner.

"My granny is a mystic, you know." She was saying, a bright smile now on her face as they stepped onto a rickety elevator that Liam had easily second guessed.

"What do you mean by mystic?" He had asked distractedly, taking in the unsanitary conditions of the machine they were on and thinking about how he'd be burning his shoes by the end of their journey.

"She can tell the future." The red head answered. "She said when she always had the ability." She explained and giggled when Liam was quick to step off the elevator. She followed and continued to speak. "She's the only one that knows about me and what I can do."

"And she didn't tell your parents?"

"No. She thinks I'm going to be part of a greater good. She has this theory about the moon." Aimee explained and Liam raised a brow. "She believes that one day the moon will be restored."

"Restored?"

"Yeah," Aimee nodded. "She said when it was darkened, the world was once again restored in peace, but the day that it is restored, the world will be encased in chaos." She looked at her partner. "Ramblings of an old woman, huh?"

"Yeah… Guess so."

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He had his parents for the first six years of his life and it was great. They protected him. They performed together. They helped him begin to accept the ability that was inside of him. He was a normal child with an extraordinary power and he was loved. Then, one day it all changed. They weren't there anymore. He was on his own. He didn't have a mother or father… he had a Master. Master was not like the others. He didn't look out for his well being. He was demanding, abusive, and obsessive when it came to perfection, even if it was from a small child. The others tried to protect him, but no one could like a parent could.

So he left.

He found a place that would take him for who he was. He found people who would protect him. He never had a reason to go back… So why was he here now?

Glancing to the side at his unusually silent partner, Rion searched his mind for a true reason behind the torment he was putting himself through. She must have felt his stare because when she looked at him, she flashed him a reassuring smile. Ava had proven to be the biggest support system he had since he had entered Death City. She was swift to defend and protect him since the day they were partnered up and despite it taking some time, he trust her whole heartedly. He wanted her here with him as he went back to see the status of those people he had considered his family when he was younger. The people his parents had entrusted to protect him.

He remembered that there were a site they always stopped at when taking a break during the rougher points of the years, such as recessions, sickness, and so forth. If the news of what had been happening across the country and Death City had reached their ears, they would have posted up at their rest site without fail. Apparently some things never changed because now the weapon and meister duo stood just outside the site.

"So, what do we do now?" Ava asked, rocking slightly on her feet, glancing apprehensively at her conflicted partner. Rion faltered.

"I… I didn't think that far." He admitted and tugged anxiously at his site across the way. His chest started to constrict and he knew he was paling. He took a step back, clutching at the front of his shirt. "I don't think I can do this anymore. This might have been a mistake." Turning on his heal, the golden haired teen began walking away, shaking his head. "This was a horrible idea, Ava. Let's just… Ava?" Turning, he realized the determined female hadn't yelled at him or made a move to stop him. He didn't meet with a look of pity or disapproval. No. She was walking away from him… and towards the camp. Her head was held high and her strides determined. "Ava!"

"We're not turning back, Rion." She called, not looking back. "I'm not letting you run away." He watched in disbelief before running and grabbing her wrist, jerking her to a halt. She faced him with a scowl.

"Listen, this was a bad idea. I shouldn't be here. They're not even going to remember who I am!" He hissed, eyes almost pleading with her to back down.

"How do you know? There aren't many people that look like you." The dark haired girl informed, snatching his hat roughly from his head, despite his cry, and waving it around. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Then why do you want to leave?"

"Because I don't want to be here any more!"

"Tell me why!"

"AVA!"

"Hello?" The two snapped around to the staring young woman not too far from them. Her hazel eyes was looking them over calculatingly, but fell on Rion and widened. She dropped the basket she was carrying in her arms and raised a hand shakily to her lips. Ava looked from the girl to Rion for an answer to what to do, but he had frozen as well. The girl's shakey voice snapped the meister back. "Rion?"

"U-hh… h-hi… I mean… Mimi… Hey…" The weapon stuttered out, completely flustered. Ava was looking between the two in complete confusion before the strawberry blonde rushed past her and launched herself at Rion, arms around his neck. The boy let out a shocked yelp.

"I can't believe you came back." The girl choked out into his shoulder, her arms tightening around the boy who was slowly getting redder. She pulled back, pushing some of her cropped hair from her face, eyes searching his momentarily, as if trying to register if it was him or not, her hands cupping his face gently. He gave a crooked, awkward smile.

"Hey, it's me, Mi." He informed. A smile crossed her face.

