Chapter Text
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
For no matter how many days hath passed thee by,
I shall wait
And yearn
Same as the time thee painted mine eyes
With poisoned lavender.
Thus, come hither, thine own declaration of love.
Midorima could only stare, gaping words he could not form, for good reason. No, he did not know who Kuroko Tetsuya was. He could only imagine from the vague descriptions Akashi was giving him, as though Tetsuya was his own treasure to keep. And may be it should have stayed that way, because Tetsuya was a criminal and having multiple people in on this secret had not sounded like a good idea. But Aomine insisted, and Kise insisted, and Midorima was curious, and Murasakibara could not careless. In the end, Akashi had allowed them to tail behind him to his barely weekly prison visit nowadays – courtesy of the council.
Prison, yes. Sometimes Midorima wonders if Akashi remembers he's visiting a supposed murderer, confessed by the very person in question. He had not minded it too much at first, simply because it wasn't adding up how a Demon could take a life of an angel without sacrificing his own. The Judges are not forgiving, and such a crime would not have ended so peacefully and quietly. The fact that this demon is locked up in this place which rivals a celestial garden itself– granted, for eternity – doesn't appear to be a spoken truth. Midorima assumed said Demon had stated so on a whim as an attempt to drive Akashi away, but found himself too far in on his own lies, he does not bother coming clean anymore – seeing how Akashi could not careless.
But none of them could even begin to comprehend the darkest part of history they're about to learn, the past of one Akashi Seijuurou and Kuroko Tetsuya.
The Underworld has always been a rather peculiar place, as compared to Heavens. Certainly, Heavens might as well be seen with the exact point of view from the Underworld. History stated their interactions to have lasted a long and peaceful time. Both worlds lived harmoniously in conjunction with one another, along with the human world in between and the Dragon Rift located near the borders of the Underworld. But time of peace came to an end about 5000 years ago. A war broke out when the Marked of Heavens fell. He died of mysterious circumstances, speculated to have been murdered. In his place, Akashi Seijuurou was born. The Underworld was blamed for the act which they denied vehemently. Thus, sparked the war which would last for seven hundred years that inevitably ended in the Hell Fire, and almost the fall of the whole reign of the Underworld empire. For, even without the Marked, Heavens are empires of strong warriors, thus, they held out with ease. While the underworld, a race of superior intelligence and tactics, yet falls short in sheer brute strength, barely kept up with the fight. A large number of casualties fell upon the Underworld. If it was not for the help of Dragons, a race co-exist and seemingly dependent on the Underworld, they would have found themselves in a rather undesirable predicament. When the King found they could not afford to keep the war going any longer than it had, he and his brother came to Heavens with a Treaty of Peace, taking the blame for the death of the Marked. And promptly, the war ended with the conditions that the Underworld will now, every one hundred years, come to Heavens and report the conditions of the both the Underworld and the Dragon Rift. In addition, Heavens officials become a part of the Underworld Council, under the King. Their job is to monitor and making sure the empire is not going to riot against Heavens. Clearly, the current King, Kagami Taiga – the same person to have signed the Treaty – is in no way pleased with these arrangements, but he complied for the sake of his people. He even stated himself that his race is guiltless, and that time will surely prove their innocence, as long as Akashi continues to exist, a comment that caused Akashi to quirk an eyebrow at the overwhelming presence of the King in comparison to Akashi's small and immature figure at the time. That, however, never came up again in the meetings in the following years. Akashi surely thinks about it from time time, but he deemed unnecessary for if the moment is not right, there is no point being bothered by something that the other party is not talking about anymore. And even if they wanted to do any research about the Seven-Hundred-Year War, the resources are extremely limited. Most of the documents regarding the subject is highly secured, and only The Judge, along with selected members of the Council have access to it. Information on the history of the Underworld Empire, while not as at the level of security as those on the War, they are kept hidden, and is quite a task to get to. Midorima managed to dug out a few dusty documents on the Underworld Imperial Palace late Princes and Princesses. But nothing of importance, except they like to dress themselves extravagantly, and pride themselves in doing so. At least, as far as he could assume.
So after that little adventure into the back of the Royal Library, Midorima simply put the found documents back into its place, thinking not too much of them, and moved on.
That is, until today.
Until he takes one look at Kuroko and understands. He understands why Kuroko is locked in a celestial garden, why he had claimed to the crime of murdering an Angel yet not immediately sentenced to death.
Because Kuroko Tetsuya is not just any Demon.
He is the third prince in line for the throne of the current Imperial Throne of the Underworld, twin to Mayuzumi Chihiro, second prince in line. Both are brothers of Kagami Taiga, the current King and absolute ruler of the Underworld.
And everything falls into places so fast, Midorima could only gape at the sight he had a chance to glimpse at in that small storage room. Because as beautiful as the portrait he had seen, with exquisite garments, with eyes so deep they held a whole universe within, with hair so carefully braided and decorated, it was documents on late Princes and Princesses.
Kuroko Tetsuya is not supposed to be alive, let along looking at Midorima straight in the eyes and breathing like a live person would.
He was stated to die during the war and that was it. Nothing else, which was understandable. People die all the time through wars in history. So it was not something to be taken note of. Except, it should definitely be taken note of because here he is, possibly in the flesh, same face, same eyes, slightly – vastly – different hair length. Midorima would have figured everything out much sooner, if only the name on the portrait was not scratched out. At this thought, he paused with a screeching sound in his head and looked over to Akashi so fast he is sure he almost dislocated his own neck, only to find Akashi staring back with him with a knowing expression.
This bastard.
“You bastard. You knew all along, didn't you?”
