Tying Loose Ends
Chapter 1
Coming Home
Summary
Kouhei Takahata, 26, was driven to the brink by loss and pain. Mentally unstable, just barely clinging to life and sanity for the sake of his daughter, he decides to come home, try to reconcile with an estranged father, and start anew. At Mahora Academy.
I don't own Negima. How many times to I need to repeat myself? This is a Re-Rewrite, I know the disclaimer drill since I've done it every single time I post a chapter.
Anyway, there are going to be severe changes from the plot of the previous iterations of Tying Loose Ends, but nothing too severe. The first drastic and severe change is to Kouhei Takahata. It's Kouhei, alright. Except he's 26 with numerous other alterations. This is the character I want to write about, with numerous adjustments that make a seriously UNIQUE and original character, not some color-by-numbers, fill-in-the-blank kind of character.
Besides, how many authors do you see that deliberately make their OCs to be mentally unstable and an inch away from complete and utter insanity? Not many, not many at all. My writing skill has improved dramatically since the time this story was first posted, a year ago. Now I want to take the quality I am used to today, and inject it into this story.
It now is more detailed, has more entertaining plot, doesn't tack the main OC into the canon plot like a shoddily done glue job, and has OCs that you'll relate to and won't see any where else. Besides, that's what made the first iteration of Tying Loose Ends relatively popular in the later chapters. Kouhei Takahata is different this time around, with motives, drive, all plausible and reasonable. For newcomers to the story, I'll guarantee to you that you won't find a character like this anywhere else.
Even if there was, then you'll be rather hard pressed to try. So now, while excusing my ramblings, shall we begin?
LET'S DO THIS!
SMALL WARNINGS: NEAR THE END, COMBAT SCENE AND ALSO A SCENE OF SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC TORTURE. Skip if that's not your thing. But then again, this story is rated T, and most teenagers have probably seen or read worse.
"I'm home..."
A young man stared out onto the busy street, as students of various ages darted past him, running with fervor towards a school in the distance, from a train station behind him. Messy brown hair adorned his head, a very misplaced, weary look on his face along with the roughness of stubble lining his chin. He was tall and lean, but not bulky, very fit for his age. His name was Kouhei Takahata, a 26 year old man.
He pulled back the sleeve of his black jacket, staring intently at his watch. Right on time, if he set off soon. It wouldn't do to be late. He looked away from the watch as a small pair of hands tugged on his sleeve.
He looked down, a small smile gracing his weary face. Latched around his hand was a petite little girl, around 4 years old. With brownish-hazel hair, and dark brown eyes, she smiled up at him. She had peculiar feature to herself, a pair of cat ears and a tail to be exact. They were common anthropomorphic features of some people of Mundus Magicus.
"We should go now, Koneko. We have to see the Headmaster." He patted her head. "It really wouldn't be polite to be late-hey!"
Koneko clambered up his arm, manoeuvring herself around her body so she hung from his neck and on his back, leaning on a bag strapped diagonally across his back. People smiled and chuckled at the pair as he struggled to regain his balance. She held on, grinning and occasionally nibbling at his ear. "Stay still Daddy!" She squealed, as he kept his head away from her mouth.
She grew a pair of small sharp fangs in a month ago, so whenever she wanted to nibble on some part of him it started to hurt a bit. The man sighed at his daughter's antics. He looked around, watching the sea of people ebb and flow. It was mystifying, it put him in a trance.
To him, it was as if time slowed. His heartbeat matched to the pace of his breath, every little feeling blown out of its natural proportion. His vision dazed, as if he was high on some magical drug. And then he began to see things.
"Come on dear, let's go!" A beautiful young woman, with long flowing brown hair that reached to her waist, and wine red eyes, chimed to him. Kouhei flinched, paling considerably. He blinked. And the woman was gone.
He took fast, deep breaths, trying to calm down. His daughter paused her harassment of his ear, and looked at him. "What's wrong, Daddy?" She asked, ears flapping.
He shook his head, smiling lightly, but rather shakily. "Shall we go?" He grinned at her, putting up a front as not to alarm her.
She nodded happily, hanging on. He broke into a run, heading towards the school building. He arrived at the front of the school building, looking around. Everything was so familiar... It had been over a year since he stepped foot on campus.
And now, he was here to stay. Well, until his next major "job"... He entered the Victorian style building, looking around. So this was the kind of school he would have gone to if he grew up differently. Over his many travels, he was forced to teach himself things, things he should have learned at school.
Not while abroad, or on a battlefield. It was, different, from what he was used to. He gave a loud sigh. He was a father now, not a mercenary anymore.
He stopped drinking himself unconscious, started to deal with his smoking problem cold turkey style, and did his best to fix the hopeless wreck that his life became after... After... He didn't want to think about it.
He never brought it up, unless necessary.
He had a daughter to take care of; he had to keep himself together. Paranoia was still a problem though; he slept with a short sword in his pillow and a shotgun under his mattress. The damn thing went off one night for some apparent reason, and scared the living daylights out of Koneko. It took him hours to calm her down, and it took weeks to find a mattress that helped him get some decent sleep.
He had lived one hell of a life. Now it was time to start a new one. Leave the past behind, and move on. What's done is done, bury the axe and hide the body, that kind of saying.
Nothing can change the past. No matter how much he wished he could change his. Kouhei stopped in front of the Headmaster's office. He reached to open the door, but hesitated.
"Make a good impression, make a good impression..." He murmured to himself. He really needed this job. He opened the door, stepping inside.
It was a big office, walls lined with books and paintings. A well-aged man sat behind a desk, scrawling notes on a piece of paper with a pen, not noticing Kouhei's and Koneko's presence in the room. Kouhei walked up to the desk, and rapped the wood with his hand. "Watch out." The old man advised.
Kouhei had a split second to shift his head as papers rushed by in midair, landing softly on the man's desk. The man was Konoemon Konoe, a famous mage, and the Headmaster of Mahora Academy. "I believe you are Kouhei Takahata, correct? I can tell, you have his magic signature, and your cute daughter- Ah, please forgive my ramblings. So, you're here for a job? The English language teacher for class 3-B?"
Kouhei nodded. "I'm proficient in English; it's the main language I use for business." He explained.
"Speaking of which, how is your business? You haven't been getting into too dangerous things, have you?"
"... I've put it on hold for personal reasons. That's why I'm here, trying to land this job." He said.
"You have the credentials, but not the experience." Konoemon sighed, "I don't think you can get this job..."
Kouhei grit his teeth, regretting the fact that he had to resort to an underhanded tactic. "But sir, it's the only job I can get at the moment! I have a family to support! Would you let my adorable daughter starve because her father can't get a job at one of the most prestigious schools on Earth?" He pleaded, even loosening Koneko from him and holding her out at Konoemon. She looked at the Headmaster with wide, teary eyes.
"Pwease sir?" She said in a cutesy voice, clasping her hands together and begging. Konoemon twitched, not budging in his decision. Koneko pushed her cuteness level to a higher level, by twitching her ears. Still no reaction...
She cranked it up to eleven, beginning to twitch herself in sadness, either faked or actually real. A tear grew in the corner of her eye, and she bundled herself into a small ball. Her lip began to tremble, looking like she was about to wail. Konoemon broke.
