There is no Beauty without some Strangeness - Amnesia Fantasy

"That is..." Megumi took a breath and took his hands in hers. "Bright love, dark heart, we love with a love that is more than such. There's no word to describe our devotion to one another. But is there a chance, a slice even, that we could love another the same? A small someone? That's why I'm so ill."

Ukyo felt his world tip on it's axle and blinked slowly at her. The wind went dead a moment before his heart and stomach burst into butterflies. "A small someone?" he echoed, his eyes slowly lighting up, "I hadn't meant to /really/ breed you..." he trailed, voice heady and low, pulling her close to him so one hand rested on the small of her back, the other winding into her hair, "I never once tried to /prevent it/ either. I didn't care then, and I don't now. I suppose that means, however, I should show you the one thing I've never shown anyone, and come from hiding. The people have waited quite a long time for their White King to come back, haven't they?"

"They miss him greatly. I still hear the villagers who are older lament a little still." Megumi said softly, pulling away from his embrace to look at him curiously. He never showed her this, and it made her heart stop and her breath suspend in anticipation.

"You have company coming today, don't you? I heard Hisako and Shin setting up the tea table in the gardens. So, how about tomorrow? Pack light, but be prepared. It's not going to be easy, and once there I won't care for going through it again right away, so I'll keep you overnight. It's dangerous. Instead of a moat, Uki's side created a nasty swamp with firelights and testy creatures that'd sooner bite your head off than say hello. Flowers and fauna are even unpleasant. Then we get to the center, and it'll be worth it." Ukyo kissed her, albeit a little wantonly and he pressed her close to him. "You being pregnant...with mine and yours and ours...it excites me in a way I didn't expect."

She could feel that excitement as well and it wasn't from the sudden warmth of the sun either. She hugged him back, "It does mean that I'm yours for good and ever if one ever wanted proof." She said, with a bit of a husk in her voice. She could imagine how well protected the castle would be. It made her feel a little safe, though undoubtedly Uki was probably thinking of a way to make it safe for thier young as well. "I can bet we'll be doing those duets more as time goes on as I get rounder. But that brings me to something else Shin told me, a little more reasonable than renewing our vows if that's something we should think about. Our souls are as one, yours, mine, and dark heart's. I cannot leave your side for too long, it's probably why my sickness was so bad to begin with."

Ukyo hummed in thought and pulled away enough to look at her, "I did notice I've felt more tired than usual. I know it's something we can work on to expand and endure, but we'll take it slow and easy so not to harm you or the babe." He put both hands on her hips, rubbing his thumbs along her hipbones in soothing circles through her dress, "Shin and Hisako never had to worry about pups as they pushed and pulled their Bond." He frowned, "You won't be able to go see Kent and Kazuko...you'll have to message them. Perhaps Ikki could go in your stead? It's something you can talk to him about when he gets here."

"He's going to flip, hearing about this." Megumi laughed as she let her fingers go down his braid. She never saw it out of it's confines, but she had no doubts that he would look just as good. "Yes, I know that I'll be here in Wonderland for a time. It's a little disappointing, but I know it's well worth it." She watched him for a moment before her lips curved down. "I never want you to think that I'm saying this to influence you and your decisions. I try to keep myself from doing that, but if you'll let me be selfish, if just for a moment, then please...think about keeping me by your side for all time. Not a constant between of seeing and not seeing. Even before the soul bond, I wondered how it is that you could let me go. I wondered myself why I never asked you to stay. I don't need a Kingdom, bright love. Just you and your side."

Ukyo's tongue was thick and he had a hard time swallowing. He took a deep breath, and kissed her forehead, "I've kept to the shadows for a long time...I'm nervous, and scared. Will my people accept me back? Will Hisako lose everyone should I come back? Things such as those run through my mind. I want to stay. I want to have tea with you, Shin, and Hisako. I want to walk the roads of the Town, and go into Waka-san's Bakery instead of having him bring me treats. I want to meet Ikki and Tsume, Toma and that sweet girl Maya. Go to Kent's castle and say hello, give him my blessing and hope, hear Kazuko's song for myself. It's hard, wanting all of this and being too scared to do it."

