Kurona's+Epilogue

"Kurona, Misaki finally made it here." The demon Controller looked up from a romance novel to see a member of her family, Rean looming over her. He didn't mean to tower above Kurona, she was just sitting in a comfy chair. The fact that the fire demon was above six feet didn't help either.

"Really? Misaki's in the library?" Kurona questioned. She tilted her head to the side, as she pulled her mind out of her book. "Ah, yeah. Hiroyuki and the others went to guide him safely up earlier, didn't they." Rean rolled his eyes before he answered.

"Sure. 'Earlier' is the correct word to use." He grabbed Kurona's soda off of a table that was near Kurona's chair and started to walk away. Instantly, Kurona leaped up from the chair and chased after him.

"Rean, you don't need to steal my Fizzy Pop! I was going to go over to meet him in just a second!"

"Then you'll see your cousin a second earlier." Kurona was indeed excited to see her cousin. Misaki had taken over as the Himeko family head after Cho had had her little "talk" with Kurona's uncle. The girl's birthday was coming up, and she had invited her cousin to the library. But her impatience was no reason to not have her Fizzy Pop!

"Give it back!"

"No way, Little Princess." After Rean smirked down at Kurona, he quickened his steps until he was practically leaving the girl in his dust. She would never try to force her will on any of her family members. Even for soda. Soon, Rean had "led" Kurona to where Misaki was waiting. This was the first time the two cousins had met in nearly four years. It was awkward to say the least.

"Hey." Kurona was the first one to speak up in the silence.

"Hello, cousin," Misaki replied stiffly. "What have you been up to in the amount of time I have received only //one letter// //that only had three sentences in **four years**//?" There was an obviously infuriated tone and expression coupled with the inquiry. Kurona shrank back and laughed nervously.

"Um, first of all, it hasn't been four years. It's been nearly four years. There's a difference." Misaki's expression became even scarier after Kurona had finished correcting him.

"You're right. It's been exactly three years, six months, and fifteen days."

"Eh? You kept track?" Kurona's demons thought at the same time, //is Kurona really turning nineteen in a few days? Not ten?//

"Of course not! What are you, an idiot?!" Yuri caught Misaki's slight blush, and the earth demon allowed a small smile, almost a smirk, to show through as he remembered that it was exactly three years, six months, and fifteen days. However, no one except Kurona and Yuri noticed this fact. "Anyway, you haven't answered my question!"

"Well. I also want to point out the fact that I had sent you a letter explaining what happened in the three years," her cousin's face became darker, and Kurona hurried to continue, "so, as you can see, I'm living in the library now with Cho-dono. I plan on staying here until I'm needed else where, or until Cho-dono decides that I need to leave." Misaki looked at her, and he asked the first question that came to mind.

"Are you happy here?" Kurona's gaze became distant. Her mentor and teacher were friends, and she was her mentor and teacher's friend. There no longer was any danger in the world that needed to be taken care of. She could see nothing left for her to do at the moment, so she really could only live in the library. While the lack of activity left a sort of hole in her life, she had been accepted into a family, and she would not have to constantly be moving from one place to another. As the girl's focus turned backed to Misaki, she replied with whole-hearted sincerity.

"Yes. I am."