"Fine! I give! You can have the job!" He said, waving his arms frantically trying to calm Koneko down.
Koneko wiped the tear from eye. "Thank you mister." She murmured, latching back onto Kouhei. "You can meet your class today. The class representative will show you around, a high school student in our internship program will assist you in your classes, you may need to tutor her a little on your own time, and you can settle into life here. Do you need a place to stay?" He asked as he finalized the forms that inducted Kouhei into the staff.
"Nope. I've got a penthouse I rarely use in the apartment districts nearby." He grinned at him.
"... A penthouse... You played me, didn't you?"
"Not really. I still need some steady income, I have a daughter to feed, you know. And it's not my fault that she's so damn cute." He said, hugging his daughter. She giggled happily, hugging him back.
Konoemon sighed. "One happy-go-lucky family... Speaking about family, have you spoken to your father anytime recently?"
Kouhei's mood grew a bit more sombre. "No. I haven't."
"You're still keeping him distant? Why? He's your father!"
"No! We're just... Ah fridge, I don't know." He said, subbing out the swear word in his daughter's presence. "I won't talk to him. I just won't..."
Konoemon gave him a pitying look. "Go meet your class. I'll call ahead for you." Kouhei nodded, standing up and walking away. "And Kouhei?"
"Yes sir?"
"I don't know what your problem is with your father, but I pray you settle it soon. It's been what, 9 years since you had a proper conversation? I don't know what's going on, but just settle it. I believe Koneko deserves to get to know her family."
Kouhei nodded, and left without a word. He lingered outside the door to the office, deep in thought.
"Daddy, why won't you get along with Grandpa?" Koneko asked him.
"Things you're too young to know, Koneko." He told her.
"Are you and Grandpa fighting?"
"... You could say that." He admitted.
"Make up soon. Fighting isn't good!" She scolded him, batting at his head lightly with a tiny clenched fist.
"I'll try Koneko... I'll try."
Kouhei waited outside the door to classroom 3-B, Koneko bounding around him excitedly. He took a deep breath, staring at the door handle. He would open this door; start his new job and new life. He would leave the past behind and start all over again.
He would stop running from his problems, and deal with them for his daughter's sake. He could do this. He reached for the door, gripping the handle. Hopefully his students were nice, and wouldn't give him much trouble. He really hoped they wouldn't.
He opened the door, entering the room. Over two dozen pairs of eyes landed on him. Tuning his ears to listen to the small talk and whispers, he found that most of the comments were about his age, how young he was. A few started squealing a little about how cute he was, but he frankly didn't care (Though a slightly self-conceited smirk appeared on his face).
A conversation caught his attention though. He looked up from his desk while his hands sorted papers.
"It's him. Kouhei Takahata." A blonde haired girl murmured to her orange haired friend.
"What? The contractor? No one's heard from him for the last 4 years!" The other girl hissed, eyeing Kouhei intently with skepticism. "Are you sure? He looks different!"
"Four years can do that to people. I don't know what the reason he disappeared for is, but that's him. He looks like Kouhei Takahata, and his magic... I can sense it, even just trickles of it, since he's masking it." The blonde narrowed her eyes at him as he looked down at the class roll call.
"... Should we tell Takahata-sensei, I mean, Takamichi? He would want to know that his son's here..."
Kouhei tensed at the mention of his father.
"We'll tell him later... What I want to know is why he disappeared, why, such a prestigious contractor and magister magi like him, would abandon his duty."
"He probably has his reasons; it's rude to pry..." The other girl advised her.
"He had obligations, responsibilities. I don't know what's so important for him to neglect them, for such an outrageous amount of time."
"But there's only a slim chance that this man is even Kouhei Takahata! He might just look like him!"
"Mei Sakura, Takane D. Goodman?" The two girls flinched.
"Yes sensei?" Takane asked, still looking at him suspiciously.
"You're supposed to be my intern here, may I have some help?"
"Y-Yes sir." She said, making her way up to the desk. "What do you need help with?"
"Could you organize that pile of papers into a binder, please?"
"Yes sir." She made to do as he asked, but remembered something. "Sir, what is your name?"
"Kouhei Takahata." He replied, watching her expression of shock. He felt analytical magic creep over him, probably a spell checking to see if he was telling the truth. Her shocked expression grew even more shocked as the magic receded, telling her that he in fact told the truth.
"I-I'm done." She stammered, handing the binder full of papers to him.
"Thank you Miss Goodman." He smiled roguishly at her, and then smirked at her blush.
"Daddy!"
Koneko chose the time to run into the room, after wandering the halls. She latched onto his leg, nuzzling him lovingly. Takane gaped at the little girl. A wide smile grew on Kouhei's face, as he picked up his daughter, twirling her around.
"I'll play with you later Koneko," He said as he settled her down on his desk, "I've got a class to teach."
"Okay..." Her ears flapped in disappointment. The students gaped at the little girl, some of the girls' jaws dropped to the floor.
"Sir, why is your daughter here?" Takane asked him, raising an eyebrow at Koneko.
"I have a paranoia issue. It's nothing too big, but I worry too much if I put her in a daycare." He told her, not taking his eyes of Koneko. "You could call it magical, more like a curse rather than anything else." He answered, putting emphasis on those two words.
Her eyes narrowed at his blatant reveal of his knowledge of magic. "Well, it's your duty to take care of your child, isn't it? I doubt you would abandon something like that." She shot back. Kouhei grit his teeth at the verbal jab at his "disappearance" from the magical community.
"I have my reasons Miss Goodman. Reasons that I don't want to talk about. End of discussion." He said, in an edgy tone.
"Yes sir..." She sighed, "If there's nothing more you need, I shall return to my seat and take my notes about your teaching skills." She turned on her heel, and left.
Kouhei had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he crossed proverbial swords with Takane D. Goodman. He resumed looking over his lesson, thinking about what to say. He relaxed, assuring to himself that he would do a good job. Breathe in, breathe out, he concluded, then he would make it through the day.
Peering through his bag, he pulled out a few folders. A small rectangular thing fell out onto the desk, and Kouhei picked it up. His eyes slightly widened, noting what it was. It was a photo frame…
In the photo, a smiling young Kouhei stood behind a beautiful young woman, with long flowing brown hair that reached to her waist, and wine red eyes. He held her lovingly in his arms, hands held at her waist. Both had wide smiles on their faces, beaming happiness to the camera. Another noticeable feature…
The woman's navel had a rather shapely bulge. Kouhei grit his teeth, holding the photo almost reverently. He settled it to the desk, eyes closed and clamped shut. He opened his eyes, slowly and carefully.
Sitting there, at the foremost desk to his own, instead of a student, was the woman. "Good luck Kouhei!" She chimed. He blinked once more, and she was gone.
"P-Please excuse me." He said, walking quickly out of the room after making sure his daughter was safe. He marched left as soon as he left the threshold of the door, almost running for the teacher's bathroom.
As soon as he found it, he ran inside, locking the door behind him. He stumbled to the sink, turning on the faucet. His eyes drew level to his own in the mirror, looking deeply. What was happening to him?
Why was he seeing her, why now? He had to put the past behind him. His head began to pound, pained and confused. He snapped his eyes up, and glared at himself in the mirror.