"No matter what you decide, I'm by you." Megumi pulled her hand away from playing with his braid and cupped his cheek. "Your people miss you, and Hisako is slowly gaining support. Though it's hard since people remember Red than they do the Heart. I don't know if I can assure you, but if you find a way to talk to Hisako, I know she misses you most of all. Asks me all the time about you when I see you. We're bonded yes? So take a little of my courage if you need it. Everyone knows I have plenty to spare, running around Wonderland like I am. You can start off slow. Like how we'll start off trying to expand the bond. Someone small."

"We'll cross each brigde as we come to it. Now, I felt Ikki and Tsume enter the forest. You should help Hisako and Shin set up tea and treats. I'm excited for the little ones. I can't wait for Ikki's reaction, too." Ukyo kissed her light and loving, "Come see me before you sleep, so we may sleep peacefully together."

"Among other things." Megumi couldn't help to tease. She kissed him again, a little more than loving but with a sweet promise before she left her lover's arms and headed back to the castle to help the with the rest.

It wasn't long before the carriage holding her brother and his set of twins and two of the triplets came up and they disembarked. Meg was already in her knees, prepared for the onslaught of "Auntie Meg" and thier kisses. She watched as Ikki looked at her amused before his gaze turned towards the forest, his own way to acknowledge the Hatter and his presence. Tsume's' carriage and her three children came up next to Ikki's. The children got off first and waddled or tried to run towards her.

"How does it feel to be covered by children?" Ikki teased as he came close to her.

"Better than when you covered me." Meg retorted before turning her attention to the kids who were smiling already eager. "Your father is a monster to me. I remember a time he sat on me and nearly crushed me." Some of them gasped.

"I did not! You were fine. If anyone was in danger, Meg, it was me." Ikki protested.

"What? Your pride?" Megumi stood up and placed her hands at her hips. The kids scattered to find a seat near so they could watch this. There was always a different outcome and "winner", so they were never bored watching the adults tease. She could feel a bright warmth, her soul loved and amused and cautious. "Your father, loves, has no dignity to spare."

"If that is how you wish to play it, you have far less than I do." Ikki also squared his hips at her. "Tell me, who was the one that told a court official that it was a no wonder that prince from afar would come after you as a last attempt, not because you were undesirable but because he was?"

The children gasped. Some of them snickered.

"And who was it that when my sister fell ill from pregnancy went into a complete panic and swore on bended knee that he would do whatever it took to cure what ailed her?" Megumi retorted, "also, who was the one that when he found out it was his fault was more emotional than she that he got kicked out of her rooms for a day till he could "pick an emotion to feel"?"

Ikki dropped his hands from his hips and he brushed them off, "Children, when you get older this is how you deal with an unruly Aunt Meg."

"W-wait. Ikki, before you do someTHING- let me go! Ikki wait!" Megumi screamed as he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. "Ikki! Have a bit of care!"

"Like you show me any mercy!"

"Yes, but- you are NOT throwing me in the fountain! Ikki I am warning you!!!!"

"Whoa hey now!" A shout from the forest and a bit of purple magic flew towards Ikki picking Meg from is grip with ease and floating her over towards Nori and Tami, plopping her between the eldest twins, "Twee and Tweedle need to protect their Alice." The wind flew by, "Cheshire here can't be so feisty."

The twins immediately looked at each other before Nori stood in front of Meg and Tami wrapped her arms around her aunt's legs. "We will Uncle Hatter." They said together, quite pleased they got to do something really important in this game. Not really understanding the importance.

Ikki gave Meg a look that was curious and a little demanding. Hardly ever did the Hatter speak directly or interfere. "Using my kids as a shield. What's going on that they need to-"

"Oh my god I forgot about them." Meg covered her mouth in shock as she looked back into the forest with horror. The wind and Ikki were confused. "Nothing. I'll figure them out later. So um, there's something I need to tell you before you decide if the fountain is a good idea or not."

"O...Kay..." Ikki said slowly.

"I've been ill-"

"Is it your heart?" Ikki immediately broke her sentence, "I thought Wonderland managed to cure the ailment since you and the Hatter-"

"No! No, nothing that drastic. It's something else. I swear, it's good. I've been ill for a while and just recently Shin managed to confirm my suspicions as to what it may be."