"It is you…" Then, without warning, she pressed her lips firmly to his. Rion froze, eyes widening and starting to panic. What the hell was happening? He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back.

"W-what the hell!? What the hell was that?!" He screeched, voice cracking while the girl flushed.

"S-sorry! I got caught in the moment!" She squeaked, taking a step back.

"Are you insane?! Ya can't just do that!" Rion yelled.

"I said I was sorry, Rion! Don't be a jerk!" The blonde hissed back and turned on her heal to storm away, eyes falling on an extremely confused and conflicted Ava. "Oh hello… You came with…"

"She came with me." Rion spoke up and Mimi's face went scarlet.

"Oh no… Did I just kiss you in front of your girlfriend?!" She screeched and ran over to Ava, who tried to back up but failed, the girl taking her hands into hers and looking at her with pleading eyes. "I didn't mean anything, really! We're long time friends, me and Rion! I mean, I'm a bit older than him but I mean look at him, he's grown up so much and it's been so long and…"

"She's not my girlfriend, Mimi." Rion cut in with an exasperated sigh. He walked over, tugging his partner away from the rambling teen. "She's a good friend of mine accompanying me to see how the group is doing." He explained. Mimi's head cocked to the side slightly but she gave a slow nod and smiled faintly.

"Oh, everyone is fine. Great actually. They'll be excited to see you're back!" she informed, walking by them to pick up the items she had previously dropped. Rion sent Ava a reassuring smile, only looking away when he saw her relax, his gaze falling back on Mimi.

"What about Master… How is he?" Mimi's shoulders stiffened but she regained herself.

"Master… he's dead."

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Lyra remembered always being enthralled with the stories her mother used to tell her when she was younger. Stories of battles and magic and love. Things she would experience once she entered Shibusen, and for the most part, she had been right, but there was so much more than she had to deal with. Loss. Confusion. Fear. Just so much more than she thought she'd ever deal with, but as promised, she had a partner to go through these things with. She had Ares and he was amazing. She wasn't very good at expressing this to him. She was a headstrong woman. She was bold and brass. She was stubborn and crude. There were so many attributes about her that made her wonder why Ares bothered, but he was there, beside her and even after vanishing, he didn't hesitate to come back to her and swear he wasn't going anywhere ever again. He loved her. She knew he did. He always had. She stopped him from saying it on numerous occasions since their relationship delved into deeper than simply being weapon and meister.

There were moments when he'd catch her eye during lectures they were made to sit through and he'd give her the simplest of smiles that made her heart skip a beat. Or there was the way he laced his fingers into hers when no one was paying much attention to them. Even the fact that he stood over her with a completely disinterested look as she would snap at him about something in particular, only to casually ask her if she was done or even shut her up with a very forward kiss was enough for the silvery blonde to realize she had managed to grasp on to something she shouldn't ever let go of. Now it was time for her to show that she could be equally as involved in him as he was in her. To show she felt deeply for him as he did.

"Lyra, over here." Ares called. He was holding a bouquet of roses in his hand and smiled warmly as she cautiously walked over, allowing him to take her hand into his free one. She shrank slightly into her scarf, cursing the east coast weather during this time of the year. Even Nevada wasn't this cold in the fall. Ares led the way down a gravel path, the pair of them in a comfortable silence despite the atmosphere. She glanced up at him. His usually untamed hair was combed down and styled in a mature fashion and his cheeks were pink from the cold hitting his face. He actually looked more handsome now than any moment she could remember. Feeling her stare, he glanced down at his meister curiously. "Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah… Just cold." She half lied. Ares smiled faintly.

"We'll be here briefly before going back into town." He offered, lifting her gloved hand to his and kissing it gently. She flustered and looked down at the ground Why did he have to be so loving? They continued on in silence before finally reaching their destination, a sad smile crossing her partner's face as she slowly released his hand allowed him to walk forward. Kneeling down, Ares placed the roses on the gravesite and stood, hands shoved in his pockets. "Hey mom… dad…" he greeted in just above a whisper. "I- I know it's been a really long time since I've come to visit you but things have been rough. Like extremely rough. Almost thought I'd be joining you here at one point." He let out an awkward laugh before the smile fell back from his face. "I'm doing good. I'm great. I'm 21 and not a father, so hey dad, looks like I'm taking your advice and flying down the proper path… I've got a girlfriend now too. She's amazing." He turned and looked to Lyra who smiled faintly back at him before he turned back to his parents tombstone. "I hope you guys are up there wishing the best for us, especially during these times. I need you guys watching over me… I know you couldn't really be here for me then, but I need you now so, you know, if you can hear me, just keep that in mind." He was quiet again and knelt down, head bowed. Respectfully, Lyra stood back and waited. After a few moments, he stood again and walked back to her allowing a smile to cross his face.