His hands fumbled for a small medicine bottle in his pocket, filled halfway with pills. He looked himself in the eyes once more, before closing them. Taking deep calming breath after deep calming breath, one after another in quick succession, he opened his eyes once more. He flinched, stumbling backwards.
Instead of his reflection in the mirror, there was the woman. "I love you, Kouhei." She said, smiling softly, content. Kouhei screamed, grabbing at his head. What was going on, what was happening to him?
No one could hear him, the doors and walls soundproofed. He staggered back to the sink, snapped back into what he believed to be reality. He cupped water into his hands, drowning his face in the cold liquid. He opened the small medicine bottle with wet hands, popping two pills into his palm. He shoved them into his mouth, before scooping water right in after it.
He messily, hungrily poured handful after handful of water into his mouth, the excess water flowing down his cheeks and chin onto his suit. Panic settled into his mind, but slowly dulled. The drugs took effect, the shine of his eyes slightly dulling as magic washed over them. He looked down at his hands.
He blinked once, and they were covered in blood, the washroom gone and in some indescribable hell of flesh and gore. He blinked again, and it was gone. He took the risk, and blinked once more. He opened his eyes.
No change. He would need the drug in a few hours, the hallucinations barely fended off. The more serious hallucinations would require the use of a syringe, but that rarely happened. He had to find a solution, and soon.
For his sake, for Koneko's sake. Kouhei pulled himself together, taking off his suit and leaving only the dress shirt. He walked back to the class, slightly smirking with self conceit as the girls began to blush at him again, and some even squealed. "I had a little mishap in the washroom, please forgive me." He smiled a fake smile, keeping up his happy-go-lucky attitude.
"Now, shall we begin the lesson?"
Kouhei watched Koneko play on a playground, after homeroom and class ended. He left the classroom without a word when the bell rang and the students left to continue their day. There wasn't much else to do... With about 40000 yen per class and teacher duties, he was more or less set.
His daughter grew bored with the playground after trying everything it had to offer, so she ran over to him, grabbed his arm and tugged on it. "Let's go see something else!" She shouted, tugging even more. He nodded with a smile, and she cheered.
The sound of a stomach grumbling echoed through the air. Koneko looked down sheepishly, blushing. "Can we get something to eat?" She asked, holding her belly.
"I know a place. Now up you go!" She squealed in pleasant surprise as Kouhei took her into his arms, breaking out into a run towards the city. She held on tight as they raced down the streets, looks of bliss on their faces. Both of them loved the experiences they shared together as father and daughter.
He wanted to be the best father he could possibly be, since in his line of work there was a pretty big chance that Koneko would no longer have a father. But that was if he decided to return to that kind of life. He left it behind already, and he was slowly considering whether the choice should be permanent. Fighting made him feel alive, and so did being a father.
He had to choose one, and leave behind the other. Added with the hallucinations... Well, it was going to be tough. Very tough.
He skidded to a stop in front of a café, his daughter laughing joyously in his arms. They stepped inside, Kouhei taking a deep sniff of the smell of coffee. He loved coffee... The smell, the taste, the deep colour that hypnotized, the same colour of her hair...
He snapped out of his daze, and set Koneko down on a seat. He had come this far in his mental health; he wouldn't wound his efforts by chasing after impossible dreams. Kouhei walked up to the counter, ordering a few sandwiches and drinks. "Extra tuna on the tuna sandwich, please." He added.
Ah, he knew how much Koneko loved tuna. He walked back to the table with his order, smiling as Koneko lunged for her tuna sandwich. She chowed down on sandwich with vigour, a smile on her face between bites. "The one Daddy makes tastes better..." She commented.
"Oh, then you don't want it?" He reached playfully for the sandwich in her hands.
"I do!" She exclaimed, ears flapping. She then hissed at the hand that dared to even imply taking her meal. Kouhei chuckled at her, pulling the hand back as he took a bite of his own sandwich, this one filled with ham.
"Mr. Takahata?"
Kouhei turned from his daughter, eyes slightly narrowing at the person standing behind him.
"Miss Goodman."
"Please, call me Takane."
"... Takane. What do need?" He asked, as she sat down at the table behind them. Her friend, Mei, came with their food, her eyes slightly widened at him and his daughter.
"I have a few questions, questions only you can answer." She says, staring him straight in the eyes.
"And if I choose not to answer?" He asks.
"Oh, I am going to get my answers, one way or another."
They stare each other down, both sides not willing to give up.
"Fine." Takane gives a look of victory. "What do you want to know?"
"Where have you been all this time? These past 4 years."
"... Travelling, soul searching..." He replied. "For reasons I won't tell you." He added at her questioning look at his response. She grumbled discontentedly.
"Then where did she come from? She pointed to Koneko. "I heard you weren't married."
He flinched, and Takane knew she was on to something. "She's... She's adopted." He answered with a far off look.
"Oh really...?" She said, giving the new info and her next question some thought. "Why did you disappear then?"
"... I can't answer that." He replied.
"But-"
"No buts. I can't and won't answer that." He cut her off.
She grumbled yet again, not satisfied at all with that answer. "Then why won't you?"
"..." He kept silent, flashes of past pains and wounds that never healed, dancing in his eyes. Takane knew she shouldn't press further. She would find the answer one way or another.
But for now, she decided to indulge herself with her delightfully good looking (and good tasting) turkey sandwich.
Kouhei walked down the streets of Mahora with his daughter, classes still in session. To be frankly honest, he was bored out of his mind. So was Koneko. Normally around this time, he'd be taking an assignment, a contract for a mercenary job, he was a Contractor, after all.
He'd take any contract, a commission of sorts, and come solve it, guns (and/or intellect) blazing. Then he'd get paid, and move on to the next contract. Then he would come home for the day to his family... He stopped walking, looking down at the sidewalk.
Koneko tugged on his hand, looking worriedly up at her father. He looked into her worried eyes, smiling softly at her in reassurance. He still had a family, even if it was small. And through hell and high water, he wouldn't let anything take them too.
"Come on Koneko... We need to visit someone." He picked Koneko up, walking into an alley. Figuring he wasn't in the line of sight of anybody, he channelled magic into his arms and legs. "Hold on tight." He said to Koneko, who did as he said.
Looking at a pipe, he grinned. Running at it, he jumped, grabbing onto it in midair. Vaulting himself up, he scaled the pipe as high as he could climb it. Then he planted his feet onto the wall, and pushed off.
He jumped from wall to wall, from building to building, wide grins on their faces as they flew higher and higher. At the last jump, he landed on the roof. "We're going to visit Obaa-chan, alright?" He told her, looking out over the academy.
"Okay!"
"She's probably playing hooky again... So I'll bet she's on top of the English Department building with Chachamaru-chan... So anyway, hold on!" He grinned at his little girl. She cheered as they went flying, soaring over the buildings, landing, and then kicking off again.
Landing softly on the roof of the English Department building, he looked around for that little chibi of a many, many, many times great aunt. "Eva-obaachan!"
"You little brat! Don't call me that!" A few spears of ice flew at Kouhei's head, he barely managed to dodge them in time.
"But you're insanely old, and you're my many times great aunt!" He argued, laughing. "No matter how old you look!"