"I'm about to ignore the Hatter and force you to tell me, you know that right?"

"How do you feel about being an Uncle and an Aunt for a change?" Meg asked hesitantly.

"We're going to have a baby cousin Auntie Meg?" Tami asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"I hope their girls!" Nori cried, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"/Their/?" Ukyo's voice was a bit high pitched.

Tsume was giggling madly as she finally came over, rubbing Meg's shoulders, "Well isn't this a surprise? First we get to hear dear Mr. Hatter's voice and now Meg gives us the news they're having babies? A wonderful day in Wonderland, a wonderful day for Wonderland~" she sing-sang and kissed Meg's cheek, "I'm so happy for you! I'm going to give our youngest to you to practice and play during our stay." He grin was a little wicked and she looked at Ikki, "We should tease Hisako and Shin that they're falling behind."

"We get to have baby cousins!" the triplets Ayaka, Saiyuri and Moriko cheered, and Kichiro and Manami waddled over, all seven gathering around Megumi and taking turns giving her hugs and then also hugging each other, bright beaming smiles on their faces.

"What's this sudden obsession with more than one?!" Ukyo cried, a whine in his voice. Hidden, they couldn't see his hands were gripping his hair. Ikki and Meg weren't related by blood. The chance of twins were low. Tsume had said so, too, but was she just going along with Nori?

"Is the Hatter panicking?" Ikki asked, looking over at Megumi with amusement. "I have more sets of cards, surely he couldn't be worried about a pair."

"I think that Nori's so used to your sets that it's automatically a set in her mind regardless, though I wouldn't doubt carrying more than one. I thought the illness was terrible, but we won't know how many or few we'll have till much later in the year and probably only at the birth for certain." Megumi assured both the Hatter and explained to Ikki, though she turned to Tsume curiously. "Unless you already know?"

"I know!" Nori shot her hand up. "Auntie Meg's having twins!"

"Then I guess we don't have a choice but to trust your judgement," Megumi said bending down to hug Nori.

"Sai-chan, don't you think it's strange Uncle Hatter doesn't come out to see us? Such a happy time and he's over there all alone." Ayako turned to her sister, a deep frown on her face.

Ukyo stilled, as did the other adults as the children started to converse about him. Megumi and he had just been talking about it, but could he really come out now? His stomach did flip-flops, and the hue of Wonderland shifted in his indecision.

Saiyuri frowned too. It was weird, wasn't it? Her daddy was there when mommy told Auntie Meg, Aunt Hisako, Uncle Shin, and Uncle Toma. Why wasn't he coming out of the forest to be with Auntie Meg? "Maybe he doesn't like us?" She offered, looking at Ayako before turning to Aunt Meg. "Auntie Meg, does the Hatter not like us? Did we do something that made him sad? Or was someone really mean to him?"

That made Ayaka tear up and just then her white humming bird came over and buzzed around her, preventing tears from falling but she still sniffed, reaching out so the bird could land on her finger, "I don't want Uncle Hatter to not like us. We can be good!"

Ukyo was at a loss. He wanted to scoop them up and hug them and he took a step closer towards the tiled ground of Hisako's land, "Don't cry." He pleaded, "You are all really good." His heart was hammering in his chest.

Tsume arched a brow at Ikki and she rubbed Meg's arm idly, watching this play out.

"I still go to furrest to pway w'ff Uncle Hatter! Brovers an' sissies don' like to, doe." Kichi waved his arms at the forest, bouncing a little, "Come pway w'ff dem 'ere!"

Ukyo whined in the back of his throat. Kichi was indeed his favorite, and it was true that the girls were too scared to go beyond the edge. It wasn't fair he got to see him and they didn't, either.

"Auntie Hisa and Uncle Shin will be done with tea by now!" Moriko urged as well, "Come have tea with us!"

"They're ganging up on you. They have found a new goal in life." Tsume giggled.

All Meg could do was cover her face with her hand. Undoubtedly this was where all of the kids showed whose stubbornness they had. "I can't save you from this, bright love. But whatever you decide, I'll enforce and do my best to explain."

