(Got a bit carried away in this chap. But maybe it isn't such a bad thing. Severe Cheese warning ahead. Also, part 1.)
(3rd Pov)
[Don't worry about him. Let me give it a shot.]
That's what Ciel had said but…
"Feldway told me that this was the only way!" Said what appeared to be a blonde kid stuck to his chair.
"Yes, however, as you can see on this itemized list. There are many reasons why you should disregard anything you have heard from him." A blue-haired woman wearing a professor outfit was pointing at what appeared to be a PowerPoint presentation.
Her red eyes were narrowed as she looked at the blonde kid with annoyance.
"I cannot understand why this is so hard for you. Here, let me edit it."
The words on the PowerPoint presentation changed to "Feldway was wrong. A guide on mutually assured destruction for dummies."
"Argh, let me go, you crazy woman. I have to take revenge for Feldway!"
"You know I am not doing that, Michael. Though trying to reason with you is like asking a fish to climb a tree I can assure you this. I will make sure you become the best climber to ever exist."
…
She had looked into him the moment he landed inside the void space. And she discovered little Michael was the equivalent of a kid with bad parents.
First of all, he is given away to another person, Rudra. So when he eventually awakened an ego of his own he was in a situation where his instincts didn't match his situation.
His entire existence was to serve Veldanava, but there was no Veldanava. Still, not entirely a lost cause. Maybe Rudra could reason with the newly awakened skill? But wait, where is Rudra?
Oh right, he got himself and his soul all turned to mush and scattered around from badly done reincarnations. Good job, a great example for a hero. So Michael is left to work with the scraps all around him. And since he had no guidance whatsoever, he goes to look for someone.
Who does he find? Good ol' we are all going to die together Feldway. And since he is listening to every word Feldway says he ends up joining in his mass destruction plan.
Ciel couldn't help but get an imaginary headache after seeing all of this. So she said that she would deal with him. And she was slowly working and teaching him better.
Ciel had been capable of supercomputer-level processing before awakening as a Manas. She had spent time developing an ego and will of her own by having constant conversations with Rimuru and observing the world through his eyes. And it was thanks to all of that, that she was who she was today.
Unlike her, Michael didn't have any of the advantages. And in her eyes, he was straight up just a child. Which reflected on the body he had during the lessons she gave him.
Speaking of which, she should probably get back to them.
…
[Hey, let's go to the world we just finished restoring. I got something to show you.] Ciel said with an excited voice.
'Oh, you sound happy. Let's go there then.' Rimuru answered while snapping his fingers and teleporting out of Tempest.
They arrived in a gigantic field that was covered in grass and flower. This was in one of the worlds they had just finished restoring back to a habitable status. However, there were still not many living beings inside of it other than the plants and some insects.
[Are you prepared to see what I have been working on privately?] Ciel asked as she split up from Rimuru's body by using the parallel existence skill to create a clone.
However, instead of being an identical copy of Rimuru, the clone changed its appearance to reveal a beautiful blue-haired woman. Her long blue hair reached down to her waist. Wearing a pure white lab cloak over her clothing. And with a pair of glasses on her face that covered her crimson red eyes.
She stretched her arms before looking at him with a smile.
"No matter how many times I do this I still prefer it when we are just one. But I guess this does have its perks" She said as she gave Rimuru a hug.
Answering by stroking her hair he chuckled.
"Now you made me really curious. You don't come out for just any reason."
This was not the first time both of them had spent time in separate bodies. But Ciel always said that she only really felt truly comfortable when they were both together.
Ciel took a few moments to enjoy the embrace before pulling back and adjusting her glasses. Glasses that she wore purely for her professor aesthetic.
"Well… I am sure you remember…" she tried to speak but got carried away by the stupid grin on Rimuru's face.
"I am sorry, my professor is just too cute when she is explaining things." He couldn't help but tease her.
"Pay attention. We can get distracted later. I have a presentation to give." Ciel said as she took out a small orb from the void world.
Clearing her throat she indicated to the orb.
"As I am sure you remember, we never destroyed Michael. In fact, as one of the few Manas to ever exist, I proposed to research him.
However, it was during that research that I got to know little Michael."
"Little Michael?" Rimuru asked but Ciel just gave him the 'let me finish' look.
"We originally assumed that Michael was something similar to me. We assumed wrong. Due to the differences in the skills from which we evolved, Michael was not born with the same knowledge as I had, even back when I was just Great sage."
Ciel activated Origin Creation and pushed the orb away as a body began to form around the manas Core. And after a flash of light what appeared to be a 10 year old dressed formally and with his hair combed was revealed.
He looked to be a bit embarrassed as he appeared in the world but the only thing he did was stand up straight.
"So after some time teaching him, I present to you, Michael. Now with more appreciation for creation and less blind faith in murder hobos.."
Ciel showed off the young boy with pride.
"Hello, my name is Michael Tempest. And I apologize for trying to destroy the universe. I didn't know better at the time." Were the first words to leave his mouth as he looked down in embarrassment.
"Tempest?" Rimuru asked Ciel. Only to receive a proud nod from her. So with a chuckle, he said to the little kid.
"Welcome to the family Michael. My name is Rimuru Tempest. Oh but I do have a question for you before anything else. Murder?"
Michael panicked for a moment before answering with another question.
"No?"
The answer only resulted in both of the blue-haired people next to him bursting out laughing.
"Michael, go pick up all your stuff and get ready. Pretty soon we will be returning to Tempest, ok?" Ciel said as she ruffled his hair.
"Ok." Michael answered before he disappeared inside the void world. Back into the home that had been created for when Ciel was teaching him.
Leaving just the two of them alone.
"I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting that." Rimuru said with a smile.
"Me neither." Answered Ciel with an honest smile.
Ciel grabbed his hand before they both looked into each other's eyes.
"Rimuru. Teaching Michael and spending so much time 'raising' him made me realize. I want to have a kid with you." Ciel said as she grabbed onto his hands tightly.
"I know the proposal and everything else you have planned is going to happen relatively soon. But I want to be selfish just this once. I want something just for us. So-"
Ciel was going to continue speaking before her lips were sealed with a kiss.
"Ciel, we have been together since the very beginning. By working together we have been able to do incredible things. We even saved the universe like it was a casual Friday. But in the end, I know that when I say we I mean mostly you. Since without you I probably would still be wandering around that cave as a normal slime."
"That's not true at all." Ciel couldn't help but say while smiling as she felt herself about to cry.
Due to the connection they had, she knew he had been preparing the speech for a while. And she could tell that even now he was changing it and scrambling to make it better.
"Through the good and the bad, the sarcasm and the bad jokes, all the times we got carried away while building… I guess I should follow the rule we made for each other and keep it simple.
Ciel, would you marry me?"