The young blonde haired girl lounging on the roof glowered at him furiously. "That attiude will get you killed someday, you know that?"
"But we're family, you don't kill family." He grinned at her.
"Hi Eva-obaachan!" Koneko chimed at her.
The girl's name was Evangeline A.K. McDowell. Yes, the Dark Evangel.
"... I still don't know what young Katherine saw in your father..." She muses, laying down on the roof and staring up at the sky.
"Neither do I... But Mom must have seen something." He commented, sitting down cross-legged beside her.
"Kouhei Takahata, son of Takamichi T. Takahata and Katherine McDowell Agnis... You're quite the peculiar person, aren't you? A Contractor, a teacher, a father, a husband... You've played many roles in your life. Katherine would be proud of you. I'm somewhat proud of you, but you're still a brat." She told him.
"I'm touched, Eva-Obaachan." He laughed, wiping a mock tear.
"Would you like me to touch you with an Ensis Exsequens?" She snapped.
"Irk..."
"I figured as much." She sighed.
Koneko kneeled down beside her, looking at the small form of her aunt. Evangeline was about a few heads taller than her. She grinned as she took a finger, and prodded Evangeline's cheek, receiving no visible response. Kouhei gaped, jaw dropping.
His daughter was prodding the Dark Evangel when she was ticked off. She killed people for much less. He paled considerably. His daughter was prodding the most dangerous, deadly being on the face of Mundus Ventus.
And the most deadly being on Mundus Ventus twitched.
"Get. This. Brat. Away. From. Me. Now." Evangeline hissed through gritted teeth, absolutely fuming. Kouhei quickly rejected the urge to scream like a little girl. He quickly pulled his daughter away from Evangeline, holding on to her for dear life.
"So... How's school?" He weakly asked, watching his daughter run off to play in the corner.
"So so, still rather boring. You have any plans? I intend to do something rather bang out of order tonight, I guarantee it'll be fun." She smiled sadistically, her eyes glistened with the visualized guarantee of someone's future pain.
"I pity the poor fool." Kouhei sighed, knowing what she was up to.
"Say, do you have any "jobs" recently? I'd enjoy some fresh blood, preferably forcibly taken from some poor bastard of a criminal out there." She said, licking her lips.
"I quit the Corporation four years ago. I don't do contracts anymore." He replied, shrugging off her question.
"My my boy, nobody quits the Corporation. The Corporation makes you quit. Normally as a mutilated corpse. Not pretty, but it's the only way for those who enter the Corporation to get out."
"You never were in the Corporation. You wouldn't understand." He snapped angrily.
"I was there for its founding. Rather ingenious, it was. It's more of a fragile union rather than a corporation though, remember? The legal union of any weapon-for-hire, which is classified by grouping into Divisions, then Guilds, then Teams, then down to every single individual lone wolf mercenary and Contractor out there. Makes it much easier for people to hire your kind of people, for your names to get spread into fame and glory or infamy and hate... Then again, people like you are both hated and loved. Loved by the people you chose to save, hated by the people who loved those you've killed. It's a vicious cycle, yes. But then again, I've never met one kind of person such as you. A Contractor, the contrast of a mercenary, one who fights for people instead of profit..." She sighed, almost wistfully.
"Just leaving your job, your duty to everyone when you swore that oath, the Oath of a Contractor... You broke the rules, many of them. The Corporation doesn't know, but what they don't know won't hurt them. But I know, oh my boy, I know. I know everything. I know about what you've done, I know about whom you've killed and why. I know about your wife. I know about your child, and not the girl who sits lovingly by your side. I know about 4 years you've spent off many a radar. I know about Cerberus, and the graces and sins you've done there. I know the truth. And yet you've dared fed me lies. Remember, young Kouhei, I know EVERYTHING. But what I want to know, is why? Katherine would be ashamed-"
"SHUT UP!" Kouhei hissed, snapping. "YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE! ABOUT CHIYO, KONEKO, MY REASONS FOR FIGHTING! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT!"
Evangeline smiled. "You're right. I don't. But I learned a few things, such as some tidbits of your character for one, the state of your sanity for another... Kouhei, you're broken. Purely, utterly broken. I'm rather close to getting you into a mental ward. I want you to look me in the eye- Ah, that's it, do that, and tell me honestly. Why are you still here? Why are you barely clinging to life?" She asked.
"... Koneko." Kouhei admitted.
"She's a lovely girl, and she should never live her life without a parent, more specifically, you. You're her world, and she's yours. Don't you dare screw that up."
Kouhei sighed, nodding. "Didn't think you cared..."
"I am hundreds of years old Kouhei. I have watched many descendants of the McDowell line live and die. You're just one of those many people. But you're family. Family takes care of family. But to be honest, I still frankly don't care much about you." She sighed, twirling a finger through her hair.
"... Then why...?"
"Because like you, that little girl is family. I want that little girl to grow up with a father leading her through life. Every girl deserves her father. And I will not stand by as that little girl's father slowly crawls himself to hell." She picked herself up off the ground, standing. "I will not watch a girl lose the one thing I've always wished I had." She turned on her heel, smiling lightly to Koneko, back faced to Kouhei.
"Girl, come here." Koneko skipped over to Evangeline. She kneeled down a bit, looking the little cat eared girl in the eye. "You're a nice girl, what do you think about your father?"
"I love daddy, very much!" She chimed, beaming happily.
Evangeline giggled a little, smiling slightly herself. "I know you do. Now, tell me, what do you feel when he's sad?"
"... I feel scared... Sad..." She said, ears flattening.
"Of your father?"
Koneko shakes her head. "Daddy cries, and I can't do anything. When Daddy's sad, I'm sad... Because it feels like he won't be happy ever again..."
Evangeline nodded, standing straight again. She patted Koneko on the head, before walking past her. "You heard the girl Kouhei. Get some help, go to therapy, anything. Just do it now. But then again, I don't think this will be the last time we have this talk. But heed my words boy, I pray you do. If you won't do it for yourself... Then please..." She stood at the threshold to the roof's entrance, staring into Kouhei's eyes.
"Do it for your daughter." And with that, she turned and left.
Koneko skipped over to Kouhei. "Daddy, what's wrong?" She asked in an innocent tone. Kouhei grasped her in a hug, feebly holding on to her. She was his daughter, one of the only things he had left.
But for that single moment in time, he just held on to his little girl, sobbing his eyes out. It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. But what's done is done, or so he told himself. But for now like many times, he just held on.
And he didn't want to let go.
Kouhei stood at the foot of the World Tree, hand in hand with Koneko. Looking up, the tree was tall, majestic, and would be so for a long time. He took in deep breaths, feeling the medicine slightly wear off. He kept still, everything eerily silent. There was a hole in his heart, no matter how melodramatic it sounded.
It came from no weapon, but there was still a wound. The human mind is fragile, very fragile. The slightest crack can spider out and break the entire thing as if it was glass. So imagine a pane of glass.
Then take a fully automatic bb gun and open fire on it. The result was the state of Kouhei's mind. Full of holes, cracked and almost shattered, but not entirely broken. Just one more push would probably set him over the edge. But until then, he'd try to survive.
But for now, he would walk. Surreally, the world passed around him, ebbing and flowing. He had the feeling, that strange feeling one gets when their literal suspension of disbelief is cranked up to eleven. Time felt limp, turning for a split second into just a technicality rather than a reality.