"You ok?" The young woman asked, concern crossing her features. Glancing back, Ares nodded mutely before letting out a slow breath.

"Yeah… Let's head into town." He answered. She nodded, reaching and taking his hand before they started their journey back towards the entrance where their rental had been waiting. The car ride had been short and silent, but soon they were in town, arriving at an small house with a rickety, white picket fence and off white paneling. There was a tree in the front yard with an old tire swing hanging from it. Lyra was certain there was no way any rational person would attempt even touching the contraption. Leading the way, Ares allowed a nostalgic smile to cross his face. "Wow, I haven't been here since in years." He glanced over his shoulder at his partner, a grin crossing his face. "When I ran away, I came here first. It's been six years since then."

"You haven't seen your own grandmother in six years?" Lyra asked, mildly shocked only for him to cock a brow at her.

"Circumstances." He answered simply, before knocking his hand against the door. There was a long pause before he knocked again.

"I hear! I hear!" A crackling voice, dripping with a thick accent, had called out. Ares allowed his smile to widen. Lyra raised a brow. She had heard many stories about the woman she was about to meet but this was going to be her first time meeting her and she was starting to get apprehensive. The door swung open and a very stout older woman with the same burgundy colored hair as Ares, though hers was dusted with grey, peered up at the two with calculating eyes. "Grams!"

"Ares! Moro mou!" The old woman squealed, reaching her arms out, happy tears welling up in her eyes. "So long… It's been so long since I've seen my little one!" she said as Ares bent down and allowed her to pull him into a tight hug.

"Lypámai, Grams. I didn't mean to be gone for so long." Ares answered as he pulled back slightly. His grandmother was examining his face, saying words in a language that Lyra could not understand and Ares easily responded back in the foreign language. It had taken a while to catch on, but then it hit her. Ares was part Greek and raised by his full Greek grandmother. That was the language they were speaking. She shifted awkwardly when the woman's eyes fell on her and she whispered something to her grandson. Ares looked back at his meister before grinning.

"That's my girlfriend, Grams." He answered and instantly, the woman's eyes lit up and she swelled.

"Oh! Come here! Come here!" She beckoned, arms out stretched. Lyra shot a confused look at Ares who was clearly entertained, but she walked over and allowed the woman to pull her into a tight hug. "My little one has brought home such a beauty! He must have gotten such an eye from his father." She said with a wink and Lyra flushed slightly, but smiled.

"If it's ok, I wanted to come see how you've been and maybe we could stay for a bit?" Ares cut in. His grandmother looked between the couple and nodded.

"Of course! Yes you can!" she answered. "Have you paid your respects to your mommy and papa?" She asked, suddenly stern. Ares nodded.

"Of course." He answered and Grams gave a content nod before leading them into the house. There were pictures almost everyone, as well as old figurines and knick-knacks, but for the most part, it was well kept and cleaned. "Grams raised me since I was a baby." Ares informed. "I'm sure I've told you that before." Lyra nodded as his grandmother took over the story, leading them straight to the kitchen and motioning for them to take a seat at the table.

"His father, my son, was a reckless boy. He and his girlfriend, Ares' mother, weren't ready for a baby yet and I couldn't have him abandoned or left in their carelessness, so I took him as my own." The old woman explained as she bustled around her kitchen. "I suppose it was destined that this boy would be in my care. His mother and father died in an accident one night out doing whatever it is young people do." The woman was shaking her head solemnly.

"They were supposed to have me that weekend but had to cancel. Something else came up." Ares explained. "Sometimes I guess I'm glad I didn't see much of them but they were still my parents, you know." Lyra nodded mutely. She never really talked much about family. She had her parents and it was moments like this she felt as though she took them for granted.

"So, how fast of a learner are you, omorfi kopella?" Grams asked, placing hot cups of tea in front of the pair and smiling warmly at Lyra, who stared back at her in wide eyed confusion.

"Excuse me?" she choked out and Ares laughed.

"Grams tends to go between Greek and English. She might forget you don't speak it so you may wanna start catching on if you can." He answered with a wink.