"Please come out!" Nori went next to Moriko's side. "We won't tell anyone. It'll be a secret."

"Yes! We can keep those, right Ayako?" Saiyuri turned to her sister worriedly, "crossed hearts and hopes to die. That kinda secret."

"I like how serious they are, but that vow has never been more terrifying to me than now." Meg admitted.

"Imagine the vows we said when we were kids," Ikki mused, "How many heart attacks did we give my mom?"

"More than the one I got." Megumi winced.

"Shocked you didn't make any wishes yourself and join Ikki and I." Tsume grinned.

"Yes, yes! Promises! Secrets!" Ayaka and Moriko clasped hands, cheering, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Oh my god, I can't even." Ukyo scrubbed his face with his hands as the kids started chorusing and chanting different things, all seven of them begging him. "If you be quiet, I'll come out." He told them, and the silence was immediately deafening. He even heard Meg's breath hitch. His hands were breaking out in a sweat, so he wiped them on his cloak, and put down his hood. Stomach turning, he shakily walked onto the tile, a collective choir of gasps reaching his ears. He was pale with nerves, which made the embarrassed tint to his cheeks all the more obvious.

"Welcome to the fray." Tsume cooed at him, reaching her hand towards him, "You did it, Ukyo. We're all so proud of you."

His name on someone else's tongue made him feel...happy. Ukyo smiled back at her, walking closer slowly, and when he touched her hand, the kids erupted in laughs and giggles and rushed him like they had Megumi. Bending down he gave them all tight hugs. Wonderland glowed white and pink, the trees singing, and he really did feel so happy he could burst.

" Are you crying?" Ikki asked incrediously as Megumi covered her face with her hands. At her nod, he snickered in laughter before bringing her into a hug. She slapped his shoulder and he winced, but still chuckled. He was rather pleased that Ukyo had came out of the forest and that he got to see his brother-in-law's face again. It had been a long, long time since they saw each other, before he went deeper into hiding.

"Do we call you Uncle Hatter or Uncle Ukyo?" Nori asked curiously. "Does it matter which is which?"

"No, not at all. I've been called many things. It doesn't matter to me." Ukyo patted Nori's sky blue head, "I do believe a certain little minx wanted me to join for tea?" he asked, reaching out and poking Moriko's nose making her giggle and rub it.

"I'll go let Hisako know to add another cup and seat, but something tells me she already knows." Tsume picked up Manami and Kichiro gripped her dress, waddling behind her, and a few others joined her.

"Look at all her little ducklings in a row, or should I call her a swan with her goslings, Ikki?" Ukyo grinned at his brother-in-law and came over to him, his eyes playing with several emotions, "I want to say I'm sorry." He said softly, "So much pain and hurt. I'll do better this time. I have to. There are no more chances."

Ikki let Megumi go and approached Ukyo with ease. He hugged the man tightly, "You always were forgiven." He said, letting him go after a moment. "You're a good King, and a good man. I don't doubt you'll be a good father or uncle to the little ones as well. Meg never wavered from your side, no one whose seen and met you has, even when we thought we should have. You were also not one for dramatics. I'm worried, did you think I would hate you?"

"I...did." Ukyo admitted with a frown, "I got us cursed. I dealt a deal with the Faery Queen and I put us all through so much hardship. It seems I wasn't the only one to make such a deal, either. An Ukyo and Uki from another plane of existence made a Star Wish and it seems he broke apart much worse than I did, so long ago. The pain when I...used my magic to trick the curse and break their cycle, it was awful." He gripped at his chest, shivering, "I'm glad you forgave me. Meg means a lot to many people."

"Your curse saved my sister." Ikki looked at him fiercely. "Yes the curse meant she had to die by the end of the month and it was painful to watch her go through that every August, but it was either I see her a handful of times or I visit her burial ground and no one to love her or remember her tales." He swallowed, "Wonderland isn't the same without her to color it. You and I both know that, and now she's not the only on that will bring it to life. A few others down the road will. Without that curse, Ukyo, her blood would have been gone too. You and her didn't have children before. It's not an apology you seek, brother of mine, but my endless gratitude. Especially for breaking the curse."