And then it was over, and he stood before the school building, struggling to get the courage to talk to his father about something. Surprisingly, it was only the afternoon, classes still somehow in session. Time really did pass slowly. Maybe he would wait, find a better time.
But it really couldn't wait. He walked up to the building, hand reaching for the door. And then it opened. But he didn't open it.
He found himself face to face, eye to eye, with a gray haired, aged man. "Father."
The man blinked. "K-Kouhei?" He breathed, mouth shaped in a wide O. His mouth moved, trying to formulate words, but he was speechless.
His son he hadn't talked to, had any contact with, and hadn't seen for 9 years had just shown up on his, well, his workplace's doorstep. "H-How are you?" He asked Kouhei.
A familiar blonde haired girl slipped past the aged man. "Have a good day Takamichi. I know I will." Evangeline laughed, grinning at the sight of the father and son. She walked off, murmuring, "Where is that Chachamaru, maybe she's feeding those cats again..."
"..."
"..."
"Grandpa!" Koneko chimed, latching on to Takamichi's leg. He paled considerably, gaping at the little girl attached to his leg. Must be the shock about finding out you were a grandfather.
"... Oh god, how much have I missed?" He said under his breath.
"..." Kouhei said nothing, not looking his father in the eye. He refused to, but he was only here for the sake of his daughter. "A lot." He replied.
"I can tell... Kouhei..."
"Yeah. Anyway, I need someone to watch Koneko for me, I have some business to take care off... And there's no one I can turn to."
"I'll do it."
"... I was thinking of Evangeline, and having you ask her for me." He replied weakly.
"You owe me this much Kouhei... Coming out of the blue for what, 9 years? I... I don't know what to say to you. Learning that I have a grandchild...? Listen, Kouhei... Just let me get to know her, and maybe I can learn to understand. Please." He begged.
"... Fine. I'll be back in a few hours, though I might end up coming late at night. I have something needed to be done." Kouhei told Takamichi, and he kneeled down to his daughter.
"Koneko, you're staying with Father for a while, play nice, okay?"
Koneko grew teary eyes. "Where are you going, Daddy?"
"I'm not going to be out for long." He assured her, "I'll try to be back soon. I promise."
"O-Okay..." Her ears flattened in sadness. Kouhei gave her a long hug, before standing up and looking his father in the eye.
"You better take care of her... Because if she's hurt in anyway... I swear, I will..." He grit his teeth. "I'll talk to you later." He patted Koneko lovingly on the head, and walked away.
Kouhei arrived at the headmaster's office, after a phone call. He rapped lightly on the door, receiving quiet reply of "Enter." He opened the door, stepping into the room and looking at the Headmaster.
"I hear you have a job for me."
"And I thought you quit the Corporation?"
"Nobody quits the Corporation, the Corporation makes you quit. And I'm not the kind of person to quit. Take a hiatus, yes... But I'm back. I'll fight."
A small smile appeared on the old man's face, but was quickly replaced by a look of regret. "I don't like this, but I've got a task for you."
Kouhei nodded, listening carefully.
"We have... Oh, I don't want to do this but... The Magic Associations of Japan have come to a consensus. There is a certain individual, a high ranking yakuza, who is using his magic to get ahead. He's only ahead because people fear him, and his strange, "satanic" abilities. They are rumours but they are based off fact. This man is indeed a mage, who's avoiding capture and abusing his talents. 14 disappearances of young girls across the country, ages between 4 and 16... You know what that means." The old man said.
"... This sick fuck is kidnapping them?"
"Language, sir!" Konoemon scolded him, "But yes... It's likely to be the worst case scenario... And so you know what this means... I don't want to say this, I really don't... But it's in the best interests of the magical community, the mundane community, and the world in general, if this man... Were just to disappear." He mused. "We'll pay the usual rates, your services are mostly covered by the basic taxes, anyway, but you'll get the required money."
"I would have done it for free." Kouhei admitted.
"But then again, you have a daughter to feed, don't you?"
Kouhei nodded. "Shall I get going?"
"You're in no rush, the mission is in Tokyo, and you can take a 40 minute train there or get there even faster by magical means. Though we're having the scheduled blackout today..."
"It'll be done before the day ends. I guarantee it."
Konoemon nodded solemnly. "What has come of the world today, where one can talk so easily about ending the life of another...?"
"... The world of today is run of blood and money. We spill blood to get money, and money is given to spill blood. It's a vicious circle, but it is what it is."
The old headmaster sighed. "We can try to change it, it's our job to try."
"Yes it is, sir... What we do is never pretty, but what we do is what must be done."
The shared a look, a sense of understanding flashed between them.
"I should get going. I'm taking the train after all, and I've got to set up..." He said, turning around and heading for the door.
"Then you're dismissed- Actually, wait. Who's taking care of your daughter?"
"... Dad is." Kouhei replied. Konoemon smiled brightly.
"Great, you're talking!"
"... Not really. I should go..." He turned once more for the door.
And with that, he left.
Kouhei sat down in the empty compartment of the train, looking out at the passing landscape. In one hand, he had a folder, in the other, a pistol. Specifically, the magical variant of a heavily modified Colt M1911.
They were good, in perfect condition. Perfect for what he had to do. He was going to find this bastard, and kill him, simple as that. It was his first time killing in a year, and his first official one in 4 years.
He was going to get this done, professionally, and simply. His target: one Daisuke Tetsuya. Get it done, is what he told himself. Get it done, and make it quick. Then again, he might enjoy himself a little...
He shook his head, staring at the weapon in his hands. It was faithful, having stayed at his side for years. He wouldn't use any other handgun than this one. Having a mundane weapon was very useful in partial substitution for real magic.
You could fight, and it wouldn't use any of your magical energy. Also, it didn't reveal the existence of magic when fighting against mundane people, so that was a plus as well. Many people had died by the weapon in Kouhei's hands, many people had suffered. But what he did was never pretty, and what he did was what must be done.
Or so he believed.
It was late evening, twilight blanketing over Tokyo, Japan. The train station came closer and closer, so Kouhei hid his weapon and prepared himself. For tonight, blood would be splattered on Tokyo's cement. The train groaned into a stop at the station, and Kouhei stepped off as a mass of people got on.
In a blink of an eye, he disappeared into the sea of people.
The information he had access to lead him to the warehouse districts. He sighed as he walked down the wide, dark streets and alleys, such a clichéd place for yakuza and people like them to hang out. As if his life was some corny drama-action flick... Then again, his life had enough drama and action to make a franchise...
He shook his head, kicking a can down the block. He watched as it hit a wall of a warehouse, falling to the ground. Small noises alerted him, and he looked up from the can. The sounds of scratching, the almost unnoticeable.
"No... Please..." A feminine voice whimpered.
"Shut up! Tetsuya, what do we do with her?" A man shouted.
"Bring her to me... I have a few ideas." Another man laughed.