“You would have become a hindrance in my pursuit,” the Marked has the nerve to smile as those words fall from his lips. Midorima finds his vision blurred with so much rage that only when his knuckles make the crunching impact with Akashi's cheek that he realizes he has punched the other. Aomine, Kise could only stare in shock while Murasakibara jumps in immediately to hold Midorima down.
Kuroko watches them from the other side of the river, not surprised, but showing a rather strange and sombre expression.
“He's supposed to be dead.”
“I know,” Akashi spits out the blood in his mouth, dyeing the grass beneath him with spotted red.
“But he's alive.”
“Presumably, yes.”
“Akashi, he said he killed an angel,” at this point, Midorima spat out his words as he struggles to free himself from the tight lock of Murasakibara's arms. Aomine and Kise are still trying to process what on earth had made Midorima acting the way he is. His words sink into their minds slowly, “do you even know what this means?”
“If I didn't, I wouldn't have erased his name on the portrait.”
“You. Fucking. Bastard. Are you out of your mind?!?” Midorima voice raises as anger shakes his entire body.
Akashi looks at him as though that answers everything. Every other member of the group could only stare at the two in disbelief. Aomine, surprisingly, glances over to where Kuroko now standing.
“You don't mean-”
Midorima takes the chance as Murasakibara loosen his grip to detatch himself and storms over to where Akashi is, gripping his collar with all the strength he could muster, he grits out his words.
“Why did you come back? Does love make you this stupid, Akashi?”
Akashi parts his lips, when an unexpected voice is heard.
“STAY WHERE YOU ARE!”
Everyone halts their movement as Aomine's voice resonates through the air. They then proceed to directing their visions where Aomine is looking with eyes that are ready to strike the first hit. There, Kuroko stands in the river. They were so occupied with their fight that no one noticed the prisoner walking steadily to where they are.
Yes, prisoner.
As nice and beautiful as this place is, this is a jail. A jail to hold one of the biggest and most offending crime in the history of every existing worlds there are.
Midorima could only whisper, “you did it, didn't you?”
No answer came.
“Don't play this game with me, you murderer,” his expression dark and deadly.
“Shintarou, seize your lips,” Akashi grips his companions wrists a little too tight as his voice lowers an octave, his eyes dark and unamused.
“Don't you dare, Akashi. Don't you dare. You can not cover for him. You are not allowed to. Do you even understand the weight of the situation we're facing?”
“Uhm.”
Everyone turns to Kise, still sporting a rather confused expression.
“I'm uh sorry to interrupt your passionate speech but, how do I put this... What is going on?”
Absolute silence.
Kuroko almost laughed, almost. He thought it would be extremely inappropriate, considering his position in the situation at hand.
Aomine doesn't even hide the pity he's radiating as he pats Kise on the back. Man, how can you be so slow. I feel sorry for you, practically written on his face as the words go unsaid.
“No... I absolutely do not want to hear that from you, of all people. Please don't say it,” Kise retorts.
And Kuroko snorts, promptly making Midorima five shades angrier than he has been.
“You idiot! How are you not even grasping the situation? Aomine is supposed to be the stupid one here!”
“Hey!”
“Do you not understand?”
“Shintarou.”
“He is locked in this place because he had committed a crime.”
“Shintarou.”
“Akashi, don't you stop me,” making one last eye contact with the Marked before pointing his finger at Kuroko, Midorima's voice is full of disgust, “if everything is as he stated, and the time frame matches, this man here is responsible for the murder of the late Marked, the precedent of our current one, Akashi.”
The words fell out so naturally and smoothly that the silence which follows is almost too heavy and overwhelming. It continues until Murasakibara decides he is hungry and if this conversation is not moving forward faster, he'll be late for his afternoon snacks.
“If he indeed killed the previous Marked, then why is he not dead himself?”
“Allow me to introduce myself, as I'm assuming only two of the people I'm looking at has any idea who I actually am,” Kuroko speaks for the first time since they arrived, effectively cutting anything Midorima is about to say, “My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, third prince in line for the current Throne of the Imperial Palace. My father was the previous King, and my mother was his mistress, the Queen. She gave birth to my twin brother, Mayuzumi Chihiro, and I. The current King is Kagami Taiga, son of the late Queen who passed away before the King re-married with my mother. I am imprisoned here not because I killed the previous Marked. I am here because they couldn't prove I have done it, and that I'm the only suspect, for I was the only person together with him at the time of the assassination.”
“Then shouldn't that be enough evidence you've done it?” Asks Midorima with an unforgiving tone.
“I'd like to see myself as a perfect scapegoat, really. Because whoever did it, knew when the two of us would be alone.”
“Wait, wait. Why were you two alone?” Kise continues to be a confused Angel.
“We used to meet weekly, sometimes twice a week if we could manage, the previous Marked and I. It was a routine, really, spending time with the person you're about to marry. Though, it went on for about nine thousand years before he even thought of asking for my hand,” Kuroko says casually as he fixes his attire, he has not been paying attention to his appearance for awhile, “I'll be honest, if he was being married into the Imperial Palace, I would have cracked the question five thousand years earlier. Save everyone the trouble.”
It is now appropriate for Aomine to be confused.
“You're saying that as though you both were engaged?”
“That is what I'm saying, yes?”
Midorima gapes for the second time since they arrived.
“What?”
Kuroko sighs. This is becoming increasingly bothersome. Akashi should be saying something soon.
“I supposed they kept those documents protected quite well? I am the fiance of the previous Marked, supposed co-ruler of the present Heavens, before he went and almost died on me, that is.”
“Tetsuya, I said I was sorry.”
Kuroko could almost hear the sound of Akashi's friends' jaws dropping on the soft grass.
“For the years I waited, not enough. Especially when I know you still don't trust me.”
“You're sharp.”
“For a potential murderer, I assumed I should be.”