Kouhei grit his teeth, breaking into a run for the wall of the warehouse, an incantation weaving through his mind. Come to my aid! Spirits of darkness, spirits of iron, spirits of lightning! Erase my enemies, rend them to shreds! Phase of the full moon, hidden in shadows. Disappear, Blades of Judgement! "Adeo meus suffragium! Spiritus tenebrarum, spiritus ferri, spiritus coruscantis! Delens inimicos meos, scindet eos emisit spiritum!Tempus plenae lunae, in tenebris latet! Evanescant, Laminae Iudicii!"
Kouhei jumped at the wall, hands crackling with the energy of magic, murder screaming in his eyes.
Daisuke Tetsuya smiled, leering at the young, bruised girl, who was around 6 years old, before him. He intended to have fun, oh yes, he would. He was twisted, but in his opinion, he did anything he needed to get ahead in life, business, and his own personal enjoyment. And when he meant anything, he meant anything.
"Bring her to me, I have a few ideas." He laughed.
SMASH!
A black figure had smashed through the wall of the warehouse, charged one of his men, the closest to the girl. They flew into the shadows of the tall racks laden with supplies. The rest of his men had their weapons out, guns aimed at where the two had disappeared. The feeling of panic filled the air, the dimly lit lights of electric lanterns barely piercing the darkness.
"GAAAAAAAAAAH! OH MY GOD-" SPLAT! The man's ear piercing scream was cut short by the sickly sound. A splatter of blood hit the ground before them. The men began to shout, scream. They backed away quickly from the shadows.
"What the hell-" A man began to shout, before stopping. He looked down on his chest, looking as a knife attached to a chain embedded itself into him. He was yanked back into the shadows, and then there were the screams, and another large, violent splatter of blood.
The clatter of chains began to fill the air.
"Group together!" Daisuke ordered, pulling out a pistol of his own. Another yakuza grabbed the frightened young girl by the hand, beginning to drag her to the group of men congregating around Daisuke.
"Unhand her." An inhuman voice growled. The man began to walk faster, still dragging the girl behind him. "I ordered you to unhand her. Oh well. Would you kindly die for me?" A long, grey, metallic spear launched out of the shadows, striking the man in the head and impaling him to the ground. "Thank you."
BANG! BANG!
Two successive gunshots, each obliterating an electric lamp. The shadows creeped closer. The girl shrieked, crawling away from the darkness. "Please, don't. I don't want to hurt you." This voice, one more human, said. The figure walked out of the shadows.
Daisuke gaped at the young man of around 26 years who appeared, a solemn look on this man's face. The 26 year old kneeled down before the girl, giving assuring look to her. "My name's Kouhei, Kouhei Takahata. I'm here to rescue you." The girl beamed, a look of hope lacing her face instead of a look of fear.
Daisuke paled considerably. He knew the Magic Associations would send someone after him, but not him. Not the Kouhei Takahata, oldest successor to Ala Rubra, the man personally responsible for the executions of numerous highly ranked criminals. He was ranked as an S-ranked mage. Which technically meant it took 40 AAA class mages to take him down for the count.
And that would be if they were REALLY lucky. The guy before him had the reputable strength of 5 of the Divine Soldiers of Megalomesembria, and was just slightly a mile of strength behind Jack Rakan-rank strength. He was closer than a lot of people. He also had a tendency to torture and brutally kill his enemies in violent yet efficient ways. And if you slightly violate any moral rules written up in his moral compass...
You're fucked. No doubt about it.
Daisuke raised his gun, aiming it at Kouhei's head. He was gone for 4 years, who knew if he was the same. Maybe weaker, maybe stronger, Daisuke didn't know. But he was still human.
And so, he pulled the trigger.
The bullet clipped the side of Kouhei's neck; a long gash appeared and began leaking blood over his flesh. It wasn't deep, just a scratch. He brought a hand up to the small wound, rubbing it lightly. It stung a bit, but wouldn't hinder him.
"Daisuke Tetsuya. Tonight we dance. Tonight you die." Kouhei whistled, twirling his gun in his hands.
"FIRE!"
The girl screamed as the men opened fire. Kouhei quickly raised his left hand, channeling his magic. A barrier of electricity appeared before the two, using magnetism to repel the bullets. And by repel, it meant firing them all back where they came from.
Most of the yakuza dropped dead, the others maimed and wounded. Daisuke clutched a bleeding arm, backing away as fast as he could. Fear flashed through his eyes, the self proclaimed hunter, now the hunted. He ran for the darkness of the warehouse racks, trying to hide.
Kouhei walked forward, the girl lingering behind him for protection. "You can run, you sick fuck, but you can't hide from me." Kouhei told him. "Stay close." He told the girl, and she nodded.
He leveled his pistol in front of him, the other hand crackling with electricity for a light source. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Kouhei said in a singsong tone.
"Fuck you!" Daisuke shouted, still running.
"Found you." Kouhei aimed in the direction of the voice, and opened fire. A quick scream notified him of hitting his target. "Close your eyes, and cover your ears. This isn't going to be pretty." He told the girl, who complied without question.
Kouhei walked in the direction he shot, stopping as he saw Daisuke cradling his wounded stomach.
"How does it feel, being the one bleeding on the ground this time?" Kouhei said, kneeling down to him.
Daisuke coughed, blood splattering on his shirt.
"Hm, that looks painful. But not painful enough." Kouhei stood up again, raising his foot. He stomped down on Daisuke's leg, feeling the muscle tear and the bone give way. He clamped a hand on the wounded man's mouth, listening to the muffled screams.
"Kotomi Yoshida. Age 12. Found dead with both legs broken and numerous fractures in her brain. Burns resulting from Sagitta Magica of fire were found, presumably real cause of death. So now, how about the other leg, and then we can start playing with fire." Kouhei stomped down on the other leg, looking into Daisuke's wide, pained eyes.
"Oh, we aren't done yet." Kouhei scowled. "Normally I would just plant a bullet in your brain, but what you've done calls for special treatment."
Kouhei pulled out a lighter, looking into the flame. He lifted a hand from Daisuke's mouth, watching as he caught his breath. Then he shoved the aflame lighter into Daisuke's mouth. His gums and tongue caught alight, the large traces of alcohol now burning.
Daisuke screamed, and Kouhei watched him burn. He reached into his bag, pulling out a bottle of water from his dinner. He opened it, and then pulled Daisuke's mouth wide. He dropped the water into his mouth, extinguishing the flames and causing Daisuke to choke.
Kouhei hit him, clearing his throat. "I'm going to watch you suffer, Daisuke, but then again, if I made you suffer through what all 14 girls had, you'd die before I finished… Remember Eiko Matsumaya? Of course you do, you sick fuck. Your rival's daughter, you murdered her, slit her throat and drowned her father in her blood. I can't do that just yet, but I know what else you did to her. You cut out her eyes, bastard. So which one should I rip out now…" Kouhei pondered. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers, let him go, eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Left eye it is, then."
Kouhei held out his hand, feeling the magic warp around it. Materializing in his hands was a knife. More specifically, an iron knife. "You see this thing? My magical affinity is iron and lightning. Anything iron, I can create, materialize out of raw magic. An amount of shapeable metal as long as I have magic... But now, all I need is a knife. This isn't going to hurt, Daisuke. Much. Ah, who am I kidding? Of course it's gonna hurt."
Kouhei plunged the knife down, as Daisuke screamed. After 10 seconds Kouhei held the bloody lump in his hands. "Hm, it's smaller than I thought." He mused, as he staunched the bleeding with magic. "You're going to die soon anyway, so what does it matter?"
"W-Why...?" Daisuke panted.
"For every mother, father, who's suffering because of you... For every little girl who won't have a future, won't experience life, won't experience love, ever again... For every life you've ended, every life you've ruined just to make yourself powerful. You had a duty, Daisuke, an obligation, to use your magic for all that is good. Yet you abused your magic, just for selfish and terrible wants. You could have been a great man. But now you're just a dying mound of flesh that I'm going to add to my kill count. Tell me, Daisuke. Why? Tell me why, you sick fuck, tell me why you did this, did something so horrible?"
"... Because I could. Because if you had a power, something that made you better, wouldn't you use it to get a better life...? I grew up on the fucking streets, learned magic from some mage at the local school, and learned that the best way to live was the way I had lived already...? Fuck that, I lived that way and suffered. If I were to live, I wanted to live at the top. So I did a few things to get there... What's one or two dead brats...? You've done some terrible things as well, you can't preach to me..."
Kouhei closed his eyes. "I did some terrible things, yes. But you killed people so you could have a better life. I kill people so other people can have better lives. Like how I'm going to kill you."
Kouhei focused, materializing a sword. "Daisuke Tetsuya... Do you regret anything, anything at all?" He asked.
"... I regret... No, I don't regret anything." He said.
Kouhei kicked him. "TELL ME THE TRUTH YOU BASTARD! TELL ME YOU REGRET MURDERING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE GIRLS! TELL ME!" He roared.
Daisuke spat, growling.
"You know what Daisuke? I go to bed every night, hearing the screams of the dying, and last words of my DEAD wife, as she CRIES for me and our unborn child! I take drugs to stop hallucinations, I'm paranoid beyond relief concerning my daughter! I would go INSANE if anything happened to her! I would kill for her, I would take torture for her, I would DIE for her! There are 14 fathers out there, who are missing their little girls... My daughter is the world to me… And you took 14 girls away from everything, made them suffer, ended their lives… Daisuke Tetsuya, you thought people deserved to die for you. But you deserve to die for them." Kouhei lifted his hand, the sword turning into a spear.
"Daisuke Tetsuya. Now… Have a nice death."
Kouhei roared, as the spear jammed itself right through Daisuke's empty eye socket. He felt Daisuke thrash around, his screams piercing the air. He was a lively one. Kouhei gave one last twist. And then the man fell limp.
Daisuke Tetsuya was dead. Contract complete.
Kouhei pulled out the spear, taking one last look at the body. Then he turned on his heel, and left. He looked for the girl first, finding her huddled against the wall of the warehouse after scrambling around the dark.
"Let's get you home."
Kouhei carried the girl out onto the alley, looking around.
"What's your name?" He asked her.
"C-Chikage… Chikage Yukihiro…" She replies.
"... Anything to do with Yukihiro Corp?" He asked, blinking.
"Uncle's company?" She blinked herself.
"So that's why." He concluded. He pulled out his phone, making a call. "I'm going to call your uncle, and then he'll get your parents, okay?"
She nodded, resting her head on him.
A limo pulled up to him, a small team of paramedics taking the girl from his arms. One dragged him into the car with them, and the car drove off.
"Where are we going-" He began to ask, cut off.
"The Yukihiro mansion. Near Mahora Academy." The driver told him. "My employer would like to meet you."
Kouhei nodded, leaning back into the padded seat. He gave a smile to the now bandaged girl sitting beside him, and she smiled back with a shaky smile. "She'll make a full recovery quickly. Thank you so much… If you weren't there…" One of the paramedics said, looking away solemnly.
He just nodded again, relaxing.
Kouhei looked up at the huge mansion, gaping a little. The limo stopped inside the courtyard, where they were greeted by a mass of maids and butlers. The driver led him and the team of paramedics into the large, fancy foyer, from where he led them to the CEO of Yukihiro Corp's office. "Wait here." He instructed.
Kouhei was left alone with the girl, the paramedics lingering outside the door.
"Hello, sir."
A tall, black haired man stepped in, wearing a suit and carrying himself with pride and dignity. "My name is Tadashi Yukihiro." He bowed before Kouhei. "And I would love to thank you for rescuing my niece."
"Where are her parents?"
"Overseas… She was staying with us, until three days ago when she vanished off the streets of Mahora… Dear god, my brother's going to murder me." He sighed, walking over into the large wooden desk. He tapped a button, a small fridge appearing behind a sliding panel. He opened it, taking a beer. "Want one?"
"Sure."
He handed one to Kouhei, and they cracked the caps off together.
"Cheers."
"Cheers."
The bottles clanged, and they took swigs of their drinks.
"It's nice to meet you… Kouhei Takahata, Contractor extraordinaire." Tadashi chuckled.
Kouhei blinked. "You know of magic?"
"Of course. As the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, I know things, and the history of my family… But my wife and daughter don't. I believe you know of my wife, Marina, and my daughter, Ayaka."
"… The model, and the kid from Class 3-A?"
"… Well, that's one look of the matter, but yes."
"… So, ever planning to introduce the two to magic? It is their familial right after all." Kouhei said after taking a swig of his beer.
"Maybe, probably in the future." Tadashi replied. "My email inbox is full of spam from Ayaka-chan's ramblings about her new teacher… And it's not because of the reasons most would."
"Who's the teacher?" Kouhei asked.
"A certain little Negi Springfield, son of The Thousand Master."
Kouhei blinked even more. "Little Negi? He's ten! How can he be teaching? And if your daughter doesn't know about magic, then why is she… Oh crap."
"Yes, but it's my daughter's decision to swing that way. I'll respect that… And well, you can blame the Magic Associations requirements about having assignments straight out of graduating." Tadashi sighed. "Got put into a job as a stock broker… Look at me now, millions of dollars richer with a gorgeous wife and an amazing daughter… Those assignments pave the way for the rest of your life, don't they? What were you put in?"
"You already know. Got selected to be a Contractor… Look at me now." Kouhei smiled solemnly.
"… I know that look. It's not a pretty job, I agree, but the things you do are some things that need to be done… Say, about Chikage-chan…" He turned to the sleeping girl. "Never mind, it's not important right now." He smiled fondly at her sleeping face. "I'm just so glad she's safe… She'll be safe her mother's arms soon… I remember when Ayaka was that young… So young, an innocent… God, I felt like father of the year whenever she smiled at me like I was the greatest person she ever knew."
"She's everything in the world to you, other than your wife." Kouhei agreed.
"Of course, that's right… You know, how did you know that? That's something personal, something only a father would share…" Tadashi blinked, thinking a bit. "Those 4 years you were gone… Did you… But you were never married… You became a father?"
"I adopted, I'm raising an adorable little girl of four now, she's staying with my father right this moment… I love her as if she was my own flesh and blood. She even looks like me, and Chiyo, and…" He mused, trailing off.
Tadashi raised an eyebrow. "Chiyo? Got lucky with some girl?"
"… Married straight at 16. Didn't know whether I'd come home or not back then, so I decided to marry the girl I loved with all my heart." Kouhei earnestly replied. "Married for 4 of the greatest years of my life…" Kouhei stifled a sob as he drank his beer. "Almost became a father then, I would give almost anything now to have her back…" A stray tear dropped down his face. "She was pregnant when she died… I watched her slowly wither away for a year, and then die…" Kouhei openly sobbed.
Tadashi got up from his seat, and patted Kouhei on the shoulder. "… I lost my baby boy, back when Ayaka was still very young… A miscarriage, the doctor told me. We were devastated… You know, if I could have my little boy, right now… I would give almost anything like you would. Riches, fame, I would spend it all for my children, my wife, and for their happiness. Wouldn't you?"
Kouhei nodded, wiping away his tears. "I've got a complicated story… But yes, I would." He said, completely honest.
"So, have you had to deal with the stray animal deal yet?" Tadashi grinned. "Ayaka brought home a puppy once; she gave me these eyes as wide and wet as dinner plates coming out of a dishwasher, and begged me to keep it! It slobbered all over my desk, and ripped out my wife's bra when she held it!" He laughed, his grin growing even more.
"Stray animal? More like stray dragon. Koneko brought home an egg while we traveled Mundus Magicus, it hatched, and it sprayed fire on my stash of ammo. I watched half of the hotel we stayed in blow up! It was raining clothes, and it was the ladies laundry day, since they didn't have washing machines! There was a perverted party throughout the entire town! And I remember the riot that happened when all the wives, girlfriends, and sisters finally cracked!" Kouhei laughed himself.
The two bumped fists, grinning madly. Both similar of circumstance, just cheating fate's hands and having fun… Both had experiences, both shared similar feelings. And so, they became friends.
At that moment, two fathers shared a feeling of comradery, both not having fought a war together, but fighting the harshness of life for their families. Both just made a friend for life. Two other things just happened. One of which just cemented an Ayaka Yukihiro's involvement in the magical world. Another would be that a Marina Yukihiro would be pissed in the morning, having found her husband sprawled on the floor of his office with a beer in hand, and a Koneko Takahata was currently wishing with all her heart that her father would come home, and was chewing her grandfather's ear in an attempt to generate some good luck.
So, Kouhei Takahata slammed down his beer, left the mansion with a quick goodbye, and began the long, arduous walk to home.
Kouhei stopped before the tall apartment that was his home, looking up at the penthouse. He stumbled inside, walking towards the elevator. He rode it up to the top, right to a hallway leading to a single door. He walked up to the door, unlocking it with a key.
The inside of his penthouse was verymodern, designed by one of his wife's friends: It had all the things needed to sustain a life, and a bunch of other cool features both mundane and magical. Kouhei noticed his father sprawled over the couch, so he went over, and prodded him. No response, other than snores. He picked up his dad with a bit of effort, walked over outside the door, and put him on the ground.
He considered leaving him there… But he decided against it. He walked back into the penthouse, and brought out a pillow and blanket. He tucked his father in the same way he did for him as a kid, and then shut the door, locking it.
"Daddy…?" Kouhei turned around. Behind him, yawning and in pajamas, was Koneko. She held a blanket in one hand, and her favorite fish stuffie under her other arm. He walked up to her, kneeling down to eye level.
"I'm home now." He smiled. "And I'm not leaving anytime soon."
"Daddy…" Koneko beamed.
Kouhei pulled her into a tight, emotion filled hug.
"Can you read me a story?" She asked.
"Okay." Kouhei quickly agreed.
Anything for his daughter, after all.
Kouhei sat down on the couch, curled up against the armrest.
"I'm going clean." He told himself, staring down at the syringe in his hand. He wasn't doing anything illegal, but it did have a concentrated amount of the anti-hallucinogen he "needed" to take. "I'm going clean." He repeated.
He was going to stop taking the drug. For his sake, and his daughters. "It's been 6 years already, Kouhei. You can move on. You know you can." He tried to assure himself. He looked deeply at the syringe.
"I don't need it."
He took a deep breath, as the medicine he took before leaving for Tokyo wore off. He closed his eyes. Then, hesitantly, he opened them. No visions, no hallucinations…
No haunting apparitions of the woman he loved.
"Kouhei... Did I mention I love you?" Kouhei paled considerably.
He looked up. Sitting there, curled against the other armrest, was his wife. Chiyo. She had a sad look on her face, a phone pressed against her ear. He really should have predicted this.
"I know you do…" She answered into the phone.
"I love you too." Kouhei replied, frightened, yet dazed, remembering this conversation and speaking word for word at the same pace as his voice came from the phone in Chiyo's hands.
"Just come home soon, alright…?"
"I'll try."
"Kouhei, please… I want you home, with me…"
"I said I'll try, but you know what my work details."
"I know what you do is important… But I don't want to spend every other day of my life worrying whether or not you're going to come home…!
"Chiyo… I promise, I'll come home. We'll be a family again."
"Kouhei… You promise…? Do you really promise? Kouhei, I want you here, as my husband, and in the future, as the father of our child…"
"I promise, Chiyo. Would I ever lie to you?"
"Kouhei…"
"I never back down on my word, Chiyo."
"Thank you… I love you so much…"
"I love you too… With my heart."
"Okay… Ah! The baby's kicking! Say hi, Kouhei!" Chiyo chimed, placing the phone near her rather bulged navel.
"Hi, little guy…" Kouhei said, almost lovingly.
Chiyo brought the phone back to her ear. "We don't even know if it's going to be a boy…"
"Aw, but I wanted to name him Kouhei Jr."
Chiyo giggled softly. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
"I'm crossing a bridge right now, SHIT!" Kouhei hissed, as loud bangs appeared through the phone, remembering what happened.
"Kouhei!" Chiyo shrieked.
"I'll be home tomorrow! I promise!" He assured her, listening to the bangs and exploding sounds coming from the phone. And then the line cut. Chiyo dropped the phone, curling into her knees, crying.
Kouhei crawled over to her, trying to comfort her. He reached out a hand to dry her tears. When his hand met her face… She was gone. Kouhei sat on his knees, looking right where his wife had been.
He wondered why he was so powerless to do anything. He condemned himself for not being able to do more. So he fell down on to the sofa, curling into a ball. And he himself cried, creeping ever so closer into insanity's embrace.
And then unconsciousness claimed him.
Chapter 1 Complete!
I hope I did a good job in this re-rewrite. I want to portray a vastly different Kouhei Takahata, this one worked thoroughly through and with major attention to details. I want to write about a man, shaken by a past, made to fight for his future and the future of his children. That, and this plot is going to freaking ROCK. Oh yes, I almost forgot.
One last bit before we end this:
Kouhei stood, half asleep before the headmaster of Mahora Academy. He only got a few hours of sleep last night. "You can't make me go there."
"But you must! It's your duty as the teacher of Class 3-B to go with the students to the class trip to Kyoto! Why are you being so stubborn?"
"I'm not going, for personal reasons!" Kouhei shouted, almost angrily.
Konoemon sat back, sighing. "Alright… But why don't you want to go to Kyoto? Is there something there that you don't like?"
"…" Kouhei nodded, now ashamed.
"Then tell this old man, so I may understand. Please?" Konoemon asked.
"Kyoto…" Kouhei gave a bit of thought thinking deeply. He took a final, deep breath.
"Kyoto is where I buried my wife when she died."